The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Michael Johnson

What is your secret super power?

by INTERVIEWS BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN AND ILLUSTRATED BY NAAVA KATZ

Kristine Rothman

“Grace under fire is my secret super power. The ability to stay calm, centered, and grounded even when life gets chaotic. Whether it’s a packed multi-level class, a hectic morning with my boys, or one of those days when everything seems to happen at once, I find strength in taking a deep breath and moving through it with steadiness. I may be buzzing on the inside, but on the outside, I stay composed–cool as a cucumber–and ready to handle whatever comes my way.”

Kristine Rothman is a classical Pilates instructor at Breathe Pilates and Yoga, where she loves helping clients find strength, balance, and confidence through mindful movement. She lives in Chappaqua with her husband, two sons, and their two handsome Bernedoodles, Shea and Citi.

Lorenzo Thantu

“My secret super power is a combination of self-reflection, empathy, intuition, optimism, and resilience that has shaped my personal journey. Self-reflection gives me the courage to look inward and truly know myself. With empathy, I can open my heart to others, striving to understand their feelings and offer genuine care. Intuition guides me when the path ahead is uncertain and empowers me to make the right decision in almost all situations. Optimism reminds me to always seek light even when the world feels heavy. Resilience helps me recover from setbacks, teaching me that I am stronger than I once was.”

Lorenzo Thantu lives in Chappaqua with his family. He was a United States Environmental Protection Agency remedial project manager in the Superfund program for four decades.

Paige Stelzl

“Resilience is my secret super power. In both personal and professional, I have had to tackle big and small feats. Whether it be a long-term goal or a day-to-day series of events, I am able to lock in my focus with great resilience to get the job done. Nothing stands in my way when I have a task in mind. I am unstoppable!”

Paige Stelzl, is a 31-year-old Pleasantville native and the owner of Untied-Chappaqua, who is celebrating 10 years as a business owner.

Lori Kanner

“My secret super power is kindness/caring and being a connector. I always tell my kids to surround themselves with people who light up when they walk into a room. I try to model that. Kindness and connecting people bring me joy and it truly makes a difference for others. It builds community and gives everyone a sense of belonging–being seen and heard. When I connect with someone I am always thinking, how can I help personally or by connecting that person with someone else. Kindness costs nothing but wow it makes you feel incredible! By being kind and connecting others I try to leave places better than I found them.”

Lori Kanner is a member of the Byram Hills Board of Education. She lives in Armonk.

What is one of the most thoughtful gifts you have ever given or received?

by INTERVIEWS BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN AND ILLUSTRATED BY NAAVA KATZ

Shohreh Anand

“About four years ago, I helped my elderly parents clear their attic. Among the stuff in boxes, was a sixty-year-old, 8-track tape. I had it converted to a digital audio file. A rarity for its time, it was a home recording of voices of our family, my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins, having a celebration and joyous conversation. A nostalgic sense of happiness and sadness filled me, and I knew I had to pass along this serendipitous gift to the children and grandchildren of those voices on the tape, most of whom, long gone. From the reactions I got, they treasured this gift as much as I did.”

Shohreh Anand is a long time Chappaqua resident, and a former Chappaqua Library trustee.

Michael Johnson

“One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received was an Apple IIGS computer as a child. At the time my parents thought of it as an important investment in their children’s future. I can remember the huge box of manuals it came with that had instructions on how to write programs for it. I was hooked almost instantly. That gift sparked a lifelong passion for technology, giving me both joy in the moment and direction for the future. It wasn’t until much later that I understood how impactful that one machine was.”

Michael Johnson is one of the original engineers at Hinge and still writes code daily. He lives in Chappaqua with his wife and cats.

Erica Molina

“Last Chanukah, my daughters gave me a deeply meaningful gift–a ‘doctored’ version of the last family photo we took before my husband, Alex, passed away. It was from my niece’s bat mitzvah, just two months before Alex’s passing, and included my niece. My daughters had it professionally edited so that only we were in the picture, preserving a special moment we shared. I could feel their love in every detail of the gift.”

Erica Molina is the Membership Engagement Specialist at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua. She lives in Armonk with her two daughters: Arielle, a freshman at the University of South Carolina, and Amelia, a junior at Byram Hills.

Susanna Reich

“In 7th grade I chose French for my foreign language, and in high school added Latin. I didn’t stick with it long enough to read the classics but was delighted when my father gave me a copy of Winnie Ille Pu, the Latin edition of Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne, one of my favorite authors. Dad didn’t often give gifts, and this one felt very personal. It’s the only Latin book ever to make the New York Times bestseller list. I still have it.”

Susanna Reich, a children’s book author, grew up in Hastings and lives in Briarcliff with her husband Gary Golio, also a children’s book author. Gary studied classical Greek, so between the two of them they can usually solve a challenging crossword puzzle.