Briarcliff Manor Archives - The Inside Press

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Briarcliff Manor

Mezzapalooza – A Helping Hand Through Music

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The very dedicated Mezzapalooza Board of Directors of Briarcliff. (L-R): Dan Shine, Mike Vincent, Andy Hite, Marc Milano, Matt Cooleen, Sergio Prosperino, Chris Fenimore, Matt Sesti. Not pictured: Peter Veritas and Brendan Kenney.  

If you love listening to live music outdoors – especially as the weather warms up and want to support a worthwhile cause at the same time – come out to Mezzapalooza on Saturday, May 11 at the Law Memorial Park Pavilion in Briarcliff Manor. Back after a four-year hiatus, the event promises a night full of music, food, and fun – all in support of Ossining resident Scott Rowe and his family.

Mezzapalooza (a 501c3) was originally created in 2012 after the tragic passing of Briarcliff resident John Mezzatesta. The community came together to honor and lend a hand to the family of one of Briarcliff’s favorite sons. As a testament to John’s memory, Mezzapalooza unites the community each year in support of a local family by offering its help and support. Mezzapalooza is back for 2024, promising an amazing evening to help support the Rowe family.

When the event first began in 2012, it was in a very organic way. As Marc Milano, member of the Executive Board says, “Mezzatesta was a legend of Briarcliff – active in everything from Little League to the fire department. The community was shocked by his death. A group got together and wanted to do something for his family and to honor him.” That’s when a few local dads that happened to play in bands decided to have a big “Battle of the Bands” party to help raise money for the family. Attendees enjoyed live music, food, and a live auction. It was so successful that the Board said, let’s do it again next year and find another family to help.

Milano was a member of one of the original bands from the inaugural event – The Lost Souls, which will be part of the line-up again this year. “Mezzapalooza came to be known as helping hands through music, as well as a village community event. We wanted to keep raising money for families in town who could really use it.” The event last took place in 2019 at St. Theresa’s Church. But then COVID hit, and the event went dormant for a few years. As Milano explains, “This past year, there were some younger families in town who had heard about Mezzapalooza and wanted to bring it back to help another local family. We reconstituted the Board and learned of a family going through a struggle. John Mezzatesta was a lion of Briarcliff – everyone knew him. The Rowe family is like that for Ossining.”

Scott Rowe, a resident of Briarcliff Manor, has an immense zest for life – and family means everything to him. Unfortunately, since July 2022, when Rowe was found to have several pulmonary embolisms, he has been in and out of the ER and the ICU and is fighting every day. He continues to be in the care of the Briarcliff Manor Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. His constant support system includes wife and high school sweetheart Michelle, daughters Maddie (19), Lily (14) and family dog Boomer. Proceeds from Mezzapalooza will benefit Scott and his beautiful family.

The Mezzapalooza Board of Directors is comprised of a large group of long time Briarcliff residents who are active in all areas of the Village and are quite generous in donating their time. The founding members, Andy Hite, Matt Cooleen, and Mike Vincent played a huge role in getting this remarkable event started in 2012 and their guidance has been instrumental in the current reboot.

Mezzapalooza takes place on Saturday, May 11 at The Pavilion at Law Memorial Park in Briarcliff Manor. From 6-11 p.m., guests can enjoy live music from bands No Mersey, Orange Jelly Project, and The Lost Souls – all donating their time for this truly worthwhile cause. Guests (21+ only) may BYO and there will also be a pizza truck, cash bar, plus a live auction and raffle of some amazing items and experiences.

For tickets and more information, please visit mezzapalooza.org

Words that Inspire at the Poetry Café at the Briarcliff Manor Public Library

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Zach Gerstein, founder of BMPL’s Poetry Café
PHOTO BY EVAN TRAINOR

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility” said William Wordsworth in 1798. Centuries later, poetry may not be flying off the shelves, but there is still a massive and loyal audience. Since October 2022, the Briarcliff Manor Public Library (BMPL) has been hosting Poetry Café events where poets from all walks of life can come, share, and be inspired by one another’s works. And you do not have to be a professional to participate.

