The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Deborah Raider Notis

Greeley Graduate Marissa Rifkin’s The Tooth Fairy’s Busy Day

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When Marissa Rifkin was a student at Horace Greeley High School, her favorite subject was science but her favorite teachers were her history and English teachers. “They helped me enjoy subjects I didn’t think I liked, and they motivated me as a writer,” says Rifkin, a graduate of Greeley and Cornell University and a third-year dental student at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, who combined her love of science with her writing skills to co-author The Tooth Fairy’s Busy Day.

Assigned to do a research project involving evaluating children’s literature about dental health, Rifkin and her classmate, Elizabeth Crowe, developed a list of the best available books relating to going to the dentist and dental health and considered the gaps in children’s literature concerning dental health. Seeing the gaps, Rifkin and Crowe wrote a book to encourage young children to be excited about taking good care of their teeth. “It’s really important to start taking care of your teeth at a young age, and we wanted to create excitement about keeping your mouth healthy and ensuring a healthy smile.”

Rifkin, who plans to focus on pediatric dentistry when she graduates from Columbia, wrote an engaging, colorful story; filled with rhymes and pictures, she teaches children about basic oral hygiene and preventative dental care. She portrays thedentist’s office as a welcoming place so children feel comfortable going to the dentist.

“I’m really proud of the way that The Tooth Fairy’s Busy Day weaves together important concepts like nutrition, dental home care, and visiting the dentist,” notes Rifkin, who found that there were not enough books for children that impactfully set the stage for children to focus on complete oral health at an early age.  Now Rifkin is sharing her book with the Westchester community. A Grafflin grad, she states she would be honored if a copy ends up

in the Grafflin library, and in the Chappaqua Library, too. The Tooth Fairy’s Busy Day, by Marisa Rifkin and Elizabeth Crowe, published in August 2021, is available on amazon.com.

Spring into a Healthier You at Dr. Briones Medical Weight Loss Center

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When Dr. Maria Briones started working with orthopedic patients at Burke Rehabilitation Center in 1999, she noticed that many of her patients’ problems, from arthritis of the knees and hips to broken bones, resulted from carrying extra weight. Much of the natural wear and tear on people’s joints and the need for joint replacement surgery was, according to Briones, exacerbated by excessive weight.

“Losing all the weight can be a lifesaver for these patients with knee and hip problems who use canes to walk,” says Briones, who opened her Medical Weight Loss Center, a Mt. Kisco-based medical weight loss facility in 2007. Briones partners with her patients, motivating them, and investing in their weight loss success.

Individualized Plan for Patients

Briones focuses on whole body health. She works with her patients to set up goals and plans. She identifies any medical causes of weight gain and designs a manageable weight loss reduction program for her patients. She creates individualized nutrition plans, vitamin and supplement regimens, and professionally designed, customized exercise plans. If necessary, she provides FDA-approved appetite suppressants and hormone replacement therapy. 

Most importantly, Briones helps her patients develop a long-term wellness plan, teaching her patients how to maintain their weight loss and offering ongoing support whenever they need it. Her plans are adaptable to the changing needs of her patients. “My patients feel like I am a friend,” says Briones, who credits her warm relationships with her patients for much of her success.

Former Pound Ridge resident Nancy Farkas, who spent three years as Dr. Farkas’s patient, whole-heartedly agrees that Briones’s close relationships with her patients is key to their success. “Dr. B is wonderful to speak with, she’s inspirational. We had a wonderful relationship.” Farkas, who saw Briones approximately once a week, was impressed with the detailed yet flexible program that Briones built for her. “I followed her specific schedule and her careful instructions, and that was a huge thing for me.”

Briones has lived in Westchester for over 25 years, spending the past 15 years in Chappaqua. “This is a great place to raise a family.” She started her career as an internist. Born in Spain and raised in Nicaragua, Briones attended medical school in Costa Rica before coming to the United States.

