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n w o r g e m o H EN G P R E S ID B&NC MA M O R F E T A NO

T ON OUR

JA N UA R Y

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IS S U E 2022 Y E B R UA R

We live in a great area, and the people our area produces are emblematic of that greatness! We can and should be proud of our homegrown progeny, as they are the result of strong and supportive families, quality schools, and the rich offering of sports and cultural opportunities in our community.

In this Homegrown issue we feature an NFL star, a star actor, a women’s ice hockey Olympic Gold Medalist, a women’s lacrosse National Champion, a budding liquor distributor, a dorm room investment banker, and a collegiate we call ‘Running Girl’...all homegrown.

Each one of these homegrown heroes talked to B&NC Mag about their happy and healthy childhood in the area, local folks in the community who served as coach or mentor and made a difference, and other municipal resources in our area that were key to their development. Each one of these homegrown heroes had a superlative about our area being ‘the best’ place to grow up.

They all got their starts amongst us! And whether you knew or know them or their families, or you will get to know them in this issue of B&NC Mag, you are familiar by virtue of sharing our rich environment and supportive community and spectacular surroundings.

I too am homegrown. Growing up in Pound Ridge, I always realized that the communities in the area I now call the B&NC Mag area, were a kind of mecca for raising children. But it wasn’t until my homegrown homies and contemporaries started to find success in so many myriad walks of life, that I fully realized how and why our area fosters outstanding adults.

And, as always, we bring you inside some special local homes. ‘With a little help from [their] friend’ builder Max Mosolino, Brian and Elizabeth Harrington made lemonade from lemons in rebuilding their Pound Ridge home after a fire. And Dylan and Nicole Zublin, the second-generation owners of the renowned equestrian barn-building company, Old Town Barns, built their dream home in Katonah - and it’s worth checking out!

Kindergarte n at Elementary Pound Ridge School

We are ‘Always Local. Always Positive.’, and we aim to bring you more and more of it in 2022!

Of note, with this January/February 2022 issue we’ve added about 1,500 selected households in Darien to our B&NC Mag mailing list, bringing our total distribution

CASEY KAPLAN

to 25,000 selected households in the

President

B&NC Mag area. Welcome, Darien!

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Truly yours,

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ng s Monet worki tes, and Mis a for m ss er a is cl ra y, Case art fund rt, Give a he S) E ea R H P a ve e a d a H the rch (4th gr a se re er nc children’s ca J A N / F E B

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HOMEGROWN

CO N T E NTS

p.22

ACTING THROUGH ADVERSITY MATTHEW DELNEGRO Matthew Del Negro grew up in Pound Ridge. He has Cary Grant good looks and he’s Rock Hudson handsome. But it’s Matt’s discipline and motivation that define him - as an actor and, now also, as an author and inspirational guru.

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LAX QUEEN SAMMY JO TRACY Sammy Jo Tracy’s two-time All-American performance at UNC puts her at the top of women’s college lacrosse history. She tells B&NC Mag, “Growing up in Bedford, I always felt that the sky was the limit!”

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SHATTERING THE ICE CEILING AJ MLECZKO GRISWOLD

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AJ is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, having led Team USA to a Gold Medal at the first-time-for-women’shockey 1998 Nagano Olympic Games and to a Silver Medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. …And she grew up in New Canaan, and got her skates underneath her at the New Canaan Country School.

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HOMETOWN HERO ZACH ALLEN

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Zach Allen is 24 years old, 6’ 5”, 285 lbs., runs a 4.9 40 yard dash, can bench press 430 lbs., and was the #65 draft pick in the 2019 National Football League Draft. Now in his third season, he’s #94, a starting Defensive End, on the leagueleading Arizona Cardinals… And he grew up in New Canaan.

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RUNNING GIRL FRANCES RYAN You’ve seen her out there...running. She’s Frances Ryan, a 19 year old freshman at Middlebury College, who grew up in Pound Ridge, went to Rippowam Cisqua and then Wooster School in Danbury, and who runs - like Gump!

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INSTAGRAM: @ELLIOTTINTERIORSNY WWW.ELLIOTTINTERIORSNY.COM

JA N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y

Old Town Barns

HOMEGROWN

CO N T E NTS

p.87

Crafted with Care in the Equine Tradition

BUILDING A DREAM HOME IN KATONAH Dylan Zublin, the second generation owner of Old Town Barns (the preeminent local equestrian barn building company), and his wife build their dream home in Katonah.

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CHEERS! CHARLES ‘JAKE’ SACHS In 2020 Bedford native Charles Sachs founded an independent spirits portfolio, Piermont Brands, Inc. Their offering presently includes ‘Blank. Vodka’ and ’Tequila Cayéya’.

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WIZ KID TO WATCH JAMES D’AMBROSI James D’Ambrosi was born and raised in Pound Ridge.

He’s one of three founders of a start-up called Chalk, which aims to identify deep tech start-ups originating from a network of two dozen top U.S. universities and match the best with venture capital from established venture capital funds with which Chalk has affiliated.

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WEDDINGS

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HOPE SWEET HOME

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Kathleen O’Hagan married Tore Carlson and joined together as a modern-day Brady Bunch with a beautiful barnyard wedding in the summer of 2021.

P.119

A Pound Ridge family makes lemonade out of lemons in rebuilding their home after a fire.

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Tel 845.855.1450

www.oldtownbarns.com

Zublin Construction Services, Inc. Pawling, NY 12564

CO N T R I B U TO RS MICHAEL KAPLAN is an attorney, investment banker, real estate broker, investor and developer and serial entrepreneur. He’s lived in Pound Ridge for 22 years, and is the Publisher of B&NC Mag.

CASEY KAPLAN , the President of B&NC Mag, grew up in Pound Ridge and went to Pound Ridge Elementary Schooland Fox Lane Middle and High School, before earning her undergraduate and business degrees from Tulane University and starting her business career at Lucid. Casey is also the #1 foodie influencer in New Orleans with her Instagram @nolagourmand.

ELISE WALTERS is a life-long New Canaanite, a designer, and the owner of New Canaan based renovation firm E & J Home, specializing in kitchens, baths, new surfaces, and custom carpentry builds, helping homeowners maximize potential.

SUZANNE QUAINTANCE has worked in the publishing and sports marketing industries and currently resides in Litchfield County, Connecticut and Lake Placid, New York with her husband, three lacrosseplaying children, and two dogs.

SUE DECHIARA, is the B&NC Mag Homes Editor, a former Pound Ridger and now long-term New Canaan local, and the founder of @zhush, a homesfocused Instagram with over 150k followers - and blog with thousands of weekly readers.

EMMA GRIFFITHS is the B&NC Mag Art Director. She is a Fine Art & Graphic Design graduate from the University of Chester in England, and an enthusiast of all things design.

MARILYN SHAPIRO was a Staff Editor for The New York Times from 1996 to 2000. Locally, Marilyn has served as the Executive Director of Neighbors Link, teaches swimming at the JCC, and is the President of the Henry Morgenthau Reserve Committee and a Board member at the Bedford Audubon Society. Marilyn lives in Pound Ridge.

Bedford & New Canaan Magazine is published by Chancellor Livingston LLC. © All Rights Reserved.

GET IN TOUCH For advertising inquiries, please reach out to: advertising@bedfordnewcanaanmag.com For general inquiries, or to subscribe to the magazine if you are not already receiving a copy, please reach out to: info@bedfordnewcanaanmag.com We would love to feature local’s or local weddings! Please let us know if you or someone in your family wants to celebrate with us: info@bedfordnewcanaanmag.com

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C o l o n i a l F o r d We s t c h e s t e r. c o m

THE SEASON

ACTING THROUGH ADVERSITY

Matthew Del Negro

BY Michael Kaplan PHOTOGRAPHY: Frances Isaac

Matthew Del Negro has Cary Grant good looks. He’s Rock Hudson handsome. But it’s Matt’s discipline and motivation that define him - as an actor and, now also, as an author and inspirational guru.

Matt’s story of growing up in Pound Ridge, playing football and lacrosse at John Jay, and going on to play Division I lacrosse at Boston College was, or at least appeared to be, the classic all-American tale.

His father, Arthur (Jr.), was a Prosecutor turned Defense Attorney, and his mother, named Ernesta and known as ‘Ernie’, was a special education teacher at John Jay. He has an older sister, Christine, and a three year-older brother, Arthur (III), who led the way to Boston College. He has fond memories of his youth, the house on Parkview Road where he lived from birth until he left for the city shortly after returning from college, playing at the Pound Ridge Town Park as a toddler or riding his bike with friends to get sandwiches at Salem Market. He and the other boys from his street played a lot of manhunt in the Ward Pound Reservation behind his best friend’s house across the street from him, tackle football in

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backyards, and basketball on someone’s driveway.

“I always felt like I was growing up in the middle of nowhere and like everything was an adventure. I was vaguely aware that George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst lived on Boutonville Road, but only because my parents said so. I had no idea that they were actors, or even that ‘acting’ was a thing. I just knew they had two mean dogs that used to chase us up the dirt road when we rode past their house.”

Matt recalls. “In high school, there were ‘jocks’ and ‘drammies’. I was on the jock side of the equation, but it wasn’t like I was knockin’ guys’ heads against lockers or anything. I’m still friends with a lot of John Jay alums, and they’ve all gone on to do some pretty amazing things; one played pro football, another became a Navy Seal, many still live in the area and do very well. The only professional actor I knew was Pat Collins, who led a youth group through the church. I really admired how he lived his life and made an impact just by being kind, and giving back. Then I moved on to Boston College and I was playing Division I varsity lacrosse. I thought I was living the dream.”

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Matthew Del Negro Then, away in Italy between his Sophomore and Junior years of college, Matt had an epiphany. “It was a real turning point in my life. My first serious girlfriend, who was also studying in Italy, broke up with me in the middle of the trip. I can’t really explain it, but it was like I could see everything more clearly for the first time. I found this patch of grass outside a church in Perugia, where I was studying, and for about 4 days straight, I skipped my classes and filled a leather journal my sister had given me with a kind of treatise for life - that still guides me,” Matt explains. “I started to figure out who I really was and what I wanted to do. I realized I was too interested in being liked and finding acceptance, and it was getting in the way of my true path in life. A lot of baggage came up for me; emotions I had stuffed down as the peace-keeper in my family. It was as if this voice from within, that had been stifled for 19 years, wanted to get out. I literally wrote in that journal that maybe I should be a writer or an actor. But it made zero sense at the time. Now, in hindsight, it’s not quite as bizarre. …I had a taste of applause from a tiny moment at summer camp at Meadow Pond Elementary School when they made us do a dance for the year-end variety show and I danced like John Travolta, because my mom had dragged me to Saturday Night Fever; I knew every word of Top Gun and Caddyshack in college and when I was ten years old and we got our first VCR it came with Raiders of the Lost Ark and I could recite the whole movie; even my essay on my application for BC was about how Pat Collins, the actor who led our Youth Group, was truly following his life’s passion and using his gift to give back. Maybe I’d been a ‘drammie’ more than a ‘jock’ all along...

When I went back to Boston College Junior Year, I quit the lacrosse team at the end of Fall Ball and added a Film Studies minor to my English Major. I tried-out for a play and didn’t get it. A month later I auditioned for a one-act play, called Hello Out There, by William Soroyan, and landed the lead role. My parents came up to see the performance.

It wasn’t even on a real stage, it was in a lecture hall, but the whole thing felt great. I was hooked.

I had visited my cousin, an entrepreneur in California, the previous year and the way he talked about his work was the way I wanted to feel: ‘do something that involves you completely on an emotional, psychological, and physical level.’ This was it. I told anyone who’d listen that I was going to be an actor!”

