Welcome to the People Section

Welcome to New Castle’s Weekly Town Meeting!

By Susie Pender
Let’s have a BIG town meeting, hum, where to hold it so that the whole community can come???

Read More

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Run birth announcements, notices of accomplishments, get-well wishes and various milestone congratulation messages in this section.  Write or display your birthday, anniversary, graduation message and photos in our pages too.  Click “Contact Us.”

Read More

David Nierenberg, 1962 New Castle Citizen of the Year


July 4, 2008
by Lorie Nierenberg

I write this article about my late father, David E. Nierenberg, hoping to reconnect with some of his old friends from the Chappaqua area he loved so much.

Read More

Op-Ed:  Colleagues and students at Bell will miss John Dever’s jokes

Kerry Keenan: John’s creed: Life is what you make of it.
June 13, 2008
by Phyllis Bellofatto, Meredith Green, Kerry Keenan and Eileen Kenna

Phyllis Bellofatto: as a teacher, John was a natural.
Meredith Green: his classroom is a warm and safe environment.
Eileen Kenna: John is an insightful teacher who cares about the whole child
Kerry Keenan: John’s creed: Life is what you make of it.

Read More

Op-Ed:  Mark Chipkin’s legacy at Bell: he made students love science


June 13, 2008
by Angie Nannariello and Meredith Jackel

There are so many great qualities that define Mark Chipkin, the sixth grade science teacher on Team D. He is one of the most outstanding teachers with which we have had the pleasure of working. His creativity, intelligence, compassionate nature and sincere, charismatic personality are what make him so special. 

Read More

Memorial Day thoughts: Better treatment for veterans


May 30,2008
by Father John Vigilante
St. John and St. Mary R.C. Church

See inside and in Photo Gallery for pictures of the day.

I have a sister, one and a half years younger, who worked as a civilian staff psychologist in pediatrics at Letterman Army Hospital at the Presidio in San Francisco. As some of you may know, the Presidio was one of the military installations closed during a round of base reductions. Letterman was closed in 1993.  Since then, my sister has been in private practice in the San Francisco Bay area. She has not worked for the Army or the government since 1993.

Read More

A Beacon of Hope on the Bronx River


Two teens from Temple Beth El paddle past the refuse dump and junkyard along to the Bronx River
May 23, 2008
by Elinor Allcott Griffith

A scrap metal junkyard towers over the riverbank. Dust swirls from a concrete plant.

Read More

Marion Sinek returns to Big City life


May 16, 2008

Marion Sinek’s heart is in New Castle, no matter where she travels.  We can’t imagine what our Town will be like without the guidance, concern and wisdom of our beloved retired Supervisor.  She nurtured every positive project I can think of—every accomplishment you can state about the Town, Marion was instrumental in seeing it started, proceed, and ultimately brought to fruition.  All of us will miss her deeply, and hope she’ll visit often.  Barbara Gerrard

It is difficult to envision Chappaqua without Marion Sinek ... but then fortunately she has agreed to stay in touch with us albeit now as a “part time mover and shaker.” Her contributions to our community were many and deserve a special issue of this newspaper. For now we wish her well and thank her for all she has done for all of us.
Lee and Dick Laster

Read More

Op-Ed: “We’re Not Moving” Party


by Mark S. Tulis
April 18, 2008

Recently we had a party at our home to celebrate the fact that, after living in New Castle for 30 years, my wife Elaine and I are not moving away even though our youngest child is about to graduate from Greeley. The reason we are not moving is because our love for the town has not changed in those 30 years and we believe our connection with the town does not end with our youngest going off to college. 

Read More

Crys Lang 1924-2008


April 18, 2008

by Joan Lang

Crys grew up on Long Island. His junior year at Harvard was interrupted by the war, and he enlisted in the Air Corps. 

Read More

Communities Rally to Support Local Nonprofit and Save Wolves

April 11, 2008
by Deb Heineman

On April 18 and 19, several northern Westchester groups that share a common concern with preserving endangered species and ecosystem education will band together to support The Wolf Conservation Center. 

