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41st Young Writers Contest Award Winners PLUS a First Linda J. Zhang Award for Writing Achievement to Erica Dunne

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Mr. and Mrs. Zhang with Erica Dunne, the first recipient of the annual Linda Zhang Foundation Award for Writing Achievement. Photo by Leslie Fass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           The Young Writers Contest is sponsored annually by Friends of the Chappaqua Library.

Chappaqua, NY— A 41st Young Writers Contest Awards ceremony was held on June 2 at the Chappaqua Library. The annual writers’ contest held for middle and high school students was created to recognize and encourage emerging young writers in New Castle. Friends of the Chappaqua Library, the fundraising committee for the library, sponsors this contest. Membership donations and the annual Book Sale support the awards. The awards are divided into categories of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. 

Following the ceremony, the Friends also presented its first inaugural “Linda J. Zhang Award for Writing Achievement” to Greeley senior Erica Dunne who has won multiple awards in the Young Writers Contest in all three categories. The Linda J. Zhang Foundation, https://lindazhang.org/home/, was established by Linda Zhang’s parents Mingbao Zhang and Li Tang after Linda passed away last year. This first time writing award is made possible by the foundation, in its inaugural year, in remembrance of Linda. The foundation was also established in commemoration of Linda’s passion for the environment. Her parents have raised $32,000.00 thus far in her honor.

Chappaqua Library director Andrew Farber thanked everyone involved in the event. The President of the Friends of the Chappaqua Library Katherine Whymark quoted from Star Wars giving the young writers hope to continue their writing endeavors.  “Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you can see it you’ll never make it through the night.”

The recipients of the Young Writers Contest Awards were as follows:

High School

Non Fiction:

  • Alexa Troob, 1st place
  • Tuan Anh Dang, 1st place
  • Reshmita Nayudu, 1st place
  • Fiona Nelson, Ashlee Rothenberg, Honorable Mentions

Fiction:

  • Hudson Warm, 1st placew
  • Sumer Moudgill, 2nd place
  • Rene Hollister and Summer Moudgill, 3rd place
  • Angelique Wheeler and Luke Montano, Honorable Mentions

Poetry:

  • Claire Nam, 1st place
  • Angelique Wheeler, 2nd place
  • Marko Arbolda 3rd place
  • Devisi Goel and Mia Vieira , Honorable Mentions

 

Middle School:

Non Fiction:

  • Deven Amrute, 1st place
  • Idan Yedid 2nd place
  • Naveen Talla 3rd place
  • Jenna Rosenberg, Meadow Zhang and Noah Rock received Honorable Mention

  Fiction:

  • Logan Kreisberg, 1st Place
  • Meadow Zhang, 2nd Place
  • Nikhil Singhal, 3rd Place
  • Warren Fu and Austin Brennan, Honorable Mention

Poetry:

  • Aadhya Vihil, 1st Place
  • Eliza Fink, 2nd Place
  • Sophia Levenson, 3rd Place
  • Megan Slomsky, Honorable Mention

 

 

 

 

A Warm Reception as White Plains Hospital Unveils its Long Awaited Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery

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The Center for Advanced Medicine and Surgery (CAMS) is the largest dedicated outpatient facility for White Plains Hospital and one of the largest in Westchester County.

A First PET MRI Technology Now Here in Westchester

Public Invited to Tour the White Plains Hospital Nine Floor, State of the Art Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery

Congressman Mondaire Jones Predicts “A Hub of Healing and Renovation for Many Years to Come”

Story and Photos By Grace Bennett

Susan Fox, President and CEO, White Plains Hospital

June 2, 2021, White Plains, NY–It was a grand celebration and ribbon cutting, a long awaited for occasion enhanced by a collective sense of relief at hugely declining COVID cases, as private and public tours took place (with everyone still wearing masks) inside White Plains Hospital’s greatly anticipated and newly opened state of the art facility–the Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery. CAMS is a nine floor building  located at 122 Maple Avenue on the corner of Longview Avenue. Its doors officially open to patients on June 7.

