Marcia Lee and Sarah Thornton Clifford to Be Honorees at Gramatan Village 'May Magic' Benefit on Sunday, May 1
By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer
Feb. 10, 2016: Marcia Lee and Sarah Thornton Clifford, co-founders of the online newspaper MyhometownBronxville.com, will be honored at Gramatan Village's seventh annual May Magic Benefit on Sunday, May 1. There will be a wine-and-hors d'oeuvres reception, and mentalist Oz Pearlman will perform. The reception will be held at the Siwanoy Country Club from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Marcia and Sarah, longtime residents of Bronxville, have been chosen to receive the J. Rockhill Gray Award for their outstanding contribution to the Bronxville community. The award was established in memory of Judge Gray, an Eastchester town justice and founding member of Gramatan Village.
Marcia and Sarah launched MyhometownBronxville.com in 2007. Marcia is the managing editor and oversees the editorial operations, and Sarah is the publisher and oversees the business aspects, including advertising, sales, marketing, technology, and finance. The weekly paper started with an email readership base of 40 people and now has over 10,000 unique visitors and 50,000 page views each month. With original and relevant reporting, MyhometownBronxville.com now serves as a primary source of village, school, and community news for Bronxville residents.
Marcia has devoted most of her life and career to government and education. Born in Upper Arlington, Ohio, she moved to Bronxville with her husband, Larry W. Lee, in 1972. She holds a master of arts degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) and a doctorate in American government from Tufts University. In 1977, she was elected the mayor of the Village of Bronxville, making her one of the first women in the county of Westchester and the country to hold this position. She served as the director of intergovernmental relations for Westchester County from 1983 to 1990, working closely with the mayors and supervisors across the county. As director, she also served as the chief lobbyist for Westchester County in the state legislature in Albany and with the federal government. After leaving county government, she served as director of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at Westchester Community College. Among the community activities of which Marcia is most proud is having served as the founding chairman of The Bronxville School Foundation. In addition to this, she has served on the boards of numerous professional and civic organizations. Marcia and Larry have two daughters, who attended The Bronxville School, and four grandchildren.
Sarah, who grew up in Bronxville, is a publishing professional. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and earned a master's degree from the Yale School of Management in 1987. Sarah joined Time Inc., where she had a twenty-year career. Eighteen of those years were at Sports Illustrated, which is a publication that brought together two of her interests--sports and publishing. While at Sports Illustrated, Sarah held finance, marketing, and sales roles on both the editorial and the business sides of the magazine. She moved back to Bronxville in 2005 with her husband, Peter, and their three children. In addition to her publishing career, Sarah has served on numerous boards, including the Princeton Alumni Weekly magazine board and The Hotchkiss School Board of Trustees. Sarah and Peter's three children attend The Bronxville School, and Sarah currently serves as the secretary of the Elementary School Council.
Gramatan Village is a membership organization that engages community residents who want to remain in the home and neighborhood they love. The organization supports aging-in-community with a network of volunteers, community partnerships, and peer connections that enable members to stay independent and fully engaged in the community. Gramatan Village is recognized as a leader in the national village movement.
Admission to the May Magic Benefit is $100 per person, of which $75 is tax deductible. To make a reservation or to learn more about the event, contact the Gramatan Village office at 914-337-1338 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Pictured here: Longtime residents of Bronxville Marcia Lee (L) and Sarah Thornton Clifford, who will be honored at the May Magic Benefit on May 1.
Photo by Larry W. Lee
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
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Bronxville Police Department
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Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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