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Amazon queen: Céline Cousteau explores endangered tribes WAG goes to Hawaii, Arizona, Cuba and anguilla The Songs: A Greenwich family’s journey of the heart Scenic Hudson helps a river come clean
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Immortal conqueror • 12 36 • Driven to distraction The enduring pull of the Hudson River • 14 38 • Journey to understanding perpetual motion • 18 42 • Songs in the key of life Scourge of heaven • 21 44 • in the grain cause & effect • 24 46 • ¡Viva, Cuba! Lost (and regained) in translation • 30 49 • Life in order an upstate of mind • 32 57 • Form, function and plenty of flair tally ho at 100 • 34 64 • A world of inspired design The perfect place • 68
A mission church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photograph by Bob Rozycki.
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When I was a child, I bought myself a copy of Pierre Grimal’s “Stories of Alexander the Great.” It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with a man whose dream stretched 22,000 miles from the Balkans to northern India. Of course, the Greco-Macedonian conqueror of the Persian Empire was on what we would call a power trip. So was Genghis Khan, the “scourge of Heaven” (and most of Central Asia), who is the subject of an Audrey profile. Alexander and Genghis Khan fulfill the literal meaning of this month’s theme, which has to do with variations on travel. Naturally, there are stories here on popular destinations. Managing editor Bob recounts some quality time he spent with daughter Carolyn in Monument Valley and along Route 66 on their 900-mile trek through northern Arizona. Olivia savors her time on the Big Island of Hawaii, with its variety of landscapes, while we take a sentimental journey back to the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa in Anguilla, which we first introduced to you back in WAG’s March 2011 “King of Clubs” issue. Sticking closer to home? Then you’ll enjoy Mark’s take on Scenic Hudson and the scenic Hudson. We also check in with Barbara and Richard Dannenberg of Purchase, who when they aren’t busy supporting the arts, spearheading book clubs or playing bridge and tennis, have traveled to more than 80 countries. They tell us their most recent trip is also one of their most memorable, although it was not without its challenges and controversy as they ventured to Cuba. But many of the people you’ll meet in this month’s pages are internationalists who have traveled a good deal to pursue their professional passions. Damian Woetzel, whose family has roots in Shanghai and who’s been just about everywhere (including to his weekend home in Connecticut), talks about his seamless transition from electrifying New York City Ballet principal to galvanizing artistic director of the Vail International Dance Festival in Vail, Colo. (Hint: A Harvard degree helps.) Mary describes how Israeli-born glassmaker Moshe Bursuker studied his craft coast-to-coast before settling on three sites in Brooklyn, Newark and Lake Purdys to create his one-of-a-kind pieces. Italian-born jeweler Ippolita,
whose design studio and flagship store are in Manhattan, is always on the go, sourcing stones and creating works around the globe while visiting the Neiman Marcus stores that carry her ultrafeminine designs. Meanwhile, our own Ronni looks back fondly on a writing career that blossomed while she lived in The Pencil – a distinctive (to say the least) building in Rotterdam. Not every professional journey is geographic. Covergirl Carey Lowell – whom you know from “Law & Order,” James Bond and her stint as a proprietor of the Bedford Post Inn – is embarking on a new career with her own line of ceramics and candles that are sold everywhere from Barneys in Manhattan to The Gritti Palace in Venice. And not everyone journey is about personal pleasure or professional gain. Céline Cousteau – yes, she’s Jacques’ granddaughter – has been carrying on the family tradition of exploration. But her latest project, as Jane tells us, also calls attention to the plight of the tribes of the Amazon River Basin. Meanwhile, Patricia brings us the story of Greenwich’s Song family, who could be spending their free time soaking up the sun on a beach in the Seychelles but instead took a year off to volunteer at various nonprofits in South Africa and the Dominican Republic. No power trip this but a journey of the heart. Georgette Gouveia is also the author of the new novel “Water Music,” the first in her series “The Games Men Play.” For more on the book, series and related blog, visit thegamesmenplay.com.
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Immortal conqueror Alexander’s quest for the ever-elusive horizon By Georgette Gouveia
Statue of Alexander, third century B.C., Istanbul Archeology Museum.
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Alexander the Great’s consolidation of an empire that stretched 22,000 miles from the Balkans to northern India some 300 years before Christ still resonates today, intersecting our cultural, geopolitical, military, historical, sexual and religious landscapes. Indeed, the very fact that we call Jesus Christ “Jesus Christ,” a Greek name, is because of Alexander, whose conquest of the Persian Empire (334-331 B.C.) spread Greek culture, ushering in the Hellenistic age. Before Alexander, culture flowed east to west. After Alexander, it reversed its course, creating a tension that has lasted through America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – Alexander’s old stomping grounds. But it’s not just on the battlefield that Alexander’s name is invoked as our soldiers tread in his footsteps. It’s also in the boardroom, as business leaders parse a management style that could be by turns ruthless and brutal or chivalric and enlightened. And in the bedroom, where his presumed bisexuality is a sometime rallying point for gay rights. Face it: It’s still Alex’s world in many ways. We’re just living in it. He was bred for the power trip. His mother, the imperious, dynastic northern Greek princess Olympia (think Princess Diana crossed with Medea) believed that she had conceived him with Zeus, king of the gods. His real father, the shrewd, lusty Philip II of Macedon (think an ancient Henry VIII), scored victories on the battlefield and the racetrack the day he was born, probably July 20 or 22, 356 B.C. in Pella, the Macedonian capital. It was the same day the great temple of Artemis in Ephesus burned to the ground. Clearly, this was a child destined for greatness. But first he would have to survive the harsh tutors and early military training that would one day enable him to fight with a punctured lung and cross a desert with no water. A stroke of luck: Among his tutors was the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who recognized a keen mind if a passionate, unruly heart and taught him to think on his feet and always have Plan B. Was it Aristotle who Alexander anticipated the day he tamed his great black steed Bucephalus – one of the few cinematic moments from his life that historians believe actually happened? Philip was ready to give up on the idea of buying the wild stallion, when his tween son noticed that the horse was just afraid of his shadow and, approaching carefully, turned his head so he couldn’t see it. It was that combination of cool perception and bold action that enabled Alexander to withstand his parents, who viewed their son as a pawn in a power game that would be resolved only in death. When he was 20, Alexander’s father was assassinated and he inherited the kingdom of Macedon, the hegemony of the Greek city-states and the dream of Persian conquest. Some 150 years before, the Persians had invaded Greece, burning the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Athens. But Alexander wasn’t interested merely in avenging the Greeks, although that was the motivation he laid out in his letters to the Persian emperor Darius III. Rather Alexander was moved by an ineffable longing for the ever-elusive horizon
and a quest for the Homeric ideal of “arete,” or excellence, as embodied by his great ancestor, Achilles. So he flung his spear across the Hellespont (the Dardanelles) – which separated Europe from Asia, the past from the future – leading an army no bigger than the New York City Police Department, about 35,000 strong, to face a force of a quartermillion men. Hell of a gamble. But then, as he told his troops, they had Alexander, a man who like Mozart or Einstein could see time in spatial terms and a battle laid out like a chess game.
He was bred for the power trip. His mother, Olympia believed that she had conceived him with Zeus. His real father, the shrewd, lusty Philip II of Macedon, scored victories on the battlefield and the racetrack the day he was born. Clearly, this was a child destined for greatness. At the River Granicus in what is now Turkey – site of the first of the four pitched battles he fought and won – he drew first blood and showed the Persians that he could be respectful to all of the fallen. At Issus, he engaged Darius for the first time, but he got away, leaving behind his family. In a mistaken attempt to ingratiate, the members began to pay homage to Hephaestion – Alexander’s best friend and, some historians think, lover – as he was the taller and handsomer of the two. Rather than take offense, Alexander laughed and bid them rise with the words, “He, too, is Alexander.” Tyre wasn’t so lucky. He savaged the port (in what is now Lebanon) in a long, difficult siege that showed his single-mindedness and ingenuity in the use of a causeway. In Egypt, where he lay the seeds for Alexandria, he was proclaimed pharaoh; in Jerusalem, the fulfillment of a prophecy in the Book of Daniel; in Libya at the oracle of Siwa, the son of the god Amun. And then came Oct. 1, 331 B.C. and the Battle of Gaugamela (in northern Iraq), where it all came together for Alexander – Aristotle’s teaching; Philip’s finely honed fighting force, the block-style phalanx wielding its long, pointed sarissas; and Alexander’s own charismatic leadership, in which he put his men first and shared their suffering. Though Darius would escape again, briefly, Alexander rode into the Las Vegas-style Babylon with another title – lord of Asia. It wasn’t enough. After avenging Darius’ murder at the hands of his treacherous kinsman Bessus, Alexander pushed on through Central Asia – waging a long guerrilla war in Afghanistan and acquiring a chief wife in the process, the princess Roxane. In northern India, he defeated King Porus and his elephants at the Battle of the Hydaspes (326 B.C.). In all these campaigns, Alexander acted as an explorer and ecotourist, sending back plant
and animal specimens to Aristotle. Using another Persian conqueror, Cyrus the Great, as his role model, Alexander could be kind and merciful, particularly to women and children. He punished rape, abhorred pedophilia, championed strong older women, retained local authority, respected the various religions and cultures he encountered and melded Greek, Macedonian and Persian influences. Yet he was capable of stunning cruelty, murderously lashing out at Black Cleitus, the soldier who saved him at the Granicus, and burning the proud city of Persepolis to – take your pick – avenge the Persian invasion of Greece, fulfill a drunken promise to a courtesan or express his outrage at the mutilation of Greek prisoners. Alexander began to exhibit the kind of imperial behavior that did not sit well with his highland countrymen. In any event, his soldiers had had enough and forced him to turn back. He in turn made them march through the searing Gedosian Desert (in Pakistan), where his legend was cemented. When his soldiers brought him what little water they found in a helmet, he held it high and poured it into the ground. If they couldn’t drink, neither would he. It was one of his last bravura gestures. At Ecbatana (Hamadan in Iran) – site of the Persian treasury and summer palace – Hephaestion took ill and died. Alexander crucified his doctor and staged a funeral the likes of which the ancient world had never seen. It might as well have been his own. Not long after, Alexander died in Babylon a month shy of his 33rd birthday on June 10 or 11, 323 B.C. Historians will tell you it was from old wounds, a broken heart, exhaustion, alcoholism, typhoid, West Nile virus or poisoning. But his symptoms
Coin of Alexander, wearing the lion’s cap of Herakles, his great ancestor, British Museum.
seem most closely to align with cerebral malaria. Should it surprise you that this restless spirit was hijacked on the way back to Greece by his general (and, some say, illegitimate half-brother) Ptolemy, who founded a dynasty in Egypt that lasted until Cleopatra? Since then, his golden sarcophagus, recreated in the movie “Cleopatra,” has disappeared. Some archaeologists believe it lies under a mosque in Alexandria; others, in Siwa. The only thing that’s clear is that finding the tomb would be a Holy Grail, touching off a firestorm. The Greeks – whose ancestors didn’t much care for Alexander or his
rowdy Macedonians – claim him as their own. The Egyptians have said they’ll never give him up. In death, he remains a divisive figure. Was he a monster (biographer Ian Worthington) or a universalist (biographer W.W. Tarn)? Perhaps the truth always lies somewhere in-between. We’ll never be certain of his motives, beyond an Achillean glory that he surely has. Here’s what we do know: He never lost a battle. He always led from the front. He lived the life he saw in his head. n
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The enduring pull of the Hudson River By Mark Lungariello
Ned Sullivan’s favorite place to paddle.
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The Hudson River of the mid-20th century must have borne little resemblance to the virgin waterway that Henry Hudson first happened upon in 1609 while looking for the Northwest Passage. The ample, fertile lands that Hudson and the crew of his ship the Half Moon had seen on the riverbanks had been replaced by concrete, steel and smokestacks. The sparkling bay of New York City had become dark and cloudy, with PCBs and other chemicals lurking menacingly under the surface. Its smell was offensive and its tributaries flowed like sewage lines. In Yonkers, development on the waterfront had blocked the view of the Saw Mill River and construction even buried stretches of the river. Ned Sullivan, now president of the land trust organization Scenic Hudson, was born in Yonkers and remembers those days well. “It was so polluted, so smelly,” Sullivan says. “Out of sight, out of mind.” Sullivan’s father, also Ned, was a city councilman and later a Westchester County legislator. The discussions around the dinner table with his father and mother – who still lives in Mount Kisco – usually centered on politics. His parents told him “When the call to public service comes, you say ‘yes.’” The family moved to Bedford when Sullivan was in the fifth grade and it was in the northern part of Westches-
What once was, is now today, along the banks of the Hudson.
ter County, which was then rural, that his love of nature blossomed. Later, he pursued environmental studies in the Berkshires, at Williams College, lived overseas and held jobs with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the National Park Service. He received postgraduate degrees at the Yale School of Forestry and Yale School of Management. He ended up at the Bank of Boston, but when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation came calling, he remembered his parents’ advice about public service. A job as environmental commissioner in
Maine followed before he took over the reins at Scenic Hudson 15 years ago, a move that brought him full circle back to the river of his youth. Four hundred years after being ruled out as the Northwest Passage, the Hudson today is becoming a destination. The return of the river hasn’t come easily and groups such as Scenic Hudson have been fighting for decades to clean up the waterway and reclaim its banks. Sullivan recently went down to the river and saw high school kids on prom night, in gowns and tuxedos, enjoying the waterfront in a way that was impossible a few decades ago.
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“It just really, really demonstrated to me that the young people of Yonkers have embraced and cherished that waterfront,” he said. Just before Sullivan came to work for the group, it had successfully lobbied to block the construction of six high-rises on the waterfront that would essentially have blocked access to the riverfront for those who couldn’t afford to buy in one of the buildings. Scenic Hudson has preserved 31,000 acres since its inception in 1963, turning abandoned industrial properties into riverfront parks and nature-lined walkways. Sites that were polluted with empty industrial oil containers are thriving in Tarrytown, Cortlandt and Peekskill. The group has taken part in an effort in Yonkers that has helped do two things that would have seemed nearly impossible two decades ago: Prove that south Yonkers had some natural environmental beauty and spark a new downtown that is increasingly a dining and arts district. That once-stinky Saw Mill is in the process of a multiphase revitalization of the area, which includes exposing the buried sections of the river. The Hudson and its connected waterways are looking just a bit more like the same river the original Dutch settlers would’ve known or that supported thriving, diverse wildlife. “For years, I think people thought of the Hudson as polluted,” Sullivan says. “As the river becomes cleaner, I think people have realized the Hudson is an asset more than a dumping ground.”
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The environmental cleanups and economic surge go hand-in-hand as a bustling ecosystem directly affects local economic development. For example, in Beacon in the late 20th century, Scenic Hudson worked on projects to clean up the waterway and remediate former junkyards and refineries.
Four hundred years after being ruled out as the Northwest Passage, the Hudson today is becoming a destination.
Afterward, the Dia Art Foundation set up shop near the reclaimed waterfront, and art galleries followed Dia into town. Soon, the downtown streets – once polluted in their own way by crime and drugs – were replaced by piquant shops, galleries and artisanal eateries. “It’s like cleaning up your front yard, making it look great and making it available to the public,” Sullivan says.
“You create a point of pride.” Scenic Hudson has a storied place in environmental actions, formed by six concerned citizens at Carl Carmer’s Octagon House in Westchester. The group opposed a proposed power plant at Storm King Mountain in the Hudson Highlands. A lawsuit followed and the battle raged on for 17 years before Scenic Hudson emerged victorious in its bid to stop the power plant. The case, Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference vs. Federal Power Commission, helped spur the modern environmental movement and set the legal precedent that gave residents standing as an interested party in such cases. Sullivan has been married nearly 20 years to Kara Sullivan, deputy executive director of the New York State Bridge Authority, which maintains six bridges including the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Walkway Over the Hudson. He has a 17-year old daughter and a 30-yearold stepdaughter and his family encourages him to get out on the Hudson, the river that he has been drawn to since his youth. His resume has taken him all over the world, but nothing has compared to the beauty of the Hudson. He says, “To get on a kayak on a sunny day and paddle along the banks of the river is an unsurpassed experience in my life.” For more on Scenic Hudson, or to become a member, visit scenichudson.org. n
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Dr. Vadasdi’s area of medical specialty reflects her personal interests. She is an accomplished triathlete, alpine climber and competitive skier. Dr. Vadasdi helped develop the Women’s Sports Medicine Clinic at ONS that opened last fall, where women’s sports medicine physicians address the needs of active women from recreational athletes to Olympians. She frequently speaks at injury prevention seminars on behalf of the ONS Foundation and is a valued member of the ONS team.
Mark A. Vitale, MD
ONS orthopedic surgeon fellowship trained in hand, wrist and elbow surgery
Dr. Vitale has been a leader during his career, having published more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers as well as authoring several book chapters and invited articles. He has given numerous scientific presentations at local, national and international conferences. Dr. Vitale enjoys solving complex problems for hands and upper extremities. ONS is proud of the work Dr. Vitale does, his involvement in the community and the trips to the country of Haiti he arranges to offer medical treatment for people in need.
perpetual
motion
By Georgette Gouveia
Wendy Whelan and Damian Woetzel performing the pas de deux from George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” in Vail in 2007. Photograph by Rex Keep.
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Not many ballet dancers have degrees from Harvard. But then, Damian Woetzel – artistic director of the Vail International Dance Festival in Colorado – was not many ballet dancers. The former New York City Ballet star – who stood out in a company in which even the principal dancers are listed alphabetically – was one of the greatest danseurs that ballet has ever produced. And yet, he would be just as eager to discuss Harold Bloom’s “How to Read and Why” or haunt a Barnes & Noble near the City Ballet’s Lincoln Center home. No surprise. His mother was a senior officer for UNICEF; his father, the late, Shanghai-born Robert K. Woetzel, an international law expert who taught at Harvard, Fordham, NYU, Boston College, UCLA and USC and advocated the creation of the International Criminal Court; his brother, Jonathan, the Shanghai-based director of McKinsey & Co. a global management consulting firm. But Woetzel, who was born in 1967 in Boston where he started dancing at age
4, set off on another road. And after his family moved to Southern California, he joined the Los Angeles Ballet at 15, attracting the notice of no less a critic than The New Yorker’s persnickety Arlene Croce for his command of the title role in John Clifford’s “Young Apollo.” Woetzel soon redirected himself East, to dance Jerome Robbins’ works with the New York City Ballet (NYCB). In December of 1984, he enrolled in the company-affiliated School of American Ballet, where he studied with Stanley Williams – who trained many of the great male dancers, including NYCB ballet masterin-chief Peter Martins. Six months later, Woetzel was a member of the company, becoming a principal in 1989. What made Woetzel a great dancer? You have to begin with his striking looks, critics said. “He has a memorable face,” Alastair Macaulay, the chief dance critic of The New York Times, wrote when he retired in 2008. “You would have thought that the narrow jaw, that longish nose and those
Damian Woetzel. Photograph by Erin Baiano.
Tales of Two Cities: New York & Beijing
An exhibition of artworks resulting from exchanges of ideas between five pairs of artists: Joan Snyder & Wei Jia Alois Kronschlaeger & Lin Yan Michelle Fornabai & Qin Feng Jorge Tacla & Li Taihuan Simon Lee & Chen Shaoxiong
BRUCE MUSEUM
May 3–August 31, 2014
Greenwich, Connecticut 203.869.0376 | brucemuseum.org
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massive cheekbones wouldn’t go together, but they combine to make him entirely sui generis. The haircut helps: a thick centerparted dark mop, perhaps the most effective dancer haircut since Baryshnikov’s.” Add to that a long, lean physique, an impeccable technique that could be by turns quietly fine or bravura, a romantic attention to partnering and a flair for the dramatic. But it was his mind that made everything he did seem organic, whether he was slithering along a maze of steel pipes in Eliot Feld’s “Organon,” gazing into his partner’s eyes in “The Nutcracker” or Robbins’ “The Goldberg Variations” at Purchase College or holding the Caramoor stage alone in Robbins’ go-forBaroque “A Suite of Dances” in Katonah. “Woetzel belongs to the type best exemplified by Edward Villella – a regular American guy, tough and likable, with craggy good looks and no fancy airs about him,” longtime dance critic Tobi Tobias observed on Bloomberg.com of his farewell performance. “When virtuosity is called for, he makes it look free and easy. When drama is needed, he projects emotions that are intense and true.” You think of his commanding Oberon, playfully kicking naughty Puck in the butt in George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or of his Prince Désiré in Martins’ “The Sleeping Beauty,” removing his blindfold during a game of hide-andseek with the disgusted snap of a man who may be forced to marry the wrong woman when true love lies asleep in a bramble castle. And then there was his Prodigal Son – a Balanchine role that Robbins himself once danced. Even now it’s hard to hear Woetzel’s name and not see that misspent youth as he crawled across the stage on his knees – head bowed, arms behind his back – trembling as he climbed into his father’s embrace, stripped of everything but his determination to find redemption. “Cry and the audience won’t,” Robbins had warned him. Instead it was we who were moved to tears. Today, Woetzel – who holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government – is still moving audiences, still on the move, staging the first White House Dance Series in 2010 and working with the “Kennedy Center Honors” and Yo-Yo Ma’s The Silk Road Project. Recently, we caught up with the sometime Connecticut resident, who’s married to former New York City Ballet star Heather Watts and discovered that he likes to travel, particularly through the landscape of the mind:
panies as well. The idea is what can happen in Vail that isn’t happening elsewhere. It is a unique environment for experiments, and we try to capitalize on that by seeding new partnerships, mixing different dance styles together, bringing together choreographers and dancers for the first time.”
What should attendees look for this season that they haven’t seen before? “This year, among the new collaborations between dancers, Fang-Yi Sheu, the magnificent Taiwanese modern-dance star, will be co-creating a new piece with Shantala Shivalingappa, the exquisite classical Indian dancer. Shantala will also be working with Lil’ Buck, the Memphis jookin’ star, I can’t wait to see what happens with these collaborations. The Martha Graham Dance Company will return to Vail, but this time in addition to a completely new program of repertory for Vail, they will be staging the premiere of a new version of the Graham masterpiece ‘Letter to the World,’ and as part of that the festival, artists-in- residence Tiler Peck, Herman Cornejo and Robert Fairchild will appear as guest artists with the company, all dancing Martha Graham choreography for the very first time. Tiler and Herman will also appear as guests with the Pennsylvania Ballet, making their debuts in the Balanchine masterpiece ‘Rubies.’”
