RWM March 2012 Issue by Rochester Woman Magazine

march 2012

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are your finances making you

sick? GIRL SCOUTS CELEBRATE

skin cancer PART TWO:

100 YEARS

gail riggs

mohs surgery

the woman with a purpose rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

w w w. r o c h e s t e rwo m a n m ag . c o m

RESALE STORES

by Volunteers of America

BETTER BRANDS AMAZING PRICES

march

contents ETC

platter chatter

fashion forward

special feature: skin cancer part 2

fabulous march finds

for a good cause: girl scouts

local business matters

leading woman: amy castronova

special feature: city living sundays

healthy woman

special feature: women vs. men

queen of arts

cover story: gail riggs

wisdom in a traffic jam

fitness

rwm beauty

rw inspire

world of women sports

making dollars and sense

special feature: mrs new york america

gardening diva

rw reads & writes

rwm Pets

tips for women

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SUNDAYS 12 pm to 4 pm

Preview the neighborhoods at the FREE Landmark Society of WNY Bus Tours!

East High School, 1801 E. Main St.

WHERE: The Home Room at The Landmark Society of WNY 133 S. Fitzhugh St.

EAST SIDE: March 18

Celebrating 20 years!

WEST SIDE: March 25

Theodore Roosevelt School 43, 1305 Lyell Ave.

WHEN: 2 pm, Saturday March 17 & 24

585-546-7029 Ext. 10 to register

Thank you to our Partners! Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS® • Rochester City School District • Rochester City Council The Landmark Society of WNY • Thank you to our Participating Lenders and Sponsors: The Bank of Castile • Canandaigua National Bank • Citizens Bank • First Niagara Bank • HSBC Bank • JP Morgan Chase Bank • M & T Bank • Nothnagle Home Securities • Visions Federal Credit Union • Wells Fargo Bank • Consumer Credit Counseling Services • Harvey Bunis, Esq. • Gunther Home Inspections The Property Source • The Rochester Rhinos • TOPS Markets

Questions? Call 428-CITY • www.citylivingsundays.com TDD: (585) 428-6054

cityofrochester.gov

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ROCHESTER

WOMAN magazine

OUR TEAM... Publishers

Kelly Breuer Barbara McSpadden

Editor-in-Chief

Barbara McSpadden

Creative DIRECTOR Kelly Breuer

Graphic Design Jessica Bates Melissa Meritt

Letter from the PUBLISHERS The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world. -Charles Malik As we celebrate women’s history this month, we are given an opportunity to recognize those great women who have gone before us and paved the way. Because of their ambitious advances, we can follow in their footsteps to continue their legacy. Their stories and struggles encourage all of us to strike out on our own path and leave behind footsteps for more women to follow. Our cover woman for this issue is a perfect example of creating a legacy. Gail Riggs has a vision and creativity that has helped her design beautiful handbags that not only honor some of the great women in our history, but in doing so, she is also helping to raise money for some wonderful causes in our community. (Read her story starting on page 32) Her Ms. Anthony, Ms. Bouvier and Ms. Annie bags are elegantly designed keepsakes that any woman would not only be proud to carry on their arm, but each was created with a greater purpose. This month our leading woman column appropriately features Amy Castronova. After becoming president and CEO of Novatek Communications at the tender age of 20, just six years later the US Small Business Administration named her Young Entrepreneur of the Year and that was just the beginning. Read her incredible story on page 22. Most of us have probably donned a Girl Scout uniform at some point in time during our younger days. One of the nation’s first organizations to teach women about leadership and self-worth is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month. We proudly took a look back at their story on page 19.

Photography Todd Elliott Jennifer Merida Brandon Vick

Contributing Writers Jessica Bagley Jenn Bergin Sarah Jane Clifford Ashley Cooper Colleen Flaherty Teresa Fritschi Frances Grossman Sherrif Ibrahim, M.D. Joan E. Lincoln Angella Luyk Zina JC Nelson Mark Forrest Patrick Sraddha Prativadi, M.D. Caurie Putnam Jillain Pastella Salomone Nicole Shein

Advertising Sales Bob Farrell Lorna Lee

Advertise with us...

