What I Like About Somers, New York

Back in June 2013, Primrose Elementary School had every third grader put together an essay on "What I like about Somers, New York.” Blue suburban skies, ample fields of play and a close knit community, the literary types must have reveled in a day to show off their aptitude to put prose to paper. "I was not that excited," said Viktoria Barbarakis. "It was the end of the year so I didn't want to do it." But she didn't let the natural inclination to reach for summer get in the way of her inspiration and beat out 200 other students.

A good day’s work definitely had its just reward. “She won a $30 first prize,” said her mom.

Of course, with no guarantees in the face of swimming pools, camp and kicking back, the effort demonstrated her ongoing maturity, according to her dad. “She’s more and more independent,” remembered Minas Barbarakis.

Small Town America - Sports, Nature and Big Get Togethers

Nonetheless, her lead in was exactly where most of us would start. "I like Somers the way it is as a cute and small town," she penned in her paper.

Soccer and baseball fields galore at Reis Park also meet with her approval and Viktoria proudly noted that they take all comers. “Everybody can play sports in Somers,” she wrote.

The big town get-togethers are not to be missed either, according to her piece, and the 2012 Halloween parade was very memorable. On the other hand, the get up she wore was not readily available to her recollection at the time. “I forgot, I had dressed up in the same costume the year before,” she remembered.

Her composition had a better handle on the annual April carnival where rides, friends and food dominate the day. But the fast pace still doesn’t amount to the most important part. “I like going there because I really get to bond with my family,” Viktoria wrote on page two.

That’s what Sundays are for too, and the Angle Fly Preserve has always suited her just fine over kick off time. “One time it was so beautiful outside that we decided that we should have a picnic outside and in the stream. So we packed the cooler, brought some beach chairs, and we were on our way,” she scribed.

Outdoors aside, good eats are just as important to kids as the chamber of commerce. The “delicious burgers” at the Burger Barn certainly suffice. It’s also easy to understand her high rankings for its ambiance. “Because it’s like a barn,” Viktoria asserted.

A Lot of History to Remember

Old Bet—the elephant of Somers circus pioneer Hachaliah Bailey—maybe knew the feeling. Either way, Viktoria's essay was sure where the town stands in terms of its rich past. “Somers has a lot, and I mean a lot, of history,” she wrote.

And even though Richard Somers wasn’t an Indian chief like the one to the south in Mt. Kisco, Viktoria doesn't hesitate to run him up the flagpole. “He was an honorable man who died on a ship that blew up,” Viktoria asserted.

The youngster sort of missed the part where Somers’ ship exploded prematurely in its effort to take out a British ship off Tripoli. Thus Viktoria saw no reason to go overboard in regards to her struggles with social studies. “I’m not good at history,” she clarified.

Or maybe she actually did miss that day and doesn’t give herself enough credit. A possibility that was proven when she completed her essay. “I thought it was ok but not the winning piece,” she remembered.

The Price of Winning

Still, winning was not as easy as it sounded. Having to read her story in front of 200 classmates, she didn’t necessarily welcome the accolades. “What do you think, I was really nervous,” she joked.

But Dad had no doubts. This especially when a representative from the Somers Women’s Club showed up at the house and presented the prize. “We were very proud and pleasantly surprised,” Minas beamed.

Looking forward, he's sure she'll continue maintaining the bar. She just has to make sure she doesn’t wear the same Halloween costume again.

Please like Somers Sports.

If you’d like a sports profile, game coverage and/or photos, please contact me on Facebook at 914 318-0997 or [email protected]