The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Choosing a Safe Gymnastics Program – What to Ask!

by

jodi-kidAdvice from Jodi’s Gym

  • Does the program have clearly defined curriculum?
  • What are the qualifications of the teachers? USAG safety certified, background checked, CPR/First Aid, experience working with children, education, gymnasts…the more qualifications, the better!
  • What is their initial training? What ongoing training do their teachers receive?
  • Are the class ratios low? This is very important for a safe gymnastics environment.
  • Is the equipment suitable for the age group?
  • Is the gym set up safely? There should be clear paths for children to walk and safe landing areas for dismounts.
  • How clean is the gym? Clean and safe go hand in hand.
  • What are the qualifications of Program Manager? Their training, education, background and experience in the
  • position are all important.
  • How carefully are their students supervised? The teachers should be able to see all of their students at all times (never with their backs to them.) Teachers should also always have their entire group of children
  • Are multiple staff members always present? A facility should always have more than one staff member present and lobby should be attended.

Visit www.jodisgym.com or call 914-244-8811

A “Second Step” Toward Helping Children Make Safe Choices

by

kisco-kidsBy Ruth Goodman, LMSW

When considering the needs of a child, safety comes first. There are different kinds of safety that are essential for a child’s well-being. Physical safety may be most obvious, however personal safety is equally important. It is never too early to begin teaching a child how to make good, safe choices. The basis for good decision making starts with an ability to identify and articulate one’s needs and feelings. At Mount Kisco Child Care Center, we are dedicated to assuring that all children in our care are taught these skills.

Our teachers are formally trained to employ a curriculum called Second Step. This program teaches a child to verbalize his/her feelings with age appropriate lessons and educational toys. This ability fosters successful interactions with their peers as well as with adults. These positive experiences are the building blocks for high self esteem and confidence. It is our goal to nurture these qualities in each child that we serve. A child who feels good about his/herself is equipped to make positive choices in adolescence and into adulthood.

Ruth Goodman, LMSW, is a Social Worker for the Mount Kisco Child Care Center. www.mkccc.org or call 914-241-2135

Understanding the Dangers of “Fracking”

by

FrackingMany people in New York State have heard about high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, the unconventional natural gas drilling method better known as fracking. But, people may only know some of its dangers.

Fracking, including infrastructure such as pipelines and compressor stations, carries many risks: polluting air, poisoning land, and contaminating water and food. Evidence of risks and harms is growing so rapidly that Concerned Health Professionals of New York (CHPNY) recently published a Compendium featuring hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and other findings.

Fracking releases numerous air pollutants, including methane–a potent greenhouse gas that is the main component of natural gas–benzene and other volatile organic compounds, and ground level ozone. These pollutants can lead to health impacts ranging from rashes, nausea, and nosebleeds; to respiratory and neurological problems; and even cancer. Ground level ozone threatens crops, risking economies of places like Minisink in New York’s Black Dirt Region, and New York’s food sovereignty.

Numerous studies show strong evidence of groundwater contamination. When water needed to drink, wash, cook, bathe, and water crops and livestock is contaminated with fracking chemicals–including many endocrine disruptors and carcinogens–it increases risks of reproductive, metabolic, and neurological disorders. Leaks, spills, blowouts, explosions, and other accidents further exacerbate these dangers.

Fewer people may know that fracking increases our exposure to radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The Marcellus Shale, the rock formation underneath New York and Pennsylvania that the gas industry wants to frack, has incredibly high levels of radioactivity including radon. Radon could travel with fracked gas in pipelines into homes, increasing the risk of lung cancer, especially among children.

Fracking leads to climate change. Massive amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane–34 times more potent than carbon dioxide–leak throughout extraction, transportation, and storage of natural gas. Additionally, the entire fracking process is dependent on other fossil fuels for thousands of truck trips per well, and other machine operations. Climate change directly threatens us through dangerous, extreme weather and sea level rise. It affects us through changing temperatures, impacting growing seasons and limiting food crop growth –ultimately threatening our ability to feed ourselves. We must address fracking and climate change now. Get involved. Ask Governor Cuomo to ban fracking. Join the People’s Climate March in Manhattan on September 21.

Jessica Roff is the Downstate Regional Organizer of New Yorkers Against 
Fracking.

Teenage Drinking: Parents’ Responsibility AND Liability for “Hosting”

by

romanoBy Robert Romano, Esq.

I’m hearing this more and more lately….

Some parents with older teenagers feel that if their kid(s) want to throw a “bash” with alcohol, they would prefer to have them drinking at their own home with their friends, rather than have them party elsewhere. I have had parents say many times to me words akin to ‘kids will be kids’ and ‘they are going to drink no matter what we do, so better they do it under our roof,’ in effect they feel their approach is allowing the lesser of two evils to take place.