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About developing as an actor, Matt recalls, “I moved home to Pound Ridge after college and worked with a local mason laying patios to save some cash, then moved into New York City and spent a decade auditioning and some of that time actually working as an actor. I met my wife, Deirdre Whelan, at my brother’s bar while I was bartending… and I did a ton of plays and student films for free and, eventually, a little TV. I worked hard on my craft. I definitely dreamed about being a big star but that was never the main driving force, I just tried to fully learn each character I played. I try to find the point where I relate to the character, and then grow to see myself in that character. It takes a certain amount of selfawareness, and the objectivity to learn the character’s world view over your own assumptions of the character’s place in the world. I can sing a little, and play a little piano and guitar, so I tried to get better at each of those things, too.”

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Matthew Del Negro “Then my big break came getting cast as Brian Cammarata on The Sopranos,” Matt smiles. “It wasn’t the biggest part on the show but I was in the majority of the fourth season and it translated to me being considered by a lot more producers for a lot more shows. I took a stab at L.A. following The Sopranos to take advantage of the momentum, but it was a swing and a miss. A few years later, I booked The West Wing and that took us out West permanently as I began to get a fair amount of work out there. Now, with my current gig on City on a Hill, which shoots in New York, we decided to return to our roots and our families, settling in my wife’s hometown of Long Beach, on the south shore of Long Island.”

Matt’s current gig as a series regular on City on a Hill, playing Detective Chris Caysen, Sergeant of the Youth Violence Strike Force, in the criticallyacclaimed Boston crime drama series that stars Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, is ‘good work’ indeed - professionally and financially. In 2019, before covid interrupted production of most

TV shows, Matt received rave reviews for his portrayal of down-and-out actor Jason Alan Ross in the Netflix comedy series Huge in France. He was a series regular, playing Danny Loomis, the shady right-hand man to Mark Duplass’ twisted billionaire villain, in the Amazon drama series Goliath. He played Scott McCall’s father, Agent Rafael McCall, on the fan-favorite MTV series Teen Wolf, and Michael Ambruso, a sex-worker turned husband, on ABC’s smash hit Scandal. He did the last season of the critically-acclaimed The West Wing, a season on Showtime’s United States of Tara and two seasons on ABC’s Mistresses. He has also guest-starred or recurred on Law & Order, Stargate: Atlantis, Las Vegas, Beautiful People, CSI, NCIS, Joan of Arcadia, Happy Endings, Rizzoli and Isles, Lie to Me, and many more. He has appeared in almost 30 films, including roles in Taylor Sheridan’s directorial debut Wind River, Ethan Hawk’s directorial debut Chelsea Walls, and alongside Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in Hot Pursuit, among others!

And he’s worked on stage and provided his voice for video games and many TV and radio campaigns.

By all accounts, Matt is a ‘star’! “I feel very fortunate, both in terms of getting better and better parts, and in terms of getting to collaborate with talented folks on great material. I set out to be an actor… and I’m an actor. I get to do what really turns me on, and I still love every minute of it,” Matt says proudly. “One of the interesting aspects of being an actor in this recent Golden Age of television is that I get to grow with my characters over the course of a series rather than knowing my character’s full journey before we’ve begun the production, as in film and on stage,” Matt explains. “One of the joys of my role in Huge in France, where I played a guy who considered himself a method actor but really didn’t have a career at all, is that I was able to make fun of myself and send up a craft that is beautiful until it is taken with too much self-importance. The writing was so funny, and also full of pain, that I walked around whistling a happy tune every time I went to work. There’s nothing that’s more fun than working with great people on great material in a role that demands a lot of me.”

“But the ironic reality of being a ‘successful actor’ - unless you’re one of the few pulling down millions per picture like Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt - is that I still have to hustle to make ends meet,” Matt says candidly. Feeling at least a tad frustrated with the business of acting, in 2017, Matt started a podcast called 10,000 No’s. 10,000 No’s being all about the kind of rejection Matt had faced as an actor - and about Matt’s positive message of perseverance. The podcast is a modern day Dick Cavett-style talk show, with Matt doing ‘Monday Morsels’, and then longer interviews on Fridays. Matt has interviewed guests from the entertainment industry ranging from Henry Winkler to Kevin Bacon, and plenty of other interesting folks, like Chris Carminucci, who was in Matt’s mom’s class at John Jay and is now Chief Scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The podcast has received some notoriety, making it to the top of some of the lists for best podcasts for actors.

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Matthew Del Negro In 2021, a former guest of Matt’s, bestselling author Jon Gordon, hooked Matt up with the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to put out a motivational book based on the podcast: 10,000 NOs - How To Overcome Rejection On The Way To Your YES. “I was flattered that Wiley thought what I had to say was worth it, and I jumped at the chance and just started writing.”

Matt says modestly. A few of the VIP testimonials on the back cover describe the book and help to reveal Matt’s character:

Excerpts from 10,000 NOs There are two common denominators behind the ability to perform well in any circumstance: overcoming anxiety, and honing your instincts. When you’re focused on serving, helping, listening to, or engaging with anyone or anything besides yourself, you have a shot at success. But if you turn your head, even for a split second, you can lose the thread and watch your performance crumble before your very eyes. P.26 The actors I know and respect are the exact opposite of the attention-seeking stereotype strolling down a red carpet.

Many are introverted and most possess enormous intelligence… acting greats have an understanding of the nuances of human behavior that is astounding. P. 27 Many times, when we berate ourselves for ‘failing,’ we realize after some time that that perceived failure was actually the stepping stone to a much larger success.

While there are many parallels …in my acting career, of carrying on in spite of how difficult an endeavor’s challenges might be, the experiences that have cut the deepest for me are not necessarily from withstanding long hours on a grueling set.

Many people in other fields, and huge stars in my own, share war stories of working months of work without a good night’s sleep. While I have a few of those, too, my toughest task has always been facing the abyss of unemployment as well as the emotional rollercoaster of near misses.

In an industry where jobs can be won or lost on the whims of an executive’s mood or any number of factors outside of my control, I have leaned heavily on a mantra of perseverance: “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other!” p.72 28

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This book feels like the perfect companion to the way Matt conducted himself every time we’ve collaborated: honest, open, thoughtful, prepared, humble, and professional. If you’re an actor looking to advance through your own tough journey or anyone looking to overcome adversity and challenges, I highly suggest reading 10,000 NOs. Lawrence Trilling, Director/Producer, Showrunner, Goliath, Parenthood I’ve known Matt since I was 20 years old. He’s always been a rock for me. There’s no one better to write a book on resilience and perseverance.

Every time I think he just may get snuffed out by another ‘No’, he pops back up and keeps marching forward.

Chris Messina, Actor, Argo, Sharp Objects, Julie & Julia, Vicky Christina Barcelona 10,000 NOs is a road map to learn how to deal with rejection and negativity and still drive forward and overcome. Matt’s story, coupled with so many other amazing individuals’, is proof that success exists beyond the darkness. This book inspires us to believe that beyond the 10,000 ‘NOs’, a ‘Yes’ is waiting.

Jason Redman, Retired Navy SEAL, New York Times bestselling author, The Trident

And starting to develop 10,000 NOs into a brand, during the pandemic Matt launched 10,000 NOs Insiders - a teleconferenced group support session for actors and other creatives. In this format, Matt talks with about 15 other actors at a time - all of whom had plenty to discuss whilst the industry was virtually shut down by the pandemic. “I’m not sure exactly where this is going,” Matt explains, “...but I’m really enjoying it, getting to know a lot of people a lot better, and love being a source of inspiration for others!”

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While Matt was reticent about providing a ‘top 10’ list of his favorite actors, movies or shows, it was easy to get him going talking about some of the roles he envies and particular performances he most admires. “Well, first and foremost, there’s Meryl Streep: she’s insane! But as a male actor I think my reference is probably more focused on male roles.

Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption is a great character for the depth of emotions he explores. I like Christian Bale in everything, but as The Fighter he was extended physically and mentally. Paul Newman as Cool Hand Luke is an all time great; no matter what role Newman ever played, you could never catch him acting. Johnny Depp is a favorite - he was awesome in Donnie Brasco and Blow. And, for me, Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall are just a couple of the greatest. When I think about roles, I love the ones that take us on a journey, like Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights, played by Mark Wahlberg; he starts out young and naive and then gradually goes through the ringer and out the other side. There’s a foreign film I love, A Prophet, in which an actor named Tahar Rahim is brilliant as his character goes through a huge span of his life in the film, not unlike Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in The Godfather. I once did a Michael Weller play called Loose Ends, and in the first scene my character was 22 years old and in the Peace Corp, and by the end of the play he’s 40 years old and divorced - getting to develop a real character like that is the ultimate.” And when pressed for a single inspiration as an actor, Matt revealed, “Well, he’s really known as a director, but Sidney Lumet’s book, Making Movies, was a huge inspiration for me early in my career because he talked so much about seeking the truth, and about collaboration and teamwork. Every chapter of Making Movies ends with the phrase, ‘we were all making the same picture’.

I’ve probably gifted that book to more people than any other book in my life.”

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Matthew Del Negro

With the business of acting back in full swing and City on a Hill in production, Matt now has two careers: Actor and Motivational Mentor. He’s frankly unsure where each will take him. Just approaching 50, the 30 years he’s been an actor are probably only the first-half of his acting career. Matt says with introspection, “One of the most challenging things about being an actor and about the 10,000 NOs - is maintaining perspective.

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through their work, and the way they lived, rubbed off on me, and that’s all I’m trying to do with my acting and, now, with the podcast, the book and all the off-shoots. A lot of people feel stuck or lost. It’s definitely easy to get knocked off course, especially for kids these days, but I believe a solid work ethic helps to keep you on track most of the time. You never know what’s around the corner… maybe tomorrow I get a call to be the next Indiana Jones… or maybe I never get another gig… I can’t control the results, but I can control the process.”

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THE

HANNELORE KAPLAN Team

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IN 202 The Hannelore Kaplan Team is grateful to have represented the Home is Everything buyer or seller, or both, in the following 2021 residential sales:

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727 Smith Ridge New Canaan $40,000 161 Dan’s Highway New Canaan $18,000 145 Gower Road New Canaan $16,000 2 Sherry Lane Darien $15,000 15 Old Stamford Road #C New Canaan $10,750 5 Church Lane Westport $10,250 79 Llewellyn Drive, New Canaan $9,500 91 Pocconock Trail New Canaan $8,000 42 Farview Road Redding $5,500 82 Shelter Rock Rd Stamford $5,550 4 Pine Brook Lane Darien $4800 57 River Street New Canaan $3,000

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LAX QUEEN: Sammy Jo Tracy

BY Suzanne Quaintance PHOTOGRAPHY: Frances Isaac

“Growing up in Bedford, I always felt that the sky was the limit!” professional lacrosse player and two-time collegiate national champion, Sammy Jo Tracy, recalls.

“My parents moved from Manhattan to Bedford to start a family and I have often told them that I don’t think they could have chosen a better place to settle.

My best friends, Danielle Morgan, Fiona Parchardis, and Victoria Dey, have been my friends since kindergarten - and that’s pretty special - and pretty unusual!” she laughs. Sammy Jo comes across as a very humble, thoughtful and articulate young woman, but with the sense that a great competitive energy is always bubbling just below the surface. “My dad would always say that ‘there’s always somebody out there working harder’ - and that really resonated with me. I felt like the hard work would pay off, no matter what it was I decided to do. And everyone in the community was always so supportive of me. Bedford is a good environment for fostering achievement.”

