May 2011 THE MAGAZINE FOR NEW CASTLE AND BEYOND www.insidechappaqua.com Susan Schrott’s Meet the All Knowing Stacy Geisinger! Art: Toward The Down to Earth Isa Marrs Research What is TARP? on Eating New School Superintendant Disorders Lynn McKay’s And other Initiative Takes Off Special Loving Dawn: Causes A Friend’s Remembrance Our Sponsors Weigh in! • How “Being a Mom” Translates in the World of Biz • What Makes a Camp Unique? $3.95 May 2011 Inside Chappaqua 1 2 Inside Chappaqua May 2011 May 2011 insidechappaqua.com page 17 page12 page 10 FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 10 Get to Know Stacy Knows! 8 Just Between Us Jean Sheff profiles Stacy Geisinger, the remarkable Unforgettable Experiences voice behind the popular blog StacyKnows.com. From Plus: Yom Hashoah suburban mom to internet maven, trust us, you’ll Remembrance, May 1 want to get to know her too. 12 Loving Dawn 20 Happenings Inside Chappaqua is proud to share Laurie Fessler’s ex- quisite journal entries about the friends and family who prayed for healing as Dawn Re battled for her life, and We Asked Our Advertisers about, most of all, one truly wonderful person. 25 Moms in Biz How Does Being a Moms Help your Biz? From 14 Speech Language Pathologist Isa Mars honing empathy and listening skills to fine tuning Writer Donna Abemayor gets a glimpse of Isa’s love and ones of negotiating and multi-tasking, mom “experi- care and considerable talent in treating children with ence” is a boost to any business. By Lisa Ballou near and far. 31 What Makes a Camp Unique 17 Behold! The Anatomy of a Dream Six camp directors explain their special programs of the Heart for kids that offer fantastic times and memories Lori Sachare profiles Susan Schrott, psychotherapist and for a lifetime. By Sarah Ellen Berman artist, who was inspired to weave her disciplines and talents to create a pendant based on one of her tex- 39 Maggie Mae Pup Reporter tile pieces. Proceeds from sale of the pendant, which A Walk on the Wild Side embodies the essence of a woman, will be used to create Yes, birds make fine friends too! a scholarship to help those in need of therapy for eating A visit with Dr. Laurie Hess, exotic pets vet. disorders. By Maggie Mae with Ronni Diamondstein 22 Understanding Chappaqua Schools’ Are You Single? “Teacher Action Research Project” 41 Internet Dating Stories... New School Supt. Lynn McKay’s TARP initiative for from AboveAverage.com the district is changing the way teachers teach and how 43 How Divorce Affects Friendships kids learn… Here’s how it works. By Vicki DeVries page 32 45 Advertisers at a Glance 34 Demystifying Chappaqua’s 46 Rick’s Last Licks Wagon Road Camp My Life as a Digilante With its wonderful facilities and backyard locale, this by Rick Reynolds very special camp, owned and operated by the Child- rens’ Aid Society, proudly provides fun-filled summers for children all over. By Pamela Brown ON THE COVER 36 Human Rights Institute: “First Star A Critical Mission I See Tonight” Standing up and taking action is the goal of 10th an- nual Human Rights Institute for High School Student By Artist and Leaders. Rich Monetti investigates how students are Psychotherapist helping change the world. Susan Schrott Plus: Social Justice Award Given to Temple Beth El May 2011 Inside Chappaqua 3 4 Inside Chappaqua May 2011 WWW.OLIVERPEOPLES.COM REBECCA SCHWARTZ WEARS LIPSOFIRE WWW.OLIVERPEOPLES.COM REBECCA SCHWARTZ WEARS LIPSOFIRE AVAILABLE AT Annual Oliver Peoples TRUNKAVAILABLE SHOW AT Saturday May 7, 11-4 O F A R M O N K 575 Main Street • Armonk, NY 10504 • 273-7337 May 2011 Inside Chappaqua 5 NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNN New Castle Physical Therapy and Personal Training is dedicated to providing quality healthcare in a professional and compassionate manner. We schedule one client Adam Pliskow, MSPT per hour to ensure superior service Matthew Marucci and optimal results. The clinic has MSPT, OCS, CSCS a welcoming atmosphere with state M. Carmela de Luna DPT, ATC of the art equipment. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff is committed 16 Schuman Road to helping you achieve your Millwood, NY 10546 rehabilitation and fitness goals. 