The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

New Castle Releases

Vaping, Juuling and E-Cigarettes – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Kids

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While our teens are well versed in vaping lingo, many are not well educated on the health risks those devices present. There is a further knowledge gap between what our kids know and what we parents do. Join us on January 18 at 7 pm in the Horace Greeley Auditorium for an informative presentation about vaping  featuring Robert Rhodes, HGHS Principal, Dr. Richard Stumacher, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Northern Westchester Hospital, Carolyn D’Agostino, HGHS Student Assistance Counselor and Robert Greenstein, Town of New Castle Supervisor.

This event is presented in collaboration between ew Castle United for Youth (NCUFY), the CCSD, the Chappaqua PTA and Northern Westchester Hospital Center. For more information about vaping, visit the “vaping, juuling and e-cigarettes” link in the Parent Toolkit.

Chief Charles Ferry is pleased to announce that the New Castle Police Department conducted alcohol compliance checks at 17 licensed establishments and that all businesses passed. These compliance checks were supported by New Castle United for Youth, a federally funded community coalition whose mission is to create a supportive and interconnected community for New Castle youth and their families by building relationships and addressing challenges that our youth face, including alcohol and other drug use, for the purpose of promoting a safe and healthy environment for our young people.

The department’s Alcohol Compliance Unit performed the checks during the month of November.  All establishments followed state laws and prohibited the sale of alcohol to a minor. The establishments visited include:

Hilltop Wines and Spirits

Chappaqua Wine and Spirits

Rite Aid

Walgreens

DeCicco & Sons

Dodds Liquor City

Rocky’s Deli

Millwood Market

Pizza 238

Chappaqua Station

Spoon Asian Fusion

Quaker Hill Tavern

Le Jardin Du Roi

Chappaqua Tavern

Aesops Fable

Old Stone Trattoria

Spaccarelli’s Italian Restaurant

Working in cooperation with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the New Castle Police accompanied underage buyers who attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages.  Each location refused to serve buyers when they failed to present identification verifying that they were of legal drinking age.

Chief Ferry stated that a town wide alcohol sales compliance check was overdue and thanked the New Castle United for Youth Coalition for funding the initiative and for the work they are doing to keep alcohol and drugs away from New Castle youth. 

New Castle United for Youth’s vision is a community where youth can thrive and lead happy, engaged, and healthy lives without the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.  According to David Johns, NCUFY Coalition Coordinator, “In order to make that vision a reality, the Coalition, which is a volunteer driven organization, takes a comprehensive approach to preventing underage drinking.  Our hope is to not only increase awareness regarding the dangers and consequences associated with underage drinking, but to also greatly reduce youth access to alcohol and to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.”

Chappaqua Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service and Dinner

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The Chappaqua Interfaith Council will hold its annual Thanksgiving Service this year at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, 220 South Bedford Road, Chappaqua at 3 p.m. A free community dinner will follow the service. Everyone is welcome. Prayers, readings, music and songs will be performed by members of all the participating faith communities and some guests.  This year the focus of the service will be the celebration of diversity and differences in our community.

The Rev. Canon Alan Dennis of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal will be the featured speaker.  Rev. Dennis, who was born in South Africa, came to Chappaqua last year after a long career in parishes as far flung as Capetown, where he experienced the problems of apartheid, and Toronto and as close as New York City and Pelham.

This is the twelfth year the Chappaqua Interfaith Council has offered a meal following the service. Over 300 guests are expected to attend. Once again the Kittle House is graciously providing the turkey, mashed potatoes and sides for the dinner.  Other village businesses will be contributing as well.  Community members will also contribute favorite side dishes and desserts.

This year the Council will gratefully accept tax-deductible monetary donations and non-perishable food items for the Northern Westchester Community Center, which provides food, clothing and service to the needy in the area.

