Early in May, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester will be receiving the “Irving J. Fain Award” for Outstanding Synagogue Social Action Programming. It is one of the highest honors available to congregations within the Reform Jewish Movement. Temple Beth El receives this award for its “Multi-Generational Jewish-Muslim Dialogue” initiative. Partnering with the local Muslim Society , the Synagogue held interfaith dialogue programs to discuss differences and similarities between the two faiths. “Social justice is an essential component to our movement,” said Dr. Cheryl Gutmann, chair of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. For more info, go to www.rac.org.
The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Moth
By Rick Reynolds
No, the title is not a typo. This is NOT about the best selling book, The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua, which has sent shock waves through a generation of permissive parenting. Having been both a permissive student and a semi-strict parent in Chappaqua, I can tell you that the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (and father) has played out for generations in the hyper-competitive, education-on-steroids world of Chappaqua academia. But this isn’t about that.
This isn’t about chaining one’s child to a piano till she can play Bach in her sleep. No, this isn’t about parents insisting their third graders get all A’s and no B’s, so they can go to Harvard, or Princeton, or Yale or West Point—and not those lesser colleges and universities. Nor is it about joining the debate club, or banning sleepovers, television, and free time–all of which is advisable, but unrealistic in the extreme. No, in a world where children have instant worldwide communication through the Internet, the notion that they can be controlled by anything other than solitary confinement deep in a mineshaft is absurd. As they say here in New Hampshire, “Thems days is over.”
So, relax parents. The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Moth is about the 1930’s and 40’s RAF biplane, and its look-alike, nest-spinning, tree-destroying, bi-colored moth for which the early aircraft was named. The plane was used as a flight trainer in the run up to World War II. During the war, it was deployed as a light bomber for even lighter targets, and with a specially fitted, scythe-like blade, it served as a parachute line cutter, freeing descending enemy paratroopers from their chutes. But most interesting was the Tiger Moth’s use as a tug for pulling dummy targets to shoot ordnance at. The tow plane, known as the “Queen Bee,” was one of the first remotely piloted aircraft, developed after tug pilots with short tow ropes refused to take flak from friendly forces.
The Queen Bee spawned the word “drone,” the robotic craft which makes up our modern fleet of pilot-less aircraft used for surveillance and pinpoint precision bombing. Instead of sending young troops into harm’s way, wars will more-and-more be fought over foreign soil by drones operated by “A” students in New Jersey and Utah. (Their commanders will be “A” students from Chappaqua–at least those few who don’t become doctors, stockbrokers, or their lawyers.) In either case, survival of the fittest may depend on the survival of the Tiger Mother and her hyper-educated cubs–not that this is about that.
The Tiger Moth plane was also used in battle against–you guessed it–the Tiger Moth bug. Outfitted with pesticide tanks, the Tiger Moth dusted crops and the trees housing the leaf-killing silken nests of Tiger Moths. The moth, having the advantage of numbers, luckily survived long enough to see the emergence of the organic movement. Having seen human folly come and go, the Tiger Moth now lives happily on the web, enjoying its bug life as a happy herbivore eating locally produced food.
So where am I going with this? you ask. Hell if I know. I do know that, the more things change, the more they stay the same. With today’s brutal economic environment, humans and bugs alike need all the ammunition they can get. It’s not just about getting A’s, though, but what we get A’s in. In the end, nature wins–with or without us. There’s only one war that must be won, and that’s the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Moth.
Ten Reasons to Own a Pet
By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein
Three years ago I became someone’s pet, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I love having human beings in my life. I am cared for beyond my wildest dreams–food, shelter and lots of affection. I know having an owner is great and I wondered, “is owning a pet as great for people.” I asked around Chappaqua and beyond, and here are ten reasons why owning a pet, any pet, can be a great thing!
10. Pets are good company. My friend Wilson, a Shi Tzu, says his owner Janet talks to him all the time. A dog or cat has been known to fill an empty nest when kids go off to college.
9. Pets help you get exercise. No matter what the weather, my owner has to get out of the house to walk me. My neighbors, Abby and Sam, two Shi Tzus, go hiking with their owner Stephanie, making her take more breaks from grading papers than she would without them!
8. Pets are good for your health. Studies have shown that having a pet in your life can lower blood pressure. From the purring of a cat to watching fish in a fish tank, the effect of animals is very calming.
7. Pets are perennial playmates. My cat cousins Bella and Mittens, two Abyssinians, are permanent play dates for their only–child owner Sophia. For teens, stingy with hugs for their parents, the pet is the perfect object of affection for cuddling.
