WAG November 2014

POWER

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NOVEMBER 2014

When the weather turns cooler, our power couples like nothing more than an island escape.

(SEE WANDERS, PAGE 67)

12 LIONS (AND LIONESSES) 16 WAG COUNTRY’S POWER LIST 21 CHINA’S POWERFUL YIN-YANG 24 ON THE RECORD WITH THE FIRST FAMILY OF YONKERS 28 A PERFECT UNION 32 AUTISM SPEAKS

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34 THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME 36 SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY 40 TWO DOCTORS IN THE HOUSE 44 A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP 48 MY NEIGHBORS, THE CLINTONS

A couple in the Maldives. © Haveseen | Dreamstime.com

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NOVEMBER 2014

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85 WHEN & WHERE Upcoming events 89 WATCH We’re out and about 96 WIT Who’s your favorite power couple?

Lisa Cash, Anne Jordan Duffy, Barbara Hanlon, Marcia Pflug and Patrice Sullivan

On the cover:

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Jackie Ruby, “The Cooking Realtor,” has been in real estate for more than 18 years, covering both southern and northern Westchester.

Her grandparents were from Italy, which was the start of her love affair with food. She carries on the tradition of her Italian roots in preparing all her dishes. Jackie, a Waccabuc resident, is married with two children and the cutest dog named Valentino.

Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

to benefit the Greenwich Historical Society

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GREENWICH WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW Presented by Frank Gaglio, Inc. Saturday, December 6, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday, December 7, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Greenwich Civic Center Admission is $15 per person, payable at the door.

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE

Christ Church Greenwich Tuesday, December 9, 6:00 to 8:30 pm Enjoy cocktails, wine and passed hors d’oeuvres by Watson’s Catering while you shop.

Wednesday, December 10, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm A fabulous array of one-of-a-kind gift items for everyone on your list! Free admission.

HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR

Wednesday, December 10, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Antiquarius 2014 showcases five of Greenwich’s finest homes with inspiring architecture, design and collections. Advance reservations required.

HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR LUNCHEON

Wednesday, December 10, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm The Milbrook Club Enjoy a country club buffet lunch with friends as part of your day on the House Tour.

Advance reservations required.

For tickets or more information, visit www.greenwichhistory.org/antiquarius or call 203-869-6899, Ext. 14.

Antiquarius 2014 is generously sponsored by: EXCLUSIVE MEDIA SPONSOR

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EDITOR'S LETTER GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

IN CARSON MCCULLERS’ “THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING,” 12-YEAR-OLD FRANKIE (Julie Harris onstage and in the movie) lives in the delusion that she will be going off with her adored older brother and his bride after they’re married. She longs for what she calls “the we of me.”

The people who make up WAG’s November “Power Couples” issue -both in our profiles and in our select power couples list – understand the “we of me.” Singly, they’re terrifically accomplished. But together, they’re dynamite, sharing gifted children, fabulous homes or wonderful careers or causes – sometimes all of the above.

A word about interviewing power couples: It isn’t easy. Indeed, it’s tough enough to get one powerful person to sit down for a feature, let alone two.

Sometimes we were lucky to get one, as in Bob’s heartening update on Nancy Armstrong – profiled in WAG’s May 2013 issue – and her PBS “Makers: Women Who Make America” documentary series. (Her hubby is AOL chief Tim Armstrong.) Sometimes, the single interview transcended our theme, as with Leif’s superb profile of Robert Kennedy Jr., who divides his time between two great loves – his bride, actress Cheryl Hines, in Malibu and environmental law in the Hudson Valley.

At other times, we had to view the couple from a nearby perch. In our cover story, Ronni offers a charming, up-close-and-personal look at Bill and Hillary Clinton – undoubtedly WAG country’s ultimate power couple – from her unique perspective as their Chappaqua neighbor.

Or through a long lens. That’s what Sino expert and shutterbug Audrey does in her fascinating take on China’s first couple, “paramount leader” Xi Jinping and his wife, singer Peng Liyuan.

Just as the partners in a power couple complement each other, our stories balance and build on one another. Frank’s sharply observed piece on young married docs Maria Lufrano and Victor Azer considers the rewards of juggling 12-hour days, different practices and a toddler, and somehow making it all work. Sharing a profession, the two are attuned to each other’s needs. It’s a theme that Mary develops in her sensitive piece on Westchester health commissioner Sherlita Amler and New York Medical College vice president Robert Amler – who in different ways are on the frontlines of public health.

Mary also profiles another well-trav-

Me – wearing and with – Carmen Marc Valvo. Photograph courtesy Neiman Marcus Westchester.

eled couple – new Mercy College president Timothy Hall and his wife, writer Lee Nicholson Hall – who arrive in WAG country having left their mark on Southern education.

Meanwhile, Bob and Suzanne Wright discuss how their global autism advocacy juggernaut, Autism Speaks, is an extension of their egalitarian 47year marriage.

Our “Power Couple” exploration doesn’t stop with the pairs themselves.

We offer you a window onto some of the most romantic destinations – Tahiti, anyone?; some thoughts from this month’s Wits on their favorite power couples; and advice from Carmen Marc Valvo (pictured with me, tickled to be wearing one of his shimmering creations) so that you as a team can be red-carpet ready. How fortunate we are to have two artistic designers in this month’s mag, as Danielle catches up with Neil Bieff.

Last but certainly not least, we introduce our Whetting the Appetite column, featuring recipes with an Italian flavor by Jackie Ruby, “The Cooking Realtor,” who was profiled in WAG’s February “Female Power” issue. (Husband Doug’s photos of Italy graced WAG’s October “Brain Power” issue.)

This month, Jackie – who makes 100 jars of her own sauce with a team of 14 every August – serves up her Bolognese recipe.

Bolognese – mm, mm, mm.

Can’t wait to see what Jackie serves up next month.

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LIONS

(AND LIONESSES) History’s power couples remade the world

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

WHAT MAKES A POWER COUPLE? Two individuals of accomplishment, who in coming together create the synergy for greater achievement. Singly, they move the world. Together, they shake it to its very core.

That has certainly been true of power couples throughout history, many of whom were driven by imperial and dynastic ambitions as well as amour.

Traditionally, the keys to these relationships were the women. Men have always had power. But women with land (or its later equivalent, money), allure and, perhaps most important, an education, could hold their own. The women presented here – including a pair of Eleanors (of Aquitaine and Roosevelt) were more than matches for the titans in their lives:

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Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s 1883 oil painting “Antony and Cleopatra” depicts the fateful meeting of Marc Antony and Cleopatra aboard her barge in Tarsus. Private collection. Courtesy Sotheby’s New York.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

C

leopatra, the last Ptolemaic queen of Egypt and its last pharaoh, was fortunate – or unfortunate, as some historians might say – to have been part of two power couples. She was a direct descendent of Ptolemy I, who had been an important general in the army of Alexander the Great and, some whispered, his illegitimate half brother.

The Ptolemies who ruled Egypt for some 300 years were the keepers of Alexander’s golden sarcophagus in the sophisticated port city he founded, Alexandria. As Macedonians, they maintained their Western ways and married within their own family, creating a dynasty of murderous intrigue that extended to Cleopatra and her husband-brother, Ptolemy XIII. That dynasty is the subject of “When the Greeks Ruled Egypt” at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in Manhattan through Jan. 4. (isaw.nyu.edu/exhibitions)

Far from being the kittenish or siren-like beauty of Hollywood portrayals, Cleopatra was a striking but by no means conventionally pretty young woman who had been educated like a man. One could while away the night talking with her about everything from astronomy to military history in several languages. She was a true princess of Egypt who was fiercely proud of her Alexandrian heritage, but committed to the welfare and culture of her people. She was not about to share a throne with any kid brother.

Enter Julius Caesar, who knew a thing or two about emerging victorious in a power struggle. She needed strength from Rome – or at least from the right Roman. He needed Egyptian grain. But the Romans – who had a weakness for strong women with stronger profiles – also saw themselves as the metaphorical heirs of Alexander’s imperial ambitions. How could Cleopatra fail to conquer?

When Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. – leaving her with a son, Caesarion – she turned her attentions to Marc Antony, a Caesar ally who would become one

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more Western leader seduced by the East. Antony and Cleopatra had three children – the twins, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene; and another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus – whom they imagined ultimately ruling the eastern half of the Roman Empire. This did not sit well with Caesar’s heir, Octavian, whose sister, Octavia, was also Antony’s wife. In the naval battle at Actium that would settle the clash between East and West, Antony’s forces were defeated after Cleopatra fled and he followed her. They committed suicide – he first, thinking she was already dead – rather than face the wrath of Rome. Octavian, who became the emperor Augustus, dispensed with Caesarion but spared Cleopatra’s children by Antony, who were raised by Octavia.

Historians still dispute the extent to which theirs was more than a political alliance. Still, it seems, they gave up a world for love. Nothing could be more wrongheaded.

Or more romantic.

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HENRY II OF ENGLAND AND ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE

ike Cleopatra, Eleanor was both rich in land and learning, the southern French duchy of Aquitaine being of strategic, agricultural and cultural importance to English and Continental interests. Aquitaine would be the springboard for Eleanor – its duchess from the time she was 12 – to become one of the central figures of the Middle Ages.

And, as in the case of Cleopatra, her homeland would involve Eleanor in two power-couple relationships. The first was a disastrous marriage to King Louis VII of France. Eleanor was high-spirited; Louis, pious – differences in temperament that were only exacerbated by their time together on the unsuccessful Second Crusade to defeat Islam in the Holy Land and by her “failure” to bear Louis the requisite male heir. (They had two daughters, whose custody Louis would retain.)

Another woman might’ve been humiliated, banished or even executed. Not Eleanor. She persuaded Louis and Pope Eugene III to agree to annul the union on the grounds that the pair had too close a blood tie. This would prove ironically amusing when she proposed to her a hot-blooded younger cousin – Henry, duke of Normandy, and soon, Henry II of England – bearing him not one but five sons and three daughters and securing the Plantagenet dynasty, England’s greatest.

Henry and Eleanor ruled England and much of France (she retained control of Aquitaine), extending their Continental influence through their children’s marriages. Theirs, however, was a tempestuous one, rocked by infidelity (his) and rebellion (hers) – as set down in James Goldman’s play and its subsequent movie, “The Lion in Winter.” For inciting their older sons – Henry, the heir; Richard, the legendary “Lionheart” and her favorite; and Geoffrey – to rebel against their father, Eleanor was imprisoned for 16 years.

But if endurance is the ultimate test of a winner, she would have the last laugh – surviving her husband and his successor, Richard, who was often away on military campaigns, leaving his mother to rule in his absence. Indeed, she would survive all of her children, except John, who succeeded Richard to the English throne, and her namesake, Queen Eleanor of Castile.

Wife of two kings and mother of two more, Eleanor presided over a court in Aquitaine that strengthened the idea of courtly love and chivalry, in which women held sway. She was, then, a queen of minds and hearts.

Marcus Stone’s “Edward II & Gaveston” (1872).

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Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s “Family of Queen Victoria” (1846, oil on canvas). Royal Collection.

N

EDWARD II AND GAVESTON

ot every power-couple relationship is about a man and a woman. When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, his childhood soul mate and right-hand man, Hephaistion, was at his side. So close were they that when the captive Persian queen mother, Sisygambis, bowed to Hephaistion, thinking he was Alexander, the Macedonian conqueror, far from being angry, laughed, raised her up and said, “It’s all right, mother, for he, too, is Alexander.” Indeed, the pair – who identified with Achilles and Patroclus in Homer’s “The Iliad” – married sisters, Sisygambis’ granddaughters, and would later die within six months of each other.

Were they lovers? Artists and historians alike are divided, as they are about Piers Gaveston, the first earl of Cornwall, being the lover of Henry and Eleanor’s greatgreat-grandson, Edward II. Certainly, Gaveston – a fixture in Edward’s household when he was growing up – was a favorite of the king, who elevated him to the peerage and even appointed him regent when he went to France to marry Princess Isabella.

It should come as no surprise that Isabella and the English nobility were not exactly enamored of Gaveston.

Nor would you be shocked to learn that the quarrelsome Gaveston was ultimately executed for treason by members of that same nobility.

As for Edward, who appears to have been more interested in gardening than governing, he succumbed to a power play by Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, was forced to abdicate and died in prison. He would be avenged by his son, who succeeded him as Edward III.

QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT

T

he power-couple relationship is often one in which the man takes the lead or a marriage of true equals. Rarely is the woman the dominant partner.

But such was the case of Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert, and, boy, the Brits never let him forget it.

She was the daughter of the fourth son of George III. He was a first cousin on her German mother’s side. Such a beginning would hardly seem the stuff of an empire stretching to India let alone of legend, but events conspired to bring her to the throne and the two of them together. The future queen was delighted not only by Albert’s handsome countenance and sweetness of expression but, as her diary entry makes clear after their wedding night (Feb. 10, 1840), his ability to satisfy her romantically as well. They would have nine children whose descendants people the royal houses of Europe.

Still, it was rough sledding professionally, as Victoria and Parliament were reluctant to let this duke of Saxony, a foreigner, into the business of ruling England. But as Victoria spent more time pregnant and nursing, neither of which she enjoyed, Albert took over more duties, reorganizing and running the household and family estates, mediating the queen’s difficult relationship with her mother, advocating edu-

cational reform and an end to slavery, promoting industry and technology through the Great Exhibition of 1851 and helping Victoria create a moral standard that had become lax in the royal family.

It was not a standard their oldest son, the future Edward VII, shared, and Albert died in 1861, possibly of typhoid fever, not long after a visit to talk some sense into their carousing heir.

Though an upcoming biography by Julie Baird considers the sexual nature of Victoria’s subsequent relationship with her Scottish manservant, John Brown – the subject of the 1997 movie “Mrs. Brown” – she wore black and mourned Albert until the day she died, Jan. 22, 1901, having reigned for almost 64 years, longer than any British monarch or world queen.

L

ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

ike many a historical power couple, the Roosevelts were kissing cousins – fifth cousins, once removed, to be exact – she being the favorite niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, the man FDR admired most in the world. Their complex relationship has been explored in numerous biographies, documentaries and fictional treatments, the most recent being Ken Burns’ can’t-get-enough-of-it “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.” In that seven-part PBS series, Burns paints a portrait of a brilliantly complementary couple who were nonetheless forever at crosspurposes, thanks to the seeds sown in their childhoods. He used charm and guile not only to steer a frightened nation through two of its greatest crises – the Great Depression and World War II – but to conceal his inner life, particularly from his controlling mother, Sara. She sought to fill the void left by a rejecting mother and an alcoholic father by being useful.

His polio and infidelities spurred her to an independent life lived largely in the political arena, where she would find the purpose she so long sought. Her championing of human rights issues – particularly civil rights – made her a lightning rod for views he secretly held (but wouldn’t voice politically) as well as his eyes, ears and legs all over the world. Yet her driven, serious nature prevented her from providing him with the distracted companionship that he needed to serve as a counterpoint to the pressures of being commander-in-chief.

Burns’ series suggests that they sacrificed themselves – their family, even their

Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt with their two eldest children, James and Anna. Courtesy Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

very health – in service to the nation. But in so doing, they also gave that nation the quintessential example of a presidential power couple, John and Abigail Adams notwithstanding.

It’s fair to say that without ER and FDR there would have been no John F. and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and no Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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POWER COUPLES THEY COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE BUSINESS, LAW, MEDICINE AND THE ARTS. SOME PAIRS SHARE THE SAME PASSIONS; OTHERS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER. BUT THEY ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: SINGLY, THEY’RE TERRIFIC. TOGETHER, THEY’RE A DYNAMIC DUO.

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

16 WAG country is filled with power couples – some of us are even part of one ourselves – here are but a few that we’ve selected to spotlight.

Darsie Alexander and David E. Little

She: Is executive director of the Katonah Museum of Art and former chief curator of the Walker Art Center in Baltimore. He: Is curator and head of Photography & New Media Department at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. They: Are used to long commutes.

Mary and David Boies

She: Was general counsel for the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board, a CBS vice president and a founding partner of the law firm Boies & McInnis LLP before joining Boies, Schiller & Flexner. He: Is chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner and has represented numerous high-profile clients, including late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Gen. William Westmoreland and then-Vice President Al Gore (in the 2000 presidential election case, Bush v. Gore). They: Have two children and a passion

for philanthropy, donating $5 million to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco for its new emergency room.

Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson and Geoff Thompson

She: Is the creative force behind the public relations firm Thompson & Bender and formerly a Miss America contestant, (as Miss New Jersey) and vice president of marketing for the Gannett Suburban Newspapers (now The Journal News). He: Is head of Thompson & Bender’s government relations and crisis management efforts, operator of Thompson’s Cider Mill and Orchard in Croton-onHudson and another GSN alumnus (as an editor). They: Have a dog named Molly.

Ursula M. Burns and Lloyd Bean

She: Is chairman and CEO of Norwalk-based Xerox; the first

African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company; the first woman to succeed another woman as head of a Fortune 500 company; and, according to Forbes, the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. He: Was a research scientist at Xerox, whom she has credited for much of her success. They: Have two children and live in Manhattan.

Louise and Vince Camuto

She: Is an interior designer, has been described as his “muse” (by Vince himself) and “secret weapon” (by pal Tommy Hilfiger). He: Is co-founder of Nine West and chief creative officer and CEO of the Camuto Group – whose expertise extends to BCBGMAXAZRIA, BCBGeneration, Lucky Brand, Tory Burch and the billion-dollar Jessica Simpson brand, not to mention his own. They: Have a blended family of five, plus one grandson and a trio of spectacular homes.

Kylie and Louis R. Cappelli

She: Is the owner of Lilli Pilli Health Bar in White Plains. He: Is the real estate developer (Cappelli Enterprises Inc. in Valhalla) who has transformed much of WAG country but particularly downtown White Plains with the addition of City Center, The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester. They: Are members of one of Westchester’s leading families.

Georgina Chapman and Harvey Weinstein

She: Is an actress and co-founder of the fashion label Marchesa. He: Is an Oscar-winning film producer (“Shakespeare in Love”), a multiple Tony Award-winning theatrical producer (“The Producers,” “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” “August: Osage County”), co-founder of Miramax Films and co-chair (with brother Bob) of The Weinstein Company. They: Live on both coasts with their two children.