What or who excites you most on the dance scene at this moment ? (Clearly, jookin’ – a high-step- What is your approach to fund- when it did seemed right and still does. I ping street dance – is a favorite.) raising in Vail? do miss the partnerships and the unique“Jookin’ as a dance form does really energize me. It makes me wonder what is possible, how it can mix with different types of music, how other dance styles can borrow and use its vocabulary and vice versa. I love the unexpected, like last year’s mix of jooker Ron Myles with modern dancer Fang-Yi Sheu.”
Dance, or maybe ballet, doesn’t seem to have the popularity that it had during the golden age of the 1970s, even though today’s dancers are probably more gifted technically. Why do you think that is?
The Vail festival has been praised for its mix of dance offerings and styles. What’s your programming philosophy?
“I don’t really agree. I think dance has its largest audiences today and the power of technology to share exciting performances is just beginning to be felt. In the 1970s – which we affectionately call the dance boom or ballet boom – there was a different kind of fame, associated with the defections of Soviet superstars. But also there was the growth of dance itself as a genre of entertainment, and of the masters of the art form at their height. I think specifically of George Balanchine, who was reaching the end of his long career as an acknowledged genius of 20th century art.”
“Every year I look at how we can as a festival further expand possibilities for individual dancers, for choreographers and for com-
Arts organizations are increasingly challenged to raise funds.
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Wendy Whelan in “Restless Creature.” Photograph by Nisian Hughes.
“While finance is always a consideration, when we are discussing the work it’s a question of how to get the best work done, not a question of numbers for me. And in Vail we have the Vail Valley Foundation behind the festival since its creation and its staffing and financial support. That along with the passionate commitment of dedicated donors has made it all possible.”
How has your career as a dancer informed your work as an administrator/entrepreneur, or are they just two different animals? “They are related in that I bring the habits of mind I developed as a dancer to everything I do. We talk in education about building artistic habits of mind. That translates to creatively looking for solutions, failing, trying again, reinventing, applying oneself as a performer with all the pressure that brings. Those artistic habits are a way of working at anything.”
ness of time on the stage, having that luxury of existing in that sacred space, separate from real life.”
Our June issue is all about travel, something you do a lot of. What’s the key to traveling/commuting well? “Secrets for me for travel are eye shades and ear plugs and music to disappear into. I really like traveling actually, a remnant from my touring life as a dancer. It’s a great time to get things done. While there is Internet now on planes, it’s still a very undisturbed environment.”
You’re an inveterate reader. So what books are on your nightstand/Kindle these days and why?
Pound for pound, you were the best dancer I ever saw. Do you miss dancing as much as your fans miss seeing you perform?
“Latest books include ‘Time’s Arrow’ by Martin Amis. Found it at a friend’s house and once I started, couldn’t stop. ‘Americanah’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I recently did a public conversation with her, an amazing writer and person. ‘The One Hour China Book,’ by Jonathan Woetzel and Jeffrey Towson. What can I say? It’s my brother’s latest book, and it’s great.”
“That’s very nice of you to say. Thank you. I do miss dancing in some ways, but overall I feel like I was so fortunate to have had such a long and varied career. Ending
The Vail International Dance Festival runs July 27 through Aug. 9. For more, visit vvf.org/arts/vail-international-dance-festival. n
Scourge of heaven Genghis Khan cut a savage swath from the Caspian to the Sea of Japan By Audrey Ronning Topping Perhaps the most ruthless “power trip” in the world began with a son’s mission to avenge his father. The great Mongol warrior who ruthlessly carved out the largest empire in the world, before the British Empire, was known by many names. As a child he was Temujin. As Mongol chief, he was known as “The Scourge of God.” But the name that went down in history was Genghis Khan, meaning “Universal Ruler.” Temujin was born in central Mongolia around 1162, when Mongolia was a state of fierce warring tribes. He was born with a blood clot on the palm of his right hand, a sign in Mongol folklore that he was destined to become a great leader. When he was 9, his father, Yesukhei, took him to live with the family of his future bride, Börte. On his way home,
Yesukhei encountered members of a rival Tartar tribe. They invited him to a conciliatory meal, but he was betrayed and poisoned. Temujin swore revenge and returned home to claim his position as clan chief. His mother, Hoelun, taught him the grim and brutal reality of living in a turbulent Mongol tribal society and the need for alliances and he began his ascent to power. By the age of 20, he had organized an army of 20,000 warriors and set out to unite all the Mongol tribes under his rule. Through a combination of outstanding military tactics and merciless brutality, Temujin avenged his father’s murder by decimating the Tartar army and killing every male Tartar over 3 feet tall. He went on to defeat his main rival, the Taichi’ut tribe and in a show of cruelty that defined
At least 20 percent of Mongol inhabitants in Inner Mongolia are still nomads who pack their yurts and belongings on Bactrian camels to move to greener pastures in season.
his tactics, he had all the chieftains boiled alive. By 1206, Temujin had enlarged his army to 80,000, defeating and uniting all the tribes of Mongolia into an army of fierce mounted warriors. After the victories, the rival tribes agreed to peace and bestowed on Temujin the title of Genghis Khan, which carried both political and spiritual significances. The leading shaman
declared Genghis Khan the representative of Mongke Koko Tengri (the “Eternal Blue Sky”), the supreme god of the Mongols. With this declaration of divine status came the understanding that Genghis Khan was destined to rule the world. It was with this religious fervor that he told his enemies: “I am the flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent
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A Mongol chief who resembles Genghis Khan. More than 2 million Mongols claim to be his descendants.
a punishment like me upon you.� At the age of 44, he set forth with his Mongol soldiers to fulfill his destiny. The warriors, mounted on sturdy Mongolian ponies, had one great advantage. They had invented the most powerful weapon in the world at that time – the iron stirrup. This enabled the cavalry members to stand up in their saddles, ma22
neuvering their galloping horses with their legs while using their hands to launch their spears and shoot arrows straight. Their military tactics were also superior. The fighters coordinated their advance with a signaling system of burning torches and smoke. Flags signaled further orders and huge drums sounded the signal to charge. The soldiers were equipped with
bows and arrows, shields, daggers and lassos. They carried large saddlebags, which could be inflated as life preservers to cross rivers and also used to carry food, tools and clothing. Cavalrymen also carried small swords, javelins, body armor, battle-axes and lances with hooks to pull enemies off their horses. The Mongols thundered through Cen-
tral Asia along the Silk Road on a mission of conquest, rape and pillage. Whole populations were systematically wiped out. Rivers were diverted; irrigation channels cut off, people starved, cities burned and dams were smashed open to flood the remains. No mercy, no prisoners. Migrations of whole populations began and continued for centuries. The conquest devastated North China and Central Asia. Any city along the Old Silk Road, Buddhist or Muslim, that refused to join his armies or pay due respect was obliterated. When the lost cities were discovered by foreign archeologists some 800 years later, they told of a desert strewn with so many human bones that the travelers piled them up as trail markers. The Mongol Empire, which stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Sea of Japan, lasted well after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227. One of his grandsons, Kublai Khan, conquered China, establishing the Yuan Dynasty and entertaining explorer Marco Polo. By the time Polo left China in 1291, and returned to Venice to tell his fantastic stories about his 16 years in the fabulous court of Kublai Khan, most of the Buddhist cities, with all their gold encrusted temples, monasteries, works of art, sacred scriptures and invaluable manuscripts with forgotten secrets had vanished beneath the shifting sands dunes of the deadly Gobi and the Taklamakan (The Desert of No Return.) But in the end, who was the conqueror and who the conquered? Over the two centuries of Mongol rule, the Mongolians were assimilated into Chinese culture. Kublai Khan was converted to Yellow Hat, Tibetan Buddhism. His armies became decadent and lost their will to fight. They were driven out of China by the Chinese, who established the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Thus ended the world’s longest power trip. The Mongols then retreated to what is today the independent Republic of Mongolia, formerly Outer Mongolia, and Inner Mongolia, still under Chinese rule. Both claim Genghis Khan as a national hero, although he is understandably despised in the Middle Eastern lands he decimated. As for his exact cause of death, that remains a mystery. Some historians maintain he fell off a horse while on a hunt. But the report I like best is the one that claims Genghis Khan was castrated by a Tangut princess taken as war booty. She used a hidden knife to avenge his treatment of the Tanguts (Tibetans) and to stop him from raping her. Khan died from infection and she committed suicide by drowning in the Yellow River. But not before she got, as it were, her pound of flesh. n
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Céline Cousteau continues family legacy through film By Jane K. Dove
Céline Cousteau
In 2010 Céline Cousteau traveled to Papua New Guinea to film the work of Healing Seekers for a CauseCentric Productions film. Interactions with children, here in the southern highlands, were quite frequent. Photograph by Çapkin van Alphen, CauseCentric Productions
“I am confident with what I have chosen to do with my life,” says Céline Cousteau, environmentalist, explorer and documentary filmmaker. “I am leveraging my famous family history to communicate important stories about threats to our environment. I have arrived at where I am supposed to be.” The daughter of ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau and the granddaughter of the beloved Jacques Cousteau, Céline Cousteau says she has come to her flourishing career “through a series of small steps.” She is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit CauseCentric Productions, which helps grassroots organizations communicate their stories of solutions needed for environmental and sociocultural issues. She has also worked as a field producer, on-camera presenter and photographer on an array of TV documentaries. Her latest three-part CauseCentric project, due to conclude its first segment in early June, involves spending two weeks in the Amazon River Basin in a reserve the size of Austria known as the Vale do Javari. The reserve is home to more than 3,500 indigenous peoples and the largest population of uncontacted peoples on the planet. They are all now severely threatened by destructive gold mining, the cocaine trail to the south, potential oil exploration and relentless illegal logging and damaging overfishing by outsiders.
in North Carolina and Virginia with my family before attending the United Nations International School for high school, Skidmore College for my degree in psychology with a minor in studio art and then on to the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vt., for a master’s degree.” Cousteau says she was always interested in the workings of the human mind and also considered a career in some form of art. “I started out working in a psychiatric hospital for a couple of years but I soon knew it wasn’t for me,” she says. “I left when I was in my late 20s and became a tour guide in Latin American countries. By then I had gotten my master’s degree in international and intercultural training and also did an internship at the United Nations. I quickly realized this was much more to my liking, helping people transition to and understand other cultures as a way of advancing themselves.” Cousteau’s first work in her new area of interest was a sustainability development project in Costa Rica. “Another small step along my path.”
Early years
“People think I was born swimming with sea creatures, but what I am doing now is not at all where I started out,” Cousteau says. “I was born in California and grew up in France. I then came back to the U.S. to live for a while 24
Evolution
Then a major shift occurred. “My father started work on ‘Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures,’ a successful PBS television series. I joined in with him and went on to do CBS’ “Mind of a Demon,” and the Discovery Channel’s ‘Mysteries of the Shark Coast.’ I also co-hosted a 12-part documentary series produced by the Chilean-based NuevoEspacio Productions, where I explored both diving under water and trekking on land from Antarctica to northern Chile and westward to Easter Island.” The die was cast and Cousteau shifted to filmmaking
and storytelling as her new full-time direction in life. “In addition to being inspired by my father and grandfather, I also looked to my mother, Anne-Marie Cousteau, a photographer who traveled with my grandfather, Jacques, for many years.” Céline Cousteau believes her life has come full circle, from a young girl learning from her grandfather to working with her father on his films and then launching her own company. “The origins of my family legacy are serving me and others in the here and now and I have embraced them fully. Everything feels very natural to me and I believe I am good at what I do.”
CauseCentric Productions
Cousteau’s production company had its genesis in a trip to the Amazon with her grandfather Jacques when she was just 9 years old. “Twenty-five years later I went back with my father and his production team. I was totally taken by the native tribesmen and the threats they faced. By now it was 2007 and I decided I wanted to do something to help them.” In 2008, Cousteau went to the Peruvian Amazon to work with a nonprofit organization and produced a short film, “Amazon Promise.” That’s when the idea of CauseCentric Productions was born. “I knew I could use visual communications tools to make the case for these people.” Today CauseCentric Productions (CCP) focuses on creating visual communications tools for small grassroots projects that have no way to get out their message. “Because people actively search for and respond to visual content, multimedia storytelling can be a very powerful tool to garner interest and support. CauseCentric Productions (CCP) offers this missing link. The content is distributed
Céline Cousteau portrait, Punta de Chorro, 2013.Photograph by Çapkin van Alphen, CauseCentric Productions.
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From a vantage point high in the canopy, Céline films the diversity of the Amazon’s Yasuni Reserve in Ecuador. Photograph by Çapkin van Alphen, CauseCentric Productions. Insets, top to bottom: Children, no matter where they are from, have the incredible ability to connect us to each other because if there is anything we can understand it is the desire to see them grow up healthy and happy. During April 2013 interviews with Vale do Javari indigenous representatives, Céline met many families. In April 2013, Céline interviewed Vale do Javari indigenous representatives as part of the Tribes on the Edge project, including this Marubo man. This Matis man was one of the younger representatives of his tribes that Céline interviewed during April 2013 Vale do Javari indigenous interviews. Inset photographs by Céline Cousteau, CauseCentric Productions. 26
through our online networks and partners and is donated to the organization or individual.” “Traveling ’round the world working on documentary filmmaking, I met incredible people doing amazing work to protect ecosystems, species and people. They often do this with little means, a small staff and against all kinds of adversity. Using CauseCentric Productions, I can provide multimedia communication tools and a platform for their stories. Each person working with CCP is an example of how we can all be CauseCentric, no matter our ‘profession.’ It’s about sharing a goal of giving back a little bit of what we have, know and do.”
Céline and her brother Fabien share a moment with their grandfather.
Tribes on the Edge
Cousteau left for the Amazon River Basin May 24 and plans to return June 9 from the first of three trips to film the documentary of the threats against the Vale do Javari. The project, “Tribes on the Edge,” is in partnership with the Virginia-based Nature Conservancy and will be the catalyst for a campaign to support the individuals of the Vale do Javari, aiding in the protection of the land for the benefit of all peoples. “Our goals are to educate an international community about the indigenous people and this incredibly diverse ecosystem, bring support to other groups already working on relevant issues there and empower the tribes to govern their own fate.” At the heart of the project is a documentary film. A comprehensive multimedia website with a journalistic approach will be coupled with a “reality” view to bring the audience along on the journey with the team. After
Céline Cousteau at age 9 in the Amazon, her grandfather’s famous ship Calypso in the background. Céline and her grandfather in the family’s south of France home. All photographs from the family archives.
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Charles H. Davis (American, 1856–1933) The Old Pasture, 1919. Bruce Museum Collection, 00029
Pasture to Pond:
Connecticut Impressionism Now through June 22
BRUCE MUSEUM
Greenwich, Connecticut | 203.869.0376 | brucemuseum.org
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A local guide in the Amazon Yasuni Reserve in Ecuador shows Céline a hidden wonder of the dense jungle. Photograph by Çapkin van Alphen, CauseCentric Productions.
completion, a distribution campaign will include film festivals, conferences and discussions to involve and motivate the audience. In addition, educational materials will be created for distribution to schools. “We want to show a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes activity,’ in the film so our audience can see how we live, how we travel, and how we cope with life in the Amazon on a dayto-day basis. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is supplying us with some of the latest technology and we have high hopes for part one. We will be going back two more times to different regions of the huge preserve. We hope to complete the final trip about a year from now, wrap things up and concentrate on distribution.” With all that is going on in Cousteau’s professional life, there is another new and wonderful addition to her extensive résumé of accomplishments – a son. “My partner – Çapkin van Alphen, media manager for CauseCentric – and I had Felix two and a half years ago,” Cousteau says. “He was born at a time when our efforts were really gathering momentum and we decided to simply include him in the process, taking him along whenever it was safe.” As a result, Felix has been to more than 10 different countries, logging many thousands of air miles. “He visited Taiwan, South Korea and Japan at the age of four months,” she adds. “Çapkin is a wonderful father who could not be more attentive to our needs. And Felix is happy, healthy and outgoing with a great love for animals. It’s all working out. All of those small steps and the big one of having a son, have brought me to exactly where I am supposed to be.” n
Help Céline
Céline Cousteau will be returning from the first leg of her “Tribes on the Edge” documentary film project in early June. Funds are urgently needed to defray expenses of costly travel and filming for the crew’s final two trips to the Amazon River Basin. For more information on Céline Cousteau, visit celinecousteau.com. For information and a trailer on the Amazon expedition, visit tribesontheedige.com. To donate online, visit causecentric.org or make checks payable to Céline Cousteau, CauseCentric Productions, 9 Benchmark Road, Sherman, CT 06784. 28
Céline traveling up the Sepik river in Papua New Guinea to film a documentary about the work of Healing Seekers in 2010. Photograph by Çapkin van Alphen, CauseCentric Productions.
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Lost (and regained) in NYC translation meets Beijing in Greenwich By Georgette Gouveia At first glance, New York City and Beijing might not seem like the most natural pairing. Talk to Far East experts and they’ll tell you that New York City is more like Shanghai – a financial capital and great going-out town. Whereas Beijing pairs up nicely with Washington, D.C. as both are actual capitals. “But New York and Beijing have the largest concentration of artists,” said Susan Ball, deputy director of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich. “Also, New York is the capital of the art market. … The New York sales are the most important.” And so we have “Tales of Two Cities: New York & Beijing,” a provocative, richly textured show through Aug. 31 that’s about the dialogues and disorientation created by globalization. It began when Cristin Tierney of the Tierney Gardarin gallery in Manhattan introduced Ball and her Bruce colleagues to exhibit curators Michelle Y. Loh and Pan Qing. They and advisers Sarah McNaughton and John Rajchman had an idea for an exhibit that would pair New York-based artists with Beijing-based ones. Qing had done this on a smaller scale when she put together a show of works in ink by Michelle Fornabai and Qin Feng at Columbia University’s Studio-X in Beijing during the summer of 2010. They’re in the Bruce show as are Joan Snyder and Wei Jia, whose canvases are concerned with the dense layering of materials; Alois Kronschlaeger and Lin Yan, who’ve created site-specific installations for the Bruce; Jorge Tacla and Li Taihuan, whose paintings explore the effects of urbanization; and Simon Lee and Chen Shaoxiong, whose mixed media works consider the nature of time as they reinvent the cinematic. These are not collaborative works but pairings of complementary, parallel pieces by artists who have connections to other places. Fornabai and Feng have studios in Boston as well as New York and Beijing respectively. Lee is from the United Kingdom. Tacla has studios in New York and Santiago, Chile. The pairs communicated via email, telephone and Skype as well as in person, sometimes with translators. (Indeed, the exhibit would not have been possible without mass media and transportation.) “It depended on the pairs,” McNaughton said at the press preview. “Some like Lin Yan and Alois (Kronschlaeger) went to each other’s studios.” 30
Lin Yan’s “City View #3” (2012), Xuan paper and ink. Courtesy of the artist and Amy Simon Fine Art, Westport. Photograph courtesy of the artist.
Alois Kronschlaeger, Study for site-specific installation for “Tales of Two Cities: New York & Beijing,” multicolored cubes in bass wood and ink, stainless cube in stainless steel. Work and photograph courtesy of the artist and Tierney Gardarin Gallery.
Their site-specific installations are the most dramatic examples of the pairs as complements. Kronschlaeger has contributed a skyscraper of red, white and blue cubes that play with light. It’s the yang to Yan’s yin – a chandelier of casually crumpled paper held together with push pins from which a fierce white bird emerges. Sometimes the artists didn’t communicate at all, at least not verbally as a film of Fornabai and Feng working side-by-side demonstrates. They illustrate the concept of moku – “the artist is ultimately revealed in ink.” “I feel we understood each other,” Fornabai said, “and we never exchanged any words.” Fornabai’s 2013 installation “Concrete Poetry: Digging to China (Holes),” which looks like a 3-D brush painting with mirrors suspended above it, plays with the expression that if you could dig a hole deep enough, you’ll come out in
China. Fornabai is intrigued by the idea of being upended on the far side of the world. (Hence the mirrors.) The disorientation hinted at in this work, a theme throughout the exhibit, is a companion of urbanization and globalization. Tacla’s paintings “Rubble 10” (2007) and “Altered Remains 04” (2011) – which consist of adding then subtracting acrylic and oil paints and marble powder from canvases – depict disintegrating cities. They’re juxtaposed with Taihuan’s oils on canvas “Beijing 2013” and “Misty Beijing” (2013-14), in which the city is swathed in pastel, Impressionist pollution. “This one is even more directly responding to the pollution in Beijing,” co-curator Loh said, referring to “Beijing 2013,” a work that consists of 12 square paintings. “One painting couldn’t convey the chaos he’s experienced.” It’s not just pollution, urban life, travel
and spontaneity that “blur the lines,” as Loh puts it, but the passage of time. Lee’s “Mother Is Passing. Come At Once.” (2013) uses lenticulars – images that convey the illusion of depth and movement, made in this case with snapshots collected from different times and places. A boy in a bathing suit becomes an old man. A boy and a priest become two dogs. But as Lee told the press, the audience causes the transformation by walking by the panels from this series or viewing them from different angles. The dialogue in “Tales of Two Cities,” then, is not just between pairs of artists, or an artist and his work but between the work and the viewer. Says Bruce deputy director Ball, “You have your own dialogue with each individual piece.” For more on the exhibit and programs, including “China Family Day” (June 15), visit to brucemuseum.org. n
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An upstate of mind By Mark Lungariello
New York City residents, who are famously and proudly insular, often see New York state as two broad regions – “the city” and everything else. To them, upstate New York is a remote region that begins on the mainland, past the Bronx and beyond the most distant reaches of the 2 and 5 trains. Graphics designer Britni Cavanaugh is unapologetic about her city-centric view. “I used to live on 112th Street on the outside of the known universe,” she says. “That might as well be upstate, too.” Cavanaugh moved to Kansas City six months ago. By her definition, that must be South America. But cross over the Bronx into Yonkers and Westchester County locals see things a bit differently. Don’t tell the people who live there it’s upstate. For them, it’s as much an emotional line as it is a geographic one. Mario’s Short Stop is a hot dog stand in Yonkers, just over
got that Southern accent.” James Cornacchio is a retired firefighter who lives in Fleetwood. He’s a regular at the stand and tells me that he thinks people who call Westchester “upstate” need an old-fashioned geography lesson. “They don’t know the area that’s why,” Cornacchio says. “They probably don’t even know where they’re at. Ask them where Alaska is.” Dan Offner rolls his eyes if you ask him about Westchester being upstate, because it brings to mind his years at SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island, where Long Islanders and Manhattanites taunted him as an upstater. “It’s offensive in the fact it’s ignorant,” says Offner, a 25-year-old who’s originally from Yorktown. Today, he works as an editor for the Farmingdale Observer and Levittown Tribune, com-
EVERYTHING ELSE
NEW YORK CITY
the Bronx border. It’s across from Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway on Central Park Avenue, a thoroughfare whose stream of shopping malls make it as far removed from the place it’s named for as it can be. At Mario’s, Central Avenue – as it is more commonly known – is split down the middle by Interstate 87. If you look south down 87 from Mario’s, you can see the Bronx. Indeed, you can almost smell the Bronx. But if you look north, are you seeing and smelling upstate? Nello Fabrizzi, who mans the grill at Mario’s, says no. “From the city, they think it’s upstate, but it’s not,” he says. Fabrizzi believes upstate doesn’t begin until “way, way up” past Westchester. “There is no way this is upstate, it’s more country up there: They
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A friend of mine who used to live in White Plains is an amateur rapper who goes by the name LYPHE. I recently asked him to rap me his thoughts on Westchester being upstate and he obliged by freestyling a few verses. “Upstate is the place where you see/All the farms with cows like Albany,” went one line. “Westchester is where the raps are raw/No overall pants or chewing straw,” went another. He came up with those lyrics and others while on break from his job as a bank branch manager in Maryland. Rachel McCain, a graduate student at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, says there is plenty of evidence that Westchester isn’t upstate and the proof has nothing to do with geography. “(You hear) upstate, people think close-minded,” she says. “Westchester, we’re still as open-minded as New York City. We have malls. We have sidewalks.” Of course, there are
munity newspapers on Long Island. As a journalist, he’ll tell you he knows a bit about fact-checking. “It’s not something that’s based on fact. They can’t prove that you’re upstate.” An obvious question arises from the defensiveness. Whether or not Westchester is upstate, why is upstate taken as an insult? Offner says it comes down to the intent of the user. “They immediately think that (people) who live upstate are boonies, backwoods hicks or something like that,” Offner says. “That’s ridiculous, that’s absolutely ridiculous. There are wooded areas, but I don’t know too many hicks.”
