FOUNDATION LAUNCHES LEGACY SOCIETY
THE OPEN DOOR FOUNDATION, headquartered in Somers, launched its Legacy Society at an event with financial editor and author Jean Chatzky Wednesday Oct. 24 at Historic Hudson Valley in Pocantico Hills. Chatzky, the financial editor of the “Today Show” and award-winning author, gave the keynote address titled “Money Rules for a Secure Retirement,”
The Open Door Foundation created the Legacy Society to honor and recognize members of the community who have included Open Door in their estate plans by naming the Open Door Foundation as a beneficiary in their wills, trusts, insurance policies, donor-advised funds or foundations. Such gifts help to sustain certain programs or facilities, add capacity, establish endowments and launch major new initiatives.
From left: Open Door Foundation member Kathy Perkel of Rye, Open Door Family Medical Center CEO and President Lindsay Farrell of Ossining, Open Door Foundation Board Vice Chairwoman Laura Mogil of Briarcliff and Jean Chatzky of Briarcliff.
NEW POP-UP RESTAURANTÂ IN WHITE PLAINS
THE GREAT AMERICAN BBQ CO. has opened a pop-up restaurant in White Plains located adjacent to Sam”™s of Gedney Way. It”™s open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week now to Nov. 30.
“For many years, our BBQ clients have always asked us to open a BBQ restaurant in Westchester,” said Peter Herrero, owner of The Great American BBQ Co. and Sam”™s of Gedney Way. “We have been searching for a suitable site, until the light bulb went off ”“”“ why don”™t we just do it here at Sam”™s. If the pop-up restaurant proves to be a success, we would consider reopening the concept as a seasonal restaurant during the summer and fall of 2014.”
David Pellon, director of catering, has transformed the patio decor with an upscale BBQ motif. All BBQ will be rubbed, smoked and slow roasted on site by Pit Master Pancho Diaz, who”™s been honing his BBQ skills for more than 15 years. Executive Chef Joseph Sasso said he and his staff are “excited and ready to start smoking.”
The Great American BBQ Co. is located at 54 Gedney Way in White Plains. Visit thegreatamericanbbq.com or call (914) 686-2277 to make reservations and enjoy this limited engagement.
THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE PRESIDENT HONORED
JUDITH HUNTINGTON, president of The College of New Rochelle, was an honoree for Girls Inc. Westchester Power of the Purse Nov. 14 at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff. Sharon Epperson, CNBC”™s senior commodities and personal finance correspondent hosted the event.
Other honories included Renee Brown, president and CEO of CW Brown Inc.; Gigi Fernandez, Olympic Gold medalist and member of the Tennis Hall of Fame; and Stacy Hobson Ph.D., research scientist at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. For the first time, a “few good men,” actor Michael Boatman and former MLB executive, Jimmie Lee Solomon were applauded for their commitment to the advancement and well-being of girls.
“Girls Inc. gives girls the confidence and skills they need to reach their potential. Our special guests affirm that strong, smart and bold girls can grow up to be anything they want to be. ”¦” said Sally Baker, executive director of Girls Inc. Westchester.
WOMAN”™S ORGANIZATION RAISES FUNDS FOR THE HUNGRY
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN OF WESTCHESTER (PWW) recently hosted a “Give Thanks” networking party to benefit the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and the Homeless (WCHH). The event raised more than $500 from photographs taken by Margaret Rizzuto Photography, collected 50 pounds of canned food donations and raised awareness about the WCHH mission.
PWW President Jamie Imperati is part of Team Hungershield, which wishes to raise $40,000 or 40,000 pounds of food over the next two years for the coalition.
From left, Jamie Imperati, PWW president; Maria Freburg of Webster Bank; Denise Killeen, WCHH executive assistant; Jeanne Blum, executive director, Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and the Homeless; Chantell Brown, director, WCHH community programs; and Joe Pizimenti, vice president, WCHH Board of Directors.
NORTHERN WESTCHESTER HOSPITAL WELCOMESÂ NEW PHYSICIANS
BRIAN ELLIOTT received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. He completed his residency from Mount Sinai Medical Center and completed his fellowship in hematology and oncology from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, and Mount Sinai Medical Center. Elliott is a member of the Mount Kisco Medical Group and resides in Bronxville.
MAJA ILIC received her medical degree from the University of Zagreb Medical School, Croatia. She completed her residency and fellowship at Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, in pediatric neurology, and her fellowship in neurophysiology and epilepsy at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City. Ilic is a member of Westchester Health and resides in White Plains.
