Inside Press

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.

By Jo Rosenfeld

10. Everything is New Under the Sun. Block whispers of those who claim to have been there and done that. From twists on themes to presentations of food it’s all how creative you can be on serving it to your guests!

9. Size Matters. Determine your personal party limits. Intimate to expansive, the “wow” factor comes when you are able to spend a few moments with each one of your guests.

8. Know No Boundaries. Lose leg irons which hold you back from redefining inside and outside spaces. A life event can serve cocktails indoors , allowing the reception to flow onto the grounds. BBQ “beyond ” in house for a white hot night!

7. Weather or Not, Here it Comes. Look on the bright side because when it comes to events, it’s all ” good luck.” Rain on a wedding day. A snowy Sweet 16. Your valet will warm the car and clear the windshield!

6. Create an Aura. Be mindful of the mood you set as a host. There exists a spectrum of vibes you can share from the time the invitation is sent until the last guest leaves. The
” happy bubble effect ” lingers on !

5. Destination Celebration. Put your finger down on the map and make it your reality. Birth order doesn’t have to determine where you celebrate. One always remembers a “first” when it comes to family life events. The sky’s the limit!

4. Video Chat. Consider how technology really can blend into an event.
Close up interviews give way to subtle segments of film which never speak from a still. The perfect gift for important others. A legacy for your kids!

3. Chemistry 101. Mix up couples on your guest list with creative seating charts. It’s often hard to hear anyone over the music, aside from the one next to you.

2. Add an Element of Surprise. Pull off the ultimate unknown with dress code and more.
Invite your guests to dress in head to toe black while the celebrity of the event pops in a single color. Even the camera will smile!

1. Be a Guest at your Own Party. Avoid the urge to be “point person” and be the person they point at. Leave planning and execution to experts. Sleep out the night before and be the first to arrive on our red carpet!

Jo Rosenfeld, proprietor of Jo Rosenfeld Occasions, is an Event Services Brokers. Her years of experience in the party industry has opened doors to vendors for both private and public celebrations. Visit her site, www.jorosenfeld.com.

By Donna Abemayor, LCSW

“Let’s play.” It’s such a simple phrase between children, but in today’s world, the meaning of play has changed significantly from what we remember from our childhoods. Accordingly to Dorothy Singer, Ph.D., a child psychologist at Yale University, play is engaging in an activity for the fun of doing it–but it is more than that…

Play has the ability to teach children decision-making, risk-taking, problem-solving and creativity. Children can learn the values of honesty and fairness through play and can try out and rehearse many different behaviors.

My earliest memories of play are of a childhood spent happily in suburban Rockland County. Activities such as spud, wiffleball, tag and tea parties filled my days. At the custom-made roller-rink in my parent’s garage, our cassettes of Donny Osmond and The Jackson 5 always made my sneaker-based roller skates move faster. I will never forget the many forts and Barbie Dream Houses we made out of cardboard boxes. All the children in the neighborhood would gather together regardless of age. There was no need for parents to schedule play dates. It was a time when the neighborhood was our friend. When we spoke about “we,” it referred to our family, school and community, not a video game console. There was no texting or video chatting, just conversation. Quite simply, it was fun.

The Problems
with Over Scheduling
Although some of this free-wheeling socialization exists today, much of children’s play has taken the form of scheduled activities. The name of that nostalgic childhood game, “Red Light, Green Light, 1, 2, 3,” seems to take on new meaning as parents drive to various after-school activities. As we negotiate the twists and turns of Routes 120, 133, 117 or 100, we desperately hope that the light around the next bend is green.

According to recent research by Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., a pediatrician affiliated with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, many children today are being raised in an increasingly hurried and pressured style which limits the positive benefits they might gain from free child-driven play.

Ginsburg and Rhonda Clements, Ed.D., a professor of education at Manhattanville College, both cite the growing emphasis on achievement at an ever-earlier age as the driving force of choosing scheduled activities. The same researchers also report that a balance between scheduled activities and free-play is necessary for children to function optimally. Scheduled activities such as sports or theater can have positive aspects in the development of a child’s interests, but the research suggests these plusses do not replace the cognitive, physical, social and emotional gains of free child-centered play.

Many parents fear that if they don’t keep up the pace of scheduled involvement, their children will fall behind. This inevitably leads to over-scheduling. The research also shows that with higher crime rates, many parents are concerned about letting their kids play freely outside. The boom in technology, including computers, television, and electronic games, has also been a factor in diminished free play among children.