The café was started by Zach Gerstein, the library’s Reference Librarian, who stated, “I have been hosting poetry events since autumn 2009, when I ran the Peripatetic Poetry Corps at the Bean Runner Café in Peekskill. Since then, I’ve done series in Mahopac and Putnam Valley.” Gerstein continued, “The Poetry Café here at the BMPL was modeled after the very successful poetry café at the Florida Public Library, in Orange County, NY, which I have attended for nearly 15 years”.

Robert Milby, who was Orange County’s Poet Laureate from 2017-19 has hosted many of the Florida Library poetry cafés over the years. They began there in 2006 after a poetry reading series was suggested by its former Library Director, Madelyn Folino. The library hosts one reading per season and it consists of featured poets and an open reading, all hosted by Milby. The featured poets tend to be local to the greater Hudson Valley and the series has flourished after almost 18 years.

Gerstein has organized five cafés at BMPL since October 2022. Past cafés have featured poets Mary Wu, Bill Greenfield, Malcolm Netburn, Sean Singer, Sarah Bracey White, David Rigsbee, Vincent Bell, Jared Harél, Jared Beloff, Ellen Devlin, and Juan Mobili. The April 2024 event is slated to include Barb Jennes and Harriet Shenkman and there is a café in the works for July with Mary Lou Butler and Kristine Esser Slentz.

A great deal of enthusiasm for the cafés has been expressed by both the poets and the public at large. Sarah Bracey White says, “This was an opportunity to go where no one knows me and I can be part of a writing community. There is no judgement and people are responding to the poets’ content. It encourages people to express themselves through poetry. Poets in the audience don’t feel intimidated by others – it’s an encouraging environment for everyone to share their works.” White was happily surprised during her first visit to the BMPL Café when she headed to the second floor and saw a quote of her own stenciled onto the wall. It reads “Libraries showed me the world beyond my limited horizon.”

Bill Greenfield has been participating in various poetry readings throughout the Hudson Valley for the past ten years, which is how he met Gerstein. He describes his work as “down to earth” and his fourth book of poetry, The Ever-Shrinking Universe was recently published by Broadstone Books.

Mary Wu sees the café as a way to make poetry more accessible and less intimidating as well as bring the community together through artistic expression. “When I was growing up, poetry always seemed like this esoteric and mysterious genre of writing. However, it is thanks to Reference Librarian Zach Gerstein and (former) Library Director Donna Pesce for dispelling this myth by bringing the poetry cafe to the Briarcliff Manor Public Library”, Wu said. “I had the pleasure of sharing my poems from my poetry book Kaliedoscope (available on Amazon) at the very first poetry café that had an amazing turnout of audience members and supporters and eclectic and gifted poets sharing their works and writings. It was such a warm and welcoming place to be that shed light to the power of words through poetry.”

Reaction to the café has been extremely enthusiastic. They’re a wonderful way to help bring community members together. Gerstein said, “So far, most people prefer to just listen to our featured readers instead of signing up for the open mic” – but perhaps that may change in the near future. Upcoming café events will take place exclusively on Saturday afternoons, as that time slot tends to work best. People enjoy the social aspect of coming to the café. “Usually, they begin to arrive about 30 minutes before the readings and stick around afterwards for a good long while to chit-chat.”

The BMPL poetry cafés have become a new staple for the library and its community. They have brought together many talented writers sharing their stories and have hopefully inspired others in attendance to do the same. As White told me, “Life seduces my pen and poetry helps me arrange my thoughts about it.”

Greening Briarcliff is the Environmental Advisory Council’s Mission

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Amy Karpati, Ph.D., chair, Briarcliff Environmental Advisory Council (EAC)
PHOTOS BY DONNA MUELLER

Briarcliff Manor is getting more green. And more purple, yellow, and orange too.

The village recently planted a variety of pollinator plants, such as purple cone-flowered echinacea, black-eyed Susans, and orange-flowered milkweed to attract butterflies, in the area outside the Briarcliff Village Hall.

The plants “attract pollinators and they’re good for the environment,” said Dr. Amy Karpati, chair of the new Briarcliff Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). *The EAC was established by the village in Fall, 2022, succeeding the horticulture committee, with the mission of preserving and planting trees and indigenous flora in the central business district, in town parks and on walkways, walking trails and green spaces, and educating residents on garden cultivation, sustainable landscaping and pest control.