towns tucked away in the Adirondacks that have malls and sidewalks and even open-minded people. Catherine Snopkowski now lives on the Upper East Side but is originally from Buffalo’s suburbs in Erie County, seven hours northwest of Westchester. When people refer to Westchester as upstate, she says she corrects them. Still, she doesn’t get why some Westchesterites are so touchy about the upstate tag. “If it’s because it’s inaccurate, that’s OK,” Snopkowski says. “But if it’s something else, maybe they should go and visit these places.” So, is one of those upstate places they should visit the town Snopkowski is from? “No, I’m from western New York,” she says. n
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Tally ho at 100 Ox Ridge Hunt Club celebrates By Ronni Diamondstein Sir Winston Churchill once said, “When you are on a great horse, you have the best seat you will ever have.” Members of the Ox Ridge Hunt Club have a grand view in Darien and can say this with pride as they celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary with a vision for the future. “We have been gearing up for this for the past few years,” says Flavia Callari, a member of the club’s board of stewards. “Our barn is completely full and we are at full capacity for the first time in a decade. A lot of work was done at the club to upgrade the property. The two outside rings are finished and our next project is the indoor ring. ” This month, the club will host a Father’s Day Show for Jumpers and Hunters on the 15th. The major Centennial Celebration will be held Oct. 11th, an evening complete with a cocktail party, dancing and a silent auction to launch the Save Our Field Foundation. “It’s the last open space in the area and has historical value,” says Callari about the need to raise funds to refurbish the field. She hopes alumni will return to support the cause and join in the festivities. “Moving forward, we are willing to rent the field for weddings, events and polo matches.” History is a word that resonates with Callari, who says there are many memories of Ox Ridge. “Everyone in the equestrian community has a story here. I got my first horse in the 1980s and now have his grandson. Ray and Cheryl Francis, the show secretary, got engaged here in 1985 when they were in the training business.” Callari says it’s a family affair for Sara Gleason, who rode at Ox Ridge as a junior and has returned to ride with her youngest son, Sam. The club’s oldest members are board member Sue Knapp and Nate McDonald, who have been riding since childhood. Founded in 1914, the present property of 37 acres was owned by Irish tenor and opera singer John McCormack who operated it as a dairy farm. The club’s name comes from the oxen on the farm and the ridge that crowns the polo field. (Hunting is no longer part of its mission.) Many of the original operational facilities can still be found on the site. The dining area was once McCormack’s milk house, and the clubhouse was his icehouse, both built to stay and renovated attractively for their current purposes. The polo barn housed dairy cattle until the barn was converted to stable horses. In 1975, Ox Ridge was the first club in the area to have the Pegasus Therapeutic 34
Flavia Callari, a member of the Ox Ridge Hunt Club’s board of stewards, and Jodi Morelli, Ox Ridge public relations representative at the 83rd annual Charity Horse Show, last June. Photograph courtesy Ox Ridge Hunt Club.
Starbuck Equestrian goes over the Callari Auto Group sponsored jump at the 83rd annual Charity Horse Show last June. Photograph courtesy Ox Ridge Hunt Club.
Riding program for people with special needs. The program had a long successful history in Europe. A group of equestrian women who explored the effectiveness of therapeutic riding brought a similar program to Fairfield County. They offer equine-related activities and therapies for children and adults with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities. The members of Ox Ridge are mindful of giving back to the community and sharing their beautiful space. “One thing we do to give back to the town is offer free use to a charity.” This year at the March meeting, members selected OPUS for Person to Person in Darien, which provides those in need with everything from food and clothing to scholarships and loans. Ox Ridge Hunt Club was honored this year when the club was invited to participate in an exhibit of photographs and memorabilia at the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse in Lex-
ington. The show runs through Dec. 15. To support the charity shows, club members enlist donors from the community. Callari’s family business, the Callari Auto Group (BMW of Darien, Mini of Fairfield County, Volvo of Westport and Fiat of Fairfield County) has been a strong supporter of the club. “We have been involved in the charity horse shows since 1985, giving back to the community and supporting the equestrian sport through sponsorship, Callari says.” The Callari Auto Group has deep roots in the area, too. Callari’s father, Felix, who founded the company, emigrated from Tunisia to Darien in 1954, finding work as a mechanic in Stamford. Over the years, he bought a gas station and obtained car dealership franchises that became the auto group. Ox Ridge has a top notch instructional program and is proud of many of its successful students, who include Olympic medalist George Morris, known as the
“founding father” of Hunt Seat Equitation, Ronnie Mutch, Victor Hugo-Vidal and Patty Heuckeroth, whose father Otto came to ride at Ox Ridge in 1929 and remained for more than 40 years as the manager of the club. Flavia Callari says that what sets Ox Ridge apart from other clubs is that it is solely a club for horse lovers. “We’re here to foster aspirations in the equestrian sports.” Many members focus on showing and competing at horse shows both locally and nationally. Bearing this in mind, the trainers concentrate on each rider’s individual goals and skill level with the ultimate hope of producing an effective rider and showman. As for when to start children with riding lessons, Callari says, “We like to start them at 7 to 8 years old when they are cognitively ready.” If you’re interested in having your children ride, she says, you should send them to the club’s summer camp to get acclimated. The camp is a major program for families, with educational as well as fun activities that include arts and crafts and clinics with farriers and veterinarians. Callari says the club has had to reinvent itself to keep up with the times and is upgrading the facility to draw more professional riders. “Like the field of dreams, if you build it they will come.” In addition to cosmetic changes, the club has updated the footing to make it safer for the riders and horses. Still, she says, “It’s old and not as fancy as other clubs, but we love the property. Everyone works hard to keep the shine on it to preserve it for the next 100 years. I would love to bring my grandkids here.” For more, visit oxridge.com. n
DrivenFeelingtothe lure distraction of the Big Island Story and Photographs by Olivia Stumpf
Relaxing beaches, cliff-hanging valleys, expansive farmland, sky-high mountains, lava desert and active volcano flows. You’ve arrived on the Big Island of Hawaii. Although Oahu and Maui are popular tourist destinations, the Big Island has some of the most diverse terrain. Coupled with its inviting Hawaiian culture, this hidden gem has been recognized as one of National Geographic’s “Drives of a Lifetime.” Gear up as a modern day Magellan and circumnavigate the island to explore its hidden sanctuaries.
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Begin in Kailua-Kona, where missionaries started the first Christian Church in 1820. It also happens to be the home of The Fairmont Orchid, a luxurious hotel. Boasting 540 rooms, all with spectacular garden and ocean views, the resort entices vacationers into making it their sole destination. Offering a variety of excursions without leaving the hotel grounds, the Fairmont Orchid invites guests for a complimentary guided hike along the beach. The trail ends with an optional refreshing yoga session or “mindful meditation practice.” Should you forgo the classes, go enjoy the sun-kissed breeze near the pool and sip on a Lava Flow – the perfect blend of rum, strawberries, banana, pineapple juice and coconut cream makes this elixir one that can’t be missed. A Fairmont Orchid stay wouldn’t be complete without wrapping up the afternoon with an oceanfront cabana massage,
followed by dinner with a panoramic view of the ocean. The Spa Without Walls allows the outdoor healing properties of Hawaii to enhance the wellness treatment, making it a popular service for guests. Upon arrival, be sure to make reservations at the critically acclaimed Norio’s Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar. Tables fill up quickly as everyone seems to vie for the restaurant’s half-inch thick, meltin-your-mouth sashimi. Truly living up to the phrase “locally caught fish,” dining at Norio’s will make it unlikely that mainland fish will ever taste the same. For sushi skeptics, the Fairmont Orchid brings Hawaiian culture to its guests by offering a weekly luau. A sumptuous buffet dinner is preceded by a “Gathering of the Kings” presentation. The dancers of the Island Breeze dance company tell the story of the settlements on the Pacific
A rock formation along Green Sand Beach.
islands. Boasting the power of their chiefs, the performance entertains viewers of all ages as they sample a variety of native dishes, such as taro rolls, lemon marinated poke, underground roasted kalua pork and ripe pineapple. Rest up from the luau and begin the drive of a lifetime the following day. Travel to the nearby town of Waikoloa and sip on natively brewed Kona Coffee from the Island Java Lava eatery. Paired it with a Hawaiian specialty, macadamia nut pancakes drizzled with coconut syrup, and your taste buds will be doing their own hula. Now fueled with energy, prepare for a hike along any one of the Big Island’s preserved national park trails. Driving an hour north will land travelers at the Pololu Valley lookout. Located at the end of Highway 270, only a short 20-minute hike from the trailhead will end at one of the Big Island’s black sand beaches. Although swimming isn’t encouraged due to the strong current, walking barefoot along the shoreline is singular in nature. Sprinkled with lava rock that glisten emerald and burgundy tones in the sun, Pololu Valley is a site that is likely to be forever etched in the mind.
Should the southern route be taken, driving an hour in the opposite direction of Kailua-Kona will lead road-trippers to the Captain Cook Monument. According to one Hawaiian legend, Capt. James Cook was one of the first explorers to set foot on the Big Island. Thought by the natives to be a god, Cook’s deity undoing came about when he was unable to navigate stormy Pacific waters. By day, the sculpture warrants a photo-op. At night, snorkeling in the adjacent Kealakekua Bay will be an unparalleled experience. The manta rays come alive in the evening, as they perform countless somersaults around swimmers. Their bellies glow in the moonlight, appearing like twinkling stars in the water. Continue along the journey to Papakolea Beach, also known as the Green Sand Beach. It is one of only four green sand beaches in the world, with the other three on the Galapagos Islands and in Norway. This Hawaiian beach is easily accessible by a 40-minute shoreline hike or a quick 10-minute offroading adventure offered by friendly locals. Stretching less than a half-mile long, the Green Sand Beach is surrounded by parallel cliffs. Snag a spot in a cove and let the sound
A view from The Fairmont Orchid Hotel.
of the crashing waves show you a true wonder of the world. Exploring the Big Island doesn’t have to stop come sundown. Home to one of the few active volcanoes, the Kilauea Volcano constantly re-creates the Hawaiian landscape with its lava flow. Witness its glow in the evening by circling Crater Rim Drive, a 10.6-mile road that follows the circumference of the volcano. For more daring travelers, a bird’s-eye view of the entire island, volcano included, can be
captured with a two-hour helicopter tour. Complete this drive of a lifetime come morning at picturesque Rainbow Falls, just outside of downtown Hilo. In the early hours, the bright sunlight produces a rainbow from the mist of this 80-foot waterfall. With its black sand beaches, crystal clear snorkeling, green sand beaches, magma flowing volcanoes and crashing waterfalls, the Big Island is a vast canvas filled with innumerable delights. n
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The Roosevelt Lake Bridge in Tonto National Forest is the longest two-lane, single span, steel arch bridge in North America.
The grandeur of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park has been a draw to many a Hollywood director.
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COMPREHENSIVE CARE, INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
RICHARD L. ELIAS, DMD, MD
Journey to understanding Photographs and story by Bob Rozycki
My younger daughter’s spring break from college was like no other. Rather than heading to some clichéd bacchanal at a resort town receptive to such revelry, she decided to hang out with her dad on a fourday, 900-mile journey through Arizona. The names of the towns we went through sound something like the chorus from Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” song: Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Peoria, Oak Creek, Flagstaff, Tuba City, Four Corners, Monument Valley, Camp Verde, Tonalea, Glendale, Sedona, Oak Creek, Kayenta, Teec Nos Pos, Scottsdale. From the torrid, AC-humming, hardwired, flat, beige cement grid that is the emblem of the greater Phoenix metro region – aka Valley of the Sun – we hopped in the car, cranked up the AC and headed to Flagstaff, 150 miles to the north along Interstate 17. We planned to make no stops, that is until we spotted a sign in Verde Valley, just south of the Sedona turn-off, that intrigued us – Montezuma Castle National Monument. With no hesitation, we took Exit 289, going past a gambling outpost owned by the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The misnamed castle – early American
settlers thought it to be Aztec in origin and it’s more pueblo than castle – is etched in a sandstone niche in a cliff about 100 feet from the valley floor. Its ability to withstand the elements and tourists – who were allowed to climb up and walk through it until 1951 – is something daughter Carolyn and I found amazing. The Southern Sinagua Indians who built this five-story, 20-room dwelling sometime between the years 1100 and 1300 were true architects well ahead of their time. Unfortunately, preservation seems unattainable as the former home to untold families slowly crumbles and melts back into the landscape. It seems only our memories and photographic images will endure. Heading up to Flagstaff, you really go up; as in ascending 6,000 feet from the cactus-strewn desert floor to the cooling Ponderosa pine forests. Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University and a stretch of Route 66 that is proudly cherished and sold on signs, books, postcards, photographs and tchotchkes. The compact town sits at the bottom of the San Francisco Peaks that bump into the clouds at 12,000 feet. We
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Montezuma Castle National Monument was home to Sinagua Indians who farmed the valley below.
Bunches of chilis dry at a stand in Sedona.
Pottery is on display in one of the many galleries that make up Old Town Scottsdale.
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spent the night at the beautiful, well-appointed Little America Hotel, a familyrun company that owns seven other resorts in the West. We couldn’t get over the size of the room or the bathroom, itself larger than most New York City studios. After a good night’s sleep, we again aim the car northward. We were heading for Four Corners, the only place in the nation where four states – Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado – come together. We were also looking for Monument Valley, which the driver mistakenly thought was in the same place. Just south of Tuba City, named after a Hopi leader, Tuvi, who later became a Mormon, we disregard a weather-beaten sign’s call to – Turn Now Dinosaur Tracks. Although dubious of the claims, we later find out that paleontologists have indeed deemed the footprints to be legitimate. North of Tuba City we encounter some of the most unusual landscape on Earth. The mesas, the canyons, the dark black mounds; we later learn that all of this once
lay under water. It is in the middle of this land, which is deep in the heart of the 27,000 square miles that make up the Navajo Nation, that – and I hate to write this – an epiphany occurs. As our phones stop working, we realize we are disconnected in one sense from the rest of the world. But as we take in the rich blue skies, horses running free on the range, and tumbleweeds, yes real tumbleweeds, rolling into the side of the car, we are connected, perhaps not as spiritually as the Navajo, Hopi and other tribes, but at the very least appreciative of this beautiful land, unsoiled by cell towers, strip malls and other signs of modern civilization. It is at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park that the connection to the land reemerges. It is vast. It is land and sky. It is the red sandstone towers. Maybe sitting on a cliff above the valley I am intoxicated by the view. I hear no car, no person, no wind. There is no sound. Beauty, balance, harmony. Do we have to leave? n
B r a d H vo l B e c k & a s s o c i at e s r ealtors
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E lega nt La kefront Georg ia n
his 15,000 square foot stone Georgian, set on 8 acres, is a rare opportunity to have the finest in architectural details and materials in a home that artfully combines sophisticated grandeur and expansive views of Putnam Lake. A gated entrance leads to long private drive through lush plantings, and the sweeping terrace across the back of the home overlooks the oversized pool, gardens and lake. The public rooms all have 12foot ceilings and are richly detailed with plaster crown mouldings. The transition from exquisitely detailed, sophisticated rooms to warm, relaxed spaces is seamless throughout the main floor. Special features include expansive master suite with 2 sitting rooms, dressing rooms, and luxurious baths, state-of-the-art home theater, wine cellar, billiard room with bar, and gym with a sauna and steam shower. Listing agent Brad Hvolbeck. Please visit www.elegantgreenwichgeorgian.com
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Steeple Cha se Fa r m
stunning Shingle style home, reminiscent of the “cottages” in Greenwich, Newport, and other Gold Coast communities by the renowned 19th century architect Stanford White, has been meticulously constructed using the finest materials and latest technology, including geothermal heating and cooling. A handsome 8-stall stable, indoor riding arena, paddocks, run-in sheds and equipment garage with groom’s quarters are just a few of the other amenities. Listing agent Brad Hvolbeck. Please visit www.steeplechasefarm.com
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Nort hwood
et on 4.25 park-like acres, Northwood is one of the premier properties in backcountry Greenwich. Built in 2006, the finely crafted Country English Tudor design seamlessly marries historical detailing with all of today’s amenities and technology. French doors, elongated windows, and walls of glass let light filter throughout the house. Tiled mosaic floors meticulously crafted in Italy and reset here create gorgeous inlaid patterns. But it is the wood and stonework – from a 40’ turret and richly hand carved paneling to expansive interior stone arches and a two-story limestone fireplace – that will leave you breathless. Listing agent Brad Hvolbeck. Please visit www.northwoodgreenwich.com
123 Mason Street
•
www.bharealtors.com Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 © 2014. Equal Housing Opportunity.
• 203.661.5505
Members of the Song family reaching out to children in need in South Africa and the Dominican Republic. Photographs courtesy of The Tabgha Love Foundation.
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Songs in the key of life
I
magine stepping out of your busy life for a year to travel the world. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? But what if that time away was spent helping others in need? That’s exactly what Greenwich residents Anna and Ken Song did when they pulled their three children out of school to spend a year volunteering with nonprofit organizations in South Africa and the Dominican Republic, a trip they say was not only amazing but lifechanging for their family. Anna and I meet in her home where she tells me about her extraordinary journey, which left me humbled and gave me goose bumps throughout our interview. “My kids say the thing they learned most is that community makes the biggest difference. You can be stripped of all the materials things, but if you have a community – people helping out and loving one another – that actually goes a long way,” she adds with a winsome smile that radiates warmth and kindness. “There’s something wonderful about the give-and-take we all witnessed.” About five years ago, her family had planned to spend the summer volunteering in Peru. They were all set to go, but a week before flying out, Ken, who owned his own hedge fund, announced to his wife that he couldn’t leave his company at its height. Needless to say, Anna was disappointed. “I think that’s when both of us realized that it’s not ever going to be the perfect time. We kept thinking there’d be a perfect time, you work really hard and it will allow us to do these things we’d always planned.” That, she says, is a complete fallacy. Still, when their oldest child was in ninth grade (Stephen is currently a junior at Greenwich High School and sisters Julianna and Christine, a sophomore and thirdgrader respectively at Greenwich Academy), the couple realized they only had a few years before he’d be out of the house. So they decided to make the time. With that, Ken closed his hedge fund and the couple took their children out of school to embark on a trip they weren’t exactly sure what to expect from. While they had always given money to various nonprofits, this time the compassionate couple wanted to give in a way that was more personal, working alongside the people they were trying to help. “That was what we really wanted to do and spend time with our kids and infuse them with the understanding that the world is really big and you’re incredibly lucky. And don’t worry about half the things people are worried about here. … You’ve already hit the lottery of life.” As she adds, “That’s why we were willing to step out (of our lives) because we already felt these are all degrees of success, everybody here is more than fine.” They started with lofty plans. “Because Ken and I are both MBAs (she got hers at
By Patricia Espinosa
Stephen, Anna, Ken, Christine and Julianna Song.
