The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

ADL Trains NYC Educators on Tackling Bullying

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In recognition of “Respect for All Week” taking place in New York City public schools from February 10th to 14th, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) hosted a professional development session for local educators titled “Becoming an Ally: Interrupting Name-calling and Bullying.”

The session, which took place on Tuesday, February 11th at the ADL National Headquarters in Manhattan, equipped participants with resources and strategies to effectively tackle bullying in schools, while adhering to specific training requirements prescribed by New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act.

“Too many students are faced with the stress of bullying in schools,” said Evan Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director. “Initiatives like those of A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute are vital to ensure that young people know how to act when they are being bullied, and we rely on our educators to spread this information and help stamp out hate among youth.”

Participants represented a variety of schools throughout the five boroughs and New Jersey, including Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx, Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, Brooklyn Technical High School, High School of Computers and Technology in the Bronx, P.S. 4 The Duke Ellington School in Manhattan, P.S./M.S. 279 in the Bronx, and Freehold Township School District in New Jersey.

Since 2006, ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute has been a lead partner in the New York City Department of Education’s “Respect for All” initiative. This program is one of many available to schools throughout New York State and Northern New Jersey.

“I usually get overwhelmed around the topic of bullying,” said one participant. “You helped me realize there are things I can do to support my students that can make a difference. Thank you for that.”

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_News

Temple Beth El Appoints New Senior Rabbi

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rabbi jaffe headshotThe Board of Trustees of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester has announced the hiring of Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe as its new Senior Rabbi effective July 1, 2014.  Rabbi Jaffe will succeed Rabbi Joshua Davidson, who left Temple Beth El over the summer to become the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York. Interim Senior Rabbi Alan Fuchs will continue to lead the congregation until June.

Rabbi Jaffe will assume responsibility for a congregation of over 520 member families, with a growing Nursery School, a vibrant Religious School, and a commitment to innovative worship, lifelong learning and social justice.

He has served Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco as Rabbi since 2006.  In 2010, he took on the oversight of the synagogue’s educational programming, from Preschool through adult education.

Jaffe was born in Hawaii where he was raised amid the multi-cultural backdrop of Honolulu.  He received his BA in philosophy from Duke University and studied at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  Before his ordination from Hebrew Union College, he served as the Education Director for URJ Camp Newman in Santa Rosa.  He also pursued a pre-MBA career at Gap Inc. in San Francisco before realizing his true passion lay in teaching within the Jewish community.

He looks forward to becoming part of our Chappaqua community.  As he stated at today’s congregational meeting, “this is the optimal opportunity for me and my family – to work with the clergy and the families at Temple Beth El.”

According to Temple Beth El president, Lisa Davis, “with his intellect, spirituality, and warm, engaging personality, Rabbi Jaffe energized the (search) committee and the board in a way we only imagined possible.  We are confident that he is the right person to lead Temple Beth El into a bright, exciting future.”

 

 

 

 

“Anything Goes” Set to Sail at Seven Bridges

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Anything Goes Poster

By Ellen Davis

Get ready to board the S.S. American for a fun filled ride as the Seven Bridges Theater gets ready to set sail with “Anything Goes.”  You will certainly Get a Kick out of our performances on Friday, February 7th at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 8th at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee, February 9th at 2pm.

The cast and crew has been rehearsing for weeks and 5th graders Ryan Spiro, Charlotte Harrison and 7th grader Mary Grace Sullivan can’t wait to sing and dance in front of an audience.  Violet Gautreau remembered her four years in the theater program.  She was a knife in “Beauty and the Beast,” a fish in “Seusical,”  Ursula in “Little Mermaid” and now she is Reno in “Anything Goes.” She feels it was really great to “work your way up and prove you’re up to the challenge of getting a lead part”

Director Kevin Kierens thinks:
“This show is going to knock the socks off our audience.  I won’t be surprised if there is not an insurgence of audience members seeking tap instruction in our local dance studios.  Our own “dancing with our stars” here in Chappaqua.  You can’t leave this theatre without feeling good and humming those great Cole Porter tunes.  It’s Delovely!”

