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Bill Clinton

Why Men’s Softball In Our Hometown is a Homerun

May 31, 2019 by David Propper

The Thunder Dads with their kids

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.’”

The Chiefs at Quaker Hill Tavern
Bill Clinton hanging with The Marlins
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

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: baseball, Bill Clinton, Chappaqua marlins, community, Dads, Homerun, leagues, men's softball, New Castle, sports, The Chiefs, The Thunder Dads

Represent Global: Nelson Mandela’s Hope to Inspire a Generation

December 2, 2018 by Julia Bialek

Nelson Mandela, Kweku Mandela, Chelsea Clinton, and Bill Clinton. Photo by Kweku Mandela

In a world with over seven billion people, it is easy to feel insignificant, like our personal footprints could not possibly be powerful enough to leave a lasting imprint. But Nelson Mandela is one of the notable individuals whose life has shattered this notion. By fighting against injustice and advocating for human rights, freedom, and equality, Nelson Mandela proved that one person does have the power to make a significant impact on our world. And with the fifth anniversary of his death on December 5th, it is important that we not only draw inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s life, but also draw inspiration from the legacy he left behind.

Over this past summer, I had the privilege of being a Youth Fellow for Represent Global, a new global foundation and social empowerment platform. Founded by Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Kweku Mandela, Represent aims to activate, educate, and inspire youth all over the world to become changemakers, leaders, and social activists through making humanitarian issues (like opioid addiction and human trafficking) relevant and accessible to my generation. The idea for Represent was conceived out of the desire to transform Nelson Mandela’s legacy into an inspiration, a catalyst for change. Kweku Mandela explains, “My Grandfather did not want his legacy to be represented by an airport, a school, or a simple physical manifestation. Instead, he wanted his actions to act as a model for the next generation to use as a means to make humanity more just and equitable for all. He believed that all it takes is one generation –one generation to end poverty, one generation to end discrimination, and one generation to push the spirit of mankind. Represent’s purpose is to make sure this is that generation.”

Based on my experience this summer, that goal seems more feasible than ever. Through helping to plan Represent’s launch event this summer, which celebrated Nelson Mandela’s centenary with events around the world that raised money and awareness for local causes, I was introduced to the social justice facet of the nonprofit world. Above all, I was astounded by the passion, drive, and talent possessed by all of the young people I was working with, each of whom saw something he or she wanted to change about the world and did something about it, rather than waiting for someone else to act. They are fighting today to make tomorrow better, and it is utterly inspiring.

That experience makes me feel hopeful that we truly do have the potential to be the “one” generation of which Kweku Mandela speaks. Just look around. My generation is overwhelmingly dedicated to social justice, committed to finding issues we care about, learning the facts, and making our voices heard. Whether it is by posting on social media, walking out of school, or marching through the streets of our nation’s capital, my generation shows up and takes a stand against injustice. We are committed to shaping the world into a better place, and I am immensely proud of that. Working with Represent this summer highlighted to me how powerful young people can be when they find a passion, create a vision, and fight to make it a reality. And now more than ever, with this experience to guide me,  I feel empowered to do just that.

Even though it has been five years since Nelson Mandela’s death, his influence on our planet has not waned. We remember him as an anti-apartheid activist who stood up against inequality; we remember him as South Africa’s first black president, committed to strengthening the definition of freedom; but most importantly, we remember Nelson Mandela for what he taught us about fighting for our beliefs, and we use his life as a source of inspiration. Each day, if we can overcome apathy and find something to fight for, if we can raise our voices and make ourselves heard, if we can summon the courage to be the change, we can use Nelson Mandela’s legacy as a source of strength. Because the most important thing I took away from my experience this summer with Represent Global is the understanding that we all have the power to make a difference. And if we can transform that understanding into action, we can all live by Nelson Mandela’s legacy, and perhaps even create our own.

Filed Under: Inside Thoughts Tagged With: Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Generation, inspiration, Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela Legacy, Represent Global

Bill Clinton Delivers at Chappaqua Library Signing for ‘The President is Missing’

July 16, 2018 by Inside Press

July 16, 2018, Chappaqua, NY — Is life mirroring art or is art mirroring life, Bill Clinton was asked–his attention diverted ever so briefly in the midst of signing hundreds of copies today of  ‘The President is Missing,’  a newly acclaimed and reportedly ‘page turner’ political thriller. (I have not read it yet.)

Bill Clinton signing ‘The President is Missing’ at the Chappaqua Library        Photo by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

It is a first novel for Clinton, one that he wrote together with master storyteller James Patterson.* 

Clinton didn’t miss a beat: “Well, a lot of people are saying that a lot of what is going on today is more realistic than my book,” in that fact may indeed be stranger than fiction.

While that may be hard to argue, the event was most decidedly not about the most current events. It was instead a chance for many to simply appreciate and support Chappaqua resident Bill Clinton, our nation’s 42nd president, and his latest writing, as he took time out to meet groups of neighbors and out of town fans who had patiently lined up–each excited for their turn to receive a handshake, to exchange a few words, and of course, receive a signed copy.
 
