The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Cover Stories

How “Habititis is Spreading” Since Habitat for Humanity Arrived in Chappaqua

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HHW CEO Jim Killoran holding hat N.M.U. 30 to 30–standing for No More Ugly, transforming 30 neighborhoods in celebration of Habitat’s 30th anniversary.

We all know Habitat for Humanity for the wonderful things they do around the globe to provide housing for those in need, but Habitat for Humanity of Westchester (HHW) has also been busy working closer to home–at 300 King Street in Chappaqua to be exact. The structure was originally the Orthodox (Quaker) Friends’ Meeting House built in 1885.

I visited the site and was received with a warm, enthusiastic welcome from HHW CEO Jim Killoran. His fervor and passion for what he does is infectious. “New York is the most exited state in the country,” says Killoran, a longtime New Rochelle resident. “We want to create ownership….In-town, affordable homeownership is a vital component in keeping our communities thriving,” he notes.

Killoran has been working with HHW for 30 years in various capacities. He’s a specialist in disaster relief and was involved in mobilizing approximately 9,000 volunteers to help with the vast cleanup after Hurricane Sandy, particularly in the Rockaways and Breezy Point where entire communities were basically submerged. He is also involved in projects providing housing for veterans.

“My assistant is a wounded warrior, my uncles were all in WWII…and my cousin was killed in Vietnam. So, it’s a cause very near and dear to my heart,” says Killoran.

In scale, 300 King Street is a small project.Upon completion, it will be a two-unit condominium, each approximately 1,800 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. Westchester County purchased 300 King Street via HUD from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer for approximately $300,000, and each unit will sell around $250,000 to $280,000.

Applications are submitted to the Housing Action Council. Applicants must qualify “with incomes at or below 80 percent of the Westchester County’s Area Median Income….” The qualified applicants are then put into a lottery.

Architect Bill Spade of Sasaki + Spade, who has donated his time and talent, notes that 300 King Street will be HHW’s most energy–efficient structure built to date.

Like most construction projects, 300 King Street has not been met without its challenges. They discovered the foundation was unstable and needed to be shored up.

In terms of the design, “Habitat’s acceptance of the Town Historic Designation committed to restore the exterior to its original appearance,” says Spade. “The style, Stick Victorian, is to match the original structure when it was reconstructed on this site in 1885,” he adds. The exterior design will match the original building, and the front porch will remain with all of the original materials. The exterior siding and trim around the remainder of the building will be new but will replicate the original look. The interior will be all new. There will also be green space created in the front of the building for a garden.

Habitat Crew on site at 300 King Street

The target date of completion is September 2017, but a lot depends on fundraising and volunteerism. HHW is kicking off a Buy-a-Brick campaign where donors’ names will be engraved in a brick and incorporated in the structure as well as walkways. Donors can also purchase energy-efficient windows with their names etched in the glass.

Although Westchester County purchased the building for $300,000, it’s HHW’s responsibility, as developer, to raise additional funds for supplies, materials, and volunteer staff to donate their time and professional skills for painting, landscaping, etc. “We ultimately would like to raise an additional $300,000 for the completion,” says Killoran.

Aside from monetary donations, fundraising can also come in the form of companies donating materials. “Franzoso Contracting has donated all the roofing materials, Silverstein Properties donated lumber, and Dow donated insulation,” Killoran notes.

Volunteerism is Habitat’s signature. “We are committed to every youth, from GED to PhD, we teach them to build, to make things, to use their hands….Horace Greeley kids volunteer through the Habitat Club,” says Killoran. “Also, football teams, 50 high schools, 14,000 college students…when kids volunteer, they realize they’ve changed the trajectory of families’ lives by getting involved. It’s an amazing thing!”

The project is not just for the young.

People of all ages offer their time and expertise, like longtime Chappaqua resident David Kellogg. “I kept driving by the site, and the sign would always catch my eye.

I had to check it out,” says Kellogg.

Now retired, Kellogg was the publisher for Foreign Affairs Magazine and an adjunct professor for the Columbia School of Journalism. However, woodworking happens to be his hobby. He now donates his time and woodworking skills, helping with gutting, framing, and, eventually, interior trim work. “I’ve met some incredible people volunteering on this project,” says Kellogg. “Retirees are our heart. They now volunteer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. From 8 to 84 and more, everyone is a youth with Habitat….Habititis is spreading!” says Killoran.

Chappaqua/Pleasantville resident and volunteer Sue Halper commented on how much she has learned about energy efficiency and has implemented many of the energy-saving techniques in her own home. “We’ve reduced our energy consumption by 20 percent,” says Halper.

HHW is also busy building another two-unit home at 437 Saw Mill River Road in Millwood. “We’ve had wonderful support from the surrounding communities….After all, homeownership really is the American Dream,” says Killoran.