Read More

In his own backyard: Dr. John Mickel’s ferns


April 11, 2008

by Christine Yeres

Dr. John Mickel, curator of ferns for the New York Botanical Gardens since 1969, comes to the Chappaqua Library next Wednesday, April 16, at 7:30, to speak about his lifelong love and expertise. Dr. Mickel allowed NewCastleNOW.org to search his gardens with him for signs of returning ferns. His Briarcliff home is surrounded by enormous ancient sycamore trees which offer shade-loving ferns conditions in which they thrive. 

Read More

Independent Study at Greeley: Arabic

Qur’an, Chapter 21 verse 33: “And He it is who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Each swimming in an orbit.”
March 21, 2008
by Rhonda Khalifeh

In the spring of sophomore year, a friend of mine, Hillary Weinberg, approached me about starting an independent study in which I would teach her Arabic and we would both receive credit for it. She was interested in learning a new language and our French teacher had suggested this idea to her. Learning a new language through an independent study is not a new idea at Greeley, but Arabic has never been taught to Greeley students. 

Read More

Retiring Chief Breen honored at town hall

March 14, 2008
by Ann Marie Fallon
See slide show in “Read more,” To view the video of speeches honoring Chief Breen, visit http://www.ncctv.org’s “video on demand.”

The town hall assembly area was filled with current and former town leaders, police, fire and ambulance corps officers as well as town employees, family, friends and residents to honor Police Chief Robert Breen and wish him good luck in his next undertaking. 

Read More

Golub appointed to New Castle Conservation Board

March 14, 20080
by Ann Marie Fallon

At the Tuesday, March 11, 2008 town board meeting, Gerry Golub was appointed to the town’s conservation board. 

Read More

“A Light Among Nations: Advocating for Real Energy Solutions for a Greater Future”

A panel discussion with John Hall, Pete Grannis and Adam Bradley

by Veronica Mishkind and Anup Kishore, students at Bell Middle School
January 18, 2008

Editor’s note: Several Bell Middle School students, under the supervision of Annie Madden, 8th grade science teacher, and Danielle Runfola, 8th grade English teacher, attended this panel discussion. This report is the first in a series of three written by the students. The series will cover each speaker’s presentation, starting this week with Congressman John Hall.

Read More

Op-Ed: A Chappaqua Soldier

By Shelby Monroe
December 7, 2007

The wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have not affected many of us significantly. 

Read More

A wedding quilt for Deb and Jack


July 4, 2008
by Pam Thorton

Two years ago on July 1, 2006, my niece Deb married Jack. There were two things she wanted me to do as part of her wedding. One was to take the veil her mother, my best friend since we were 12 years old, wore at her wedding and sew sequins and seed pearls onto it to update the look. It took me four months to complete that assignment on the cathedral length veil. The second request was for me to create a “memory quilt” with messages from everyone who was invited to the wedding.

Read More

A Chinese cautionary tale of woe

June 27, 2008
by Suzanne Keay

Recently, my husband and I traveled to Mongolia to visit our daughter, Morgan, who has an NGO (The Itgel Foudation) there. After seven years, we were finally going to see first hand what she’s been doing to help the Tsaatan Reindeer nomadic herders.  It turned out to be the trip of a lifetime with memories and adventures I could never have imagined.  But this piece isn’t about that wonderful experience.  I’ll leave that to another time when we get our 300 plus photos downloaded and sorted (aren’t you looking forward to that!?).  This is about the last leg of our journey, and unfortunately, the story isn’t a pretty one. 

Read More

Op-Ed: Chappaqua runs for Darfur

June 13, 2008
by Carly Stern

Genocide: the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or cultural group. 

Read More

Back from Iraq: Welcome home, Austin!


Austin Murnane, home in Millwood
May 23, 2008
by Gene Nadel

When 2002 Horace Greeley graduate Austin Murnane said farewell to his classmates and left for Annapolis to accept his appointment to the U S Naval Academy, neither he, his family or friends anticipated that 2007 and 2008 would find him as a Marine lieutenant leading his platoon on frequent search missions in far off Anbar Province, Iraq.