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Jayni and Chevy Chase

She: Is founder of the Center for Environmental Education, helping grammar and highschool students and teachers go green. He: Is Chevy Chase (founding “Saturday Night Live” member, actor, Emmy Awardwinning writer) and you’re not.

They: Are the parents of three.

Jenny du Pont and Pierre S. du Pont 5th

She: Is the president and CEO of The Garden Conservancy in Garrison, helping preserve America’s exceptional gardens for public enjoyment and enlightenment. He: Is a financial consultant and scion of Delaware’s well-known political and industrial family. They: Share a Hudson River-town home with their children. “After being ‘all over the place’ professionally,” she told May WAG, “it was good to come back to the river towns….We didn’t consider any other place.”

Judith and Andrew Economos

She: Is a sculptor and painter of sensuous nudes and horses. He: Is a financier, owner of the Iron Horse Grill in Pleasantville and partner (with Rafael Palomino) in Palomino in Larchmont, both of which are graced with Judith’s work. They: Have a son, a foundation and a magnificent home transformed by their art and woodwork.

Libby and Sam Edelman

They have been “sole-mates” for 25 years – first with Esprit, then with Sam & Libby and now with the Sam Edelman brand, creating 18 shoe styles that have sold more than a million pairs.

Randy Florke and Sean Patrick Maloney

He (Florke): Is a renovator of country homes whose real estate business was featured in an A&E reality series. He (Maloney): Is the first openly gay U.S. Congressman. They: Married this summer in the Hudson Valley with their three children looking on – a very modern family.

Fredrica S. and Stephen J. Friedman

She: Is president of Fredrica S. Friedman & Co. Inc., a full-service literary management firm, and was

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the first woman to serve as editorial director, associate publisher and vice president of Little, Brown & Co. He: Is president of Pace University, and formerly dean of Pace Law School, chairman of American Ballet Theatre and senior partner and co-chair of Debevoise & Plimpton.

They: Have a daughter, Vanessa, who is fashion director and chief fashion critic for The New York Times.

Susan Gilgore and Dr. Gavin X. McLeod

She: Is executive director of the landmark Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk, regarded as one of the earliest and most significant Second Empire-style homes in America. He: Is an infectious diseases physician and director of Continuing Medical Education at Greenwich Hospital, as well as an associate clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. They: Have a blended family of four girls and a love of the arts and great food.

Martha and Richard B. Handler

She: Is board president of the Wolf Conservation Center and a WAG alumna. He: Is chairman of the board and CEO of the Jefferies Group, making him the longest-serving Wall Street CEO, and CEO and director of Leucadia. They: Have four children.

Darci Kistler and Peter Martins

She: Is a member of the faculty of the New York City Ballet-affiliated School of American Ballet and one of the last of the Balanchine ballerinas.

He: Is NYCB’s ballet master in chief, the hand picked successor to company co-founder and legendary choreographer George Balanchine and one of the greatest dancers in ballet history.

They: Have one daughter.

Ricky and Ralph Lauren

She: Is an author, artist, photographer (“Ricky Lauren The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History”).

He: Is a fashion designer, philanthropist, car collector and creator of a classic American style and multibillion-dollar corporation. They: Are the parents of three, including RL Magazine founder David.

Sandra Lee and Gov. Andrew Cuomo

She: Is a Food Network chef and author who promotes a “semi-homemade” approach to cooking. He: Is governor of New York and formerly New York attorney general and U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development (during the Clinton Administration). They: Share a home with an all-American vibe.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

She: Is an actress (“Gossip Girl,” “Green Lantern”), fashion It Girl and self-styled domestic diva. He: Is an actor and embodiment of superheroes (“Green Lantern,” “XMen Origins: Wolverine”). They: Are expecting their first child to go along with their four-legged one, a Maltese-Poodle mix.

Cathy and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy

She: Is an advocate for the arts and victims of sexual assault, including stints as executive director of The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education and chairman of the Stamford Arts in Education initiative. He: Is governor of Connecticut and formerly Stamford mayor (the longest-serving in the city’s history) and Brooklyn assistant district attorney. They: Have three sons.

Sarah McNear and Ian Wardropper

She: Is deputy director of Aperture Foundation, with 30 years of experience in museums and cultural nonprofits, specializing in photography. He: Is director of The Frick Collection and has curated more than 20 exhibits in his specialties of European sculpture, earlier decorative arts and 20th-century design and decorative arts.

Janet Maslin and Benjamin Cheever

She: Is book critic for The New York Times and the former chief film critic there, contributing the kinds of reviews (“Titanic,” Joyce Carol Oates’ “A Widow’s Story”) that generate buzz, as well as president of the Jacob Burns Film Center and Media Arts Lab in Pleasantville. He: Is a freelance journalist; an editor (“The Letters” of fiction writer

John Cheever, his father); a TV host (“About Writing”); and a writer’s writer, creating works of fiction (“The Good Nanny”) and nonfiction (“Selling Ben Cheever”) that often capture the existential angst of the literary life. They: Have two sons and two pooches.

Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi and Raj K. Nooyi

She: Is chairman and CEO of Purchase-based PepsiCo Inc. and the 13th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes. He: Is president of AmSoft Systems and former manager at Hewlett-Packard Co. They: Have two daughters, one of whom attends the School of Management at Yale, Indra Nooyi’s alma mater.

Dee Ocleppo and Tommy Hilfiger

She: Has a new line of oversize luxury Italian handbags whose covers can be reversed or taken off for a fresh look. He: Is the founder of the eponymous Yankee Doodle label and reality TV star (“The Cut”) and consultant (“American Idol”). They: Have one child.

Clara and Mariano Rivera

She: Is pastor of their Refuge of Hope church in New Rochelle. He: Is a Yankee legend, the greatest closer in baseball history and a philanthropist, funding programs in his native Panama and startup churches there and in Florida, California, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. They: Have three children, including Mariano III, who was drafted by the Yankees.

Virginia M. and Mark Rometty

She: Is chairman and CEO of Armonk-based IBM, the first woman to hold a title that has been considered the pinnacle of management. He: Is an intensely private principal investor in Bam Oil Co. They: Divide their time between New York and Florida, Broadway and scuba-diving.

Esmeralda Santiago and Frank Cantor

She: Is a memoirist (“When I Was Puerto Rican,” “The Turkish Lover”); an inspirational novelist, who completed her epic “Conquistadora” three years after suffering a stroke

that affected her ability to read and speak for a time; and an inveterate volunteer for public libraries, the arts and battered women. He: Is a writer, director and producer of documentaries (“Crusade for Awareness,” “Twin Stories”). They: Are the founders of CANTOMEDIA, an award-winning film and media production company.

Stephanie Seymour and Peter M. Brant

She: Is a supermodel, best-known for her work in Victoria’s Secret campaigns and the pages of Vogue, Playboy and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. He: Is a magazine publisher (Interview, Art in America), art collector, film producer (the new “The Homesman”) and founder of the Greenwich Polo Club. They: Are parents of three, with Brant bros Peter and Harry

already making a name for themselves in the fashion mags and on the red carpet.

Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller

She: Is an actress and comedian.

He: Is the über-mensch actor, comedian and filmmaker (“Night at the Museum,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Tropic Thunder”) as well as philanthropist. They: Have two children.

Pamela Thomas-Graham and Lawrence Otis Graham

She: Is the chief marketing and talent officer, and head of Private Banking & Wealth Management New Markets at Credit Suisse AG; a member of the executive boards of Credit Suisse Group AG and Credit Suisse AG; and the

author of “Blue Blood,” “Orange Crushed” and “A Darker Shade Of Crimson,” a series of “Ivy League Mysteries” published by Simon & Schuster. He: Is special counsel at Cuddy & Feder LLP, focusing on corporate and real estate law, as well as land use and governmental affairs; an author of 14 books; and a commentator on News 12. They: Have three children and divide their time between Manhattan and WAG country.

Audrey Ronning Topping and Seymour Topping

She: Is a photojournalist, documentary film writer, author and a 2014 PROSE Award winner for her book “China Mission.” He: Is an author, Columbia University professor emeritus and former managing editor and foreign correspondent for The New York Times. They:

Have five daughters born in Saigon, London, Berlin and Scarsdale.

Fran and Barry Weissler

She and he: Are the seven-time Tony Award winners (“Pippin,” the revivals of “Chicago,” “La Cage aux Folles,” “Annie Get Your Gun”). They: Share a Central Park West condo, along with a dramatic home in Westchester complete with its own amphitheater, and a love of art and restaurants.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas

She: Is an Oscar- (“Chicago”) and Tony Award-winner (“A Little Night Music”). He: Is an Oscarwinning actor (“Wall Street”) and producer (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”). They: Have two children and hosted the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2003.

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CHINA’S POWERFUL YIN-YANG

BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING

Peng Liyuan and her husband President Xi Jinping.

T

he most powerful couple in China – since Generalissimo and Mme. Chiang Kai-shek in the 1940s and Chairman and Mme. Mao Zedong in the 1960s and ’70s – is the country’s “paramount leader,” President Xi Jinping, and his beautiful wife, Peng Liyuan, a wellknown singer. Married for 25 years, they have a daughter, Xi Mingze, who enrolled as a freshman at Harvard in 2010 under a pseudonym to avoid publicity. For the greater part of their relationship, Peng Liyuan has had a reputation within China comparable to – and even greater than – that of her political husband. Xi Jinping was one of her millions of fans. He expressed his interest in music and they were introduced by friends.

Born June 15, 1953, Xi is the son of a Communist revolutionary, Xi Zhongxun, who fought with Mao

during the Civil War and, after the Communist victory in 1949, helped govern the People’s Republic of China.

Then like so many top officials close to Mao, Xi’s father was arrested and jailed during the Cultural Revolution in 1968. Xi was 15 and was caught up in Mao’s Down to the Countryside Movement. He worked as farmhand until he was 22. When asked on state TV about that experience, he said, “It was emotional. It was mood. And when the ideals of the Cultural Revolution could not be realized, it proved an illusion.” In 1980, Xi married Ke Lingling, the daughter of an ambassador to Britain. They divorced after a few years.

Like other descendents of top officials and party figures, Xi became one of the so-called “princelings” – members of the Crown Prince Party whose pedigrees

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help them wield influence in politics and business. In 2002, he obtained a Doctor of Law degree. The Sunday Times speculated that his Ph.D. was “invented by a committee in order to improve Xi’s public image.” But Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of Singapore, when asked about Xi, said, “I would put him in the Nelson Mandela class of persons.”

Peng Liyuan was born in Shandong Province on Nov. 29, 1962. In 1980, at the age of 18, she joined the Peoples’ Liberation Army and served as an ordinary soldier. She performed during frontline tours to boost troop morale during the Sino-Vietnamese border confl icts. Peng earned a master’s degree in ethnic music and won honors in singing competitions. The soprano came to fame, however, durMme. Chiang Kai-shek with the Generalissimo in 1941 in Chungking (Chongqing), China’s wartime capital. ing the Chinese New Year’s Gala in 1982, when she performed “On the Plains of Hope.” Today Peng – who has appeared regularly on the gala, widely viewed on CCTV – is dean of University, to have had the opportunity to meet Mme. Chiang on several the PLA Art Academy and a civilian member of the army, holding a rank occasions when my father was a diplomat in Nanjing (China’s southern equivalent to a major general. capital).

After parental consent, Peng and Xi – the singer and her admirer – were On National Day receptions, the guests waited in anticipation for her to married Sept. 1, 1987, in Xiamen Fijin. Four days after the wedding, Peng appear, often wearing sleek gold or silver brocade gowns with a white Pereturned to Beijing to appear in the national art festival and then immekingese dog tucked into her silken sleeve. She had graduated from Wellesdiately left to perform in the United States and Canada. Since then the ley College and, later as China’s first lady, her pictures appeared in many couple have led largely separate lives, due to their careers. popular American magazines.

Peng spends most of her time in Beijing, where she is actively involved Peng is tastefully low-key compared to Mme. Chiang. Still, she was on in politics herself as a member of the 11th National Committee of the ChiVanity Fair’s best-dressed list in 2013. Her husband wins praise for matchnese People’s Political Consultative Conference. She has also been a WHO ing his ties to her outfits, unlike the Generalissimo who usually appeared goodwill ambassador for those suffering from tuberculosis and HIV/Aids in a stiff uniform dripping with medals. since 2011. She is listed as the 57th most powerful woman in the world by Prior to assuming total power, Xi was described in a 2011 Washington Forbes.

Post article by those who know him as “pragmatic, serious, cautious… and Peng has described her husband as hardworking and down-to-earth: seemingly uninterested in the trappings of high office.”

“When he comes home, I’ve never felt as if there’s some leader in the house.

Like many leaders, he’s a mass of fascinating contradictions. He looms In my eyes, he’s just my husband.” large (at 6 feet in a height-challenged and obsessed nation) but carries himPeng has played a much more visible role as China’s first lady compared self with humility – apologizing to the press for being late during his introto her predecessors. She hosted Michelle Obama on the latter’s high profi le duction as president, sharing dumplings with the people and eschewing the visit to China in March. Both first ladies have been applauded for supportpresidential limo for a minibus. ing the fashion industry in their respective countries and the media were He loves Hollywood fi lms like “Saving Private Ryan” and “The Godfasaturated with photos of them in drop-dead outfits. ther” trilogy but is wary of potentially corrupt Western influences.

Since Mao Zedong’s notorious wife, Jiang Qing, leader of the Gang of He advocates market reform, open government and the aspirations of Four, was arrested in 1976 for crimes committed during the Cultural RevoChinese youth, but also admires China’s despotic First Emperor Qin Shilution and hanged herself in prison, Chinese leaders have avoided showing huang and his adviser Han Fei. off their wives in public. But like Chiang Kai-shek, President Xi has no So the signals thus far are mixed. But two things are certain: He is the such qualms. The only other first lady comparable to Peng, Mme. Chiang most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping and possibly since Mao Zedong.

(Soong Mai-ling of the famed Soong sisters) was also widely known for her And for the first time in the history of China, the paramount leader has beauty, elegance and stylishness as well as her political power. I have only an equally powerful wife to help women claim their rightful “half the sky” seen Peng from a distance, but I was fortunate, as a student at Nanking and bring the mystical forces of yin-yang into balance.

O

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Mike Spano and Mary Calvi with their children, Michael, Alexandra and Christopher. Photo courtesy of the Spano family.

ON THE RECORD WITH THE FIRST FAMILY OF YONKERS MIKE SPANO AND MARY CALVI, AN ATYPICAL POLITICIAN-JOURNALIST RELATIONSHIP

BY MARK LUNGARIELLO

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M

ary Calvi, the WCBS news anchor and former News 12 personality, has smoothly and calmly covered everything from Pope John Paul II to the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Her husband is Mike Spano, the mayor of Yonkers, Westchester County’s big city of hills that has a political landscape often as bumpy to navigate as its topography.

Calvi has won six Emmys and is the face of CBS’ “News This Morning” and “News At Noon.” Spano’s family is so synonymous with Yonkers and Westchester politics that it’s been referred to as a dynasty – a 1996 New York Times article calling them the “less rarefied version of the Kennedys of Massachusetts and the Roosevelts of New York.”

As a journalist married to a high-profile politician, she’s yet to take the Sunday Mirror route and listen in on his phone calls for her next big scoop.

“When we are on the phone at home, it’s usually to order pizza,” she says. “So, I have picked up the phone to ask for extra cheese for the kids. Other than that, privacy is important in a

Mary Calvi with Dr. Phil. Photo courtesy of WCBS.

relationship.” The couple has three children.

Spano is the ninth of 16 children in a family known as one of the most influential in the region. His wife is a dyed-in-the-wool broadcast journalist, who graduated with a journalism degree magna cum laude from S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

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MIKE AND I BOTH TRULY ENJOY OUR CAREERS AND OUR WORK. WE HAVE A DEEP RESPECT FOR BOTH ENDEAVORS AND UNDERSTAND THAT WITH GREAT OPPORTUNITY COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. WE TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.

have the typical journalist-politician dynamic.

“I think he’s given me a ‘no comment’ once, when I asked how our son’s hockey game went,” she says. “Some things don’t need a full explanation.”

I asked Spano if he ever felt the need to ask Mike Spano with New York state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins. his wife to go “off the record” when they are Photograph courtesy City of Yonkers. chatting about how work was that day. “For most of our parenting lives, our discussions Don’t call the two a power couple though. have focused first on diapers, then on getting the kids to ballet and Calvi and Spano were driving to a hockey game where their son – one hockey,” he says. “We rarely have time, if ever, to discuss politics.” of three children – was set to play goalie when they were asked to parWhether they discuss it at the dinner table or not, Spano’s life has ticipate in a WAG power couple profile. revolved around the governments of the city and state. His involvement “I think we laughed at first since I was in a T-shirt and Mary was in a started young – as the legend goes he was hanging campaign posters ponytail, not your typical power couple,” he says. “To us, practically evfor his father Leonard in the third grade. Spano served two stints in ery working family is a power couple, whatever your profession is. With the state Assembly – taking a break for a spell, he said at the time, so two working parents, kids with school work and after-school activities, he could spend more time with his family. He became the city’s mayor no couple’s job is ever done and done easily.” in 2011.

Calvi says, “Mike and I both truly enjoy our careers and our work. We Born and raised in Yonkers, Spano says being part of the revitalizahave a deep respect for both endeavors and understand that with great tion of the city is a true point of pride. “I believe we all work a little opportunity comes great responsibility. We take that very seriously.” bit harder when there is a vested interest in what we do,” he says. “My With the light-speed pace of their jobs and often conflicting schedgrandfather emigrated to Yonkers 100 years ago, started his own busiules, you might think Spano and Calvi never see each other. To strike a ness and worked hard to support his family. He would be proud of what balance takes time, patience – and a few good laughs to make it through his family and new home has accomplished.” the day, Spano says.

It was civic involvement that brought the two together for the first “We may both have busy lives, but we always find the time to be time: Spano was running the bicentennial committee for Yonkers Cotogether,” he says. “As two full-time working parents, it definitely gets lumbus Day and Calvi was Miss Columbus. difficult at times but we always make it work. It’s what makes our hectic “Our eyes met then, but Mary was off to college,” he says. “I asked her day worth it.” out soon after she graduated and the rest, as they say, is history.”