 Along with the tours, staff, contractors and visitors alike applauded heartfelt speeches, and later were invited to pick up a delicious and healthy lunch, each packaged to go keeping COVID restrictions in mind, from CAMS’ new market cafe. 

“To say this has been an unforgettable year is an understatement…. but the situation is definitely looking brighter. Our COVID numbers are down,” stated Susan Fox, White Plains Hospital President and CEO, a joy- and pride- filled statement of basic victory, in a presentation about the new facility which drew a packed audience. “About a year ago, 80% of the patients in the Hospital had COVID – today that number is about 1%.,” Fox stated to much applause. “As of this morning, only three patients in the hospital had COVID.. a proof point that vaccinations are working and one that is supportive of restrictions finally loosening…” 

“Today, more than 135 million Americans have been vaccinated. Over 70% of Westchester residents over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine. If you have not gotten vaccinated, I encourage you do so, and there are any number of people here today,” Fox noted, “who would bring you right over and give you a shot in the arm.”

Speakers spotlighted CAMS’ amenities and medical equipment, including Westchester’s first PET MRI imaging technology. They also relayed milestones of the hospital’s two-year long journey, from breaking ground and navigating COVID challenges to its triumph with an official June 7 opening. Tours of the 252,000 square foot facility–featuring its state-of-the-art operating rooms, endoscopy, ambulatory and procedure suites, wound care delivered through hyperbaric chambers, advanced imaging, non-invasive diagnostic testing and specialty physician offices–both preceded and followed the presentation with comments from key hospital staff and visiting dignitaries.

Laurence Smith, Chairman of the Board of Directors at White Plains Hospital

Laurence Smith, WPH’s Chairman of the Board, called the opening “an amazing milestone in the hospital’s 128-year history. It’s hard to believe we are finally here.” He recognized construction and design teams, physicians and staff members “who had enormous input,” community partners, including Mayor Tom Roach and the city of White Plains, the hospital’s partners at Montefiore Medical Center, and welcomed the dignitaries attending, offering a special congratulatory note to Congressman Mondaire Jones on his first term for the 17th district. Jones’ predecessor, long time Congresswoman Nita Lowey, was also in attendance and warmly received by hospital staff.

The facility, Smith said, “marks an expansion of both our physical footprint, and our commitment to providing only the very best health care in the Hudson Valley region,” said Smith. “Amazingly, CAMS is the 27th outpatient facility for White Plains Hospital; ten years ago we only had three. … The goal has always been the same… to continue to advance the care we provide without compromise to our community.”

He spoke of and to “the titans of the construction industry,” as many were in the audience, too.

“Building a building like this on time is an accomplishment in and of itself. Doing it during the pandemic that we’ve had in the last 15 months is nothing short of miraculous… The sound of construction became an echoing source of hope that someday this pandemic would be over and that we’d soon be welcoming our community into this beautiful new state of the art building,” said Smith.  He called CAMS’ completion “a breathtaking result of so many years of hard work by so many people.”

Dr. Philip Ozuah, President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine addressing attendees.

Dr. Philip Ozuah, President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, told those gathered: “One year ago we were fighting the darkest days of a once in a lifetime pandemic. “And this amazing staff worked through the days and through the nights to care for the gravely ill and for the gravely suffering.  These remarkable people set aside their own safety and displayed their courage and compassion to save thousands of lives.”

White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, a cancer survivor treated at White Plains Hospital, called the Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery and White Plains Hospital at large vital to the wellness of the city. He described mutual support between the hospital and the city to get through the COVID crisis.

