WAG Magazine June-July 2020 by Westfair Business Journal

AT HOME IN A WORLD OF FOOD GREAT HUDSON VALLEY SCENICS ‘ARABIAN NIGHTS’ IN CONNECTICUT P.T. Barnum’s Iranistan GETTING YOUR GOAT AT FREDERICK FARM ‘MOTHER’S DAY’ OUR NEW MOMS NETWORK SECTION

Two for the road

Visionary journeys JUDGED A

TOP

MAGAZINE

and trumpet

IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018

WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE

JUNE-JULY 2020 | WAGMAG.COM

CONTENTS J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 0

What’s Trending

Reinventing our year of magical thinking

The ‘Passages’ of his life

Seniors strong

‘Arabian Nights’ in Bridgeport

An appetite for travel

Hiking smooth and rocky trails

Like grandmother, like granddaughter

Healing others – and himself

Weaving a good yarn

Riding the big one

‘Love’ story

Getting her goat (in the best possible way) 2

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

COVER STORY Marsalis, and all that jazz

YOUR HEALTH IS ESSENTIAL The last several months have taught us a lot about what’s essential. Essential workers. Essential supplies. Essential businesses. Now it’s time to attend to another essential – your health. Not getting prompt, proper, regular medical care can have long-term consequences. At White Plains Hospital and our physicians’ practices, we’ve exceeded the state and federal guidelines to protect you. Infection control was always our priority, and now we’ve taken further action, creating separate COVID patient areas, implementing extensive cleaning practices, and screening for all staff and patients. Because staying safe means staying healthy. And your health is essential.

Learn more about our safety precautions at wphospital.org/safety

FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS

HOME & DESIGN 42 – Modern beauty in mid-country 74 – Creating a dream house/vacation TRAVEL 64 – Playing armchair traveler in the time of corona 68 – Travel treats for yourself 70 – Another day in Paradise FOOD & SPIRITS 72 – Cooking with ‘Verve’

78 – An egg dish that’s hard to ‘beet’ 80 – Now we’re cooking 82 – A primer on Scotch whiskey, er, whisky

FASHION & BEAUTY 76 – Creating a spa at home HEALTH & FITNESS 84 – Coping with the pandemic and its aftermath 86 – The American dream PET CARE 88 - Pet of the month WHEN & WHERE 90 – Swoon for June (and July) WATCH 92 – We’re out and about (digitally) WITS

96 – Where do you like to escape to (in your mind)?

Two for the road

Visionary journeys JUDGED A

TOP

MAGAZINE

and trumpet

IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018

WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE

JUNE-JULY 2020 | WAGMAG.COM

COVER: Wynton Marsalis. Photograph by Piper Ferguson

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

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WAGGERS T H E TA L E N T B E H I N D O U R PA G E S

Dee DelBello

Dan Viteri

PUBLISHER dee@westfairinc.com

GROUP ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/CREATIVE dviteri@westfairinc.com

EDITORIAL Bob Rozycki MANAGING EDITOR bobr@westfairinc.com

Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com

ART Sebastián Flores ART DIRECTOR sflores@westfairinc.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

COVER STORY: JEREMY WAYNE, PAGE 46

Sebastián Flores, John Rizzo, Bob Rozycki

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gina Gouveia, Phil Hall, Debbi K. Kickham, Doug Paulding, Giovanni Roselli, Bob Rozycki, Gregg Shapiro, Barbara Barton Sloane, Jeremy Wayne, Cami Weinstein, Katie Banser-Whittle

PRINT/DIGITAL SALES PHIL HALL

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CIRCULATION Brianne Smith CIRCULATION SALES bsmith@westfairinc.com

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WHAT IS WAG? GREGG SHAPIRO

CAMI WEINSTEIN

BARBARA BARTON SLOANE JEREMY WAYNE

KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE

Irene Corsaro ADVISER

Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.” We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.

HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 701 Westchester Ave., White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-694-3600 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914-694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com

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IN THIS A YEAR WITH A DOUBLE NUMBER, WE PRESENT OUR FIRST DOUBLE ISSUE, “VISIONARY JOURNEYS,” COMBINING JUNE’S TRADITIONAL JOURNEYS WITH JULY’S HOSPITALITY. The word “traditional” should be applied advisedly. There’s nothing traditional about this moment in our lives. Perhaps, then, we should substitute “transitional” for “traditional.” While it’s true that there’s not much in the way of restaurant and hotel openings or vacations, food and travel turn out to be eminently suited to a moment in which we must go forward, cautiously. Both our opening essay and psychotherapist Dana Dorfman’s fine column offer psychological, philosophical approaches for emerging from our cocoons. We fuel you up for the psychic journey with a twist on scrambled eggs from Rajni that can’t be “beet” (hint, hint); recipes from around the world and fun culinary products to match; and Jeremy’s immersion in the new “Westchester Cooks,” a digital cookbook with recipes from local chefs, restaurateurs and food writers benefiting Lifting Up Westchester’s efforts to provide food, shelter and support to those in need. Jeremy also weighs in with a Wanders column that takes us around the globe from our armchairs while Barbara giddys-up in her memories of Wyoming’s Paradise Ranch; we spotlight The Upper Class, a travel service that’s not your average senior bus-trip-to-the-casinos experience; and Debbi offers luxury travel and beauty products you can use at home, including a little something for dad on his special day. Our What’s Trending column also has some great products for him and the whole family, including the Radical Pan by celebrity chef Oren Zroya that makes it easy to flip flapjacks, omelets or fish. A surfer, he got the idea from riding a wave. In this our double issue, we have any number of doubles, including two surfers 8

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

— Zroya and former champion Vicky Heldreich Durand, whose new book “Wave Women” tells the story of her mother, pioneering surf champ Betty Pembroke Heldreich Winstedt, and their love affair with Hawaii. Durand, who provides us with some calming breathing exercises here, was introduced to Hawaii as a 12 year old by her uncle, Arnold Smith, the superintendent of what was then one of the last colonies for leprosy patients in America, on the island of Molokai. She is one of two women in the issue who were indirectly but profoundly shaped by infectious diseases. The other is Meagan Frederick, whose charming Frederick Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary in Ulster County, a member of Airbnb, is open for virtual tours. Frederick, an art and horticultural therapist by training, is a director of development and public relations for Incarnation Children’s Center, a skilled nursing facility in Manhattan for children and teenagers living with HIV/AIDS. Our fears of the coronavirus have led to anger, fear’s constant companion. Recently, we received an email from someone who receives WAG as part of a newspaper subscription and was infuriated by our “smug” portrayal of rich folks in each issue. Didn’t we have anything better to do at this time?, the writer wondered. Sure, we write about the rich and famous, we wrote back. That’s what luxury magazines do. But our subjects are overwhelmingly people who give of their time, talents, energies and money. Jeremy interviewed classical-jazz dynamo Wynton Marsalis prior to Marsalis losing his father, the eminent jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr., to COVID-19 on April 1. He found Marsalis, who will appear at Caramoor’s opening night gala next year, to be as passionate an educator and traveler as he is a gracious conversationalist. And Gregg found Tony Award-winning singer-actress Linda Lavin, still going strong with her new album, “Love Notes,” to be particularly proud of her 1970s-80s TV series “Alice,” which still resonates today

as a fanfare for the working woman. Others may not be as well-known as Marsalis or Lavin, but they’re every bit as accomplished. Scarsdale-bred comedy writer Bess Kalb (“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”) is making a name for herself with her new book “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me,” channeling her wise, witty grandmother, Bobby Bell. Ezriel E. Kornel, M.D. is a top neurosurgeon, amateur violinist — and COVID-19 survivor — who was recently named president of Copland House, the historic music center in Cortlandt Manor. Thomas S. Berntsen’s “Passages” is a series of seven 8-foot-tall panels that meander along a path in the central meadow of New Canaan’s Hannan-Eberstadt Preserve, a labyrinth-inspired passageway that he hopes will lead to better times for viewers and everyone else. His is a philosophical, psychologically acute approach to life, as is that of skincare specialist Vicki Morav, who helps us to create a spa experience at home (Fatime’s story). Laurie Kimmelstiel, founding owner of The Ethelridge Knitting Salon in White Plains, talks us through the Zen of knitting and weaving (Jeremy again), while Carly Fisher gives us her take on “Easy Weekend Getaways in the Hudson Valley & Catskills,” her new book. As you’ll read, Fisher is a young woman who didn’t let a challenging childhood that would’ve crushed others stop her from becoming a James Beard-nominated food and travel writer. Not every story has to have “meaning” in the sense of a practical purpose or contemporary experience. Some journeys are escapes into the past, as Phil, who has a nose for these tales, illustrates in his “trip” to Iranistan, circus showman P.T. Barnum’s Bridgeport estate and a place so legendary in the Victorian Era that soprano Jenny Lind, the “Swedish nightingale,” came to America only so she would have a chance to visit it. It’s gone now, destroyed in a fire, but as we’re learning in the time of corona, some of our best journeys are those in the mind.

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WA G S P O T L I G H T S T H E N E W A N D N O T E W O R T H Y

‘FAB’ FOR DAD This Father’s Day (June 21), why not treat dad to a cutting board or grazing platter that will have him splicing or serving like a master chef? Fab Slabs is the name of a natural, antibacterial brand of cutting boards and grazing platters made in Australia from sustainable camphor laurel trees. They can be personalized and ordered singly or in sets, with prices ranging from $55 to $205. fabslabscuttingboards.com.au. Courtesy Fab Slab.

ALL HÄNS ON DECK Häns has been cleaning tech devices since it launched in 2013. Now, as it likes to say, it’s not only ready for “the grime of today but the grime of tomorrow.” The new Häns Ultra-Clean offers a washable, antibacterialtreated, microfiber cleaning cape designed for use on phones, tablets, computer touchscreens, keyboards, AirPods, VR glasses, covers, cases, cables, chargers and more. (It is not intended for use on nylon computer screens and certain TVs that have specific manufacturer coatings. You can use a dry portion of the cleaning cape for these types of screens, if needed.) $14.95, hans-swipe. com. Courtesy Häns.

A PAN TO FLIP FOR If you’re like us, your omelets are not always up to chef Gordon Ramsay’s stringent standards. (Indeed, they often look like something he’d be screaming about.) Oren Zroya to the rescue. A private chef for celebrities like Brooke Burke, Shannen Doherty, Mel Gibson, Barbara Streisand and Owen Wilson, Zroya is an avid surfer who, like the bathtub-inspired ancient Greek inventor Archimedes, clearly gets his best ideas in water. In Zroya’s case, the “Eureka!” moment was a pan with a hi-rise lip just like the curl of a wave. The Radical Pan is designed to enable even us to flip omelets, salmon and other foods like a pro. $89 for the 8½-inch pan, $99.99 for the 10-inch pan and $109.99 for the 12-inch pan, radusa.co. Courtesy Radical Pan.

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

HELPING HANDS Aura Cacia, an Iowa-based leader in essential oils and aromatherapy products, has started manufacturing a limited-edition four-ounce hand sanitizer, produced in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The brand is committed to donating 50 percent of the profits to charity. $5.99, auracacia.com. Courtesy Aura Cacia.

STEALTH BOMBER HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SOMETHING SO EXTRAORDINARY IN THE WILD THAT YOU CAN’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF IT? A specimen so perfect, so regal, so proud, yet so fierce? Respect is the word that came to mind when I saw this male leopard. As big as a 6 foot man and covered with a perfect camouflage of circular rosettes, this is a creature whose abilities will take your breath away. Leopards are solitary creatures who go out of their way to avoid one another and humans, too. When I was growing up and families were larger than they are today, conventional wisdom was for parents to want to see their children but not hear them, in an attempt to keep order and minimize chaos. They would exclaim, “Children should be seen but not heard!” Leopards are just the opposite. If you listen carefully, you will hear their throaty growls and deep purring sounds in the bush, and if you are lucky, you may see one. Their ability to adapt has made them unique. Consider their unusual diet. With a palate that consists of the expected things such as antelopes, deer, small giraffes, carrion, rodents, hares, warthogs, monkeys and baboons it also includes the unexpected reptiles, birds, dung beetles and insects and, since they are strong swimmers, fish and crabs. They are incredible tree climbers, can hunt by leaping from trees and often descend headfirst. To avoid losing their kills to other predators, the leopard is capable of dragging a carcass weighing up to three times its weight up a tree to protect it. They hunt, kill

and feed quickly and quietly, to avoid drawing undue attention to their presence. They can live in habitats as diverse as rainforests, deserts, mountains and savannas. Flying under the radar, these are nature’s stealth bombers. Did you know that leopard milk is not much richer than that of common housecats? The females are smaller than the males and can give birth at any time of year, usually producing 2 grayish cubs with barely visible spots. The cubs are born blind after a 3 month gestation and will live with their mothers for about 2 years. With their mother providing food, the cubs will start eating meat at 72 days and only stop taking milk after 100 days. There are so many fascinating things to discover about big cats and all the other creatures that can be found on safari with John Rizzo’s Africa Photo Tours. It’s an unforgettable trip filled with lions, elephants, leopards, zebras and rhinos – all waiting to be discovered by you. Rizzo, an award-winning photographer and teacher, leads a team of experienced guides, specializing in safari and tribal tours within East Africa – Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. His experienced team brings an intimate group of guests of all ages to see the “Big Five” (buffalos, elephants, lions, leopards and rhinoceroses) as well as visits with the Maasai, Samburu and Turkana people. It’s a once in a lifetime experience. For more, visit africaphototours.com

Reinventing our year of magical thinking BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a soreAnd then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? — Langston Hughes, “Harlem What Happens to a Dream Deferred” The year 2020 was going to be one of magical thinking, if not actual magic, people told me. Something about that double number, with its irresistible symmetry, just had to bring good fortune, didn’t it? And, anyway, they said, they had particular reasons to celebrate. They were looking forward to a big birthday, a long-awaited vacation, a move to a new location and a new job. They were going to graduate, get married or just kick back and savor the pleasure of an ordinary day. Instead, halfway through a year that many wish was already over, they find their dreams deferred, denied, destroyed. “So many things I would’ve done,” Joni Mitchell observed in her song “Both Sides Now,” “but clouds got in my way.” Ain’t it the truth, Joni. Ain’t it the truth. The coronavirus made oxymorons of many of us — gregarious recluses, healthy invalids and free prisoners. Unlike actual recluses, invalids and prisoners, we could, of course, leave our gilded cages indefinitely at any time, but to go where and to what end? We knew with a certainty that few have considered before that disease and death lurked behind every unmasked face and uncovered cough. Indeed, it would take a tragedy of a different but equal magnitude — the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, a tipping point in racism and police brutality that could no longer be denied — to bring many of us streaming into the streets. There we found that desire — the desire to be free, to be just, to have our voices heard, to force change — trumps fear. It might help to remember that as we begin to dip our toes, however gingerly or lustily, back into the public waters — all the while reminding ourselves gently, in the words of the philosopher Ralph

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

Waldo Emerson, that “the first wealth is health.” Like Rome, our world wasn’t built in a day. It won’t return in a day either. It also helps to consider those in history who found meaning and service in suffering — among them the Shoah survivors who tell their stories through such organizations as the Holocaust and Human Rights Commission in White Plains so that the crimes of that event are never repeated; the late anti-apartheid activist and statesman Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years at hard labor in three South African prisons before being released to create and lead a government that would present all of the people; and the late Pound Ridge-based actor Christopher Reeve, who despite being left a quadriplegic after a 1995 equestrian accident, advocated for those with spinal cord injuries and for human embryonic stem cell research, founding the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. While Reeve had his magnificent wife Dana at his side through the last, arduous journey of his life, others travel their challenging paths alone. After World War II, many Holocaust survivors come home to no one. But what all these people or groups of people had in common was a resilience within, a resilience you’ll find in our story about Carly Fisher, who despite moving yearly throughout Florida with her mentally ill mother, a single parent, found the psychological wherewithal to study hard and become a James Beard-nominated food/travel writer and Hudson Valley guidebook author ( Page 24). Fisher told me that she recognized that while she came from nothing, she knew she could write. Like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton, who also came from nothing, she “wrote (her) way out.” Having a talent of your own — or one that you admire in others -- that you can turn to for self-expression, solace, escape, courage and transcendence is a tremendous gift in adversity. After 9/11, Norwalk artist Thomas S. Berntsen turned from commercial to fine art photography and ultimately to sculpting labyrinthine works like the ones that inaugurate the new New Canaan Sculpture Trail (Page 16). “I love poetry,” he says. “One of my favorites is Stanley Kunitz’s ‘The Layers,’ in which he talks about desire being what keeps us going.” Kunitz, whose bankrupt father committed suicide before he was born, rose to become an editor, teacher and New York state poet laureate. In “The Layers,” he invites readers “to live in the layers not on the litter.” “My work is a discovery and inquiry,” Berntsen says of his life among the layers. “If it doesn’t work, I can start again.” In times of tragedy, it’s sometimes comforting to think of life as that voyage of discovery. Anne Rice, who wrote her breakthrough novel “Interview With the Vampire” after her 3-year-old daughter Michele died of leukemia, captures this in “Interview’s” sequel, “The Vampire Lestat,” in which her transcendent title character, recalled to life by the sounds of the 1980s, resurfaces —literally — after tragedy, betrayal and more than a century underground. “I started to believe that maybe all the old wounds I’d sustained had been healed by now,” Rice has him say. “Maybe my strength had come back. Maybe my strength had actually increased as it would have done with time if I’d never been hurt. I wanted to find out.”

