The Inside Press

By Alyssa Ashley

The teenage years can be a time of extreme stress. Know your teens and their feelings; school work, social life, family life–it adds up and can manifest in physical, mental or emotional ways. Talk to your teen about what is bothering them to help identify stressful sources and reduce anxiety.

Teens often skip classes and homework when they feel overwhelmed by stress, compounded by social life and pressures. “Some students don’t ever show signs of stress, and that can be problematic because they are masking how they really feel,” said Horace Greeley High School English teacher Jacqueline Morelli.

Robin Wald of Chappaqua is no stranger to helping people deal with stress. A mother of three and certified yoga teacher, Wald has been teaching yoga to adults, teens and children for eight years at Club Fit, Westorchard Elementary School, Seven Bridges Middle School, Quest Yoga Arts, West Patent Elementary, Fox Lane Middle School, and Bet Torah Hebrew High School, as well as privately to therapeutically heal anxiety, stress, depression, and physical injuries. Wald discussed stresses specific to modern teenagers and her thoughts, as both mother and yoga teacher, about relieving them:

Q: How does your children’s stress affect you?

A: I want my kids to be happy; I want to help them reduce their stress. As a yoga teacher I know stress is unavoidable, but you can change your perspective of things and do things in a calm manner.

Q: What do you think about counseling at an early age?

A: Anything to help cope or to make a child feel good about their self depends on their attitude towards it. If a child feels negatively about what they are forced to do, it may cause more stress.

Q: Which sex do you think handles stress better?

A: As a mother of two sons and one daughter, it depends on the person. If someone is hard on and competitive with their self, they will have more stress. But if someone is more relaxed they will be less stressed. If a teen is bullied or being excluded they may be more stressed, compared to a teen who is socially accepted.

Q: What would you say are factors contributing to teen stress?

A: There are many expectations our culture has of kids. Competition can make teens feel inadequate, that they must be good at everything to be accepted. There’s a lot of emphasis to get into a good college. Parents are demanding perfection, with happiness determined by how successful you are, rather than how happy you are by your success.

Q: How would you say that teens exhibit stress?

A: Many times with fatigue. Teens in high school are often so tired from having no down time, and are unable to relax, are exhausted and feeling hopeless or overwhelmed.

Q: What would you say are ways to deal with stress?

A: Teens have to step back and acknowledge that they are stressed. It is important that kids be exposed to tools and resources they can use to reduce stress and help them feel good about themselves, their bodies and their lives. Yoga, breathing, meditation, and fun, non-competitive exercise and sports are some healthy ways for kids to take a break from the cultural pressure to achieve, compete and succeed. Yoga teaches teens to practice relaxing, regenerating, and feeling calm, so they can call upon these skills when they most need them in stressful academic, social or family-related situations.

Q: What advice would you give parents dealing with teen stress?

A: Be patient, and not react in a stressful way to your teen. Stay calm and have a wider perspective of the situation. If parents get involved in the drama it is hard to change the situation.

So stressed teens and parents take note: recognize anxiety levels and stress triggers, and explore ways to reduce and avoid them. With recognition and action, teens’ stress levels can drop, making the teens, and those around them, happier.

Alyssa Ashley is now a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School.

By Ashley Grund

I can still remember the day as if it were yesterday, my mom and dad gathering us in the living room, telling my brother and I that we were moving to a small town called Chappaqua, and leaving the only place I had ever known. The last thing I was feeling was excitement or happiness about living among brand new people and going to a new school. But if the same thing were to happen today, and my parents told me that we were leaving Chappaqua, I would do anything to make them understand that there were making the absolute WRONG decision.

Throughout my eight years living here in Chappaqua, everything this town has to offer has created a positive environment for me: friends, community and school. Going through Westorchard Elementary School, Seven Bridges Middle School and now Greeley has made me reflect on my life here, and all of the lessons I’ve learned from everything and everyone around me; saying that Chappaqua changed who I am would be an understatement. Growing up here has taught me the importance of community, education, and a place where someday I would want to raise my own children.

Every year, Chappaqua’s “Community Day,” “Family Fun Day” at Westorchard and the Ragamuffin Parade would be among the most exciting weekends in town. Just walking my dog in Gedney Park allowed me to meet some nice, friendly people who were always willing to talk. Recreation sports in Chappaqua have also been enjoyable, and each year I looked forward to playing AYSO soccer with all of my friends. The community in Chappaqua is very warm and loving, which is one reason that growing up here has been such a privilege.

When looking back on my years in school, I see so many positive things, including amazing friends and an education that taught me the importance of learning. Westorchard and Seven Bridges were good, fun learning experiences, and now Greeley is an exciting and challenging roller coaster. Although school might not be a barrel of laughs every day, friends and kind teachers make it something to enjoy.