And speaking of dancing, Choreographer Linda Carelli and Theater Chair Aimee Gautreau headed up a fall tap class leading up to the auditions.  Many boys and girls participated. Linda stated:  “I loved teaching the six week pre audition tap class.  Many of the kids had never tapped before and by the end of the session I was amazed with how much technique they learned. More than 45 kids participated and they were quite proud of their accomplishment.  It made them more confident and relaxed at the audition.”

Wesley Ford portrays Billy and Noah Hellman is Whitney.  Both eighth graders had always been on the tech crew working behind the scenes.  They decided to step in front of the spotlight and both earned lead parts.

Another eighth grader, Katie Katz is a reporter and flapper.  She loves to play characters “that aren’t really like her.”  And 6th graders Anna Karp and Paige Dalrymple and 8th grader Sydney Herzog thinks the best part is spending so much time with friends.

John Admunson, finishes his fourth year on the Seven Bridges Stage.  This year he stars as Sir Evelyn.  And he thinks participating in theater has been “wonderful and tiring.”  And another four timer Amanda Chin, who portrays Hope thinks “The cast is amazing and the big production numbers are amazing.”  Moonface Martin, also known as Jackson Gautreau, thinks “Theater is a great way to express yourself.”  And 6th grader Ellie Leibner who portrays Bonnie, thinks “It’s not about what part you have, but, the memories you make.”

So get ready to Blow Gabriel Blow.  This is going to be a great night of song and dance.  Vocal coach Sara Brett England thinks the audience will love the life orchestra.  “It’s really quite exciting, especially as some of these kids have never sung with one at Seven Bridges.  I’m a huge proponent of live music, as it’s truly the heartbeat of the show.  Not only does it give employment for musicians, but it can also inspire budding middle school musicians and allow them to see that musical theatre is a field to go into.”

So get on board as tickets are going fast.

https://secure.sellingticket.com/design22/clients/list/index_byUserListAll.aspx?OrganizationID=123Anything Goes Poster

Ellen Davis is Television Writer/Producer/Director.  She is also the proud Mom of Violet and Jackson Gautreau

 

Walgreens Gets it Right

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A Grand Opening ceremonial ribbon cutting today at Walgreens today.
A Grand Opening ceremonial ribbon cutting today at the new Walgreens on King Street. Eric Buff does the honors together with New Castle Deputy Supervisor Lisa Katz.  Katz and Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Shenker welcomed visitors and commended Walgreens on the store’s responsiveness to the community.
Greeley Quaker Notes performing at the Grand Opening.
Greeley Quaker Notes performing at Walgreens.

Like so many Chappaqua Moms, I too was disappointed about “another drugstore” taking over the space left vacant by D’agostino’s.   While Walgreens is not the Whole Foods we all seem to crave, it’s a pretty darned impressive  drugstore chain.  Sensitive to the wishes for a supermarket in Chappaqua, Store Manager Eric Buff has focused heavily on stocking rows and rows of shelves with grocery/ food items, from the refrigerated staple Milk and Eggs selections to fresh cut fruit salads and even, sushi.

Plus I have found, their pricing on all these items, and on their items storewide too, in fact, are perfectly competitive with local markets. No price gouging here ‘cause “it’s Chappaqua.” It’s a spacious, welcoming newcomer, with friendly staff, a pharmacy and full service photo printing service too.

At the Grand Opening today, store manager Eric Buff stated that he was aware of the community yearnings, and said he would continue to bring items to Walgreens that customers express interest about. “Organic milk is a recent one,” he seemed to note proudly.  It’s a great attitude.

Cuomo Announces Web Portal to Promote Adirondacks Tourism

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Hike to Breathtaking Adirondack Views
Hike to Breathtaking Adirondack Views

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of a new interactive Adirondack recreation planning tool to promote tourism attractions in the Adirondack Region and spur economic development opportunities. The portal, found at www.VisitAdirondacks.com, was created in partnership between cross-regional organizations—The Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages (AATV), Center for Economic Growth, and Central Adirondack Partnership for the 21st Century—and funded through the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

“The trip planning portal we are unveiling today on VisitAdirondacks.com features all you need to know to plan a great trip to the Adirondacks,” Governor Cuomo said. “Spanning six million acres, the Adirondack Park is a vast region that has tremendous recreational and tourism opportunities for residents and visitors alike. With this website, we are making it easy for visitors to find and choose the activities and attractions they want to explore. I applaud all the partners who collaborated on this initiative that will boost our efforts to promote the local tourism industry and create new economic opportunities for the region.”

