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Pelham Examiner

Pelham Examiner

Pelham Examiner

Sandra Chalissery, Education Editor

Sandra Chalissery is in the graduating class of 2026 at Pelham Memorial High School. She’s been on the Pelham Examiner since March 2021. Besides being a reporter for the Pelham Examiner, she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. Financial corporate lawyer? Hypergravity physicist? Journalist? She has no clue. But besides being confused about life, she plays the violin and piano, likes math, runs track, and loves talking to people. She is on the honors/AP track in high school. She is almost trilingual. She enjoys singing, painting, and going to the gym. She loves her beagle and she loves her South Indian culture.

All content by Sandra Chalissery
Lotus Spa uses techniques from Chinese medicine to ease pain and stress at new downtown store

Lotus Spa uses techniques from Chinese medicine to ease pain and stress at new downtown store

By Sandra Chalissery, Education Editor
November 19, 2024

Located at 113 Wolfs Lane and found by Lianhua Lin, Lotus Spa is the newest addition to downtown Pelham. After opening on Nov. 10, Lianhua's focus for the business has been giving energy to the people...

Survey results: Real differences between SAT and ACT make for decision-making test for PMHS students

Survey results: Real differences between SAT and ACT make for decision-making test for PMHS students

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
August 17, 2024

Since the creation of the SAT in 1929, standardized testing has been an integral part of the American college application process. Standardized test scores are supposed to allow universities to gauge student...

Marlen Ramos opens up second Ralph's Fifth Avenue Haircutting down street from original

Marlen Ramos opens up second Ralph’s Fifth Avenue Haircutting down street from original

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
May 22, 2024

Marlen Ramos owns Ralph's Fifth Avenue Haircutting at 150 Fifth Ave. At the end of February this year, she opened another barbershop under the same name at 215 Fifth Ave. She took over the original...

(Source: Wiki Commons)

Our critic’s top five Christmas movies: Are yours on the list?

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
December 21, 2023

Some of us wait all year for this magical time. The hot chocolate, the fluffy snow, the festive lights—and the wonderful movies. It is inspiring how inspired directors get when making movies for the...

Diwali celebration at Pelham Art Center illuminates Indian culture to bring community together

Diwali celebration at Pelham Art Center illuminates Indian culture to bring community together

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
November 27, 2023

The Pelham Art Center hosted its annual Diwali celebration on Nov. 19 to raise awareness of this important holiday in several Indian religions. The art center highlighted the non-religious depiction of...

Foto Feature: Pelham Art Center hosts Studio Cafe fall fundraiser celebrating 1980s

Foto Feature: Pelham Art Center hosts Studio Cafe fall fundraiser celebrating 1980s

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
November 14, 2023

This year’s Pelham Art Center fall fundraiser brought art lovers and community members back to the lively, colorful 1980s on Nov. 4. The art center embraced the decade with art, food, music, dancing,...

Bangkok City changes owners, shifts to more authentic Thai food

Bangkok City changes owners, shifts to more authentic Thai food

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
September 29, 2023

There was a shift in ownership at Bangkok City Thai restaurant on Fifth Avenue on Sept. 11 as Artie Leeratermpong sold the business to Nim Wahl. Wahl grew up cooking in Kalee, a small town in Thailand....

Foto Feature: Pelham Art Center highlights teen programs with annual Art Happening

Foto Feature: Pelham Art Center highlights teen programs with annual Art Happening

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
August 10, 2023

This year's Art Happening at the Pelham Art Center gave teen creators and other residents a glimpse into the life of a professional artist. On July 29, the center's Teen Artist Council led the event,...

Chinny Njoku becomes stronger rower with RSR Elite Girls Racing Team

Chinny Njoku becomes stronger rower with RSR Elite Girls Racing Team

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
July 12, 2023

Rising senior Chinny Njoku was selected for the Ready Set Row (RSR) Elite Girls Racing Team. She is currently attending a training camp for the team at the University of Alabama, where she will stay until...

On your mark... get set... GO support the Color Run

On your mark… get set… GO support the Color Run

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
May 17, 2023

The annual Project Community Color Run will be on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The route is the same as it has been every year, starting at Westward Lane and Esplanade, winding through Pelham’s streets...

Mojo played "Live and Let Die."

Local performers honor Oscar with Picture House concert of nominated and award-winning songs (with slideshow)

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
March 21, 2023

The Pelham Picture House hosted its first-ever "Music that Made the Movies: The Oscars!" on March 10. Inspired by the theater's previous "A Not So Silent Night" holiday concert, the show featured local...

Bringing in the dough: Eugenio Gavotalo and Mike Provenzale take over Villaggio

Bringing in the dough: Eugenio Gavotalo and Mike Provenzale take over Villaggio

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
November 23, 2022

Eugenio Gavotalo and Mike Provenzale have taken over Pelham pizza parlor and restaurant Villaggio Ristorante. Franco Presta had been the owner for more than 30 years until he retired this year, allowing...

