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Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Westchester

10 Reasons Why Winter in Westchester Isn’t So Bad

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I have a sister who lives in LA. She’s a native New Yorker like me and she couldn’t be happier there. When we FaceTime on the phone she usually announces gleefully what the weather is there as she sees me all bundled up in my wool turtleneck sweater. “Well it’s 18 degrees here,” I reply. And then we discuss other things but without fail in every conversation, the weather comes up. I often wonder if I’d be happier on the West Coast and for now the answer is a resounding no. I like the change in seasons. There’s a certain beauty in a Hudson Valley winter (at least in the beginning before the umpteenth snow day). So here without further ado are ten reasons why winter in Westchester isn’t so bad.

1.Glistening snow – when that first snowfall happens before the snowplows come, it truly is a sight to see.

2.Building snowmen, making snow angels and snowball fights – if dressed appropriately, this is a lot of fun. I will admit that my kids have way more stamina for this than me. After a while I want to go back inside.

3.Baking – something about this weather makes me just love to bake. Especially on snow days.

4.Winter clothes – I know this may sound odd but I like my winter wardrobe so much more than my summer clothes. Wool, velvet, cashmere, shearling lined booties. Oh and I can’t forget pom pom hats.

5.Winter sports – I am one of those rare specimens who grew up in the Northeast and has never skied or tried snowboarding. But I have snowshoed (less chance of injury) and taking in the beauty of the season while outdoors is a special treat.

6.Holiday lights – I love it when folks deck their homes in holiday splendor. There are some pretty creative folks around here.

7.Snow days – The first few snow days I absolutely love. Now I realize this is a true luxury for me because I work from home and don’t have to worry about childcare or commuting in treacherous conditions but going back to sleep after the robocall and wearing PJs all day has its appeal.

8.The scent of winter – As a recreational runner with my dog, I’ll bundle myself up (and the dog too in his jacket) and run in weather as low as 25 degrees. It’s invigorating running outside, seeing my warm breath meet the cold air and taking in the scent of folks burning wood in their fireplaces. That’s New England personified to me.

9. Hot chocolate, hot toddies, hot soup – I like all of these. Need I say more?

10.Knowing that this too shall pass – This was my grandma’s favorite saying. The glistening snow, the icicles on the branches – they are all ephemeral. Spring is on its way before you know it.

Wishing you and your families a winter and holiday season filled with warmth and fun memories.

Filming in the Castles: Why Our Suburban Towns Appeal to Moviemakers

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Westchester County is increasingly being used as a location for television and film crews
Photo courtesy of Westchester County Tourism and Film

Shooting movies and television in New Castle and North Castle might be sparse, but the right to film in these suburban towns is strict.

Before residents hear “lights, camera, action!” in North Castle and New Castle, even big shot producers, directors and actors need to abide by town codes and receive the town’s blessing. Just like the average local Joe, people in show business need to respect local ordinances.

While there isn’t necessarily a large influx of camera crews coming to either New Castle or North Castle, the Westchester County Tourism and Film Office said there is a certain appeal to both towns.

What makes these towns a draw, Caputo said, is they can pass for almost anywhere. Suburban street, small-town centers and lush parks are always in demand.

“And both North Castle and New Castle have that and more,” Caputo said.

And while some residents might bemoan the occasional road closure or traffic delay due to filming, Caputo said most people in the vicinity of filming find it to be an exciting prospect that scenes from the big screen are being shot in their town.

“It makes the news and the social media rounds – so it is exciting. Also we are very fortunate that most producers and location managers are very sensitive to neighbors’ concerns,” Caputo said. “The last thing they want to do is to burn bridges and make it more difficult to film in the future, so they’re transparent about what they’re doing and when, and are willing to make adjustments and accommodations for neighbors – both residents and businesses – whenever possible.”

More Films Being Shot in the 914

Overall, there has been an uptick in film requests throughout the county, Caputo said. That trend is due to more productions being based in and around New York City and the reputation Westchester has earned as a convenient and “film friendly” location.

Film friendly doesn’t mean free rein, with municipalities requiring film companies completing an application that needs approval from town boards.

Filming in North Castle

North Castle town clerk Alison Simon, whose office handles filming requests, said in her four-year tenure, there are only 3-5 filming requests consistently each year. It can be a mixture from movies and television shows to shooting or even still photographing of commercials.