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HOLLYWOOD AND THE HUDSON Environment and entertainment find the perfect union

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N ONE END OF A CONFERENCE ROOM AT PACE LAW SCHOOL SITS A STUFFED SUMATRAN TIGER, AND ON THE OTHER, A LION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT. Clad in a suit and blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his hair parted on one side with a rising wave that evokes his late father, Professor Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. recalled how his career as an environmental activist started early.

“When I was 8 years old, I wrote my uncle, President Kennedy, a letter asking to meet with him about pollution,” says the longtime Westchester County resident. Invited to the White House, the young activist told his uncle that he wanted to write a book about pollution, and his uncle arranged for him to interview the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, and Rachel Carson, the author of “Silent Spring,” a book about the effect of rampant pesticide use on the environment.

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ASKED TO JOIN THE FACULTY AT PACE, KENNEDY HAS LIVED IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY EVER SINCE, IN A LOCATION THAT WAS THE CRADLE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.

Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

A selfie to WAG from the happy couple.

“I always knew I wanted to do environmental advocacy from when I was little, and I always saw pollution as a form of theft, that people had no right to steal the air or the water, that it was part of the commons,” says Kennedy, who graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law – the alma mater of his father, uncle Edward M. Kennedy, and brothers Max and Michael – in 1979.

When Kennedy was in law school, there was only one class offered in environmental law, which had not yet fully evolved as an area of practice. A few years later, when Kennedy was hired by Riverkeeper, a clean water advocacy organization, as its lead attorney, he began taking classes at Pace Law School at night.

“I came back to law school here at night so that I could be a better advocate for my client,” says Kennedy. “After the second year, they began offering the L.L.M. Since I already had half the course load, I just completed it and was the first one to graduate” from the program.

Asked to join the faculty at Pace, Kennedy has lived in Westchester County ever since, in a location that was the cradle of the environmental movement in the United States.

“The first big battle was actually in the 1840s. Washington Irving sued to stop the railroads from being built and stealing the shoreline,” Kennedy, a font of knowledge on the history of environmentalism in the Hudson Valley, says. “He stopped them for about 20 years – for a while, until he got bought off with railway stock.”

It was just over 100 years later, Kennedy explained, that the Hudson Valley became the epicenter of the nascent movement.

“In 1966, it was dead water for 20-mile stretches north of New York City and south of Albany,” Kennedy says. “It caught fire. It turned color depending upon what color they were painting trucks at the GM plant in Tarrytown.”

Around the same time, the Hudson River Fisher-

men’s Association was formed in Crotonville, seeking to stop the damage to the river. According to Kennedy, the group of anglers had considered more aggressive means than civil suits to protect the Hudson fishery.

“They were talking about blowing up pipes on the river and putting a match to the oil slick on the Penn Central Pipeline and floating a raft of dynamite into the Indian Point power plant intake, because that plant was killing a million fish a day on its intake screens and taking food off of their family tables,” Kennedy says.

However, it was Sports Illustrated outdoor editor Bob Boyle who convinced the group to take a different tack. Boyle, who exposed the state of the Hudson fishery in the April 26, 1965 article, “A Stink of Dead Stripers,” found out that the 1888 Rivers and Harbors Act, which made it illegal to pollute any waterway in the United States, was still on the books – and that people who reported polluters got to keep half the fines assessed.

“That evening he stood up in front of all those people, men and women, with this 19th century statute and says, ‘You know, we shouldn’t be talking about breaking law, we should be talking about enforcing it,’” Kennedy says.

That group later became Riverkeeper, which defends the Hudson against pollution with the help of the Pace Environmental Law Clinic that Kennedy runs. He is president of Waterkeeper Alliance, a group linking more than 250 organizations that fight water pollution.

Kennedy’s legal clinic gives law students at Pace the opportunity to litigate civil cases against companies that pollute the river. Kennedy teaches every Monday, and on Tuesday, the clinic has a case review session, in which the students and professors discuss the progress of the suits.

“We give each of the students four polluters to sue, and they file complaints, they do discovery, they do depositions, they go to court and they argue their cases,” Kennedy says. “They get the kind of responsibility and trial experience here that they probably wouldn’t get

H

30

until they were five or seven years out of law school.”

With the early part of the week devoted to his academic work, the latter part of his week often takes him outside of the Westchester area. He and his bride, actress Cheryl Hines, recently purchased a $5 million home in Malibu.

“I travel over like 220 days a year,” Kennedy says. “I get a lot of work done on airplanes, and I’m just kind of used to it.”

Hines, whom he married in August in a ceremony on the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., that was attended by friends, family, and celebrities, maintains an active acting career. Currently between projects according to her husband, Hines’ most notable roles have been as the on-screen wife of Larry David in the HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and as the superficial Dallas Royce on the Westchester-inspired ABC sitcom “Suburgatory.”

“So far, so good. She spends a lot of time in New York and we end up traveling together,” Kennedy says with a laugh of his bicoastal life. “I have one son who lives out there, and it’s fun to spend time with him and Cheryl out there. But next week, she’ll be in New York with me.”

When Kennedy speaks, it’s clear that New York state’s environment and the Hudson Valley are his passion in life, and he’s not one to hold back his true feelings.

“Right now, we have a market that is governed by rules that were written and rigged by the incumbent polluters to reward the dirtiest, filthiest, most poisonous, most toxic, addictive fuels from hell rather than the cheap, clean, green, wholesome, patriotic fuels from heaven, and we need to change that dynamic,” Kennedy says.

Though he sees progress through new, greener technologies, Kennedy says the battle now is to get those technologies on a level playing field with fossil fuels.

“Wind and solar can now deliver electrons cheaper – far cheaper – than coal or oil, particularly if we got rid of the subsidies to the incumbents and if we force them to internalize their costs,” he says. “Even with the vast subsidies and political preference that’s enjoyed by the incumbents, we’re still beating them in the marketplace.”

The influence of the incumbent polluters, Kennedy says, controls the ballot box through oil wealth pouring in, a lot of it secretly, to the political process.

“I think it’s very, very difficult for anybody who wants to do anything good in Congress or the Senate,” Kennedy says of modern American politics. “We know that in 90 percent of the races, the candidate with the most money wins the race. Our political leaders are not paying much attention to what’s good for our country, or what the people of the United States want. They’re paying attention to what the Koch brothers want.”

Kennedy’s role is to make sure the polluters can do no damage to that which belongs to all of us.

“A lot of what we do is making sure that the public trust, the commons, stays in the hands of the people, that it’s regulated intelligently so that everyone can use it, so that nobody uses more than its’ share,” he says.

“Those things aren’t susceptible to private property ownership, but by their nature are the possession of the entire community and the assets of the community, whether you’re rich or poor, black or white, humble or noble.”

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Autism SPEAKS And Suzanne and Bob Wright ensure the world listens

32

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Suzanne and Bob Wright with their grandson, Christian.

SUZANNE AND BOB WRIGHT REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW THEY FELT WHEN THEY LEARNED IN MARCH 2004 THAT THEIR OLDEST GRANDSON, CHRISTIAN, HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM – a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by impaired social and verbal skills as well as restricted and repetitive behavior that manifests itself by the time the child is 3. Ten years later, the anguish in the couple’s voices is still fresh.

“It was extremely difficult, and the deterioration was so fast,” Bob recalls. “This was a case of significant regression. It was extremely devastating.”

“It was shocking,” Suzanne adds. “And what made it particularly devastating was that here we were – Bob was head of NBC – with access to all kinds of information.

And we hadn’t a clue.”

Until then, Bob and Suzanne were sailing along, a bonafide golden couple. He was vice chairman of GE and president, CEO and chair of NBC and NBC Universal from 1986 to 2007. (He remains a senior adviser to THL Capital, a director of Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. and AMC Networks and a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital.)

She has long been involved in philanthropy, particularly involving children.

Then they were blindsided. Worse, there appeared to be little help – or hope. Sometimes, however, a daunting challenge can provide you with a life mission. Even as NBC was closing on acquisition of Universal, Suzanne and Bob took to the road that summer – visiting hospitals, reaching out to parents of autistic children who were too depleted emotionally, physically and financially to organize on a large scale and ultimately meeting up with Home Depot co-founder/ philanthropist Bernard Marcus.

“He was a big impetus,” Bob says. “He gave us the initial capital. And with that money we were able to merge with other parent groups.”

The result is Autism Speaks, a 9-year-old nonprofit that employs more than 200 worldwide and invests more than $500 million in its mission, the four pillars of which are science, advocacy, family services and awareness. (In addition, the organization’s advocacy has been instrumental in gaining another $2 billion in funding for autism research from the National Institutes of Health.)

The majority of the $500 million-plus investment also goes to medical and scientific research, including more than 700 cutting-edge projects, fellowships and initiatives. Among the most exciting of these is a partnership with Google to compute 10,000 or more whole genome mappings, Bob says. These mappings – to be offered through a portal next year – will en-

able scientists to see the spectrum of autism, for just as there are many different types of breast cancer that respond to various treatments, there are many kinds of autism.

The technological breakthrough has dovetailed with a social one. Suzanne and Bob wanted to get religious leaders involved – no easy task when many religions are decentralized. Being Roman Catholics, Suzanne says they decided to start with their own, highly centralized faith – a gambit that will bear fruit Nov. 20-22 when the Vatican presents a conference on autism. It’s as big a coup as getting the United Nations to proclaim World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) or lighting up the Empire State Building in the cause’s signature blue.

“It’s very important to have a religious leader talk to the faithful,” Bob says. “There are 1.8 billion Catholics.”

And the hope, Suzanne adds, is that the conversation started at the Vatican will radiate out to those who embrace other faiths and nonbelievers as well.

This is crucial, Bob says, because 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with autism, a number that could increase to 1 in 50 as diagnostic tools and awareness improve.

For their work, Suzanne and Bob have received many honors, including the Dean’s Medal of Honor for Global Leadership in Autism Research and Advocacy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Suzanne, a graduate and trustee emerita of Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, and

Bob – a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Virginia School of Law – are the first married couple to receive an honorary degree from St. John’s University.

“We’ve been married for 47 years,” Suzanne says. “(Autism Speaks) is an extension of our partnership in marriage. Even though Bob was a CEO and did things wonderfully, I’ve always been an equal partner.”

Bob praises Suzanne for her drive, perseverance, creativity and, perhaps above all, an ability to see opportunity where others don’t. Their skills and roles are complementary.

“Think of it as a couple who owns a real-estate brokerage,” he says. “You’re not both going to be showing the same houses.”

So they balance each other but sometimes they do overlap.

With such important work, there’s little downtime.

The couple, who are parents of three and grandparents of six, divide their time between Connecticut and Florida, where they golf and go out on their boat when they can. They haven’t lost sight of the inspiration for all this, though. Just before the interview, Suzanne visited with Christian, now 13. Though nonverbal, he makes eye contact and knows who his grandmother is.

“He’s a special boy and our daughter and her husband are brave young people,” Suzanne says.

As are Christian’s grandparents. As Bob puts it, “If not us, who?”

To find out more, visit autismspeaks.org.

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FOSTERING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

BY LEIF SKODNICK

Leslie and Oni Chukwu. Photograph courtesy of Oni Chukwu.

THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. Oni Chukwu is proof of that. More than geographical distance and time separate the Fairfield County technology executive from his childhood in eastern Nigeria.

Chukwu, the CEO of etouches, a company that provides software solutions for event management, is one of nine children born to a policeman in the capital city of Lagos. Chukwu had a normal childhood until his family became displaced during the Nigerian Civil War, a three-year conflict over an

34

unsuccessful secession attempt by the Republic of Biafra.

“As a result of the civil war, we had to move back to our ancestral home in the east of Nigeria,” Chukwu says.

“We were completely displaced. On a firsthand level, I understand the life of a refugee child, because that’s exactly what we lived for the three years that the war lasted.”

The civil war finally ended in January of 1970, with an estimated three million people, including civilians on both sides, killed in the fighting.

“After the war, we were dispossessed

of everything we owned and had to essentially start from scratch,” Chukwu says. “It wasn’t easy for a family with nine kids, and because they saw my dad as Biafran, he lost his position on the police force.”

Despite that, Chukwu and his eight siblings all went to college and then, 25 years ago, Chukwu came to the United States.

“I came here to go grad school, and went to the University of New Haven,” Chukwu says. There, he earned a finance-focused MBA that has carried him to success in the business world.

It’s also where he met his better half, Leslie, while he was working in a restaurant.

“I started as a dishwasher,” Chukwu recalls. “It was very productive, because it’s where I met my wife. She was taking a final class for college. She’d come back from Europe and was working as a part-time waitress.”

Shortly thereafter, Oni, the dishwasher, married Leslie, the waitress, and they now have two children. In the intervening 25 years since they met in that restaurant kitchen, Chukwu’s career as an executive guiding technology companies has taken off.

“I made a conscious effort to get into technology,” Chukwu says. “My modus is getting into technology companies, getting into them with some investors, growing them to a size and doing an exit transaction.”

Chukwu has done this with several companies, most recently with Triple Point Technology Inc. in Westport. Triple Point Technology is a company that provides software to the commodities trading industry, enabling traders to develop detailed analytics of commodities chains.

“We grew them from very small to over 1,200 employees with 16 locations around the world and over 500 customers,” Chukwu says. “Triple Point started with a few people, a startup, and we grew it and sold it for a lot of money.”

Just how, Chukwu didn’t want to say. But he’s done that with four different companies that either turned public or were strategically sold.

And while he’s been successful in the business world, there’s more to Oni and Leslie Chukwu than business success.

“That’s my story, but it’s not my

legacy,” Chukwu says. “Given my background, given where I came from, it’s important to me and my family to give back.”

Growing up among the displaced and dispossessed of the Nigerian Civil War, Chukwu saw poverty and knows that it isn’t enough merely to give money.

“To make the impact, you have to make it more directly,” says Chukwu.

“I always told myself that if I made any money at all, I’d have my own foundation so I can give impactfully to people.”

Chukwu’s Africa Plan Foundation aims to foster the entrepreneurial spirit by providing financing and business advice to startups in Africa and elsewhere.

“I come from a part of the world and part of Nigeria that’s very entrepreneurial,” Chukwu says. “We’ll give them seed capital and then give them the advice that I can as a business executive and entrepreneur myself to help them grow and employ other people.

It’s not just a handout to one person, but it’s a help, over time, to a generation.”

Chukwu doesn’t want to limit what he does to Africa, however. He wants to help wherever there is a need.

“The other part of it is that my wife is interested in global health and women’s health in particular,” he says.

Leslie Chukwu wants to help provide information and access to women’s health care in the world’s developing countries.

“I see myself as a global citizen. I’m very well-traveled as are my kids and my wife,” Chukwu says, which is an understatement.

Chukwu’s wife Leslie was unavailable to be interviewed for this story, as she and their daughter, Ellington, are volunteering at an orangutan preserve on the island of Borneo. It was his daughter’s idea.

“She’s 17, and she’s doing a gap year,” Chukwu says. “She came up with Borneo. They’re out there reintroducing orphaned orangutans into the wild.”

Evenutally, Chukwu will retire from business and run Africa Plan full-time.

“That’s the kind of legacy I want to leave,” says Chukwu. “Not just another rich guy, but somebody that has done something that has been impactful and helpful.”

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Hospitality

The Halls bring a certain charm to academia

BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO AND COURTESY THE HALLS

Timothy and Lee Nicholson Hall, at home in Irvington.

THE HUSBAND-AND-WIFE TEAM THAT SERVED AS PRESIDENT AND ‘FIRST LADY’ OF AUSTIN PEAY STATE UNIVERSITY IN CLARKSVILLE, TENN., JOINED MERCY COLLEGE IN DOBBS FERRY IN MAY IN THE SAME CAPACITY, THEIR HOME JUST STEPS OFF CAMPUS.

M MOMENTS AFTER BEING WELCOMED INTO A CLASSICALLY ELEGANT HOME ON A QUIET RIVERTOWN STREET, you find yourself with a glass of peach iced tea in your hand.

Served in a glass goblet, it was selected from a table also hosting lemon cookies, shortbread and fresh flowers, set on antique linen.

This charming example of hospitality comes courtesy of the home’s gracious – and vivacious – new occupants, Timothy and Lee Nicholson Hall.

“You don’t come to a Southerner’s house without getting fed,” says Lee, with one of countless laughs that will punctuate a visit on recent sunny morning.

WAG has stopped by to check in with Westchester academia’s newest power couple. The husband-and-wife team that served as president and “first lady” of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., joined Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry in May in the same capacity, their home just steps off campus.

Despite finishing touches still being made to the décor, there is a clear warmth in the traditional surroundings, from the way Tim’s study – a cozy, dark-wood retreat filled with books – is enlivened by his own artwork to the Broadway sheet music perched on the foyer piano.

“We love Broadway,” Lee says.

While a move to New York was not a longtime goal, it has already proved exciting.

As Lee says, “We like change. It’s fun.”

MR. PRESIDENT President Hall – “call me Tim” – is a man of the students, which he has served in various capacities over the past 25 years, first at the University of Mississippi then at Austin Peay starting in 2007.

After six years in Tennessee, Tim felt he had accomplished much. Indeed, the school’s innovative approach was recognized by both President Barack Obama and Bill Gates.

“I was kind of at a high point,” he says, and that made him consider a new challenge. “We started looking at other alternatives.”

And Mercy College seemed to fit

38

the bill on many levels.

“It’s a different kind of environment,” Tim says. “We were in a place where the college, the university was the second largest employer. … Here, things are more dispersed.”

Already, though, Lee says they have felt at home.

“What I found is people are lovely.”

And living so close to campus is ideal.

“I like being in the thick of things,” Tim says.

With the school year kicking into high gear, Tim has begun his now-familiar routine – supplementing his days with countless campus events, from sports to academics to the arts.

“I can’t keep up with him,” Lee says.

“He goes to virtually everything.”

But, the couple says, visibility and accessibility build lasting connections.

They want students to see them eating in the cafeteria or have them over to the president’s house.

Lee has always been an integral part of Tim’s academic career, adding a depth to that connection with students.

Tim shares how Lee would host female athletes at Austin Peay, “getting to know the players and have these conversations.” He seems bemused that topics would not only touch on coursework but also relationships.