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

It was in 2008-09 at St. Paul’s on the Green, an Episcopal church in Norwalk, that the artist Thomas S. Berntsen came to what he calls “a pivotal moment” in his life as he walked the labyrinth at the church. “I found myself in the center and was struck by what my next step would be,” he says. Berntsen — a former commercial architectural photographer in Manhattan whose art plays in the space between two and three dimensions — has always been fascinated by prehistoric cultures and labyrinths, those circular paths whose expression in prehistoric caves, ancient Greece and medieval cathedrals has led to modern, meditative designs. Years before his revelatory moment at St. Paul’s, Berntsen had seen the labyrinth that decorates a portion of the floor at Chartres Cathedral in France. He

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

was fascinated by its singularity, which he says makes a labyrinth different from a maze, with its multidirectional designs. “A maze is designed to deceive you. A labyrinth is a single path covering lots of distance, filled with twists and turns, but it is a single path — your path.” After his experience at St. Paul’s, Berntsen knew his path. He went home — he lives in Norwalk’s historic Silvermine district — and designed a labyrinthine sculpture made of wood and stone, which he torched, patinated and stained. “It was the sign of the direction of my life,” he says. Berntsen’s “Passages” — a series of seven 8-foot-tall panels that meander along a path in the central meadow of New Canaan’s Hannan-Eberstadt Preserve — is not a labyrinth per se but a labyrinth-inspired passage-

Thomas S. Berntsen’s “Passages” offers a taste of the new New Canaan Sculpture Trail — and better days ahead. Photograph by Beth Sanford.

way, one that he and others hope will lead to better times for viewers and everyone else. “It was important for us to install this signature piece as a hopeful reminder of better days ahead and to show the essential connection between art and nature,” Aaron Lefland, New Canaan Land Trust executive director, has said in a statement. “We believe that ‘Passages’ will serve as an inspiration to the entire community in the weeks and months to come.” “Passages” is the first in a series of eight juried works for the new New Canaan Sculpture Trail, a partnership between the land trust and the Carriage Barn Arts Center that will see sculptures positioned at such land trust preserves as Hannan-Eberstadt, New Canaan Town Hall and the courtyard of the Carriage Barn at Waveny Park by summer. Berntsen’s work — which he

made in three months after being selected based on a photograph of maquettes of the project he submitted in January—debuted in time to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22. “Each panel is a signpost marking a passageway in (the Hannan-Eberstadt Preserve’s) meadow,” Berntsen says. And each consists of a steel frame covered with an acrylic on one side. On the other is warm dichroic film — a color-shifting, refractive film with overtones of blue and green, the colors of the sky and earth — that reproduces portions of the labyrinth design for Chartres Cathedral. The work, then, is reflexive and reflective, playing not only with two and three dimensions but with the idea of going out to go deep inside. The viewer sees himself in these panels and then the world around him, says Berntsen, who describes himself not as a sculptor but as an artist who sculpts. It’s not until the viewer sees the world around him that he can begin to contemplate himself. How he sees himself, the work and that world will depend on the time of day and weather. “Passages” functions as a collection of mirrors. Once when Berntsen was at Storm King Art Center in Mountainville with his girlfriend, the ceramicist Debbie Smith, he watched a group of children frolicking amid Alyson Shotz’s “Mirror Fence.” “That’s what I want to do with my work,” he told her. At other times, however, “Passages” is a kind of camouflage, blending into the landscape, disappearing like a ghost, he says. It’s not surprising that Berntsen should use dichroic film, which has many architectural applications, in his work. Growing up in Rye, he wanted to be an architect but also loved photography. After getting a good technical grounding at the Rochester Institute of Technology, he became a commercial architectural photographer. In the late 1990s, a thorny assignment led to some soul-searching. And then came 9/11. He began photographing dead leaves for a series that he called “Dancing Leaves.” Ultimately, there came another moment, one in which two dimensions were no longer enough. And then there were those labyrinths. He’s still passionate about them. Indeed, no sooner had he finished with “Passages” than he began work on another 8-foot-tall sculpture inspired by the Chartres labyrinth. Like many of us, Berntsen sees in this moment of crisis a reflection of 9/11. For him, it was the time in which he shifted from commercial to fine art photography. And something else. “I came to a moment when I no longer wanted to rail out at the world but bring it beauty and joy.” For more, visit tsberntsen.com and newcanaanlandtrust.org.

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

Seniors Strong BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA in New Hampshire — one of the most popular journeys, along with the train ride and riverboat cruise to Essex — they’re listening to music at Tanglewood, the Berkshires summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; or savoring a dinner cruise on the Hudson River near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge; or ringing in the new year at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. “These are not your typical bus trips for seniors — going to the casinos,” Brooke says. “Seniors today are more active than ever before. They want to learn, to connect to interesting things. We’ll all be lucky to be doing these things again.” And with that, Brooke acknowledges the 800-pound gorilla in the room — COVID-19. “I think like everyone we didn’t know what this would mean,” she says. “We thought this would be a few weeks and everything would return to normal. Clearly, that’s not going to happen. It’s been a slow realization. Now we’re seeing the reality. What we’re trying to do is stay connected Courtesy The Upper Class. with our customers.” With March, April, May and June offerings canceled, The Upper Class has launched its “Beyond the Bus” Brooke Lawer and her sister and brother-in-law Debbie and experience — “virtual events guests will enjoy, like 13 virtual Andy Erbelding are the founding owners of the Mamatrain rides across the globe.” roneck-based travel service The Upper Class. But it is their more In pivoting to create new kinds of experiences for their important titles that clue you in to what makes their travel comclients — separating the virtual wheat from the digital chaff pany different. Brooke is granddaughter in charge of sales and — Brooke and her sister and brother-in-law are drawing marketing. Debbie is granddaughter in charge of customer serstrength from their customers who, while in some ways vice. And Andy is grandson in charge of operations. physically vulnerable, have lived long enough to acquire a That’s all thanks to their grandmother Florence Lawer, who good deal of wisdom about adversity. inspired them to start their business. Florence moved to West“They want to get back out there when the time is right,” chester County from Long Island in 2000 after her husband, Brooke says. “They’re teaching us this, too, will pass.” Sol, passed away. She was not one to sit around. In the meantime, they all wanted to help. Inspired by its “She said, ‘I’m looking for things to do here. In Long Island clients, The Upper Class has launched a social media camthere were tons of things to do,’” Brooke recalls. paign, #SeniorStrong, and a hospital giving program. With In Westchester, however, Florence was having trouble condonations to such restaurants as Family Deli & Catering in necting with people her age doing the things she loved. “We Mamaroneck and Wellington’s Grill in Harrison, The Upper said, ‘No, no, grandma. You must be looking in the wrong Class clients have provided health-care workers at White places. We’ll find you things to do.” So proficient was the trio Plains Hospital with weeks worth of meals. that Florence said, “You three should start a business.” Which At the same time, The Upper Class remains forward-lookis what they did in 2002 with two trips — to West Point and to ing, with a full slate of trips for fall and the holidays, balancEssex, Connecticut, a picturesque coastal community. ing reliable news and realistic expectations on the one hand Florence died in April 2004, but her grandchildren in with preparedness on the other. charge have gone on to chart more than 200 trips a year for “If the time is right, we’ll be ready,” she says. “We’re not gothe 55 and over set, or “the young at heart,” as Brooke calls ing to rush.” them — daytrips to museums, Broadway shows, Philadelphia She always remembers what her grandmother said: “It’s and Providence, Rhode Island; overnighters to the Berkshires, not just where you go that’s important but what you meet Amish country and the Gilded Age mansions of Newport; along the way.” longer stays in Chicago, Maine, New Orleans, Nova Scotia and For more, visit theupperclass.net or call 914-725-5640. Quebec. When the seniors aren’t out on Lake Winnipesaukee

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An 1848 lithograph by an unknown artist of P.T. Barnum’s home Iranistan, from “A History of the Old Town of Stratford and City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Volume 2,” published by the Fairfield County Historical Society in 1886. Courtesy Internet Archive.

BY PHIL HALL

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There had never been an American mansion like it before — a phantasmagorical dream worthy of an “Arabian Nights” odyssey, with grand onion domes and Moorish arches, set amid an arboreal splendor that stretched across the west side of Bridgeport. And, not unlike a dream, its brilliance was brief and its end abrupt. The mansion was dubbed Iranistan and it served as the conspicuous residence of P.T. Barnum, the most audacious showman of the 19th century. While Barnum’s rise was fueled by increasing theatrical humbuggery, his unlikely estate presciently created the concept of the celebrity home. The idea for Iranistan was conceived when Barnum toured England in 1844 with his diminutive star General Tom Thumb. He stopped at the seaside resort of Brighton and visited the Royal Pavilion, the residence created for King George IV, where he was enchanted by the fanciful design that mixed Indian, Moorish and Arabian styles into a fairy tale-worthy palace. Barnum impulsively decided that he wanted his version of the Royal Pavilion in Bridgeport, where he had set up residence. “I concluded to adopt it and engaged a London architect to furnish me a set of drawings after the general plan of the pavilion, differing sufficiently to be adapted to the spot of ground selected for my homestead,” he later recalled. Arriving home in 1845, Barnum acquired 17 acres of land in Bridgeport to accommodate his vision. The drawings he brought from London were sent to Leopold Eidlitz, a Jewish-Czech architect based in New York with no previous experience in Islamic-style design. Barnum gave the project a “spare no expense” budget and, after three years, his vision was completed by a force of 500 workmen at a then-astronomical cost of $150,000 — or $46.6 million in today’s money. Named in tribute to what Barnum believed were its Persian motifs, the red sandstone mansion offered a three-storied central structure between a pair of two-story wings that, in turn, were flanked by glass conservatories. Intricate Moorish-style arches covered the exterior and a massive onion-shaped dome capped the house, surrounded by four smaller domes and a series of minarets. A grand fountain in the middle of a circular driveway was placed at the front of the home, which measured 124 feet across and 90 feet from the entrance to the main dome’s peak. Surrounding the home were fruit trees, greenhouses, flower gardens and grazing pastures for livestock. A pond in the back of the property was occupied by ducks and swans. Within the home, Barnum brought the most elegant furnishings and artwork to fill an 1848 residence, with marble statues and a dining room that sat 40 guests. And in the ultimate acknowledgment to modernity, Iranistan also had bathrooms with running hot water.

While Barnum’s property stood out in mostly rural Bridgeport, the impresario went one step further by actively encouraging visitors to stroll through its grounds — albeit after planting the story that he had a pack of ferocious bulldogs patrolling the area to prevent vandalism or burglary. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle urged its readers to take the ferry to Connecticut to visit “one of the most unique and magnificent structures in the country,” and Iranistan quickly became a popular tourist destination. Barnum hosted a homecoming party at Iranistan on Nov. 14, 1848, with 1,000 people in attendance. Author and humorist Mark Twain, publisher Horace Greeley and the English poet Matthew Arnold were among the prominent guests welcomed by Barnum. But the most important guest he attracted was the Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. Although she received numerous offers to tour the United States, Lind refused to make the extensive journey across the ocean until she received an inquiry from Barnum on stationery featuring an engraving of Iranistan. Lind confided to Barnum that she welcomed his invitation, because anyone who would build “such a palace cannot be a mere adventurer,” adding that she would have “declined if I had not seen the picture of Iranistan.” Barnum’s promotion of Lind’s U.S. tour created a cultural sensation that stretched from 1850 to 1852. At the conclusion of the Lind tour, Barnum returned to Iranistan to host his daughter’s wedding, but a fire broke out on the roof. Mercifully, workmen had been repairing the roof that day and were able to put out the flames quickly. The wedding took place, but the building needed repairs. Unfortunately, Barnum’s financial wealth was diluted during the mid-1850s by a series of bad investments and work on repairing Iranistan was delayed for several years. On the night of Dec. 17, 1857, another fire broke out at the residence, most likely caused by a workman who left a lighted pipe on a seat cushion within the main dome. Barnum was in New York City when he received the news the next day that the entire structure was lost to the flames. Due to his ongoing financial woes, Barnum failed to maintain most of his insurance payments on Iranistan and only netted $28,000 from his carrier. He sold the grounds for $50,000 to Elias Howe, the sewing machine maker, which he used to pay down some of his debts. Iranistan was never photographed and its grandeur today can only be imagined through a few lithographs and its uncommon history. America has never seen another structure quite like it, and that would fit into Barnum’s celebrated observation: “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

An appetite for travel BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY NAYA TRAVELER

As we continue to shelter in place, our wanderlust grows while the need to cook at home remains. Naya Traveler, whose “curated journeys” were the subject of a story in last June’s WAG, has come up with the perfect solution — “The Naya Recipe Book,” an online resource of popular, easy-to-prepare dishes from around the world. Herein we feature beef empanadas, an Argentine staple; Cambodian chicken mango salad; and Morocco’s mint tea, which is as much a ritual of hospitality and a way of life as it is a drink in that country. So set that suitcase aside, grab your pots and pans and get ready to travel the world in your kitchen: For more, visit nayatraveler.com.

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BEEF EMPANADAS Ingredients: For the Dough Round puff pastry sheets Water For the Filling 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 eggs, boiled and chopped 2 pounds ground beef or finely-chopped beef shoulder 2 medium-sized brown onions, chopped 2 medium-sized red bell peppers, chopped and seeded Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons cumin 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/2 cup green olives, chopped and pitted

Ingred 1 green 300 gr substit 100 gra 100 gra 2 table 2 table 1 teasp 2 garlic 2 shallo 1 lime 50 gram 50 gram Green

Directions: 1. Season meat with salt and pepper. 2. Heat a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. 3. Add onions and cook at low heat until translucent. 4. Add chopped red pepper, cumin, paprika and sugar. Cook for several minutes. 5. Remove mixture from the skillet and set aside in a bowl. 6. Add tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and transfer seasoned meat. 7. Cook until browned, occasionally breaking up ground lumps. 8. Once the meat is cooked, stir in onion and pepper mixture. 9. Remove from heat and let sit until cool. 10. Preheat oven to 375° and take out dough to temper at room temperature for 15 minutes. 11. Once the filling has cooled, add olives and boiled egg. Mix well. 12. Arrange dough rounds on a nonstick work surface. 13. Add 2 tablespoons of filling to each round. 14. With finger or brush, brush water around the edge of the dough rounds. 15. Fold rounds over the filling and pinch edges to close. 16. Repeat with each round. 17. Transfer empanadas onto a parchment-paper lined oven tray. 18. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown for about 20 minutes. Rotate empanadas half-way through.

Directi 1. Heat cook 2. Tran 3. Once garli 4. In a (or t basil 5. Add brow 6. Serv

KHMER CHICKEN MANGO SALAD

dients: n mango, peeled and shredded rams cooked chicken breast, shredded (Vegetarians, tute tofu). ams carrots, shredded ams roasted peanuts, chopped espoons brown sugar espoons fish sauce poon kosher salt c cloves ots

ms basil, roughly chopped ms mint, roughly chopped chillies, finely chopped (optional)

ions: t a small pan over high heat. Place shallots and garlic to k several minutes until charred. nsfer garlic and shallots to a bowl and let cool. e cooled, peel (discard outer skins) and chop shallots and ic. Set aside. large bowl, mix together the shredded mango, chicken tofu), carrots and peanuts. Add shallots, garlic, chopped l and mint. Mix well. juice from the lime (squeeze well, amount to taste), wn sugar, salt and fish sauce. ve on a plate, garnish with a bit of basil and peanuts.

ATAY BI NANA (MINT TEA) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of loose gunpowder green tea A handful of fresh mint leaves, washed (spearmint preferred) 5 cups boiling water Sugar to taste (2-3 tablespoons) Directions: 1. Put green tea in teapot. 2. Pour in boiling water. 3. Swirl gently to warm pot and rinse tea. 4. Strain out and discard water, reserving tea leaves in pot. 5. Add remaining 4 cups boiling water to tea and let steep 2 minutes. 6. Stir in sugar (to taste) and mint leaves. Steep 3 to 4 minutes more. 7. Serve in small heat-proof glasses, lifting the teapot high above the cup while pouring to aerate the tea.

GLOBAL SPOONFULS Usually, Traveling Spoon brings together travelers and vetted hosts for home-cooked meals. These days, the company is offering online cooking classes with its hosts across the globe. These private sessions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; $25 for up to four guests in a household â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are conducted over Zoom. Among them are empanada-making with Gabriela in Buenos Aires, handmade pasta with Cinzia in Florence and tajine (a kind of stew made in a special earthenware pot) with Chamsi in Casablanca. For more, visit travelingspoon.com.

