Cover Stories

Why Men’s Softball In Our Hometown is a Homerun

May 31, 2019 by David Propper

When Andy Benjamin first started playing in New Castle’s adult softball league more than three decades ago, his son Matthew would watch from the sidelines and cheer him on. As he got older, he would sit on the bench to keep score. Once he graduated from high school, Matthew (better know as Matty B) finally got to play alongside his old man.

“Most of us have the same story,” Andy Benjamin said. “Our sons said ‘keep playing until I can play with you.’”

Andrew Bourne of the Marlins with Bill Clinton

It’s a cherished memory for Benjamin and one of the many reasons he’s played and managed in the recreational softball league since 1982. With the New Castle softball season in full swing, a remarkable 24 teams and close to 500 players are part of the program that is filtered into three leagues. It’s an impressive number of participants considering when Benjamin first started there was a little more than half that number of squads.

Benjamin, who played baseball in high school, described a league that has evolved and changed over the years. It’s a “user friendly” league, which makes it more enjoyable for those involved, Benjamin said. When he first started, anyone who worked at a business in town could play, even if they didn’t live in New Castle. That would result in an influx of “ringers” (superior players who would join the game under false pretenses.)

“In the beginning it was like the Wild West,” he said. “Everybody worked for somebody in the town. If there was a restaurant (that had a team) everybody was a part-time waiter there.”

Now, players need to live in the town or work for the town, Benjamin said, and that has resulted in more parity and fair competition in the league. He said two forms of proof are necessary to enter the league.

There are three divisions in the program depending on talent level and age. The A, B, or C league, with the A league the most competitive and the C league the least. Games typically last about an hour and 15 minutes.

New Castle recreation supervisor Doug Scott, who runs the softball program, said for the size of the town, the number of teams and players is above average. There are multiple teams that have been in the league for at least 20 years, he said and there are some players that are into their 60s that still play.

One advantage compared to other towns that New Castle can boast is it has lights at one of its softball fields, which can lead to more games per week. For those residents that commute to and from New York City on weekdays, it gives them the chance to still make their game that night. Instead of playing only one game a night, New Castle’s softball league can fit three games in, Scott noted.

Overall, it’s just a good group of guys engaged in friendly competition, Scott said.

“It’s been a community tradition,” Scott, who is in his second year running the softball games, said. “A camaraderie thing for a lot of guys. They get together, get outside, have a good time, go to the bar after. It’s just a good, fun way for them to spend time together.”

Aaron Podhurst, who ran the softball games for 17 years when he worked for New Castle, said considering only residents are allowed to play, to have close to 500 players is an impressive number. If there were more fields in town, Podhurst, who is now the Hastings-on-Hudson recreation department superintendent, thinks the program could’ve even expanded to more teams and players. There is generally a waitlist of players that want to join the league, Podhurst said.

Podhurst also mentioned having lights at one of the fields as a “tremendous advantage” that helps attract more players.

“It’s a great way for the adults to have some recreation,” he said. “They love to devote some time to something they actually enjoy. It’s just a great way to spend a night.”

While some towns and villages that have softball leagues include business and corporation teams and are simply looking for the most skilled players, New Castle prefers people within the community.

It’s led to special bonds between the men.

Benjamin said he doesn’t just consider his longtime teammates friends, but brothers. After almost every game on Tuesday nights, they all go to Quaker Hill Tavern to relive the ups and downs of the ballgame. They’ve gone to each other’s weddings, birthdays and their children’s bar mitzvahs. They even all went out to Arizona together once to play in a softball tournament hosted by Sports Illustrated.

Even players on different teams cultivate relationships with each other, Benjamin said.

“We do it for the fun, we do it for the competition, we do it for the camaraderie and when you play with guys for a long time, you develop a brotherhood,” Benjamin said. “There are 500 guys who just want to get out and go hit a ball and have some fun and share some good times.”