Long-Term Relationships with Patients

“People tend to stay with me,” says Briones, who has significant client retention and a high percentage of success. She believes that feeling good about yourself is key to staying healthy. That is why Briones encourages her patients to take steps to ensure that they do not look older than they feel.

In addition to weight loss therapy, Briones offers non-surgical weight loss solutions, including cellulite treatments, Cool Sculpting, and Lipo Light Therapy. She started adding cosmetic procedures, like Botox and Ultherapy as well as other anti-aging, skin tightening, and skin rejuvenation therapies. These cosmetic procedures are designed to help patients maintain their youthful radiance.

Briones works with two certified medical assistants, both of whom help with everything from interacting with patients to taking vital signs. “Her staff is so helpful,” says Farkas, who believes that everyone at the Medical Weight Loss Center goes out of their way to “act in your best interest and to motivate you to stick with the program.”

Briones encourages everyone to try to be their best self. “Don’t be afraid to make a change in your life. It’s always better to try. Anything is possible.”

The True Meaning of Friendship: Dr. Jeff Gilbert & Artist Michael Bailey

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(L-R): Michael Bailey and Dr. Jeff Gilbert
Photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Gilbert

A Chappaqua neighbor famously coined the phrase, “It takes a village.” When Dr. Jeff Gilbert befriended Michael Bailey, a homeless artist, he proved her words true.

Gilbert was on his way back to his home in Chappaqua after the June 22nd Yankee game when he spotted a shoeless man sitting on Babe Ruth Plaza surrounded by pictures of baseball player Aaron Judge and football player Saquon Barkley. He stopped to purchase the five-dollar Judge print, and as he boarded the train, he regretted not buying the Saquon picture. He tracked down the artist via the artist’s website – artofzebra.com – listed on the print.

The artist, 60-year-old Bailey, has been down on his luck and living on the street after a bad marriage, difficult partnership, bout of depression, and subsequent drug problem. Bailey, an architect with an MBA from the University of Chicago, opened the Zebra Gallery in 1990. In 1995, he expanded the Zebra Gallery, establishing Zebra Art, Inc., an art publishing and distribution business. “I had a million-dollar business, and I lost everything. It was going very well for a while. Then, with my divorce, and my son being taken away from me, everything went bad,” says Bailey.

Bailey grew up with his mother and his sister, Helen, in Chicago. Helen, who now lives in California, still maintains Bailey’s site. Bailey’s son, who lives in Tampa, stores some of Bailey’s original artwork. But since 2007, Bailey has lived on the streets of Chicago, New York, Dallas, Cleveland, and various other cities to which he’s traveled, trying to promote his artwork. “I’m trying to show my work,” relays Bailey.

A Friendship Forms

Gilbert became more than another person whom Bailey met in his travels. They became fast friends when Gilbert gave Bailey a copy of his children’s book, Milton’s Moment. “That was a gesture of friendship,” according to Bailey, who refused to take money for the Saquon print Gilbert wanted to purchase.

“I felt like I knew Michael from somewhere as soon as I met him,” says Gilbert, who just “knew Michael was a good person.” Overwhelmed by Bailey’s story and kind nature, Gilbert invited Bailey to dinner and then to visit him up in Westchester. “We have so many resources available up here. Things that Michael could never access on his own,” notes Gilbert.

A Supportive Community

But Gilbert couldn’t change Bailey’s life on his own. So, he reached out to his wide circle of friends and to the Chappaqua, Briarcliff, Pleasantville, and Armonk communities via FaceBook to tell Bailey’s story.

Thanks to the power of positive social media and community support, Gilbert witnessed “so many members of our community mobilizing to make a difference in this man’s life.” Helena Terilli, Co-President of the food pantry at the Methodist Church in Pleasantville, bought Michael almost $300 of new clothes. And the community has contributed almost $5,000 to the gofundme.com page that Gilbert established for Bailey.

“I meet a lot of people in different cities,” noted Bailey, “but it was Jeff who changed my life.” For the first time since 2007, Bailey is no longer sleeping on the streets. While he does not have a home yet, he is staying in hotels as he travels the country to show his work.