Dr. Ozuah commended Susan Fox for her “unwavering drive for excellence and singular drive for the future,” and Larry Smith “for his 17 years of dedicated service… Leadership does matter,” said Dr. Ozuah, also noting that “great achievements require great friends,” and that Congressman Mondaire Jones was one such friend.  “You’ve been in Congress only five months, and you’ve already become one of our fiercest advocates,” he said to Rep. Jones. He also called Mayor Tom Roach “a friend to us and a hero to many.” At Montefiore, said Dr. Ozuah, “our North Stars are innovation, excellence, access and equity; this extraordinary center presents new ways to reaffirm those stars…”

Congressman Mondaire Jones with his predecessor, Congresswoman Nita Lowey 

Congressman Mondaire Jones began by graciously acknowledging “the presence of legendary Congresswoman Nita Lowey” and related “what a joy it is to be on the cusp of crushing the COVID-19 virus, and what a joy it is to have a national testing and vaccination strategy… and to be part of the majority in Congress committed to full funding of support. I said a few months ago that help was on its way; I hope you see that help is finally here.” He called the CAMS’ opening “an auspicious occasion”; I feel privileged to be in the presence of physicians and the hospital staff who have been doing God’s work toiling in sometimes unbearable circumstances.” He said CAMS would enable the hospital to provide more of “the world class care that folks have come to expect… today, tomorrow and into the future”… and that patients will be welcomed “by spacious comfortable facilities with plenty of room for their loved ones.”   

“Over a year ago, Westchester was hit hard and fast by COVID-19.  Doctors, nurses, and staff here were on the frontlines working tirelessly to care for our friends, our neighbors, and loved ones. We hope that we see a new day is now upon us.  As we emerge from the pandemic,” continued Rep. Jones, “I can’t think of a better way to mark a new beginning to mark the beginning of a new era at White Plains Hospital than  the opening of this new center, and that he expect it will remain “a hub of healing and innovation for many years to come.”

White Plains Hospital, Director of Surgery, Kaare Weber, M.D.

Dr. Kaare Weber, Director of Surgery, said he was proud to call the building “my newest home… It is the largest dedicated outpatient facility for White Plains Hospital, one of the largest in Westchester… one that houses top specialists in the region all under one roof,” he noted, “with the  added benefit of connecting our campus to the hospital and to the Center for Cancer Care.”

“As incredible as this building is from the outside, it’s really about what is happening on the inside. From the minute a patient enters the building, they will realize this facility takes the patient experience to the next level… on par with the level of medicine being provided by its physicians and its professionals and staff.” He described different floor’s highlights, beginning with the second floor for advanced imaging, noting that White Plains Hospital is now the only hospital in Westchester to now house a PET (positive emission tomography) MRI scan. “The very latest in diagnostics,” as, Dr. Weber explained,” it offers the most detailed window to help physicians determine the best possible care for treating cancer and other diseases. The 3rd floor houses six of eight state of the art operating rooms.”

The Center also features top physicians in such specialties including: Orthopedics; Urology; Pain Management; Ears, Nose and Throat; Thyroid; Colorectal; Vascular; Plastic; and Bariatric care; as well as a comprehensive new Heart and Vascular Program.

Later this year, Dr. Ozuah of Montefiore Medicine, said that the cardiac surgery team from Montefiore will begin performing cardiac surgery at White Plains Hospital. “This new facility will allow for local patient access to these surgeons, who will work side by side with area physicians supporting a comprehensive cardiac program and represents just one more example of our commitment to providing local access to world-class physicians and advanced services.”

Features of the new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery include:

Enhanced Patient Experience: The patient drop-off driveway is integrated into the building’s design, allowing for convenient drop off. Two pedestrian bridges will connect the outpatient facility to the main Hospital and the Longview Parking Garage for optimal convenience and seamless access.

Design and Construction: The project was designed in accordance with the principles of sustainable construction to support energy efficiency, water efficiency, light pollution reduction, and indoor air quality. The project’s architect is Perkins-Eastman; the facility was built by Turner Construction; the structure utilizes 2,800 tons of steel and 1,100 glass curtain wall panels.

Smart Building Features: The building will feature a robust IT infrastructure designed to facilitate current and future medical technology and telemedicine. An intelligent infrastructure will support automatic building management, energy efficiency through technology and real-time data collection.

The move-in for departments and programs in CAMS will be in a phased approach beginning on June 7.