We need to do everything in our power to not allow either of those scenarios to take place. By keeping channels of communication open, and explaining the real consequences of underage drinking to teens, they are more likely to act responsibly. They need to fully understand that drinking alcohol anywhere under the age of 21 in New York State is not just dangerous, but illegal, and not allowed…not even “a little bit.” I’m not totally naive. While this approach may be limited in its effectiveness, hopefully, it will have some impact.

One thing I would never do is to intentionally allow underage drinking to take place in my home. New York State happens to have some of the strictest social host and dram shop statutes in the country. These laws expose homeowners (and commercial establishments) to almost boundless liabilities in the event someone is injured or killed as a result of alcohol being served in their premises.

beer-cansWithout minimizing the human tragedies that all too often result from underage drinking, the financial exposure to the homeowner/host can be catastrophic as well. It’s sad that I even have to say this, but if the risk of a loss of life is not enough to make you think twice about hosting a party with underage drinking, perhaps the risk of the loss of your house, cars, and future income will.

Robert Romano, Esq., is an attorney based in Armonk whose practice focuses on restaurant/liquor license law. Having also represented clients in local courts in matters ranging from traffic infractions to misdemeanor charges, he has firsthand experience in dealing with teenage legal matters. Visit www.ArmonkLaw.com.

CSSP Alumna Pays It Forward

by

Taralyn Frasqueri-Molina
Taralyn Frasqueri-Molina

By Kate Stone Lombardi

She was 15 years old when she left home in the South Bronx and boarded a train for Chappaqua.

Taralyn Frasqueri-Molina was heading to her first summer as a Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program (CSSP) student. She was excited, nervous and remembers being struck by the density of trees. At the time, she’d never been north of White Plains.

Now fast forward to this summer, 22 years later. Taralyn (who prefers her nickname “TL”) is chatting from her cell phone in Los Angeles. An earlier conversation had been postponed–she was busy bidding on one of the biggest contracts of her career. By the time we connected, TL, an independent contractor, had won the job and would be working on a digital project for Disney.

But before describing her work as a woman of color in the male-dominated technology field, her career path, or even her transformation from a girl who grew up in the projects in the Bronx to a businesswoman in LA, TL wanted to talk about CSSP.

The program, she said, helped lay the groundwork for her success. It wasn’t just the academic skills she gained. The personal connections were also key. Her relationship with her CSSP host mother, Nancy Stein, who TL describes as “my second mother” has given her strength and support throughout her years in the program.

This year, TL decided it was time to pay it forward. Every graduating senior from CSSP will receive a $100 gift card to Amazon from TL, to be used for books, supplies, or anything else a student would want.

“It’s time to give back,” she said. “I thought, ‘Taralyn, you did not get here by yourself. Now that you’re in a position where you’re not struggling, you need to look at how you got there.’”

Other CSSP alumni have volunteered, served on the Board, and supported the organization, but TL’s gift was a particular delight.

In a keynote address to the 2014 graduates of the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship program, Secretary Clinton first offered a formula for personal success. She then emphasized the importance of passing along acts of kindness to the kids back in their own communities “so they can turn out to be just as sassy as you all are here.” Ari Bennett Photo
In a keynote address to the 2014 graduates of the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship program, Secretary Clinton first offered a formula for personal success. She then emphasized the importance of passing along acts of kindness to the kids back in their own communities “so they can turn out to be just as sassy as you all are here.” Ari Bennett Photo

“I was overwhelmed by her generosity, thoughtfulness and commitment and caring to our program and students,” commented Diane Albert, Chair of CSSP.

The Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program is primarily an academic program for scholastically promising students in the Bronx. The focus is heavily on college readiness. Students attend classes at Horace Greeley High in the morning, and participate in recreational and cultural activities in the evening.

Local families host the teenagers. For both TL and Nancy Stein, the connection was immediate. “She was understanding, compassionate and beyond her years,” Ms. Stein said. 
“She intrigued me right from the beginning.”

TL had her struggles. Her mother, with whom she was deeply close, became terminally ill, and passed away in 1994. But even as her health declined, TL’s mother insisted that her daughter stay in CSSP. “She was big on education,” TL explained.

TL’s path hasn’t always been straightforward. After graduating from Ithaca College, she sampled several careers. TL taught martial arts. She went to the Los Angeles Police Department police academy, but decided against becoming an officer. She worked at a temp agency. After a stint in post-production at Playboy TV, she landed at Disney. Over six years, she worked her way from media scheduler to project manager, overseeing eight teams in the animation studios. Now, as an independent contractor, Disney is her client.

TL’s gift to each CSSP graduate comes with a hand painted card featuring a violet, her mother’s favorite flower. She hopes this is just the beginning of her philanthropy.

“The program was a lifesaver and a safety net,” TL said. “My next step is to go bigger, because for me it’s not a big enough statement of what CSSP has meant to me.”

Kate Stone Lombardi, a journalist and author, was a CSSP host mom for many happy summers.