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New Castle News

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.”

Excitement Building for the Return of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on October 2!

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The 2021 Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF) Will Make Its Post Pandemic Return Saturday October 2, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Plans for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival–the largest annual children’s book festival in the tri-state region–are well underway! Some 45 renowned children’s book authors and illustrators are anticipated to attend, and festival goers can look forward to enjoying the always festive mix of book signings, readings, illustrator demos, and more. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to literacy programs in schools throughout Westchester and Metro New York.

The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF) will take place on Saturday, October 2, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., outside the  Chappaqua Train Station in Chappaqua, New York. This year, CCBF will limit the number of authors and illustrators in attendance for the sake of social distancing and safety for all.  It is the festival’s eighth annual event, http://www.ccbfestival.org/. Admission and parking are free and the event will be held rain or shine. 

Children’s Book Author Dan Gutman

In its eighth year, the festival, promoting community and literacy, will have authors covering multiple genres and reading levels, author readings, illustrator demos, book signings and books for sale. Food will be available this year from the Chappaqua Farmers Market or visitors may take a stroll through town for other delicious options. CCBF will support literacy programs in area schools. CCBF notes that many favorite authors will be joining his year, include Dan Gutman, author of 160 children’s books like “The Genius Files” series and his newest book and his first graphic novel, My Weird School, which just launched this past January. Also anticipated: Vedra Hiranandani, author of The Night Diary, a winner of the Newbery Honor, and Biscuits creators Alyssa Capucilli and Pat Schories, who are celebrating Biscuit’s 25th birthday! 

The 2021 Festival’s poster art, brilliantly done by Stephen Savage, an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator whose accolades include a New York Times Best Illustrated Book (Polar Bear Night) and a Geisel Honor (Supertruck). He recently published a new book, And, Then Came Hope, for the very young, sure to provide comfort and reassurance, based on the true story of the S.S. Hope hospital ship! He teaches at the School of Visual Arts and lives in Brooklyn, New York.  

This year as a safety precaution, all visitors will be required to register online, in advance of the festival. All guests will be required to be vaccinated, if they are eligible and over two years old, and will be required to wear masks.

The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is a grassroots, all-volunteer effort, with community members working together so that children and teens can be inspired by their favorite authors.  The Festival gives kids and families a chance to meet and interact with the creators of their favorite characters – to appreciate that there is a real person behind the art and the words on the page.

Since its inception in 2013, the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival has grown from 65 authors to 145, and from 4,000 visitors, to 7,000 at our last festival in 2019, from all over the tri-state region. The CCBF states that it  hopes to return to these large numbers in 2022.

For more information, visit http://www.ccbfestival.org/ or follow the CCBF at www.facebook.com/chappaquachildrensbookfestival.

The above news was received and edited by the Inside Press, an official media sponsor for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival.

Local Westchester Gymnasts Take Home NINE Gold Medals at State Championship

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World Cup Gymnastics boys’ team competed this past weekend at the New York State Championship held at World Class Gymnastics Academy on March 14, 2021.  Over 500 gymnasts competed at this exciting event. 

To support a safe competition during Covid-19, the championship was divided into three sites throughout the state.  At the completion of the competitions, scores were merged to determine individual rankings by level. World Cup Gymnastics proudly reported that their masked champions took home nine gold medals!

A definite standout at the event was Level 6 (Ages 10-11) gymnast, Dylan Davenport from Stamford, CT.  Dylan received three gold medals on Floor (11.1), Pommel Horse (11.2) and High Bar (10.4) and earned a silver medal on Parallel Bar (10.4) making him the All Around Champion with a score of 61.600.   His teammate Sawyer Robertson from Mt. Kisco took the silver medal on High Bar with a score of 10.1 and Gabriel Zybert of Pleasantville earned a silver medal on Floor (10.5).  Congratulations to Kavi Manchanda of Tarrytown and Victor Dyakin of Scarsdale who had events that scored in the top 6

The Level 8 (ages 13-14) boys took home three gold medals.  Stamford, CT native Michael Davenport earned a gold medal on Pommel Horse (12.8) and a silver medal on Floor (12.5) earning the 2nd spot All Around.  His teammate Noah Rock from Chappaqua took home two gold medals on Rings (12.1) and High Bar (12.1) and a Bronze medal on Vault (11.3). Scarsdale native, Alex Dyakin was close behind Noah earning the silver medal on High Bar (12.1) and the Bronze medal on Floor (12.4).  Congratulations to Carmel resident Andrew Sinnot who had two events in the top 5.