Harvard and he got his from Columbia, where the two met during their undergraduate work), we thought we could go places and do mighty work in the finance area. We’re going to do big projects where we can raise tons of money. We had all those plans and, of course, those were the ones that didn’t pan out.” So in August 2011, the Song family stepped off the proverbial treadmill and out of their comfort zone to travel to a remote area of South Africa and volunteer at Lily of the Valley Orphanage, which serves more than 120 HIV-infected children. Of all the places they visited, it was there the Songs felt most profoundly moved. “The big difference with Lily of the Valley is that for the first time, those kids are not going to die, they’re going to actually age out of the orphanage. Our kids are completely on fire and light up to make sure they have something. If it’s not academics, they need a life skill. I think our kids feel an urgency about this. They want to make sure that when these kids age out, they have a place because they don’t have family.” In order to ensure that happens, Lily has embarked on two projects she hopes will build self-sustainability. Using hydroponics technology to grow plants without soil, the orphanage is able to grow tomatoes and sell them to food markets. “Ken and I have been working throughout this year with a group of volunteers to partner with Lily on multiple levels to improve their business model, improve operations, help with their tomato branding and secure investors for their projects.” And thanks to the Songs’ teenage son, who singlehandedly raised $40,000 applying for numerous grants, Lily was able to spearhead a second project called aquaponics – a cutting edge method of growing crops and fish together in a recirculating system. “It’s not because Stephen’s brilliant it’s because he’s writing applications and putting his heart into it,” his mom says proudly. Aquaponics will help feed the entire orphanage and, if it works, provide a trade for the teenagers. With their belief that every gift, no matter how small, can have an effect on a child’s life, the Songs established
The Tabgha Love Foundation to benefit the children of Lily of the Valley Orphanage. (It’s named for the place where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes.) The family covers all operating expenses so that 100 percent of donations go directly to the orphanage. Next on the itinerary was the Dominican Republic where the Songs traveled to Santa Domingo and Neyba to meet with the World Vision kids that their children had been sponsoring for 10 years. What they found there was shocking. “I will say that they were blown away by the poverty and how what they thought was insignificant was lifealtering for (the World Vision kids),” she says about her children’s reaction. “It rattled my daughter (Julianna’s) sensibilities that people could live like that. But (the World Vision Kids) had a sense of community and they were happy. That’s what really shocked them.” As a pastor’s daughter growing up in Bethesda, Md., Anna describes her childhood as being radically different from most people, including that of her husband, who grew up more traditionally. “It was a different way to live. There was always someone living in our home. My father, being a pastor, spent most of his time not necessarily focusing on us but focusing on people who just really needed a lot. One of the things that was profoundly different was we had the sensibility that whatever community you’re in should actually be impacted positively by you being there.” That guiding principle has not only affected her family but her community, too. In 2004, Anna co-founded Harvard Business School Club of Connecticut Community Partners, which helps nonprofits in the state with pro-bono consulting by HBS alumni and scholarship programs. Currently, she is most involved with Strategic Perspectives in Non-profit Management (SPNM) – a scholarship that sends a CEO of a nonprofit to an intensive, one-week program taught by leading Harvard Business School faculty and attended by nonprofit executives from around the world. Past SPMN scholarship recipients have included the Bruce Museum; High Hopes Therapeutic Riding in Old Lyme, Conn; Nathaniel Witherell; the Greenwich Historical Society, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center; the American Red Cross in Farmington, Conn.; and the Silvermine Guild Arts Center. (For more, visit hbsconnecticut.org) “I think most people think of their lives as a trajectory of you’re learning, you’re earning and then you’re returning,” Anna says. “You’ve got to focus on those three areas and the returning is always at the end. In my life, I’ve woven the returning through and I firmly believe that makes a profound difference in terms of happiness, gratitude and thankfulness.” For more about The Tabgha Love Foundation, visit nogifttoosmall.com. n
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in the grain Port Chester’s Ethan Abramson handcrafts chairs — and more
By Mary Shustack Photographs by Bob Rozycki and courtesy Ethan Abramson
Honeycomb Table.
The Rain Valley Table.
Watch out, world — Ethan Abramson is ready to make his mark. “I just went international last month,” he says. The Port Chester-based furniture designer smiles as he shares the news with WAG on a recent morning. Some of his creations, it turns out, have just been shipped to Canada. Anyone who has seen his handcrafted chairs, tables and other furniture designs would hardly be surprised to hear he’s breaking out beyond our borders. Abramson caught not only our eye at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in Manhattan in late March but also that of The Wall Street Journal, which included The Irving Chair in a roundup of standout seating. He’s also begun doing some on-camera television work related to woodworking. “It’s been a great, an incredible reception,” he says. “It’s very nice to make the jump.” And this time of change is also having a personal impact. “When you’re working by yourself in a shop, you can let your beard grow. You can get sawdust in your hair. … I’m going from being in the shop all the time and being messy to getting two haircuts a week,” he says, with a laugh. It is, though, a small price to pay for a career that seems to be on the brink of really taking off. He’s even in the process of moving to a larger workshop, still in Port Chester, where he will continue to design, create and hand-finish each and every piece of furniture.
THE PATH
The Ivy Table Major All tables by Ethan Abramson. Table photographs by Jenny Gorman.
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Abramson brings a diverse background to his craft, having worked as a commercial interior designer, building brands and designing in-store spaces for clients ranging from Macy’s to Calvin Klein. He also worked in advertising, writing and producing commercials for Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Major League Baseball. That all came after graduating from Bard College with a bachelor of arts degree in studio arts. In time, though, he realized he wanted to get back to the basics. “I wanted to do something that I
could do start to finish, morning to night, with my own hands.” The East Hampton-born designer had been living for a long time in New York City and launched his own company in Brooklyn in 2008. In time, he says, “My wife and I were looking for a place to get out of the city.” And Port Chester fit the bill, as Abramson was committed to remaining a New York-based company devoted to American-made, environmentally conscious handcrafted furniture.
THE WORK
Abramson says he might, in fact, come by his skills naturally, as his grandfather is a retired cabinetmaker. “I have a couple of his old planes,” he says, adding that the Irving pieces in his collection are named in his honor. Abramson, who works primarily in walnut and white oak, sources his wood locally and prefers to use reclaimed wood or that which is the result of sustainable foresting. Once built, pieces are protected with a thoughtful, chemical-free finish. “It’s all hand-finished with an all-natural whey finishing product, like curds and whey,” he says. Throughout the process, Abramson’s guiding principles include generating minimal waste, repurposing and employing environmentally conscious production methods. He is also a member of 1% For The Planet, a global network of businesses that donate 1 percent of their profits to environmental groups around the world. While his custom work, by nature, is designed to suit a client’s taste and need, his own designs share a spare, elegant aesthetic. The Wandering Crane table’s legs resemble an animal-like walk, while The Plateau Table features a charming pair of resting spots. Another popular design is The Irving Console Table, on which an almost-hidden drawer pivots into view. “People really seem to enjoy this,” he says, demonstrating the clever opening.
THE FUTURE
Abramson has introduced his first line of furniture, while continuing to
accept custom commissions for residential and commercial projects. He’s currently working to promote his latest design, the Honeycomb Table, though he has a bit of help on that front. His wife, Alexias, who has an MBA and works in advertising, handles the business side of things so, Abramson says, “I can do the creative part.” It seems to be a winning combination that allows him to draw continually on his strengths. So is his design radar on at all times? It seems so. Abramson, who has come to the WAG photo studio for a portrait, is asked if he’s always examining the furniture he comes across, such as a particularly dated office chair. We’re ready for the critique, but Abramson’s response is telling.
Ethan Abramson with the Irving Chair.
“I don’t know how I would say it without sounding pretentious … I find the beauty in all types of design.” Knowing what it takes to make furniture – the process from start to finish – gives him a unique perspective. “When you put a physical product in the world it’s a totally different experi-
PRINCE WILLIAM HAS PRINCE HARRY, SNOOPY HAS SPIKE – YOU KNOW, THE BAD-BOY BABY BRO WHO’S A CHUNK OF CHARM AND A TON OF TROUBLE. That’s what WAG Weekly is to WAG. In our e-newsletter, we let down our hair (and occasionally, our grammar) to take you behind behind-the-scenes of the hottest parties and events, offer our thoughts on the most controversial issues of the day, share what couldn’t be contained in our glossy pages and tell you what to do and where to go this weekend – all while whetting your appetite for the next issue.
ence,” he says, glancing back at the old chair. “I don’t see it as ugly. I see … I like to take the best design element of it and focus on that.” For his own work, Abramson says inspiration is everywhere, including his travels (he was off to Italy soon after our interview).
It’s his interpretations – and doing it all by hand – that make the difference. “I feel like it’s better,” he says. “It gives more character.” And while Abramson is certainly aware of furniture history and design trends, he still makes everything in his own way – and that’s the way he likes it. “I’m just building what I like to build, and I feel that’s the way I set myself apart.” Some days, though, when orders are plenty, he admits he does feel the pressure, but it does nothing but spur him on. “Everything is made to order so nothing’s warehoused,” he says before adding with a laugh. “When you buy a piece of furniture, everything is fresh.” For more, visit ethanabramson. com. n
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¡Viva, Cuba! Barbara and Richard Dannenberg explore the complex isle By Georgette Gouveia Photographs by Richard Dannenberg. Courtesy Barbara and Richard Dannenberg
A Cuban musician performs.
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They’ve dallied with lemurs in Madagascar and consorted with hippos and giraffes in Botswana. They traveled to China in the wake of Nixonian détente, dressed to the nines for New Year’s Eve in Vienna and explored New Guinea in small aircraft whose landing strips were green fields dotted with laughing, running children. When it comes to world travel, Barbara and Richard Dannenberg – who’ve visited more than 80 countries – take a back airline seat to no one. So when the opportunity came to visit Cuba, they didn’t hesitate. “People say, ‘Why would you want to go?’ Our curiosity,” Barbara says. “We go to learn about people.” The vibrant blonde is sitting in the yellow kitchen of her sleek Purchase home, a room that’s as warm and sunny as she is. Barbara was a middle school science teacher in the White Plains public schools for 25 years. Richard – more familiarly, Dick – was the Dannenberg in the law firm Lowey Dannenberg Cohen & Hart. Barbara has bridge and book clubs; Dick, singles and doubles tennis. Together they are arts devotees – supporters of the Westchester Philharmonic, Purchase College’s Performing Arts Center and Carnegie Hall. They traveled in summer, visited the three kids and assorted grandkids around the country and holidayed with the family in Cancun. But once they retired, they turned the travel dial up a notch, including a world tour “to get (Dick) to think of something other than retirement,” Barbara says. Cuba and the United States have had a tangled history. Did she worry about that? You’re talking to a proudly independentminded oldest child. “I’m my own person,” Barbara says. “People can think what they want to think.” Indeed, to hear both Dannenbergs tell it, the Cuba trip was a seamless joy, centered on the fabulous chemistry among the tour group’s 22 members, the guides, the driver and the Cubans they met. Still, a trip to Cuba is not to be undertaken lightly, given the tensions that exist between the U.S. and the Communist country and the embargo our government has placed on it. “Americans may travel to Cuba if they go with a licensed travel company on a
program called ‘People to People’ with the express purpose of meeting Cubans and learning about their culture,” Barbara wrote in an article for The Woman’s Club of White Plains. The Dannenbergs chose Abercrombie & Kent, a company they used on their trip to New Zealand and Australia. The U.S. government also requires citizens traveling there to keep a diary. (Barbara was the diarist; Dick, the shutterbug.) You can’t use your credit cards in Cuba but must instead exchange U.S. dollars for Cuban ones (CUCs). Internet access is a challenge. Although there were computers in the two modern hotels the Dannenbergs stayed in – the Meliá Buenavista and the Meliá Habana, both owned by a Spanish company – Barbara found she could receive emails but not return them. Perhaps more important, because of the embargo, you cannot bring back any manufactured items like T-shirts and baseball caps, standard souvenirs for the Dannenberg family. Instead, Barbara and Dick shopped for wood carvings; masks, including one made from a palm leaf (“Never saw anything like it,” she says); original artwork and musical instruments, along with the books and CDs that are allowed. (Among the books were two children’s books in Spanish for granddaughter Julia, an eighthgrader studying the language.) Barbara and Dick’s Cuban odyssey (Feb. 21-March 2) began when they flew from New York to Miami and checked into the Hilton Miami Airport hotel overnight. They were the only New Yorkers among the 11 American couples, that included two young doctors. The rest were senior citizens or at least AARP seniors. The next day, the group departed with Carin, the “dynamic” A&K tour guide, aboard a Sun Country Boeing 737-800 for the 40-minute flight to Santa Clara. There they met Nilda, their “sweet,” multilingual Cuban guide and Yanni, the driver of their modern, made-in-China bus for the entire trip. At the “quaint fishing village” of Caibarién, the group went to a cultural center where children sang and danced. The days and nights were filled with such activities – a visit to a print shop with machinery dating from the 1880s to the 1940s; a sugar museum in a defunct sugar mill; and the house and art studio of Madelin Perez Noa, who exhibits in Miami as well.
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In the town of Remedios, Dick tried a pedicab – pedaling Barbara and the cab’s driver down the road – and the group met Father Luis, a young Mexican Franciscan, at the cathedral there. Father Luis joined them the next morning for a baseball game, with Dick and some of the others taking turns at bat. Barbara cheered from the sidelines. Cuba is a complex place, a poor country where the clock seems to have stopped in 1959, the year of the revolution, and yet a nation rich in culture – from baseball to ballet. Before leaving Santa Clara, the group went to a senior center to watch seniors perform the traditional Danzón, which they taught to the tourists. The seniors then followed the group to the beautiful Casa de la Cultura for a concert of Cuban music on antique instruments. This time, however, the tour group performed the dance while the seniors acted as judges. Barbara and Dick took first prize in this impromptu “Dancing With the Stars.” Nor was it the only dance lesson on the tour. A few days later in Havana, the
Campers choose their main sport,
group had a salsa session on a rooftop patio amid the sunshine and sparkling water “Thank goodness there were no prizes awarded for this endeavor,” Barbara wrote, “because while we were taking a salsa lesson, our teacher, Marie, taught us how to make a mojito, a popular drink with rum.” No wonder she adds, “We all looked pretty funny and had many laughs about it for days afterwards.” In Havana, they visited the home of José Rodríguez Fuster – whose colorful tile figures, which decorate his neighborhood, have led him to be dubbed Cuba’s Antoni Gaudí. But they also got a taste of what politics has wrought in Old Havana, an exquisite ruin that is slowly being restored. With Cubans earning just $25 a month, the tourists left clothing and beauty supplies behind, in addition to making donations to a day care center run by Roman Catholic nuns. Elsewhere Roman Catholicism melds with the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion, which the group explored, along with the influence of slavery on the island, at the Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa. CT WAG 5-14 Camp.indd 1
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History also played a role in their time at the Francisco Donatien Cigar Factory – where, alas, the visitors had to bypass the stogies in the gift shop – and at Finca Vigía, the home of Ernest Hemingway. There Barbara marveled at how well-preserved everything was – the shelves lined with books, the floors polished, the boat named Pilar out back near the pool where movie stars once romped. The group’s last night in Havana was one Papa himself would’ve enjoyed. Members piled into “yank tanks,” or vintage cars – Barbara and Dick rode
The Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro, named for the biblical Magi, has guarded Havana Bay since it was built by the Spanish in 1589.
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in a 1957 red Chevy convertible – for a trip back in time to the Art Decostyle Hotel Nacional de Cuba, built in 1930, for some Cuban-style cabaret. In the Cuban afterglow, Barbara and Dick are staying stateside for now, though Barbara’s wandering eye has alighted on the Amazon and Myanmar. Wherever they go, two things will remain true. They’ll continue to reach out to others and they’ll never satisfy the baggage weight limit. “We never learned to pack lightly,” Barbara says with a laugh. n
Life in
order
With a new home and career, Carey Lowell moves on By Heather Salerno Photographs by Bob Rozycki
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A vase by Carey Lowell.
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Carey Lowell might not exactly be a household name, but she’s certainly a familiar face to many. Just click on the TV and you’re likely to see her in one of her most famous roles – as Bond girl Pam Bouvier in “Licence to Kill” or assistant district attorney Jamie Ross on “Law & Order.” “I have an endless career because of reruns,” she jokes. “I’m a member of two cults.” At the Bedford Post Inn, Lowell is a familiar face, too, although for very different reasons. She opened the bucolic outpost in 2009 with her now-estranged husband, Richard Gere, and their partner Russell Hernandez, turning the 19th-century house and barn into a dining destination, luxury inn and yoga hotspot. But this was no celebrity-driven vanity project for Lowell and Gere, who were involved in every aspect of the inn’s development. Lowell, in fact, lovingly co-designed the elegant, eco-friendly interiors, and helped keep tabs on day-to-day operations. Her familiarity with the place is evident from the second she breezes into the inn’s café one recent spring morning in skinny gray corduroys and a periwinkle-blue, pajama-style top, looking every bit as slim and confident as in her early modeling days. Employee after employee greets Lowell with warm hugs, kind words – and even her favorite gluten-free muffins. There’s an awkward undercurrent to the exchanges, however. Lowell says she hasn’t been around much lately and while she doesn’t acknowledge this directly, it’s fairly clear that her pending divorce from Gere means she’s also splitting from the business. In March, a press release announced that the Altamarea Group, with chef Michael White, would take over the Bedford Post’s food and beverage program (includ-
Sipping an iced tea, Lowell notes, “For me, the practice of working in clay is very spiritual. It can be meditative. It takes you out of your thoughts and puts you in the moment of making an object.”
ing the flagship restaurant, the Farmhouse, which has been renamed Campagna), while Gere and Hernandez would continue to own the inn and run its eight upscale suites. Lowell’s name wasn’t anywhere in the release, but at this particular moment, she’s very clear on her status. “I’m still one of the owners – until I’m not anymore,” she says, with a wry smile. “That will remain to be sorted out.” A revamp of the premises is in the works, though Lowell admits that she’s in the dark about the details. “I’m sure they’ll do a nice job. I hope so,” she says. But during a walk around the property, she can’t help but notice that housekeeping hasn’t vacuumed the staircase leading to the inn’s tiny reception area, the floors of the main dining room haven’t been swept and decorative fountains on the outdoor terraces are still empty despite the warming weather. “I hate to see it like this.” Still, she adds calmly, “It’s OK. It’s a process. It’s life.” Life is changing for Lowell in many respects. For instance, the real reason she’s dropped by the inn on this day is because it’s a quiet, familiar place to chat about a new venture – her own line of ceramics and candles. So far, Lowell’s vases, cups and bowls – as well as gently scented candles poured into hand-glazed vessels – have been sold at Barneys New York, SoHo boutique Kirna Zabête and the
carefully curated House of Waris shop at The Gritti Palace in Venice. Sipping an iced tea, Lowell notes, “For me, the practice of working in clay is very spiritual. It can be meditative. It takes you out of your thoughts and puts you in the moment of making an object.” Yet she’s practical, not precious, about her art. Lowell’s signature items are gazing bowls – gorgeous basins studded inside with tiny, delicate petals that she describes as “a mandala, really, a little world” – and she’s considering a suggestion that she put holes in the bowls’ feet. “So you can hang it on the wall and see it from that angle,” she says. “Otherwise, it just sits on a table.” Lowell is quick to point out what sets her candles apart in the marketplace – buyers can reuse the lovely porcelain cups once the wax has burned. “You could use it as a cup in your bathroom. You could use it as a pencil holder or a teacup,” she says. “It’s recyclable.” Lowell molded her first ball of clay while in high school in Colorado, where her family settled when she was 13. (Before that, they lived all over the world – from Long Island to Libya to Holland – because of her father’s job as a petroleum geologist.) She continued as a freshman at the University of Colorado at Boulder, but any time for hobbies diminished after she transferred to New York University and her modeling career took off. Lowell landed campaigns with Calvin Klein and
Photograph courtesy of Carey Lowell.
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Ralph Lauren, soon followed by roles in films like 1986’s “Club Paradise.” It wasn’t until she was pregnant with Homer, her 14-year-old son with Gere, that she renewed her interest in pottery. “I hadn’t been acting and I needed a creative outlet,” she says. In 2012, she had her first show at the Celadon Gallery in Water Mill, L.I., which provided an entrepreneurial spark. “Up to that point, if anybody came to my studio and liked a piece, I’d just say take it,” she says. “But everything sold at the show, which was really a vote of confidence. That made me realize that maybe I had something to offer.” Despite taking baby steps with the line, Lowell couldn’t be more excited about its prospects. These days, her wheel and kiln are set up at a new home in Pound Ridge, just 10 minutes away from her former residence with Gere (and which, believe it or not, Lowell found herself online). She gutted the 1960s-era house, where she moved in January, and workers are still in the process of turning a two-car garage into a bright, airy ceramics studio. “I’ve got the electrician there right now,” she says. Lowell is also slowly stepping back into acting. An eye infection recently forced her to bow out of a guest spot on CBS’ “Blue Bloods” – “it was really disappointing” – but the hope is that other short-term gigs will follow. She explains that she can’t consider another regular series, because she wants to stay available for Homer, at least until he graduates from high school. Such motherly devotion is typical: In 1998, after two seasons on “Law & Order,” she asked to be released from her contract to spend more time with Hannah, her daughter from her second marriage to actor-director Griffin Dunne, who is now in her 20s. “When you’re working on a series, they own you,” says Lowell. “They tell you when you’re going to be working and they don’t tell you when you’re not going to be working. You can’t make a plan.” She brushes the bangs of her trademark pixie cut out of her eyes and laughs. “I always say I could do a series if I had a wife.” Speaking of marriage, Lowell declines to comment much on her separation from Gere, whom she wed in 2002 after dating for years, except to note that the parting is amicable. All the same, she does respond when asked about published reports that have stated that the couple broke up because Gere’s need for solitude clashed with Lowell’s love of the limelight. “All I can say is that I’m not really socializing with all of the bigwigs that the reports keep saying that I am,” she says. So does Lowell see this transition as a second act? “God, it feels more like a fourth act,” she says. “I don’t think of it in terms of acts. I just think of it in terms of life. “Life has funny things in store,” she continues. “You don’t ever necessarily see it coming, but you’ve got to roll with it.” n 52
way
Living in
harmony
Presented by Houlihan Lawrence
HARMONY at a Glance
• Armonk • 4,270 square feet • 2.01 acres • Bedrooms: 4 • Baths: 5 full • Amenities: Pool, tennis, water views, privacy • Price: $2.395 million
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Story by Houlihan Lawrence Photographs by Tim Lee Combining inspired architecture with a setting that is beyond compare, this unique property is cloistered on two private acres in the prestigious Whippoorwill estate area. Enveloped in lush natural beauty high above sparkling Wampus Lake, the home enjoys some of the most sublime water views in the entire region. The beauty of the setting is matched only by the special residence, a retreat for all seasons that was originally built for Juan Trippe, the visionary founder of Pan American Airways and famed world traveler. Blending the hallmarks of iconic mid-century architecture with the quiet beauty of Japanese design, the home is infused with an air of peace and tranquility, both inside and out. A heated pool with a cabana, a HarTru tennis court, koi pond, waterfall and sunny terraces also share the remarkable setting, where privacy and tranquility are simply unparalleled. Throughout the sophisticated one-level home, elegant simplicity reigns thanks to dramatic floor-to-ceiling glass walls that introduce the natural light and the sur-
rounding natural beauty into the home’s expansive living space. A grandly scaled living room, inviting dining room, professionally equipped kitchen and family room offer unrivaled entertaining spaces, while warmly inviting private quarters, including a large office, provide for comfortable everyday living. Window walls amplify the magical scenery and capture the arresting views in virtually every room of the house. Other special highlights include an impressive entry hall, an ornate fireplace wall in the view-filled living room, finely carved cabinets in the dining room and a 2,000-bottle wine cellar, perfect for the connoisseur. Warm and enveloping, the home is also open to its marvelous surroundings and all the main rooms flow out to the deck that extends the entertaining space while offering the perfect spot to revel in the pristine surroundings and splendid lake views. An exciting mix of architecture and landscape in a most convenient locale, this private haven is ideally situated just 45 minutes from Manhattan. 55
• Sophisticated one-level home on 2 acres overlooking Wampus Lake. • 4,270 square feet, four bedrooms and five full baths. • Expansive entertaining areas enhanced with many one-of-a-kind details. • Spacious view-filled bedrooms, all with private baths. • Heated pool, Har-Tru tennis court. • Attached two-bay garage. • Served by the noted Byram Hills school district. • Close to town, schools, major roadways and rail station. For more information, contact Yudith Schwartz or Pamela R. Schwartz of the Armonk brokerage at 914-273-9505. n
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Form, function and plenty of flair Moshe Bursuker’s glasswork reflects a world of inspiration By Mary Shustack Photographs by Bob Rozycki and courtesy Moshe Bursuker For every one-of-a-kind lighting fixture in the Lake Purdys studio of Moshe Bursuker, there’s also a vase, bowl or piece of sculpture. While the works may range from the artfully functional to the purely decorative, all share a common thread – they are reflections of the world of influences that go into the glass artist’s creations. And each is as shimmering and unique as Bursuker’s own story. As the first in his family to pursue a career in the arts, Bursuker would train in various techniques, including classic Italian glassmaking, advance from the most functional projects to the most elaborate and most recently, go on to work with New York City architects and designers. Throughout, the 36-year-old artist has developed a singular commitment to glassmaking that spurs him ever forward. “It still fascinates me after all these years,” he says of the work he began at age 19.
