May/June 2024 Issue

DARIEN • RIDGEFIELD • KATONAH • ARMONK • POUND RIDGE • N&S SALEM • WACCABUC

5

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WE maIl B&NC maG TO THE 25,000 mOsT afflUENT HOmEs IN NEW CANAAN, DARIEN & RIDGEFIELD, CT, ARMONK, BEDFORD, BEDFORD HILLS, KATONAH, MT KISCO, NORTH

and we’re most pleased that our B&NC Mag readers spend an average of one hour and twenty minutes devoted to each

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

As we put this May/June 2024 Issue of B&NC MAG together for you, I had every version and remix of Unwritten ever recorded blasting around the B&NC office, along with a playlist full of chart-smashing pop star, Natasha Bedingfield’s other hit songs, like Freckles, Neon Lights, Wild Horses, Soulmate, Say it Again, These Words, Put Your Arms Around Me, and Pocketful of Sunshine. I’ll admit to more than a few belt-it-out-at-the-top-ofyour-lungs singalongs over the past few weeks. Just like when my brother and I used to have Natasha blaring in the car just about every single day driving to and from school at Fox Lane. Natasha’s songs are the anthems of my generation. They’ve been constants on my own playlists for almost two decades. Her songs are exuberant and fun. The beat, the lyrics, and Natasha’s overwhelmingly soulful voice. You can’t help but feel good when you’re listening. Her joyful music is contagious.

And Natasha Bedingfield’s music has long been particularly meaningful for me and my family. On a bracelet that my parents gave me to commemorate my own remission from childhood leukemia, they inscribed the words, from Unwritten today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten… Years later, at my high school graduation party, my dad used Natasha’s words again in his empowering speech, reciting: release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else can speak the words on your lips, drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open, today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. And to this day, my dad usually cries whenever the song comes on. Unwritten strikes a chord of hope and promise. Looking forward boldly. A life lived full of passion. It’s the message every parent wants

to convey. And, as Natasha explained to me, it’s a charge each one of us must take up! You direct your own journey! It’s kind of been the ballad of my young life.

So when I met Natasha last summer at a party in Bedford, I was thrilled to learn she’d moved into the area. She’s extremely private, and justifiably protective of her family and her adorable son Solomon, but Natasha agreed to do our Cover Feature in order to call attention to climate-related concerns and advocacy. We agreed that Natasha’s friend Emily Fisher, the immensely talented photographer who also just snapped the photos and Cover of Chevy and Jayni Chase in our March/April 2024 Issue, was the right photographer…and I’m simply giddy about what we’ve produced.

It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know Natasha. She is everything she seems in her music: genuine, funny, relatable, and overwhelmingly kind. She’s been generous with her time and earnestly participated in every aspect of the production of her Cover Feature. And she’s been one of the most downto-earth celebrities we’ve encountered.

I remain a huge Natasha Bedingfield fan…and I feel lucky to now call her a friend.

CasEY KaPlaN B&NC MAG PRESIDENT

Old Town Barns

P.111 THE INCLUSIVE INITIATIVE

A thriving community means inclusion for everyone! With a start in Bedford and Katonah, the Inclusive Initiative aims to spread some understanding, and make our communities welcoming for those who are neurodivergent.

P.119 THERE’S A NEW FIRE CHIEF IN TOWN

Meet Bedford Fire Department’s 33-year-old Graham Glauber!

P.131 LINKS LEGEND: ROB LABRITZ

B&NC Mag Publisher, Michael Kaplan, goes inside the ropes on the PGA Tour Champions with Rob LaBritz.

P.145 COMFORT & CLASS… AND LOTS OF GLASS

A tour of an A+ New Canaan home: 549 Oenoke.

P.154 THE JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER

The May/June installment in our 2024 series spotlighting a cultural institution in the B&NC Mag area.

P.160 WHAT’S UP?! A TASTING OF UPCOMING EVENTS THAT ARE NOT TO BE MISSED

The BRAND NEW Brewster Subaru NOW OPEN!

Samantha Hamilton, Tilde Fusco, Katie Dougherty, Emily Lee, Allison Marschalk and Cait Newman

Gala Committee: Emily Alexander, Kathy Skaperdas, Cynthia Saffi, Sarah Arestia, Laura Jenkins, Sara Driscoll, Helen Richards

Top left: Mark and Jill Teitch, Andy Leung, Scarlett Debease, Sara and Alain Robert, Bottom Left: Hannelore Kaplan, Elizabeth Tobey, Tracy Van Ess, Thea Ross

Mary Fetchet, Bob Woodruff Jeff Fager, Dede Bartlett, Frank Fetchet

VOICES CENTER FOR RESILIENCE LUNCHEON IN NEW CANAAN

Jude and Martha Stewart, Amelia Deeks, Wendy Belzberg, Strauss Zelnick Randy Florke, James Anderson, Sean Patrick Maloney

KATONAH CHILI COOKOFF

Chef Waldy Malouf, Chef Thomas Burke and Chef David Burke

The Fisher family, The VanLeeuwens, Jen Badalamenti, The Degnan family

Artistic Director (Daniel C. Levine), Producing Director (R. Erin Craig) and Music Supervisor (Bryan Perri)

Halina Sabath, Tatyana Costa, Yuliya Charamnykh, Tina Broccole, Melissa Tomlin

‘MILLION

OPENING

LE POISSON OPENING IN BEDFORD

CHOWDER & MARCHING FUNDRAISER IN BEDFORD

Gail Carmody, Angie Sour, RJ Sour, Shawn Carmody, Ted Eigel

Martha Reimer, Monica Healy, Whitney Barbera, Kelly Glotzer

BEDFORD RIDING LANES SPRING CLEANUP DAY

PHOTO: JEN BADALAMENTI

Patio Party

Christine Romaniello, Heather Gaudio, Michael Dweck, Rachael Palacios, Jennifer Burbank, Cecilia Luppi Dweck

Melissa & Mitti Liebersohn, Michael Kaplan, David Hirsch

Leo Karl of Karl Chevrolet, Bill Egan, Principal of New Canaan High School, Ray Williamson, winner of Grand prize Chevy Colorado truck, Julie Williamson, Steffi Loomis, Chair of the NCHS Scholarship Foundation Color Drop

Joe Pantoliano, Jared Shahid, Alan Ruck

MICHAEL DWECK EXHIBITION OPENING AT HEATHER GAUDIO FINE ART

NEW CANAAN COLOR DROP SPEAKER SERIES AT THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE

STAR LUNCHEON 2024 AT THE COUNTRY CLUB OF NEW CANAAN

Ceci Maher, Brandi Chastain, MaryGrace Giuliano

Barbara Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth Burt, Brandi Chastain, Elizabeth Silver, Erin Maloney

OUT & ABOUT

La Maison Fête is a full-scale event planning and design company. From weddings, dinner parties, luncheons, birthdays and more, we make every gathering memorable. Visit our shop in Bedford to explore the world of entertaining through a curated collection of beautifully crafted home and fashion goods. Follow us on Instagram for news and upcoming store events @lamaisonfete

Brian & Katie Sweeney, Lyn and Will Reardon Author, Katie Sise Sweeney, reads aloud to a captive audience from her new novel, Vacation Rental, and from her series, The Bedford Oak, published in 6 parts in B&NC Mag in 2023

Leslie Cecil, Founder, Jandon Foundation; Lee Manning-Vogelstein; Muffin Dowdle; Seema Boesky (all board Emeritus)

Ken Jenkins, Stuart Marwell, Curtis Instruments; Bill Balter, Wilder Balter Partners; Alyzza Ozer, Skip Beitzel,

BEDFORD OAK READING AT NY STONEWARE

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF NORTHERN WESTCHESTER’S YOUTH OF THE YEAR AWARDS

ELA FLOWERS GRAND OPENING IN POUND RIDGE

Lupita Torke, Bonnie Wattles, Nilsa Ubeda, Elida Sanabria (ELA), July U., Cinthia Sauca, Gilda B.

BEDFORD 2030 EARTH DAY FESTIVAL IN BEDFORD HILLS

Midge Iorio, Ellen Calves, Karen Sabath, Sarah Douglis

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On an unseasonably warm December 2nd, 2023, New Canaan native, Catherine Bradley, daughter of Patricia and John Bradley, married Gabor Halasz, at St Aloysius Church in New Canaan, followed by a beautiful reception at Waveny House.

About meeting Gabor in 2021, Catherine says, “I de nitely knew right away! I introduced him to my family on our fourth date! He’s such a sweet, loving, patient person. We just love spending time together!” e couple were engaged about a year-and-a-half later under one of the beautiful bridges of Central Park, during a romantic weekend in Manhattan. e engagement ring was passed down from Catherine’s grandmother.

Catherine and Gabor were married in an intimate ceremony, amongst about ninety of their closest friends and family, at St. Aloysius, where Catherine was walked down the aisle by her father, and the couple exchanged traditional vows.

About the Reception at Waveny, Catherine says, “I grew up in New Canaan, and Waveny Park was always a place that I loved going. I’ve always dreamed of getting married at Waveny! I love its history and classic charm. I actually didn’t even look at any other venues!

I was set on Waveny from the outset.”

Talking about the owers at the Ceremony and the Reception, Catherine smiles when she recalls… “Although it was a December wedding, we wanted to avoid holiday colors or theming, and I’m so pleased with how Earth Garden really brought the space to life with softer pinks and the most gorgeous arrangements. I was especially in love with how my bouquet turned out. Other than a few speci c ower requests, I left pretty much everything up to Nancy Kline Gorkin and her team at Earth Garden, and I’m so glad that I trusted them completely. ough out of season, I requested my favorite peonies and dahlias, and Earth Garden made that dream a reality!” …And Nancy responds, “I’ve known Catherine’s mother, Patty, for thirty years - so it was an honor to be able to help make Catherine’s big day so beautiful! Bringing Catherine’s dream to life, we focused on soft to medium pinks as the dominant color scheme, and sourced pale pink peonies, dahlias, and roses, and a variety of snapdragons, astilbe, lisianthus, ranunculus, and bright green ferns.”

With all three of the oversized stone replaces crackling, the grand hall at Waveny was a romantic backdrop for a lively celebration. e couple were regaled with toasts and speeches from family and friends, followed by a rst dance by the newlyweds, and then father-daughter and mother-son dances. As Catherine describes, “ e evening really centered around an absolutely delicious dinner served by Carriage House Catering. Gabor’s family is from Europe, and our wedding was the rst opportunity for our extended families to come together and get to know each other. We wanted everyone to be able to spend meaningful time together.”

I was especially in love with how my bouquet turned out.

tasty, too!” …Chris Angione, the owner of Carriage House, shares, “We served a baby eld greens salad followed by a choice of:

“I worked with Carriage House,” Catherine explains, “...because of their food! It’s so rare to go to a wedding and actually like the meal, but at our wedding everyone genuinely enjoyed dinner, and it made it a little more like everyone was sharing a meal together than going through the process of just another a air. …And the cake was pretty

Black Angus Filet Tenderloin tournedos with a pink peppercorn bordelaise and garnished with fresh rosemary + potato au gratin dauphinoise, pan seared Chilean Sea Bass with a lemon, dill and caper sauceserved on black “forbidden rice” + sweet potato sou é, or a vegetarian entree of wild Porcini mushroom pasta purses with a pink champagne Sauce. I’ve been in business for thirty-four years, and the key to success is meticulous planning, scrupulous attention to detail, and a commitment to the vision. ere are no second chances or do-overs at a wedding…so we’re committed to getting it right every time! And we especially love working on weddings at Waveny House. It was a pleasure working with Catherine and Gabor, and a joy to help make their wedding a really great event!”

