There is no doubt that Hillary's campaign has had an enormous impact
on girls and young women across the country. Girls in a summer writing
program in her hometown have shared their thoughts on her potential role
as POTUS. Their essays appear in the local magazine, Inside Chappaqua/New Castle/Millwood. Many thanks to founder and editor-in-chief, Grace Bennett, for sharing this!
Editor’s Note:
For our cover story, we asked Keri Walsh, Ph.D., director of the
Chappaqua Summer Writing Program for Girls, to ask her participants in a
summer workshop inside the Greeley House to ponder the Election, and
specifically for their thoughts on the impact of the possibility of
their neighbor Hillary Clinton becoming a first Woman President. Most of
the girls and their families preferred a first name only attached to
their submissions. Special thanks to contributing editor Beth Besen in
Chappaqua for editing assistance, too. Here’s what the girls wrote and
shared!
Hillary has a corps of dedicated neighbors in Chappaqua, New York who
energetically support her every day they can in every way they can. The Chappaqua Friends of Hill and Tim
have organized local events to raise voter awareness and funds for the
campaign. They diligently register voters, canvass, and phone bank
both from home and at campaign headquarters in Brooklyn. For them,
distance is no obstacle so it was no surprise that they organized a
field trip to Philadelphia where they attended the convention to see
Hillary make history.
By Susan Youngwood
It
started with a single Facebook post, on April 12, 2015, the day Hillary
Clinton announced her candidacy for president of the United States.
Dawn
Evans Greenberg invited her friends in Chappaqua to join her for a
drink to celebrate. A small group gathered, and decided they wanted to
help the campaign. The group mushroomed, and now has 750 members ages 16
to 69. A satellite group in Rivertown has 200 participants.
Fifteen
months later, after hours of making phone calls, knocking on doors and
registering voters, ten members of Chappaqua Friends of Hill and Tim
(the name officially changed last week) attended the Democratic National
Convention to watch Clinton accept the nomination.
Chappaqua Friends of Hill and Tim arrive for their first night in the
arena on Wednesday. (L–R): Beth Sauerhaft (in orange), Julie Gaughran,
Jason Lichtenthal, Dawn Evans Greenberg, Iris Weintraub Lachaud and
(front, center) Randee Kessler Glazer
They
will continue to work hard for Hillary and Tim through the general
election cycle. Who knows? One day you might pick up the phone and one
of them might be at the other end of the line encouraging you to
volunteer or to vote for Hillary!
You can help too!
When Hillary Clinton marches down the street on Memorial Day, the
crowd explodes with enthusiasm. Hillary has a world of support in her
own hometown. Grace Bennett's Inside Chappaqua Inside Armonk, a local magazine, spotlights the movers and shakers in this article by Stacy Pfeffer. Thank you, Grace and Stacy!
Key Chappaqua supporters explain why they’re working hard to help elect hometown candidate Hillary Clinton as first woman POTUS. By Stacey Pfeffer
It’s
been a momentous few weeks here in the hamlet of New Castle. At the
annual Chappaqua Memorial Day Parade, Hillary Rodham Clinton marched and
waved to residents–many of whom were hoping to see her become the
official Democratic presidential nominee in early June. Then just over a
week later, a bus full of residents were thrilled to travel to the
Booklyn Navy Yard to lend their support and bask in the history of her
officially clinching the Democratic nomination; a group of New Castle
supporters celebrated at Mario’s Restaurant on lower King Street.
Now
that Clinton is the official Democratic candidate, the Inside Press had
the opportunity to interview key supporters who have been staying near
and dear to her campaign and/or working constructively on “Get Out the
Vote,” referred to commonly as GOTV. We heard firsthand their
reflections on what it means to have one of our most famous neighbors as
the potential next President.
Hillary Clinton stepped off the parade route this year to take a few
moments to say hello and express her appreciation to the Chappaqua
Friends of Hill grassroots group.
It has been quite a week! The YUUUGEST collective Democratic gasp escaped when the Republican front-runner said women should be punished for seeking abortions. More shockingly (if possible), he went on to assert that the male partner should not be held accountable.
Hillary Clinton fired back.