While Lee hopes to recreate such a strong involvement with Mercy, she says the couple wants to reach beyond campus.

“We really want to be a part of the community,” Lee says.

AT MERCY Tim is committed to his work, where mentoring programs are in place to encourage students to earn their degrees rather than let “life” get in the way.

“We all know that we need more college graduates for the economy to go the way it has to go,” Tim says. “Mercy occupies very, very important ground.”

And, he adds, his role goes beyond the academics.

“I don’t think I even understood this before I became president, but a president just has the opportunity to pay attention to people… That means a lot.”

Humble, Tim stresses it’s not about him but simply the idea of having someone in a powerful position reaching out to others, encouraging their efforts.

“I have the best job in the world,” Tim says.

As the couple moves to a lovely seating area just outside the house, a visitor can tell the garden escape, complete with wicker furniture, gets a lot of use.

“A Southern woman never gets rid of her wicker until the paint can’t hold it together anymore,” Lee says with

NORTHWARD BOUND

The Halls, on their wedding day.

another laugh.

“Or disposes of a piece of lace,” Tim chimes in, reflecting on their travels. “We’ve collected in England, Scotland…”

“We’ve always loved visiting New York City,” Tim says. “We’ve done it across the years.”

They share the story of a particular visit to Manhattan in the 1980s when Lee urged Tim to take her photo in Times Square.

“I said to him ‘Take a picture. I’ve never been this cold in my life,’” she says with a laugh.

Now living in New York – despite what winter weather they will encounter – has a lovely serendipity to it, Lee says. She explains how the Halls had a French-made wallpaper in their Tennessee home that depicted historic images, including New York Harbor.

“We’ve lived with this for seven years,” Lee says, seeming in awe she’s now just miles from the scene.

And, Tim adds, Mississippi-born writer Willie Morris’ “North Toward Home,” which touches on Southerners who move north but never abandon their roots, has been a longtime favorite.

EARLY DAYS

AN ACTIVE PARTNER

The couple met in far less exotic surroundings – in high school in Texas City, Texas, and started dating a year later.

At one point during their four years together, they admit, there was a bit of a split until, Tim says, he “realized I was a complete fool and idiot and came crawling back.”

Reunited, the couple would go on to marry when Tim was a senior in college – only after assuring her mother Lee would complete her own degree.

Tim, first studying philosophy, would eventually go into law.

“I tended to work as a trial lawyer,” he says, often traveling for major cases.

“I was either billing 90 hours a week or stressed or worried because I wasn’t interested in billing 90 hours a week.”

The move to education was made, which pleased Lee from the start.

“Something I’ve loved about him being a professor is the fact that he can go anywhere,” Lee says.

But that first job ended up being quite long term.

Tim would begin as a law professor, then transition to many other roles, including associate provost, over 18 years at the University of Mississippi.

“I have wonderful memories of my family coming to my office on campus,” Tim says of that time. These include teaching his son, Ben, to ride a bike in the adjacent parking lot. Today, Ben is living in Nashville while their daughter, Amy, may soon make the move to New York.

Though heavily involved in campus life at Austin Peay, Lee has always cultivated her own interests.

Once seeing a young, seemingly aimless girl, Lee was struck by the fact that there was likely “no one telling her how special she (was).”

The observation led to action: “I decided to start a mentoring group.”

Lee would end up working with a group of young teens for five years, creating a program that would touch on everything from Bible studies to the portrayal of women in fashion magazines to basics of cooking, sewing and crafts. Entrepreneurship was also explored.

“I gave them an example of a smallbusiness experience,” she says. “It actually opened up their world.”

Throughout, she has continued to write.

“I’ve written a lot of Bible studies,” Lee says, adding that she hopes now she will have the time to pursue publication, as well as a master’s degree in theology.

Tim, who has been published, likes to give her a push.

“He’s always going ‘You’re not going to start publishing if you don’t send things out.’”

The gentle nudge might cause her to roll her eyes ever so slightly, but within moments, she is pointing out another of Tim’s accomplishments with obvious pride.

There’s no doubt the Halls are a team.

“I like him,” she says, with a quick laugh.

And clearly, as his broad smile attests, Tim feels the same about Lee.

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39

40Lufrano and Victor Azer.

Maria

Two doctors in the house

BY FRANK PAGANI PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI

“WHEN I BEGAN LECTURING ON MARRIAGE TO MEDICAL STUDENTS AND PHYSICIANS ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, I used a cartoon to introduce my lectures. The cartoon showed two physicians having lunch together in the hospital. The caption says: ‘Show me a doctor whose wife is happy, and I’ll show you a man who’s neglecting his practice.’ So wrote Dr. Michael F. Myers, professor of clinical psychiatry at SUNY Medical Downstate Medical Center, 13 years ago.

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So much has changed since Myers used the cartoon as a jumping off point for his article, “The Well-Being of Physician Relationships.” For one, women now account for nearly half of matriculated students pursuing medical degrees, according to a 2012 study by the Association of American Medical Colleges. For another, there has been an increase in the number of physician duo relationships. About 16 percent of physicians who participated in the 2010 Great American Physician Survey conducted by Physician Practice said their spouses or significant others were also physicians.

When two young doctors are married to each other like Maria Lufrano and Victor Azer are, it’s hard to imagine how they manage to balance the all-consuming demands of their busy professions with their own relationship and the responsibilities that come with parenthood. (The Tuckahoe residents have a 3½-year-old daughter, Ashley).

Consider the daily demands and pressures. For the past two and half years, Maria has served as an internist and gastroenterologist with the Scarsdale-based office of doctors George and Jeffrey Shapiro. On average, she performs three endoscopic surgical procedures a week and tends to patients in the emergency rooms of New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital,

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Mount Sinai Hospital and White Plains Hospital.

Victor is in his sixth year as a cardiologist with Premier Cardiology Consultants in Lake Success on Long Island and performs emergency cardiac surgical procedures, including insertions of catheters and pacemakers, at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Typically, each puts in 12-or-more-hour days. They are both early risers (about 6 a.m.) and he is the fi rst one out the door because of his commute to Long Island. Typically, he does not return home much before 7:30 p.m. She gets home a bit earlier because of her shorter commute.

But even when they are home, it’s impossible to “separate yourself totally from the primary responsibility you have to your patients,” Maria says. “I give patients my phone number and email address so that I can provide them with continuous quality care.”

Being on call also means that sometimes a good night’s sleep is interrupted in the wee hours to respond to a medical emergency.

So given this, how do they manage to be there for each other and for their daughter? “Fortunately, we are blessed with extraordinary family support,” Maria says. Because her father, sister and brother live nearby, they help look after Ashley, who is a preschooler. “But they are no substitute for our responsibilities as parents,” Maria adds. “Every opportunity I have, starting in the early morning, I make a point of spending quality time with Ashley.” Maria and her daughter enjoy apple picking together and Ashley looks forward to taking walks with her father in a nearby park. “She also loves when we visit her grandparents in Queens,” Victor notes.

In some ways, as a result of both of them being doctors, their marriage of six years has been enhanced. It also helps that the two of them began their journeys in the medical profession at the same time. They met at New York University in Manhattan while pursuing their undergraduate degrees in the mid-to-late ’90s and both simultaneously attended New York Medical College in Valhalla, he, earning a doctor of medicine degree and she, a master of science in biochemistry and molecular biology. Later she obtained a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury.

42

“Having someone go through what I experience professionally makes life easier,” Maria notes. “If one of us was not a physician, I am not sure how much understanding there would be when the spouse is not home on a Saturday night because of an emergency.

As it is, being a doctor can be very stressful.”

Victor recalls when his wife gave birth to Ashley at midnight at White Plains Hospital and he went to work the next morning instead of visiting her and their newborn. “Maria understood my situation.” Nonetheless, he made up for that fi rst day’s absence by driving directly to the hospital from the office every night to spend some quality time with his wife and baby girl.

In their free time (which is at a premium), she loves to cook, bake and entertain. Both are into physical fitness. She runs when she can and works out at home every night, and he plays tennis.

He also likes to work with his hands, diagnosing and repairing automobile engines. They both love to travel.

It comes as no surprise that they are passionate about health and wellness – both for their patients and their family.

“Although people are living longer, sadly they are not as healthy as they can be,” Maria says. “The majority of patients I see need to be put on a nutrition and weight-loss program.”

Victor is seeing an alarming spike in younger patients having heart attacks. “There is no question that changes in personal lifestyle with respect to diet and exercise can go a long way in preventing heart disease.”

They get deep personal satisfaction in helping people who are most vulnerable and making a difference in people’s lives – whether it’s stopping the internal bleeding of a 92-year-old woman or treating a 27-year-old heart attack victim.

“A patient should be treated with compassion and understanding as if they are like family,” Maria says. “You have to think that one day you may want to be treated the same way.”

So if having two doctors in the same household means less time spent with each other and with the family, Victor’s answer is, “The key is to make each and every moment count. It’s the quality of the time spent, not the quantity.”

Victor Azer, Maria Lufrano with daughter Ashley.

Photo courtesy of Maria Lufrano and Victor Azer.

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44 Drs. Robert and Sherlita Amler.

W

When Sherlita or Robert Amler needs a medical consultation, they don’t have to look very far.

department,” he says with a smile.

“And I don’t tell him how to run the college,” she adds with a laugh.

After all, they can just glance over a table in their Southeast home.

The noted doctors – she is the commissioner of health for Westchester County and he is a vice president, dean and professor at New York Medical College – are nationally recognized figures who have managed to combine high-powered careers in public health with a 15-year marriage.

“It’s natural,” Sherlita says. “We do the same things. It’s so nice.”

The shop talk, they assure, is never a breach of privacy but rather discussing approaches to issues and medical advances. That combination of having common ground and a trusted sounding board works … to a point.

“I don’t tell her how to run the health

SUCCESSFUL OPERATION The couple had quite different paths to landing eventually in the Hudson Valley.

Robert grew up in Manhattan and went to New York public schools, including The Bronx High School of Science, where at 15 he says he “totally fell in love with biochemistry.”

“I was a real nerd,” he says with another laugh.

Medical training would begin at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and continue in New Jersey and Atlanta, with an MBA from New York University secured along the way.

Sherlita grew up in a military family that was constantly relocating.

“I thought you cleaned your house

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by moving,” she says.

The constant readjusting, though, led her to be able to talk to anyone, which she says serves her well today.

Through their careers, each has completed an incredible amount of traveling, from heading on-site to investigate outbreaks to presenting lectures and the like.

Being notable in the same field, sometimes doing similar work or attending the same conferences and events, the Amlers “sort of knew about each other,” Sherlita says.

They were, though, based in different parts of the country when they began seeing each other, so their early years together were indeed as commuter couple.

Robert was in Russia on a project when he was asked to come to post9/11 New York for chemical and biological work.

“My background is – beyond pediatrics – has really been disaster medicine,” he says. “It sounds kind of exciting but it was very serious at the time.”

Sherlita was in Atlanta. “I had a job I really liked so I didn’t want to give up my job.”

When Robert heard Putnam County was adding a health commissioner – also in the wake of 9/11 – “I encouraged her to look into that position.”

Soon, they were both at home, together.

SCHOOL DAYS At New York Medical College in Valhalla, which he joined in 2005, Robert is the dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice and Institute of Public Health and vice president for government affairs. He is also professor of public health, pediatrics and environmental health science.

Previously, he was regional health ad-

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ministrator and commanding officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; a commissioned officer for the U.S. Public Health Service, on active duty; and chief medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Oh, and he remains a practicing pediatrician.

Robert, who received the Doctor of Distinction Award from the Westchester County Business Journal (WAG’s sister publication) and the Westchester Medical Society last year, is also a cofounder of BioInc@NYMC, a biotechnology incubator unveiled on campus in late October.

From developing apps to vaccines to new devices, this new venture also, Robert says, is “a way of bringing more business to Westchester and New York state.”

MADAME COMMISSIONER Equally, Sherlita has a varied to-do list.

“I never have a typical day,” she says.

“It’s whatever the disease du jour is.”

Sherlita, who mainly works out of an office in Mount Kisco, has also long been committed to her field.

“I love public health,” she says. “It’s what I’ve done most of my life.”

That includes her earliest days as a health inspector to becoming a registered nurse through study at Arkansas State University to then going on to become a pediatrician.

As the commissioner of health at Westchester County, Sherlita in now in her fourth year as the chief executive and chief medical officer for the Westchester County Department of Health (and is also acting Community Mental

46

Health Commissioner).

Her role, she says, is “making people live healthier and longer.”

Prior to being named by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino to the position, Sherlita was Putnam County’s Commissioner of Health from 2004 until 2011.

“I loved my time in Putnam. It was small enough that it was like a family.”

In Westchester, her duties are simi-

sor of pediatrics at New York Medical College and a distinguished lecturer and senior fellow at the Center for Disaster Medicine at the school.

Becoming a commissioner has brought a different kind of reward.

At the CDC, she says, “It’s very ethereal… It’s not actual boots on the ground kind of work.”

Studies might take decades.

Now, Sherlita says, “I get to see the

IN OUR FAMILY, WE SAY, ‘YOU CAN BE ANY KIND OF DOCTOR YOU WANT TO BE.’ — SHERLITA AMLER

lar though she is dealing with a much larger population.

“Basically it’s the same thing, just magnified by 10.”

Robert will say “Sherlita is way too modest,” and give a quick rundown of her varied experiences leading up to becoming Putnam County’s first health commissioner.

Prior to that she was a medical officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry in Atlanta.

She is also a clinical associate profes-

Sherlita with granddaughter Lexie.

results… There’s just a lot of satisfaction in knowing you keep the community –not just me, the team – but you keep the community safe.”

Of course, she says, these days the Ebola virus is on everyone’s mind.

“It is scary,” Sherlita says, but “We want people to understand what their real risk is, not their perceived risk.”

And, she says, she remains on call to teach at the medical college when needed.

“I think what I bring when I come to the school is ‘This is how it’s done in the real world,’” with ready examples.

Robert with granddaughter Lexie and daughter Allison.

“People don’t really understand public health,” she says. “We prevent things from happening. How do you put a value on things not happening? ... The people we help largely don’t even know.”

In summary, she says, “We’re all about preventing disease.”

More recently, that has also included a reaction to a very real need, training first responders to use Narcan, the overdose antidote administered by a nasal spray.

“Public health has to change as the community changes and as the needs of the community change,” Sherlita says.

FAMILY TIME Taking careers in medicine and combining them with public health has been more than rewarding, and the Amlers say they hope to inspire their own family members.

Between the two, the Amlers have six children, three of whom are married, and six granddaughters.

“In our family, we say, ‘You can be any kind of doctor you want to be,’” Sherlita says with a laugh.

The Amlers do take time for each other, recognizing it’s important to keep that husband-and-wife connection strong.

“It’s nice to have that support,” Sherlita says, adding their connection runs deep. “We liked each other before we loved each other.”

What seems to work so well for the couple is each fully understands the nature of the other’s specific job.

“When you both work long hours, it’s not like one person’s waiting at home for the other person to show up,” Sherlita says.

Often, they meet up at the same events.

“It’s like ‘I know you,’” Sherlita says.

Is there an ongoing challenge to their fast-paced life?

“Keeping track of the calendar, I would say,” Robert replies. “Time is more valuable than anything else. Everybody needs a few days. We try to take advantage.”

It might be a trip to see grandchildren, a drive to appreciate the autumn leaves or a getaway to Italy.

Work, though, is never far from their thoughts.

And for the Amlers, satisfaction in a job well done is not enough.

“When you get to our point in our careers, what we do now is we mentor,” Sherlita says. “We’ve loved this profession so we have to transfer the passion we have for this field to the next generation.”

Something they clearly do – together.

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CLINTON

Hillary and Bill 48

OUR NEIGHBORS IN CHAPPAQUA

BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN

SYNERGY IS A WORD THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN I THINK OF HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON. They are a formidable team. Both with impressive resumés of years of service, most recently, the tireless work they do for The Clinton Foundation and its many worldwide initiatives. Both have had many titles, too, but no doubt one that brings them much pleasure is their latest, “grandparent.”

However, there is one title that those of us in Chappaqua are quite fond of: neighbor.

Fifteen years ago this month the Clintons made Chappaqua their home. Over the years they have become part of the fabric of the community and I have had the pleasure to talk to them and observe them around town.

I met both President Clinton and Secretary Clinton in 2001. On a snowy January Sunday the day after George W. Bush’s inauguration, President Clinton was at Lange’s Little Store at the top of King Street. It was an unforgettable moment to meet the former leader of the free world. He was warm and welcoming as he reached out to shake my hand and we had an easy conversation about a book I had sent to him at the behest of one of his Deputy Secretaries of Education who had been a colleague of mine in White Plains.

I first met Secretary Clinton at Starbucks, a place in town you are more likely to see President Clinton. I had the opportunity to share my thoughts on current issues that interested the Senator. Then when I saw Secretary Clinton for the first time since she was appointed Secretary of State I asked her what I should call her now. With a smile she said, “Call me Hillary.” (Of course, out of respect, I could never do that.)

One of my favorite encounters was with my dog Maggie Mae in March of 2009.

The Clintons were walking on my street and I asked if Maggie could meet them. As I lifted Maggie, Secretary Clinton took her from my arms and asked about her breed (Toy Parti Poodle) as she was thinking of getting a small dog. Then she handed

her over to President Clinton and Maggie snuggled up with the former President who had some questions about Maggie’s routines. Secretary Clinton fell in love with Maggie and by the spring she had her own black and white Toy Poodle, Tally, a definite Maggie Mae look-alike.

Vicki Lange Bergstrom whose father owns Lange’s Little Store and Delicatessen, says when President Clinton is around (in Chappaqua) he comes in for coffee and some heart-healthy food. “He is very approachable,” says Bergstrom. “I first met him at the fire house the night of President Bush’s inauguration. He stopped by to thank all the firefighters for their support.”

This past summer, Lange’s displayed a photo of President Clinton making his own donation next to a giant jar for donations to the Wounded Warriors Project.

You never know when and where you might see the Clintons. Imagine the surprise at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua when the Clintons arrived for the evening Rosh Hashanah service that followed Sept.