Read More

Seven Senior Chappaqua Girl Scouts earn highest honor in Girl Scouting


May 23, 2008
by Kristy Rudel

Girl Scouts is an organization rich in treasured traditions. As the community director of Chappaqua Girl Scouts, one of my favorite traditions has been our annual Gold Award ceremony.

Read More

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back!  At Greeley’s Relay for life

May 23, 2008
by Rose Schrott

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is a community event that honors the lives of people who have survived cancer and remembers those who lost their battle with it.

Read More

Chappaqua School Foundation annual gala raises record $200,000

May 9, 2008
by Rachel Rader

The 14th Annual Chappaqua School Foundation Gala, which was held on Friday, May 2, at Crabtree’s Kittle House, raised $200,000 for curriculum-enhancing programs and equipment that might not otherwise be available to our students given the current demands on the school budget. 

Read More

New Castle moms plan Marfan syndrome fundraiser for May 29


Sydney and Carly Lerman
May 9, 2008
by Jennifer Leventhal

If you were a young mother in our community faced with one of life’s most difficult challenges, how would you get through it? “With a little help from a lot of friends” is the answer given by local entrepreneur and mother of two, Barbara Lerman of Millwood. Five years ago, Lerman and her husband Jonathan welcomed their second daughter, Sydney, into their family; big sister Carly was three. The Lermans were devastated to learn that Sydney was born with a severe form of Marfan syndrome, a life-threatening disorder that affects the heart and blood vessels, skeleton and eyes. 

Read More

Local music student Angela Sun to perform at Carnegie Hall


May 9, 2008
by Lori Sachare

When 12-year-old Angela Sun performs a Beethoven sonata at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall on May 10, this student from Music in Chappaqua fulfills the dream of musicians of all ages.

Read More

Op-Ed: Chappaqua School Foundation gala tonight at Crabtree’s Kittle House


May 2, 2008
by Carol Evans

The Chappaqua School Foundation dinner is the best place to see all the people you haven’t run into in Starbucks or Sam’s dry cleaner for awhile. 

Read More

New Castle Police Officers “Ride for Those Who Died”


April 18, 2008
by Christine Yeres

Seven New Castle police officers prepare year-round for the Police Unity Tour, a bicycle “ride for those who died” that begins on May 9, 2008 at Ground Zero in Manhattan and ends 300 miles and three days later in Washington, D. C. 

Read More

AFS student exchange program changes lives


April 18, 2008
by Hugh Sigmon

In 1967, a wide-eyed 17-year-old from a small town in North Carolina steps into the doorway of a jet that just landed in Manila, The Philippines. As he steps onto the tarmac and into his summer adventure as an exchange student, little does he know that this summer will be like no other and it will forever change his life. 

Read More

The Great Right Here: Opening of Sunny Ridge Park


View YouTube snippet at “Read more.”
April 11, 2008
by David Swope

My family has lived here a long time.  In 1956 we moved from the Teatown area to the house on Hawkes Avenue. 

Read More

Op-Ed: Local musicians to fillet Schubert’s immortal Trout on Sunday


April 4, 2008
by Michael Shapiro

This Sunday, April 6, at 3 p.m. in the Chappaqua Library auditorium, the quintet Paul Bonnel and Friends, lead by The Chappaqua Orchestra’s principal bassist Paul Bonnel, will perform Franz Schubert’s immortal Trout Quintet as well as Samuel Barber’s famous Adagio for strings. 

Read More

Jazz night club at Greeley

March 21, 2008
by Peter Gonzales

The Horace Greeley auditorium lobby is the happenin’ place to be on Thursday March 27th because at 7 p.m. the Greeley Stage Band hosts its annual Stage Band Night Club. Unlike the ever-so-popular Coffee House, held in the cafeteria, this event is a serene scene where the cool kids go to snap their fingers and play bongos. Well … not exactly, but the show is indeed Jazz.

Read More