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Carly Fisher knows all about living out of suitcase. As a child growing up in Florida, she moved every year with her emotionally disturbed mother, a single parent, the pair finally winding up with her grandmother in Chicago’s suburbs. Knowing she would have to make her own way in the world, Fisher excelled at school, winning a scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and studying Czech art and architecture at Prague’s Charles University. Internships and blogs in food ultimately led her to become a hotel and restaurant reviewer for Fodor’s Travel and to a James Beard Foundation Award nomination for writing an episode of CNN Travel’s “Family Meal,” featuring four expatriate French chefs, including former WAG cover subject Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It’s clear, however, that her humble beginnings and resilience have played as great a part in her first book, on the Hudson Valley and Catskills, as has her writing expertise in the food and travel industries. “I wanted the book to be about a variety of places,” Fisher says of the recently published “Easy Weekend Getaways in the Hudson Valley & Catskills” (The Countryman Press/ W.W. Norton & Co., $22.95, 256 pages). “Having grown up with nothing and then staying in nice hotels, you get a different sense of people.” So “Easy Weekend Getaways” — which is organized as much thematically as it is regionally — has something for every taste and pocketbook, all from the perspective of New York City residents who

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JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

Dragon Rock, the centerpiece of Maritoga, the Russel Wright Design Center in Harrison.

may not be that familiar with all the Hudson Valley and Catskills have to offer. Indeed, for the Brooklynite Fisher, the 10 counties she covers in the book were such a multifaceted challenge that she took two years to research and write about them, rather than the anticipated nine months. The book embraces haunts for arts lovers, foodies, devotees of the quirky and more. But mindful of the recent pandemic restrictions, we asked Fisher, now at work on a memoir, to suggest a half-dozen outdoor locations in the Lower Hudson Valley that we could safely visit. She suggested: 1. Anthony’s Nose in Garrison — Here the Camp Smith Trail meets the Appalachian Trail on a steep but brisk 1.9 mile climb that sets you up for spectacular views of Purple Heart Memorial Bridge as well as the valley, Fisher says. 2. Bear Mountain State Park — This is one location that you can both hike and drive, she adds. On a clear day, you can see perhaps not forever, as the song says, but at least as far south as the Manhattan skyline and as

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far north as the Catskill Mountains. 3. Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill — Thishas roughly 1,500 acres, 20 hiking and biking trails and two peaks — Blue Mountain and Mount Spitzenberg — that boast what Fisher describes as glorious views of the Hudson River. 4. Hudson Highland State Park in Cold Spring — This has 8,000 acres and three ruins to see if not actually explore — Bannerman Castle, Dennings Point and Northgate, the Cornish Estate. 5. Manitoga — The former Garrison home of industrial designer Russel Wright, now The Russel Wright Design Center, has been closed, but its 75 acres are open to walkers and hikers. 6. The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail — This is a 26.2 mile bike path, along which you’ll see Sunnyside, author Washington Irving’s charming Tarrytown home; Lyndhurst Mansion; Kykuit, the historic Rockefeller estate; and the Tappan Zee Bridge, now the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. For more, visit wwnorton.com and carlyafisher.com.

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BY JEREMY WAYNE

“The second this is over,” Bess Kalb tells her husband, Charlie Harind, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, “I’m getting a blowout.” To Kalb, the Emmy-nominated comedy writer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and author of “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me,” her recently published memoir of her late grandmother, Bobby Bell, hair and nails matter. They mattered to her grandmother too. Eight years ago, when Kalb landed the job on “Jimmy Kimmel” and called Bobby to apprise her of the news and tell her how frightened she was — moving to Los Angeles, finding an apartment and probably being fired anyway after the 13week trial period was over — her grandmother offered her some typically straightforward advice. “Get a blowout before your first day so your hair isn’t a mess. The rest you can handle.” Kalb, who recently took time off her busy daily writing schedule to talk to me from LA, was born in New York City, where her parents were both doctors. Concerned that her brother wasn’t going to get into Hunter or Stuyvesant or one of the really great free public schools in the city because he was a late reader, her parents decided to move to Scarsdale to take advantage of the schools. ”It was a sort of haunted, dark little house with this incredible forest

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

abutting the property. As a kid, I’d go out there with a journal and I would write… terrible poetry that rhymed. A lot of ‘snow with Eskimo,’” She played soccer, which she wouldn’t have done if she had lived in New York City, and loved what she calls the “bucolic, suburban landscape.” Kalb believes she is the writer she is today because of the teachers she had in the Scarsdale public schools. “To this day I remember Miss Ryan and Miss Anderson at elementary. They made me feel like a writer, somebody who could write great things one day.” Suburban life didn’t mean being cut off from the city, either. Her vivacious, energetic grandmother, whose story she tells in Bobby’s own “voice” and from her own imagined perspective, would whisk her back in to the city often — to see a Broadway show, to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art and to take acting classes at Lee Strasberg Institute in Union Square, which she loved. As for her brother, “we misjudged him,” she says drolly. “In fact, he graduated from MIT and is now a mechanical engineer working on nuclear fusion. Einstein, too, was apparently a late reader.” Although Kalb is a fully fledged Californian — something she still finds unthinkable (“LA was never even a concept to me growing

Left: Bess Klein. Courtesy Lucas Foglia Photography. Right: Cover of Bess Klein’s “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me.” Photograph by Mark Weiss / Getty Images. Jacket Design by Jenny Carrow.

up”) Scarsdale is always rearing its head. Her agent, who has just sold the film rights to her book to Sight Unseen Pictures, is a friend from Scarsdale Middle School and attended Lee Strasberg with her. “There’s a neatness to it,” Kalb agrees. And there is a new addition to the Kalb/Harding household — the couple’s eight-month old son. “Truly a gorgeous genius,” affirms Bess, “very different from every other baby.” I comment it must be nice to have a boy shake up the matrilineal order. “God help his future wife is all I will say,” shoots back Kalb. “Or husband. Or future partner,” she quickly adds. “Because I do plan on living with my son and growing old in his pool house.” We banter for a few moments about hanging on to your kids for as long as possible, breathing down their necks through college and staying with them through old age. “We’re never telling him quarantine is ending,” wisecracks Kalb. I ask Kalb what LA feels like during COVID. “Every place takes on a different version of itself.” LA, she says, is a place

that is so health-obsessed to begin with, with such a wellness culture, that people “have jumped all over this, have got serious about it really quickly.” As an ICU doctor’s daughter, she herself has been robust on social media in her support of tough measures to cope with and survive the pandemic. “It’s been heartening to see people with masks on in our neighborhood, keeping social distance.” She says it has been great, too, to see a lot of small businesses improvise and come up with new ways to provide goods and services. Hair and nails aside, the thing she’s really aching to do, more than anything, is to hug her friends. She wasn’t a big hugger before COVID, but guarantees she will be as soon as it is over. “All hugs. I’ll be like a yoga teacher,” she avows. I ask Kalb about her roots in comedy. She loved watching “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” with her dad. Even when she was too young to really get it, she nevertheless remembers laughing so hard that she fell off the couch. And that has become her benchmark for comedy — something so funny it makes you fall off the couch. She also watched “The Simpsons” and “South Park,” admiring comedy that made you laugh while also delivering a message. That was the kind of blend she found on “The Colbert Report,” which she worked on for a semester as an intern while attending Brown University. “When Stephen Colbert was speaking truth to power against President George W. Bush every night, it was the kind of comedy that set me up on a career path as an adult.” The apogee of her political mischief-making has been her long-running jibes at President Donald J. Trump, which have resulted in the president blocking her on Twitter. Does she, I wonder, wear it as a badge of honor that the president — whom Kalb likes to call “honey,” and whom she has told to “grow up” — has ghosted her? Not at all, she says. “It’s actually humiliating for our country that he would take the time to block me. It’s so pathetic that the leader of the free world and the commander-in-chief of the largest military in the world would be offended by a comedy writer on a social network accessible through a personal iPhone.” We return to Bobby. Beyond the singular praise for the book from all corners, I suggest the possibility that Kalb, having brought her grandmother back at least to literary life, may now forever be cast as her grandmother’s granddaughter. “Well, if that’s the case, then how lucky am I? And if being associated with her when she was alive was a great feather in my cap, I always was and remain so excited to be Bobby Bell’s granddaughter.” Will she always hear her grandmother’s voice in her head? Quick as a whip, with a quip of which Bobby herself would have been proud, Kalb retorts: “May she always be a permanent resident.” For more, visit besskalb.com

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

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Ezriel E. Kornel, M.D., playing the violin at his Westchester home. Courtesy Ezriel E. Kornel, M.D.

As a top neurosurgeon in the metropolitan area, Ezriel E. Kornel, M.D. has not been on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus the way emergency room physicians, epidemiologists and virologists have. But that did not prevent his own brush with COVID-19. On March 9, he began experiencing the symptoms of what he thought was the common cold. Feeling feverish and fluish by early evening, he realized it was anything but and took himself off to the emergency room at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, where he has had a more than 30-year association — as he has had with White Plains Hospital. With abnormal blood work, Kornel tested positive for the virus and went home to convalesce with his trusty Standard Poodle, Puff, by his side. “I feel very fortunate,” he says. “I had flulike symptoms, but I never had trouble breathing. After two weeks it was resolved.” Hearing that Mount Sinai Hospital was conducting antibodies tests, Kornel went down to Manhattan and donated plasma twice. Hospital staffers told him that he had the highest number of antibodies that they had seen thus far. Kornel believes these have given him immunity against the disease, although the jury’s still out on whether having the disease provides you with immunity and, if so, how long it will last. Since that time, Kornel has been seeing patients on a limited basis and performed surgery on only one patient, whose herniated neck disk prevented her from using one of her arms, which could’ve led to permanent damage. (She had outpatient surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital and is doing well.) Another patient has a recurring malignant brain tumor that is progressing slowly. In the new world order of phased reopenings, such patients will be given priority for surgery. Mostly, Kornel has been practicing telemedicine. “I think it’s the future,” he says, adding that it’s ideal for pre- and post-surgical patients with no adverse changes. Not only are his patients grateful not to be exposed to the virus, but they’re calmer and more patient, actually spending less time on calls with him than they would in an office visit. They know the doctor is only a video chat away. While Kornel sees blood pressure and oxygenation screenings and EKGs as something that will be done at home, he warns that “physicians’ assistants and doctors will have to be attentive that they’re not missing something” in the tele-visits. And though he’s glad that the shelter-in-place orders have led to fewer traumatic injuries, such as those resulting from car acci-

dents, he’s worried about an increased and prolonged use of prescribed narcotics as patients in pain with limited physical function wait for surgery. Overall, Kornel thinks the response to the coronavirus has been handled horribly by global and national leaders as well as in some cases by the medical profession itself. “Part of the problem was that the World Health Organization was reluctant to say this was a pandemic,” he says. That crucial delay was compounded by conflicting messages from the White House that either led to confusion and a slow start to social distancing or reinforced the belief in some that this was just another flu. But Kornel — an expert in the use of minimally invasive brain and spinal surgery and a pioneer in the development of instruments and techniques for both — says it has become clear that the coronavirus can lead to complications beyond those of the flu, including seizures and strokes, along with kidney failure. (The temporary loss of the senses of taste and smell in some COVID-19 patients is a sign of neurological dysfunction, he adds.) Then, too, Kornel says that although he has enormous respect for Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, some health professionals have looked only at patients with the worst-case scenarios, missing others who present with COVID-19 symptoms, in part because they are pressured to keep costs, and thus testing, to a minimum. (It hasn’t helped that tests or items used in testing, such as swabs, are often lacking.) Kornel had one patient with coronavirus symptoms, whom he suggested see her internist for a test. When the internist denied her the test, Kornel secured one for her. She tested positive. When he isn’t engaging with patients, Kornel follows a wide range of passions in the arts and athletics. Scuba diving, skiing and tennis may be on hold, but the arts aren’t. The doctor has a theatrical company, aptly named Synaptic Productions, which produced Terence McNally’s “A Perfect Ganesh” in 2008, with Kornel in the title role of the Indian elephant deity. Recently, the amateur violinist was named president of Copland House, once the Cortlandt Manor home of composer Aaron Copland (“Appalachian Spring,” “Rodeo,” “Fanfare for the Common Man”) and now a center for American music. “(The arts) play a huge role,” Kornel says of life in the time of corona. “I’m writing poetry and playing music every day and exercising — every other day.”

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

Colorful yarn at The Ethelridge Road Knitting Salon. Courtesy Laurie Kimmelstiel.

BY JEREMY WAYNE

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

“It started after I graduated from college,” says Laurie Kimmelstiel, knitting and weaving supremo, whose love of yarn crafts — if you will forgive the metaphor, in the age of COVID-19 — is downright infectious. “The year was 1975. I didn’t have a job yet and my mother suggested I go to the knitting store that had opened a block away. I already knew how to knit, though not well — I think I learned in Girl Scouts — but suddenly I was smitten.” Kimmelstiel is a lifelong knitter, author of a best-selling book on knitting (“Exquisite Little Knits: Knitting With Luxurious Specialty Yarns”) and founder of The Ethelridge Road Knitting Salon, now something of a White Plains institution. The first thing she knitted was a cable-knit sweater. “My mother encouraged me a lot and so I continued to knit and soon after, around 1980, I started teaching classes.” Over the next few years she added weaving to her skill set.

“I became a hand-weaver, and that is still a very big component of what I do, my other profession,” she tells me during the course of a phone conversation. “Knitting and weaving are crafts, which both use yarn but in totally different ways.” She explains that knitting is a muscle memory, like riding a bicycle, so that even if you’ve been taught to knit as a child and don’t pick up the needles again for 30 years, you remember how to do it. “Yes, you may struggle with it initially, but when I start to teach someone who claims to have never knitted before, I can immediately tell whether or not they have. And I’ll say, ‘Did somebody teach you to knit once?’ And they’ll say, ‘Oh yes, but I never got it.’ And I’ll say, ‘Oh yes you did.’ I can see how they hold the yarn or the needles in their hand.” Kimmelstiel moved from Manhattan to White Plains in 1987 and soon began teaching at the Solomon Shechter School of Westchester, now The Leffell School in Hartsdale, offering a class for parents. She remembers one particular third grade teacher who taught all her students to knit, believing it would help them with their handwriting — “in the days when handwriting still mattered,” she jokes. I ask Kimmelstiel a how-long-is-a-piece-of-yarn-type question: How long does it take to learn to knit? “I could teach you in five minutes, or less than five minutes” comes the reply. Then she pauses. “No, seriously, in 20 minutes I will have you knitting. I mean, you won’t be an expert, but you’ll be knitting.” And for any kind of proficiency? “Thirty minutes,” she says, and she means it. The immediate sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that knitting affords you has found its way into her writing — “Exquisite Little Knits” is still available on Amazon and she has written a great deal for the industry — and the Manhattan recovery group BigVision, started by a parent who lost a child to addiction. “We use the craft of knitting as a method for bringing calm and anxiety reduction to young people whose egos are very bruised and are trying to be sober, giving them an outlet for feeling good about themselves. We have two and a half hours and by the time the class ends, everyone leaves there knitting.” ‘Creativity, serenity and craftsmanship’ are the words Kimmelstiel uses on her website to describe the knitting experience. She has recently added a fourth, for the time of the coronavirus — “mindlessness.” Her classes embrace this. “You can just sit and knit, and you don’t even have to look at your work. Knitting is known to reduce your blood pressure and give you a sense of calm that is hard to achieve in the world we live in.” (The tennis star Novak Djokovic has been known to knit during rain delays at the French Open.) People, she says, are looking for ways to be creative, to give themselves comfort when they are feeling anxious. She is inwardly a very anxious person herself, she tells me, “although you wouldn’t know it from the outside.”

The Ethelridge Road Knitting Salon started in 2005 as a group of friends who went walking together. Kimmelstiel would actually knit as she walked. Then the weather got bad and so the group started meeting in her house, and Kimmelstiel began teaching them to knit. And one of her friends said, “Laurie, you can’t keep doing this, we have to pay you.” “And that’s how it began.” Fifteen years on, the twice-weekly salon, which is currently being held on Zoom, is more popular than ever. People come from all over the tristate area, with classes charged on an individual basis. It’s a casual group but all newcomers have to learn and abide by two simple rules: No discussion of health and no mention of politics. If Kimmelstiel hears either, she nips it in the bud. She also hosts a knitting retreat every summer at her home in the Berkshires. Will there be more knitting in the post-COVID world? “There is already,” says Kimmelstiel. “Something I just heard today — a group of women admitting they didn’t mind the quarantine. They are so grateful for the time to sit and knit. And I think we’ll see more and more of it.” Her daughter, meanwhile — the knitwear designer Rebecca Kevelson, who has her own online cashmere yarn company, based in Brooklyn — attests to this, already seeing a huge uptick in yarn sales. Younger people, Kimmelstiel says, are now also “into” knitting. Then, she corrects herself. “Actually, young people were always into knitting. They’re just not knitting in the closet any longer.” She explains, too, how knitting was looked down on during the rise of feminism. “Women doctors and women scientists, really successful professional women, were among the most prolific knitters. We knew all along that this was something really wonderful to do, but we couldn’t be proud of our knitting as it was perceived negatively. Because — you know — women were supposed to become like men.” Kimmelstiel goes on to describe how people are drawn to knitters, because when you’re knitting you give off an air of beneficial energy. (Well, not if you’re the ancient Greek Fates, spinning out our length of days, or the murderous Madame DeFarge in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” but those are other stories.) Put another way, knitters just seem like nice people, people you can trust. And another interesting phenomenon, she says, is how people are subconsciously drawn to home-knits. “Complete strangers will come up to you and say, ‘That’s a wonderful sweater you’re wearing.’ And it is something which only happens with a home-knit, and you know what? After someone says that to you, it’s a fact that your whole day is positive after that.” A thought indeed and yet another good reason, as if one were needed, to take up the needles. For more on Laurie Kimmelstiel’s salon, visit ethelridgeroadknittingsalon.com And for more on Rebecca Kevelson’s yarns, visit whiteridgecrafts.com

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

Still riding the big one BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Champion surfer Betty Pembrolse Heldreich Winsted with her Joe Quigs surfboard in Waikiki. Courtesy Vicky Heldreich Durand.