An after party at Uncorked in New Canaan, had guests dancing until two in the morning!

Catherine and Gabor now live together in New Canaan…and look forward to a life of happiness together… lled with lots of walks around Waveny.

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Bouquets and Beyond by Brenda Christie

THE MIANUS RIVER GORGE

About 12,000 years ago, when what is called the Wisconsin Glacier transfigured the face of the earth as it last receded from this area, the Mianus River Gorge was created.

The ever-evolving ancient and native landscape around the B&NC area left in the Wisconsin’s wake was not mechanically and materially altered until the 19th Century …when almost the entire landscape was stripped to make way for the farming that covered the terrain.

…But not in the Gorge! The steep and rocky shape and nature of the Gorge was prohibitive for farmers and farming…and so, while a couple dozen homes were built on the banks of the Mianus River and in the vicinity of the Gorge during the 19th and early 20th Century, the Gorge and its surrounding environment have been almost completely untouched and unchanged by other than natural forces for time immemorial.

Today, the Mianus River Gorge Preserve includes over 1,000 contiguous acres, representing the amalgamation of 90+ acquisitions in the 70 years since inception. It is the cornerstone of the Mianus Greenway surrounding the Mianus River - which, unusually, flows in a northerly

Then came Gloria Hollister Anable, one of America’s greatest conservationistsand a local to the New York and Connecticut area - who walked the Mianus River Gorge in 1952, and began to champion its preservation. Anable was a Research Associate at the New York Zoological Society - now the Wildlife Conservation Society - specializing in fish osteology, and she first made headlines for record-setting oceanic dives in her ‘bathysphere’ in the 1930s. In a day when environmental conservation, beyond the establishment of the first National Parks, was nascent, and when women had little to say about just about anything, Gloria was able to call national attention to forever preserving the Gorge as a precious natural resource. Anable helped form the committee that is today the Board of Directors of the Mianus River Gorge, and in 1953, when a 60-acre parcel in the Gorge came up for sale, Anable led the acquisition of the property by the Mianus River Gorge Conservation Committee. Anable was then instrumental in having the Gorge designated, in 1964, as one of America’s first Natural History Landmarks, by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

direction from its origin in Banksville until its northernmost terminus near Bedford Village…and then in a southerly direction through the Gorge and out to the Long Island Sound. The land in the Gorge is maintained exclusively by the Mianus River Gorge, Inc. A robust Board runs this 501(c)(3), directs a full-time staff of five, maintains the Preserve’s offices - and the principal point-of-access to the Gorgeat 167 Mianus River Road, and oversees the preservation of the Gorge.

Rod Christie, Executive Director of the Mianus River Gorge Preserve since 1999, explains, “We have three fundamental goals: Protection, Stewardship, and Research and Education. … Although folks always tell me that that’s really four goals …and that I haven’t even mentioned the enormous benefit of providing a recreational asset for the community. The trails in the Gorge are open from 8:30a.m. to 5:00 p.m., April 1 to November 30.”

PHOTOS: WILLIAM ABRANOWICZ

“The Gorge hosts thousands of tree, shrub, and wildflower species”

“The Gorge hosts thousands of tree, shrub, and wildflower species, including one of the finest groves of ancient Hemlocks remaining in the Northeast United States, and many other examples of otherwise rare hardwoods. A hardto-find handbook from the 1970s, called Flora and Fauna of the Mianus Gorge, lists thousands of wildflowers, trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, lichens, mosses, liverworts, mushrooms, birds, and mammals. And the Mianus River - a source of drinking water for more than 100,000 people, is home to countless species of fish and invertebrates. Our duty to protect all these precious natural resources is paramount, and I take tremendous satisfaction from knowing that we’re involved in preserving these lands and waters forever, and for generations and generations to come,” Christie proclaims. “And our responsibility to be good stewards goes hand-in-hand with our duty to preserve and protect. We devote critical attention, countless volunteer hours, and substantial financial resources to ongoing stewardship programs, including programs for Deer management and to extirpate invasive species of vegetation. We’re even oneby-one treating the trunks of each of our ancient Hemlocks, at a cost of about $1,500 per tree, and with 3,000+ Hemlocks treated to date, hoping this will keep the Hemlocks alive until we establish other biological wooly adelgid controls.”

“And I’m particularly proud of our educational offerings,” Christie continues.

“The Gorge is a tremendous resource for research. We’re recognized as part of the New York State Research In The Classroom. We run a Wildlife Technician program for high schoolers, a College-level Internship Program in Suburban Ecology, and a graduate program to support advanced research in ecology, wildlife biology, and conservation. And the Gorge serves as a lab for a myriad of ongoing studies, including our analysis of forest undergrowth, utilizing almost a hundred acres of Deer-free fenced areas.”

John Needham is an enthusiastic Member of the Board of the Mianus River Gorge Preserve…and a neighbor. “My wife, Leslie, and I moved to Bedford in 1990, attracted by the area’s rural qualities, which we found to be unique for any area within 50 miles of Manhattan. Leslie is a Landscape Designer, and we were both immediately taken by the unspoiled beauty of the Gorge…and charged with the feeling that we needed to do whatever we could to help preserve - and even continue to grow - this spectacular geologic and botanic resource,” Needham explains. “With the advance of man in our times as it is, it actually takes a lot of work to keep a natural resource such as the Gorge the way it is. Preserving the Gorge is a critical part of maintaining the character of the whole Bedford area. And once it’s gone, it’s gone forever!”

“And I don’t want to be a shameless barker, but the Mianus River Gorge is so important that I must say a few things to take care of business,” Needham continues with a friendly smile. “First, please volunteer! Come help us remove invasive species. Or take-up the cause in any way you can help. And although our Board is full with an impressive group of devoted and supportive folks, we try to continually bring in younger Members who have a passion for conservation, and we also seek out specific competencies, such as marketing and environmental law. …And the other thing…please donate! I’m really proud to say that the Gorge is accredited by the Land Trust Alliance, which is the highest national standard for conservation excellence, and that the Mianus River Gorge, Inc. has a platinum four-star rating on Charity Navigator. Preservation like this simply doesn’t come cheap, and while we are extremely fortunate to have the support of loyal donors, we can always use additional monies to help sustain our current operations and to fund the acquisition of key parcels that will complete the profile of the Gorge when they, from time-totime, become available.”

“Preserving the Gorge is a critical part of maintaining the character of the whole Bedford area.”

DR. SABBATH MCLEAN DAOM, LAC

CERTIFIED LIFE COACH & CONFIDANT

Immerse yourself in a space of comfort, healing, and wellness as you work with Melissa to optimize your goals. Melissa grounds her work in teachings of the AWARE approach: Appreciation, Warmth, Authenticity, Respect and Empowerment, and utilizes her farm animals as an outlet for clients to begin the exploration and all ages and genders welcome. mdgreen17@aol.com | awarenesslifecoachingny.com @Awarenesslifecoach

Located on the top floor, Take 3 Wine Bar & Café offers locally-sourced: • cheese plates

“From the time I was 5, in Bedford Village Elementary and then at Rippowam Cisqua in 5th and 6th grade, it was always tennis, tennis, tennis,” 28-year old Sam Swank says about his childhood. “I played on the Fox Lane High School Tennis Team when I was at Fox Lane Junior High. I stopped playing other sports when I was about 12. I couldn’t play on the Team when I was at Fox Lane High School because I was too busy training and competing at a higher level. Senior year, I went to online school so I could make the daily trip to the United States Tennis Association Training Center in Queens, New York, to train with some of the best Juniors in the nation. …And, all along, my dream was always to play pro tennis!

The pictures in my head were of me winning at Wimbledon and the US Open!”

“I went to the University of South Carolina and played all four years with the toptier NCAA Division I ‘Gamecocks’. I played in some professional tournaments.

…And then…I remember it distinctly…during the Summer between my Junior and Senior years in college, I was in the middle of a match on a red clay court in St. Malo, France…and it hit me…‘I don’t know if I want to do this anymore!’

I’d been taking some L’s, I’d come to the realization I wasn’t going to make the Tour no less start winning Tour events…and I’d just lost the passion. I called my parents and told them, for the first time, that my life was going to be about something other than tennis. It was devastating for me, really. I looked at it as a failure, and still feel it’s a chip on my shoulder,” Sam reveals.

SAMMY SWANK

“I played my Senior year to finish it out, but I had to search deep inside to figure out who or what I wanted to be,” Sam reveals. “When I thought about it, the most fun I’d ever had in school was in 9th grade, in a class called Integrated Arts, with Mr. Steele, who was just a great teacher. I’d convinced five of my troublemaker friends to sign-up for this acting class thinking it would be a total goof…but, as the class progressed, I realized I enjoyed acting! It was the first thing I’d really liked other than tennis! I even wrote a screenplay about the whole experience called ‘Integrated Arts’. …I took a whole bunch of creative writing classes in college. And in my Junior year at South Carolina, right before my on-court epiphany in France that Summer, I’d helped to M.C. the Gamecocks Gala Dinner, which is a really huge annual event with a few thousand people in attendance - and I was remarkably comfortable being up in front of a large audience, having to make-it or break-it all on my own…kind of like tennis! …So Senior year I took on the lead role as M.C. at the Gala, I did an Oscar’s-style monologue…and I killed it! It felt awesome - like I was at home! …I knew I wanted to do standup comedy!”

“I knew I wanted to do standup comedy!”

“After college I moved to Manhattan and, with a day job at Workhouse NYC - which is run by Debra Larsen, who’s also from Bedford - I started to do standup. Out from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., performing almost every night at places like the Black Cat on the Lower East Side, and finding some time somehow to be writing every day. Comedy is the profession of writing, and as Seinfield - one of my idols - said, ‘If you don’t learn how to write, you’re going to die in this ecosystem!’,” Sam recalls his professional start.

“And then, in 2018, my mom passed. She was my champion and my hero. I moved home to Bedford to be with her before she died…and I took a break from comedy for a while. Then Covid hit, and I was still in Bedford, staying with my dad, and TikTok was just starting to get big. I read an article that said there were already one billion people signed-up on the app and figured I might as well give it a go. I made one video - a silly sketch about high school football recruiting - and when I got back on TikTok to check on it a few days later…it had over 1,000,000 views! Viral! Do you know how many nights of standup I’d have to do to have a million people see me?! I’d have to be Dave Chappelle! …So I started ripping content… and, in the beginning of 2022, I moved to L.A.”

“I’m incredibly grateful,” Sam says. “TikTok opens a lot of doors for me.

I got hooked up with great management at LBI. People actually recognize me on the street, and ask to take pictures with me! …And I’m making a full living through brand deals with crazy cool brands like KFC, Vitamin Water, SONY, Peacock, and Major League Soccer, among others. I have 1.7 million followers and a lot more than that who are seeing my stuff! Even a bad video gets 30,000 ‘likes’! …I take it all as a validation…that I’m funny! A kind of proof of concept for my work, and encouragement that I’m doing something right! Hey, I was mentally prepared to be teaching tennis for a living when I moved out here, and now I’m making a living as a Comedian!”