11th in 2001. Steve Adler, president of the congregation at that time, says, he saw this as a way for them to connect with the community. “The Rabbi, Alan Fuchs, invited them up to the bima for the closing song, ‘America the Beautiful’ and they didn’t miss a word,” says Adler. “They stayed for quite a while after to talk to the congregants.”

One day you may hear that President Clinton is in Haiti on a mission for the Clinton Foundation, the next you might see him walking his dogs on your street.

Or like Lauren Karr discovered he may watch your child play ball. “My son was playing in the New Castle Recreational League baseball playoffs, on the town recreation field when I noticed a tall man with white hair, in casual clothes, walking a dog on South Greeley Avenue. Several feet behind him walked a man (Secret Service) in tow with him. He stopped for a while by the fence to watch the boys play. I thought how cool, baseball and the

President Clinton smiles with pride at then – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Memorial Day Ceremony in May 2006 Š Ronni Diamondstein, All Rights Reserved.

49

President, such an American moment!”

You can count on seeing President Clinton in town on Christmas Eve doing last minute shopping and distributing cookies and brownies to the many merchants in town that they patronize.

Despite her busy globetrotting schedule, Secretary Clinton always makes time to march in our annual Memorial Day Parade.

“Even though she was a Senator, Secretary Clinton asked the elected officials if it was okay for her to march with them,” says Barbara Gerrard, former town of New Castle Supervisor. Secretary Clinton was first asked to march by the Girl Scouts. “She was not presumptuous.” Gerrard says that the Clintons have demonstrated how they wanted to become part of the community. “She is always very gracious with her time coming to our swearing-in ceremonies. And President Clinton has come, too.” Gerrard adds, “The sincerity of both Clintons shows through all the time.” The Clintons have both spoken in the Chappaqua schools and have been keynote speakers addressing the graduates of the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program, a three-year program to prepare high achieving, low-income students for the rigors of college and broaden their horizons by spending time in our town.

As John F. Kennedy once said, “To those much is given, much is expected.” The Clintons live up to that. They have been loyal to our town by including book signings in Chappaqua, which support our local bookstores and our library. (My article on Secretary Clinton’s most recent signing was Marc Mezvinsky, his wife Chelsea, and their baby, Charlotte. Photograph by Jon Davidson.

President Clinton and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton share a secret at the Memorial Day Ceremony in May 2006. © Ronni Diamondstein, All Rights Reserved.

50

featured in the August issue of WAG.) Crabtree’s Kittle House seems to be a favorite place for the Clintons. John Crabtree, who is one of the owners, spoke about a recent visit the Clintons paid on their way home from seeing Chelsea, their son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky and their new granddaughter, Charlotte. “They were so happy and bursting with joy.” Frequently, the Clintons watch the July 4th fireworks and enjoy dinner in Amy’s Garden. “Kids will come up to them and they are happy to chat,” says Crabtree who is sensitive to preserve their privacy. When the Clintons are there for a family celebration, he keeps the enthusiastic fellow diners who would love to meet them at bay until the Clintons are ready to leave.

“Sometimes they surprise me.” One day, President Clinton was dining with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. When a wedding party downstairs below spied the two in the window of the dining room, President Clinton decided to come out to greet them.” Crabtree says that the President has

hosted Israeli Prime Minister Euhud Barak and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame at the Kittle House. One evening the Clintons asked him to join them for a drink in the Tap Room as they awaited a guest, Michael Eisner. “We had a natural and comfortable conversation. Their interaction was like my parents.” Crabtree was also very moved by their gesture to pay their respects at the wake for his wife, Amy, who passed away in 2009.

Just as it didn’t surprise me that they chose to live in Chappaqua, it didn’t surprise me that although they found a more spacious property in Bedford Hills, the Clintons chose to remain here. “This is our home, ” they have said about our community that they liked so much they couldn’t leave.

So as long as they call Chappaqua their home, many folks in town won’t mind one bit if in 2016 Secretary Clinton finds another bigger white house to live in for a while, as long as we can still call them “neighbors.”

WAY

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Match play

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STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

D

ESIGNER CARMEN MARC VALVO HAS SOME ADVICE FOR POWER COUPLES WHEN THEY’RE STEPPING OUT: “Be cognizant of what the other is wearing.”

That doesn’t mean matchymatchy. But it does mean complementary.

Seated on a white sofa at Neiman Marcus Westchester moments before his trunk show is set to begin, he gestures toward a strapless magenta gown with an overlay of lace. It’s an example of the jewel-colored, richly textured eveningwear for which Valvo is known. But such sumptuousness is not just for ladies: The design has been transformed into a cummerbund and tie – part of a new menswear collection in the ever-expanding CMV brand – that could complete a tux and complement the woman who wears the gown. It’s the kind of look that Hilaria and Alec Baldwin or Susan and Robert Downey Jr. pull off so well. And it’s the kind of balance that even the designer has to remind himself to strike.

For a recent event, he had selected a black and white blazer when he remembered to check with his date, Selenis Leyva of “Orange is the New Black,” to find out which of his designs she would be wearing. Fortunately, it was a black creation with white leather accents – black and white always being in style, he says – so the two paired beautifully.

For gay couples, pulling off the complementary power look might be harder, Valvo says. A lesbian couple might go the Ellen DeGeneres-Portia de Rossi route with one in a suit and the other in a dress – though Valvo recently did a wedding in which the two brides wore gowns. One thing he doesn’t want to see – two men in shorts and jackets.

Valvo’s recent trunk show at Neiman Marcus marks both his 25th anniversary in the business and a rare appearance in the county in which he grew up, the son of an anesthesiologist and a nurse.

“When I was a young boy, we actually had ‘Gray’s Anatomy’ in the house,” he says with a laugh. “It wasn’t the TV show, which is spelled differently.”

Poring over this classic medical text gave him insight into the female body. “This is especially important doing eveningwear – which I’m primarily known for – because you need to know where the

Carmen Marc Valvo is flanked by models Ksusha and Amy.

hip is so the gown will flow and have grace.

“Plus,” he adds, “being Latin, I’ve always loved curves.”

That’s music to the ears of Neiman’s shoppers. “I have several of your designs,” one well-wisher says, putting a hand affectionately on his arm.

If his parents’ medical professions offered a window into form, a love of the arts gave him an appreciation for patterns in deep colors – midnight blue, purple, gold, red, teal, coral – and layered textures of silk, satin, brocade, mesh, embroidery, beads and pearls.

“A richness of textures is like a palette of colors,” he says.

After enrolling in the fine arts program at Manhattanville College in Purchase, he took himself off to Europe to soak up various cultures and languages. A car accident there served as a wake-up call as he came home to recuperate and, realizing he wanted to be a fashion designer, enrolled at Parsons The New School for Design in Manhattan – an

unusual career choice. “There was no ‘Project Runway’ then,” he notes.

It was not long, however, before Paris came calling, and Valvo went off to work in the City of Light, first for Nina Ricci and then Christian Dior.

Today, Valvo’s company embraces foot, swim and eyewear. “It’s all about branding,” he says. “Eveningwear is a niche market. You can’t open a store with just eveningwear.”

The burgeoning brand keeps him on the road for trunk shows and fundraisers, especially for breast and ovarian cancer. So when you ask about his personal life, you’re not surprised to hear him say with a laugh, “I have no personal life.”

There is, though, a place in the Hamptons to which he escapes now and then for a weekend of gardening and cooking.

Otherwise, it’s a life of design by design. “I enjoy it.”

For more, visit neimanmarcus.com and carmenmarcvalvo.com.

55

Emily is wearing a black over lilac, ruffletiered, silk chiffon dress that has a sheer yolk and cap sleeves scattered with crystals, belted in black suede. Available through Mary Jane Denzer, White Plains.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Hollesen, N.Y.

FEMALE

FORM IS FUNCTION FOR

NEIL BIEFF

BY DANIELLE RENDA

NEIL BIEFF KNOWS HOW TO FLATTER A WOMAN’S FIGURE. As his website says, it’s about “showing what is best, camouflaging what’s not.” One-size-fits-all is an unheard of description for the designer’s collections. His women’s couture celebrates the female body through the use of vivid colors, soft textures and curve-hugging cuts.

“They’re feminine and sensuous, but they’re not girly,” he says of his clothing.

Bieff is a fashion veteran, having worked in the industry for years. Throughout his career, he has created everything from men’s coats and suits to women’s evening gowns, one of his current collections. His acute attention to detail, use of luxe materials and ability to capitalize on his background in painting by methodically layering colors set Bieff apart from other designers.

But what he is most passionate about is enhancing the female form.

“Most of the clothes that I look at have absolutely no relationship with the body, which is what most of my clothes are about,” he says.

57

“THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE NEVER REALLY STOPS.”

The client should be wearing the garment, Bieff adds. The garment shouldn’t be wearing the client.

“My clothes do not look good on a hanger.

I look at other people’s clothes on the hanger and they really just scream at you, because the shape is already built into it, and that’s wonderful. I mean, what will you be drawn to first? I think you’ll be drawn to the hanger appeal.”

For Bieff, creating clothing to look appealing on a store hanger is impractical. When paired with a female frame, Bieff’s pieces come to life, and isn’t an appropriate fit what women’s fash-

ion is all about?

Bieff always liked fashion, but it wasn’t until a vacation to Europe during his college years that he expressed an interest in a design career. At the time, Bieff was pursuing a painting degree at Syracuse University in upstate New York. After returning home, he changed his major from painting to fashion.

“I stopped in Paris and my friend’s uncle was the head of United Artists for Europe (a Hollywood film company,) and every night we went out for dinner with fashion designers and models, and it was all very glamorous and I thought, ‘What a great thing to do!’” he says. “The last day of school, (the dean in Syracuse) took me up to his studio, took out a mannequin… and said, ‘You go from there,’ and I did.”

Bieff began his career working as an assistant to Arnold Scaasi, creating couture for women.

“The first piece of fabric I cut when I worked with him was $135 per yard, which would be 10 times that today,” he says. “If that’s the first thing you’re cutting and you’ve never cut a piece of fabric before in your life, it’s interesting. You learn to cut precisely.”

Bieff worked for Scaasi for about a year and then began designing junior clothing in the ’60s.

Afterwards, he worked in the coat and suit market and within five years of graduating college, he started his own company.

Bieff, who has a studio in Ossining and a factory in India, also travels doing trunk shows in which the designer brings his collection to a store so shoppers can see the range of the cre-

ations. Some of Bieff’s designs are available at Mary Jane Denzer in White Plains.

Denzer, the owner of the eponymous store near The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, says of Bieff: “He’s very talented and one of the few designers whose clothes are hand-embroidered.

Plus, he has a marvelous sense of color.”

“Trunk shows are great because every woman is different,” Bieff says. “I love it, but it’s tortuous, because everything is a special order and you’ve basically met the person and you really want to please the person, so there’s a lot of pressure in doing that. But, there’s a lot of pressure in anything. If it weren’t that, it would be something else.”

Bieff is passionate about the fashion industry even though he believes it has changed – and not for the better.

“I think that very little is about clothing today,” Bieff says. “I think clothing is just driving these businesses forward. It’s the easiest way to get press. I think most people in the industry feel this way. To me, it’s more about branding and building a name, because the money to be made is far greater in accessories, shoes, bags and perfumes… I think it’s changed in that sense that it is no longer a design-driven business or a dress-driven business.”

Bieff, on the other hand, steers clear from allowing the changing industry to influence his designs and remains dedicated to creating quality pieces.

“The learning experience never really stops.”

For more, visit neilbieff.com.

Penny Pincher Boutique The Very Best in Women’s Luxury Consignment Established 1985

STOREWIDE

WINTER

SALE

Nov. 20, 21, 22, 23 l l l l l l

Luxury Designer Handbags Shoes Clothing & Furs Accessories Fine & Costume Jewelry Estate & Eclectic Home Furnishings Penny Pincher is a women’s luxury designer boutique offering designer brand shoes, handbags, furs, clothing, jewelry (fine & costume).

Contact us 7 days a week by phone, e-mail or website www.pennypincherboutique.com for more information about consigning your designer items.

We also provide professional concierge service available in the privacy of your own home within NY, NJ, and CT areas.

184 Harris Road, (Rte. 117 By-Pass) Bedford Hills, NY | 914-241-2134 | Open 7 Days | Daily 10 -6, Sunday 12 -5 www.pennypincherboutique.com | info@pennypincherboutique.com 58

Socialize with us!

Bring in the holiday cheer Join us for the special event with dinner and dancing designed for small businesses, large corporations, hospitals and schools that are contemplating choosing that special place for their upcoming holiday affair.

We can accommodate any number of guests from one to 500.

WINTER

WONDERLAND

Holiday Extravaganza v

Wednesday, December 10 & 17 • 7pm-11pm Come and indulge yourself with our executive chefs holidays specialties and music by DJ Serg.

Cocktail hour begins at 7pm followed by a scrumptious holiday sit down dinner and dessert beginning at 8pm.

Open bar offering unlimited liquor, beer, wine and soda.

$65 per person (Includes Tax & Gratuity). Minimum 50% deposit due upon reservation.

Reservations Required

Surf Club On The Sound

New Owners!

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280 Davenport Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10805 • 914.633.8221 www.thesurfclubonthesound.com • Member Sponsored 59

chic CHOICES COMPILED BY MARY SHUSTACK

Gifts and new products ideal for any occasion

WRAPPED UP IN LUXURY Need that dramatic finishing touch for a holiday soirée? Cynthia Rose has you covered, artfully so. The New York-based designer offers hand-embroidered silk chiffon stoles inspired

by Belle Époque textiles she uncovered treasure-hunting through the flea markets and antique shops of Paris and London. Sheer silks with delicate beading impart a fluid feel both romantic and sexy. The one-of-a-kind creations, in the $2,000 range, are available at L’Armoire in New Canaan or through the designer’s site.

For more, visit cynthiaroseny.com.

Photographs courtesy Cynthia Rose.

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QUIRKY, MOD… COOL Any list of power couples in the world of design would have to include New Yorkers Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan. The creative ambassador for Barneys New York, Doonan is also an author and fashion commentator, while Adler is the noted potter, designer and author. Lucky for us, Adler’s red-hot brand – whimsically retro yet oh-so-modern home goods and gift items – is showcased in namesake boutiques in Greenwich and Westport. We were dazzled when the company shared its Holiday 2014 look book with us. We give you just a glimpse here, with the Malachite Vases ($118 to $148); Giant Lucite Foot ($1,495); Nico Pillow ($178 to $298); and to further our power-couples theme, the Utopia Boy/ Girl Bud Vase ($28); the Muse D’Or ornament set ($68); and Mr. and Mrs. Muse salt-and-pepper shakers ($48). Have we sparked plans for a stylish shopping excursion? Thought so.

For more, visit jonathanadler.com.

Photographs courtesy Jonathan Adler.

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chicCHOICES

OH SO FINE The latest collection of fine jewelry from Lalique has been unveiled, with the Soleil de Gaia selections continuing the crystal company’s exploration of the elements. Earth is fancifully interpreted through imagery of the beetle and the sun. Here, the beetle – a symbol of resurrection and transformation – inspires the design of a one-ofa-kind suite featuring ring, earrings and necklace (from $50,000).

Look closely to see how the fanciful designs incorporate hematite, black spinels, blue, green and yellow sapphires, yellow gold, diamonds, opals and engraved white mother-of-pearl lacquer. While these limited-edition pieces travel the world, they can be ordered through the Lalique New York boutique where the rest of the collection debuts this month.

For more, visit lalique.com.

Photographs courtesy Lalique.

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JEWELRY WITH MEANING Jewelry that looks good and does good – quite a combination. That’s exactly what a new partnership between two Stamford-based companies is all about. A new collection from Carolee has been designed with a portion of the proceeds to benefit AmeriCares, the disaster and global-relief organization. The five-piece AmeriCares collection is part of a major new initiative by Carolee called Word Play, which encourages jewelry fans to wear their personal stories. Bangle bracelets, a pendant necklace and cluster earrings form the collection ($24 to $48). Carolee is donating $5 to AmeriCares for the sale of each of the pieces, which are available through Carolee or in Lord & Taylor in Stamford and Macy’s Herald Square.

For more, visit carolee.com.

Photograph courtesy Carolee.

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63

TRENDS

Fashion that makes your head turn

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TRENDS

la bottega salon IT’S MORE THAN A HAIRSTYLE, IT’S A LIFE STYLE

Every woman enjoys the latest in beauty treatments If you are looking for a modern and comfortable salon experience in Westchester, La bottega is the place! With two locations one in Rye Brook and the other in White Plains owner Jon Verazza, with over 25 years of knowledge in the industry, has created a stylish sanctuary where indulgence and intimacy reach gorgeous new heights.

Jon says, “as a hairstylist our goal is to communicate the message about our image and creativity.“ He invites new clients to come in and discover how they can create a totally new look or spruce up an existing favorite.

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TRENDS

Frans Snyders (1579—1657) Still Life with Fruit, Dead Game, Vegetables, a live Monkey, Squirrel and Cat Oil on canvas.

HOHENBUCHAU COLLECTION, on Permanent Loan to LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vienna

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WANDERS

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

The Brando, a new luxury resort on Tetiaroa.

Photograph by tim-mckenna.com.

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N

NOTHING SAYS “DESTINATION WEDDING” OR “ROMANTIC GETAWAY” THE WAY AN ISLAND VACATION DOES. This past summer, tennis star Novak Djokovic and his longtime love, Jelena Ristic – dubbed “the Will and Kate of Serbia” — wed on Montenegro in the Adriatic before heading off to a honeymoon in Greece.

Others, like the actual Will and Kate, prefer to honeymoon on the isles of the Indian Ocean. Still others have found romance in the South Pacific:

Dining on the beach in the Maldives.

TAHITI

You think “Tahiti” and you think two things, well, three really – the HMS Bounty, Paul Gauguin and Marlon Brando.