EARLY DAYS
Bursuker’s parents were living in 1970s
Moshe Bursuker’s Image pendants.
Russia, working in the science field, when they landed in Israel as part of a wave of immigration. Though Bursuker would be born there in 1978, the young family soon made its way to America for job opportunities. After a bit of moving about, the family finally settled in Cheshire, Conn., where Bursuker would spend the bulk of his childhood. “I’m eternally grateful,” he says of the
chances he had, from the exposure to the arts to the opportunity to pursue his blossoming love of both photography and sculpture. Bursuker went on to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture and photography from the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford, where he first began to work with glass. He also further trained and sometimes taught at places including some of glass’ finest
educational centers, including the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington state (famed glass artist Dale Chihuly is one of the founders); Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina; and The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York. “My early days I was very much involved with learning and teaching and traveling to all these places,” Bursuker says. He began his glass career by making what he calls “product-based designs,” such as vases, bowls and candleholders, always learning and advancing his skills. “I studied Venetian techniques for years,” he says. “You can’t be a glassblower and not be inspired by Venetian glass.” Today, there’s no limit to his work, thanks to both changes in the field and his own skills and interests. “The only thing I’m really good at is blowing glass,” Bursuker says, with a smile. “That’s my one thing I can claim excellence in.” And he loves that the field – both advances in technology and his own techniques –
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continues to grow. “Now I’m being able to make things in glass that I’d never have thought of.”
THE WORK
Today, Bursuker works primarily out of three places – UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, GlassRoots in Newark, N.J., and the basement studio in his home of the last eight years, Lake Purdys. Bursuker blows or casts his glass at those urban venues, with the finishing work – including grinding, cutting, polishing and sandblasting – completed in Westchester. It’s a functional space, one where his surfboard, a nod to his 15-plus years on the waters off Rockaway Beach, hangs in the background. But it was back in 2000 when Bursuker moved to New York City and got down to business. “I went to UrbanGlass, and they have a great model to help young professionals start their businesses,” he says. “I started assisting and working with all sorts of incredible glass artists.” Founded in the late 1970s as the first artist-access glass center in the country, UrbanGlass is now considered the largest. Before its inception, those who wanted to work in glass had to do so through art schools, in factories or by building their own studios. Bursuker can also often be found at GlassRoots, which gives young people the chance to learn both glassmaking and entrepreneurial skills. Students, he says, learn by example. “They’re seeing us in the studio making things,” he says. Bursuker, it seems, is always making things, most recently more lighting and works that are integrated into interiors. “It was 2008 or 2009 when I started working with a lot of architects and designers,” he says, primarily on “hanging art objects.” Today, he adds, “I do a lot of manufacturing work for artists and designers.” His studio on a recent morning, for example, is filled with hundreds of light fixtures destined for a Manhattan hotel. “People are realizing they can have stuff fabricated right here. They can come in and work with me directly. There’s not shipping containers.” Today, his signature lighting includes several models, from the organic droplets to the carved pendant lighting. “The most challenging part in my opinion in lighting design is coming up with creative hardware solutions,” he says. So what does he do? He designs his own, which he says has been “difficult and challenging but rewarding.” “It’s another skill base,” he says. The more he learns, the more he can push the boundaries and translate his imagination into actual designs. Bursuker continues to exhibit his work, as well. Locally, he was featured in the Art58
A selection of Moshe Bursuker Droplets.
Full Living Designer Show House in Cold Spring in 2012, while he’s recently been featured in a juried glass show at Gallery 66 NY, also in Cold Spring. He has also participated in numerous national shows, including the prestigious SOFA (Sculptural Objects Functional Art) + Design exhibition in Chicago. “I have relationships with galleries across the country,” he adds. In March, Bursuker’s booth was a popular destination at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in Manhattan, a favorite showcase of his.
THE ART WITHIN
Though each piece of his lighting may indeed be uniformly functional, each is also, by nature, one of a kind. And that’s what, he says, people relate to. “It’s not ‘a product,’” he says. “It’s really a work of art.” To create his work, Bursuker uses “really high-quality glass that’s designed for artists.” “It’s very different than your typical glass found in everyday objects.” For any creation, he does lots of drawing by hand and renderings. “Once I feel I have something that is going in a good direction, I’ll go into the studio,” he says. But he’s open to whatever happens once he’s there. “You can change it while you’re making it,” he notes. When it comes to his more sculptural work, Bursuker says that is often based on his photography. “I’ll shoot a series of photos,” he says, choosing a theme for inspiration. Then, “I’ll let these images inspire the glass.” Sometimes he has a very clear idea of what something will be.
“Other times I’ll let the glass speak for itself and let it flow naturally.” It sounds relaxing. “It’s also really exciting,” he says. “It’s a nice way of working. It just flows out of you.” But not every time is a success. “It either works or it doesn’t,” he says, but that’s part of the process that is far from a solitary endeavor, especially in the blowing or casting stages. “Everything in glass is a team,” he says. “None of the stuff I do is alone. I always have an assistant.” It’s the way of glassmaking and also a way that keep the community connected. “A lot of people compare it to dancing with people, where you’re doing two different things but you have to do it together,” he says. “If you’re off sync, it’s going to show. Just like anything. It’s a process.” And it’s also a challenge, one that he never tires of. “I could live three lifetimes and not do everything I want to do with glass,” he says. “You can devote your entire life to one particular technique and not know everything about it.” But, he says, sharing knowledge is a big part of the glass community and the way he sees it. “If there are less secrets among artists, as a community we’ll make better objects,” he says, noting that the American glass field is relatively young, having come into its own with the studio glass movement that took off in the 1950s.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Bursuker was recently selected as a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists, a prestigious group of professional artists that traces its roots back to the early 1900s.
Jeffrey Mueller, the gallery director at Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan, discusses the guild. “The process started in the 1920s, based on the model of artists being juried in by their peers,” Mueller says. Guild membership is open to all, though it reflects primarily New England artists. Many, Mueller adds, are from New York and Connecticut. “We had first seen Moshe’s work in a trunk show we had here in the winter, and I fell in love with his work,” Mueller says. He created, Mueller says, a “really beautiful installation,” he says of the multi-tiered presentation. Mueller says he suggested he apply for guild membership, which Bursuker did. (And with that will come participation in the new member show next January). Artists, Mueller adds, give back to the center through working and exhibition and also benefit from The Knockers Club, a peercritique program. In addition to Bursuker’s work being visually captivating, there was more going on, Mueller says. “One of the things that we noticed – and a lot of people described – is also the play of light in his objects,” he says. From the start, Mueller was hooked and not only by Bursuker’s technique. “Also, I think he had a lot of unique forms. … There’s something very sculptural about them in addition to being functional.” It’s why, he says, the Bursuker vase he bought his wife looks just as lovely when standing empty on a shelf as when filled with blooms.
MOVING AHEAD
Bursuker keeps himself on a tight schedule, by necessity. “Obviously paid client work takes priority,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t know how else to say it.” Bursuker has “scheduled days” in the studio – which keeps him on target. His artwork, which is also expanding to integrate glass into furniture design, is done in between. Throughout, Bursuker nurtures a dream — to help create a glassworks within Westchester County. He sees it as being a place for artists to make glass, for students to learn about glass and for the public to come for exhibitions and sales. “My goal is to have a glass-blowing studio attached to a showroom,” he says. “I don’t have a timeline on my goal. I think a lot depends on finding the place.” For Bursuker, no matter where the work takes him, it’s all part of a steady progression. “There’s definitely a direct relationship,” he says. “One design breeds the next and the next. … It will be interesting to see what happens a year from now.” We’ll be watching. For more, visit moshebursuker.com. n
Moshe Bursuker at work in his Lake Purdys studio.
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wear
Ippolita puts the ‘I’ in design By Georgette Gouveia
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I
t’s no coincidence, jewelry designer Ippolita Rostagno says, that so many fine goods come from Italy. “Everything is so beautifully crafted,” she observes. But then, she adds, Italians don’t make distinctions among design, art and craft. It’s all of a piece. You could say the same about her delicate, sensuous works – which are sold at Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus stores, including the Neiman Marcus in The Westchester, White Plains – and at her flagship on Madison Avenue at 67th Street in Manhattan. An Ippolita (ipPOLE-it-tah) piece might be a cocktail ring in which an Australian pearl “egg” nests in “branches” of bright 18-karat gold and diamonds. Or a signature gold chain given a modern twist with irregular oval links of varying thickness. Or a necklace of graduated, faceted London blue topazes that are the color of her eyes, which offset her lush, dark hair, swept back by a feathery headband. There is no question that Ippolita jewelry – which is
crafted all over the world, although the design studio is in Manhattan – puts the art in artisan. Begin with the fact that the designer herself started out as a sculptor, earning a degree from the Istituto d’Arte in Florence, where she was born and raised, the second child of an American artist-mother and an Italian-intellectual father. (She also holds a degree in English literature from Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she founded the alternative dance company Rime, dedicated to exploring the relationship between dance and poetry.) No wonder her wavy metal works have a certain dynamism to them. Though some are hammered silver, Ippolita is known for her particular brand of 18-karat gold, among the creations she graciously showed us during her recent trunk show at Neiman Marcus in White Plains. “I like using the colors of antiquity,” said the woman whose name is Italian for that of Amazon queen Hippolyta. Eighteen-karat gold, she explained, is 75 percent pure gold, 25 percent alloy. The alloy blend gives it its color. Ippolita uses a good deal of silver in her alloy, which lends her gold a special brilliance. She’s also noted for using gems
in a painterly way, layering a blue topaz with mother of pearl for a heightened effect or juxtaposing amethysts with smoky topazes, evoking Byzantine mosaics. But her favorite stone is turquoise, her birthstone (December), and she sources Kingman turquoise from a mine in New Mexico. Given that Ippolita jewelry is sold all over the world, it’s not surprising she’s always on the go. But her Italian trips have a special place in her heart, and not just because these are sentimental journeys. She’s spearheading a save-the-craft initiative to draw attention to the potential loss of many artisanal businesses – traditionally family owned and now aging out as younger generations move on to universities and corporate careers. A peripatetic traveler such as herself must have ideas on what accessories to pack, so WAG put the question to her: “A long gold chain. You don’t go wrong with that,” she said, looping the one around her neck and fingering some of her new charms – including a tiny memento mori skull, among the objects in Renaissance still lifes; and an amusing cameo for foodies with a knife and fork instead of the traditional female bust in profile. Dangling earrings are another must – “anything with movement.” But whether you’re accessorizing at home or abroad, it’s worth remembering her philosophy. “For me, jewelry’s not about how you look in it but how it makes you feel.” Most Ippolita creations at Neiman Marcus range from $400 to $5,000. For more, visit ippolita.com. n
The delicacy of Ippolita’s designs reflect the idea “that women have a softness,” she says. Among the goddesses who have worn her pieces are Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Gisele Bündchen, Penélope Cruz, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendes, Sofia Vergara and Kerry Washington. Photographs courtesy Ippolita.
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wear Charles James’ beautiful mind By Georgette Gouveia
In 1953, the fashion designer Charles James received the Neiman Marcus Award. For the occasion, he dressed in a white silk tuxedo, pumps – and blue jeans. Why jeans? Because they’re functional, and what was functional, he reasoned, was also erotic. James (1906-78) believed that clothes – even ball gowns – should be functional, erotic and above all, artistic. And so he brought to mid-20th century couture the artist’s and the engineer’s sensibility for structured, sculpted eveningwear – at once angular and undulating but always organic – that demonstrated new ways of draping, folding and using darts and seams, or none at all. The results were gowns graced by the high priestesses of high society like Babe Paley and photographed by Cecil Beaton – which have found their way into an exhibit at the new Anna Wintour Costume Center at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. It includes the 4,200-square-foot main Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery; the Carl and Iris Barrel Apfel Gallery; a state-ofthe-art costume conservation center; an expanded study/ storage facility that houses the combined holdings of The Met and the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection; and The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library, one of the foremost of its kind in the world. “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” (through Aug. 10) stretches out beyond the Wintour Center, where you’ll find daywear and archival material in the très intime Tisch and Apfel galleries on the ground floor. Begin, however, with the portion of the show that’s in the special exhibition galleries on the first floor. There you’ll find a breathtaking display of 15 ball gowns in a technological setting that is guaranteed to captivate even those with no interest in fashion. (The show is organized by Harold Koda and Jan Glier Reeder working with architecture and design firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS + R). The gowns are spotlighted on pedestals in a black box setting with mirrors and wires that make it seem as if the mirrors are everywhere. As a camera with a long arm comes up to roam over each piece, the viewer sees how the dress was made and the final result on a model or society hostess – all on a screen. Among the most spectacular examples is the “Butterfly” Ball Gown, circa 1955, a strapless, form-fitting ruched affair in brown silk chiffon and cream and brown silk satin with a dark brown nylon tulle train that fans out behind the creation. The gowns are at once timely and timeless, evoking ancient Greece (fluted drapery), the 18th century (fitted bodices with fanning skirts) and the Victorian era (corset62
Charles James, 1952. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Michael A. Vaccaro / LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division.
“Clover Leaf” Evening Dress, 1953. All gowns by Charles James. Photographs © The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Karin Willis.
Ball Gown, 1949-50.
ed silhouettes, bell-shaped skirts and bustles). They reflect James’ gift for millinery. (The autodidact began as a hatmaker and, after designing in his native London and Paris, arrived in New York City in 1940.) They pay homage to the female body. (James, perhaps echoing Balenciaga HalfHorizontial9x6:Layout 3/13/14 Gala 3:56 co-chair PM PageOscar 1 and prefiguring Costume 1Institute
“Butterfly” Ball Gown, circa 1955.
de la Renta, said he would give women figures they didn’t know they had.) Above all, though, James’ art suggests an unusual mind. He likened the couturier’s craft to the soccer player’s journey. Both are more interested in the game than the victory. “THERE IS NO GOING BACK,” he proclaims still
from one of the quotes on the mirrored walls. “Study the past to know why, not what and from the WHY, dream and DO. There is no shortcut to creativity. There may also be no profit in it.” For more, visit metmuseum.org. n
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A world of
inspired design More than 20 decorators fill Kips Bay show house By Mary Shustack Photographs by Bob Rozycki
Forget the Grand Tour. We only had to head down to Madison Avenue to take a whirlwind trip through the best of the world’s art, design and home décor. The venue was the Mansion on Madison, its stately façade the picture of classic elegance. But once inside its doors, the 42nd annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House was in fully vibrant command welcoming design aficionados throughout May. WAG was invited to preview the prestigious event, touring the rooms and meeting many of the designers who happily shared their inspirations with us. The unique location – the mansion was originally the north wing of the famed Villard House – is connected to The New York Palace luxury hotel. It was the perfect backdrop for a virtual tour of the world, as seen through the eyes of more than 20 leading interior designers who took their individual visions and turned them into showcases of fine furnishings, eclectic art and cuttingedge technology. The “must-see” design destination – which annually attracts some 15,000 visitors from around the world – as always raises funds for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. Since its inception, the show house has raised more than $19 million for the nonprofit organization that enhances the life of the city’s economically, socially or recreationally disadvantaged children. We were delighted by countless moments, from impressions created by entire rooms down to the most charming details within. We chatted with designers including Gideon Mendelson, a self-proclaimed “Scarsdale boy” who created a stunning room called “The Lady’s Lair;” John Douglas Eason, who has worked in both Westchester and Fairfield and whose grand staircase was an artful study that balanced a sense of history and grandeur with modern flair; and Young Huh, a Scarsdale woman making her show house debut. Her creativity was more than challenged in the compact space that includes the mansion’s two powder rooms, but her jewel-box creation was a shining success. We admired the expansive kitchen by Matthew Quinn, where cabinetry details echoed the spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral just across the Juan Montoya at
Kips Bay show house. 64
1.
4. 2.
3. 1. Kirsten Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford, Dallas sisters with a Greenwich showroom, used the “Jazz” suite by Henri Matisse as a jumping-off point for their trademark bold styling. 2. A statement fireplace echoes the swirls of the constellation-themed art. Tony Ingrao’s out-of-this-world design comes back to earth with touches from Dutch furniture to Han dynasty vases. 3. Juan Montoya put a decidedly modern imprint on his first-floor room – an oversize couch and mantel inspired by encompassing waves (“like a cashmere wrap”), but it’s all tied together with the most classic historic statement, a stunning early 19th-century English chandelier. 4. Alexa Hampton for Mark Hampton L.L.C. commissioned one-of-a-kind wallpaper with a design based on Spanish tiles. 5. A touch of the old anchors the state-of-the-art kitchen by Matthew Quinn, in which distinctive cabinets draw on the intricate Gothic Revival architecture of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
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street; and the eclectic sensibility of Alexa Hampton’s room, where the design of a Spanish tile was translated to custom wallpaper, the evocative backdrop of an exotic retreat. We relished the bold hues of the Kirsten Kelli living room (they have a Greenwich presence), the playful Pucci motif of Christopher Peacock’s walk-in closet and vanity (he’s another with local ties); and the oh-so-glamorous glass-beaded bedside tables in the Cullman & Kravis bedroom. And it was quite a thrill to meet Colombian-born design icon Juan Montoya, whose modern and wonderfully spacious living room had the most eclectic touch, a sparkling early 19th-century British chandelier. He spoke of proportion, scale and creating a room that is both stylish and comfortable. “It’s like a good recipe,” he told me. “You have it. You taste it, and then you want more of it.” Kind of what tempts one back to the Kips Bay show house year after year. n
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3.
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1. and 2. John Douglas Eason tackled the grand staircase, a study in Gilded Age glory. A stately Baroque console anchors the landing, on which sits a Barry X Ball statue (his work puts a modern spin on Italian statuary) adjacent to a mod chair by American furniture icon Wendell Castle.
3. Scarsdale resident Young Huh was tasked with creating a small reception room and two adjacent powder rooms – and in the mix integrated the Greek key motif, a noted Hollyhock pattern and those always-favorite design elements, toleware flowers. 4. Scarsdale-raised designer Gideon Mendelson created
“The Lady’s Lair,” an L-shaped room with distinctive vignettes anchored by a breathtaking vintage German Deco-era desk. We loved his suede walls in teal. 5. Cork, a resource from southern Europe and North Africa, creates the unexpected ceiling in this gentleman’s study by Markham Roberts.
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the perfect place for a writer to live By Ronni Diamondstein
I lived in a Pencil. What better place for a writer to dwell. Actually, “The Pencil” I lived in is a modern apartment building in the center of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, designed by Dutch architect Piet Blom. How did a school librarian from Long Island wind up a writer in a pencil? It was an interesting journey. I moved to Rotterdam in 1989 to teach at the American International School of Rotterdam as a school librarian and start a Gifted and Talented program in this kindergarten through eighth grade school for the children of foreigners living in the Netherlands. For a year and a half, I taught at the school and enjoyed the life of an expatriate. The Netherlands is an easy country for Americans to live in. Because it is a tiny country, the people learn other languages and most are able to speak English. The quality of life is great and transportation without a car is very convenient. Even 25 years ago, the Dutch were far ahead of the U.S. with high-speed railways and other public transportation. And, of course, you can ride a bicycle anywhere. I traveled all over the Netherlands and to Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium and England. Living in a foreign country is not the same as spending time there on vacation. You are still living everyday life: You do your laundry, grocery shop and attend to all the other domestic activities. My American friend Dale, who had been
The Pencil. Photograph by Han Kok.
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living in London for more than a decade, had warned me that you are much more sensitive and feel like you have a layer of skin missing. Ingegerd, my Swedish friend, said it was like hearing noise when you walk down the street when people spoke in their language and you could not understand a word. Living at different latitude also meant daylight until nearly midnight in the summer and a tunnel of darkness in winter’s early afternoons – something that took getting used to. After a year and a half at the school, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me and I decided to leave. At first the plan was for me to return to the States. But one day I had an epiphany. It was exactly one month after I returned from my spring break vacation to Italy. On Good Friday the 13th (of April, 1990), I was in the Vatican and had the unbelievable luck to be blessed by then Pope John Paul II, who recently became a saint. Now I was at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo for the second half of the major Vincent Van Gogh exhibit that marked the 100th anniversary of his death. As I walked through the gallery, my eyes welled up with tears. Was I moved by Vincent’s genius or did I feel sad that in a few short months my life in Europe would be over? It was in that house of art, nestled in a wooded nature preserve where animals roam freely, that I knew what I had to do. As quickly as I made the decision to go off to work in Europe, I made the decision to stay and try to find another job. I just wasn’t ready to leave and I didn’t want to go back to work at my former job on Long Island. As unrealistic as it may have seemed for me, a 30-something “Amerikaanse,” to remain there alone without any source of income or permit to stay in the country, in my heart it seemed like the right thing to do. How could I leave this funny little country where people spoke a language that sounded like they were always having an argument and cows said “boo” not “moo”? I loved it. I loved my wonderfully odd flat. I loved the flowers at the Saturday Market. And I loved the herring I ate raw with onions. I immediately began to market myself. I didn’t land a full-time job, but in a short amount of time I worked freelance and wrote for Windows on the Netherlands, a magazine for expatriates; Euro-Holland Magazine, The Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency publication; and U.S.A Trade Today, a publication of the American Embassy. I assisted a Dutch journalist on a book for The Economist magazine; worked as a copy editor for another English language publication, Destination Rotterdam, a magazine about the city with the world’s largest port; and did public relations and marketing for the English Stream of the Rotterdam City Schools. I learned Dutch at an intensive night school class and also picked up vocabulary when I watched American programs on Dutch TV like “As the World Turns” and “The Bold and The Beautiful” that had Dutch subtitles. I read picture books at the public library next door that were Dutch translations of stories I knew. The decision became an adventure. I learned how to live on practically nothing. I learned how to use my telephone voice to my advantage. I chatted with and interviewed former Vice President Walter Mondale at an American Chamber of Commerce luncheon on the eve of the Gulf War. I interviewed a baron
who happened to be the chairman of the Dutch Stock Exchange, visited the Fort Knox of the Netherlands, The Dutch National Bank, on assignment and had a private tour of the Peace Palace in The Hague with the Rotterdam American Business Club. And things came my way. Through my Destination Rotterdam job, I was given a “Tulip,” an IBM compatible computer, so I could write. One day there was a knock on my door and I let the Rotterdam Tunnel Information Center use my apartment on the 11th floor for a photo shoot of the city. In return the center let me use its laser printer. I interviewed the manager of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and got a ticket to see Yo-Yo Ma in concert. I met other expatriates, Americans and other foreigners and celebrated Thanksgiving without a turkey with American members of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, who were my neighbors in Blom’s innovative Cube Houses ( Kubuswoning.)
