President Bill Clinton Archives

(L-R): Town Justice Noah Sorkin, Town Councilwoman Ivy Pool, Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein and Town Councilwoman Lisa Katz
PHOTO BY HANNAH ROSENBERG

Members of the New Castle community gathered for a very special and monumental night for all, including myself. The event was the swearing in ceremony of Rob Greenstein (who I want to state up front is my dad but I will call him Rob for this article!) as Town Supervisor, Lisa Katz as Deputy Supervisor, Ivy Pool as Town Councilwoman and Noah Sorkin as Town Justice.

The venue was the beautiful Chappaqua Performing Arts Center which supported a tremendous crowd and turned out to be an ideal location to hold the swearing-in ceremony. President William Jefferson Clinton was the honored guest and many New Castle residents were excited for a chance to see him either both before and/or during the ceremony. Some of the other honored guests were Pat Keegan and Mike Alter on behalf of Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Peter Harckham on behalf of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Michael Jefferson on behalf of Senator Terrence Murphy’s office, Assemblyman David Buchwald and Westchester County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz.

Town Justice Doug Kraus opened the ceremony asking the packed crowd to rise for the presentation of the Color Guard. A group of local boy scouts then led the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Greeley student, Elena Cantor, singing a beautiful moving rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.”

The Oath of Office requires elected officials to perform to the best of their ability, noted President Bill Clinton, who also reminded us that they are human beings and often make mistakes.

Town Justice Doug Kraus thanked our neighbor and keynote speaker President Clinton for joining us. Judge Kraus also commended Adam Brodsky for his dedicated service and work for the town the last four years. In addition, Judge Kraus noted three responsibilities as residents of New Castle, stating that “we are all responsible for the success of our Government.” He mentioned that responsible citizens of a Democracy should have: …the duty to be informed, the duty to be involved and the duty to be reasonable.” He emphasized that “the last thing we should want to do is go after our elected officials when they work with the other side.”

On Taking Greater Personal Responsibility

All of the members of the crowd waited patiently for President Clinton to rise to the podium. Adam Brodsky had the honor of introducing him and noted that in each of President Clinton’s inaugural addresses, he emphasized the need to take greater personal responsibility for our neighbors and our community. He mentioned that the Clintons attend many New Castle events and are often spotted in local stores in the town of Chappaqua. Brodsky then proceeded to introduce the 42nd President of the United States.

President Bill Clinton on stage at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center addressing hundreds of attendees and the panel of town hall officials soon to be sworn in, and guest dignitaries.
PHOTO BY HANNAH ROSENBERG

It was then President Clinton’s turn! President Clinton jokingly pointed out that he has lived in Chappaqua longer than any person being sworn in and stated that Chappaqua has been the longest place he has ever lived. He mentioned that he enjoys swearing-in ceremonies since they happen early in the year, which means it is a new beginning for the community. He relayed that the Oath of Office requires elected officials to perform to the best of their ability but also reminded us that they are human beings and often make mistakes.

Clinton continued: “When trying to do your best every day we wake up and inside our heart is like a scale–on one side of the scale there are ways that make us darker–on the other side there are ways to make us lighter. The balance is slighter different every day. If given the privilege of public service, put another rock on the lighter side every day.” He added that he is grateful when people take the risk to run in local elections. These people have chosen as Teddy Roosevelt once famously said, “to get into the arena.” He said we should thank them for being willing to run, and thank their opponents for being willing to run as well. He then lastly said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

First to be sworn in was Town Justice Noah Sorkin. Judge Sorkin and his wife, Stephanie, have lived in New Castle for 27 years, sending their two children, Dana and Matthew through the local public schools. Judge Sorkin is beginning his sixth year as one of our local judges. Judge Sorkin said it was a “privilege and honor to serve as one of the Town Justices.” He thanked residents for their confidence and support noting that being a Judge “has been an amazing journey of public service.”

He thanked the Court personnel and staff, as well as the Town Prosecutors. He also acknowledged his mentors and role models County Judges Zuckerman and Kraus.

Newest member of the Town Board Ivy Pool together with Brownie Troop 1024. PHOTO BY LORI GOWEN MORTON

Newly elected Town councilwoman Ivy Pool came next. Ivy and her husband, Christian Edstrom, have lived in New Castle since 2010. They have two children, Mattias, 9, and Alexandra, 7, who attend Grafflin Elementary School. Ivy thanked everyone “for coming out to celebrate our Democracy, our community and our future.”

She thanked the New Castle Democratic Committee and Up2Us. In the aftermath of 2016 elections, Ivy felt called to run for public office. Ivy noted that “through consensus and collaboration that we can have a more effective Town Government.” By working together, “we will do great things for this town.”

Ivy promised to work hard every day. She acknowledged all of the young people in the audience, including the Girl Scouts from Group Troop 1024. She hopes that her election inspires those young people to run for public office.

Deputy supervisor Lisa Katz was then sworn in. Lisa has called Chappaqua home for the past 12 years with her husband, Steven, and their two children, Arden and Spencer. Lisa was elected and began to serve as New Castle Town Council Member in 2014. With this re-election, she begins her fifth year in office. Lisa vowed to continue to develop the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center into a regional arts and cultural destination. She thanked the New Castle Republican Party for “standing behind us and eschewing party politics.” Lisa stated “we are all in this together bound by our collective dreams to make New Castle a stronger, more vibrant and united community.”

And last to be sworn in was Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein. Rob noted that “this really is the largest inauguration crowd in New Castle history” and thanked President Clinton for his role in bringing residents out. Rob has lived in Chappaqua for 14 years with my mom, Cindy, and my brothers Daniel and Mason.