Indeed, this most populous island in French Polynesia – part of the archipelago of the Society Islands stretching out in the central South Pacific – has been something of a fatal attraction for Western men like Fletcher Christian, master’s mate and acting lieutenant aboard the Bounty when it made its fateful voyage there in search of breadfruit plants in the late 1780s. Was it Christian’s love for the Tahitian woman Maimiti, whom he married, that fired him to lead a revolt against Capt. William Bligh? Or was it Bligh’s harsh, intractable treatment of the crew? A bit of both? Though Bligh has traditionally been portrayed as a nautical Simon Legree, over the years – and the course of four films – that portrait has evolved into that of a tough but by no means monstrous taskmaster whose right-hand man turned out to be a reckless romantic. Certainly, Brando’s depiction of Christian in the 1962 “Mutiny on the Bounty” – that of a foppish young man transformed by love – foreshadowed that revisionism. Ironically, Brando himself would succumb to the island’s beauty – and one island beauty in particular, his co-star Tarita Teriipaia. They would have two children together – a son, Teihotu, and a daughter, the mentally fragile Cheyenne, who would never recover from halfbrother Christian’s fatal shooting of her boyfriend, Dag Drollet, and later committed suicide.

Despite the tragedy in the Brando family and popular reports to the contrary, the actor remained committed to the island and the 99-year-lease he held on Tetiaroa, once the private residence of Tahiti’s rulers, the place he called “the tincture of the South Seas.” The fruit of that commitment to Tetiaroa is The Brando, a new luxury resort of 35 villas that marry whitesand beaches visited by sea turtles, manta rays and exotic birds with a décor steeped in Polynesian culture, thebrando.com.

Back on Tahiti itself, you’ll find any number of hotels, from simpler stays in Papeete, the capital, to more elaborate neighboring resorts dotted with overwater bungalows, a Tahitian signature. Activities are plentiful and varied, including shopping (this is a French collectivity, after all), golf, diving, hiking, horseback-riding and sightseeing at a number of museums and gardens. One you won’t want to miss is The Gauguin Museum, named for the Post-Impressionist who had already given up his wife, family and bourgeois lifestyle for la vie bohème of an artist when he set sail for Tahiti in 1891. Nestled in the Harrison Smith Botanical Gardens, the museum offers sketches, block prints and reproductions of many of his best-known works.

Or you can sail the neighboring islands aboard the luxurious m/s Paul

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Sunset on Fiji. © Avatavat | Dreamstime.com

The Brando, a new luxury resort on Tetiaroa.

Photograph by tim-mckenna.com

A Brazilian samba dancer at the Carnival International de Victoria in the Seychelles. Dreamstime.com

Gauguin – a must for anyone who has come this far – and think: If only Capt. Bligh were here now. He might’ve forgotten all about that breadfruit. tahiti-tourisme.com/discover/introduction.asp.

FIJI Both Tahiti and Fiji are known for stunning beaches, scuba diving, a love of song and dance and the preservation of ceremony and ritual. But there are striking differences. If you’re looking for a more inclusive hotel packages, Fiji – an archipelago of 333 islands in the South Pacific – might be a better choice. It’s also a good fit for those who like plane travel, as it’s 11 hours from Los Angeles (as opposed to the eight-hour flight from LAX to Tahiti) and once you’re there it’s more accessible by prop planes.

Also if golf’s your thing, there’s no contest. While Tahiti has a couple of golf courses, Fiji has a dozen, including three championship ones on the main island of Viti Levu. fiji.travel.com

THE SEYCHELLES Will and Kate couldn’t be wrong, could they? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge honeymooned in the Seychelles, a 155-island archipelago off the southeast coast of Africa, to which it belongs. In this Creole, matriarchal culture, eco-tourism, fishing and water sports are key. From Nov. 21 through 23, there’s Subios, an underwater film and image festival with snorkeling by day, movies by night. Then on Nov. 29, it’s the Seychelles Great Marlin Race, a trolling-only tournament. seychelles.travel/en/home/index.php.

THE MALDIVES What’s particularly fascinating about this island republic – 26 atolls along a main trading route in the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea – is its cultural mélange, blending African, Arabian and South and Southeast Asian influences. In other ways, the Maldives have it all, too – luxe hotels, private resorts, spas – everything you need for a destination wedding, honeymoon or just some old-fashioned R & R. visitmaldives.com/en.

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WONDERFUL

DINING

Fettucine with kale and mushrooms.

L’INIZIO:

A new ‘beginning’ in Westchester for former Manhattan restaurateurs

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

70

I

t’s fair to say that Scott Fratangelo’s marriage proposal was among the coolest ever.

“It was so awesome,” says wife Heather, “so creative and so well thought out.”

Scott, you see, proposed to Heather in the walk-in refrigerator of Union Square Café in Manhattan. He, a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, had been the sous chef there. She, a graduate of The French Culinary Institute, had worked at the café and done an externship there.

They first laid eyes on each other inside that refrigerator at the end of the last century. Four years later, having moved on in their careers, Scott arranged for the café to hide a bottle of Champagne and a couple of glasses in the walk-in, where he popped the question and then the cork.

After some 10 years, one restaurant (Spigolo in Manhattan) and two daughters (ages 7 and 5), Scott and Heather became the team behind L’Inizio in Ardsley, which opened Jan. 24. The name, appropriately enough, means “beginning.” It’s a small (55-seat), rustic place with vibrant food paintings by Marilyn Sommer. But if the food and the service are any indication, L’Inizio won’t remain small for long.

We arrive on a Friday night and are warmly greeted by Heather, the pastry chef, who’s at the front of the house then and Saturday nights as well. Our excellent waitress, Alexandria Szalkowski – the entire wait staff is charming – starts us off with a couple of L’Inizio’s barrel cocktails, so-called because the spirits – like the bourbon for the house’s “211” Larceny Old Fashioned, which also includes Aperol liqueur and an orange peel – are aged in charred oak barrels for two weeks. The

Autumn Cider cocktail – made with Applejack, rum, lemon juice and cinnamon – is like a liquid slice of apple pie à la mode , contrasting nicely with crispy, thin, cheese-flavored breadsticks and a soft, flavorful ciabatta bread, all homemade.

For appetizers, we savor a salad of celery and green apple, Medjool dates, walnuts and gorgonzola dolce; a smooth fettuccine with wild mushrooms, kale and Parmigiano; and a chicken liver pâté, with crisp crostini, sage and rhubarb chutney, all excellent. But the standout here for me is a zesty house-made pork sausage with braised Romano beans, roasted tomato and preserved lemon – the kind of dish your grandmother might’ve made (if grandma were a five-star chef).

The quickly devoured entrées – including the spiced Long Island duck breast with cauliflower purée, romensco, Gaeta olives and lingonberry; and a tangy crabmeat risotto – reflect Scott’s desire to use seasonal ingredients and draw on his relationship with regional sources, likes Blooming Hill Farm, Fazio Farms, Sprout Creek Farm and Sycamore Farms. (The delectable John Dory fish special is accented with chanterelle mushrooms, charred corn from Sycamore Farms and Blooming Hill Farm mustard greens.)

“I do love to use farms and being up here that’s been the main thing,” he says. “I love putting their produce on the table.”

But he’s also realistic about the whole farm-to-table movement, particularly in the Northeast winters: “When we can do it, we do it.”

Sated though we are, we are glad we saved room for Heather’s desserts, including a warm apple crisp with vanilla semifreddo; a date pudding cake with sweet mascarpone and citrus; and a light yet creamy pumpkin cheesecake with Prosecco caramel, cranberries and pumpkin seed brittle.

Since Heather is the pastry chef and Scott, the executive chef, the pair complement each other. She’s usually finished in the kitchen as he’s getting started. That complementary quality holds for temperament as well.

“She’s easier-going than I am,” says Scott. “There has to be that give-andtake.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that Heather is shy about how her creations are presented.

“She’ll come into the kitchen and say, ‘Nah,’” Scott says with a laugh.

With Scott in the kitchen six days a week – the restaurant is closed on Mondays – the lion’s share of the parenting falls to Heather, who is frank about being a woman trying to do it all.

“It’s extremely difficult,” she says. “I

FENNEL SAUSAGE RAGU 1/2 pounds fennel sausage 1 cup small diced carrots 1 cup small diced onions 1 tablespoon garlic 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes 2 cups white wine 2 quarts marinara sauce 1/4 cup olive oil A pinch of chili flakes Prepare a pot on medium heat with blended oil. Remove sausage from casing and break it up. Begin to brown the sausage meat in the hot pot. Remove the meat and place carrots, onion and garlic in the pot on low heat until they’re soft and translucent.

Next, add fresh tomatoes, softening them.

Wild-striped sea bass with Manila clams and farro.

Return meat to pot and cover surface with white wine. Add chili flakes and reduce heat by half. Add marinara to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Add sauce to cooked pasta.

find it hard to give myself completely to everything. But it will get easier.

It’s new and it’s about getting into a groove.”

What helps, she adds, is her and her husband’s ability to “leave (the restaurant) at work. Then it’s all new at home.”

“It’s a real juggling act,” Scott adds.

“But any business requires a ton of attention until you get a team in place.”

Scott envisions an expanded staff and floor plan, with a big bar. (One of the things he and Heather love to do on their rare nights out is to dine at a bar.)

And perhaps a walk-in fridge like the one at Union Square Café? Scott says L’Inizio has a nice walk-in fridge, adding with a laugh, “but not as romantic.”

L’Inizio is at 698 Saw Mill Road, Ardsley. 914-693-5400, liniziony.com.

Gnocchi with porcini-braised rabbit and Castelvetrano olives.

House-made sweet fennel sausage with Brussel sprouts and pomegranate.

Photographs by Bill Milne. Courtesy L’Inizio.

71

WINE & DINE

WINE COMES OF AGE PHOTOGRAPH AND STORY

BY DOUG PAULDING

I

F YOU’RE A LOVER OF WINE, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE ALIVE THAN RIGHT NOW. When I was just learning about wine in Cristóbal Undurraga, owner and winemaker of Viña Koyle Family Vineyards, in his organic vineyard in Chile, part of the wine the mid-’70s, there weren’t many industry’s Renaissance. options. Sure, you could walk into a wine store or restaurant and find a very nice Bordeaux or a Burgundy. Italian Barolos and Spancultural and oenological experimental stations. Families with a winemaking ish Tempranillos might also be available. Germany was produchistory would send a son to school to upgrade their operations. These studies ing many age-worthy Rieslings and Champagne was essentially often required an internship or two in another wine region or country to learn the only sparkling wine in town. The California wine industry from the masters. Grape-growing and winemaking techniques were shared and hadn’t matured past the bulk jug wine stage. Vines hadn’t even passed around liberally. Expert consultants emerged in agriculture, terroir and been planted yet on Long Island, the Finger Lakes and Canada. Chile, Argenwinemaking that educated the wine world in techniques that improved all astina, Israel and Australia were planting vines, but their wine industries were far pects of the operation. Regions such as Sicily, Italy and the southwest of France, from being taken seriously. known decades earlier for insipid and uninteresting bulk wines, started using Grapes were planted in ancient times and then extensively in the Middle better techniques and better grapes and the wines improved.

Ages for sacramental and for everyday purposes. The Roman Empire and the The obvious benefit here is worldwide competition in the quality wine arena.

Church were instrumental in spreading wine consumption all over Europe and I attended a seminar in New York recently and we tasted several Macedonian the Mediterranean. Contaminated drinking water made many people sick. wines. There are currently 82 producers in Macedonia yet only three of them Cholera, giardia and hepatitis are just a few of the very unpleasant and potenare available in the U.S. This is changing. The wines were very good, welltially fatal diseases associated with drinking local water. But wine was another made and attractively priced and Macedonian wine producers are making a big story. Ferment the juice of the grape and drink this as the everyday beverage push in the U.S. market. Look for Vranec Imperator. At $65 U.S., it isn’t cheap, and people can avoid many of these diseases. As the church moved into a new but it can stand up to many wines at the $100 price point. I visited Navarra in region to expand its influence and its reach, one of the first projects was plantthe north of Spain and France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region on the other side ing grape vines. of the Pyrenees. Both regions are now making deluxe and delicious wines that Fast forward to the end of the 20th century and the beginning of this one. offer a terrific price-to-value ratio. Gerard Bertrand winery is making many The wines produced in many regions of the world became respectable and atrespectable wines all over the price spectrum. Any wine from Spain showing tractively priced. What happened? Back in the day, it was common for lesser“Pago” on the label will not disappoint. The Pago designation indicates the terknown wine regions to stick with the indigenous planted grapes of their grandroir, the estate and the winery have shown they are essentially exempt from the parents. The grapes were harvested and fermented each autumn, put in bottles normal rules and they have free rein to make the wine as they wish. or barrels and stored in the cellar, putting down enough wine to last until the The next time you’re looking for something to drink take a step off the beaten next harvest. Sanitation was sketchy, grapes were probably not the best varietal track. Ask the sommelier or store salesperson for a wine from a little-known for the terroir, but it’s what they inherited. Grape-growing and winemaking region. In general, the lesser-known wine regions of the world are making good techniques were handed down generation-to-generation as a bread recipe might wines but they must be attractively priced to get the consumer’s attention. Getbe taught. “A handful of this and a pinch of that.” ting away from the big Cabernets and Chardonnays of the world can be liberatStill, the wine industry was ready to enter its Renaissance. ing, exhilarating and economical. There are so many great unknown regions Wine schools started popping up in different areas of the world, some in and grapes to draw from. Don’t be shy.

Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com. conjunction with culinary schools and some as stand-alone educational, agri-

72

Where the neighborhood gathers

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73

WHETTING THE APPETITE JACKIE’S SAUCY BOLOGNESE

BY JACKIE RUBY, “THE COOKING REALTOR”

There’s a chill in the air and what better way to ward off it and the blues than with a fresh Bolognese sauce on a Sunday afternoon.

This is a recipe that anyone can make and once you have, you’ll be hooked. Serve over pasta with some fresh Italian bread, salad and a glass of red wine.

If you have any questions, please email jacquelineruby@hotmail.com.

74

Ingredients:

Directions:

2-3 cans plum tomatoes (use Rao’s or Alta Cucina tomatoes) ½ cup chopped basil 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 4 garlic cloves 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon fennel seeds ½ carrot, finely chopped ½ onion finely chopped ½ cup dry red wine 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin beef 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound pasta 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Brown beef in pan. Add salt and pepper.

Transfer meat to plate.

Sauté onion and carrots in olive oil for about 3 minutes.

Add wine and reduce 5 minutes.

Break up plum tomatoes and add to pan.

Add browned beef, garlic, bay leaf, fennel seeds and grated cheese.

Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Add parsley and basil just before serving.

Serve over pasta – 6 servings.

You can substitute ground pork or veal for beef or do l/2 pound of each.

75

WHAT’S NEW

Betsy Perry, Patricia Espinosa, Julie Rubich and Joannie Buhrendorf, from left, have launched The Local Vault. Photograph courtesy The Local Vault.

The key to home design

THE LOCAL VAULT FILLED WITH STYLISH FINDS

T

HE LOCAL VAULT HAS OPENED, AND ITS CONTENTS ARE QUITE STYLISH. They are also thoughtfully edited, sometimes playful and always communitysourced.

TLV is a Greenwich-based online marketplace designed for buying and selling “pre-loved” upscale home furnishings and decorative accessories.

Patricia Espinosa, whose work has appeared in WAG, is sitting down with me soon after TLV’s early-October launch to fill us in on the venture in which she is a founding partner.

“It’s exciting. It’s been a whirlwind,” she says with a smile.

Indeed, Espinosa is more than enthusiastic about the business that taps into her longtime love of interior design, treasure-hunting and writing.

TLV teams her with fellow Greenwich residents Julie Rubich and Betsy Perry and Perry’s sister Joannie Buhrendorf of Fairfield.

Together, the women have decades of experience in design, event planning, real estate staging, marketing, photography and writing. Espinosa says each partner draws on her background and personality to contribute everything from photography to networking to, yes, a sense of humor and whimsy.

TLV, she adds, has an edge.

“The secret sauce is that it’s hyper-local. We’re really targeting a one-hour radius,” focusing on the region the partners know so well.

“This area has its own look, its own style,” she says.

And it has its own needs. Sometimes, Espinosa says, it’s a client moving quickly for a job.

“It’s such a stressful thing,” Espinosa says. “The last thing you want to deal with is selling furniture on eBay.” Other times, it’s those simply freshening their

78

BY MARY SHUSTACK

surroundings.

“Frankly, you’d be surprised how many of our clients are just redecorating.”

Espinosa says TLV was designed to fill the void when the online estate-sale company Everything But The House – which Espinosa profiled for WAG – “pulled out of the area.”

“When they left we thought someone should be doing this,” Espinosa says. “The need exists.”

So, TLV was born after some 10 months of customized development.

The company will make its mark, Espinosa says, through its “white-glove” solution. TLV team members visit with a homeowner, determine which items they will feature, agree on a price and then photograph the goods on site.

The items are then introduced online in artful vignettes, though the elements are sold individually.

“We wanted to give (buyers) inspiration,” Espinosa says of the approach.

Goods are sold following a10-day “flash sale” model, with sale price shared between seller and TLV. Recent offerings included a custom-upholstered mahogany chair (estimated retail of $2,700) for $650, while an oak farm table with a leaf ($2,200) could be snagged for $600.

If items don’t sell, the owner can opt to retain them or move them to the sidewalk sale.

Shoppers, Espinosa explains, also come out ahead buying from a curated selection of local goods.

“It doesn’t make sense to buy something pre-owned from California and have it shipped to you. It ceases to be a deal.”

Espinosa says that early buyers seem to be young families seeking affordable furnishings with flair, so preowned fits the bill.

“They want that style but don’t necessarily want to wait for things.”

While the furnishings and decorative goods form the heart of TLV, the site also showcases artists and vendors handpicked by the founders.

“People are going there already, and once they’re there we want to tempt them with all these other things,” she says.

Whether it’s a photographer, jewelry designer or even someone with a fledgling granola company, small businesses in the community can be strengthened by the exposure, Espinosa says.

“We can provide people a stepping-stone.”

And it also reinforces TLV’s sensibility.

Another such element is the blog that gives a glimpse into each partner’s personality as they cover topics ranging from fashion to entertaining.

“We’re writing about a housewarming in Old Greenwich,” Espinosa says. “It’s not all about us. We’re spreading the love.”

Still, raising TLV’s profile is key.

“Our challenge is to get the word out,” Espinosa says.

That’s done in modes contemporary (social media) to classic (setting up a table at the newcomers’ fair). In addition, Espinosa says, TLV is working to introduce its services to real estate companies that “can bring the buyer and the seller to us” and with local stores to incorporate their goods within the vignettes.