Working with the EAC, the village planted 30 to 35 native trees in parks and around the village’s youth center on Lu Van Lu Road and will determine where to plant new trees in the so-called “Tree Streets” neighborhood (including Oak, Maple, and Larch roads), to mitigate the potential for flooding.

“We need more trees to help with stormwater control and to help stabilize soils. Several tributaries of the Pocantico River run through Briarcliff and they can flood. Pocantico River goes through Jackson Road Park and the neighborhood bordering it.”

Possible tree species that could be planted include Swamp White Oak and River Birch, Karpati said.

These are trees “that can grow in areas that are intermittently wet and dry. There’s a general acknowledgement that we need more trees. The village asks us what species (of tree) we’d recommend,” she explained. “We’re collaborating with the village on future tree planting projects, providing guidance and recommendations on which species to plant and where to plant them.”

Karpati is an adjunct professor in the graduate sustainability management program at Columbia University. She earned a PhD in ecology and evolution from Rutgers.

“Briarcliff has a renewed interest in sustainability,” Karpati pointed out. “What I would love to see happen is to make Briarcliff a model of suburban sustainability,” she said, where the village makes “green spaces that are connected and walkable and bike-able. Briarcliff can remodel the streetscape and make it climate-resilient.”

In an email, Karpati described her vision in more detail: “I think it is important for the EAC – and the village – to really think outside of the box and think about what is possible regarding nature and natural resources in our community. We can bring nature into the places we live and work. In this way, we can have a two-pronged approach to conservation and sustainability, in which we, one, protect the existing forests, natural areas and green spaces and two, enhance biodiversity and ecosystem function within our built environment, reconciling our needs with the needs of other species, even in business districts and downtown streetscapes. We can protect what we already have and also create more nature. This would mean thinking about green infrastructure and nature-based solutions: green roofs, vegetated stormwater swales, street trees, rain gardens, pollinator gardens, etc.”

Another area of the EAC’s focus will be sustainable landscaping.

“We advocate for reducing the area of your lawn in favor of wildflower meadow habitat,” Karpati said. “We hope to provide more training in 2024 on how to get rid of grass, how to put in plants that are good for wildflower meadows, and how to make your yard more eco-friendly and sustainable. The blatant use of pesticides contributes to the decline in birds, bees, and moths,” she explained.

Native wildflowers and native grasses have roots that penetrate deep into the soil, which means they are more able to reach water sources. This makes them more drought resistant than turf grass, such as Kentucky blue grass, which has shallow roots. Turf grass needs more water and is susceptible to drying out.

“Lawns have so much potential for nature conservation,” she said.

One of the critical issues with current lawn care practices is the disposal of leaf litter every autumn. Firefly, butterfly, and moth larvae bury themselves in leaf litter, Karpati said. When homeowners gather up and throw away their leaf litter, they’re also throwing out the larvae. That’s how these species disappear from your lawn.

Moths and butterflies are important pollinator species. Concerning fireflies, “they have significant ecological and cultural value,” Karpati wrote in an email. “Ecologically, they are beneficial insects, as the larvae are voracious predators that gobble up snails and slugs, benefiting gardens and agricultural lands. Culturally, they are emblematic of childhood summers. Their twinkling bioluminescence is a source of wonder for kids and adults and connects us to the nature around us.

“They can be good ambassadors for suburban conservation, as their populations have been in decline, and it would be quite a shame to lose them from our neighborhoods,” she stated.

Karpati grew up on Long Island and frequently went on camping trips with her family, which helped her develop a connection with nature early in her childhood. She has worked as a director of science and programs at the Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining and a conservation biologist and environmental advocate in the New Jersey Pinelands.

At Columbia, she teaches how to create sustainable environments in urban areas, building green infrastructure in cities and enhancing biodiversity. She explained the presence of pigeons in cities, a question many walkers face every day as they make their way through New York City.

“The reason why they (pigeons) thrive is that tall buildings mimic the steep rock cliff sides that are their native habitats,” she said.

“I’m fascinated with how nature works. It’s cool to research how species adapt to their urban environments and how to bring ecosystem management back into disturbed landscapes.”