SAMMY SWANK

“I’m actually writing a lot and working really hard,” Sam continues. “Being creative all the time is very difficult. You can’t care what people think…and at the same time, the audience is always correct. …Aside from working every day on developing, writing, re-writing, and performing my content for TikTok, I’m back at doing standup! I love it! It’s like a sport, only it’s you against the crowd. The feedback is awesome. There’s nothing more humbling. I think it’s the hardest form of entertainment. Tested night after night. As I get better and better at it, I’ve gotten more comfortable with handling silence. …I’m also writing a tennis movie right now. I’ve always been a big fan of the great sports comedies, like all the Will Ferrell movies and Talladega Nights, but there’s never really been a great tennis comedy - and I’ve lived the life! My idols, like Ferrell and Adam Sandler, have all written, produced, and performed their own material. I like to write for myself. I know the characters I can play. …And I audition for a ton of movies and TV, including the annual SNL auditions. I’d like to land a role like Ted Lasso, but the whole Hollywood thing is kind of random.”

“I have no uncertainty about the path I’ve chosen, even if there’s really no path at all,” Sam reflects. “I’m a process guy, and I believe that if I just keep writing and performing it will all happen for me. I dream big, but I stay grounded. Ultimately, I want to be a Comedic Actor. Instead of winning Wimbledon, I now want the Oscar for Writing, Producing, and being the Lead Actor in the Funniest Film…although, you know, I haven’t checked to see if there really even is an Oscar for Funniest …?!”

Growing-up in Bedford, there was an unusually strong group of local kids about my age. I trained at USTA with Will Blumberg, from Greenwich, who was always the top player around - one of the few top players in the world when we were in the 14s - and he’s playing on Tour now, and with Sam Turchetta, from Pound Ridge, who went on to play at Stanford. And then there’s Charlie Ghriskey, from Bedford, who played at Charleston, Cameron Silverman, from Mount Kisco, who played at Elon, and my close friend Nick Crystal, from Wacabuc, who played at Southern Cal. I’ll be back in New York for my friend Jake Sachs’ wedding this October, and for sure I’ll meet up with some of my buddies when I’m in town.

Go Of The Burnout & Fear

HEATHER GAUDIO FINE ART

MICHAEL DWECK | BLUNDERBUST

IN NOVEMBER 2023, HEATHER

GAUDIO MOVED HER ESTEEMED

HEATHER GAUDIO FINE ART FROM NEW CANAAN TO ITS NEW LOCATION AT 382 GREENWICH AVENUE IN GREENWICH. WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ART ADVISORY AND GALLERY BUSINESS, HEATHER GAUDIO AND HER EXPERT TEAM ARE WELL-ESTABLISHED AS PREEMINENT CLIENT REPRESENTATIVES AND CURATORS OF FINE ART.

From April 11 to June 1, 2024, Heather Gaudio Fine Art will be exhibiting MICHAEL DWECK: BLUNDERBUST. While Heather Gaudio Fine Art may be best known for showcasing important artists before they are more widely recognized, Michael Dweck has already achieved superstar status in the art world. …And to know Dweck, is to know a true artist… passionately consumed with his work…and dedicated to his particular expression.

“When I was 7, my parents bought me my first camera and took me to the 1964 New York World’s Fair,” Dweck recalls, “...and I’ve been obsessed with artistic expression ever since. Initially, I pursued architecture and went to Pratt Institute with the goal of becoming an architect. In my freshman year, I collaborated on a final project, designing a house resembling Colonel Sanders’ head with a drumstickshaped bus stop in front of the house. Philip Johnson, critiquing our work, found it too whimsical. Although I intended it as a critique of conventional architecture, I shifted toward fine arts and graphic design.”

In 2003, Dweck was first recognized for his photographic collection called ‘The End: Montauk, N.Y.’, about the disappearing ‘life at the beach’ in the ever-increasinglywealthy community of Montauk. “In my work, I’m interested in depicting the beauty and intricacy of human life, while exploring ongoing struggles between identity and adaptation within endangered societal enclaves,” Dweck explains. “Montauk, to me, was an evocation of a real-world paradise lost: the paradise of summer, youth, and erotic possibility. The body of work is a portrait of a place in time and a way of life at once fading and being reinvented with each new season.”

“And then, at a young age, everything exploded for me,” Dweck recalls. “Sotheby’s in New York held a 65-photograph solo exhibition of this work, and I gained gallery representation in the U.S. and abroad. A book of those works, which The New York Times called ‘the ultimate homage to the sun-kissed surfing life’, was published in 2004, and the entire edition sold out in two weeks. One of the photographs from that series was even displayed in a group show featuring major works from that year at the Louvre.”

PHOTO: MICHAEL DWECK

Dweck’s second major body of photographic work was titled ‘Mermaids’. It featured a group of women living on Aripeka Island in Florida, who were the children of stone crab fisherman and the women who worked in the nearby Weeki Wachee Spring Mermaid show. These women were able to swim underwater in the Weeki Wachee River and hold their breath at depths of up to forty feet for long spans of time. Dweck elaborates, “I’ve always had a fascination with light and refraction, so in 2007 I decided to travel to the springs of the Gulf Coast of Florida, where the water was consistently warm and clear. There, I photographed the Mermaids underwater at night, with my camera inside a thick-walled plexiglass box, suspending a high-powered light sixty feet above the limestone river bank. To me, the allure of these beautiful figures is made more compelling by their elusiveness, their strange remoteness, as if abstracted by the medium of water, and immersed in a realm beyond solid ground. Much like a dream.”

Dweck’s next focus was on a community of artists living under the radar of the government in Cuba, where Dweck befriended one of Fidel Castro’s sons - a fellow photographer - and examined the juxtaposition of a privileged group living within a classless society. Dweck’s Habana Libre exhibition was the first body of work by a living American artist to be exhibited in Cuba since the Revolution.

The dents on their freshly painted fi y to sixty year old panels and the scars on their bodies are the hieroglyphics that reveal their past.

And Dweck has directed and produced several awardwinning films about what he calls the ‘endangered communities and cultures’ that captivate him. Dweck’s The Truffle Hunters took a deep dive into the lives of the tiny circle of Northern Italian elders who guide their canines to find the world’s most sought after white Alba truffles. It debuted at Sundance in 2020 and was shortlisted for the 2021 Oscars. His Gaucho Gaucho, about a group of Argentinian cowboys and cowgirls still moving cattle through a modern world, was a hit at Sundance 2024. “By weaving emotional and visually evocative narratives, my aim with cinema is to immerse the audience in the beauty, wonder, and joy I encounter within these communities,” Dweck explains.

But, all along, Dweck has been fixated on, of all things, short-oval stock car racing! …With old Cadillacs, Buicks, and other bombers pitted in races with bumping allowed if not encouraged. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Bellmore, Long Island, Dweck grew up going twice-a-week to the 1/5th-of-a-mile Freeport Racetrack right in town. He lights up when he describes how, “The drivers were my heroes. Local mechanics and hobbyists - the cars are their weapons, sculptures, flags and family crests rolled into one. The cars are built from pieces and parts that the drivers salvage like treasure hunters in junk yards. Relics of another era, a time when cars were constructed with nuts, bolts, and welding torches, not silicon and plastic. The dents on their freshly painted fifty to sixty year old panels and the scars on their bodies are the hieroglyphics that reveal their past. The race track made me feel stimulated. It was the vocabulary of color, sound, texture, movement, form, and materials that got me excited.”

“You know, at one time there were something like three dozen of these racetracks on Long Island alone,” Dweck recalls. “The only one remaining is in Riverhead. I think Freeport closed in 1983, and I began to go to Riverhead Raceway. I made the track my studio for 23 weekends each year from 2008 to 2013, photographing…everything, as a way of memorializing the track and the community. These cars, these people, this place, they are moving slowly, their time is winding down. This idiosyncratic pastime - racing big, heavy, stock American sedans on a small precarious track - is out of step with the industrial world at large. The racetrack is subject and studio, but more so, a metaphor for a cultural phenomenon that is happening all around the world: the loss of concrete identity, the collapse of community establishments and institutions, and the corrosion of durable handmade objects which will, in time, become relics in a void.” And, in addition to his photography from Riverhead Raceway, Dweck also used the track as the set and subject of a movie - welding cameras to the front of race cars himself to get a real view of what it’s like to be the car. Called The Last Race, and distributed by Magnolia Pictures, the movie premiered at Sundance in 2018, and is a tribute to Dweck’s days-gone-by love.

“...Which brings me to the MICHAEL DWECK: BLUNDERBUST exhibition of my current work at Heather Gaudio Fine Art,” Dweck declares. “This is my very first exhibition of paintings! While at the track I was inspired by what I’ve come to term ‘beautiful accidents’. The freshly painted cars, layered with 20, 30, or even 40 coats of paint over the last 50 or so years, ‘rubbing’ against each other and revealing their stories in the process. Every scratch is like a scar, a wrinkle, a laughter line - evidence of a life well lived. This mechanical, aggressive act served as a catalyst for the spontaneous creation within the paintings. Layers reveal stories. That’s how these paintings are made. I want the viewer to become lost in the intricacies and layers of these paintings.”

About Blunderbust Dweck explains, “I began these works in 2022, creating abstract paintings that liberated me to explore the realm of randomness, which I had previously denied myself with photography. The interplay of arbitrary choices and chance, play a significant part of these works. For me, painting is like going to work, like being a mechanic. The physicality of the mechanics, welders, and race drivers brought into the language of abstract painting - to me, this is extremely powerful. I want to transform the raw energy of the track, that place of wonder, into art that can then be shared with the world. People say that we’re all seeking a meaning to life. What we are really seeking is the experience of being alive. That’s what these paintings represent.”

Layersstories.reveal stories.

That's how these paintings are made. I want the viewer to become lost in the intricacies and layers of these paintings.

SCOTTS 77 TOMMYS TOWING

“We are thrilled to be exhibiting Dweck’s first foray into painting at the gallery. We have worked with him and represented his photography since we first opened the gallery thirteen years ago, and witnessing his artistic expansion into a new medium has been as exciting and evocative as the paintings themselves, Heather Gaudio shares, “We are thrilled Michael is a gifted artist who opens windows and visions to another world with a unique eye and perspective. These paintings are a portal into the world of cars and racing, and the speed and action on the racetrack are expertly expressed through paint and other race-related materials. There’s an authenticity to his processed-based approach in the Blunderbust paintings which is very exhilarating, genuine and thoughtprovoking. This exhibition will surely satisfy art and car aficionados alike.”

Michael Dweck | 1-2-3-GO

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DWECK

MAY 7 @ 7:30PM

JUNE 13 @ 7:30PM

JUNE 23 @ 7:30PM

JUNE 1 @ 8PM

JUNE 30 @ 7

PHOTOS BY: EMILY NEVILLE FISHER FLOWERS: ELA FLOWERS

Natasha Bedingfield is the charttopping singer/songwriter best known for catchy tunes like Love Like This, Strip Me, Freckles, These Words, Wild Horses, Neon Lights, and of course her massive hit singles Unwritten and Pocketful of Sunshine. She’s also become well known as an advocate for LGBTQ rights and the environment. However, because Natasha keeps her private life private, and maintains a pretty low profile, it’s not too well known that Natasha and her husband, Matt Robinson, a writer and real estate investor, and their curious and charming sixyear-old son, Solomon, are now Bedford residents!