To learn more, donate or volunteer, please visit www.habitatwc.org.

Janine Crowley Haynes is a Chappaqua resident and author of My Kind of Crazy: Living in a Bipolar World.

Meet the “FingerFire” (for Lacrosse) Inventor, 17-year-old Samantha Wolfe!

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Wolfe demonstrates use of the stick. Photo by Matt Smith.

Are you the parent of a girl lacrosse player, worried about your daughter in the frigid winter weather? Or are you a player yourself, who finds your hands freeze as you grip the stick…and it affects your playing altogether?! Well, all those worries can soon be put to rest, thanks to the brains and talent of local Chappaqua resident Samantha Wolfe.

At just 17 years old, this former lacrosse player–and proud Greeley senior–has designed an unprecedented heated lacrosse stick, trademarked FingerFire, which aims to prevent loss of dexterity and function in the hands when playing lacrosse out in the cold.

“You could wear gloves, but they don’t really work, because [the womens’ gloves] are so thin,” Wolfe explains. “When I played, my hands would always be freezing, and I’d always comment to my parents about how cold they were. So, I thought a heated lacrosse stick would be a great solution.” After repeatedly bringing the idea up to her parents–“I was very adamant and passionate about it, so I wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” she says, with a laugh–her father, Bruce, finally agreed to be her partner and make her dream a reality.

The stick itself is quite a marvel. As Wolfe explains, it looks and feels just like a normal lacrosse stick, save for the USB adapter and “on/off” switch at the butt of it, which is where one would recharge the stick after using it.

The heated stick takes only about ten minutes to fully heat up, and will then maintain a 70-degree temperature for the length of a game (approx. one and a half to two hours). Additionally, when a player puts their hands on the stick while playing, it further helps the stick to stay warm. Of note, Wolfe also mentions the stick has been specifically designed for female players, but hopes to eventually move into a design for men as well.

While there is no doubt this process has been fun and creative, Wolfe can’t dismiss how arduous it can get, at times, speaking of the lengthy process, which began in earnest roughly three years ago. “I was very naive. I thought this whole process would be done in a couple of months,” she confesses. “It’s been, like, years now. I honestly had no idea [of the scope of it all].” She speaks specifically to hiring an intellectual property attorney to check if a similar patent didn’t already exist, looking for product development companies to create their prototypes, and contacting the CEO of US Lacrosse, Steve Stenersen, to ensure that her invention did not violate any US Lacrosse guidelines. (She explains the FingerFire design does add a bit more weight toward the end of the stick– “though you can’t really feel it when you’re holding it,” she insists– but luckily, it wasn’t even close to surpassing the official weight limit as dictated by US Lacrosse).

Today, Wolfe currently has a patent pending for her stick and has reached out to local Division I Women’s Lacrosse teams, who have agreed to test the prototype during their winter season and offer feedback. Wolfe looks forward to hearing their various comments, making necessary changes, and hopefully, then closely partnering with a sports brand to have her design commercialized and sold in sports stores across the country.

And when it eventually does, there is no question it’ll be a game-changer. “I think this stick will absolutely change the game of lacrosse,” Wolfe comments. “If [players] can have circulation in their hands throughout the game, they will be able to catch and pick up ground balls [more easily], and they will be able to move better…. When it gets so cold, it affects your playing ability [and] you are not able to play to your full potential. This stick will allow everyone to play to their full potential, not to mention younger children will be much more eager to play, and parents will hear fewer complaints from their children about freezing hands!”

Surely, much to be excited about. But while Wolfe looks toward the future with certainty, her head chock-full of additional thoughts and ideas, she’s happy, for now, taking it one day a time. “It’s been a long process, but it has been totally worth it,” she concludes, with a smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Samantha Wolfe is a 17-year-old Greeley senior and Chappaqua resident. If you have any further questions about the FingerFire design or how it will change the face of lacrosse, she encourages you to contact her at FingerFirelax@gmail.com.

Matt Smith is a writer and contributor to The Inside Press. For further information or inquiry, please visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

Spring Cleaning Challenges? How Westchester Self-Storage Can Help

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There’s no doubt Spring is right around the corner… and for most Americans, that means hours upon hours of arduous Spring cleaning. Lucky for New Castle residents, Chappaqua Self-Storage (part of the Westchester Self-Storage Group) is here to lift the burden, and make the onerous task a little less stressful. With locations in Chappaqua, Armonk, Bedford and Mt. Kisco, this locally-owned, nationally-known business, now entering its 26th year, offers a one-of-a-kind self-storage experience you’ll never forget!

“If you have things in your house, apartment, condo, or office and you’re looking to store them (for Spring cleaning or otherwise), Westchester Self-Storage is the one that you should call!” asserts company President and CEO Peter Ferraro, Sr. “We have the highest integrity in customer service”–as proven by their Gold Key status, recognizing the highest standards in customer service and value–“and we’ve been in business a long time!”