HOME TEAM NAMES

New Castle Men’s Softball 2019 Leagues Play Ball: April 22nd – July 28th

Visit for location info and regular updates!
https://newcastle.leaguelobster.com/schedule/leagues

A League

Rampage

Raiders

Dirty Ol Dawgs

The Dirty Mac

Thunder Road

Quaker Hill Tavern

Krabs

B League

Chiefs

Hooters

Raptors

Rebels

Thunder

Water Buffalos

Wings

Wolfpack

All About the Dress

C League

Eight Men Out

Marlins

Matrix

Scramblers

Stallions

The Challengers

The Sea Horses

Without a Prayer

Local Women Forge Unexpected Career Paths to Success

April 18, 2019 by Sabra Staudenmaier

(L- R): Elise Orlando, Susan Draper, Kelly Leonard, Kathy Benardo and Holly Blum
PHOTOS by Carolyn Simpson, DOUBLEVISION PHOTOGRAPHERS

A common question children are asked is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question infers that there should be a short and simple answer. Yet, realistically, the answer is often quite complex. Many factors impact career journeys: economic fluctuations, family needs and personal maturation are just a few. Whether stemming from a prior career or from working as a stay-at-home mom, experiences rich with growth opportunities accrue continuously throughout one’s lifetime making the answer to this question far from straightforward.

“Career paths aren’t linear. They shouldn’t be seen as a continuous assembly line leading directly from graduation to retirement.” says Mindy Berkower, a former Chappaqua resident and Chief Client Officer and General Counsel, iRelaunch LLC (irelaunch.com), a pioneering company in career reentry. “Women may not only off-ramp from and on-ramp back to their careers over a lifetime–they may also pivot toward a number of different careers, tapping their extensive transferable skills and building new skills and developing new interests along the way.”

Growth doesn’t stop at any point throughout life. It is not possible to predict where life’s twists and turns will lead; there are too many moving variables. Yet, as exemplified by the stories of five inspirational local women, unexpected detours can translate into unique and valuable opportunities.

Investing in Personal Objectives

Chappaqua resident Elise Orlando worked on a trading floor for an investment bank assisting companies through the public offering process for over ten years before she became pregnant

with her son, the oldest of her three children. A year later her daughter was born and eventually her family grew to include a second daughter.

After her son’s birth, Elise went back to work full-time. As time went by she found herself becoming more and more concerned with her son’s development. Shortly after she brought her middle child home from the hospital, Elise’s son was diagnosed with autism. This became the impetus for her career change. Giving up a career in finance was easy for Elise because she had a new and important purpose that took precedence over corporate finance: to care for her son and her newborn.

Elise quickly realized there were few educational opportunities in her community for children with autism. Through research, she learned of a cutting-edge teaching model pioneered at UCLA. She set up a home program, hired a team of therapists and taught her son using this program’s “Applied Behavior Analysis.” It was during this period she realized he could learn and this teaching method would be able to reach him. She connected with other local families who were in a similar position. Together, they established a nonprofit group to raise funds for autism education. These efforts ultimately lead to the opening of the Devereux Millwood Learning Center for 5-21 year olds with autism in Millwood in 1996. “There were many challenges getting there, but my goal to have a place for my son to learn was realized.” The Devereux Learning Center has since moved and is now located in Mount Kisco.

Elise feels that her career has followed a somewhat unique path in that she didn’t have a choice about many of the decisions she made. Her family was growing; she wanted to provide opportunities for her son and to be there for her daughters. For Elise, her family’s needs provided an abundance of motivation and a clear purpose. Today, she continues to advocate for her son who is now an adult. She serves on the Board of Directors at Extraordinary Ventures New York (www.EVNY.org) in Mount Kisco, NY, and FECA (Foundation for Empowering Citizens with Autism (www.fecainc.org) working to provide opportunities for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities within their communities.

Following Your Passion

Holly Blum was a Vice President at a healthcare public relations firm. She was successful and proud of the work she was doing; she was helping to promote medications and treatments that were saving lives. However, when Holly became a mother she found the demands of her job were not in alignment with her family’s priorities. She decided to pause her career to be with her kids.

While at home in Chappaqua, Holly opined on what she enjoyed about the work she had done in public relations. She knew she loved the parts of her job that related to writing and working with patients. She especially liked learning about people’s stories as she prepared them to interact with the media.

