Pitching your story: Marketing pro Peter Hubbell
L BUSINESS & LIFESTYLES A C LO
Warby Parker’s ‘eye’ for business Where and when can you travel?
Developer Robert Weisz’s American journey Inside Regeneron as Covid erupted Putting enterprise on the front burner: Chef Stephen Lewandowski, Royal Green and Renovation Angel
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CONTENTS J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
800 Westchester Ave., Rye Brook
6 Editor’s letter 8 Landing that first job by doing you 12 Robert Weisz’ American journey 16 Back to (live) business at Caramoor 20 Warby Parker’s view of eye care 24 Rolling along with Pepe Auto Group 28 An influencer keeps it real 32 ‘Jumping’ into journalism 36 Traveling for business and pleasure with Sandra Smith TRAVEL 40 Oh, the places you’ll go (to relax from work) 45 Solid as the Rock (of Gibraltar) 48 Club Med delivers (as an office getaway) 50 World's richest rodeo 64 Sounding the right note in the hotel biz
HOME & DESIGN 54 English country elegance in Greenwich 58 A ‘Royal’ family business 60 An 'angelic' venture into reusing kitchens 64 Sounding the right note in the hotel biz 66 On the road for home inspiration 68 When globalism was born FOOD & SPIRITS 70 Bringing the heat to Brazilian food 72 The wine industry in the time of Covid 74 Recipe for restaurant success 76 A fish dish for monsoon days
WELLNESS 78 Arms and the woman 80 White Plains Hospital looks to a brighter future 84 Inside Regeneron as Covid exploded 86 Valuing fatherhood over work FASHION & BEAUTY 88 Branding flirty fun 90 Skin in the beauty game WAG THE TAIL 92 A love for all creatures great and small 94 Teaching your dog to ‘trade’ and ‘share’ items 96 Pet of the Month 98 When & Where
WARM FURNITURE
O
A CONCEPT THAT WITTUS-FIRE BY DESIGN HAS EMBRACED AND SHARED WITH ITS CUSTOMERS FOR THE PAST 40 PLUS YEARS.
wners Alyce and Niels Wittus are passionate about their products and spend a lot of time searching the world for stoves, fireplaces and grills that are well designed with high-quality materials and high efficiency. Their customer base includes local residences, designer housing developments, restaurants, hotels, glamping tents and even yurts. Wittus stoves are eco-friendly hearth products that look fantastic in designer settings and gush with personality. A client base of architects, designers, contractors and homeowners are currently on a quest to upgrade home heating and are turning to Wittus for innovative products. Wittus stoves and fireplaces shine like stars when it comes to the contemporary market, and the Shaker stove plays a leading role. A stove that is artfully designed by Italian architect and product designer Antonio Citterio and inspired by classic American Shaker furniture design. The Shaker stove is streamlined, functional and comfortable in both contemporary and traditional settings. A favorite choice for actors, artists, architects and designers alike, the Shaker stove has made its way into their homes and their hearts. Other stars in the Wittus universe include the Stack stoves from Italy. Based on the concept of modular components, Stack stoves incorporate ceramic sections that are stacked on top of each other. Clients that are looking for a colorful alternative to home heating can rest as-
sured that they will find it in the Stack stove. Whimsical color combinations of orange and white, red and white, blue, green and metallic options are some of the most popular combinations with end users. The Stack stove is a true conversation piece. These days, living combined with working from home means cooking at home more often. Multipurpose cookstoves that also heat is a popular concept that more and more clients are embracing. Wittus offers cookstoves like the Domino 6 and 8 Maxi that are styled after traditional countryside stoves from Italy and the more contem-
The Wittus showroom at 40 Westchester Avenue in Pound Ridge, New York is a reflection of the products that can be found there. A collection of indoor and outdoor stoves, fireplaces, accessories and porary Lugo that has an oven compartment on top and the firebox underneath for heating both the oven and the room. One of the finest cookstoves available from Wittus is the Klassic, an elegantly designed cookstove conceptualized by Bent Falk of Denmark has a distinct designer’s edge.
wood storage along with helpful personnel make visiting a unique experience. Wittus is accepting visitors by appointment, call 914-764-5679 for more information or visit the website wittus.com.
Finest selection of contemporary European wood and gas stoves, fireplaces, and grills
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WAGGERS T H E TA L E N T B E H I N D O U R PA G E S
Dee DelBello
Dan Viteri
PUBLISHER dee@westfairinc.com
EXECUTIVE CO-PUBLISHER/CREATIVE dviteri@westfairinc.com
EDITORIAL Bob Rozycki MANAGING EDITOR bobr@westfairinc.com
Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com
PHIL HALL
DEBBI K. KICKHAM
WILLIAM D. KICKHAM
ART Dan Viteri CREATIVE DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com
Sarafina Pavlak GRAPHIC DESIGNER spavlak@westfairinc.com
PHOTOGRAPHY CRISTINA LOSAPIO
RAJNI MENON
John Rizzo, Bob Rozycki
FATIME MURIQI
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gina Gouveia, Phil Hall, Debbi K. Kickham, Christina Losapio Doug Paulding, Giovanni Roselli, Bob Rozycki, Gregg Shapiro, Barbara Barton Sloane, Jeremy Wayne, Cami Weinstein, Katie Banser-Whittle
PRINT/DIGITAL SALES DOUG PAULDING
JOHN RIZZO
Anne Jordan Duffy ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/SALES anne@westfairinc.com
GIOVANNI ROSELLI
Barbara Hanlon, Marcia Pflug MARKETING PARTNERS
MARKETING/EVENTS BOB ROZYCKI
GREGG SHAPIRO
BARBARA BARTON SLOANE
Fatime Muriqi EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR fmuriqi@westfairinc.com
Marcia Pflug SPONSORS DIRECTOR mpflug@wfpromote.com
CIRCULATION Sylvia Sikoutris CIRCULATION MANAGER sylvia@westfairinc.com JEREMY WAYNE
CAMI WEINSTEIN
KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE
Billy Losapio ADVISER
WHAT IS WAG?
Irene Corsaro ADVISER
Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.” We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.
HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 701 Westchester Ave., White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-694-3600 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914-694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com
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WAGMAG.COM JUNE/JULY 2021
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EDITOR’S LETTER BY GEORGET TE GOUVEIA
W
elcome to the new WAG, offering our readers and advertisers the latest in local business and lifestyle news online as well as — hurray! — in print once again. For the past decade, WAG has been a luxury lifestyle magazine, serving as a complement to our sister publications, the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals. Our sophisticated content and bold designs and layouts have earned us six New York Press Association Awards as a top magazine in nationally judged competitions. But now we’re focusing on the business of business to meet the paramount needs of our readers and advertisers. We’re taking you behind the scenes of start-ups, companies, corporations and other ventures, providing you with a more personal and unusual look at what makes them tick. Many publications have reported on Regeneron’s development of REGEN-COV, the antibodies drug that played a key role in former President Donald J. Trump’s recovery from the coronavirus. But in an exclusive for WAG, Peter takes us inside the boutique Tarrytown pharmaceutical, so to speak, as scientists went from an “OMG” moment to “we got this,” recognizing that in the face of the pandemic’s devastating challenge, they had the tools to meet it. Similarly, many readers are familiar with Warby Parker’s eyeglass ads. But the story of four bespectacled B school friends who wouldn’t give up on their dream of affordable eyeglasses for all and how they made it a reality is as irresistible as their new fun store in The Westchester in White Plains. Equally unusual are two stories that have Jeremy heading to the kitchen — Royal Green Appliance Center in White Plains, which he describes as “a company that places as much emphasis on pre- and after-sales service as on the quality of the appliances it selects and sells,” and Renovation Angel in Greenwich, which repurposes luxe cast-off kitchens for your home. It’s a venture that was created by Steve Feldman, a former rock ’n’ roll DJ and recovering addict of 33 years. He’s among the movers and shakers of Westchester and Fairfield counties whom you’ll find in the new WAG’s pages. Others include Edward J. Lewis III, the new president and CEO of Caramoor in Katonah, whose summer music
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WAGMAG.COM JUNE/JULY 2021
At Caramoor’s gala opening in Katonah, where Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra made Juneteenth particularly magical.
festival is in full swing in person, and Stephen Lewandowski, owner and executive chef of Townhouse in Greenwich. At first glance, they wouldn’t seem to have much in common. But each in his own way combines artistic talent with a head for business and organization. Peter Hubbell, the longtime advertising executive and Greenwich resident, is another whose creativity and analytical ability were put to good use, in his case in a career that saw him run global advertising for General Mills at Saatchi & Saatchi. Today he’s working both ends of the age spectrum in two enterprises. Apply:you helps college graduates attain the jobs for which they are uniquely qualified in a highly competitive market. BoomAgers helps top companies market to that rising, coveted
demographic group — boomers. Few people deserve to be called a mover and shaker more than developer Robert Weisz, as Phil tells us. His is a classic immigrant story, from a family furniture company in Uruguay to his RPW Group, which has more than 3 million square feet of commercial real estate in the tristate area, including 800 Westchester Ave., the Taj Mahal of office buildings. As successful as he is, that’s how gracious he is, a man whose essence is defined by family. It’s the key to many of the people you’ll meet in these pages, like Stamford-based TV host, senior producer and influencer Donia Duchess, who joins her husband and baby in several TikTok videos that have earned her millions of eyeballs and contracts with companies like Always. It’s equally important to Wellness columnist Giovanni, who weighs in with his annual take on fatherhood, including this gem: "When I look back on my life, it’s not going to matter how many TV shows or movies I’ve been in or wrestling matches I’ve had….What truly matters is all these precious moments that we are creating every day….” Another theme of this issue is storytelling — having a business story, telling it well and knowing how to market it. We’ve always been in the storytelling business, with great reads on food, wine, travel, antiques, beauty products, wellness and pet care, often spotlighting businesses in your own backyard. Still, this is a whole new venture and we’re excited to have you take the journey with us. A 2020 YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester Visionary Award winner and a 2018 Folio Women in Media Award Winner, Georgette Gouveia is the author of “Burying the Dead,” “Daimon: A Novel of Alexander the Great” and "Seamless Sky" (JMS Books), as well as “The Penalty for Holding,” a 2018 Lambda Literary Award finalist (JMS Books), and “Water Music” (Greenleaf Book Group). They’re part of her series of novels, “The Games Men Play,” also the name of the sports/culture blog she writes. Her short story “The Glass Door” was recently published by JMS and is part of “Together apART: Creating During COVID” at ArtsWestchester in White Plains through Aug. 1. Her new story, “After Hopper,” is out from JMS Books July 17. For more, visit thegamesmenplay.com.
BUSINESS LEADERS P. 8 Landing that first job by doing you
P. 12 Robert Weisz’s American journey
P. 16 Back to (live) business at Caramoor
P. 20 Warby Parker’s view of eye care
P. 24 Rolling along with Pepe Auto Group
P. 28 An influencer keeps it real
Longtime advertising executive Peter Hubbell courts both ends of the age spectrum with two businesses — Apply : you to help grads win that first job and BoomAgers, which helps high-profile companies market to the fastest-growing demographic — boomers.
vice that teaches job applicants, specifically first-time applicants fresh from college, how to market themselves by drawing on what makes them unique. “Coaching workshops and interviews is not a new idea,” says Hubbell, who is creator and CEO of the company. “This was conceived of by advertising and marketing people…to help you create a brand — how to interview successfully; how to deliver a résumé and how to follow up. We say you’re one class short of your first job. Mom and dad spent $250,000 for your education, but it didn’t teach you how to prepare to get that first job.”
Landing that first job by doing you
A DAUNTING CHALLENGE
BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
Longtime advertising executive Peter Hubbell likes to tell the story of a moment 15 years ago when he was at Saatchi & Saatchi – where he ran global advertising for General Mills – and was asked to interview a young man named Mike from his alma mater, Trinity College in Hartford. Hubbell asked Mike why he wanted to get into advertising, to which he replied that he liked ads.
Not exactly a scintillating response, so Hubbell changed tack. He asked Mike to talk about something that excited him. Mike told him about how as captain of the school’s losing hockey team he created 10 commandments to buoy the players. “Mike,” Hubbell remembers saying, “that’s an amazing story of leadership. That’s a quality any advertising agency would want to have.” Hubbell told Mike to leave the office, knock on the door and begin the interview again by describing himself as “the Moses of hockey.” “People are hard-wired to think, ‘If I am a better candidate, I’ll get the job,’” Hubbell says. “It’s not about being better than the other candidate. It’s about being different better. “You have to say what makes you unique, because no one has your you-ness.” And that’s where Hubbell’s new Greenwich-based Apply : you comes in. It’s a ser-
And getting that first job is more of a challenge than ever, given that members of the Class of 2021 are vying for positions with members of the pandemic Class of 2020, who either didn’t get jobs or lost them; or went to graduate school or were underemployed in work to which they were fundamentally unsuited and underpaid. It may be the fiercest job market competition in recent memory. Apply : you offers tiers of personal, group and virtual sessions starting at $395 for an introductory one-hour workshop — which Hubbell, ever the marketer, calls the perfect graduation gift — that sets you on a course of self-discovery and storytelling designed ultimately to let you control a job interview with a persuasive brand and pitch. “Our plan was to launch in the fall, but we accelerated it to coincide with graduation season.” Why concentrate on the newly graduated? “Because,” Hubbell says, “Amazon started with books.”
A FARM BOY IN GREENWICH
Though he spent years on Madison Avenue, Hubbell is what he calls a “Nutmegger through and through,” growing up on a New Haven dairy farm. (He’s still a farm boy at heart, driving his pickup truck around Greenwich, where he raised his first family and to which he moved back with his second after living in Manhattan and Bronxville.) At Trinity in the Nutmeg state’s business-rich capital, there were plenty of banking and insurance recruiters on campus had the economics major been so inclined. But, Hubbell says, “I’m creative and I wanted to write and work with people.” He was invited to a tailgate party at a Trinity football game that
JUNE/JULY 2021 WAGMAG.COM
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“
PEOPLE ARE HARD-WIRED TO THINK, ‘IF I AM A BETTER CANDIDATE, I’LL GET THE JOB,’” PETER HUBBELL SAYS. “IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING BETTER THAN THE OTHER CANDIDATE. IT’S ABOUT BEING DIFFERENT BETTER.”
he almost passed up to sit in the stands with his friends. Good thing he didn’t: At the party, he met Ray Ferguson, who was a successful ad executive. The next thing he knew he was working on the Folgers coffee account at Cunningham & Walsh. “I was not smart enough then to have a brand story,” Hubbell recalls. “But I got out there and forged relationships on my own.” Hubbell went on to N.W. Ayer & Son, an agency founded in Philadelphia in 1869 that was considered the oldest ad agency in the United States. Its clients included AT&T (“Reach out and touch someone”), De Beers (“A diamond is forever”), Ladies’ Home Journal (“Never underestimate the power of a woman”) and Morton Salt. At D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, Hubbell worked on the General Mills and Pillsbury food business accounts. When D’Arcy was absorbed in part by Saatchi & Saatchi, Hubbell ran global advertising for General Mills as a member of the agency’s worldwide board of directors. “Not bad,” he says, “for a farm boy.”
‘THE OLD RUSH’
Hubbell was at Saatchi for eight years, leav-
ing in 2011 to found BoomAgers, an agency that markets to the fastest-growing demographic group — that would be boomers — or what Hubbell calls “the old rush.” The other big trend he wanted to capitalize on was a fractured media landscape no longer dominated by print, radio and TV that requires digital specialists. The premise of BoomAgers is that like wine, cheese and leather, boomers are getting better with age. “We have the power of reflected learning,” he says. “Like leather, we have developed the patina that helps us glow.” BoomAgers is burnishing the patina of such companies as Brighthouse Financial, Duracell, National Geographic, P &G and PepsiCo in Purchase. “One of the things you learn about yourself as you age is that you become more legacy-minded,” Hubbell says. “I could’ve slammed the door or put 40 years to work to help Gen Z.” But it’s not all work. There is that fishing cabin in Maine where “we tell great stories. It’s all we have to do” in a place where Hubbell says he’s seeking “solitude without loneliness.” For more, visit applyyou.com and boomagers.com.
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Robert Weisz’s American journey BY PHIL HALL
Robert P. Weisz took his American dream from Uruguay to Westchester County. Courtesy Robert P. Weisz.
Robert P. Weisz is president and CEO of the RPW Group Inc., one of the most prominent commercial property management firms in the tristate area. The company’s more than 3 million square feet of holdings include the sleek 1133 Westchester Ave. in White Plains, with its expansive lobby, and the more than 500,000-square-foot former Philip Morris Companies property at 800 Westchester Ave. in Rye Brook, better known as “Westchester’s Taj Mahal.” Weisz bought it in 2004 for $40 million, adding $70 million worth of renovations to it. Today it’s a multitenant space where the RPW Group is headquartered.
Weisz epitomizes the American immigrant success story. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, he arrived in the United States in January 1977 with his initial focus on building a career in the furniture industry. After two years, he purchased his first warehouse to house his furniture company and in 1980 transitioned into becoming a real estate entrepreneur. It’s a career that underpins what is even more important to him — family and philanthropy. Wife Cristina will come in to look at projects, he has said. Son Andrew S. is RPW Group’s executive vice president. (Daughter Alexandra is an attorney.) Weisz sits on various city and town committees, serving as a member of the board of directors of the Westchester County Association, Reaching U and the Inner-City Schol-
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arship Fund of the Archdiocese of New York City. In 2014, Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry awarded him an honorary doctorate in commercial science. In this exclusive interview with WAG, Weisz details his unique journey.
Where does the Robert Weisz story begin?
“My family came from Poland and from Hungary, and they were escaping the Holocaust. Uruguay was a very welcoming place for Jews and people in general. It is a small country on the east side of South America that is very friendly, with mild temperatures and wonderful people. I had a great childhood growing up in Uruguay.”
Why did you decide to come to the United States?
“Before coming to the States, I went to college in Brazil at an American university in São Paulo. I studied business administration and, when I graduated, it was kind of a natural progression to come to the States and get to know the American way of life.”
When you came here in 1977, you began a career in the furniture industry. Why furniture? And how did you go from furniture to real estate?
“My father in Uruguay had a furniture factory, so I knew a little bit about furniture. And when I came to New York, I wanted to be in business on my own, but there weren't too many things that I could do. “So, I made an arrangement with my father that he would give me lines of credit and I would import furniture from Uruguay, which I did. However, it turned out that the freight from Uruguay was extremely expensive. I ended up importing furniture from the Far East and Eastern Europe. “As my company grew, I bought a warehouse in Weehawken, New Jersey, that was much larger than I needed. I kind of discovered a new industry, and after that I bought a second warehouse and then a third and a fourth. After about six or seven buildings, I sold the furniture business and I concentrated on real estate. Since then, we have bought approximately 70 buildings.”
You've been in the real estate business since the 1980s. How has the business changed over the past four decades?
“It is historically different because the real estate business has been a business of fami-
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lies and individuals that accumulated wealth and were able to buy real estate. That was pretty much the structure of the business until 30 or 40 years ago with the creation of real estate investment trusts (REITs), which buy real estate through entities that are financed on Wall Street. It changed the nature of the business and has become a much more impersonal business run by executives, and the ownership is really held by thousands of shareholders.”
“
WE WERE COMING OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC WITH A VERY SOLID BUSINESS,” SAYS ROBERT P. WEISZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE RPW GROUP IN RYE BROOK. “WE WERE ABLE TO ADD ANOTHER BUILDING IN DECEMBER AND ARE WELLPOSITIONED FOR WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE A DRAMATIC EXPANSION. WE THINK THAT THE NEXT FEW YEARS THERE WILL BE GREAT GROWTH AND GREAT DEMAND IN SPITE OF THE PANDEMIC THAT MADE PEOPLE WORK FROM HOME.”
You also have a second generation following you in the business. Was it always your plan to have this as a family business?
“It was always my plan to make it available to my children. However, it was an understanding that it would not be an automatic process. It would involve them going to college and then working on their own for a number of years. And then after that, if there was a mutual interest and if there was a good chemistry, that would be something that I would encourage. “In one case with my daughter, she's an attorney and working in the business has not interested her. But in my son’s case, he turned out to be a natural and embraced the business and is pretty much running it now.”
How did your business hold up during the pandemic?
“We've been very fortunate that we've been very conservative over the years, so we were able to weather the past 15 months. It's been a very stressful time for everyone and our personal lives have dramatically changed. “However, we were coming out of this pandemic with a very solid business. We were able to add another building in December and are well-positioned for what we expect to be a dramatic expansion. We think that the next few years there will be great growth and great demand in spite of the pandemic that made people work from home.”
