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Westchester Musician Hopes To Rock Third Album With Crowdfunding Help Westchester Musician Hopes To Rock Third Album With Crowdfunding Help
Westchester Musician Hopes To Rock Third Album With Crowdfunding Help WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A White Plains musician is in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign so his band, Zion80, can create its third album. And not just any album. According to Jon Madof, his 10-member group, which has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, plays a unique blend of Jewish music – from Carlebach to Zorn and everything in between – all created through the lens of the Afrobeat funk master Fela Anikulapo Kuti, blended with the madness of the downtown New York City jazz scene. The lineup includes musicians who play with the Grammy-winning Klezmatics, Suzanne Vega, Yo-Yo Ma and m…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
Looking For A 'Shark': Hudson Valley Mom, Daughter Audition For TV Show Looking For A 'Shark': Hudson Valley Mom, Daughter Audition For TV Show
Looking For A 'Shark': Hudson Valley Mom, Daughter Audition For TV Show WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Two Westchester women are hoping to get their tote bags noticed on "Shark Tank." Laura Massari of Mount Kisco and her mom, Cindy Massari of Katonah, recently auditioned for the ABC show to raise capital for their line, The Flip Flop Bitch. Laura calls the bag, which was featured on "The Today Show," and "Rachael Ray," a hobo style tote that comes folded up in a matching wristlet. There are sparkly totes for parties and vegan leather totes for everyday use. One was even overnighted to an Oscar VIP attendee during awards season. "…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
More Than $50,000 Raised For Family Of Westchester Basketball Star More Than $50,000 Raised For Family Of Westchester Basketball Star
More Than $50,000 Raised For Family Of Westchester Basketball Star PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. -- Jon Lieb has witnessed firsthand how the Pleasantville community has come together to support the family of Quentin Lupo. Lupo, a Pleasantville High School senior, who starred on the Pleasantville Panthers basketball team, was found dead Wednesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lieb set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the Lupo family.  In four days, 457 people have donated $51,000. The initial goal was to raise $10,000 to cover funeral expenses. "The response has been overwhelming," Lieb said. "We knew we lived in a tight-knit loving community.&qu…

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by Sam Barron
Neighbors
Keeping It Real: Westchester Actor Returns To Scene Of Crime In New Film Keeping It Real: Westchester Actor Returns To Scene Of Crime In New Film
Keeping It Real: Westchester Actor Returns To Scene Of Crime In New Film NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- John Palomino admits that for most of his life, he was ashamed and embarrassed to talk about his father, who committed suicide when he was 6-years-old. And so, the New Rochelle native put his efforts into a movie that deals with the topic. "Man of the House," premiering at the Pelham Picture House Saturday, May 6, was filmed in and around New Rochelle and Mount Vernon, with nods to Mamaroneck, to mirror exactly what happened to him 24 years ago.  "The script and casting were important, but the areas we shot in were just as important or even more so,"…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
What Your Neighbors Think: Tarrytown's Favorite Places For Good Eats What Your Neighbors Think: Tarrytown's Favorite Places For Good Eats
What Your Neighbors Think: Tarrytown's Favorite Places For Good Eats TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- Looking for some good eats in Tarrytown? Look no further. Here are the three favorite places to grab some grub in the area, according to Yelp. Bibille  Where: 14 Main St. Phone: (914) 372-7677 Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.  What People Are Saying:  ''Love this place! Quick, (what appears to be) healthy and most importantly yummy rice bowl! I've tried the pork and beef purple rice... been wanting to branch out to chicken but always go back to pork... same with the rice... purple rice is IT!'' -- Vienna W.  Bistro 12  Where: 12 N Main St. Phone: (914) 909-2770 …

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by Tea Zagorscak
Neighbors
Westchester College Lecturer Wins Pulitzer Prize Westchester College Lecturer Wins Pulitzer Prize
Westchester College Lecturer Wins Pulitzer Prize PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Du Yun, a lecturer in the School of the Arts at Purchase College, SUNY, has been awarded a Pulitzer Prize in music for Angel's Bone, her groundbreaking operatic work about human trafficking. The Pulitzer jury described it as a “bold operatic work that integrates vocal and instrumental elements and a wide range of styles into a harrowing allegory for human trafficking in the modern world.” The piece was first produced at the Protoype Festival, 3LD Arts and Technology Center in New York City in January 2016 and includes a libretto by Royce Vavrek. Du Yun, who is known for h…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
Irvington Native Runs $26 Billion Fund Irvington Native Runs $26 Billion Fund
Irvington Native Runs $26 Billion Fund IRVINGTON, N.Y. -- Dawn Fitzpatrick, who grew up in Irvington, is one of the most powerful women on Wall Street. The New York Times recently profiled Fitzpatrick, who is now working for billionaire George Soros as chief investment officer for Soros Fund Management, managing $26 billion of Soros' personal and family wealth. Growing up in Irvington, a neighbor got her interested in Wall Street and she knew she had found her career path. She attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. When she was first on the American Stock Exchange trading floor, traders bet on how long s…

