Inside Press

By Steven Bernstein

This year’s New Castle Community Day will be held on September 21^st.  All those who attend will experience a lovely day of food and amazing attractions that people of all ages will enjoy.

“We’re going to have rides for the kids.  We’re going to have musical entertainment also, we’re going to have some singers and hopefully some local bands,” said Pam Thornton, President of the Chappaqua Rotary Club, and Director of Chappaqua Library.

Community Day is the perfect way for new comers to get to know the community, and for longtime residents to reacquaint themselves with all the great organizations that the town has to offer.

“It’s a day when local organizations get to exhibit what we do.  It tells people what we do for them, for the community.  That’s the best part of it.  The New Castle Historical Society, the Chappaqua Library, the Chappaqua Orchestra, and others… we all come out to show the community what we can do for them,” said Thornton.

All proceeds will be given to local charities.  Between 50-70 local organizations will be present.

“A lot of people come.  This is a terrific community event.  It’s a wonderful, wonderful community event. There’s good food and a wonderful sense of community.  Wonderful opportunity for people to get together and enjoy their community,” said Penny Paderewski, Town Administrator at Town Hall.

“It’s a great event for letting the residents see some of the organizations that are working on behalf of the community.  All the different organizations are given the chance to meet the residents and highlight what they’re doing for the community,” said Rob Greenstein, head of the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce.

Community Day begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. So mark your calendars for September 21^st, and enjoy a fun filled day that celebrates all the New Castle community has to offer.

 

 

 

Join The Mental Health Association of Westchester for our annual benefit celebration, An Evening at Metropolis! The festivities begin at 6:30 pm at the Metroplis Country Club in White Plains and include cocktails, dinner, silent auction, and award presentations to outstanding individuals and companies who have made a difference to MHA and the field of mental health. For more information, contact Constance Moustakas at 914-345-5900 ext. 7511 or development@mhawestchester.org or visit www.mhawestchester.org

2. The Mental Health Association of Westchester received a grant of $5000 from THE TD Charitable Foundation in support of community outreach for MHA’s new initiative OnTrackNY My Health, My Choices, My Future, which is an innovative treatmentprogram for adolescents and young adults between the ages of 16-30 who have had unusual thoughts and behaviors or who have started hearing or seeing things that others don’t. An important goal is to help individuals remain in their lives or quickly return to their lives. As a brand new program, TD Bank’s contribution will help MHA ensure that the message is received by those who need it most

3. New York State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program at MHA Westchester is seeking volunteers. The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, which serves residents in licensed long term care facilities in Westchester County, is recruiting volunteers who are interested in training to become Ombudsmen.  An Ombudsman helps to resolve complaints, monitors quality of life and helps to preserve the dignity of residents in long term care facilities.

A volunteer must be at least 21 years of age and complete a mandatory certification training program to become a New York State Certified ombudsman.  A commitment of 4 hours weekly for one year is required after the training.

LTCOP staff and a faculty of experts cover a wide range of subjects, such as the aging process, regulations, levels of care, and how-to skills of working and negotiating with staff for the protection of residents’ rights as prescribed by law. The training is free.

Please call for an application to be eligible for the FALL training starting on Thursday, October 3, 2013.

By Grace Bennett

In response to an InsideChappaqua.com story by Zarah Kavarana about Movie Nights in Millwood Park this summer, Town Administrator Penny Paderewski contacted us to let us know how instrumental the Millwood Task Force was in conceiving and ultimately bringing the idea to fruition.  I told her I would welcome a statement too from the Millwood Task Force. Here’s what I received from Michael Stern, co-chair of the Task Force:

“The Millwood Task Force has been seeking ways to enhance the quality of life for, and  project a positive impact that the  Millwood Hamlet/West End neighborhoods  have on the entire Town of New Castle. Early this year Leslye Smith, an MTF member, suggested that the MTF approach the Town with an Idea to have a functionsuch as a concert or Movie Night in the Millwood Hamlet, as mostly all such events are currently held in the Chappaqua Hamlet of New Castle.  It was decided that a Movie Night would be best to pursue.  It could put Millwood “on the map” to those in Town unfamiliar to what our Hamlet’s Business District has to offer.

The idea was then brought to the attention of  Penny Paderewski the Town Administrator who agreed that a Movie Night in Millwood was an idea that she could present to the Town Board and Supervisor.  Millwood Park was presented as a site that could be able to handle such an event.  we were told  the Parks Department would need to  facilitate such an event.  Funding for the Films and equipment necessary to present them however was another issue, as the Town did not have money allocated into this years budget.

At the March MTF meeting, Movie Night was further discussed.  Attending the meeting was Rob Greenstein, from the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of  Commerce.  He proposed the possibility that the Chamber of Commerce could  attempt to get Financial Sponsors from the Business Community to fund the Movie Night(s)The MTF was notified in April that that the Chamber was able to get several Millwood Sponsors.   Drug Mart, Matero’s Jewelry and others stepped up to the plate and agreed to fund the Rentals, signs and other expenses.

The event itself was Co-Sponsored by the Town of New Castle, the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce and the Millwood Task Force.

Arrangements were made with the Town to set up Four  Dates in June for the Movies.  (several rain dates were rescheduled for July).

The Millwood Task Force was very pleased to see it’s Vision come to fruition with the co-operation of the Town of New Castle Parks Department Staff, and the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce for the funding and  promotion, embracing Leslye Smiths idea for the Millwood Movie Night.

A Special Thank you to Penny (Town Administrator), Rob  (Chamber of Commerce) the Parks Department, as well as the Financial Sponsors of the Movies.

This,  I believe, is an example of how local business and government can work together for the good of our Town.”