Everything seems to be conspiring to rob today’s children of the concept of “just plain fun.”

PTA’s “Conversations
that Count”
Now for the good news: The R21K committee was formed in the Spring of 2007 by the Chappaqua PTA. The R21K committee works with the schools, administration and staff, as well as other community institutions, to provide programming and parent education geared toward the issues and challenges facing parents in an increasingly complex world. According to Victoria Goodman and Lea Barth, co-chairs of R21K, the committee hosts “conversations that count” workshops where parents are given different scenarios which they and their children may face, given their child’s unique developmental stage. The program has created an opportunity to consider stress factors that face our children and to brainstorm about possible strategies to help our kids navigate them.

“Race to Nowhere”
Film Builds Awareness
In addition, R21K screened the documentary “Race to Nowhere” for the Chappaqua community. It is a compelling look at the stressors on today’s children, given academic pressure and extra-curricular involvement. R21K is also hosting a book discussion of Michael Thompson’s “The Pressured Child” as a way to continue the conversation about some themes which emerged from the documentary. R21K continues to compile feedback and information gathered from reaction to the film’s screenings and will report back to the community later this academic year.
Elizabeth O’Toole, RN, and school nurse at Westorchard feels that children experience some level of stress and fatigue from participating in an overwhelming amount of structured activities. “Often,” says Mrs. O’Toole, “these activities are no longer considered fun by the children.” She adds that free-play opportunities often foster “teachable moments.” Dr. Kathy Hirsch, a clinical psychologist in Chappaqua, reports that the whole family may suffer from overscheduling. A child with growing homework demands and many scheduled activities has little or no time to have “downtime,” free-play and family time. Both Hirsch and O’ Toole report that the screening of “Race to Nowhere” has raised awareness about the pressure we apply on children. They agree that the film has generated a lot of dialogue among educators and parents.

As the mother of a 3rd grader and a high school freshman, I admit that I am often challenged to find a proper balance between scheduled activities, homework, and free-play. My hope is that I can meet that challenge while allowing my children to have fun, grow and develop into the people they want to be.

Donna Abemayor is a licensed clinical social worker who resides in Chappaqua with her husband, Eli and two children Amelia and Sammy. She remains enthusiastic about nostalgic games like spud, roller skating, and listening to her cassettes from the seventies and eighties.

By Jean Sheff

Everyone is talking the “green” talk, but how many people are actually changing their habits and living greener? Read through this list of simple, yet effective ways, you and your family can help make the world a bit greener and see how many of them you have adopted on regular basis. Then, select at least two more, and as they say–just
do it.

10. Eat Smart. You and your family eat every day, generally several times a day, so making green choices with regards to your food intake can really add up. The first big step is to reduce your use of packaged goods and increase your use of locally grown foods. One of the best ways you can do this is to frequent The Chappaqua Farmers’ Market. This grass roots community effort, led by Nancy Orem Lyman, Priscilla Sorensen and Will Wedge, helps reduce our carbon footprint by drastically reducing shipping, pesticides and helps support local farming and agriculture in our area. “We have between 19-24 vendors,” says Orem Lyman. You’ll find fresh vegetables, fruit, milk, eggs, meats, fish, artisanal cheeses, breads, baked goods, wine and nuts. “Our goal is to offer the community a wide variety of products at a good price point,” says Lyman. Other community events like the recent book swap are to be added. The Market is open year-round. Through April, find it at St. Mary’s Church next to Bell Middle School on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In May, the Market moves to the Chappaqua Train Station.

9. Drink Smart. It’s wonderful that so many more people are drinking water instead of soda, but now it’s time to ditch those disposable, plastic water bottles. Many of these plastic bottles can be recycled, but generally, they wind up in the trash and in our landfills. Go greener by investing in reusable stainless steel bottles. You can find them in low-key solid colors or with fun designs right here in town. A quick informal survey at the time of this writing found them at Auntie Penny, Squires and EZ Sports.

8. Shop Local. Talking about our town, do you realize that shopping local is a great way to go green? Basically, less driving = less pollution. Reducing fuel consumption is a very positive way to help the environment. Some people live close enough to walk, which is even better.