Unlike any other publication in the Rochester area, our feature articles address major topics that interest local women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, home matters, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local Rochester women.

Financial stress effects all of us, especially in this economy with rising fuel costs and record unemployment numbers. Did you know that your financial stress could be making you sick? Read our Making Dollars & Sense column on page 50 and find out how to relieve the stress and improve your financial health.

Ads are due on the 15th of the month prior to publication. The print magazines will be distributed locally in over 350 locations and will be in your inbox electronically by the middle of every month. The publication is available free of charge.

We hope that you enjoy reading this issue of Rochester Woman Magazine. We are already busy putting the finishing touches on our April issue and we can promise you that we have some really exciting new things in store for everyone, so stay tuned and make sure that you truly take a look around, and enjoy all that the incredible women of our past have given for our future!

Contact our home office 585.924.4426 10 East Main Street Suite 301 Victor, NY 14564 info@rochesterwomanmag.com

Kell y & Barb On Our Cover...

Photography for the cover story was provided by Brandon Vick Photography at the Susan B. Anthony House.

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

Download our media kit at www.rochesterwomanmag.com The magazine is published 11 times a year by InnovateHER Media Group, llc. 10 E. Main St., Suite 301, Victor, NY 14564. Copyright © 2012 InnovateHER Media Group, llc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or republished without the consent of the publishers. Rochester Woman Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photos or artwork. All such submissions become the property of InnovateHER Media Group, llc. and will not be returned.

Etc... march movies...

3/9

A war-weary, former military captain John Carter is inexplicably transported to Barsoom (Mars) where he becomes embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas and Princess Dejah Thoris. In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube.

3/19

Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year old from a poor territory that was once Appalachia, becomes a gladiator in a reality-show that is a battle to the death against other teens from the 12 districts of the former United States.

3/23

3/30

A reimagining of the classic fairy tale starring Oscar winner Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins as Snow White, Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott, Sean Bean as the King and Nathan Lane as the Queen’s hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright.

Rochester Home Builders Local Volunteers Shave Their Association Home and Heads to Support Childhood Garden Show March 24 & 25 Cancer Research

Rochester’s premier show for indoor and outdoor living, is returning to the Rochester Convention Center in downtown Rochester March 24 and 25. Produced by the Rochester Home Builders’ Association, The Home and Garden Show will feature popular favorites including culinary demonstrations by the area’s top chefs, daily seminars, and professional interior design experts who will assist homeowners with their design challenge and questions. In addition, an expanded wine tasting area will allow visitors to the show an opportunity to enjoy wine tasting from local wineries.

Seminars led by area experts will include the newest trends in kitchen and interior design, gardening, and creative ideas and solutions for home remodeling and decorating. The show takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $8 at the door, children 12 and under will be admitted free. Discount coupons will be available at www.thehomeandgardenshow. com. A portion of ticket sales will benefit various charities, including Habitat for Humanity and the School of the Holy Childhood.

It takes a community to cure childhood cancer. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, will host one of its signature headshaving events at Mickey Finn’s in Victor on March 11, 2012. There more than 100 will shave their heads in solidarity with kids with cancer and raise money for life-saving children’s cancer research. Why all the shaved heads? Worldwide, more than 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, and it remains the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. With only 4 percent of all federal cancer research funding dedicated to pediatric cancer research, St. Baldrick’s Foundation grant funds are critical to continue the battle against this devastating disease. The event will feature a silent auction/raffle for a wide variety of items donated by businesses in the community. Also, there will be “special guests” attending the event to help keep the children occupied and busy that day. The current list of special guests includes the mascot from Build A Bear Bearemy along with the clowns from Grease Alley Clowns and players from the Rochester Knighthawks. Several families from the Rochester area that have a child with cancer will be attending the event. Some of these families are shaving at the event as well. This is the sixth event in the greater Rochester area. In the past the events has raised over $118,000 and more than 195 individuals have shaved their heads in solidarity for children with cancer. The goal for this year is to have 100 individuals shave on March 11, 2012.

