The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Westchester County Airport

‘We Will Go Forward Together’

by

Concert goers came from near and far the night before Election Day; the all-star lineup in Philadelphia at a GOTV Rally for Hillary Clinton may have been impossible to resist. Rock star icons Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi entertained the crowd with their hit songs, and President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama all joined Hillary Clinton in a most memorable, show of solidarity.

PHOTOS BY CHAD KRAUS

hillphilly-1

hillphilly-3

hill-choirphilly

HOME STRETCH

At Westchester County Airport: the Clintons scheduled 3:30 a.m. arrival time on Election Day from a final campaign stop in Raleigh did not deter the enthusiastic supporters who had gathered patiently for hours as temperatures dipped below 40 degrees. With Katy Perry’s The Fight Song booming, a hometown crowd cheered as Hillary and Bill Clinton stepped off the Boeing 737; and per usual, the Clintons took time to greet and thank many who came before heading home to Chappaqua.

PHOTOS BY CHAD KRAUS

hill-hillairplane

chad_
Chappaqua Friends of Hill and Tim
chad_voting-12
Voting Day at Grafflin

 

Westchester County Airport: A Hidden Jewel For Air Travelers In The Region

by

Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino; Lt Col Joseph Wooley, Civil Air Patrol; Peter Scherrer, Westchester County Airport at a rededication ceremony this past July for the Lockheed T-33 jet, known as the “T-Bird” after the WWII plane was restored for a year. Photos Courtesy of the Office of the Westchester County Executive
Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino; Lt Col Joseph Wooley, Civil Air Patrol; Peter Scherrer, Westchester County Airport at a rededication ceremony this past July for the Lockheed T-33 jet, known as the “T-Bird” after the WWII plane was restored for a year. Photos Courtesy of the Office of the Westchester County Executive.

It’s another busy morning at Westchester County Airport. On the runway, a JetBlue flight is about to take off to Orlando with several young Westchester families en route to Disney. Another runway has a handful of business travelers coming in on a United flight from Chicago. Meanwhile a Westchester-based CEO is boarding his corporate jet for a meeting in Rochester.   

Opened in 1945, Westchester County Airport operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and currently has six airlines offering flights, serving approximately 1.75 million passengers a year. The airport’s code, HPN, actually stands for Harrison, Purchase and North Castle, not White Plains Airport, as many people mistakenly believe, because the airport’s footprint is owned by all three towns. The airport employs 1,300 workers full-time and brings in an estimated $735 million to the region, according to a 2010 analysis.

The main terminal at Westchester County Airport.
The main terminal at Westchester County Airport.

The airport first began commercial flights in 1948 and the National Guard maintained a base at the airport from 1952 to 1983. In 2005, the airport began to offer discount flights to several key destinations for the first time.   

With residential properties surrounding the airport, the county works hard at limiting noise and other environmental hazards.

A Westchester County Airport Advisory Board meets monthly and the board discusses topics such as noise/odor complaints with meetings open to the public.  The board consists of eleven members appointed by the County Executive with representatives from the surrounding areas and aviation specialists. Residents can track flights and complain about any noise issues via www.airport.westchester.gov under the flight tracking tab. The County and Board have also been instrumental in capping terminal use to 480 passengers per hour to limit the impact on surrounding communities.

“The Westchester County Airport serves a very important purpose for the residents and businesses not only in North Castle but in the surrounding region,” notes Michael Schiliro, the Town Supervisor of North Castle. “In April, the North Castle Town Board adopted a Resolution requesting that North Castle be considered an Interested Agency for the proposed legislation modifying the Terminal Use Agreement. It is important to strike a balance between sustaining the level of service expected by the users of the airport while addressing the environmental, traffic, and noise impacts of North Castle residents. We intend to be an active participant in the process.”

“I think when people hear the words development or expansion they confuse construction with that,” notes Richard Conrad, an Advisory Board member from North Castle who is also the CEO and Owner of GP Aviation, a company that operates and sells business jets. For example, the airport recently built a separate building on the right hand side of the terminal for baggage screening to make it safer and efficient for all passengers. “The airport really is a jewel of Westchester, offering accessibility, ease of entry/egress from the airport and civilized travel with fewer crowds than other nearby airports. The county and [County Executive Rob] Astorino are huge proponents of it and are constantly looking for ways to improve the airport experience for everybody.”

Samantha Shinnick, an Armonk resident, uses the airport frequently and likes that “it’s a small airport with pretty good service (except when it snows). They run the operations smoothly based on security lines, etc.” However, she wishes there were more reasonable taxi services available and would like Uber to be allowed on-site.

There are several fixed-base operators (FBOs) at the airport such as Million Air and Signature Flight Support and these operators offer the convenience of driving right up to your plane and having staff handle your baggage. “It’s just another level of civilized travel,” comments Conrad.

In addition, Conrad notes that the airport is a “mecca for business aviation,” bringing in millions of dollars to the area.

Stacey Pfeffer lives with her husband and three young children in Chappaqua. She has written for New York Family Magazine, Kveller.com, Westchester Parents and Inside Chappaqua. She has flown to Florida several times via Westchester County Airport.

In Gratitude

by

Andrew Vitelli
Andrew Vitelli

By Andrew Vitelli

For our November edition of Inside Armonk, we have stories on history, politics, art, altruism, and some looks back at the last two months.

As Americans, the first thing that comes to many of our minds when we think of November is elections. With this year being a presidential election year (and an unusual one at that), it’s likely a lot of readers will have more than a little election fatigue by the time you’ve picked up this magazine. But even for those who have watched, heard, and read more than they can stand on the presidential election, the races closer to home often get overlooked. For this issue, we’ve spotlighted the race for Armonk’s representative in the New York State Senate, profiling both candidates and allowing readers to compare where they stand.

Election season is also a great time to look back at the country’s history and at the role our town played.

I’ve highlighted the work of the North Castle Historical Society whose members make sure this history isn’t lost for future generations. We have also included a preview of an upcoming tour of one of Armonk’s historic cemeteries, located next to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and the resting place of many Civil War veterans, for those who want to delve deeper into the history.

Our cover story last issue previewed the Armonk Outdoor Art Show. For this edition, we look back at that weekend, along with coverage of other art shows in the area. We also feature pictures from the Donuts and Cider Festival held in September.

For our Q&A, ‘meet’ Stacy Wilder, the director of communications for the Armonk Chamber of Commerce. Stacy tells readers how the hamlet has evolved in the 22 years she has lived in Armonk, and what the chamber has done in order to keep up.

We also highlight a charity event held this September in a spin studio, where cyclists took a “Spin for a Cure” with funds going towards the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Finally, our November issue profiles Westchester County Airport, an often overlooked asset for the town and the region. We look at how the airport fits into North Castle and Westchester County, why travelers prefer the airport to some of the larger airports in the area, and how Westchester County Airport became what it is today.