The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

pride

Sisterly Love for ‘Rent a Teenager’

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Let’s hope, given all that we have been through, we have a mild winter. But if we happen to have a storm this coming season, save your strength and let a teenager shovel your walk. I know just where you can find one…

Growing up, my twin brother, Mason, and I did many of the same activities. Whether running a race in the backyard, attempting the steepest ski trails, or memorizing multiplication tables, we were in a constant competition over who was faster, braver or smarter. In those rare instances when Mason would do better than me, I was definitely envious and admittedly, a bit of a sore loser. However, when he launched his entrepreneurial endeavor, Rent a Teenager, I easily felt pride over envy.

Here’s how Rent a Teenager came to be: When our older brother, Daniel, was in middle school, he would practice tennis by hitting with a local varsity tennis player. My mom paid the player $25 per hour back then. As Mason became more of a seasoned tennis player, he realized that he too could provide a similar service to younger kids at a fraction of the rate offered by professionals. As Mason started booking up, he realized that there was likely interest for lessons in other sports. He recruited some classmates and expanded his services to include soccer, lacrosse, basketball, you name it!

This led to RentATeenager.com, a website Mason founded as a resource that provides responsible and talented teenagers to perform various jobs. His range of services now extends way beyond just sports training. You can now hire a teenager as a tutor, babysitter, dog walker, errand runner, house worker, weed puller, couch mover, photographer, and more. As Mason likes to say, teens excel at just about everything. I guess with the exception of me since he never hires me for anything!

His website soon reached social media pages, like Instagram and Facebook, where he expanded both his slew of customers and his audience. From this, the business quickly gained momentum. Mason also started licensing his Rent a Teenager materials so teens in other towns can be their own boss and provide the same meaningful services in their community. And for a philanthropic effort, he donates 10% of his earnings to the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund.

Rent a Teenager is at the cornerstone of discussion in my house. Ugh. And I apathetically anticipate the inevitable talk about his business at the upcoming holiday gatherings (I will shut my Zoom off if we just talk Rent A Teenager!) My extended family is so proud of his entrepreneurial skills. Hello? What about me? Of course, my mom and dad always use the opportunity to say that they already use some teenagers to help around the house–as they look skeptically at me and Mason.

Back in October, Mason creatively approached the problem of a lack of poll workers by advertising for teenage poll workers on Facebook. He boosted his posts so that they would reach parents and teens throughout the U.S. In some states you just need to be 17 to be a poll worker and now because of Rent a Teenager, teens not old enough to vote were able to meaningfully participate in politics. Mason got a lot of press coverage for this initiative.

And to prepare for the cold and snowy winter ahead, Mason plans to offer snow removal services. I bet my Dad, who is hounded by my mom to snow blow the driveway starting at 5 a.m. the day after a storm, will appreciate that. I keep trying to push Mason to start a hot chocolate business; that would be an endeavor I would support.              

As much as I’d like to rent a new brother at times, and as much as this pains me to admit, Mason has created quite a successful business for himself and I know he will do quite well studying business in college. But not as well as me, of course!

Putting Down Roots: Why Our Family Loves Living in Briarcliff Manor

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L to R: Arnold, Mike, the author, Elissa and Nathan Feist
Photo courtesy of Carine Feist

Not everyone can say that they have been part of a community for three generations.

My family has though. My parents moved to Briarcliff and raised me and my brother and sister here. My siblings and I attended Briarcliff schools all the way through Briarcliff High School. My father Carmino Ravosa was a composer and songwriter. The elementary school delighted in producing his musicals and including his songs in their holiday concerts.

One of my father’s heroes was Walter William Law, the founder of our village, and as Law said, “Only the best is good enough for Briarcliff”, which my father later put to music. That song was incorporated into the village’s 2002 centennial celebration titled Briarcliff Manor: The First 100 Years–The Centennial Variety Show. My father was the show’s musical director and composer. It was a massive collaboration of the residents and was a wonderful production. Check it out on YouTube at tiny.cc/briarcliffcentennial.

Because of my connection to the people of Briarcliff, and because I wanted my children to be close to my parents, my husband Arnold Feist and I bought a house in Briarcliff and our children, Nathan, Elissa and Michael, attended Briarcliff public schools. The schools provided an excellent education and they each attended the college of their choice.

My family has found Briarcliff to be a caring community–helping each other during difficult times and sharing many wonderful memories. In return, we have done all we can to contribute to the village and give back to the community through volunteering for the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society, Boy Scout Troop 18 and the local Girl Scout troop.

Our involvement with the high school’s exemplary three-year science research program while our sons were in the program not only helped shape their college plans, but as a result, my career trajectory pivoted to science research.

I now work in the Medical Student Research Department at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. I am also a fundraiser and judge for the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF). The Briarcliff High School science research program faculty helped inspire me to participate in WESEF and I find the role so rewarding.