What is on your agenda for the second half of this year?
“We are working on some possible acquisitions, so that is something that could potentially happen over the next few months. We will continue doing the improvements that we have been doing for the past 12 to 18 months.”
Are you still in touch with Uruguay?
“I have brothers and nephews and friends. We also have a summer house.… The seasons are reversed, so it's summertime in January and February in Uruguay. I’ve always loved the place, so I usually travel with my wife and sometimes with the children for an extended time during the winter.” For more, visit rpwgroup.com.
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Hilda Demirjian is an internationally known laser and skin care specialist. Her skill and advanced knowledge of the industry has transformed many faces and bodies around the world. Hilda’s love of skin developed in her native country, Persia, where skin wellness is considered highly valuable. As a young girl, she believed Persia to be the “Mecca” of skin care. As an adult, her love for beautiful skin grew into a driving passion. Hilda has traveled to many countries, learned from specialists, and taught students in such places like Canada, Mexico, the Middle East, Europe (Italy, UK, and France), the Far East ( Japan), and the United States of America.Hilda had a weekly radio show, “Skin Care with Hilda,” on WGCH 1490 AM, “The Voice of Greenwich,” educating the public on laser and skin care with live client testimonials. In the little spare time that she has, Hilda is co-researching a study on the correlation of skin and fertility with the help of laser therapy and serves as an adviser to medical members and other laser specialists on skin care. As a company with high values, we devote time and support to charitable organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, YMCA, Gilda’s Club, March Of Dimes, THON, HADASSAH, and White Plains Hospital. Unlike most skin care businesses, she uses a unique laser technology which provides nearly painless treatments for laser hair removal, collagen and skin rejuvenation. This allows Hilda to work with many types of skin without limiting her clientele. This applies to people with: rosacea, acne, sun damage, scars, stretch marks, and many more conditions.
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Back to (live) business at Caramoor BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
While other cultural organizations struggled financially during the pandemic, Caramoor in Katonah has thrived.
“I would say due to our Inspire, a Campaign for Caramoor, we have found ourselves in a strong position,” says Edward J. Lewis III, who was appointed president and CEO of the arts center on May 1. As a result of the eight-year campaign — which raised $41 million, mainly through individual donations but also through corporate, foundation and government funding — Caramoor has been able to keep all of its 30 employees on staff, quadruple its endowment and make major improvements to the 80-acre campus, like the new bandshell in Friends Field. (The center has an operating budget of $7 million.) “This year we exceeded our figures for the first day of our members’ summer presale with a 44% increase over 2020 and a 110% increase over 2019,” Lewis adds. “That’s excellent news and it tells us that audiences are ready to come back as well as just how much they value their Caramoor experience.”
BUSINESS AS USUAL (SORT OF)
Last year, Caramoor offered a pandemic bright spot with its streamlined, digital summer season. This year, the seven-week festival (through Aug. 8) has a full complement of 35 live performances. But there is limited seating in the Venetian Theater and Friends Field, although that could expand, Lewis says, with revised state guidelines. In reality, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts has been no stranger to change since
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its beginnings in 1946 with three concerts in the Music Room of the Mediterranean-style summer home of banker-lawyer Walter Tower Rosen and his wife, the former Lucie Bigelow Dodge, who played the theremin, an electronic instrument. (Their home is now the center’s house museum.) Over the years as the concerts expanded and the festival grew in reputation, it has shifted from mainly European classical music to modern, American music with an American Roots Festival, a Jazz Festival, a Pops & Patriots concert for Fourth of July (minus the fireworks this year) and a 91st birthday salute to Broadway composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, also postponed from last year. “We still have a nod to European classical traditions,” Lewis says, referring to appearances by Chanticleer, a male a cappella ensemble that performs everything from Renaissance music to jazz; the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; and various string quartets, including the Calisto Quartet, this season’s Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence. But increasingly Caramoor has embraced the new and experimental, as in the sound installations and sculpture that are vehicles for the public to explore its woods and gardens. In “The Forest,” Donald Nally considers the challenge of choral music in the time of Covid with a soundscape that visitors will follow at socially distanced intervals to hear singers placed 30 feet apart. John Luther Adams’ “Ten Thousand Birds” draws on different
Edward J. Lewis III is the new president and CEO of Caramoor. Photograph by Wayne Reich.
Above, pianist Richard Goode. Photograph by Steve Riskind. Right: PUBLIQuartet. Photograph by Lelaine Foster. They’re just two of the musical acts headlining Caramoor this summer.
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THIS YEAR WE EXCEEDED OUR FIGURES FOR THE FIRST DAY OF OUR MEMBERS’ SUMMER PRESALE WITH A 44% INCREASE OVER 2020 AND A 110% INCREASE OVER 2019,” SAYS EDWARD J. LEWIS III, THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CARAMOOR. “THAT’S EXCELLENT NEWS, AND IT TELLS US THAT AUDIENCES ARE READY TO COME BACK AS WELL AS JUST HOW MUCH THEY VALUE THEIR CARAMOOR EXPERIENCE.” 18
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species’ birdsongs at various locations. Trimpin’s “In C,” a 16-foot-tall C-shaped frame supporting two octaves of chimes, plays works created by the artist and seven other composers. For the first time, the grounds are open free of charge, Fridays through Sundays through Oct. 10, and there is “Garden Listening” at a lower ticket price for certain Venetian Theater concerts. Picnicking is once again be available. Can’t get to the festival or waiting to see how things shake out? The post-festival series (Aug. 13 through Sept. 12) features “Concerts on the Lawn,” spotlighting women performing mariachi, bluegrass and jazz; and “Beginner’s Ear,” bringing music together with guided meditation.
LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE
Overseeing it all is a man who has always been musical. Lewis says there’s a photograph of him at age 2, sitting at a piano in his Washington D.C., home, “looking like I knew what I was doing.” After attending a concert of the National Symphony Orchestra, he tried his friend’s violin. “I wanted to make that sound. I had a natural affinity for the violin from the beginning.” But he became a violist instead, earning his Master of Music degree in viola from the University of Michigan. (He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and attended the University of Maryland School of Music, where he studied chamber music with the Guarneri Quartet.)
Why the viola? “I love the sound,” he says. “It fit my personality. Without it, we wouldn’t have a string quartet or a Beethoven symphony. It leads from the middle. It changes tone and character at any given moment you ask it to, as in the Ravel Quartet. It jumps all over the place.” As a professional violist, Lewis is a founder of Baltimore’s Soulful Symphony and a former member of the Dallas Opera Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Sphinx Symphony and Toledo Symphony. But as a self-described “lifelong learner,” Lewis has another side, one that is comfortable with fundraising and community relations. He served as senior director of development at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. As vice chancellor for advancement at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts — the nation’s first state-supported arts school and a unique stand-alone university of five arts conservatories — he was involved in every aspect of growth, planning, budgeting, structure and policy. Now he brings his administrative and artistic talents to Caramoor. He and his partner have settled into a house in nearby Chappaqua. The two also have an 1850 house off Maine’s North Bay. But Caramoor, he says, taps into all of his other loves — music, nature and history. Something tells us that Maine will have to wait. “At least until the fall,” he adds with a laugh. For more, visit caramoor.org.
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Warby Parker CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal. 20 WAGMAG.COM JUNE/JULY 2021
Warby Parker’s view of eye care BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
The key to Warby Parker is a holistic, affordable approach to eye care that has made the company a reported $3 billion business with nearly 3,000 employees at more than 130 stores.
The latest is the 1,691-square-foot store at The Westchester in White Plains, the first in the county. (It joins 12 in the metro area, including one in Greenwich and one in South Norwalk, along with an optical lab in Sloatsburg.) Besides eyeglasses, contacts, sunglasses, readers and accessories that start at $95, the store includes matching blue books that represent the company’s commitment to artists and writers in its communities. An exam room wall, covered in figures of people reading books in yogic positions, reminds visitors why eye health is so important. And because eyesight is so crucial, Warby Parker has distributed more than eight million pairs of eyeglasses through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair (BAP GAP) program to date. (During the pandemic, Warby Parker has continued to fund glasses distribution as it can while helping VisionSpring, its primary nonprofit partner, provide personal protective equipment to locations at home and abroad.) It’s an unusual business with an unusual backstory that is summarized in 100 words on its
tote bags. It begins in 2008 with four friends at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania — Neil Blumenthal, who had worked for VisionSpring; Dave Gilboa, who started out at the management consultant firm Bain & Co.; Andrew Hunt and Jeff Raider — and a pair of glasses lost on a backpacking trip (Gilboa’s). The cost of replacing them was so high that Gilboa squinted through the first semester at Wharton. The others soon had similar replacement stories. Why were attractive glasses so expensive? In a word — monopoly, no, not the board game but rather the real-life game of controlling the market. Enter Luxottica, the Italian conglomerate that dominates every aspect of the industry. With so much power — it merged with France’s Essilor in 2017 — EssilorLuxoticca can afford to set prices for every brand from Chanel to Ray-Ban. But the Wharton four had a vision of countermanding that with a plan for affordable glasses you could buy online. Convincing others wasn’t easy. Even their professor Adam Grant was skeptical. According to CN-
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FOUR WHARTON FRIENDS HAD A VISION OF COUNTERMANDING THE EYEWEAR MONOPOLY WITH A PLAN FOR AFFORDABLE GLASSES YOU COULD BUY ONLINE. CONVINCING OTHERS WASN’T EASY. EVEN THEIR PROFESSOR ADAM GRANT WAS SKEPTICAL. ACCORDING TO CNBC’S THE BRAVE ONES, THE QUARTET’S 40-PAGE PROPOSAL NEVER GOT PASSED THE SEMIFINALS OF WHARTON’S BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION. 22
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(Top) Eyeglasses from Warby Parker’s Metal Edit collection. (Below) Warby Parker’s newest store is in The Westchester in White Plains. Photographs courtesy Warby Parker.
BC’s “The Brave Ones,” the quartet’s 40-page proposal never got passed the semifinals of Wharton’s Business Plan Competition. Still, the four persisted, taking a class in health care entrepreneurship, haunting eyeglass stores, doing market research among Starbucks customers and pouring their combined life savings of $120,000 to build a website and inventory. After running through 2,000 names, Gilboa plucked the brand’s moniker from two he found in a Jack Kerouac Archive exhibit at the New York Public Library. The four also hired a fashion publicist to get them into the right publications. Evidently, the publicist did too good a job: Within 48 hours of the 2010 online launch, the brand was out of inventory — all this while the founders were still Wharton students. Consumers started clamoring for a store so Blumenthal’s Philadelphia apartment served as the showroom with co-CEO Gilboa’s laptop as the cash register. (Hunt and
Raider have gone on to other ventures but remain on the board.) When Warby Parker opened its headquarters in New York City, it included a showroom. But it still didn’t have a store. Between 2011 and 2012, the company experimented with several pop-up ideas, including converting a vacant garage into the Warby Parker Holiday Spectacle Bazaar and turning a yellow school bus into a mobile showroom for the Warby Parker Class Trip, which visited more than 15 cities and allowed the brand to gather information for its retail strategy. That led to the opening of the first Warby Parker store in SoHo in 2013. Clearly, Warby Parker has made converts of skeptics like Grant. Not only did he become an investor; he wrote a book inspired by his experience teaching the Warby Parker fab four with the appropriate title “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World.” For more, visit warbyparker.com.
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WESTCHESTER
R
Rolling along with Pepe Auto Group
The Pepe Auto Group has been serving the region for more than 50 years. Owned and operated by the Pepe family, the auto group employs about 450 workers and sells about 10,000 vehicles each year.
Mark Hersh, executive manager of Pepe Infiniti on Central Avenue in White Plains, took time out for a Q&A with WAG:
How long has Pepe been around?
“The first Pepe dealership was an Oldsmobile dealership that opened in 1968 in Mount Vernon. Only two years later, they would open their first Mercedes-Benz store. This store was moved to its current location in White Plains in 1978.”
How has the dealership evolved over those years?
“Through the years, more dealerships were opened, to include Pepe Infiniti in 1989, Porsche Larchmont in 1995, Mercedes-Benz of New Rochelle in 2005, Pepe Cadillac in 2010 and Audi Nyack in 2018. In 2016, they opened a vehicle prep center in Elmsford to handle the
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Infiniti QX55.
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high volume of inventory they keep on hand. This location receives and processes all their new car inventory before it is sent to each individual store.”
How much did the pandemic hurt your sales?
“During the pandemic our service departments were open, but our sales departments were closed for nearly two months and our sales personnel were working from home. While we were not able to deliver cars, we were available to answer questions and guide our customers.”
What did you do to work around the pandemic?
“Prior to the pandemic, we had already adopted software that allowed us to perform much of the buying process electronically, so when the pandemic happened, we were in a good spot to still be able to conduct business. “While things were different, many customers were thrilled to learn that this new method of buying online was easy and many of our customers did the transaction online. Things like placing a deposit on a car, filling out a credit application or even uploading licenses or other documents, could easily be done online at the customers’ convenience.”
What keeps customers coming back?
“Our relentless commitment to customer satisfaction keeps customers coming back. Every effort is made to satisfy customers at every possible touchpoint, not just during the purchase but for the entire ownership life cycle. Today, our group consists of over 450 employees whose primary role is to satisfy our customers.”
Of all the different cars you sell, which is the best seller? Mercedes?
“Our Mercedes-Benz dealership is our longest standing store and it’s easy to look at that store and call it the flagship. Mercedes-Benz has always had a great product and a strong following, but when you look at our other brands in our group, the depth of their products, backed by the service we provide, it’s easy to see why we’ve grown into the largest luxury auto group in Westchester County. Every dealership in our group has received numerous trophies and awards over the years for outstanding services that we provide our customers. And we’re very proud of that.”
As the call goes out for more electric vehicles, how have the manufacturers you represent responded?
“This year, our group has committed to replacing our current electrical chargers with
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Mark Hersh, executive manager of Pepe Infiniti in White Plains. Photographs courtesy Pepe Infiniti.
new, faster ones. This project is underway and we expect everything to be completed in the next few months. As all manufacturers have announced new electric models, we stand ready to provide our customers with infrastructure to support their needs.”
Who's coming out with electronic vehicles?
“All of our brands will have EVs in the near future. Both Audi and Porsche already have EVs in the market. Audi has two versions of the e-tron SUV with a sedan coming shortly and Porsche now offers their Taycan sedan in several different trim levels. Mercedes-Benz will introduce the EQS, a four-door sedan in early fall, and it will be followed by four more all-electric models throughout 2022. Cadillac is also scheduled to introduce the Lyriq SUV in the first quarter of 2022. And this is only the beginning of what’s going to come in the future.”
Are the dealerships doing anything to reduce their individual carbon footprints?
“Every so often, we renovate our stores to keep our spotless appearance. It is during these times that we choose to upgrade things like lighting or boilers to more efficient ones. We use building management systems to monitor performance and efficiency of everything in our buildings. Our systems are
monitored and we are notified when something is not working to its potential, so we can then have proper maintenance performed eliminating waste. “We’ve also taken steps in our processes to help eliminate paper during the buying process or even in the service drive. Much of the final paperwork can now be signed on a tablet electronically and is then also sent to the customer via email or provided on a memory stick, further eliminating the need for folders of paper. We even offer express payment for off-site online checkout on the final invoice for convenience and saving more paper. As technology keeps improving, we are always looking at changing and improving our own buildings to be more efficient.”
What’s the future hold for Pepe?
“Our goal is to always make a customer visit as simple and transparent as possible, whether that visit is to our website or in our store. Electronically, we will always look for the best tools possible and provide the information consumers are looking for online. In our stores, our employees are empowered to make decisions to deliver a world-class experience every time and it’s here that our group excels.” For more, visit pepeautogroup.com.
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An influencer keeps it real
male affirmation and empowerment; Kreyòl Essence, featuring beauty products from Haiti, which reflect her ancestry; and Always feminine pads. “Always has been a fun one for me,” Duchess says, because it hits her where her body lives. Hey, pregnant and post-pregnant women can have leaky bladders. And it’s not only OK to have one, she says with characteristic forthrightness, it’s OK to talk about it. She is equally candid about what she will and will not promote. “As a content influencer, I don’t just do any business deals,” she says. They have to be meaningful to her. Similarly, her TikTok videos aren’t about glamour but about her “perfectly imperfect family. I cook for my son. But sometimes I give him packaged food.”
BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
THEIR TIME IS NOW
“My mother always said there are people who have the talent but not the drive,” Donia Duchess says. “And there are people who have the drive but not the talent. But then there are people who are lucky enough to have both the talent and the drive.”
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Such a person is Duchess herself. As a model, TV host and senior producer as well as an internet influencer over the past decade, the Stamford resident had done everything from celebrity interviews with actors Emily Blunt and Owen Wilson to segments on domestic abuse and makeup for transgender individuals. “I love being compassionate enough to help people share their stories,” Duchess says. At the moment, she’s sharing her own as a working mom of 10-month-old cutie Noah, her son, with husband Joey Mejia, who works in lighting and special effects. (In 2017, Duchess and Mejia appeared on the premier episode of TLC’s “I Want That Wedding,” in which engaged couples work with wedding planners to bring their dream day in on budget. They wed in 2019.) Now, she says, “I’m juggling producing with being a stay-at-home mom and looking for more hosting opportunities.” Fans of TikTok, the video-sharing platform, will recognize the trio from their four videos — “funny skits of us just being silly as a family and 1,000% real,” Duchess says. The vignettes have garnered hundreds of thousands — and in some cases, millions — of views and contracts with Real Her Makeup, which is all about fe-
Modeling jobs with Amazon, BET, Macy’s and, more recently, American Express. Hosting gigs with “Buzzfeed,” “Celebrity Page TV,” “People TV” and “Rolling Out.” An NAACP Award, two Emmy nominations and a Webby for hosting the game app “Song Pop Live”: Duchess’ career is in full swing at a moment when Black women are at the forefront of media. On her eponymous Showtime show, the comedian Ziwe challenges her guests and audiences on race relations and other political, cultural issues. In May, “PBS NewsHour” White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor was named moderator of the network’s “Washington Week,” a chair once occupied by her mentor, the late Gwen Ifill. Also in May, politician and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams released her eighth novel — her first thriller and first under her own name — “While Justice Sleeps.” Appropriately, her two nonfiction books are titled “Our Time is Now” and “Lead From the Outside.” “It’s nice to see Black women getting this recognition,” Duchess says. “I feel it’s a long time coming. You don’t want to say it’s ‘a moment,’ because I feel a moment is forgotten. But times are changing for people of color. A lot of people are speaking up. A lot of white people are speaking up. Everyone is coming together to say, Hey, (racial injustice) isn’t OK. Corporations
Donia Duchess — TV host, senior producer and influencer. Photographs courtesy Donia Duchess. JUNE/JULY 2021 WAGMAG.COM
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Donia Duchess with husband Joey Mejia and son Noah. The family’s videos of “silly, 1,000% real” everyday life appear on TikTok, Duchess says. Photographs courtesy Donia Duchess.
“
IT’S NICE TO SEE BLACK WOMEN GETTING THIS RECOGNITION,” DONIA DUCHESS SAYS. “I FEEL IT’S A LONG TIME COMING. YOU DON’T WANT TO SAY IT’S ‘A MOMENT,’ BECAUSE I FEEL A MOMENT IS FORGOTTEN. BUT TIMES ARE CHANGING FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING UP. A LOT OF WHITE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING UP. EVERYONE IS COMING TOGETHER TO SAY, HEY, (RACIAL INJUSTICE) ISN’T OK. CORPORATIONS ARE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE. PEOPLE ARE HOLDING THOSE CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE. PEOPLE ARE MAKING CHANGE BY HOLDING BRANDS ACCOUNTABLE. WE THE PEOPLE CAN RAISE OUR VOICES FOR CHANGE.”
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are being held accountable. People are holding those corporations accountable. People are making change by holding brands accountable. We the people can raise our voices for change.”