We can’t let someone with this much contempt for women’s rights anywhere near the White House.https://t.co/OjU9gRwsxo
The worst lesson we learned from this segment is that Trump must have cut school the day they taught separation of powers. The guy running for CEO of the executive branch of the most important and powerful government on the planet has no idea who legislates or exactly what the judicial branch does. Listen to him here.
In a damage control effort, the campaign threw water on a grease fire.
His
spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said Trump meant that abortion laws won't
change until he's president. "Then he will change the law through his
judicial appointments and allow the states to protect the unborn," she
said. Read more >>>
If
ever there was a moment for Democrats to assess the gravity of the 2016
election, now is the time.
Not only is the White House at stake, and
the Supreme Court (as Hillary has eloquently asserted),
but we need to break up the legislative gridlock. The best way to do
that is to elect Hillary Clinton our nominee. She has the better chance
of bringing down-ticket Dems into Congress on her coattails. She is also the only one committed to raising funds for down-ticket Dems as Bernie Sanders told Rachel Maddow this week that he has not decided to do so. He said "We'll see."
(On
a side note, has anybody noticed the similarities between Bernie's
rhetoric and Trump's? While "I don't know" and "We don't know" dominate
Trump's verbiage to the point that his supporter who punched and then
threatened to kill a protester parroted those words, there is also a
heavy dose of "We'll see" and "We have to see" in there. Bernie uses
the same dodges.)
We need
all three branches working together. We have an advantage among
Democrats since Hillary has a strong history of working across the aisle
and of getting things done, and her endorsements by Super Delegates speak for themselves.
On Hillary's side of the fence, the
campaign came home to New York, and the Sanders camp, out of the box,
demanded a New York debate and then pretended Hillary didn't want to
debate him there.
All evidence their "why won't you debate?!" attack is empty rhetoric. https://t.co/glqA6Twnfp
When you have a singularly qualified,
experienced, and prepared candidate running a campaign filled with
policy speeches, you would expect the media to notice the positions the
candidate is taking on the issues and the rationale behind each
position.
Since Hillary so overwhelms the media with her flowing stream
of policies (two major policy speeches¹ this week while the others
simply stump), they appear to have chosen to focus exclusively upon the briefest and least representative moments in her day and amplify them.
By Bobbi M. Bittker Photos by Grace Bennett
I
realized there was a problem when my husband said, ‘how was your rally?
I heard on the news Bernie supporters interrupted it.’ What? That’s
what was reported?! Read on…
Commentary on yesterday’s Hillary rally at SUNY Purchase from someone who was actually there:
Why
am I reading myriad articles reporting on the 40 minute speech with
headlines, ‘Hillary Clinton rally interrupted by 20 Bernie supporters’
as if this is THE story? It’s not even A story. Read more >>>>
In
Madison WI after delivering her SCOTUS speech, we saw Hillary do a
little shopping. (Oh yeah! The other Hillary scandal this week was that
while home in NY she stopped off at Bergdorf's for a cut by master hair
designer, John Barrett, whom she has visited in the past.)
When
this photo was taken, Hillary had a clear rationale and plan for the
necklace. She knew where she was going and why she needed this piece.
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton purchases a necklace in a store
in Madison, Wis., Monday, March 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Picked up this necklace at a great women-owned shop in Madison, WI. Looks like they've got fans in New York, too. -H pic.twitter.com/nsYBTtSwRc
In
seeking a response to the news, the national media caught up with the
leading Democratic presidential candidate in New York, where she is
spending three hours delivering speeches on foreign trade, gender
equality protection, ensuring voting rights, climate change regulations,
the prime lending rate, education investment, and encapsulation her
eleven straight hours of congressional testimony of four months ago in
ten minutes, an appearance which led Trump to characterize her as
“lacking stamina.”
In
her statement about the Hollywood for Trump Committee announcement,
Hillary Clinton simply remarked, “Another cultural watershed."
So! It has been quite a week as we gear up for Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the big one in New York.
Here's a little of what's ahead: Hillary will appear Tuesday
April 5th at 11am on The View, and at 8pm that night, when the Wisconsin
projections get suspenseful and your nerves can't take it, she will
join Black Girls Rock on BET.
Hillary
Clinton made a surprise appearance Friday at the taping of Black
Entertainment Television's "Black Girls Rock" show in Newark, New
Jersey. Read more >>>>
March went out like a lion this time. Happy April to all!