Everything about spending my childhood and teenage years in Chappaqua has made me a very grateful, optimistic person who will always remember that the one decision my parents made to move didn’t turn out to be such a bad one after all.

Ashley Grund is now a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School.

By Lindsay Hand

In 1996, I received my Hebrew name on the bimah of Bet Torah Synagogue in Mt. Kisco; 13 years later, I became a Bat Mitzvah in that very same synagogue.

Throughout those intervening years, I learned the importance of learning, community, friends and religion. This began at Bet Torah Nursery School, though of course at the time I didn’t know it; I was too young to understand. Preschool might seem to be about ABCs and 1-2-3s, but it also provided the foundation for my connection to my religion. Attending my synagogue’s preschool and Hebrew School helped me feel a part of everything at a young age; the synagogue’s pride in its young members created an atmosphere of inclusion for everyone.

Though long ago, preschool is a memory that lives on for me today in the form of some of my closest friends. I remember random snippets of my days at Bet Torah Nursery School: riding tricycles, playing dress-up, singing “Build Me Up Buttercup” into magic markers, and lighting candles (and having grape juice and challah!) every Friday. Those early years together created an extremely strong bond that has continued; we’ve always been there for each other, remembering those favorite moments at Bet Torah, the place where our friendship began.

When I “graduated” to Hebrew school, excited to continue with my preschool friends, what was fun at first became, for me and probably every other child who attends religious school of any kind, just more time in a classroom. I have a distinct memory of dreading the lessons about Israel – every detail about its history, geography, and the like. I thought it was boring; as much as I looked forward to someday traveling to Israel, I figured I’d learn about it then. It just seemed far away, and I was too young to appreciate the depth of knowledge I was being offered. Now having been fortunate to have visited the country, however, I regret not paying more attention to those Hebrew school lessons. In Israel, I felt a connection to my religion wherever we went. As interesting as it was to learn new things there, the trip would have been further enriched had I recalled more of those “boring” details.

During my years of Hebrew school, I thought, like most of my Jewish friends, that I would be “done” after my Bat Mitzvah. But when that time came, I made a decision: I did not want to let go of Bet Torah or my religion outside of the high holidays and Passover seders. I continue to attend services occasionally with my family, and have become a Torah reader, including every Yom Kippur and my sister’s upcoming Bat Mitzvah.

This past year I discovered a strong passion for language, studying Spanish and adding Chinese in school. Neither, however, beats my desire to become fluent in Hebrew, a fascinating, beautiful and expressive language. I didn’t know it then, but those “conversational Hebrew” lessons in Hebrew school were a lot more important to me than I realized.

Between my roots at Bet Torah and my recent trip to Israel, I feel a deep connection with my religion and culture unlike anything I could imagine. It wasn’t necessarily due to specific beliefs or prayers; rather, it’s the complicated history, importance of learning, and passion for community that drew me in.

I didn’t realize it then, but my years at Bet Torah have helped me grow as a person and make me who I am today.

Inside Chappaqua Guest Editor Lindsay Hand, a past contributor to the magazine, is now a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School.

By Sarah Jane Weill

I love the rush of a game, the desire to always play your best, the constant practice to improve. I even love the sore muscles after a long tournament. The only difference between many other Chappaqua athletes and me is that I play field hockey, not a “traditional” town sport.

Soccer, Football: What Else Is New?

Field hockey (you might know it as the sport with the funny “J”-shaped stick) is only one sport that flies under Chappaqua’s radar. Chappaqua’s most popular sports mirror the nation’s, and because of that popularity and recognition the sports are started at very young ages. This kind of exposure causes a common trend in Chappaqua’s athletics. The most valued athletes in our town usually play soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball (and its variations) and basketball.

With youth development programs, those sports cultivate single-minded interest early on. It’s clear that Chappaqua’s most commonly played sport–starting at age five–is soccer. The early start is great, but the emphasis on only one sport that young narrows the opportunities for other sports in our town to grow and thrive. Since so many children have played soccer for so many years, many Greeley soccer players are quite good. But athletes who play other sports work just as hard.

Chappaqua youth are fortunate to have development opportunities that foster athletic connections between the Recreation Department and school programs, but widening the range of sports offered early on would benefit everyone. As an athletic and involved community, we can obviously influence intense passions surrounding certain sports, but equal opportunity support is crucial.

Our Athletic Diversity

Chappaqua schools are filled with those who play volleyball, tennis, hockey and golf. Our town is also populated by swimmers, runners, wrestlers, skiers and bowlers. This list doesn’t even include athletes who do not participate on high school teams, such as ice skaters, dancers and horseback riders.

