The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

ECAD Charity Luncheon at Greenwich Polo Club, Sunday Sept. 1, 2013

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crabtreeWe wanted to let you know about an event that we think will be fun and is for a great cause. Crabtree’s Kittle House is proud to be a continuing supporter of ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities). ECAD provides expertly trained Service Dogs to seriously wounded Veterans and to civilians with various disabilities.  These Service Dogs help their owners lead safer, more comfortable and independent lives.

This year, ECAD has been selected as the charity for the Greenwich Polo Club Match on September 1, 2013. They will be having a sit-down lunch for 200 people with beverages and entertainment, and you can watch an exciting polo match. Proceeds from the event will help raise money to provide these Service Dogs free of charge to all veterans who qualify and for a small fee for civilians.  A Service Dog requires two years of training at a cost in excess of $25,000.

rivermarketThere will be many Service Dogs at the event, and we can tell you that the work they do for their owners is priceless. Their beauty belies their importance to the life of their owners. If you wish to attend or send a donation you can do so online at  http://www.ecad1.org/polo.

Chappaqua Chamber Series Opens September 22

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The Chappaqua Chamber Series will open its 2013-2014 season with a performance of Schubert’s chamber music masterpiece, the Octet in F major, op. 166. Chappaqua Orchestra principal clarinetist Eric Drucker will be joined by violinists Chie Yoshinaka and Yang Sun Kim, violist Jules Lai, cellist Jeanette Stenson, bassist Scott Thornton, bassoonist Gilbert DeJean and French hornist Karen Froehlich. The concert will take place on Sunday, September 22nd, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Chappaqua Library, 195 South Greeley Avenue.  The concert is FREE, donations gratefully accepted at the door. For more information, go to chappaquaorchestra.org or chappaqualibrary.org

Moving Past Tragedy – Evan Lieberman’s Legacy

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By Alyssa Ashley

Evan’s sisters Rachel (left) and Jamie at an Evan’s Team “Trauma Run”.
Evan’s sisters Rachel (left) and Jamie at an Evan’s Team “Trauma Run”.

Tragedy struck on July 18th, 2011, when 19-year-old Evan Lieberman, a beloved brother, son and friend, passed away after fighting for his life and undergoing several serious surgeries after a horrible car accident. Evan’s family has created many events in his honor to raise money to rebuild the waiting room of the Maria Fareri Trauma Center in the Westchester Medical Center, among other things, and to raise awareness and provide a form of support for other families.

The biggest event is the annual Evan Lieberman Westchester Medical Center Trauma Run. The event is a fifteen-obstacle course spanning three miles of the Medical Center’s Valhalla Campus; the course is designed for people of all ages and athletic abilities, and challenges participants to run through the woods, scramble through mud, and navigate through different obstacles.

Completing the event is rewarding and satisfying, and leaves participants proud to have gone through numerous complicated obstacles in support of a great cause.

Other events created in Evan’s name include the Poker Tournament and Dodgeball Event. What makes the Dodgeball Event so special is that it is not only an opportunity to raise money for an important cause and spend time with friends, but dodgeball was a favorite pastime of Evan’s, and so the event is very close to his family’s and friends’ hearts.

(L-R): Alyssa Lentini, Rachel Lieberman and Alyssa Ashley.
(L-R): Alyssa Lentini, Rachel Lieberman and Alyssa Ashley.

In his senior year at Horace Greeley High School, Evan won the dodgeball tournament and enjoyed going to play the game with friends during his free time. The last Dodgeball Event raised an astonishing $25,000 for the hospital and to help raise awareness and support others struggling through tragedy. These events are ways to carry on Evan’s legacy and help other families going through similar situations, by raising money and spreading knowledge about situations such as Evan’s. The desire to reconstruct the waiting room of the Maria Fareri Trauma Center arose because it is not a comfortable environment and is not one of the nicest places to spend anxious hours awaiting life-changing news.

The Lieberman family has raised $200,000 that has gone directly to the reconstruction of the waiting room, which has been described as a “very small place that adds even more stress to families.” Rebuilding it will add a level of comfort and relief to anxious families during times of unexpected and heartbreaking disaster.

Evan was a very personable and fun-loving young man. A big fan of all kinds of movies and an ESPN junkie, he was always looking for a laugh and fun things to do with his friends. His family, friends, and the entire Chappaqua community will always remember his strength and legacy, as everyone continues to participate in these numerous events and help in any way possible. To learn more about different ways to get involved, please visit
www.evansteamny.com.

are you there coverAlyssa Ashley is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, her favorite book was Are You There God? It’s Me, 
Margaret.