Grace Bennett, founder and editor-in-chief at Inside Chappaqua Magazine, reports on the swearing in of local officials which she covered and in which Hillary participated.
Gathering for coffee and conversation at Chappaqua’s Le Jardin du Roi: Team New Castle with IC intern Zarah Kavarana and myself.
Just between us, indeed. This column was on a whole ‘nother topic while Inside Chappaqua
patiently waited for “the word” from Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein for
a date for Team New Castle’s swearing in ceremony. He and the team were
busy coordinating with Secretary Clinton and Congresswoman Nita Lowey
so they could preside.
So in the ‘nth hour before IC was off to
press–with Team New Castle election victory coverage already slated as
the cover story–I was thrilled to work in some images from Town Hall’s
Jan. 22 swearing in, and managed to post some video right away.
Pictures by the fabulous Carolyn Simpson, www.doublevisionphotographers.com,
followed to inform and entertain a social media audience, primarily. I
also very much appreciated a wonderful “reunion” moment I shared with
Secretary Clinton–making this whole event another one for the IC books.
You
can find our story as it ran that night by clicking on the “New Castle
News” link or look under “Cover Stories” on our home page here for
expanded coverage.
By
Grace Bennett Take a former Secretary of State and two time Senator who
happens to be a long time, community minded resident of this town. Add …[Read More...]
By
Grace Bennett with Zarah Kavarana
Editor’s Note: On what they touted as an Independent ticket challenging
an all Democrat one, Team New Castle persevered this fall. A month post
victory, Zarah … [Read More...]
You can download the entire issue by clicking on the magazine cover above and here >>>>
Hillary Clinton and Congresswoman Nita Lowey spoke at inauguration ceremonies at New Castle Town Hall. Photo Credit: Sam Barron
CHAPPAQUA,
N.Y. -- Former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and First Lady Hillary
Clinton joined the Town of New Castle in swearing its newest municipal
officials on Wednesday.
Clinton, who purchased a home in Chappaqua with
her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in 1999, swore in Supervisor
Robert Greenstein, Council members Adam Brodsky and Lisa Katz and
Justice Noah Sorkin.
At the event, Clinton was kidded about a
potential run for president in 2016. She told The Daily Voice when
asked that she was not ready to make an announcement.
"Not at the moment," she said.
Secretary
Hillary Rodham Clinton swearing in Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein.
Photo by Carolyn Simpson, www.doublevisionphotographers.com
By Grace Bennett
Take a former Secretary of State and two time Senator who happens to
be a long time, community minded resident of this town. Add three new
inductees to town government and a town justice, who has already served
six years. Pack in persons, Democrats and Republicans alike, from in and
around town. And what do you get? A swearing in ceremony for the
history books!
Tonight, about 5:30 p.m.: Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton Town Hall
swore in Robert Greenstein as Town Supervisor, Lisa Katz as Deputy
Supervisor, Adam Brodsky as Town Councilman and Noah Sorkin as Town
Justice. The ceremony was also presided over by Congresswoman Nita Lowey
and Susan Spear, a representative for Senator Kristin Gillebrand.
Last night, folks in her new hometown were following her through Africa on her final tour there as secretary of state. Grace Bennett, of Inside Chappaqua Magazine,
accompanied Secretary Clinton on that trip and shared her experience as
a member of the travelling press corps with an auditorium full of her
neighbors at the Chappaqua Library. Titled “Travelling with Hillary
Clinton,” the event drew an audience of well over 100 causing the
library parking lot to fill to capacity and overflow to a nearby lot.
Photo credit: Amy Kerwin Dragonfly Photography
Introduced by Chappaqua Library’s Program Coordinator Joan Kuhn,
Grace provided some background on how this bit of personal history came
about, explaining that she believes in listening to the inner voice
that told her to start Inside Chappaqua
ten years ago. She said that when she subtitled it The Magazine for New
Castle and Beyond, she was thinking of beyond more as White Plains than
Africa.
Photo credit: Amy Kerwin Dragonfly Photography
Like
many Chappaqua residents, she encountered her senator, who later became
our secretary of state, from time to time in town and requested an
interview often. Hillary told her that she really did not have time, and
Grace said. “Well, you'll just have to take me along on a trip!” That
remark set off a series of events that ultimately put Grace in one of
the press seats on Air Mission 757 – Hillary's Big Blue Bird.