As a 12-year-old on summer break in the early 1950s, Vicky Heldreich Durand fell in love with Hawaii while visiting the island of Molokai — home of what was one of the last colonies of leprosy sufferers in America. It was, she said, unusual at that time for a child to travel alone from her home in California across the Pacific Ocean to what was then an American territory. Unusual, too, for a child to visit Molokai, but then her uncle, Arnold Smith, was the superintendent of the colony, which had been established in the unincorporated area of Kalaupapa in 1866 during the reign of King Kamehameha V. (Today, leprosy or Hansen’s disease, which is not as communicable as was once thought, is curable with multidrug therapy. Though the Hawaiian quarantine law was repealed in 1969, a dozen or so elderly, former leprosy patients have chosen to live out their days in community on Molokai.) The island was and is, Durand says, a place of spectacular if forbidding beauty with its shark-infested waters, lofty cliffs and deep crevasses with waterfalls cascading into lush valleys. In that place, the lepers led entirely separate lives, she says, but were still observable. Their fingers mutilated by the disease, along with their ears and noses, they were nonetheless still able to bait their fishhooks. “It was pretty amazing,”she says, as were her days spent hiking and canoeing. Indeed, when Durand returned home, she pined for Hawaii so much that her family moved to Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood the day after Christmas, 1954. There she and her mother would both became champion surfers. It’s a story Durand tells in her new biography of her mother, “Wave Woman: The Life and Struggles of a Surfing Pioneer” (Spark Press, $29.95, 186 pages). As Ben Marcus, former editor of Surfer magazine, describes her in a back-cover blurb, Betty Pembroke Heldreich Winstedt was an amalgam of Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Emily Dickinson and Esther Williams. Athlete, jewel-

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

ry and ceramic artist, aviatrix and poet, Winstedt (1913-2011) was also an adventurer, one who didn’t blanch at taking up surfing in her 40s as the sport was just taking off. Challenging the big surf at Makaha, on the west coast of Oahu, Winstedt finished second in the third Makaha International Surfing Championships, the sport’s unofficial world championships, in 1956. That same year, she was on the first Hawaiian surf team invited to Club Waikiki in Lima, Peru, where she won the women’s championship. Durand was not to be outdone. As a student at Punahou — the same Honolulu school former President Barack Obama attended — Durand found the atmosphere “cliquish.” “Surfing was my escape,” she says. In 1957, she would go her mother one better, winning the Makaha championship. The two traveled to Peru together in 1960 as a mother-daughter surfing team. College would take Durand back to the mainland’s West Coast. She received her associate’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and a bachelor of science degree from California State University, Long Beach, in family and consumer science. She holds a master’s from Oregon State University in clothing and textiles, with a minor in adult education. (Durand received a certification in secondary school teaching and special education.) In fashion, she established a cottage industry sportswear and textile design company that she directed for a number of years, with boutiques, department stores and museum shops across the country distributing the company’s products. In education, she taught for many years at a school for underprivileged students in Waianae, Hawaii. While there, she worked with community groups to provide better education and services for her students. She also started an early-education and childcare facility to enable teenage parents to finish school and graduate that was later taken over by Head Start. In 2013, Durand married Bob Liljestrand, who manages the Liljestrand House, an architecturally significant midcentury modern house by Vladimir Ossipoff in Honolulu that also serves as a center for peace and understanding. Durand serves on the Liljestrand Foundation board. The mother of two grown daughters from a previous marriage, she manages family property in Hawaii, gardens and is involved in animal rescue, mainly with cats. And though she no longer surfs, she swims, does water aerobics and pays attention to the breath that is key to water sports. “You have to be really calm and confident and have your mind in a certain place when you surf or you can drown,” Durand says. In videos, she demonstrates breathing in and out deeply, hands placed on her diaphragm in the middle of the body while seated on an exercise ball. She also recommends breathing in through the nose to a count of four, holding your breath for the same count and out again to the same count. As you gain more control, you can increase the counts. Last but certainly not least, Durand is enjoying the viral promotion of her book, a valentine to her extraordinary mother, for whom nothing seemed impossible. And who was quite prescient. “When we surfed, it was not taken that seriously,” Durand says. “But my mother said, ‘This sport is going to be big, so you might want to hold on to all these things to write about them later.’” For more, visit wavewomanbook.com.

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“The Boy From…” That’s the story. “It gave me a chance to satirize Astrud Gilberto and the bossa nova music we were all falling in love with. It’s a piece of its time. It’s about a girl who was hopelessly in love with a boy and she doesn’t understand why he’s not requiting her adoration for him. It plays very well in most of the clubs I play. It’s a lot of fun to do.”

BY GREGG SHAPIRO

Award-winning theater and TV veteran Linda Lavin isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Not that we would ever want her to. Lavin has just released a marvelous new album, “Love Notes” (Club44 Records), on which she performs a number of classics from the American Songbook, as well as the new Joel Lindsey and Wayne Haun composition “Stars Would Fall.” Additionally, Lavin — who starred as the title character on “Alice,” the beloved CBS sitcom of the 1970s and ’80s — still appears on the small screen on such shows as “Madam Secretary,” “Mom” and “The Santa Clarita Diet.” A Tony Award winner for “Broadway Bound,” the third part of Neil Simon’s Eugene trilogy, Lavin is also scheduled to appear in the new Off-Broadway musical “The Bedwetter,” co-written by Sarah Silverman, Adam Schlesinger and Joshua Harmon. I had the pleasure of speaking with her shortly before the release of “Love Notes”: Linda, I’d like to begin by thanking you for singing the brilliant song “The Boy From…” in the off-Broadway musical revue “The Mad Show.” It’s one of my favorites. “‘The Mad Show’ was in the winter of 1965 and at that time our country was imbued with Brazilian music because of (the song) “The Girl from Ipanema,” a platinum (million) seller. I was in rehearsal for ‘The Mad Show,’ which was just supposed to be a Christmas entertainment of a few weeks and it turned out to be a huge hit. It was playing in a tiny little theater in New York City above a very famous nightclub called Arthur. Dick Libertini, Jo Anne Worley, Paul Sand and I were a small company of performers doing all this satirical material from Mad magazine. The writers were from the magazine. One day, Mary Rodgers, who was the composer with Marshall Barer, of most of the songs (and daughter of composer Richard Rodgers), came in with a song, a piece of sheet music and she handed it to me. She said, ‘This is going to be your song. I wrote it with Steve,’ Steve being Stephen Sondheim. I looked at it and it was a satire of ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ called

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

For many people, especially those who haven’t regularly gotten to New York to see Broadway shows, the sitcom “Alice” became the vehicle by which you became a household name and familiar face. “Alice” was based on the Martin Scorcese movie “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.” Were you a fan of the movie before taking on the role in the series? “I loved the movie, absolutely. It was a unique movie whose time had come to tell the story about single mothers, working women. The right place for (the story) was to be on television, which, as you know, is a place where the audience was huge. We had more than 40 million people a week watching us. So many women identified with the character, the person of Alice because they, in fact, were Alice. They were single mothers and working women. “She represented 80% of the women who work in this country and she still does, women who are still not getting equal pay for the equal quality of work they do. It was a huge success, not only because it was in a great time slot, but because it was something that everybody in America, families and working people identified with, the characters and the situation. It was a very powerful experience for me, for all of us. To have a nine-year hit in television is very rare and I was very grateful for it. It changed my life in many ways.” What can you tell me about the experience of working with Billy Stritch on your new album “Love Notes”? “Billy and I have worked together on my club act for about 15 years. He’s a consummate, extraordinary musician with amazing chops. He understands me and he has a great knowledge of the American Songbook. He’s a great pianist and singer and a wonderful collaborator. We have a lot of fun together. He produced this album, and we created this album together from the club act I’ve done with him. These songs are songs that I love, American Songbook songs. We do a (Carlos) Jobim, ‘No More Blues.’ We do a tribute to Bobby Short. We do Rodgers and (Lorenz) Hart. We do Cole Porter. It’s a fun album and so much fun to listen to. It’s emotional, tender, loving and sophisticated. The lyrics, the storytelling in it: I’m very thrilled with the quality of this album. The president of Club 44 Records came to me and said he wanted to sign me to a deal and asked me to do an album. There’s nothing I love better than going into a studio and recording.”

Linda Lavin. Photographs by Bill Westmoreland.

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

You included a pair of tunes from the late 1970s, Steely Dan’s “Black Cow” and the Eagles’ “I Can’t Tell You Why.” Why did you want to include those songs alongside tunes by Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington and Cy Coleman? “Well, thank you for that. I’ve been singing Donald Fagen’s songs for several years. I recorded ‘Walk Between the Raindrops’ on my earlier album. The material I choose is the book that I refuse to write. These songs are about me, my history, the songs I love, the songs that moved me to tell my story. They make me feel like they’re a personal story of mine, written by somebody else. ‘Black Cow’ has to do with a particular part of my life and it’s so much fun to sing. The Eagles’ songs I’ve loved ever since I moved to California in the mid-1970s to do ‘A lice.’ “I love ‘I Can’t Tell You Why.” I often think of songs that belong together even though they weren’t written by the same people, songs sometimes as conversation. They tell the story of a relationship, of a love story. The album is, after all, called ‘Love Notes,’ about the varying degrees of love and relationships and the difficulty of communication. It’s the most creative I know how to be without writing. I use what other people have written to explain how I feel or what I’ve been through or what I hope for.” You perform a cover of “You Must Believe in Spring,” a song co-written by Michel Legrand. I recently interviewed Melissa Errico who had a special working relationship with Legrand. Did you ever have a chance to meet him yourself? “No, but I met Marilyn and Alan Bergman who wrote the lyrics to that song. They wrote the theme song to ‘A lice’ (‘New Girl in Town’). That’s how I met them. They’ve been a big part of my life. Portland, Maine, where you were born, is also the birthplace of fellow Tony Award-winning actress Andrea Martin. Do you think there might be something in the water in Portland to have produced such talented performers? “ (Laughs) That’s very sweet of you. I know she’s enormously talented. I’m very fond of Andrea. We often bump into each other. We actually lived in the same hotel in Los Angeles last year. The water’s very good in Maine, I’ll tell you that. We were always very proud of the fact that we could drink the water right out of the tap. “I grew up in Portland, Maine, the daughter of a mother who had enormous talent as an opera singer. She had a brief, but dazzling, career in New York in the opera world. My mother, who was first generation, was born in Portland. She married my father, who came from Maine by way of Massachusetts. Portland has for sure given birth to a few talented actors and musicians along the way.” For more, visit club44records.com.

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BY JEREMY WAYNE

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

The greatest virtuoso trumpeter of the age, Wynton Marsalis, is clearly a busy man. But when we spoke by phone a couple of months ago and I apologized for interrupting his schedule, Marsalis — who is also a composer, teacher, humanitarian and philanthropist, as well as the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center — told me in that rich drawl of his, which seems to blend smooth Belgian chocolate with the finest Italian silk, “Take all the time you need.” I was inclined to believe he meant it. Our call, which took place in early March, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in earnest, was supposed to be a precursor to this summer’s 75th Caramoor season, for which at the Opening Night Gala on June 20, Marsalis was due to perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The orchestra was also set to be playing at Caramoor’s allday Jazz Festival on July 18. Now as we go to press, the virus has already sadly claimed Marsalis' celebrated, jazz pianist father, Ellis Marsalis Jr., and Caramoor’s summer season — along with myriad other summer festivals and events across the region, across the nation — has had to retool. (See sidebar.) Marsalis will, however, return next season. With its array of concerts, daylong festivals and new Concerts on the Lawn series, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah and its acclaimed international summer festival have been mainstays of the metro area for 74 years. The center also has also made a host of campus-wide improvements, the culmination of its successful “Inspire!” capital campaign. But even with June off the agenda, and Caramoor itself shuttered for now, all may not be lost. Where performances are canceled, they will be rescheduled, and Caramoor will be working with artists and staff to livestream other concerts where possible. Meanwhile, Caramoor remains close to Wynton Marsalis’s heart. Indeed, if he has legions of fans worldwide, and he does, he declares himself a special fan of Caramoor. He loves the atmosphere and enjoys working with a close-knit team. The community spirit is also far more prevalent at Caramoor, he says, than at a great many festivals he plays. “We have tried to program with integrity and give people music they want to hear.” He stresses “integrity” in jazz, referencing the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, on which he worked from the first one in 1970, but which he says became so big and sprawling that it eventually lost its way. “Caramoor has the feeling of neighborhood,” he says. “It’s a real jazz festival.” And he knows a jazz festival when he sees one. Near the start of his career, in 1981, he hit the road, performing more than 120 concerts every year for 15 consecutive years, and he still follows a punishing concert schedule, both nationally and internationally. Where does he especially enjoy traveling to? “I love to play wherever I know people.” This covers a lot of ground,

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

of course, since he knows people everywhere. He regularly plays in South Africa, in Russia (with his friend Igor Butman, the Russian jazz saxophonist) and, naturally, in Brazil, the country where jazz in one form or another is virtually a way of life. He is drawn to Spain, too, and has a weakness for Vienna. Marsalis is also crazy for Marseille, France — where he has been going every year for 30 years (for the Jazz Festival.) He plays the Barbican in London — another city where he has a large number of friends — once a year and, oh, he holds Japan in awe. “I would love to be Japanese in another life,” he tells me. But performing, to mangle a music metaphor, is only one string to Marsalis’ bow. As a recording artist, his records have sold over seven million copies, including three gold records, and he is a prolific and inventive composer, contributing a violin concerto and four symphonies to the classical music canon alone. This is unparalleled for a contemporary jazz musician. Add to this, music for ballet, popular song, new jazz and orchestral arrangements across virtually all musical genres, and you have still barely scratched the surface. His work, “Blood on the Fields,” became the first jazz composition to be awarded the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1997 and he is the winner of nine Grammy Awards. He has honorary degrees from 38 universities — and counting. He is revered as a teacher and educator. I ask him about the challenges of teaching in the era of the iPhone, of shortened attention spans and the need for instant gratification — the study of music notoriously being an exercise in extreme patience and diligence. “Being a teacher is like being a basketball coach, and coaching is very difficult if people don’t want to go to your practice ,” he observes. “And there’s a whole range of music that’s commercial, that’s designed to be on the lowest possible level,” often, he says, with a dangerous message. “Therefore, as a teacher, you have to choose the best, present the very best music to your students.” (I’m reminded of how a schoolteacher-friend once put it to me: “Dumbing ‘up,’ he said, “is as easy as dumbing down.”) Marsalis finds it better to present “quality” to his students, rather than to attack genres or styles as not being good, or even being subversive. While he doesn’t teach daily classes at Juilliard, where he is director of Juilliard Jazz, he is heavily involved with programing. “We begin by recognizing that there is consciousness behind music. It’s as real as one’s own voice. But sound is also mystical, it’s spiritual.” He talks about 30 different levels of listening and describes how he likes to “lift students up the listening ladder. We educate ourselves in music just as we do in a language. The more we start to

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

Wynton Marsalis. Photograph by Piper Ferguson. Venetian Theater at Caramoor. Photograph by Gabe Palacio.

hear things, the more we start to understand them.” And he sees music — all kinds of music, ritualistic music, repetitious music, teenage music, lullabies, love songs — as “building blocks, ones we are able to apply to different aspects of our lives.” If jazz is all about letting your hair down, how does the great jazzman himself relax? “Nah, I’m always listening to music,” he responds, dismissing the idea of any personal downtime. “I’m always hearing music.” The upside to music in the digital age, I ask him?

“It’s brought so much benefit, from bringing music to you instantly to exposure to different kinds of music, to research, to teaching, you name it.” And he likes the idea that he can also recognize talent in students — and prospective students — instantly, at a distance, through video clips or what they post online. And the downside? “I can barely think of any downside,” he says, and then pauses. “But there’s a yin and yang to everything.” For more, visit wyntonmarsalis.org

CARAMOOR 20/2.0 It was the great 18th-century Irish statesman Edmund Burke who said, “No one ever made a greater mistake than he who did nothing, because he could only do a little.” With that in mind, Caramoor, the Mediterranean-style center for music and the other arts and an acclaimed summer festival in Katonah, is plunging ahead with a coronavirusmodified season. “Caramoor’s purpose is to inspire a lifelong love of music in our beautiful setting,” says CEO Jeff Haydon. “Rather than cancel our summer season entirely, Caramoor’s ‘Summer 20/2.0’ provides ways we might still be able to offer opportunities to bring much-needed inspiration to our community.” Over the course of “Summer 20/2.0,” Caramoor aims to stream seven new performances from the Music Room of the Rosen House, known for its historically eclectic furnishings and intimate acoustics. The video streams will feature such artists as Inon Barnatan, Conor Hanick, Sandbox Percussion, the Calidore String Quartet and Musicians from The Knights in repertoire ranging from Mozart and Tchaikovsky to excerpts from Shirley Graham Du Bois’ opera “Tom-Tom,” a children’s program, and the world premieres of new works by Christopher Cerrone and Anna Clyne. Each streamed performance will be accompanied by additional content, including talks with the artists and closer looks at the Westchester house and grounds (July 2—Aug 6). Later in the summer, Caramoor plans to host four live, public, open-air concerts on Friends

Caramoor’s Center Walk. Photograph by Gabe Palacio.