Thanks to Gilbert’s efforts, Bailey’s artwork is also being exposed to a significantly wider audience. In June, he was invited to show and sell his work in Pleasantville at Yogolicious and The Village Bookstore.

The opportunity to connect to more people and to show and sell his work to people who didn’t know anything about him six months ago, is deeply meaningful and life-altering for Bailey, who sees art as his spiritual calling. “Art is my gift from God. When someone buys a piece of art from me, I tell them that I am sharing this gift.” Bailey generously shares this gift with others, often giving children free prints of their favorite athletes, superheroes, or musicians.

Late this summer, Bailey spent some time in Chicago, working on a painting of the New York Yankees’ veteran pitcher, CC Sabathia. He showcased it at the table that The Rotary Club of Chappaqua donated to him for Chappaqua’s Community Day on September 14th. Gilbert also arranged for Bailey to show his art at the Chappaqua art gallery, The Art Closet.

Future Plans for Bailey

After Community Day, Bailey spent a few days selling prints outside of Yankee Stadium before he hit the road once again. He then returned to sell his prints at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on October 5th. In the coming months, Gilbert will continue to look for “creative ways to help Michael.” No doubt, he will continue to rely on his “village” for help.

Lifelong Learning Through Chappaqua’s Continuing Education Program

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For more than 40 years, Chappaqua Continuing Education has created a unique community for ongoing learning. As one of the only community-sponsored, school district run programs in Westchester County, Chappaqua’s Continuing Education program invites Chappaqua residents to come together and take enriching classes on the campus of Horace Greeley High School.

Every year, about 1,200 people take classes through the Chappaqua Continuing Education program, which is a nonprofit organization run in conjunction with the Chappaqua Central School District. “Originally, the program was designed to be a give back to the community and a thank you to empty nesters for sticking around. Their children graduated, but they still lived here, and we wanted to keep them involved in the community,” states the Director of Continuing Education, Maura Marcon. The program evolved into a community-oriented opportunity that spans all ages and crosses over to people in nearby communities who do not have access to this type of programming.

An Array of Options

“The Chappaqua program is unique because it’s community based and supportive, providing a wide range of classes for just about everything,” notes Katie Goldberg who has taught art and Mahjong classes through Chappaqua Continuing Education for the past 25 years. Goldberg is right about the range of classes. This fall, Chappaqua Continuing Education will offer 90 classes in everything from art, cooking, and dance to gardening, exercise classes, finance, and foreign languages.

According to Marcon, the 10-week Spanish, French, and Italian language classes are extremely well-attended. Many people who take Spanish joined the class as beginners and have taken all four levels of Spanish together, developing friendships with one another and with the instructors. “They even socialize outside the class, going out for drinks or dinner with the instructor.”

The most social classes, the games classes, which include Canasta and Mahjong, often bring groups of friends together who want to learn something new. And the finance classes, covering topics from retirement planning and Medicare to understanding estate taxes and financial planning for women, are particularly popular with empty-nesters.

Empty-nesters and people in their late 50’s and 60’s are the most frequent participants in the program. Senior citizens from Chappaqua can receive up to a 50 percent discount on certain classes, and Chappaqua Continuing Education even offers some free classes. The single session, 90-minute classes are favorites of many 30- and 40-something residents, who take advantage of these $30 classes as a plan for an entertaining, educational night out.

Artist and art teacher Quincy Egginton isn’t only a teacher in Chappaqua’s Continuing Education program, she is a 35-year resident who raised her two daughters here. “It feels like home when I go to Greeley to teach,” says Egginton, who enjoys running into her daughters’ teachers and credits the Greeley custodial staff with supporting the work of the program.

Egginton, whose favorite class to teach is watercolor painting, is one of several local residents who teaches in this program. Even the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps runs a class on American Heart Association Family and Friends CPR. Marcon encourages any interested residents to submit proposals for classes, as she encourages the community to get involved in any way possible and is always open to new ideas and creative classes.

