The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Pet-Friendly Lodging, Near and Far

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By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein

One day, when I was walking with my owner, we saw our single neighbor Stephanie drive in from Kennebunkport, Maine. In her car were her two Shih Tzus, Abby and Sam. When my owner asked her why she had the dogs with her she said, “They are great company! I travel with my dogs a couple of times a year.” On this trip she had stayed at the pet-friendly Hounds Tooth Inn, and the experience had been wonderful.

“What a good idea!” I thought and I looked up at my owner who I hoped was thinking the same thing. One of her favorite places to visit is The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and sure enough, when she checked their website she found that it was a pet-friendly lodging. So at the age of ten months, I spent two days in the Berkshires to see how both of us would fare.

My owner had always gotten a warm welcome at The Red Lion Inn, and I did as well. I was greeted with a treat and was happy to find my own crate in our room which was conveniently located near an exit for easy access. When I couldn’t go out with my owner, I rested comfortably and felt safe in her crate.

I felt like a celebrity. With my outgoing and friendly personality and very unusual markings, people regularly stopped us to meet me and chat with my owner. I had a great time and I think she did too. Even when I didn’t accompany her, I helped her meet people. One evening as she dined alone at the Inn, people at the next table struck up a conversation asking where “Mags” was! They had overheard her talking to me earlier and calling me by one of my many nicknames.

It occurred to me that Westchester must have pet-friendly lodgings and sure enough it does with a Bed and Breakfast right in Chappaqua, Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant & Inn. I asked my owner if I could check it out, just in case we had pet guests coming to town who couldn’t stay with us. I toured the very comfortable guest rooms with John Crabtree, the gracious innkeeper who said they welcome four-legged friends at the Inn. “People know their pets,” he said, “and we’ve always had good experiences when they have been guests here.” I roamed around a lovely garden with him, thinking that perhaps I would go there if I ever wanted a vacation from my owner. I felt right at home! We could certainly recommend the charming, old world style inn with modern conveniences and delicious food to our out-of-town guests.

Stephanie gave my owner lots of great advice about traveling and planning a trip with a pet from making enough pit stops along the way to the many websites where you can find pet-friendly lodging like, www.bringfido.com, www.dogfriendly.com. The best advice of all: “Choose destinations that you all can enjoy,” says Stephanie. “Make sure you plan a trip that is fun for your pets too!” I wagged my tail at that and hoped we could go on another trip soon, even one right in our own backyard like Crabtree’s Kittle House!

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.

Change is in the Air… for Bill and Hillary Clinton

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When Inside Chappaqua launched its second issue in the spring of 2003, it was exciting news for the town. But not nearly as exciting as the news that a former President and first Lady had decided to make New Castle their home. The years ensued and Chappaqua, now on the international map, was where key moments in U.S. history continued to unfold. A determined and capable First Lady won her bid for U.S. Senator, and embraced Chappaqua living, shopping locally and admiring the opportunities here for our children. A historic campaign for the first woman President, followed in a“Hillary’s Run” column penned by Evan Glassman, and her eventual appointment as Secretary of State is also stuff for the history books. All the while,“Clinton sightings” became almost commonplace around town, at the Memorial Day Parade or on Community Day, or perhaps with former President Bill Clinton holding court with residents and merchants at his favorite haunts about national and international events as if he had all the time in the world, which he most decidedly did not . We extended hands, as good neighbors do, when crises ensued, from the death of Buddy to the President’s heart attack…and rallied our most famous neighbors to persevere. The recent, joyful marriage of their daughter Chelsea felt personal to us. So now rumor has it the Clintons are moving from their Old House Lane home to a lovely estate in Bedford Hills. If the move should transpire, the Clintons know they leave with true friends and Chappaqua’s populace, with fond memories. –Grace Bennett

P.S. Rick Reynolds of Rick’s Last Licks will return with the next issue, a “Winter 2010/2011” edition, mailing by mid November.