The Chappaqua Interfaith Council includes representatives, both lay and clergy, from the following faith communities: Baha’is of New Castle; Chappaqua Friends Meeting; The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal; First Congregational Church; Lutheran Church of our Redeemer; St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church; Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester and the Upper Westchester Muslim Society

For further information, please contact Candie Downing at 914 419-7216 or candiedow9@gmail.com

Horace Greeley’s Athletic Teams on November 5: Making a Difference off the Field, too

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Millennials have been called many things, but they aren’t often acknowledged for their consistent and generous support for charities. In fact, 85% of millennial workers made a charitable donation last year, higher than any other demographic group. These young men and women aren’t just donating online, they are also getting personally engaged to support activities in their own communities. This passion to give back is exemplified in the upcoming 4th Annual Greeley All-Athlete Walkathon.

More than a dozen local Horace Greeley athletic teams are coming together to support Pediatric/Adolescent cancer research and programs that assist these children and their families. Now in its 4th year, this grassroots event was started in memory of Gardner Marks (Greeley Class of ’08). Gardner lost his life due to complications from cancer. This year, the walk also honors Horace Greeley student Casey Taub, who bravely fought brain cancer over the past two years but succumbed to it this past summer. Brain and spinal cord tumors are the most common cause of childhood deaths among any specific illnesses and no community is immune.

On November 5th, hundreds of student athletes will walk together on the competition field at Horace Greeley High School. The event will raise awareness and funds for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors affecting kids and young adults. The Greeley Sports Boosters is sponsoring the Walk and are helping to promote the cause.

If you are interested in fighting Pediatric/Adolescent cancer, please join us on November 5th, from 11am-1pm, at the Horace Greeley High School Competition Field. This year’s slogan, “One Team – One Dream” focuses on the power that individuals can have by working together as part of a universal team. You can also donate to specific athletic teams and the cause at www.makingheadway.org/greeley/.

Proceeds from this event will be split evenly to support two local Chappaqua-based non-profit organizations. The Gardner Marks Foundation is devoted to raising money toward helping families in need of financial support, logistics, and mental health. Now in its 21st year of operation, The Making Headway Foundation provides care and comfort for kids with brain and spinal cord tumors while funding medical research geared toward better treatments and a cure. 100% of donations will go directly to pediatric cancer research or services.

Chappaqua Performing Arts Center Presents Sō PERCUSSION October 14

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Chappaqua Performing Arts Center Presents
Modern Percussion Ensemble “Sō Percussion” October 14
Opening Reception for NWAG’s “Method & Melody Art Exhibit
CHAPPAQUA– Nothing stirs the senses like extraordinary art or the magic of a musical performance. On Saturday, October 14, the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, the newest artistic jewel in the tri-state region, will provide its guests with a vibrant night of audio and visual simulation.

The evening will feature a special concert by the internationally acclaimed quartet, Sō Percussion at 8 p.m. The groundbreaking ensemble will perform five special selections from their extensive repetroire —  “3rd Construction” by John Cage, “Springs” by Paul Lansky, “Taxidermy” from Caroline Shaw, Jason Treuting’s “Amid the Noise,”  and “Music for Wood and Strings,” a composition by Bryce Dessner of the acclaimed indie rock band The National.

Tickets for Sō Percussion are $30 – $60 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or in person on day of the show at the lobby box office.

Patrons are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a special a special art exhibition entitled “Method & Melody” displayed in the Center’s lobby. The installation features artwork created by the Northern Westchester Artists Guild.   The exhibit’s opening reception, co-sponsored by Sari Shaw of Platinum Realty in Chappaqua, will take place from 5 – 8 p.m. All of the work from “Method & Melody” is for sale and will be on display through November 17th.

Sō Percussion specializes in innovative multi-genre original productions, sensational interpretations of modern classics, and an “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam,” (The New Yorker). In the process, the company has redefined the scope and vital role of the modern percussion ensemble. Their repertoire includes works of 20th century classical composers such as John Cage and Steve Reich , as well as creative collaborations with artists who often work outside the classical concert field. In addition, the quartet composes and performs their own works, ranging from standard concert pieces to immersive multi-genre programs.