Rob became the Town Supervisor in 2014. This is his third term. Rob congratulated Ivy for joining the town’s “collaborative government and working to make the community a better place to live and raise a family.” He also congratulated Lisa for leading the efforts to create the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Rob reminded us that our greatest resource is our residents. He thanked town attorneys, Keane and Beane, the police department, town employees and department heads. He thanked Adam Brodsky “whose vision and leadership will indeed result in an incredibly improved Chappaqua hamlet.”

He thanked Town Administrator Jill Shapiro for helping him over the last four years. Rob also thanked the New Castle Republican leaders for supporting a Democrat–three times–without regard to his political affiliation. Rob noted that we are a small town “but that doesn’t stop us from having big ambitions. He added: “We will continue to speak out about fairness, respect and tolerance.”

It was a truly special night for the community (and for my family), and I will always remember it.

Additional photos by Hannah Rosenberg, a junior at Horace Greeley High School, are within a social media album on our Facebook page, Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk Magazines.

Lavdie Maqedonci-Krasniq with her husband Besian Krasniqi
PHOTO BY KELLY LEONARD

Fourteen-year-old Lavdie Maqedonci-Krasniqi and her parents were on the second plane of refugees departing Kosovo for a new life away from war and terror. “We got to JFK at four o’clock in the morning,” Maqedonci-Krasniqi, 32, said in a soft voice, remembering her first glimpse of the United States. “It’s hard to say because I never had to speak it. As a kid, there’s a part of it that you put away. This (talking about it) is a memory lane I haven’t walked.”

Her experiences remained alive within her until her involvement with the Chappaqua Rotary prompted a speaking engagement. “A group of people came to hear my story!” Club president Dave Shields said Maqedonci-Krasniqi “became active, bringing her kids to Community Day, and is now on the board.”

Born in Prishtina, capital of Kosovo, in 1985–Yugoslavia started to break down–Maqedonci-Krasniqi’s early teenage years were fraught with worry. The regime wanted to assimilate as a nation, “and wanted us to lose our identity, language and traditions. From 1990 to 1997, we were oppressed: the economy crashed, and bank accounts were frozen. Universities, schools and hospitals were closed or controlled by Serbian military.”

Those who needed medical assistance were forced to bribe doctors with money or seek help at a private family Albanian doctor. “When I was about 10 or 11, I injured my leg while playing and needed stitches,” she said. “It was getting late, and at that time we were not allowed to be outside our homes after 6 p.m. because of the imposed State of Emergency.”

Unable to take her to a hospital, Maqedonci-Krasniqi’s father brought her to a family/friend doctor, who stitched her leg without anesthesia at his home. “I remember my mom holding me tightly while I was biting on a pillow from the pain,” she said. Albanian families in Kosovo converted their homes to schools; teachers went from house to house with different subject studies. Her grandfather’s house became a daily classroom for 35 Albanian children from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On March 5, 1998, the small town of Prekaz was attacked, an attempt to eliminate Kosovo Liberation Army leader Adem Jashari and his brother Hamëz Jashari.

After that day Kosovo was never the same, the war had fully began, the Serbian military was all over our country,” Maqedonci-Krasniqi said. “By March 18, 1999, we knew NATO was starting to bomb,” she said,” and by April 1, 1999, they forced us out of our homes.”

Nearly one week later on March 24, President Bill Clinton announced U.S. armed forces were joining NATO allies in airstrikes against Serbians. “I owe my life, and my family owes our freedom, to President Clinton,” she said, eyes watering at horrific memories not known to teenagers. “It was about five o’clock in the morning when we reached there, and they asked us to walk in the middle of the train tracks–kids and adults and older people–because if you stepped out of the train tracks there were active mines,” she said.

After hours of walking came to a camp–“a strip of land next to Macedonia”–filled with people from her Kosovo. “You saw people dying, older people and kids with colds, Maqedonci-Krasniqi said, and while UNICEF and the RED CROSS arrived a few days later, “little kids and older people were not handling the cold well, some didn’t even make it.”

Those who were lucky and strong caught the pieces of bread thrown to the estimated 150,000 refugees struggling to survive more than two months at the camp; people not as fortunate waited until the next round.

Maqedonci-Krasniqi’s parents chose the United States because her mother had a sister living in Elmhurst (Queens). She began high school, took ESL classes, and got an afternoon job at Burger King (where) at age 15 to help her parents and send money to Kosovo to rebuild their home.

“It was hard,” she said quietly. “My dad didn’t want to leave our house. He told us, ‘We decided to live in U.S. even after the war ended. Let’s make sure we do not regret it, let’s make sure you finish college and work hard so when you look back, I hope you can say, Dad thank you for deciding to stay.’”

Sixteen years later, the college graduate and mother of two sons (five and seven) is humble and grateful and a successful mortgage officer living in Mt. Kisco. “It is very meaningful, and we are honored that Lavdie is the most recent member of the Chappaqua Rotary Club, and of Rotary International,” Program Director Sandy Bueti said. Maqedonci-Krasniqi presented Horace Greeley High School senior Ellie Loigman with the Student Community Service Award at the Rotary’s Annual Charter Night Celebration and Dinner on March 4.

“We bought our first home, and we still continue to work hard and try to create the best possible life for our children,” she said. “We learned to never lose hope and as long as we have the freedom to follow our dreams, everything else is possible.” Still, Maqedonci-Krasniqi admitted, “there’s a part you don’t think about, yet when May 26 comes, I know I got on a plane to come to this country.”

“I am a refugee, and I am an immigrant,” she emphasized. “The only thing given to me was the freedom to come to this country. My grandmother used to say, ‘Hard work and a good heart.’ Lavdie is also a Muslim, another reason she felt compelled to share her story. “Don’t look at people a certain way,” she advised. “You may think you know them, and you don’t.”