OLIVER MUENSTERER received his medical degree from Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. He completed his residency at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. in pediatrics and his fellowship in pediatric surgery at Birmingham Children”™s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. Muensterer practices at Children”™s & Women”™s Physicians of Westchester in Valhalla and resides in New Rochelle.
GUSTAVO STRINGEL received his medical degree from National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Toronto and in pediatric surgery from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Stringel practices at Children”™s & Women”™s Physicians of Westchester in Valhalla and resides in Larchmont.
DARA COHEN received her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx and completed her residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and her fellowship in endocrinology from Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City. Cohen is a member of Mount Kisco Medical Group and resides in Scarsdale.
MARK LOIGMAN received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, his residency in psychiatry from Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City. Loigman practices psychiatry at Northern Westchester Hospital and resides in Larchmont.
LESLIE SALAND received her medical degree and completed her residency in neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She also completed her fellowship in clinical neurophysiology from New York University Medical Center, New York City, and multiple sclerosis from Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City. Saland is a member of Mount Kisco Medical Group and resides in Chappaqua.
BRADLEY SCHWACK received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, and completed his residency in general surgery from New York University Bellevue Medical Center, New York City. He also completed his fellowship in laparoscopic surgery in Norton Healthcare, Louisville, N.Y. Schwack practices and resides in New York City.
ANNE FINGER received her physician assistant degree from Albany Medical College. She practices as a physician assistant and lives in New York City.
VIVIAN LEE received her physician assistant degree from State University of New York School of Medicine, Stony Brook. She practices as a physician assistant at Northern Westchester Hospital and resides in Chappaqua.
MANJJU PULICKAL received her certified registered nurse anesthetist degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark. She works at American Anesthesiology of New York P.C., and resides in Westwood, N.J.
HOSPITAL CENTER EXPANDS CHILD CARE CENTER
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow recently held a ribbon cutting for the Robin”™s Nest Child Care Center marking the official opening of a $1.4 million expansion. The 3,860-square-foot addition to the facility opens up day care opportunities for 40 more infants, toddlers and preschool age children, ages two months through six years.
Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken Wray said, “The expansion of Robin”™s Nest is great for everyone in the community, especially for working parents who know that their children are well taken care of here. The village is growing, the hospital is growing and it”™s important that assets such as this facility grow, too.”
Phelps President and CEO Keith F. Safian said, “The Robin”™s Nest has a long tradition of providing excellent child care for local families and hospital employees. The need we are meeting for greater capacity is a solid indicator that the community is recovering from the recession, with more and more parents employed. ”¦”
Diane Matrafailo, director of the facility, said, “The Robin”™s Nest is one of very few day care facilities in the area that is nationally accredited. ”¦”
The Robin”™s Nest operates year round from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and can now accommodate a maximum of 130 children. The center is fully equipped with safe and fun indoor and outdoor play areas, as well as a highly skilled teaching staff.
Established in 1988, the Robin”™s Nest is licensed by the New York State Department of Social Services and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. To learn more about child care services at the Robin”™s Nest, contact Matrafailo, at (914) 366-3232 or visit phelpschildcare.org.
LEADING BEER COMPANY PARTNERS WITH GROWNYC
HEINEKEN USA employees in White Plains and New York City recently joined forces with New York City environmental nonprofit GrowNYC and local Bronx residents to renovate the La Finca del Sur Community Garden located in south Bronx. The garden, which was in need of several large-scale improvements, was chosen by HEINEKEN USA as the focus of its 2013 Day of Giving employee volunteer project.
La Finca del Sur is a New York City GreenThumb garden that is led and operated by more than 20 women from the south Bronx neighborhood. In addition to hosting community events throughout the year, the two-acre garden produces vegetables and herbs and provides a home to a seasonal farmer”™s market for a community that lacks access to fresh produce.
“Giving back to the communities in which we work and do business is core to who we are at HEINEKEN USA,” said Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN USA.“
“Corporate partnerships like ours with Heineken are vital to creating green spaces in our city,” said GrowNYC Executive Director Marcel Van Ooyen. “Without the sweat equity, a garden blueprint is just a piece of paper. The Heineken team rolled up their sleeves and helped us accomplish something great and long lasting for the community in just one day. GrowNYC is so grateful for their interest in improving and beautifying our City.”
From left, Yvette, La Finca del Sur farm manager; Gerard Lordahl, director of the open space greening at GrowNYC; Nancy Ortiz-Surun, co-founder of La Finca del Sur; Stacey Tank, senior vice president and chief corporate relations officer, HEINEKEN USA; and Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN USA.
