Join us on Sunday, October 27th, from 3:00 – 4:00 pm for a very special program with Eric DiVito- The Blues and Early Jazz. The first part of the multi part performance/lecture series, The History and Evolution of Jazz in the 20th Century Through Performance, this session will focus on the origins of Jazz. Specific focus will be on the roots of jazz that go back to the music of Africa and Europe with the development of the Blues and then early jazz that originated in New Orleans in the beginning of the 20th century.  Special attention will be paid to the role of the music from a cultural and historical standpoint.

This project is made possible with funds from ArtsAlive, a regrant program of the ArtsWestchester with support from the office of the Governor, the New York State Legislator, and the New York Council on The Arts.

Eric DiVito

New York area guitarist, composer and educator Eric DiVito has been performing throughout the greater NY area since 2003.  Either as a soloist or leading his own groups, he has performed at many of NYC’s renowned jazz clubs and live music venues as well as performances and festivals both domestic and abroad.  DiVito has recorded two studio jazz albums, Breaking the Ice (PJC Records, 2012) and The Second Time Around (PJC Records, 2013) and one solo classical guitar album, Soothing Classical Guitar Music (Inner Splendor Media, 2016).  He has also worked as a guitarist for Carnival Cruise Lines and the Bateaux NY.

As an educator, Mr. DiVito has taught classroom and instrumental music in the NYC public schools and Westchester public school districts since 2006.  He teaches as an adjunct lecturer of music at Dominican University in Orangeburg as well in his private guitar studio both in person and remotely.

DiVito is an Eastman guitar artist and has been published several times in Downbeat Magazine, RAE Magazine, PlayJazzGuitar.com and more.

He resides with his wife and three children in Pearl River, New York.

Join us on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 6:00 pm for a reading and Q&A with Todd Ehrlich from his book The 20 Greatest Moments in New York Sports History: Our Generation of Memories, From 1960 to Today.

Todd Ehrlich is the founder and president of T-LINE TV, a television production company.  A five-time Emmy Award winner and twenty-two time Emmy nominee during his forty years in the business.  Currently the executive sports producer for WPIX-TV in New York, he has worked in sports television at WABC, WNBC, WCBS, and CBS Sports to name a few.  Originally from Washington, D.C., Ehrlich currently resides in River Vale, New Jersey, with his wife Debbie and son Jagger.  

Join us on Thursday at 4:30 for Fizzy Color Experiments with Ms. Nancy! For ages 4 – 6 – register on our website events calendar at piermontlibrary.org 

New members are always welcome to join our Adult Book Discussion Group! For October, we will be discussing The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl and meeting on Wednesday, October 16th, at 3:00 pm at the library. If interested in joining, reach out to the library to be added to the email list–or just show up! We enjoy excellent books and lively discussions each month. Join us!

A pop of cornflower blue framing a menu might catch your eye as you walk by this modest, brick building near the corner of Piermont Avenue and Ash Street — but don’t just pass on by. Follow the steps up and walk inside the space, where you’ll be elevated to an elegant and upscale culinary experience at Sabi Sushi.

Owner Doug Nguyen opened Sabi Sushi back in 2022. Locals know him as the well-loved former owner of Wasabi Restaurant in Nyack. But Doug’s journey to the Hudson River Valley began much further back, when in 1982, he escaped his war-torn country of Vietnam at the young age of 12. “I was in a refugee camp in Thailand, and had left my mom and siblings behind. She was a single mom and made the decision for me to go by myself.” Thanks to his Italian-American foster parents who lived in Stony Point, he was able to come to the United States and was welcomed into this new family which included four children of their own. “Freddie and Maria Nardone — I don’t call them foster parents, they’re like my own parents. They raised me.” They gave Doug an opportunity for a different kind of life.

As he was growing up, Doug divided his day between school and BOCES, which is where he learned how to cook. He also got his first job as a dishwasher at Maiko, a Japanese restaurant in New City, where he worked his way up from dishwasher to busboy, sushi helper to teaching helper. He eventually bought the restaurant in 2006. “I didn’t love it right away. It was a job, I’m an immigrant, I worked to survive, and I sent money back home to my family in Vietnam.” His drive to work hard and support his family would lead him to open more restaurants — Sakana in Nanuet, Wasabi in Nyack, and four restaurants in Manhattan, which mainly served lunch to the tourist crowd. When Covid hit in 2020, everything shut down. “I had to lock the doors and walk away,” never to open those restaurants in the city again. “It was a big change, but I don’t ask for a lot. What God gives, God takes. You have to enjoy what you have.”

It is that belief which prompted him to open Sabi Sushi. “I decided to come to Piermont because it’s like coming back home. I live in Palisades, and coming here is like stepping into my own dining room. This is my dream.” From the moment you enter the zen-like restaurant, the warm wood décor coupled with the leather banquette and cool, modern features all set the tone for an elegant and intimate dining experience. As you sit back in the seat and feel your heart rate slow, allow yourself to open to the clean, fresh flavors of each course as it’s carefully and thoughtfully prepared for you.

Start with the miso soup which will warm your belly and cleanse your palate. Then move onto the fried gyoza dumplings where one bite into the crispy edges brings you to the chewy interior for a multi-textural sensation. Follow it with the freshest sushi of your heart’s desire. While the fan favorite is Tuna Millenium — tempura-encrusted seared tuna with creamy wasabi sauce — Doug encourages patrons to try everything, and the best way to do that is to choose omakase, a chef-curated tasting menu.

Doug relies on a hardworking team of chefs and staff, all of whom have worked with him at his previous restaurants, some for as long as 15 years. The service is welcoming and attentive, and the chefs prepare each dish with precision and care. To Doug, “Food tastes like your personality. As you press [each sushi roll], it comes through. You put your personality and heart into the food.” At Sabi Sushi, that comes with a depth of life experience that is hard-earned and courageous.

“I think back when I was a refugee and cooked then to survive. I was a kid, but I needed to eat.” That Doug was able to take a skill that he had no choice but to learn and turn it into something that would enable him to thrive and achieve success in this country is no small feat. It’s the American dream.

Support the Piermont Library by bidding on this fine dining experience at Sabi Sushi:

• Omakase dinner for four — chef-curated tasting menu (custom-tailored to your liking)

• Bottle of sake

• Opportunity to meet and interact with chef and owner Doug Nguyen

• Gratuity not included

Valued at $400

Bidding starts at $100

Click HERE to bid- thank you for supporting our library!