Hudson Valley Writers' Center Gala Honors Aubrey Hawes and Sergio Troncoso

Benefit Gala at Abigail Kirsch Glitters with Intelligence and Elegance 
by Ronnie Levine

There’s a good chance Mark Twain would have enjoyed the company at his old estate, now home to Tappan Hill Mansion, on November 3, when The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center’s annual gala packed the room at Abigail Kirsch for celebration and fine food.  Writer Sergio Troncoso and businessman/community supporter Aubrey Hawes were given official honors, and over and over people marveled at the accomplishments of Margo Stever, HVWC founder, who took a ramshackle, derelict former train Philipse Manor Train station and turned it into a haven for creative thinking people.

As Senior Vice President, Corporate Director of Marketing Resource at Chase Manhattan Bank for seventeen years, Aubrey Hawes had international responsibilities.  He worked in corporate advertising, brand identity, cultural sponsorships and creative services in addition to Internet development and even more.  He has been very active in the Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow community, serving on the boards or committees of many important local organizations, such as Kendal on Hudson, the Historical Society serving Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, the Rotary Club, the “YMCA,” Phelps Memorial Hospital, and many others. 

The modest Hawes spoke about his pleasure at being honored for what he enjoys doing, and then turned the focus on Margo Stever, “the real community leader here this evening…a woman who had a ‘double vision,’ not double vision but two very clear visions...to create a place where writers, readers and poets could gather to celebrate literacy…and to rescue an abandoned train station…The restoration of the station was so brilliantly executed that it is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and received the NY State Excellence in Preservation Award.”  He then called for a toast to Stever, which was enthusiastically carried out across the room, “for all of her insightfulness and tenacity.”  

The evening’s other honoree was writer Sergio Troncoso, author of four books, who met the Stevers by chance, he said, when he was a Harvard student. “I needed a place to stay for the summer in Washington, DC, where Margo and Don lived then. I found their names on an alumni list.  I knew Margo was a poet.  Don would give me rides to DC where I was an intern in the House of Representatives and he worked for the Environmental Division of the Department of Justice.  We would discuss his cases as we went into the city every day.  When my first book came out in 1999, Margo invited me to the HVWC to read.”  The book, The Last Tortilla and Other Stories, won the Premio Aztlan award for the best book by a new Chicano author and the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association.

 “Margo had shown me the abandoned train station with a hole in the roof and rats running around,” Troncoso said.  “She said ‘I want to turn this into a Writers Center’ and I laughed.  But slowly she accomplished each thing.  When my second book came out I joined the Writers’ Center board,” having been invited by Margo Stever.  “I focused on readings and financial aspects,” Troncoso said, “since I was an economist before I was a writer.  I’m still involved in the financial aspects.  I also brought in a lot of Latino writers—Rigoberto Gonzalez, Jamaica Kincaid, And Bill Berkeley, Peter Maas, Brighde Mullins—people I thought were quality writers.  I’m no longer on the board because I needed more time to write.”  His books deal with moral and intellectual issues as well as cultural identity, bridges between people from disparate backgrounds, and moving from poverty to professional success. Read more on Troncoso’s website,  www.SergioTroncoso.com, and his blog about writing, politics and finance, at www.ChicoLingo.com.  He also offers a list of recommended books at www.LiteraryLatino.com.

Donald Stever, Margo’s husband, is the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center Vice Chairman of the Board.  Stever is a fulltime environmental litigator who has been on the board since the Center’s founding.   “The HVWC is now twenty-three years old.” he said, “and it’s just gratifying being involved with it and knowing how much good work is done.  We have so much support from the literary community nationwide as well as our local community in Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and within the Hudson Valley area.  Part of the work has been helping people like Johnnie and Tyrell,” Stever said, referring to Johnnie Alexander and Tyrell Goodman, two friendly young men who attended the gala.  The two, who consider themselves brothers, spoke to many guests about how Hudson Valley Writers’ Center founder Margo Stever had helped them. Alexander thanked Stever in a brief appearance at the podium.  Both said, they participated in a program Margo established, the Comprehensive Literacy Project at the Coachman Family Center, which served homeless families looking for transitional or permanent housing.