“It’s so exciting watching Solomon discoverand discovering through his eyes. Right now he loves numbers and letters, but what he wants to be changes every day! It’s just so fun and amazing to see. It’s refreshing to see life through the eyes of your child,” Natasha gleams. “You know there’s a theory that a child finds their parents — and I really believe Solomon chose us. He’s a really incredible kid. He’s traveled the whole world as such a young child. Matt and I were together for a long time before we had him, and he came at exactly the right time in each of our lives.”

As it relates to my advocacy, Solomon is such an inspiration for me - to do the right thing, and to do what I can to make the world a better place for him

Natasha Bedingfield

“Matt and I are both creative outside of the box thinkers which is one of the things that drew us to each other,” Natasha shares. “We lived in L.A. for 15 years and have enjoyed buying and fixing up properties several times around the country. We bought the property in Bedford two years ago, and are loving renovating it together! I love how Matt loves to explore diverse subjects, I don’t know anyone who is as talented in as many things. He taught himself to play the guitar and other instruments. He’s a very warm person and I always have felt at home with him and protected. I love having a family together.”

love having a family together I

Natasha Bedingfield

“I grew up in a happy and musical home with parents who really supported creativity and encouraged us to connect with ourselves and with nature. Everything was on a foundation of love. My parents are amazing people and, most of all, they taught us the value of kindness and instilled in us self-confidence,” Natasha shares. “We went to church a lot and were surrounded by music there, and it was a space where we really connected with our voices and with something higher than ourselves.”

Natasha’s family immigrated to the United Kingdom from New Zealand before she was born, and Natasha was raised in London. “London was such a fun place to grow up! I had a lot of independence from a really young age, and there was a pretty big music scene,” Natasha recalls. “My older brother, Daniel, was actually the first Bedingfield to start writing and performing music. He’d always be up in his bedroom recording. He’d yell at us to be quiet so we wouldn’t mess up his track. …As a younger sister I thought making music was cool…because that’s what my older brother was doing. So I started kind of doing my own thing and writing songs too. …In the early 2000s my brother got a record deal and his song, Gotta Get Thru This, totally blew up and was #1 in the UK, and he would tell some of his managers, ‘just wait until you hear my little sister’!...And, eventually, someone decided to take a listen and liked what they heard.”

Bedingfield’s hallmark is her ability to encapsulate the joy in everyday occurrences. Her lyrics are universally relatable and mostly center around the fundamental journey towards fulfillment and empowerment. “I’ve always written my own songs, and I think the key to writing good songs that resonate with people is having real life experience to share and be vulnerable about,” Natasha explains. “Music has the ability to speak from a place of trust and a place of truth in a way that is non-threatening… and when you cultivate these ideas and common themes of life, music brings a compassion and a softness that gives us a place to grow.” In school, Bedingfield studied Psychology, wanting to better understand what is going on in the human brain, and she relates, “What I’ve learned is that you don’t have to have the answers - you just have to know the questions.”

Music has the ability to speak from a place of trust and a place of truth in a way that is non-threatening

Bedingfield’s Unwritten, which was originally released in the US in 2005, spent 42 weeks in the Billboard top 100 and reached #1 on the AC Charts, declares:

Release your inhibitions, Feel the rain on your skin, No one else can feel it for you, Only you can let it in!

…The words are uplifting - even without a tune and a beat! “The song started as a poem for my younger brother,” Natasha explains. “The idea is that we are all blank pages. Every child starts life with a pen and a blank piece of paper, and though people can try, nobody can tell you what to be… you have to work out your own story to figure out who you are! I collaborated on the song with Danielle Brisebois, who was a child star on Norman Lear’s seminal TV sitcom All In The Family and then in the band the New Radicals. We wrote it with the intention of inspiring young people, who are sort of just starting their own life, to live with the idea that your story is in your hands!”.

Natasha Bedingfield

“Nature is a key theme for me, and inspires a lot of my writing,” says Natasha. “I spend as much time as possible during my songwriting process outdoors. A big part of my connection to nature goes back to my connection with New Zealand. With all of my extended family there, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in New Zealand, and I feel in tune with their ‘bare feet’ culture. When you’re in New Zealand you see how, on a small island, environmental impacts are so amplified and undeniable.”

“My goal is to be an environmental steward, and even more generally to use my voice to reduce human suffering. It’s all connected - poverty and the environment,” Natasha declares. “I’ve always avoided public speaking, preferring to express myself through song instead of talk, but speaking-out about the environment feels natural because I care about it so much.”

“...My mom is a long-time activist, and has an organization called Global Angels. She’s always said ‘We have to change the world’...and it was never an option to think we wouldn’t! She also constantly reminded me that New Zealand was the first country that gave women the right to vote and instilled in me the conviction that there’s nothing that a woman can’t do. I feel so compelled to play my part to make the world a better place, for others, and for my own son.”

To attract global attention to the cause of environmentalism, Natasha has twice performed at the United Nations, including a performance together with Paul McCartny and Sheryl Crow of her song Lovesong To The Earth. At the national level, Natasha has worked with Waterkeeper Alliance to help raise awareness of their mission and support the positive impact that organization is having on the environment. And, on the local level, Natasha has become involved with Bedford2030 and, upon becoming friends with Murray and Emily Fisher - who were featured in the March/April issue of B&NC MAG, has even invited Murray to share a panel with her addressing the United Nations with Global Citizen on particular environmental concerns. Natasha remarks, “I’m not a scientist, so I don’t always have all of the answers, but I love that having a platform means that I get to bring people along and help put a spotlight and a microphone on their expertise.”

Environmental advocacy

is the connection that brought Bedingfield to Bedford.

“I’d been to Bedford and thought it was beautiful, but then in 2021 I was attending COP26 in Glasgow and I met Jayni Chase and her daughter Emily, and had a great connection with both of them. …One thing led to the next, and Matt and I were starting to think about where we wanted to settle down, and Jayni and Emily Chase had such amazing things to say about raising kids and living in Bedford… Emily was raving about growing up here and how the area was so full of culture, and how her connection with nature was fostered by growing up amongst it in Bedford. I thought: I’d love to have a kid that turns out as great as Emily Chase!”

Natasha shares about her family’s experience in Bedford, “We got a place in Bedford so that we could be closer geographically to our families and to Europe and our UK place, where I have a lot of shows. I’ve been writing a lot with an incredible producer, who also lives here, called Scott Jacoby, and was another incentive for us getting a property here. He and his wife Michelle and our other friends Eric and Laura Paternot all beckoned. ...And we’re settling-in very nicely, enjoying doing our place up, and are truly making the most wonderful and kind new friends. Every person we’ve come across has made us feel so welcome in this community. You know that feeling when you just know you’re in the right place? I feel like I keep having that here, with the amazing friends that I’ve made, and spending time with my family in our backyard. We discovered a pond on our property after we moved-in, and there are tons of fish - so we caught a couple last week and had our own pond-to-table moment!”

“I’ve become close with Emily Fisher, and I really admire her work. When we were shooting this Cover for Bedford & New Canaan Magazine, with Emily dangling over me on a ladder and our friend Cristi Andrews dancing around to make me laugh, and Casey arranging a flower crown above my head… I got that fantastic feeling from the creative process like my soul was laughing and having fun!” Natasha expresses “People are genuine here, have good and deep conversations, and are smart and read books! I notice everyone has such great books on their shelves! Culturally I feel like people don’t lead with ‘what do you do?’. I often have some really deep connections with people before I even find out what their profession is. And there’s so much passion and activism here in the Bedford community! It’s really beautiful to see all the locals who are working to make a change! I’ve been working with Murray and PlanItWild on my own rewilding efforts, and I’ve been talking to Karen Sabath, who I met through Bedford2030, about beekeeping, which I’m really curious to get into.”

Every person we’ve come across has made us feel so welcome in this community

Natasha’s songs still fill the airwaves and serve as standards at just about every bat mitzvah, sweet sixteen, and wedding. On Spotify alone, Unwritten has been streamed almost 1 billion times! It was used as the theme song for the popular show, The Hills and this year, the song was used as a defining musical centerpiece in the movie Anyone But You, causing streaming of the song to soar in the months following the release, with over 100M streams the week of Natasha’s interview, and reaching #15 on Spotify almost two decades after the song’s initial release. …And Unwritten has been going viral on Tiktok since the start of 2021, with Natasha playing into the craze by doing funny recreations of other users’ videos to her soundtrack and interacting directly with fans.

NATASHA

Pocketf of Sunshine

was used in the box office hit, Easy A, with Emma Stone repeatedly opening a singing card that plays the opening line to the song - ‘I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine’. “Funny enough, I heard Emma actually used the card in her audition, it wasn’t part of the original script, and the directors loved her creative license and the way she made it work, so they incorporated it into the storyline. It’s always so flattering to hear my music being featured.” Natasha smiles. “I had a pinch-me moment a few months ago singing at the Mighty Hoopla music festival, when the entire crowd of 30,000+ started loudly and enthusiastically singing along, and it was like an out-of-body kind of thing, watching that many people knowing every word to your song and all being so joyful because of it!”

Now a Bedford local, but still on the move, Natasha’s career is as busy as ever and her schedule includes frequent travel around the country and abroad to perform, record, and promote. Natasha sang at the People’s Choice Awards this year. And, a worldwide symbol of success in the music industry, and with the bonus of being so close to home, Natasha will be performing at Madison Square Garden this fall with Meghan Trainor. “Being here, and the life we’ve created in this community, the opportunities to connect with nature... it’s all such an inspiration for me to keep creating!”

545 Indian Field Road Greenwich, CT

Nestled within the 24/7 guard-gated Mead Point association, this stunning Georgian Colonial commands awe-inspiring panoramic vistas of the Long Island Sound. Poised on approx. 1.6 acres of prime waterfront land, the home was impeccably crafted in 2014 and features high ceilings, fine millwork, and French doors adorn the elegant interiors. Upstairs, a luxurious primary suite with spa-like bathroom, balcony and dual dressing rooms awaits. Outside offers a covered terrace, an oversized pool, dock, and private beach. Simply stunning.

THE INCLUSIVE INITIATIVE

WELCOMING NEURODIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY

In today’s

and age, it seems like inclusivity …of e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e… should be a given!

We’ve had the Civil Rights Act since 1964; and the Americans With Disabilities Act since 1990; there are laws in many states, including New York and Connecticut, requiring education in the workplace to prevent sexual harassment; the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v Hodges in 2015 extended the protection of the 14th Amendment to same sex marriages, and; ‘Me Too’ is now an established part of our culture.

But when it comes to neurodiversity…there’s work to be done!

BRINGING BROADWAY TO

Even in our relatively enlightened area, there’s a general lack of understanding about neurodiversity, and even a stigma when it comes to those on the autism spectrum, or who just present differently.

Wendy Belzberg’s 25-year old daughter, Leigh, is neurodivergent, and so Wendy is more aware than most of how people act and react around people who are different – and how the interaction can feel to the neurodivergent individual. “Everybody is a little bit different,” Wendy often says. “I want to live in a community where those who are neurodivergent, and their families, feel welcomed. Where everyone feels welcomed! …And the answer is education. You can’t legislate empathy, but I believe education results in awareness, sensitivity, and acceptance.”

