The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Shopping with your Dog

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Since Finn can’t go in, Ed Wechsler, owner of La Mer Seafood in Armonk comes out to say hello to him and his owner Kelly
Since Finn can’t go in, Ed Wechsler, owner of La Mer Seafood in Armonk comes out to say hello to him and his owner Kelly

I love to be with my owner, and when she takes me along with her to shop, I couldn’t be happier. I have been tagging along with her since I was a puppy, because our trainer said I needed to be socialized. This meant I got to meet a lot of people, and most of them were friendly. She also took me to many of the stores in town, which was exciting.  Every store has new and different sights and smells. And because I am so small, I sometimes travel in a little tote bag, which is fun because I can see things that would be high over my head when I was on the floor.

I regularly go to the bank with my owner to deposit my paychecks.  Everyone there seems happy to see me. My friend Finn, a Wheaten Terrier also likes to go to the bank with his owner. Finn says he likes seeing the people at the ATM in the vestibule.

When my friend Rocky, a Black Labrador Retriever was a puppy, he went everywhere with his owner. “She didn’t like to leave me home and I loved going with her,” says Rocky. “Now I have a big waggy tail that can be a problem in a crowded store, so my owner always asks before she takes me inside.” Some say yes and some no, but Rocky isn’t insulted if he can’t go in.

My friend Poppy, a Labradoodle and Pet Therapy Dog in training is well socialized and likes to go to the Farmers Market where the friendly vendors treat her to samples of cheese. “I am too big to fit in a handbag, so I don’t go into most stores, ” she says.

I have had some good experience shopping, but once in a while encountering another dog can be unpleasant. Recently I was in a shop and a feisty big dog came in. His owner wasn’t paying attention to him and the dog was on a flexi-lead, which is only good for dog parks–not for a place with high traffic. He wanted to play and got right in my face. I knew that was wrong so I let him know it with a quick bark, which I usually don’t do in a store. My owner picked me up to get me away from the aggressive dog.

Dog owners who want their shopping experiences to be fun for them and their pets need to start socializing their dogs when they are still puppies and remember to follow good pet etiquette rules. Here are some “Do’s and Don’ts” to help you.

  •  Take your dog for a walk before you go shopping so he/she doesn’t have the need to do his/her “business” when you are in the store.
  • Ask first and if a sign on the door says, “No Dogs,” realize that they 
mean it.
  • Shopping can be stressful for your four-legged friend. Watch for signs that your dog needs a break.
  • Please leash your dog, no matter how big or small. (No extension leashes–you need to be in control)
  • Bring along water, a water bowl and snacks if you are going shopping for a long time.
  • No barking. It can scare people.
  • Keep your dog close to you and out of the way of other shoppers.
  • Bring along paper towels and “poop” bags just in case there is an accident.
  • Be prepared to leave if your dog causes a commotion.
  • Reward your dog for good behavior while you shop. Treats are always appreciated for good sitting, staying and walking nicely in a crowded store.
  • Remember that not everyone shares your pleasure in your dog’s company.

It’s great to live in such a dog friendly town. It’s more fun to go with your owner than stay home or be left in the car. I hope my tips help you to help your dog be a good canine citizen shopper.

Contact Maggie Mae Pup ReporterTM 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 and award-winning photographer. Visit Maggie Mae’s blog:www.maggiemaepup.com

Maggie Mae’s Must Do:

FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL PET DENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

When was the last time you checked your pet’s teeth or took him/her to a veterinarian for a dental exam? Just like humans, pets need to take care of their teeth. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, oral health care is very important for your pet’s overall health.

For more information on 
Pet Dental Health visit: www.avma.org

 

Here’s to “Love Beyond Measure” and a PRESSURE-FREE Valentine’s Day!

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anna-at-u-massI’m not here to argue that Valentine’s Day is a made-up commercial holiday that exists only to remind singles how sorry they are to be alone. In fact, it’s been around for perhaps some 1500 years–WAY before Hallmark ever existed. It’s not the romantic pressure of needing a “Valentine” that bugs me, but it’s the inevitable and underestimated and underreported social pressure in our schools while growing up that left me with a heavy heart on several Valentine’s Days.

