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Beauty Through A Lens: Close Up with Photographer Randi Childs and her 40/40 Project

April 24, 2023 by Debra Hand

Randi in Milan, Italy
Photo by Sarah Edmunds

“I want women to step into their power. They can do anything they want to do.”

In 2022, Chappaqua photographer Randi Childs sought to build upon the movement of women embracing the aging process, using her portrait skills to show women that no matter their age, they are beautiful. “Too many women over 40 feel invisible. I want to help change that and make a difference.”

Forty Over 40 (“40/40”) was born.

“I started this project because I wanted to give women an opportunity where they can see themselves through my lens and know that they’re beautiful,” Childs said. “Their age, weight, number of wrinkles, gray hair–none of that determines their self worth, value to society, or their beauty.”

Love of the Art

The mother of two grown daughters, Childs has always been enamored with photography and the ability to document life’s events and create memories. She sought out private lessons from fellow Chappaqua photographer Randy Matusow in 2012 and then “devoured” classes at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan. Never intending to become a professional, she was simply indulging her passion, renting studio space in the city to practice photographing models and playing with lighting and styling “just for me,” she said.

Childs began experimenting with NYC street photography, seeking out interesting buildings, light, billboards, and people, approaching strangers saying she loved their vibe or what they were wearing. One encounter in Times Square was fortuitous; her subject published Turning Point lifestyle magazine, and soon thereafter invited Childs to contribute and eventually photograph Motown legends for a 50th Anniversary celebration issue. Other projects followed, including a Times Square Spotify billboard for a singer/songwriter she works with, and she expanded her repertoire to portraits, personal branding, headshots, maternity and fashion photography. Her international award-winning work has been featured everywhere from People Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar (Vietnam and Arabia editions) to photography publications.

Front Steps Project to Support Town Merchants

Childs opened a studio in Katonah in 2020, just weeks before the pandemic brought everything to a halt. With time on her hands, she offered to take family photographs – safely outdoors on their front steps – asking only that donations be made to help keep New Castle businesses afloat. She eventually partnered with the Chamber of Commerce’s Go Fund Me page to disburse the approximately $10,000 raised by photographing over 100 local families.

Helping Women Recognize Their Beauty

But it is Childs’ passion to photograph 40 women over the age of 40, last year and again in 2023, that has been empowering for both the photographer and her subjects. “It’s cliche,” Childs said, “but beauty really does come from within. This project is all about helping women ‘find their light’ and learn to be comfortable in their own skin.” Her warm and friendly personality sets her subjects at ease while giving them a platform to tell their stories, celebrating the fact that beauty does not diminish with age.

A 40/40 photo session includes a pre-shoot consultation regarding colors, styling and mood, access to her studio’s expansive couture wardrobe, professional hair and makeup, a “celebrity style” photoshoot, and, of course, the photos themselves. Childs prides herself on making her subjects feel relaxed, fully listening to their stories and documenting their feelings about being a woman over 40.

Debra Baron, one of Childs’ first 40/40 subjects, called it an “incredible experience… I felt completely outside my comfort zone, but after five minutes Randi created a comfortable setting and we had so much fun.”

“Women have cried during the sessions or when looking at the finished photos,” Childs recalled, becoming emotional describing a 64-year old woman and her 86-year old mom who experienced the day together, and a former Orthodox woman who themed her photoshoot “taking control of my life.” Ellyn Altman, at 81, one of Childs’ oldest subjects, saw someone in the photos who she had not seen in years.

“I wondered if the woman in every one of the beautiful photos could really be me,” Altman shared. “I thought that appearance was long gone. Randi is an artist; the results of the photo shoot was a wonderful reminder of who I have been and who I am.”

Last year’s 40/40 Project culminated in a gallery exhibition of all 43 portraits at Westport MoCa, which Childs plans to repeat in 2023. She was in awe seeing her subjects react to their own and each other’s photographs on display.

“It’s been transformational for me, watching these women step into their self-love.”

Visit randiover40.com and randichilds.com for more information.

Tea, Anyone? The Tea Experience – An Online Catering Service Offers a Tea for Every Season

April 24, 2023 by Nolan Thornton

Leslie Allicks, owner, The Tea Experience

‘‘Nobody else is doing what we’re doing,” said Leslie Allicks, owner of The Tea Experience, a traditional English tea catering company and online tea retailer. “Everyone wants an experience. That’s why paint and sip became popular,” said Allicks. The Tea Experience is a popular choice in the area for everything from bridal showers to princess themed birthday parties to fundraising events. The Tea Experience events come complete with the traditional accoutrement such as scones served on three tiered trays.

“People will remember your event,” said Allicks. And they’re easy too. “We bring everything from the tea, to wait-staff, to food, to china,” said Allicks. She admits that the catering side of her business is mainly patronized by women (of all ages), but she’s had great success when male clients have come knocking.

Allicks recently put together an event for an all-male book club who were used to drinking bourbon and smoking cigars in meetings – certainly not having tea. When a member of the club approached Allicks and asked if she could put together a more macho event than she might be used to, she said, “Easy peasy.” She made gift baskets with miniature cigar cutters and miniature bottles of bourbon, pens in the shape of golf clubs for the golfers in the group, and Earl Grey tea – “The strong, manly man tea,” said Allicks. When the club got together for their tea, the members were absolutely blown away – much like a man getting a pedicure for the first time.

