The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

hillary

A Hometown Book Signing for “What Happened”

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Secretary Hillary Clinton with dancers from the Artistry Dance Project in Pleasantville. The troupe performed a tribute song for her at Scattered Books in Chappaqua that Clinton later tweeted about. Hopeton Lemon (far right), a local dj, was director/editor of the video. PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT
PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT

With a book tour for her runaway best seller, What Happened, well underway, Hillary Clinton arrived at the Chappaqua Library for a third hometown, and a sold out book signing event on September 23. Many young people also brought copies of Clinton’s It Takes a Village Picture Book which she signed too. Library staff and volunteers worked hard to make the day’s efforts possible coordinating with the owners of Scattered Books and the Village Bookstore and also with the Town of New Castle. One volunteer, Chappaqua’s John Buckley, a former town council member, said he had “just finished flapping books with well over 800 for her to sign.”

Hundreds waited hours on a warm day, forming lines weaving up and down book aisles, attesting to the intense popularity of Sec. Clinton here at home and beyond. Ronni Diamondstein, a new trustee of the library and long time Inside Press contributor, commented, “The Clintons are part of the fabric of our community and the library is happy to host local authors. It’s nice to see how happy people are to see her today even if it’s just for a few minutes.” –Grace 

Hillary Rodham Clinton with the staff of the Chappaqua Library
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHAPPAQUA LIBRARY
PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT
Former President Bill Clinton stopped by too. Here with Chappaqua Library Executive Director Pam Thornton PHOTO BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN

Real Life

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Publisher and Editor Grace BennettI often wait last minute to write this column, as I’m busy getting the rest of this issue “just so.” As I was getting started yesterday, the phone rang, and it  was my 93 year-old dad. “I feel burning in my chest.” A looming deadline be damned, I shot out to Queens. It turned out to be a false alarm within a half hour of my arrival. “I don’t know; I feel 100 percent now.” After some insisting on my part, Poppy has an appointment with his doc. The whole episode was a sure fire reminder to become more proactive about and insistent to him about his care. He has been so stubbornly (and successfully) independent (yes, a true blessing!), it can feel impossible to argue with him. My father has survived the unimaginable; maybe it’s time he allows others in to provide the care he so fully deserves.poppy and me 2 cropped father's day 2011

So finally–back to finalizing our “Happy Homes and Building Memories” editions… Jodi Baretz’s “Chaotic is the New Happy” column resonates a lot for me. Jodi sets the record straight on what happy is and what happy is not. If only we could bottle happy, sprinkle it on our lives as needed, and poof, we’d be happy. But real life is never so neat. I suspect you are all nodding in agreement.

Chaotic is descriptive too of the last month or so juggling the real life demands of producing local magazines while trying to do ‘my part,’ and ‘living history’ too as I keep up with Hillary Clinton’s extraordinary campaign. I recognize, dear readers, some among you do not support Hillary Clinton. Following years of covering her here and abroad, I chose to be outspoken in my support for her, agreeing that she is the best choice for a “change-maker”…per Bill Clinton’s words, via an editorial that I posted in this space earlier.

The Clintons campaigning this winter in Hampton, New Hampshire.
The Clintons campaigning this winter in Hampton, New Hampshire.

I’m grateful I found precious time to visit New Hampshire, twice, and to feel so inspired while she and her staff and volunteers made their case there and in Iowa. The first time I also had a Mom hat on… I was simply picking up Ari from an extraordinary Union College program that gave Ari and a group of his peers a chance to follow all the candidates. Ari clued me in on where the Clintons would appear following one rally, and off I went. Later on, I followed Bill and Chelsea Clinton to New Hampshire towns.

A moment with President Clinton in Tilton, NH
A moment with President Clinton in Tilton, NH

Of course, being cursed me, I feel what I’m doing is “never enough.” So I was thrilled too to receive “Hillary NOW” co-founder Ann Styles Brachstein’s report from an important fundraiser for Hillary here in the county! As I was going to press, several efforts around town have been underway to support Hillary, and my hat is off to everyone working so hard on her behalf.

Now, if you are ‘not into politics’ at all, please, please enjoy a packed May edition highlighting among other things: our treasure of a music maker, Michael Shapiro; a community outreach effort from Temple Beth El, a visit by Barbara Winton, a  ‘farm-to-table’ transformation, all our ‘spotlights,’ and as you know I’m fond of saying…so much more. Now, time and space are running short. Back to ‘real life.’ — Grace Bennett