Six Pelham businesses win Best of Westchester 2022

Six Pelham businesses win Best of Westchester 2022

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
September 20, 2022

Six Pelham businesses have won Westchester Magazine's Best of Westchester honors for 2022, including Sergio's, Tig & Peach, the Picture House Regional Film Center, Edo Japanese Steakhouse, DeCicco...

Liam Ginsburg wins Roger Rees Best Actor Award for performance in Sock 'n' Buskin show 'Bright Star'

Liam Ginsburg wins Roger Rees Best Actor Award for performance in Sock ‘n’ Buskin show ‘Bright Star’

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
June 15, 2022

Freshman Liam Ginsburg won the Roger Rees Award for Best Actor for his performance in the Sock 'n' Buskin show "Bright Star." The honor came May 22 for his playing of the role of Billy Cane, a soldier...

Allie Goldman's intermediate synchronized ice skating team.

Pelham synchronized skaters: Reynolds on team that takes U.S. 1st in div., Goldman’s places 5th

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
April 7, 2022

PMHS 2021 graduate Jenna Reynolds and junior Allie Goldman both brought home hardware as members of Team Image competing at different levels of the U.S. Synchronized Skating National Championships. Reynolds...

The New York Wonders, including Pelham sixth grader Paz Marrero, appeared on the Today Show with female Little League pioneer Maria Pepe.

Sixth grader Paz Marrero appears on Today Show with Little League pioneer

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
March 14, 2022

Sixth grader Paz Marrero appeared on the Today Show March 8 with her New York Wonders baseball team and met female Little League pioneer Maria Pepe in honor of Women's History Month. Marrero is a Pelham...

Former town historian Blake Bell publishes local ghostly tales in 'Haunted History of Pelham New York'

Former town historian Blake Bell publishes local ghostly tales in ‘Haunted History of Pelham New York’

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
February 7, 2022

Blake Bell's favorite local ghost story has been around since at least 1848. It's called the "Haunted Cedar Knoll." As he tells it, a girl in the mid-to-late 18th century is warned by her grandmother not...

'A Not So Silent Night' holiday concert returns to Picture House LIVE with local musicians

‘A Not So Silent Night’ holiday concert returns to Picture House LIVE with local musicians

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
December 10, 2021

"A Not So Silent Night" will return live to the Pelham Picture House Dec. 18 with Westchester musicians performing in an event that raises money for the theater. "This is the third annual 'A Not So...

Charles Fazzino work that was raffled in a benefit.

Local creator: Charles Fazzino’s pop art pops off canvas

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
October 4, 2021

As a child growing up in Pelham, Charles Fazzino loved pop-up books. That love drove this gifted artist to work in a style he calls 3-D pop art. "I really always wanted to create my own," said Fazzino....

Robert Benkwitt III, Pelham fire chief, always imagined he'd become a firefighter when he grew up.

Achieving a dream: Chief Benkwitt, 23-year PFD vet, went on calls with uncles as kid

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
August 2, 2021

Pelham Fire Chief Robert Benkwitt III didn't so much chase after fire engines as a kid, as tag along. Benkwitt grew up in Pelham with two uncles who were volunteers with the Pelham Fire Department. "Years...

Friends of Library holding Novel Night Zoom open house Wednesday to attract dinner party hosts

Friends of Library holding Novel Night Zoom open house Wednesday to attract dinner party hosts

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
July 14, 2021

The organizers of Novel Night are looking for hosts to turn over their homes for dinner parties themed to different books, as the planners deal with a much shorter timetable to get ready for the event...

Hartigan breaks records swimming for Bucknell, makes Academic All-Patriot League Team

Hartigan breaks records swimming for Bucknell, makes Academic All-Patriot League Team

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
May 25, 2021

PMHS alum Maddie Hartigan is flying across the pool for the Bucknell University swimming team. She set school records in the 100 freestyle (50.01) and the 1,000 freestyle (9:53.16) at the Patriot League...

A SFR fundraiser in 2019

Attendance at high school club’s refugee night hampered by Covid-19 restrictions

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
May 5, 2021

The Pelham Memorial High School Students for Refugees Club held a Teen Refugee Fun Night in mid-March, though Covid-19 restrictions made it hard to have much of a fun night. Five people signed up and...

Picture House emerges from tough Covid-19 year to celebrate its 100th birthday

Picture House emerges from tough Covid-19 year to celebrate its 100th birthday

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter
March 24, 2021

The Picture House kicked off its centennial year March 20 with the Marquee Night fundraising event. A year ago, that same event came at a critical time. No one probably knew, but a long closure of the...

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