The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Guest Editor

A Community that Shines

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dawn and ben
Dawn with Ben, 9, on a family vacation in Ogunquit, Maine

By Dawn Greenberg

When my kids were toddlers, I felt pure relief as summer came to an end–finally a bit of respite from tantrums, diapers and long, long days. My boys would soon fall back into the welcoming arms of their preschool teachers.

These days when September looms, I feel quite sad at the speed with which our summers fly by and wish we could have just…one…more….week….please!

I feel not a little anxious about what the new school year brings: the familiar knot in my belly worrying about different classmates and new routines to conquer. Particularly with kids who struggle a bit, my anxieties are multiplied but also eased by the support of other friends and parents and by the knowledge that our teachers are warm and welcoming–and ready for anything!

Luckily, we all soon fall back into our roles and routines (with the occasional backward glance at beach days, leisurely dinners on the deck and fireworks). I’ve always felt that our town is at its best during September/October: a slight coolness in the breeze, the leaves just beginning to turn, then an acceleration of activities like Community Day, fall festivals and Halloween. This is why we chose this time of year for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. Down in the hollow of St. Mary the Virgin’s lawn, you can imagine you’re in a quintessential New England town with yellow tips just starting to appear on trees on nearly hills. The morning of the CCBF, I’m at Bell school by 5 a.m., so excited and anxious for our 85+ authors to soon populate our big tent. Even more exciting is 10 a.m., when the eager readers pour in…and keep coming!

Our “little engine that could” book festival, has grown from a modest dream (maybe we’ll draw 1,000 kids!) to becoming the biggest children’s book festival in the metropolitan area, in only three years. It would be impossible to pull off without the year-round work of our core group of volunteers, plus hundreds more who magically appear on book festival day. Our sponsors are pivotal to helping us be the best we can be for the thousands of visitors who arrive. It’s a day for our community to shine!

We also knew that Chappaqua was a welcoming place for readers; after all, we are all about our good schools and teaching our kids about the wide world outside of our borders. What could be better than encouraging a love of books to remind us of our place in the universe and to expose kids to every corner of the globe? I’ve always known that an early love of reading puts you in good stead for life and it’s something I’m eager to encourage in every kid I meet. In interviewing Dr. Lyn McKay for this issue, I was thrilled to hear her amplification on the vital role of reading in kids’ academic and emotional development.

It has also been so uplifting and exciting to be involved in founding Chappaqua Cares with my partner Jessica Reinmann. Whether gathering food for the many food pantries with exploding need in our area, helping out a resident who finds herself in a painful situation or even gathering dolls to contribute to a parenting class for immigrant parents at Neighbor’s Link, we find our days to be intensely rewarding with a new challenge around every corner.

Our biggest production, building on the wonderful original Empty Bowls program begun in Chappaqua by Penny Vane, will be an amazing celebration in November called Empty Bowls Westchester (see Jessica’s article in this issue). We have high aims to provide funding not only for the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry but for many other pantries in our area. In fact, my amazing artistic neighbor Mindy Kombert and her friends in the Northern Westchester Artists’ Guild have worked tirelessly to help local folks find their inner artist to create gorgeous bowls to be given away at the event. So far we have created close to 100 bowls, with approximately 50 more needed–each a work of art and passion.

Whatever your fall brings–and I hope your expectations are high–I wish you an easy back-to-school transition with time still set aside to play…and read! We hope you’ll find some time to volunteer, too, and get involved in our wonderful, vibrant, giving community.

I’m very proud to call Chappaqua home.

-Dawn

 

 

Feathers in Our Caps

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By Emily Haft Bloom

Emily-Bloom-FINAL-pix
Bill Bramswig Photo

When I met with Grace to discuss my gig as guest editor, I told her I wanted to focus the issue on all the amazing things New Castle women do, for their families, their employers, and our community. I realized that while many of us have traditional responsibilities of homemaking and raising kids, we also wear so many other hats. Some of us regularly perform the most selfless work, and receive no financial remuneration. We are information providers, health care workers, legal eagles, and educational supporters. We provide emotional and therapeutic services and a hundred other things. There is one common thread, though; we all seem to wear these hats with aplomb, confidence and a willingness to work as hard as we can to do the best job possible.

I thought about all the hats I have worn since I left college. Seven years were spent at an investment bank, as an IB analyst, then as a bond trader, then I found an amazing partner in my husband Don, had a kid, moved to the ‘burbs, had another kid, was Society Editor for the now-defunct Patent Trader, and served on a bunch of non-profit boards. Next, I had a parenting column in a widely read magazine, wrote three books, went back to school, and finally arrived at what I am absolutely sure is my final destination–independent college advisor. Oh, and when I hit the big 5-0, I joined the Chappaqua Fire Department to assure I always made time to serve my community. My friends and family declared me nuts (again!), but it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made.

One of the greatest aspects of living here in Chappy, for me, has been meeting and getting to know so many women who also wear and have worn many different hats. One good friend is Editor in Chief of a major magazine, another is a chef, another a partner in a big law firm, another a docent at a museum, and yet another is a relentless fundraiser and volunteer, deeply committed to many causes. Did we all think we would arrive at our current occupations when we were handed that sheepskin so many years ago? Probably not, but to me, that is the essence of feminism–choosing to do what each of us finds meaningful, rewarding and fulfilling, beyond our more traditional roles, or just embracing those traditional roles and being at peace with our decisions. Many of us raised or are raising kids, run houses, manage active social lives and still find time to volunteer our skills and talents to worthy organizations from the PTA to the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps. And, we can’t discount the value of the example we set for all the girls in our community–women can do anything if they are determined, and supported and encouraged by their families and friends.

In this issue, find stories by and about just a tiny fraction of the amazing women who live here. The cover story, written by the eminently capable Ronni Diamondstein, focuses on the women volunteers of the CVAC and CFD, and explores what drives these women to become first responders. A lawyer/not-for-profit consultant finds her poetic voice, a tireless volunteer reflects on Mother’s Days past, present and future, and another tells us about one of the most courageous women you will ever read about. Another essay shares a son’s experiences as part of a two-mom household, and others address aging parents, career reinvention, information resources for every woman and recognizing when we might need a hand keeping ourselves mentally fit as a fiddle.

My dear friend Maud Bailey, who keeps a local non-profit nearby running smoothly, is volunteering on the Master Plan update committee and raised two amazing young men, put it best: “All the women I have met who wear so many different hats bring a different perspective to every conversation. That is what makes New Castle a great place to live.” I couldn’t agree more!