What did you do this summer?

Newsletter of The Armour Villa Neighborhood Association
www.armourvilla.org
September/October 2014
What did you do
this summer?
Emma and Helson
Azarcon (Barrington
Road) celebrated their
family reunion at
Wyndham Resort in
Orlando, Florida. They
also celebrated their
granddaughter’s 10th
birthday.
Katherine and Jim Sutton (Gard
Avenue) took a six-day cruise to
Canada on the magnificent ocean
liner, the Queen Mary 2. The trip
was sponsored by the New York
Historical Society, so the Suttons
got to see Halifax from the inside
out. Their favorite part
of the voyage was
being served breakfast every
morning on their personal balcony.
The Mirrione Family (Cassilis Avenue)
spent a few days at the beach in Stone
Harbor New Jersey...with a catch of
flounder after an afternoon of fishing.
Christian Clark
(Howe Place) is
Canadian, so he
took his wife,
Mita Hosali, and
their kids Nika
and Max, to a
lake in Ontario,
Montreal, and
Toronto. Here
Nika mugs for
the camera.
For the third year in a row, Caela Mone, 14, (Cross Street) ran “Camp Caela” in
her backyard. Her friends, Lizzie Allen from California, and Alessandra, from
Cedar Knolls, helped out.
Armour Villa campers included:
Julia and Kate Rugai (Wiltshire
Place), Colleen and Caitlin
Carey (Barrington Road),
Darragh Hampton (Bronxville
Road), Aileen Byrne (Bronxville
Road), and Grace Proano
(Bronxville Road). Caela also
had some Teen Helper jobs in
the neighborhood: pet-sitting
for some fish, some geckos, a
turtle and a guinea pig, and
watering a garden. Additionally, her family spent a few days in Ticonderoga on
Lake George, and she attended some volleyball clinics at Fordham University.
Patty and Ernie Medaglia (Gard Avenue)
travelled to Barcelona, Spain. They stayed at
the Hotel Casa Fuster, and rode a motorcycle
from the mountains, through the bustling city,
and down to the lovely beaches.
Connie (Conrad) and Michele Power (Lenox Avenue) had fun
visiting Lake Powell, Utah, with their three grandsons.
When the Ibsens (Parkview Avenue) stopped at a stop sign in the
Del Webb, Sun City, Hilton Head development, the driver on
their left rolled down her window and asked, "Did you buy your
car at Smith Cairns Ford?” That’s how the Ibsens (at right) met
Dan and Marianne Porter (at left), formerly of 20 McIntyre
Street, who have lived in Sun City for two years. The four of
them dined at the Walnut Cafe in Bluffton, and had an instant
"reunion," although they never met in Armour Villa. It was a
great connection and the couples will continue the friendship.
Dan consults with IBM, and Marianne has developed a green
thumb in a local horticulture business. For those of you who want
to get in touch, Dan's email is: [email protected].
He’d love to hear from you.
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Susie Reisinger (Wiltshire Street) spent two weeks
with her sister and brother-in-law at her favorite
spot, Huletts Landing on Lake George, where her
family has been going for over 40 years. She loves
to relax on the dock,
swim, see old friends,
and take in the beauty
of the Adirondacks
and the lake. Susie
also did a lot of decluttering and cleaning
at home. She came
upon her old t-shirt
from School 8. It's a little worse for wear but still
has the old Aquehung Indian logo printed on it. She
says, “I believe that Lon Keller, a local artist, who
lived on Beechmont Avenue in Cedar Knolls, did the
design. I also came across “The Trumpeter,” School
8's yearbook from 1960, the year my mother first
started teaching there. Notable among the 8th
grade class of 1960 is Brian Carney, son of Art
Carney, who was voted Most Popular of the class.”
Richard Fursland and MJ
Territo (Wiltshire Place)
celebrated their 30th
wedding anniversary with a
trip to the Le Marche region
of Italy. They spent a week
in Ascoli Piceno, a historic
city in the southern part of
the region, and a second
week at a country cottage
(formerly a chapel, where
the confessional is now used
as a broom closet!) near Cagli. Highlights of the trip included hiking in
the Sibilini mountains, a day at a beach resort on the Adriatic, and a
private tour of the Sartorelli winery. On the terrace of their cottage
they enjoyed sampling the Sartorelli's excellent sparkling wine.
Beach days! Amber Krystallis
(Bogert Place) sent us this
joyful photo of her kids,
Jackson, Nico, and Evi.
Barbara Gibson and Hannah Baumann (Gard
Avenue) spent the summer at their cottage on
Emma Lake, Saskatchewan, joined by husband,
Franz, for several weeks. Highlights were
swimming, sailing or kayaking, and seeing old
friends and family. Hannah achieved her level 10
in Red Cross swimming. They took an exciting
train trip from Vancouver back to Saskatchewan
through the Rocky Mountains, and did Canadian
things, like using a log splitter to split wood from
three big trees. There were lots of deer with
two fawns who ate their deck planters. They also
saw cougars, lynxes, bears, and one resident
squirrel, who definitely liked Hannah's daily
peanut handouts.
Philomena and Sam Freed (Deshon Avenue) gathered for
the first vacation ever with all of their kids, spouses, and
grandkids, at Woodloch in Hawley, Pennsylvania.
The clan celebrated Sam’s 75th birthday.
Claudia and Joel Wald (Deshon Avenue) spent nine days in
Canada. In Montreal they biked along the canal. A highlight
was the Montreal Botanical Gardens, which they say is not
to be missed. Then they drove to Quebec and saw the
sights there, with a visit to the Montmorency Falls, which
are taller than Niagara Falls, then biking in the Laurentian
Mountains, just north of Montreal.
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Gino’s
The generous backing of these
community partners, along with
our other local sponsors and
advertisers, make The Villa Voice
and our neighborhood
social events possible.
Please let them know
you appreciate their support.
Lawrence Hospital
Houlihan O’Malley
San Pietro Wines
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Letter from the President
Hello neighbors,
Anne and I are over six months into a grand experiment in lowering our carbon footprint. It occurred by happenstance.
Until February of last year, we owned a Ford Explorer with over seventy thousand miles. When we first got the car, we loved it.
It came in handy for the seven and a half hour trek every other weekend in the Fall to visit our son at St. Lawrence University, as well as
treks to Brooklyn to pick up my daughter, and her large dog, for some quality country time with Mom and Dad. I’m from Philly and often
made trips back to see old friends there. With Anne being a gardener, and me a tinkerer, we made regular pilgrimages to the local
nurseries and home improvement stores.
Right about the time the car went out of warranty at 60K, things started to go wrong. I started to do the math, and decided the
law of diminishing returns had come to fruition. We considered alternatives that included trading it in - but for what? Do we downsize to
a sedan to get better gas mileage? What about all the plants and the lumber? What about the dogs, and the fact that with the four wheel
drive we can make it up our Gard Avenue hill with ease during the winter snow storms, while others spin out in front of our house?
We made a bold move. We decided we would try to see how long we could go without a car, and how crazy the lack of one
would make us.
At first, it was a shock to the system not to be able to hop in the car to run to the store or to a doctor’s appointment. Neighbors
helped if we needed a ride but, as time went by, we discovered that we were adjusting to our new lifestyle. No longer would I have the
urge to drive into Manhattan, where parking costs a fortune. We began using Fresh Direct and Peapod to order groceries. Amazon and
the online ordering experience became second nature. We stopped eating out as much and saved money. With the money we saved,
we bought a projector and screen and set up a media room downstairs. On the weekends we now cuddle up on the leather sofa with
take-out or popcorn, and our favorite beverage, and have a movie night marathon.