I chatted with and interviewed former Vice President Walter Mondale on the eve of the Gulf War. I interviewed a baron who happened to be the chairman of the Dutch Stock Exchange, visited the Fort Knox of the Netherlands, The Dutch National Bank, and had a private tour of the Peace Palace in The Hague with the Rotterdam American Business Club. I was doing what I wanted to do. But it was hard working freelance, waiting for the check that was always “in the mail.” Although I am a pretty independent person, it was difficult to be alone at times. I had quite a fright during the Gulf War in 1991 when I saw “Death to Bush. Death to Jews” scribbled on the front of my apartment building. When I called the Rotterdam Police, I had some suspicions about the culprit. I wondered if it had been the handiwork of an Egyptian student I had met with some friends in our neighborhood who told me, “It’s New York Jews like you that are the reasons for the problems in the Middle East.” Not too long after, I decided it was time to go back to the States. And so I did. I had several school librarian job offers and chose one in Westchester. Looking back, I don’t see the occasional aloneness I felt when I was living what my friends called “the glamorous life abroad.” Even though I decided to return home and interrupt my career as a writer, I had a lot of good fortune. I now had a portfolio and clippings with my byline. Most of all, I had fulfilled my dream to write professionally and do public relations work. I still wonder if it had anything to do with living in a Pencil or that blessing by Pope John Paul II. I thought my reentry might be difficult and that I would experience some culture shock after several years abroad. My Dutch friend Christine, who had lived in many countries, gave me the best advice: “It’s like you’ve been to the moon. Very few people have been there and don’t know what it is like.” I always did love the moon and Christine knew what she was talking about. n
STAR CHEF ON BOARD AT IRON HORSE Tom mcAliney is already winning customer raves at the well-known restaurant in Pleasantville. He picked up on the idea of the “destination” menus and is taking it to a new and delicious level. He has produced wonderful San Francisco specialties, incorporating his experience and artistry. Tom bakes our cakes in-house and you can tell. New Executive Chef, Tom McAliney, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, having served his apprenticeship in Western Europe (France) and most recently he was Executive Chef at the Greenwich Country Club, and Executive Chef at the Union Club in NYC.. Tom’s apprenticeship also includes, England, Spain, Italy, Australia and the U.S.
SPRING IS HERE AT LAST Iron Horse has put tables out - little bistro tables in the front, between the flowers, and on the side where the little park offers a fresh and happy ambiance. Tables are under the generous roof of the old station, so sudden spring showers are not a problem. The food you’ll eat takes advantage of fresh local produce, gently prepared. The menu, as always, offers both the “destination” cuisine as well as the regular favorites. neW TimeS Iron Horse is now glad to offer you brunch as well as dinner on Saturday, and lunch as well as supper on Sunday. As always, Iron Horse accommodates you folks who are going to the movies at the Jacob Burns - eat before or after, or both. TWoFeR TUeSDAyS On Tuesdays, you can have two drinks for the price of one, or two desserts or appetizers for the price of one. Wine WeDneSDAyS Enjoy a four- course price prix fixe menu with specially paired wine for each course. This is a wonderful Wednesday evening with a touch of romance...
www.ironhorsepleasantville.com 20 Wheeler Avenue, Pleasantville NY 10570 | (914)741-0717
wonderful dining
Fantastic voyage Primary rocks left-coast imagination Story and photographs by Andrea Kennedy Chef Merlin Verrier at Primary Food & Drink.
Cloaked couscous, naughty gnocchi and the flower child of desserts – open your minds and mouths, Greenwich. Progressive city dining is gaining traction on The Avenue thanks to a spark from out West. When Chef Graham Elliot opened his Primary Food & Drink on Greenwich Avenue last December, he brought the high-end block a taste of the high-rises of Chi-town. Style gone metropolitan, patrons dine among navy-lacquered industrial mesh and caramel leather. They sip low-ball cocktails with celery-salted rims at a marble bar that are as stark white as the famed chef’s bleached frames. Percolating within the refined aesthetic are dishes designed in his signature againstthe-grain sensibility – the same that earned him judge cred on Fox’s “MasterChef.” (Season 5 premiered May 26.) And the man piloting menu ingenuity into overdrive is Executive Chef Merlin Verrier.
WHAT A TRIP
Verrier’s not from around here. He most recently landed in Greenwich via Chicago, where at Graham Elliot Bistro his menu earned six Michelin Stars in four years. He linked with Elliot in Chicago after stints in Denver with two other TV personalities whom you may recognize from Season 5 of “Top Chef Masters,” James Beard Award-winner Jennifer Jasinski and global restaurateur Richard Sandoval. “Chef Merlin and I hit it off from day 70
one and nearly seven years later, continue to bring out the best in each other,” says Elliot. “There is nobody that I trust more to help carry out our collective vision for food and hospitality.” In other words, says Verrier, “We’re brothers from another mother.” Simpatico in creative passions from food to music, they’ve cooked backstage for bands like Foo Fighters and Mumford & Sons and grew Lollapalooza’s Chow Town to the gold standard of music festival fare. Eminem requested his first taste of lobster come from their now iconic lobster corn dog. Mainstream, you may gather, has never been their mojo. “I always say if it’s not broken, then break it,” says Elliot, whose playful riffs include a deconstructed Caesar with “brioche twinkie” and cheddar risotto topped with Cheez-Its. Both appear on Primary’s menu, meaning I’ll never look at a crouton or Cheez-It the same way again.
WESTWARD LEANING
If you notice Verrier’s tendency toward left-leaning locales – add Portland to the list for culinary training – it’s a byproduct of an über-liberal upbringing in his hometown of Santa Cruz, Calif. “I have this mentality of a Central Coast kid that grew up in a surfer, hippie community,” he says. The mentality is, one might say, more Brooklyn than Greenwich. He has an af-
finity for newsboy caps, freethinkers and jam bands. His watch is made of rubber. And his entrée no doubt fills a void. “A large majority of our customers are really appreciative of what we’re doing here,” says Verrier. “The food and the atmosphere–this area doesn’t necessarily have that.” Striking creativity’s fertile balance between freedom of mind and nurtured expertise, he presents the kind of dishes that beg the question why chefs don’t take these liberties more often. Food should always be this fun.
OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO
Note the accompaniment to Verrier’s latest swordfish creation: “We’ve made squid ink couscous that looks like eggs from sturgeons; and oven dried cherry tomatoes, fennel top pesto. And we’ve dehydrated oil-cured black olives into a crumble on top.” If I’ve had a better fish dish, I can’t remember when. The medium-rare swordfish sliced on diagonal popped against the black couscous in roe clothing. In unison, fish, couscous and olive harmonized of ocean and earthy elements. The olives brought particular complexity, not to mention they introduced to my palate an entirely new state of matter. The toasted gnocchi, another dish that alone is worth the trip, sets the bar with a
forget-me-not texture – a touch of crisp covering each sultry, downy round. Foraged mushrooms and brown butter complete a plate of entrancing indulgence. Take a bite, close your eyes. Not to belabor the pastas – for meats, my lamb preparation tasted as gorgeous as any lamb I’ve had – the artichoke and crab ravioli is also a seasonal must-try. Vacant of heavy creams, bright flavors are punctuated with finishers like fried lemons and parsley broth, which arrives with a bit of flair from a tableside pour. (Like a handful of items, the artichoke and crab ravioli is served at both lunch and dinner, with dinner plates more gussied up.) And on a sentimental note, the dish also pays homage to Verrier’s mother and childhood memories of California summers. “My mom was born in Indonesia, so I was raised on a lot of ethnic flavors and some really intense techniques that most American kids didn’t see,” he says. “This time of year in California is Dungeness crab and artichoke season. I remember eating it all the time, because it was literally the cheapest thing to put on the table.” To polish your meal, there’s the spring brûlée, the flower child of sweet treats. Made with elderflower cream, lingonberries and plums – in chutney and sliced as topping décor – this freewheeling fruiton-the-bottom brûlée dances around a deep-V bowl (not a ramekin!) with cheery, custard abandon.
Deconstructed Caesar salad with brioche twinkie.
You make the Memories. We’ll do the Rest. When you hold your once-in-alifetime event at The Garrison or the Highlands Country Club, we make it even more memorable Artichoke ravioli with lump crab, fried lemons and parsley broth.
with incomparable Hudson River views, impeccable service, and inspired cuisine. Our special events staff works with you, oneon-one, from beginning to end. Let us set the stage for your perfect day.
Dine. Stay. Celebrate. Discover the Garrison & Highlands Country Club Atlantic swordfish with squid ink couscous.
PATHFINDER Like his menu, Verrier stands out for all the right reasons. He emanates passion, authenticity and focus wrapped in West Coast Zen and workplace levity. The day we speak, he’s wearing a shirt with a unicorn and pig cavorting under a rainbow that reads, “How bacon sausage is made.” He calls the term farm-to-table “the goofiest term any restaurant could ever use. It’s literally like saying, ‘I use salt.’” He’s also made fast friends with his first East Coast stomping grounds. Verrier found his new music hall (The Capitol
Theatre), grower of local greens (Mimi Edelman of I & Me Farm) and a foraging buddy (Fortina frontman Christian Petroni). Finding open arms from local industry standouts – as with national ones – I imagine was effortless considering his countenance and character. “People will be attracted to you,” he says, “as long as you stay true to who you are.”
845-424-3604 thegarrison.com 845-424-3254 highlandscountryclub.net
Primary Food & Drink is at 409 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich. Call 203861-2400 or visit primaryrestaurant. com. n 71
wine
& dine
Savez-vous CarcassonNe? By Doug Paulding
So where will you take the family on the next vacation? There are vacations such as cruises or Club Med that boast relaxation and exploration. There are vacations that offer excitement and adventure, such as skiing, scuba diving or working a dude ranch. And of course, there are vacations that are nonstop exhilaration, as in Disney World or a multiday river-rafting trip. Then there are vacations that can combine all of these elements and will expose your family to a foreign culture and language and give them a palpable, colorful sense of history that could be transformative. A trip to a medieval walled city will create memories and put an experiential and personal face on subjects in school such as history, language, sociology and anthropology. I have always learned best by doing, by immersion, by throwing myself into an experience, sometimes with no background information. I try to absorb everything I can. Recently, I returned from a week in the medieval fortress city of Carcassonne in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, and it was truly mesmerizing. The city is at the intersection of the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and the rest of Europe. Its strategic location along commercial trade routes made it a desirable area for nobility to control, and fortification, which began in earnest around the year 300, continued for centuries. There is an outer wall about 45 feet high with defensive positions and bowman slits from which to repel an attack. Inside this wall is another 40-foot-high wall with similar defenses. They protect cobblestone streets, a cathedral that dates from 1096 and an additionally fortified castle that’s at the center of the small city. Carcassonne is one of 981 72
worldwide sites recognized by UNESCO as having “outstanding universal value.” (UNESCO is an acronym for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which puts its seal of approval on places that help unite humanity by illustrating our shared values.) Inside the walls, history speaks. Along with the castle and cathedral, there is the ramparts walk, which you can tour with a knowledgeable guide. There are also restaurants and cafés for all budgetary and time constraints. And what vacation would be complete without a visit to a torture museum? During the Inquisition, the Roman Catholic Church invented all sorts of ways to extract confessions from “sinners” or enforce conversions with devices that are nothing short of horrifying. Carcassonne is at the edge of a region that is home to France’s largest by volume wine production area. Some 30 years ago, the region was making uninteresting bulk wine, mostly to be consumed locally or shipped by tanker truck for blending in other regions. Today, with the introduction of better grape varietals, production techniques and winemaking abilities, the wines are not only potable but wonderful and cellar-worthy. Thank the wineries and winemakers for this. Eric Fabre was general manager of Château Lafite-Rothschild for many years. He moved his family to the south of France and created Château d’Anglès. Gerard Bertrand inherited a winery from his dad and has taken it to a much higher level. Domaine Gayda is a winery on the western edge of the Languedoc built from scratch, always organic with inexpensive but well-crafted wines. A $20 wine from Languedoc-Roussillon might be comparable to a $35 wine from the
much more recognized regions of Bordeaux or Burgundy. And every $10 increase in bottle price should reward the consumer exponentially in flavor, texture and depth. For adventure you can rent some serious or “poking around” bicycles and explore the region. There are numerous small villages a short ride or drive from Carcassonne. We rode bikes along a canal that had been built years ago to support local commerce, most notably wine. The Mediterranean Sea is just a few kilometers away and the beaches are wonderful. And if you visit a winery, which should be on your “must-do” list, it is highly likely the owner or the winemaker, often one and the same person, will welcome you and taste the wines with you. This just doesn’t happen in the more highly pedigreed wine regions of the world. There is also a ropes and zip-line course nearby and plenty of high hills for hikes or mountain bike rides offering up views of the sea. As a student I always felt disconnected from history and language courses because they were so academic and nonexperiential. I remember having a French conversation as an adult with a woman in northern Italy who spoke no English, while I spoke no Italian. We each spoke broken French and had a very amusing but understandable conversation. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, this French is actually working.” Take the family to a foreign place with an exciting history. You will breathe life into their studies. Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com. n The fortified castle in the interior of the walled city of Carcassonne. In the distance is the medieval town’s Gothic cathedral.
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where are they now?
CuisinArt Golf Course with views of St. Martin.
CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa beach.
Rendezvous at CuisinArt The CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, which we explored in March 2011 WAG’s “King of Clubs” issue, has been selected to host the fourth Great Golf Resorts of the World annual meeting in 2016. GGRW is a collection of the world’s exceptional golf resorts. The printed annual directory is distributed by PGA Professionals to members and their guests at leading golf clubs across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Small wonder that CuisinArt has been given the honor. The dramatic 18-hole Greg Norman Signature Design Championship Course employs a “least-disturbance” approach to preserve the native vegetation. The elevation changes, water features and challenging holes offer a true golfer’s paradise. After a round, enjoy the Clubhouse, with its stand-alone pro shop, full-service bar and Italia Restaurant. But CuisinArt – an oasis of beachfront luxury nestled in the gentle curve of Anguilla’s Rendezvous Bay – is about much more than golf. The architecture of the whitewashed villas creates a stunning contrast with the sparkling turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. With a choice of 98 suites and villas, each richly appointed and featurItalia 74 Restaurant at the CuisinArt Clubhouse.
ing extraordinary views, guests are enticed equally by the beach and resort features. The resort’s full-service Venus Spa & Fitness Center is an exclusive retreat with customized massage and facials, relaxation rooms and an aquatherapy pool. Guests experience the purest form of pleasure with an extensive menu designed to relax, revive and rejuvenate body and spirit. Drawing inspiration from flavor profiles of the world, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa is a true epicurean journey. The executive chef and culinary team have combined their talents to create menus maximizing the best of their global experiences, while including local flavors and the freshest ingredients from the Hydroponic Farm. Innovative cuisine is presented in a variety of venues, including Le Bistro at Santorini, Tokyo Bay – Anguilla’s first authentic Japanese restaurant – poolside dining at Café Mediterraneo and Italia at the Clubhouse, featuring classic Italian cuisine. As a destination resort, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa provides visitors with a casually intimate and sophisticated beachfront travel experience. For more, visit cuisinartresort.com. n
chic choices Gifts and new products ideal for any occasion compiled by mary shustack
SET A PLACE FOR GLOBAL INSPIRATION
Designer Kim Seybert tells the story of an unexpected treat, a week spent on the Mediterranean as a guest on her friends’ yacht. That restful voyage yielded plenty of design inspiration now reflected in her latest creations. The beach and sea have always influenced Seybert, but those elements truly rise to the forefront and mingle gracefully with her trademark elegance. Who wouldn’t want to anchor a summer dinner-party table with the Sea Odyssey Runner ($830), below left. Back on land, there’s the charm of the casual lifted beyond the everyday as seen by the Moroccan Melamine tableware ($17 to $25), bottom right. Finally, we journey to the Far East with the Pagoda collection’s placemats, napkins and napkin rings ($21 to $200), right. It’s all designed to help create a round-the-world excursion in your own backyard. Kim Seybert is carried by Neiman Marcus in White Plains, Current Home in Scarsdale and Hoagland’s of Greenwich. For more, visit kimseybert.com.
Photographs courtesy Kim Seybert.
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chic choices ALL-AMERICAN SUMMERTIME
The nautical look and summer make a classic combination. And this summer, we hope to be serving up a bit of bubbly on a pretty neat anchor-themed tray. To do this, we’re looking to Chandon, the pioneer in California sparkling beverages, as it launches its third limited-edition bottle. Chandon has partnered with noted designer Jonathan Adler – how much do you love browsing his amazing boutiques in Greenwich and Westport? – to release two exclusive items available only this summer. Serve up Chandon’s 2014 “American Summer” Limited Edition on either of two Adler-created acrylic trays that sport a red-white-and-blue motif of interlocking anchors. The limited-edition tray will be available in Adler’s Manhattan boutique or online at $98 for the 11-by-17 inch version or $78 for the 9-by-11 inch tray. American Summer will retail for $8 in 187ml minis or from $22 in 750ml bottles. For more, visit jonathanadler.com or chandon.com.
Photograph courtesy Jonathan Adler and Chandon.
BLACK AND WHITE AND OH, SO STYLISH
German luxury brand Sieger was in New York City recently, making quite the splash in launching its new Ca’ d’Oro collection from Sieger by Fürstenberg at The New York Tabletop Market. Christian Sieger flew in just for the event, speaking to those in attendance about the handcrafted collection designed by his brother Michael Sieger. Its name, which translates as “golden house,” is inspired by the palazzo on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, which was once the designer’s second home. The understated line of 35 items (those pictured here range from $170 to $698) is elevated to something special with the application of a delicate band of gold applied and burnished by hand. Isn’t it just too chic? For more, visit sieger.org. Photograph courtesy Sieger by Fürstenberg.
WITH A DECIDEDLY BRITISH ACCENT
Take two respected British companies, let the creativity mingle and suddenly, you have quite the distinctive result. That’s what happened when Farrow & Ball, the noted paint and wallpaper company, collaborated with The Cambridge Satchel Company, which is committed to preserving British manufacturing. The partnership has resulted in 200 limitededition satchels that have just launched. Showcasing Farrow & Ball’s latest bespoke paint color, Stiffkey Blue, the sturdy-yet-stylish bags range from $180 to $230. Sarah Cole, Farrow & Ball’s creative director, sums up the partnership: “We are delighted to collaborate with The Cambridge Satchel Company on this limited edition collection of Stiffkey Blue satchels. Born on a Norfolk beach, our new rich navy, Stiffkey Blue, was the perfect choice for this summer’s nautical look, but with a classic feel that reflects our rich heritage. The exclusive satchels celebrate the coming together of two British brands and their shared commitment to quality and craftsmanship, with every satchel made here in the U.K.” Consider the purchase of this showcase of contemporary British style the ideal companion for your own summer travels across the pond. For more, visit cambridgesatchel.com/us.
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Photograph courtesy Farrow & Ball.
Photograph courtesy Elena Kriegner.
FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS
Austrian-born jewelry designer Elena Kriegner has long been creating one-of-akind signature pieces for private clients around the world. Her work has taken her far, from studying with a gemstone cutter in South Africa to teaching jewelry design in Greece. Now working out of a Chelsea studio in Manhattan, Kriegner created a Heart-Paw pet lover’s necklace that was raffled off last month at an animalthemed conference in Las Vegas. For those who would like a Heart-Paw necklace ($480) of their own, Kriegner will take custom orders and craft the sterling silver piece that features an amethyst drop. For more, visit elenakriegner.com.
SWEET SCENT OF PARADISE
We just can’t seem to get the scent of Escada’s latest, Born in Paradise, off our mind. The limited-edition fragrance, mentioned in our spring perfume preview, is now in full bloom. It invites you to the tropical paradise that is French Polynesia with its vivid flowers, glistening beaches, turquoise waters and delicious tropical fruits. Inspired by the summertime classic, the piña colada, the playful scent is a blend of pineapple and coconut milk shaken with notes of watermelon, green apple and guava – all enhanced with woody, musky and creamy undertones. Yum. The 50ml/1.6-ounce bottle is $56. For more, visit sephora.com.
Photograph by Bob Rozycki.
A SIP (OR TWO) FROM SPAIN
Warm weather often translates to lighter meals and dining outdoors. Complete the picture with a chilled white wine. The Spanish region of Rueda suggests the ideal varietal for al fresco meals, the Verdejo grape. A fresh minerality balances the herbaceous and citrus fruit flavors, creating a lovely option for sunny-day sipping. And since June 12 is National Verdejo Day, why not serve some salad, grilled chicken or seafood and then raise your glass in celebration? Among the 2013 vintage options are Emina Verdejo ($10.99), TrasCampanas Verdejo ($14.99) and Protos Verdejo ($13.99). For more, visit winesofrueda.com.
Photograph by Bob Rozycki.
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chic choices FOR THE PLANE (AND BEYOND)
Sure, sure, summer is hot. Summer is sticky. But sometimes, summer can touch on the cooler side. Think of those long flights when you simply catch a chill or the way you sometimes feel padding around in your hotel after a long day beside the ocean. All you want to do is snuggle up. Well, Sock Shop, a company established in 1947 in England, is ready to offer a solution with its Heat Holders. Ideal to take along whether heading to the mountains, the shore or points in between, the thermal socks and slippers – which handily ship out of North Carolina – are designed to keep the nip out of your night. $19.99. For more, visit heatholders.com.
Photograph courtesy Heat Holders.
Photograph courtesy Mantry.