Sammy Jo’s father, Dan Tracy, was a three-time AllAmerican at perennial lacrosse powerhouse, University of Maryland, and taught Sammy Jo the game. “It wasn’t until high school when I started playing for Fox Lane and for a club team in New Jersey, that my 36

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dad wasn’t my coach. Although I have to say, with all the driving my mom had to do taking me to practice, and to play with that New Jersey team, and to all the summer tournaments, she gets honorable mention as a coach for me, too!” (The Tracys must have been doing something right - Sammy Jo’s younger brother also went on to play college lacrosse, at the University of Utah.)

Sammy Jo played lacrosse and volleyball at Fox Lane, and made the varsity lacrosse team in 8th grade. “Being the youngest on the team taught me a lot about being respectful to the older girls, while still hopefully finding a way to contribute.” Until her sophomore year, she wasn’t sure which sport might take her to college. But when lacrosse coaches from the University of Virginia, Duke, Northwestern and the University of North Carolina came calling, her path became clear. She decided to attend the University of North Carolina and play as a Midfielder and Draw Control Specialist.

(For the uninitiated in women’s lacrosse terminology, a Draw Control Specialist is akin to the face-off or tip-off position in other sports. In lacrosse, the draw determines possession - and controlling possession from the draw can win or lose games.)

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“Freshman year in college was a difficult time for me - as I think it is for most people,” Sammy Jo reveals.

“You’re coming into college after having been a very successful player in high school and on your club team - and then you realize that you have to prove yourself all over again.” During that first season at UNC, Sammy Jo sustained a serious foot injury and had to miss games while fighting through what turned out to be a broken bone in her foot. “I learned a lot about patience, working hard and making adjustments that year.” She eventually worked her way back into the starting lineup and scored the winning goal in the 2013 National Championship game! “I believe everything happens for a reason. If I hadn’t been injured, I wouldn’t have had to work as hard on myself and my game, which ultimately made me a better player.”

Sammy Jo’s performance at UNC puts her at the top of women’s college lacrosse history.

She is a two-time All-American, and holds the records at UNC for the most career draw controls, the most draw controls in an individual season, and the most draw controls in an individual game. She also scored 40 goals a year as an Attacker! During her four years at UNC, she led the Lady Tarheels to two National Championships and two ACC Championship titles.

Sammy Jo turned pro after college, playing in the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League for three years. She has recently signed for a second season with Athletes Unlimited, an innovative professional sports league organization founded by another Bedford native, Jonathan Soros, and partner Jon Patricot, which follows a fantasy league format, focusing solely on women’s sports. Players get paid based on their individual statistics at the end of the season.

“Athletes Unlimited is a game-changer for women’s sports. Not long ago, getting paid to play wouldn’t have been an option for female lacrosse players, but now we can actually see a future. I’m so grateful to be able to continue playing, and to help grow the game.” Sammy Jo’s team donates half of all their earnings to their designated charity - Harlem Lacrosse - and Sammy Jo runs clinics for and mentors athletes from that charity as well.

After graduating from UNC with a degree in Communications, Sammy Jo turned her expertise into a business and founded the Draw Control Academy; a camp designed for high school girls, which operates in various locations throughout the Tri-State area as well as in places where lacrosse is just beginning to make gains in popularity, such as Wyoming, Colorado and Texas. She is passionate about working with younger athletes and sharing the experience she has gained both on and off the field. Sammy Jo has also had the opportunity to travel to Germany and Japan to work with their respective national teams. With more games being broadcast on TV and the sport recently being added to the roster for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Sammy Jo declares, “It’s a very exciting time in women’s lacrosse!”

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“I believe that you have to take what you want in life - you can’t just sit back and hope things will go your way.”

Recently split from her professional soccer player boyfriend, Sammy was looking for an opportunity to start a new chapter in her life back on the East Coast. Putting together her love for the game of lacrosse and her passion for coaching, Sammy took the position of Assistant Coach at Harvard University this past September. “I love working with the student-athletes at Harvard.

Of course, academics always come first, which is not always the case elsewhere, but these athletes are very motivated to continually look for ways to improve.” Tracy relishes the role of mentor and credits Harvard’s Head Coach, Devin Wills, a three-time All-American at Dartmouth and a legendary goalie for the US National Team, with inspiring her to make a difference in young womens’ lives. Sammy Jo also likes to focus on the mental toughness aspect of competition which she feels translates easily into skills these young women can use for the rest of their lives.

“I believe that you have to take what you want in life - you can’t just sit back and hope things will go your way.” She also hopes to teach players about finding a connection with each other and coming together as a team. “No one else knows what you’re going through except for your fellow teammates, who are also balancing their academic, athletic and personal lives. There are a lot of talented players out there, but I’ve found that the teams that succeed at the highest levels have formed a strong bond which gets them through the tough times.”

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Obviously, staying fit is critical to an elite athlete such as Sammy Jo. She earned her certification as a yoga instructor while still in college and loves to practice with Alison Arnon at O2 in Cross River. She also makes sure to head to Athletes Warehouse in nearby Pleasantville for training sessions with fellow Fox Lane grad, Nick Serio. “Nick and Alison have changed the way I work out. I never miss an opportunity to see them when I’m in Bedford.”

From her new digs at Harvard, Sammy Jo can hop in her car for a visit home any time. ...And when Sammy Jo comes home - after catching up with friends - you can find her throwing a lacrosse ball around, usually with her dad and her brother, right out on the fields at Fox Lane.

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SHATTERING THE ICE CEILING

AJ MLECZKO GRISWOLD

BY Marilyn Shapiro-Lowell PHOTOGRAPHY: Andrea Ceraso

AJ is a pioneer, a great, and a legend in women’s ice hockey...and a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Most notably, as a player, AJ led Team USA to a Gold Medal at the first-timefor-women’s-hockey 1998 Nagano Olympic Games, returned to Harvard to lead the Crimson to a National Championship in 1999, and then led Team USA to a Silver Medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. And now, she’s a leading National Hockey League analyst, having just moved from NBC to ESPN - and she’s a pioneering woman in that role as well.

Whether she is chasing down a puck on the ice in a pick-up game of hockey, flying to her next hockey assignment as an ESPN Game Analyst, tending to her mom, or being mom in her own active family of five, AJ Mleczko Griswold is a woman to watch - and New Canaan’s own ‘ice’-breaking champion of women’s ice hockey.

AJ grew up in New Canaan, in a house at the corner of Ponus Ridge and Frogtown. Part of an athletic, high-energy family, AJ is the daughter of Bambi, an artist who now suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease, and Tom Mleczko, who was a Science Teacher and Coach at New Canaan Country School from 1974 to 1995. AJ attended New Canaan Country School, as did her older sister, Wink, and her younger brother, Jason. While at NCCS, AJ played on the boys’ varsity ice hockey team, coached by her dad, and the team’s 1990 yearbook page indicates that AJ began the season at defense and then switched to forward.

“I think that sports were something that we just did,” she recalled. “It wasn’t necessarily a focus that we ‘had’ to play sports.” AJ started figure skating very young, but behind Wink.

But by the age of five-and-a-half, AJ saw some kids playing hockey, and thought it looked fun. Her parents supported her decision, and soon enough she was suiting up. She recalls that she continued her figure skating, behind the better Wink, until fourth grade, even though she was already playing hockey, because her parents were “big believers in resilience and commitment.” She reflects jokingly, “Who knows if there could be a psychological side of switching to hockey because Wink was so good at figure skating, but I knew I wanted to do something on my own. Of course, everyone else thought it was sort of cute and it wouldn’t last.” ...She certainly proved them all wrong!

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Indeed, some of AJ’s fondest New Canaan memories are growing up skating with and at New Canaan Country School and the New Canaan Winter Club, and playing in pick-up games on Hardon Pond. But, notwithstanding the NCCS ice time, there were no traveling teams available to AJ as she started to get better, so she played with the Winter Club’s house team. Eventually, she aged onto the Squirt League, which was the next level up. It was a traveling team and she had to compete in tryouts. Bill Evans, who is now in his 90’s, evaluated her for the team, and determined that she was good enough to play. AJ fondly remembers, “But he also understood that it was a big deal - because no other girls played!

So, he called my parents and asked them if they were prepared to go down this road. They said, ‘yes,’ and I got on the phone with him and learned that I made the team. I was jumping up and down!”

Of course, New Canaan Country School takes great pride in AJ’s achievement - in hockey and in life.

This Spring they will be honoring her with their Alumni Award. Head of School Aaron Cooper said, “AJ is a trailblazer, worldclass athlete, accomplished team leader, talented analyst, respected on-air sports professional and dedicated wife, daughter and mother. It gives me great pride to recognize her for her numerous accomplishments. Our athletic program is aimed at promoting the lifelong enjoyment of physical activity and a healthy attitude toward athletic competition, and producing team players and natural leaders. We think AJ represents the best of New Canaan Country School.”

She played on the Squirt team for two years and then advanced to the Pee Wee League. That was followed by the Bantam League - which her father coached. That year ‘checking’ - slamming one’s body into another - was introduced, and some of the parents were up in arms, but AJ’s parents were okay with it. She learned to evade the checks and, to this day, jokes, “I’m not the typical hockey player...my teeth are all real, see!”

And NCCS Director of Athletics Keri Kern went on to say, “Following in the footsteps of accomplished female athletes such as AJ has undoubtedly been inspirational for many girls in our ice hockey program and our athletic programs generally. We shifted from a co-ed to an all-girls’ ice hockey program in 2007-08 and, although AJ still has the top shelf in the trophy case, we continue to produce some notable hockey alums; including, Paige Lewis, who went on to play for Cornell, and Meghan Halloran, who is the current captain of the Williams College team. It’s a unique feature of our program that we offer the ability to skate in kindergarten through fourth-grade.

By seventh grade, she made the varsity team at NCCS - which her dad also coached. Although she had been playing defense, in ninth grade her father switched her to be an offensive forward, “which I hated”, she says with a slightly forced smile. Then, as AJ went on to The Taft School in Watertown, CT, she continued on offense, and was placed at center. During high school, she was selected to participate in US Hockey Development Camps and became part of the pool of emerging elite players within USA Hockey. “The game was different then, because girls and women’s hockey were new, and the depth wasn’t there,” AJ explained. In fact, Taft was her first experience playing on an exclusively girls’ team! In 1992, while still in high school, the Olympic Committee announced women’s ice hockey would be included in the 1998 Nagano Games - and AJ set her sights on making the team.

Utilizing the New Canaan Winter Club’s open-air ice rink located across from NCCS’s campus, each winter NCCS students in kindergarten through fourth-grade enjoy regular opportunities to ice skate during the school day as part of the physical education program; fifth-and sixth-grade students are given the opportunity to participate on a co-ed intramural ice hockey team, and seventh- through ninth-grade students are placed on ability-based teams through a tryout period each preseason.

“Every student has a chance to participate at a level that complements their skill level, so that each can experience success and growth as an athlete. It’s at this level that the girls begin playing as a distinct team and competing in a Fairchester League against other girls’ teams.” said Kern.

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Based on her academic and athletic achievements at New Canaan Country School and at Taft, AJ was recruited by Harvard to play on the NCAA Division I Women’s ‘Crimson’ Ice Hockey Team. And, just as she had planned, AJ took a break from Harvard during her Junior year, to play with Team USA in the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games. In the final, Team USA beat Canada, 3-1, with AJ leading the Team to what was the first Olympic Gold Medal in the history of women’s ice hockey. “It was a very close, very heated battle,” AJ recalls. “We had always lost to Canada in major tournaments, so this was considered a big upset!” And as if preparing for the games in Nagano wasn’t enough, AJ also worked on the side as an on-air analyst for NBC! Fresh off Olympic Gold, AJ returned to finish her senior year at Harvard in 1999, and led the Crimson to a National Championship. She also received the coveted Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top college women’s ice hockey player in the U.S.; with criteria including individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness, academic achievement and civic involvement.