Most recently we discovered that Zipcar has a location at Sarah Lawrence College. Eureka! We hit the jackpot. We go online
and make our reservation for a car, often a comfortable sedan like a Honda Civic or a Ford Escape. The annual fee to join is $25, and
then it is about $8.50 an hour to use the car, which includes mileage, gas, and insurance. You just tell the people at Zipcar how many
hours or days you want the car, and they confirm availability online. Zipcar’s customer service is a wonderful combination of text messaging or email, and phone support with a live body if you have questions. All you do is take your Zipcard to your reserved location,
place your card over the automated decal on the windshield, and Presto! The door unlocks, and the key is attached inside to an expandable key chain by the ignition. The car always has at least ¼ tank of gas, is clean, and ready to go. There is a gas card on the visor
if you need gas. There is even an EZ-pass that will track your tolls, and that amount is added to your account. All of this is charged to
your credit card on file with Zipcar. When you return, just make sure there is ¼ tank or more in the gas tank, all your stuff is out of the
car, and the car is clean. Then place your card over the decal again, and Presto! The car is locked, and you are good to go on your
way.
We find it amazingly convenient and cost-effective for both short and long trips. I have already spoken to Zipcar about getting
some vehicles located closer to Armour Villa. I suspect there are others like me who would take advantage of this service if it were right
in our neighborhood.
We are coming to the real test of our experiment as the weather will start to get colder and the holidays approach but, so far, I
am not missing my old car payments, insurance premiums, repairs, and maintenance, or the fact that my car was on a first name basis
with all the gas pumps in the area.
I will keep you posted on how things proceed. By the way, don’t ask Anne. She is not a true believer just yet, but she is coming
around. Let me hear from you if you are interested in this idea, or have had a different kind of experience with these car share services.
If you see Anne or me hitchhiking in the neighborhood, please stop and give us a lift. By the way, walking is an amazingly economical
way to exercise - and to lose those extra pounds.
See you around the neighborhood,
Steve
comments like
this keep our
engines running thank you!
“I know that you and the rest of the Armour Villa officers and
board members are doing excellent jobs to keep everybody safe
and comfortable in this neighborhood. Thank you very much for
the job well done. Kudos to the excellent presentation of our
newsletter. I enjoy reading everything about our neighborhood.”
-Emma Azarcon, Barrington Road
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Armour Villa
Association
Our membership currently represents 178 out of 423 homes (that’s 42%).
► If your name is missing - or misspelled - please inform
Katherine Sutton at [email protected].
Membership
Despite email notices being sent out, our records show that
245 of you are either past due or have never joined.
For only $35 per year (per household) you are given six issues of
The Villa Voice, a neighborhood website, four community social events,
a neighborhood-wide email system, and a Board of Directors that works to
improve this neighborhood. Where else can you get such a bargain?
Amsterdam Avenue 1/3 (33%)
Gigante, Phyllis
Giampietro-Caravella, Joseph
& Caravella, Michael
Cassilis Avenue 20/40 (50%)
Anita Road 1/8 (13%)
Ortilla, Cora
Barrington Road 8/23 (35%)
Callahan, Glenn & Linda
Morra, Angelo P.
Kilkenny, Robert & Kristen
Torres, Fernando & Celia
Mazza. Marge
Azarcon, Emma & Helson
Sarmiento, Jimmy & Antoinette
Carey, Patrick & Diane
Bayberry Street 3/7 (43%)
Bensburg, Pat
D’Amato, Janet
Ryan, Robert & Moore, Rachel
Beall Circle 2/6 (33%)
Canora, Rob & Kareen
Donaghy, Kathleen & Bernard
Betty Lane 1/1 (100%)
Bochichio, Bo & Deborah
Bogert Place 6/6 (100%)
Dowd, Carol
Pope. Edith
Karwowski, Witold & Grazyna
Gonzales, Evaristo & Martin, Felipe
Stone, Peter & Stephanie
Krystallis, Daniel & Amber
Boyd Place 0/5 (0%)
Brassie Lane 1/4 (25%)
Miller, Jethro & Renata
Bronxville Road 20/68 (29%)
Surkin, Dean & Birnbaum, Jacqueline
Sookram, Andy & Andrew
Hillman, Brian & Collette
Curran, Mo & Debbie
Hampton, James & Caroline
Scanlon, Jeanne
Jochen, Albrecht
& Ramasubramanian, Laxmi
Byrne, Philip & Nora
Pantoliano, Matthew & Leanne
Loskywitz, Joe & Rochelle
Minovich, Joe & Lori
DeMelo, Rui & Marilyn
Rodrigue, Rich & Ann
Mulcahy, Pat and Grinshaw, Laura
Sullivan, Keith & Joan
Macom, Dennis & Mary Rose
Goldstein, Rolando & Christina
Lenard, Warren & Genevieve
Vidal, Guilherme & Francelina
VanDeren, Craig & Laura
Palladino, Queenie & Peter
Longo, Paul & Murtha, Vicki
Doty, Peter & Zsuzsanna
Ahern, Tom & Kathleen
Sparano, Vincent & Grotto, Angela
Crowley, Dan & Rita
Castro, Bob & Linda
Miller, Lloyd & Croft, Tom
Brown, Steve & Pearl, Karen
Tupitsyn, Alex & Valentina
Zeitschik, Marc & Rosenblum, Ruth
Melakathu, Thomas & Alice
Pugh, Carole
Zecco, Glenn
Glazewski, Vinnie & Jeanine
Schmidt, Rick & Pam
Pagani, Waldo & Bernice
Karalanian, Ed & Rodica
Walters, Sandy & Bob
Chatfield Road 13/22 (59%)
Wright, Jodi & Confoy, Kevin
Cairo, Eleanor & Fareri, Janet
Ryan, Pat & Joan
Huvane, Patrick & Olivia
Heaney, Thomas & Lily
Cilento, Carole
McQuade, Colleen & Robert
Soutendijk, Huib & Kathryn Markel
Rakoff, Jed and Ann
McQuade, Colleen & Robert
Soutendijk, Huib & Kathryn Markel
Mitrione, Angelo & Lorraine
Mangini, Richard & Chaidez, Loren
Kucevic, Sabrina
Apuzzo, Marty & Phyllis
Gard Avenue 23/34 (66%)
Wagner, Steve & Anne
Medaglia, Ernie & Patty
Chodor, Kate & Rieger, Vincent
Bicknese, Katherine & John,
& Babichev, Olga
Baumann, Franz & Gibson, Barbara
Sutton, Jim & Katherine
Costanzo, Peter& Maria
Witrick, Marti
Capellupo, Vincent, Theresa
Lawrence, Cliff & Ronnie
Pendleton, Amanda & Pen
Castellano, Gil
Duffy, Judith
Simpson, Emily & Frank
Pieroni, Lisa & Gleason, David
Haggenmiller, Amy & Joe
Bonnenburg, Peter & Meyers, Jody
Quinn, Joan & Bill
O'Donoghue, Tom & Barbara
MacLellan, Monna
Gray, Laurie & Chuck
Pascucci, Lynn
Dereska, Antoinette & Mark
Howe Place 5/8 (63%)
Pound, Adrian & Samantha
Hosali. Mita & Clark, Christian
Lionetti, Linda & Gregory, Rob
Kirchgaesser, Georg & Catherine
Little, Nancy & Chuck
Lenox Avenue 3/7 (43%)
Clark Place 0/1 (0%)
Adler, Camilla
De Bonis, Louis & Maria
Power, Conrad & Michele
Cross Street 7/19 (37%)
McIntyre Street 10/20 (50%)
DiBona, Frank & Camille
Colonna, Richard
Rylander, Gus & Deirdre
Balardi, Donna & Vincent
Nicolae, Aura & Bercea, Luchian