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pomodoro sugar mountain bake shot

pittsford

by nicole shein I photos by todd elliott Say what you want about Michelinstarred restaurants and the Culinary Institute of America--the best recipes are family recipes, handed down from Mom and Grandma. The tradition of cooking for one’s family is what inspires owner Sami Mina and the staff at Pittsford’s Pomodoro Grill and Wine Bar, where my husband and I were recently treated to a tasting. Under the direction of Chef Dennis Bergeron, Pomodoro serves Mediterranean fare with global influences. This isn’t your typical Italian restaurant menu, although you’ll find plenty of pasta offerings and spectacular pizza; nor is it a hummus-and-gyros Greek joint. “Pomodoro offers a smattering of all the different Mediterranean styles,” says kitchen manager Al Young. “Sami has a very distinct approach to the menu.”

We began our meal with a popular item from the tapas menu, seared ahi tuna encrusted with white and black sesame seeds. Served on a bed of mixed field greens with a thick, almost glaze-like honey chipotle sauce, the slices of fish were well-executed, with delicate, translucent pink flesh. The tapas menu changes frequently, and is only available at the bar, where patrons can also choose from one of several dozen beers on tap and an extensive wine list. Pomodoro prides itself on staying current with wine trends, and on showcasing local wineries’ offerings. The restaurant also holds tasting events centered around local wines and local beers, especially during the warmer months when the large outdoor patio can be pressed into service. Both the food menu and the wine list are changed seasonally, explains Young, although the more popular dishes remain constant. One of these is the cioppino spaghetti, a comforting dish in which briny mussels, clams, shrimp and scallops play well with a mild, buttery saffron-tomato sauce. This entree is messy, what with the shell-on seafood and the potential for splattering, but well worth it.

The star of the show, however, was Pomodoro’s pizza, perhaps because it was so unexpected. We sampled the “vegetale” variety, with baby spinach, tomato slices, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, mozzarella and goat cheese. These toppings, while delicious, were nearly outshone by the pizza crust. Yes, the crust--it was that good. Crisp yet chewy, thin but not wimpy, and marked with a slight sweetness which balanced out the salty notes provided by the olives and cheese, this pizza crust is not an afterthought, but a very solid foundation on which to build a pie--or a meal. We’ll be back to try some of the other options, which include pesto chicken, seafood and feta, classic margherita and more. Not surprisingly, the pizza crust is house-made daily, as is the pasta. It’s also worth noting that Pomodoro sources its ingredients locally whenever possible. Pomodoro also serves steaks, pork chops, rack of lamb and roasted chicken on its entree menu, as well as a selection of substantial salads, all of which can optionally be topped with grilled chicken, seafood, steak or portobello. Pomodoro is located at 3400 Monroe Avenue in Pittsford. www.mypomodoro.com rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

By Joan E. Lincoln

The formation of the International Ladies Garment Worker’s Union (ILGWU) was somewhat of a miracle. During the 1880’s and 1890’s ladies garments were made in small units and in countless, isolated sweatshops. A sweatshop was a makeshift factory, which was dimly lit and poorly ventilated. Impoverished people, mostly, women and children worked at top speed for more than twelve hours a day, cutting and sewing, often taking work home to make a small wage. These sweatshops became a major problem in the late 1800’s when large numbers of immigrants poured into the country. The owners of the sweatshops took advantage of the immigrants’ ignorance and poverty to get them to work for lower wages. After the introduction of the electric sewing machine in the mid 1890’s, female workers dominated the garment industry. The ILGWU was formed in 1900. Most of the members of the union were women, mainly immigrants and by 1969 the membership had grown to over 450,000. In 1995, ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) into the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). UNITE in turn merged in 2004 with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) to form UNITE-HERE Most of us are familiar with the ILGWU through their famous television campaign from the 1970’s. Concerned with declining union membership and the movement of textile jobs overseas, the ILGWU spearheaded a campaign to “Look for the Union Label”. The TV campaigns featuring the catchy jingle littered the airwaves and encouraged viewers to look for