6. A pet can teach responsibility. Not only dogs and cats, but rabbits, gerbils, birds and fish can give young children a sense of accomplishment by feeding, walking, or cleaning out a cage or litter box. Many teenagers feel that taking care of their family pets is good preparation for parenthood in the future.
5. You can do a good deed and save a life if you rescue a cat or dog from a shelter.
4. A pet is a great way to meet people. My owner, for one, has met more people in town thanks to walking me. People are friendlier if I am with her.
3. Pets are entertaining. Hermione, an American short hair cat dazzles her family by diving into empty bags and chasing her catnip. Rocky, a Black Lab, makes his owner Ethan, laugh. When Ethan calls, “Clean up,” Rocky comes running to lick up spills and crumbs. He is no dirty dog!
2. Pets can take care of your
family.
My friend Bailey, a Pomeranian, patrols his yard and house always on the lookout for wrong doing. He is very protective and takes his job seriously, policing the children in the family by barking if they are horsing around. Rocky also serves as a watch dog and barks viciously and growls when he hears someone at the door. Of course, when the door is open, he greets a friend or stranger with kisses and a wagging tail.
1. And hands down, the best reason of all, especially for dogs like me, is pure and simple: love, unconditionally!
Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter at maggiemae10514@gmail.com
Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant, award-winning photographer and a School Library Media Specialist and teacher who has worked in the US and abroad.
Strategies for Buying and Selling a Home
By Vicki de Vries
What are the best ways to come out on top when making that all-important decision to buy or sell a house? We asked several top producers at William Raveis in Chappaqua–Sena Baron, Bonnie Golub, and Ellen Grollman–to share their “top ten tips.”
10. Be a “smart” seller or buyer by finding a reliable, seasoned real-estate agent with a proven track record of integrity and successful sales.
Sellers first need to decide whether to sell on their own or secure the services of a real-estate agent. The advantage of working with seasoned, licensed professionals includes their knowledge of the local housing market and the community at large, as well as the ability to negotiate a real-estate deal.
Working with a licensed professional also helps to ensure accurate list pricing, which is the “key to success.” An honest agent will give you a price estimate he or she can justify, rather than appealing to your vanity. An “inflated” list price might be so unrealistic that your house will stay on the market for more months than it should have. As part of their servicing, real-estate agents do property comparisons to further ensure accurate pricing. So, unless you have beaucoup time to do market research, you simply cannot beat the services of a rock-solid real-estate agent. Be a smart seller.
Likewise, whether you’re a first-time buyer or seasoned buyer, be a smart buyer. As with sellers, finding a licensed professional agent with extensive market knowledge and integrity is paramount. Buyers should ask for references at the start of the relationship, along with information about the agent’s sales history and track record. Essentially, “if you don’t trust your agent, you are working with the wrong one.”
9. Buyers and sellers need
patience with the process.
Don’t expect every step to be smooth sailing, but trust your instincts, as well as your agent, who is there to guide you. Ask questions along the way, and remember that good decisions take time and effort. So, take a deep breath and be patient–the universe is not rushing you, even if people are.
8. Sellers need to be realistic about their selling price.
If you start to question a real-estate agent’s pricing, get a second, even third, opinion and compare them. This effort will help settle your mind and either give you confidence in your agent or impel you to find another one. Keep in mind your agent has to answer to the client/seller–you. Sometimes, sellers become enamored with a certain selling price. To avoid that, ask yourself, “How did I really arrive at this price?” If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll likely admit you’ve been thinking about the original house price and/or have been mulling over what housing values were before the economic tsunami hit the nation. Keep in mind the price you want for your home may have absolutely nothing to do with what a buyer will actually pay–
sobering indeed.
7. Sellers need to prepare a list of needed improvements to make before putting a house on the market.
Sellers have a natural tendency to overlook flaws in the house they have called “home” for X number of years. So, if you perceive your home as a great ship of state that needs no improvement, think again. Buyers will see defects your eyes have ignored. If you fail to consider how critical and cautious buyers are, you run the risk of having your house “sell your competition”–a prospect to avoid!
As with life, first impressions count. You have only one chance to make an impression; so, make sure it’s a good one. Make a list of what needs to be done before putting your house on the market.
6. Sellers need to make improvements buyers will expect and appreciate, starting with de-cluttering.
Imagine yourself as a buyer walking into your home. What do you see? A pile of boots, gloves, and coats scattered about? Piles of newspapers, magazines or books thrown on the coffee table in search of a shelf or circular file? Organize what you have, and store or give away what does not contribute to a crisp, clean look.