 Level 10 seniors had their last meet before they venture off to college.  JT Basulto from Hartsdale walked off with a gold medal on High Bar (12.7), a silver medal on Floor (14.1) and Pommel Horse (13.1) and a bronze medal All Around.  Ihor Tarasenko from Manhattan walked off with the gold medal on High Bar (13.9). 

“Our boys’ team missed most of last year’s competitions when many gyms, including ours, closed because of the pandemic,” said Jason Hebert, Director of World Cup Gymnastics.  “Fortunately, they continued to train by working out with their coaches on Zoom and conditioning on their own.  They were able to quickly pick up where they left off when they were allowed to return to the gym.  Their efforts paid off and they should be very proud of their accomplishments,” he added.

World Cup Gymnastics has been training State, Regional and National Champions for over 25 years.  It is deemed one of the most revered recreational and competitive gymnastics programs in the state offering mommy and me classes for infants, pre-school gymnastics, school-age recreational gymnastics, tumbling for cheerleaders and competitive teams.   For more information, please call 914-238-4967 or visit www.worldcupgymnastics.com.

News courtesy of World Cup Gymnastics

 

More than 6.5 Million COVID Vaccine Doses Administered Across New York State

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Governor Cuomo Announced 130,350 Doses Administered Across New York State in the Last 24 Hours     

More than 1 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days     

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State’s Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker           

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state’s vaccination program. 130,350 doses have been administered across New York’s vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days. The week 13 allocation of 795,155 first and second doses is expected to finish arriving today. New York providers have now administered 89.7 percent of total doses and 94.3 percent of first doses delivered in weeks 1 to 13. Delivery of the week 14 allocation begins mid-week.              

“Thanks to our robust distribution infrastructure across the state and the men and women who work tirelessly to get shots into people’s arms, we are quickly working through our weekly vaccine supply,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are still millions of shots away from critical mass, and as our weekly allocation from the federal government grows, we will ramp up our efforts to continue our outreach to underserved communities and the most vulnerable New Yorkers. I salute all New Yorkers for how far we have come in our fight against COVID, and in order to maintain and build on our remarkable progress, it is important that we continue to be vigilant as we proceed with getting more people vaccinated.”       

New York’s vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.                

The ‘Am I Eligible’ screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

  • Doctor’s letter, or
  • Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
  • Signed certification

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state’s vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government’s Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows.              

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

Total doses administered – 6,577,070 

Total doses administered over past 24 hours – 130,350

Total doses administered over past 7 days – 1,059,488

Percent of New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 22.1%

Percent of New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 11.3%  

 

  People with at least one vaccine dose People with complete vaccine series
Region Cumulative

Total

 Increase over past

24 hours

 Cumulative

Total

 Increase over past

24 hours
Capital Region 271,866 3,832 136,911 2,396
Central New York 245,670 3,807 131,729 2,076
Finger Lakes 279,554 5,087 144,813 2,675
Long Island 504,146 7,616 279,976 5,820
Mid-Hudson 421,148 7,766 214,194 3,820
Mohawk Valley 120,622 1,964 64,787 1,546
New York City 1,995,286 47,552 977,121 27,764
North Country 140,785 1,101 77,794 1,142
Southern Tier 148,057 2,445 77,169 1,417
Western New York 289,025 4,944 160,269 1,995
Statewide 4,416,159 86,114 2,264,763 50,651

 

 

 
              		 1st doses fully delivered to New York Providers  2nd doses fully delivered to New York Providers  TOTAL CUMULATIVE
Week 1