Sard, Susannah
Mone, Deirdre & Michael
Mesisco, Frank & Palazzo, Annmarie
Yohannan Al-Omoush, Nancy
Yannelli, LeAnn & John
DeCintio, David & Dolores
Brown, Alan & Marion
Margolis, Ellen & Clum, Frank
Romano, Dan & Carla
McEntee, Joe & Gina
McNamara, John & Nora
Pellegrini, Monica
Deshon Avenue 13/32 (40%)
Waite, Judith
Sharp, Bill & Ginny
Wood, Arline & George
Mahony, Thomas & Deborah
Rosendahl, Willi & Astrid
Freshour, Susan & Crisci, Frank
George, Susan & Camargo, Helio
Wald, Claudia & Joel
Reynolds, Kelly& Brian
Freed, Samuel & Philomena
Harrington, Liam, Tara & Kathryn
Luyando, Sabath & Christine
Tapia, Lidia & Cesar
Cacace, Emi & Gomez, Fabio
Spica, Kibi
Palumbo, Dan
Shocker, Clovey
Kugler, Alan & Linda
O'Neill, Doireann & Lafferty, Declan
Gibson, John & Carmela
Perry Place 2/10 (20%)
Scaduto, Mario & Bozek, Jody Ann
Weisfeld, Sue & Ken
St. Nicholas Ave 1/3 (33%)
Kelly, Frank & Eileen
Smith Place 1/5 (20%)
McDermott, Mary
Tuckahoe Road 2/2 (100%)
Gerkhardt, Harry & Judy
Macdonald, Sean & Jill
Vera Road 4/6 (66%)
Bielemeier, Kenneth & Linda
Shannon. Kathy
Middleton, Maureen & Edward
Depole Eason, Mary Jane
& Eason, Arthur
Wilbur Place 2/5 (40%)
Middleton, Maureen & Edward
Graziosa, Scottie & Diane
Wiltshire Place 8/14 (57%)
Rossi, Lucy & Tom
Parker, Jim & Peggy
Dr. DeLucia, Bob & Russo, Maria
Saraceno, Dario & Tracy
Grunte, Leon & Mary
Territo, MJ & Fursland, Richard
Chitty, Ben & Murolo, Priscilla
Hurley, Aleksandr & Krikheli, Liya
Wiltshire Street 5/18 (28%)
Romano, Kathy & Joe
Rossi. Marie
Malpass, Zach & Silkowski, Johanna
Reisinger, Susan & Avis
Walsh, Carolyn
Witherell Street 1/5 (20%)
Campbell, Barbara
Miller Place 2/5 (40%)
Altomare, James & Kathleen
Kalathil, Jacob & Sheeba
Parkview Avenue 13/36 (36%)
Ibsen, Olga & Lawrence
Anderson Lynn
Lewis, Jonathan & Reinking, Bill
Howard, Kevin & Stanton, Patricia
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Don't wait
any longer…
join today!
Nosy
Neighbors
WannA Know:
What’s
going on at
DiChiaro?
This summer, Armour Villa’s “little red
schoolhouse” has been going through a
much-needed and extensive facelift.
Built in 1893, the school’s façade was so
deteriorated that at some points you
could see through the walls into
classrooms. Subsequently, the entire
outside of the building is being repaired,
and all of the bricks re-pointed.
Principal Patricia Langan tells us that all
of the surrounding sidewalks are being
repaved, the schoolyard is being
resurfaced with new blacktop, and the
grassy area on the Chatfield side is being
reseeded. A new retaining wall is being
built for the yard, and the entrances to
the school are getting a new cement
ramp along with new staircases.
This rehabilitation deserves an A+.
7
Are you new to the neighborhood?
If so…Welcome!
►Please let us know who
you are. Just email
editor Katherine Sutton
at [email protected]
or call her at (914) 779-7744.
If you send her your email
address, she’ll make sure you
get all Armour Villa notifications
(never any SPAM).
► To find out more about this
great neighborhood that you just
moved into, go to our website
(www.armourvilla.org) and click
“About Us” on the main menu.
The Quarry
Restaurant
Dominic Cesarini, Proprietor
106 Main Street
Tuckahoe
(914) 337-0311
www.thequarryoftuckahoe.com
8
9
Snapshots
Photos by Philomena Freed, Deshon Avenue
The Doors
► You can enjoy
these and 33 more
doors in their
glorious, fun
colors on our
website:
armourvilla.org.
10
of Armour Villa
11
Spotlight On:
Kathleen Donaghy
Ready, Willing, and Able
The seeds of creativity were
sown early in Kathleen Donaghy’s energetic life. Born in Brooklyn, she was
an only child who enjoyed the security
of living with her small extended family.
Her mother’s two sisters lived upstairs
in their two-family house, so Kathleen
says she grew up with “three moms.”
When not outside playing typical New
York street games like Stick Ball and
Scully with her friends, she learned to
amuse herself for hours.
Because she loved to write,
she wanted to major in journalism in
college, but the curriculum didn’t offer
courses in journalism. She then opted
for an English major with business
courses on the side. Her college internships were spent at Prudential Bache,
working for brokers and learning stock
ticketing and securities. “I got to see
how Wall Street works from the inside,”
she remembers, “But I preferred the
marketing side of it because it was
more creative.”
After college she was recruited
for a management training program at
Shearson Lehman, which she describes as “the coolest job ever.” Even
though she was a trainee, she worked
with the company’s higher clientele and
top executives. Her skills quickly got
her promoted, and when she found
herself heading up a team of eight
men, she laughs and says, “No one
would mess with me because I hung
out with the big shots!”
Seventeen years at Shearson
Lehman (which evolved through mergers to Smith Barney) taught her a tremendous amount. “I was given a new
position every year because I was willing to do anything from client research
to working as a project manager for
senior staff.” What really appealed to
her was Human Resources, because it
involved communication and creative
thinking - and the company took notice.
“They actually created a position for me
in HR Communications,” she says. “I
was able to do things like photography
and graphic design.”
Kathleen eventually moved on
to the marketing team at Smith Barney.
She brought more to the job than what
they required, volunteering to produce
their weekly newsletter by doing her
own photography and writing. Little by
little they started to pay her for her extra talents, eventually assigning her to
SBTV – Smith Barney Television. Kathleen worked in the company’s studio
“You have to take time out to
stop what you’re doing or you
miss things. Part of my taking
pictures is so I can remember
what’s important in my life.”
producing live shows that ran in-house.
She had to find the proper guests, write
scripts, and interview stockbrokers who
would promote the company’s new
strategies and financial programs. She
was even the weekly broadcaster for
News You Can Use, a weekly news
format that updated the company’s brokers on new products. “I remember I
had to go on camera when I was a few
months pregnant and nauseous,” she
says with a laugh. “So I had to pop Altoids in my mouth to settle my stomach
right before the broadcast.”
One year on Valentine’s Day,
Kathleen travelled with a friend to a ski
lodge that was owned by Bernie
Donaghy. She and Bernie got along
well, so he invited her out for a date for
the following month on St. Patrick’s
Day. They agreed to meet on the Upper East Side at a bar called Runyon’s.