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by Sam Barron
Neighbors
Trump's Original Apprentice, Sleepy Hollow Resident, To Wed At Citi Field Trump's Original Apprentice, Sleepy Hollow Resident, To Wed At Citi Field
Trump's Original Apprentice, Sleepy Hollow Resident, To Wed At Citi Field The head of Procida Funding & Advisors and Trump's original apprentice will be getting married at Citi Field in June, the New York Post reports. Piermont resident Billy Procida, who also owns property in Sleepy Hollow and Beacon, recently took over for the company which filed for bankruptcy, and is renovating neglected structures that have amounted "hundreds" of violations, the article says.  Last week Procida was in the basement of an apartment building when an arsonist set fire to it, the New York Post reports. To read the story, click here.

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by Cecilia Levine
Neighbors
Scarsdale Widower Turns Grief Into Action Scarsdale Widower Turns Grief Into Action
Scarsdale Widower Turns Grief Into Action SCARSDALE, N.Y. -- Scott Hirsh, a Scarsdale resident, wants to make sure no family ever has to go through what his just did. Hirsh recently lost his wife Michelle to pancreatic cancer. In her honor, Hirsh will be participating in the Westchester Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on Sunday, April 23 at Rye Playland Park to benefit the Lustgarten Foundation. Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all major cancers. The survival rate is only eight percent. Michelle battled pancreatic cancer for 30 months. Despite her diagnosis, she maintained a positive attitude, Hirsh said.  "She taught u…

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by Sam Barron
Neighbors
Westchester Mom Takes A Stand On Facebook To Help Syrian Refugees Westchester Mom Takes A Stand On Facebook To Help Syrian Refugees
Westchester Mom Takes A Stand On Facebook To Help Syrian Refugees YONKERS, N.Y. -- Amber Lewis has never been to Syria or had any prior personal connections to its people but, as a humanitarian  -- and a mom -- she felt she could no longer sit idly by.  And so, in late December 2016, the Yonkers resident made a post in a Facebook Mom's group proposing small but positive actions to combat the horrific images coming out of this Middle Eastern country. In 48 hours, she went from zero to 500 members. And, at her first meeting in January, she had formed an army of 1,000 people acting under the name Greater NYC Families for Syria (GNYC4Syria).  The non-partisa…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
Tarrytown Man Wins International Photography Contest Tarrytown Man Wins International Photography Contest
Tarrytown Man Wins International Photography Contest TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- Elijah Goodwin, a Tarrytown resident, was able to combine his love of birding and his love of photography into an award winning photo. Goodwin took home Best of Show at the 44th annual International Exhibition of Photography, which is run by the Color Camera Club of Westchester for his photo of an egret. Goodwin is the first Color Camera Club member to win. More than 1100 photographs from 200 photographers from 28 different countries competed in the contest. "It was amazing," Goodwin said. "I was very surprised." Goodwin's photo "Swamp Angel&quo…

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by Sam Barron
Neighbors
19-Year-Old Westchester Singer Alleviates 'Doubts' With New Hit Single 19-Year-Old Westchester Singer Alleviates 'Doubts' With New Hit Single
19-Year-Old Westchester Singer Alleviates 'Doubts' With New Hit Single HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- Caleb Flood can’t remember a time in his life where he wasn’t fascinated by music. As a toddler, the Hastings resident would put on performances for his family and beat on a drum set made of pots and pans. He started taking piano at five but by eight had moved onto the guitar.  Now, you can find the 19-year-old traveling the world belting out original songs and playing a range of instruments, including the guitar, piano, bass, and drums. (He can also play ukulele, harmonica, and a few other random instruments.)  If you're a WXPK ("The Peak") listener, …

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by Jeanne Muchnick