Bottom Row (L-R): President Bill Clinton administered the Oath of Office to: Town Justice Douglas Kraus, Chairman and Westchester County Legislator Vedat Gashi, and to New Castle Town Supervisor Victoria Bayard Tipp.
Inside Press Photos
Heartfelt messages of appreciation along with ones expressing respect for a diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints, plus lighthearted exchanges, were heard from the stage of the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center during the Town of New Castle 2024 Inauguration held January 11.
Those attending witnessed the swearing in of four New Castle public officials and the chair of the Westchester County Legislator, the Oath of Office administered by former State Senator Stephen Saland, neighbors Madame Secretary Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton. The final swearing in was that of Victoria Bayard Tipp as Town Supervisor. See also Zoya Nabeel’s report and reflections of this historic moment and poignant testaments to Tipp.
Following honored traditions, State Senator Peter Harckham stated: “It’s a new day” and a time to celebrate the peaceful transition of power… everything we do is best when we work in collaboration.” Assemblyman Chris Burdick noted the “tremendously proud moment.” Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins introduced Saland, who served the 41st district for 22 years, and who swore in his son Jeremy Saland for a second time, this time as Deputy Town Supervisor. “At times he can be a handful,” quipped father about son. “But I know the kind of person he is… he’ll give you 110 percent.” “This community is great because of its volunteers…” Jeremy Saland emphasized, noting contributions from long time town administrator Jill Shapiro, staff and volunteers on boards, and first responders.
Harckham introduced Hillary Clinton as “an amazing Secretary of State, a mother, grandmother, a fierce advocate for children and health care reform…” Hillary Clinton swore in town council member Alexandra L. Chemtob who emphasized that public officials “need to lead by example.” “The world gets scarier and more divided by the day,” said Chemtob. “I might not be able to change the world. but I can make my side of the street a little bit better.”
Hillary Clinton also swore in councilmember Jennifer Naparstek Klein. Klein noted that even “small bits of work and effort matter; it’s an imperative in our life to be committed.” She quoted Hillary Clinton’s “One must bloom where one stands,” with a tip of her hat to members of the New Castle Democratic Committee, New Castle Blooms, and Up2Us.
Councilwoman Holly McCall introduced former 17th district Congressman Mondaire Jones as “the first black openly gay person ever elected to Congress and as the youngest member of House leadership, he has kept our congressional district in his sights.” Jones introduced President Clinton as “…a father, a husband, a saxophonist, a patron of Crabtree’s Kittle House in Chappaqua – See? I did my homework! – founder and chairman of the Clinton Foundation, and as the 42nd President of the United States of America, and a damn good one.”
President Clinton, before inviting Town Justice Douglas Kraus to be sworn in for a 9th term, stated: “We are not expecting you will be perfect but that you will do the best you can with an open heart and an open hand and without the venom and hatred which causes so much of our politics today.”
Bill Clinton also swore in Chairman and Westchester County Legislator Vedat Gashi who shared that his work has included landmark legislation to protect the environment, protecting a woman’s access to health care, and passing a first in the nation gun safety law, “all while passing a fiscally responsible budget to help restore Westchester’s economy.” Gashi, the first Muslim elected legislator, quoted Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Hate can not drive out hate, only love can do that.” He promised to “celebrate the love in our community rather than focusing on the hate.”
Tipp, last to be sworn in by Bill Clinton, stated that in her years of public service, she has worked “to gain the trust of constituents without regard to affiliation.” And that even in this “deeply divided political climate”, she would “continue to view residents through the lens of friends, family, and neighbors… I promise you it will always be that way.”
In a benediction, Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs of the First Congregational Church announced her impending retirement, and offered, “May differences be celebrated and lifted up and move this town forward where all feel welcome and where are all views are welcomed and heard.”