Kathleen remembers it was snowing
that March night, and she waited with
friends at the bar for four hours for Bernie to show up. This could have been a
sad story of star-crossed lovers if Bernie hadn’t finally called to find out
where she was. It turns out there are
two bars named Runyon’s right around
the corner from each other - and Kathleen and Bernie were each waiting at
the opposite place! They were married
seven years later.
The couple lived in Dobbs Ferry before deciding to move to our section of Westchester. One of Kathleen’s
12
work colleagues, who lived in Cedar
Knolls, recommended they meet with a
real estate broker in the Bronxville P.O.
The moment the Donaghys walked into
the Victorian home on Beall Circle, they
fell in love with it. It was the original
home of Charles Beall, one of the
founders of Armour Villa, and the owner was Anya Bozeman, daughter of the
late Adda Bozeman, renowned Professor of International Relations at Sarah
Lawrence. The Donaghys had made
exactly the same bid on the house as
another couple, and Bozeman wanted
to make sure that the special house fell
into the right hands, so she asked both
applicants to write an essay about why
they wanted to own it. Kathleen said,
“We must’ve said all the right things. I
told her how much we treasured the
house, and how Bernie could restore
the house himself because he had
owned a construction company for 20
years, and that he was also a fireman.”
Kathleen’s writing skills stood her in
good stead because she and Bernie
won the contest.
For 11 years, the Donaghys
have been happily raising their two
daughters, Michelle, 11, and Melissa,
8, in their beloved home. They love
Armour Villa for its friendly neighbors,
proximity to shopping, and diverse architecture. Kathleen photographs for
The Villa Voice and is an avid attendee
at our Girls’ Night Outs. “I like that we
are not all the same,” she says. “This
place is filled with a variety of people
with a worldly view. I enjoy being with
people with different life experiences.”
As a working mom today, Kathleen commutes locally to Mt. Vernon,
where she is the marketing manager
for a successful independent company
that custom designs and manufactures
tote bags and promotional items. The
company works with big clients, both
domestic and international, so Kathleen’s years in marketing and communications are paying off, and she can
still leave by 3:00 pm to be home for
her girls.
When Kathleen needs to relax,
she loves to take photographs (and has
started her own event photography
business), travel the world, and play
tennis. She says, “I am trying to get to
all the things I have on my Bucket List.
So far I have visited 32 of the 50
states!” Like the Energizer Bunny,
Kathleen is still “going and going.”
Kathleen growing up
in Brooklyn.
Kathleen and
Bernie in the
years when they
were dating.
The Donaghys
were married
just three weeks
after 9/11. Kathleen’s father had recently fallen and
broken his hip, but he managed to walk her down the
aisle and dance with her at the reception. Kathleen
remembers, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”
Two of
Kathleen’s
favorite subjects
to photograph
are, of course,
her two girls,
Michelle and
Melissa.
The couple began
renovating their
historic home in
Armour Villa the
moment they moved
in. They have
completed the outside
and are now working
on the interior.
As a photographer, Kathleen has a knack for
catching activity shots that tell a story in one photo.
She photographs many of our neighborhood events
and is responsible for this iconic “smoke” photo of
the Armour Villa Picnic in 2012.
The Donaghys are enthusiastic attendees at
all Armour Villa Association social
gatherings, including the Picnic, Festival of
Lights, and Wine & Cheese Party. Kathleen
is especially a fan of our Girls’ Night Outs.
13
Tuesday
October 21st
Candidates’
Night
7:15 pm at
Sarah Lawrence
Those who have accepted so far:
Congressman Elliot Engel
NYS Senator George Latimer
NYS Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer
Candidate for NYS Senate Joe Dillon
Panache
Since 1989, owners
Ann and Maria have grown
their business by offering an
inviting family atmosphere
where only top-of-the-line
products are used.
52 Pondfield Road West
Bronxville, New York
(914) 779-4758
Hair Salon
25th Anniversary Coupon!
20% off for First Time Client on one service.
SUMMER SPECIAL: 25% off Keritan Treatment.
14
15
www.ginospizzas.com
16
There’s a challenge going around the Internet. You may have heard of it. No, not the
Ice Bucket Challenge. This one is called the Gratitude Challenge. You’re supposed to post
three things that you are grateful for in your status update on Facebook. Ignoring the fact
that nobody tagged me to take up the challenge, I’ll do it here, for you all. You’re welcome.
I’m grateful for babysitters. Not any current ones, mind you (we haven’t had one in
months), but for the future babysitters who will have to deal with my children who will be a)
so traumatized from being left by their parents that they weep uncontrollably for hours, or,
more likely, b) will try to get away with anything and everything in the exciting event of
their parents’ departure.
Next on my list are teachers. I know you get time off in the summers and everyone
thinks you’ve got the cushiest vacation schedule ever. We parents know better. WE have the
cushiest vacation schedule
ever. Believe you me, after
three months in your shoes, I
can’t even imagine. Can’t.
Even. Here, take my children
so I can binge watch all the
shows I was too exhausted to
watch this summer.
Last,
but
almost
certainly not least, I want to
by Amy Haggenmiller
Gard Avenue
thank the robots. Not only
because I want to get on their
good side before they take over the world, but also for saving me loads and loads of labor
and time. I recently bought a Roomba, who we’ve named Alfred, and who I think I might be
a little in love with. While he’s busily vacuuming all the floors, I also want to give a shout-out
to my dishwasher and washer/dryer. I love you guys and I hope they make more of you
doing all types of household chores in the future.
I should also thank the people who put up with me, and you are many. I know robots
will rule one day, but they can’t love me back. Or maybe they can? Alfred does have a
tendency to follow me around. . .
The
Gratitude
Challenge
NEW
CARD!
17
Blast From
Armour Villa’s Past
What was happening 10 years ago in our
neighborhood? Take a look back at
The Villa Voice from September/October 2004.
The “Snapshots” page featured a
photo essay of Armour Villa’s
many commuters as they traveled
up and down Gard Avenue to and
from the Bronxville train station.
Our cover story was
about the Yonkers
Zoning Board’s reversal
of the Building
Department’s permit
that said houses can
be built on paper
streets. It declared that
“People live in
neighborhoods, not
maps.” This decision
was eventually
overturned on appeal.
The “Spotlight” interview focused on Howard Lenard, who
was an Armour Villa board member, and Air Force veteran
of World War ll. He was also a fitness
buff, and was able to hold the same
difficult poses at 83 that he performed
in high school back in 1939.
18
What were the
neighbors up to in
the fall of 2004?
Appointed
Jim Sutton, 24 Gard Avenue, was named
Executive Director of the Bronx River
Parkway Reservation Conservancy.
New Members
Debbie McFall, 168 Parkview Avenue
Rosalia & Peter Nocerino, 7 Bogert Place
The
Villa
People
2004
Died
Robert Ferrari, 217 Parkview Avenue.
Born
A second son, Alex, to Chris & Melissa Ligouri,
38 Gard Avenue, on August 19th.
William & Patricia Manno, 36 Cross Street,
became grandparents for the 3rd time when their
daughter, Tricia Manno Misurelli, gave birth to her
3rd son, Joseph, on Mother’s Day.
Plus…

Twins Oliver Joseph & Charlotte Jean,
to former Board member Alicia D’Anna
and her husband, Joseph, on July 8th.
Moved Out
Bill, Lori, & Willie Christiano, 11 Vera Street,
to Eastchester.

Campaigner

Miles Duffy, 29, son of Judy Duffy, 50 Gard Avenue,
is the Field Director for the Kerry/Edwards campaign
in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Graduated
Matthew Aidan Kelly, 161 St. Nicholas Avenue,
graduated with honors from Regis High School in
Manhattan.