Giving Back to the Community: A Family Affair

Our children have always felt a sense of pride in being part of the community. My father was a board member at the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society (BMSHS). Carrying on this tradition has been a family affair–in addition to my husband and I taking leadership roles with BMSHS, our sons have been active too. During an internship, Michael wrote and published a book, titled Briarcliff Manor/Then and Now contrasting photos taken over the past century with photos taken in the present. In addition, he became a BMSHS trustee and his work on local history resulted in an award from the Westchester County Historical Society. Our son Nathan has also been an active BMSHS member including a stint as secretary of the board at monthly meetings.

Michael also wrote numerous articles, published on Wikipedia, regarding Briarcliff Manor, including the village’s history, Walter Law–the village founder, The Briarcliff Lodge, Scarborough, Beechwood Hall, Sleepy Hollow Country Club (which is actually in Briarcliff), Briarcliff Farms, the Briarcliff Fire Department, the library and the school district. (Check out the Wikipedia articles! Great reading and photography, although I may be slightly biased.)

I have magnificent memories of being a scout here myself and sharing special scouting events with our daughter Elissa. My mother, Claire, and I were both girl scout leaders. Both sons were scouts in Briarcliff Troop 18 and some of our best memories were my years as an assistant scout leader camping with the troop.

The Perks of Living Here

What I’ve shared with you so far is a slice of what our family personally has been thankful for in our village–the excellent educational system, the opportunities for our children in sports and the arts, and the many options for interesting courses available in the school district for students who want to be challenged. We are also blessed with a wonderful park/swimming pool complex, a beautiful library and community center which offers unique programs for town residents. We are especially thankful for the caring and competent police, fire, and ambulance crews who are there in a heartbeat whenever we need assistance. My family is so grateful to be living in this small, but very special village along the banks of the majestic Hudson and I feel fortunate that my parents put down roots here.

On Being Thanksgiving Ready

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Love Rules… and Beautiful Table Settings Build Memories too

Table by Laurie Stolowitz

Before the food ever makes its ways to the table, there’s something exquisite about being ‘Thanksgiving ready.’ Maybe one or more of your kids have helped you set the silverware or the glasses, always especially fun with the littlest ones, a glorious parenting rite of passage, too. The excitement builds and hearts overflow with gratitude knowing that the house is soon to be filled with loved ones, coming from near and far, and some of whom you may only see once a year or another who may be having a health issue or getting on in their years; in between all the food prep and clean up scrambling, you take a deep breath and think to yourself of how precious the time really is, and how fortunate you are to be celebrating Thanksgiving again in your beautiful home. Whatever stresses your life may carry, there can be a feeling of time standing still in appreciation and anticipation.

Table by Burke Irving

I’m also drawn to the pride many hosts and hostesses feel over the aesthetics of their carefully, lovingly set tables; many are proudly shared on Facebook and Instagram well before the guests arrive, which frankly was the spark for this feature. I visited the Chappaqua Moms page to ask moms about their tables, and the pictures immediately flowed.

Table by Dana Cohen Yahr

But do know… whether you’ve gone ‘all out’ as many of these moms have, or have kept it simple, we understand you. As a busy working mom raising two young kids, there were some years I pulled out the best china and took my time with my own finishing touches—usually a seasonal bouquet with autumn colors. Other years, I ran to the local party supply store the night before joining so many others scrambling to ‘pull off’ Thanksgiving; the basic themed paper felt like a godsend after the fact.

Table by Samantha Holcman

It’s ‘all good’ and the love that permeates the air is really always the story of the day. Nonetheless, a beautiful table dazzles, and we are delighted to share these and the pride these moms rightfully feel.

– Grace Bennett

Table by Melissa Benach Sussberg

NYC Pride: Proud, Loud and Record Crowds

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Article and Photos By Bobbi M. Bittker

If you have not attended NYC Pride, whatever you think it is, you’re wrong.

My day began on the Metro North with three queer teens and a newly minted 11 year-old festooned in flags, tutus, pride Converse and slogan t-shirts. We hit Fifth Avenue in time to procure a decent spot before the parade began.

Why Pride? The LGBTQ community experiences fears and oppression the hetero-normative community does not. We kiss our partners goodbye in public, think little about exposing our relationship and who we are at job interviews or when renting a home, walk into a business and expect to be served if we have greenbacks on hand and doubt our attire, or who holds our hand in public, will bring violence. But not so for those who need Pride.

Heterosexual, cisgender people are the majority. Never forced into a closet, never criminalized and never attacked for being straight or cisgender, we enjoy full rights and privileges with no effort. The LGBTQ community had to fight every step of the way for those same rights, still lacking many. How lovely to be able to ‘marry on Friday and get fired on Monday’ in more than half of the states due to sexual orientation or gender identity.