The Union’s “Look for the Union Label” song went as follows, Look for the union label When you are buying a coat, dress, or blouse, Remember somewhere our union’s sewing, Our wages going to feed the kids and run the house, We work hard, but who’s complaining? Thanks to the ILG, we’re paying our way, So always look for the union label, It says we’re able to make it in the USA! The film “With These Hands”, essentially a documentary, extols the many advantages to the members of the ILGWU through the eyes of a retiring cloak operator who joined the union in 1910. This veteran unionist remembers the sweatshops of that long-ago day, the bitter strike for recognition in 1909-1910, which became known as the Uprising of the 20,000, and the terrible Triangle Waist Company fire, in which 146 women, locked in their factory were killed - this was actually a modern factory that was fire proof. The owners chose NOT to hook up sprinklers and to LOCK the doors, which was why the workers died unnecessarily. For much more information about this tragedy link to the website: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire. Joan E. Lincoln is the owner of Panache Vintage and Finer Consignment, 1855 Monroe Ave, www.joanlincoln.com.

::special feature

Mohs Surgery

Skin Cancer Part Two By Sherrif Ibrahim, M.D., Ph.D.

This is part two of a three part series addressing the skin cancer problem in America.Our next issue will deal with prevention of skin cancer.

In last month’s issue, we provided a background to the types of skin cancer and drew attention to the astounding numbers of cases. In this month’s issue we will focus on the treatment of the common types of skin cancer with special focus on Mohs micrographic surgery. Typically, if someone has a suspicious growth – for example, an area on the face that bleeds easily and never heals, they will go to their doctor to have it examined. Some primary care doctors will perform a biopsy in the office themselves; while others will recognize that this growth may be a skin cancer and refer them to a dermatologist. The dermatologist will then perform a biopsy of the growth to determine if it is malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). The purpose of the biopsy is not to remove the growth entirely, but to sample it to ascertain its characteristics. The biopsy is sent to another doctor, the pathologist, who will look at the skin under a microscope and generate a report back to the dermatologist. If the growth is confirmed to be a skin cancer, the dermatologist will either treat the cancer themselves or refer the patient to a skin cancer specialist and, in many cases, a Mohs surgeon. DIFFERENT CANCERS NEED DIFFERENT TREATMENT To refresh, there are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. BCC and SCC together account for 95% of all cases of skin cancer. Despite the fact that melanoma makes up less than 5% of skin cancer, it is responsible for about 80% of the deaths due to skin cancer, which is why we hear so much more about it in the news and society. Because melanoma can be deadly, the treatment options involve more aggressive surgery than for BCC or SCC, requiring removal of a large safety margin of normal skin to ensure that the melanoma is completely removed. Treatment of BCC and SCC differs than treatment for melanoma. Because these cancers have a much lower chance of metastasizing (spreading to other parts of the body), the surgical margin for these cancers does not need to be as big. As long as the cancer is fully removed, there is no advantage to removing the large safety margin of normal skin like what is done for melanoma. Furthermore, because these