Music &

by CYNDI LAUPER Book by HARVEY FIERSTEIN

Wendy is a force in the community’s charitable, cultural, and social affairs who, in addition to being Co-Head of the Inclusive Initiative, serves as President of the Bedford Riding Lanes Association and Co-Chair of Bedford’s Open Space Acquisition Committee. “I was inspired by what I saw in Rhinebeck, New York, where they’d established what’s called an Autism Supportive Community - the first in the Hudson region - with the mission ‘to train volunteers, businesses, and community leaders to help make the community more welcoming for people on the autism spectrum and with other disabilities’,” Wendy explains. “Being an autism supportive community made Rhinbebeck a destination for families with neurodivergent children. I wanted Bedford to be similarly inviting and welcoming. A place where families would want to visit for the day or choose to live.”

To get started, Wendy enlisted another local community leader, Cynthia Brill, who is an accomplished attorney and past Chair of the outstanding Mt. Kisco-based Neighbors Link, to Co-Chair Bedford’s Neurodiversity Task Force. The Town of Bedford - with the notable personal involvement of Town Supervisor Ellen Calves and each and every Member of the Town Board - formed a Committee that researched training, delivered recommendations and outlined action items. Fulfilling one of those action items, as an example, the Town added a ‘Neurodiversity Page’ on the Town’s website, where residents can find local services and resources for neurodivergent community members.

“EVERYONE CAN USE MORE SUPPORT AND COMPASSION.”

“After completing the Report, it was clear to the Committee that the local community needed to ‘own’ the initiative, and we knew the next and critical step was to get the community to ‘buy-in’. ...So we sunsetted the Neurodiversity Task Force and created the Inclusive Initiative, which Melissa Dilmaghani and I are Co-Chairing, with the purpose of providing education and training around neurodiversity to residents, businesses, and everyone who is publicly facing in our community.”

Melissa and her husband Dave Dilmaghani moved their business, Old New House, a retail and to-the-trade supplier of antique and vintage rugs, to Katonah in 2013, and moved the store to its current location at 33 Katonah Avenue in 2016. Melissa has been quite active in the local business community, including having served as the Vice President and Event Chair of the Katonah Chamber of Commerce. Melissa and Dave have two boys, ages 11 and 8. “Our family is neurodiverse,” Melissa says. “One of the reasons we moved to Katonah was the sense of community, and we’ve found nothing but good people and good families here. I want to give kudos to the Bedford Playhouse, the Jacob Burns Film Center, ACT of Ridgefield, and the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield, each of which have programming designed to make neurodivergent audiences feel comfortable. But, even here, there’s a general lack of understanding surrounding neurodiversity, and we’ve encountered a fair degree of awkwardness, and even some outright discrimination, around the circumstances of raising our kids and interacting in the community. Despite the fact that something like one-inevery-thirty-six kids in the school district is formally diagnosed with autism, it can be really difficult to connect with other neurodivergent families to compare notes, share strategies, find comfort in a group, or project any kind of message from the group to the larger community. In my opinion neurodiversity exists on a spectrum and we’re really talking about people with developmental delays, autism, and mental health issues. Everyone can use more support and compassion. …So when Wendy came to me in early 2023 with the idea of providing education about neurodiversity to our community, and starting with the Katonah Chamber of Commerce, I was thrilled to join forces.”

we’re really talking about people with developmental delays, autism, and mental health issues. Everyone can use more support and compassion. …So when Wendy came to me in early 2023 with the idea of providing education about neurodiversity to our community, and starting with the Katonah Chamber of Commerce, I was thrilled to join forces.”

“I THINK WE HAVE REAL MOMENTUM ,”

WENDY REPORTS.

“The Katonah Library graciously agreed to host our trainings. Our first large session, in October 2023, was underwritten by the Dilmaghani’s Old New House, and our second largest training session, in January 2024, was underwritten by the Katonah Chamber of Commerce. Both events were filled to capacity. Among those who attended the training were the Town Supervisor and her 10 Department Heads, Bedford’s Police Chief, and a long list of other participants, including the staffs from Kelloggs & Lawrence, LMNOP, Katonah Museum of Art, and Caramoor. And we’ve now been contacted by leaders in Mt. Kisco, Lewisboro and Pound Ridge, who are interested in introducing training and other programming in their communities.”

Angela Garofalo, who lives in Katonah and has an 11-year old son named RJ who is neurodivergent, echoes the need for inclusivity awareness and emphasizes the effectiveness of educating the communityat-large. “We’ve certainly experienced some uncomfortable moments. People who don’t understand neurodiversity can react in ways that make the neurodivergent individual feel incredibly anxious. RJ and I not only want, but need to feel others accept him. We hope everyone can embrace and celebrate the differences,” Angela says. “While it’s impossible to quantify, we’ve already felt a difference since the Inclusive Initiative’s trainings when we’ve been in and about Katonah. People seem more welcoming of RJ, and like they’re looking at all their customers with a new perspective. …I’m going to do whatever I can to support the Inclusive Initiative’s work moving forward. Sensitivity training really does have an immediate and substantial impact!”

Looking forward, Wendy projects, “We want to make neurodiversity education available for every business, in our public and private schools, for the staff in all municipal buildings and operations, including part-time summer camp counselors and lifeguards, and for the staff in our local hospitals, supermarkets, restaurants and stores.”

We want to engage the entire community in this effort! Look for our ‘NEURODIVERSITY CERTIFIED’ window stickers at local stores. Follow us on Instagram @inclusiveny. And please send an email to info@inclusiveinitiative.com to let us know what you think, and if you’re willing to help,” Wendy charges. “Inclusivity is good for our families, good for business, and good for our community!”

TRAINED & WELCOMING:

• Town of Bedford Recreation Department

• Katonah Museum of Art

• Katonah Village Library

• Bedford Playhouse

• Caramoor

• Old New House

• oHHo

• Chroma Fine Art Gallery

• Katonah Reading Room

• Kellogg’s and Lawrence

• Majestic Hudson

• Amy Drucker Photography

• Be Well Katonah

• Tease Hair and Beauty Bar

• LMNOP Bakery

• Katonah Chamber of Commerce

• Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce

• Corcoran Legends

• KISCOCLEAN

• Compass Real Estate

• Yellow Studio

• Houlihan Lawrence

• King Kone

• Bedford Hills Library

• Endeavor Therapeutic Farm

• Ginnel Real Estate

• Katonah Classic Stage

• Jaxd Fitness

• Assistant Mount Kisco Village Manager/Deputy Clerk

• BluePath Dogs

• The Hair Wharf

• This and That Vintage

• Katonah Lewisboro School District

• Lasdon Park

• Stepping Stones Museum

• The Harvey School

• Bedford Free Library

• Community Center NW

• Bedford Police Department

• Grit Ninja

• Bedford Audubon

THERE’S A NEW FIRE CHIEF IN TOWN…

GRAHAM GLAUBER

Soiree

“I was 11 when 9/11 happenedold enough to feel the shock and understand the tragedy. Kelsey Morell, whose father George passed at the World Trade Center and who the stadium at Fox Lane is now named after, was in my class at Fox Lane Middle School at the time. My dad had his own agency for graphic artists in the City, and was stuck in the chaos as many others were that day. Within a couple of years following the tragic event, he sold his business in Manhattan and started a second career as a high school English teacher in Harrison. I was completely engrossed in everything about the emergency response and absolutely impressed, in particular, with the duty and honor of those who responded on 9/11 and in its aftermath. I kind of committed to myself then that I was going to work in emergency services.”

PHOTOS: ANDREA CERASO

The first person to rise from Junior Corp to Chief in the Department’s history.

“I was born in 1990 and have a twin brother, Zane. When we were babies we lived across the street from New York Hospital, where my mom was a physician, and my mom always says that from the time I could toddle, I was glued to the window sill of our apartment, directly facing the emergency bays, and that I was more than a little bit captivated by the sirens and the sight of any ambulance or fire or emergency trucks. We moved to Bedford when I was three, and quite a few of my childhood pictures are of me at the age of 4, 5, 6, etc., at the Bedford Fireman’s Parade, or standing in front of a Bedford Fire Truck at the Bedford Fire House. And I’ve always liked playing with big toys and equipment and have never grown out of it. So I guess you could say I bring a youthful enthusiasm to work at the Bedford Fire Department,” Glauber declares.

Of course, being only 33, just about everything about Graham Glauber screams youthful enthusiasm like a fire engine’s siren. He’s the ‘Doogie Howser M.D.’ of the new Bedford Fire House. And he’s a hometown hero, who’s a real life advertisement for the virtue of being a volunteer.

“I filed my application for the Bedford Fire Department’s Junior Corp before becoming eligible at the age of 15, and was, somewhat ironically, inducted into the Junior Corp on 9/11 in 2005. I can’t believe it’s been 18 years,” Graham says, never quite sounding or appearing as senior and qualified as he actually is. In point of fact, Graham rose to the level of Junior Corp Lieutenant before graduating at age 18, and has served in almost every position and rank there is to fill as a Member of the Bedford Fire Department - the first person to rise from Junior Corp to Chief in the Department’s history. “I understand that I look young…and I just smile when a homeowner starts talking to someone older, who they believe is the Chief, and just politely wait for my crew to point them in my direction. But deep down I’m really an old soul, and I’ve always been pretty mature for my age. I’m comfortable being thrown into the most serious situation, and I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with people on what is frequently one of the worst days of their life.”

“I think maybe the one thing that’s different around here because of my age, is the level of responsibility I feel for the Recruit Program. Right now we have 20 Recruits” Graham says. “Otherwise, I’m like any other Chief …and this is a big Fire Department! We serve about 6,000 residents. We have about 60 active Members who respond regularly to calls and attend our meetings and trainings, and about 10 Associate Members who help the Department doing things like assisting with social and public events. With 2 fully equipped Ambulances, we are one of only a handful of the 70 or so Departments in Westchester that run both EMS and fire calls, with many members cross trained as NYS Firefighters and NYS EMT-B, and roughly half of our 800-or-so calls each year being for EMS. And I’m proud to say that we have a really healthy mix of blue collar and white collar Members, and that a large number of our Members are female. We’re the busiest of the three Departments in the Town of Bedford, and the only one that runs ambulances.”

“I want to continue to be er our service to the community, work to reduce response times, and curb errant or false alarms.”

Graham was elected by the Department to serve a one year term as Chief, but most Chiefs end up serving at least two years, and there are no term limits.

*I first became an Assistant Chief at 24 years old, and served for several years as First and Second Assistant Chief before making the run for Chief of Department.

While I see myself as a steward of a 101-year-old Department, and charged with all the regular and ongoing duties, I am personally committed to a few key efforts where I’d like to really move the needle while I’m Chief,” Graham sets out.

“First and foremost, we need a tanker. We don’t have a tanker in the fleet now and, with limited pressurized hydrants, we’re presently dependent on open water sources, such as ponds and pools, and tankers from neighboring Departments. Our old building did not have the space for a tanker. It will cost roughly $1 million to build. More generally, I want to continue to better our service to the community, work to reduce response times, and curb errant or false alarms.