Workshops had been conducted at the shelter by Stever and others. Alexander said, “My mother and I had moved from Lawton, Oklahoma looking for a better life and work but ultimately ended up homeless and living in the Coachman Family Center for five years prior to my going off to school. The Center helped us with everything from homework to art workshops, photography too, that kept us away from the violence and drug activity that was going on at the center.”  He continued, “Volunteers like Margo—she was one of the main people—helped me get into the Milton Hershey School, a school for less fortunate children.”  Without her it might never have happened, he said, because she came forward to act as legal guardian when his mother was sent to jail just as he was trying to get into the school.  Tyrell's mother had taken him in as a family friend, he said, but it wasn’t a legal arrangement, and the Coachman Family Center staff told him it wasn’t acceptable.  “I had no relatives in the state,” he said, “so they were going to send me to a foster home. When Margo found out she convinced my mother to sign over custody to her.  I was able to live with her temporarily until I went to boarding school.”  And from there, he said, with the help of the boarding school staff, he received a full college scholarship.

Alexander is now twenty-six and a graduate of Xavier University in Louisiana, he said, “where I received a BS in psychology.  Now I work for Hudson River Health Care as a Community Care Partner and Health Educator.”  He said that he also makes artworks such as special t-shirts for kids, which he did recently as part of this year’s Juneteenth celebration.  Juneteenth, celebrated every June 19^th, is the annual world-wide commemoration of the end of slavery (see www.juneteenth.com).

Tyrell Goodman, now nineteen, said that he will enter the University of Akron in January with a football scholarship.  He recently graduated from Archbishop Stepinac High School, where he also had a football scholarship.  Alexander said that Goodman led Stepinac to its first undefeated season in the school’s history.  Goodman said, “I won Player of the Year for the state, and for Westchester County, and Catholic High School Football League Player of the Year.  I had a couple of offers from colleges and accepted the University of Akron after I visited it and loved what I saw.  I feel truly blessed,” he said, “coming from nothing and ending up a part of something, and pursuing my dream.”  When asked if he hopes to be a football pro, he replied, “Maybe, but I have a lot of interests and whatever works out best for me, that’s what I’ll pursue.” 

Bringing extra excitement to the evening, there was a live auction, led by Christies’s auctioneer Christine Erickson, assisted by HVWC Executive Director Frank Juliano.  Items included trips, fine dining opportunities, a case of “Writer’s Block” wine (guaranteed not to cause it), and a photographic portrait session with Ben Larrabee.  A silent auction was also held, helped along by Storyteller Jonathan Kruk, who, he explained with a smile, acted as “’tumbler’, encouraging people, cajoling, flattering and arm-twisting them to make bids.”  Items for this auction, which could be seen alongside bid sheets as people arrived. They included an antique rug, a wine-and-cheese sunset viewing at the Tarrytown Lighthouse with Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken Wray, international food, travel and entertainment treats, as well as the opportunity to have a party for up to fifty people at the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, in their historic building with its wonderful river views. 

Co-chairs for the dinner were Carol Lyden and Angelina Mak. Lyden and her husband John, who is on the HVWC board, have been friends of Margo and Don Stever for many years, she said. “We love the Writers Center and what it stands for. It’s an amazing organization.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with Frank (Juliano), Ryan (Conatti, Assistant to the Director) and Angelina Mak to make this benefit so fabulous.”  Mak said, “I started off as Margo’s friend and admired what she did.  My job was fundraiser for the train station restoration because I really love old buildings.  I’ve kept supporting her for about twenty-five years.  I’m on the Benefit Committee, helping to plan the events.  I was co-chair with Carol Lyden last year as well as this year.  We work hard for HVWC.  I’m pleased with the success, with all the people who won awards, with Frank and Don and Margo.” 

Arts Westchester Chief Executive Janet Langsam attended the gala and said, “The Writer's Center is a very special place which nurtures the art of writing in Westchester where there is an abundance of literary talent.  The gala brought together in one space many of the professional writers and community supporters who make the Center the vibrant place it is.”

Community Media spoke with President of the HVWC board Paula Armbruster.  She said “We were so happy and appreciative at the enthusiastic turnout for the celebration of the HVWC’s ongoing success.”

Jo Ann Clark, Chair of the HVWC Programming Committee, enthused, “This is the largest turnout we’ve had in several years.  There were seventy people two or three years ago—and last year—it was at the Center itself and that was very successful—this year we have 120-130 guests.  The Writers’ Center is definitely growing.”

Volunteer Sheri Lisker said, “I like to support the Writers’ Center.  It’s just amazing.”

Music was provided by the Kenny Landrum Trio, which also features Norm Loz and Richard Lindsey.  Landrum is a songwriter and HVWC instructor, currently teaching songwriting to adults.  He has at times taught it to children, and has taught piano-playing as well.

Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot talks about using one’s “little gray cells,” his way of referring to the brain, but one might well imagine that there were Technicolor cells firing in the heads of the people celebrating the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center at this event.

Publisher
Community Media on Hudson
Sleepy Hollow-Tarrytown News
Editor/photography
Sunny McLean