*Briarcliff Environmental Advisory Council: Dr. Amy Karpati, Brooke Beebe, Ernie DeMarie, Steven Kavee and Dawn Orza

Back to Calm & Peace

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Grace Bennett Photo   by Donna Mueller

While it may seem counterintuitive, ‘back to school,’ with its flurry of activities and family fun events, can also bring a renewed sense of calm and peace. Maybe that involves setting some new goals for yourself… a class, a job search, a new exercise (pickleball anyone?), eating more healthfully, joining a book club, taking in a hot new movie (or two, or three!), a live arts performance, or just browsing anew inside one of the independently owned bookstores, we are so lucky to have in abundance in northern Westchester. If this time of year brings you calm, if it brings you peace, then it’s also likely bringing you joy. Hey, run with that and accept your good fortune with a healthy dose of gratitude.

If you are dealing with hardship in any arena, and I can relate, it might also be a good time to study the art and science of resilience. At a workshop I attended on Navigating Change at Kripalu, a popular yoga and spiritual retreat in the Berkshires, we were advised to face and respect that which is difficult. The challenge, a wise instructor offered, is to shift even slightly to imagining a more positive story than the one you’re living, to eliminate obstacles (she called them ‘goblins’), and slowly take steps, even baby ones, so that the change you are seeking can become your new reality.

So with a greater sense of calm and peace, I had a great time getting these editions ready, from visiting the Miller House to help celebrate a new grant to playing pickleball in Armonk’s Lombardi Park with “the pickleball ladies.”  Kudos to Dawn Greenberg and her team for a 10th year of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, and to the Greeley Boys Swim & Dive Team who are aiming for a third NYS win (which would be unprecedented)!  More notes of congrats: to the Pleasantville Children’s Center on 50 years of excellence, and to Megan Stopera, a Curling champ in Briarcliff Manor, who could be a contender for an Olympic medal! 

As for the Inside Press, well into a 20th year, we have already shared a variety of testimonials and will continue doing so.

In fact, following dinner with a very special neighbor and friend in town – who so many know and admire as a paragon of resilience and perseverance – I asked if she’d be open to writing a testimonial about this press. And voila! I’m very proud and grateful to include Hillary Clinton’s kind words during this publishing period, with only one more ‘cycle’ to go! (Our holiday/winter 2023 editions mail November 10.)

Please enjoy all our contributors’ fine work here. Wishing you all calm and peaceful days this fall season and year round.  –  Grace

Popular Sport Takes Hold in North Castle – Thanks to The Pickleball Ladies of Armonk

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North Castle’s (L-R): Dara Lepofsky, Wendy Ranieri and Heather Hecht
PHOTOS BY DONNA MUELLER

As a long-time competitive tennis player, Heather Hecht was hardly impressed when she first saw people playing pickleball. “I thought it was a very noisy sport that looked like a completely ridiculous made-up game,” she recalled.

“But the fact that the players were having so much fun stuck with me. So, a few years later, while vacationing in South Carolina with my family, I noticed some courts and decided to give it a shot since I’ve always been eager to play any racket sport,” said the Pleasantville resident whose kids are in the Byram Hills Central School District.

Heather instantly fell in love with the game, which is often described as a mix of tennis, racquetball, badminton, and Ping-Pong. She introduced it to her family, as well as to her close friend and Armonk resident, Dara Lepofsky. Dara, another lifelong tennis player, was also smitten and became determined to make it available to residents in her community.

Before long, the two helped pave the way for the fastest-growing sport in the United States to take root in Armonk. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, more than 8.9 million people in the United States now play pickleball, up from 4.8 million in 2022.

Last year, Dara, who oversees the tennis program at the Windmill Club, convinced management and fellow board members to paint pickleball lines on one of the tennis courts. The catch was that a pickleball instructor had to come on board to teach and to make sure the court would be well used. Dara turned to Heather, who had previously taught tennis at a local camp. The two created a curriculum, and Heather’s classes booked immediately. Residents who had already taken up pickleball were thrilled to have a place to play and take lessons close to home. One resident created a community group on the popular Team Reach phone app so residents could communicate and coordinate playtimes. Over the past year, the club painted additional courts, offered more classes, and planned periodic social events, thus giving the sport its due alongside tennis.

“It was like if you build it, they will come,” joked Heather.

 

A Little Pipe Dream Come True

“Within two years, the little pipe dream we came up with while sitting at the beach in South Carolina has become a reality in the area, and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Dara, who is a school psychologist for the Mamaroneck School District.