FOR THE DAD WHO’S AT HOME IN THE KITCHEN
There’s a definite charm to a man who knows his way around a kitchen. If a man in your life is one of those, lucky you. Maybe you’d like to reward his interest just in time for Father’s Day with a gift with a strong, masculine viewpoint. Mantry is a company designed for “modern men looking to discover American artisan food and how to cook and entertain with it.” Past deliveries have carried themes ranging from “Mountain Man” to “Bacon Nation,” “Breakfast with Pops” to “Italian American Picnic.” Who else but “The Modern Man’s Pantry” is going to take you on virtual American road trip and deliver bourbon marshmallows, chili-lime pistachios or natural summer sausage right to your door? A single Mantry delivery, which features six full-size artisan food products plus recipes, is $75, plus $10 shipping. A three-month subscription is $225, with six months for $450 (both include shipping). For more, visit mantry.com.
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Photograph by Bob Rozycki.
DOCTOR’S ORDERS…
Dr. Ian Smith, the Danbury-born author of The New York Times best sellers “Shred: The Revolutionary Diet” and “Super Shred: The Big Results Diet,” has come to our snacking rescue. Smith, who was featured here in WAG back in 2012, has introduced a guilt-free snack to help curb cravings. SHRED Pop Popcorn is made with non-GMO corn, and all flavors are gluten-free. At just 100 calories per one-ounce bag, we’re more than ready to throw some honey BBQ, sea salt, kettle or white cheddar SHRED popcorn into our beach bags this summer. It’s available at $21.99 for 24 one-ounce bags. For more, visit shredlife.com.
2Nd aNNual
SavE the daTES! Friday, Sept 19th Best Chef Battle White Plains, NY
Saturday, Sept 20th
Grand Culinary Village, featuring BBQ/Grilling Plaza, Food Truck Parade & Concert. Harbor Island Park, Mamaroneck, NY
Sunday, Sept 21st Sponsors
Wilson & Son Jewelers Grand Tasting Village Scarsdale, NY
Schedule to appear: Rocco Dispirito Scotto Family (Fresco) Dan Amatuzzi & Nick Coleman (Eataly) JJ Johnson (The Cecil) Kamal Grant (Sublime Doughnuts) Rafael Palamino (Palamino Restaurant) Dave DiBari (The Cookery) 18 Chase Road
29 South Moger Ave
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
914 723- 0327
914 241- 4500
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www.Sowefwf.com Facebook.com/SoWeFoodFest @SoweFWF #SoweFoodFest
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well A doctor who makes (international) house calls By Erika Schwartz, MD
Every time I get on a plane to make a transatlantic house call, I smile. Certainly this idea is a long way from making house calls in a small town – something I used to do. But then, my life as a doctor has covered the evolution of the doctor patient-relationship. The twists and turns it has taken amaze me even as I travel twice a month and face a never-ending host of patients lining up to have me come to visit them at home in pretty much every corner of the world. Let me explain. I started my career running the ER at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla more than 30 years ago. Next I went into private practice in the village of Irvington on the Hudson River, where I evolved from Dr. Schwartz to Dr. Erika and enjoyed making house calls. After 17 years in Irvington, I moved on to Manhattan. Once I opened my office there and focused entirely on prevention, hormones and anti-aging medicine, I quickly started getting patients who were foreign to our shores. Granted, many did come from all over the U.S. to New York, the mecca of evolved medicine, but just as many worked their way to me from abroad. Over the course of about 10 years, I started to see wealthy and famous people – Oscar-winning actors, billionaires and world leaders in finance and just about every field you can think of. The word of mouth is the best way to get patients and by the end of 2007 the word certainly was out. I was seeing patients from the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates, from South Africa to South America. That was quite fascinating from the very beginning. The patients, most of whom traveled by private jets, came to see me in New York. That was fun for them and certainly a source of pride and endless wonder for me. They brought me lots of novel ideas, new perspectives and philosophies and I learned more about their cultures. The
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more fluent I became in my international clientele, the better I became at being the right doctor for each one of them. It’s been fun and over time it has evolved into an amazing and life-altering practice and experience. About five years ago, one patient whose entire family was now seeing me, invited me to make a house call. Of course, my patients aren’t sick. In fact, they are some of the healthiest people I’ve ever met and are experts in cutting-edge medical treatments. My interaction with them teaches me a thing or two about not just medicine but also human behavior. But I was surprised when suddenly these wonderful people wanted me to come to their homes to see how they live. I don’t think they wanted to show me their unbelievable living quarters. They wanted me to understand them better by seeing them in their own homes. At first I hesitated. Don’t get me wrong: I love to travel and the opportunity sounded amazing. I just didn’t know what I could offer and when this new international travel house call idea would stop or how it would affect the rest of my practice. But then after practicing medicine for more than three decades, I learned one thing: Don’t question things you have no answer for. I’m a doctor not a fortune teller. So I said yes and decided to just go with the flow for the first time five years ago. I went to London for three days and made about five house calls in homes all over the city. We even had high tea together. It was fun for me and the patients seemed to love it. Although I am married to an Englishman, I learned so much more about the culture by seeing my patients in their homes that I cannot even do it justice by putting it down on paper. Knowing how people live, what their habits are for sleep, eating and exercise, how they interact with their families and partners, these were insights I could never have learned in years of them sending me their journals.
You see, when people send you their journals, they only record what they think I’m interested in or what they think is important. When I make a house call, I see things they may not think of sharing. Like for instance, the patient who lives in a beautiful apartment in this most gorgeous area of London with five cats. She always has allergies and terrible sinus problems and I could never understand why all the ENT and allergy doctors she sees can’t figure out how to help her. When I went into her home I understood immediately. The cats sleep on her bed all day and all night. She never gets a break. I’m sure you know why she has all these allergies. The solution is certainly not for her to get rid of the cats. She loves them. It was more about changing her habits, airing the rooms, getting rid of all the fur in the heavy drapes, etc. You get it: A little different perspective on housecleaning and she got it. And guess what? The allergies improved and the cats stayed. I got invited back. Since then, more and more people have asked me to make house calls. Of course, travel is hard on the body and it takes me away from my beloved New York, my family and practice, so I pick and choose whom I make house calls for. In fact, to make it easier to provide even better services to my patients, I am expanding the New York office, opening an office in London and changing the practice to concierge medicine only – with patients providing retainers for enhanced care. At the same time, I’ll be bringing a few other top doctors in the field of anti-aging into our cutting-edge practice. They all agree to make house calls across town or across the ocean to make medical care in our practice the best in the world. And somehow it’s easier to attract the best doctors when you give them access to this type of house-call-based practice. For more information, email Dr. Erika at Erika@drerika.com. n
when
& where THROUGH JULY 27
TUESDAY, JUNE 3
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
Chim Chim Cher-ee! “Mary Poppins” flies into the Westchester Broadway Theatre to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its productions. The cherished 1964 Disney film has been re-imagined into an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs and breathtaking dance numbers. Westchester Broadway Theatre, 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford; 914-592-2222, Broadwaytheatre.com.
What we won’t do for love... On this day in 1937 the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) marries Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee for whom he abdicated the British throne.
The Westport Historical Society (WHS) presents its 23rd annual Hidden Garden Tour. Featuring five venues with garden experiences, including musicians, old-fashioned croquet, moving meditation demonstrations, food and beverage tastings and garden experts. $50 ($40 for WHS members). 11a.m. to 4 p.m., Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place; 203-222-1424, westporthistory.org.
THROUGH AUGUST 16 “STEAM,” the exhibition, features 29 contemporary artists and artist collaborations that have created original, engaging and visually striking artworks in dialogue with STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Free admission. ArtsWestchester, 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains; 914-428-4220, artswestchester.org.
THROUGH AUTUMN Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts presents “In the Garden of Sonic Delights,” a large-scale open-air sound art exhibition featuring sound artists, including Laurie Anderson, Ed Osborn, Annea Lockwood, Stephen Vitiello and Trimpin. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $10 (children 12 and under are admitted free), including all-day access to the Caramoor grounds for the exhibit, picnic and walks. 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah; 914-232-5035, caramoor.org.
WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS IN JUNE Get fit in one of Westchester’s most extraordinary outdoor settings with the premiere of “Be Fit, One Day at a Time,” an outdoor fitness boot camp geared toward adults of all athletic abilities. 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 4 through 25; 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, June 7 through 28. $80 for eight classes. Register online. Kensico Dam Plaza, 1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla; 914231-4574, dmr9@westchestergov.com.
SUNDAY, JUNE 1 The first “Sun Salutations for Sepsis,” hosted by Sage Yoga, in Armonk. The event will raise funds and awareness for a disease that affects more than 1.6 million and takes more than 250,000 lives in the U.S. each year. Noon to 3 p.m., Wampus Brook Park, Maple Avenue; (rain location Sage Yoga, 6 Maple Ave.) Register at sunsalutationsforsepsis.org. The Katonah Museum of Art will present Christo with the 2014 Himmel Award at a reception at Chappaqua Crossing Auditorium, to be followed by a lecture by the artist. Reception at 5 p.m., with Christo lecture at 5:30. (Optional dinner with the artist at Crabtree’s Kittle House, 7:30 p.m.). 480 Bedford Road, Chappaqua; 914232-9555, katonahmuseum.org.
MONDAY, JUNE 2 On this day in 1935, Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, ends his Major League career after 22 seasons, 10 World Series and 714 home runs.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4 FINALLY! The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote, is passed by Congress on this day in 1919.
THURSDAY, JUNE 5 Much to the horror of an already grieving nation, on this day in 1968 at 12:50 a.m., Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, a presidential candidate, is assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He dies the following day.
FRIDAY, JUNE 6 “Laughing Out Loud: A Night of Stand-Up Comedy.” The Emelin Theatre presents host Karen Bergreen, headliner Joe Matarese, Will Julian (Cohn) and Andy Pitz as they put on a show for one night only. 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck; 914-698-0098, emelin.org.
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
MONDAY, JUNE 9 Phelps Memorial Hospital Center’s 11th annual Phelps Classic begins with a shotgun start and includes lunch, a day on the course, a cocktail and buffet reception and prizes and award presentations. Registration starts at 11 a.m., Sleepy Hollow Country Club, 777 Albany Post Road, Scarborough; 914-366-3104, phelpshospital.org/golf.
TUESDAY, JUNE 10 Guitar hero Joe Satriani broke through with his 1987 album, “Surfing With the Alien.” He appears with Marco Minnemann, Bryan Beller and Mike Keneally, with special guest SitDownServant featuring Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar. 8 p.m., Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road, 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
JUNE 10 - AUGUST 31
Argentine Tango in the Courtyard, Argentine tango teachers and performers Steve Curlen and Elsie Tai present an afternoon of dance. Rain or shine. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Ave.; 914-738-2525, pelhamartcenter.org.
Time for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. What could be more enchanting than seeing the Bard under a canopy on the banks of the Hudson River? This season features Shakespeare’s “Othello” and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” along with David Ives’ “The Liar.” Boscobel House and Gardens, 1601 Route 9D, Garrison; 845-265-9575, hvshakespeare.org.
The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, celebrating its 75th anniversary, will host its 20th annual Humanitarian Award Dinner. The gala features auctions, dinner and a special tribute journal. The cocktail reception begins at 6:30 p.m. Lexus of Mount Kisco, 275 Kisco Ave.; 914-666-8069, ext. 111, bgcnw.com/events/.
“Rick Springfield: Stripped Down,” a rare, intimate, solo acoustic performance with music and storytelling from the pop star. 8 p.m. Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St.; 914-631-3390, tarrytownmusichall.org.
“Into the Woods:” The 27th annual Renaissance Ball, the Bruce Museum’s fundraiser, features Hank Lane Music and live and silent auctions. 6:30 p.m., Riverside Yacht Club, 102 Club Road, Greenwich. renaissanceball2014. eventbrite.com. or brucemuseum.org.
SATURDAY, JUNE 7 - FRIDAY, JUNE 13 Free Yoga and Mediation by world-renowned spiritual teacher Swami Mukundananda. Vegetarian dinner will be provided after the program. Admission is free. Various times. Sri Satyanarayana Temple (Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society), 11 Training Hill Road, Middletown; 860-605-3685, jkyog.org.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
THURSDAY JUNE 12 “Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth” will be the theme of the Women’s Enterprise Development Center Inc. (WEDC) Annual Spring Event: Luncheon and Marketplace. The day, highlighted by keynote speaker Essie Weingarten of essie, will include a focus on products and services sold by graduates of the a WEDC entrepreneurial training program. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tappan Hill Mansion, 81 Highland Ave., Tarrytown; 914-948-6098, ext. 15, wedcbiz.org.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12 SATURDAY JUNE 14 The Armonk Players continues its presentation of “Play On!” the story of a theater group trying desperately to put on the play “Murder Most Foul,” in spite of maddening interference from an author who keeps revising the script. 8 p.m., Whippoorwill Hall (at North Castle Public Library), 19 Whipporwill Road East, Armonk; 914-861-2049, Armonkplayers.org.
when
& where FRIDAY, JUNE 13 Do what you want, JUST STAY OUT OF THE WOODS!
SATURDAY, JUNE 14 The Glass House presents The Summer Party, featuring a festive picnic lunch, Champagne, music lawn games and a silent auction, along with opportunities to experience “Fujiko Nakaya: Veil” and the entire Glass House campus. Dress code is summer chic. Noon to 4 p.m., The Glass House, 842 Ponus Ridge, New Canaan; 203-5949884, ext. 33335, theglasshouse.org. For one night only, Barbara Cook takes the stage at the Tarrytown Music Hall. Considered “Broadway’s favorite ingenue” during the heyday of the Broadway musical, her silvery soprano, purity of tone and warm presence have delighted audiences around the world for more than 50 years. 8 p.m., 13 Main St.; 914-631-3390, tarrytownmusichall.org. To celebrate Connecticut Open House Day, the Bruce Museum offers free admission. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., One Museum Drive, Greenwich; 203-869-0376, brucemuseum.org. New York Comic Fest, put on by the promoters of the Asbury Park Comicon, is a show that honors the creators and culture of comics. Featuring Scott Snyder, Mark Waid, Herb Trimpe, Bob Camp, Larry Hama, Evan Dorkin, Dick Ayers, J.J. Sedelmaier, John Holmstrom and Fred van Lente. 10 a.m.to 6 p.m., Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains; 914-995-4050, nycomicfest.com.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15 A Father’s Day double header: The New York Youth Symphony’s Ryan McAdams conducts violinist Tai Murray, an Avery Fisher Career grant winner, and BBC New Generation Artist for a program featuring Ligeti, Mendelssohn and Brahms that will close out the Westchester Philharmonic season. Immediately following the concert in the upper lobby courtyard, attendees are invited to mingle with the artists. Burgers, Beers & Brahms, will feature burgers, hotdogs and sides, Captain Lawrence beer, soft drinks and dessert. The afternoon gets under way at 3 p.m., The Concert Hall, The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road; 914682-3707, westchesterphil.org.
MONDAY, JUNE 16 On this day in 1965 Bob Dylan’s classic “Like a Rolling Stone” is recorded.
TUESDAY, JUNE 17 Remember the white Bronco? It was on this day in 1994 that TV viewers couldn’t take their eyes off the police cars chasing Orenthal James “OJ” Simpson along Interstate 405 in Los Angeles.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 Take your yoga out of the studio and hit the street for The Mental Health Association of Westchester’s “Get on Your Mat for Mental Health!” The event unrolls at 5:30 p.m. on Court Street in downtown White Plains; mhawestchester.org.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 “Isn’t that special?” Come laugh until your sides hurt as Emmy Award-winning comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum Dana Carvey takes the stage at the Ridgefield Playhouse. Come hear his legendary impressions and hear him revive his role as Garth Algar from the film “Wayne’s World.” 8 p.m., Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road, 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 The Westchester Photographic Society presents the finals of a yearlong members’ competition. Guests welcome; free admission. 8 p.m. Westchester Community College Tech Bldg., Room 108, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla; 914-827-5353, WPSphoto.org. The “Happy Together Tour” includes The Turtles, featuring Flo & Eddie; Chuck Negron; Mark Farner; Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels; and Gary Lewis & the Playboys. 8 p.m., Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St. 914631-3390, tarrytownmusichall.org.
FRIDAY JUNE 20 - SUNDAY JUNE 22 The Empire State Tattoo Expo features international tattoo artists, a concert with Sweet Cyanide, an art exhibit and The World Famous Coney Island Circus Side Show. Various times. The Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains, 914-995-4050, empirestatetattooexpo.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 Blue Öyster Cult, formed in New York in 1967, is best known for “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Burnin’ for You” and “Godzilla.” 8 p.m., Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road; 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org. Joshua Bell and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s will open the Caramoor International Music Festival, with a program that includes the Sibelius Violin Concerto, Ligeti’s “Concert Românesc” and Bizet’s Symphony No. 1. 8:30 p.m., The Venetian Theater, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah; 914-2325035, caramoor.org.
SUNDAY, JUNE 22 AND MONDAY, JUNE 23 Sportscaster and NFL alum Ahmad Rashad will return this year to host the fifth annual White Plains Hospital Ahmad Rashad Golf Classic. A cocktail reception at 42 The Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester in White Plains Sunday evening launches the event, with tee off at 10 a.m. the following morning at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale. Participants will be paired with
sports stars and celebrities, with an awards ceremony, cocktail party, dinner and live entertainment to follow. 914-681-2264, ahmadrashadgolfclassic.org.
MONDAY, JUNE 23 The Music Conservatory of Westchester will take you from the greens and the courts to The Great White Way for its 13th annual Golf and Tennis Classic at Whippoorwill Club in Armonk. Following a day of competition, the nonprofit will hold a star-studded Broadway-themed awards dinner. Activities begin at 10 a.m. Whippoorwill Club, 150 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk; 914-273-3011, mcwevents.org.
TUESDAY, JUNE 24 On this day in 1901, the first major exhibition of 19-yearold Pablo Picasso’s artwork opens in a Paris gallery. The rest is (art) history.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 On this day in 1876, Native American forces led by chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. Sometimes called Custer’s Last Stand, it marks the most decisive Native American victory in the long Plains Indian War.
THURSDAY, JUNE 26 The Beat goes on (separately). After nearly 15 years together – six as husband and wife – Sonny and Cher divorce on this day in 1975.
FRIDAY, JUNE 27 Transform the season’s fresh produce into a meal that’s perfect for any summertime gathering at Cooking Class: Date Night. The instructor will share the secrets to preparing perfectly cooked steak and teach you how to create a summertime soufflé. $79. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sur La Table at Ridge Hill, 1 Ridge Hill Blvd., Yonkers; 914652-9647, westchestersridgehill.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 28 THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 “Walk Among Live Butterflies” – The Greenburgh Nature Center opens its annual butterfly exhibit. Learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. $2, plus regular GNC admission (free for members). 99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale; 914-723-3470, greenburghnaturecenter.org.
SUNDAY, JUNE 29 On this day in 2003, screen legend Katharine Hepburn dies at age 96, at her home in Old Saybrook, Conn.
MONDAY, JUNE 30 Much to the delight of sports car lovers everywhere, the first Corvette is driven off the General Motors assembly line in Flint, Mich., on this day in 1953. Vroom!
80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT • (203) 438-5795
RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG
THE LEGENDARY YANKEES SLUGGER AND CHART-TOPPING GUITARIST RETURNS!
BERNIE WILLIAMS
Meet & Greet Tickets Available!
Sunday, June 8 @ 8PM
Charity Softball Game at 1pm with Bernie and Friends
Including Dwight "Doc" Gooden, Bobby Valentine and Bernie's Band Members Benefiting Hillside Food Outreach & The Ridgefield Playhouse Arts for Everyone Program! ART, WINE & JAZZ SERIES Wine & cheese tastings and reception with local artist in the lobby @ 7pm
Glenn Miller Orchestra
Saturday, July 12 @ 7:30PM
The World Famous and the most sought after big band in the world today for both concert and swing dance engagements.
CLARK CONSTRUCTION COMEDY SERIES
Jim Breuer
Saturday, June 28 @ 8PM
One of the most recognizable comedians in the business, known for his charismatic stage antics, dead-on impressions, and family friendly stand-up!
ROCK SERIES
Jonny Lang
Cash is King
The Grammy Award Winning sensation is back with his first studio album in seven years and he's sounding better than ever!
The ultimate tribute show to Johnny Cash featuring the music and stories of Cash’s life with over 30 classic songs including “Folsom Prison Blues”, “I Walk The Line”, “Ring of Fire” and more!
Friday, June 6 @ 8PM
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Sunday, June 15 @ 8pm
Two of the most electrifying guitarists join forces for one explosive night!
Friday, June 13 @ 8PM
The English Beat
Wednesday, June 18 @ 8PM
Don’t miss their only area performance!
A great night with Ska legends performing “Mirror in the Bathroom,” & “Save It For Later”.
Blue Öyster Cult
Andy Grammer
With Special Guest Doug Wahlberg Band
BACK HOME SUMMER TOUR
Saturday, June 21 @ 8PM
Best known for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You" and "Godzilla".
Grand Funk Railroad
Sunday, June 29 @ 8PM
With mega-hits “We’re An American Band,” “I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home,” “Locomotion,” “Some Kind Of Wonderful” and more!
Friday, June 27 @ 8PM With hits “Keep Your Head Up”, “Fine By Me,” “Jubilant,” “The Pocket,” “You Should Know Better” and more!
John Hiatt & the Combo and The Robert Cray Band Thursday, July 3 @ 6PM
RED, WHITE and BLUES SUMMER GALA
The Playhouse is excited to present two musical masters John Hiatt and Robert Cray.
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portraits
Lost and found: a dog’s tale By Maggie Mae Pup Reporter (with Ronni Diamondstein)
A
few months ago, my friend Olive, a Miniature Dachshund who lives in New York City, went lost. Her owner, Contessa Brewer, the WNBC New York anchor, was frantic and had us all worried about Olive’s whereabouts. It seems that Contessa and her family were at the airport on their way to California when they got a call that Olive was gone. A contractor at their place accidentally let her get out. Contessa and her peeps came home immediately and began to search for her. They posted signs in Lower Manhattan and contacted the local SPCA. Contessa also posted a picture of Olive on Facebook. I helped, too. I shared Olive’s picture on my Facebook page. Contessa got some good tips from Facebook friends. Her husband went out to look for Olive and finally found her by the Staten Island Ferry. I think that Olive was very smart and wanted to go on vacation, too. And she did get to go. The next day she flew to California with her two twin baby brothers, Contessa and her hubby. Even the most conscientious dog owners like Contessa can lose their dogs. I thought this was a good time to write about what to do so your dog doesn’t get lost and how to be prepared if it should happen. Here are some tips to follow: • Know where your dog is all the time. • Your dog should wear a collar and have ID. (I wear my dog tag proudly.) Have your cell phone number on the tag. That’s important if you are out looking for your dog and not home to answer your phone. • Maintain an up-to-date license for your dog. Registering your dog is important. It’s another good way for your dog to be identified if you two get separated. • Have current photos of your dog on hand in case you need to post a picture. Be sure it is one that would easily identify your dog. • Keep all your ownership papers in one place. • Get your dog microchipped. Be sure your information is up-to-date with the microchip company. 84
Maggie Mae with Ronni Diamondstein. Inset, Olive at the airport. Photograph courtesy of Contessa Brewer.