The Adirondack Park Recreation Web Portal will provide residents and travelers to New York’s six-million-acre park, which spans parts of the Capital, North Country and Mohawk Valley regions, with the ability to map their visit with a concise list of recreational opportunities, amenities, lodging, and restaurants, as well as off-the-beaten-path attractions and travel preferences, via the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council’s official website, VisitAdirondacks.com.

A mobile app is scheduled to launch in the coming weeks and will provide on-the-go users with the same planning options available on the portal.

Funding for the project was awarded by Empire State Development, through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, as well as from the Capital Region’s Center for Economic Growth (CEG).

“The Adirondack Web Portal is exactly the type of project that exemplifies the regional economic development process and we are pleased to support this exciting initiative through the Governor’s Regional Council and CFA process,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams. “As a result of this cross-regional and collaborative effort, tourists, residents and businesses alike will benefit with increased connectivity and promotion of the Park’s assets, further spurring economic development and growth across a vast expanse of Upstate New York.”

“This project symbolizes the great strides our state has made in cross-regional collaboration. Members of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Economic Development Councils from the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley, and North Country were eager to partner on this project as a means to leverage the Park’s recreational assets to promote economic development,” said F. Michael Tucker, President and CEO of CEG.

Adirondack Association of Towns & Villages President Brian Towers said, “The development of this interactive web portal and app is very exciting for the small towns & villages of the Adirondacks that play host to the Forest Preserve. The multitude of recreational opportunities that exist within those communities is unparalleled, and we believe that this tool will expose those less traveled areas of the Park to new visitors, thus leveraging the economic benefits associated with increased tourism.”

CAP-21 Executive Director Nicholas Rose said, “Almost all of travel planning now occurs via internet and related mobile applications. The Governor has worked diligently to raise the profile of the Adirondacks as a great place to live, work and play. The Adirondack web portal will build upon the Governor’s work and help promote the recreational assets that are located within this unique region. We are within a day’s drive of over 75 million people, and the Portal has just made it easier to Come Play and sample all the recreational wonders that the Adirondacks has to offer. It’s a big Park, and there is something for everyone.”

The portal includes 4,000 travel data sets that have been organized into a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate recreation and vacation planning tool. Travelers and residents can use the portal to discover the Adirondack Park’s unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities, such as finding trailheads and places to fish or paddle, including lists of boat launches, gear rentals, places to get licenses, or where to grab lunch.

Available via several access points on VisitAdirondacks.com, the recreational portal can be found on the homepage’s main menu (“Come Play”), at the bottom of the Outdoor Recreation page, and on the sidebar of the First Time Visitors page. With a single click, users can search and connect with data that is specifically targeted to them based on travel criteria, including:

· Family Travel
· Traveling with pets
· Handicap accessible
· Seasonal recreation
· Geographic areas within the park
· Recreation type (e.g. snowmobiling trails or downhill skiing and snowboarding)- With each selection made in the portal, the user is also presented with a list of what’s nearby, including recreation opportunities, lodging, dining, shopping, and other attractions.

Adaptive web design features of the web portal, and the soon-to-launch mobile-friendly app, will act as an essential resource for travelers accessing data from their desktops, tablets and smartphones alike.

“The Adirondack Park Recreation Web Portal and app provide easily accessible, timely data that will enhance each visitor’s experience in the Adirondacks while acting as a planning tool for the leisure traveler to map their next trip to the Adirondack Park,” said Saranac Lake native, Kimberly Finnigan, Esq., the project manager and attorney at Cooper Erving & Savage LLP.

The portal adopts strategies developed by the Adirondack Partnership’s Adirondack Park Recreation Strategy Group and was identified as a regional priority project by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. The project will directly support key aspects of the strategic plans developed by the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley, and North Country Regional Economic Development Councils, including the promotion of long-term investment, sustainability and revitalization within the North Country, Capital Region and the Mohawk Valley.