Most recently, the CBS television show FBI, created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk that stars Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki and Jeremy Sisto, filmed in town.

Last year the Showtime series Escape At Dannemora, which is based on the upstate New York prison break where a married female prison guard helped two male inmates who she was having sexual relations with escape from Clinton Correctional Facility. That limited series starred Oscar winners Benicio del Toro and Patricia Arquette and Golden Globe nominee Paul Dano with Emmy winner Ben Stiller directing. The filming in town took place near the reservoir.

“By the time the application gets to the town board, it’s usually pretty well vetted,” Simon said.

Still, there are times residents aren’t happy with the filming if it’s occurring in their neighborhood. There is one Bedford residence in a quiet area that is a hot bed for film projects, which has a few bothered neighbors, Simon said.

Mostly though, strict parameters ensure residents won’t face much acrimony as a result of some filming.

“We work with the applicants and the neighbors to make sure that they’re all aware of what’s happening and make sure the applicant doesn’t start filming too early or stay too late so they will disturb neighbors as little as possible,” Simon said.

Filming in New Castle

In New Castle, the filming application is submitted to the Office of Town Administrator, which then sends it to the police department for a thorough review. Chief James Carroll said the department focuses on how the filming could affect traffic safety and flow and whether or not officers need to be hired and roads need to be shut down during filming.

During Carroll’s tenure with the department, he can’t recall a time where filming would be too intrusive that it would’ve been denied by the town board. Carroll said a few years ago there was a massive filming project that even rented out the Whippoorwill Country Club for staff and crew to stay between shoots. Most filming is done on private properties with equipment and trucks stationed on side roads. Officers are used to direct traffic, Carroll said.

The biggest celebrity that Carroll can recall coming to town is Jessica Chastain when she was shooting A Most Violent Year, which is a crime drama film from 2014.

Carroll estimates there are only a couple times a year filming is done in New Castle and typically, residents are more curious than annoyed when filming is done nearby. The town requires applicants to send a note letting neighbors in a 250-foot radius of the shoot know five days prior when the filming will take place so there are no surprises.

And even if a resident or two might be displeased, as Carroll said filming in town is “not on a regular basis.”

So the next time you spot a film crew or their van in the castles, know that they have been vetted thoroughly by your town board and if you are lucky, you may even spot a star or two.

In Armonk, Re-thinking College Admissions Success

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Bruni’s book will be part of the first community
book read event on October 17th

Armonk–and surrounding communities–is filled with residents who live there often because of the high quality of the school system. Parents and community members believe that Byram HIlls High School students are well-prepared in general for a competitive college application process. And they are right.

Last year, 68 percent of the Byram Hills graduating class was accepted into the top 11 percent of colleges in the country, according to the district website. These are schools identified by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges as Tier 1, which is also called ‘most competitive,’ and Tier 2, referred to as ‘highly competitive.’ Yale, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Tulane are examples of schools recently ranked Tier 1, while schools that earned the Tier 2 designation recently include SUNY Stony Brook, the United States Coast Guard Academy and Baylor.

Partnering with Challenge Success

Yet, Byram Hills High School Principal Christopher Walsh does not think a student’s future is solely determined by his or her college acceptances–and he is not alone. That’s why the district entered into a partnership with Challenge Success, a nonprofit that partners with schools to “create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for their kids.” Challenge Success seeks to help communities “embrace a broad definition of success,” and also help students engage with learning more. The program was generously funded by the Byram Hills Education Foundation (BHEF) and the Debra Leipman Yale Memorial Fund. The Debra Leipman Yale Memorial Fund is a fund within the BHEF that honors the life and memory  of Debra Leipman Yale, and supports initiatives that are consistent with her values. 

“Byram Hills is part of this little cluster of schools in the Westchester area that all partnered with us last year,” Jon Kleinman of Challenge Success said. “When schools do this in concert with their peers, it’s easier to make changes.” Kleinman said that Challenge Success works with schools to “identify where they want to make progress and help connect them to research, tools and ideas.”

Walsh, who attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), said the district is proud of its success in placing students in many competitive colleges, but he also thinks that there are many ways to become successful and start a fulfilling life without attending a top-tier school. For Walsh, attending USMMA “really came down to a financial choice,” he said, adding that “The more I looked into USMMA the more I realized I’d have great opportunities there. After I graduated I was commissioned as an officer in the Navy, I received a B.S. in marine transportation.” It was while traveling around the world that Walsh began seeing and thinking about the educational opportunities in different places, which eventually led him to graduate school at Harvard, he said.