As just one example of a way we can use the tremendous resource of data and experience that we have, we have a record of all vehicle accidents, and are keenly aware of the most dangerous stretch of road on Old Post Road as it winds past the Bedford Post and the Heron Rookery toward the intersection with Pea Pond, and we hope to work with various agencies to do what we can to make that roadway safer.”

“...And we’re all 100% volunteers!,”

Graham reminds. “Even though serving as Chief is the equivalent of having a full-time job - and a demanding one at that - I also have a real job, and a life! I’ve always been an outdoorsy plant person, and majored in Landscape Horticulture at the University of Vermont. I work as an Estate Manager in Cross River, and also assist select private clients, companies and municipalities as a consultant on various specialty horticulture projects. I also run the Instagram @plantsofinstagraham, sit as an advisory member of Bedford’s Tree Advisory Board, and have served on the faculty of the New York Botanical Gardens. I started my own annual scholarship at Fox Lane High School, with a focus on students interested in joining Green Industry, and am also a Charter Member of the Advisory Board for the FDNY Foundation, assisting the FDNY and the City in fire prevention, equipment procurement, training aids, and so on. …And, oh yeah, I’m the loving and devoted divorced father of a two-and-ahalf year old son named Owen! …And if I ever find a minute, my hobby is old trucks and equipment. I have an all-original fire engine red, 1970 International 1100 pickup truck, with 58,000 true miles, that I’m working on restoring. It was a working pick-up on a potato farm in Presque Isle, Maine…and I have vanity plates that say TATER on it!”

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“Working for the Department for 18 years has been a reward to me!” Graham

elaborates.

“I’ve always gravitated toward structure, discipline, and high standards, and this Department - like many - runs with a chain of control, with everything that goes on strictly dictated by an elaborate set of Bylaws, with training frequent enough to build muscle memory, and with standards that start-out with a minimum grade point average and a curfew for the Recruits. The Department feels like a family, and everyone has the other’s back. I’ve learned lots of life skills, including critical decision making and handling difficult circumstances. And it’s changed the way I interact with people - for the better, I hope!”

With a smile of satisfaction Graham proclaims, “I’m proud to wear the BFD Maltese and take great pride in what I do here! I have tremendous respect for the history and tradition of fire service. …And that moment at every parade when the 4 year old looks up at us driving the shiny red fire truck…makes it all worth it! …Who knows, that kid could be our next Recruit, and might someday become Chief. …We’re always looking for volunteers!”

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Rob Labritz

INSIDE THE ROPES ON THE PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

By Michael Kaplan

From the time when Rob Labritz first started golfing as a kid, his goal has been to win a Professional Golfers’ Association Tour event. …He’s now competing in his third year on the PGA Tour Champions and, while he’s yet to win on the PGA Tour Champions…after only a year, his fellow PGA Tour Champions players named him the Most Popular Player on Tour!

Labritz has been the Head Golf Professional at Glen Arbor Golf Club in Bedford for more than two decades and, as the Club’s owner Grant Gregory says, “Rob will always have a home here! He’s a very special guy, and our Members love him!”

Labritz is a links legend! Quite notably, during his career as a PGA Club Professional, he was one of only a handful of Club Professionals who qualify to play amongst the field of PGA Tour Professionals in the PGA Championship …eight times! And he was the Lowest Scoring Club Professional at the PGA Championship …twice! …Then, as soon as he became eligible at age 50 to play on the PGA Tour Champions, he won the qualifying tournament!

Photos: Alex Quijano

I met Labritz about a decade ago. I had a Hole-In-One on the Par 3 14th at Glen Arbor - the second of two I’ve had in about 40 years of golf. I walked into the Pro Shop all elated and Labritz, whose reputation as the best golfer in the area preceded him, was there. To memorialize my achievement for a promotional program with Golf Digest, he asked what club I’d used on the hole - set up at a little under 150 yards that day…and I told him I’d used a 7 Iron. …Joking about my lack of distance, he declared, “I’ll put down a 9 Iron on the form!”

When my daughter and I published our Inaugural September/October 2020 Issue of Bedford & New Canaan Magazine, we ran Labritz’s “Competing At The PGA Championship”, about his appearance at the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco. In our July/August 2021 Issue of B&NC MAG, we included a feature Labritz wrote titled “The Longest PGA Championship Venue In History”, about his appearance at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort in South Carolina. And in our March/April 2023 Issue of B&NC MAG, we included another Labritz diary, titled “My First Year On The PGA Tour Champions’’, chronicling Labritz’s 2022 rookie season on the PGA Tour Champions.

he wasn’t kidding! He gave Rob enough encouragement during the round to make me think he might be Rob’s Coach, but when I asked, he told me he was just up from his home in South Florida for the day to give his pal some encouragement.

were driving up from Jupiterwhere Rob and Kerry have taken a place in order to have a bit more proximity in their effort to maintain a semblance of family life while Rob is on Tour.

In October 2023, Rob invited me to join himʻinsidetheropesʼ

at the Furyk & Friends PGA Tour Champions event at Timuquana Country Club, in Jacksonville, Florida. Nearing the end of his second year on Tour, Labritz’s finish at Furyk would help to determine whether he would make the cut to be one of the top 35 on the Tour Champions, and thereby get to play in the $3,000,000-purse end-of-theSeason Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

I am a golfer, and getting a closeup view of Rob, and the two other Champions he was paired with each of the three days, was a tremendous lesson. No bull, I lowered my handicap by about three strokes immediately after the tournament! Mostly by visualizing things I’d seen in the way the Champions approach the ball and position the club, their tempo, and finish, and everything I could glean about how they all seem to drain one putt after another so routinely as to make me think there must be a secret I don’t know.

And it was huge fun to get an insider’s look at the PGA Tour Champions! It was absolutely fascinating to see how Rob, and the other Champions, go about the business of being PGA Champions. I spent just

about every waking minute with Rob during the three days of the tournament, so I really got to see his whole day, and what goes into being ready to step onto the first tee every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Rob got me an all-access pass at Timuquana that even got me into the Players’ Dining Room and Locker Room, so I got to rub elbows with some of the other Champions, and their families, caddies, and support teams. And I stayed at the same hotel as Rob, and his wife, Kerry, who’d brought their then-9-year old daughter Ryan and then-2year old daughter Logan for the tournament. (Rob’s son from his previous marriage, Matthias, is away studying at LSU and couldn’t make it to this Tour stop.) And a bunch of the other Champions and their entourages were staying at the same hotel, so I got to hang-out a little bit with a few of them.

…But bigger than the golf lesson…or the golf fan’s experience…I was inspired by Rob! His demeanor, collegiality, professionalism, drive, tenacity, perseverance, intense focus, and genuine and oft-repeated belief that he will win a PGA Tour Champions event. Rob is as good a guy as he is a golfer!

DAY ONE…When I arrived at Timuquana on Thursday, I wasn’t sure about how ‘close’ I was allowed or supposed to get during the whole experience, so I had lunch in the Press Room with a couple of PGA Tour Champions marketing execs, and didn’t meetup with Rob until just before he was headed to the first tee. I walked around with Rob’s best friend, ‘Fast’ Eddie Fernandes… who is a two-time World Long Drive Champion! Rob and Eddie met when they were just 5, and grew up five houses down the road from each other on Pattonwood Drive in Southington, Connecticut - sneaking onto the adjacent Pattonbrook Country Club to play golf together before eventually getting junior memberships there. Eddie is also qualified to play on the PGA Tour Champions, but spends most of his time focused on being and remaining a long drive champion and the business that goes with that. It was an extra-special treat to get Eddie’s insight on Rob’s technical performance, and an absolute blast to hear Eddie declare, with a chuckle, on the Tee at just about every 400+ yard Par 4… ”Maybe not on Tour, but if you and I were just playing golf out here today, I’d be going right for the Green!” …And with a long drive record of 480 yards,

Rob was 4 Under Par for the day, putting him in the top ten on the leaderboard, and setting him up for an ideal 9:30 tee time on Friday morning. He spent about twenty minutes stretching in the Locker Room, and then drove me in his Volvo courtesy vehicle back to the hotel in Jacksonville. He was enervated and energized all at once. Still thinking about his golf, but also very present and personal. He reviewed the round with me, talking about a few particularly good drives, how he felt he’d managed the course well, and how disappointed he was that he’d rolled this putt and that putt past the cup. He explained that he was also a bit exhausted from having spent a few weeks in a row on the road playing Tour events, but was excited that Kerry and the girls

We pulled-up at the hotel at around sunset, and right behind Kerry and the kids. I’d actually met Kerry in years past as well, as she worked on my wife’s real estate brokerage team for a minute before becoming pregnant with Logan. She’s smart, youthful, fun, very pretty…and Rob’s undying supporter. …Hugging Kerry and the girls, it was like Rob got put on a charger. Or like when the Tin Man gets the oil. In the warm embrace of his family, Rob seems completely content. It’s easy to see how much he adores Kerry, and the way the girls smile and playfully interact with him says it all. We made plans to meet for dinner in the upscale steakhouse in the hotel about two hours later. When we sat down to eat, Rob said that he was happy to have just grabbed an hour stretch in the hotel gym!

Rob is a family man. Although Logan was a little zonked from the drive up to Jacksonville, Ryan was no worse for wear, and Rob wanted a full report on how she’d done on a project at the prestigious private school she’s enrolled in, and to hear about everything else going on in her life. His interaction with Kerry is playful, like they’re actually friends. The stress on the family of Rob being on the road is obvious, but they seem to be managing quite well. And around Kerry and the girls, Rob seems to maintain a constant calm and manifest obvious joy. We talked about people and politics and world affairs - without a hint of tension - and didn’t really talk about golf much at all. What shines through with Rob and Kerry is their faith, humility, happiness, and mutual respect and admiration. And Ryan is a bright and precocious young teen, who is an outstanding student and who plays the roles of #1 Fan, Mama’s Helper, and Big Sister, ideally. Dinner was delightful.

We’d been seated at a table toward the front of the restaurant, right next to the bar, and a half-dozen Champions staying at the same hotel came in for dinner while we were eating. The interaction between Rob and Kerry and the other Champions and their significant others felt a little more like what you would expect from long-time teammates, than guys competing head-tohead, week after week, for big money. We chatted with Miguel Jiminez and his significant other and Stephen Ames and his significant other, who were all seated at the bar together for their dinner. With his trademark cigar and an after-dinner drink in hand, Jiminez explained that they almost always sit at the bar, because meeting new people wherever the Tour takes them helps to break-up the monotony of being on the road - as Jiminez has been since he started on the European Tour in 1988.

One of the things that’s most interesting and exciting about the PGA Tour Champions, is the very fact that everyone is 50+. In no other sport are the ‘old guys’ competing on such a big stage or for so much money. They are a diverse and worldly group. Most of the Champions played for many years on the PGA Tour, and many were even PGA Tour greats and have earned great fortunes in the process. A whole bunch of Champions share private jets - or even take their own - to get around from event to event, while others take the PGA’s bus or make the drive together with their caddy. Rob stands out - at 53 - as one of the youngest and most fit Champions and, even compared to the way other Champions looked when they were in their 50s, it certainly appears that Rob may have two decades or more of playing on the PGA Tour Champions in front of him…and a reasonable shot at accumulating a fortune of his own to come with it.