Plan your sprucing steps carefully. Do the oak floors need refinishing? Are the windows dusty? When was the last time you had the carpets cleaned or the cabinets inside and out? Make necessary repairs such as fixing torn screens or tightening those ceramic knobs on your kitchen cabinets. Of course, if serious repairs need to be made, fix them or obtain estimates from reliable vendors. Do you have a possible inspection issue? If so, get a pre-marketing inspection done. Perhaps it’s time to paint inside and/or out. Make it easier for a buyer to imagine living in your home by painting over bright primary colors and opting for more neutral shades.
While these kinds of improvements to your home will not guarantee a sale, buyers, especially first-time buyers, will gain a certain level of comfort since you have made some basic improvements they won’t have to make.
5. Sellers should plan on leaving the premises before an agent and a buyer visit the house. Before showing your home to a buyer, the agent should let you know. Rather than staying in your house when they walk in the front door, leave the house ahead of time. Balking? Buyers tend to feel inhibited around sellers. It stands to reason. If you feel you must meet and greet the buyers because no one else can sell your home as well as you can since you know it “inside and out,” reconsider. The best thing you can do is allow the buyer to dream and imagine the home as his/her own. And that will happen only if you’re physically out of the picture when they arrive.
4. Buyers need to get their price range for buying a house qualified by their real-estate agent.
Your agent should “qualify your price range,” which simply means matching the level of your financial ability with houses that you can reasonably afford. Early on, buyers also should consult with a mortgage broker and secure a “pre-approval letter,” which can be presented to the sellers when you are ready to make an offer.
3. Buyers need to make a list of the 10 most important features they must have in a new home.
Caveat emptor: the buyer beware. In this case, beware of your own priorities, regardless of the price range of houses for which you financially qualify. There are “tradeoffs and compromises” you might have to make in the process of buying a house. Perhaps you’ve always lusted after that Tudor-style home, but it’s out of your price range. Happily, perhaps that more reasonably priced Dutch colonial is too irresistible to turn down.
Keep your head from swimming in the wrong backyard by writing down the ten most important features your new home must have, “in descending order.” Once you (and your partner, if you have one,) have each made your own list and compared them, create a “master list” to guide your search for that perfect castle. If a house fails to meet the top five features on your master list, why waste your time? If you can compromise on the bottom two or three features, you might have a deal in the making. A key insight: “Sometimes it takes many visits to many properties to understand what compromises you can accept.”
2. Buyers should keep mum about their search.
This sounds silly. Why the secrecy? Simply because your best friends might be in the buying mood too. If they learn from you that it’s on the market, they might want to look at it and bid on it. In that case, you could stand to lose both the house and your friends. Then again, you would know who your real friends are.
1. Buyers would be wise to get a flavor of the local scene before making an offer on a house. After often much trial-and-error, buyers eventually will find one or more houses “of serious interest.” If new to an area, feeling unsure about the new community is normal. The antidote is spending time in the environs. Get a map, drive around the local roads, and visit the local sites. Check out a few restaurants and observe the clientele. Is the local supermarket one you would feel comfortable shopping at?
If you have children, stop by a park or a playground. Visit the school your child would attend. Observe the traffic pattern near the house at various times of the day. In short, do you like what you see? Can you imagine your family fitting in to this setting? If you sense some uneasiness, settle it or find another house and/or another community.
Will following these top tips for buying and selling a home automatically guarantee a smooth experience? No, but they certainly will help to put buyers and sellers in a better position for achieving that goal.
Vicki de Vries is a writer/editor and educator who enjoyed working as a realtor in the Midwest for a magical ten months before moving to
Westchester.
How To work Well with your Caterer
By Françoise Jarry
10. Plan ahead and save the date.
9. Discuss your expectations in terms of set up, menu, staff and rentals.
8. Keep in mind that a seamless organization is critical to the success of your event.
7. Remember that delicious food is always a sure win.
6. Trust the professionals: impeccable service is almost as important as food in the eyes of your guests.
5. Don’t pretend cost does not matter: it always does!
4. Select your menu within your budget comfort zone: if you choose the right caterer, you can put together a beautiful menu without breaking the bank.
3. Be aware that passed hors d’ oeuvre tend to be very labor intensive and therefore expensive. Sometimes, stationary platters can offer a cost effective alternative.
2. Take your caterer’s advice as to the number of servers needed. A proper server/guest ratio will ensure that your event runs smoothly.
1. Offer feedback. If you were pleased with your caterer’s services, let him know. If not, let him know why. Good communication is always the best recipe for a successful party.
Francoise Jarry and Leslie Williams are business partners at The Perennial Chef, a full service caterer in Bedford Hills and Ridgefield, Connecticut. Leslie’s brother, Chef Michael Williams, a graduate of Kenyon College and the French Culinary Institute in New York, specializes in a light and refreshing style of cuisine best described as French Californian. For more information, visit www.theperennialchef.com.