Field. Suitable for small, well-spaced audiences, these will feature multiple genres — American roots, mariachi, jazz and swing (Saturdays, July 18—Aug 8, with rain dates on the following Sundays). In addition, Caramoor hopes to open its outdoor spaces to the public, beginning in midJuly. Visitors will be able to enjoy its landscaped Italianate and woodland gardens, interacting with nature, architecture and history on socially distant picnics and walks, as well as exploring the site-specific sound art installations of Sonic Innovations (Thursdays through Sundays, beginning July 16). Finally, a variety of outdoor pop-up events may also be added to the lineup, with appearances around the grounds by artists, including a brass ensemble from Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Caramoor’s orchestra-in-residence for the past 41 years. For more, visit caramoor.org. — Georgette Gouveia

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Getting her goat

(in the best possible way) BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Some girls dream of becoming lawyers, doctors, astronauts, even president of the United States. Growing up in the Crestwood section of Yonkers, Meagan Frederick wanted to be Snow White. Not that she was waiting for a prince to rescue her. Rather, she wanted to do the rescuing and, like Snow, surround herself with woodland creatures. Over time, Meagan found that — in the words of another Disney princess, Cinderella — “the dream that you wish will come true.” Today she runs Frederick Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary in Napanoch, an Ulster County hamlet 35 minutes west of New Paltz. The 10-acre farm is home to eight rescue goats named Marvin, Zachary, Zoe, Ginger, Eva, Suki, Pumpkin and Peanut, along with 19 rescue chickens, three rescue dogs, a vegetable garden, an orchard, bee hives — her prince, toy designer Warren Frederick, is the beekeeper — and their two boys, ages 9 and 7. It’s also the site of two Airbnb rentals. About a year and a half ago, Meagan started renting out the spaces with great success, joining Airbnb last October. She also gives popular tours that include a 30-minute hike and one-on-one time with the goats, who, she says, enjoy the attention as much as the two-legged creatures savor lavishing it. “They love it,” she says. “All of our goats are extremely affectionate.” At the moment, the farm is closed to visitors and Meagan is busy with online tours for her enterprise, which began seven years ago when a stray sheep and goat wandered onto the property. When

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Aw!. Photographs courtesy Frederick Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary.

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Meagan Frederick and her friends.

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we interviewed her on May 1, there were about 1,290 cases of COVID-19 in Ulster, “a lot more than in other counties,” she says. Meagan, who checks the count every day, is no stranger to infectious diseases. She is by training an art and horticultural therapist, working with critically ill children. She serves as director of development and public relations for Incarnation Children’s Center, a skilled nursing facility in Manhattan for children and teenagers living with HIV/AIDS. These kids come from abusive situations with no support systems and often stop taking their medications, Meagan says. Some go on to live “normal” lives. Because they are immunosuppressed, they’ve all been in lockdown, which, she adds, is a challenge for the teenagers. “Working in health care, you learn to roll up your sleeves and do what you have to do to keep the kids safe.” The kids visit virtually with the other kids — goats, that is. It helps keep everyone connected to nature and to one another. “The goats bring joy to people.” And so does Meagan. Visiting with her by phone is like a tonic as she exudes a soothing warmth. Her secret: “I keep telling my kids, be kind and respectful.” It’s no wonder that she’s doing 40 virtual tours daily for visitors from around the world, everywhere from New York City to London to Singapore. She is booking actual tours for July and August but doesn’t know yet if they will happen. Safety is paramount. One day, though, things will return to normal, or at least the new normal, and we will take Meagan up on her gracious invitation for a visit. We’re sure, too, she’ll keep adding to her menagerie. “One day, I’ll say, ‘Enough,’” she says with a laugh. We doubt it. For more, visit frederickfarmgoats. com. And for virtual experiences ranging from meditating with Buddhist monks in Japan to cooking with a Moroccan family to visiting the former Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, site of one of the worst nuclear reactor disasters in history, visit airbnb.com.

‘FOR MOMS BY MOMS’

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WAG has long had its share of readers who are busy mothers and grandmothers — looking not only for useful tips but for unusual stories that offer windows onto worlds they may not have yet visited. So it’s fitting that we should begin a partnership here with The Local Moms Network, founded in Greenwich three years ago by Layla Lisiewski, Megan Sullivan and Jessica Blouin.

These

three

accomplished

working mothers — with backgrounds as varied as the visual arts, finance and marketing — wanted not only to provide mothers with the information they need to survive and thrive but also to enable them

to connect, network and maybe even turn their own chapters into businesses they can run from home as they balance work and family. “The Local Moms Network is 100% created for moms by moms and provides a user-friendly connection in local communities via online content features and comprehensive resources, social media engagement, community inclusive event monthly newsletters and time-saving guides,” the website says. “We have provided over a hundred talented women entrepreneurial opportunities to join our growing team and launch their own business in their communities. We believe wholeheartedly in providing moms opportunities to work from home and around their kids’ schedules.” With more than 100 suburban online locations in 26 states, the network is growing. And so are we. We’ll be sharing stories on the site — which has nine chapters in Fairfield County three in Westchester County and one in Rockland County — but we’ll also be featuring content from Local Moms, beginning with this dedicated section in our June-July “Visionary Journeys” issue. It’s appropriate then that we lead off the section with our own, award-winning Phil Hall’s story on Rebecca Pawson, who has journeyed from Greenwich Hospital nurse to June bride. We call it “Love in the Time of Corona.” It’s just one more illustration that it’s always Mother’s Day in WAG.

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Own Your Future Congratulations to the Class of 2020

When students and families engage in the college process using their values, interests, and goals as foundational elements, they can better target colleges and universities where students will thrive. At King School, our four-year developmental program enables students to identify and apply to the schools that will take them where they want to go.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 on their acceptances! Babson College Bentley University Boston College (3) Bucknell University Clemson University Colby College (2) Colgate University College of the Holy Cross Connecticut College Dartmouth College (2) Denison University Dickinson College Drexel University Duke University (3) Elon University Emory University Fairfield University Fordham University

Indiana University (2) Marist College Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGill University Middlebury College (2) New York University Northeastern University (2) Northwestern University Pennsylvania State University Providence College (4) Purdue University Rochester Institute of Technology (3) Roger Williams University Rollins College Salve Regina University

Santa Clara University Sewanee: The University of the South Skidmore College Southern Methodist University (3) Syracuse University (2) The Ohio State University Towson University (2) Tulane University (3) University of Connecticut Stamford United States Military Academy at West Point University of Alabama (2) University of Miami University of Minnesota

University of New Hampshire University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Rhode Island University of Richmond (2) University of Southern California (2) University of Toronto University of Virginia University of Wisconsin Vanderbilt University Wake Forest University Washington and Jefferson College Washington and Lee University Yale University

Explore how King sets better standards: kingschoolct.org

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA BY PHIL HALL

If anything, life has not been boring for Rebecca Pawson. Last September, her boyfriend Kevin Jarboe proposed, and the couple began planning their wedding. In March, however, a certain virus made its way across the Pacific and Pawson, in her duties as a maternity nurse at Greenwich Hospital, found herself working long and grueling shifts while providing life-saving care to COVID-19 patients. And then, life threw her a completely unexpected twist: The TLC reality program “Say Yes to the Dress” was tipped off on Pawson’s invaluable work on the medical frontlines. The popular bridal show chose her as a “Healthcare Hero” and Pawson suddenly found herself in the spotlight as she picked out the dress for her upcoming nuptials. How did a hard-working nurse with no dreams of being on reality TV suddenly find herself front and center on a popular cable show? 56

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“I actually reached out to Hayley Paige, my favorite designer, on Instagram,” Pawson recalls. “I was just asking her if she was offering any discounts for health-care workers during this time.” Rather than offer a discounted dress, Paige forwarded Pawson’s contact information and story to the producers of “Say Yes to the Dress,” eager to offer a timely tribute to the brave women of the health care profession who put their own pursuits on hold to help the wider society. “They reached out to me and then I ended up doing some interviews with them,” Pawson says. “It all fell into place.” Dawson’s busy schedule, coupled with the pandemic-fueled social distancing protocols, spared her from being followed around Kardashian-style with a camera crew. Instead, she recorded a series of vlogs that highlighted her professional responsibilities and her wedding ceremony dreams. A cameraman ultimately arrived at Dawson’s Fairfield home when the time came for her to pick a wedding dress. Her mother Terri and two sisters participated in the process. “It didn’t really feel like a reality show, because it was all so natural,” she says.

Rebecca Pawson and Kevin Jarboe.

Pawson is playfully elusive about the dress she finally chose — “You’ll have to just wait and see” — although she will not be wearing it again until her June 26, 2021, wedding at the Burr Mansion in Fairfield. In choosing the historic late18th century site for the ceremony, Pawson believes her union with her fiancé will come full-circle. “We live in Fairfield and fell in love with the area,” she says. “Our first dates were in Fairfield and we have our first apartment here. Kevin grew up going to the beach here, too.” The wedding provides Pawson with the goal of future bliss following several months of difficult work at Greenwich Hospital. A 2016 graduate of Western Connecticut State University, Pawson found her skills used to their fullest against a historic health crisis. “I never thought that something like this would happen,” she says. “We did have PPE training, because there are certain diseases (you need it for). It’s been tough. As this all came about, we were all learning new things about the pandemic, and things would change day to day. We did have COVID-positive moms and, obviously, they were separated from their babies for their wellness. We’re still being affected by this.” Pawson is now working 12-hour shifts three days a week. She admits it was tough to transition to the longer days, but she adds that “you kind of just get used to it... I definitely have some downtime for myself and try to take care of myself so that I’m energized to go back the next day.” Pawson’s fiancé, who is a teacher, has been a source of strength and comfort to her during this unusual period. “It’s been really nice to be able to spend some more time together,” she says. “On my days off, he’s done with school closer to one o’clock and I feel like we’ve spent more time together in the past couple of months than ever.” The only thing missing from Pawson’s current whirlwind is a honeymoon destination, which has yet to be decided. “We’re on a tight budget for our wedding, so the honeymoon is kind of up in the air,” she says. “We’re not sure what we’re going to do, but we’re definitely going take one at some point.”

SUNSCREENS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY If you’re anything like us, every summer involves a new attempt to figure out the best sunscreen options for our kids — and ourselves. With the constantly evolving perspectives on the frequency of application needed and which sunscreens actually work and are safe, we turned to Rhonda Klein, M.D., a dermatologist with the Connecticut Dermatology Group in Norwalk and Milford and a Westport mom of four for her favorites for this summer — and year-round. First, though, she insists that we remember that sunscreen and sun protective gear (wide-brimmed hats, UPF clothing, sunglasses) help prevent skin cancer. Frequent reapplication of two tablespoons of a sunscreen with an SPF 30+ — about the size of a shot glass — is essential for extended time outdoors. And now for her favorites:

SUNSCREENS FOR KIDS AND SENSITIVE SKIN: 1. Vanicream 2. Blue Lizard 3. Elta MD Pure 4. Neutrogena Pure & Free 5. TIZO2 (Note: For sensitive skin, stick with physical blockers — zinc and titanium.)

SUNSCREENS FOR EVERYDAY THAT ARE MORE COSMETICALLY PLEASING BUT ALSO PROTECTIVE:

1. EltaMD UV Clear 2. Obagi Sun Shield Matte 3. Skinceuticals Physical Matte UV Defense 4. MD Solar Sciences Daily Anti-Aging Moisturizer 5. TIZO3 (Note: For a quick touch-up during the day, try Colorescience Brush-On Sunscreen SPF 50.)

SUNSCREENS WITH MAX PROTECTION:

1. Bioderma Photoderm Max SPF50+ 2. TIZO2 and TIZO3 3. LaRoche Posay Anthelios 4. ThinkBaby and ThinkSport 5. Shiseido Wet Force

MEN’S SUNSCREENS:

1. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel UV Guard SPF 50+ 2. Neutrogena Men Triple Protect Face Lotion with SPF 20 3. L’Oreal Men’s Expert Comfort Max After-Shave Balm with SPF 4. Nivea Men Skin Essentials Protective Lotion 5. Clinique for Men Broad Spectrum SPF 21 Moisturizer

LIQUID SPRAYS:

1. Bioderma Photoderm Max 58

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SPF50+ (which comes as a 400ml bottle, good for large families) and

Bioderma Photoderm Kid SPF50+ 2. Kinesys High Performance Sunscreen 3. Kiss My Face Sunspray Lotion SPF 30 4. Elta MD UV Spray 5. Babyganics Sunscreen Spray (Note: Avoid aerosolized sprays, which not only contain a large percetage of alcohol that can be irritating but are also bad for the environment and require approximately 7 layers to yield the same protection as a cream/ lotion/liquid.)

SUNSCREEN STICKS:

1. Kinesys Sun Protection Stick 2. Neutrogena Pure & Free 3. Bioderma Photoderm Max Large Stick 4. Babo Botanicals Super Shield 5. Mustela (Sunscreen sticks are great for reapplication on the face, especially near the eyes. For or all of us bargain shoppers, the new Trader Joe’s zinc sunscreen stick is a steal at $5.99. While not as cosmetically pleasing – it leave a white residue – it is a great addition to camp bags for the little ones to use on their faces.)

FAVORITE UPF 50+ SUN PROTECTIVE GEAR:

1. Anything at Costco or BJs (Load up on UV Skinz if you see it. 2. Coolibar 3. Cabana Life, Boden, or Hannah Anderson for more upscale outfits 4. Lands End or REI for sportier gear 5. Don’t forget your surfing brands for more stylish adult gear. (Hurley, Billabong, Roxy) For more, visit ctdermgroup.com.

To The Harvey School Class of 2020

The Future Belongs To You

A coeducational college preparatory school located in Katonah, NY enrolling students in grades 6–12 with boarding beginning in grade 9 • www.harveyschool.org • 914-232-3161

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

AVOIDING THE ‘SUMMER SLIDE’ As a parent, you’re likely ready for a relaxing summer for you and your children, especially following the uncertain and stressful school year caused by COVID-19 disruptions. While it’s normal for parents to be concerned about their children losing academic growth over the summer, the anxiety around the “summer slide” is undoubtedly heightened this year. Rest assured, there are many steps parents can take to keep their children engaged and learning all summer long. While there is conflicting evidence around the existence and prevalence of the “summer slide,” encouraging academic engagement over summer vacation is as important as ever. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be a chore for parents or kids. Meaningful learning can fit into a busy schedule and be fun at the same time. Remember: The more connections children make through new experiences and language, the stronger their knowledge base will be and the less likely it will be for them to lose valuable information away from school. Instead of trying to replicate the classroom environment, focus on more natural learning opportunities with these five tips: TALK: Take this time to discuss the world around you. Stop and talk about whatever you’re doing and seeing in the moment. It’s as simple as taking the time to point out a new vocabulary word while watching a movie or tapping into your child’s interests and passions in the moment. Do they love bugs? Talk about bugs. Whatever it is, encourage your children to use all five senses to communicate what they’re experiencing. PLAY: While it’s true playtime often takes a backseat to digital distractions, 60

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the summer is a perfect time to help kids reconnect with their imaginations. Allow and encourage time for unstructured imaginative play. Though it may not seem like direct learning, play calls on familiar skills while developing new ones. When kids use their imagination, they are expanding their vocabularies and experimenting with new concepts. EXPLORE: Experts have found that novel experiences stimulate the brain and promote learning. Being in a real-world setting helps reinforce what your child learns from books. No expensive vacations or long road trips necessary. Anything you come upon will do. Simply reading together outside or visiting a local historic site or landmark can spark academic engagement. Point out new sights and experiences and be open to opportunities for enrichment. THINK MATH: Exploring math concepts is always important for kids. Luckily, opportunities to understand math and get familiar with numbers are everywhere. Having pizza for lunch? Talk about fractions. Feel like baking something? Engage kids in measurement (with the added bonus of a tasty treat to come). Driving along? Count the cars. Going on vacation?

Ask an older child to help keep track of the family budget. READ, READ, READ: There are tons of ways to incorporate reading into your summer schedule. Read aloud together or ask your children to read to you. Ask questions about what you’ve read together to help them build comprehension, learn vocabulary and foster a love of learning. Allow children to read what they want (within reason) and encourage them to explore topics outside of their everyday realm. You could even offer a summer reading challenge with small prizes. Continuous learning and keeping the mind engaged is important and the above tools can certainly help, but so too is remembering to have fun and allow yourself and your children the relaxation you deserve this summer. If you don’t use every opportunity to address academics with your child, that’s OK. You’ll still be amazed by how much your child can learn and retain over the summer. If you believe your child could benefit from enrichment this summer or has academic areas that need reinforcement, the specialized team at Private Prep can help. For more, visit privateprep.com.

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IONA PREP CLASS OF 2020! INVEST. INSPIRE. IGNITE.

As Coronavirus reshapes education, Iona Prep continues to shape Catholic learning. Be strong. + Graduating classes have earned more than $130 million in academic, meritâ&#x20AC;&#x2018;based college scholarships over the last five years. + Lifelong alumni network that enhances college and career trajectories. + Seniors have been accepted to their top choice schools, including Boston College, Cornell, Fordham, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Vassar and many others.

Begin your IONA PREPARED journey this Fall. Admissions@IonaPrep.org | IonaPrep.org

THE URSULINE SCHOOL New Rochelle, NY | 914.636.3950 | ursulinenewrochelle.org

lations to our Class of 2020 Graduates Congratu

who earned over $29.5 million in merit scholarships and will attend 87 colleges & universities, including:

ongratulations

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

YANKEE DOODLE RECIPES The Fourth of July weekend might be a little different this year than in years past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with some delicious recipes. The flag cake has been our fave for as long as we can remember, so easy and always a hit if you’re going to a social distance barbecue:

BARBECUE PORK SANDWICHES

Ingredients • 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth • 3 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder • 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce. (We like Sweet Baby Ray’s.) • 1 pack of Martin’s Potato Buns Directions Pour the can of beef broth into a slow cooker, adding the boneless pork butt or shoulder. Cook on high heat for 4 hours, or until the meat shreds easily. Remove the meat, and shred it with two forks. It will seem that it’s not working right away, but it will. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet and stir in the barbecue sauce. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. If you want to grill the meat, add it to a baking sheet and put it on grill for 30 minutes. Serve on the Martin’s Potato Buns.