Then, three years later, still playing with Team USA, AJ returned to the Winter Olympics to play in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games - and she led Team USA to the Silver Medal! At her dad’s insistence, she’d shifted to play offense for New Canaan Country School, and she’d played offense all through Taft, Harvard, and the Nagano Olympics, but for 2002 in Salt Lake City, her coach switched her back to defense. About that, AJ says, “I felt like I’d come full circle. When I got back to defense, even at the highest level, I thought ‘oh, this is actually where I belong’.” But about the Silver, AJ remarks, “Medaling in two Olympics was outstanding, but it was a bitter pill when we were the favorites and Canada upset us for the Gold in 2002.”

Having gotten off to an ‘olympic’ start as an analyst doing commentary for NBC at the Nagano Olympics, AJ has now established herself as one of the leading analysts - male or female - of the - still-all-male - NHL. But in the broadcasting business, like on the ice when she was a kid, she’s had to prove herself as a woman-in-a-man’s-world… AJ made history in 2018, when, with NBC Sports, she was the first woman to work as an in-booth analyst for an NHL postseason game. Most recently, in 2021, AJ signed on to the ESPN broadcast team as a game and studio analyst for the NHL and the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four.

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Confidence.

It’s built over time.

Our students graduate with the courage to have a point of view and the skills to express it, honed through years of practice.

She lives in Concord, Massachusetts, and is married to Jason Griswold.

They have four children: Finley, 18, who heads off to play lacrosse at Bowdoin College next fall; Jamie, 15, a sophomore, and hockey player at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts; Sam, 14, who is a hockey goalie and was just certified as a hockey referee, and; Oliver, 10, who plays “any sport you put in front of him,” AJ laughs.

UPCOMING ADMISSION EVENTS

Because her job as an NHL analyst keeps her pretty busy and on-the-road quite a bit, she makes every effort to be home in Concord as much as possible. She reports that she’s coached her kids throughout youth hockey, that she plays in some charity games, and that “I’m still usually up for a good game of pond hockey!”

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Still, she says, “I love to see old friends from New Canaan. I always treasure the walk down memory lane. And some of my New Canaan friends even come to visit with me in the broadcasting booth before NHL games and we get to catch up. It’s funny how I’ve always felt connected with New Canaan...and now, with my being on ESPN, at least all the NHL fans in New Canaan - which, I think, is just about everyone - are re-connected with me.”

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HOMETOWN

HERO ZACH

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ZACH ALLEN is 24 years old, 6’ 5”,

285 lbs., runs a 4.9 40 yard dash, can bench press 430 lbs., and was the #65 draft pick in the 2019 National Football League Draft. Now in his third season, he’s #94, a starting Defensive End, on the league-leading Arizona Cardinals.

He’s a big man competing against other big men in the big business of NFL football...and a hometown hero, who’s a reflection of everything good about growing up in New Canaan.

ALLEN

BY Michael Kaplan

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Photo: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images / Cardinals vs. 49ers Sept 13, 2020

Zach always stood-out. He was an honor student all through public school at West Elementary, Saxe Middle School, and New Canaan High School, and a popular kid, liked by all. “I grew up in a very comfortable and healthy environment. My parents, Michael and Irene, are both MBAs, and my dad is the CFO of a big company, and they certainly had high expectations of me and my sister, Alexandra, who’s now a senior at Duke. It could be underwater basket weaving, but doing the best that you could, and prioritizing school, were a given. Trying your hardest was non-negotiable. After that, let the chips fall where they may. I’m very fortunate. My family has always been supportive of me in every way.”

Maybe ‘normal’ by New Canaan standards - except Zach was also always the best athlete and the biggest kid in his grade. “My first love was baseball, and as a kid I really dreamed and thought about being a professional baseball player. Derek Jeter was my hero,” Zach recalls.

“And I was pretty good at basketball and continued to play until my junior year in high school, and I played New Canaan Youth Football. The football program for kids up to 8th grade in New Canaan is very strong, and I was lucky to have Ted Dumbauld, a New Canaan dad who was a linebacker at Navy and is in the College Football Hall of Fame, as my defensive coach.

We won two Fairfield County Championships, and I learned a lot about discipline and teamwork on that team. When I showed up for football in 8th grade at Saxe, I was as big as the coaches and the biggest kid on the team, so they put me on the line, and it wasn’t as much fun as playing baseball.

The summer after 8th grade, I played on a Fairfield County baseball travel team, and I was being recruited by a team in

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Southern Jersey to take baseball to the next level. When I tried out for Rams Football in 9th grade, they put me on the line again because of my size, despite my view that I had the skills and ability to play tight end or linebacker. So I actually decided to tell Coach Marinelli that I was going to quit football to concentrate instead on baseball, and my parents supported that went to e year his team ch pitching...th decision. But when I went in to talk 10 year old Za ld Series in Louisiana.

Wor with Coach Marinelli, he said ‘No the Cal Ripken Way. You gotta play football. Give me your father’s phone number.’ and explained how football would be my ticket to college and a lot more...and told me he’d see me at practice. Then, about 15 minutes after I left that meeting, my dad called me and said ‘Maybe we should give football another try’. I still don’t know what Coach said to my dad - or how much it had to do with how tired my parents were of the endless long-distance driving and overnights that go along with playing high-level youth baseball - but I owe it all to Coach Marinelli. He was a great coach and teacher and a powerful influence in my life, and he’s 2015: Zach a well-known figure when it signs his le tter of inte C ol le comes to college admissions.” ge with his nt to pla fa mily and C oa

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Coach Lou Marinelli, now coaching football for the 41st year at New Canaan High School and for the 50th year of his legendary career, including dozens of Championships and, most important, hundreds of kids who went on to play college football and who, like Zach, say Marinelli ‘changed their life’, says, “I’m so touched that Zach would mention me. It’s actually Zach who impacted me. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the role model for what every young man should be. He comes from a good and supportive family, who held him to a very high standard, but all the drive and desire came from Zach and, while his parents were always supportive, they would have been fine with Zach pursuing a career in business. Zach was the kind of kid who led by example, and at the same time pushed the kids around him to get the best out of them.

He made me look good as a coach!

And as great a student athlete as he was, he was a real scholar as well. In the three years he played with the Rams, we won two State Championships and got to the Semi-Finals in the other. In his senior year, Zach was recognized as the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, New Haven Register State Player of the Year, Connecticut High School Coaches Association Player of the Year, and the MSG Connecticut Varsity Player of the Year, and was named to the Walter Camp All-Connecticut High School Team and the USA Today All-USA Connecticut Team. And probably most important to Zach, and his family, he was named the National Football Foundation’s National High School ScholarAthlete for the Northeast Region.”

But despite all that, as Coach Marinelli puts it, “None of us

Zach get

s a pep t alk from

his Dad

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ZACH ALLEN

ever thought ‘NFL’ - even though I’ve had a few kids who’ve gone on to play pro - because it’s just not the way you think in high school. There are too many variables and too many things have to happen.” Zach says about it, “When I started playing football in high school I thought maybe I could play at a good Division III college.

Then, when I was a sophomore in high school, I had my first college interview - with Pitt. I thought it went pretty well, finished classes that day, went to practice, then home. At dinner, my parents were acting kind of weird and started asking all kinds of questions about what I thought about the Pitt interview. If I wanted to go to Pitt? And when I asked what was up, they explained that the Pitt interviewer had made me an offer to play at Pitt during the interview!

I had no idea! I actually committed early to play at Northwestern, but when it came down to the wire during my senior year, I decided Boston College was the right place for me. BC did have a good history of sending players to the NFL, like Matt Ryan, but the NFL was still just a dream at that point.”

“What really distinguished Zach as a high school athlete - besides his tremendous size and agility - was his inner drive, focus and determination,” Coach Marinelli recalled. “I remember we were at a camp up at Boston College with some of the Rams players before Zach had finally committed where to go to college.

The BC Coach, Steve Adazzio, who’d been pursuing Zach, was watching the practice, and Zach told me beforehand that he intended to make an impression. ...He proceeded to put on a memorable demonstration!

He even purposefully traded places in line in drills so he would come up against the biggest opponent - or any opponent he could find who had already committed to go to BC - and he simply dominated!”

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ALTHOUGH THE NFL MAY HAVE BEEN JUST A DREAM,

the somewhat audacious idea of becoming a major-league professional athlete is actually not a foreign concept growing up in New Canaan.

Zach was aware that the National Hockey League star, Max Pacioretty, was from New Canaan, and only a few years ahead of him in school. And Zach grew up in awe of New Canaanite Curt Casali, now a Major League Baseball veteran star catcher, who was the older brother of his good friend Chase Casali, and whose dad, Louis Casali, had been Zach’s youth baseball coach.

“When Curt used to come to talk to a group of us or do a public practice, I was so excited I could hardly pay attention. I went off to Boston College just hoping to get to play and have some fun with it. Although I do have to admit,” Zach starts to retell, honestly and openly, and with a warm smile, “that my English teacher, Mr. McAteer, pulled me into his classroom on our last day of high school - and I actually thought that I might be in trouble or something. And he pulls a piece of paper out of his desk that turns out to be signed by Max Pacioretty and Curt Casali, and Mr. McAteer explains that he taught Max and Curt, and that those two signed it after they became professionals, and that it was one of his most treasured possessions...and by asking me to add my signature upon high school graduation he was placing a great responsibility on me - which at least he knew I could achieve of going on to the NFL!”

And then Zach adds, referring to the remarkable fact that Lucas Niang, who was in the class behind Zach at NCHS, is now also playing in the NFL, with the Kansas City Chiefs, “I don’t know if Mr. McAteer got Lucas to sign it too, but it certainly got me thinking when he had me sign...”

“It wasn’t until the end of my sophomore year at Boston College, that I really got the idea that I could play in the NFL,” Zach remembers. “I played pretty well 66

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as a Freshman and as a Sophomore, but I was playing behind Harold Landry - and then he was drafted, and he’s playing with the Titans now.

I’d seen the work ethic that it takes... and I determined to get to work at it. I realized that with my size and abilities, it was all about how bad you want it. My parents weren’t really so thrilled, because I stayed up at school that summer to get extra workouts in through the offseason. I was doing two- and three-a-days. I was all-in on football! And then I sort of broke-out in my Junior year, and started to have ZACH ALLEN

every agent reaching out telling me I was headed to the NFL. Boston College was really great for me. All the football players live on campus in pretty nice suites for 8 guys, and I had plenty of friends who were around all the time. I’m still friends with a half-dozen guys who I played with at BC who are now playing in the NFL, including AJ Dillon on the Green Bay Packers, Wyatt Ray on the Cincinnati Bengals, and Will Harris on the Detroit Lions. And I graduated with a 3.7 GPA from the Carroll School of Management.”

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Zach signed the standard 4-year initial NFL contract, to play for the Arizona Cardinals, in 2019. ...But getting the chance to play, and earning and keeping a spot on the roster, can be two very different things! Although he got a taste of playing at the NFL level and held his own, Zach suffered pinched nerves in his neck and missed 13 games in his rookie season. Zach says, “It just made me more determined and made me realize I had to work even harder in the weight room and get even bigger and stronger. I had a great offseason and came back in 2020 ready to play. Although I missed a few games because of a high-ankle injury last season, I’d been putting up pretty good stats in just about all the games I’d played in. Then, in the 2020 Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, I had 11 tackles! They told me I became the first defensive lineman in the NFL to record at least 11 tackles, a sack, and a pass deflected in one game since Willie McGinest did it for the Patriots in 2003! I think the biggest hurdle for young players is gaining confidence, and that’s probably when I realized I really belong.”