DAY TWO…My photographer and I met with Rob, pre-dawn, on Friday morning, to get some shots of him stretching before leaving for the course. Rob showed up at the gym a little late, apologizing profusely, saying that he’d stayed-up after our dinner the night before taking Ryan for a swim in the hotel pool. He was more ‘off’ about having missed his alarm than I saw him at any other time all weekend. But what became immediately apparent when Rob got started, was that what Rob calls ‘stretching’, is actually a workout that would leave most mere mortals laying on the floor. His contortions are extreme, and there’s more calisthenics and isometrics than I even care to emulate. He went at it, while complying with my photographer and talking with me, for about an hour-and-ahalf, saying he usually stretched for a couple of hours every morning, but wanted to get over to the course to hit some balls and work on his putting before his tee time. Rob explained to me that he spends almost as much time every day on fitness and conditioning as he does practicing and playing golf. The whole ‘stretch’ really got me thinking about everything that goes into Rob being a Tour pro. It’s a job, and Rob works really hard at it.

I left for the course with my photographer before Rob, and when I got to Timuquana I went to the range to watch the Champions practice from a VIP area only about ten feet behind the pros and their caddies. Close enough that one of my personal golf heroes, Davis Love III, said ‘Good Morning’ to me as I

camped-out behind his practice session, and even commented to me on a few of his shots. Then, when I was standing aside the practice green watching Vijay Singh practice putting, John Daly dropped a few balls close enough to me for me to have putted them. He had a cigarette and a drink - I don’t know what was in the paper coffee cup - in his left hand, and started taking at least half-serious right-handed putts. He must have taken two dozen onehanded putts…and was sinking a good number of them… so I asked if he was seriously trying-out a new putting style. He laughed and said that if it kept working so well, he might try it!

One of the Champions who Rob was paired with was none other than former World #1 David Duval. Rob and Duval know each other from when they competed as Juniors, and the lighthearted banter between them started when the players and the caddies and the PGA officials were all posing for official photos before teeing-off. Duval always seems to be a bit pompous, and at Timuquana Duval’s chest is puffed-out a bit extra. His family is so well established that…well… Timuquana is located in Duval County! And Duval grew-up playing on Timuquana …because his dad, Bob Duval, was the PGA Club Professional there before he went on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions!

DAY 2

Watching the action on Day Two, I was more focused on how Rob was out there working, than the way I’d been focusing on technique on Day One. I walked with a high school friend of Rob’s - Rob’s family moved from Southington, Connecticut to Hobe Sound, Florida when he was a young teen - who’d driven-up from Port St. Lucie, and a couple in their 70s who’d met Rob when he was playing in a tournament in Atlanta on the course where they live, and who now travel to see Rob play whenever the PGA Tour Champions is even close to nearby. Kerry and the kids made it about half-way before they had to bring Logan into the Clubhouse. …I’d rate Rob’s performance on Day Two as ‘workmanlike’. He seemed a tad unsettled all day, like he just never found the zone. I thought I saw Rob turn and mutter a few angry words at his caddy, Mark Schoenwald, right after teeingoff on 17, and Rob later admitted to me that he was unhappy about a read Mark had given him on the 16th green, where Rob threeputted. Two Birdies, two Bogies, a few missed putts from inside ten feet…even Par for the day.

After the round, we went to the Player’s BBQ out on the Clubhouse Patio, overlooking a wide swath of the St. Johns River, for a bite amongst players and their families, caddies, trainers, and agents, and some PGA Tour Champions officials and execs. It was past lunch time, but Rob packed-down a plate like it might be his last meal. We sat at a picnic table with Mark and a couple of other caddies, and I got to listenin on them talking about other

caddies and their changing assignments, gossiping about the way one of the most famous Champions may have hit a cart while leaving the parking lot the night before without taking responsibility, and discussing arrangements for getting to the next event. As Rob relaxed - despite scrolling through a bunch of texts that seemed to be perterbing him - he revealed to me that he was a bit out of sorts, and maybe not perfectly loose, because his physio had left him high-and-dry the week before and was now ghosting Rob’s texts. And Rob talked openly with me about the costs of having a caddie, a physio, and a golf guru, and some of the other practicalities, requirements, and vagaries involved in competing on the PGA Tour Champions. I was again struck by the notion that Rob was out there competing with a kind of urgent sense of having to win and needing to prove himself, while most of the Champions were feeding their egos and overstuffing their already fat pockets.

Leaving Timuquana, we needed to stop for gas for the Volvo at the first station down the road. Rob, Kerry, the girls, and I were all packed into the car…and it took us at least fifteen minutes, and asking the clueless guys inside the station and a couple of other people at the pump, before we figured out how to open up the gas cap! {Hint: See Volvo website. Button is on key and not in car.} Then, on the ride back to the hotel, I asked Ryan if the kids at her school

understood that her dad was a famous pro golfer, and if they’d be waiting to hear about her dad’s performance on the Tour when she got back to school on Monday. …To which she responded, “Well, Charlie Woods goes to my school,” and went on to talk about how Charlie had just won a tournament for the school. …Rob may be a big famous golf pro, but at home he’s just dad. He’s genuinely humble, and takes things with generally good humor. Drives his own car and, I can attest, pumps his own gas.

We all walked a couple of blocks from the hotel to go out to dinner - far enough that Rob, in his flip-flops, joked about not exactly needing to have to do any more exercise. The restaurant was kind of chi chi and pretentious, the crowd was rather avant-garde and, far from recognizing Rob as one of the PGA Tour Champions in Jacksonville for the Furyk and welcoming us as honored guests, the maître d’ pretty much sloughed us off and told us a table would be available ‘whenever’. …Right in stride and without a word of consternation, Rob led us out of the restaurant, and we went back to the hotel and had dinner in the lobby grill. Another nice dinner. A few more Champions stopping by the table to say hello. When we said goodnight at about 8:30, Rob and Kerry and the girls were headed up to the pool for some much needed family-time…and then I think Rob was going to get in yet another stretch before going to bed.

DAY THREE, Saturday, the final day of the Furyk, I headed to Timuquana with Rob in the Volvo while Kerry and the kids were going to follow in their own car and get to the course in time to see Rob tee-off. Rob was pretty pumped-up and a little more animated than usual. He said things like, ‘If a few putts roll my way, I still have a chance’ and, as usual, stated his intention to win on the Tour Champions. A little concerned about throwingoff his mojo in any way, I nevertheless asked Rob about what was going on in his golf brain. Was he thinking about the course? Or about something in his swing? …And, succinctly, Rob responded saying, “As I mature on the Tour, I find that the key is total and complete focus on each and every shot. Not on what just happened. Not on what’s going on around me. Just step up to the ball knowing that I’ve practiced enough to make everything rote, and apply myself completely to the analysis and execution of every swing.” I asked about how he deals with the proximity of the crowds and whether he was bothered by someone standing very close behind him on the 15th the day before - as I thought I’d noticed Rob look around after the drive, and Rob said, “What guy?”

When we got to Timuquana, I joined Rob for breakfast in the Player’s Dining Room! It was like one of those fantasy travel experiences they auction-off to buy with American Express points. PGA Tour Champions G.O.A.T. Bernhard Langer sat down to eat right across the table from me! And although he didn’t make any smalltalk with me or really anyone else, I did get to chat with several other Champions! …And when David Love III came in and sat down near Rob and I, I thought it seemed like maybe somehow he remembered me watching him on the range the morning before when he said ‘Hey, Good Morning, How Are Ya’ as he passed by!

After getting a rub-down and doing about a half-hour stretch in the Locker Room, Rob headed out to the range. He spent about a half-hour hitting a few shots at the range with every club in his bag. Then another half-hour hitting sand shots and tricky shots from all sides of one of the practice greens. And then another half-hour putting, with Rob’s caddie Mark checking Rob’s alignment from every angle. Everything seemed to be a bit more serious and critical than on Thursday or Friday.

DAY

I walked the whole route with Kerry and Ryan, with Logan spending some of the time in her stroller and some walking around and playing with her big sister like she was in a park. The crowd was much larger, and Timuquana was pretty packed. There were huge crowds in grandstands surrounding a couple of the Par 3s, where fans were whooping it up in the style of the Waste Management Open in Phoenix. The pressure was on…and there’s a lot of money on the line! A few strokes means hundreds of thousands more or less for Rob! …And yet, Rob paused after every couple of holes to get a high-five from Ryan and give Logan a hug! He had an errant drive on the 1st hole, but scrambled to make Par. He missed the green on a couple of approach shots. He went at every hole, but nothing seemed to drop until he made a long one on 18. …Even Par for the day.

4 Under Par for the 3-day event, tied for 15th, Rob won $30,000 for the effort at Timuquana. With his finish there and a good performance the next week, Rob did qualify as one of the top 35 players on the PGA Tour Champions and went on to compete in the Charles Schwab Championship Cup. Last time I checked, he’s already won $1.25M on the PGA Tour Champions, and he has sponsorship deals with Titleist, Foot-Joy, Athlade, Orion Infrastructure Capital, EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, J. Alexander’s, and Krystal Restaurantsfor whom Rob plays with a bright red patent leather golf bag emblazoned with the Krystal logo that’s more than noticeable out on the Tour! …And Rob still plays an active role at Glen Arbor when he’s not out on the Tour!

By all accounts, Rob is living the dream, and I said that to him when we were saying our goodbyes in the Clubhouse after the round. But he held my hand with a firm grip as we shook hands, looked me right in the eye, and said, “I may be living the dream, but my goal is to win out here, and I wouldn’t be out here if I didn’t know I can do it! Michael, I can feel it, I’ve got a win coming!”

On the way out of the Timuquana Clubhouse, I had to stop in the Locker Room to pick-up the suitcase I’d stashed with the gentleman in charge. As chance would have it, Davis Love III was picking-up his stuff, and saying his annual goodbyes to the gentleman who runs the Locker Room at exactly the same time. …Walking out of the Locker Room to an outdoor area where a few dozen kids were waiting to get autographs, Davis turned to me and said, ‘Well, on to the next stop. See ya, buddy…’ as we headed for our Ubers. …Did he think I was an insider??

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of the backyard

et on 2 ½ acres, the residence is 9,225 square feet above grade, including a finished third floor, with 6 bedrooms, 6 full and 2 half baths, and 10 foot ceilings throughout. There is also an unfinished basement with plenty of windows and easy access to the backyard, and the house has an elevator that serves all four floors.

The residence is sunny and bright, and features the simply stunning view of the backyard from almost every room of the house. The front-to-back entry provides a direct line of vision, through a wall of glass, to the pool house and the waterfall edge of the pool. Every room is oversized, there

are comfortable sitting areas in space after space, and the flow is effortless. Everything in and about the house is custom. The main floor, with four fireplaces, includes a formal living room and formal dining room, a family room, a sunroom with bar, an office, and the gourmet double-island kitchen with adjacent breakfast room and sitting area. On the second floor, the primary suite, with a large picture view window overlooking the backyard, includes a sitting room, a luxury bathroom, and two fully-outfitted walk-in - or what might be called ‘stroll-around’ - closets. The completely finished third floor includes a massive gym and family room, and a full bath.

he three-car garage that’s walkin to a huge mudroom has been retrofitted with lifts - so that this garage accommodates a total of six cars. In addition, there’s a structural driveway leading from the house into the backyard that’s under the lawn, and another garage in the backyard - in the same modern, stone, wood and glass style as the separate pool house, and with homage to the mid-century modern masterpieces in the backyards on either side of the property - and that two-car space, with a glass front door that makes the cars inside visible from the house, has underground elevators in each bay, so that garage can house four more cars…or make for a great party space!

