My Reflections on September 11

September 11, 2001. It is a day when most of those alive remember where they were, and how they felt. I myself was a child at 8 years old. I came home from school early that day, not thinking much of it. Teachers and faculty did not appear to be tense at the time, soContinue reading “My Reflections on September 11”

U.S.-Canada Border Separates Couple During Pandemic

Longtime couple Mert LaBounty and Tammy Yonkers never met an obstacle as large as the pandemic-related U.S.-Canada border closure. Since March 20 of last year, the couple have had to rely on technology to communicate. This reached a breaking point for LaBounty, which he recounted. “I got into this wicked depression where all I couldContinue reading “U.S.-Canada Border Separates Couple During Pandemic”

Hudson Valley Parents Debate Masks in Schools

As the Delta variant rages on, so does the debate over students wearing masks in schools come fall. Children across the country, especially those ineligible for the vaccine, are ending up in the intensive care unit for COVID-19. This is a concern for Tameka Arroy-Santiago, a Hopewell Junction parent of two school-aged children under theContinue reading “Hudson Valley Parents Debate Masks in Schools”

Connecticut Native Seeks to Brighten Up Community

New Haven, Connecticut brought longtime medical professional Doreen Abubakar positive memories as a child. Today, Abubakar makes the revitalization of one of its deprived neighborhoods her life’s work. The Newhallville area was a thriving working-class community before the 1980s. Like many working class areas across the country, an economic downturn left the area in direContinue reading “Connecticut Native Seeks to Brighten Up Community”

New Jersey Teen Inspires Mental Health Movement

When Jersey City teenager Hunter Reinholt died tragically at 15 after an accidental overdose in 2019, his mom Tracy decided to take action. She gathered his group of friends to figure out how to honor his legacy. “Everyone was focused on how he lived,” she said. “We decided to start something that focused on that,Continue reading “New Jersey Teen Inspires Mental Health Movement”

The Trauma of Racism: A Therapist’s Perspective

Racial tension is a hot-button issue today in our schools, workplaces and the political discourse. It is an issue that many of psychologist Dr. Cassandra Hutchins’ patients look to deal with in therapy. “I would say the racial climate impacts 95 percent of my patients,” she said. “Regardless of their race, I am seeing thatContinue reading “The Trauma of Racism: A Therapist’s Perspective”

COVID Survivors for Change Founder Shares Story

Lawyer and gun control advocate Chris Kocher pivoted when the pandemic hit New York City the hardest last spring. After seeing friends survive COVID-19 or lose loved ones, Kocher knew there was a need to address the emotional trauma. “I wanted to see if there was something I could do to support families most impacted,”Continue reading “COVID Survivors for Change Founder Shares Story”

New Jersey Chiropractor Discusses Son’s AD/HD

When New Jersey chiropractor Daniel Cardellichio discovered that his 13-year-old son James had attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (or AD/HD), he started to reflect on his own childhood. “I think that I had AD/HD growing up,” he said. “It was a situation where I remember sitting in class, looking at that clock every 10 seconds. I wasContinue reading “New Jersey Chiropractor Discusses Son’s AD/HD”

Orange County Farmers’ Markets Add to Communities

While the rest of the county shut down, farmers’ markets were alive and well last year in Orange County, New York. As an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic, farmer’s markets across the country boomed last year with new foot traffic. The large number of farmers’ markets in Orange County were no exception. Kristy Apostolides,Continue reading “Orange County Farmers’ Markets Add to Communities”

Spotlight On: Saiwa Healing Arts

It was her own anxiety that led Lauren Haimelin Carter to embark on a career healing others. As a student at the State University of New York in New Paltz, being an overachiever had its limits. When she came back from studying abroad in Spain in 2002, a doctor diagnosed the now-41-year-old with anxiety. “IContinue reading “Spotlight On: Saiwa Healing Arts”