The Inside Press

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Rotary Club

Spotlight on Community Day 2018: A Yearly Tradition Courtesy of the Rotary Club Filled with Fun for All

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Greeley senior Andrew Kassin said the event was a great opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation, as he and other students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts in remembrance of their classmate, Casey Taub.

The aroma of roasted hot dogs and cotton candy competed with the sounds of guitar strums and cheering children at the 2018 Community Day. The Rotary Club-sponsored event brought more than 70 organizations to the heart of Chappaqua. Kids sporting butterfly face paint and their parents interested in various local groups lined the train station parking lot. The September 15th  event served not only as a community gathering but also as a chance for organizations to network and fundraise.

“We are here to support the community of Chappaqua,” attendee and Chappaqua resident Dara Dubs said. “It is also great to see old and new friends and our kids love going on the rides.”

While groups including the Chappaqua School Foundation and Chappaqua First Responders return to Community Day each year, Tea Town, and the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors were a few of several organizations who participated in the event for the first time. This year’s Community Day also featured new activities for children, including a pony ride and a scavenger hunt.

But not only did little kids take advantage of what the 2018 event had to offer, Greeley students also attended, performed and volunteered at Community Day. Executives from Greeley’s largest community service organization, S.H.A.R.E, distributed T-shirts for A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure, adding to the bracelets, pins and flying discs that various non-profits and local businesses also circulated.

(L-R): Barbara Klein, George Furman, Donald Roane, Peter Davidson PHOTO BY MADELINE ROSENBERG

Greeley senior Andrew Kassin said the event was a great opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation, as he and other students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts in remembrance of their classmate, Casey Taub.

“Jonathan Taub’s message has been to keep Casey in everyone’s mind, to keep honoring him and to never forget him,” Kassin said. “Being here is a great way to carry that on.”

As community members of all ages enjoyed the activities that local groups sponsored, Rotary Club of Chappaqua president Eileen Gallagher said Community Day also serves as a natural way to bring attention to the Rotary Club itself.   

“We look forward to more and more people coming each year,” Gallagher said. “We really want people to know we are here for them.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN GREENBERG
(L-R): Sarah Platkin, Catherine Zhu, Jordan Rattner, volunteers from S.H.A.R.E.
PHOTO BY MADELINE ROSENBERG

A Journey of Faith and Hope

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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.”

How the Rotary Club of Chappaqua Celebrates Community And Lives up to the “Service Above Self” Motto

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Rotary Club of Chappaqua members (left to right): Sandy Bueti, Ben Harrison, past president Don Roane, Eileen Gallagher, president Dave Shields, guest Joan Corwin, Manton Martin, Ed Melvin, and Peter Davidson Photo by Carolyn Simpson/Doublevision Photographers
Rotary Club of Chappaqua members (left to right): Sandy Bueti, Ben Harrison, past president Don
Roane, Eileen Gallagher, president Dave Shields, guest Joan Corwin, Manton Martin, Ed Melvin, and Peter Davidson Photo by Carolyn Simpson/Doublevision Photographers

By Matt Smith

On any given Monday, when the clock strikes 12 p.m., a select group of community members gathers at the Kittle House. Sure, that’s nothing unusual; the famed restaurant sees many patrons pass through their doors at that prime lunch hour, be they friends catching up, colleagues meeting to discuss business, or local merchants, seeking a respite from their busy day. But while this group is indeed dining, swapping stories, and enjoying each other’s company, there’s another inherent purpose behind their meeting: they’re addressing and discussing important local and global issues, as a means to come together and create positive, lasting change within our community.

This group is, of course, the Rotary Club of Chappaqua, and since 1983, they’ve upheld this noontime routine. At each of their weekly meetings, the club will typically host a guest speaker from a given organization, who will speak to that organization’s cause–one to which Rotarians could consider donating at the end of the year. Past organizations to which the Rotary Club has donated include, but are not limited to, the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, the Food Bank of Westchester, Shelter Box, Hope’s Door, and more. To pursue the goal of community service, emphasized by the Rotary motto “Service Above Self,” the club organizes several community events each year, the proceeds of which are donated to the above organizations.