For Heather, a former benefits consultant, the sport provided a new teaching career. Not long after her classes started at Windmill, the Town of North Castle Parks and Recreation Department joined the ranks of community centers around the country eager to offer facilities for the popular sport and hired Heather to teach.

The Town launched the pickleball program at Lombardi Town Park’s tennis courts last fall, and Heather’s first four introductory classes sold out. Given the interest among residents, the Town offered a winter class on an unused basketball court at the North White Plains Gym, as well as several spring classes at Lombardi, ultimately reaching about 120 residents. Pickleball lines were also painted at Winkler Park’s tennis courts, so the Town now has six public courts for the sport, and residents can play on a first-come-first serve basis. Beginner and intermediate classes are expected to be part of the Town’s recreation programs in the fall, winter and spring.

To some pickleball afficianados, the situation is not ideal since the lines are painted on existing tennis courts, sometimes causing confusion, and players have to learn how to properly adjust the tennis net. “Ultimately, I would love to see the town find space to build dedicated courts so pickleball players have their own place to play,” said Heather, noting that it’s difficult to find dedicated courts except perhaps at private clubs that have converted paddle ball or basketball courts. “But I’m thrilled that we’ve come so far,” she said.

And with public facilities now available, Armonk residents started hitting the courts for pick-up games this summer.

“At the end of Heather’s spring intermediate class, several of us wanted to continue to play,” said Wendy Ranieri, a retired physical education teacher who decided to take pickleball classes to stay active and meet new people. After Heather created a TeamReach group, Wendy took it upon herself to become the group administrator and encourage fellow players to use the phone app to schedule games.

“It’s wonderful to have a core group of people who I see regularly twice a week on the courts,” said Wendy. Ironically, she recalls playing a version of pickleball in college and then improvising in the gymnasium with her middle-school students to keep boredom at bay in the winter months. “I’ve come full circle,” she joked, “but of course the game is very different now.”

The sport has been around since 1965, but started soaring in popularity around 2018. Compared with tennis, pickleball is relatively easy to learn. The plastic, wiffle-like ball doesn’t bounce as much, and the shorter, lighter racket is easier to handle. There’s also less running required since most people play doubles games, and the court is smaller than a tennis court.

“I can’t think of another sport that you can learn well enough within an hour to actually play and feel successful,” Heather said. “You can quickly attain a level of confidence to say ‘yes’ when someone invites you to play. It also provides good exercise, but is easier on the bones and joints, and you can feel like you’re getting cardio without killing yourself.”

But perhaps its biggest appeal is simply that it is a fun social activity. Even players who play competitively can be heard laughing and enjoying themselves. While initially it was most popular with those in middle age and older, 20 and 30-year-olds across the country have discovered the sport. It also lends itself to a great family activity. Both Heather and Dara’s children – ranging in age from 12 to 17 – have been willing to join their moms on the courts.

“It’s taken on a life of its own, and I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to,” said Heather, who now teaches at several locations in the area. “As a teacher, it’s very rewarding to see people pick it up so quickly and have so much fun playing. And seeing pickleball taking off in North Castle has been beyond amazing.”

Where To Play

The list of places where you can play the country’s hottest sport is growing throughout the area. Several public parks have repurposed some of their existing tennis courts to accommodate pickleball. Here’s a roundup of just a few of the public facilities in our local communities.

Armonk – Lombardi Park

85 Cox Avenue
Two tennis courts with pickleball lines
Drop-in play based on availability

Pleasantville – Foxwood Condominiums Park

9 Foxwood Drive
Three tennis courts with pickleball lines
Drop-in play based on availability

Chappaqua – Town Hall Basketball Court

200 S Greeley Ave
One court (sign up in advance)
Sundays: 9 am -12 pm
Mondays: 9 am – 1 pm
Thursdays: 5 pm – 8 pm   

Briarcliff Manor – Chilmark Park

48 Macy Road
Six pickleball courts
Drop-in play open to residents and nonresidents based on availability.
Permits required (application available on briarcliffmanor.gov.

Bedford – Winkler Park

Off Greenwich Banksville Road
One tennis court with pickleball lines
Drop-in play based on availability

To search for additional locations, check out the USA Pickleball Association’s search function: places2play.org