TELLING STORIES, LIVING HER OWN
Duchess has been interested in TV ever since she learned to record programs on the VCR — remember those? She was, she says, one of those kids who walk around with a hairbrush pretending it’s a microphone. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Stamford, Duchess was the seventh of 11 children of Haitian immigrants, who stressed education and a strong work ethic. A gifted student, Duchess spent a year at Greenwich Academy in the REACH Prep program for high-achieving, underserved students in Fairfield and Westchester counties. It’s not as if anyone was racist or mean to her, she says. But she didn’t fit in. She remembers a classmate’s bedroom being as big as her family’s whole apartment. Duchess credits her mother with putting her back in public school, where she thrived. At Westhill High School, she took part in community plays, made the cheerleading squad, won the title of Miss Haiti Connecticut and was named prom queen her senior year. The prom almost didn’t happen for her. But her guidance counselor
bought her the ticket. Duchess has since paid that forward by working for two years pre-Covid with A Step Ahead, a 40-year-old, family-owned special occasions business in Stamford, to provide a prom-goer with a dress she couldn’t otherwise afford, also covering the cost of her hair, makeup and shoes. “It was very sweet. It taught me to give back.” She has also given back by working with the Hope for Haiti Foundation and Hike for Haiti, helping to raise $300,000 for her parents’ home country, and aiding mothers who have difficult pregnancies. (Duchess suffered from gestational diabetes and high blood pressure during her own.) But what she most wants to do is tell other people’s stories, something she got a taste of when she became a production assistant on “The Maury Povich Show” after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University and interning at Details and Glamour magazine. In 2015, she was asked to host a national segment on the Povich show. Her on-camera career had begun. “Everyone is unique. Everyone has a story,” she says. She’s looking to tell those stories while living her own. “Everyone is so focused on what’s next. I want to take some time to enjoy myself.”
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‘Jumping’ into journalism BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
It’s rare that a reporter becomes part of the story she’s covering. But that is precisely what happened to Sarah Maslin Nir in March 2020.
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A 10-year staff reporter for The New York Times whose beat is the metro area, Nir has covered everything from Gizmo, the runaway Bedford Corners llama, to the 2015 murder of North Salem socialite Lois Colley. So when New Rochelle became ground zero for the novel coronavirus in the eastern United States, she knew it wasn’t just “a foreign thing.” She got in her car and drove up from Manhattan to cover what has been the story of the young century. About a week later as New York state went into lockdown, Nir developed symptoms of what would become known as Covid-19. While she didn’t have the respiratory infection that was the initial signature of the virus, she lost her senses of taste and smell and could not distinguish hot from cold. Though she tried to work, she says, “My iPhone said, ‘You’ve taken 52 steps this week.’ I could not stand up.” Sick for three weeks, Nir went on to make a full recovery. She says she is grateful to have been spared both the worst of the virus — and the anxiety of wondering if she would get it. Knowing what she does now, Nir nonetheless says, “I’d do it again.” What she learned was that “there were no grownups in the room.” The crisis’ leadership vacuum, she adds,
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meant that it was left to news organizations like The New York Times to provide crucial information to the public as it unfolded. As with 9/11, Covid-19 may prove one of journalism’s finest hours.
‘PARTY GIRL’ A graduate of Columbia University and its Graduate School of Journalism, Nir was lucky to start her full-time career with The Times, though plucky might be a better word. She paid her dues freelancing and writing the paper’s nightlife column. “I covered 252 parties in 18 months,” she says, for which she received $50 a column. She may have been a Times columnist but she made $5,000 a year, working in restaurants to supplement that income. Her perseverance paid off: Two years later, Nir became a full-time staffer, which has taken her from West Africa to Alaska, from post-earthquake Haiti to wildfire-scorched California. Her 2016 investigation into the exploitative, racist practices of New York City’s nail salons, “Unvarnished,” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting that resulted in changes to the industry. But as she traveled the world for her career, Nir sought
Sarah Maslin Nir with Gold Standard, also known as Bravo, and Pulitzer. She still has Bravo. Photograph by Erin O’Leary.
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Sarah Maslin Nir in action aboard Bravo, also known as Gold Standard, in the amateur owner hunter division of a New Jersey event. Photograph by Paws and Rewind.
“
I COVERED 252 PARTIES IN 18 MONTHS,” SARAH MASLIN NIR SAYS OF HER ENTRÉ INTO THE NEW YORK TIMES, FOR WHICH SHE RECEIVED $50 A COLUMN. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN A TIMES COLUMNIST, BUT SHE MADE $5,000 A YEAR, WORKING IN RESTAURANTS TO SUPPLEMENT THAT INCOME.
out her other passion, one she says, “I kept secret for many years, because I thought I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a journalist.”
A HORSE, OF COURSE
Growing up in Manhattan, Nir fell in love with horses and riding at age 2. “When you look at a dog or a cat, you think, ‘How cute.’ But when you look at a horse, you feel their soul. It’s like a mountain vista,” she says by way of explaining her profound connection. Descended from a 55-million-year-old animal called Eohippus, or the Dawn Horse, which was no bigger than a cat, the horse developed in size to digest the grass that began sprouting 15 million years ago — looming large over humans’ labor and agriculture, conquests and warfare, leisure and sports in the process. “We imbue a horse with an identity, particularly here in America,” she says. To ride and be involved with horses is to belong to America and in America — an idea that’s at the heart of her book “Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love With an Animal” (Simon & Schuster, 2020), due out in paperback in August. It’s an evocative work that places you
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amid its myriad characters and stories, including that of America’s black cowboy, who was integral to the settling of the West. “One in four cowboys was black,” Nir says. “The West was more integrated than the East. But do you ever see a black cowboy in a John Wayne western?” No story in the book, however, is as important as the one she tells about her own family and its connection to the horse. Nir’s father was the prominent child psychiatrist Yehuda Nir, M.D., a Holocaust survivor who specialized in treating PTSD and seriously ill children. Her mother, psychologist Bonnie Maslin, helped pioneer the idea of the TV therapist, appearing on “Oprah” in its first year. Together, Nir’s parents wrote books. For the hyperkinetic, lonely, young Nir, horses offered a sense of belonging and an identity, just as they did for her immigrant father, who liked to remind her that Ralph Lauren, creator of the eponymous, equine-inspired brand, was really Ralphie Lifshitz of the Bronx. That need to belong would lead Nir to become a competitive amateur equestrian in the hunter category, which judges the form of horse and rider as they complete an obstacle course (as opposed to jumper events, which are based on speed and accuracy). But it would also find her seeking out horse tales around the world, exposing corruption when she saw it. Nir wrote about former Olympian coach George H. Morris — whom she described as
equestrian sports’ Tom Brady/ Babe Ruth — banned for sexual misconduct with male students; and the late trainer Jimmy A. Williams’ abuse of young female riders. Both men have had their defenders. “People ask, How can you write these things about your sport?” Nir says. “I say it’s because I demand we do better.”
BELONGING IN THE RING
Nir has four European Warmblood geldings — Bravo; Falkor, her riding horse; and Stellar and Trendy, whom she leases. She continues to compete at Old Salem Farm in North Salem and the Hampton Classic and in New Jersey, though competition takes a backseat to her day job. “I used to be great,” she says. “Now I remember being great.” She’s passing along those experiences to others. With GallopNYC — a nonprofit that offers horsemanship to New York riders, particularly the disabled, the at-risk, veterans and seniors — she plans to present the “Abilities Horse Show” at Old Salem Farm in September to give riders with disabilities a chance to shine in the ring. And she has a contract with Abrams for three children’s books on horses. Yet for all her love of riding, the forthright Nir remains ambivalent about it: “I don’t believe a horse is a willing partner in what we do but bred to be a complement. We spend a lot of time forcing a horse to do what we want. We owe them tremendous care.”
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Traveling for business and pleasure with Sandra Smith BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM
Sandra Smith is from suburban Chicago, graduated from Louisiana State University and distance-dated husband John Connelly, traveling on weekends to Chicago from Manhattan, where she worked for Aegis Capital Corp. and Hermitage Capital Corp. before joining Bloomberg Television and ultimately Fox News.
So it’s not surprising to learn that she is both passionate and knowledgeable about travel. And a good thing, too, as it can be an important part of her work for Fox, for whom she covered the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. On Fox News Channel’s “America Reports,” she and co-anchor John Roberts are joined by newsmakers and experts to discuss the latest afternoon headlines and issues of the day. Recently, she talked with us about being at home in Westchester — and the wider world.
What do you like about living in Westchester County?
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What frequent-flyer memberships are you part of?
“Just about every single one. I’m more serious with American and United and Delta. I’m on board with everybody. My husband and I long-distance dated. He lived in Chicago and I lived in New York and I was on a plane every Friday night. We did that for years. Even when we married in May 2010, we still lived in distant cities.”
“I just love the proximity to the water and it’s a great place to have a family, with great restaurants and parks for the dog. I enjoy the history of Westchester, too.”
Where did you honeymoon?
What’s your favorite vacation spot?
“Scandinavia. My husband is Norwegian and we celebrate a lot of their heritage. I love the culture and the food. I can’t wait to see it in person. Denmark, Finland: It would be amazing.”
“We go once a year to Naples, Florida, one of my favorite spots for birds and beauty and beaches — plus a nice restaurant scene. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, great golfing as
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well. We play golf and tennis. And I’m a big runner. I run a lot. We usually stay at a private home there and The Ritz-Carlton Naples. It’s a great spot.”
“We went to Bermuda.”
What are some of the destinations on your Bucket List?
Fox anchor and travel enthusiast Sandra Smith. Courtesy Fox News. JUNE/JULY 2021 WAGMAG.COM
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Sandra Smith. Photograph by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images.
“
I JUST LOVE WESTCHESTER COUNTY'S PROXIMITY TO THE WATER AND IT’S A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE A FAMILY, WITH GREAT RESTAURANTS AND PARKS FOR THE DOG. I ENJOY THE HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER, TOO.”
What brand of luggage do you use?
“My luggage is Patagonia luggage. I love Patagonia luggage. It’s seriously weather-resistant and durable. It can go through anything. My husband was a sailboat racer — I would fly to meet him -- and he introduced me to Patagonia luggage.”
Best trip ever?
“I took my mother to Europe, to Rome. It was amazing. We went for a week and made it to Capri. We went to Sorrento. We did the Blue Grotto. It was fantastic. It’s a trip I’ll never forget.”
Do you have a favorite hotel?
“I went to school in Louisiana and I fell in love with the Soniat. It’s beautiful and quaint and old-school New Orleans, a very special spot. My husband gave me a book (by the company) Small Luxury Hotels of the World. I could open up that book and go anywhere. It’s a good place to daydream. It’s fantastic.”
Best souvenir you ever bought?
“We were in Charleston, South Carolina. I walked by a jewelry shop — we didn’t buy anything — (but I saw) a silver freshwater
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pearl bracelet, and it was January. The following Christmas, it showed up under the tree. It was really neat. My husband bought it for me.”
How do you combat jet lag?
“It’s never been a huge problem. My last international trip before the pandemic was to cover Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding. I always make sure I work out and eat healthy. And get enough sleep.”
What snacks do you pack in your carry-on? What else goes into your carry-on?
“Nuts, salted almonds. I have it down to a science — my wallet, my sunglasses, the devices, iPad and phone, little bag of makeup in case I lose my luggage, pair of earrings, tiny bottle of water and lotion, notebook, pen and hand sanitizer.”
What health and beauty products are you never without when you travel?
“It’s so funny: I have BB and CC cream with sunblock and tinted moisturizer if you don’t want to wear makeup. I use a CC cream by IT Cosmetics. Plus, I always have a pair of running shoes with me. I always find a spot to go and run even if it’s just the treadmill at the hotel.”
What do you do when you're really tired but are traveling — or working — and need to be “on”?
“I put my legs up — there is something about elevating your legs — and I swear it gets the blood flowing. It’s a lifesaver. Get off your feet and shut your eyes or go for a walk. Then it’s game on.” Follow Debbi on Instagram at @Debbikickham.
Oh, the places you'll go (to relax from work) BY JEREMY WAYNE
“Do you know where you’re going to?” Diana Ross asked in the haunting theme song from the 1975 movie “Mahogany.” I don’t want to be glib – Ross’s film character, Tracy Chambers, was considering far more profound existential questions in the poignant lyric than her next vacation abroad – but following a Covid-ravaged 16 months, it’s certainly a question on many people’s lips.
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Where is it safe to go? When will we know? When should we book? So many questions and, for each one, a dozen or more answers. So, to glean the best intel on the subject, I turned to some of the savviest people in the industry. While the travel experts at Scott Dunn USA, the bespoke, high-end travel agent and tour operator, sensibly say they are not encouraging clients to travel beyond their comfort level, they can provide all the resources needed and all the current facts for their clients to travel responsibly. Indeed, they are booking vacations for increasingly confident travelers in a growing number of countries, but Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean are among the most popular. The relative proximity of these destinations, coupled with their safety protocols and encouraging Covid statistics, makes them especially appealing to travelers from the United States — something I heard repeatedly from a number of agents. But Scott Dunn is also taking a longer view, with “big-ticket, bucket-list trips” that readers should have on their radar for travel in 2022. With capacity constraints on popular buck-
et-list destinations — number quotas in Bhutan and Machu Picchu, say, or gorilla trekking in Rwanda — and with a likely run on capacity once the pandemic is well and truly in retreat — they are advising very early booking, in some cases well over a year ahead. The agency has prepared a Scott Dunn “timetable” of where to book and when, and it includes making reservations now for cherry blossom season in Japan next spring; between July and October this year for Kenya’s Great Wildebeest Migration in summer 2022; and from November through next March for a penguin-spotting trip to Antarctica in the winter of
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos. Courtesy Grace Bay Club.
2022. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Using the services of a reputable agent is something that transformative travel expert, Michaela Guzy, founder of the influential editorial content site, OhThePeopleYouMeet (OTPYM), also advises. Guzy reiterates that Mexico’s Gulf coast and the Caribbean itself are good travel choices right now. She also believes that the great outdoors will win out over big cities for the foreseeable future. Plus, Panama is going to be “a new frontier for barefoot luxury,” she says, and gives a special shout-out to the just-opened, Catalina’s Hideaway, a snorkelling paradise
where the jungle meets the beach, near Santa Catalina on the country’s Pacific coast. She also name-checks the hugely attractive and Covid-conscious Las Clementinas, serviced apartments in Panama City’s enchanting Casco Viejo (old town), for those who can’t live without an urban metropolis. On the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, meanwhile, Guzy recommends the Park Hyatt and Marriott Resorts, both running special "Vacation in Place" packages through September, including activities like painting, meditation, mixology and beach activities. St. Kitts, she adds, is one of three Caribbean destinations
ranked a Level 2 Travel Advisory by the U.S. State Department and a Level 1 Low COVID risk by the CDC. She goes on to point out that cruising, too, is restarting in Europe and the Caribbean this summer, with the big news from Norwegian Cruise Line that in 2022 it will be launching a whole new class of ship, Norwegian Prima. This luxury floating hotel will offer unparalleled standards at sea, with what is possibly the most luxurious amenity of all — abundant outdoor space. Like Guzy and most other industry professionals I spoke to, the founder and CEO of the
Fruit store in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Photograph by Felix Tchverkin.
“
AS OF NOW, BY NOVEMBER WE WILL BACK TO WHERE WE WERE IN 2019,” MAURICE BONHAMCARTER OF ISLANDS DESTINATION TRAVEL GROUP SAYS. “AS WE ARE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC HERE, DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GO TO, SAY ITALY, FIND YOU MAY HAVE TO WEAR A MASK, SOCIALLY DISTANCE, HAVE A CURFEW, CAN AND CAN’T DO THIS, AND ALL THE REST OF IT? PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE TO TRAVEL, BUT THERE ARE VERY FEW PLACES THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT GOING.” 42
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prestigious Larchmont-based Island Destinations Travel Group, Maurice Bonham-Carter, reiterates that Mexico, the Caribbean and — in Island Destinations’ case, Hawaii, too — are skyhigh on people’s “safe lists” right now. With the vaccination program taking root, he told me during the course of a phone call, there has been an incredible resurgence, not so much of travel itself, but for future bookings — which also speaks to Dunn’s advice about early booking. “As of now, by November we will back to where we were in 2019,” Bonham-Carter asserts, before going on to point out two major factors. The first, he calls “destination compression.” “As we are coming out of the pandemic here, do you really want to go to, say Italy, find you may have to wear a mask, socially distance, have a curfew, can and can’t do this, and all the rest of it? People are desperate to travel, but there are very few places they feel comfortable about going.” As for Bali, Vietnam and Thailand — which, anyway, is still closed — “it’s going to be a long time,” he says. In the Caribbean, though, “it’s gone from famine to absolute feast in the last two months.” The other factor is “time compression” — or, making up for lost time. “You’ve got people really hurt by the pandemic — if you’re in travel, tourism, hospitality. But if you’re affluent, are a doctor, accountant, attorney, whatever, you’ve been drawing your usual pay, haven’t been commuting, haven’t been going out to dinner,
or traveling. You have money in your pocket and you want to spend it.” That alone is going to make for a lot of crowding in many places. As for how we will get to these places and get there safely, Guzy recently interviewed Preston Peterson, director of Customer Experience Air Innovation for American Airlines on OTPYM’s InspirationStation. Peterson’s work, during 2020, focused on delivering contactless options for all airport touchpoints. He was also charged with creating partnerships to deliver a digital wellness passport for Covid-19 testing and documentation requirements. These innovations and doubtless others like them may have been developed and introduced as a response to the pandemic, but their ramifications and benefits will endure, once Covid-19 is long forgotten. But, of course, having done your due diligence and factored in your own comfort zone, ultimately the only person who can decide where, when and even if to travel at all is you. So, while international travel to some degree is undoubtedly back, the bottom line is, if you’re not ready to go, then don’t. Perhaps Biancalucia Pierna, of the BSpoke luxury travel PR agency in London, summed it best in a recent email. “If you can’t go yet,” she wrote, “then wait. Capri isn’t going to disappear any time soon.” For more on Scott Dunn, OTPYM and Island Destinations Travel, visit scottdunn. com/us, ohthepeopleyoumeet.com and idtravelgroup.com.
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Gibraltar “Barbary ape” and baby. Photograph by Michael Mrozek on Upsplash 44 WAGMAG.COM JUNE/JULY 2021
Solid as the Rock (of Gibraltar) BY JEREMY WAYNE
There is punk rock, there is igneous rock and then there is Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory incongruously attached to Spain at the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula. Two miles long by a barely a mile wide, the stubborn, recalcitrant, headstrong Rock of Gibraltar has become a byword for something unchanging and dependable, somewhere that refuses to change regardless of fad, fashion or the prevailing wind – which is undoubtedly why the Prudential insurance company uses the Rock in its logo.
Ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity at the end of the War of Spanish Secession, in 1713, Gibraltar has roughly the same relationship to the United Kingdom as Guam does to the United States — although it is 100th of Guam’s size. Take a daily stroll along Main Street and after a couple of days you will recognize virtually every face in town. And they will know you, too, or make it their business to — Gibraltarians are a curiously curious, disarmingly parochial lot. Despite the incongruity of palm trees and near year-round sunny skies, Gibraltar has the bizarre feel of an ungentrified, deeply provincial English town, where most of the 30,000 inhabitants speak Spanish as well as English, seesawing seamlessly between the two. And with its location at Western Europe’s southernmost point, almost brushing Africa (Tangier, in Morocco, is a 15-minute flight away,) it’s exciting, too. Arrive by plane at Gibraltar’s pint-sized airport, with a runway that is built on reclaimed land and bisects the territory, and you get to experience one of the
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View from The Rock. Photograph by Michael Mrozek on Upsplash.
world’s most thrilling landings. Clear customs and immigration and you will cross the runway again, this time as you drive or walk into town along Winston Churchill Avenue. It takes just five minutes on foot. Cruise ships call here, but Gibraltar is no Venice or Monaco. There’s no Bulgari or Van Cleef & Arpels on Main Street, only pubs, liquor stores, perfumeries, souvenir shops and knock-off pashmina stores galore, where you pay for your purchases in Gibraltar or British pounds sterling. You’ll also find a branch of Marks & Spencer, the redoubtable retailer of underwear, clothing and comestibles, which is a mainstay of British life, along with a clutch of international banks, evincing Gib’s status as a financial services center. On the side streets leading off Main Street, the lawyers and accountants huddle in their sinuous, air-conditioned offices, cheek by jowl with pizzerias, fish-and-chip shops and hairdressing salons — latest style, around 1980. Charles and Diana may have started their honeymoon here in 1981, but no one could ever accuse Gibraltar of being glamorous. A melting pot of Britons, Italians, Indians, Moroccans, Maltese and Jews, Gibraltar is a time-warped, cohesive mishmash, which not only give it its unique identity but also its
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charm. Dirty and unloved in parts, blighted in others by 1960s civic housing, Gibraltar boasts no lip-smacking, indigenous cuisine or glamorous beaches. But set this against jaw-dropping views, cobbled streets redolent with history, Georgian and Regency domestic architecture, a graveyard in the center of town where sailors from the Battle of Trafalgar lay buried and — not forgetting a couple of swanky new marinas — the place, to my mind, is utterly irresistible. Gibraltar’s grande dame hotel, The Rock, was built in 1932 by Scottish aristocrat John Crichton-Stuart, fourth Marquess of Bute. Reclining in a rattan armchair on the veranda here, sipping your pink gin, you may well feel like a character out of a Somerset Maugham short story or Graham Greene novel. With its Art Deco features, the dear old Rock Hotel also feels like a backdrop for an Agatha Christie whodunnit — not that I’m suggesting for a moment that anything as indelicate as murder could happen in so romantic or lovely a spot. On the contrary, the hotel is a very bastion of decorum. It is clean and comfortable, the staff is kind and the food is, well, decent. As for the views — the Spanish coast to the east and west, Morocco and the Rif mountains to the south — they could melt a heart of stone. And add to
this a lovely swimming pool, set in a mature garden (actually adjoining Gibraltar’s very own Botanical Gardens,) and for many old Gibraltar “hands,” The Rock Hotel is still the only place to stay. Of course, there are alternatives. At the high end, the yacht-floating Sunborn hotel, anchored in the old Port of Gibraltar, gives you a kind of maritime experience, fitting for this storied place whose history is so tied to the sea. Expect all iterations of luxury here, including a terrific gym, a spa and even a casino. At the budget end, the cheap ’n’ cheerful Engineer Guest House, with a good central location, offers more of an authentic, local experience. And somewhere in the middle is the well-established, four-star Caleta Hotel, located away from the action on the quieter, eastern side of the Rock. As for what to do in Gibraltar, St. Michael’s Cave, a network of more than 150 Neolithic limestone caves in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, attracts more than a million visitors a year. There are also 18th-century tunnels to explore (expanded during World War II), a cable car to ride to the top of the Rock, the Moorish Castle to visit, and, of course, a hike or drive to hang out with Gibraltar’s famous Barbary apes — which are in fact macaques. Legend holds that while there is still a macaque on Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule. A month before the start of the pandemic, in February last year, I sat outside Costa Coffee on Gibraltar’s Casemates Square one afternoon, enjoying an afternoon cup of tea with a dear Gibraltarian friend — indeed, a friend since childhood. As people came into view, they would wave a greeting at said friend, who in turn would wave back as they passed and disappeared from sight. “They say hello, you say goodbye,” I commented. “Exactly,” said my friend, “just like the Beatles song. This is a sort of ritual in Gibraltar. In fact, I sometimes wonder if this is where John Lennon got the idea for the song.” Nice idea, but in fact he didn’t. I looked into it and the song, “Hello, Goodbye,” with lyrics by Paul McCartney, predates Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Gibraltar wedding by a couple of years. They were married in a room at The Rock Hotel in March, 1969. Still, it’s a fitting anthem for Gibraltar, which for all its dependability, has an ephemeral, “ships passing in the night” quality to it. Either way, there is something about Gibraltar — which has survived naval battles, sieges and blockades, and has come through Covid virtually untouched — which gets under my skin. Chances are, it will get under yours, too. For more, visit rockhotelgibraltar.com, sunborngilbraltar.com and caletahotel. com.
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Club Med Cancun delivers as an office getaway BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM
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poiler Alert: Read on and yes, you’ll discover how Club Med spoils you. We miss cruising. We really do. We love that the cruise lines we typically sail on — such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises — are all-inclusive experiences in which luxury knows no bounds. All drinks — alcoholic or not — and all meals and snacks are included, as well as a wealth of activities all day long. Just stash your wallet in your room safe and you are truly good to go, without ever being nickel-and-dimed. So now that cruising is basically at a standstill, we searched for the next best thing — a land-based, all-inclusive luxury resort offering oceans of activities all day long, plus unlimited snacks, meals and drinks. We found it at Club Med in Cancun, which opened back up last October and this year celebrates its 45th anniversary. We didn’t need a Covid test before arrival and the only thing that was required upon departure was the Covid antigen test, which Club Med provided for all guests. Getting to Club Med Cancun was as easy as could be, and a smart alternative to cruising. Trust me — once you go to an all-inclusive resort such as Club Med, a mere hotel room — where you are charged for everything — will never suffice anymore for you and your family.
ACTION PACKED
If you want activity, activity, and more activity for the family, Club Med — like many family-themed cruise ships -- is just the place. A typical day can include — but isn’t limited to — yoga, power walking, scuba diving, aqua gym workouts, ping-pong, Zumba, archery, tennis, pétanque, trapeze (more on that in a minute), as well as sunset stretching and, of course, ocean swimming and sunbathing in the pool. That’s
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when you’re not waterskiing or playing tennis. And unlike many other beach destinations, Club Med offers wonderful live entertainment every night, whether it’s singers and dancers or a circus-like trapeze show. These circus acts are a sight to behold, with performers with beautiful bodies displaying impressive talent. Furthermore, like a luxury cruise line, the shows are so good that I would happily pay admission. Let me tell you more about the trapeze. There it stood in all of its glory, in a special place on the resort. The two trapeze artists held court, Tammy and Margaux, at the ready, all day long, to help guests try their hand at swinging on the trapeze. This was a phenomenal adventure. My husband, Bill — who contributed to the preparation of this story — was at first hesitant
to go for it, but he mustered up his courage and not only swung on the trapeze but wrapped his legs around the bar and let go as he swung upside down. Now that’s brave. Me? I was petrified. Just practicing on the on-ground swing made me nervous. But after much thought about it (and believe me when I say much thought) I summoned up the courage to try it. I was OK climbing up the ladder to the platform, but once I got there, I started to cry I was so scared. To me, it really felt life-threatening — even though I was tethered on both sides of my waist, with a net below. It took me at least 10 minutes to summon up the courage to bend forward (Yikes) and grab the bar. Tammy and Margaux were just wonderful as they kept telling me that I certainly could do it. And you
Club Med Cancun and its Taco Arte restaurant. Courtesy Club Med Cancun.
know what? I did. And proved to myself that I could face my fear. (And you thought walking on coals at a Tony Robbins conference was scary.) In this story I can’t say enough good things about Tammy and Margaux — two beautiful young women with sparkling personalities that shone so bright. They also put on a heck of a circus show at night for the entire resort. It’s that kind of thrilling entertainment that Club Med offers, which spoils you. One trip here, and you’ll never want to go anywhere else with your family.
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
The cuisine at Club Med Cancun is also some of the best that we’ve experienced anywhere in
the world. Most nights Bill and I dined at The Hacienda, where numerous stations are set up to take you on a culinary escape. The food here, I must say, was outstanding — whether it was a simple skewer of grilled chicken or something more elaborate like Beef Wellington in Bernaise sauce, it was decidedly delectable. The menu at The Hacienda changes every night and there are options galore. There are always stations featuring Mexican, a daily carving station of, say, turkey roulade or chicken, plus pizza, pasta and salads — as well as beautiful selections of cheese and bread. (The chocolate-laced loaf was scrumptious.) There are numerous fish and meat choices, vegetarian options, baby food (for families that come with their little ones). Desserts await at both lunches and
dinners, and an ice cream bar featuring cones, sundae, and other sweet temptations will lure you. Always responsive to guest requests, executive chef Nicolas Schellinger made me special Nutella ice cream one night. It was dee-lish. And we loved pairing the chocolate with the coconut ice creams, so that your dessert tasted like the best Mounds bar ever. The kids here had a field day. One reason the food is so great is because Club Med is a French company, where “ooh la la” goes into every bite. Schellinger hails from Alsace, and his inimitable touch is everywhere. Take the shrimp cocktail, for example. I have to say that Club Med’s take on it makes it one of the best shrimp cocktails I’ve ever eaten. Here, Chef Schellinger uses his special recipe of placing all the ingredients in a huge Margarita glass with a stem in the shape of a cactus. In it goes shrimp, guacamole and pico de gallo salsa, among other things, plus a cocktail sauce featuring cognac. Simple, delicious and meltin-your-mouth wonderful. These are some definitely upper-crust crustaceans. Last but not least, the beaches at Club Med Cancun were gorgeous. Picture-perfect powdery sand and turquoise waters — that’s the real reason we came and whenever I parked my posterior in a pink tube, in the Gulf of Mexico, I was filled with joie de vivre. And that is what a stay at Club Med is all about. Voilà. Rates start at $136 per person per night. Kids under age 4 stay for free and kids under age 16 stay for 50% off. For more, visit clubmed.us. And follow Debbi on Instagram at @DebbiKickham.
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World's richest rodeo BY BARBARA BARTON SLOANE
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ang on to your Stetson, pardner. Get ready for excitement, tension and exceptional drama. There’s a rootin’, tootin’, rip-roaring, down-and-dusty rodeo that takes place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada every July — the Calgary Stampede, known as the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” — and yep, it’s happening again July 9 through 18. Each year, more than one million visitors from around the world come to Calgary to experience the heart-stopping action of the world’s richest rodeo, featuring bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and more fun than should be legally allowed! This is also one of Canada’s largest music festivals, with five stages and 300 performers, including a slate of international music headliners. Calgary, located in the heart of the Canadian West, one hour from Banff and the Rocky Mountains, is a vibrant, bustling city of more than one million inhabitants and the proud host of the Calgary Stampede since 1912.
HOW THE WEST WAS ONCE
From the vaqueros to the American cowboy, rodeo history is filled with interesting characters and a multicultural mix of customs and practices. At the heart of rodeo, however, is a sport that rose out of cattle herding and was based on the skills required of working ranch hands. A highlight of the Calgary Stampede and one of the most exciting events unique to this rodeo is Chuck Wagon Racing. It is nothing short of heart-stopping. Also, the Stampede’s bucking stock is a rare
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and highly respected breed. Its bulls are a hard-hitting, no-nonsense bunch that challenge the best cowboys in the world. I had the fun-filled pleasure of attending the Calgary Stampede, a citywide celebration. It was the most memorable western experience I could ever have wished for. The moment I deplaned, I just knew that this experience was going to be something really special. The airport was filled with happy, partying people and live, loud, good western music with songs like “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and that perennial Hank Williams’ favorite, “There’s a Tear in my Beer.”
A PARADE FIT FOR ROYALTY
I began my adventure at Rope Square, where hundreds had already gathered to line dance and enjoy (free) delicious pancakes and bacon served right from the back of a chuckwagon! I loved the Stampede Parade, a 2 ½ mile extravaganza that kicks off this greatest outdoor show on earth, a ribbon of pageantry that featured 40 floats, 30 marching bands, 750 horses, riders and celebrities. (A few years back, William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were one of the parade highlights).
MIDWAY FAMILY FUN
Then it was on to the Stampede Midway at the fairgrounds. This place had enough to impress even the biggest thrill seekers, from hair-raising rides to challenging games, live music, agriculture shows and hundreds of shopping and food experiences. I had some terrific choices — giant squid on a stick, octopus pizza, cricket grilled cheese. I went for
the somewhat safer bacon onion bomb and deep fried pineapple rings, topped off with a hot ice cream donut sandwich. Heaven.
THE WOW FACTOR
Soon, the reason I was here — the rodeo, the heart of the Calgary Stampede — began. I witnessed amazing events — ladies barrel racing, steer wrestling, bronc riding as cowboys exploded out of their chutes and were shaken like Margaritas in a blender, calf roping done in seconds and with no harm to the animal, and bulls roaring into the arena, their riders twisting, turning, flipping sky high and trying to stay on for the required 8 seconds. Piece of cake, right? Not if you’re on a flinging, jumping 2,000-pound crazed creature that wants nothing more than to get you off its back. But stay on and ride the bulls the cowboys did, and with élan and class.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
The chuck wagon race at the Calgary Stampede. Images courtesy Sloane Travel Photography.
Indian Village has played a major role in the stampede from its beginnings. I was captivated by 26 hand-designed tipis representing five Canadian Indian nations, dancing and drumming, arts and crafts, storytelling and some traditional dishes like nannock, a delectable pan-fried bread. I had a guided tour that was informative and offered a rare glimpse into the tribes’ traditional lifestyle. Each night, there were the chuckwagon races, with competitors vying for more than $1 million in prize money. It was heart-stopping action, start to finish, a hooves-pounding, ground-trembling event and a once-in-alifetime experience. I was blown away by a rare, behind-thescenes dressing room tour to see hundreds of props and costumes used in the spectacular “Grandstand Show.” I met members of the Young Canadians, a group comprised of 125 dedicated youths ages 7 to 21 from the Calgary area. The Young Canadians train and perform throughout the year, culminating in their performance for an international audience of more than 150,000 spectators at the annual “Grandstand Show.” A finer, handsomer, healthier, more engaging group of young people I won’t soon see. They were fantastic. My VIP Cowboy Dressing Room and Chute tour: Be still my heart. I mean, come’on — the
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Top: The Calgary Stampede’s Indian Village. Bottom: A bull riding event at the Calgary Stampede.
chance to check out those Brodys, Chads, and Chances — real-life, utterly cute, professional, competitor cowboys — yes. And standing right behind them as they mounted those insane bucking broncs and roared into the arena — the very best way to experience a rodeo.
‘GRANDSTAND SHOW’ SPECTACULAR
As the sun set, magic filled the night and the 90-minute outdoor musical extravaganza began. It was nonstop entertainment by international guest artists - at once dazzling and explosive, and the show concluded with an amazing award-winning fireworks finale. It was fitting end to a spectacular event. So, all you cowboy and cowgirl wannabes, pull on some boots, put on a Stetson and come on up (down or over) I think of a quote from the late author Pat Conroy: “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends.” In my case, that’s utterly true, because I plan to make this Calgary Stampede voyage every single year. For more, visit calgarystampede.com.
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HOME & DESIGN P. 54 English country elegance in Greenwich
P. 58 A ‘Royal’ family business
P. 60 An 'angelic' venture into reusing kitchens
P. 64 Sounding the right note in the hotel biz
P. 66 On the road for home inspiration
P. 68 When globalism was born
English country elegance on the market in Greenwich PRESENTED BY SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
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W
hat has a playhouse that’s a replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon home, equestrian facilities, a carriage house, a cottage, formal gardens, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a treehouse, a gazebo, a six-car garage and still plenty of room for goats and chickens? Why, it’s Denbigh Farm on Riversville Road, of course. The former home of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, the estate is anchored by a 13,343-square-foot English country manor house whose classic bones are underscored by brightly colored walls and chinoiserie wallpaper. The interior spaces — which include seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and four halfbaths — overlook the sculpted grounds and the Long Island Sound below. And all for $40 million. Oh, but the chickens…. For more, call Janet Milligan at 203-2531770 or 203-869-4343.
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A ‘Royal’ family business BY JEREMY WAYNE
L
aunched in 1995 by three partners — Stuart Royal, Jay Greenspan and Ron Serafin — the Royal Green appliance business has its flagship store in White Plains. But its reach extends from mid-New Jersey to Hartford, says Rob Safran, who now owns the company with Royal and who is Greenspan’s cousin. The original partners had actually bought an existing firm, Leibert Brothers, which had been in business since 1948. To retain Leibert’s loyal clientele, they kept the name, running the new company as Leibert’s Royal Green. But when they opened their second location in Tribeca six years ago, they finally dropped the Leibert’s. Royal Green Appliances Center was more than ready to stand alone. Which it does just impressively. Because Royal Green is not your average retailer. Here
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is a company that places as much emphasis on pre- and after-sales service as on the quality of the appliances it selects and sells. With 20,000 square feet of displays in its White Plains showroom and 3,500 square feet in Tribeca, the company has also recently taken over Mr. Jay Appliances and Elgot Kitchens — both legacy brands within the industry — which, while keeping their names, now operate as divisions of Royal Green from its third location in Williston Park on Long Island. Along the way, Royal Green has also hoovered up — forgive the appliance-themed pun — two other legacy brands, Krup’s Kitchen & Bath and Dial-a-Brand, all now operating under a sizeable umbrella. While other businesses have struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic or sadly — and in too many cases — been forced to close entirely, Royal Green has doubled in size in the last year. “Apart from PC
Richards, we’re probably the biggest retailer in the tristate area by volume,” says Safran.
SEXING UP THE KITCHEN
It’s quite a collection for this unique retailer, 80% to 90% of whose business is generated by the trade. Every major architect, design firm, kitchen cabinetmaker and general contracting firm knows of Royal Green, but that is not to say the private residential customer isn’t welcome to shop there, too. All this was borne out on a recent visit to the White Plains store, where the handsome retractable awnings outside, displaying Royal Green’s distinctive logo, suggest an upscale restaurant or resort hotel, rather than your average kitchen appliance warehouse. Once inside, though, apart from the sheer size of the space, even the most kitchen-averse, thermophobe would find it hard
not to be swept away. In the impressive aisles stand broad, six-burner stove tops, their heavy iron grates just crying out to be stroked. Top-of-the range ranges and slick double ovens, with state-of the art technology and fingertip controls, jockey for position. There are knobs to fondle and silk-smooth faucets to caress. Who says kitchens aren’t sexy? And then there are the fridges and freezers, built of shimmering stainless steel, many seductively glass-fronted, with freezer drawers that positively purr when you open and close them, the glide so smooth you could open a full drawer with your pinkie. You don’t even need to be in the market for a kitchen to be swept away by this place. Although Royal Green is known as a highend independent dealer, selling upscale brands such as Sub-Zero, Wolf, Viking, Thermidor, Gaggenau and Miele, it also has an institutional division that handles universities, Columbia and NYU among them. Memorial Sloane-Kettering is another customer, whom Royal Green supplies with perfectly fine but less elite brands, like Frigidaire and Hotpoint. “It’s what keeps the trucks moving every day,” says Safran.
AT YOUR SERVICE
But it’s not just about the brands. Royal has its own, dedicated customer service department, even though it is not a manufacturer — extremely unusual to find anywhere, let alone in the triState area. This provides a kind of double insurance. “If something goes wrong with an appliance, for the life of the product, whether it is warrantied or not, we want you to call us,” Safran explains. “We provide almost a concierge service.” A quick call to Royal Green and it will liaise with the manufacturer to set up a suitable time for the engineer to call, a boon to people who work outside the home or who don’t have hours to spend on the phone trying to get through to a manufacturer — notoriously difficult to do. It also warranties the products, which means selling service contracts for products that Royal Green will service, one of the few suppliers licensed to do so in the state of New York. (A license is necessary in order to do this, since Royal Green is essentially selling its own insurance policy.) But perhaps the most interesting aspect of all is that Royal Green is a “family” business in the widest sense. Most family businesses, Safran explains, are vertical. “You begin with the grandfather and grandmother who started it and then the son and daughter, and they have children of their own who come into the business.” But Royal Green has something unique — “a horizontal approach.”
Royal Green White Plains showroom. Photographs by Jeremy Wayne.
BUT PERHAPS THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECT OF ALL IS THAT ROYAL GREEN IS A "FAMILY" BUSINESS IN THE WIDEST SENSE. MOST FAMILY BUSINESSES, ROYAL GREEN CO-OWNER ROB SAFRAN SAYS, ARE VERTICAL. "YOU BEGIN WITH THE GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER WHO STARTED IT AND THEN THE SON AND DAUGHTER, AND THEY HAVE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN WHO COME INTO THE BUSINESS." BUT ROYAL GREEN HAS SOMETHING UNIQUE — A HORIZONTAL APPROACH. FOLLOWING ON FROM THE ORIGINAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE COUSINS, THERE ARE NOW NINE DIFFERENT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, ALL UNDER THE ROYAL GREEN BANNER.
Following on from the original relationship of the cousins, there are now nine different family relationships, all under the Royal Green banner. For example, Jeff Mazin, one of the minority partners, brought his son Daniel into the business in Sales. Then, Alfred Esposito, also in Sales, brought in his daughter, Shannon. Next up, eight years ago, they took on a new sales guy, Matthew Karabaic, who, two years ago, introduced his son, Matt Jr. Moe Green, a warehouse manager brought in his uncle, Eddie Richburgh, who is a driver for the firm. Sergio, assistant warehouse manager: His father, Jesus, is another driver. Traci Shemonosky, director of business development: Her sister-in-law is now a logistics coordinator. And the list goes on — culminating with Safran’s son-in-law, Kevin, now working in the firms Tribeca location. Naturally, this speaks volumes for the culture within the company. Employees I spoke to mentioned not only how Royal Green was a great place to work, but how this extended familial structure gave them a feeling of “investment” in the company. The reason Royal Green’s name is not known to the same extent as other retailers is the simple fact that it doesn’t market to the consumer. But while Safran stresses over and over that the company is not an e-tailer, it is nevertheless a bricks-and-mortar retailer from whom you can buy direct. And that to me seems a kitchen secret worth remembering. For more, visit royalgreenny.com.
