Croton & Ossining's WDFH: The Best of 2011

We continue our Best Of 2011 lists this week with WDFH staff member and long time friend Anne Leighton, WDFH founder Marc Sophos, Eyes On Westchester host Melinda Battle and Dania Abu-Shaheen and Zilpha Starnes of local group Starnes&Shah.

Anne Leighton's top 10 Favorite Places in Westchester:

10:  The Elmsford Animal Shelter: I got my first cat there, and am always telling folks to get to know animals.  People who have music, friends, animals are highly evolved!

9:  Rye Playland (except for the ferris wheels):  It's such a pleasure to walk in the beach and then go see all the kids playing.

8: Chappaqua train station, Chappaqua, NY:  I've met some amazing writers waiting for the trains there, from Science Fiction and Fantasy to hardball reporters for Daily Newspapers.

7: The Bean Runner Cafe, Peekskill, NY:  What a great place for intimate concerts, and I enjoy their food selection--healthy and organic.

6: Rockland Woods, Larchmont NY:  great nature trail.  easy to get lost in!

5: Kozy Korner, Yonkers, NY: a delightful diner on McLean Ave.  Very caring waitresses, and they tailor meals to fit the customers' requests!

4: Manor Park, Larchmont, NY: a beautiful place to walk on the rocks, gaze at the Long Island sound, and chill in the gazebos.

3: Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY:  So many favorite concerts there.

2:  Sam Ash Music, White Plains: This place changed my life as I fell in love with the now defunct Music Paper there.  I used to write for the paper. Now we can get free copies of MORE SUGAR there. Plus there are so many ways musicians can network at Sam Ash--always exciting.

1:  The Studios of WDFH-Ossining:  What a record collection, what a group of people, what a great radio station!!!

WDFH founder Marc Sophos boiled a tumultuous year down into one shining moment:

"My top moment of 2011:  Sitting alone in a room with all the lights turned off, listening to the debut broadcast of OutCasting.  It's an important and possibly groundbreaking show and it took a lot of work to get to that first broadcast.  I'm incredibly proud of everyone involved."

Eyes on Westchester host Melinda Battle just couldn't come to grips with what the kids are listening to this year:

"Just the idea that there's a musical act calling themselves (him/herself?) "LMFAO" is enough to put me off new music of 2011."

Dania Abu-Shaheen and Zilpha Starnes of Starnes&Shah selected some new music and some older music to make up their most listened to music of 2011:

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Noel Gallagher - 2011

It's Not Me, It's You, Lily Allen - 2009

Martha Wainwright, Martha Wainwright - 2005

Live on Ten Legs, Pearl Jam - 2011

Sky Full of Holes, Fountains of Wayne - 2011

I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive, Steve Earle - 2011

Gathering Mercury, Colin Hay - 2011

Strange Mercy, St. Vincent - 2011

Wounded Rhyme, Lykke Li - 2011

Classic Queen, Queen - 1992

Please Support YOUR local Community Public Radio Station:

2011 has been equal parts exciting and frightening for WDFH.  We moved into a new studio, launched new programming, made new friends and welcomed new volunteers.  But we still need to raise the money to keep everything going.  Please make your tax deductible donation to WDFH today.  We look forward to serving and entertaining you in 2012 and well into the future.