“And along those lines, I gotta say, there’s nothing quite like playing NFL defensive end with JJ Watt on the other 68

end of the line!”, Zach says about the all-star Watt, who joined the Cardinals in 2021 - Zach’s third year in the league. With a hint of the admiration Zach had as a kid for Jeter, and echoing Coach Marinelli’s description of Zach, Zach says about his teammate, “JJ’s everything you’ve read about him - and more! He leads by example and he brings out the best in everybody around him.

He’s always totally positive and supportive. And he’s a great friend! We hang out and watch Formula One Racing and Premier League Soccer. I have to tell you, getting advice from the best in the business is priceless, and it’s really a special thing when JJ gets in the huddle and says ‘Great Play Allen!’.” Although Zach had Covid and missed a couple of games this season, his numbers in 2021 have been impressive. He recovered a fumble in Week 10 against the Panthers, and he had a game-deciding one-handed pick and runback in Week 13 against the Chicago Bears. At this point in the season, like a real pro, Zach is saying all the things, like ‘We’re just taking it one game at a time’, that a pro on a best-record top-rated contending team is supposed to say about going to the Superbowl. And as the ultimate measure that he ‘really belongs’, Zach has been nominated for the NFL Pro Bowl!

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Turn What You Love Into Where You Live

About life, Zach says, “I’m quite literally living the dream. Playing in the NFL is beyond all expectations.

Contrary to what a lot of people may think, at least as far as I’ve seen, the NFL is not about partying all night. It’s about hard work - 12 to 14 hours a day - every single day.

And your preparation and discipline have a direct impact on your personal performance. When you win it’s much better than when you lose - and as a pro you have to have a mental balance about that. But I’m having the most fun you can imagine. And we like Phoenix. I trained for the NFL Combine in Phoenix, and was really happy about getting to settle in the area when I got picked by the Cardinals.

My girlfriend, Molly McKenzie, and I have been dating since college, we have a pretty cool place, she’s got a job she can do remotely, and we have a Bernadoodle named Bean - because we met in ‘Beantown’.

My family is really proud, and along with some friends, and Coach Marinelli, they’ve come to some games - and that’s something very special. I think they’d come to every game, but they understand I’m really focused on doing my job, and they don’t want to be a distraction.”

Zach is present. It’s a vital and refreshing aspect of his clear and focused demeanor and the “drive and desire” Coach Marinelli described.

Looking no further than ‘one game at a time’, Zach eschews questions

about what’s next in his career and where he’ll be for his next contract, saying, “I try to focus on what I can control, today. I’m focused on my position with the Arizona Cardinals, right now. Next year is next year. I’ll let my agent, Tommy Condon, from Creative Artists, do the negotiating.”

As for life after the NFL, Zach smiles and says, “Ya know, when I was a rookie, Terrell Suggs told me that ‘the minute you start thinking about what happens when the NFL is over...it is!’. This job has a 100% early retirement rate. I’m gonna try to play as long as I can, and leave on my own terms. After that, who knows.” And about Molly, Zach smiles again, and says, “Ya know, when I was at freshman orientation at Boston College, a Dean polled the auditorium and asked the students ‘How many of you have parents who met at Boston College?’ - and I was

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more than surprised when maybe a quarter of the kids in the room raised their hands! I guess I get it now.”

Still, when his NFL schedule permits, Zach loves coming home to New Canaan. When he’s in town, he makes his regular daily stop at Tony’s for his regular three ‘Meat Lovers Breakfast Sandwiches’. He sees some favorite cousins who live in Westchester.

He works out at Prentiss Hockey Performance with Ben Prentiss and Rob Dombrowski. And what Zach doesn’t talk about...Coach Marinelli does....adding, “Zach never misses a chance to come do an appearance for my team or for younger kids in town, help-out giving a clinic, take the time to talk to each kid, sign an autograph, give away a glove. He’s an example of how to be an example.

He’s a hometown hero and, frankly, I’m honored to know him.”

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Safety, always

Privacy, please

No one likes to think about the “what ifs” that can occur during delivery, but the truth is it’s important to choose a hospital that is well-equipped to safely handle any situation.

No worries here: Each of the Hospital’s postpartum rooms is completely private, which may be an additional reassurance these days, and has a pull-out bed so your partner can stay with you. Whether it’s to bond with your baby or focus on nursing, this is your time to revel in the peacefulness of the moment -- especially since it’ll likely be in short supply for the next, oh, 18 years or so.

“Northern Westchester Hospital has a Level III NICU -- It’s a perinatal designation, which means that the hospital has the expertise and technology to care for both sick babies and their mothers,” explains Dr. Rick Stafford, director of neonatology. “We can take care of premature newborns born as early as 26 weeks and weighing as little as 1.5 pounds,” says Stafford.

As for the fact that COVID-19 is still a looming presence, “We understand your worries, but please know that our level of care for you and your baby hasn’t changed,” says Lorraine Owens. “Patient safety is our utmost priority.” The Hospital even hosts a live virtual forum each month that lets expectant parents connect with experts, including the chief of OB-GYN, chief of pediatrics, nurse managers and lactation specialists, all ready and happy to share what it’s like to deliver at Northern Westchester Hospital during a pandemic.

Baby Talk

BY Michelle Bodak Acri

T

here’s no denying that having a baby is a big decision. In fact, as author/educator Elizabeth Stone so famously put it, the decision to have a child “is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body” – life-changing, breathtaking and, let’s be honest, downright terrifying.

The good news? Northern Westchester Hospital is here to help.

Northern Westchester Hospital, part of Northwell Health, delivers more than 1,600 babies each year – and has been doing so for, well, far longer than you mamas-to-be reading this have been alive. Its maternity program is built on four pillars of strength: high-quality care, safety, privacy, and comfort, each designed to make every birthing experience as worry-free and wonder-filled as possible.

So, take a deep breath, mama. You’ve got this -- your mother-baby team at Northern Westchester Hospital will make sure of it.

Quality care High-quality, patient-centered maternity care at the Hospital begins with Mother-Baby Navigator Lorraine Owens, your personal guide to all things baby. Lorraine meets with each expectant mother between 22 and 24 weeks to get to know you and prepare an individualized birth profile; she coordinates care between Northern Westchester Hospital and your obstetrician’s office; and is known to have exceptionally strong shoulders for new mothers to lean on.

The Hospital also offers virtual “Baby University” classes for new parents, grandparents and even siblings. Classes on everything from breastfeeding and infant safety to grandparenting 101 are taught live by childbirth educators, lactation consultants and maternity nurses from Northern Westchester Hospital.

Even when baby must stay in the NICU, “We make every effort to keep parents involved in the care of their newborn,” says Dr. Stafford. Mother/baby skin-to-skin contact happens as soon as possible. Just say the word and you receive comprehensive breastfeeding support.

Maternal visitation is offered 24/7. A complimentary room is typically available if you’re discharged before your baby can go home and, better yet, AngelEye technology offers families secure live- streaming visual/ audio access to your NICU newborn.

Comfort matters “Our goal is to help you have a safe, meaningful birth experience,” says Lorraine Owens. “That means you have plenty of options, and the comfort of knowing that our priority is always a healthy outcome for you and your baby.” Northern Westchester Hospital respects religious and cultural preferences and has a Michelin-star chef who can accommodate any dietary requests new moms may have. Your partner/support person is welcome in the labor-and-delivery room, and the Hospital is happy to welcome your doula as part of the team.

When it’s time to get the show on the road, Northern Westchester Hospital will help you deliver the way you want, whether that means minimal intervention, the max in pain relief, a planned induction or a “gentle” C-section that enables you to play a more active role in your birthing experience – which means modifications like a clear drape that lets you witness your baby’s first moments and strategically placed EKG electrodes that allow skin-to-skin contact seconds after birth.

Interested in learning more about the maternity experience at Northern Westchester Hospital? Mother-Baby Navigator Lorraine Owens can be reached at (914) 666-1840. And remember: Once your baby is born, the Hospital is still here for your family. As a member of Northwell Health, NWH has been able to expand its ability to bring top-rated pediatric specialists, state-of- the-art technology, and a full range of support programs to Westchester. Learn more at nwh.northwell.edu/pediatrics

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Frances Ryan is 19 and grew up in Pound Ridge with her mom Pam, step-dad Brian, younger sister Aggie, and two dogs Kenny and Luke (who the family is still ‘fostering’... but who has managed to stick around for over four years). She attended Rippowam Cisqua, where she was the only girl on the tackle football team. As a kid, she always played whatever sports were available, including soccer, softball, basketball and flag football.

Frances went to high school at the Wooster School in Danbury. Head of School, Matt Byrnes, speaks in glowing terms about Frances, saying, “Researchers and theorists talk a lot about the concept of ‘directed practice’, which is the idea that in order to master more complex concepts and/or perform at higher levels, learners need to continually work on the basic elements of process. In over twenty-five years of teaching and coaching, I have never had a student athlete who was more dedicated to directed practice than Frannnie — and who loved doing it more. She was literally in the gym practicing the important ‘moves’ for basketball during every spare minute, and it was wonderful to see her performance improve so remarkably over the time that she was at Wooster School.

She was a great role model for other students in this regard — hard work and practice were her calling cards.”

And Jeff Carone, Wooster’s Director of Athletics, adds “For as good a player as Frannie was, evidenced by scoring over 1,000 points in a career that included a truncated Covid season, she was an even better teammate.

Frannie was always striving to make basketball fun and challenging for her teammates with her combination of competitive fire, infectious smile, and self deprecating humor. She cared deeply for her teammates, friends, coaches and teachers - demonstrating this on a daily basis with her actions.”

Now, Frances is a freshman at Middlebury College, where she plays on the NCAA Division III basketball team.

RUN

L R I G G NIN

BY Casey Kaplan

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rhonda Spevak

You’ve seen her out there...running. That long-legged girl with the long blonde ponytail, athletic sportswear, and a backpack, running… everywhere! She was out there on Oenoke when you were driving from Pound Ridge to New Canaan, she was on Westchester Ave when you went from Pound Ridge to Bedford, she was on 123 if you were headed to South Salem, and on Route 22 if you were going from Armonk to Katonah.

An apparition. Omnipresent. Always out there, long stride, bounce in her step, and...movin’!

We couldn’t stop talking about her. Who was she? Why was she running - so much? ...So we dubbed her ‘Running Girl’. And then we heard the people at the next table out at lunch in New Canaan talking about her. And then folks at the tennis club who’d passed her on the way through North Salem. And then she was the topic of conversation at a dinner party in Mt. Kisco. Who was this Running Girl?

I decided I’d stop her the next time I saw her around. And just like that, the next day, as I was driving through Pound Ridge, there she was, coming toward me on the other side of the road. Bounding into town with that blond hair whipping back and forth. Looking calm, cool and collected, and showing no sign of whatever distance she’d already covered. I pulled into the parking lot next to Design Solutions so I could cut her off. I opened the window as she approached and, realizing that I didn’t know what to call her, I said, “Um, excuse me, running girl?”…

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It would be easy to assume that Frances is some kind of track star, but she reveals “Actually, I didn’t take up running until fairly recently.” As for many, Frances’ penchant for running was born out of the Covid quarantine. She had started going out for shorter runs in 2017, mainly to exercise Kenny and Luke. Over time, as one of the dogs started aging - and Frances got faster - she started going out on some runs without them. But it wasn’t until quarantine that she had all of this time on her hands. Like many of us, she was looking for a healthy outlet… and just like that, she started running.

