Ridgefield Newcomers
 

Presidents' Note

Find the latest information on Newcomers here on our news blog. 

  • A Note From Our Co-Presidents

    27 Jan 2012 6:14 AM | Amy Goralnick (Administrator)
    According to our mission statement, the purpose of the Newcomers Club is “to bring together new residents, to coordinate, direct and develop the social and educational activities of the members and to work on community projects in Ridgefield.” 

    To that end…this month we have coordinated many exciting gatherings to bring our new residents and not so new residents together!  We are directing and developing social and educational activities with over a half dozen events this month. To highlight just a few:  our Ladies Night Out group will host a social evening at the Gilded Nest, with complimentary champagne and light bites, as well as a private viewing of this local boutique.  Couples Night Out has organized an educational evening – in the form of a little creative recreation – ballroom dancing!   Relax and visit beforehand at a brief cocktail hour and then don your dancing shoes for a lesson in Swing, Foxtrot and Salsa.

    Our final community project for the year is a showstopper - plans are underway for our annual Spring Gala.  If you’ve never been to a Newcomers Gala you’re in for a real treat! It is our way of celebrating, with the entire membership, the culmination of a full year of meeting new friends, growing relationships and simply having fun. But, just as importantly, it is an opportunity for us to give back to our great town of Ridgefield; each year we present all profits from the Gala to a selected non-profit organization in town.  We welcome and encourage all of you to step up and out of your comfort zone to lend a hand in this great community effort!

    Additionally, we would love to hear from you. If you have a great idea that fits into our mission statement, give us a shout! 

     

    Meredith Thrutchley & Kristina Mickool

    co-presidents@ridgefieldnewcomers.org

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  • A Note From Our Co-Presidents

    24 Dec 2011 9:39 AM | Amy Goralnick (Administrator)

    Happy New Year!

    Now that the holiday festivities are behind us, we can all take a moment to breathe, reflect on the year past, and look forward to what’s ahead.  Whether you favor New Years’ resolutions or not, we can all stand to make some changes in the New Year – and one good way to do that is to get out more and make some new friends in Ridgefield!  We are here to help you with that pledge by offering up all sorts of activities this month and throughout the New Year.  We promise to always offer something for everyone!

     A few ideas to get you thinking…

    January 21st marks the Fourth Annual Winetasters at Woodcock Nature Center event.  This year our Winetasters are adding a new twist by teaming up with MOMS Club South to enhance our philanthropic efforts.  Together with MOMS Club we will raise money for WNC, as well as for the Ridgefield Emergency Fund.  This is a great opportunity to get out of the cold, warm up in the heated pavilion, and enjoy an evening with a great group of Newcomers & MOMS, all while supporting two great missions in our community!

    Family Funwill skate into the New Year with a whole family event at the Winter Garden Ice Arena. Join the group and have a whirl around the ice rink!

    Ladies Night Out is spinning its own challenge by offering us an opportunity to do just that – SPIN!  The Fitness Club is providing us an evening of Spinning on Wednesday, January 11.

    That’s just a few of the highlights this month – take a look at all of the great activities that our Club has organized to kick off 2012.  And be sure to look forward to many more as the year unfolds!

    Happy New Year to everyone and we look forward to seeing you at one of our MANY gatherings!


    Meredith Thrutchley & Kristina Mickool

    co-presidents@ridgefieldnewcomers.org



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  • A Note From Our Co-Presidents

    01 Dec 2011 5:22 PM | Amy Goralnick (Administrator)
    Happy Holidays!  December promises to be a fun-filled month full of holiday festivities.  We have pared back a little this month so that everyone has time to enjoy a few Newcomers events as, well as to take the time to enjoy our own family traditions.  We hope there is still a little something for everyone!

    As has become our tradition, we will be hosting a Santa Party at the Ridgefield Recreation Center on December 10.  This event gets the whole family involved in the holiday spirit by turning the table and giving the kids the opportunity to give Santa a gift to take to kids who don’t have as much as we do.  Please join us in our effort to have a little fun while giving back!