Honored
Richard Fursland, 23 Wiltshire Place, accepted
the OBE (Order of the British Empire) from
Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, July 7th.

Traveled

16 year-old Chris Wagner, 14 Gard Avenue,
spent 16 days in several areas of Costa Rica
on an adventure and ecology expedition.
“On the Street Where You Live” was
about Cross Street, which was described as
“a narrow street with thick trees that
sheltered 19 houses.” This setting made
it feel intimate so residents enjoyed a great
sense of privacy. Their only complaint was
the increasingly heavy traffic between
Tuckahoe Road and Bronxville Road.


We published a letter from former resident, Joshua
Fiero, in East Lyme, Connecticut, who recounted
his fond memories growing up in Armour Villa at
49 Deshon Avenue. His aunt and uncle lived at
11 Perry Place, the converted old barn from the
original Armour Villa farm.
We announced the launch of the neighborhood’s
new website.
James and Kathryn Balardi, of Cross Street, wrote
about their education at St. Joseph’s.
We urged residents to speak out against the
development of Ridge Hill.
We acknowledged the passing of Leslie Revsin,
award-winning Master Chef, cookbook author, and
great friend to many in Armour Villa.
We appealed to people to join the Association for
only $20.
Anne Wagner was president of the Association.
We had only 13 ads to help pay for this newsletter.
The Villa Voice was only 12 pages long.
19
Who’s Behind The Villa Voice?
Armour Villa volunteers donate their time to make this newsletter a quality effort, from those who create it
to those who deliver it to your front door. Here they all are, so say thanks the next time you see them!
Editor-in-Chief
Layout & Design
Writer
Contributing Columnists
Ad Manager
Katherine
Sutton
Steve
Wagner
Photographers
Philomena
Freed
Doggie Spot
Amanda
Pendleton
Amy
Haggenmiller
Freelance
Topics
MJ Territo
Bookworm
Christian
Clark
Steve Wagner
Police Report President’s
Letter
Kim Eierman
Green Thumb
Animal Welfare
Technical Advisor
Proofers
Kathleen
Donaghy
Philomena
Freed
Katherine
Sutton
Chuck
Gray
Amanda
Pendleton
Board Member Deliverers
Leanne
Pantoliano
Jackie
Birnbaum
Kristen
Kilkenny
Mary
McDermott
Arline
Wood
Helio
Camargo
Ernie
Medaglia
Barbara
Gibson
Pen
Pendleton
Matt
Pantoliano
MJ Territo
Jim
Sutton
Armour Villa Volunteer Deliverers
Carol Dowd
Lily
Heaney
Nancy
Little
Philomena
Freed
Rose
Macom
Sally
Rugai
Substitute Deliverers
MJ Territo
Claudia
Wald
Bill
Reinking
Sue
Weisfeld
20
Peter
Stone
Now
Open!
21
Charity Begins at Home
(with a sip of Lemonade)
By Leanne Pantoliano, Bronxville Road
With the temporary closure of our favorite playground at the DiChiaro
School, our kids needed new sources of entertainment. Parents had to come up
with creative ideas to keep the kids from driving us crazy all summer. Thanks to
the organization and initiative of our neighbor, Genevieve Lenard, of Bronxville
Road, we decided to give the kids the old-fashioned summer experience of setting
up a lemonade stand in front of my house on Bronxville Road.
Our first attempt at the lemonade stand was a success - and the kids
raked in about $11 each. When they begged us to do it again, we thought it was
time to take it a step further, and teach them a bit about philanthropy. We
suggested they take the profits from the second lemonade stand and donate them
to a local charity. They chose to support the new Yonkers Animal Shelter. It was a
huge success! The stand, which was in operation for about two hours, turned into a
drive-up lemonade service - with car after car, and fire truck after fire truck, pulling
up to make a donation in exchange for a little cup of lemonade. In the end, the kids
raised $115.92 for the Yonkers Animal Shelter.
When we went to deliver the check, we knew we had made the right
choice.
Asbury Nursery School
2014-15 School Registration is ongoing.
Please contact Asbury Nursery School for more information:
Therese Gurian, Director
167 Scarsdale Road
Tuckahoe, NY 10707
(914) 779-3722
email: [email protected] Phone: (914) 779-3762
[email protected]
Sunday Worship and Sunday School
Classes at 10:30 a.m.
22
Welcome!
For months, when we drove through Ridge Hill on our way to Stew
Leonard’s or Costco, we wondered what they were building. When we saw
the sign for the Yonkers Animal Shelter, it took us by surprise. The spacious
new facility is centrally located, and can comfortably house 150 animals (80
cats, 70 dogs) - a huge improvement over the previous facility on Fullterton
Avenue. There are individual indoor and outdoor spaces for the dogs, as well
as an extensive run area, and on-and-off leash areas on the grounds
surrounding the shelter. In addition to a feline room with cat crates, the cats
have another large room in which to jump, climb, and play.
I spoke with Almira Simpson, Chief Animal Control Officer, who
manages the facility plus a staff of 12, along with her Deputy Animal Control
Officer, Marcos Segarra. Simpson and her staff work tirelessly to care for the
multitude of strays that come in on a weekly basis. They serve the entire city
of Yonkers for animal surrenders (a fee of $50 for dogs, $40 for cats). “Many
people surrender their pets when they move and are unable to take them
with them,” said Simpson.
Dogs are available for adoption for $80, the cost going towards
distemper and rabies vaccines, deworming, spaying/neutering and license
fees. Cat adoption fees are $65, which include spay/neutering, leukemia and
FIV testing, distemper and rabies vaccines. The shelter is currently
overloaded with cats, so if any Armour Villa residents are thinking of adding a
furry family member, now is the time!
Simpson and the Yonkers Animal Shelter staff really focus on
finding the right homes for these animals. If Simpson feels a particular animal
would not be a good fit for a certain family, she is not afraid to say so.
Simpson ensures that each family knows the responsibility attached with
adopting a new pet.
Even though the shelter receives funding from the city, it is always
in need of donations – either monetary, or items such as towels, food, litter,
and laundry soap. (The amount of laundry the staff does in one day would
make your head spin!) Fortunately, the shelter currently has a full pool of well
-trained volunteers on hand to help. Simpson and Segarra not only focus on
the shelter, but they also work closely with the SPCA to investigate reports of
animal cruelty. They are on-call 24 hours a day for emergencies.
Julian Lenard, Carter Pantoliano, and
Sabrina Lenard stand outside the new Yonkers
Animal Shelter (top), and inside with Enrique
Reyes, office clerk in the shelter (bottom).
In the end,
the kids learned something about days gone by with the lemonade stand,
and how to give back to the community. And while we didn’t leave the Yonkers Animal Shelter
with a new furry friend that day, I have a feeling we'll be back when the time is right.
Until then, I know all the animals there are in great, caring hands.
23
Bookworm
Review by MJ Territo, Wiltshire Place
The Shelf: From LEQ to LES Adventures in Extreme Reading
by Phyllis Rose
Wandering through the fiction stacks of the New York Society
Library, Phyllis Rose hit upon an idea. What if she read every book on a
single shelf? Not a random shelf, but one that had depth and breadth – male
and female writers; Americans and writers from other parts of the world;
contemporary books and books of the past; literary fiction and genre
novels. Rose also set herself one other criterion: the shelf had to have a
classic that she had not read. It took several trips to survey the shelves, but
at LEQ to LES she had met her match.