Pride is satisfaction with qualities attributed to you. But it is also a group of lions forming a social unit. LGBTQ Pride is typically the former, but this year, it was the latter. After Orlando, the community displayed their fierce persona. Ferocious, but protective. There was no silencing them. There is no stopping them. You will not impede their progress. You will not stop them from dancing.

Soon after 49 queer people of color were killed at Pulse, a traditionally safe space, Pride transformed. How? Naturally, increased security. Fewer attendees due to fear? More people as backlash to hate? Parents of LGBT teens were unsure whether their kids should attend their first Pride this year. A friend asked if I was concerned about safety at Pride, and would we still go?

9/11 happened. We returned to the city. As a Jew, still targeted worldwide, we return to synagogue as fish in a barrel. Hours before the Orlando shooting, I left the Philly Trans Health Conference, where security was already tight because transgender people are at risk. I answered, if we don’t show up, who will? Why should anyone? We must.

Parading by, signs urging us to ‘keep dancing 4 orlando,’ ‘control guns, not love,’ ‘I see the world through rainbow colored glasses. check out my view!’ contrasted with 49 marchers dressed in shrouds, each marked with the name and photo of an Orlando massacre victim. There were moments of unbridled joy coupled with sober reality. A reflection of LGBTQ truth.

Shrouded participants bring uncharacteristic silence to spectators as they pass, each adorned in the name and photo of an Orlando Pulse nightclub victim. It was a poignant, somber moment on a day of celebration.
Shrouded participants bring uncharacteristic silence to spectators as they pass, each adorned in the name and photo of an Orlando Pulse nightclub victim. It was a poignant, somber moment on a day of celebration.

Participants ran the gamut from New York’s Finest and Bravest to Jewish, Quaker and Mormon groups. From ACT UP and Gays Against Guns to Senator Chuck Schumer and Democratic Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton. It was campy pop culture fun with the Orange is the New Black, RuPaul’s Drag Race, reality TV star and activist trans teen, Jazz Jennings, a Pride stormtrooper and the NBA float.

Intersectionality was King. Marchers wore ‘black queer trans lives matter’ t-shirts, senior disabled gays rolled by in wheelchairs, and inclusiveness was the key to the city. If you were marginalized elsewhere, NYC Pride took you in.

Drag queens glittered. Politicians smiled. Activists chanted. The crowd cheered for all. There was not a boo, nor a jeer to be heard, regardless of the politician, nation or religion represented. It was a slice of the American ideal. LGBTQ community, Pride is for you, and there is no greater welcome mat than 5th avenue.

Bring your children to Pride. Surrounded by young people, older folks, families, tourists, Pride crosses class, race, ethnic, nationality and, of course, gender lines. Explain that we accept, not tolerate, differences. No one is excluded. These are New York values.

We must strive for equality for all, every day. Pride is a reminder of what we have to work for. Pride is New York City on its best day.

Bobbi M. Bittker is a stay at home mom and attorney, on the Board of the Bedford Community Theatre, a Girl Scout troop leader and a vocal supporter of Israel, gun safety and LGBT, women’s and civil rights.

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Proud and Inspired

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Photo by Melanie Lust
Photo by Melanie Lust

For June, I’m incredibly proud and inspired to have brought so many of my sponsors together  to so eloquently convey how they go about working with families who have children with Special Needs, or, as my remarkable friend and financial advocate for special needs families Laurie Nemeroff  pointed out to me, on behalf of those children who are simply differently abled!

I was equally moved following a thoroughly enjoyable March meeting on Long Island with Kevin Gersh, founder of “The Gersh Experience”–I learned about Gersh through Laurie. Her step-son Jared, who has Asperger’s, has benefitted immensely from their program.  Below too is just one example from our “Special Needs” section of how my sponsors have addressed a most deserving and able population. It’s about the “Moving Wheels & Heels Program” at the Steffi Nossen School of Dance since 2002.

The rest of the issue: a cover story highlighting New Castle’s Summer Concert series spotlights Tramps Like Us band leader and Chappaqua dad Mark Salore, as depicted by Carolyn Simpson, and as generously told by our Chamber’s Rob Greenstein.  Leaf through these pages and you’ll  also learn about an avid Hillary blogger, “Still4Hill.”  There’s also a sweet write up by an equally proud and inspired dad about a July wedding for two Greeley sweethearts, including his son.

Sadly, at least two profound tragedies transpired while preparing this issue… one in Boston, of course, and one closer to home. My goal here is simply to highlight beauty and hope. Toward that end, I bring you a diary of the shattering but also the later uplifting days by Zarah Kavarana, a  Boston University freshman from Briarcliff Manor. And, on behalf of Teresa, Eugene and Theo, I offer a special remembrance in words and pictures to honor the brilliant and talented Chatschik Bisdikian.

Love to you all; have a safe and happy summer.