Since she was a young girl, Holly has had a gift for expressing emotion through writing; the countless notes and cards she wrote to her family were an important part of her childhood. As she grew older it became clear that this was a natural talent and passion.

Then, one day, Holly was at a wedding listening to “the worst wedding speech she had ever heard” when she had an epiphany. Holly’s speech writing company, A Speech to Remember (www.aspeechtoremember.com), was born. The company focuses on speeches for life’s special occasions. The ideas come from her clients and each speech is unique. Holly gathers information, and drafts the speech in collaboration with them; taking great care that authenticity is preserved. Besides loving her work, Holly appreciates that her job has the flexibility to allow her to be present for her family.

Holly advises people evaluating career paths to think about their interests and skills; then ask family and friends what strengths they perceive you to have, to help pinpoint what direction to go in. It can be hard to rise to the challenge of pursuing your passions but “sometimes it takes a leap of faith and you just have to believe in yourself.”

The Birth of a New Career

Kathy Benardo of Chappaqua has a master’s degree in art history and spent five years as a product developer for the retail division of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and then eight years at the Museum of Modern Art. In 2002 she married Sanford Benardo, an adoption lawyer who was just beginning to branch out into third party reproduction law.

After having their second child in 2005, they decided to create the Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (www.assistedfertility.com), a surrogacy and egg donation program that filled a need for these services in the Northeast (most of these programs were on the West Coast). It was a natural transition for Kathy, who felt that she had gotten all she could from museum product development, whereas third-party reproduction was a growing field.

The husband and wife team avoids the expected marital conflicts through a clear division of duties. Kathy’s husband handles the surrogacy side of the business and she directs the egg donor program. As much as Kathy enjoyed being a part of the art world, owning a business allows her the flexibility to work from home and be with her kids after school. She feels that her new career path is more stressful, but helping people build families is also more rewarding. In her second career, Kathy applies the same creativity and entrepreneurial spirit fostered in her museum work. “You are always you, no matter what job you do. You bring your strengths along with you and can apply them to whatever career path you choose to take.”

Nurturing Your Ambition

Kelly Leonard O’Keefe of Chappaqua had a long and successful career in book publishing. When a change in executive management occurred at her company, Kelly and several of her contemporaries were laid off. She used this opportunity to set up her own digital marketing consulting company that she still manages serving authors and local nonprofits.

In 2016, Kelly’s beloved father passed away. She witnessed hospice for a second time in the family and it resonated with her deeply. Being with her loved ones during their last days and hours of life was a spiritual and transformative experience. In the months following her father’s passing, Kelly realized she wanted to focus on end-of-life care

and hospice as a new career. With no healthcare background, she was starting from square one.

She applied to a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) program at Westchester Community College and was accepted. The 12-week course included over 90 hours of classroom instruction and 30 hours of hands-on clinical work in a nursing home. The direct care experience of helping non-family members convinced Kelly further that this was work she could do as a new profession.

Since completing the course and passing the New York State CNA Competency Exam, Kelly volunteers with Hospice Care in Westchester & Putnam (part of Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley) and was recently hired by Home Helpers Tri-County, in-home care serving Westchester, Putnam, and Fairfield counties.

Realizing Your Dreams

Susan Draper from Armonk was a buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue before she became the Director of Women’s Planning at Barney’s New York. While working, she enjoyed spending her spare time being active in her community through her role as Commissioner of Outreach on the vestry at her church.

She took some time off from work when her youngest child was born. For three years, she focused on her family and the volunteer work she found so rewarding. When she returned to the workforce, Susan decided to take a job as a part-time trainer and spinning instructor. She enjoyed exercising and staying in shape and this role allowed enough flexibility to be there for her kids. The yoga studio Susan attended was having financial troubles and was about to close. Though she was new to yoga, Susan thought the studio was “simply too pretty to close.” In a completely unexpected venture, she became the new owner of Quest Yoga Arts in Mount Kisco.

Susan embarked on a yoga teacher training program and used the buying skills from her days at Saks to create a fitness wear boutique in the reception area of the studio. Her vision was to offer yoga classes that were accessible to everyone, not just expert yogis.