7. Unplug. Yes, we are a plugged in society so unplugging may take some practice. Simply put, unplug anything you are not using. Two items that people usually forget to shut down or unplug are computers and chargers. So turn off the computers, printers and unplug the chargers from the wall. Right this minute there could be a computer and cell phone, iPod and camera charger eating up energy just waiting to be used. Don’t be lazy. It’s a habit that you can easily change.
6. Swap Light Bulbs. This one is easy. All you have to do is select compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead of standard incandescent bulbs. Look for higher lumens for brighter light. Purchase some now. As your standard bulbs run out you will be prepared with your new greener choice.

5. Green Supplies
for Home and Office.Computers have gone a long way to help us save paper, but it’s not a perfect science. We still need paper, so do what you can by using recycled printing paper, recycled paper towels and recycled toilet tissue regularly. Have boxes for recycled paper in plain view in the home and office–right next to the printer or photocopier are good locations. And recycle empty ink jet cartridges as well.

4. Save Water. You’ve probably heard the “rule of three,” a person can live three weeks without food but only three days without water. The actual validity is somewhat debatable and trying this old saw is not recommended. The point is as human beings we need water, so we should be doing all we can to use it wisely. So fix leaky faucets, take shorter showers, install a faucet aerator in all faucets and buy drought tolerant plantings. Get the entire family involved. Teach your children not to let the faucet run while brushing their teeth.

3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
You’ve heard this all before, right? Following any of the points above will qualify your participation in the “reduce” category.

Meet the “reuse” strategy by finding new uses for items. An old shirt can be used for pajamas or a fancy jam jar can morph into a perfectly nice pencil holder. You can also make use of the town’s Recycling Center located at 210 Hunts Lane (past World Cup Nursery and Gymnastics School), which is open Wednesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Here you can drop off items at the “Take it or Leave it Shed,” open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon in the spring, summer and fall. You can also participate in Recycle-A-Bicycle program. For questions contact the Center at 238-8091.

And do remember that we have three consignments/used items shops right here in town. You can help the environment by purchasing, consigning or donating items to the Opportunity Shop, Elegance II and the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop. Recycling is easier than ever with our town’s curbside pick-up.

Set up a recycling procedure with designated bins to make carrying through with the plan easier. For details see the DPW tab or the video explaining the new town recycle/garbage program at
www.mynewcastle.org. The plan goes into effect April 4, 2011.

2. Green Your House. Sylvain Cote, owner of Absolute Remodeling, specializes in building or renovating existing structures into energy efficient, environmentally responsible homes. As a National Association of Home Builders Certified Green Professional, he knows plenty of ways to make your living space greener.

For starters, he says one of the most important things you can do is properly insulate your home. “The best insulation to use is Spray Foam; it will make your home incredibly comfortable,” says Cote. But that’s not all. Cote has several Chappaqua customers who have updated their home with Spray Foam insulation and they report they are saving thousands of dollars a year. Cote, who practices what he preaches, lives in a green home he built from top to bottom. His latest green tip is to grill your meat in your fireplace the old-fashioned way. He places his outdoor grill grate on top of his fireplace grill to warm in the flames and begins cooking the meat once the fire is down to the embers. “Just make sure the meat is very lean,” says Cote. “The taste is phenomenal.” It’s one way to warm your home and stomach at the same time.

1. Green Your Lawn. Living outside the city means living with nature and perhaps a green lawn. You don’t have to forgo your lovely landscaping, but you can make selecting and caring for your landscape greener. Plant shade trees to cool your home; use organic fertilizers and make sure the equipment you or your lawn service uses are low-emission. Many local companies including John Jay Landscape Development and SavATree are able and willing to provide green lawn care. Just ask.

Jean Sheff, a Chappaqua-based writer and editor excuses her absolute love of paper products (newspapers, books and magazines) by at least recycling them.

By David McKay Wilson

10. North County Trailway
The 22-mile trail along the right-of-way of the Putnam branch of the NY Railroad, is one of the region’s premier off-road biking facilities. You can find it in Millwood as it crosses Route 120. As you head north, you ride peacefully through a hardwood forest, and cross the Croton Reservoir on the old railroad bridge. It connects to the 12-mile Putnam Trailway in Baldwin Place to the north, and the 23-mile South County Trailway to the south, providing safe terrain for recreational riders. If you have a good headlight, try riding it on a full moon on a warm summer’s night north to Baldwin Place and back.