All the sightlines are incredibly dramatic! The patio on the back of the house is even fitted with a glass railing so the view of the backyard is unimpeded. The view of the pool and poolhouse, and into the backyard garage/studio, give the feeling of living in a museum of modern art. The juxtaposition of the elements is gracious and comfortable. There’s an overall sense of calm…and yet an arousing sensuality.

All the sightlines are INCREDIBLY DRAMATIC!

THE JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER

The Jacob Burns Film Center, located in the charming downtown village of Pleasantville, is a movie mecca, a bastion of the big screen, and a seat of cinema. Jacob Burns has the curated clip and the featured flick for everyone from movie maven to…‘maybe we should catch a matinee’, and it’s much more than just another multiplex!

Jacob Burns is an art house theater with five screens, three of which are newly refurbished, and with an art gallery and the newly opened ‘Take 3’ Wine Bar & Cafe on the third floor. Designed by Jacob Burns Board Member Laureen Barber, co-owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Take 3 is a cozy spot to enjoy wine, beer, and locally sourced specialty foods, before or after a movie.

But beyond the fabulous facilities, the super staff at Jacob Burns makes the programming powerful and curatorially compelling. Executive Director Mary Jo Zeisel, who joined Jacob Burns almost three years ago as life-after-covid was being reimagined, declares, “I’m proud to boast that Jacob Burns has a unique range of both theatrical and educational programming. Our biggest theater seats 245 and allows for large-scale screenings and events, and our smaller theaters upstairs provide a more intimate experience. This is a gorgeous place, and the whole movie-going experience is really enjoyable and quite comfortable. And our educational offering - to the community - is second to none! Jacob Burns is a museum, a school for K-12, a university, a film lab, and an entertainment destination, all rolled into one!”

the whole movie-going experience is really enjoyable and quite comfortable. And our educational offering - to the community - is second

Chris Holliday, Interim Director of Film Programming, expounds on the breadth and depth of the cinematic offering, “We do a lot of film series, with themes like ‘Sounds of Summer’, ‘Focus on Nature’, ‘Pride: A Celebration of Queer Stories’, and ‘Jazz’. We present a film and then bring in the writer, producer, director, actor, or all of them, to do a Q&A with the audience. Like when we showed Joan Baez: I Am Noise and Joan Baez and the Director came to speak, or when Tim Robbins came to speak about his film Bob Roberts. We do retrospectives on particular artists and movie genres. Monica Castillo, our Senior Film Programmer, curated the ‘Restored and Rediscovered’ film festival we’re showing from May 13 through 23, a series featuring discussions with key figures in film preservation and restoration. We play action films and old-school blockbusters. We literally search the globe to source a lot of international films. And we show cult films, like our annual Star Wars screenings on May 4th for our ‘May the 4th Be With You’ festival. …My goal is to present something for everyone!

I want to satisfy students of cinematography and the most intense fans of every movie genre, and show great films that will attract even the most casual movie goer.

“Beyond showing movies, our educational programming really is quite unique,” Brandon Shenkman, Director of Education at Jacob Burns, and who’s been with Jacob Burns for 11 years, proclaims with a measure of pride. “At the ‘entry’ level, we host field trips for Grades 3 through 12 for about 50 local schools - and we foot the bill for about 70% of those students in order to remove any financial barrier to entry. For more interested students up through the high school level, we offer after-school filmmaking classes and have a robust summer camp. We schedule special movie showings for students, with student-led talks with the producers, actors, or subjects

from the movie…and 400 students show-up! And for the most dedicated high schoolers, we have the Emerging Screenwriter Fellowship, where we select ten applicants to participate in a seven-week course, at no cost. Each participant is required to produce a 10page screenplay for a short film, and the program culminates in a table read by a team of professional actors. And then this Fall we will also have a parallel all-Spanish Emerging Screenwriter Fellowship, where all the classes and performances are done in Spanish! For collegiate, graduate-level, and adult education, we collaborate with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and offer programming in filmmaking, production, and cinematic studies. Sometimes, we’re privileged to host master classes with our sponsors and supporters, who include giants in the film world, like local Ron Howard. And, as a part of the work we do to support and encourage emerging artists, we have an artistsin-residence program, and even have a residence next door to the theater so artists can spend time in Pleasantville while working on a film or on any collaboration with Jacob Burns. I want our students, our emerging filmmakers, and the adults who just take one class, to be able to experience the joy of film, and learn something about the craft, all at one-in-the-same time.”

Denise Treco, Jacob Burns’ Director of Marketing and Communications, adds, “My job is actually pretty easy because the cinematic and educational offerings at Jacob Burns sell themselves. But as if that weren’t enough, in April we opened ‘Take 3’, a really cool wine bar and cafe, to enhance the whole movie-going experience. And as an added attraction, we have the Jane Peck Gallery, which is currently showing an exhibition of works by Bill Gold, who’s most famous for having done the original movie posters for such

Jacob Burns is family-friendly and inclusive, with a variety of appropriate programming, including family programming every Saturday, and monthly sensory-friendly screenings. The whole idea of inclusivity is a big part of the Jacob Burns culture, and that goes for curatorial choices, and the staff making Jacob Burns a welcoming place for everyone.”

“Out on a Friday night,” Mary Jo beckons, “...you can count on there being something good at the Burns! Want to see the latest foreign film or a restoration of your favorite old classic… check the Burns’ schedule and you’re sure to find what interests you. Feeling like you could use some intellectual stimulation…take a master class at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Looking to put something with your group on your social calendar…plan ahead for a dinner in Pleasantville and tickets to see a movie at Jacob Burns. Just looking for something to do…come see whatever’s showing and grab a cappuccino at Take 3. …It’s a heck of a lot closer and more convenient than a night in Manhattan! …And a great local venue for ‘Puttin On The Ritz’!”

films as Casablanca, Dirty Harry, My Fair Lady, and Clockwork Orange, and the show is curated by his widow and collaborator, New Canaanite Susan Gold.

Calendar of local events

May 2 @ 6-9:30pm SPRING WINGDING

Mianus River Gorge Bedford NY

May 2 @8am-5pm BRICK HOUSE (1949) OPENING

The Glass House, New Canaan

May 4

BEDFORD PLAYHOUSE SPRING BENEFIT

Bedford

May 4 @ 6-9:30pm THE SUMMER THEATRE OF NEW CANAAN 21ST GALA

The Summer Theatre of New Canaan

May 5 @ 8am-1pm GREAT STRIDES CYSTIC FIBROSIS WALK

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, New Canaan High School

YMay 8 @ 7pm WOMEN IN THE ARTS LECTURE SERIES:

Get the Picture with Bianca Bosker at the Carriage Barn & New Canaan Library.

May 11 @ 9-6pm NEW CANAAN MAY FAIR

St. Mark’s Church

May 13-23, 2024 RESTORED & REDISCOVERED: A FILM PRESERVATION FESTIVAL

Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, NY

May 16 @ 11-2pm VOICES OF COURAGE LUNCHEON

Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Tokeneke Club, 4 Butler’s Island Road, Darien, CT

May 18 @ 5-11pm MOON DANCE 2024 BEDFORD2030. North Salem, NY

May 18 @ 9:30-11:30am NEW CANAAN FOOD

REVOLUTION

New Canaan

May 18 @ 10am-5pm FREE SATURDAY

Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield

May 22 @ 6:30pm-9pm DINNER WITH A

PURPOSE FEATURING LAUREN BUSH

Grace Farms

May 23rd - June 16th

KINKY BOOTS

ACT of CT, Ridgefield

May 30 @ 11:30-2pm MATHER HOMESTEAD GARDEN TEA

Mather Homestead

A sampling of what can be found online at: www.BedfordNewCanaanMag.com

... the largest amalgamated calendar in the region - and your free resource for all things local! Be sure to subscribe for free to our emails as well to receive regular highlights in your inbox on what’s happening in the community that you don’t want to miss!

JUNE

June 1 @ 6:30-9:30pm ON THE FARM DINNER

John Jay Homestead

June 2 @ 9:00am POUND RIDGE COLOR RUN

June 7 @ 6-11pm

ACT OF CT GALA

ACT of Connecticut, Ridgefield

June 8 @ 6:30-11pm WESTCHESTER

LAND TRUST

ANNUAL BENEFIT

Westchester Land Trust. Old Salem Farm

June 8 @ 1:30-2:30pm ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS with the New Canaan Nature Center at Grace Farms

June 10 @ 10:00am VOICES 10TH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING

Quaker Ridge Golf Club

June 16 @ 8-11am CAFFEINE & CARBURETORS

Pine & Elm Street, New Canaan

June 15 & 16 @ 9am-3pm

CEO HORSE SHOW Endeavour Therapeutic.

Horsemanship.

North Hill, 530 Harris Road Bedford, NY 10507

June 22 @ 5-7pm

SUMMER GALA WITH PERFORMANCE BY

WYNTON MARSALIS

Caramoor, Katonah

May 18 @ 3-5pm PERSPECTIVES EXHIBITION OPENING At Yellow Studio in Cross River

May 16 @ 6-8:30pm 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Endeavour Therapeutic. Horsemanship. North Hill, 530 Harris Road Bedford, NY 10507 May 30 @ 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM New Canaan’s Invisible Crisis: A CONVERSATION ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

New Canaan Library, New Canann

Pound Ridge Partnership. Pound Ridge

June 1-2 @ 9am-4pm FINE DAY FAIR Onatru Farm

June 6 @ 5-7:30pm STAYING PUT IN NEW CANAAN SUMMER SOIREE

Staying Put In New Canaan. Waveny House

June 13 @ 7-8:30pm CARAMOOR CELEBRATES PRIDE: Jasmine Rice Labeija. Caramoor, Katonah

June 15 @ 5:30-7:30pm

SUMMER PICNIC Grace Farms

June 16 @ 4-7pm CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CHARLES TURNER & UPTOWN SWING

Caramoor, Katonah

June 23 @ 11-4pm YELLOW STUDIO

SUMMER MARKET Yellow Studio

June 23 @ 4-7pm

CHAMBER FEST Caramoor, Katonah

Winner of Luxury Awards. Experience the William Raveis Advantage.

2024 Summer Season

Over 40 concerts from June 9 to August 16!

Independent Family-Owned Real Estate Company in the Northeast, Florida & South Carolina

Also including: Mark Morris Dance Group, Richard Goode, The Knights & Aaron Diehl, Jeremy Denk, Apollo’s Fire, Les Arts Florissants, Sphinx Virtuosi, Kiki Valera y su Son Cubano, Roomful of Teeth, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Sandbox Percussion, Time for Three, Ollabelle, and so much more!

Plan your summer at Caramoor!

Before the concert, explore our Sound Art, tour the historic Rosen House, or pack a picnic to enjoy with family and friends in our gardens.

Plus! No Added Ticket Fees & Free Parking! Free Shuttle from the Katonah Train Station.

KATONAH, NY / 914.232.1252 / CARAMOOR.ORG

Explore the concert season!

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Sutton Foster Rhiannon Giddens Madison CunninghamMatthew Whitaker

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