    For the second year, our Hospitality committee will be hosting a Holiday Cocktail Party at Sagi Cucina in downtown Ridgefield.  This event will be a great opportunity to come together to share the holiday spirit with old friends as well as new.  Space is limited so be sure to mark it on your calendars and RSVP quickly!

    If you still find that you have time to fill this month, there are many more festive events happening around town.  Here a just a few of our favorites:

    • ·       The annual Holiday Stroll takes place on Friday December 2nd (6pm-10pm) and Saturday December 3rd (10am-4pm). This event is great fun for the whole family – enjoy carriage rides, caroling, shopping, and the incredible ice sculptures lining our beautiful Main Street. 
    • ·       Wreath making at the Woodcock Nature Center is always a really fun way to kick off the holiday season – get a group of friends together for your own Ladies’ Night Out or bring the kids for Family Day on December 3rd.
    • ·       The Ridgefield Playhouse is host to 3 holiday shows this season:  The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s Christmas with the Fezziwigs & Holiday Feast
      (December 11th); Healthy Holiday Cooking with Chef Jehan de Noue (December 13th); and Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance’s Nutcracker (December 17-18). 

    If you’re hungry for more ideas, take a look at the In the Loop article this month – it’s got lots of area events designed especially for the holiday season.  

    On behalf of the entire Newcomers Club Board we wish you and your families a very Happy Holiday Season and the very best in the New Year!

    Meredith Thrutchley & Kristina Mickool

    co-presidents@ridgefieldnewcomers.org



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  • A Note From Our Co-Presidents

    21 Nov 2011 3:11 PM | Amy Goralnick (Administrator)

    The cool weather has snuck up on us again!  We’re nearing the end of the transition indoors for hibernation. But, if you’re like us, you have an equally busy and enriching season ahead.  Now that the gardens have been put to rest, we switch focus to the indoor projects in our homes.  So, we begin our home improvements in preparation for celebrations and family during the holidays.  We have so much to be thankful for and we want to extend a special thanks to all of you – our membership for making Newcomers such a great Club!

    As we settle in and begin to plan our Thanksgiving Day menus and family celebrations we encourage you to pause and reflect on our wonderful community and what it offers us throughout the year.  Consider stopping into one of the many local shops to pick up that little something special that you need to put the finishing touch on your table: a floral arrangement, new linens, or maybe some funky new candles.  Stop in to pick up some scrumptious bread, or special cheese & wine, organic produce, or, for the main course, visit our very own butcher and fishmonger.  All of this without ever leaving Ridgefield! 

    Also, don’t forget to take advantage of annual holiday boutiques and other special holiday events offered all around town.  There are special happenings at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Keeler Tavern, the Lounsbury House, East Ridge Middle School, the Ridgefield Playhouse, and more!  By staying close to home and supporting our community we are helping to preserve our town’s unique charm.

    Have a very Happy Thanksgiving; enjoy safe travels, family, and friends!  We look forward to seeing you among new friends at one of our many gatherings.

    Meredith Thrutchley & Kristina McKool

    co-presidents@ridgefieldnewcomers.org


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  • Fall 2011

    26 Sep 2011 10:21 PM | Anonymous
    October is here and Newcomers has gotten off to a great start! Mother Nature threw us a bit of a curve ball with Hurricane Irene blowing through the area in early September. Though quite an inconvenience for most of us, it served as a great reminder of how a community can come together in times of need. Now that school is finally back in session, and normal routines are taking shape--the Newcomers Club hopes to draw your attention to many fun and exciting events planned for the Fall.

    We have so many exciting events happening with Newcomers this October. For our newest members, you are invited to a Newcomers Hospitality Coffee on October 13th. This is a casual gathering to welcome you to our group. You will have the opportunity to meet some of the Newcomers Board Members, sample some delicacies from local bakeries, and meet many new friends.

