In 2015, I wrote about the recording of Bruce Springsteen’s rock-and-roll anthem “Born to Run” on the album’s 40th anniversary, which led to the unveiling of a historic plaque placed at the site a year later. I revisited and updated the story on the album’s 50th anniversary. Click on the link below for the full story.Continue reading “‘Born to Run,’ Born in the Burbs 50 years ago”
Category Archives: New York State
Facing ALS, in love and in tune
Wayne Warnecke and Vaneese Thomas have been on quite a journey together: first as musical partners, then as husband and wife, and now as Wayne battles ALS. The Westchester County couple has deep roots in the music industry — Wayne as an acclaimed engineer and producer spanning many genres; Vaneese as an R&B and bluesContinue reading “Facing ALS, in love and in tune”
Robert Klein’s still making us laugh, but today’s comedians, meh!
Briarcliff Manor funnyman/actor/writer says his new movie will be his last, but who knows? At 82, he still sounds reluctant to walk away completely. I called his home number, he picked up, and we talked about his longevity and the state of comedy today. Here’s a link to the article:
Tour Rockefeller’s greenhouse, now a major cultural arts destination
John D. Rockefeller’s wealth and holdings are almost unimaginable, stretching for hundreds of acres and dozens of homes throughout Westchester. Take, for instance, his former greenhouse where he grew ornamental oranges, which has undergone quite a transformation, thanks to money from the family. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/mount-pleasant/2024/02/21/david-rockefeller-creative-arts-center-mount-pleasant-ny-reimagines-grandfathers-orangerie/72522226007
‘She didn’t kill him. She wasn’t guilty’
So many unanswered questions in the wake of Helen Ray Fowler’s execution at Sing Sing. A curious local historian seeks to answer them in a new play being staged just miles from where she died in the prison’s infamous electric chair. Here’s the backstory plus a preview of the two-act drama …
He’s worked with Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and E. Jean Carrol
He’s taught at Rockland Community College for more than a half-century, published books with some of the world’s most respected thinkers, produced albums by blues, jazz, pop stars and poets. He’s a behind-the-scenes guy worthy of some attention. Oh, did I mention I had him as my professor and advisor? Meet Richard Connolly, my longtimeContinue reading “He’s worked with Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and E. Jean Carrol”
Farming family returns to its roots, 100 years later
What was this tiny suburban county like before the Tappan Zee Bridge? Seen through the eyes of this farming family, it was a simpler and satisfying life. The family recently reunited to reprise a photograph taken a century earlier. Here’s what happened: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/rockland-history/2023/07/25/katt-family-farm-this-fieldstone-farmhouse-is-home-to-a-reunion/70438641007/
$5 million Moon River home overlooks the Hudson in celeb enclave
Meet the fiercely independent woman who turned secluded Snedens Landing into a celebrity enclave for everyone from Baryshnikov to Scarlett Johansson.
Calling women cyclists: Here’s a ride just for you
Dakota Adamec and Brigitte Sims of the Westchester Cycle Club, which is hosting Velo de Femmes, a bicycling event for women only.
Jewel of a jazz club hits a high note
Mark Morganelli’s move from Manhattan to Westchester was about the best possible outcome for local jazz fans. This trumpeter/producer/impresario has brought the music to the parks, the riverfront and the concert halls for years. For the past five-plus years, he and his wife, Ellen Prior, have been building a backstreet success story with their JazzContinue reading “Jewel of a jazz club hits a high note”
Robert Brum 