The shelf’s classic book was Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time,
published in 1839, and considered the first prose narrative in Russian
literature. Rose was dismayed to find that she liked the book less than she
had hoped, but then thought that it might be the translation, by Vladimir
Nabokov, and so read a couple of other translations. Without Nabokov’s opinionated presence,
she better understood the book’s staying power, and eventually became quite fond of it.
Another book on the shelf was Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera. How, she
wondered, could a book as flawed as she found this one have spawned so many adaptations? She
watched the Lon Chaney movie; a telecast of the Broadway production; and the recent movie
version. By stripping away the extraneous plot lines and digressions that bogged the book down,
she saw how artists in other genres had revealed the archetypal power of the story.
Rose found many other pleasures, but also some disappointments on the shelf. The novels
of Rhoda Lerman led her to seek out the author and strike up a friendship. But the detective novels
of William Le Queux, a prolific, influential, and extremely popular writer of the early 20 th century,
seemed to have been written by an “eight-year-old on Percocet.”
There is so much more to The Shelf than an introduction to books the reader may not have
known. Rose also writes about the effects of the Internet on the act of reading; the methods
libraries use to make space on their shelves; the many ways books and writing affect not only the
personal lives of readers but also the world we live in. Her final wish is for others to have as rich
an experience as she has had. “If The Shelf brings other readers to these novels, I will be happy, but
even happier if it sends them into the stacks of libraries to find favorites of their own, and to savor
the beauties of what I hope is not a vanishing ecosystem.”
24
Doggie Spot
To treat or
not to treat
— that is the
question!
by Philomena Donnelly, Deshon Avenue
Armour Villa’s own certified dog trainer
The qualified short answer is “Yes.” For most dogs, food is a motivator, so when teaching a new trick,
or rewarding an appropriate behavior that has not previously been exhibited, or behavior that is simply worthy
of a “compliment,” a treat will encourage that behavior to be repeated. Humans are reward-based….a hug, a
compliment, increased wage, bonus, job tasks, “thank-yous,” etc. You would not give your child cookies or ice
cream and then say “now clean your room.” No, it is the opposite.
Rewards can take the form of the four “T”s: Touch, Talk, Toy or Treat.
Touch is obvious. Spot gets a back scratch or belly rub.
Talk is the higher pitched voice and familiar phrase that tells Spot you approve of what he has done.
Toy is playing fetch, tug, or offering Spot a toy he treasures.
Treats are the focus of this article. Give your attention to teaching Spot what behavior you do want from
him by rewarding that behavior with one of the four “T”s, and the result will be less of the behavior you do not
want. The reward (one of the four “T”s) is the recognition of his achievement. Timing of your reward is critical
to achieve the best results in modifying behavior.
Treats are more expensive and more fattening than food. You can use Spot’s food as the “treat” by
extracting some of Spot’s daily food intake and using it for “treats.” Fresh turkey or chicken, without spices,
etc., leftover from dinner, are good low fat treats. Save the higher value treats (i.e. chicken, turkey, and
cheese) for more challenging tasks or stunning behavior.
Once you have firmly established a trick, or see the behavior you desire repeating itself, then wind
down the treats…increasing a treat for one trick to a treat for two, then three or more tricks. Then move on to
using your rewards for new tricks and behaviors.
It is best not to display the food to Spot in advance of your request. You want the food to be the reward
not the bribe. If Spot becomes accustomed to seeing the bribe first, then without the bribe, you may not get the
requested behavior. Give him the food from the “hidden” hand, which is the hand not giving the command
[cue], or from a treat pouch using the “hidden” hand.
25
In an emergency, call 911.
First Police Precinct
Report:
If you need to call the police,
DO NOT call the First Precinct first.
Instead, call the Yonkers
Dispatcher at this number:
National Night Out 377-7900
Photos by Philomena Freed, Deshon Avenue
and Sue Weisfeld, Perry Place
The Community Council meetings are held at 7:30 on the second Wednesday
of every month at 730 East Grassy Sprain Road. Meetings are listed in the
calendar on our Armour Villa website: www.armourvilla.org.
Captain Mike
Murphy
Commisioner
Charles
Gardner
Rep. Mike Breen and
Shelley Mayer’s Chief
of Staff Rachel Estroff
26
Mayor Mike Spano
August 5th
at
Andrus
Field
27
by Police Commissioner
Charles Gardner
The
Commissioner’s
Corner
Building
Relations with
the Community
I strongly believe that a law enforcement agency’s
A unique feature of the program is reverse role-playing
effectiveness is largely determined by its ability to work together and gain scenarios, where the kids play the role of the police and engage the
the support of the community it serves. Therefore, during my tenure as officers who act as neighborhood kids. This exercise is particularly
Police Commissioner, I have made it a priority to develop partnerships, helpful in demonstrating perceptions by both groups, often resulting in
and improve community relations in neighborhoods throughout the city.
officers experiencing first-hand how they are perceived by the
One area of particular focus is our relationship with teenagers, neighborhood kids. The attendees also receive training on effective
particularly at-risk youths who have strained communications with police, communication strategies involving de-escalation, crisis intervention, and
often resulting in tense interactions. We also find
problem-solving skills. After attending
that at-risk youths are reluctant to cooperate with
numerous YPI sessions, I have personally
police, and often target, and even intimidate,
observed a transformation in the attitudes,
those kids who associate or align themselves with
and level of respect the participants have
law enforcement. This lack of cooperation
developed for each other.
frequently hampers investigative efforts and
During the past school year, we
reduces our ability to address violent crime
conducted four YPI sessions, including
involving juveniles.
officers from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th precincts,
In an effort to address this issue, we
and our Housing Unit. We also partnered
have been participating in a number of youth
with the Westchester County Department
related programs and initiatives. One particular
of Probation, WestHab, YMCA, and the
program called the Youth Police Initiative (YPI) is
Nepperhan Community Center. These
receiving positive feedback from both the police
community stakeholders helped identify
and the community. The YPI was developed by
the at-risk youths who were selected to
the North American Family Institute (NAFI), a The program allows kids to let their guard down participate, and provided the neighborhood
Massachusetts-based human services agency, and “hang out” with the cops. In the photo, one centers used to house the sessions.
and is designed to improve relations between at- of the Sergeants is speaking to one of the youths Additionally, seven police sergeants and
risk youths and officers who patrol their
three probation officers were trained to be
during a pizza break at one of the sessions.
neighborhoods.
instructors so that we can expand the
The YPI is a dynamic, interactive program that couples police program moving forward.
officers with at-risk youths to create new partnerships and build upon
To date, a total of 97 youths and 94 police officers have
existing community bonds. A typical session runs for two weeks, and participated. A total of 38 youths had been arrested prior to participation
involves approximately 10 police officers and 10 at-risk neighborhood and only 7 have been arrested since completing the program.
youths. Utilizing frank conversation, team building exercises, and realityThese are promising results, primarily due to the honest
based training scenarios, the officers and the youths work to break down participation and hard work and dedication of the men and women of the
barriers to communication. This enables both groups to reduce YPD. I would also like to credit our mayor, Mike Spano, for providing the
stereotypes and biases they have toward each other. The officers gain a support necessary to sustain our extensive community outreach efforts.
better understanding of the issues and challenges facing adolescents in We believe our continued progress in building relations with
today’s society, and the kids gain insight into the difficulties that officers neighborhood teens will help ease tensions, improve cooperation, and
on patrol encounter in the performance of their duties.
ultimately reduce violent crime in our community.
