“How do we define success? It depends on the individual, their values and goals. What might look like success to one person, has no meaning to another. For many people, it is difficult to even identify what they want, what they need and how to get there. As a result, many of us get stuck and inertia and fear set in. That’s where a coach can help. The coach partners with the client to figure out where to go and how to get there–successfully! Challenge is just another word for opportunity.”
elizc1021@gmail.com
Nicolaysen Agency: “Our Village’s Own”
Nicolaysen Agency, our village’s own local insurance agency, is a winning choice for so many reasons! First, the staff knows each of their clients and have been a part of the Chappaqua business community since 1929.
They pride themselves on being knowledgeable and experienced in all facets of the insurance business and will prepare custom-designed policies to complement your portfolio and your family’s changing needs.
Nicolaysen Agency offers the utmost in personal attention to all of their customers; they offer a full range of services including auto, life and disability insurance. Another area of expertise is Nicolaysen Agency’s offering of specialty insurance for in-home businesses.
Start a winning relationship with Nicolaysen this winter –call them for a complimentary family consultation and analysis for all your insurance needs.
www.nicolaysenagency.com
Steffi Nossen School of Dance: Free Week of Dance
Steffi Nossen School of Dance invites you to join us for A FREE WEEK OF DANCE Open House, January 7-12. All classes at the school’s Chappaqua branch at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, on South Greeley Avenue and the school’s main studios in the Music Conservatory of Westchester building in White Plains will have an open door during the entire week. Dancers are invited to try any age and level appropriate class at no charge Call 328-1900 for more information and to reserve your spot!
www.steffinossen.org
How Donated Computers Created Bloggers with a Cause!
By Rich Monetti
Through the generosity of a local individual, the Mt. Kisco Childcare After School Program found itself the recipient of five new PCs. As the computers appeared, excitement emerged among students and staff. But as the tech was tweaking us toward operation, anxiety replaced my excitement as a teacher at the center. How where we going to put these to good use?
Duh, you’re a writer Rich, they have something called blogs that makes everybody a journalist now. But who really wants to write unless you’re getting paid.
People who call themselves bloggers, I guess. I didn’t want to set that precedent with my kids. I decided, we’re going to generate some cash. (MKCCC a nonprofit, we’d follow suit and donate the proceeds).
Before getting into the business model, let’s begin with content. I see a soccer game breakout in the backyard or one of our Feed me Fresh cooking projects begins, I hand somebody the camera. If the lucky child happens to be an older, she must blog a story to the photo.
So if you ask 4th grader Kiduce Daniel, who drew the first assignment with his friend Stephen Mains to report on the shiney tomatoes grown in our garden, he’s perfectly honest on what he likes most about the PCs.
“Playing all the computer games,” he says.
Why not and are we any different when it comes to work and play?
“You want to play, you got to pay. Do a story and the games are yours,” I tell them.
Hmm. I need to get better at this inspiration thing, and bringing them the jar with 64 cents accumulated ain’t quite it either.
Stephen’s Mom Kris isn’t so worried about that as MKCCC’s kids can be just as mum about their days as any others. “I’m excited to get the latest because it gives me a snapshot of what my kids are doing that day,” she says. The center’s director of curriculum concurs and goes that one better. “It’s a great way for parents to see that the things that go on here go beyond this just being a place to keep their kids busy,” says Dawn Meyerski.
And maybe a little in print publicity produces enough inspiration that the bloggers ask for the camera rather than the keys to the click that begins their games. “Any encouragement is good, because it feels good to be recognized,” says Meyerski.
Why not, are they any different than us? I don’t know, maybe they will be.
By clicking the link at the end of each blog entry, a page view is recorded for that specific article on my Associated Content dashboard. This amounts to .16 cents per click. and once reaching $25 dollars, the money will be lent to a micro-financing organization called Kiva.org. (See September 18th entry of Blog C).
The kids would love to receive feedback on their work. For more info, write to: mkcccbloggers@aol.com
Blogs:
http://mkcccpresskiva.blogspot.com/
It Takes A (Facebook) Village
home in Chappaqua.
Photo by Doug Shapiro
By Lindsay Hand
No power across town, trees falling, limited ways to find out what was going on…and there my mom sat on her iPhone, obsessively checking the now-famous “Chappaqua Moms” group on Facebook.
I had known about the group for a while –babysitting, anyone? –but it didn’t become a significant part of everyday life until it was all that families throughout Chappaqua had to get them information regarding roads, power outages, and open gas stations during Hurricane Sandy. The group is truly an invaluable asset to everyone here –which is why it is so surprising that it has only been around for about four years. Anyone could have done it, but resident Julie Scott was the one to take initiative and create Chappaqua Moms.
A Stroke of Genius
Scott, a children’s portrait photographer and mother of three, was told by a friend to join Facebook and soon after got involved in a group from her hometown in Montreal. She realized that Facebook could be very useful here, and looked up Chappaqua groups, finding only groups of Greeley students. She had been involved in large e-mail groups before, but found that “reply all” gets annoying after a while; she knew that she had to make a group accepting of all moms in Chappaqua (and even dads, now). She saw a “pretty glaring need ” for a group like Chappaqua Moms.
“This is a way that you can opt in without being annoyed,” mused Scott. “There is always information that needs to be exchanged, even in everyday life. It’s really becoming a critical tool.”
With 1,445 members as of November 2nd, the group became the go-to resource during the late October superstorm, a tribute to the members of the group and the community as a whole. “Everyone’s adding to it and that’s what makes it so powerful,” says Scott. “It’s to the credit of the community for it being as great as it is. I don’t take any credit for how great a resource it’s been, but I am proud of myself for thinking of it!”
Information and so Much More
Chappaqua Moms is not only used to share information regarding road closures and situations throughout town, though; the group has now, after the storm, become extremely important for small shop owners in downtown Chappaqua as a way to spread the word about supporting their stores after this crisis. Cindy Lupica, the owner of Marmalade, noted that Sandy was “a natural phenomenon that got us all connected in such an awesome way. It’s built a foundation for us to expand on in the future.”
Frequent poster Robin Murphy, owner of Maid Brigade, could not agree more: “I see the Chappaqua Moms page as being able to make a difference in the community going forward, just because of all the bonding.” Local merchants, in addition to promoting in-town shopping for the holidays, are also collecting donations to help those communities on Long Island and the New Jersey shore that were drastically impacted by the hurricane.
Outlet for Bonding
Though the group’s success can be attributed to many things, Scott deserves some acknowledgment for being the one to finally put something like this group together. “Disasters like Sandy do happen…we should feel so lucky that we live in this day and age when we have technology to overcome the fears of being isolated from each other.” Not only was “the board” a vital source for sharing information, it provided an outlet for humor and bonding in the face of frustration and recovery from the storm.
There is no dispute that the Chappaqua Moms have become a group to be reckoned with and the go-to place for anything from babysitters to roofers to vacation recommendations and anything in between.
And who knows what close friendships may result from this Facebook group? The first official Chappaqua Moms get-together was held on Monday, November 19, with more gatherings to follow.
Maybe my mom will finally get off her phone and go meet these people!
Lindsay Hand is a junior at Horace Greeley High School, and has written numerous articles and served as last September’s “Guest Editor” for Inside Chappaqua.