Though The Tea Experience’s catering wing is in full swing now, that was not the case three years ago, when like every business in the world, Allicks had to suspend operations indefinitely. “Covid has taught us how to be resilient in a very daunting and unexpected environment,” said Allicks. “Everyone had to do the most with the least.” Allicks always had TheTeaExperienceNY.com, but the bulk of the company’s income had been coming from events up until that point.

Then what caused the problem ended up being the solution. “My friend has Covid. Can you send them some chamomile tea from me?” “Can I have the same order delivered to me or my friend every month?” And thus her popular SimpliciTEA subscription service was born.

Community Conscious

Community plays a significant role in the Tea Experience. Allick’s first incarnation of the business was Lola’s Tea House, a brick and mortar shop that was named after her mother. Many of Allick’s clients are carry-overs from Lola’s. One of them works for The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, where The Tea Experience is scheduled to host a “Tea 101” event with the staff, as well some of the students involved in their after-school program. “It gives me the opportunity to connect with another organization, to offer some sort of support, and to highlight the benefits of drinking tea to that particular community,” said Allicks. Allicks and The Tea Experience will also be a part of the Feeding Westchester Gala.

The Tea Experience is also a force for community in your own home. The Tea Experience offers a starter kit with the four major types of tea: black, green, white, and oolong, all made from the same tea leaf. Simply try the different types of tea and figure out what you like. “It’s the perfect first step on your journey in the world of tea,” said Allicks.

For the more advanced, you can follow along with Allicks’ recommendations for seasonal tea drinking. She tends to go with, “Dark, deep warming teas in the colder months,” like Chai and Earl Grey. Then in the spring, “As the weather lightens up, my choice of tea lightens up.” She recommends green teas (jasmine tea, and genmaicha – a green tea blended with popped corn and toasted rice).

And for the truly hot months, Allicks has one sage piece of advice: “Anything goes because you can make anything iced.” She recommends anything with fruity elements to it, but the idea is to experiment. If you like a certain tea when it’s hot, try it on ice during the summer. But as a blanket statement: For every season… just try something new.

New Castle Fire District No. 1 Announces Bond Referendum to be Held April 25

March 20, 2023 by Inside Press

Bond Referendum would Authorize Borrowing Funds for Fire Station Addition

Project Designed to Ensure the Safety and Health of Volunteer Firefighters by Providing Space to Accommodate Modern Emergency Apparatus and Decontamination Facilities

CHAPPAQUA, NY (March 2023) – The New Castle Fire District No. 1 has announced that a bond referendum vote will be held April 25 to authorize the Fire District to borrow funds for construction of a 13,000-square-foot addition to the current fire station in Chappaqua.

The modernization and expansion would provide the Fire Department with the space to accommodate modern emergency apparatus and equipment as well as decontamination facilities. It will also ensure the safety and health of the volunteer firefighters of the Chappaqua Fire Department. The project is estimated to cost approximately $15.2 million with construction starting November 2023.

The current fire station, which was built in 1954 and expanded in 1979, is grossly inadequate to meet the legal requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). As a result, current conditions expose Chappaqua and its taxpaying residents to costly litigation in the event of a serious accident or death of a volunteer firefighter.

“The Fire District’s proposal is not what the Fire Commissioners WANT but rather what they are REQUIRED to provide under the law,” said Brian Murphy, Chairman of the Fire District’s Board of Commissioners. “The Fire District has been studying the fire station space needs for nearly 20 years. Since the project was first studied in 2003, construction costs have nearly tripled. The sooner this project begins, the better,” he added.

Based on the 2022 average assessed value of $178,508 for all taxable residential parcels in the Town of New Castle that are served by the New Castle Fire District, the estimated average annual tax increase would be $282. For the parcels in the Town of Mount Pleasant served by the New Castle Fire District, the estimated annual increase would be projected at $225. These estimates are subject to change based on interest rate and other market fluctuations.

Prior studies dating back to 2003 recommend additional bay space to accommodate future needs; drive through bays to accommodate 7 or 8 vehicles; adequate storage space; decontamination capability and bunking for up to 10 firefighters. The current fire station bays are too small for today’s larger and wider apparatus. The space between the modern fire-fighting apparatus in the current fire station is less than 3 feet. A firefighter in gear can barely pass through the bay, creating a dangerous and potentially deadly situation. Studies recommend 8 feet between each piece of apparatus.

Lack of adequate decontamination facilities is another issue to be addressed in the modernization project. When materials burn, they release a number of carcinogens including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Firefighters may also encounter other known carcinogens such as asbestos and diesel exhaust. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), “the fire department shall provide for the cleaning of protective clothing and station/work uniforms by a fire department facility that is equipped to handle contaminated clothing. Fire departments shall provide facilities for disinfecting, cleaning, and storage in accordance with NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infection Control Program.” The current fire station does not have NFPA compliant equipment for disinfecting, cleaning and storage.

The new addition is being designed by Mitchell Associates Architects which has more than 40 years designing buildings and 30 years designing fire stations. The firm has designed 193 public safety projects, 331 facilities and 77 fire station renovation projects. The firm has a full-time staff dedicated solely to fire station and emergency facilities design.

More about the District’s hopes for a fire department addition can also be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/809065743/f90f65b36e

The April 25^th vote will be held at the fire station at 491 King Street from 12 noon to 9 pm. For more information about the bond referendum vote and the proposed modernization project, please visit www.ncfd1.org

News courtesy of the New Castle Fire District

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