In my otherwise happy-go-lucky life as an elementary school youngster at Roaring Brook, there were three occasions that gave me anxiety: 1) sporadic lice epidemics, 2) school play auditions, and 3) Valentine’s Day. Each year, with a stern expression, my teacher decreed that if we hand out any Valentines, we must hand them to everyone in the class. We also took home letters to our parents outlining this directive.

I basically agree with the premise: Every child should have the same number of Valentines so there is no one feeling left out. However, little did I realize, an arms race would ensue as to who could come up with the biggest and best Valentine. When I realized my Hershey Kiss taped onto printer paper heart cutouts could never measure up to my classmate’s six-dollar goody bags packed with Godiva chocolates galore and custom decorated cookies, I felt embarrassed by my own creations.

While I understand and appreciate the attempt at fostering equality here, it really just permanently etches materialism into kids’ vulnerable minds and puts pressure on parents to not let their child be outdone. To avoid this issue, I suggest that teachers have children write cards in the classroom using the same art materials to work with. It’s not like they don’t get enough candy on Halloween.

In middle school, the Valentine dilemma became only slightly less daunting. Some homerooms allowed students to exchange cards, but I don’t recall it as a concern. Even so, there was a new, perhaps greater problem looming: kids started dressing up super wacky for Valentine’s Day. Instead of your average red shirt, the halls of Seven Bridges were a swarm of colorful knee socks, pink boas, tiaras, heart-shaped sunglasses and layers upon layers of beads.

While this was festive and fun, it also seriously promoted cliques. It was up to you to establish a group to match with and shop for gear together, and dressing up alone signified being a loner. At an age where cattiness is at an all-time high, you can imagine how being left out would feel. Buy $30 worth of pointless tchotchkes solely to suggest your membership in a group? Now I’d say, no way! Then I’d say it was a requirement.

Fast forward to high school. The rule established in elementary school had disappeared and turned into the opposite: Valograms. They’re a great idea, as they fundraise for the American Heart Association, but they’re also a downright popularity contest. Each year, one purchases a number of  “Valogram” cards for their friends, and senior-class volunteer “Cupids” hand them out in classrooms, accompanied with a flower per Valogram. This is literally a public announcement of exactly how many friends you have.

There is no being discreet here, as there are flowers to show for it. It’s just like the scene in Mean Girls where Damien hands out candy cane grams, “FOUR for you, Glen Coco! You go Glen Coco! Cady Heron, one for you … and none for Gretchen Wieners. Bye!”

If someone you thought was your friend sends a Valogram to all of your friends but you, what’s that supposed to mean? What if you send one and don’t receive one in return? How disheartening! Can’t we just have a simple bake sale or dance or something instead? Oh, and students continue 
to go all-out with Valentine’s Day attire, so there’s still that hanging over your head.

Despite evidence here to the contrary, I happen to like Valentine’s Day. However, I like Valentine’s Day because it celebrates love for those you care most about, whether that is a significant other, family, or close friends. I enjoy yummy treats and teddy bears as much as the next person, but I believe the love you give and receive should not be laid bare for all of your classmates to observe.

Throughout childhood and into high school, kids are quite impressionable and vulnerable. I know I was. So, rather than make some children feel less than equal among their peers, I suggest we teach our children that love is beyond measure.

Anna Bennett graduated Greeley in 2010 and is a senior at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

3rd Graders Give Back During Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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John F. Kenney Magnet School 3rd Graders Give Back During Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

3rdgradersJanuary 22, 2014, Port Chester, NY: John F Kennedy Magnet School 3rd graders give back during a Martin Luther King JR Day of Service at Clay Art Center of Port Chester NY. Over 35 students and parents visited Clay Art Center on January 18th to create unique, hand-painted clay tiles as part of a service event in partnership with the Volunteer Center of the United Way.

Students of 3rd grade teacher Krista DiBernardo learned about Martin Luther King Jr during school and brainstormed ideas to include in their tiles that would embody Mr. King’s goals of unity, equality and non-violence. Parents and siblings joined in to celebrate the memory of the social activist and to leave their own expressive piece of artwork behind. The decorated tiles will be permanently installed at Clay art Center to beautify the classroom spaces. “When I read that the Clay Arts Center was holding a community event, I knew I needed my students to participate.  The Center has been such an important part of our JFK community and the community of Port Chester since its opening.  This was a perfect way to honor MLK and teach my students that his legacy lives on through us and how we care for our community.” Said JFK Magnet School 3rd grade teacher Krista DiBernardo.