FLAG CAKE

Ingredients • 1 package funfetti cake mix • 1 container frozen whipped topping • 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained • 2 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and slice Directions Prepare the cake according to package directions and bake in a 9 by 13-inch pan. Cool completely. Frost cake with the whipped topping. Place the blueberries in a square in the corner and arrange the sliced strawberries as stripes to make an American flag. Chill until serving.

SPARKLING SUMMER LEMONADE

Ingredients • 1 cup sugar • 1 cup water • 3 sprigs fresh mint, plus more for serving • 1/2 cup lemon juice plus 1 lemon, sliced into wheels • 1/2 cup blackberries • 1/2 cup raspberries • 1/2 cup strawberries, halved • 2 liters seltzer or soda water Directions Pour the sugar and water into a small pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the mint sprigs. Let the mint steep for 10 minutes, then discard the mint. Add the mint simple syrup to a large pitcher, punch bowl or serving canister. Add the lemon juice, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and lemon wheels and give a good stir. When ready to serve, fill the pitcher halfway with ice. Top the mixture with seltzer and give a good stir. Serve over ice with sprigs of fresh mint. 62

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Now Op en! Join us and be among the first to learn about Memory Care The Artis Way. Our unique Memory Care communities are designed to foster independence in an enriching and supportive neighborhood setting. Our model of care emphasizes a customized, caring approach that respects the unique needs of your loved one.

Wherever you are in your Memory Care journey, Artis is here to support you!

Schedule a personal tour by calling 914-236-4824 or visiting TheArtisWay.com/WAG Artis Senior Living of Briarcliff Manor: 553 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 Check out our other nearby community in Chestnut Ridge.

WANDERS

TRAVEL

PLAYING ARMCHAIR TRAVELER IN THE TIME OF CORONA BY JEREMY WAYNE

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“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows,” observes Trinculo the jester in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” To which I would add, not entirely consequentially, that COVID-19 has made armchair travelers of us all. But if we cannot go to the mountain, we must bring the mountain to us and modern technology, of course, allows us to do this, at least to some degree. I’ve always wanted to go to Bali, but to be honest with you, I never got the gig and the bank manager never thought it was a terribly good idea. Now, thanks to the coronavirus, I have finally been able to go virtually, obviously. Although closed to actual guests, the intriguingly-named Desa Potato Head in Bali — a hotel so right-on and environmentally-friendly that even the complimentary bedside slippers are biodegradable — has launched a #goodtimesathome program, accessible via Facebook or Instagram, with

Left: Misty Cook shack, The Resort at Paws Up. Right: Horseback riding at The Resort at Paws Up. Photographs courtesy The Resort at Paws Up.

cultural expeditions, immersive reads and music playlists to download. A documentary about Brian Eno from 1973 and a fascinating video about turning plastic bags into speakers, were just two of the offerings I enjoyed. Just launching down Mexico way, the HiltonLosCabosAtHome series, which you can find at @hiltonloscabos on Instagram, will give you a taste of this newly renovated beach resort, while you continue to shelter in place. You will also be able to take Spanish lessons and plan a fun Mexican dinner at home, after joining the resort’s executive chef for a cooking session. And arts and crafts projects from the resort’s kids’ club should keep them busy with any luck, while you kick back and enjoy a restorative Mezcal cocktail. Mmm, tastes good. For a quick Caribbean fix, Le Barthélmy Hotel & Spa in St. Barts has made a recording of waves lapping its waterfront. Best listened to through to earphones, I made a flying visit down to the Caribbean the other afternoon

and I was not disappointed. No astronomical airfare to pay either and home in time for dinner — a win-win situation. Out west, in Montana. The Resort at Paws Up is often credited as the world’s first glamping (luxury, glamorous camping) resort. It counts Leonardo DiCaprio and Gwyneth Paltrow among its legions of celebrity fans and has recently introduced a “Live from Big Sky Country” series. The programs offer a wide range of digital experiences, including visiting the resort’s resident baby horses, learning how to forage with the chef and making body scrubs, as taught by the resort’s spa and wellness director. The sessions are streamed on the @theresortatpawsup Instagram page and are also saved as Instagram Highlights. It was only a question of time before lockdown karaoke became a thing. On Monday nights, the adults only Hotel Gaythering, in South Beach, Miami, offers karaoke with a twist, presided over by regular drag queen host, Karla Croqueta. The Gaythering’s popular trivia nights (Wednesday) and bingo (Thursday) have also gone virtual. (@KarlaCroqueta is quite the party animal. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.) Closer to home, at the Emerson Resort & Spa in Mount Tremper in the Catskills, kids can take part in an online trivia quiz of their own, which between you and me is a bit of a breeze since all the answers to the questions are included on the Emerson website. Correct answers win a special Emerson Resort kaleidoscope, mailed out to your brainy little one. Also, in a clever twist on the usual online offerings during closure, the Emerson Resort gift shop is open to dispense Cabin Fever science and solar system kits to keep kids amused — delivered direct to your door.

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Left: On the waterfront at Le Barthélmy Hotel & Spa. Photograph by Hugo Allard. Right: Viceroy L’Ermitage Burton Studio Suite. Courtesy Viceroy Hotels & Resorts.

Still with the kids, an even more cerebral pursuit is being offered by Gurney’s Resorts in Montauk, New York, and Newport, Rhode Island. Focused on sustainability and education, #GoneHomeWithGurneys features everything from weekly digital lessons for kids to wellness tips, meditations and recipes. All programming will be streamed on the @gurneyresorts social channel, via Instagram Stories. If lockdown is making you anxious and travel restrictions are clipping your wanderers’ wings, Aman Resorts, those purveyors of luxury travel experiences, may have a solution. Inspired by nature, its skincare products use organic ingredients, many of which have been harvested in Aman destinations. The newly launched Ultimate Bath Set (with bath salts, body mist, serum and smoked body butter,) aims to dispel tension and promotes a deep sense of emotional and physical well-being. Along with a host of other, rather delicious Aman products, the bath set can be bought online at shop.aman.com. Of course, the boredom and frustrations of lockdown are undoubtedly relieved by online shopping, and not just for groceries or bare

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necessities. It’s an ill wind indeed that blows no good, and many online stores have reported near Black Friday sales volumes over recent weeks. But how do we justify shopping for luxury goods online during a pandemic, considering the risk we pose to manufacturers, packers, shippers and delivery people? The obvious answer is that by doing so we are helping shore up small pockets of the economy. And we can expiate any lingering guilt by giving our business to online shops, like the newly-launched Château Marmont boutique, where all profits are being distributed among hotel employees affected by the current crisis. The boutique’s night-blooming flowers scented candles make a wonderful gift, and the same goes for the château—branded cashmere sweaters, produced in collaboration with scenester London artist, Bella Freud. (shop.chateahmarmont.com). Slightly edgy and undeniably soft. Spoiled by swanky hotels over the years, but spending so much time at home right now, I realize how much my own house needs a makeover. And where better to turn to for inspiration than to Viceroy Hotels & Resorts? I love these hotels, from the understated but highly sophisticated L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills, to the laidback luxury of the villas at Viceroy Riviera Maya, in Mexico. Now, Kelly Wearstler, who designs for Viceroy, has released a 17-part video guide to the fundamentals of interior design, available through online education platform MasterClass (which makes a subscription charge,) I’m enjoying learning about color, light and the best use of space, as well as what to do with old furniture. Still, what with the morning workouts, culturefilled afternoons and nightly cocktail sessions, I’ve a feeling that by the end of lockdown, my house will look pretty much as it does now, only a little dustier. The less you have to do, the busier life gets, as many genuinely busy people have shrewdly observed.

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS CREATE

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITIES The dedication, compassion, and strength that The Bristal team displays daily is evident – especially to those who choose to call The Bristal home, as well as their families. The happiness and well-being of residents means everything to us, so their heartfelt appreciation is both powerful and motivating. We’re proud to share their sentiments for the outstanding individuals who make The Bristal such a special place.

On behalf of my mother and our family - thank you. You chose to be caring, to bring a smile with you every day, to try to get a laugh out of the residents and to make them comfortable. Whatever your role has been in the community, we thank you for continuing to keep their home a safe place to ride out this terrible pandemic. Stay safe! – Caroline P. (family member)

For a list of all locations in the tri-state area, visit: THEBRISTAL.COM

AN ENGEL BURMAN COMMUNITY

Licensed by the State Department of Health. Eligible for Most Long Term Care Policies.

TRAVEL TREATS FOR YOURSELF BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM

Yes, we are all staying at home. But we will all be getting out of the house someday, right? So prepare yourself now. Take time to renew your passport — one of the best ways is through itseasy.com — and splurge on these great luxury products I’ve discovered in my worldwide travels. Some, indeed, are ideal to take on your next trip (or just use at home):

WANDERS

TRAVEL

1. Treat your tastebuds — You can’t visit New York City right now, but you can still take a bite out of the Big Apple. Li-Lac Chocolates makes small batches of the sweet stuff from its factory in Brooklyn, and you can find its stores all over New York (and in Grand Central Terminal). The bestsellers? The $18 Statue of Liberty, and the chocolate almond bark, $36. li-lacchocolates.com 2. Stay healthy when you travel — Your wellbeing counts — whether you are at home or abroad. Vous Vitamin is a personalized vitamin subscription service for both men and women. Just take a short, online survey to match a customized multivitamin blend to your lifestyle and health history, and you can eliminate the pill pack. I say, “Bring on the Biotin.” $90 every three months. Vousvitamin.com.

3. You wear it well — Made for every road trip and red-eye, the best-selling Jet Set Trousers are a four-season wonder. They are machine washable, wrinkle-resistant and sunburn-free with a UPF of 50. Made in Italy with a bartack at the hem so you can customize the length. $228. epoqueevolution.com 4. My “ThirdLove” affair — When you travel there or simply stay at home, you need support. ThirdLove’s mission is to get every woman into a great fitting, comfortable and beautiful bra that helps her feel confident. As the inventor of half-cup sizes, ThirdLove has led the charge on inclusivity, now carrying more than 80 sizes and counting. ThirdLove’s direct-to-consumer e-commerce site features its patented Fit Finder quiz, which

GIVE DAD THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING Robb Vices is a luxury subscription box of fine foods, beverages, tech gadgets, handmade dishware, handcrafted creations, artisanal cuisine and more. It partners with elite and exciting companies around the world and then curates a thoughtful combination of related products. Perhaps dad will enjoy a Champagne sabre kit or an Altec Lansing retro bluetooth turntable. Robb Vices ranges from $99.95 a month for a yearlong subscription to $159.95 month-to-month. Each box is valued around $250 to $300. Members.robbvices.com. 68

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asks women a series of questions about their current bras and even their unique breast shapes and uses data science to recommend their best sizes. BRA-va! Prices vary. thirdlove.com 5. Eye on the prize — Look stylish while protecting your eyes from the sun’s powerful rays without compromising comfort or fit. The breakthrough Yunizon Eyewear features signature Global Fit Technology, three different head widths in all styles and designs to accommodate high cheekbones, low bridge noses and other unique facial features. So it’s easy to find your perfect fit. Starting at $159 with free worldwide shipping. yunizoneyewear.com 6. Get a leg up — Now you can outshine everyone else with stunning Swiss hosiery crafted from silk and cashmere. Fogal hosiery is a first-class legwear line. Christie Brinkley favors the All-Nude in Capri but colors and styles abound for a variety of gorgeous gams. You can shop online, or simply visit the store in Zurich when the world returns to the new normal. Prices vary. Fogal.us 7. Stay in step — Finally, there’s a high heel engineered to offer ease of wear and support. Ally Shoes, based in Manhattan, was designed by podiatrists and engineers, using some of the best practices from sneaker-making. With this shoe, you put more force on your arches (instead of on the balls of your feet), there are toe supports and deep heel cups. What does it spell? C-O-M-F-O-R-T. $285 in black; $295 in various colors. ally.nyc 8. Put your best foot forward — Frette, the luxurious French brand that sells its sheets to top five-star hotels, also makes superb slippers. They are classic Frette - crafted in Italy with a plush velvet upper embroidered with Frette’s signature emblem and a genuine leather sole. Now that’s la dolce vita, $375. Frette.com. 9. Beautiful Belgian bedding — Give your mattress the king or queen treatment that it deserves. Made in Belgium by Guccio, this beyond-gorgeous European bedding features the bestselling Sweet Surrender duvet. Its exceptional Egyptian cotton pink bedding is finished in exquisite gold embroidery. Free shipping worldwide. $367 for the set of duvet cover, sheets and two pillowcases. Gucciohome.com 10. Sybaritic sleep — I never travel without a special silk pillowcase. Celestial Silk’s 25 momme pure mulberry silk pillowcases prevent wrinkles, banish blemishes and give you silky, smooth hair. They come in standard, queen and king sizes in lots of beautiful colors. $34.99. sleepingsilk.com or Amazon, where it’s a best seller. For more about Debbi, visit Debbikickham.com.

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JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE BY BARBARA BARTON SLOANE

WANDERS

TRAVEL

It’s not often that heart and place come together, but when they do it’s magic. The irresistible force of “sensation meets location” happened to me at the Paradise Guest Ranch. Located 16 miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming, at an elevation of 7,500 feet, the 157-acre ranch is within the boundaries of the Bighorn National Forest, giving the property a feeling of privacy and isolation — ideal for a dude ranch getaway from city life. Guest cabins, constructed of logs, are scattered across the property and give it a rustic, homey feel. The entrance to the ranch is marked by a large timber gate with the ranch’s brands “Fun” and “PR.” That kind of says it all. GIT YER BOOTS ON AND SADDLE UP The ranch has approximately 150 horses in the peak season of June through August and the principal activity here is horseback riding. Everybody rides — everyday — and the horse becomes your companion. You can do a daylong ride, packing a lunch and returning just before dinner, or an overnight pack trip, a real Western wilderness adventure. The ranch’s horseback riding program is second to none. It custom-fits each guest with the horse that perfectly matches his riding ability. Governed by my internal hard-wiring for cowardice, I asked for a gentle, well-mannered horse and was assigned a sweet Paint named Gypsy. I took advantage of the riding lessons and, in the rodeo arena, was taught how to move my horse, turn, back up and even to trot. Learning to gallop, that’s for my next visit. Overview, Paradise Ranch. Courtesy Sloane Travel Photography.

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STARRY MORN We were told that a fun experience was to rise really early and watch the horses as they’re corralled and wrangled down to the ranch from the high Alpine meadows where they spent the night grazing on the bluffs. We walked sleepily up the trail in predawn darkness, a vortex of infinite stars lighting our way, and then waited by the roadside, safely out of the way as, amid thundering hooves and steaming nostrils, the horses galloped down the hill to the corrals below. Covered by dust kicked up by the horses but by now fully awake, I had one of those pinch-myself moments when I knew deep in my soul that it doesn’t, not ever, get better than this. The most enjoyable time each day was my morning ride (walk, actually) with six to eight other guests. We were led by one of the young, enthusiastic and helpful ranch hands up into deeply wooded ponderosa pine forests intersected by clear, shallow streams. The air was fresh and the sky a cloudless azure as we walked our steeds through sagebrush and Aspen groves with their pretty white trunks and leaves like so many small, golden coins making gentle music as they rustled in the breeze. EVENING REVELRY A pre-dinner cocktail, anyone? And delicious hors d’oeuvres, too. Evenings at the ranch start in a sophisticated, happy-hour way in the French Creek Saloon. Then it was everyone into the dining hall where meals are taken familystyle and the ranch staff and owners, Clay and Leah Miller and Kevin and Rebecca McMahon, mingle with the guests. After dinner, it was back to the saloon where a fire was blazing, musicians were playing western tunes and there was fun afoot, be it an amateur talent show or some raucous square dancing. For more than 100 years, Paradise Ranch has been a place of refuge and relaxation, adventure and excitement, steeped in the traditions of Wyoming ranching. Many guests return again and again for horseback riding, fly-fishing for native cutthroat trout or hiking among wildflowers and meadowlarks. I chatted with a family celebrating their 31st year at the ranch and was told that for them visiting the ranch was not just a “vacation” but more like returning to family. Personally, I think another lure is this completely incomparable experience. And, at this particular moment in our lives, I’d venture to say that Wyoming’s crisp, clean, healthy air is simply an invitation that’s hard to resist. Dude ranch — the very words conjure up a warm, cozy feeling with its animals, silvered sagebrush, quick moving streams and the heavy green of alfalfa. In twilight there was a sharp clarity of the mountain peaks as they shimmer in the purple light — best viewed from my perch on the large porch that fronted my cabin. Now I welcomed another sunshiny morning and my Paint Gypsy waited to transport me to…paradise. Surrounded by such openness and natural beauty at this spectacular ranch — really, what else could you possibly call it? For more, visit paradiseranch.com.

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COOKING WITH ‘VERVE’ BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Jacquie Lewis, Jules Vertrees and Sarah Laping Garland are three women with verve — Verve Culture, that is. “We are a women-run business spanning three generations from baby boomer (to) Gen X(er) to millennial,” the three say on the company’s website, with Jacquie and daughter Jules being company founders. “We are in constant pursuit of life travelled fully. The more we explore, the more we get inspired.” What inspires them most is sharing artisanal products curated carefully from around the globe. But the trio don’t just want to sell them to you. They want to share the artisans’ stories with you. Their website is not only a what is it but a who made it and why. So you’ll meet Juan Alonso and Anselmo Gonzalez Gardino, two of the makers of molinillos, the decorative turned wood whisks used in the frothing of Mexico’s distinctive hot chocolate. The whisks make intriguing decorative art objects, reminding us that the functional and the artistic needn’t be exclusive. Meanwhile, Thai craftsmen like Tee fashion knives, including the wedge-shape Moon Knife that can cut through everything from watermelon to animal bone, out of stainless steel and pradu wood. It’s a craft that harks back to the early-19th century blacksmiths who emigrated from Laos, creating swords to fend off Thailand’s Burmese invaders. Verve Culture offers everything from utensils to foodstuffs to wellness products. For more, visit verveculture.com.