Different Pathways to Success

“We’re trying to look at the overall student experience,” Walsh said. “We want to make sure we have everyone involved in the conversation about moving away from this idea about a single path to success” and “the idea that you need to have everything nailed down by December of senior year.”

Another way to go is to take a gap year after college, Walsh pointed out. “Some students have decided to take gap years and they report feeling much more prepared and not caught in the current of stress and anxiety,” Walsh said. Others decide to attend schools that may not be the most competitive institutions that have accepted them – an example, Walsh said, is a soccer player who was being recruited by Yale but chose to attend Ithaca. “I just heard from her,” Walsh said in early July. “She has an on-air internship with Fox Sports and she’ll be covering the World Cup.”

Part of choosing the right college is looking beyond name recognition, Walsh said, and to that end, college counselors at Byram Hills are expected to “know the students and know the best choices for them. There’s really an expectation that the college counselors should have an idea where the students should apply.”

Community Book Read Event on October 17

Students, parents and others who wish to be part of this conversation can participate in the first Byram Hills Community Book Read. The book is Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni. Bruni describes many high-achievers who flourished at less competitive colleges–and in many cases attribute their success to those institutions.

“It’s a book that’s really accessible to the community and it’s a great jumping-off point,” Walsh said. The book is recommended for students as an independent reading selection on the Byram Hills High School summer reading list this summer, and Walsh said, “We have had a number of students who have chosen to read it.”

On Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m., members of the steering committee that worked with Challenge Success will lead a discussion in the Byram Hills High School library. All community members are welcome to attend the free event.

Impact100 Westchester: Strong Women Transforming Our County Via Collective Giving

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Impact100 Executive Board (L-R): Laura Rotter, Roberta Shapiro, Susan Bloom, Samantha Schwam, Laura Stone, Dawn Hoesterey, and Blakely Brodbeck

It’s amazing what women can do when they come together. Skilled, talented and intelligent women across Westchester County have been joining forces since 2014 to make a difference in our community by collective giving. Through Impact100 Westchester, these women have pooled their resources and awarded over 1.5 million dollars in grant money to local non-profits.

What is Impact100?

The concept is simple yet brilliant. The goal is to harness the energy and resources of a large group of women to achieve a transformational effect on an organization. The first Impact100 was founded in 2001 by Wendy Steele, a Cincinnati woman who recruited one hundred women to donate one thousand dollars each to help fund a dental clinic for the homeless.

“The theory is that a thousand dollars is a lot of money for some people and not so much for other people, but it is enough money that regardless of which end of the spectrum you’re in, you have skin in the game to feel like you’re tied to the money that you’re giving,” explains Armonk resident and Impact100 Westchester co-president Samantha Schwam. Since its inception, 53 chapters of Impact100 have formed around the world and over $55 million has been awarded by Impact100 groups globally.

The Westchester chapter was founded in 2012 by Edgemont resident, Sharon Salomy Douglas. After many kitchen table meetings amongst friends in Edgemont, Scarsdale, Armonk, and beyond, the first grant cycle started in 2014 with 132 members. Impact100 Westchester has since grown to 352 members and just completed its sixth grant cycle and awarded $352,000 in grants this year. Grant money is collected exclusively from membership dues of $1100 per member—$1,000 per year for the grant fund plus $100 to cover administrative costs such as accounting fees, tech support and the annual meeting.

Longtime Armonk resident and outgoing Impact100 Westchester co-president Susan Bloom was one of the original Westchester members. “My next door neighbor in Armonk had an information session at her house and as soon as I heard the idea, I thought it was a brilliant concept. The collective aspect is what really appealed to me. Here is a way that you can give money and feel like you are making a difference. You really feel like you are part of something big when you give that big check at the annual meeting,” she says.

A grant review committee at work

The Mission Behind Impact100

The mission of Impact100 Westchester is to engage women in philanthropy and to fund transformational grants for Westchester non-profits. “We do that in three ways,” says Schwam, “first, by connecting like-minded women in Westchester; second, by educating women on the non-profit community and the needs in Westchester; and lastly, by hopefully transforming Westchester by granting the transformational private grants.”

The educational component has been an important focus for the current executive board. “We felt that we want all our members, not just those who are part of grant review, to understand the process. We put together a rubric to help guide members in their decision-making process,” says Bloom. “We also run educational events for our members to help educate them on specific issues in the non-profit world.”