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

cancers originate in outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis, a variety of treatment approaches exist depending on the characteristics of each individual cancer and patient. The enormous advantage to treating skin cancer as opposed to internal cancers is that dermatologists can see and feel these growths and assess their response to treatment. MULTIPLE TREATMENT OPTIONS EXIST The biggest risk factor for the development of skin cancer is chronic sun exposure and fair-skinned individuals who tend to burn easily are at highest risk. For this reason, skin cancer tends to develop in the areas of the body that accumulate the most damage from the sun’s rays – the scalp, face, neck, backs of the hands, shoulders, and shins. The approach to treatment will depend on the type of cancer, where it is located, whether or not it has been treated before, as well as individual patient factors. For instance, when tumors are very superficial and in areas that are less cosmetically sensitive such as the back, a procedure called electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C) can be used. Colloquially referred to as a ‘scrape and burn’ procedure, the dermatologist numbs the skin and destroys the cancer by removing the top layer of skin. This only works for low-risk, thin cancers and does not work well on the head and neck. Other options such as freezing, topical creams, lasers or other light-based methods only work for very small, superficial cancers and do not yield a high enough cure rate for cancers that have had the chance to grow thicker or bigger, and should not be used for cancers on the face. SURGERY IS THE GOLD STANDARD With all of the above treatment approaches, the goal is to destroy the skin cancer. For small, thin cancers this results in cure rates around 90%. However, the main drawback with these treatment modalities is that the skin is destroyed, so there is nothing to analyze or look at under the microscope and hence, no way to confirm that the cancer has been removed. The only way to get feedback if a cancer has been treated adequately is with surgery because with surgery, skin that is removed can be looked at by a physician and determine if it is free of cancer. One can imagine that surgery on the back or the arm is a bit more straightforward than surgery on the nose or the lip. On the back, the

before dermatologist can numb the skin and remove the cancer with a small margin of normal skin (typically about Âź inch on each side) and sew the remaining skin together in a straight line. This specimen then gets sent to a pathology center and the pathologist will examine the skin to determine if the cancer is completely removed. The advantages to this approach are that it is fairly quick and results in a high cure rate with minimal difficulties to the patient. The disadvantages are that BCC and SCC often have â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rootsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or projections of the tumor that extend beyond the obvious cancer. So, on occasion, a report will return several days later that indicates the cancer has not been removed entirely and the procedure will need to be repeated. MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY Because about 85% of BCC and SCC occur on the head and neck, it is often not possible to remove a cancer with a wide enough margin of normal skin without encroaching upon important areas such as the lips, ears, or eyelids. Furthermore, once a cancer has been removed from an area such as the nose or the eyelid, it is often not possible to sew the edges of the skin directly together and complicated surgical reconstruction of the skin is needed. It would not be advisable for a physician to perform an intricate reconstructive procedure without first confirming a cancer has been removed. In these cases when skin cancers are in high-risk areas, when tumors are aggressive or infiltrative in their growth patterns, or when their edges are ill-defined, Mohs micrographic surgery results in the highest cure rates and is the treatment of choice. What is Mohs micrographic surgery? Mohs micrographic surgery, or simply Mohs surgery, is named in honor of Dr. Frederic Mohs, the physician who developed the technique over 50 years ago. Since then, many technical improvements and refinements have established it as the most definitive way for treating BCCs and SCCs. The major difference between Mohs surgery and the methods listed above is meticulous microscopic control. With Mohs surgery, the pathology laboratory is in the surgical office and the surgeon also acts as the pathologist. With the advantages of having a laboratory on-hand and undergoing training in how to look at skin under the microscope, the Mohs surgeon can remove the skin cancer layer by layer and examine the removed tissue under the microscope

after until normal (cancer-free) skin is obtained while the patient waits in the office. By evaluating 100% of the edges of the removed skin, the highest rates of tumor clearance are obtained and the chances of the cancer growing back are close to zero. In fact, by using the Mohs technique, cure rates for treating skin cancer approach 99%. The other main advantage of having microscopic control with Mohs surgery is that the amount of healthy tissue removed is kept to minimum. While other methods have to roughly estimate the amount of normal tissue to remove, often unnecessarily large amounts of normal skin can be removed, or recurrence of the tumor can happen if any cancer is left behind. With Mohs surgery, the cancer is removed while removing the least amount of healthy skin. This maximizes the functional and cosmetic outcome resulting from surgery. Once the Mohs surgeon has confirmed that the skin cancer has been removed, then reconstruction of the area occurs on the same day in the same office. In addition to training in skin cancer surgery and pathology, Mohs surgeons also undergo training in facial reconstruction. By removing the cancer and the smallest amount of normal skin, areas of the face can be repaired with the least cosmetic impact and the best results.

