Business notebook: Book-signing at Charlotte's Tea Room

WARWICK - If you would like to go back in time to an another, perhaps more civilized era, stop for a quiet tea or lunch at Charlotte’s TeaRoom, 9 Main St. in Warwick. After walking through Greetings & Salutations gift shop to the cozy tearoom in the rear of the store, you may be surprised by the ambiance that greets you. “What a wonderful day I spent at Charlotte’s,” said one contributor to TeaMap.com, an online directory of tearooms throughout the country. “From the ambience to the tea and food to the gift shop, my experience was so very enjoyable. I will be certain to make the one-and-a-half hour trip back to Warwick in order to visit Charlotte’s again.” Now, there is another good reason to revisit Charlotte’s. On Sunday afternoon, March 18, Charlotte’s TeaRoom will play host to a “Fairy Tea and Book Signing” event. Beginning at 1 p.m., Barbara Lanza, an illustrator with more than 40 books to her credit, including such favorites as “Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid” will be on hand to sign her own first book, “Time to Fly.” The book is published by Warwick’s Moo Press. According to the publisher, “In ‘Time to Fly,’ readers enter the enchanting world of Fairy Lane for the very first time. The story opens early on the morning of the annual Time to Fly festival. By winning a race and showing she is the fastest fairy child, Petals earns the honor of sprinkling fairy dust on the baby fairies that evening; for even though baby fairies are born with wings, they cannot fly without the magic fairy dust. Petals, who tends to be a bit messy, is so excited to be the one who will make the babies fly until she realizes she cannot find the all-important pouch of fairy dust. Readers follow Petals all around Fairy Lane as she searches for it. The story shows that keeping an untidy room can interfere with some of life’s most important and exciting moments.” Children’s books illustrator and Pine Island resident Barbara Lanza is an award-winning graduate of the Philadelphia University of the Arts. “Like many children,” she said,” I was fascinated by tiny worlds. My favorite poems and stories illuminated the fanciful creatures who inhabited these places.” Guests who attend the March 18 book signing event will have an opportunity to hear Lanza discuss her book and to enjoy “Sweets and Savories” served with “a proper tea.” Charlotte’s TeaRoom is open for lunch and tea Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. And, weather permitting, lunch and tea are also served on an outdoor deck overlooking Wawayanda Creek. Specialties, which are also available for take-out, include freshly baked scones, a soup and quiche of the day and traditional tea sandwiches, salads and sweets. For reservations to the March 18 book-signing event, call 988- 9499. Grand opening On Saturday evening, Feb. 24, La Montiel Dance, 17 Main St. hosted its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the former space occupied by the Kid’s ClubHouse. La Montiel offers instruction in Argentine Tango, Mambo, Social Ballroom Dancing, Turkish Belly Dancing, Zumba and Salsa among others. The new studio has been open since Feb. 1. Owner and Warwick resident Maria Gutierrez, whose mother is a native of Cuba, has been teaching Latin salsa, mambo, rumba, cha cha cha and meringue dance classes at the Warwick Community Center for the past three years. “Interest in dancing,” she said, “has been gathering steam throughout the country.” Gutierrez and her fiancé and business partner, Eric Ferrar recently opened La Montiel at 17 Main St. in the former 800-square foot second floor space of the popular Kids ClubHouse. “My goal,” said Gutierrez, “is to offer a program of dance, music and art that empowers people to reach their potential of self-expression, and to expose them to the diversity of the Latin culture.” A full schedule of dance and fitness classes is offered as well as weekend dance socials and exhibitions to be held at The Italian Villa restaurant as well as the studio. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., La Montiel will offer Argentine Tango taught by experts Walter and Marilynne, directors of the Hudson Valley Tango Association; Mambo by Veronica and Omar; Social Ballroom Dancing by Joe and Nancy; Turkish Belly Dancing by Vildan “V”; and Couples Salsa by Rick and Janese. For fitness buffs and those who want to get into shape, Gutierrez offers Zumba, a Latin-dance based aerobic workout for people of all fitness levels. “Dance is for everybody, “ she said. “My youngest student was seven years old and my oldest in her mid-70s.” For more information about La Montiel Dance and class schedules call Eric Ferrar at 987-1770. Fit Beginnings Debbie Redding, who describes herself as, “A mommy with two babies,” is also a certified group instructor with a masters degree in the art of teaching. She was recognized as The Governor’s Teacher of the Year for Maple Road School in 2003. “Before I became a mommy,” said Redding, “I was a very dedicated elementary education teacher. And from the day I made the decision to teach children I gave everything I had to being the best educator I could be.” Redding is currently teaching four classes at the Olympus Gym, 43 West St., Warwick. The classes include FIT Mommy and Baby, FIT Mommy and Mover, Play With Me, a play class designed to develop “strong minds and bodies” for children 12 months to 5 years and their parents, and Stroller Muscle, an interactive cardiovascular and resistance training class for moms and all stroller age children. “As the mother of two babies,” she said, “I understand the demands and needs of other mothers. All of my classes provide a support network for mothers through discussion forums. And The FIT Mommy classes include the babies in the exercises allowing mothers to spend quality time with their children while getting a terrific workout.” For additional information, visit www.fitbeginnings.com or call 973-764-5785.