The Chappaqua Library produced the event in collaboration with Chappaqua’s Scattered Books Bookstore and the Town of New Castle. — Grace Bennett
 The Chappaqua Library’s Rebecca Rogan, Joan Kuhn and Larry D’Amico

*The information below was received earlier from the Chappaqua Library:

Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States in 1992. After two successful terms as president, he left the White House and established the Clinton Foundation, which improves lives across the United States and around the world by working together with partners to create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement and service. He is the author of several nonfiction works, including MY LIFE, which was a #1 international bestseller. This is his first novel.

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author, best known for his many enduring fictional characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, Maximum Ride, Middle School, I Funny, and Jacky Ha-Ha. Patterson’s writing career is characterized by a single mission: to prove to everyone, from children to adults, that there is no such thing as a person who “doesn’t like to read,” only people who haven’t found the right book. He’s given over a million books to schoolkids and over forty million dollars to support education, and endowed over five thousand college scholarships for teachers. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: Bill Clinton, Book Signing, Chappaqua library, First Novel, James Patterson, Political Thriller, Scattered Books, The President is Missing

Think Fit For Kids 2018 Raises Funds for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research

March 8, 2018 by Dana Y. Wu

Jumpy castles, hoop games, Zumba for kids, face painting–the annual Think Fit For Kids (TFFK) Family and Fitness event, generously hosted at Club Fit in Briarcliff, is a community fundraiser that has been going strong for eight years.

As we went to press with this issue, the 2018 TFFK team of volunteers, is ensuring that the event on Sunday, March 4, 2018 meets its goal of raising $250,000 to support state of the art pediatric brain cancer research. Getting ready for TFFK involves the support of corporate sponsors, with more than 75 local merchants all donating the food, DJ music, entertainment and photography.

Since 2011 when Chappaqua’s Kim Gilman and Amy Weinstein approached Club Fit’s owner, Ellen Koelsch to sponsor the TFFK event, $1.5 million has been raised for A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure Foundation, which currently funds two extremely promising projects at Massachusetts General Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Most excitingly, a Phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of combining immunotherapy agents in children with brain tumors has now expanded into a large-scale clinical trial at 58 centers in 13 countries. This study brings new hope to children across the globe who have run out of treatment options and may provide a completely new avenue for battling deadly brain tumors in children.

Cancerous brain tumors have now surpassed leukemia as the leading cause of cancer death in children. There are 28,000 children battling brain tumors in the U.S., including some in our community, and an additional 4,300 will be diagnosed this year.

Through Horace Greeley High School’s club, SHARE (Students Have A Responsibility Everywhere), enthusiastic student volunteers help before, during and after the TFFK event.  In addition to manning a booth at Community Day to publicize the event, SHARE hosts a Ben & Jerry’s fundraiser in Mt. Kisco. “It’s great to see many Greeley students come to get ice cream and help out this cause and raise community awareness around the dire need for funding pediatric brain cancer research. Plus, we always have fun scooping ice cream!” says Alice Heyeh, a SHARE Community Partners Executive, HGHS ’18.

It’s not too late to donate to the cause. Visit www.thinkfitforkids.org for additional information.

Filed Under: Lifestyles with our Sponsors Tagged With: Bill Clinton, club fit, fitness, kids, think fit for kids

Chappaqua Cares Third Empty Bowls Event to Fight Hunger & Food Insecurity

November 24, 2017 by Inside Press

Last year’s event raised $100,000 and Helped Feed 17,000 People in Northern Westchester

Celebrity Bowl Auction on Dec. 3 to Include Bowls Signed By Bill and Hillary Clinton & Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda

Chappaqua Cares, an organization dedicated to connecting local residents with philanthropic opportunities for volunteering, fundraising and donating, announces its 3rd annual Empty Bowls Westchester event to fight hunger in Westchester County. The fundraiser, which includes a celebrity bowl auction with bowls signed by President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda,  Bette Midler, the cast of Hello, Dolly,  Pinkalicious and New York Met’s players, will take place on Sunday, December 3rd at Crabtree’s Kittle House  from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

This year’s event will benefit five area nonprofits who help feed families in Northern Westchester county:   The Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, The Community Center of Northern Westchester, the Pleasantville Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry, Hillside Food Outreach and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester. Event tickets are $150 and can be purchased online at http://www.chappaquacares.org/empty-bowls. For more information about sponsorship opportunities and donations, contact Empty Bowls Westchester at chappaquacares@gmail.com or on Facebook at:  EmptyBowlsWestchester and Twitter @chappaquacares

more –

Filed Under: Happenings Tagged With: benefit, Bette Midler, Bill Clinton, Chappaqua Cares, Empty Bowls Fundraiser, Lin-Manuel Miranda

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