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An 'angelic' venture into reusing kitchens BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
BY JEREMY WAYNE
A luxurious, brand new kitchen is a thing of beauty to behold, but as everybody knows, it comes with a hefty price tag. A top-of-the-line, large designer kitchen with all the bells and whistles can run up a tab of a quarter of a million dollars. Happily, though, there is an alternative.
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Enter Renovation Angel, the nation’s premier recycler of luxury kitchens and interiors, established by Steve Feldman in Greenwich in 2005. With its free, white-glove packing, removal and transportation of pre-owned kitchens, the nonprofit Renovation Angel brings extraordinary value to consumers and the design and building trades alike, turning a self-declared wasteful industry into a quadruple-win situation for sellers and buyers, charities and the environment. Feldman started his career as a rock ’n’ roll DJ, becoming the senior marketing manager for two Clear Channel stations in Providence, Rhode Island — one of them, the first “Imus in the Morning” syndicate in America. A recovering addict for 33 years, he spent 18 years in radio before leaving to fundraise for addiction recovery outreach programs. He kicked this off in Greenwich. “I got one very wealthy donor and she then lost $30 million in the stock market crash of 2001. She handed me a check and said, ‘Good luck. It’s your last.’”
As luck would have it, the donor’s neighbour was the empress Farah Pahlavi, widow of the last shah of Iran. Feldman saw a sign in her driveway. It read: “Demolition in Progress.” “I drove up to this Rockefeller mansion, 10,000 square feet and everything was already gone.” But it was this happenstance that gave him the idea to earn the money for charity rather than asking for it — by selling the kitchens, appliances, furniture and fixtures out of donated, demolished mansions. A Greenwich newspaper heard about the idea and wrote an article. “We got 36 phone calls from architects, designers, real estate agents, even hedge-fund managers,” recalls Feldman. The following four years were spent on a pilot program, learning how to recycle and repurpose kitchens and in 2005 he established his nonprofit. “Our mission is simply to reduce landfill waste, to create new recycling jobs and to repurpose kitchens and interiors.” To that end, since 2005, Renovation Angel has kept more than 44 million pounds out of landfills, has created nearly $27 million in new recycling jobs and has repurposed more than 7,700 kitchens, as well as a vast number of interiors. What makes Renovation Angel special, Feldman says, is that it is set up to handle everything from start to finish. Homeowners get a “wonderful,” significant tax deduction and a white-glove free removal service, their only expense being for a small independent appraisal. In the process, they are helping landfill owners reduce their waste and helping homeowners reduce their budgets, by not throwing out kitchens and having the waste sitting in the dumpster. They are currently renovating around 500 kitchens a year, but Feldman estimates there are 100,000 luxury kitchens being thrown out every year in the United States. “My ultimate goal would be to recycle every one, which would create around $400 million in recycling jobs a year in this country.” Already well-established in the tristate area,
Recycled and repurposed luxury kitchen, from a Greenwich Village townhouse.
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Steve Feldman. Photographs courtesy Renovation Angel.
Feldman posits that, ideally, he would like to see centers in other affluent regions of the country, including South Florida, Southern California, San Francisco, Texas and Chicago. But even as Renovation Angel waits to expand, it is already active in those markets. In May of this year alone the company had crews operating in California, Florida and Chicago. Sustainability is key. “It’s also a financially savvy approach,” says Renovation Angel’s COO, Michael Foti. “There’s no rebate, no program in the industry that can offer this much in the way of savings. It doesn’t matter if you’re offering a free hood, a free dishwasher, $1,000 back. “We’re offering an opportunity to save $10,000 to $50,000 on a renovation.” While the advantages to homeowners who are renovating speak for themselves, it could still be a hard-sell to promote what are, at their core, secondhand kitchens. Feldman takes up the baton: “With the advent of HGTV, shelter magazines, cocooning after 9/11, there’s been a tremendous movement in this country towards home improvement, towards the beautification of your home, towards interior design, so there’s already that crest of the wave we’ve been riding for the 20 years we’ve been doing this.” Of course, Renovation Angel is selective about which kitchens they take. It rejects about half the kitchens shown because there’s not enough value in them to justify the labor, removal, trucking, handling and selling. But when the kitchen measures up, the rewards
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“
OUR MISSION IS SIMPLY TO REDUCE LANDFILL WASTE, TO CREATE NEW RECYCLING JOBS AND TO REPURPOSE KITCHENS AND INTERIORS,” SAYS STEVE FELDMAN, FOUNDER OF RENOVATION ANGEL.
are great. “You pay $5 million dollars for a property with a 7-year-old kitchen and you’re now going to get back $30,000 of savings from recycling that kitchen with Renovation Angel,” Feldman says. As for the logistics, Renovation Angel has developed an impressively carbon-friendly model. “In the ideal scenario, let’s say there’s a kitchen in Mount Kisco which is being renovated and is not coming out until July. Well, we put it on our website in May and someone in Poughkeepsie sees it and they say, I’m going to buy it. In that example, the kitchen gets trucked directly from Mount Kisco to Poughkeepsie and never even comes to our luxury outlet store.” The “store” is Renovation Angel’s 43,000square-foot facility in Fairfield, New Jersey — two minutes from Interstate 8, where kitchens that don’t sell before removal are trucked. People visit the outlet from all over New England and beyond — even the Midwest, the South and California, Feldman says — to view the physical products for themselves. While Feldman initially set out to fund addiction recovery, in 2012 he started diversifying, adding, among other foundations, Timothy Hill (a charity for foster care,) Focus North America (a nonprofit concentrated on the homeless) and Designs for Dignity (a Chicago-based nonprofit geared toward helping people with no money to fix up their homes). He has even added an animal rescue charity, Foothills, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Back at the New Jersey headquarters, employees are vetted and undergo full background checks. The business is exceptionally well-organized and efficient and has a sound, structured training process. And always with the environment in mind, the company’s entire Honda CR-V fleet has just been converted to hybrid, with two hybrid plug-ins, substantiating Reservation Angel’s serious commitment to sustainability and quality service. “That’s how we’re going to get to those 100,000 kitchens,” Foti says. “People in America are going to know that we’re the outfit for the homeowner to capture the value. We’re hiring skilled laborers for our white-glove concierge service and we’re changing the face of the demo-contractor-removal business.” Feldman adds that he personally gets a lot of kudos from his team going into clients’ homes and leaving the place squeaky clean. “People say they wish the Renovation Angel crews were actually installing the new kitchens, which is the ultimate compliment,” he says, beaming. For more, visit renovationangel.com
Congratulations to the Class of 2021! Where young women become global leaders
shgreenwich.org
Class of 2021 College Matriculations Boston College (2) Boston University Bucknell University (6) Carnegie Mellon University Cornell University (5) Dartmouth College Duke University Eastern Connecticut State University Elon University Fordham University Georgetown University (7) Hamilton College (2) Middlebury College New York University (3) Northeastern University (2)
The dream outdoors is yours to enjoy!
Northwestern University Penn State University Pomona College Princeton University (2) Rider University Saint Joseph’s University Sewanee, The University of the South Skidmore College Southern Methodist University St. Lawrence University Syracuse University (3) Texas Christian University (2) Trinity College Tulane University (2)
Universidad De Navarra (Spain) University of Chicago University of Connecticut University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania (4) University of Richmond (2) Vanderbilt University Villanova University University of Virginia (4) Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis (2)
The KeDry swiveling louver blade system is designed to protect your family and friends from severe weather allowing your outdoor space to be used in comfort. Its sleek contemporary design, along with LED dimmable lighting, provides the perfect solution to turn your outdoor space into a home office during the day as well. Whether watching sports with your friends, hosting a dinner party, or having the family over, let Gregory Sahagian & Son, Inc. keep you covered.
Gregory Sahagian & Son, Inc. 18 North Central Avenue, Hartsdale, NY 10530 (914) 949-9877 • www.gssawning.com • info@gssawning.com A Full Service Awning Company Since 1990 Licensed and Insured LIC.# WC-10266-H99
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Sounding the right note in the hotel biz BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
"A
spirational” is a good word to describe The Opus, Westchester, says co-owner Mark Weissman. The new hotel, part of Marriott International’s luxe, boutique Autograph Collection, occupies the space formerly held by The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester on Renaissance Square in downtown White Plains. But it sees its mission as being different. “The Ritz was a hotel for the top 1%,” Weissman says. “We think we can appeal to everyone.” That includes visitors who are filling the hotel’s 108 guestrooms and 38 suites on weekends, says General Manager Elizabeth Andrews, ready to take advantage of the event
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space, heated indoor pool, rooftop restaurant Kanopi and Lobby Lounge as well. Indeed, it’s no accident that the lounge features what looks like organ pipes as part of its décor, or that singing bowls, which sound different pitches when you strike them, will be part of the sound baths at The Spa, set to reopen with programming this fall. These accents underscore not only the Opus name — which can refer to a musical composition or any large-scale, artistic work — but a desire to strike the right chord with tourists, businesspeople and the greater community. As White Plains Mayor Tom Roach noted at the May 26 ribbon cutting: “Coming out of the Covid horror, this is the perfect time to open a hotel.”
NEW OCCUPANCY
Weissman — an independent investor and Harrison resident who is also a director of Tidhar, billed as the largest private real estate group in Israel — acquired The Ritz-Carlton in White Plains in 2015. Its co-owner is Yaniv Blumenfeld, founding managing partner of Glacier Global Partners, commercial real estate investment firm in Manhattan. (The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, actually a subsidiary of Marriott International, continues to operate the two luxury residences that flank The Opus.) The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester, which opened in 2007, closed in March 2020 as the pandemic took off in this area. Last November, Weissman says, work began on ren-
Clockwise from left, the bar in the Lobby Lounge, the pool and the Lobby Lounge of The Opus, Westchester. Courtesy Nathaniel Johnston Photography.
ovations to reposition the property as one of the Autograph Collection’s independent, artistically themed hotels. While the outside of the building is relatively unchanged, the interiors have gotten a makeover courtesy of Manhattan’s Celano Design Studio. The reception area is now to the left of the entrance, where a succession of boutiques used to be — rather than straight ahead — shifting your focus to the Lobby Lounge, where visitors and guests can enjoy drinks and light bites amid the teal furnishings and splashes of color in the musically themed setting. “The arts,” Weissman says, “are the spice of life.” The artistic motif continues in the guestrooms and suites upstairs where the traditionalism of The Ritz has been replaced with an earth-toned, mid-century modern look accented by abstract sculptures and paintings, Samuelson Furniture, Lusive Lighting and Loloey Carpets. (The spacious baths retain their marble floors and fixtures.) Other renovations include those to the
10,000-square-foot, second-level event space, with its newly enhanced Gallery & Ballroom; and the pool, where swimmers are enveloped in new furnishings and palm-leaf wallpaper as well as glass that lets in views of the city. (The adjacent gym will be getting new equipment in the coming months.) But perhaps the biggest transformation is to the more intimately scaled Kanopi on the 42nd floor, with its small, colorful “Balloon Dogs,” after Jeff Koons' work, decorating the tables. Like its predecessor, 42 The Restaurant, Kanopi is helmed by chef Anthony Gonçalves, mixing Portuguese and Hudson Valley cuisine, with an assist perhaps from a bust of Shakespeare in the kitchen.
TRANSITIONING TO A BRIGHT FUTURE
From Kanopi’s floor-to-ceiling, panoramic windows, you can see all the way to New York City, the Hudson Valley and the Long Island Sound, even on a cloudy day. But Weissman also gestures to the city below and the
challenges facing it. Plans call for the neighboring White Plains Mall to be torn down and replaced with a large mixed-use space. The 865,000-square-foot Galleria — which has lost many of its stores, including anchor tenants Macy’s and Sears — will reportedly be transformed by owner Pacific Coast Retail Partners (PCRP) into a mixed-use environment that will be more accommodating to foot traffic and street-level services. Weissman is confident that The Opus will be a vital part of a city in transition. A good number of the employees have returned to the hotel, a spokesman says, and new team members have been added, led by GM Andrews, a Rye resident and former dancer and choreographer with more than 20 years in the hospitality industry. Overall, the hotel is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. Crescent’s is nevertheless, Weissman says, “a local team that understands the flavor of Westchester.” For more, visit theopuswestchester.com.
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Says Wares columnist Cami Weinstein: “The colors in those Montauk sunsets are magical and never fail to amaze me.”
On the road for home inspiration STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY CAMI WEINSTEIN
T
ravel is finally opening up after Covid and many of us are flocking to vacations put off for more than a year. For me, traveling always influences my aesthetic designs. Sometimes the influences are specific and other times a compilation of all the visual and tactile experiences that come with travel. Even though we are vaccinated, many of us are still feeling uneasy about traveling, myself included. We decided we are going to travel within the United States to places where vaccination rates are high. The United States has so many wonderful places to visit. Each place that you travel to offers a learning experience and the ability to take some of that uniqueness home to enjoy. If you go out west, there are many beautiful textiles, pottery and rugs that you can
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bring home and add to your décor. I also wander into antique shops wherever I go as they offer up treasures from bygone years that can find a new place either in my home or my clients’ homes. The pieces we bring home offer both memories of vacation and an ability to bring more sophisticated objects and worldly goods into your home to enjoy for many years and possibly pass down to future generations. Travel also helps us relax and get out of work mode. The ability to relax allows us to take in both the natural world and the beautifully handmade world. It opens us to seeing both nature and art objects in a different light. My husband, Mark, and I have decided to revisit Santa Fe and go on to Taos. Since we had been home for so long, I wanted a place
that felt different from our home in the city or out at the beach in Montauk. New Mexico has a great vibe. Visiting Santa Fe will give us the opportunity to enjoy both the natural world and shopping and searching for treasures to bring back home. And I love to go to places that offer great regional food. Living in New York City there is no shortage of restaurants that can allow us to enjoy so many foods from different places. But there is something about enjoying regional foods in their place of origin. There are also many galleries and shops to wander in and the landscape is so different from here on the East Coast. The blue sky is so intense against the dry reddish colors of the high desert. There are so many places to travel to that evoke both familiar and new experiences. I love going to New Orleans and staying in the French Quarter. Food, antiques, museums and the cemetery tours all transport you to a unique place. Boston has many places to learn about our country’s history, as does Washington, D.C. Death Valley in California is another incredible place to visit to see so many different kinds of natural beauty that are relatively close by. Travelling to Death Valley inspired a palette of beautiful colors to incorporate into my paint color selections. Many of the cities I choose to visit offer historic house tours that I always take the time to visit. Not only do I learn about history but about how people enjoy their homes. I relish seeing the way they decorate, the art and collectibles they bring into their homes and the colors they choose. Seeing the gardens and outdoor landscapes is also so much fun. All of these visits are an endless source of inspiration for both home and garden. There are so many wonderful choices in home design that editing can also be a challenge but one that I also enjoy. Take the time to edit or choose colors that can tie your various elements together to create your own personal oasis. If editing is a challenge, call in a professional who can take the emotion out of home design and help you edit or rearrange your pieces and add ones that are more complementary to the overall design you wish to achieve. Happy travels, happy decorating, happy home. For more, call 914-447-6904 or email Cami@camidesigns.com.
Aquila’s Nest Vineyards Presents Summer of Wine & Art
Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, Connecticut’s newest winery, will kick off its inaugural Summer of Wine & Art in July. The series will feature a broad range of musical styles, including contemporary, jazz, Broadway, folk and oldies. In addition to live music, the series will include food trucks, wine and art. We invite guests to experience our new outdoor art installation, Nesting, curated by the Cultural Alliance of Western CT opening June 17th, features an eclectic array of works by today’s top regional artists. The concert series will kick off on Thursday, July 1st 6 -8 pm with Oda Quartet Ticket: $109. Dress Code: Semi- Formal. One glass of wine and a Graze Crudités box is included. Featuring modern and classical music by Ergin Oda, Gjilberta Lucaj Cohen, Joana Kaimi and Yasuhiko Fukuoka. Their Twilight in the Vineyard performance will include Tango Trios, a full length performance of their latest album MUZGU, Broadway Musical pieces, Ancient Albanian Songs, as well as French Chansons. For more information on the Summer of Wine & Art series, please visit the vineyard’s website at www.aquilasnestvineyards.com
Westchester's Premier Coin, Currency, Gold & Diamond Buyer Mount Kisco Gold & Silver Inc Neil S. Berman
• Over 50 years of trusted experience and knowledge. • Sell us your Gold and Silver, Estate Jewelry, Diamonds and Watches. • Monetize your Coin and Currency Collection. • Highest prices paid. • Written Appraisals for Estates Visit us at: Mt. Kisco Gold & Silver Inc 139 E. Main Street Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
Hours: Walk-in or by Appointment Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm (Closed Sunday/Monday)
www.bermanbuyscollectables.com • 914-244-9500 JUNE/JULY 2021 WAGMAG.COM
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When globalism was born BY KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE Grand Tour Micromosaic Box. Sold for $5,843.
Grand Tour Micromosaic and Specimen Table with Eastlake-style Base. Sold for $7,995.
T
oday the word “globalism” most often refers to economic ties. But modern-day cultural globalism could be said to have started in the 17th century with the Grand Tour. For well-to-do young men, and much later for a few adventurous, young women, this long journey from Paris to Pompeii was literally a rite of passage. When gentlemen — mostly English but also some wealthy Northern Europeans and even a few Americans — came of age at 21, it was the fashion to set off on a leisurely tour of Western Europe. The expensive jaunt usually included stays of a couple of months in Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome, with shorter visits to other cultural highlights. The stated reason for the tour was exposure to the art and architecture of classical antiquity and the Renaissance and familiarity with the manners and philosophy of some of Europe’s major powers. (In addition to palaces, parades and politics, there was also usually attention to another “p.” Firsthand study of Continental prostitutes was an accepted element of a fashionable man’s education, too.) At least until the mid-19th century, when travel by ship and train became fast, affordable and safe, the typical Grand Tourist traveled with a tutor or guardian and frequently a private coach, valet and other servants. The young man was often preparing for a career as a diplomat or a politician. He was expected to return home with useful social connections and a smattering of foreign languages and literature, especially French and perhaps Italian. He was also encouraged to acquire tangible evidence of his newly minted connoisseurship. Many of these privileged milordi (the Italian term for these rich tourists) really were, or eventually would be, lords. Therefore, another purpose of the Grand Tour was to return home with paintings, sculpture and antiquities to display in their ancestral homes. The trip was a great “shopportunity,” and the souvenirs greatly influenced Britain’s fine and decorative arts. The heyday of the Grand Tour was also the height of the classical revival. Excavations at
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Two Grand Tour Marble Sculptures. Sold for $7,380.
Grand Tour Rosso Antico Marble Model of Marcus Aurelius’s Column. Sold for $3,075.
Pompeii and Herculaneum were must-see tourist sites starting in the 1740s. Greco-Roman architecture had achieved new popularity with the work of Andrea Palladio (1508-80) and the publication of books and prints depicting the ancient world. Coins and vases, statues and architectural fragments, mosaics and paintings poured into English homes and were widely admired. Those who had taken the Grand Tour brought back both originals and copies made specifically for the tourist trade. Less adventurous and less well-to-do people could buy domestically produced versions of coveted antiquities. The neoclassical style popularized by the Grand Tour and its souvenirs dominated the applied and decorative arts of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Artisans like Josiah Wedg-
Grand Tour Micromosaic Plaque. Sold for $7,995. Photographs courtesy Skinner Inc.
wood created flourishing industries of classically influenced ceramics. In Europe and also the Americas, designers, architects and furniture makers produced textiles and wall coverings, chairs and tables and, in the case of Washington, D.C., whole buildings that recalled “the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome,” to borrow from Edgar Allan Poe. Now with the end of travel restrictions in sight, people are busy booking flights and planning road trips. We’re dusting off our bucket lists and making up for lost time. Like the Grand Tourists, we’ll return with happy memories, lots of pictures and, of course, souvenirs to help recall our adventures and make our homes and our selves more alluring. For more, contact Katie at kwhittle@skinnerinc.com. Or 212-787-1114.