9. Fun Folks to Ride with
Biking is fun for families. It’s also a blast for adults looking for weekend recreation in a sport that’s easy on those creaky middle-aged joints. Chappaqua cyclists often show up on Westchester Cycle Club rides. I’ve drafted off Lloyd Oestreicher’s wheel as I try to keep up with B-plus riders. Jeff Moscowitz and I joined a group on a 100-mile ride from Putnam up through Dutchess County last spring. A few years back, Kevan Full and I met early one morning to commute by bike to work–I ended up on Gannett Drive in Harrison while he kept going on to Stamford.

8. Discovering Chappaqua on Two Wheels
Riding the roads of Chappaqua lets you experience the place from a new perspective. Breathe the fresh spring air pedaling across Kipp Street. Glimpse the irises and day lilies blooming in late May at Rocky Hills on Old Roaring Brook Road. Cruise along Campfire Road, marveling at the serpentine stone wall that follows the roadway. Ride to town to pick up a book at the library. Or ride your bike down to the train station for your morning commute. It cuts the planet’s carbon footprint, and gets your blood flowing–before work and on your ride home.

7. Julio Bicycles
The shop at 45 South Bedford Rd. has been around since 1989, when Julio Sierra decided to provide service and sales for central Westchester’s bike lovers. When Julio is home in Uruguay, you’ll find his son, Willy, and Pete Ceretta at the shop, which has kids bikes with training wheels, full-suspension mountain bikes, and high-end carbon bikes from manufacturers such as Scott, Litespeed and Marin. Bring your bike to Julio’s each spring to get it tuned up. Julio’s can outfit you in the latest cycling fashion. A good pair of padded cycling shorts will improve your ride immeasurably, and bike shoes with cleats
that clip into your pedals will improve your performance.

In warm weather, cyclists gather at Julio’s at 8 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Mountain bikers load their bikes on racks on a car or two, and head for prime mountain-biking terrain at Graham Hills in Pleasantville or Blue Mountain in Peekskill. The road cyclists will head north on jaunts of 40 to 60 miles, taking loops up that range up into the hills of Putnam County.

6. Tazza Café in Millwood Tazza, located in the A & P shopping center in Millwood, is a great place to stop for a bathroom break or for a latte and muffin on your ride up Route 100 or along the Trailway.

5. Route 100
Route 100 was once Westchester’s go-to destination for cyclists, as they headed north from Millwood, crossing Muscoot Reservoir and heading north to Katonah along a relatively flat roadway, with broad shoulders and gorgeous views. The state DOT’s installation of rumble strips along the four-mile section, from Route 118 to Route 35, created a hazard there, but cyclists have coped, now being aware of the parked cars, and veering out into the roadway when needed through the breaks in the bumps every 500 feet, and then getting safely back on the shoulder. It’s still a great place to ride despite some of its ongoing challenges.

4. Cinco de Velo
In early May, the Westchester Cycle Club, at www.westchestercycleclub.org, holds its annual multi-level ride event, which has started from the Edith Macy Center, on Chappaqua Road in Briarcliff Manor. Riders gather at 9 a.m., go out on rides that range from 25 miles for the D riders–those are the slow pokes–to 65 miles for the A riders. They return by noon for a catered lunch. These events draw about 100 riders. If you cycle with a group, you tend to ride longer, and faster, than you might do on your own. And riding on a group ride has an added benefit for new riders– there’s someone there who knows how to change a flat.

3. Chappaqua’s Metro-North Parking Lot
It’s the perfect place to teach
your child to ride on weekends.
The expanse allows kids to get the feel for pedaling, without having to fret about crashing into a tree. It’s flat, so you don’t have to worry about them losing control on the downhill.

2. The Hills
Chappaqua has great hills. There’s the long slog up Seven Bridges from Route 100, and the many false summits on Hardscrabble, as you climb south toward Briarcliff. For a challenge, ascend McKesson Hill, or take Roaring Brook west from the Sawmill. What comes up must also come down, and I’ve hit 48 mph in a tuck descending Whippoorwill. A word of warning: be prepared for the corner at the bottom of the hill.
1. Location, Location, Location
Chappaqua is the hub for the region’s best cycling terrain. The parking lot at the Millwood A& P in 2010 was the most popular starting point for rides sponsored by the Westchester Cycle Club. In 2010, 149 of the club’s 961 rides started there. Go west into the twisting roads of Ossining and Croton. Head east for lunch in Greenwich. Go north and cruise around New York City’s reservoirs in Carmel, and return with enough time to recount your triumph over a cup of coffee at Tazza.

Freelance journalist David McKay Wilson is executive director of the Bike Walk Alliance of Westchester & Putnam, at www.bwawp.org.