28
In Good Taste
Pesto is a versatile ingredient that can be used as a marinade for grilled chicken, tossed with pasta, used as
a dip for crudités, drizzled on a mozzarella tomato salad, or spread on your favorite bread or sandwich.
It's easy to make and can be made in large batches because it freezes well.
Garden Pesto
2 cups basil (well-packed, cleaned and dried)
½ cup of parsley (cleaned and dried)
½ cup of pine nuts
½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
¾ cup of olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt & pepper to taste
Lightly toast your pine nuts ahead of time for a deeper flavor (optional).
Combine parsley, basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan in a food processor. Pulse ingredients while slowly adding the
olive oil. Depending on your desired consistency, you may not need to use all of the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to
taste, but remember the parmesan already contains salt.
To avoid discoloration, add a light layer of olive oil on top of your pesto if you are going to use the next day, or plan on
freezing it.
A great idea for single serving usage would be to freeze in an ice cube tray. This way you always have the perfect
serving on hand.
Lily Heaney, Gina Callozzo, BXVeats.com
Vacation Apartments for Rent 2014!
at the Westin, St. John U.S.V.I.
40%-50% off regular resort prices! Full amenities!
Studio Units: Sleeps 4 w/ pull-out couch
10/4-10/11, 10/11-10/18, 10/18-10/25
“Family & Friends” rate: $229/night, $1,600/wk
Additional discount of 10% is available to rent
any two of these weeks in a row!
► Inquire for more info at [email protected]
29
Green Thumb
Armour Villa Gardening for
September/October
How to Water Your Garden Sustainably
Kim Eierman, of Deshon Avenue, gives us 11 ways that can help you save water
and still produce a great looking landscape:
Put the right plant in the right place. If
you plant a moisture-loving plant in a dry
spot, you will have to water it constantly.
Favor regiona
l native plants
that are well
adapted to yo
ur landscape
conditions.
hand, if
Water new plants by
ering can
possible, with a wat
actly where
or hose, to water ex
needed.
the right amount is
sty
lace your thir
p
re
r
o
e
c
u
d
e
R
t
nting bed tha
lawn with a pla
lies, songbirds,
rf
e
tt
u
b
ts
c
ra
att
g insects.
and pollinatin
Be realistic. Low maintenance
does not mean no-maintenance,
so make sure that any new
plants are well irrigated during
their first growing season.
ts
cool nigh
e
h
t
t
n
o pla
,
eat time t
blishment
r
a
g
t
s
a
e
is
t
ll
o
a
o
F
ote r
days prom
m
r
a
w
d
d.
n
a
g is neede
in
r
e
t
a
w
and less
rly
in the ea
r
e
t
a
w
nt
Always
llows pla
a
is
h
T
.
g
morning
ff durin
o
y
r
d
o
al
foliage t
eps fung
e
k
d
n
a
the day,
at bay.
diseases
If hand watering
is not an option,
choose drip irriga
tion instead of an
overhead sprinkle
r. Drip irrigation
delivers water to
plant roots
without sprinkler
evaporation.
with an irrigation
Don’t use a timer
ur soil to see if
system. Check yo
ssary before you
watering is nece
cet.
turn on the fau
ment,
ot develop
o
r
e
g
a
r
u
tly.
To enco
infrequen
d
n
a
ly
p
e
water de
Capture the run-off from your
roof with rain barrels to
prevent flooding the street,
and to gain a supply of water
for future irrigation.
30
Tracking Armour Villa’s
Wild Kingdom...
Katherine
Sutton was
surprised to
find four baby
bunnies crawl
out of their
Eileen van Hoek found two turkey vultures dining on
underground
a rabbit in the middle of Wiltshire Street.
nest in her
Gard Avenue
garden.
Patty Medaglia captured this family scene of morning doves
resting with their baby on her Gard Avenue bench.
Garden Design
Nature’s Cradle
Katherine Day Sutton
(347) 782-1607
www.i-designgardens.com
[email protected]
31
Join us
on
facebook!
...and please sign up for our
Armour Villa emails!
So far we have 303 of you on the blast
email list. Email helps spread the word
about neighborhood updates and
emergencies, and you’ll never get
SPAM. In this day and age,
it’s great to have this technology
available to us
(goodbye to flyers and posters).
Help keep neighborhood
communication alive!
We have 162
members!
IT’S A GREAT PLACE
TO SELL YOUR STUFF,
ANNOUNCE an EVENT,
ASK A QUESTION, OR
POST PhOTOS OF WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN YOUR
PART OF Armour Villa.
► Our page is
a closed group,
so your posts
Remain private.
They never go
viral.
► Send your email address to
[email protected].
You are invited to
West Center
Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
FALL
► LOOKING AHEAD...
Our Annual Holiday Boutique
Saturday, December 6th
10 am - 3 pm
Sunday, December 7th
12:30 pm - 3 pm
Worship and Church School Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.
101 Pondfield Road West
337-3829 email: [email protected]
Graccioli
General Contracting
Helio Camargo, Owner
Free Estimates, Insured
[email protected]
www.gracciolicontracting.com
(914) 774-2119
32
website: www.westcenterchurch.org
Masonry
Painting
Roofing
Flooring
Carpentry
Waterfalls
Additions
Book Sales
at the
Will Library
Sweet Success
Nika
Hannah
September 13th
(sold by the pound)
October 25th
(cookbooks and
kids’ books)
Many neighbors stopped at Nika Clark and
Hannah Baumann’s Charity Bake Sale on
August 29th. Hannah (Gard Avenue) and Nika
Bicycle
Sundays
(Howe Place) wisely set up their table at the
entrance to the park, where’s there’s a lot of foot
traffic. They raised over $150 and sold out their
baked goods. The two charities of their choice,
on the
Bronx River Parkway
Invisible Children and UNICEF, will be
grateful for everyone’s support.
The girls had a great time baking and selling,
September 14, 21, 28
and will soon plan another bake sale!
33
Ins and Outs
Liz & Forrest Clough have moved from
19 Bayberry Street, and Michael & Whitney Utell
are the home’s new residents.
The Dereskas
Fire
Antoinette
& Mark
Dereska,
and their two
children, have
moved into 80
Gard Avenue.
DiC
o
hiar
Adrienne Raville has moved into
417 Bronxville Road.
► We welcome your news and photos!
Hail and Farewell
Three Armour Villa families sadly said goodbye to their cherished dogs
this summer. We honor them here:
Rookie, 12, was the constant family
companion of Nancy & Chuck Little, of Howe
Place. Rookie was raised with his late sister,
Darcy, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and
came to live with the Littles when he was
three. They remember him as an easy dog
who was “loving” and “great with kids.”
April Carpenter, formerly of
380 Bronxville Road, writes:
“I retired from teaching after 36 years and
moved out of Armour Villa. I now reside on the
Jersey Shore with my partner, Ed. We plan to
divide our time between the Jersey Shore and
Palm Beach, Florida. My home on Bronxville Road
has been rented to Anthony Solanski and his
partner, Michelle. Please welcome them to the
community. Give everyone my best!”
Jeanie & Mike Encke are moving into
398 Bronxville Road.
...and we welcome
Robert & Maryann Dennen
to 8 Howe Place.
Died
Shadow, 12, & Scoutzilla, 11, were the much
-loved dogs of Jody & Mario Scaduto, of
Perry Place. Both dogs died within hours of
each other of different causes. Jody called
them her “two beautiful girls.”
The Balardi family, of Cross Street, mourn
the loss of their 12 year-old Cavalier, Bailey:
“Bailey Osin Balardi went to the Rainbow
Bridge on July 19th. Born in County Waterford
Ireland, he became part of our family in March
2002. He was a loyal and loving part of our
family who is dearly missed.”