With positive early feedback, Espinosa says the TLV team is already looking ahead.

“Our end goal is we’d love to franchise this.”

So far, all is proceeding as planned, Espinosa says.

“You know, you put four women together and it could be a recipe for disaster, but it works for us. So far, it’s been magic.”

For more, visit thelocalvault.com.

WHAT’S UP

SOUR COUPLES

BY MARK LUNGARIELLO

L

OVE IS NOT ALL YOU NEED. Some of the most famous pairs in pop culture weren’t romantic duos but partners of a different kind – in the performing arts and entertainment. Still, their creative synergy didn’t necessarily mean they liked each other very much.

For every power couple there is also a sour couple.

Bickering, feuding duos are often able to put their hatred for one another aside and create a whole that’s greater than the sum of the parts. Sometimes, it takes years for a fruitful partnership to head south as the partners broker for dominance in the pairing. Other times, the duo never cared for each other from the start but was able to thrive despite personal feelings. (It can also be argued that certain tension-filled pairs thrived off of their dislike for each other.)

Here we offer a look at some of the great platonic double acts in history and what went wrong:

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO

Perhaps the most notorious sour couple was the comedy duo Abbott and Costello, who worked together for decades on stage, radio, TV and in 36 different big-screen movies. Yet they went years without speaking to each other except on screen.

Lou Costello, in contrast to his onscreen persona, was known as a sometimes abrasive personality backstage and often lamented sharing the spotlight with Bud Abbott. Costello reportedly demanded that Universal bill the pair as “Costello and Abbott.” Abbott later hired a maid whom Costello had fired, which set off the latter and led to the duo not speaking anymore. In “Little Giant” and “Time of Their Lives,” both released in 1946 at the height of the feud, the partners barely share any screen time.

The duo split up formally in 1957.

MARTIN AND LEWIS

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis started out as friends and worked together for a decade, with Martin playing the smooth, good-looking half of the duo and Lewis taking care of the slapstick antics. Somehow the seemingly mismatched pair worked wonders and wowed audiences.

Somewhere along the line, though, the friends became enemies, with Martin feeling like he was playing second fiddle to Lewis. After their 1956 breakup, both men took credit for initiating the split. They reunited on Lewis’ 1976 telethon at the behest of Frank Sinatra and rekindled their friendship in the years before Martin’s death in 1995.

LENNON AND MCCARTNEY

Another twosome that went bad, John Lennon and Paul McCartney led The Beatles to become the biggest rock band in history. Their different musical styles made for some great early collaborations, but after the band

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became a world-wide phenomenon, the two jockeyed for creative and business control. Their relationships and subsequent marriages to two gifted, independent-minded women from Westchester – Lennon’s with Yoko Ono (Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville), McCartney’s with Linda Eastman (Scarsdale) – only complicated the dynamic instead of adding another common thread.

By the time the band broke up in 1970, tensions were high. McCartney’s solo album “Ram” featured a back-cover photo of one beetle mounting another. Lennon responded with a pointed song “How Do You Sleep?” which included the lyric, “The only thing you done was yesterday.”

The two were said to become civil again in the late 1970s, but they were robbed of a proper reunion when Lennon was murdered in 1981.

ASTAIRE AND ROGERS

They may have danced together on the silver screen, and she may have given him sex and he may have given her class – as Katharine Hepburn famously remarked about the secret of their synergy – but off screen Fred and Ginger wanted to waltz as far away from each other as possible. Though they dated each other early on in New York (they went dancing, naturally), they disliked the idea of being part of a team.

Rogers wanted to pursue serious roles on her own. (After the pair split temporarily, she won an Oscar for the 1940 film “Kitty Foyle.”) Journalist Michael Freedland also reported that Astaire’s wife Phyllis was jealous of Rogers’ association with her husband. As a result, the duo never actually kissed on screen. Later in life, Rogers told reporters that she felt she wasn’t always given her due as half of the team, even though the admiring joke (from a 1982 Frank and Ernest cartoon) was that she “did everything he did, except backward and in heels.”

Astaire and Rogers at least were friends. Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable fought for control on “Gone With the Wind,” no doubt enhancing Rhett Butler’s passionate relationship with Scarlett O’Hara. And Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd had a will-they-or-won’t-they chemistry on TV’s “Moonlighting,” but in real life the answer was clearly, “They won’t.”

RAMIS AND MURRAY

Harold Ramis and Bill Murray were never billed as a partnership, but together the friends collaborated on the films “Stripes,” “Caddyshack,” “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day.” It was on the set of the poignant “Groundhog Day” that the onetime friendship fractured. Murray, known as an eccentric, was recovering from a divorce and argued with Ramis, the film’s director, about the tone of the movie. Apparently Murray envisioned a more serious take on the premise, which was about Murray’s character reliving the same day over and over.

The two stopped speaking after that, although Ramis tried to make amends several times over the years. They were rumored to be starring in a “Ghostbusters” sequel forever, but the project never got off the ground reportedly due in part to Murray’s lack of interest. Ramis died in February.

October and November Events NEW EXIBIT

Hidden Treasures: Artifacts from the LMMM Collections Wed. - Sun., Oct. 22, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015, 12 - 4 p.m.

Ghostly Sightings Halloween Tours Fri., Oct. 24 - Sun., Oct. 31 Wed. - Sun., Oct. 24, 2014 - Oct. 31, 12 - 4 p.m.

Victorian Tea

Sun., Nov. 9, 2 - 4 p.m.

Holidays at the Mark Twain House Lecture by Patti Philippon, former Curator of the Mark Twain House Wed., Nov. 12, 11 a.m.

LMMM PARTNERSHIP WITH STEPPING STONES AND CSOPA

Our Children Our Future Artist Meet-and-Greet at Stepping Stones Museum for Children Sat., Nov. 15, 2 - 4 p.m

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And Expereince the Splendor of an Iconic Victorian Era Mansion

295 West Avenue, Norwalk CT 06850 • info@lockwoomathewsmansion.com (203) 838-9799 EXT. 4 • http://www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com

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PET OF THE MONTH

POWER POOCHES IN THIS OUR “POWER COUPLES” MONTH, we thought we’d give you two for the price of one – so to speak. So we present a dog for the laidback and a pup for those who like to be where the action is.

Rocky is a gorgeous, purebred Sheltie (a mini Lassie) whom the SPCA recently rescued from a high-kill shelter where he was left after his owner passed away.

At age 10, he’s a mellow fellow. Nothing seems to

faze him. He’d make a great couch potato companion as all he wants to do is to curl up beside you.

Then there’s Teddy, a 2-month-old Cocker Spaniel/ Poodle mix who was returned to the pet store where he was purchased when the owners realized they didn’t have the time and energy for a puppy. For those who do have the time and energy, however, this happy, sweet little Teddy Bear won’t disappoint.

To meet Rocky and Teddy, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor.

PLEASE NOTE: The SPCA does not accept deposits, make appointments or reserve animals for adoption even if it has spoken about a particular dog or cat with you. It’s always first-come, first-served among applicants, pending approval. The SPCA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. To learn more, call 914-941-2896 or visit spca914.org.

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Husband-and-wife team starts pet bed biz

WARES

BY DANIELLE RENDA

S

Suzy Sung and husband Eric Larsen of Croton-on-Hudson recently started EZ Home Living, offering pet beds and home décor items on the Internet.

Combining Suzy’s expertise in the home fashion and textile industries with her husband’s bookkeeping, warehouse

42_ WAG-Magazine_v6_Layout 1 10/20/14 3:55 PM Page 1

management and shipping skills, the couple created their business to sell comfortable, orthopedic beds for pets.

The pair was inspired after their 14 1/2-year-old, 95-pound mutt, Cartman, began suffering from arthritis. In an effort to accommodate their furry friend, they experimented with a variety of proto-

types before finalizing the current design, which is now available in an array of styles and includes a water repellent feature for accident cleanup.

In addition to pet beds, EZ also sells decorative pillows, window curtains, couch protectors and a duvet set – for a people bed.

For more information, visit ezlivinghome.com.

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LEAFING OUT

ARBOR CARE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

With

BY X. L. TREED

WESTCHESTER - FAIRFIELD

W

With the professionalism one would expect of a London concierge and the thorough working knowledge one would expect of a professor of entomology and plant pathology, Doug Paulding has turned Eager Beaver Tree service into the area’s premier tree and shrub care establishment. The freshly and artistically painted equipment adorned with whimsical beavers provides a friendly atmosphere.

And the current approach to reduced fat is epitomized

by Mr. Paulding. His labor force and equipment purchases are indicative of a no-fat approach to business. It is refreshing to call on anyone in the company, from pest control technicians to expert tree pruners to the ground crew, and be able to get intelligent answers. This is no accident.

Mr. Paulding is dedicated to providing and ensuring quality personnel. Every member of the team has attended the field and classroom seminars specifically tailored to their role. And what a team! It’s a pleasure to watch them work, reminiscent of a finely tuned athletic team. Each goes about his job with an enthusiasm and an anticipation of everything that needs to be done.

Start with the deep root liquid fertilizer as a first course.

The loosening of the soil and introduction of critical but depleted nutrients will snap your trees and shrubs out of their winter dormancy with exuberance and excitement for growth and anticipation of what’s to come.

The horticultural oil is not to be missed. Expertly prepared and presented, this early season approach to pest reduction will see to it that aphids, adelgids and scales are smothered under a thin layer of oil and neutralized. Monitoring and timing are essential for quality control and Eager Beaver Tree Service is committed to these procedures.

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Other courses are further enhanced by their approach to pest control. It’s a pleasure to see pioneers such as Mr. Paulding using bio- and photodegradable materials.

Pests today are specifically targeted and controlled by bacteria, fungi and viruses that affect only the intended victim. Once again Eager Beaver’s expert, flawless timing sees to it that the homeowner can relax as the target pest is controlled. The broad spectrum, highly toxic approach of yesterday that is still employed by a shocking number of companies today will be changing due to regulations and consumer awareness. Until then call on Eager Beaver Tree Service.

The problems and fears generated by the deer tick need not prevent enjoyment of your property. Their technicians can reduce the tick population dramatically and reduce the threat of disease in an environemntally responsible way.

The pièce de résistance of Eager Beaver’s menu of services may well be expert tree pruning. Those who choose to skip it will have missed an extraordinary presentation. Grand old oaks are restored to their former glory by selective thinning and dead wood removal. Apple trees are delicately shaped into a flowering cascading waterfall. Overgrown and dense trees of all varieties can be thinned to allow dappled sunshine to brighten the atmosphere that has darkened with time. Properties can be further enhanced by a deft hand-pruning of the foundation plantings.

When Eager Beaver removes a tree, it’s an arboricultural tour de force. The effortless fluidity Mr. Paulding and company bring to your home will draw crowds and applause. His commitment to safety and cleanliness leaves everyone feeling contented and satisfied.

EXTRAORDINARY Serving Westchester and Fairfield 914-533-2255 | 203-869-3280 |

203-966-6767

www.eagerbeavertreeservice.com ATMOSPHERE: Professional and personable with scrupulous attention to detail. Carefully maintained equipment and impeccably trained personnel.

RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES: Being the owner of a small company, Mr. Paulding never has to “sell” to keep his crew busy. You can be sure all the recommendations are arboriculturally sound and will improve the host plant.

His knowledge and no pressure, soft-sell approach is a pleasure to experience.

PAYMENT METHOD: Check and cash. Steep discounts apply to pre-payment for seasonal pest control and fertilizing.

HOURS: Emergency service always in effect.

Otherwise reservations necessary.

WHEN & WHERE

THROUGH NOVEMBER 29

THROUGH FEBRUARY 1

Westchester Photographic Society presents “BEAUTIFUL NOISE.” The exhibit offers a wide range of genres, including landscapes, still lifes and the figure, along with abstract and digitally enhanced images in both black and white and color. Greenburgh Public Library, 300 Tarrytown Road, Elmsford; 914-837-2361, WPSphoto.org.

The Bruce Museum travels to the southern end of the world for the new exhibition “ANTARCTICA: PHOTOGRAPHS

BY DIANE TUFT,” which features largeformat photographs, many of them more than three feet wide, selected from her new book, “Gondwana: Images of an Ancient Land.” 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich; 203-413-6735, brucemuseum.org.

THROUGH DECEMBER 14 “NEW PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER BY CLAUDIA MENGEL.” Dynamic Abstract Expressionist paintings described by the artist as “my unpredictable interpretation of the forms of nature.” 11 a.m.-5 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays. The Lionheart Gallery, 27 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge; 914-764-8689, thelionheartgallery.com.

THROUGH JANUARY 18 The Hudson River Museum presents “STRUT: THE PEACOCK AND BEAUTY IN ART.” It’s the first scholarly survey of the peacock as metaphor for the tension between male regard and female power and the vainglory of Selfie Nation. 511 Warburton Ave.,Yonkers; 914963-4550, hrm.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 THROUGH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 “HUDSON RIVER POTTERS’ CERAMICS SHOW AND SALE.” Get a jump on your holiday shopping with beautiful and functional pieces of pottery. 6-9 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Briarcliff Congregational Church Parish Hall, 30 S. State St., Briarcliff Manor; hudsonriverpotters.net.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 “CRAFTS AT PURCHASE,” a benefit for the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, features many artists never before seen in Westchester as well as seasoned returning artists. The show includes one-of-a-kind clothing, accessories and home decor pieces, as well as works in ceramics, metal, glass, painting, photography, wood and mixed media. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road; 845331-7900, artrider.com.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 STRUT: THE PEACOCK AND BEAUTY IN ART, AT HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 White Plains Hospital honors longtime CEO Jon B. Schandler at its annual “AUXILIARY GALA” for his nearly four decades of service to the health care organization. The gala will feature cocktails, dinner and dancing with music from a 12-piece band, a silent auction and several tributes to Schandler. 6:30 p.m.,Trump National Golf Club, 339 Pine Road, Briarcliff Manor; 914-681-2264, givetowphospital.org/ form.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 “AN EVENING WITH BRUCE HORNSBY.” Best known for his hit songs “The Way It Is,” “Mandolin Rain,” “Every Little Kiss” and “The Valley Road,” pianist Bruce Hornsby writes powerful songs from the heart that touch on several distinctly American traditions – pop, jazz, bluegrass and ’60s soul. 8 p.m., The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road, Ridgefield; 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3

FIBONACCI SERIES, AT CANFIN GALLERY

Join Cerebral Palsy of Westchester for “A TASTE OF WESTCHESTER; A FOOD AND WINE TASTING EVENT.” Featuring more than 20 of the area’s finest restaurants and top chefs, in addition to a worldly selection of wine and beer.

6:15 p.m., Renaissance Westchester Hotel, 80 W. Oak Lane, West Harrison; 914-937-0967, cpwestchester.org.

“SECOND ANNUAL BRIDGEPORT NEIGHBORHOOD TRUST MASQUERADE BALL.” Take a nostalgic walk down memory lane to Bridgeport’s Roaring ’20s with its current kings and queens of industry. Come incognito and ready to dance to a live band straight from Tin Pan Alley. Enjoy beer, wine and food, costume prizes and more. 7 p.m., Amici Miei Cafe, 957 Main St.; bntweb.org/ masquerade.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 THE SYMPHONY OF WESTCHESTER, featuring concertmaster Alex Abayev, will open its 18th concert season at Iona College at 8 p.m., Christopher J. Murphy Auditorium, 715 North Ave., New Rochelle; 914-654-4926, thesymphonyofwestchester.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 THROUGH NOVEMBER 30 Known for her use of the lone female figure and impasto-laden surfaces, as well as her “Fibonacci Series,” JYLIAN GUSTLIN continues to explore the merging of science with art in her readily recognizable colorful paintings.

Canfin Gallery, 39 Main St., Tarrytown; 914-332-4554, CanfinGallery.com.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE begins its autumn “Script in Hand” play readings with the humorous and stirring historically based drama “Trying” by Joanna McClelland Glass. 7 p.m., Westport County Playhouse, 25 Powers Court; 203-227-4177, westportplayhouse.org.

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WHEN & WHERE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16

“THE BEST OF DOO WOP.” A tribute to two super groups of the ’50s, The Platters and the Drifters. Included in The Platters’ set are million-sellers like “Only You,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and “The Great Pretender.” From the Drifters, enjoy selections from early Doo Wop classics such as “Up on the Roof,” “Under the Boardwalk,” “Kissin’ in the Back Row of the Movies” and “Save the Last Dance for Me.” 6:15 p.m., Westchester Broadway Theater, 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford; 914-592-2222, broadwaytheatre.com.

ERNST STEIFEL STRING QUARTET IN RESIDENCE: CALIDORE QUARTET. Each year, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts chooses one promising string quartet to complete a year-long residency, spending time in the Caramoor’s Student Strings program and performing regularly. The Calidore Quartet will perform three works from Mozart, Beethoven and Hindemith.

4 p.m., Music Room, Caramoor, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah; 914-2325035, caramoor.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 Set aside some time this holiday season to enjoy the vibrant world of handmade objects. Pelham Art Center’s annual exhibition “CRAFT-TASTIC” is a creative alternative for holiday shopping, featuring unique functional, wearable and decorative crafts created by 20 local, national and international craft artists. Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Ave.; 914-738-2525, pelhamartcenter.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 “AN EVENING OF ITALIAN OPERA.” Spectacular overtures of the most-loved arias ever written for opera such as “La Bohème,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “Lucia di Lammermoor, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and “Aida,” performed by the artists of the New York City-based Amore Opera. This event is co-sponsored by the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in conjunction with the Scarsdale Women’s Club. Must register in advance and prepay. 7 p.m., Scarsdale Women’s Club, 37 Drake Road; 914-771-8700, wiccny.org/pastevents/an-evening-of-italian-opera.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Vassar College Choir and Women’s Chorus, presents a performance of Carl Orff’s “CARMINA BURANA,” with guest artist Charles Wesley Evans, baritone, and the Hudson Valley-based Cappella Festiva Treble Choir. 8 p.m., Vassar Chapel, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie; 845-437-5370, vassar.edu.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 THROUGH JANUARY 12 Not to be missed is this New York holiday classic, “THE HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW,” featuring New York landmarks recreated from plant materials.