Susan loved her time at Quest. She created a community filled with warmth and found the experience of teaching and helping others feel better to be very uplifting. Yoga has brought her so much joy over the years–from an opportunity to teach side by side with her daughter to occasionally teaching yoga to her son’s college swim team.

However, in planning for the future Susan reexamined her path and decided to return to her educational roots. During her time as an undergraduate at Kenyon College, she had excelled in math and science. Back then, she had considered going to medical school but wasn’t comfortable with the debt an advanced degree would require. However, the timing was now right and she decided she was ready to pursue her interest in healthcare.

Susan completed her nursing degree with honors and was subsequently hired at Greenwich Hospital. It was daunting to start her first day in a stressful career at age fifty-five, but the caring and nurturing role of being a nurse is Susan’s clear calling.

Finding Fulfillment Through Reinvention

Self-discovery can be a lengthy excavation process and can take a lifetime to explore. Circumstances inevitably change and careers often must be modified in tandem. Adaptability, resilience and self-confidence play an important role in navigating flexuous career paths. These women stepped out of their comfort zones to embark on new experiences, finding success and fulfillment through reinvention.

The question of what one wants to be when they grow up is difficult to answer because it infers that growth stops at a certain point in adulthood. But growth doesn’t end when adulthood begins; it is ongoing, continuing throughout a lifetime. Therefore, the answer to this question is ever evolving, making the journey of a career’s path as significant as the final destination.

Kids’ Kloset Fashion Show Gala: A Fun-Filled Evening of Glamour Filled with Generosity

April 18, 2019 by Stacey Pfeffer

Models Sam Berk, Olivia Berk, Marissa Senzon and Kayla Roth

There they were sashaying down the red carpet clad runway–a nattily dressed toddler strutting his stuff in a stylish sweater, a tween decked out in a tulle skirt with on trend sunglasses. A DJ played the latest hits as these mini models advanced on the catwalk while Lindsay Brooke Weiss from Coco in Cashmere, an Armonk stylist and fashion blogger gave quick bios of the models.

Only this fashion show held last month in Harrison at the Willow Ridge Country Club had a higher purpose than just showcasing the latest spring styles for kids. All of the 80+ child models representing towns from across the county were donating their clothing immediately after the show to Kids’ Kloset, a nonprofit that provides under-served Westchester County children with donated clothing and related items.

Since Kids’ Kloset was created in 2011, the volunteer run organization has provided more than 17,000 “Bags of Love” containing clothing, footwear, diapers and other baby essentials to local children. Formerly under the auspices of Westchester Jewish Community Services, Kids’ Kloset recently became a division of (914) Cares and opened up new headquarters in North White Plains this past fall. Michael Slomsky, a Vice Chairman of (914) Cares and Chappaqua resident whose daughter Megan was in the show, said the new North White Plains spot is an ideal location with ample space to showcase the clothing with low overhead.

Top Left (L-R): Jessica Reinmann Founder (914) Cares, Diane Katz (honoree) and Stephanie Roth Founder Kids’ Kloset. Top Right (L-R): Nathalie Joseph, Viola Regis and Tamar Joseph. Middle: Lindsay Brooke Weiss with her children, Colette and Steele Weiss. Bottom Left: Models Marley Gellert and Caitlin Samkoff. PHOTO BY LAUREN GELLERT Bottom Right: Models Emery Zipper, Emily Attar, Abigail Pfeffer. PhotoS BY Jamie Kaplan
except where noted

Although Kids’ Kloset has held fashion shows in previous years, this year’s event was the largest turn out to date, according to Jessica Reinmann, chairperson of (914) Cares and a resident of Chappaqua. “I really think the partnership between (914) Cares and Kids’ Kloset is what made this year’s event such a success,” said Reinmann. The event raised more than $100K as of press time and Reinmann hopes that next year’s event will have attendees from every zip code of Westchester.

The event honored Diane Katz, a longtime Kids’ Kloset supporter and White Plains resident. During the show, attendees also learned of the dire need for essentials that some 51,000 families in Westchester face with annual incomes of less than $24,000. An attendee from Armonk, Michele Zipper was happy to have her daughter, Emery participate as a model in the show. “It’s great that she can do something with fashion that helps others,” said Zipper.

