The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Are woodpeckers damaging your house or deck?

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Most people would agree that woodpeckers are beautiful birds to look at, particularly with the bright red feathers on their head and black and white striped feathers on their bodies. But late autumn is the time of year when woodpeckers can become a real nuisance to homeowners.

Woodpecker damageWoodpeckers peck holes in trees, decks, and wood siding on homes for three reasons … for drumming, feeding, and nesting. Woodpeckers “drum” in order to make noise, either for attracting a mate or to advertise that the nearby territory is claimed. Woodpeckers also make holes in search of food, like beetles, larvae and other insects. And finally, extensive drilling in one location can mean a woodpecker is looking to make a nest.

When woodpeckers are pecking, they do not differentiate between a tree, and other types of wood. So this is when woodpeckers can damage your deck or home. Covering up the holes will not prevent the woodpeckers from pecking somewhere else on your deck or home. And most people don’t realize that woodpeckers are protected, so harming them in anyway is against the law.

So how can homeowners protect their homes and decks from pecking woodpeckers this fall/winter? There are many different types of deterrents on the market. After many years of experience, the knowledgeable staff at Chappaqua Paint & Hardware have found that the two most effective deterrents are fake owls and scare tape. Owls are a natural predator to woodpeckers, so putting a decoy up on your house will scare woodpeckers away. And scare tape is a shiny aluminum foil like tape that is hung on bushes or the deck or house and the reflective nature of the tape deters woodpeckers from landing anywhere nearby. Sometimes with persistent woodpeckers, we suggest using both deterrents at one time.

Whatever problems you encounter with woodpeckers or any other types of birds, we are here to help. We at Chappaqua Paint & Hardware are your resource for all your homeowner needs, damaging birds or otherwise. We have a knowledgeable and experienced staff that can advise you on the best products and assist you with any household problem. We hope to see you in our store soon!

Open Door’s Holiday Toy Drive Aims to Bring Cheer to Children in Westchester and Putnam

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Holiday Toy Drive

Every year the Open Door Foundation collects toys for children from families of less fortunate means to make sure that every child in our community will receive a new toy during the holiday season. Santa Claus visits all five Open Door sites to personally deliver the gifts to the children. In order to fill his sleigh with enough toys, Open Door is accepting donations of new toys, valued between $10-$20, through December 10th for children ages newborn to 14 years-old. With a goal of collecting 2,500 new, unwrapped toys, Open Door is accepting donations at all Open Door Family Medical Centers Sites:

  • Mt. Kisco: 30 West Main Street
  • Ossining: 165 Main Street
  • Port Chester: 5 Grace Church Street
  • Sleepy Hollow: 80 Beekman Avenue
  • Brewster: 155 Main Street, Suite 101, Lower Level

To make things easy, Open Door has also created online Wish Lists at Amazon and Kohl’s:

Monetary donations are also being accepted and Open Door Elves will take care of the shopping. Checks made payable to Open Door Foundation may be mailed to Alicia Ward, Open Door Foundation, 2 Church Street – Suite 101, Ossining, NY 10562. Credit card donation may be made online at www.opendoormedical.org. Please be sure to note “Toy Drive” in the comment box.

For those with a knack for wrapping, Open Door is also looking for volunteers to help organize and wrap the gifts which will be distributed by Santa when he visits each Open Door health center in December. Open Door would also appreciate donations of holiday gift wrap and batteries sizes AA, AAA, C, D and 9 volt.

For more information about the Toy Drive and volunteering contact Volunteer Coordinator Alicia Ward at 914-502-1468 or award@odfmc.org.

About Open Door Family Medical Centers
Open Door, winner of the 2012 New York Nonprofit Excellence Award, has received the highest Recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home™ (PPC-PCMH™) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This ranking distinguishes Open Door from medical practices across the nation as less than 12% have appropriate systems in place to achieve this advanced standing. For more than 40 years, this federally qualified community health center has served a multi-cultural community providing top quality medical, dental care and social services to the people in Westchester and Putnam counties, particularly the economically disadvantaged. Open Door has centers located in Ossining, Port Chester, Mt. Kisco Sleepy Hollow and Brewster. In addition, Open Door operates five school-based health centers in Port Chester at The Edison Elementary School, Park Avenue School, the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Port Chester Middle School and Port Chester High School with a new school based health center opening in Ossining High School this fall. In 2013, 49,470 patients were treated at Open Door, making 210,615 patient visits. In the same year, 15,235 youth and children (ages 19 years and under), were treated. In 2012 Open Door, partnered with New York Medical College and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, to launch the NYMC Phelps Family Medicine Residency Program along with a Dental Residency Program, the first new programs in New York State in decades. Funding for Open Door Family Medical Centers comes from local, state and federal grants as well as private foundations and individuals.