FOOD & SPIRITS P. 70 Bringing the heat to Brazilian food P. 74 Recipe for restaurant success
P. 72 The wine industry in the time of Covid P. 76 A fish dish for monsoon days
Bringing the heat to Brazilian food BY JEREMY WAYNE
D
ining and money — think deals made over power lunches and the persuasive promise of fine wine — have always been inextricably linked. That relationship continues at Fogo de Chāo, the first Westchester County “branch” of the highly successful, international Brazilian steakhouse chain. It’s housed in the Lawyers Building on the corner of Main and Church streets in downtown White Plains — a Romanesque 1926 structure with soaring 80-foot ceilings, vast, imposing stone columns and a grand staircase leading to the first floor, as befits the former home of the Westchester Title and Trust Co. The most recent occupant of the property was, however, a branch of JPMorgan Chase and Co., where I remember all too well my last visit, just before the branch closed in 2019. Me (handing over check and ID to cashier): “Good morning, may I cash a check please?” Cashier (swiping check and viewing terminal): “No.” Me: “Oh? Why is that?” Cashier: “Sir, you have no money in your account.” Frankly, I wasn’t sorry to see the bank go. A first encounter with the folks at Fogo, which opened in April, was more encouraging. Larissa, who greeted us, introduced herself as part of the customer relations team and promptly led my guest and me to a generously sized, well-spaced table along the street wall, away from the bustle but still in touch with the action. Once seated, a panoply of beaming servers approached the table at short intervals, all adding their welcomes. Each asked us how we were, how we’d been, how we were feeling this evening and what we were think-
Fogo de Chāo White Plains, street entrance. Photographs courtesy Fogo de Chāo.
Gaúchos at the ready, Fogo de Chāo. Courtesy Fogo de Chāo.
ing — thinking about eating and drinking, that is to say. Most important of all, every staff member who stopped by the table to say "hello" inquired with the utmost interest whether we had ever been to a branch of Fogo de Chaō before. (We had.) If the smiles and salutations represented staff training by rote, so be it. It came across as friendly and entirely genuine, if a little repetitive. Fast forward to Azul, who was going to be our principal server for the evening and was going to come within a hair’s breadth of killing us with kindness. She was also inaptly named, because there was nothing “blue” about her character. Azul was the very soul of cheerfulness and optimism and, if her many explanations, observations and homespun philosophy ever got in the way of the job in hand (“Azul, that is very interesting,” we longed to tell her, “but we’re hungry and would love to just get on and order,”) after a couple of Fogo’s potent, properly mixed caipirinhas, Azul could have chattered away all night and we would have just kicked back, knocked back another of Brazil’s national cocktails and sighed contentedly. But we did eventually order. The shtick here is the set-price Fogo “Churrasco Experience,” an all-you-can-eat lunch or dinner comprising a wide choice of meats, cooked over the churrasco (white hot) grill and brought to the table on vertical skewers to be sliced individually for each diner. (The name Fogo de Chāo, meaning “ground fire,” refers to the traditional gaúcho method of roasting meats over an open fire.) A round coaster, given to each guest on being seated, lets the army of booted and suited gaúchos (as the all-male, meat handlers are
called) know whether to stop by the table with their long skewers of meat and rapier-sharp carving knives, or to continue on. One side of the coaster is green: “Yes please, I want more meat”; the other is red: “Not now, I’m taking a pause.” It’s a simple system, fun to operate and, barring the odd backup of gaúchos or an oversight in passing us by, it mostly works. Irresistible, cheese-filled mini popovers, called paō de queijo, along with side dishes of creamy mashed potatoes, yucca (tapioca) fries and caramelized bananas — are included in the price, the dishes replaced or refreshed as often as you wish. In addition to the meats and side dishes and included in the price of the “Experience,” guests can also pile their plates high at the Market Table, an impressive buffet running the length of the central seating area, groaning with crudités, roasted vegetables, cheeses, charcuterie, lavish salads, chickpea stews and a great deal more, all of it fresh and lively. As if all this were not enough, the menu is supplemented by a selection of “Indulgent Cuts” steaks, such as Wagyu rib eye and dry-aged Tomahawk ancho, as well as regular entrées, including a couple of fish and vegetarian dishes, all individually priced. What’s more, the Market Table can be enjoyed on its own for $15, something of a steal weekdays. But for my money, if you’re headed to Fogo at all, to order anything other than the “Experience” — $39.95 at lunch, $60.95 at dinner — is somehow to miss the point. The all-you-can-eat Brazilian churrasco, or rodizio, is not a new concept, of course. It’s 20 years or more since restaurants like Fogo de Chāo, begin to proliferate outside of Brazil, so the restaurant cannot survive on novelty value alone. Which is to say, the churrasco needs
to be excellent. And a lot of it was on the night we dined, especially the picanha (top sirloin), its light charred crust packed with flavor; and succulent lamb chops, blushing pink, wondrously tender. Juicy chicken legs, the size of a baby’s fist, also passed muster but a couple of the cuts, the bottom sirloin and the ancho, were dry and overcooked, despite our asking for all the beef to be sliced as rare as possible. Desserts are not included in the “Experience,” but try them if you appetite allows it. They are worth the supplement. We enjoyed a gorgeously moist, molten chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream and an ambrosial, light-as-air papaya cream, served with a sophisticated swirl of cassis liqueur. At the foot of the menu are calorie counts for every item, although not the “Experience” itself. (It’s impossible, of course, to gauge just how much meat any one diner will consume.) It is riveting, not to say slightly terrifying, to discover that a 24-ounce rib-eye steak weighs in at 1,872 calories or that a pineapple mint lemonade, consisting of nothing more than pineapple, lemon, mint and soda, weighs in at 160. But while I know that in the age of obesity it is prudent — and in many places, the law — to provide such details, the idea of brushing every pleasure with the stain of guilt seems to me a joyless exercise. Eating out is meant to be fun — and never more so than now as we swarm back gratefully into restaurants. My advice? Come to Fogo with friends, a sense of humor, some patience, a vast appetite and avoid reading the rubric on the menu. Oh, and tell the gaúchos you want only the juiciest cuts. You’ll have a wonderful time. For more, visit fogodechao.com.
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Silvaner is becoming a star grape – and wine, Wine & Dine columnist Doug Paulding writes.
The wine industry in the time of Covid BY DOUG PAULDING
"I
need your stories. We are approaching deadline.” These words from my editor always get my attention and it usually gets me to thinking about a wine media trip I recently returned from with a journal full of tasting notes, a notebook full of poignant quotes to capture the people, the wine or the region. Or I assemble my notes from a wine-tasting seminar, a winemaker luncheon or a dinner in New York City, and I begin to create a story that I hope will be engaging to the reader. In these Covid days, traveling has screeched to a halt. My last wine travel adventure was to Montefalco, Italy in Umbria to taste the recent release of their Sagrantino wines in late February 2020. Covid was spiking in northern Italy. Every night I saw the Covid positive line crawl, no sprint, 100 miles closer. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough to the safety (?) of New York and the United States.
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Of course, luncheons and dinners with winemakers all shut down and one of the few ways we could continue to promote story ideas was a Zoom meeting with wines received in advance so you could taste them remotely and hear the wine producers’ stories. Other PR wine folks just send wines for private exploration, but it usually does not spark a story idea. I had to cancel a press trip to Montsant, Spain, (just southwest of Barcelona) in early April 2020 as borders were closing. But we are starting to see things open up again. I had a wonderful luncheon at Il Gattopardo restaurant with the Wine Media Guild where we tasted 40 or 50 Brunello di Montalcinos and got to see wine writer colleagues again. I have heard the cancelled trip to Spain will likely be rescheduled soon. And I have been asked to come to Louisville, Kentucky, in mid-September for a deep dive into all things Bourbon. I was on a Zoom event a few months ago in which Bordeaux, France, and
Germany, have found some sort of strange collaboration, and a significant sum of EU money to lure journalists to both of those regions. Their promotion (Clink Different) is highlighting relatively unknown grapes or grapes usually used as accents in a wine and not as single varietal wines. We tasted Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux and Silvaner (Trocken) and Lemberger from Germany, all bottled at 100% of the respective grapes. The wines were great. I liked the Silvaner the best for its unique and lovely balanced citrus and stone fruit flavors. Historically, it was an over-planted and over-produced grape that has been ushered back to quality by reducing yields and employing better winery techniques, among other things, for more concentrated flavors and nuance. The winemakers have reached out and told me they are in the process of assembling a group of journalists for this venture and would I be a candidate for that. Uh, yes. So, how did Covid affect you and your alcohol choices and education? Early on, when they were trying to determine who were essential workers and who could remain in business, I could hear the cheers when wine and liquor stores were given the green light. Yes, of course, alcohol sales of hand wipes and sanitizers were essential but liquid consumption of alcohol for comfort and normalcy? It seemed a stretch but the decision-makers sided on support of alcohol sales and it was, no doubt, the right decision. Through Covid we all needed a bit of support and maybe a hint of numbing, if you will. But I think opening a bottle with a friend, face-to-face or remotely, helps to ground a person, offers perspective and moves us through a particularly dark era in American and world history. I am not a fan of the concept that we will move on as a society. This cannot be true given all that we have lost. Six hundred thousand U.S. deaths and counting, many others permanently impaired. So many voices and achievements silenced or cancelled. How do you move on? Maybe by going forward: Take a walk, communicate with a longtime or recent friend. Reminisce or discover something new. Share a glass of something and, if only for a bit, bond with an agreeable relative or friend. Yes, we will move forward. And yet we have lost so much. Upgrade to a better bottle and do not forget the hugs. Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.
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Recipe for restaurant success BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
G
rowing up in Union Beach, New Jersey, with his five brothers and sisters, Stephen Lewandowski was the adventurous eater, the one who tried the fish in the restaurant when the rest were ordering steak. Though his family wasn’t in food, Lewandowski says his father loved to cook, and he loved nothing more than cooking with him on Sundays for a big group of family and friends. It’s a tradition he continues with wife, Heather, a lawyer and real estate agent, and their four young children on Sundays and Mondays at their home in Easton, Connecticut. I’m an entertainment person,” Lewandowski says. “I love nothing better than having 20 people over, around my table. And that’s kind of the idea here, getting back to people coming together and having a meal.” “Here” is Townhouse, the Mediterranean-style restaurant that Lewandowski — the former executive chef of Tribeca Grill in Manhattan — opened on Jan. 18, 2020 in the space formerly occupied by Gabriele’s of Greenwich, a lantern-lit brick building that reflects the townhouses on Church Street. While the exterior remains virtually unchanged, Lewandowski and his team — director of operations Dana Cifone; developer James Cabrera, who owns the property; and adviser Drew Nieporent of Myriad Restaurant Group, which includes Tribeca Grill — redid the interior in just 17 days with what Lewandowski calls “lipstick changes.” A resurfaced countertop for the commanding bar to the left of the entrance, lighter floors and seven splashy abstract paintings by artist Rachel MacLeod only begin, however, to hint at a transformation by Richard Granoff, founder and managing principal of Granoff Architects in Greenwich. He’s added modern touches to the building’s classical bones, with a sedate palette of blue-gray, gray and white sianaling a host of spaces that include
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Stephen Lewandowski, owner and executive chef of Townhouse in Greenwich, combines a gift for cooking with a head for business and organization, thanks in part to years spent in elite restaurants and hotels.
“
LIKE ANY BUSINESS, WE HAD TO PIVOT,” STEPHEN LEWANDOWSKI, OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF OF TOWNHOUSE IN GREENWICH, SAYS OF THE PANDEMIC. “AND I THINK THAT’S WHERE OUR EXPERIENCE CAME IN.”
the Library (seats 16), the auburn-hued Wine Room (26) and the lucent Atrium (up to 34). The 3,400-square-foot dining area mirrors the 3,400-square-foot banquet space upstairs. “With the pandemic, this played into our favor because of the different rooms,” Lewandowski says. “We’re getting a lot of social events, because people want to be in private spaces.” They also want something else that you get at Townhouse — banquet fare that is not the poultry, the beef or the fish entrée but rather the same cuisine as in the dining room, which Lewandowski describes as “Mediterranean with global influences, from France and Spain to Morocco and Tunisia all the way to Egypt” — and beyond. These influences are evoked in herbs and spices that Lewandowski says he uses to enhance the flavors of the cuisine without overwhelming them — Moroccan Za’atar, Aleppo chili, star anise, juniper berries, among them. (He stays away from butter and cream sauces.) Flavor was the essence of our lunch at Townhouse, where we sampled a melt-in-your Burrata, pesto and sweet tomato cream arugula salad that evoked the well-traveled Lewandowski’s story of picking tomatoes off the vine in Bulgaria; and meaty crab cakes luxuriating on a crunchy bed of roasted peas with bacon. (Did we mention the savory, pillowy pita triangles that accompany each meal?) If the praline cannoli-style cheesecake appeared a bit too pasty for our dessert expectations, we have fond memories of another visit to Townhouse and a chocolate mousse passionfruit cake that proved a bittersweet revelation.
LEARNING THE BUSINESS
Despite warm childhood memories of food, family and entertaining, Lewandowski wasn’t necessarily thinking of food as a career. He had toyed with the idea of college as a path to work in finance but instead wound up in a local deli/catering business after Keyport High School. A friend suggested culinary school so Lewandowski applied to and was accepted into The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, His 22-month path to a 1995 Associate’s degree would take him to an internship at Hunters Run Country Club in Boynton Beach, Florida. After The CIA, Lewandowski headed to Manhattan and the now defunct Abbey restaurant, then to the Gotham Bar & Grill; and The Ritz-Carlton New York on Central Park South, where he was chef de cuisine of its high-end Fantino restaurant and part of the closing team as it became the InterContinental Hotel. (This is not to be confused with The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, which occupies the footprint of the former Hotel St. Moritz.) But Lewandowski wasn’t done with The Ritz.
At The Ritz-Carlton Boston, he cooked for former President George H.W. Bush, Queen Noor of Jordan and cellist Yo-Yo Ma as executive banquet chef. At The Peabody Orlando, now the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Lewandowski had five restaurants and 64,000 square feet of banquet space under him as executive sous chef. “I was learning organization, but it took away from my cooking,” he says. So when an opportunity came to become Tribeca Grill’s chef de cuisine, Lewandowski took it, graduating to executive chef in 2003. There he rubbed elbows with co-owner Robert DeNiro, who’d run through the line in the kitchen to avoid the paparazzi; investor Bill Murray, another kitchen devotee; Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Jay-Z. “I look back now and think, I didn’t take enough pictures,” Lewandowski says with a laugh.
THE GUY WITH THE NUMBERS
Talking with us at length during a humid late-spring day just itching for a storm, Lewandowski says he now realizes that everything he has done in his career was a preparation for his 2012 move to Connecticut. “I needed more stability,” he says, for his growing family. For him that meant owning his own restaurant. First, there were the Harlans (2012-2019) — Harlan Social in Stamford, Harlan Publick in Norwalk, Harlan Haus in Bridgeport and Harlan Brasserie in Hartford. Meeting Cabrera in 2019, Lewandowski says he decided to partner with him in “what was basically a turnkey operation,” raising roughly $100,000 to refurbish what became Townhouse. No sooner did the restaurant open than it closed to dining on March 16, 2020, due to the pandemic, though it did do takeout. Townhouse reopened May 17 of that year for outdoor dining. “Like any business, we had to pivot,” Lewandowski says, “and I think that’s where our experience came in.” On the one hand, the lockdown gave him and his team time to work out the kinks in the restaurant. On the other, he adds that government assistance has made it hard to hire workers not only for Townhouse but throughout the food supply chain, making for inflationary prices. It’s getting more difficult, Lewandowski says, to earn that .8 to .10 cents on $1 that is necessary for success in the restaurant industry. Still, he’s excited by the prospect of returning patrons and catering such events as wine dinners. “I love cooking,” he says. But it’s clear he’s also a man with a head for numbers. And with that, he’s off to oversee the evening menu — and pay his taxes. For more, visit townhousegreenwich. com.
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SIMPLE FISH CAKES
WHAT’S COOKING?
FOOD & SPIRITS
1 portion salmon, skinless 2 tablespoons coconut oil 2 shallots, minced 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium size russet potato, boiled and mashed 1 teaspoon garam masala (or a mixture of 2 cloves, ½ teaspoon cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamoms and ½ star anise roasted and powdered)
A fish dish for monsoon days
Simple fish cakes. Photograph by Aditya Menon.
BY RAJNI MENON Fish is an integral part of the cuisine of Kerala in tropical southwest India. Since this is a coastal region, off the Arabian Sea, a variety of fresh fish is always available. Fish is used not only in making curries and dry dishes but also in cakes that are usually served as a snack for evening tea, their crunchy, savory aspect complementing the sweet, milky tea. Any white fish, like cod, halibut or red snapper, will do, but I have made my version with salmon. On cold, rainy monsoon days in Kerala, I loved to sip a cup of hot tea and nibble on the crunchy cakes while watching the rain. I hope this dish will bring fond memories to you as well.
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DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat coconut oil in a deep, medium-sized pan. 2. Add shallots and sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté well. 3. Add the salmon, salt, black pepper and garam masala and cover the pan, steaming the fish until cooked through. Once cooked, shred it with a fork in the pan and combine well with the shallots. 4. Add cilantro leaves and mix well. Turn off the heat and transfer this mixture to a bowl. 5. To that bowl, add the mashed potatoes and breadcrumbs. Make patties and shallow fry them for 2 minutes per side on medium heat. Enjoy them with hot, milky tea. For more, visit creativerajni.com.
WELLNESS P. 78 Arms and the woman
P. 80 White Plains Hospital looks to a brighter future
P. 84 Inside Regeneron as Covid exploded
P. 86 Valuing fatherhood over work
Arms and the woman BY CONSTANCE CHEN, M.D.
A
rms had their moment in early 2009 when Michelle Obama posed for her first official photograph as first lady in a sleeveless black dress. While some style critics carped that the look was too informal or out of season with the February weather, many women all over the world envied Obama's toned arms and wanted to know how they could achieve similar muscle definition. Workout and diet recommendations proliferated as millions of women went to work on their arms. Women didn't just head to the gym. Some found that weight loss and exercise didn't achieve the results they wanted and headed to their doctors' offices to inquire about a surgical fix for sagging upper arms. As we age, the skin on the upper arms loses elasticity and droops. Fluctuations in weight and heredity also contribute to this effect. While exercise can strengthen the arms and improve muscle tone, it cannot correct skin that has lost elasticity. An arm lift, or brachioplasty, can reshape the upper arm by removing excess skin and fat from the underside of the upper arm from armpit to elbow. The problem is that excess skin resection can leave unsightly scars, while liposuction alone can worsen the problem of loose sagging skin if the woman does not have enough skin elasticity. Good candidates for an arm lift are healthy, nonsmoking adults of any age who are not significantly overweight and whose weight is stable. As with any cosmetic procedure, it is important that those considering surgery have realistic expectations. The smoother, tighter contours produced by an arm lift are relatively permanent as long as weight and
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Michelle Obama’s toned arms – seen to good advantage in the Jason Wu goddess gown she wore to husband Barack Obama’s first presidential inauguration – have inspired women to take to the gym and plastic surgery. Photograph by Tech Sgt. Suzanne Day, USAF.
general fitness are maintained, though there may be some loss of firmness over time as the body continues to age. Scars from an arm lift can be significant, however, so patients need to be sure that they would like to trade an improved arm shape for a visible scar. The procedure may be performed in the hospital or on an out-patient basis, under local or general anesthesia. The number and extent of incisions are dependent on the amount of skin to be removed. They may be on the inside or back of the arm and will be placed to minimize the visibility of scars. A short-scar brachioplasty limits the scar to the armpit, but the smaller scar also makes it less effective for resecting a large amount of loose, sagging skin in the upper arm. Fat may be removed directly or treated with liposuction. Underlying supportive tissue is tightened and smoothed, then skin is replaced over the reshaped arm and secured with stitches. Physical and athletic activity will be limited for several weeks following surgery. Risks associated with an arm lift are those of any surgery, such as bleeding, infec-
tion or adverse reaction to anesthesia, as well as temporary changes in skin sensation. As with any cosmetic procedure, the driving motivation and expectations for results are unique to each individual. For those committed to maintaining a healthy regimen of fitness and weight control, an arm lift can solve a nagging problem that is otherwise resistant to change. Patients need to think carefully about the scars, however. Our goal is always to help people have the bodies they want and to improve their physical and emotional well-being. Constance M. Chen, M.D., is a board-certified plastic surgeon with special expertise in the use of innovative, natural techniques to optimize medical and cosmetic outcomes for women undergoing breast reconstruction. She is a clinical assistant professor of surgery (plastic surgery) at Weill Cornell Medical College and a clinical assistant professor of surgery (plastic surgery) at Tulane University School of Medicine. For more, visit constancechenmd.com.
