Anthony Monteleone, principal at Monteleone and Monteleone law firm.
Mount Kisco merchants know there is inherent value in sticking together to collectively improve the village and attract patrons from beyond the three-plus square miles they call home.
“We certainly have no shortage of restaurants ”¦ they”™re great because they bring a lot of people into the community in the evening and on the weekends, which helps the merchants,” said Anthony Monteleone, a principal at village law firm Monteleone and Monteleone and president of the Foundation for the Mount Kisco Public Library. “That”™s why we think it”™s so important that the chamber (of commerce) and the library work together ”¦ we want to get people here on a regular basis and the library can be a vehicle to do that.”
On the heels of the new library”™s official opening this fall, the foundation, Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Mount Kisco Public Library all play a part in drumming up activity.
“We”™re particularly interested in making the community room a true community area where various organizations, including the chamber, can hold events,” Monteleone said. “In some cases, we would be charging for the use of the space and in other cases, it would be donated depending upon the nature of the organization.”
Some of those organizations include the Mount Kisco Day Care Center, The Boys and Girls Club and Neighbor”™s Link Community Center.
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Dr. Scott Hayworth, president and CEO, front; Dr. Dominick Chiarieri, vice president, seated;
Dr. Ross Levy, secretary, rear standing, principals of the Mount Kisco Medical Group P.C.
The foundation is planning to host a fundraiser and art show on Dec. 1, featuring the work of (Howard) Joseph Blumstein, an artist and chief financial officer at London Luxury Ltd. in New Rochelle.
A portion of the proceeds raised will benefit the library and 100 percent of an auctioned painting will benefit the foundation.
Other merchants, like Pour Café and Wine Bar have sponsored events for the foundation and more networking events are planned with the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce.
Other members of the business community have gotten involved, too.
The Mount Kisco Medical Group recently donated $10,000 and Bicycle World donated an outdoor bike rack to the library.
Future plans to draw visitors to Mount Kisco are in the works.
“In the spring we hope to do a Ragtime Festival with the Friends (of the Mount Kisco Public Library) where the movie was filmed,” Monteleone said. “And, we”™ll be having Valerie Tripp, the author of the ”˜American Girls”™ series who was born and raised in Mount Kisco, so we”™ll have a series of events in the library as well as in the community.”