My Visit with Jean Craighead George

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By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein

When I was a puppy my owner got lots advice on raising a dog. There were trainers, the pet store owner and the veterinarian, and she had books of advice all over the house. One of them was How to Talk to Your Dog, by Jean Craighead George. I liked the idea that my owner was going to talk to me and to understand what I was trying to say to her–even when I didn’t make a sound.

When I discovered that Mrs. George, who’s an award winning author of children’s books, lived in Chappaqua, not very far from my house, I knew I had to meet her. I wanted to know how a human could know so much about dogs. So, on my next walk into town I walked a little farther to her home.

I could tell this was the home of someone who loved animals and nature. It was nestled in woods, and I could hear birds chirping and a bullfrog croaking in the pond. I saw a chipmunk scurrying in her garden.

Mrs. George, who is 91 years old, has lived in Chappaqua for 51 years. She told me she’s working on a new book about an ice whale. She said she wasn’t going to go to Alaska again to observe the whales. Instead, she’s using research by her son, John Craighead George, who has studied the bowhead whale for more than 30 years. On Mrs. George’s working table were her notebooks and sketch books and a stack of letters from children. I was glad she read her fan mail. While we were talking, I heard a funny sound from her dining room. It was her pet African parrot Tocca. Mrs. George said his name means “Sunshine” in Swahili and that Tocca is good company for her.

I asked her how she knew so much about us dogs and how we think. She told me she had had five dogs and had studied wolves. Her dog Qimmiq was the most wonderful dog and the inspiration for How to Talk to Your Dog. “After I studied wolves I realized Qimmiq was talking to me the way the wolves do,” she said. “He howled ‘Ah oohh’ just like a wolf. My granddaughters would call in the morning and say, ‘I want to speak to Qimmiq.’ I’d hold up the phone and he’d howl. And then they would hang up. They didn’t want to talk to me.”

Dogs and parrots are not the only pets that Mrs. George and her three children, Twig, Craig and Luke have enjoyed. She once wrote a book called The Tarantula in My Purse and 172 Other Wild Pets. It tells a dozen stories about their unusual pets from crows and raccoons to a screech owl. I was surprised when Mrs. George added, “Skunks make wonderful pets. They’re friendly like kittens and curl up in your lap.” My nose twitched and I wondered about that.

I liked the way Jean George talked to me and was very intrigued by the way she spoke about Qimmiq. I wished I could have met him. We could have been good friends. When I got home, I turned on the computer to write my story. But first I went to her website www. jeancraigheadgeorge.com. There I found a video of Jean George and Qimmiq talking to each other. I could hear the love in Jean’s voice and in Qimmiq’s howl.

Before I left, Jean George gave me some good advice: “Always obey,” which I didn’t much like, and “Let your owner know when you are annoyed!” That made my tail wag, and I hope my owner heard it too!

Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter. 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.

How to Jump Start a New Business

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By Kristen Ruby

Are you contemplating starting a small business? Or perhaps you have a business that you are hoping to grow? If you haven’t gotten into the swing of using social media, you are foregoing tremendous power. Social media: Blurs the lines between advertising, branding, public relations and marketing.Functions as a “sharing” tool. At the heart of new media is publishing and content creation. A steady flow of content is released through the various networks to reach as wide an audience as possible. On Twitter, this is referred to as a tweet; on Facebook, it is a “note;” and on a blog, it is simply a post. The tone of the message on each of the social networks should be molded accordingly. For example, your fans on your company’s fan page may differ from your Facebook followers–always create separate messages to address each of your audiences in the tone that is most commonly used on that network.

Also, be sure to utilize LinkedIN as your virtual “rolodex” and socialize your business. Every time you meet someone at a business function, connect with them on LinkedIN and then follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Make sure you secure a minimum of five recommendations from colleagues and clients you have done stellar work for! The next time someone tells you how great you have done on a project, ask them to put it in writing on LinkedIN. This will help your “virtual referral” cycle kick start!