CELEBRATING LIFE, LOVE, & THE POWER OF FLOWERS SINCE 1925 4th Generation, Locally Grown & Locally Owned
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White Plains Hospital looks to a brighter future BY SUSAN FOX
A
s we reflect on living through a global pandemic, each through his own lens, it is striking how quickly our lives were changed. Whether you are a health-care worker, a parent, a student or a business owner, what seemed to be “ordinary” was suddenly gone. Instead, days were marked by anxiety and isolation but also unexpected and touching displays of courage and kindness. Through my lens at the helm of White Plains Hospital, last year taught us much. It demonstrated how important it is to be able to adapt, to trust science and one an-
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other, and it created urgency to devise new innovative solutions in rapid time. Seemingly overnight, the hospital transformed as we took on the enormous role of keeping our community healthy and patients and staff safe. To meet state requirements and handle the surge of Covid-19 patients, we quickly increased our capacity from 250 beds to 375 and expanded our ICU beds from 16 to 82. In-person doctor visits were suddenly replaced by video consultations and remote patient monitoring tools were deployed to deliver the highest levels of patient care. As health-care institutions, we evolved because we had to, and while many of these solutions
were already in their infancy, the pandemic accelerated technologies that may forever change how we care for patients. During the peak of the pandemic, nearly 80% of the patients in the hospital were diagnosed with Covid-19. That number is now less than 1%. This is incredible from where we were a year ago and is proof that vaccinations are working. I cannot stress enough how important it is that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated. We have seen how effective these vaccines can be in reducing Covid-19 hospitalizations, which in turn has supported restrictions finally loosening. However, we cannot think Covid-19 is gone forever.
“
WHILE WE HAVE BEEN CONSUMED BY THE IMPACT OF COVID-19,” WRITES SUSAN FOX, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL, “WE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE FUTURE. THROUGHOUT THIS LAST YEAR, WHILE BATTLING THE VIRUS, WE NEVER LOST OUR FOCUS ON FINDING NEW WAYS TO DELIVER ADVANCED CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AS A TESTAMENT TO THIS, ON JUNE 7 WE OPENED OUR NEW CENTER FOR ADVANCED MEDICINE & SURGERY.”
From left: Kaare Weber, M.D., chief of surgery;; Josh Caspi, White Plains Hospital board member; Frances Bordoni, senior vice president, ambulatory & physician services and business development; Peter Lehrer, WPH board member; Leigh Anne McMahon, executive vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer; Tom Roach, mayor of White Plains; Philip Ozuah, M.D., president and CEO, Montefiore Medicine; Rep. Mondaire Jones; Susan Fox, president and CEO, WPH; Michael Divney, WPH board member; Larry Smith, chairman of the WPH board; William Null, WPH board member; Joe Guarracino, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and chief financial officer and Joe Mannino, vice president, facilities management and construction. Courtesy White Plains Hospital.
The virus remains a threat to those who are unvaccinated, and the more things return to normal, the greater that threat will be. While we have been consumed by the impact of Covid-19, we never lost sight of the future. Throughout this last year, while battling the virus, we never lost our focus on finding new ways to deliver advanced care to our community. As a testament to this, on June 7 we opened our new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery. One of the largest dedicated outpatient facilities in Westchester, the new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery opened on time despite the challenges of the pandemic. The nine-story, 252,000-square-foot ambulatory center consolidates many of our specialty physicians under one roof and features stateof-the-art operating rooms, endoscopy, ambulatory and procedure suites, wound care delivered through hyperbaric chambers,
advanced imaging and noninvasive cardiac diagnostic testing. It is also home to the first and only PET (positron emission tomography) MRI scan in Westchester. This technology provides a higher level of detailed views than traditional MRIs, allowing for more precise diagnosis and treatment. This new facility represents an important step forward as we look to expand access to comprehensive care in Westchester County. It also furthers our commitment to enhancing the patient experience, while providing the latest advancements in treatment and technology to better serve the needs of our community. The pandemic reaffirmed the importance of having access to exceptional health care close to home, as patients should not have to travel to receive the comprehensive and life-saving care they need. Currently, almost 80% of patients who need heart surgery leave Westchester County for care. Late last year, we were approved by the Department of Health to begin offering this service to our community. Since then we have been busy preparing, building two new high-tech operating rooms in the hospital, upgrading our ICU facilities and working closely together with the cardiac surgery team at the Montefiore Health System to ensure our program will offer the most advanced care. There is no doubt that even before the pandemic, White Plains Hospital had changed significantly since we first opened our doors 128 years ago as a small community hospital. As a member of Montefiore since 2015, we have continued to grow and evolve our programs and services, building on our promise to always provide the highest level of quality care to our patients, no matter the circumstances. We are so grateful for the support of our neighbors, friends and partners who have helped us to become the health-care facility we are today and who sacrificed so much over the past year for the greater health of our community. Together, we look forward to a brighter future. Susan Fox, president and CEO of White Plains Hospital, is recognized as one of Westchester County’s most influential executives, one who has been at the forefront of transforming the regional health care industry over the last decade. By forging strategic partnerships and aligning and recruiting top clinical and administrative talent, Fox has driven the expansion of the hospital, a member of the Montefiore Health System, developing it into a leading provider of advanced health care in the Hudson Valley. For more, visit wphospital.org.
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In the lab at Regeneron. Courtesy Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Inside Regeneron as Covid exploded BY PETER KATZ
W
hile the Covid-19 virus was knocking the world off balance, scientists, production experts, office managers, logistics personnel and others at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Tarrytown were gearing up in a monumental effort to find a therapy that could save lives. Regeneron had the financial as well as human resources needed for such an effort, having reported more than $6.55 billion in revenues and more than $2.11 billion in net income to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for 2019. What resulted from Regeneron's effort — the drug REGEN-COV, also called as the Regeneron cocktail — combines two monoclonal antibodies to attack SARS-CoV-2, as Covid-19 is
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formally known. It's one of the drugs that Donald J. Trump received while he was president, which some experts believe may have helped save his life after he became ill and had to be helicoptered to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. REGEN-COV has been demonstrated to prevent the hospitalization and death of Covid-19 patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave it Emergency Use Authorization, subsequently modifying that to allow for the drug to be injected as well as infused. The FDA also allowed cutting the required dose in half to 1,200 milligrams, because it works so well. This is not the first time Regeneron has responded successfully to a virus crisis. It created the drug Inmazeb to treat the deadly Ebola virus. Inmazeb is a mixture of three monoclo-
nal antibodies that were created using Regeneron's technique of engineering the immune systems of mice to simulate the human immune system and generate human-like antibodies to fight invading diseases. Inmazeb targets a glycoprotein on the surface of Ebola and blocks the virus from attaching to human cells, a necessary step for the virus to get inside and kill the human cells. Clinical trials, including use during Ebola outbreaks in Guinea in 2014 through 2016 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018 and 2019, showed that the therapy worked, leading the FDA to designate the drug as a Breakthrough Therapy that would ultimately become the first FDA-approved treatment for Zaire Ebola virus in pediatric and adult patients. The immediate thought echoing through the more than one million square feet of space at Regeneron's main campus was, if the principle works against Ebola, wouldn't it also work against Covid-19? “We did a bit of work on MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome a coronavirus that was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012) so there was experience with coronavirus research,” Alina Baum, associate director for infectious diseases at Regeneron, tells WAG. “We started hearing these stories coming out of China — it was maybe late December — of just some kind of new respiratory virus. In the beginning of January, our government partners shared the sequence . . .of the spike protein.” Spike proteins are on the surface of the Covid-19 virus and, like the proteins on the surface of Ebola, provide a mechanism for the virus to latch onto human cells and proceed to invade. “Because we have this history of working on emerging infections with MERS, Ebola, Zika (a virus transmitted by mosquitoes) there was really no discussion of whether we should do this or not,” Baum says. “It was almost a no-brainer for us. There's a new virus and we had the sequence, which is the key to begin the actual work. We were going to start working on it.” Baum recalls that what happened from Jan. 13, 2020, when Regeneron got the genetic sequence, to the end of that month was that the urgency increased almost exponentially. “It went from 'we might as well work on this and get some antibodies' to 'oh my God, this is going to be a really big problem. It's going to be a global problem. We need to move as fast as humanly possible to isolate antibodies and try to move into the clinical development,'” Baum recalls. “We had the capability, and we had this commitment to addressing emerging infections.” Baum says people involved in infectious dis-
ease work at the company were pulled from other projects to concentrate on Covid-19. Sixteen-hour days, seven days a week became the norm in the first couple of months. “This was a brand-new virus, which means there are no systems; there are no reagents (compounds that can cause a chemical reaction or are used for chemical analysis); there's nothing that's already there that you can use so everything has to be developed from scratch,” Baum says. “In order to get the antibodies eventually to move into the clinic, you have to be able to not only immunize the mice but you have to be able to get the right cells from the mice. We've done this many times before. We know how to utilize our humanized mice and get the antibodies that we want from them and we know how to make antibodies that target a virus. We have a lot of virology experience. It was really a straightforward decision and a straightforward plan of how to do this because of all the experience that Regeneron has in other antiviral programs.” But this was now a “rocket speed” program, Baum says: “All the different groups come together and this becomes the number-one priority. What that allows you to do is to move very rapidly in a way that's very coordinated and all the groups know exactly what their part of the job is and everything comes together in almost a seamless way. There is no confusion and there are not a ton of decisions that need to be made in terms of who is going to do what because it's all laid out from our previous experience.” And that previous experience told the Regeneron team that equally important would be protecting itself for the work ahead. As Elizabeth Green, Regeneron's senior director for environment, health and safety, adds: “It was in early- to mid-January when I heard from a colleague that the N95 (protective mask) in all of China was sold out and they were just not available anymore. I thought about personal protective equipment for our staff and the different groups that needed N95s, for example. We got ahead of it as much as we could by identifying it early-on as a supply chain issue and identifying what we needed to protect our people in day-to-day operations.” She says that before New York state had enacted the pause in business and people were switching to working from home, Regeneron started to establish protocols such as no international travel and parameters for when to self-quarantine. The company developed four guiding principles. “The first was a matter of protecting the health and safety needs of our employees,” Green says. “The second was using data and science to guide our decisions. The third
one was schedule return to site that was in alignment with business needs. The last one was regular communication, evaluation and feedback.” Green says that the company's scientists, physicians, attorneys, human resources personnel and all levels of management across the business were represented in the decision-making on how to adapt to the unfolding situation. “Even though I might have been orchestrating a lot of the groups and the coordination of effort, it took so many people’s expertise to be as successful as we so far have been,” she adds. “To see the spirit of the orga-
“
ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS COME TOGETHER AND THIS BECOMES THE NUMBER-ONE PRIORITY. WHAT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS TO MOVE VERY RAPIDLY IN A WAY THAT'S VERY COORDINATED AND ALL THE GROUPS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEIR PART OF THE JOB IS AND EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER IN ALMOST A SEAMLESS WAY. THERE IS NO CONFUSION AND THERE ARE NOT A TON OF DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN TERMS OF WHO IS GOING TO DO WHAT BECAUSE IT'S ALL LAID OUT FROM OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE.”
nization was just outstanding.” One of the phrases used within the company to express its philosophy is “be great together,” Green says: “It was extremely unprecedented and challenging. However, we instilled the confidence that everyone's health and safety was paramount and that in itself helped with change management. We really did things to walk the walk and to prove it. That enabled the confidence to adapt to the change. I and my team were heavily involved in bringing the different subject matter experts together...and identifying what do we anticipate could happen and then start planning and having different options and be able to be flexible and pivot as we needed to.” Green says that by mid-March, only about 500 of the approximately 3,500 staffers were reporting for work at the Tarrytown campus, with numerous employees working off-site. The number was gradually increased to about 1,900, with safety protocols strictly observed. Even with the concentration on Covid, Regeneron's other activities continued, including more than 30 clinical trials. When the first set of clinical data came in showing that Regeneron's monoclonal antibody cocktail did, indeed knock down the viral load in treated individuals, the scientists became convinced they had something that was promising, Green says. But they didn’t get overconfident. When the company and FDA authorized the use of the still-experimental cocktail to treat Trump, she adds, the scientists' interest remained focused on clinical trial data rather than an anecdotal event. “As scientists, all of us realize that an anecdotal experience from one individual is just that. It's definitely interesting to people, but overall the data that's coming from the actual controlled clinical trial is much more meaningful than something like that, because that's what convinces us that we have a drug that's actually doing something and helping people,” Baum adds. “I would say it was definitely a very interesting experience to have, but that wasn't the moment that made us say, 'oh wow, we have something that works.'” She thinks it’s unlikely that Covid-19 will go away, even with higher herd immunity and an increase in vaccinations, adding that as a society we are very much underutilizing antiviral therapies such as Regeneron's REGEN-COV for acute infections. As Baum put it: “If we had 500 people dying of some kind of a cancer every day and we knew we had something we could give them to protect from that outcome, would we even think about that twice?” For more, visit regeneron.com.
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The author always has time for his daughter. Courtesy The Roselli Family.
pandemic, I would organize my schedule to ensure I had ample time every day to play and care for her. When she asks the question, “Daddy, will you play with me?,” the answer is always “yes.” If I’m doing some stretching on the ground or in the middle of a workout and she jumps on me and wants a piggyback ride, she gets one. If I’m on my computer doing work, I stop. No workout and no job is more important than spending time with her. I’ve prioritized these moments, for I know (and I’ve been warned) that there will come a day where she won’t be jumping on my back for a piggyback ride. And instead of “Daddy, will you play with me?” it will be, “Dad, I’m going out tonight.” Now I know I shouldn’t rush things but remember how “it goes fast.” That’s even more reason why I always make the time.
WE ALL LEARN FROM EACH OTHER
Valuing fatherhood over work BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI
“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” — educator Walt Streightiff
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t’s hard to believe that this is my fifth annual article chronicling my journey through fatherhood. As a young parent, you’ll often hear fellow parents echo the expression, “It goes by fast” and the reason why that is said so often is because it’s true.
THE YEAR OF UNCERTAINTY
Going through a pandemic presents its own unique set of challenges to each of us. Attempting to raise a lively, energetic, athletic now 4 year old certainly has had its own particular set of challenges. As someone who loves quotes — have you noticed most of my WAG articles start with a quote? — one of my favorites during this time has been “Adversity doesn’t build char-
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acter; it reveals it.” As tough as things got, as bleak as things looked, I know I needed to be strong, optimistic and creative in how to go about parenting during this time. However, being strong, optimistic and creative should be characteristics of a parent no matter the time. Outdoor adventures, nature walks, bike rides, DIY arts and crafts, in-home gymnastics, dance parties and pretend magic shows are just some of the ways we kept ourselves busy and safe on a daily basis. And I’m proud to say I taught my daughter how to count to 20 in Italian. Brava.
ALWAYS THE PRIORITY
I feel lucky and blessed to have the time I have with my daughter. Even prior to the
I work with and train a lot of older clients, many in their 70s and 80s, so the conversations I have with them puts a lot of things in perspective for me. What’s ironic about my relationships with these clients is that they are teaching me as much about life as I am teaching them about fitness and health. It’s also a constant reminder for me that the ultimate dad, Father Time, continues to march on. When I look back on my life, it’s not going to matter how many TV shows or movies I’ve been in or wrestling matches I’ve had, even though I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and worked hard for it. It isn’t going to matter how many followers I had on social media or how many likes my posts get. What truly matters is all these precious moments that we are creating every day. I’m much more focused on how many piggyback rides I give than on how many followers I have. So another year of fatherhood and beating the dad bod is in the books. It’s obviously been a unique year but one full of memories, love and happiness. Just don’t ask me about potty training. Wishing all the readers out there a great summer. Let’s take this time to soak in what is truly important in our lives. Feel free to reach out to me at gio@ giovanniroselli.com.
FASHION & BEAUTY
P. 88 Branding flirty fun
P. 90 Skin in the beauty game
Branding flirty fun BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
T
he joy in living — what the French call joie de vivre — permeates every aspect of Le Frou Frou Couture. The 1-year-old company’s brightly colored signature canvas handbags — festooned with fringe and feathers and lined in gingham and polka dots — vie with sequined caps and boldly patterned scarves and caftans for the visitor’s attention amid repainted and retooled antiques. There are even handbags on shelves in the kitchen, the color of caffe latte, of course. The company’s logo, business cards and postcards are shocking pink, as are the silky pouches in which your purchases are slipped before being bound up in a black shopping bag with the pink logo and finished with a black-and-white polka dot bow. Even the name Le Frou Frou Couture — which nods to a British Vogue description of the strapless black Elizabeth Emanuel gown that announced then Lady Diana as a future fashion icon — says flirty, feminine, fun. Just like company founder Antonia Raimbault, who greets us in short black shorts and a leopard print blouse accented with a black neckerchief and matching espadrille sandals that complement her raven tresses, black being her favorite color. But the playfulness belies a well-thoughtout business model. Antonia shows us a black-and-white school notebook filled with ideas for the company’s name. She was advised not to go with Le Frou Frou Couture, because people might not be able to pronounce it. (It’s froo froo coo TOUR.) In the end, she resisted the temptation to dumbdown her brand. But just in case she went with a different name, husband Peter shows us the various domain names they purchased. He is the other half of the story — as much involved with the business as she is, painting the showroom furnishings and spruc-
Le Frou Frou Couture canvas handbags combine classic styles with fun details – a star, the French royal fleur de lis, daisies and polka dots.
Peter and Antonia Raimbault, who put the joie in the vivre of Le Frou Frou Couture. This hands-on approach to everything from ironing the washable canvas handbags to applying the hot-pink logos to the shopping bags keeps the products affordable. Handbags start at $129. Courtesy Le Frou Frou Couture.
ing them up with new knobs; suggesting photography (the showroom contains a little makeshift photo studio); pointing with pride to distinctive cosmetic cases featuring cool cats in oversize sunglasses. (Is it any surprise to discover that he was once a successful salesman of women’s shoes?) But it is in a sense his present day job that helped inspire Le Frou Frou’s Greenwich connection. As a pilot of private jets for the ultra-rich, Peter’s career takes him all over the world, including the Caribbean, particularly St. Barts; Monaco; the Middle East; Russia; and China. It’s how he met Antonia, who was working as a flight attendant for one wealthy Dutch businessman. (Peter is French, while Antonia is Dutch and grew up in the city of Tilburg in the southern Netherlands. Their Franco-Dutch alliance is reflected in the terms of endearment with which they call one another. He refers to her as cherie, French for “dear one.” She calls him schattie, Dutch for “sweetheart.”) “I was raised with fashion,” Antonia recalls. “My mother made clothes for me….I made
clothes for my Barbies and myself.” It would lead Antonia to work with luxury brands across Europe for 20 years. But by 2008 when she met Peter, she says, “I needed a different life.” And yet, she adds, “it was always my dream to start something for myself.” She began selling her bags in shops in Palm Beach, where the couple has a home. But since so much of Peter’s business involves flying in and out of Westchester County Airport, the couple decided Greenwich would be a good locale for a second home and their showroom. It reminds them of Knokke Le Zoute. “It’s the Saint Tropez of Belgium,” Antonia says of a place that is typical of the convivial couple’s taste for locales that are off the beaten path. Another favorite spot is Cat Island in the Bahamas, known for the untouched beauty of its pink sandy beaches and undulating hills, which make it a perfect spot for outdoor sports. Says Peter: “We don’t like to be where everybody is.” For more, visit lefroufroucouture.com.
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Hilda Demirjian is also active in the nonprofit community, supporting the American Cancer Society, Gilda’s Club, the March of Dimes and White Plains Hospital as well as other organizations. Photographs courtesy the Hilda Demirjian Laser and Skin Care Center.
Skin in the beauty game BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA
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orn in Iran and raised in Armenia, laser and skincare specialist Hilda Demirjian would go to the hammam, or Turkish-style bath, with her grandmother, who would smash pomegranates, green apples and black cherries together under running water to create a facial and body mask. “I grew up with a passion for the skin,” says Demirjian whose three Hilda Demirjian Laser and Skin Care Centers are in White Plains, Greenwich and Manhattan. Beside collagen laser treatments for skin tightening, the centers offer laser treatments for acne, broken blood vessels, hair removal, hyperpigmentation, problem leg veins and stretch marks. Demirjian also uses and sells her own line of botanical, noncomedogenic, cruelty-free skincare products, including her new Super Firming Cream.