The event is part of The Volunteer Center of United Way’s annual MLK Day of Service.  Offered each winter as a way to mobilize volunteers and offer community service activities the MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

About Clay Art Center:

clay-logoClay Art Center is a not-for-profit ceramic art organization offering exhibitions, clay classes for adults and children, studio spaces for clay artists and outreach programs in the community.  It is located in the heart of Port Chester at 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY 10573.   Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am-4pm or by appointment.  For more information or images, please contact Ariel Edwards at communityarts@clayartcenter.org or 914-937-2047.

About The Volunteer Center of United Way:

Recently awarded a Top-Rated Nonprofit designation, The Volunteer Center is a one-stop resource devoted to increasing volunteerism in Westchester and our surrounding communities.  We encourage adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to lead, mature adults to share their wisdom and businesses to support our community.  Through organized volunteer projects, as well as by connecting individuals to nonprofit organizations, The Volunteer Center helps people take action to strengthen the quality of life in their community. Over 254,000 hours of service were devoted last year to 500 nonprofits at a value of over $7.7 million. In September 2011, The Volunteer Center was designated one of ten Regional Volunteer Centers in the State of New York, covering the Mid-Hudson Valley.  For more information, visit www.volunteer-center.org.

Special Event On Autism At Jacob Burns Film Center

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Presented in Partnership with Pleasantville SEPTA and New York Collaborates for Autism

burns1Pleasantville, NY – January 27, 2014 – The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) in Pleasantville will host a special one night screening of Dad’s in Heaven with Nixon on Wednesday, February 12 at 7:00 pm followed by a Q&A and reception. The film is a true story of triumph and tragedy across three generations. Filmmaker Tom Murray’s brother Chris suffered brain damage at birth and was subsequently diagnosed as autistic. As their mother unites the family to maximize Chris’ potential, his father, a charismatic entrepreneur with issues of his own, refuses to participate.

A Q&A will follow the screening with Catherine Lord, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Ilene Lainer, Executive Director, New York Collaborates for Autism, and moderated by Sheryl Frishman, Esq., co-president of Pleasantville SEPTA. Afterwards, join us for a reception upstairs in the Jane Peck Gallery.
Tickets are $7 (members), $12 (nonmembers) and can be purchased online or at the JBFC box office which opens at noon on weekdays and 11:00 am on weekends. Tickets are also available through SEPTA’s website.

burnslogosThe Pleasantville Special Education PTA (SEPTA) is a district-wide Parent Teacher Association organized for the specific purpose of providing information and support to parents and caregivers of children with special needs, including those with 504 plans or IEP’s, receiving RTI or general building level support. Our mission is to create a true sense of community for all families of children with disabilities, from EI and CPSE through high school to age 21. SEPTA sponsors speakers, parent gatherings, library resources, and educational programs in an effort to create a true parent support, community network.

New York Collaborates for Autism (NYCA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 dedicated to creating innovative replicable programs that address the needs of individuals and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) right now. NYCA accelerates change in the way autism services are provided by identifying national leaders to help shape state-of-the-art programs, partnering with leading community-based organizations, providing technical expertise, assisting in early stage management and raising seed money for these initiatives. NYCA develops comprehensive, evidence-based community services and resources that are nationally recognized. NYCA is responsible for the creation of the NYCA Charter School, Hunter College Autism Research, Practice and Policy Center, BOOST! after school programs, Project SEARCH Collaborates for Autism and the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, a collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and its affiliated medical schools of Columbia and Weill Cornell. NYCA sees the possibilities for people with ASD and creates the path to achieve them.
The Jacob Burns Film Center is a nonprofit cultural arts organization dedicated to: presenting the best of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting 21st century literacy, and making film a vibrant part of the community. Located on a 47,500 sq. foot, three-building campus in the center of Pleasantville, the JBFC is just 30 miles outside of New York City. Since the opening in 2001, over 2,000,000 people have seen over 5,400 films from more than 40 countries The campus includes the 27,000 sq. foot Media Arts Lab, the JBFC’s state-of-the-art education center, a creative and educational community for storytellers in the digital age, offering one-time workshops, intensive courses, and weekend programs for children and adults of all ages.