At Ruby Media, we help clients gain new business by creating a social media presence. For example, to help with the launch of this publisher’s new title, Single&smart Magazine, we created Facebook invites and fan page and used Twitter to tweet press releases. We created YouTube videos from the Single&smart launch party in July. We published compelling photo albums and we tweeted relevant dating articles that our followers would find interesting. We also created a “Westchester’s Hottest Bachelor” campaign to increase visibility for the magazine and draw in a wider male demographic. All submissions have come via social media referrals for the contest!

Social Media helped jumpstart the launch of Klobe Card, a new card which diners can use to receive 50% off of their food bills at top restaurants. Through tweeting, we have essentially “warmed” the sales cycle by interacting with restaurants and building relationships with them before making initial contact. By heavily promoting other restaurants for Restaurant Week, we have received a great deal of engagement with the brand itself.

Regardless of what your industry is, do not be afraid to use social media! My most recent client, Happyheads, is a lice removal product. We tweet about lice tips, post lice removal videos and are starting a lice blog. You would be amazed at how many Mom bloggers are blogging about organic removal tips! Regardless of your product, there is a social media niche for you.

Common Social Media Mistakes
A lot of businesses are utilizing Foursquare, a geolocating service where you “check in” your current geographic location vs gps app. It enables other members in your network to know exactly where you are located. Do not check in on foursquare when meeting with a prospect– only alert your “followers” and “fans” of your location after the deal is closed! Do not post pictures of meetings with prospects, free lunches they give you or anything else until the contract is signed! This will alert all of your competitors that follow you on your social networks that company X has an RFP out with other agencies. Avoid over sharing–be discreet with what you post–and if you find this too hard to manage then create two separate accounts–one for business, and one for personal.

Finally, please realize: Social media is not the marketing strategy; but it is the way through which the marketing message is shared. Clients come to us for marketing assistance, and we utilize social tools to promote the message, the cause, and the business accordingly.

Kris Ruby is the President & Founder of Ruby Media Group, a Public Relations, Personal Branding and Social Media Agency. Kris also leads national speaking engagements on branding for Microsoft and the ABA has been featured on MSN Money, AOL Small Business, ABC Good Morning CT, NBC and News 12. Kris is a columnist for Forbes Woman, Inside Chappaqua, JDATE and Single& smart magazine and was the youngest ever to be chosen for the Business Council of Westchesters “40 Under 40” Rising Stars.

Jake Goldberg: A Meteoric Rise

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By Sarah Ellen Berman

Down to earth and movie star do not normally appear in the same sentence. In Jake Goldberg’s case, they do. This 14-yearold is the epitome of the nonchalant movie star. Although he has appeared with Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups,” he remains a typical low-key Chappaqua teenager.

Goldberg’s successful path to Hollywood has been untraditional. Although he does work with an acting coach before auditions, he has had no formal training. When he was in third grade, his mother sent a photo of him to the CESD Talent Agency in Manhattan and the rest is history.

He began with a commercial for Verizon followed by an ad for the season finale of “The Osbournes.” He played the voice of Pablo the Penguin on “The Backyardagins”on Nickelodeon for five seasons. After auditioning for the movie “Grown Ups,” he received a call back. The next step was a “table read” in LA where he read the script with the rest of the cast. The next day he received a call saying that the role was his.

In Chappaqua, Goldberg is Norberto Goldberg’s son. In the movie, “Grown Ups,” he is Adam Sandler’s son. The movie is centered around the adults, several of whom have families. The kids get together at a 4th of July party and Goldberg takes the lead. In the film (as opposed to real life) Goldberg said, “I have to act like I’m a brat.” His work on the film was very rewarding. “All the actors in the movie were an inspiration,” he said.

How does schoolwork fit into Goldberg’s busy life? Effortlessly. All his work for Nickelodeon was done after school in the city. In May 2009, when the movie was shot in Massachusetts, Goldberg worked with a tutor and remained in contact with all his teachers at Bell to insure that he completed his schoolwork. He is “very excited” about attending Greeley in the fall.

When contemplating the future, Goldberg said that he would, “like to pursue my acting.” In the meantime he enjoys playing lacrosse and occasionally frequents the skatepark in Chappaqua