Floor by Floor Layout:

Level 2: Advanced Imaging

Level 3: Surgical Suites

Level 4: Endoscopy & Procedure Suites

Level 5: Women’s Imaging

Level 6: Non-oncologic Infusion Suite, Pre-Procedure Testing, Urology

Level 7: Heart & Vascular Program – Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Vascular surgeons and Future Home of Cardiothoracic surgeons

Level 8: Orthopedic Surgery, Spine Surgery and Interventional Pain Management

Level 9: The Carl Weber Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine, Surgical Specialties including: bariatrics, colorectal, ENT, endocrine and plastics.

To learn more about White Plains Hospital, visit whiteplainshospital.org

 

  

White Plains Hospital CEO and President Susan Fox with Armonk Town Supervisor Michael Schiliro

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Gaudet’s Memorial Day 2021 Message: “Find Ways to Be Worthy of your American Heritage.”

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Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice at the Memorial Day 2021 Town of New Castle Ceremony

World War II Vet William Witkin, Turning 100 this Year, Receives Special Recognition

Plus… A Promise to Bring Back the Town’s Parade “in 100% Full Force” in 2022

Story and Photos By Grace Bennett

Chappaqua, NY, Memorial Field–Captain Peter Gaudet, keynote speaker at the Town of New Castle’s Memorial Day Ceremony, honored the nation’s fallen today stating that “as we pull out of the Covid crisis, each one of us needs to find ways to be worthy of our American heritage… and therefore worthy of the supreme sacrifice of those fellow Americans who gave their lives for our liberty.”

L-R: U.S. Army Captain James McCauley, U.S. Army Captain Peter Gaudet, Honorary Guest, World War II Air Force Veteran Ltd. William Witkin, CVAC Captain Bob Coulombe, and Witkin’s wife, Joan.
L-R: County Legislator Vedat Gashi and New Castle Town Board: Lori Gowen Morton, Supervisor Ivy Pool, Deputy Supervisor Jeremy Saland, Lisa Katz and Lauren Levin

In perhaps the service’s most poignant moment, Captain Gaudet also recognized the honorable World War II Air Force Ltd. William Witkin in attendance–he will be 100 years old this year. “He flew B-24s out if Italy in WWII to bomb Nazi oil refineries in Austria. When I see him here today and say his name, I get chills up and down my spine.”

In past years, Memorial Field would accommodate upwards of a thousand or more for a ceremony at the conclusion of Chappaqua’s world renowned parade down King Street and across Greeley Avenue with so many in the community participating, from the long procession of fire trucks to school marching bands, and parade goers waving to and many finding a chance to exchange a few words with and/or photograph dignitaries and esteemed neighbors including former President Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Governor Andrew Cuomo. In 2020, the ceremony was held virtually due to Covid.

Captain Gaudet noted that in 2022, the town’s Memorial Day Parade would be “back to 100% full force.”

Yet, today was no less grand in feeling anyhow as a modest, appreciative gathering of about 100 residents and visitors heard Gaudet recognize so many in the New Castle community who made the event possible, including the New Castle Police Department, the Chappaqua Volunteer Fire Department, the Millwood Fire Department, the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps., Chappaqua Girl Scouts 1& 2, and Chappaqua Girl Scout Troop 1024, “the Girl Scouts who had planted a bed of Memorial flowers to honor our fallen heroes,”  the Memorial Day committee–Captain Jim McCauley, David Egerton, Barbara Jenkel and Eric Rosenfeld–Town Clerk Jill Shapiro and Tiffany White, Sari Shaw, the sponsor of the flowers, Town Supervisor Ivy Pool, Deputy Supervisor Jeremy Saland, Town Board members Lisa Katz, Lori Gowen Morton, and Lauren Levin, and also County Legislator for New Castle, Vedat Gashi. 

“It’s a yeoman effort every year to make this so special,” Captain Gaudet said.

During the Invocation, Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs of the First Congregational Church asked everyone to pause for a moment of silence to remember the many, many people who have died during this pandemic. “We pray for all who continue to be affected, pause to give thanks to all the first responders and front-line workers who kept us going and for the vaccine that enables us to be here today.”