Peter Ferraro, Sr. (Center) with Westchester County Executive Rob Asterino and Board Chairman of the New York Self-Storage Association Frank Crivello. Ferraro, Sr. also serves as CEO of the New York State Self-Storage Association, which represents over 400 self-storage members and facilities.

You can say that again. Now entering its 26th year, Westchester Self-Storage has aimed to provide top-notch service in all areas of decluttering and reorganization, leaving each client not only with a happy, more systemized home, but also with relaxing peace of mind about their storage situations. With over 7,500 customers ranging from homeowners, local business owners and everything in between, there’s no storage need they can’t handle!

“We offer temperature-controlled rooms, and non-temperature controlled rooms for long-term and short-term storage solutions,” explains Ferraro, Sr., on the facility’s unmatched features and benefits. “You can rent a storage room on a month-to-month basis, or [on a] more long-term [basis], depending upon your needs.” Unique to their facilities, too, is the fact that “you get an individual storage room [with] your own lock and key–you’re not co-mingling with someone else–and you can come and go as you please.

“We’re not like any other business,” adds CFO Peter Ferraro, Jr. “At Westchester Self-Storage, we actually take the time to suggest the right-size personal storage room to accommodate your needs and your family’s budget.” To help meet the wide variety of storage needs, room sizes start at 100 cubic feet up to 5,000 cubic feet. What’s more? Westchester Self-Storage offers free pick-up services.

“So, there’s no need to hire a moving company or rent a truck,” Ferraro, Jr. says, with a laugh. “We pride ourselves on our unique ‘Door to Store’ service.”

In short, Springtime is the time to “declutter.” And whether you’re cleaning out your closets for Spring, or downsizing your home…. whether you’ve got kids returning home from college or you just plain need more space in the house, Westchester Self-Storage is undoubtedly your storage solution.

Westchester Self-Storage Headquarters are located at 34 Norm Avenue in Bedford Hills, NY. For more information, please visit www.westchesterselfstorage.com.

Matt Smith is a writer and contributor to The Inside Press. For information or inquiry, please visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

Question of “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Surviving ‘Marriage Limbo’

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The author and her girls

Many of us are familiar with the old song by the Clash, “Should I stay or should I go?” Unlike the lyrics, which pose the question to a partner, I, like many women, asked the question of myself years ago when considering divorce. It is not an easy question to answer even when your gut is telling you to go. My feelings about the marriage were not in question, but many factors weighed on me. My top few were financial, my social life, and, most importantly, the effect divorce would have on my children.

Can I afford to live on one income?

Having just purchased a home, I had major concerns about whether I could manage the mortgage and all household bills on one income. A free consult with a lawyer quickly gave me hope when I learned what my ex’s monthly child support obligation would be. With a little belt-tightening and a strict budget I realized I would manage. I feel very fortunate that my salary plus child support enabled me to refinance the house in my name.

Ilene Amiel, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, advises that women fully understand their net worth, including equity on the home, debt, insurance policies, and their credit score. She urges them to establish their own credit if they don’t have accounts of their own. “Obtain the last three years income tax returns,” said Amiel. “Getting divorced may be a short or long-term plan depending on the circumstances, but do your research. Act slowly, think first, and file later.”

What about my social life?

Not only did I wonder how I would navigate socially as a single mother, I had trouble envisioning telling my friends, most of whom were married. How would I maintain friendships with the women I had come to know through my ex? How would I make new friends when work and my children took up most of my time? The answers did not appear overnight and it took active effort to develop my new social life. Being single does not preclude one from socializing with couple friendships, but it is critical to create a network of one’s own. Reconnecting with old friends was remarkably easy and they were supportive of my decision. Slowly, I developed new friendships which became some of the closest I have known.

Will getting divorced ruin my kids’ lives?

While it may sound melodramatic, it’s a question I pondered. Divorce is not easy on anyone, but kids have their own fears and concerns. I was referred to Mary Borowka, LCSW, who has a child psychotherapy practice in Chappaqua. Working with each of my children individually and in small groups with another child of the same age enabled them to express and learn how to process their feelings and recognize they are not alone in their experience. In a recent interview, Borowka reminded me that by the time parents are ready to share news of their divorce with their kids, they’ve already gone through the processing of that decision, but for the children it is just the beginning of a huge life transition. Along with feelings of sadness, kids often have concrete questions about logistical concerns, such as where they will live, when they will see the other parent, what will become of family vacations and what else in their lives will change.

As the divorce process ensues, she reminds parents not to lose sight of their child’s best interests. “How parents deal with one another has everything to do with how life after divorce will be experienced by a child,” she said. She encourages couples to avoid losing positive regard for one another, “Hostility between parents makes kids feel they have two separate parts of their lives that they need to figure out how to negotiate on their own.