A holiday delight for kids and adults alike. The New York Botanical Garden, Southern Boulevard, Bronx; 718-8178700, nybg.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Over the course of her career, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER has sold more than 13 million records. With hits like “Passionate Kisses” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” she has won five Grammy Awards (with 15 nominations), two CMA awards and two Academy of Country Music awards for her vocals.

8 p.m.,The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road; 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 THROUGH DECEMBER 24 Celebrate the holiday season with “A GIFT OF ART,” the Mamaroneck Artists Guild’s annual holiday show and boutique. Shop for original, one-of-a-kind fine art made in a variety of media.

Noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays during November and noon-5 p.m. daily Dec.1-Dec. 24. 126 Larchmont Ave., Larchmont; 914-834-1117, mamaroneckartistsguild.org.

HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW, AT THE NY BOTANICAL GARDEN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27

William “Count” Basie started THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA in 1935 in Kansas City, Mo. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become “The greatest swing band in all the land.” The band is still going strong today. 8 p.m., The Emelin Theater, 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck; 914-698-0098, thecountbasieorchestra.com.

We at WAG are grateful for our readers, our advertisers and the interesting and wonderful people that have made our tongues wag this year. May you and yours have a happy Thanksgiving Day!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21 AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 “WINTER FROLIC.” Stroll through four homes beautifully decorated for the holidays by top designers in the community, with proceeds benefitting the Ossining Children’s Center. 9:30 a.m.noon and 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. A fundraising luncheon will be held 12:30 p.m.

Friday at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. There will be a reception both days at Holbrook Cottage, 1253 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff Manor; 914-9410230, ext. 13, ossiningchildcenter.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Mark St. Germain’s critically acclaimed play “FREUD’S LAST SESSION” imagines a private meeting between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. Not just a battle of wits, this is a profound and deeply touching drama about two men who boldly addressed the greatest questions of all time. 3 p.m., The Schoolhouse Theater, 3 Owens Road, Croton Falls; 914-277-8477, schoolhousetheater.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 It’s Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. On your mark, get set, GO!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 The homecoming of America’s favorite snowman, Frosty, will be celebrated again this year with “FROSTY DAY” in his hometown of Armonk. Activities and family events will start at 11 a.m. in town. The highlight, though, will be a parade starting at 4:30 p.m. that goes down Main Street onto Bedford Road and past the “Village Square” mentioned in the song. More than 30 local groups and organizations will participate with floats, lights, dancing, costumes and music to welcome Frosty home. ArmonkFrosty.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 TO SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015 “WESTCHESTER’S WINTER WONDERLAND.” Stroll through Kensico Dam Plaza on a beautiful crisp evening for an illuminated spectacle of the cherry blossom grove ablaze with color. Enjoy outdoor ice skating on a temporary rink and a choreographed light show. Join other shoppers as they browse the artisan craft village for that perfect gift or treat.

Then top it off with a meal or beverage at the food court. Kensico Dam Plaza, Park Drive West, Valhalla; winterwonderland.com for schedule of daily hours.

80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT • (203) 438-5795

ridgefieldplayhouse.org

Sat, November 8 @ 8PM With hits “Give a Little Bit,” “Breakfast in America,” “Dreamer,” “Take the Long Way Home,” and more!

ROCK SERIES

MOFFLY MEDIA ENTERTAINING CONVERSATIONS SERIES

An Evening with Bruce Hornsby

Mo Rocca

Sun, November 2 @ 8PM

Fri, November 14 @ 7:30PM

Underwritten by Steinway Piano Gallery Westport

From CBS Sunday Morning, Comedy Central, The Cooking Channel and more! Mo’s stories and perspectives will have you laughing! Q&A will follow!

CLARK CONSTRUCTION COMEDY SERIES

Capitol Steps

Thurs, November 6 @ 8pm

Watch these senate staffers satirize the very people and places that employed them! A great night of comedy!

With hits "The Way It Is," "Mandolin Rain," "Every Little Kiss," and more! Bruce Hornsby's new live double album "Solo Concerts" will be included with the purchase of each ticket!

The Moody Blues Justin Hayward

With Special Guest Mike Dawes

Tues, November 4 @ 8PM

With hits “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “The Voice,” and “Your Wildest Dreams.

Get the Led Out

Ralphie May

Fri, November 7 @ 8pm

Sun, November 9 @ 8PM

"The American Led Zeppelin,” Get The Led Out will present a set

From Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central! Ralphie’s relatable comedic genius is in demand more than ever!

that spans the mythic career of the legendary British supergroup.

Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty, Sexy, Funny

Arlo Guthrie

A Great Girl’s Night Out!

Sat, November 15 @ 8pm

Sat, December 6 @ 8PM

Featuring comedy by Tammy Pescatelli, Lynne Koplitz, Paula Bel & April Macie!

GREAT HOLIDAY SHOWS!

Christmas with the Celts

Thurs, December 4 @ 8PM

Great Holiday Show for the entire family! Christmas With The Celts brings audiences to their feet with infectious energy, humor, passion, and masterful musicianship.

Wizards of Winter - A Trans Siberian Orchestra Experience

Sun, December 7 @ 3pm & 7pm

With hits Christmas Eve in Sarajevo, Mad Russian, Christmas in the Air, Old City Bar, Queen of the Winter Night and others plus music from our own rock opera “Tales Beneath a Northern Star.”

Darlene Love Holiday Show

Sat, December 13 @ 8PM

It’s a Rock and Roll Christmas! Performing her #1 Holiday Classic “Christmas Baby Please Come Home” and rock and roll hits “He’s A Rebel,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” and more!

With Special Guest Antigone RIsing

Best known for his songs “Alice’s Restaurant”, “The City of New Orleans”, “The Motorcycle” and many others! As a folk music icon he shares timeless stories and unforgettable classic songs.

Buddy Guy

With Special Guest Matt Andersen

Sun, November 16 @ 8pm

Blues Guitar Master! Ranked 30th on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list.

Mary Chapin Carpenter With Special Guest Tift Merritt

Wed, November 19 @ 8pm

Five-time Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter will embark on a unique series of intimate, acoustic performances this fall. With hits like "Passionate Kisses" and "He Thinks He'll Keep Her."

Living Colour

Synethesia 2014

Fri, December 5 @ 8PM

Best known for their Grammy Award winning anthem "Cult of 87 Personality"!

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOHN RIZZO INTERNATIONAL EVENTS WEDDINGS PHOTO TOURS TO AFRICA & ASIA PRIVATE INSTRUCTION Rizzo in India: “Hundreds of painted elephants surround Amber Fort, built in the 16th century by Raja Man Singh.”

John Rizzo Photography 10 Cedar St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 (914) 231-9513 studio (646) 221-6186 worldwide mobile www.jrizzophoto.com

WATCH

STRUTTING IN STYLE

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Guests sporting peacock-themed fashions and accessories added a festive air to the Oct. 9 reception for “Strut: The Peacock and Beauty in Art” at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers.

The expansive show of works, historic and contemporary, which continues through Jan. 18, includes paintings, sculpture, textiles, fashions, photography, decorative goods, a video element and more. Perhaps a centerpiece is the dramatic Madame Laurent sculpture

by Maine-based artist Kymara Lonergan, a symbolic work that features a peacock-feather skirt and stands proud in one of the period rooms of the museum’s Glenview Mansion.

— Mary Shustack

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All identifications are from left unless otherwise noted.

Photographs by Bob Rozycki.

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1. Dillon Lundeen Goldschlag 2. Kymara Lonergan and Madame Laurent 3. Ellen Roberts 4. Kirsten Jensen 5. Lauren Bassman, Nick Fehlinger and Jennifer Judkins 6. Martin Belotti and Robin Tragni 7. Brian Stephens, Pola Esther and E.J. Knox 8. Rikki Morley Saunders 9. Bobbie DeCarlo, Peter Paone and Alma Alabilikian 10. Bartholomew F. Bland

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SHOE- IN Recently an exclusive event was held at the The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester in White Plains to celebrate the launch of Westchester-based podiatrist Bruce Pinker’s custom shoe line, Dr. DLuCS. For more on Dr. Pinker and his shoes see page 78 of the September issue of WAG.

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1. Aysen Hurriyet, Bruce Pinker, Stacy Geisinger and Vasken Demirjian 2. Lynda and Jessye Piscitelli 3. Elina Furman 4. Wendi Heller 5. Randee Horowitz Bank 6. Lisa and Brittany Lerner 7. Susan Marocco and Jessica Wright 8. The Dr. D-LuCS Savior 9. Melissa Schweiger

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GRAND CELEBRATION John Verazza, owner of Salon la Bottega in White Plains, recently marked the opening of his new salon at 263 S. Ridge St. in Rye Brook. Verazza, who also has a location on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, redesigned the entire Rye Brook space with wood and stone highlights.

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Photographs by Bob Rozycki.

1. Suzy Rrasi, Judy Merigliano and Carlos Avalos 2. John Verazza, owner of Salon la Bottega, and his team 3. Annette Carello, Trish Briganti, Paula Peterson, Lorraine Gaultieri, Gina Amato and Margaret Oley 4. Vincent Corso and Ben DeFonce 5. Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg and John Verazza

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AMANI, MEET ARMANI Two-legged and four-legged models shone brightly at Bloomingdale’s White Plains recently as former New York Giants Jeff Feagles, Chris Snee and Amani Toomer took to the runway to support New York Pet Rescue. The Mara family, longtime co-owners of the Giants, was out in force to support the players, who looked spiffy in Armani Collezioni, Polo Ralph Lauren, Boss and John Varvatos, among other labels. The event helped kick off the “100% Bloomingdale’s” campaign.

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Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.

1. Chris Snee and friend 2. Model Mary, Chris Snee, Jeff Feagles, Model Bruno, Model Andy and Amani Toomer 3. Amani Toomer 4. Howard Ward and John Mara

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A CITY IN BLOOM

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The White Plains Beautification Foundation held its annual fall gala once again at Westchester Hills Golf Club. Honorees included Amodio’s Garden Center, Gedney Farms Nursery and Ridgeway Garden Center, along with foundation goddesses Jean Bello, Deborah Donahoe and Barbara Vrooman. The cocktail hour, buffet dinner, raffle and silent auction were great ways to celebrate a group that keeps W.P. ever green.

Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.

1. Benjamin Boykin II and Barbara and Richard Dannenberg 2. Cormac and Renate Daly, Dorothy S. Schere, David W. Rhodes and Diane H. Tabakman 3. Douglas Moreira, Larry Tumminia, Andrea Sagliocco and Lucino Andrioli 4. Digna Reus and Jean M. and Paul Bello

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RETURN OF THE NATIVE Designer Carmen Marc Valvo recently made a rare appearance in his native Westchester with a trunk show of his figure-flattering creations at Neiman Marcus in White Plains. (See story on page 55.)

Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.

1. Carmen Marc Valvo takes care of the finishing touches.

2. Ksusha and Amy in Carmen Marc Valvo cocktail dresses 3. Ksusha

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DETAIL MAN Ossining-based designer Neil Bieff held a trunk show recently at Mary Jane Denzer’s new eponymous store near The RitzCarlton, Westchester in White Plains. Denzer praised Bieff for the use of color and hand-embroidered details in his fluid designs.

Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.

1. Neil Bieff with Lauren Morris, an MJD sales associate, in one of his creations 2. Mary Jane Denzer accessorizes one of Neil Bieff’s gowns, which sales associate Lauren Morris models

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COUNTING ON CFOS A full-house of 150 attended the Fairfield Business Journal’s second annual CFO of the Year Awards recently at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk. If the evening had a casualty, it was any regard of accounting as staid, stuffy and by-thebook boring.

The winner in the large-size business category was Patrick McCabe, senior vice president corporate finance for Yale New Haven Health System and CFO Bridgeport Hospital. The medium-size business winner was Richard Luce, financial team leader, Stamford-based Rosco Laboratories.

The winner in the small-business category was Douglas Polistena, general manager and CFO, The Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury.

The other nominees were Richard Gulbin, CFO, Stamford-based Finacity Corp.; Ashley Marks, CFO, defense aircraft and support business unit, Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.; Saeed Nasiri, CFO, Greenwich Hospital; Mark Peterson, vice president, finance and materials, Sheltonbased OEM Controls Inc.; and Mike Walsh, CFO, United States Beverage in Stamford.

– Bill Fallon

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Photographs by John Rizzo.

1. Mike LaBella of TD Bank; Monica and Mark Peterson, both of OEM Controls Inc. 2. Jim Wright and Eugene Colucci, both of Greenwich Hospital 3. Greg Budnik and Mike Archer, both of McGladrey 4. Richard Luce of Rosco Laboratories.

5. Patrick McCabe of Yale New Haven Health System 6. Doug Polistena of the Amber Room Colonnade.

7. Pete Gioia of CBIA announces one of the evening’s winners 8. Ashley Marks of Sikorsky.

9. Sean Keating of McGladrey and Carolyn Armbrust of Axcess Value 10. Eric Grisudd, Kristen Chasse, Ashley Marks, George Mitchell and Anna Kasica, all of Sikorsky

Photographs by Bill Fallon.

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11. Realtor Ajay Shah, Danbury-based Nationwide Homes 12. Mark Fagan, managing partner, Citrin Cooperman’s Norwalk office 13. Event judge Patricia Poli

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FINANCIAL WIZARDS HONORED Westfair Communications, parent company of the Westchester County Business Journal and WAG, presented its 2014 CFO of the Year Awards Oct. 2 at Wainwright House in Rye. Leslie F. Seidman, executive director of the Center for Excellence in Financial Reporting at the Lubin School of Business at Pace University and director of Moody’s Corp., was the evening’s presenter and one of the judges.

The awards recognize those who have “transformed financial departments, developed sound fiscal policies and with strategic thinking, management and leadership impacted the successful growth of their companies.”

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Photographs by John Rizzo.

1. Nominees Patricia Vitelli of Westhab, Inc. and F. Thomas Cornelius of Greater Hudson Bank 2. Nominee James Crisci of Cerebral Palsy of Westchester Inc., with wife, Laura Crisci, and children, Jordan Crisci and Malcolm Crisci 3. Carolyn Sierra Rios, Gamal Abdulrahman and Yvonne Marcinek, all of McGladrey 4. Tony Ceci of McGladrey, nominee Tom Gannalo of Magnetic Analysis Corp. and Amy Fischer of McGladrey 5. Nominees Vincent DeSantis of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, Jennifer Solomon of Greyston and Susan Bartow of School Choice International 6. Nominees Richard Dannenbaum of Cappelli Organization and Marshall Asche of St. Christopher’s Inc. 7. Jerry Landau of McGladrey, Nicole Monti of ENT & Allergy Associates, nominee Arthur Schwacke of ENT & Allergy Associates and Robert Glazer of ENT & Allergy Associates 8. Bethany Pacia, Allison Mignardi and nominee Abbie Relkin of The Mental Health Association of Westchester 9. Nominee Andrew Bracco and Joan Rosen, both of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic 10. Leslie Seidman 11. An overview of the event

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WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE POWER COUPLE?*

WIT WONDERS:

Kathleen Azzariti

Benjamin Boykin II

Marlene Patren

“THE ROOSEVELTS (FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR). THEY STARTED THE WHOLE IDEA OF BUILDING ON EACH OTHER’S STRENGTHS AND BEING OPEN TO EACH OTHER.”

– Kathleen Azzariti, Danbury resident

“THE OBAMAS. HE IS THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD. SHE HAS BEEN DOING WONDERFUL THINGS WITH OUR MILITARY FAMILIES AND OBESITY.”

– Benjamin Boykin II,

Legislator, 5th District, Westchester County Board of Legislators, White Plains resident

“I THINK IT’S BRAD AND ANGELINA. I LIKE HER…AND THEY SEEM TO BE A TEAM.”

– Patricia Carrera,

financial planner working primarily with women, Wilton resident

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Patricia Carrera

Amy Rosen

Andrew Laux

Rania Saghir

“I’M GOING TO ANSWER THIS THE WAY I THINK MY GIRLFRIEND WOULD – DAVID AND VICTORIA BECKHAM.”

– Andrew Laux,

director of operations, ML Strength, Port Washington, N.Y. resident

“I WOULD SAY ANGELINA JOLIE AND HER HUSBAND, BRAD PITT. THEY’RE BOTH VERY PHILANTHROPIC PEOPLE. AND SHE’S DONE A LOT FOR CANCER AWARENESS.”

– Roberta London,

designer, The Ringo Look, White Plains and Aventura, Fla. resident

“WILL AND JADA PINKETT SMITH. THEY’RE BOTH SO AT EASE….THEY MAKE IT ALL WORK PROFESSIONALLY WITH THE KIDS. NO DRAMA. THEY’RE A TOGETHER COUPLE, THE WHOLE PACKAGE.”

– Justine Matteis,

Roberta London

Anne Skandera

“THE COUPLE ON ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’ (FRANK AND CLAIRE UNDERWOOD, PLAYED BY KEVIN SPACEY AND ROBIN WRIGHT).

THEY’RE SO MANIPULATIVE. HE WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT SO BADLY, AND SHE WILL LET NOTHING GET IN HIS WAY. YET THEY LEAD SEPARATE LIVES. IT’S NOT A TRUE STORY, BUT I’LL BET MUCH OF IT IS.”

– Marlene Patren, Danbury resident

“THE OBAMAS. THEY HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD.”

– Amy Rosen,

Justine Matteis

Diane H. Tabakman

“THE CLINTONS. THEY SUPPORT A LOT OF GOOD CAUSES.”

– Anne Skandera, Danbury resident

“HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON. THEY ARE EACH IN THEIR OWN WAY VALIANT SUPPORTERS OF CAUSES (MY HUSBAND AND I) LOVE. SEPARATELY, THEY’RE ACCOMPLISHED, AND YET, THEY’VE FOUND A WAY TO BE TOGETHER.”

– Diane H. Tabakman, independent consultant, White Plains resident

cooking coach, Larchmont resident

“BILL AND MELINDA GATES. THEY BOTH DO A LOT FOR OTHERS.”

– Rania Saghir,

owner, Stella and Me, Larchmont resident

retail manager, Bruce Museum, Stamford resident

*Asked at a Bloomingdale’s White Plains fashion show, the White Plains Beautification Foundation Fall Gala, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich and a Danbury house party.