Photographs courtesy Verve Culture. 72

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

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WARES

HOME & DESIGN

CREATING A DREAM HOUSE/VACATION BY CAMI WEINSTEIN

As travel comes to a virtual standstill during the COVID-19 pandemic, sheltering in place has become part of the new normal for many of us. What will that be like going forward? One thing is certain: Our homes are more important than ever to provide us with a place to live, to work and to seek comfort. After looking around our homes these past weeks, many of us have decided we need to elevate our style. Everyone is video conferencing, giving us a window into the homes of commentators, news anchors, celebrities and business leaders, as well as an evolving phenomenon. At the beginning of these home “broadcasts,” the backgrounds looked pretty bleak. As a designer, I was immediately intrigued and have become obsessed with what is in these homes. I am aware of who actually loves to be in their homes and what they surround themselves with. Many are sorely lacking in books, art, style and even furniture. But as the weeks have progressed, I am noticing that the backgrounds are filling in with artwork, bookcases, plants and furniture. Are these props or symbols of a new awareness? (I’m not alone in wondering. My editor here at WAG, an amateur decorator and bookworm whose home has a library throughout, is particularly enamored of the background bookshelves that lend a certain gravitas or at least fascination as to their contents.) I’m sure these transformed “sets” are a combination of seeing your home through someone’s eyes and realizing that your home needs some TLC. Yet we are a society that is always running to work, the gym, to see friends and to travel on wonderful vacations. Sometimes little time is spent at home. So what do we do now that we are hunkering down? How do you get a vacation experience at home? Plan a renovation. That spa that you love going to? Recreate it in your own bath. Those fabulous restaurants you enjoy? Renovate your kitchen to include some industrial appliances and learn to cook. A bedroom redo is the ultimate in creating

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

Now’s the perfect time to revamp your home — or plan that refresh, as in that spa bathroom you always wanted, says Wares columnist Cami Weinstein.

a personal space. Spring is here so we can get outside and garden. If you live in an apartment, bring in some plants in great containers and enjoy caring for them at home. Working from home is part of the new normal. Set aside a room or area if possible with a desk, chair and storage and use that as your work zone. All trends in home design are moving toward live/ work situations, so our homes will be much more important to us, and we are going to want every comfort for living and every piece of technology available to keep us connected to the outside world, to family, friends and work colleagues. At the same time, you can bring more of your vacation style into your home. With so many choices in home furnishing styles, you can find one that suits you while you wait to take your next vacation safely. Until a full renovation can take place, you can begin to plan it now. Many designers, myself included, are working remotely and are happy to help you plan your new living spaces. Quick updates to help boost your home style until a more comprehensive plan can be created include the addition of some cozy throws and pillows. Hang up some artwork. Photographs enlarged of your travels are great inspiration for updating your rooms. If you now have time on your hands, take an online painting course and translate your travel photos into artwork for your home. We are all looking forward to leaving our homes and going back to our daily lives of working, socializing and traveling. Use this time as a reset. How can we enhance our life/ work balance going forward? What beautiful objects and memories would you like to incorporate into your homes? On your future travels, remember to bring back some of those objects to incorporate into you homes and remind you of your journeys — and your having survived a challenging time. Until then, stay safe while updating your home — and the next chapter of your life. For more, call 203-661-4700 or visit camidesigns.com.

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CREATING A SPA AT HOME BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

WEAR

FASHION & BEAUTY

Dubbed “New York City’s best-kept secret,” skincare specialist Vicki Morav blends her expertise, the latest technology and active products with an understanding of her clients’ individual needs. But her greatest strengths may be her psychological acuity and her philosophical approach to life. Her Upper East Side practice is designed to offer a reflection of this and an oasis of calm. Recently, we had an opportunity to chat with her about life in the time of the coronavirus and what we can do to keep our skin healthy (and ourselves sane) in a spa-like atmosphere at home: Vicki, thank you for taking the time to talk with us via e-mail. How are you coping with the virus restrictions? “I am embracing it, because being upset takes me out of my creativity. Thinking that the restrictions are for the best interests of everyone makes me feel less resistant to them.” What effect does the stress of this time in particular have on the skin? “The effect of stress is tremendous at this time. It is such a chain reaction — being stressed, releasing stress hormones (that act like cortical steroids), activating the adrenals that release chemicals. The body has to work overtime for the elimination of chemical buildup that has a very negative effect on the skin (causing acne, dialated capilaries, melasma, rosacea…. ) An overactive adrenal function affects the brain that is the conductor of our entire system. Meditate, everyone. Meditate.” Even though we’re all presumably home, people seem busier than ever. What are the one or two things we should do each day for healthy skin? “Yes, my days seem crazy busy. I’m not sure how I had a nonstop work schedule

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and still accomplished all that I do now. At the least, proper cleansing and moisturizing is the bare minimum, although I don’t find that enough. I love to layer products and create chemistry for the best results. I also recommend exfoliating and masking a few times a week with various ingredients, because that is essential for plump, healthy skin.” What are the minimal products we should use each day? “I am definitely not a minimalist. But will do my best to minimize for you only: Cleanser — Forlle’d Hyalogy Creamy Wash; Toner — Forlle’d Hyalogy P-Effect Peeling Lotion; Antioxidants — MBR CEA City & Sky; Serum — Valmont Hydra 3 Regentic Serum; Moisturizer — Forlle’d Hyalogy P-Effect Nourishing Cream; Sun Block — MBR Sunblock High Protection Cream SPF50; Exfoliant — MBR Enzyme Cleansing Booster; Mask — Valmont Prime Renewing Pack. Please design for us a spa treatment we can do at home. “First step: Create an ambiance for yourself that includes candles, crystals, music, intense, essential oils and diffusers. Cleanse with a creamy wash, then rinse well. “Exfoliate with MBR Enzyme Cleansing Booster for two to three minutes. Massage in a circular motion and rinse well. “Forlle’d Hyalogy P-Effect Peeling Lotion: Apply with a cotton pad all over face, neck and décolleté. Keep it on for five minutes. Don’t rinse. “Valmont Regenerating Collagen Mask Treatment: Apply on top of the peeling lotion for 30 minutes. “Remove the mask and apply Valmont post-collagen serum from the package, followed by MBR CEA City and Sky, Valmont Hydra 3 Regentic Serum and Forlle’d Hyalogy P-Effect Nourishing Cream.”

Vicki Morav. Courtesy Vicki Morav.

Why did you choose skincare as a profession? “I was very young when I got into skincare. I never really thought it would be for the rest of my life. In the beginning, it was fun and I always loved caring for clients. Over time, the more I worked and learned through

true experience, the more passionate I have become for my job and profession. I developed acne in my mid-20s and that led me on a journey of self-discovery as well as acquiring the priceless knowledge of living through that true experience. “I turned to medicine that failed me, but it led me to discover nutrition, genetics and the attributes of a hormonal, chemical and spiritual body. I embarked on the amazing ride we call life, and through my experiences I was able to connect to my deepest, most passionate self and, in turn, help others. I still learn every day. The body is made up from so much more than we ever think of. The more I experience, the better I become. Passion and desire are the drivers of my daily life.” What are you looking forward to postcoronavirus? “I think COVID-19 made us face our deepest, most vulnerable selves. We are being faced by the unknown and that forces us to rise up, to grow and to expand our human capacity. “I really look forward to a more conscious world — a world of greater awareness, a place where we can truly share and influence humanity in the most profound ways. I look forward to a cleaner, greener world; to unity, passion and compassion; innovations and cures. “In my field, I look forward to educating and creating awareness surrounding all that we need to know about healthy living, psychology, philosophy, energy work, crystal work, health, nutrition, genetics, the hormonal body and so much more. “The skin is a live organ. It is affected by everything we feel, eat and process both externally and internally. Expanding our horizons will help us live better lives and create a greater world.” My passion is limitless and sharing teaching serving is my greatest desire. All products mentioned above, as well as additional favorite products of Vicki’s can be purchased on vickimorav.com. For customized skincare and hair-care regimens, write Vicki at info@vickimorav. com.

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

AN EGG DISH THAT’S HARD TO ‘BEET’ BY RAJNI MENON

FOOD & SPIRITS

WHAT’S COOKING?

BEET SCRAMBLED EGGS

Photograph by Aditya Menon.

Growing up in South India, I would have eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There would be Scotch eggs in sausage nests, roasted hard-boiled eggs with onions and a rice pancake, and hard-boiled eggs with a luscious onion gravy. I have come up with a quick and easy recipe for scrambled eggs with a twist — beets and eggs. I’m sure you haven’t tried this combination, but it’s a great one. If you’re thinking that this dish would be too sweet, think again. The cayenne pepper and the black pepper perfectly balance the sweetness from the beets to give the dish an amazing flavor. To top it off, the coconut oil has a beautiful aroma. Enjoy this for any meal. For more, visit creativerajni.com.

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

INGREDIENTS: 6 eggs, beaten 1/2 beet, puréed 1/2 a white onion, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 4 tablespoons coconut oil 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional) DIRECTIONS: 1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and the beet purée. (To make the beet purée, cook the beet in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, then blend it with a little water until it becomes a paste.) Add in all the spices and whisk until mixed through. Set the mixture aside. 2. Heat a nonstick pan and add the 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. 3. Once the oil is hot, add in the white onions. Sauté until translucent. 4. Add in the egg mixture and stir well to cook the eggs. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro. Mix well. Serve hot on buttered toast.

I FEEL SO POWERLESS. WE HAVE TO WATCH HER EVERY MINUTE. FAMILY AND FRIENDS STOPPED COMING AROUND. HE KEEPS SAYING: “THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.” IT’S DESTROYING OUR FAMILY. I FEEL SO GUILTY WE HAVE TO MOVE HER INTO A HOME. IT’S SO HARD TO CARE FOR SOMEONE WHO’S MEAN TO YOU. HE HIDES THINGS ALL THE TIME. I’M GRIEVING THE LOSS OF SOMEONE WHO’S STILL ALIVE. WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START.

LIVING WITH FTD IS HARD. LIVING WITHOUT HELP IS HARDER. THERE’S COMFORT IN FINDING OTHERS WHO UNDERSTAND. WE FINALLY FOUND A DOCTOR WHO GETS IT. I GOT SO MUCH ADVICE FROM OTHER CAREGIVERS. UNDERSTANDING MORE HELPS ME DEAL WITH HER SYMPTOMS. SEEING THAT OTHERS MADE IT THROUGH, I KNEW I COULD TOO. WE HONOR HIM BY ADVOCATING FOR A CURE. NOW I’M BETTER AT ASKING FOR HELP. NO MATTER HOW BAD IT GETS, WE KNOW WE’RE NOT ALONE. It can feel so isolating and confusing from the start: Just getting a diagnosis of FTD takes 3.6 years on average. But no family facing FTD should ever have to face it alone, and with your help, we’re working to make sure that no one does. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) is dedicated to a world without FTD, and to providing help and support for those living with this disease today. Choose to bring hope to our families: www.theAFTD.org/learnmore

NOW WE’RE COOKING

SEAFOOD PAELLA FOR FIVE By Elmer Oliveros, Brothers Fish & Chips

BY JEREMY WAYNE

WONDERFUL DINING

FOOD & SPIRITS

What’s cooking in Westchester and Fairfield counties? Plenty, it seems. Last month, WAG’s first Wonderful Dining column under lockdown brought you seven of the best local restaurants for takeout or delivery of terrific restaurant food to your door. This month, thanks to a new cookbook cooked up by three local industry stalwarts, Wonderful Dining wants you to enjoy restaurant-standard meals that you cook yourself, at home. Johnny Livanos of City Limits Diner in White Plains and Moderne Barn in Armonk, Susanna Sussman of Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains and restaurant public relations maven Jessica Rosen Klein, have teamed up to create “Westchester Cooks,” a cookbook filled with recipes from chefs, restaurateurs and local cookery writers. There’s a suggested donation of $10 for the online copy and all proceeds are being donated to Lifting Up Westchester, an organization that provides food, shelter and support to those in need, right here in our own community. Recipes come from across our region, so that there is a palpable (if perhaps inadvertent) sense of local and seasonal,and more than $5,000 has already been raised. The New York Times recently reported that COVID-19 has seen a return to dependence on tinned and processed foods. Well, what goes around comes around and one of the many pleasing aspects of “Westchester Cook”s is that not only does this cookbook give us the opportunity to eat more healthily at home, it simultaneously gives some of the most hard-hit people in our community some much-needed help. The book is divided into breakfast, starters, mains, sides and desserts and there are more than 40 recipes across the pages. Featured restaurants include X20 Xaviar’s on the Hudson in Yonkers, Sonora in Port Chester, The Cookery in Dobbs Ferry and Lulu’s in Scarsdale. Here are three recipes that I have already sampled from the book, reproduced with kind permission from the publishers, as easy to make as they are delicious to eat. To download “Westchester Cooks” and make your donation, visit liftingupwestchester.

(JW notes: This is the perfect dish for a family or a group of caring, sharing roommates looking for a bit of variety during lockdown. I also happen to love the restaurant it hails from, Brothers Fish & Chips in Ossining. Just like the Andalusians, chef Elmer Oliveros understands that a paella doesn’t have to be complex to be good. Just be generous with the saffron and use pingingly fresh shellfish, which Whole Foods will obligingly deliver if you are sheltering in place.) Ingredients 32 to 40 ounces of seafood stock 8 whole shrimp 6 clams 12 mussels 1 red pepper 1 white onion 32 ounces white rice 1/4 teaspoon saffron 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup olive oil Directions 1. Start with olive oil over medium heat. 2. Add diced onion and pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Then add salt, Cajun seasoning, saffron and chili flakes, with 8 ounces of stock. Place the clams around the pan, leaving the middle empty to add rice. 3. Add shrimp and mussels with the rest of the stock and let it cook uncovered for 15 minutes on medium heat. Note: Mussels and shrimp can be taken out of the pan after 10 minutes to prevent overcooking them.

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

ROASTED FREE RANGE CHICKEN WITH STAR ANISE BRINE By Peter X. Kelly, Xaviars Restaurant Group

(JW’s note: Nothing coos “comfort food” more than roast chicken, while the star anise brine in this wonderful dish from Peter X. Kelly of Xaviars Restaurant Group adds a touch of Eastern razzle dazzle. I served this with creamy mashed potatoes and a simple green salad. It was heavenly.) Ingredients 1 large whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil For the brine: 1 gallon water 1⁄3 cup kosher salt 1⁄2 cup sugar 6 tablespoons soy sauce 6 to 8 tablespoons black peppercorns 2-inch piece peeled ginger (optional) 8 pieces star anise 6 bay leaves (optional) Directions In a large non reactive bowl, place all brine ingredients and stir till sugar and salt dissolve. Submerge whole chicken in brine and leave in refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours (no more). Remove chicken from brine and rinse under cold running water. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Chicken is now ready to cook. 1. Place a large oven proof sauté pan or roasting pan over medium high heat. To the pan add the butter and olive oil. 2. When butter and oil are hot, add chicken to pan and brown chicken on all sides. 3. When brown, place chicken breast side up and place pan with chicken in a 400°F preheated oven and roast for 50 to 60 minutes till juices run clear. 4. Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes. 5. Slice chicken and serve

BARBRA’S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES By Jessica Rosen Klein

(JW’s note: Who doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie? Well, me actually. The chocolate chips always leave me wanting more chocolate, while the ‘traduced’ cookie leaves me wanting more cookie. Then, I tried these. They take minutes to make and bake and are a rich and satisfying delight of a bite. Now I’m a convert. Thank you Jessica Rosen Klein, and Barbra!) Ingredients 1⁄2 cup salted butter (1 stick) 6 tablespoons white sugar 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 1⁄8 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla 1⁄4 tsp baking soda 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Cream butter. 3. Add sugar, vanilla and egg. Mix well. 4. Add dry ingredients. 5. Blend nuts and morsels. Drop by spoonful on a lightly coated baking sheet (butter) and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.

Seafood paella. Courtesy Brothers Fish & Chips. Roast chicken with star anise brine. Photograph by Peter X. Kelly Chocolate chip cookies. Photograph by Jeffrey Klein.