These events include the annual Pancake Breakfast & Blood Drive, held in the Spring at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin; and Charter Night, held around February or March, wherein club members honor both a Rotarian and a community member, each of whom have fully demonstrated the “Service Above Self” motto through their commitment to volunteer work in the neighborhood. The Rotarian receives the Paul Harris award, named for the original founder of the Rotary Club International, while the community member is given, aptly, the Community Service Award. The club also holds an annual Holiday Concert, featuring the Greeley Madrigal Choir, at the Kittle House in early December.

But their biggest and most buzzed-about event is, without question, Community Day. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17th, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

IMG_5161The festive fall bash, held each year at Chappaqua’s Metro-North Train Station, aims to strengthen the communal bond between friends and neighbors new and old; it’s a golden opportunity each year to familiarize residents with all our local merchants and community-based organizations.

“It’s a nice way to get to know the town,” says current Rotary President David Shields, adding the event was one of the first he attended upon moving to Chappaqua in the early ’80s. “Back then, it was in the parking lot of Bell [Middle School],” he continues. “[It’s] a nice tradition, and a great way to celebrate all the town has to offer.”

2015 Community Day Photos by Grace Bennett
2015 Community Day Photos by Grace Bennett

Over 70-80 booths will showcase a wide array of organizations, local merchants, and civic-minded groups, including everything from Chappaqua Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the PTA to Chappaqua Garden Club and New Castle Recreation and Parks Department, to Greeley student clubs and the New Castle Historical Society, and much, much more.

Additionally, given that it’s an election year, “There’ll [also] be a lot of political booths,” notes Past President and current Rotary member Don Roane. “Perhaps more so than other years.” Indeed, the local Democrats, Republicans and the League of Women Voters will all have booths at the event. As they’ve done in years past, Roane adds, “We’ll also provide rides, bouncing castles and face painting for the kids…[And] a hot dog and soda stand for [lunch].” Rotary Past President John Ehrlich will return to run the Blood Drive in the Plaza.

IMG_5204

Shields, meanwhile, announces the Westchester County Clerk Community Outreach Service will return, “which consists of a van with a portable office where folks can get help applying for a passport.” Furthermore, this year’s program will include live performances from Chappaqua’s student musicians. Spearheaded by Dr. Michael Rudolph, now a Chappaqua orthodontist, but formerly a professional musician, the live music “[will] add another level to the event,” says Shields, with a smile.

“And [it will] give them [the musicians] some exposure as well, so that’ll be nice.” Students from Dance Emotions, the Chappaqua-based dance company, and Amadeus Conservatory of Music, will also be on hand to perform. And if all that weren’t enough, this year, Community Day will happen concurrently with both the Chappaqua Farmer’s Market and the Greeley Homecoming Celebration. So, there’ll certainly be no shortage of fun happening at the Train Station then! As for the club itself? They’ll continue to hold their weekly Kittle House meetings, promoting “leadership development, professional networking, local and international awareness, and above all, community service opportunities,” in keeping with Harris’ original mission.

(L-R): Town Council member Lisa Katz, County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz and Jerry Curran, co-chair of the New Castle Democratic Committee
(L-R): Town Council member Lisa Katz, County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz and Jerry Curran, co-chair of the New Castle Democratic Committee

The club is always looking to add to their roster…and you don’t necessarily need to join full-time to attend meetings. So stop in for a visit, and if you’re inclined, become a member!

Need further reason to join? The club itself is steeped in town history! As Shields explains, whereas “most people…are commuters or moved here as adults,” four current Rotary members (Harold Campbell, Peter Davidson, Erik Nicolaysen, and Sandy Bueti) “actually grew up in this town….going back to the ’30’s and ’40’s. They went to Bell when it was the high school,” he explains. “They have lifelong ties to [Chappaqua]…this really is their hometown.”

But regardless of any past or prior connections, it’s clear all Chappaqua Rotarians fully acknowledge and appreciate how “the town is very accommodating in helping [their events] progress” and ultimately, occur. On a larger scale, club members also recognize that in addition to the local Rotary work, “Rotary International [the main Rotary service organization, also] has a worldwide impact.”

Rotary’s Sandy Bueti with Congresswoman Nita Lowey
Rotary’s Sandy Bueti with Congresswoman Nita Lowey

No doubt these two elements have an effect on the community at large. “Even as a small organization, we do a lot of good,” comments Roane, upon reflection. And really… at the end of the day, isn’t that what the meaning of “community” is all about?