Turks and Cacois: The Antidote to Winter

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t-cBy Sherry Amatenstein

You know the “vacations” where you spend all day racing from tourist site to tourist site, morphing after sunset into a partying fool?

Turks and Caicos is not that kind of destination. Practically from the moment you step off the jet onto the runway at Provideniales Airport (the frozen tundra that is New York City now a PTSD-laced memory) and feel the gentle caress of balmy, not blistering sunshine, you will be hooked.

Snail-shaped, 38-mile long Provideniales, known as “Provo”, is the most developed of the 40 islands and cays comprising Turks and Caicos Islands.

This doesn’t mean Jamaica- or St. Thomas-developed. Those two islands, of course, are ‘New York in the Caribbean’. Rather, Turks and Caicos retains the small town feel–albeit with incandescent azure water abutting the 12 miles of velvety white sand that is Grace Bay, a sprinkling of upscale resorts and homes, golf course, restaurants, spas and the opportunity to hear yourself think.

Once settled in at the Seven Stars Resort, there is serious danger of spending the remainder of your stay, if not your life hibernating in this Shangri-La.

Named for the seven stars of the fabled Pleiades constellation, this all-suite luxury resort spread over 22 acres features a beach jacuzzi (beam me up, Scotty), seawater swimming pool and service so genuinely caring, this hardened New Yorker nearly wept with gratitude. Rather than having local children hawking souvenirs on the beach, waiters bring complimentary treats.

Which brings us to the resort’s chef, Kyle Kingrey, newly imported from Beauty & Essex, the Lower East Side jewel, serves Cacois Rum Butter Lobster and conch fritters that alone are worth the trip.

If (when) you need to work off some of this good living, the underwater show beckons. Turks and Caicos is justly heralded for its diving. Over 30 percent of the archipelago has protected status–thus assuring a crystalline view of turtles, spotted eagle rays and more.

January brings the start of the opportunity of several lifetimes–to snorkel or dive with humpback whales off the North West Point of Provo as they migrate toward the Dominican Republic for winter.

Another timing-related viewing opportunity occurs about one hour after sunset three to six nights after the full moon. This phenomenon lasts 15 minutes amid the ebbing tide of the Caicos Bank. What am I talking about? The mating ritual of the glowworms aka Odontosyllis Enolpa that emits a pale green luminescence against the darkening sky. It’s been described as “seeing all the stars.”

More wonder-filled water adventures are available in Turks and Caicos–keeping an eye out for “JoJo the Bottleneck Dolphin,” horseback riding with “Provo Ponies” on the beach and into the shallow waters, and booking a private beach excursion from Provo for a day trip of R and R on a remote cay. Picnic lunch will be included.

Dining is the major activity on Provo when the sun goes down. The current “it” spot for couples on the island, Coco, is situated under swaying coconut palm trees. A more laid back option is Da Conch Shack, dubbed “one of the world’s top 50 beach bars.” Here you can actually watch conch being harvested and shelled.  Martini fanatics should not miss Grace Bay Club’s 90-foot long Infiniti Bar  – with its rum-laced Infiniti Martini and fabulous vantage point to watch the stars come out.

Different types of stars frequent the island –Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner honeymooned here, as did Eva Longoria and Tony Parker–a 50/50 success record. Best place for celeb spotting is Ananyara, an uber-upscale hideaway.

Probably the most incongruous spot on this low-key island is the Casablanca Casino. Vegas it’s not, but the casino does offers a full complement of black jack, roulette, craps and even poker tournaments.

Perhaps the perfect way to end your island idyll (if end it you must)! is to partake in Seven Stars’ Sunday evening beachside barbecue. Eating at a table under a tent next to the ocean accompanied by music, a bonfire and the magical sound of crashing waves… Life does not get more chill.

When she’s not doing travel writing, Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW, is  a therapist. www.marriedfaq.com