For more information: The American College of Mohs Surgery: www.mohscollege.org Sherrif Ibrahim, MD PhD is Assistant Professor of the URMC Department of Dermatology and the Wilmot Cancer Center. His practice is focused on procedural and surgical dermatology including the management of skin cancer with Mohs surgery.

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

First’s for Women

In 1756, during America’s Colonial period, Lydia Chapin Taft became the first woman to legally vote with the consent of the electorate. While all women didn’t enjoy this privilege until 1920, Taft was allowed to vote because her husband, a powerful local figure, had passed away right before a major town vote. She was allowed to step in in his stead. The first woman to run for U.S. president was Victoria Woodhull, who campaigned for the office in 1872 under the National Woman’s Suffrage Association. While women would not be granted the right to vote by a constitutional amendment for nearly 50 years, there were no laws prohibiting one from running for the chief executive position. The first female governor of a U.S. state was Wyoming governor Nellie Tayloe Ross, elected in 1924. Wyoming was also the first state

to give women the right to vote, enacting women’s suffrage in 1869, making it a surprising leader in women’s rights. The first woman elected to serve in Congress was Jeannette Rankin, a Republican from Montana. She was elected in both 1916 and 1940. A lifelong pacifist, she was the only member of Congress to vote against entering WWII. The first U.S. Patent issued to a woman was to Mary Dixon Kies, on May 15, 1809, for inventing a process for weaving straw with silk or thread. Before then, most women inventors didn’t bother to patent their new inventions because they couldn’t legally own property independent of their husbands. Few could get the support necessary to turn their ideas into a reality.

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

superfindsfo ::fabulous finds

march 1

Custom Mirrors by Kathleen Uncapher

Located in Pittsford, Interior Designer Kathleen Uncapher creates custom made Mirrors and home décor. She incorporates her client’s personal items into each mirror to create a unique, one-of-a-kind piece. To view more of Kathleen’s services and work or book a consultation, call her at 585-733-1380, or visit her website at www.design4UbyKathleen.com.

2 16

march 2012 :: rochesterWo

synfully sweet cakery Synfully Sweet Cakery can be described as tomorrow’s cupcake with a twist. Our gourmet cupcakes are baked fresh daily using custom extracts that are purchased worldwide to bring a taste that is deliciously irresistible. The love and old fashioned goodness we put into our product, is what makes us stand out from the rest. Synfully Sweet Cakery has more cookies, more filling, and more cake than anyone in the area. Please visit us at www.synfullysweetcakery. com Forgive us for being so Sweet!

Ashley Michaelsen Collection

::fabulous finds

Rochester native Ashley Michaelsen’s spring collection mixes fun and flirty with classic sophistication, emphasizing the female figure. Featured on runways, and in 2011’s February Fashion week, the Ashley Michaelson Collection is available in a number of Boutiques, as well as online at www.ashleymichaelsen.com.

Gourmet Imports & Specialty Gift Baskets A family tradition since 1930, Lombardi’s Gourmet Imports & Specialties carries specialty cookware and utensils, china and pottery, quality foods and gourmet gift baskets. Visit them on Main Street in the town of Fairport, or on their website at www.lombardisgourmet.com.

Upcycled Furniture, Murals and Annie Sloan Chalk Re-funk your junk with the Purple Painted Lady! Owner and Artist, Tricia Migliore Kuntz, restores vintage furniture to its original glory, but with a funky flare. Servicing Western New York from her shop on East Main St. in Palmyra, she also offers classes and birthday parties, does custom pieces, and can be commissioned to paint murals! Stop by her shop at 208 East Main St. in Palmyra, or visit her online store at www.thepurplepaintedlady.com .

