Insiders Westchester Group
Group Head: Bob Clyatt
This group gets out to local points of interest. Sign up if you’re interested. Future trips may include Mamaroneck Water Works, Save the Sound Water Quality laboratory in Larchmont, a muncipal sewer treatment plant (Mamaroneck? Rye?), our local EMS Dispatch Center, Aqueduct which brings water from the Catskills down to NYC, the Frick Museum, and more. Members are encouraged to make suggestions of future trips and volunteer as co-leads to help organize/coordinate events.
Past trips: Storm King Sculpture Park, June 2025
Two upcoming events in planning for September 2025
BRUCE MUSEUM. Thurs Sept 18, 10am Guided Tour with Bruce docent
8/28. We have eight people confirming for The Bruce tour so I have gone ahead and finalized our booking with the museum. More are certainly welcome just lmk, but currently we have:
Philip Ciccielo
Michael Bloomenfeld
Todd Smith (maybe)
Bob Clyatt
Louis Singer
Ward Urban
Cole Mackay
Ray Tartaglione
Jay Kim
Doug MacLaury
11: ________________
12: ________________
13: _________________
14: _________________
We will meet at the Bruce itself in Greenwich or feel free to arrange carpooling for those coming from Rye among ourselves on the list.
Meet at the Bruce Museum, a few minutes early (9:45) on Thurs Sept 18. Tour will last from 10:00 to 11:00. They have a nice Cafe we can go to afterward if people want, or you can stay on in the exhibits which your tour fee covers all day entrance.
I have pre-paid (for up to 14 people) so just bring me $20 each that day cash or check to Bob Clyatt.
2) New York Blood Center - Tuesday Sept 30, 10am.
Meet a few minutes earlier at Entrance #1.
Happy to report that Dr Chris Hillyer, CEO of NY Blood Center in Rye, has confirmed our tour and will be our primary guide for this event. He's a great guy whom I know you'll enjoy meeting.
We will gather at Entrance #1 of the NY Blood Center, which people may also know as the old Avon Building . 601 Midland Ave Rye. Park anywhere in that first lot as it is closest to Entrance #1. Come a little before 10:00 so we can get started on time.
As requested the tour will be a blend of introductory remarks, walk-through of the operations and laboratories with Q&A and then short presentations and Q&A from two or three of the senior operational and science research people. We expect to wrap up around 11:30.
The blood center does (surprise!) encourage blood donors so if people want to do that after our visit or at some future time that would be great and there is a special facility just for that. But no pressure!
We will be 25 people and I have about 23 yeses or maybes at this point. If your situation changes please lmk so we'll know if we can open it up to the wider Tuesdays at 10 members in Sept. If you know someone who would particularly want to attend lmk and I'll keep a wait list.
Frick Museum, private tour with docent, Wed Oct 15, 11am
We are confirmed for Wed Oct 15, 11am for a docent-led tour of the Frick, which has recently reopened after a long hiatus for renovations. They can take 10 though I am pushing to see if we can stretch that. Cost is $110 each- I know- expensive and that is the NY art museum world but it is a small private tour so that is part of the appeal.
Please let me know if you are able and interested in this and we will firm up our list and get your checks (as I will need to pre-pay the $1100)
Confirmed:
Ward Urban
Philip Cicchielo
John Bottomly
Ray Tartaglione
Jay Kim
Bob Clyatt
7. _Terry Stack______________
8.__Tom Murphy_____________
9. ______________
10. ______________
Cole MacKay and Peter Urbanczyk are maybes.
Tour runs one hour and then we will go somewhere nearby to eat for whoever wants. We will likely ride down on the train and go together from GCT but there may also be a car going down.
If you are not already receiving emails for this group please send me a note at bob@clyattsculpture.com to get on the announcements list.
INTRODUCTION LETTER SENT 5-16-25 TO INITIAL SIGNUP LIST
Thank you for signing up for events in the Insiders Westchester group. We are starting planning on a few events. This note is to thank you for signing up, and to get the ball rolling.
Any of us can suggest and/or lead a visit, so this is a definitely a group undertaking. I will try to keep all your ideas and suggestions, including this note, posted on the Insiders Westchester page on the Tuesdays at 10 website.
We have the first few outings being planned and will get detailed signup information out to you as soon as things are confirmed.
Our first planned event will actually be beyond Westchester, about an hour north of us up the thruway. A few of you asked if I could run a “sculptor-led tour” of Storm King, which is one of the biggest and best sculpture parks in the country. Tentatively scheduled for Friday June 27th, leaving Rye at 9:30am and returning around 3:00.
Our Save the Sound presenter Bill Lucey suggested a tour of their laboratory in Larchmont where water and shoreline samples are tested.
A few of you have suggested other ideas which now need fleshing out. One is to see if we can get on a cargo ship or other large commercial vessel while it is docked in NY Harbor. Another is to get inside Indian Point (could be difficult but we will try!), inside the aqueduct that brings water down from the Catskills (I know a guy who might be able to help) or inside factories, and municipal infrastructure such as waterworks, treatment plants etc. (Where do they monitor all the stoplights in New York City?)
Our general model will be: if you think something is interesting others likely will too, so probe your contacts for possible access and then speak with me for organizing/coordinating assistance. Ideally you can function as or recruit an Event Lead, managing attendance lists, entry access or tickets, legal releases if the location requires, carpooling, so the actual event and logistics go smoothly. Set a max attendance if needed and we will cut off and start a waitlist.
No set timetable but I would be happy if we had maybe ten events a year.
We are currently 20 people in this group but I’m confident we will grow. Forward this to guys you think will be interested. New people should email me to ensure they get added to the email list, at bob@clyattsculpture.com