According to the group’s website, Sō Percussion’s goal is “to create a new model of egalitarian artistic collaboration that respects history, champions innovation and curiosity, and creates an essential social bond through service to our audiences and our communities.”

The quartet — which includes Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam, Sliwinski and Jason Treuting – has performed with such luminaries as the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Caroline Shaw, American soprano Dawn Upshaw and on stages ranging from the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall to such popular festival events as Bonnaroo, MassMoCA, and TED 2016. In addition, Sō Percussion has been named the Edward T. Cone Ensemble-in-Residence at Princeton University, Co-Directors of the percussion department at the Bard College-Conservatory of Music, and directors of the annual Sō Percussion Summer Institute, which provides college-age composers and percussionists an immersive exposure to collaboration and project development.

Visit Sō Percussion online:
sopercussion.com
Facebook.com/sopercussion/
Instagram.com/sopercussion/
Twitter.com/sopercussion

 

 
Located on the former campus of Reader’s Digest in a building once known as the Wallace Auditorium, the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center — or ChappPAC for short — was recently saved from demolition by the Town of New Castle and established to provide a rich blend of local and national arts presentations and cultural programming for people throughout Westchester County and the surrounding region.  The 425-seat venue celebrated its grand opening on September 23, 2017 with the first of 12 concerts, plays and performances scheduled for its inaugural Fall Season.

The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center is located at 480 Bedford Road, Chappaqua, NY 10514 just inside the gate on the former Reader’s Digest campus.

Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000

For additional information, visit www.ChappaquaPAC.org or call 914-458-5143

Follow on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ChappaquaPerformingArtsCenter/
 
 
 
 
 
 

Greenlight Award comes to Greeley!

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Greenlight Award Challenges Greeley Students to Make a Difference

Bedford 2020’s 2017-2018 Greenlight Award competition, Changemaker 2020, challenges local high school students to become activists and motivate at least 20 people to change their behavior 20 times to benefit the environment.

Horace Greeley High School students are invited to join the contest this year along with students from Fox Lane High, John Jay, Harvey School and Rippowam Cisqua students.  Student teams present proposals for meeting this challenge before a Round One “Shark Tank” panel of judges and the best proposals receive up to $1,000 to implement their projects.

Joseph Montuori, Horace Greeley High School Social Studies Teacher, Instructional Technology Coach, and advisor to the Greeley STOP Club (Students and Teachers for Our Planet) participated as a judge at the Greenlight Award Finals last year where the finalists who implemented their projects presented their results, and the winning team received $500 and the Greenlight Award.

“We are excited to involve Greeley students join this year’s challenge. Getting people to change their habits is critical in the struggle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and students have great ideas!” says Midge Iorio, Bedford 2020’s Executive Director.

In the third year of a three-year pilot, the Greenlight Award will focus on measurable action and a positive experience for students. “We are training future environmental leaders and want to make sure that they are set up for success,” says Olivia Farr, Greenlight Award Chair. “Student participants will receive information on behavior change strategies, support from community experts, opportunities for public speaking, and finalists will engage in collecting data, reporting results, teamwork, leadership, and a chance to make a real difference.”

The sign up deadline is approaching on October 16th. Interested students submit names of team member and a faculty advisor along with a general idea of the project they intend to propose in December.

How the contest works:

  • Students sign up online at Bedford2020.org/greenlight and check out the Greenlight Award Toolkit to get started on their proposal.
  • Bedford 2020 hosts an Incubator Workshop on November 1st where community experts advise all participating students on their proposed projects.
  • On December 9th, students present their proposal before a panel of judges and the highest scoring projects receive up to $1,000 funding and a “green light” to carry out their project.
  • Finalists work with community experts to implement their project and ultimately present their results at a community-wide event in early May 2018. The winning team receives a cash prize of $500 and the Greenlight Award.

For more information about the Greenlight Award visit bedford2020.org/greenlight

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Bedford 2020 is a non-profit organization leading a community-wide effort in the Town of Bedford, NY, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020 and to create a sustainable community that conserves natural resources. More information is available at www.Bedford2020.org.