This whole issue has a little “history.” I met Ian Karr, our accomplished and talented Guest Editor, after innocently approaching him for a potential article about “Chappaqua Dads,” a Facebook page he started last year. Over breakfast at Le Jardin, I was surprised to hear he was also the co-host of a popular SiriusXM radio show, Jackie’s Joke Hunt. I had attended Jackie “The Jokeman” Martling’s performance one night at The Cutting Room in NYC (thanks to a local friend’s generous invitation!), and after a private introduction, Jackie invited me to be a guest on his show.
I never followed up, but Ian was about to change all that, and I have since appeared twice, and it’s quite fun! So it’s been truly gratifying to turn the tables a bit, and invite Ian and Jackie to work with me on my own littler and hyperlocal “show”– Inside Chappaqua!
I was also intrigued when Ian told me he had some secrets to share about the so called “guy code.” I’m delighted by his article’s basic but on target insights and suggestions. I’ll take his messages to heart (next time I’m in a relationship, that is), and ladies, advise you do likewise!
Indeed, I think I’ve gleaned plenty of new understanding about guys in general from the compilation of submissions here. I’ve always enjoyed any window into “guy thinking,” and here they are writing about coaching, barbequing, commuting, joke telling, camping with their buddies, or writing a big time Hollywood screenplay! So a big THANK YOU to the dads, and a Happy Father’s Day to Ian, Jackie, Joe, Stephen, Dan, Mark and Eric for going with the flow and injecting a much needed dose of male sensibility into a local magazine that’s generally written largely by women freelance writers. Special thanks as well to Todd Shapera for his cover and inside pictures of “the guys.” Ian had thought up the concept of getting all the dads on the cover in a “Vanity Fair” style shoot, and I’m thrilled with the results.
While dads were the primary focus, we did manage to include some “teen driven” pieces in time for graduation including ones about the “Teen Zone” at the Chappaqua Library, and another about an all day summit at Westchester Medical Center formed to help solve the issue of distracted driving, and not just among teens. Also, check out an article by Greeley’s Amanda Cronin about our high school’s stellar Science Department!
Contributing editors free me up to cover stuff too, on occasion, and I jumped at the chance to attend a talk by Shark Tank celeb and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran.
My own life sometimes feels as if it’s “publish or perish.” If I ever perish, I would hope to reinvent myself with the same combination of true grit and humor Barbara conveys in every sentence she speaks.
Meanwhile, there’s been a steady flow of news in town ranging from Whole Foods signing a lease at Chappaqua Crossing, a proposal for a new and snazzy condo community at the Legionaries of Christ site, to most importantly, a solid citizen representation of New Castle residents weighing in with their visions for a Master Plan, as Eileen Gallagher reports here too. It’s not too late to get involved with that either!
Enjoy the month of June, everyone. It’s extra special for me with my two graduating seniors (Anna from UMass, Amherst and Ari from Greeley); immensely proud of them both, and wishing all New Castle (and beyond) families with graduating seniors a hearty congrats too.
P.S. There’s something for everyone during Chappaqua’s annual Sidewalk Sales Days. So mark your calendar! At press time, the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce told Inside Chappaqua this popular event will take place the weekend of July 24-26.