The Process

Every grant cycle, Impact recruits and registers members. Once membership closes, the size of the grant fund is determined and announced to the public. Depending on the number of members, the transformational project grants are anywhere between $80,000 to $100,000. Applications from non-profits across Westchester are then accepted for review. Members can participate on committees, review grant applications, perform financial due diligence, attend site visits or simply vote at the annual meeting.  Non-profits that do not move on to become finalists are provided with feedback from Impact’s advisory council on how they can improve their project. Grant finalists present their projects and the entire membership votes at the annual meeting.

Chappaqua resident Rachel Rader who just completed her third year at Impact says that the flexibility was one of the things that really appealed to her. “I liked the fact that I could write a check and be as involved or uninvolved as I want and then throw myself into it as time allows.” Rader has co-chaired a Chappaqua-based grant review committee for the last two years and plans to continue in the coming year.

WJCS (L-R): Lisa Scott, Program Director of Center Lane, Sean Michael, Program Participant at Center Lane, Paula Santa-Donato, Director of Youth Services at WJCS and Shannon Van Loon, Assistant Executive Director at WJCS
Gilda’s Club (L-R): Dr. Laura Moore, Children, Teens and Families Manager, Rachel Weisglass, Member of the Youth Committee and Jen Scully, Director of Program Administration
Make The Road (L-R): Lisette Rodríguez, Client of MRNY,
Theo Oshiro, Deputy Director,
Arlenis Morel, Chief of Staff and
Jessica Young, Westchester Supervising Attorney

This Year’s Grant Recipients

The 2019 grant cycle culminated in an exciting evening at the annual meeting at Brae Burn Country Club on May 21, 2019. Six finalists made it to the final round and all gave compelling presentations. Ultimately, three $100,000 transformational project grants were awarded to Gilda’s Club Westchester, Make The Road New York, and The Center Lane Pride Program at Westchester Jewish Community Services.

Gilda’s Club will use the grant money to build a teen center and to implement teen programming. Make the Road New York, located at “La Casa Azul” in White Plains will use the grant money to renovate their space to create a family center with a childcare area and private meeting space to allow them to expand their legal services and social work. The Center Lane Pride Program will use its funds to deliver “LGBTQ 101” cultural competency training to school staff, medical practitioners and parents. Center Lane also intends to create a “Youth Pride Curriculum” that can be shared at schools throughout Westchester and beyond.

The remaining three finalists did not leave empty-handed. Each was awarded a $12,333 core mission grant to help fund their ongoing operations. A $15,000 focus area grant was also awarded to an arts organization as Impact has observed over the years that arts organizations rarely make it to the final round.

Past Recipients

One of Impact’s many success stories, Pace Women’s Justice Center, after receiving a $100,000 transformational project grant from Impact in 2016 to fund a walk-in clinic to better serve victims of abuse, was able to attract additional funding from Pace University, multiplying their grant ten-fold. Beyond the new walk-in clinic, this allowed for new office space and additional staff and lawyers. They can now serve over 500 clients each year.

Another transformational $100,000 grant recipient in 2016, Latino U, a college preparatory service for first generation Latino students, was awarded money to pilot a program to help their students successfully transition into college life. Based on the success of this pilot program, they were able to secure additional funding from New York State to continue the program for beyond Impact’s initial grant period.

“It’s so interesting how interconnected the Westchester non-profit world is,” observes Rader. “I joined Latino U as a tutor and later found out that it had been a recipient of an Impact grant. It’s cool to be on the inside of an organization that benefited from Impact.”

Unforeseen Benefits for Impact100 Members

Impact has been rewarding for its members in so many unexpected ways.

“My work with Impact has been really inspiring for me,” says Schwam. “I love sitting in a grant review meeting and hearing people’s perspectives. Everyone is coming to grant review from different personal experiences, whether having dealt with medical issues, cancer, domestic violence… Everyone is also coming from different educational backgrounds and skill sets. A finance person might be looking at the financial statements while a lawyer will approach it from a different perspective. The beauty of sitting in grant review and hearing those conversations has been a great process. I might walk in to a meeting thinking one applicant is my favorite but then I end up being swayed after listening to what someone else says and think to myself, ‘wow, I never thought about it that way.’ We try to foster a judgment-free zone where everyone feels comfortable to express their opinion.”