New City Arborist
For those of you who may not know, we have a new
Yonkers City Arborist, who replaces Joe Troy.
His name is Ralph Padilla and he can be reached at the Parks
Department headquarters on Nepperhan Avenue: (914) 377-6429.
34
Dolores Tierney Dolan, 95, on August 26th.
Dolores was the mother of Deirdre Mone, and
grandmother to Caela, Brendan, and AJ. She
raised her family in the home
on Cross Street where her
daughter and family still live.
She was the youngest of
seven and, after marriage to
Francis Dolan, raised six
children of her own in Armour
Villa, five of whom survive her,
along with ten grandchildren.
Raised in the Riverdale
section of the Bronx, she attended St. Margaret’s
School and Walton High School, graduating in
1936. Her first job after school was typing Social
Security cards for the newly established Social
Security Administration. Mrs. Dolan was a
homemaker who enjoyed entertaining, sewing,
crocheting, and knitting. She was active in church
activities and enjoyed the company of her large
extended family and her wide circle of friends.
During her long lifetime she was a parishioner at
St. Margaret’s, St. Eugene’s in Yonkers, Our Lady
of Perpetual Help in Ardsley,
and St. Joseph’s in Bronxville.
Grandparents in the News
Bridal Shower
Katherine & Jim
Sutton, of Gard
Avenue, welcomed
their first grandchild
on July 30th when
their son, Gardiner,
and his wife, Alina,
gave birth to their first
child, a daughter,
Evelyna Axente.
The new Sutton family
lives in Chicago.
Carole Pugh,
of Cassilis Avenue, attended a Sunday
afternoon tea party where her engaged
daughter, Bunky, was the guest of
honor. Hosted by her five bridesmaids,
the shower was held on July 13th in a
beautiful setting on the water at the
Larchmont Shore Club. Champagne
cocktails outdoors were followed by
lunch in the Garden Room at the
historical building on the Sound. The
bride-to-be was very happy, and
looking forward to her nuptials, which
will occur on September 13th at the
Roxbury Barn, in the Catskills.
Emma & Helson
Azarcon, of Barrington
Road, write:
“We just had our third
granddaughter.
Her name is Giselle.
The whole family is
very happy to welcome
this new addition to our
family. Thanks for
giving us the
opportunity to share
this wonderful event
in my family's life.”
Wedding
Deborah Brown, daughter of Marion & Alan Brown, of
McIntyre Street, married Paul McGarry, of Northern Ireland on
July 26th in sunny Seattle. Also in the photo is her brother,
Nicholas, his wife, Jenny, and their son, Samuel. Marion
and Alan say they had a “wonderful celebration!”
One for the Books
Peter Costanzo has built and installed a Little Free
Library in front of his house on lower Gard Avenue, a
major pedestrian route to the stores and train station.
As you pass by,
you are
welcome to pick
up a book to
read, or drop
one off for
someone else
to enjoy (adults
and kids alike).
Please take a
moment to relax
and browse!
From August 25th through September 5th, Alan rode from
Baldwinsville (near Syracuse) to Bar Harbor, Maine, with his
fellow Yonkers buddy, Bill Dennison, and two friends from
Syracuse. It is the last leg of their Cross Country ride which
they almost completed on 2012.
Sloop Clearwater
Dennis & Rose Macom, of Bronxville Road,
share this update on the whereabouts of their son,
Tom Macom, (who was the 2013 Spotlight interview):
“Tom is currently the Engineer on the sloop Clearwater.
He joined the crew on September 10, 2013, the day after
completing his freelance photography work for the 2013 Tennis
Grand Slam at the U.S. Tennis Open in NY. The sloop
Clearwater, a replica of the cargo ships that sailed the Hudson
River during the 18th and 19th centuries, offers public sails,
educational group sails, and private, non-profit and corporate
sails. Volunteer, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities
are available. You can volunteer to spend a week on the sloop!
Pete Seeger, musician and environmental activist, founded
Clearwater to clean up the Hudson River, and to educate and
inspire people to care for the river. His legacy lives on.
For more information, go to www.clearwater.org/come-sailing/
Tom’s website is: www.thomasmacom.com”
Published Author
Olga A C. Ibsen, RDH, MS, of Parkview Avenue,
is co-author of the text Oral Pathology for the Dental
Hygienist 6th Edition published by Saunders/Elsevier.
This text was recently translated into Spanish.
The Fifth Edition was translated into Italian.
Olga provides courses throughout the country for
dentists, dental hygienists and other health professionals.
In May, she presented two courses for the Connecticut
State Dental Association at Mohegan Sun.
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Helping Hands
Armour Villa Board of Directors 2014-15
Steve Wagner, President
Peter Stone, Executive Vice President
Katherine Sutton, Vice-President
Editor, The Villa Voice
Mary McDermott, Treasurer
Jacqueline Birnbaum, Secretary
People and websites that improve
your life... recommended by
satisfied Armour Villa customers
► We always recommend that you inquire
up front about any and all fees before hiring anyone.
Pest Removal • Ampest 156 Vernon Avenue, Yonkers, NY
10704 (914) 776-2668 cell: (914) 648-2961 email: [email protected]
“Art Muller, a rabies vector species specialist, helped remove a family of raccoons from
our garage using humane trapping methods. Not only was he a pleasure to work with,
but he recommended the person who quickly and efficiently patched compromised
sections of the garage structure so no more critters can get in. Art's prices are
reasonable, and he can also take care of skunk and bat problems. We highly
recommend him.”
Carpet & Shades • Kanter's Carpet and Design
99 Fulton Street, White Plains (914) 949-6517.
Helio Camargo
Bill Reinking
Barbara Gibson
Deirdre Rylander
Lily Heaney
MJ Territo
Kristen Kilkenny
Claudia Wald
Ernie Medaglia
Susan Weisfeld
Pen Pendleton
Arline Wood
Armour Villa Corps of Volunteers:
Marty Apuzzo, Hannah Baumann, Robert Berger,
Christian Clark, Carol Dowd, Kathleen Donaghy,
Philomena Freed, Chuck Gray, Nancy Little, Rose Macom,
Matt & Leanne Pantoliano, Amanda Pendleton,
Sally Rugai, and Jim Sutton
“I recently ordered carpet and shades from Kanter's. They have a wide selection in their
showroom; were extremely knowledgeable and helpful in making my choices; and the
installation was done promptly, on time and well.”
Address NEIGHBORHOOD
correspondence to:
Steve Wagner, President
[email protected]
Floor Refinisher • Mohan Floor Service, (646) 522-0736
“We had Phillip Mohan refinish our wood floors. He was fantastic, professional, very
skilled, careful, prompt and reasonable. We were extremely happy with the results.
Our house dates to 1889, so there were parquet floors and uneven areas, but without
any complaint, he did a really excellent job!”
Address NEWSLETTER
correspondence to:
Katherine Sutton, Editor
[email protected]
Candidates’ Night
Tuesday, October 21st
Membership Form
Name
Date
Address
Telephone
e-mail address
Please check all that apply:
Basic Membership - $35.00
Supporter - $50.00
Friends of Armour Villa - $100.00
Conservators - $250.00
Architects - $500.00
Master Builders - $750.00 (Includes Lifetime Association membership)
Enclosed is my payment for
These are NEW DUES RENEWAL DUES SPECIAL DONATION.
Please make check payable to “Armour Villa” and remit to: Mary McDermott
35 Smith Place, Bronxville, NY 10708
36