• Spay or neuter your dogs. There’s less chance they will want to wander off. • If you’re not home – and even if you are – keep your dog in a safe place when you have people working in your house. That way, I feel safe and don’t have the temptation to go out the front door if someone leaves it open. • Make sure fences, walls or hedges are tall enough and strong enough to keep your dog from going off your property. • Have an emergency preparedness plan (fire, etc.) that includes your dog. • Keep your dog on a leash when you go out. There are places where dogs are allowed off the lead, but it really is the safest thing if we wear a leash. • Don’t leave your dog outside a store unattended. There is a black market for dogs. My owner’s friend Er-
nesto Quiñonez, the author of “Bodega Dreams,” told her of a scam he ran in Spanish Harlem when he was a teenager in the late 1970s. He and his friends would steal dogs on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and then bring them back to the owner for a reward, saying that they found them. They took small dogs leashed to lampposts and stuffed them in a laundry bag. Quiñonez told my owner he would never do that me. That made me very happy. But things like this still happen, so it isn’t a good idea to leave your dog unattended. You’re asking for trouble. My owner says, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That makes sense to me. Take these precautions so that your dog doesn’t get lost. Olive’s story had a happy ending and I’m really glad about that. Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie, is a freelance writer, PR consultant and award-winning photographer. Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter at maggiemae10514@gmail.com and visit her blog at maggiemaepup.com. n
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pet
portraits
Joan Rivers’ dog days By Georgette Gouveia
It may be one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets: Joan Rivers is a lovely person. I had the pleasure of interviewing her when I was starting out in my career and she couldn’t have done enough to make a rookie feel welcome – complimenting me on my outfit and even asking me to turn around so she could see it in full. Now many moons later, we’re talking in the car. Actually two cars. On two different coasts. Joan’s being driven around on the West Coast while I’m on my cell in a parking garage on the East Coast. What Joan wants to know is am I safe where I am? Yes, I assure her, and we proceed. But that’s the kind of sensitive soul she possesses, one that belies her brash comedic persona, her opinionated pronouncements and her TMZ’d celebrity feuds, not to mention the antic behavior that drives grounded daughter Melissa nuts on WE’s “Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?” The April 12 edition, “Dog Days of Fashion Week,” was a toughie, dealing as it did with the loss of Joan’s beloved black Pekingese, Max.
The rescue pooch had two previous owners, one of whom must’ve had cats. “He would jump up on the desk and not disturb anything,” she recalls. “That was so strange.” Ultimately, Max developed kidney trouble. For six months, he thrived with a feeding tube. Then came the moment when Joan had to decide to have him put down. “Devastating,” she says. “It’s the hardest part.” She had the vet come to her home and euthanize him there so he could die enveloped by familiar surroundings and the love of his mistress. When a person dies, friends, acquaintances, even strangers can’t do enough for you. When you lose a pet, not everyone is so sympathetic. “The only sense of comfort comes from pet lovers, dog lovers,” she says. “The others don’t understand.” Joan – who was raised in Larchmont and attended Connecticut College before graduating from Barnard College – says the only way through the grief is to get another res-
Joan Rivers with the late, lamented Max. Photograph by Charles William Bush
cue right away. So she added tiny Teegen, a Japanese Chin, to a menagerie that includes Samantha, a Havanese; Lola, a Jack Russell Terrier; and Mike, a Border Collie. As she notes practically, “Your husband dies on Tuesday, you can’t go out right away and get a new husband. But you can go get a rescue.” Joan’s forthright style, which has been a household staple since she broke through on “The Tonight Show” with new host Johnny Carson in 1965, was on display
once more in Westchester when she appeared at the Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill May 3. “I love talking about everything you shouldn’t talk about,” she says, “just having a good time. I love performing.” She’s always been no-holds-barred. But since turning 80 last year, she’s doubling down. “Some of my friends are dying or ill,” she says. “You might as well do what you want to do. … It’s the nicest thing about getting old.” n
Pet of the Month Just because there’s snow on the roof doesn’t mean there’s no fire in the furnace. Meet Grandma, a “super senior” Wire Terrier mix who’s a little more than 10 years old. She sure doesn’t act it, though. The petite pooch, who came in as a stray, is very outgoing. She acts like a puppy and still has a lot of spunk. Grandma is amazing with kids and loves other animals. She is hard of hearing and has some vision issues, but those don’t seem to stop her. She is really a gem. To meet Grandma, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor. Please note: The SPCA does not accept deposits, make appointments or reserve animals for adoption even if it has spoken about a particular dog or cat with you. It’s always first-come, first-served among applicants, pending approval. The SPCA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. To learn more, call 914-941-2896 or visit spca914.org. n In light of our theme, Grandma checks out some vacation spots.
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watch St. Chris’ superheroes
St. Christopher’s Inc., located in Dobbs Ferry is dedicated to helping children with special needs and their families by delivering continuous care. Honorees at its recent Superhero Gala at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle include James and Barbara Chin; Maria Freburg, George Kontogiannis, the Minutemen Colonial Athletic Association and Leonard Robinson. In addition to the gala revenue, more than $40,000 was also raised to establish a new media center at the school. Photographs by Pat McMahon/ Deepwoods Studio. 1. Maria Freburg, Denis Barry, Pamela Kelly-Day and Philip Bronzi 2. Dee and Al DelBello, Jim Chin and Robert Maher 3. Alan and Georgann Wilensky 4. Lisbet Acuna, Heather Miller, George Kontogiannis, Erin Dinan and Lisa Romano 5. Leonard Robinson 6. Tara Rosenblum 7. Kayla KilKenny, Joseph Weiburg, Kristen KilKenny, Paul KilKenny 8. James, Isaiah and Tonya Mills 9. Lawrence and Dara Caputo, Ernest Csak and Deborah VelezImbrogno
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Stylin’ with Stacy
Stylist (and WAG May 2013 covergirl) Stacy London was on hand at Alexis Bittar’s Greenwich store recently to sample – and help customers explore – the jeweler’s statement pieces. At one point, Stacy even got on the phone with a customer’s hubby to seal the deal. Talk about salesmanship.
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All identifications are from left unless otherwise noted. 88
10. Stacy London models Alexis Bittar. 11. Rita Blais and Emmy Mittler 12. Stacy London and Lula Jones
Amazon queen
Jennifer Rockefeller Nolan recently hosted a reception at the Rockefeller family estate in Pocantico Hills to raise funds for explorer Céline Cousteau’s documentary film project, “Tribes on the Edge.” Cousteau, who spoke at the event, is making three trips to the Amazon River Basin to highlight the plight of endangered tribesmen. Photographs by Anthony Carboni. 1. Fabien and Céline Cousteau 2. Manley and Anita Khaleel 3. Nick and Katie Koechlin 4. June Gumbel 5. Paula and Andrew Hanson 6. Lisa Manganiello and Thomas Connerton 7. Mary Anne Potts and Jeremy Collins 8. Jennifer Hegarty and Fabien and Céline Cousteau 9. Rachel Gumina, Lisl Steiner and Kimberly Rockefeller 10. Barbara Burns, Jane Dove and Katherine Dawtry-Monteleone 11. Jennifer Rockefeller Nolan
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watch Food, fashion, fun
Well-wishers thronged the Food Bank for Westchester recently as students from BOCES and Westchester Community College modeled creations made from food and food packaging. The Westchester County Business Journal co-sponsored the event, which featured retail maven Mary Jane Denzer and designer Rolando Santana as celebrity judges. Photographs by Bob Rozycki. 1. Designer Brian Toohey 2. Designer Samantha Levine and Cristina Racanelli 3. Juliana Wynohradnyk and Gaby Dioguardi 4. Rick Rakow and Elizabeth BrackenThompson 5. Chef Christian Petroni 6. Catherine Cioffi, Ravi S. Rajan, Rolando Santana, winning designer Hwa Yeon Lee and her model, Mary Jane Denzer and Maria Freburg
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Serving up Hope
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Hope’s Door recently presented its annual Spring Gala at Abigail Kirsch Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown. The gala, which raised more than $100,000 for the organization, was emceed by Scott McGee of News 12 Westchester and focused on H.O.P.E. – Hope Offers Possibilities Everyday – highlighting the organization’s work to help victims of domestic violence achieve safety, independence and healing from the trauma of abuse. 7. Marisa Marks and Gina Curcuru 8. CarlLa Horton, Kevin Plunkett, Scott McGee and Eric Wrubel 9. Ingrid and John Connolly 10. Mr & Mrs. Paul LaVallee 11. Kimberly Lundy
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Designs by Ippolita
Lovers of fine jewelry gathered at Neiman Marcus at The Westchester, White Plains for a trunk show of designs by the Italian-born Ippolita. 12. Ippolita with some of her creations 13. Ksusha models Ippolita designs. 14. Ksusha and Krystle in Ippolita designs
The doctors are in
The doctor will see you now as the Formé Urgent Care and Wellness Center officially opened in White Plains. Some 200 people – including developer Louis Cappelli, big brother of Formé owner and February WAG covergirl Gina Cappelli – as Gina spoke of her vision for one-stop health care. Photographs by ChiChi Ubina, Westchester/FairField County Look. 1. Jim Coleman 2. Michael, Gina, Connie and Louis Cappelli 3. Paul Garbuio,Tina Sacchetti, Dr. Amarpreet Singh, Dr. Robert Meyer, Gina Cappelli, Gina DeVito, Annamaria Macciocco, Nanci Gunthert, Dr. Angelo Baccellieri and Gracious John 4. Mark Weingarten, Jeff Castaldo, Michael Cappelli and Paul Garbuio 5. Janice and Kylie Cappelli 1
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Beauty for a cause
Recently, Bloomingdale’s in White Plains held one of its always enjoyable Beauty Bars in service of the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless. Ten percent of sales of makeup that night went to the coalition. Guests enjoyed sushi, bubbly, a DJ, a selfies contest, makeovers and the knowledge that they were looking good as they were doing good.
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6. Goldie Auriah touches up Lorna Simpson. 7. Mariah and Rachel Koff, Andrea Malcolm 8. Galina Tchadliev and Lindita Vuksanaj 9. Lia Sciortino and Amanda Angell 10. Bonnie Koff
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Guiding Eyes’ QB
New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning was on hand at Mulino’s of Westchester in White Plains to announce that he will once again serve as host for the annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic. The 37th annual event takes place June 9 at Mount Kisco Country Club and will raise awareness and funds for the Yorktown Heights-based organization, which provides the sightless and autistic youngsters with guide dogs free of charge. 11. Eli Manning meets the press. 11
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watch Iona Gael Gala
The board of trustees of Iona College held its 52nd annual Scholarship Gala recently at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. More than 500 attendees were on hand for the event, which honored business executive Robert LaPenta and New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera and wife, Clara. Highlights of the dinner included video messages from George Tenet, former director of the CIA; Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business News anchor; and Mariano Rivera Jr., a pitcher with the Iona College baseball team. Bernie Williams, Mo’s former teammate, also led a short musical performance of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Photographs by John Vecchiolla, Joe Vericker and Kristy Leibowitz.
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1. Robert LaPenta 2. David and Sonia Brown 3. Ronald and Andrea DeFeo and Paul and Jennifer Sutera 4. Carolyn Murphy and Theresa Gottlieb 5. Rob Astorino and James and Anne Marie Hynes 6. Bartley and Julie Livolsi 7. Joseph and JoAnn Murphy 8. Charles, Rosemary and Melissa Schoenherr 9. Mariano and Clara Rivera, Joseph and Kelli Nyre, Bernie Williams and guest. 3
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Jamming at the Neuberger
Recently, Purchase College’s Neuberger Museum of Art held its annual “Paper Jam” spring auction and party. The auction of works on paper by well-known and emerging artists drew a Westchester and New York City crowd that includedd members of the worlds of art, dance, music and more. In celebration of the museum’s 40th anniversary, “Paper Jam 2014” featured 40 works by 40 artists. Funds raised from the event will support the museum’s 40th anniversary season exhibitions and educational programs.
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Photographs by Ed Cody.
1. Arthur and Jacqueline Walker 2. Ryan Boniello, Michael Ryan and Peter Ceccarelli
Photographs by Lynda Curtis.
3. Michele Wallace and Faith Ringgold 4. Patrice Giasson and Robert and Cristina Weisz 5. Michael Watt, Lauren Berk, Elizabeth and Alexander Pugatch 6. Ana de Orbegoso and James Verdesoto 7. Evan and Lesley Heller 8. Charles and Janis Cecil
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Hip, hip, hooray for Kips Bay
Recently, the nation’s design industry elite gathered at Cipriani 42nd Street for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club’s annual President’s Dinner to celebrate the organization’s most highly anticipated show house season to date. The gala, co-chaired by Architectural Digest editor-inchief Margaret Russell and celebrated designer Bunny Williams, honored design visionary Ralph Pucci and Annabel Palma, councilwoman for New York City’s District 18. Guests enjoyed special performances of selections from the musical “Aida” by members of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and gorgeous tablescapes by Richard Mishaan. Photos by Billy Farrell Agency.
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9. Margaret Russell and Aerin Lauder 10. Annabel Palma and Ralph Pucci 11. Jim Druckman with the Kip’s Bay Boys & Girls Club choir 12. Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Bunny Williams,Thom Filicia and Jamie Drake
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watch Making Whoopi
“Uncut Diamonds” was the theme of an evening of inspiration and celebration recently at the Robert, the restaurant atop the Museum of Arts and Design in Manhattan. Star of stage and screen Whoopi Goldberg was the special guest for the fundraising dinner and live auction that will aid in the construction of Landmark College’s new Science, Technology & Innovation Center. The highlight of the sparkling evening was the donation of a 3.77 carat uncut diamond necklace by Simon Teakle of Simon Teakle Fine Jewelry and Objects in Greenwich, which was auctioned for the school. Photographs by Suzanne Sutcliffe Photography. 1. Joanne Eden, Whoopi Goldberg and Dr. Peter Eden 2. Russell Cosby 3. Simon Teakle and Wendi Strauch 4. Guests at Robert, Museum Arts and Design 5. Helen Lobrano and Kate Strauch
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Diamond jubilee
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Family Services of Westchester (FSW) – one of the region’s oldest and most influential nonprofits – celebrated six decades of service recently at its Diamond Anniversary Gala at the VIP Country Club in New Rochelle. The culminating anniversary event, which drew a crowd of more than 200 FSW supporters, friends, philanthropists and local dignitaries, honored former board chairs and CEOs for their tireless efforts and enthusiasm. Photographs by MyPapa Photography.
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6. Ray and Penny Johnston Foote 7. Steve, Kimberly and Denise Stein 8. Susan B. Wayne, Kevin Plunkett and Douglas McClintock 9. Elaina Mango 10. Jennifer Czarniecki 11. Tom Sanders, Kiki Eglinton, Diane Tabakman, Doug McClintock, Helene Handelman (seated), Jolan Bloss, Howard Greenberg and Edward Foley
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Want to be in Watch? Send event photos, captions (identifying subjects from left to right) and a paragraph describing the event to rcostello@westfairinc.com. 94
LEAFING OUT
ARBOR CARE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL
With
BY X. L. TREED
WESTCHESTER - FAIRFIELD
W
With the professionalism one would expect of a London concierge and the thorough working knowledge one would expect of a professor of entomology and plant pathology, Doug Paulding has turned Eager Beaver Tree service into the area’s premier tree and shrub care establishment. The freshly and artistically painted equipment adorned with whimsical beavers provides a friendly atmosphere. And the current approach to reduced fat is epitomized by Mr. Paulding. His labor force and equipment purchases are indicative of a no-fat approach to business. It is refreshing to call on anyone in the company, from pest control technicians to expert tree pruners to the ground crew, and be able to get intelligent answers. This is no accident. Mr. Paulding is dedicated to providing and ensuring quality personnel. Every member of the team has attended the field and classroom seminars specifically tailored to their role. And what a team! It’s a pleasure to watch them work, reminiscent of a finely tuned athletic team. Each goes about his job with an enthusiasm and an anticipation of everything that needs to be done. Start with the deep root liquid fertilizer as a first course. The loosening of the soil and introduction of critical but depleted nutrients will snap your trees and shrubs out of their winter dormancy with exuberance and excitement for growth and anticipation of what’s to come. The horticultural oil is not to be missed. Expertly prepared and presented, this early season approach to pest reduction will see to it that aphids, adelgids and scales are smothered under a thin layer of oil and neutralized. Monitoring and timing are essential for quality control and Eager Beaver Tree Service is committed to these procedures.
Other courses are further enhanced by their approach to pest control. It’s a pleasure to see pioneers such as Mr. Paulding using bio- and photodegradable materials. Pests today are specifically targeted and controlled by bacteria, fungi and viruses that affect only the intended victim. Once again Eager Beaver’s expert, flawless timing sees to it that the homeowner can relax as the target pest is controlled. The broad spectrum, highly toxic approach of yesterday that is still employed by a shocking number of companies today will be changing due to regulations and consumer awareness. Until then call on Eager Beaver Tree Service. The problems and fears generated by the deer tick need not prevent enjoyment of your property. Their technicians can reduce the tick population dramatically and reduce the threat of disease in an environemntally responsible way. The pièce de résistance of Eager Beaver’s menu of services may well be expert tree pruning. Those who choose to skip it will have missed an extraordinary presentation. Grand old oaks are restored to their former glory by selective thinning and dead wood removal. Apple trees are delicately shaped into a flowering cascading waterfall. Overgrown and dense trees of all varieties can be thinned to allow dappled sunshine to brighten the atmosphere that has darkened with time. Properties can be further enhanced by a deft hand-pruning of the foundation plantings. When Eager Beaver removes a tree, it’s an arboricultural tour de force. The effortless fluidity Mr. Paulding and company bring to your home will draw crowds and applause. His commitment to safety and cleanliness leaves everyone feeling contented and satisfied.
EXTRAORDINARY Serving Westchester and Fairfield 914-533-2255 | 203-869-3280 |
203-966-6767
www.eagerbeavertreeservice.com ATMOSPHERE: Professional and personable with scrupulous attention to detail. Carefully maintained equipment and impeccably trained personnel. RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES: Being the owner of a small company, Mr. Paulding never has to “sell” to keep his crew busy. You can be sure all the recommendations are arboriculturally sound and will improve the host plant. His knowledge and no pressure, soft-sell approach is a pleasure to experience. PAYMENT METHOD: Check and cash. Steep discounts apply to pre-payment for seasonal pest control and fertilizing. HOURS: Emergency service always in effect. Otherwise reservations necessary.
wit wonders: What has been your favorite journey?
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“I moved to Hawaii and lived there for eight years. It’s where I grew into who I am and I’m happy about it.” – Rita Blais, manager, Alexis Bittar’s SoHo and Bleecker Street stores, Manhattan resident “After college, I didn’t have a job, and my mother and I took a trip to Nebraska for my grandmother’s 100th birthday. For the entire trip it was just she and I. It’s been a wonderful memory for me ever since.” – Katie Cole, marketing team leader, Whole Foods in White Plains, Trumbull resident “Because I lost my mother when I was 24, I look back on my time with her. I remember when we would go kite flying in Riverside Park. Those were magical days.” – Sabrina Collins, account executive, Cablevision, Bedford Hills resident “Being a mother. Both my children are grown now. To me, they are absolutely gorgeous and my greatest accomplishment.” – Ruth Fitzpatrick, homemaker, Greenwich resident
“I would have to say backpacking through Nepal for two reasons. One, it is the most spectacular landscape. And two, I didn’t think I could do it.” – Paula Heap Foley, executive assistant, Ippolita, Manhattan resident “Maybe because it’s a fresh moment in my mind, but painting alongside (Beijing artist) Qin Feng. As we painted in ink, it was as if we were contouring a landscape. For me, that was a beautiful journey. And also the journey between Boston and New York.” – Michelle Fornabai, artist, New York and Boston resident “My favorite journey has been realizing I am the master of my own destiny, putting God, family and friends first though, and realizing that life is beautiful.” – Monique Haygood, sales development manager, The Journal News Media Group, Greenburgh resident “One journey for me was that I used to be very shy. … But I went to Europe when I was 24. Asking people for directions increased my ability to communicate with others. When I came back to this country, I got a job as a hostess, which allowed me to talk with others as well.” – Michal Huizinga, creative director, Inspiria Media, New Milford resident
“I would have to say the journey to come work at this job. It was a really wonderful experience meeting Alexis Bittar, hearing him speak about the brand. I feel fortunate to be part of the brand and have this memorable location.” – Jaclyn Schneider, manager, Alexis Bittar’s Greenwich store, Harrison resident “My favorite journey is the one I take with my children, learning about myself through their eyes.” – Nick Simard, vice president, Inspiria Media, Redding resident “I’m on a journey to my wedding July 11 at West Point. I’m excited about this, counting down the days.” – Lauren Stewart, digital specialist, The Journal News Media Group, Tappan resident “I think being a mother, especially because I had two boys and grew up with a sister. It’s a whole different thing in terms of their responses. Now they’re both grown. One is 25 and married and the other is 22, just graduated and pursuing his dream of being a screenwriter in Los Angeles.” – Shari Ulman, in nonprofit work, Norwalk resident
Compiled by Georgette Gouveia. Contact her at ggouveia@westfairinc.com. 96
“Those who are fond of boating will have ample opportunity of enjoying themselves in the company of many enthusiastic pond navigators.” From the original brochure–Weekapaug Inn, circa 1942
Your grandparents’ favorite summer resort has returned as a year-round destination. imagine a stately old inn, overlooking
a pristine saltwater pond with views
of the Atlantic Ocean just beyond, that has drawn summering families for decades––elegantly appointed, steeped in tradition and now re-imagined for a new generation of visitors. A small seaside oasis on the Rhode Island coast with unfaltering attention to detail and uncompromised personal service, taking you beyond the ordinary vacation getaway.
888.813.7862 www.weekapauginn.com
Weekapaug Inn’s sister property
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