Photo credit: Grace Bennett
Grace
showed about 30 slides of the trip in no particular order explaining
the significance of each and identifying the principals.
Criss-crossing Africa from Senegal to Somalia and South Africa to Benin,
the journey included stops in 10 African countries before the last stop
in Istanbul where Hillary attended a meeting on Syria. Grace mentioned
that in just about every African country, Hillary was greeted by dancers
which she thoroughly enjoyed and sometimes danced along and asked for
encores.
Photo credit: Grace Bennett
She
showed photos of dignitaries in dazzling traditional dress. Here,
Hillary is with Joyce Banda, first woman president of Malawi where
Hillary had a lot of fun at a dairy cooperative and made a gft, via
USAID, of a dairy bull named Emanuel.
Photo credit: Grace Bennett
Here, she is with President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and other Nigerian officials. Nigeria was added late in the tour
while security issues were being addressed. The Nigerians badly wanted
her to visit since they knew she would not be returning to the
continent as SOS.
Photo credit: Grace Bennett
Recounting
her favorite moment of the trip, Grace recalled a 45 minute “drinks
with the secretary” event with press and staff. When a staffer and
reporter began debating who had a harder job and life, Grace suggested
they trade places as in the movie “The Parent Trap.” Hillary loved the
suggestion.
Ending her talk by reading the congratulatory letter Hillary had delivered to Grace's 10th anniversary party in March, she then took questions from the audience. Yours truly, remembering that, while in South Africa. Hillary was given an African name, “Nimkita,”
asked if she knew what it meant. Grace was very happy to answer that
since, as a sort of outlier among the more travel-seasoned press, it was
the one piece of information she had gotten that none of the others
had, so they all had to go to Grace for the information. She said that
the full name, correctly, is Namkita Nolegua which is Zulu for “She who
shines light on all who follow.” We who follow agree, and especially
enjoyed following her last night!
Many thanks to Ronni Diamondstein for this lovely article in the June issue of Inside Chappaqua Magazine. Thanks as well to the awesome Grace Bennett, founder and publisher of the magazine and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
It is so nice to see Hillary Clinton's important work and this blog promoted this way.
Blogging for the former First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State and…
by Ronni Diamondstein
There’s no doubt from the media buzz around Hillary Clinton’s future
since she left the office of Secretary of State that many people, not
only in Chappaqua, but across the nation and world, have not given up
hope that she will fulfill what many see as her destiny.
Numerous websites and blogs have followed Clinton since she lost the
presidential nomination in 2008, and more are sprouting up now that her
future political plans remain a mystery. You can find them on the web,
on Facebook and Twitter. Still4Hill continues to be one of the most prominent.
It was a perfectly beautiful day, and I was lucky enough this year
to meet up with a group of Hillary friends for the Memorial Day parade
and ceremonies. In addition to the pictures I took myself, I have some
shared by friends.
There were wonderful pipes and drums, and
the Horace Greeley High School band played flawlessly. Girl Scouts of
Troop 120 placed the wreath. It was great to see girls doing it. There
were many, many dogs, some with flag bandanas, and all were
well-behaved throughout.
One special doggie I finally got to meet was Maggie Mae, Pup Reporter, who writes a pet column for Grace Bennett's Inside Chappaqua Magazine. Maggie's mom, Ronni Diamondstein has written an article featuring this blog for the June issue.
Ronni
and her canine cub reporter had their picture taken with Hillary. It
was very hard to get close, but I cropped a few where you can see Ronni
and Hillary. In one shot, you can also see Maggie Mae.
I want
to thank especially Rumana Alvi, Sharon Yarborough, and Rosemary
Rowlands (who had her picture taken with Hillary) for sharing their
images with me. It was a wonderful day, and yes, I did get to talk with
Hillary. No, it was not about 2016. Sorry, but as I have said here
often, that is the best way to waste your two minutes with Hillary
Rodham Clinton. What a beautiful day with a beautiful lady and her
loyalists in her hometown!
I would like to thank Mme. Secretary for her kindness and patience taking time to meet me. She is most gracious and generous. One thing I forgot to ask - I was so blown away by her kind attention - was how I could get her press releases.
