When my colleague, Grace Bennett, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of this magazine, mentioned that this issue’s theme is “Happy Days and Back to School”, I let out a groan. I’m sorry but “back to school” and “happy” don’t really go together like peanut butter and jelly, at least in my house. You see this past summer was the most relaxing one I’ve had in a good decade.
With my older two in sleepaway camp and my youngest in full day at her summer camp, I was living on “easy street” as I like to say. Less laundry, dishwashing, chauffeuring and cooking left me with a whole lot of time for summer fun. I made it a point to do something for myself everyday that made me happy – whether meeting a friend for lunch, catching an indie film at Jacob Burns or running with my dog. And I did just that. I felt fulfilled.
Turns out that I wasn’t the only one that had a fulfilling summer. Read through these pages to see a whole slew of Chappaqua residents doing exciting things this summer that are not only fulfilling but also altruistic. Our cover story celebrates a 50-year program, the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program, where teens from underperforming high schools in the Bronx are invited to live with local host families in July as they participate in an academic enrichment program. The teens and the host families had a blast. Greeley grad James Rosenberg took a cross-country bike trip to raise money for the women of Kore, Ethiopia and local couple The Roses travelled to McAllen, Texas to help migrant families.
If you are looking for fulfilling opportunities in town this fall, be sure to mark your calendar for Community Day on September 15. There are many non-profits here that are in need of volunteers. Community Day is a great way to get introduced to all of them.
As much as I’ve enjoyed my summer, it is not all doom and gloom when fall arrives. I’m happy to have my whole family back and I’m excited (and sad!) for my youngest to start kindergarten and my oldest to start middle school. I’m not quite sure how that happened so fast but maybe it’s because time flies when you are having fun. Here’s to a fun and fulfilling fall for all!
Enjoy,