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What she wants most of all, however, is to educate the public about skincare. That’s been her mission since she arrived in the United States in 1983 after living for five years in London, where she studied international business at Acton College. “The first thing that struck me was how tan Americans were,” she remembers. “I thought they had a skin disease.” When she realized it was from sitting in the sun and tanning — which can lead to numerous problems, ranging from dryness to premature aging to skin cancer — Demirjian knew that she had to become an advocate for skincare. “Then there was no social media,” she says. “It was difficult to connect with people.” Demirjian received her training from the Candela Corp., a leader in the manufacture of medical lasers for aesthetic use, headquar-
tered in Wayland, Massachusetts. She also did laser treatments at the Women’s Health and Wellness Center in Stamford. In 1999, she started the Hilda Demirjian Laser and Skin Care Center in White Plains, buying her brother-in-law Mejdrich Demirjian’s hair salon in 2003 and expanding it for her business while also doing a lot of advertising, particularly on cable. She added the Greenwich and Manhattan sites in 2015. Demirjian has traveled extensively and had a radio show on WGGH 1490 AM in Greenwich, talking about her treatments and offering testimonials. Her education of the public includes the proper way to use her skincare line, which she developed in 2008. That means beginning with the Collagen & Oxygen Restoring Cleanser, following with the Collagen & Oyxgen Mineral Toner for pH balance and finishing with her Super Firming Cream, which contains vitamin B5 and orange peel for firmer skin on the face, neck and décolletage Among the skincare mistakes we make, she says, are not realizing that the décolletage and neck are part of the face and not using toner on the face and body to achieve the needed acid-base balance. Other products include a Blue Soothing Azulene Gel Treatment for redness; a tinted moisturizer, HA Physical Tint SPF 44; and a HydraGlow Tanning Foam for those who want to achieve a tanned look without sun damage. She also advises walkers not to walk outside between noon and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. “I want to educate people and I want to encourage them to come in for a free consultation,” says Demirjian, who says her centers have been busier than ever after closing for four months during the pandemic and reopening last October. That includes a 40% male clientele. “Yes, it used to be only females,” she says. But now men are realizing they have skin in the wellness game, too. For more, visit hildademirjianlaser.com or call 914-374-1756.
WAG THE TAIL P. 92 A love for all creatures great and small
P. 94 Teaching your dog to ‘trade’ and ‘share’ items
P. 96 Johnny B good
Pierre, a rascally rabbit, is Helen LeBrecht’s “pet child.” But her heart and advocacy work are with all creatures, wild and domestic. Photographs by Richard Coburn, M.D.
A love for all creatures great and small BY GINA GOUVEIA
W
hen it comes to animal advocacy and philanthropy, Helen LeBrecht wears a coat of many colors, representing the many species and causes of which she is so passionate. In conversation, it is apparent that her love for animals, domesticated and wild, knows no bounds. It is not that surprising to find people with a fondness for domesticated animals and those in the wild. A cat lover may have a strong affinity for the big cats. But to find someone whose loves range from a lop-eared bunny to an elephant weighing in at thousands of pounds speaks to the spectrum of her interests in causes concerning animals of all sizes. It was LeBrecht’s passion for elephants
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that brought her to the pages of WAG in September 2016. (https://www.wagmag.com/ waccabuc-woman-works-to-save-african-elephants/) Since then, the Waccabuc resident has been supportive of the Wolf Conservation Center in neighboring South Salem and active in raising funds for the Snow Leopard Trust. Though many wild creatures vie for her affection, it is elephants she most adores. “They are the smartest in the world and so compassionate,” she says. Her passions extend naturally to her own domestic habitat. We meet at her art-filled home, which she shares with Richard Coburn, M.D., her fiancé and love of 27 years, her beloved adult children, who occasionally are in residence, and two special pets. The first is Remy, her 7-year-old King Charles Cav-
alier Spaniel, currently suffering from a rare heart valve issue, and Pierre, a real charmer of a bunny, who manages to steal the show and win everyone over. Her family’s 15th bunny, Pierre was rescued in 2018 from what is now Animal Care Centers of NYC. With his gorgeous coat of mostly black with a hint of white, and blue eyes, Pierre can perform a dazzling array of tricks not often seen in domesticated bunnies. By far he is leading the jumping category with his ability to leap off the ground onto laps, beds and other furniture. LeBrecht is amazed by his affinity for his human family and his close attachment to his human “parents.” Outside of her home, LeBrecht is active, using her voice, intelligence and a law license she keeps current to further her pro bono work for many animal rights organizations. She also continues to do work for the Animals and the Law subcommittee of the New York State Bar Association on a variety of legislative issues, most focused on the protection of species, harmful testing and the trade of “products” procured from animals and sourced illegally. Each state, she explains, regulates these issues independently, and while she believes she has much to contribute to her home state — Helen is a Westchester native — she aspires to elevate her work and contribute to lobbying efforts on a federal level. In January of this year, LeBrecht founded a new organization, Passion for Animals Foundation Inc., through which she intends to further her desire to sound the alarm on the atrocities playing out, often under the radar, around the globe. Still in formation, the organization intends to shine a light and further legal intervention on issues ranging from the sale of wild mustangs to slaughterhouses abroad, the illegal dog food trade, animal testing and the Endangered Species Act. As LeBrecht explains, these efforts can be complex, moving slowly and requiring vast resources to fight what she notes as “the most powerful farm lobby in this country and the most horrifying acts against animals that are unknown to many but persist under the realm of ‘science.’” She is vehemently against the eating and hunting of animals and has been vegan since 2015, a pledge she told me she made on behalf of the organization PETA. It is in keeping with her larger pledge — to speak for those who cannot.
10
TH
ANNIVERSARY
PUTNAM COUNTY
WINE & FOOD FEST
Fun for the Whole Family! Live Music, Great Food, Vendors, Kids Zone, Cooking & Mixology Demonstrations, Lawn Games, Wine, Cider, Spirits and Beer Tent
AUGUST 7 & 8, 2021
Saturday, 11am-6pm • Sunday, 11am-5pm Tasting Tickets: $25 in Advance $35 at Gate Designated Driver: $10 Rain or Shine, No Pets
Mayor’s Park 61 Fair Street, Cold Spring, NY 10516
For Vendors/Volunteers/Sponsors call 845-842-0575, info@putnamcountywinefest.com
putnamcountywinefest.com
What dog doesn’t like a good chew toy or treat? With proper training, however, your dog will learn to “trade” and “share” items with you.
Teaching your dog to ‘trade’ and ‘share’ items CRISTINA LOSAPIO
O
ne of the most important aspects of your relationship with your dog is to have open communication. When you have open communication, your relationship is free of frustration and feeling misunderstood, which leaves room for more enjoyable moments. One area of having open communication with our dogs involves physical items, ones that are permitted for dogs, such as toys, chews and bones. This also applies to items our dogs may not be permitted to have but pick up, like socks, shoes, hair ties and maybe even the remote control. It is important to set the tone, build trust and diffuse conflict by not overreacting. We don't want to add more fuel to the fire, so to speak. I teach this idea of a healthy relationship between items and dogs simple. To have success in removing any sort of primal guarding, you have to do the daily work. I always begin with what I call “trading,” which leads to “sharing.” Let's start with an example of how I would begin training a new dog to “trade.” If I were to give your dog an item, like a bully stick or bone, I would then walk up to him with a relaxed and calm energy after a few minutes while he is invested in it, and gently place or softly drop a treat in the vicinity of where he is chewing.
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At first he may not even stop to use his nose and find the treat. He may not even acknowledge me. This is all part of the process. It is not meant to be a long, overdrawn “look at me” exercise. This is simply step one of many. This step of walking up to your dog from a public space, going all the way to an intimate space and gently placing or softly dropping a treat in his vicinity where he is chewing is meant to be practiced until he starts to acknowledge me on his own. He may even stop chewing. More and more over the course of practicing this exercise, your dog will start to look for you when you are arriving. This is the beginning of your dog starting to anticipate that someone walking up means good things will follow. I am still mindful of my energy, being calm and present, not talking a lot or trying to pet the dog. I am just focusing on step one. After establishing step one with your dog, I can start working on giving the dog the treat from my hand instead of casually placing it next to him. I may also name this command by saying “take it.” During this second step, I may also place one next to the item he is chewing on, besides giving him the treat. The idea is for him to understand that when hands come into his intimate space, all is well and it’s not a big deal. So many people give their dogs high-value items and once they are finished, it’s not a big
deal. But a problem can arise when the dog is working on an item and the family has to leave the house and needs to take the item away for the dog's safety. If this “trade training” is not practiced and mastered, someone who walks up to the dog to take away the item may experience a dog who could possibly snap or bite him. This is why the process I am explaining is so beneficial. We can eliminate the conflict if we practice building trust and open communication. Here's where step three comes in. Over time, after your dog has mastered steps one and two, he is going to be more interested in you than the item he is working on. The dog may drop the chew item a little sooner in anticipation of getting something from you. You may then give him a treat and then pick up the chew item he is working on and hand that item right back to him. This is part of the “sharing process.” This process is important to practice with your dog. In a nutshell, it's the notion that your dog gets to have that high-value item back. He may not even want it back, but it isn't about him taking it; it's about you offering it back to him. This is building trust between you and your dog. I like to explain it to humans like this: You have been working hard all day. You sit down to enjoy a veggie burger after not having eaten anything for a while. You go to take a bite of your burger and it melts in your mouth. It’s so satisfying. You go to take a second bite and right as you do, someone comes up to you and takes that burger away from you. If it were me, I would be agitated, confused and I would for sure say "what the f--- are you doing?" Let's change the story. Same beginning of eating a veggie burger and being on your second bite, so looking forward to it and someone comes up to you and hands you a side of sweet potato fries. Now that feels great. Then, that person comes back with an ice-cold beverage, ketchup and napkins. It feels like the greatest moment ever. I explain it this way so that humans are more likely to understand that showing kindness and being mindful of how we approach situations allows them to be exactly what we want them to be — stress free. So back to trading. My goal is for you to get so good at the first two steps that no matter what item your dog has, you can walk over without overreacting to check it out. Because of the mastery of these two steps, the dog is able to share the item with you without hesitation or incident. Read the rest of the article at wagmag.com For more, contact Cristina at Trail Dog Inc., 914-755-1153.
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Johnny B good Johnny B could seriously be a movie star or model pup with that adorable smile and perfect puppy dog face. (We’ll take it as a good omen that he seems to have been named for “Johnny B. Goode,” the country boy on the way to his “name in lights” in the 1958 rock ’n’ roll song by Chuck Berry – which the singer really wrote about himself. This gorgeous guy is a total love and will make a great addition to a family. Johnny B is between 4 1/2 and 5 months old and is a mixed breed of cuteness, rescued like so many others from an overcrowded shelter. To inquire about adopting Johnny, complete an application at spca914.org and email it to shelter@spca914.org.
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Johnny B has movie star looks and a rock ’n’ roll name to match. Courtesy SPCA.
Westmore and Sanctuary Presents
Floral Design Workshops late Summer Flourish Wednesday, September 15, 2021 7 PM -- 9 PM j)i
Winter Wreaths Friday, December 10, 2021 7 PM -- 9 PM j)i Speaker: Steve Ricker Westmoreland Sanctuary's Director of Conservation .Vi f
Workshop Coordinator: Nadia Ghannam Over 20 years of working in the arts and museum field.
Call (914) 666--8448 or visit westmorelandsanctuary.org to register 260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mount Kisco NY 10549 Virtual or in-person based on NY state COVID-19 Guidelines
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WHEN & WHERE THROUGH JULY 3 Shakespeare on the Sound returns to Pinkney Park for its 25th anniversary production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” 7 p.m. (There’s a half-hour children’s show, “Let’s Play Shakespeare,” at 5 p.m.) 177 Rowayton Ave., Rowayton; 203-957-1006, shakespeareonthesound.org.
THROUGH JULY 9 The Neuberger Museum of Art presents Lesley Dill’s “Rush,” a large, site-responsive work that premiered at the museum in 2007 and was later acquired for its permanent collection. In this sculptural installation, covering a 20-by60-foot wall in the museum’s Theater Gallery, Dill gives visual form to a poetic text by Franz Kafka. Noon to 5 p.m., Wednesdays through Fridays. 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase; 914-251-6110, neuberger.org
THROUGH JULY 15
Dan Makara’s solo show, which opens the new Jean Jacobs Gallery in New Canaan, contains large abstract paintings and lenticular and neon constructions, all focused on the tactile experience of improvisational painting, the dynamics of color and the relation of the subconscious to conscious creation — inspired by his education as a billboard and sign painter. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 3 to 8 p.m. Sundays. 84 Main St., New Canaan; 203-703-8762, jeanjacobsgallery. com.
THROUGH AUG. 7
Heather Gaudio Fine Art presents “Matthew Shlian: Light Years,” an exhibit of work that crosses the world of paper engineering with the fine arts, a place where two-dimensional paper becomes intricately sculpted into precise and stunning three-dimensional forms. Shlian’s work is rooted in printed media, book arts and commercial design, where paper gets folded, tessellated, compressed and arranged in unexpected ways. 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 66 Elm St., New Canaan; 203-801-9590, heathergaudiofineart. com.
THROUGH AUG. 22 The Stamford Museum & Nature Center celebrates its 85th anniversary with “Enduring Wonder: A Retrospective of Art, Treasures & Curiosities.” Follow the visual history of the evolution of the museum’s permanent collection from its humble beginnings as a “cabinet of curiosities” to a collection now
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Through July 15: Works by Dan Makura open the new Jean Jacobs Gallery in New Canaan.
featuring objects ranging from the natural world, agricultural sciences, astronomy and history to 19th and 20th century American artworks. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 39 Scofieldtown Road; 203-977-6521, stamfordmuseum.org.
THROUGH AUG. 29 The Center for Contemporary Printmaking’s “13th Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition” is a juried show limited to works no more than 4 square inches, encouraging artists to explore the miniature print format. Since its inception in 1997, the “Miniature Print Exhibition” has showcased the works of artists worldwide with renowned print curators and collectors serving as jurors. Reservations required. 9 a.m. to 5p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Mathews Park, 299 West Ave., Norwalk; 203-899-7999, contemprints.org. Lyndhurst Mansion invites guests to its gardens and grounds tours. This tour charts the upper eastern portion of the property and takes visitors through the 1911 rose garden and the 1811 frame of the Lord & Burnham greenhouse. The program also discusses the ruins of the swimming pool building, once known as Helen’s Natatorium, and passes through the fern garden. 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown; 914-631-4481, lyndhurst.org
THROUGH SEPT. 1 Rye Arts Center, in partnership with The Rotary
Club of Rye, presents “Rye’s Above,” a public art project designed to uplift the community through the arts while also supporting local education programs. The participating artists have transformed aluminum and steel into 36 butterfly sculptures of all sizes. Times vary. Village Green in Rye; 914-967-0700, ryeartscenter.org
THROUGH SEPT. 26
Hudson River Museum presents “Wall Power,” an exhibition of quilts from the distinctive collection of the American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan. The four sections of the exhibition highlight early-20th century quilts from a period of craft revival, designs developed by Amish communities, examples by African-American makers and traditional 19th-century patterns that formed a foundation for generations of quiltmakers to come. 5 to 7 p.m, Fridays and Saturdays. 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers; 914963-4550, hrm.org
THROUGH DEC. 17 The Gallery at Still River Editions, Danbury, celebrates a milestone anniversary with a “Ten Year Retrospective Group Exhibition” of some 30 of the artists who have exhibited there over the last decade. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. 128 E. Liberty St.; 203-791-1474, stillrivereditions.com.
THROUGH JAN. 2 The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum opens “from where i stand,” the first solo museum exhibition of the work of Hugo McCloud. McCloud’s bi-racial working-class background can be seen in the materials and process he
A WRITER TRYING TO OUTPACE HER PAST A DELIVERY MAN ON THE FRONTLINES AND THE GLASS DOOR THAT DIVIDES YET CONNECTS THEM
AVAILAB JMS BOO LE AUG. 12KS
Part of ArtsWestchester’s “Together apART: Creating During COVID” (May 7 through Aug. 1) FROM WAG’S EDITOR COMES A BRIEF TALE OF LOVE AND LOSS IN THE TIME OF CORONA THEGAMESMENPLAY.COM JUNE/JULY 2021 WAGMAG.COM
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WHEN & WHERE gravitates to — roofing metal, tar, and most recently plastic shopping bags, everyday media he uses to encode social and cultural memory and to reflect on notions of race, class and economic inequity. Noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, Mondays and Wednesday through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays. 258 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-4519; thealdrich.org
JULY 2 AND 3
Join the Westport Museum for History and Culture for its special Independence Day edition of its popular Revolutionary War walking tour, “Paths of Patriots.” Learn about Westport’s role in the American Revolution and other conflicts by visiting the gravestones of those who served. Even as you hear the story of colonists fighting for their freedom, you will also hear the stories of enslaved Africans, who chose sides and fought for their voices to be heard. 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Registration required. 25 Avery Place. 203-2221424, westporthistory.org.
JULY 8
Irvington Theater’s in-person outdoor series of concert film screenings continues with “Amazing Grace,” a film about Aretha Franklin’s 1972 performance with the New Bethel Baptist Church Choir. The event will include live music before the film starts at sunset. 7:30 p.m. Main Street School Lawn, 101 Main St, irvingtontheater.com
JULY 9
Music at MoCA presents The Oshima Brothers. Raised in a musical family in rural Maine, the brothers have honed a harmony-rich blend of contemporary folk and acoustic pop. On stage, Sean and Jamie create a full and complex sound with vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, octave bass, loops and percussion. The Brothers have issued two albums — their 2016 self-titled debut, followed by the five-track EP “Under the Same Stars” in 2019. 7 p.m. MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike; 203-2227070, mocawestport.org.
JULY 10 Music Theatre of Connecticut’s “Hot Summer Nights” series presents David Maiocco’s “An Evening With Liberace.” The pianist and showman lived a life full of flamboyance. In this tribute, the virtuoso gets another chance to shine as he performs works by his favorite composers. 8 p.m. 509 Westport Ave., Norwalk; 203-454-3883, musictheatreofct.com. Norwalk’s NICE Festival, celebrating world cultures, brings together an array of international cuisines, arts and crafts and live performances from multiple traditions. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oyster Shell Park, North Water Street; 203-919-3000, norwalknice.org White Plains Performing Arts Center presents an evening performance of the biggest pop songs of all time. The event will feature eight decades of chart-topping hits from the greatest names in music history, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Carole King and more. 8 p.m., 11 City Place; 914-328-1600, wppac.com
JULY 13 AND 14 The Ridgefield Playhouse presents Grammy Award-Winning road warriors, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi with “Tedeschi Trucks Fireside LIVE!”. Much like Tedeschi Truck Band’s acclaimed “Fireside Sessions” virtual performance series, each of the “Fireside LIVE” shows will feature a different lineup of Tedeschi Trucks Band members, ranging from four to seven musicians depending on the performance. These live appearances will offer a rare, one-of-a-kind experience for fans. Outdoor stage on the Playhouse Ball Field. Bring chairs or blanket. 8 p.m., 80 East Ridge 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
JULY 14
Bethel Jazz presents Trio KaN, combining Hebrew folk traditions and contemporary jazz to create a fabric of sound that will transport any listener to a new Middle Eastern musical landscape. Dan Asher (bass), Koby Hayon (guitar/oud), and Nadav Snir-Zelniker (drums/
Your Award-Winning Hospital wphospital.org/awards
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percussion) create a richness of sound that honors the musicians’ homelands and pushes the boundaries of modern jazz. “KaN” is the Hebrew word for “Here.” 7 p.m. La Zingara Restaurant, 8 P.T. Barnum Square, Bethel; 2032474273, bit.ly/BethelJazzTrioKan
JULY 22 THROUGH AUG. 26
The Norwalk Art Space presents “A Dialogue in Styles, Jahmane and Adger Cowans,” an exhibit by two multigenerational artists at different stages of their ever-evolving careers. Jahmane is a graffiti artist whose style has evolved through his use of a wide range of media and forms (including fashion, graphic design, cultural iconography and murals) to express his sense of the world. Adger Cowans is a photographer known for his portraits and street and political scenes, who developed a fascination with the abstract and spiritual power of light and continues a more recent experimentation with paint in many abstract forms. Artists’ talk, 1 to 3 p.m. July 22; reception with live music, 5 p.m. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. 455 West Ave.; 203-252-2840, thenorwalkartspace.org,
JULY 23 THROUGH 25
The first Bridgeport Film Fest is dedicated to the discovery, championing and development of independent filmmakers and audiences. With 375 submissions from across 30 countries, the festival seeks to showcase, guide and inspire independent film and theater artists from the Bridgeport community and beyond. Making its Bridgeport debut is director Liz Ortega’s feature-length documentary “AND….SEEN,” which challenges mainstream assumptions of disability from the perspective of actress/wheelchair dancer Jamie Petrone, a Connecticut native. The Klein, 910 Fairfield Ave.; 800-424-0160x2, bridgeportfilmfest.org. Presented by ArtsWestchester (artswestchester. org) and the Fairfield County Cultural Alliance (culturalalliancefc.org).
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