In large part, running has been a bit of a respite for Frances. She shared that she, like so many, has, from time to time, struggled with depression, and explained that running has really helped.

The challenge, combined with Frances’ love of being outdoors, and of course the natural rush of endorphins, all help Frances channel her focus and energy.

“I didn’t really like running at all before. I wasn’t super fast. When I first started running with my dogs I’d run a little, but then they’d stop to sniff stuff so I couldn’t really go out for consistent runs. When I started going out without them and realizing I could push it further every day, I got more and more into it because it became fun. I really like a challenge, and I’m competitive, so I liked seeing that every day I could build and do more and more,” Frances explained. “I don’t really have a plan. I leave the house and kind of go wherever my feet take me. Last summer, I was doing about twenty miles a day.”

She typically listens to rap, EDM, or pop. The runs have a seemingly meditative element for Frances, “sometimes when I’m running I think about how hard running is and I think about how much further I need to go. When I get into rhythm though, my mind is pretty clear and I just think about whatever crosses my mind as if I’m not even running. It’s very peaceful. Sometimes I’m more focused on my pace so I will think about that and try to keep up. And then depending on the temperature I could be thinking how cold/hot it is.”

A bit baffled, I tried to press Frances further and further to get to the root of why, and how, she was out running twenty miles a day… for fun!?!? “But isn’t it part of your basketball training?”, “Are you planning on running a marathon?”, “Do you have some goal you’re trying to reach?” … but Frances’ answer to all of those questions is “no,” or rather, a very sweet and reserved, “not really.”

Despite her amazing athletic ability, Frances doesn’t intend to train for or run a marathon despite her mom’s encouragement to do so, and isn’t really sure what the end game is with running. “It’s really just a hobby that’s become a big part of my life,” Frances says. She is, about running and generally, a bit shy, completely humble, and certainly not one to brag about her running or anything else. It took a few direct questions in a row for Frances to allow, “Well, I run a 5:30 mile, but I usually run longer distance. My typical pace for a fifteen mile run is about 7 to 7:30 per mile.”

Although running isn’t taking any structured form in Frances’ life at this point, she seemed amused by people’s interest in her - in ‘Running Girl’. She quipped, “I think it’s kind of funny that everyone knows who I am - or, at least, has seen me running.

Sometimes when I’m running I think about what people must be thinking about me. A lot of people have stopped me to ask questions – you definitely weren’t the first! In the summer it was probably one or two people a day stopping me and leading up to the Olympics people were asking if I was training and if I was an Olympic athlete! People always say how they see me all the time, and all over the place… it’s kind of cool.”

For Frances it’s really a lot like it was for Forrest Gump, and as he explained his spontaneous running back and forth across the U.S., “I just felt like running.”

Frances’ current favorite songs on her running playlist:

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BUILDING A DREAM HOME IN KATONAH

Martin Kline, Plus Minus (II), 2015, Encaustic on linen, 64 x 118 x 2 1/2 inches Photo Credit: Andy Wainwright

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The shingle-style home with a gambrel roof is perched on the highest point of the property, with substantial front and back yards. The layout of the house is meticulous. The staircase is my favorite part of the house. I love center hall colonials - I want to look through the front door and into the backyard. And we wanted to be able to really highlight the staircase as a focal point of the house. The railing has no newel post… just a sleek and elegant curve at the top. There are great sight lines,” Dylan says. The staircase serves as a centerpoint for a mostly open-floor-plan first floor

where each space is identified with large cased openings and defining trims.

Natural light was a major focus since their last house was constructed around a center hallway with very little natural light. Dylan explains, “we made it a point to have windows in every area of the house; like on the main upstairs landing that connects the four bedrooms.

Similarly, we used an accordion door to open the kitchen and dining area up to the backyard patio and accentuate indoor-outdoor living.”

Dylan is the second-generation owner of Old Town Barns, the preeminent equestrian barn building company in the region, where he grew up driving forklifts and building the business from the ground up. While best-known for their equestrian facilities, Old Town Barns takes on other barn - and even residential projects - applying the same exacting standards, exquisite craftsmanship, and down-to-earth approach. “When I got the opportunity to build my own house for my family, I jumped on it,” Dylan said.

Dylan’s wife, Nicole, recalls, “We were living ten minutes away and started our search for a new home when we realized that we were outgrowing our space. I have amazing childhood memories riding my bike with the neighborhood kids to Jones Beach in the summer and the supportive tight knit community where I grew up. I knew that’s what I wanted for my kids. When we found the property we built on, we loved the natural beauty of the area, the kind and friendly neighbors, and its proximity to town. We were sold!”

“I was definitely my own worst client,” Dylan laughs. “...I wanted it done yesterday. And, despite some covid-enforced delays, including a three-month shutdown, I did actually get the house built in less than nine months! But, bottom line, I handled it like every Old Town Barns project. 100% focus. Everything needs to be perfect. No detail is too small and anything is possible with a little hard work and determination ...It’s the way my dad did it... it’s what he taught me...and it’s the tradition and hallmark of Old 8 8Barns.”

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BUILDING A DREAM HOME

the pops of color are nothing short of pure Upstairs,

fun! Emma, the couple’s 3-year-old, has a hot pink bathroom to herself with whimsical animal-inspired wallpaper, and the boys, Ethan and Walter, 5 and 7, share a more masculine, yet slightly whimsical bathroom, with striking white and black floor, three quarter height wall tile, and a dark green painted ceiling.

“I knew I wanted the laundry to have a bright and happy feel to it because it’s where the not-so-fun chore of washing and folding takes place. Cameron helped me scour books of wallpaper to find the perfect design, and then suggested the pop of yellow in there to tie it together,” Nicole said. “I certainly wouldn’t have chosen yellow in the laundry if Cameron hadn’t suggested it and I’m so glad she did!”

While Dylan focused on the design and build of the house, Nicole took primary responsibility for making the house a home. She brought in local designer Cameron Carcelen of Ridge Architecture, and went to work picking out the finishes, fixtures, and decor. The resulting interiors are unique; perfectly combining subtle calm main rooms with various pops of colors and accents throughout the home.

“I really wanted lots of bold colors around the house! I took to Instagram to find inspiration and vision board what I wanted,” Nicole explains. She found exciting designs and, with Cameron’s help, located spirited wallpapers, detailed finishes, and the perfect skews of paint to tie it all together. The result is a vibrant home that feels happy and inviting, clean and somewhat modern, yet also practical for a busy family of five. The different and bold looks in each space also help make each space its own while still allowing for the desired open-floor plan and feel.

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“I wanted the office to be masculine, but also an interesting space for any of us to use. Dylan works with incredible painters… they’re just so talented. They don’t J A N look / F E Bby 2 0 2 2 even use tape! So they helped me achieve this painting all of the woodwork with a high gloss stain, and then color matching the wall paint.” - Nicole

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Cheers!

Cheers!

Most folks have heard something of the story of Sidney Frank; the Westchester-based liquor supplier who made billions developing Grey Goose vodka and importing the digestif, Jagermeister. Having both interned at Sidney Frank, Bedford native Charles Sachs, and his partner Sam Hirsch, had a guide for starting their own independent spirits portfolio, Piermont Brands, Inc, in 2020. Their offering presently includes ‘Blank. Vodka’ and ‘Tequila Cayéya’.

Sachs went to Fox Lane, where he was known as ‘Jake’ rather than Charles (but he uses Charles professionally).

He went on to the University of Michigan, where he majored in English and was the social chair of his fraternity.

Straight out of college, Sachs took a job at Connecticut Distributors managing the Diageo and Moët Hennessy brands. His next move was to WhistlePig, the #1 fastest-growing rye whiskey in the world, where he started as a sales guy for New York and ended up running the Northeast. “The jobs I had were a good start learning about the industry,” Sachs recalls. “Going from Connecticut to New York I learned about the nuances of differing State laws impacting liquor distribution, and between the two jobs I had the opportunity to become familiar with both legacy brands and a fast growing start up.”

Sachs continued, “In 2019, my old friend, Sam Hirsch, called me. He grew up in Northern New Jersey, went to Marymount, and had been a signed music artist with Atlantic, before taking his own set of jobs in the liquor industry, including at Sovereign Brands, but with a focus on marketing that complimented my focus on sales.

We’d been talking about starting a tequila company for a while, and we found a tequila supplier in Mexico called ‘Cayéya’, and decided to take the plunge. We formed Piermont Brands, Sam quit his job to work on Cayéya full-time, and I had plans to be not far behind...and then the pandemic hit… with no chance in sight of getting liquor imported from Mexico.”

“It was enough to drive you to drink!” Sachs now jokes. “We had always intended to do tequila, but we didn’t want to just give up. I called Sam at the end of April with the idea that we pivot and first launch a well-priced vodka and told him I was ready to quit my job and go ‘all in’. It just so happened that Sam’s family friend has a distillery out in Greenport, New York, called Matchbook Distilling, which specializes in craft spirits. Their unique approach to distilling spirits has been featured in Vogue and various other publications. They were the perfect production partner for the project. New York is known for the best water, which is why we have the best pizza, the best bagels, and now...the best vodka!”

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“The funny thing about vodka is that it’s supposed to be tasteless and odorless,” Sachs continues.

“When we first tasted the samples from Matchbook, our eyes lit up. The liquid that is now in the Blank. Vodka bottles was so smooth! Now, with the liquid covered, we needed a concept that differentiated us. For weeks we were trying to come up with an image or a series of images that would appeal to everybody. With my whiskey background, I knew that a big part of the whiskey market was collecting the different bottles. Vodka however, is not collectable. Our original concept was that every time we produced a new batch, the labels would be different, rendering them quite collectable. After a month of taking pictures of random things around my house and scouring shutter stock, I threw in the towel. I decided - who was I to decide what goes on the label! Let’s just let the consumer decide. I sent Sam a word document with “Blank” on the top left and “Vodka” on the top right. Since vodka is meant to be tasteless and odorless, not only does the blank label give the customer the ability to personalize the product, it also represents the purity and

blank slate

nature of the product itself. We both knew this was it!”

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Cheers!

Cheers!

With things already going well in the vodka business, in March 2021, Sachs and Hirsch, true to the original vision, launched ‘Cayéya’.

Piermont offers a Tequila Cayéya Blanco that’s a silver tequila, that comes in a 100% sustainable bottle made entirely from recycled Mexican Coke bottles, that sells for about $40, and a best-in-class single barrel reposado that goes for about $130 a bottle. Single barrel production means that once the tequila is distilled and put into barrels to age, the barrels are never then blended together - giving each barrel some unique subtleties. Though reposados require only 2 months of barrel aging to be labeled as such, Cayéya’s Reposado is aged 11 ½ months (only two weeks shy of what’s required to be

Going further into the potential of Blank.’s custom label business, Sachs says, “Vodka is the #1 sold spirit in the U.S. - three to four times the amount of tequila. Yet vodka is 3rd or 4th when it comes to online sales - because the price point for vodka is about $20 a bottle and adding shipping to that just doesn’t work. Customizing the label is a value add for our customers that more than justifies the incremental cost of direct-toconsumer ecommerce. We upload the customer’s image and ship custom-label vodka in 3 to 5 days! People are ordering custom-label vodka for party favors, holiday presents, to commemorate an event, and to have their own ‘house’ brand with something really cool - to them - on the label.

Restaurants and venues are using the custom-label opportunity to promote their own message.

considered an añejo) for a sweeter and more flavorful product. Cayéya reposado is aged in re-fired American whiskey barrels, without any additives or preservatives, so there’s a great level of sophistication to the characteristic toasted, woody, caramel and vanilla flavors.