Well It Can’t Be My Fault!

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crash cars twoBad Driving Habits In and Around Chappaqua

By Jordan Rosenthal

 As a teen and a new driver, I catch a lot of flack for the driving habits of my peers.  Sure, we are young and occasionally reckless, but do we really deserve all of this negative press?  Have we not just completed hours upon hours of mandatory supervised driving, classroom time, and the most stressful seven minutes ever–the road test?  Even if people say that all of that education fades quickly, we still have the upper hand on adults who are years out of the education system and simply pay homage to the DMV to finally replace that license photo from the age of big hair.  So, who’s the real culprit?

The Role of Age

To my fellow teen drivers, recognize that if people are calling on us to be safer, more respectful drivers, there must be a reason.  Sure, driving is exciting, exhilarating, and an opportunity to taste responsibility and freedom; our young age gives us a false sense of invincibility. But the statistics speak for themselves. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, per mile driven, drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers over 20 years old.  Numbers like that should sicken parents and teens alike.  Those statistics alone should be enough to encourage us to slow down, buckle up, and most importantly not look at that extra appendage we call a cell phone. Textinganddrivingsafety.com reports that drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to get into a car crash, and that’s at ANY age. Three out of every four teen drivers surveyed felt confident in their driving abilities while texting, yet they fail to acknowledge that false confidence is deadly, as car crashes are the number one cause of death among teens.*

But to that point, teens are not the only ones who use their smartphones at every possible moment.  While we are, for the most part, more tech-savvy, adults distract themselves just as often as teens do to send a quick text.  In fact, adults have many other distractions they have to manage.  Teens don’t have to deal with rowdy children in the back seat fighting over the imaginary line in the middle that “she crossed again!”  Furthermore, I have heard enough stories of spilled coffee, finishing makeup, and even shaving on the way to work to be quite sure adults find their own distractions.  Parents are urged to be good examples, and are charged with the responsibility of coaching their teen drivers. I know not everyone–including adults–signals before pulling away from the curb in good Driver Education fashion.

We Are No Exception

Detective Daniel Corrado of the New Castle Police Department emphasized that while both adults and teens are guilty of distracted driving, the only inherent difference is that adults understand through experience the subtleties of driving as well as the dangers of being reckless. Teenage drivers need time to learn the difference between when they are in control of the car and when they are not, as well as how to drive in various conditions: if they took Driver Ed in the summer, for example, they have not driven on the slick fallen leaves of autumn. Also, very few people realize that five seconds looking down at a cell phone while driving 30 miles per hour means you have traveled 220 feet.  That’s undoubtedly a low speed in the minds of most drivers, yet whatever occurs in that distance does not discriminate by age, gender, or supposed skill behind the wheel. Here in Chappaqua, the fight against bad driving has picked up momentum. Reports of numerous hit-and-runs have been heard, as well as witness accounts of people failing to parallel park correctly, a skill us teens are forced to perfect for the road test. The “Chappaqua Moms” Facebook group has been a hotbed of discussion and complaint about driving here in town. “I don’t think it’s about bad driving as much as it is about a self-centered attitude of entitlement and competitiveness and a general lack of consideration for our fellow drivers who may also have equally pressing needs to be wherever they want to go,” noted long time Chappaqua resident Penny Vane. “Our Smartphone technologies only serve to enhance and aggravate the risks and perceived rewards of driving self-absorbed and selfishly.”

Therein lies the answer to who is the culprit: any driver who takes his or her eyes off of the wheel at any time…so in other words, EVERYONE.  It cannot be a matter of finger pointing or blame-giving. New drivers, accept responsibility; old drivers, you too! If you can resolve to do one less distracting task while driving, everyone around you will benefit and the roads will be exceedingly safer.  Be smart, be savvy, know your habits, and realize we’re all in this one together.

tiki bookJordan Rosenthal is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, his favorite book was Tikki Tikki Tembo.

Editor’s Note:  DORC (Distracted Operators Risk Casualties), a non profit organization started by the Liebermans of Chappaqua after their son Evan died two years ago following a terrible car accident (see Evan’s Legacy story on page 10 too) has also spurred a great deal of conversation locally and state wide about teenage texting and driving, in particular. 
For more info, visit www.dorcs.org.