Viola Regis, a Mount Vernon resident was an attendee and her daughters, Lily and Izzy, who also graced the runway have been the recipient of Kids’ Kloset’s “Bags of Love”. She donated $100 to the organization at the gala as a way to show her appreciation for Kids’ Kloset. For several summers, her daughters have attended sleep away camps on scholarships and Kids’ Kloset has outfitted them for the experience. One attendee remarked that many children who receive camp scholarships actually turn them down because the families can’t afford the many camp essentials. “My children always have a smile on their face when they go to Kids’ Kloset and I know they help not just my family but so many others,” said Regis.

Kids’ Kloset founder Stephanie Roth was also excited at the gala to announce the launch of a “Baby Bank” this spring which will provide not only essentials like supplies of diapers for six months but also other items such as pack and plays. This “Baby Bank” and the evening’s gala illustrates just how much progress the organization has made since Roth decided to start the organization after a young mom in her community who couldn’t afford a stroller showed up at Roth’s doorstep a decade ago.

For more information about Kids’ Kloset, visit 914cares.org.

Girl Scout Effort Thanks the First Responder Heroes Among Us

April 18, 2019 by Suzanne Chazin

Emma Terjesen tries on the fire dept gear.

They are the volunteers who respond in the dead of the night when a fire breaks out. Or a senior takes a fall. Or a car plunges into a ditch. They give up their sleep, their weekends and their comfort to keep the rest of us safe.

Most people don’t give the town’s volunteer firefighters and ambulance corps members a second thought until they need to dial 911. But a group of Girl Scouts from Chappaqua Troop 1029 is trying to change all that. In 2014, the troop created an annual event to honor the town’s volunteer first responders with baked goods, banners, drawings and expressions of gratitude.

Now in its sixth year, the event, called, “Thank a Volunteer First Responder Day,” is held every year on the day after Memorial Day. This year, that date falls on Tuesday, May 28th. That evening, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Chappaqua Fire Department, the Millwood Fire Department and the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps will open their doors to the community.

“It’s a great event,” says Greg Santone, Chiefs’ Aid of the Millwood Fire Department. “Our members look forward to it every year. It’s especially gratifying to see all the little kids bringing their drawings and climbing all over the rigs. And we love giving families a better idea of what we do.”

The idea for this annual event started in 2014 when Troop 1029’s members were in fifth grade and looking for a project they could do to earn their Bronze Award—the third-highest community service award in Girl Scouting. “Our troop is always looking for ways to give back to the town,” notes Elizabeth Kasulka, parent co-leader of the troop. “Chappaqua Girl Scouts already deliver cookies to every veteran in New Castle on Veteran’s Day. We thought it might be nice to extend the same appreciation to our town’s volunteer first responders.”

That first year, the members of Troop 1029 pasted flyers in all the shop windows announcing the event. They set up a booth at the Chappaqua School Foundation’s annual Harlem Wizard’s basketball game and had community members sign posters of appreciation. They made banners and collected drawings from younger troops. More than a dozen scout troops showed up at that first event, as well as many other families from the community. “The troops brought all these delicious baked goods,” says Kate Clough, lieutenant of the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps. “We have a high school volunteer unit and the snacks really went over well with the teenagers.”

Thanks to the success of the first “Thank a Volunteer First Responder Day,” the troop petitioned the New Castle town board to make the day an annual event. Town Supervisor, Robert Greenstein, designed a banner that is displayed every May at the triangle coming into Chappaqua. “It’s nice that the event is right after Memorial Day,” says Greenstein. “It’s a reminder that our volunteers are much more than people who march in a parade. They’re there when you really need them.”

Every year, the event has grown in size–just as the girls have grown. The current troop members–Erica Dunne, Charlotte Harrison, Stephanie Kasulka, Lauren Schmutz, Emma Terjesen and Eileen Trotta–are now in tenth grade and hope to pass on the tradition to a younger Chappaqua Girl Scout troop in two years when they graduate high school.

“It’s refreshing to be recognized by younger people in the community,” says Russell Maitland, First Assistant Chief of the Chappaqua Fire Department. “Their understanding of the services we provide is the first step for them to become our future first responders.”