“Tequila is a whole different ball game than vodka,” Sachs explains. “Even with great marketing, it’s quality driven. The barrier from a marketing standpoint to gaining widespread demand, is that there’s a lot of education that needs to be accomplished to convert a consumer at this price point, and it’s hard to accomplish without being in person in one way or another.

But on the upside, like it is with bourbon, when you can break it down to the 200-bottle batch that will come from each barrel, connoisseurs hunting for exclusive bottles go crazy! Who knows, someday we may be auctioning off some unique Cayéya offerings.”

We say

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Put Your Spirit On Our Spirit.”

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Cheers!

About being in the liquor business, Sachs says, “My parents always said that ‘if you do something you love, it won’t feel like work’. I’ve always enjoyed setting up parties, entertaining, and making drinks. I like meeting people and connecting over a drink. Meeting awesome people and hearing crazy stories is just great! Just about everyone I knew from growing up went into banking or some kind of tech business or consulting, and I wanted to be more involved in people’s personal interactions in one way or another. And I figured liquor is a product that’s been around - and will stay around - forever, and one that’s deeply embedded in our social experience. My ultimate goal was always to own my own brands and work for myself, I just didn’t think it would happen this quickly or this young. I still get butterflies every time I hear that someone liked the product!”

Sachs has plenty of crazy stories to tell about sharing a cocktail or two made with his own Blank. vodka or Tequila Cayéya with friends... and new friends. And he likes to talk about all the interesting art people have put on their customized Blank. labels. But his favorite experience as a brand owner, so far, was walking into a friend’s party to find, prominently displayed as a prized possession, an empty Blank. bottle, that had been signed by each attendee at a previous important event. “I love that Blank. is inspiring! And my folks were right about that doing something you love thing!”

blank. is MADE IN AMERICA.

signature

Our vodka is gluten-free, certified kosher, allergen-free, keto friendly with no sugar added. We understand that clean vodka is not only important for an enjoyable experience, but for an enjoyable morning after.

And, you can customize our bottles! Send them as the perfect gift, or jazz up your own bar.

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INFECTIOUS DISEASE Neeta Chitkara, MD John Raffalli, MD

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Kavita Aggarwal, MD Barbara Alpert, MD, PhD Arbie Baccay, MD Lisa Bardack, MD Paul Basch, MD Jimmy Bhatt, MD

Ruth Blash, MD Mark Brauning, MD Thomas Burnette, MD Yorleny Bustamante, MD Patricia Casimir, MD Richard Cho, DO Carolyn Clarick, MD Michael Daniels, MD Bernadette Davis, MD Carlo Diminico, MD Jose Fontanez, MD Jeffrey Friedman, MD Paul Gamarnik, MD Michael Gerringer, MD Brandi Gestri, MD Philip Goodwin, MD David Gotlieb, MD Edward Greaney, MD Jeffrey Gross, MD Thomas Guzzardi, MD Young Han, MD Matthew Howard, MD Marilyn Jacobowitz, MD Radoslava Klein, MD Jim Koo, MD Sharon Krieger, MD Paul Mangiafico, MD Donna Morrison, MD Dana Murphy, MD Adam Ozols, MD Carroll Rayner, MD Brianna Riccobono, MD Michael Rizzi, MD Minerva Santos, MD Jenny So, MD Annette Van Der Hoeven, MD Margaret Vaughan, MD Michael Wein, MD Robert Wolfson, MD Erika Yamada, MD Sophia Zeb, MD

INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY A. Garvey Rene, MD

MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE David Berck, MD

NEPHROLOGY

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Michael Rosen, MD

NEUROLOGY

Shaheda Azher, MD Ashlesh Dani, MD Alexandra McBride, MD Lindsey Neimand, MD Leslie Saland, MD Evan Schloss, MD Jennifer Sevush-Garcy, MD Albert Szabo, MD Eugene Tolunsky, MD

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY Mridasim Aguwa, MD Christine Beer, MD Rupinder Bhangoo, MD Nicole Ceradini, MD Jennifer Choe, MD Angelo Cumella, MD Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD Jennifer Gannon, MD Jeffrey Katz, MD Laura Kaye, MD Adina Keller, MD Lance Murphy, MD Amy Novatt, MD Yafit Partouche, MD Megan Pierce, MD Monique Regard, MD Denise Rinato, MD Toni Saychek, MD Deborah Schwartz, MD Jodi Sutton, MD Maureen Terranova, MD Susan Vosko, MD

ONCOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY Julie Gold, MD Jonathan Goldberg, MD Jeffrey Halaas, MD, PhD Jason Rubin, MD

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Erich Braun, MD Howard Charles, MD Eric Fitz, MD Lawrence Fox, MD Roger Husted, MD Rupal Panghaal, MD Alexandra Pappas, MD Daniel Shapiro, MD Mitchell Stein, MD Gaurang Trivedi, MD, MPH David Witzel, MD, MPH

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY 2 0 2 2

Gabriel Brown, MD J A Bruneau, N / F E B 2 0MD 2 2 Pierre Evan Karas, MD

Katherine Ma, MD Arthur Pidoriano, MD Yair Rubinstein, MD Steven Small, MD Adam Soyer, DO Kurt Voellmicke, MD

OTOLARYNGOLOGY Cameron Lewis, MD Stephen Marra, MD Robert Parks, MD John Scott, MD Timothy Siglock, MD Gregory Wisdom, MD

Kira Olugebefola, MD William Parsons, MD Karen Pasieka, MD Amy Amin Patil, MD Barbara Payne, MD Allison Platt, MD Emily Puntillo, MD, PhD Kathy Purvis, MD Jack Sobrin, DO Traci Toll-Griffin, MD Anu Vatsan, MD Gary Wenick, MD Maria Linda P. Zapson, DO

OTOLARYNGOLOGY/FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

PAIN MEDICINE

PLASTIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

William Losquadro, MD Jacob Handszer, MD Bella Malits, MD

PATHOLOGY

Kimberly Chu, MD Jennifer Eleazar, MD

PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY Jill Brodsky, MD, MBA Sofia Shapiro, MD Jaime Tsay, MD

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY Bhanu Sunku, MD

PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY Anna Alshansky, MD

PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY Jeffrey Keller, MD

PEDIATRICS

Elliot Barsh, MD Sharon Britos-Neves, MD Marc Childs, MD Danielle Cigliano, DO Karma Cinnante, DO Margaret Collins, MD Ingrid Dodard, MD Matthew Dugan, MD Veena Gangasani, MD Annabell Garcia, MD Michael Horowitz, MD Alice Huang, MD Rebecca Isbell, MD Douglas Krohn, MD Brett Macaluso, DO, MPH Wendy Manowitz, MD Deborah Mollo, MD Allison Nied, MD Kathryn Oehler, MD

Amit Dholakia, DO Stacy Spivack Gross, MD

Simon Chin, MD Karoline Nowillo, MD Douglas Roth, MD

PULMONARY DISEASE Charles Abate, MD Sergio Bures, MD Alex Fijman, MD Scott Klares, MD Asaf Savir, MD

REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE/ INFERTILITY Jeffrey Klein, MD Matthew Lederman, MD

RHEUMATOLOGY

Ronen Marmur, MD, PhD Matthew Ornstein, MD

SPORTS MEDICINE Joshua Reimer, MD Seth Shifrin, MD

SURGERY

Scott Grant, MD Amanda Messina, MD Lyda Rojas Carroll, MD

UROLOGY

Sheldon Axelrod, MD David Breslin, MD Mark Nogueira, MD Benjamin Spencer, MD

caremountmedical.com/topdocs

This list features CareMount Medical physiciansBEDFORD who have been designated & NEW CANAAN 1 0 7 and listed in the Castle Connolly database as of 9/10/2021.

A N EW PR IVATE C LU B EX PER I E N C E I S O N T H E

horizon

D I K WIZ TO WATCH

BY Michael Kaplan

While guys who started billion dollar tech businesses while still in college, like Bill Gates and Michael Dell, were once thought of as one-in-a-million nerdy geniuses; the advance of technology over the last quarter century has produced a generation of young folks who are all immediately enabled to do, and find the financing to support, great things.

James D’Ambrosi was born and raised in Pound Ridge, went to Pound Ridge Elementary School, was involved with the Dolphins swim team, played lacrosse at Fox Lane, and is now a Junior at the University of Southern California with a Major in Economics and a Minor in Blockchain Technology. He is one of three founders of a start-up called Chalk, which aims to identify deep tech start-ups originating from a network of two dozen top U.S. universities and match the best with venture capital from established venture capital funds with which Chalk has affiliated.

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James reveals, “Growing up in Pound Ridge really did give me a great start, and I’m more of a New York guy than a Californian - even though I love going to Clippers games and only having to pay a few bucks for a ticket, I prefer to be home in the Northeast. I usually say that as a kid I was ‘proactively immersed’ in the Ward Pound Reservation and walking with our dogs. I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights all through high school at the Inn at Pound Ridge - which gave me an appreciation for the culinary arts and providing people with a fulfilling experience...and for good old-fashioned hard work. My mom, Xenia, runs a business building residential gardens called Sweet Earth Co., and I learned a lot about sales, operations, perseverance and goodness from her. My dad, Adrian, was a senior analyst at Lord Abbott mutual funds when I was younger, so I got a lot about the world of finance from him. And now he owns the Sea Street Inn, in Hyannis, and I’ve learned from watching him develop that business. And I feel like just about each of my friends growing up in Westchester had at least one parent involved in finance, and that rubs off in some general way.”

‘Deep Tech’ includes technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and augmented reality. With a fascinatingly contrasting mix of apparent expertise and complete naivety that’s a trademark of the new wave of dorm-based CEOs, James explains “I came to USC to study cinema. Very frankly, I always wanted to be Ari Gold, and Entourage is a big part of the reason I’m out here in L.A. But in November 2020, I became really interested in bitcoin and I’ve really gotten totally involved in deep tech since then.

And in terms of getting work, I had applied for 100 internships in the film industry without even a single response, but I landed a job last summer with the first blockchain tech company I applied to, R3, and got to work on solutions for banks finding the middle ground between centralized and decentralized currencies. I’m doing OK in school, I have an A/B average, but more and more I teach myself more each day than I can learn from my classes.”

Notwithstanding Chalk’s enormous potential, James remains remarkably grounded. It being hard to tell whether Chalk will take-off or blow-up, whether it’s cutting edge or already also-ran, and/or whether

James met his founding partner at Chalk, Ryan Ho, playing poker at USC, and their third founder, Enzo Cognitori, through a techy student group. Quite impressively, the triumvirate has already established both a network of 50 tech venture analysts at universities around the country, and relationships with a half-dozen established venture funds with over $1B of combined available capital, in addition to access to certain allocations of Amazon’s investment subsidies.

James elaborates, “I’m a firm believer that the university you attend is not a total representation of who you are, and that plenty of the smartest kids go to schools other than Stamford, Harvard and MIT. So we put together a group of some really smart kids who are out sourcing deals all over the country, with the model that whoever is involved in a particular investment will participate in fees from that project. And on the investment side, we’re representing funds which can quickly finance the kind of seed capital our start-ups require. We’ll look at anything, and we get to look at a lot. And I’m getting to learn much more than just about making money.

Technology is changing every week, and we’re really out there with a good look at the ever-new frontier. I think I’m developing a real understanding of and feel for what a quality deal looks like. I like to be forward facing, like meeting and helping people, and I love facilitating deals.” ...And it looks like Chalk is about to chalk-up some initial fundings.