Coco Chanel – Fashion Revolutionary

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Coco Chanel Revolutionary

On Wednesday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m., please join us at the Horace Greeley House, 100 King Street, for a talk, “Coco Chanel—Fashion Revolutionary,” by Yulia Omelich, owner of the COUTUREDossier boutique at 67 Bedford Road. Tickets are free, but space is limited, so you are advised to make your reservations early.

Madame Chanel was one of the most successful and influential women of the 20th century. Her fashion legacy is recognizable worldwide and is as fresh and wearable today as it was when this hard-driving woman set out to change women’s lives through the clothes they wear.

Ms. Omelich has customers in Europe, South America, and cyberspace. Her background is in diplomacy and banking, as well as fashion. She holds an MBA from American/Georgetown University in Washington, DC and a Master’s degree from Moscow State University of International Relations.

This event is sponsored by the New Castle Historical Society. The Society’s Museum, the Horace Greeley House is open for tours where visitors may view the historic home or one of the current exhibits: Here Comes the Bride, Notable Neighbors in New Castle, and Hats Off. Open hours are: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 1 – 4 PM or by appointment at 914-238-4666. For more information please view the Society’s website.

The Small Town Theatre Company Presents “Proof”

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Proof

“Proof” is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award Best Play.

The play concerns Catherine, the daughter of Robert, a recently deceased mathematical genius in his fifties and professor at the University of Chicago, and her struggle with mathematical genius and mental illness. Catherine had cared for her father through a lengthy mental illness.

Upon Robert’s death, his ex-graduate student Hal discovers a paradigm-shifting proof about prime numbers in Robert’s office. The title refers both to that proof and to the play’s central question: Can Catherine prove the proof’s authorship along with demonstrating the proof’s authenticity.

Throughout, the play explores Catherine’s fear of following in her father’s footsteps, both mathematically and mentally and her desperate attempts to stay in control.

November 14 – 15, 8 PM
The Hergenhan Center – Armonk, NY

November 21 – 22, 8 PM
Katonah Village Library – Katonah, NY

General Admission $15
Reservations

Denim & Dreams

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The Mental Health Association of Westchester — Making a Difference

By Janine Crowley Haynes

On Friday, October 24th, the Mental Health Association of Westchester held their Denim & Dreams Fall Benefit at the CV Rich Mansion in White Plains. MHA was founded in 1946, and its Westchester agency continues the vision and dream of bringing high-quality, cost-effective mental health services. It offers various recovery-oriented health services and currently serves 25,000 women, men, children, and families.

Some of the faces of the Denim & Dream Makers
Some of the faces of the Denim & Dream Makers

The annual benefit was night of celebration with live music, cocktails, and dinner. Dr. Amy Kohn, CEO, welcomed about 150 supporters in attendance. Approximately $125,000 was raised through donations, raffles, and silent auction items. The monies raised will go towards programs they determine most in need. Some include the CASA program that advocates for children in foster care, their peer recovery program, and support services for their clinics.

Dr. Amy Kohn, CEO, Board President Michael Lombardi, and Honorees Anne Kauffman Nolon, Edye Schwartz & Mary Nicolich
Dr. Amy Kohn, CEO, Board President Michael Lombardi, and Honorees Anne Kauffman Nolon, Edye Schwartz & Mary Nicolich

Mayor Thomas Roach attended the event and spoke about the mental health challenges facing our communities. He is one of the New York mayors that signed on to the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. Recognition and awards were presented to the honorees for their outstanding achievements. This year, MHA’s On the Move Award went to Anne Kauffman Nolon, MPH, President and CEO of HRHCare. MHA’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Edye Schwartz, DSW, LCSW-R, Director of Systems Transformation, New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, and the Spirit Award went to Mary Nicolich for her MHA volunteer service as a CASA.

MHA Volunteer, Mary Nicolich, recipeint of the MHA Spirit Award
MHA Volunteer, Mary Nicolich, recipeint of the MHA Spirit Award

MHA is dedicated to dismantling the stigma through educating the public on mental health issues. They remain steadfast in their belief that every individual deserves quality mental health care, housing, employment, and a safe environment to recover. Their focus is on respect and equality for those in need of mental health services. MHA’s approach is to view the person as whole, looking beyond their challenges, and help them discover their own unique talents and realize their own dreams.

To see the real difference MHA Westchester is making in the lives of people in our communities, watch their incredibly moving, awe-inspiring short film, Expectation: Recovery.