“Kids want to like both parents and you should want them to as well. Healthy relationships with parents create a good foundation for healthy relationships throughout life.”

Kids can survive and resiliently move through a divorce when parents make the effort to conduct themselves in a manner in the best interests of the children.

I have never regretted my choice and my children are happy and productive young adults now. Having a supportive network of friends and family were key to logistical challenges and emotional support, all of which helped me to create a life of my own design that I treasure.

Miriam Longobardi is a freelance writer, fourth grade teacher and single mother of two daughters living in Westchester. A breast cancer survivor, she volunteers for the American Cancer Society, has completed four marathons and travels the world. Follow her on Twitter @writerMimiLong.

Plastic Surgeon & Chappaqua Native Dr. Elan Singer Heals Soldiers and Helps Beautify New Yorkers

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dr_s_headshotListening to Dr. Elan Singer reminisce about his childhood growing up in Chappaqua, it is easy to appreciate how idyllic this town is. There were soccer games, bike rides into town to visit his mother’s store ICD Contemporary Jewelry and practices with the Greeley ski team. But more than anything he credits his time volunteering during his teenage years with the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CVAC) as setting him on his chosen career path as a preeminent plastic surgeon with an office in Manhattan and a recently opened practice at Radiance MedSpa on North Bedford Road in Mount Kisco.

Dr. Singer, a 1990 Greeley graduate joined CVAC as part of the youth corps when he was 16 and became an EMT when he was 17. “I carried a beeper around high school and my experience at CVAC was integral in helping me choose medicine as a career.”

A medical officer in the Navy Reserves, Dr. Singer spends one weekend a month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which is the largest American military hospital in the world. It treats all branches of the US military. “My reserve unit is actually very special because we are the only unit that does surgeries at Walter Reed on the weekends there.” During the month, Dr. Singer communicates with the active duty surgeons at Walter Reed about cases and when he goes down there, Dr. Singer helps offload some of the backload of cases that the active duty plastic surgeons aren’t able to get to.  “It’s mostly elective surgeries now, so breast reduction or reconstruction but in years past, we had a lot of wounded warriors.”

All reservists are eligible to be mobilized to war-torn areas such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Most are mobilized for eight months. Some of his medical colleagues in the Reserves have been mobilized but Dr. Singer notes that other specialties such as orthopedics, anesthesia and neurosurgery are in higher demand overseas. “In plastic surgery, most of the work we do is highly specialized and needs a lot of infrastructure so that tends to take place here in the United States. We are dealing a lot with reconstruction so we see the same patients repeatedly for multiple surgeries.”

Dr. Singer likes the large complex surgeries that he performs on Reserve duty. But he’s equally skilled at performing elective cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction, skin rejuvenation services, facelifts and body contouring procedures on his patients in Manhattan and Westchester. He enjoys the diversity of surgeries that he gets to perform at Walter Reed and in his private practice.

Dr. Singer with his wife Dana and son Yonatan at Fleet Week
Dr. Singer with his wife Dana and son Yonatan at Fleet Week

As a Reservist, Dr. Singer is required to spend two weeks a year performing plastic surgery as part of his commitment. His last two weeks of service was on the USNS Mercy, a large naval ship that went on a humanitarian mission to Asia in July where he performed several surgeries on Vietnamese civilians. He’s also served as a physician on the ships that station in NY Harbor during Fleet Week as part of his two-week commitment on Reserve duty.

In addition to the humanitarian mission that he did with the Reserves, Dr. Singer has also gone on civilian humanitarian missions to Haiti after the earthquake to perform pro-bono plastic surgery. As a chief resident at Mount Sinai Medical Center, he flew to Southern Nigeria to work on burn reconstruction patients.  “Each one of these humanitarian medical missions “was unique and very eye-opening to me as a young surgeon.”

Dr. Elan Singer on a Humanitarian Medical Mission in Vietnam Pictured in the “N” Cap
Dr. Elan Singer on a Humanitarian Medical Mission in Vietnam Pictured in the “N” Cap

Dr. Singer’s family connection to the military is quite extensive. His father was in the Navy as a doctor in the submarine service in the late 1960s. His mother was in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as a spokeswoman for the IDF to the foreign press, providing them with details at media briefings during the Six Day War.  His grandfather was a physician in the army in France during WWII and landed six days after D-Day. “So I’m actually the third generation in the US Military as a physician in my family.”

Dr. Singer is looking forward to building his new practice in Mount Kisco. Although he currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and three young children, he enjoys coming up to his hometown to spend time with his parents and his children enjoy spending time outdoors in their grandparent’s backyard just as he did as a young boy.

Stacey Pfeffer lives with her husband and three young children in Chappaqua. She has written for New York Family Magazine, Westchester Parent, Westchester Family Magazine, Kveller.com and Inside Armonk.