“For me,” says Bloom, “it has been an incredible growth experience–I joined and a couple of years later I was president,” she laughs. “Ultimately, the women that I’ve met have really blown me away. I would not have met them if not for this organization. Impact is a great way to network and for women to get outside their small bubble and get involved in something meaningful.”

“So many of us, working or not working,” says Rader, “are involved in things relating to our children’s education, our own communities, etc. It feels eye-opening to be involved in something where you’re helping people who are having a completely different experience of living in Westchester than you.”

Impact100 is always looking for new members. For more information, check out their website at impact100westchester.org

Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival Returns Bigger and Even Better: New and Exciting Guests, Panels & Activities On Tap

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A new story for your bookshelf. A photograph with your favorite author. A signed copy of a book you love. On October 5th, the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (“CCBF”) returns to Robert E. Bell Middle School, offering area children and their parents the opportunity to meet the writers behind the most popular children’s stories and find or foster a love for reading. With a record 145 authors scheduled to attend and a wide selection of special events and activities, the 7th annual Festival is primed to build on prior years’ great success, expected to attract over 8,000 visitors.

Voted the Best Annual Festival by Westchester Magazine, the CCBF is proud to host a variety of esteemed authors in October, including big names in children’s literature such as Kate Messner, Dan Gutman, David Kirk, Padma Venkatraman, and Tiffany Jackson. A number of these authors will participate in themed panels throughout the day, offering visitors a chance to hear the voices behind their favorite stories and learn about the writing process at large. Kicking off the author panel will be a keynote address from New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka, whose more than 30 published books include the Platypus Police Squad middle school series as well as his popular graphic novel collection titled Lunch Lady.

Exciting New Panel Presentations

While visitors will have ample opportunity to meet writers and purchase books at the individual author tables, new panels will offer a deeper look into the values and objectives behind the creation of children’s literature, exploring a variety of themes and topics intended to engage both young readers and their parents. Author participants on the “Keeping it Real” panel will discuss their experiences with nonfiction writing, while those on “All the Feels” will examine how their books help children make sense of their feelings and emotions. “Girls in the World” contributors will explore how their books depict the empowerment and growth of young girls throughout the complex issues faced during their developmental years.

Additionally, this year’s panel series will welcome Project LIT Community, described by founder Jarred Amato as a “national, grassroots literacy movement” through which dedicated authors empower young people “as readers, writers, and leaders” by sharing books that “make them feel seen, heard, affirmed, and valued”. Project LIT unites educators and students through books that teach youth about current events and culture, helping them become leaders who can make their voices heard.

Growing Every Year

The Chappaqua’s Children’s Book Festival has become one of Westchester County’s signature and largest events, garnering national attention and growing immensely in size and scope to accommodate larger numbers of both visitors and authors. Outreach efforts extend to schools and libraries in Westchester, Connecticut and New York City, welcoming families from well beyond the Chappaqua community and making this year’s festival likely the largest yet.

To ensure the safety of the growing number of visitors, CCBF organizers have arranged for the town to close off lower Greeley Avenue during the event, creating an easier path for families arriving by train or parking in the train station lot. The closed road, as well as the Bell soccer field, will allow more space for sponsors and food trucks, accommodating the anticipated attendees as well as abundant activities and refreshments.

Also appearing at the Festival will be KidLit TV, a website that connects parents and educators with authors, illustrators, and their work. The station will be broadcasting from the Festival with live interviews from the many visiting authors taking part in the event. Author readings, always an integral part of the CCBF, will now take place in the gazebo on the Recreation Field, and various activities involving art and music will add to the festivities. With a dedication to the principles of community and literacy, a portion of book sale proceeds will go to local literacy programs, encouraging area schools to invest in their reading programs and ensuring that the values of CCBF reach far beyond the Festival itself.

As a community-based event, CCBF is proud to engage both local organizations and families for this highly anticipated day that connects writers and readers in a shared love of literature.

Financial Asset Management of Chappaqua (FAM), one of the festival’s sponsors will be supporting a variety of lead-up events throughout the month of September, including window decorations of local businesses, an art show by author and illustrator Mara Van Fleet and a Storywalk created by the Chappaqua Public Library.

So clear your calendar for October 5th to attend the 7th Annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. ccbfestival.org for more information or to sign up as a volunteer at the event or become a sponsor.