914.488.5440 Member of the www.newcastlept.net Hospital for Special Surgery Rehabilitation Network 6 Inside Chappaqua May 2011 The Magazine for New Castle and Beyond Inside Todayʼs Single&smart Date Chappaquawww.insidechappaqua.com AD PROOF PhonePhone 914.238.2600 914.238.2600 Fax Fax 914.238-2611 914.238.0097 May 2011 Inside Chappaqua 7 JUST BETWEEN US Unforgettable Experiences I pegged this think I have ever met a mom, or So Happy Mother’s Day to y’all, issue “The Unfor- any person at all really, whom I’d and to me too, this year! Here’s to gettable Mom.” call “forgettable.” I know as a jour- no one ever describing you or me as Had a nice ring to nalist and publisher that there’s “forgettable.” it, I thought, and a “story to tell” in each of us. A have indeed turned new friend and Rabbi-in-training the spotlight on recently reminded me that we’re P.S. May 1 in White Plains: some obviously each a world within this world. memorable women. If you haven’t Count on a future Rabbi to weigh A Yom Hashoah Remembrance been to StacyKnows.com, you will in with a simple truth. The life I also included a story by Rich soon be taking all kinds of shop- experiences that each one of us Monetti, about the Human Rights ping and living advice from the contributes to the lives we inter- Institute, a program of the Holo- incomparable Stacy Geisinger! sect, for better or for worse, is caust and Human Rights Educa- Know I do! A special remembrance truly what’s unforgettable. tion Center. I am a member of its of Chappaqua’s Dawn Re is also a advisory board and, as many of you page you won’t want to miss. While The people and stories behind know by now, a child of Holocaust I didn’t have the privilege of know- any business, advertising driven or survivors. The HHREC provides ing Dawn, I am honored to in- not!, can be as interesting as any free programming to shape tomor- clude Laurie Fessler’s words about that come my way. In this issue, row’s leaders and to serve educa- “Loving Dawn” in this issue. And local camp owners proudly share tors in the area of human rights in of course, the beautiful, art for a the unique aspects of their camps, a host of phenomenal ways. A great cause by Susan Schrott–and writer in case you are still pondering your way to support the center and its Lori Sachare’s accompanying story– child’s summer. A feature that mission is simply to attend its an- touched me deeply too. Plus, much follows on the Wagon Road Camp nual Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Re- more…speech language pathologist demystifies a vibrant backyard membrance Day) Commemoration Isa Marrs and exotic pets vet Dr. camp too. that will be held from 2-3:30 p.m Laurie Hess are two more remark- on Sunday, May 1 at Congregation able women profiled in this issue. I was also thoroughly delighted Kol Ami (252 Soundview Avenue) by fellow mom biz owners who in White Plains. Truthfully, in retrospect, I think described so positively the impact the phrase “The Unforgettable of being a parent in their daily The program is organized annually Mom” is a bit misleading. I don’t business lives. by the HHREC and is co-sponsored by the Westchester Jewish Coun- cil and Congregation Kol Ami. The event is free and open to the public. After the ceremony, guests will be www.insidechappaqua.com invited to visit The Garden of Re- May 2011 GIFT IDEA: membrance, located in front of the Volume 8, Number 5 Say: LOVE YOU, Dad Michaelian Office Building at 148 Publisher and Editor with a Surprise, Paid Martine Avenue in White Plains. Grace Bennett Announcement in the The Garden was created by HHREC. Associate to the Publisher Design June issue of Inside Carine Feist Dina Spalvieri Chappaqua and help Contributors support this magazine “It’s now 66 years since World Donna Abemayor, Daniel Baitch, Lisa Ballou, Sarah Ellen Berman while you’re doing so! War II ended, ” said Donna Cohen, Pamela Brown, Vicki DeVries, Ronni Diamondstein A “message to the dad in executive director of HHREC. Laurie Fessler, Janine Crowley Haynes, Michael Kohn your life,” in his “With each passing year, there are Rick Reynolds, Lori Sachare, Jean Sheff hometown mag is a fewer Holocaust survivors to tell Web Consultant General Counsel keeper! Deadline for the world first-hand about what Palmer Louise Brian Hand Copy: May 5. For they saw and about the dangers of bigotry. As time marches on, these Inside Chappaqua is published six times a year, and is pricing and more owned and operated by The Inside Press, Inc. stories become more and more Mailing address: PO Box 643, Millwood, NY 10546. information, write to Phone Number: 914-238-2600. Copyright © 2011. advertising@ vital to the history of the Jewish All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Reproduction of any insidechappaqua. com people–and serve as a constant portion is prohibited without permission from the publisher. reminder to the world about the Inside Chappaqua may not necessarily agree with any one editorial viewpoint or necessarily endorse a particular product or service advertised. Editorial submissions should be mailed to Editor’s Photo by critical importance of respect for the above address (please enclose an SASE) or sent to [email protected].