“To honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice…,” Dr. Rev. Jacobs continued, “may we be mindful that the sacrifices made by these brave men and women and their families continue to this day; they remind us that America is a great country, but we can never take that for granted.”

In other highlights of the ceremony, two Girl Scouts, Erica Dunne and Gramercy Burton, presented a wreath to honor fallen veterans. Dunne (with Girl Scout Troop 1029) read the oral history of fallen New Castle veteran Corporal William Vance Moss and Burton (with Girl Scout Troop 1079) read the history of Staff Sargeant Kyu H. Chay–both these readings were via biographies prepared by David Egerton. Gaudet also recognized members of the Chay family in attendance.

Recognized today too: the family of Staff Sargeant Kyu T. Chay. Sargeant Chay was killed in action in Afghanistan. The New Castle 120 Bridge into Chappaqua is named in his honor.

The Chappaqua Orchestra’s Kevin Moore, on bagpipes, played Amazing Grace.

Jordana Lichtenthal sang both the National Anthem and God Bless America.

As the sun emerged, Captain Gaudet called upon Captain Jim McCauley and Lt. Col. Michael Finkelstein to join him to read ‘The Honor Roll of New Castle War Dead,’ “those New Castle veterans fallen in defense of our country,” he said.

“In harm’s way around the world, Americans have performed amazing acts of selfless service. They are sources of inspiration and motivation, and we honor them by doing our best to serve our family, to serve our community and to serve our great country.”

Memorial Day 2021 Ceremony at Lasdon Park: Honoring and Remembering

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Success in Finding Housing for Hundreds of Homeless Vets in Westchester Noted too

Story and Photos By Grace Bennett

Katonah, NY– It was a small ceremony but one still rich in tradition every bit as beautiful as its bucolic setting of greenery and blooming flowers surrounding the Lasdon Park, Arboretum & Veterans Memorial. It was also the first Memorial Day 2021 in Westchester County to remember our fallen in an outdoor ceremony, a basic feature of American life that had not been possible last year due to the pandemic.

 “Today we reflect on ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things out of a sense of duty, honor and patriotism… their compelling experiences should be an inspiration and example to all Americans,” said Ronald Tocci, director of Veteran Services for Westchester. “Freedom is a gift, one with the courage and sacrifice of life and blood… while history judges the merits of each war, we must honor the spirit of those veterans who unselfishly served.”

The Color Guard’s ceremonial march to the Memorial podium preceded poignant words of respect and remembrance from public officials who had arrived from around the county. Tocci applauded Westchester County Executive George Latimer for the latitude he has received in his role, noting the county’s Patriot Housing Program as one example. “Within 24 hours of reporting a vet homeless, someone who goes out and finds that person, puts them in temporary shelter, and finds permanent housing,” he explained. “In the last four or five years, some 650 units have been found for persons deemed homeless. In Westchester, there are 55,000 vets still alive in Westchester and 353,000 with a military heritage.”

George Latimer thanked everyone for coming; he noted that yesterday’s service was the first of similar Memorial Day ceremonies taking place around the county; he emphasized that like Veterans Day, it offered an opportunity to be a day to put aside differences. He offered a special mention too for Jenna Scanlan, a Girl Scout from Yorktown Heights, who had received the Scouts’ Gold Star, its highest honor, for her and her troop’s work on preserving and creating signs for Memorials in the park’s Trail of Honor.

Latimer recalled being a young boy hearing from his father about the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 during World War II. If it weren’t for the sacrifices during that pivotal event, he pondered, “Would Adolph Hitler have ruled the world? It’s possible; it’s possible.” Yet, this monumental achievement “was just one small fraction of all of the sacrifices made by all the men and women on behalf of some greater goal.”

Memorial Day, he emphasized, was not just the beginning of summer.  “Spend an hour and go to a place of a remembrance, see names on a stone, on a plaque…” The fallen were people who lived and laughed just like us, he reminded, with their own hopes and dreams. “Their sacrifice can never be forgotten.”