rochester WomanMag.com :: march 2012

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::for a good cause

By Ashley Cooper

As we make preliminary strides in 2012, we anticipate a flourishing year, marked by a desire for peace and re-growth. Part of building a better future includes commemorating the victories of the past. One such group planning to celebrate a remarkable legacy is the Girl Scouts of America. One hundred years ago, Juliette Gordon Low, a gifted artist and athlete from the South, summoned eighteen girls to gather collectively as the first troop of American Girl Guides. The troop was influenced by Boy Scouts of America founder Sir Robert Baden-Powell and his desire to extend the movement to females. Low’s vision included equipping young women for roles not only in terms of homemaking and participating in civic affairs, but also in the professional field. She sought to do this in an environment that would allow the girls freedom to pursue their skills and abilities. This original troop of American Girl Guides was unique in that its members represented a span of backgrounds and also welcomed those with disabilities-a gesture virtually unheard of in the early 1900’s. Interestingly, Low orchestrated the girls’ activities out of doors. This was done in order to demonstrate skills in being self-sufficient and to know how to make use of available resources. By March 12, 1912, the Girl Scouts of America had been officially recognized and the number of membership enrollments began to sky-rocket. As the 1980’s approached, Low’s dream for women to achieve formal education and be active in the professional workplace was becoming a reality. Opportunities for women to employ the unique skills that they had cultivated as young girls in organizations like the Girl Scouts were increasing. However, with the surge of said opportunities came a decline in Girl Scout memberships. In a sense, the Low’s vision had started to peak, and Girl Scout officials had to re-define the premise of the organization. It’s true that in the previous century, the presence and influence of women in society dramatically amplified, but we are still at times finding ourselves in the margins. The majority of occupants in leadership position are still men and there is still a discrepancy in pay between the sexes. Women are

also covertly and overtly prejudiced against and the predominant victims of domestic and sexual violence. Based on the current status quo, the Girl Scouts of America have reformed their mission with Juliette Low’s heritage serving as a foundation. Chief Executive Officer Cindy Odom stresses that the first part of Low’s vision has in a sense been fulfilled, but the second part is “making sure that girls see themselves as leaders and contributors of society.” Now the organization serves to empower young women everywhere, raising their levels of self-esteem, and honing their leadership abilities. Odom states that a strong misconception about the Girl Scouts is that the most activity lies in their camp programs and in selling those cookies that we all know and love. People may not realize that those are “avenues to develop cooperation, collaboration, and leadership skills.” In honor of their centennial anniversary, the Girl Scouts of America has been titled, “The Year of the Girl.” This campaign reflects the preliminary goal of training young girls as leaders for the betterment of society. New badges have been released that feature techniques unique to the current culture, such as digital photography and social innovation. The Girl Scouts of Western New York are excited to be hosting a series of several new events in light of the “Year of the Girl” campaign. On June 23rd, they plan to launch, “Rock the Falls Sing-Along and Camping Spectacular” at Niagara Falls State Park. The Girl Scouts of Western New York expect thousands of troopers, including Girl Guides from Canada, at Goat Island for an evening of songs favored by the organization. “It’s a wonderful event to celebrate the strength of sisterhood,” says Odom. The Sing-Along will be followed by an exciting camp out at Old Fort Niagara. Also marking the 100th anniversary is the “Forever Green” movement which seeks to educate about ways to improve environmental conditions and preserve resources. To learn more about this event and the other programs promoted by the Girl Scouts of Western New York, please visit www.gswny.org.