Community members are invited to join Chappaqua Girl Scout troop 1029 on Tuesday evening, May 28th, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Chappaqua Fire Department, the Millwood Fire Department or the Chappaqua Ambulance Corps to show their appreciation for the volunteers.

Ability Beyond Receives Grant to Help People with Disabilities Enter Workforce

April 18, 2019 by Amy Kelley

One in four Americans has a disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while people with disabilities have a lot to offer the workforce, there can be obstacles to finding employment, for both eager employers and prospective employees.

Disability Solutions, a group within Ability Beyond, a non-profit with its New York headquarters in Chappaqua, seeks to help overcome these obstacles – and now, they’ve been awarded a $50,000 grant from the PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) foundation to help them do so.

Kristine Foss, managing director of Disability Solutions, said the money will fund efforts including a year-long series of webinars for “talent acquisition professionals and job seekers.”

“For 60 years we’ve been working with job seekers in New York and Connecticut and helping them find jobs,” Foss said of her parent organization. “We had employers reaching out to us, and from those conversations, Disability Solutions was formed to build a bridge between employers and job seekers.”

Job seekers with disabilities vary widely, Foss said. Some have developmental disabilities; others have physical disabilities due to aging or medical disabilities; still others are veterans with service disabilities.

Job seekers with disabilities may have questions as they try to find employment, Foss said. They may be unsure whether or not to disclose a disability to a potential employer; they may need guidance on “how to professionally follow up, make sure keywords are in their resumes, how to navigate the interview process” and even how to “dress for success,” Foss said.

“Some of it is great advice that anyone can benefit from,” Foss said. “But of course we target it to people with disabilities.” The first webinar for job seekers launched this past winter with several planned for the coming months. Just this past week, webinars to help employers prepare for a pay equity audit and to help jobseekers decide on disclosing if they have disability were launched. Six additional webinars are planned for May and June and additional information to register can be found at disabilitytalent.org/events-webinars.

Disability Solutions also offers information to talent acquisition professionals. Foss said that many companies really aim to benefit from hiring the many talented and hardworking people with disabilities, but may need help removing obstacles in their hiring processes. For example, an online application can have “unintentional barriers,” Foss said.

Ability Beyond clients receiving therapeutic services at the Chappaqua Crossing location. Photo courtesy of Ability Beyond

Foss’s group has helped large companies like Pepsico, American Express and Synchrony Financial hire thousands of people.

Shaileen Brighton-Ortiz, assistant director of programs and services in New York, works out of Ability Beyond in the recently opened Chappaqua Crossing location. About four years ago, Ability Beyond moved out of its former location on Kisco Avenue in Mount Kisco. “We’ve grown rapidly since then because we’ve been able to serve more people in the space we’re in now.”

“I oversee the day and work programs in New York,” she said. “Our New York office is located here in Chappaqua. We serve about 200 people in our work program and about 180 people in our day program.” Ability Beyond does fundraising, and receives funds from New York State and other government partners. “We do get grants but not enough of them,” she said.

It’s a continuum of services, Brighton-Ortiz explained. People with disabilities come into the program “mostly from transitional programs in the high schools.” They are then assessed and are either matched with an internship or a pre-vocational program, the aim of which is to hopefully prepare and transition each person to an internship if possible.

“Once they acquire skills that will help them be successful in competitive employment,” these individuals are then graduated, referred to a state agency and then work with an employment specialist (often called a job coach),” Brighton-Ortiz said.

The day program has a site-based component and another component that is really “without walls,” Brighton-Ortiz explained, but the location in Chappaqua operates as a “hub.” From there, people may go out to internships, physical, recreational, or cultural activities. “There’s a blend of programming,” she said. “We don’t really believe in an adult day program. People are able to graduate when they’ve accomplished their goals. We partner with Disability Solutions and other agencies. It’s like graduating from high school to college – they have options.” Currently, about 40 percent of the people in Ability Beyond’s program are in the site-based program and 60 percent in the “without walls” component.

“I’m really excited to spread the word about this innovated and talented group of job seekers nationally,” Foss said. “Companies are looking for talent.”

Cover Stories

Why Men’s Softball In Our Hometown is a Homerun