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James is the next Gates or Dell or just one of millions who now seem to each have that potential. While being a co-founder of Chalk might seem like enough for any college kid, James is excited about also having a summer job lined-up at Price Waterhouse. And as for ‘what’s next’, James muses, “I’d really like to work alongside someone really creative to create a platform for everyone to be able to create their own NFTs.” As for taste in music, James admits, “I used to be a DJ to make some extra money and I was really into house music. I’ve really mellowed out now and listen to a lot of ‘dad music’. I like Milky Chance.” And as for the guests - dead or alive - James would invite to a fantasy dinner party, James lists, “Mark Zuckerberg; the Formula 1 champion Nick Shumacher; Kevin Durant - I’m a Brooklyn Nets fan, and I fell in love with them when they were losers and with Durant before he came to Brooklyn; and Ronald Reagan.”

James won’t say how much bitcoin he owns, but did boast that he’d just purchased his first NFT. It’s impossible to know whether he’ll find the next big deep tech thing - or not. And only time will tell if we’ll someday talk about Chalk like another Goldman Sachs - or just another college project. But one thing’s for sure...James D’Ambrosi is a wiz kid to watch!

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Bedford Village Flower Shoppe

PHOTOGRAPHY: James Anderson

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WEDDINGS & VOWS

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Bedford Village BEDFORD, NY 914.234.7180 Flower Shoppe www.bedfordvillageflowershoppe.com 641 OLD POST RD BEDFORD, NY 914.234.7180 www.bedfordvillageflowershoppe.com

Bedford Village Flower Shoppe 641 OLD POST RD BEDFORD, NY 914.234.7180 www.bedfordvillageflowershoppe.com

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e g a l l i V d r we create esustainable solutions o p f p d o Be er Shfor lifelong organization Flow “I first hired Tidy Nest to help with my

basement. The experience of working with them was beyond all expectation. They were meticulous, thoughtful and patient.

I have since hired them for three more major projects ( including my restaurant ) and the results were all the same fabulous. They gave me back my spaces in a way I could have never envisioned.”

— Rosie, New Canaan

BEFORE

Kathleen O’Hagan and Tore Carlson are both are both ‘homegrown’ locals. Kathleen is a lifelong Westchesterite, and Tore, whose dad was a lifelong IBMer and needed to be near the Armonk headquarters, went to Bedford Village Elementary School and then Fox Lane.

Kathleen raised her three daughters, Kaitlin (30), Kailey (26), and Nuala (19), in Pound Ridge, and Tore raised his two sons, Bjorn ‘Bear’ (24), Nils (22), and daughter Annika (21) in Katonah.

AFTER

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Set up by a mutual friend, the two met on a blind date in 2017. They dated for three years before getting engaged, navigating the blessings and challenges that come with two families.

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Most of the Carlson’s fifty guests were family. Of the remaining ten spots left due to the covid restrictions that were in place at the time, the couple decided to pick each other’s friends; “We decided that we’d pick which of each other’s friends should come to fill those spots… so we ended up with a group of people that were really meaningful to both of us,” Tore recalled fondly. “And best of all, by the time we got married, the kids really had gotten to know each other… I think they genuinely really all like each other and, as a result, had a great time at the wedding together. In celebrating with us and each other, we all grew as a family, too,” Kathleen continued, “While we spent the night at The Bedford Post Inn, the kids continued the party at our house two miles down the road and had a giant after-party with all the cousins.” A modern day Brady Bunch!

At the beginning of the pandemic, Kathleen and her youngest, Nuala, who was still in high school, moved in with Tore and his two sons, to hunker down while Kathleen’s middle daughter, Kailey, and her boyfriend, took over her Pound Ridge home. “The kids got to know each other really well and really quickly. There were some stressful moments, but looking back it was really fun, and a special time for us to all get to be together,” Kathleen shared.

“We decided to make the move permanent, and in October 2020 Kathleen sold her house and she and Nuala officially moved in with me,” Tore said. “The day she closed on the house, I proposed to her in our backyard. For me it was very symbolic, and really signaled the shift in our lives together.”

The couple mini-mooned in Nantucket last summer, but are planning to go on a bigger trip to Italy when the time is right.

With their kids mostly grown and out of the house -Nuala and Annika are both in college now- Kathleen and Tore are getting to enjoy being empty-nester newlyweds. “It’s cliche but I married my best friend. We learn and grow from our relationship all the time but mostly have a ton of fun.”

Kathleen said… to which Tore quickly jumped in, “I echo that in reverse!”

Knowing that it was a time all the kids could be home, the two picked June for the wedding… and decided to just gamble on what the covid limitations would be when the time came. They picked Maple Grove Farm as the place, and chose Brett Cameron, from La Maison Fête in Bedford, to transform the blank slate barn into a magical wedding venue.

“Food is really important to us! Brett and Farmer and the Fish worked together flawlessly and the food was delicious. Our family is still raving about the food six months later!”

“As a second wedding for us both, we wanted it to be celebratory, have some traditional elements, but mostly, we wanted it to be fun!” The ceremony was brief, but meaningful. Tore’s son, Bear, did a reading on the meaning of family, and Drew Courtwright, the assistant minister from St. Matthews, put together a beautiful service.

Wedding-planner-extraordinaire, Brett, said “It was truly such a special evening, and I was grateful to play a part. Kathleen and Tore got married outside behind the barn and then we transitioned inside for the party. We filled the barn with string lights, gorgeous flower arrangements from Wild Fig in Katonah, and comfortable seating - like a pink velvet couch!

The transition from daylight to darkness created a picturesque sunset view through the massive barn doors, and the party came alive.” A temperature spike that evening forced the couple to call off their plans to move parts of the party to the un-airconditioned upstairs of the barn and make a game-time decision to re-design the dinner setup. Tore explained, “Brett pulled off the last minute change in plans seamlessly, and she remained unruffled through it all! The flow of the party was so perfect that you’d have never even known it differed from the original plan. She did such an amazing job making everything we wanted a reality. When you see the barn empty, it’s really empty… but when we showed up on our wedding day it was spectacular - better than we even imagined.”

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A string quartet set the mood for the opening cocktail hour, playing beautiful classical music, followed by a DJ playing hits from the 70s and 80s for Kathleen, Tore, and their friends and family to dance the night away!

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La Maison Fete is a full-scale event planning and event design company. LMF creates the unexpected for every occasion: weddings, dinners, luncheons, birthdays, holidays and cocktail parties. We make every gathering unique. This year, La Maison Fete’s new shop, in Bedford, New York’s town center, focuses on curated tableware, accessories and decorative elements to reinvent at home festivities.

CONNECTICUT’S TOP WINE STORE JUST MOVED CLOSER TO YOU Shop online at www.anconaswine.com • Free delivery to New Canaan

Where family, knowledge, and passion come together to create an unforgettable customer experience.

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Branchville, Since 1933 720 Branchville Rd Ridgefield, CT 06877 BEDFORD & NEW CANAAN 203.544.8958

Wilton, Since 2009 5 River Rd Wilton, CT 06897 203.210.7399

Ridgefield, Since 2018 17b Governor St Ridgefield, CT 06877 J A N / 203.544.9017

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La Maison Fete 11 Court Road, Bedford New York 914.234.8627 www.lamaisonfete.com

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Hope Sweet Home

BY Elise Walters

PHOTOGRAPHY: Andrea Ceraso

It was a Sunday afternoon in May 2015, when Brian Harrington got a panicked call from his wife Elizabeth to come home immediately. Their house was on fire! Brian arrived to find a multitude of fire trucks from New Canaan, Pound Ridge and Vista, all trying to control the flames consuming the home they’d lived in for twelve years. The swift response of community fire fighters prevented the spread of fire to surrounding properties and enabled the Harringtons to salvage important documents and a beloved wine cabinet by local artisan Alan Peterman. But everything else in their Pound Ridge home was completely lost. Charred, wet, and damaged by smoke, all that effectively remained was a chimney. A ‘freak electrical fire’ caused by an arced wire in the attic was to blame.

Left with only the clothes on their backs and that wine cabinet, the Harringtons faced the daunting task of, quite literally, rebuilding their lives. That’s when Brian picked up the phone to call the builder Mark Mosolino, who goes

by Max, who was a long-time friend and one of the area’s premier builders.

“I reached out to Max for his advice and counsel,” recounts Brian. “I was hopeful he could refer me to someone who might take on our project, which I initially thought was too ordinary for him to undertake. Everyone knows, Max builds extraordinary homes.” While the Harringtons always considered their home ‘nice’, it was a three bedroom from the 1930s, and its biggest selling point was the property.

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Max’s immediate reaction to his friend’s call was to swing into action. Max explains, “The displacement and havoc the Harringtons were experiencing having to navigate the world of insurance claims and construction was overwhelming. I was entirely empathetic and just knew Mosolino Development could make the construction process easier and ensure a result that would be ‘just right’ for the Harringtons. I was happy to help Brian and Liz. While I build many award-winning custom homes, my team values all different style and size homes. We take on projects large and small, and while I knew this project wouldn’t be a 15,000 square foot home, I knew we would make it fantastic.”

Working in lock step with architects Mark Rolfs and Rudi Elert of Rolfs Elert, and designer Christina Ziegler of cz design, Max Mosolino helped the Harringtons realize both the practical and aspirational expectations.

Inspired by Scandinavian design, simple and clean spaces that embraced the outdoors, and the need for a floor plan to accommodate two teenagers, Max led the charge in executing the Harrington’s vision.

“Frankly, if we didn’t have Max as a builder, we’d have a list of regrets,” says Brian. “He helped us think through our short- and long-term goals, and applied that to our rebuild.” Max encouraged the Harringtons to spend wisely on things like having three full baths instead of the two they thought might be sufficient, relocating the kitchen to take advantage of the stunning water views, and maximizing both form and function with details like the ‘appliance garage’ in the kitchen - enabling counter appliances to be cleverly hidden.

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Hope Sweet Home Completed on time and on budget, the Harringtons moved back into the ‘new’ house in 2016...and enjoy it even more now than before the fire. The Harringtons home is light and bright with modern touches, emphasized by white oak natural floors, lots of glass, and cable railings. There are spectacular views from a multitude of angles. Prior to the rebuild, indoor/outdoor living wasn’t an option. You were either in or out. Now, with sliding doors flung open, the Harringtons enjoy spectacular sunsets from a new deck right off the family room and kitchen. They like the new normal!

Located within walking distance to Scotts Corners, and perched above a lovely pond, surrounded by wildlife, the Harringtons have the best of all worlds. The walking path and biking throughout the neighborhood, live music at Northstar on Thursday, and breakfast in their own private park on Sunday mornings!

From start to finish, the Harringtons describe working with Max Mosolino as a “gift” and take a very faithful view of the entire house fire experience. “The fire was... well...a disaster. But the response of the community and from our friends and family was enough to make the experience of rebuilding a complete positive,” Brian recounts. Pointing to a modern art installation in their family room that the Harringtons recently purchased at the Red Fox Art Gallery in Pound Ridge and that features three-dimensional butterflies - which sits a few feet away from the wine cabinet that survived the fire - Brian explains that part of what attracted him and Elizabeth to the piece is, “that each butterfly in nature is unique - like a snowflake, no two are the same.” But then he adds, “And kind of like us living through the fire and the rebuild, butterflies represent the triumph of hope over fragility.”

Our agents think in color. Not black and white.

At William Raveis, our agents are free to get creative.

Inspired by our entrepreneurial culture, they are empowered to thrive as themselves.

Becoming the real estate entrepreneur they want to be. We provide a framework in which they can flourish. Equipping our team with state-of-the-art tools to make selling effortless.

Acting as an accelerator of talent through our coaching and mentorship programs.

Getting creative is better for everyone.

Homes sold easier. Homes sold faster.

Homeowners happier.

Call for a confidential consultation.

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Your best can only get better.

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