The full ceremony and  the speakers’ remarks, which included a reading of John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields, was aired live on Facebook. The service will also be accessible at Westchestergov.com  

 

 

 

 

 

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

By Dr. John McCrae, 1915

 

 

New Castle Reflecting On Environmental Justice as Part of Earth Month

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By Tracy Stein

As part of an Earth Month celebration, New Castle residents came together in an advocacy-focused webinar event centered on climate justice. Spearheaded by the New Castle Sustainability Advisory Board, in collaboration with students from the Greeley Sustainability Club and the New Castle Council on Race and Equity, the program addressed ways to become more active in protecting the environment and promoting environmental justice.

 

 

 

 

 

Led by John Opperman (Executive Director of Earth Day Initiative), climate activists Taylor Morton (We Act for Environmental Justice), José Tulio Galvez Contreras (Solar One), and former Greeley graduate Amanda Cronin discussed the pressing intersection between climate change,  environmental contamination and environmental justice, and ways to confront these challenges.

In defining environmental justice, Contreras discussed the long-standing disproportionate impact that climate and pollution historically has had on marginalized communities, who are more likely to live and work in polluted areas and bear a greater burden of environmental health risks. As examples in NYC, Morton described how bus depots (with their high levels of air pollution and links to increased health risks) are housed near communities of color and how these communities historically do not have the same investment in green spaces. Contreras highlighted how the cost of sustainable solutions presents its own environmental justice issue: “those who can afford solar technology or home retrofits are usually not the communities impacted the most.” In their efforts to address these environmental justice impacts, Contreras and Morton argue for the need for community involvement at all levels to advocate for policy change and investment in these communities.

Cronin detailed her own journey to environmental activism, especially the importance of getting involved in community organizations. Her work with the Chappaqua Farmers Market taught her about food systems and agriculture, and ways to promote more sustainable systems. Excited about the opportunities, Cronin noted that there are many ways to get involved in local community organizations. Yet she also challenged young participants: “you can’t wait for someone else to act; you have to take matters into your own hands and use whatever resources you have to do the greatest good.”

All participants addressed the importance of teachers and partnership in education. From experience, Taylor described “teachers as the best community organizers.” To lead to change, curriculums must, but often do not, address climate and environmental justice. Non-profits and community groups often play an important partnership in promoting education policy with lawmakers, while partnering with schools to develop sustainable programming and step in where schools lack the resources. For example, Contreras’ organization Solar One partners to provide k-12 students and teachers a green design lab to enhance learning through environmental projects. Morton noted that NYC schools have a sustainability coordinator to now “champion from the inside.” The speakers also discussed that community organizing was crucial – whether in advocating for policy change or providing resources through community organizations to supplement where communities and schools are lacking.

As a final takeaway geared for some of the young participants, the panelists discussed that there are jobs for those who want to become part of the environmental justice movement through policy work, advocacy, community organizing, and local organizations. In addition, as described by Contreras, the green energy industry will necessarily offer many ways for all Americans to be part of the coming energy transition with the right training and support.

Press here to access a link to a recording of the event.

The program was part of the Sustainability Advisory Board’s (SAB’s) on-going educational efforts and sustainability initiatives. SAB, made up of dedicated Town-appointed members and many volunteers, works behind the scenes to advise the Town on best practices for leading local environmental and conservation efforts. Among its initiatives, SAB spearheaded a gas leaf blower reduction ordinance, enacted by the Town Board and in effect from June 1 through September 30. The ordinance will reduce noxious noise, pollutants, and carbon emissions. Help SAB spread the word on this gas blower ordinance, and see SAB’s website for guidance on best practices for healthy yard cleanup and other initiatives.

Tracy Stein, a graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law, now specializes in environmental policy and advocacy. She has consulted with national and NY nonprofits, including Environmental Law Institute, NY League of Conservation Voters, and Institute for Policy Integrity, on environmental and climate policy. She recently assumed the position of Senior Research Director of Government, Nonprofit, and Corporate Affairs for NYU’s recently established Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab. She sits on the Board of Earth Day Initiative, a NYC non-profit and serves the Town of New Castle Sustainability Advisory Board.