The 2016 Community Day will be held on September 17th from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Chappaqua Metro-North Train Station. For more information, please visit the Chappaqua Rotary Club Facebook page.

Matt Smith is a regular contributor to the Inside Press and has attended many Community Day events while growing up in Chappaqua.

Dave Mann, World War II Hero/Author, to Speak: MAY 2, NOON

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“A VERY special visit to Chappaqua” with honored Vet, Broadcast Personality and Author, “What I Fought For.” All are Welcome!

By Grace Bennett

Dave Mann, a World War II veteran who wears the Purple Heart honor, long time broadcast personality and author, will address our own Rotary Club and guests at Crabtree’s Kittle House on Monday, May 2 at noon. The Rotary is hoping New Castle can show him a hero’s welcome, says the Rotary’s Sandy Bueti.

David Mann at a Signing of his book, "What I Fought For"
David Mann at a Signing of his book, “What I Fought For”
Mann is the author of “What I Fought For.” The book is described as “a veteran’s love letter to America, her flag, and her freedoms.” He has been touring nationwide and has been featured widely, including on NBC.

Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Mann attended the University of New Hampshire as a pre-med student. He was drafted into the army in 1943 and spent three years in Europe as a combat engineer, Third Army, under General George Patton.

He was awarded the Purple Heart after action he saw at Normandy and Battle of the Bulge. He is now a “Life Member of Military Order of the Purple Heart.”

In 1946, he returned to Boston and graduated from Emerson College where he studied radio and communications. Since then, his broadcast career has spanned New England, New York, and the Midwest. Mann also does voiceovers and is heard on many regional and national commercials as well as documentaries

Attendance by any group of high school students and/or local vets are especially encouraged. Kindly RSVP to Sandy Bueti: bbuilder95@aol.com> Subject: Dave Mann Talk

Community Day, Pancake Breakfast & So Much More

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Community Day Bouncy CastlePromoting the idea of “service above self,” the Rotary Club consists of neighbors, friends and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our community. As one of their many ways of carrying out this mantra, Rotarians raise money to fund various charitable organizations and causes, including the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, the Food Bank of Westchester, the Open Door Foundation, and End Polio Now. The club typically hosts a guest speaker at each of their weekly luncheon meetings, associated with a given organization, who will elaborate on their cause, to which the club could consider for a donation at the end of the year.

Additionally, the club sponsors charitable events including the annual Pancake Breakfast & Blood Drive, held each Spring at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin; and Charter Night, held around February or March, wherein club members honor both a Rotarian and a community member, each of whom have fully demonstrated the “service above self” motto through their commitment to volunteer work in New Castle neighborhoods. The honorees receive the Paul Harris award, named for the original founder of the Rotary Club International, and the Community Service Award, respectively.

The biggest and most buzzed-about Rotary Club-sponsored event, however, comes in the form of Community Day. Held annually each September at the Chappaqua Metro-North train station, the event serves not only as a fundraiser for various not-for-profits, but also acts as a means to bring people to the center of the community, make them aware of the particular organizations, and strengthen the neighborhood bond. Fusing booths that advertise worthy causes and town merchants with bouncy castles, music, face painting, rides, and cotton candy, Chappaqua Community Day is always a huge hit for residents of all ages. The 2015 Community Day is set for September 26th.

community day two girlsIf this all seems exciting to you, the good news is that applying for membership is easier than ever! Rates are offered at four different fixed stages (full, active, friend, and guest), so if it looks like your busy schedule won’t allow you to attend every meeting, you can still be considered as a Rotary Club member! Note: While any New Castle community member may become a Rotarian, all must be approved by members of the current Rotary group.

“Friendship, involvement, and community service probably sums it up,” says Rotary Co-President Peter Davidson. “And learning [about charitable organizations] through our speakers program.”

Keep in mind, he adds, whether you are a community member contemplating applying to Rotary, or a current Rotarian carrying out your club duties, “in addition to what we do locally, Rotary International [the main Rotary service organization] has a world-wide impact.” And it’s for that reason why they do what they do, and why their service work is so crucial to the function of our community.

chappaquarotaryclub.com