JUNE-JULY 2020 WAGMAG.COM

A PRIMER ON SCOTCH WHISKEY, ER, WHISKY STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG PAULDING

WINE & DINE

FOOD & SPIRITS

Yes, it’s a strange time to be alive and odd to be tasked with writing about wine and spirits. In this endeavor I, and most of my colleagues, will attend luncheons or dinners with winemakers or spirit distillers and/or their employers. We will taste through the inventory on hand and hear stories of the creation and evolution of the subject. We are often invited to seminars, where regional consortio staff members might give us the history and bottom line and, of course, offer up a taste of a series of representative styles. And then there are the media trips to other lands, where we are flown to distant places, sometimes with a few journalists; sometimes with many from around the world. After any of these events, it is fairly simple to compose an engaging story. We hear, we taste, we question, we compare. But today all of those options are on hold so we have to get creative. I visited the local Total Wines store in Norwalk, Connecticut, where the inventory is second to none in the area. I randomly walked around, a bit lost, looking for inspiration. I ambled aisle to aisle, picking up bottle after bottle until I found myself in the spirits section and was immediately drawn to the Scotch whiskey area. (Note: Scotland drops the “e,” but the preferred American spelling is with it.) For reasons unknown, Scotch whiskey has always held a particular attraction for me. Perhaps because my maternal grandfather was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Perhaps because it was my first drink in an adult setting in a restaurant. Perhaps because I have bonded with a few friends over an attractive dram or two of Scotch, while discussing life and solving the world’s problems. Sadly, some of these friends are no longer here, so in my mind there is a permanence and a certain “holiness” to these sacred, or profane, memories. Single malt whiskey may be the gold standard of whiskeys worldwide. Scotland and Ireland both lay claim to being the originator of this fermented, distilled and aged product, but the single malts of Scotland all have their unique flavors and personalities. The Highland region employs smoked peat moss to dry the malted (sprouted) grain. Each distillery has its own peaty preferences of flavor and concentration. Some like a hint of smokiness for accent, while others are so peaty and smoky it will take multiple tastes to appreciate them. And then there are all the styles in between. So I was wandering in the Scotch aisle looking for an

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Grangestone Highland Single Malt Whiskey finished in premium Madeira, Rum and Sherry casks for added flavor.

angle. Some of these Scotches are wildly expensive, reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars. Many are in the typical price range of $45 to $100 dollars or so. But I stumbled across Grangestone, an affordable and interesting Highland single malt Scotch whiskey. I bought three bottles, each for about $26. Each of these bottles begin the same way, aged in traditional American oak casks. They are then transferred into casks that have matured other products to their happy place. One was finished in premium Madeira casks, one was in premium rum casks and the third in premium sherry casks. Each bottle was clearly of the same lineage, but there were subtle flavor differences from these finishing casks. Madeira is an island off the coast of northwest Africa belonging to Portugal where Madeira is exclusively made. It is a fortified wine, shocked during the fermentation process with high alcohol brandy to arrest it, thus maintaining some of the natural sugars of the grape. It is then aged in wood for years or sometimes for many decades. Sherry is made in southwest Spain and is also a fortified wine. Sherry has many styles from bone dry to extra sweet. And rum, of course, is derived from sugar or cane juice or molasses and is typically produced throughout the Caribbean. Because it’s made in so many different countries, there are no universal rules or laws for its production. But success sells and producers pay attention to what sells and may try to emulate a style with their own grace note of flavor. The Madeira cask contributed hints of a dark Port softly carried by the whiskey. The rum cask is much more aromatic, showing clean whiskey flavors tempered by a slight touch of molasses. The sherry cask whiskey was considerably dryer, probably made with a cask that previously matured dry Amontillado or Oloroso sherry. These whiskeys all come in at 40% alcohol by volume, or at 80 proof. Each of them had a distinct personality and any of them could become a personal favorite, which could change with the day or night temperatures, food available or current company. Grangestone Highland Single Malt Whisky —affordable, delicious and educational. What could be better? Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.

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COPING WITH THE PANDEMIC AND ITS AFTERMATH BY DANA DORFMAN

WELL

HEALTH & FITNESS

The coronavirus pandemic will end. But it won’t end in a decisive moment with bells ringing, horns blaring and dancing in the streets — as marked Victory in Europe Day 75 years ago this past May 8. The endgame of the pandemic is likely to be a drawn-out affair. We won’t be eradicating the virus itself so much as we’ll be eradicating the conditions that are hospitable to it. That will happen when we have an effective vaccine that can be administered to every human being and, over time, will eliminate the disease, as with smallpox. The virus may reappear seasonally and require revaccination for a modified strain, as with the flu, but most epidemiologists expect that it will be in a less virulent form and cause less social upheaval than we are currently experiencing. So, the coronavirus is likely to be with us for some time and may never disappear entirely. What then of the havoc wreaked by this pathogen? How do we recover from the damage and destruction to our physical and mental health, to our economic well-being, to our social fabric, to every aspect of our lives? Millions have suffered grievous personal loss and all have suffered the loss of a way of life that may not be resurrected in familiar form. “Returning to normal life” as we knew it may not be a useful concept. Surely, we’ll be able to hug our grandchildren, shop for groceries and earn a living, but what will work look like? Will we be going to a restaurant for dinner? To the movies? To a ballgame? The future is wildly uncertain and, as the reality of that uncertainty sinks in, it exacerbates the emotional toll already taken by fear, anxiety and grief. Just as the scale of the trauma inflicted by this outbreak has been unprecedented, it could leave millions of people wrestling with long-lasting psychological effects. Those who have lost loved ones and been devastated financially will be most susceptible to long-lasting trauma, though for most of us, anxiety and fear will outlast the immediate danger and prolong social and economic recovery. Many people will need professional help to see them through and we will all need strategies — both now and for the foreseeable future — for coping with ongoing emotional strains. Here are some suggestions: Consider limiting your exposure to news and social media: We must stay informed but constant updates and

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monitoring feeds rather than alleviates anxiety. Consider checking in once a day at a set time. To avoid misinformation and sensationalized coverage that will be confusing and frightening, stick to trusted sources like the CDC and your local public health authorities. Limit what you share with others to information that you’ve verified. Stay in touch with friends and family: Social distancing and self-isolation make us feel disconnected and can heighten anxiety and depression. Consider scheduling regular chats that take advantage of technology. Seeing familiar faces on Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom can do wonders for your state of mind. Find things to talk and laugh about that take your mind off the coronavirus. Stay away from people who are overcritical or who reinforce your fears. Take control of what you can control: Avoid focusing on questions that have no answers or circumstances that are beyond your control. You can’t control the virus outbreak but you can take steps to reduce your own risk. Follow guidelines from the CDC and your local authorities. Keep your life in order: Get dressed every day. Make the bed. Prepare and eat healthy meals. Exercise: Practice stress relief activities like meditation or yoga. Getting plenty of sleep will boost your immune system. Do something for someone else: Focusing on the needs of others, especially those in need, is good for them, good for your community and good for you. Much of the stress of living through these times is the feeling of powerlessness. Helping others helps you feel in control and gives you a sense of purpose. Is there an elderly or disabled neighbor you can check on? Deliver groceries for? A food bank you can donate to? Local social organizations may have suggestions on how you can help. There may be ways in which this will be a better world for having gone through this. Already, communities are finding ways to bring us together even as we stay apart. Businesses and other institutions can be remarkably creative in devising flexible policies that better support working parents, the disabled and health-care needs. We have come to appreciate the contributions of many who have been overlooked and underpaid. We may emerge from this crisis a better prepared, more just and equal society, one that truly values the common good. Dana Dorfman, Ph.D., is a New York City-based psychotherapist. For more, visit drdanadorfman.com.

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THE AMERICAN DREAM BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI

“Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice.” - inventor Charles F. Kettering As life continues on in these unique times, I have chosen to take these last few months to prioritize self-reflection and selfimprovement, both personally and professionally. The fitness industry that I have been heavily entrenched in for the last decade has been in peril, so it has truly given me time to reflect and also reboot. As we are forced to “celebrate” holidays in not so ideal circumstances, I wanted to take this time to honor a special father for Father’s Day.

Vincenzo Roselli with the author, his son. Courtesy the Roselli family.

WELL

HEALTH & FITNESS

THE AMERICAN DREAM My father, Vincenzo Roselli, was one of five brothers and sisters born and raised in a small town and commune, Carato, Italy. He came to the United States with nothing and built a career, a family and a life that I look on with admiration. After having two wonderful daughters, my parents got to hear the words, “It’s a boy” when I was born and it was met with a little extra sense of pride to my father. It ensured the family name would continue on, which is something very meaningful in the Italian culture. As the co-owner of R&T Auto Repairs in White Plains — along with my uncle, Charlie Tota — my father made a living as an auto mechanic specialist. I have added the word specialist because it would not do him justice to simply call him a mechanic. I remember my father coming home anywhere between 7 and 8:30 p.m. every day from the gas station. As a child, I was basically winding down the night and getting ready for bed. He would eat dinner and then go read the paper on the couch and often fall asleep there. I saw my dad fall asleep on the couch a lot over the years. We often joked and commented on his snoring. Being so young,

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what I didn’t appreciate and realize until later on is that he was falling asleep on the couch, because he worked so hard and was so exhausted that he literally had no more energy. He was drained both physically and mentally. And guess what? He woke up the next day and did it all over again. Day after day, and year after year. But why? PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE If there is something that my father exemplifies, it is the ability to do these three things: Take care of your family. Take care of your house. Take care of your car. Talk about simple. Talk about priorities. He always made sure we had a strong roof over our heads and food on the table. All three of his children graduated from college with honors, have gone on to successful lives and provided him with many loving grandchildren. He may drive my mother a little crazy at times (what spouse doesn’t?), but they have always been there for each other. He meticulously takes care of anything and everything that he works on — and the job isn’t complete until it’s done well. This doesn’t just go for working on cars. This goes for everything in his life, including his immaculate garden and pristine homemade wine. The word “old school” is often thrown around nowadays, but there are a very few like my dad out there who can truly live up to that moniker. I often joke that if I took care of my car like I take care of my body, and if my dad took care of his body like he takes care of his cars, then I’d have much more interest and care for my cars and he’d had much less aches and pains in his body. LEADING BY EXAMPLE I vividly remember one talk we had when I was in my early 20s, and he told me that, “I don’t want you to go as far as I did. I want you to go further. I want you to be better.” And isn’t that every parent’s dream, to create a life for their children that is better than his was? Growing up, I really didn’t think I was very much like my father. Now that I’m grown up and a father myself, I realize just how much we are actually alike and I can only hope and wish to be like him. We both ended up working with our hands, just in different ways. We are both very emotional. We both have a temper. We are both passionate in what we do. He is strong and it made me strong. I’ve even found myself falling asleep on the couch. That’s one similarity, among many others that I will be happy to share for years to come. He gets and reads WAG magazine every month so I’m hoping this surprise article puts a smile on his face (and probably a tear in his eye. He’s emotional, remember?) Thank you for everything, Dad. And all the great men and fathers out there, Happy Fathers Day. On a side note, if anyone is struggling with his fitness and/ or nutrition regimen given the current set of circumstances, please feel free to reach out to me at Gio@GiovanniRoselli. com and I will be happy to assist you with my virtual online coaching program.

TRUTH AND FICTION FROM WAG'S EDITOR

PROVOCATIVE POSTS ON POWER thegamesmenplay.com

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PET CARE

YO, ROCKY

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Like a certain Sylvester Stallone character, this Rocky has the spirit to overcome hard times. The 1-year-old Labrador Retriever/German Shepherd mix is a smart, active pup who loves palling around with his canine buddies. Sadly, his owner could no longer care for him and didn’t have the proper amount of room for him to exercise. This Rocky, too, is initially shy with new people and needs help building his confidence, so a more experienced owner who can guide him — one who also has a yard or a yen for the dog park — is preferred. Rocky warms up quickly and is wonderful and loving once he knows you. Overall, he is a great dog who will blossom in the right home. To meet Rocky, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor. Founded in 1883, the SPCA is a no-kill shelter and is not affiliated with the ASPCA. 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.

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WAG

WHERE & WHEN

SWOON FOR JUNE

Salute the sun on the summer solstice, seen here at sunset over the Mojave Desert in California, June 20, 2016. Photograph by Jessie Eastland

June — a month for brides and their fathers, or any father, along with flags and summer sun. Begin by trooping the colors on Flag Day, first established by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. It’s also the 245th birthday of the U.S. Army, established in 1775. Six days later, you can salute the sun as it reaches the highest point in the Northern Hemisphere over the Tropic of Cancer for the summer solstice. Although it’s also known as midsummer, it marks the beginning of summer. And while it can fall on any of three days, June 20 through 22, this year it falls on June 20. Those who are interested in the exact moment of the sun’s zenith should set their watches and cellphones that day

WAGMAG.COM JUNE-JULY 2020

for 5:43 p.m. EDT. A day later, tell dad how much he means to you on Father’s Day, June 21 — founded in Spokane, Washington, on June 19, 1908, by Sonora Smart Dodd, whose father, William Smart Dodd, was a Civil War veteran and single father of six. Assist dad at the grill, gear up for a game of catch or get set for some throwback sporting events on the tube. Last but certainly not least, the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks will go on in New York City. And anyway, not even a pandemic can stop the celebration of the Declaration of Independence, signed this day in 1776. So get out the grill, kick back and have a spectacular Fourth.

We brought the best pediatric specialists closer to you. The newly opened Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Pediatric Specialty Center brings top specialists to one convenient Greenwich location. From allergies to cancer treatment, your child will be cared for by specialists from a children’s hospital that ranks among the best in the country according to U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital physicians provide 24/7 emergency services and onsite care for children at Greenwich Hospital. Everything your child could need from our top ranked children’s hospital is now close by. ynhch.org

WAG

WATCH

MAKING AN ‘IMPACT’ Impact100 Westchester is a women’s collectivegiving organization engaging women in philanthropy. The membership of Impact100 Westchester voted this year to change its process and, instead of awarding six Transformational Project Grants, decided to award 12 Core Mission Grants in light of the pandemic. The six 2020 recipients of the $30,000 Core Mission Grants are Big Brothers Big Sisters of Family Services of Westchester, Community Resource Center, HOPE Community Services, Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center, Port Chester Carver Center and Westchester Medical Center Foundation – SAAVE Program. The six 2020 recipients of the $24,500 Core Mission Grants are Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle, Cerebral Palsy of Westchester, Greyston Foundation, Human Development Services of Westchester, YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester and YWCA Yonkers. The 2020 recipient of the $15,000 Focus Area Grant is Feeding Westchester. The four 2020 recipients of the $4,000 Focus Area Grants are Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Community Center of Northern Westchester, Hillside Food Outreach and Westchester Community College Foundation.

1. Impact100 Westchester Executive Board. From left to right: Blakely Brodbeck, Jane Petty, Roberta Shapiro, Dawn Hoesterey, Laura Stone, Samantha Schwam and Laura Rotter

NICE GOING, ANYELY

The frontline health-care staff at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers recently celebrated the discharge of one of the hospital’s last COVID-19 patients. Anyely Gomez de Martinez, also of Yonkers, was discharged to applause and cheers on May 14. She was admitted to the hospital on April 2. 2. COVID-19 survivor Anyely Gomez de Martinez heads home after six weeks at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers.

HAILING HEROES Mount Vernon’s first responders paid tribute to Wartburg’s frontline staff battling this community’s COVID-19 pandemic on Friday May 15 by parading through Wartburg’s 34-acre campus. The parade included representatives from the Fire Department, Police Department, the Office of the Mayor, City Council, the Department of Public Works, the Recreation Department and the Office of Emergency Management. 3-4. Mount Vernon’s first responders salute Wartburg staffers with a car parade.

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WAG

WATCH

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Lowe’s home improvement donated 700 flower baskets for Mother’s Day to the residents and nursing staff of Wartburg in Mount Vernon. The flowers were provided by CK Greenhouses of Cheshire, Connecticut. In a statement, the company said: “We know that Mother’s Day may feel a bit different than in years past and we hope this makes it a little brighter.” 5-6.

Staffers at Wartburg with floral baskets from Lowe’s.

Dream Kitchens and Baths Artist Oscar Lett works on her mural in downtown White Plains, a public art partnership between ArtsWestchester and LMC, a Lennar Company.

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WE WONDER:

WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO ESCAPE TO (IN YOUR MIND)?

Christine Alexander

Vanessa Cichelli

paralegal Norwalk resident

supervisor at a Mount Kisco daycare Bedford Hills resident

chair, Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) Manhattan resident

Michele Cohen

Brianna Flynn assistant teacher Mount Kisco resident

director of perinatal services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln White Plains resident

“I like to use the law of attraction and try and envision what my future would be like once all my goals are accomplished. It helps take me away from reality but also keeps me focused and in a positive mindset.”

“I like to escape to the happiest place on earth, Disney World.”

“Most recently during quarantine, I have been building 3D puzzles and the architecture series of Lego, (featuring) many of the world’s greatest landmarks. I find it to be a calming, peaceful endeavor. I am fascinated by the way the buildings come together. Pieces from one building are not used the same way in other buildings...

“I like to escape to somewhere with music where I can freely dance.”

“A tropical island, like Tahiti, replete with a beautiful white sandy beach, bright sunshine, warm winds and topaz blue water. I’m reclining and sunning, with a cold piña colada in my hand — just looking quietly in the distance, not a worry in the world—and being thankful I can enjoy the beauty and tranquility of nature.”

Valeri Larko

Samantha Ruff

Kecia Gaither

artist New Rochelle resident

Ryan Martin

assistant teacher Mount Kisco resident

Alisha Perkins

Adriana Rivera communications and marketing manager White Plains resident

registered nurse Goldens Bridge resident

“Art has been my escape since I was a teenager. Fortunately, it’s an escape that has served me well, so even when I’m not physically painting, dreaming about painting is a wonderful way to put myself in a good place. Thinking about my current painting or my next series of paintings or recalling all of the terrific paintings I’ve seen in museums around the globe — all of that makes me happy...

“I like to escape with my wife to somewhere peaceful that has good music.”

“Typically, I like to envision a beach when I’m feeling like I need an escape. A warm, sunny and breezy beach day with sounds of the ocean waves is what I like to escape to. (It) brings me a sense of calmness that I look for.”

“As a writer, I can escape through worlds and characters from my own imagination. I like to create works that reflect real-life situations with a hint of humor. Music also helps me escape. I always have a song playing in my mind. It’s great working at the Music Conservatory of Westchester, where I can write and be surrounded by music.”

“I like to escape to nature. I love the feeling of being in or on water. It is nice and relaxing. When I am near a body of water or on a boat, I feel like everything in my life is at peace.”

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paralegal Peekskill resident