    October promises to be another exciting month with lots of activities planned. On October 19th, Newcomers will hold its Preschool Fair at the Parks and Recreation Center. Our club organizes this annual fair, which brings in over 25 exhibitors from our wonderful town. It's a great opportunity for parents looking for information on local schools and activities for children ages 2-5.

    To round out October, plan to bring your "little pumpkins" to the annual Halloween Walk in downtown Ridgefield. A personal favorite, this Main Street festival is sure to excite the whole family with storefront treats and a chance to meet new friends in the area.

    To see all the other events on offer, check out the event calendar. We look forward to seeing you at one of our gatherings.

    Kristina Mickool & Meredith Thrutchley
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  • Summer 2011

    07 Sep 2011 5:09 PM | Anonymous
    AH, The LAZY, HAZY days of summer are upon us.  The new Newcomers Board are hard at work gearing up for a year of great activities and good times.

    Planning for our first event is well underway! Please be sure to check out our annual Open House which will be held on Tuesday, September 27th (7pm-9pm) and Wednesday, September 28th (9:30am-11:30am) at the Lounsbury House. It’s a great way to meet all of the wonderful volunteers who are coordinating events and refresh your memory on all that the club offers. There will be plenty of refreshments and entertainment too - so bring the kids! This event is for prospective members as well as current members – so if you know someone who is new to town or has recently had a life changing event and would welcome the benefits of our club, please spread the word!

    Please continue to watch for updates to our website as we prepare for our upcoming year!

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  • 2011-2012 Co-Presidents' Message

    07 Sep 2011 5:06 PM | Anonymous
    One of the first things each of us did when we moved to Ridgefield was to join the Newcomers Club. We both joined the Board within our first year and oddly each of us started out as the Hospitality chairperson! We actually met at a Hospitality coffee! Newcomers has been a springboard for both of us into this great community that we live in. I am always amazed at how all the different “worlds” that we move within (school, sports, social) intersect one another and usually the common denominator is Newcomers!

    The beauty of our Newcomers Club is that we all have one thing in common and that is that we’ve gone through some major life changing event and we’ve joined Newcomers with the hope of forging new relationships by doing things we enjoy as individuals, couples and families.
    For 2011-2012 we are so excited to be working together as a team as your co-presidents. Little did we know two and half years ago when we first met at that Hospitality coffee that we would be here today working closely together on the Board of Directors. Without a doubt we’ve found that the more involved we’ve been the more rewarding the club has become.
    This year we are so excited to be working with an incredibly energetic and enthusiastic Board of Directors that includes 15 volunteers! So many fantastic ideas have been swirling around already! In addition to the great list of Activities that we offered last year, we have added Hiking, which will invite members to come together to explore all the wonderful area trails that we have in and around Ridgefield. In addition we have reconfigured our Weekend Tots group to encompass the entire family, it has been renamed Family Fun and will include great weekend activities for the whole family. We are so fortunate to have so many volunteers to help us run all of our Activities! Our Activity Coordinators work hard all year long to bring us our monthly activities and we so appreciate every one of you! We surely couldn’t offer such a great Club without them!!
    Our annual Open House will be held on Tuesday, September 27th (7pm-9pm) and Wednesday, September 28th (9:30am-11:30am) at the Lounsbury House. It’s a great way to meet all of the wonderful volunteers who are coordinating events and refresh your memory on all that the club offers. There will be plenty of refreshments and entertainment too - so bring the kids! This event is for prospective members as well as current members – so if you know someone who is new to town or has recently had a life changing event and would welcome the benefits of our club, please spread the word!
    We want to make it easy to meet new people, offer activities that you’ll enjoy and most importantly, we want you to have fun getting to know this wonderful community. If there is anything you think we’re missing, don’t hesitate to let us know! 
    We look forward to seeing you at one of our many gatherings!
    Kristina Mickool & Meredith Thrutchley
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