Doses arriving 12/14 – 12/20

 163,650 0 163,650 163,650
Week 2

Doses arriving 12/21 – 12/27

 452,125 0 452,125  615,775
Week 3

Doses arriving 12/28 – 01/03

 227,395 0 227,395 843,170
Week 4

Doses arriving 01/04 – 01/10

 239,025 165,150 404,175 1,247,345
Week 5

Doses arriving 01/11 – 01/17

 221,315 119,925  

341,240

  

1,588,585
Week 6

Doses arriving

01/18- 01/24

 250,400 462,395  

712,795

  

2,301,380
Week 7

Doses arriving

01/25 – 01/31

 260,150 239,525 499,675 2,801,055
Week 8

Doses arriving

02/01 – 02/07

 321,850 220,720 542,570 3,343,625
Week 9

Doses arriving

02/8 – 02/14

 320,000 244,500 564,500 3,908,125
Week 10

Doses arriving

2/15 –               
2/21

 356,990 265,525 622,515 4,530,640
Week 11

Doses arriving

2/22 – 2/28 

 393,530 305,780 699,310 5,229,950
Week 12

Doses arriving

03/01 – 03/07* 

 1,020,660 290,500 1,311,160 6,541,110
Week 13 Doses arriving 03/08 – 03/14 455,365 339,790 795,155 7,336,265

 

 

Region Total Doses Received Total Doses Administered % of Total Doses Administered/Received
Capital Region 449,300 405,422 90.2%
Central New York 417,835 363,971 87.1%
Finger Lakes 459,945 417,405 90.8%
Long Island 856,830 771,758 90.1%
Mid-Hudson 706,510 618,039 87.5%
Mohawk Valley 208,120 183,693 88.3%
New York City 3,258,485 2,935,856 90.1%
North Country 238,240 217,916 91.5%
Southern Tier 262,985 222,873 84.7%
Western New York 478,015 440,137 92.1%
Statewide 7,336,265 6,577,070 89.7%

 

New Yorkers seeking to determine eligibility and schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, can visit the ‘Am I Eligible’ website. New Yorkers may also call their local health department, pharmacy, doctor, or hospital for additional information and to schedule appointments where vaccines are available.          

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state’s vaccination effort.    

New Yorkers who suspect fraud in the vaccine distribution process can now call 833-VAX-SCAM (833-829-7226) toll-free or email the state Department of Health at STOPVAXFRAUD@health.ny.gov. Hotline staff will route complaints to the appropriate investigative agencies to ensure New Yorkers are not being taken advantage of as the State works to vaccinate the entire eligible population.        

 

The information in this post was via a news release from Governor Cuomo’s office.

County Offering Personalized Help with Health Insurance Enrollment

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Open Enrollment for NY State of Health

Official Health Plan Marketplace Starts November 1

(White Plains, NY) – Free enrollment assistance is available to help individuals and small businesses enroll or renew their health coverage with NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace. The Westchester County Department of Health Navigator Program offers telephone assistance in multiple languages at no charge.

The 2021 Open Enrollment period in a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) will begin Sunday, November 1 for all new applicants, and November 16 for all returning consumers.  The deadline to enroll in QHP coverage with a January 1, 2021 start date is December 15. The Open Enrollment Period will end on January 31, 2021.

During these challenging times, NY State of Health remains committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality health insurance for all New Yorkers, so they can get the care they need. New York has extended the COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period (SEP) so consumers can enroll in a Qualified Health Plan now through the end of 2020. Consumers who enroll through this SEP will have the option to continue their enrollment in the same plan in 2021 without a break in coverage. In addition, many New Yorkers will qualify for Medicaid, Child Health Plus or the Essential Plan, and can enroll in these programs year-round.

Weekday, evening and weekend hours are available. For more information on navigator services, locations or to schedule a telephone appointment, call (914) 995-6350 or email hnav@westchestergov.com.

To learn more about health coverage, go to www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777. The NY State of Health customer service hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. through 8 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. For more health information, go to www.westchestergov.com/health.

This news is courtesy of the Westchester County Executive Office.