Shop Local, Chamber of Commerce Unites Residents and Merchants

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Hillary Clinton enjoying Chappaqua’s Summer Sidewalk Sales. Carlyn Simpson Photo*
Hillary Clinton enjoying Chappaqua’s Summer Sidewalk Sales.
Carlyn Simpson Photo*

By Paige Schoenberg

What do a restaurant, a preschool, a clothing retailer, and a dentist have in common? All are members of the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, a local association that aims to bring together New Castle businesses and the community.

The Chamber was founded just over one year ago in 2012 by Rob Greenstein and Christine Yeres, who hoped to help local merchants expand their businesses while at the same time creating a sense of community that many felt had begun to fade over the years. When the Chamber was first formed, only a few of the town’s many businesses were members. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the Chamber Board, that number has grown to include over 170 diverse local enterprises

A Community-Minded Mission       

The Chamber supports these and other establishments with the “Shop Local” initiative, which encourages residents to shop at smaller stores in Chappaqua and Millwood instead of at big-box chains. This helps merchants by increasing revenue and benefits customers by providing a unique, personalized shopping experience that cannot be found at larger retailers. As part of their plan to boost the local economy, the Chamber promotes the 3/50 Project, which reinforces the economic benefits of shopping locally. For every dollar spent at a local store, more money is returned to the community than would be if that money was spent elsewhere.

Of every $100 spent locally, $68 comes back to the town through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures, as compared to only $43 for every $100 spent in a national chain.

The Chamber also participates in the American Express Small Business Saturday, a nationwide program advocating the importance of supporting small businesses.

The program, which provides free marketing materials for merchants, is run by the American Express Company and backed by corporations such as Facebook, Twitter, and FedEx.

Helping Business and the Community Thrive Together       

One of four movie nights at Millwood Park this summer. © Hidenao Abe, StudioAbe
One of four movie nights at Millwood Park this summer.
© Hidenao Abe, StudioAbe

These campaigns are important to revitalize the local economy, but the Chamber recognizes that creating a sense of community is of equal value. To achieve their goal of making local businesses a part of the greater community, the Chamber has held several events, designed to increase spirit and bring residents into stores and restaurants. Recent events include the first annual Tails to Trails pet fair in Millwood, sponsored by Drug Mart and the Millwood Animal Hospital, and the May Madness Sweepstakes, which gave customers a chance to win one of four iPad minis by registering at participating merchants. Free family-friendly movies were shown in Millwood Park on Friday nights in June and July.

During July, the Chamber worked with the New Castle Recreation and Parks Department to host the Summer Concert Series, which featured the Chappaqua Orchestra and Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond cover bands, and local food vendors were on hand to provide refreshments.

The Chamber hopes that these kinds of larger events, in addition to the popular Sidewalk Sales in late July, will draw crowds from the surrounding area as well.

Ready for a Busy Fall       

New Castle residents have several upcoming events to look forward to. In October, the Chamber will organize its second annual Fall Festival in downtown Chappaqua. Planned activities include pie-baking and doughnut-eating contests, hayrides, and food tastings by local restaurants. Stores will sponsor activities, and merchandise will be available for purchase. The Chamber will be running a Community Day table to highlight future happenings.

Two returning events, the Taste of Chappaqua and the Holiday Stroll, will take place in November or early December. Last year’s Holiday Stroll featured carolers, ice sculptures, and refreshments as part of a joint event with the New Castle Historical Society’s annual tree lighting, at which the Horace Greeley High School Madrigal Choir and the Chappaqua Orchestra performed.

Residents can also expect new lighted snowflakes in time for the holidays, which will add a bit of winter sparkle to the Rt. 120 bridge and throughout the downtown area.

The decorations are part of a combined effort with the New Castle Beautification Advisory Board to boost foot traffic by improving the appearance of Chappaqua’s downtown area.

Chappaqua Fall Festival Apple Pie Contest
Chappaqua Fall Festival Apple Pie Contest

The Chamber actively participates in town matters and encourages residents to get involved. Currently, the Chamber posts a weekly ChamberChat on the New Castle NOW website to publicize town meetings and community activities, as well as special promotions from merchants. The Chamber also sends updates through email blasts and the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. An independent Chamber website and mobile app is in the works.

zoo bookPaige Schoenberg is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, her favorite book was Put Me in the Zoo.

*Editor’s Note: Carolyn Simpson of Doublevision Photographers graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Photography. Through her lens she has photographed many things, from the cobblestoned streets of Italy to the smiling faces of families at holiday time. With  over 20 years of experience, Carolyn strives to always capture the essence of the moment. She specializes in Events, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Portraits and Architecture Photography.