By Audrey Mann Cronin
With much fanfare, the Clintons moved into Chappaqua near the end of Bill Clinton’s second term as president in 1999. While we have grown somewhat accustomed to our illustrious residents–ready for a hearty handshake at Lange’s Deli or enthusiastic chitchat over lattes at Starbucks –there is still a quiet thrill knowing that the 42nd President of the United States, the Secretary of State and their NBC-correspondent daughter are our neighbors.
From the White House to Old House Lane, life for all three Clintons continues to be newsy and non-stop–full of meaningful contributions and history–making honors and events. Here is what they have been up to in March and April…
The Nobel Peace Prize jury has received 231 nominations for this year’s award. Among the nominees are Microsoft founder Bill Gates, ‘WikiLeaks whistleblower’ Bradley Manning and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Clinton, who has worked on human rights initiatives since leaving the White House, will deliver the keynote speech at the opening-night dinner for the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates being held in Chicago, the first North American city to host the international conference.
Little Rock Airport Renamed to Honor Bill and Hillary Clinton
Travelers flying into Little Rock will now be reminded of Arkansas’ most famous political couple after officials voted to rename the city’s airport after Bill and Hillary Clinton. “We are grateful for this honor and for all that the people of Arkansas have done for us. And we look forward to many happy landings at the airport in the years ahead,” he said in a statement.
Secretary Hillary Clinton Delivers Remarks at the 2012 Women of the World Summit: Conference Highlights the Continued Urgency of Female Solidarity
At the 2012 Women of the World Summit, Hillary Clinton took the opportunity to energize women to stand up for their rights and their voice. She extolled all women to “respect each other, empower all of our citizens and find common ground.” Clinton addressed extremists both abroad and here in the US who attempt to control and marginalize females. The gathering included women of all generations talking about issues that rarely make it into the headlines. Watch her speech: www.youtube.com/watch?v=24TQWybpU9g
Hillary Clinton Launches New Search For Amelia Earhart Plane Wreckage
The disappearance of pilot Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan has remained a puzzling mystery since 1937 when she attempted to fly around the world. Now a re-vamped investigation has the support of none-other than Hillary Clinton.
When Clinton spoke at a recent celebration of Amelia Earhart, she revealed something few people know –that she dreamed of becoming the first female astronaut, “…when I was about 13, I wrote to NASA and asked what I needed to do to try to be an astronaut. And of course, there weren’t any women astronauts, and NASA wrote me back and said there would not be any women astronauts. And I was just crestfallen. But then I realized I couldn’t see very well, and I wasn’t all that athletic, so probably I wouldn’t be the first woman astronaut anyway.”
Chelsea Clinton Participates in an Evening of Muslim-Jewish Understanding
Chelsea Clinton moderated a public dialogue on March 15th at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan featuring two outspoken advocates of building a Muslim-Jewish alliance, Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali. After speaking before an overflowing audience, Clinton told Haaretz, an Israeli news site, “I am honored to have been invited to take part in this event, and to support the work of the rabbi and the imam. I believe deeply in the importance of talking to each other and also in moving beyond conversation to working together.”
NBC Reportedly Will Renew Chelsea Clinton Deal
Chelsea Clinton is set to renew her contract with NBC News, according to multiple reports. The network will extend the 90-day contract for Clinton who provides “Making a Difference” reports on the weekly newsmagazine hosted by Brian Williams.
Freelance writer Audrey Mann Cronin is president of Mann Cronin PR, a marketing, communications and social media consultancy. However, she considers her highest office as the noble leader of the Cronin family. A Chappaqua resident, she has been the enthusiastic recipient of multiple Clinton family handshakes and fuzzy iPhone photos.