Making Lifelong Learning Accessible and Fun

“I love the positive feedback that I get from people about our teachers, classes and wide array of class offerings,” says Marcon, who loves her creative, people-oriented position. Goldberg and Egginton agree that their students are extremely positive about their experiences. “Many of my students have told me that I’ve made complicated, intimidating subjects easy and fun by breaking things down into enjoyable ‘bite-sized nuggets,’” said Goldberg.

Chappaqua Continuing Education offers classes from September through December, January through February, and March through June. Classes meet Monday through Thursday evenings for one to two hours. For more information about Chappaqua Continuing Education, visit their website, ccsd.ws/district/departments/chappaqua-continuing-education, or check out one of the seasonal catalogs that are regularly distributed throughout Chappaqua, Millwood, Armonk, Bedford, Briarcliff, Mount Kisco, and Pleasantville.

Innovation Takes on a New Light

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In July 2018, Amy Barone brought a new, innovative health and skincare clinic to Chappaqua when she opened Red Light Life. With Red Light Life, Barone is introducing Red Light Therapy to help people treat acne, reduce inflammations, rejuvenate skin, and manage chronic joint pain, musculoskeletal and arthritic pain.

“Our bodies crave sunlight,” says Barone. “Red light therapy provides the deepest penetrating red and near infrared wavelengths to give people all of the benefits of sunlight without any UVA and UVB damage.” A licensed esthetician, Barone opened her clinic after working for manufacturers and venture capital groups involved with the development of skin, wound, and oral care. She spent a year researching manufacturers and equipment and studying the science and proper power levels to achieve the best results with red light and she uses only FDA approved, medical-grade quality LED systems.

Barone implements painless, natural treatments using red and near infrared lights. “They are actually good for your entire body at the location of the treatment and systematically by traveling through our blood all over without side effects. Red light feels good to receive as it’s warm and comforting, never burning,” says Barone.

Red Light therapy is designed to help people look and feel younger. It has been proven to help people with everything from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and Lyme Disease to tighten flaccid skin on the stomach, arms and neck from aging and pregnancy to reducing pigmentation from sun and age spot and scarring from acne.

“My eighth-grade son was having typical acne breakouts, so I brought him into Red Light Life,” says local Chappaqua resident, Laura Tainsky. “After two short treatments, we saw a notable difference.” Tainsky appreciates that Red Light Life is local and convenient. Seeing positive results for her son, Tainsky went in for a treatment to ameliorate foot pain. She was amazed at the results. “I definitely felt relief afterwards. And they are not putting chemicals on your face or into your body.”

Barone uses only pure, cruelty-free skincare products at her clinic. Everything is high quality medical grade and the ingredients are formulated to produce powerful results with no artificial dyes, fragrances, parabens and sodium lauryl sulfates. Her goals are to heal, protect, and ultimately transform skin. Moreover, none of her products are tested on animals.

Barone is constantly uncovering new, innovative treatments to help the community. Red Light Life now offers a series of six neck treatments to tighten the skin and reduce the “double chin effect.” She is also offering abdomen tightening treatments that can be done in conjunction with facials. And, she is planning to offer “Smoking Cessation” using red light in a low-level laser pen to mimic the effects of acupuncture with a painless treatment. Barone notes, “I’m hoping that young people, who have become addicted to vaping, will recognize the dangers of vaping and actively end their addiction in one to three sessions.” She also intends to develop an online retail store, selling innovative red-light therapy devices for home use.

Ultimately, Barone’s “mission” is to make red-light therapy a go to health solution for our community. She hopes everyone can acclimate to these new treatments and leave Red Light Life feeling rejuvenated, younger, and healthier.

Red Light Life

(located at the Chappaqua Wellness Center)

400 King Street, Suite 4

(914) 494-9009

redlightlife.com

Publisher’s Note: Opinions and information presented in all Inside Press articles, particularly in the arena of health and medicine, reflect the experiences, expertise and/or views of the author or those interviewed. Please consult your own doctor or health care professional for diagnosis and/or treatment.