Many of these athletes get little attention outside of their own families. Sure, they are respected, but as unique kids who play “interesting sports” and who are admired for going against the grain. However, these athletes work hard every day in sports about which they are truly and deeply passionate. They contribute to our town’s athletic success, but their efforts and successes are not generally recognized town-wide.

Go Team!

As an athlete, I think everyone can agree that it would be nice to have fans come watch games and cheer teams on, no matter what the sport. When people actively care about a sport, it gains visibility, respect, and ultimately more interest and players. Fans are a hugely important aspect in sports. Think about the thousands of loyal Yankee fans and what they mean to the team. The energy at a Yankee game–and possibly the efforts of the players–would be completely different without those screaming fans in the stands.

While a thousand fans at any Chappaqua game is obviously unrealistic, players involved in lower-profile sports would find it amazing to have people other than their families watch their games and show they care. Every athlete in our town deserves have people come watch them play and support them, because that would make them feel valued as athletes–vital to their success.

A Step In The Right Direction

I am thrilled that the New Castle Parks and Recreation Department will now be offering a development program in my sport, field hockey, prior to the seventh grade modified program offered in the middle schools. The more sports that are incorporated into our town in ways like this, the closer our town and community will become. Sports can bring people together, creating common bonds, social opportunities and long-lasting friendships based on shared interests.

Sports are a huge part of town life; we must start appreciating every sport and every athlete. Broad-based support will open up more sports to more children, ultimately making us stronger as a community.

Sarah Jane Weill is now a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School.

By Paige Schoenberg

To improve pedestrian traffic and address infrastructure problems while enhancing the aesthetic aspects of our already charming town, several new projects have kicked off a multiyear beautification of downtown Chappaqua. First up was the unveiling of a new gazebo at Recreation Field, just in time for summer’s Wednesday night concerts.

More Room to Park

During the summer, the South Greeley parking lot adjacent to the Bell Middle School fields was redesigned and repaved, with, at the request of store owners, the time limit increased from one to two hours. According to Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, who along with four other Town Council members is responsible for policy-making and passing town laws, approximately 176 orderly parking spots would be created.

“The idea was to improve parking while creating a more driver and pedestrian friendly route,” said Gerrard. “The existing layout was a mix across –the separate parcel and the traffic enforcement was hard to maintain.”

The improved layout will also allow for easier access to downtown stores, including new additions like Aurora, the recently opened gift store offering beautifully crafted fair trade goods, and the Kings Scribe, which sells stationery with designs featured by Martha Stewart. A third shop, Breeze, is opening this September, offering fine tableware. The redesigned lot will be right behind many of the established stores along South Greeley Avenue, such as Squires and Eye Gallery, as well as other recent arrivals like Local, along with Villarina’s and Chappaqua Paint and Hardware, both of whom have new owners.

The Long-Awaited Route 120 Bridge

The installation of the new Route 120 bridge over the Metro-North train tracks and Saw Mill River Parkway continues; and it is everyone’s hope that the long period of inconvenience will result in improved traffic flow through downtown Chappaqua. The New York State Department of Transportation declared the bridge structurally deficient more than six years ago, requiring a complete overhaul to bring it up to safety standards. Construction began in the fall of 2008, but has faced many setbacks due to both weather and state politics and budget issues. The extremely harsh 2011 winter and heavy spring rains further delayed construction. With the start of summer came a welcome period of drier weather, and as of June, it was expected that the bridge structure would be finished by the end of September. Completion of the aesthetic details, including lighting and stonework, is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Chappaqua residents eagerly anticipate not only the new vehicle bridge, but the opening of the bridge sidewalks. Throughout construction, walkers had to use a temporary pedestrian bridge, with many voicing concerns about the stability and safety of the structure. “Using the sidewalks to get to town can be pretty difficult, especially with traffic. But I’m always really scared when it’s time to cross the bridge, because of how close the cars are and how unstable it seems,” said Horace Greeley High School student Margot Silberblatt. When completed, the two sidewalks on either side of the bridge will connect with the recently updated sidewalks along Route 120 north of downtown. While there are no plans to expand the sidewalk past Dodge Farm, the town plans to add a sidewalk on Route 117 and possibly one between Gedney Park and Rt. 100.

Residents Look Into A Crystal Ball

Chappaqua residents have their own wishes and predictions for Chappaqua’s future. Continuing with the recent surge in the “green movement,” we might expect more eco-friendly shops like Aurora and restaurants such as Local that cook with locally grown ingredients. Rising interest in locally grown foods has been demonstrated by the crowds of people attending the Chappaqua Farmer’s Market every Saturday, many of whom also attend the Pleasantville Farmer’s Market the same day. Many residents also hope for more restaurants that can add more of a “night life” to our little town.

Who knows what Chappaqua will look like in 20 years? What would you like to see?

Paige Schoenberg is now a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School.