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

::local business matters

By Jessica Bagley I photo by jennifer merida

Spinergy has been a flourishing company in Rochester for 28 years, appearing in Rochester’s Top 100 seven times—an award that recognizes a company’s rapid growth. “It’s a big honor, definitely a big honor,” said May Reeves, the President and CEO of Spinergy. Reeves, a Rochester native, and her husband, Gary, opened the business after working in the packaging and printing industry for software. It wasn’t long before, they chose to start their own business. “Spinergy began as a printing and packaging industry,” Reeves said. “Little by little, we started providing services in house, and built up a relationship with other partners. As technology has evolved, so has Spinergy. “It’s been a interesting business,” Reeves said. “The industry was in its infancy when it started. The computer and media industry was not around, and we have seen a tremendous amount of growth.” As a result of the growth, the company now works in optical media, providing a variety of services—from CD replication, CD printing and packaging to bulk media and equipment sales. “We are largely a business-to-business company,” Reeves said. “We work with a lot of musicians, and our business ranges 400 miles around Rochester, serving every big city in the Northeast and also in Southeast.” Spinergy works with a variety of industries—medicine, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, training, and education. A typical project for Spinergy is a customer requesting anywhere from 10 to 500 CDs or DVDs with screen printing and packaging. “We don’t turn down anyone who has a need for optical media,” Reeves said. Our normal time frame is seven to ten days, but if someone needs 50 copies done today, we’ll get it done. We accommodate any customer no matter how big or small the need is.” Spinergy has been in several facilities in the past 28 years. Three years ago, they moved to a 79,000 square foot plant on Lyell Avenue in Rochester. “We have an extraordinary company. We have very talented people and stay on top of our industry,” Reeves said. “Our screen printing is truly second to none. Reeves also commented on Spinergy’s responsiveness—they meet their deadlines in an economic and efficient manner, and seem to enjoy providing their client with a solution. As a female leader in a technical industry, Reeves has had challenges. “In our industry, there are not a lot of women,” Reeves said. “It’s even harder when you work with your husband, but over the last 28 years, people have learned to respect women. Things have really improved.” For more information on Spinergy, visit www.spinergymedia.com 20

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

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rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

::leading woman

By Jenn Bergin I photo by jennifer merida

Talk about making a mother proud. Amy Castronova has certainly done just that, as an entrepreneur - and as a woman. In 2001, while an undergraduate student at Clarkson University, Castronova found herself reeling from the untimely death of her mother. Castronova and her father were left to decide the future of Novatek Communications, the training and documentation company that her mother began in 1989. Castronova spent a year working to understand the intricacies of the business, in order to offer her thoughts on how the family should proceed. “My recommendation - is that you sell the company to me,” Castronova recalled telling her father in 2003. He did just that, and Castronova became President and CEO of Novatek Communications that year, at the age of 20. She hired an executive to handle daily operations while she completed her undergraduate degree, regularly commuted from Clarkson University in Potsdam to Rochester for meetings, and analyzed the company’s clients and financials during academic breaks. Castronova has not only succeeded in carrying on her mother’s legacy, she has helped the company to grow, by streamlining its focus and embracing eLearning and advanced technology. At age 26, the U.S. Small Business Administration named her a Young Entrepreneur of the Year. She is the youngest member of the Board of Trustees at Clarkson University. And last November, she was honored at the White House by Empact 100 as one of the country’s top 100 young entrepreneurs. Castronova is a natural leader and she is passionate about empowering young women to make an impact in business and the community. She runs a leadership development company for young adults, teaches a six-week leadership course for young entrepreneurs through Go Young Leaders, and hosts lectures and workshops at area universities. 22 march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

Castronova believes that character is imperative in determining success and she strives to encourage personal development when working with young adults. “I’m less tactical in my approach,” she said. “I place more focus on elements such as self-awareness, courage… and progress over comfort.” Castronova views youth as an advantage and considers her age to have been a benefit as a young entrepreneur. “At 20, I was never held back by fear,” she said. “And that’s a harder thing to do once you’re older… and you have student loan debt, or are planning a wedding or have kids.” Now 29, Castronova has already accomplished what some may consider a lifetime of aspirations. But, she’s not all business. Last year, in addition to working as one of the country’s top young entrepreneurs, she taught herself Italian, learned to play tennis and recorded her grandmother’s personal memoirs. When asked about her goals for the next decade, Castronova is not leaving her 30’s up to chance. She showed me her “Bucket List.” True to a successful businesswoman, it’s a detailed to-do list, an organized Excel document with categories ranging from business and charity to travel and adventure. In 2012, she hopes to skydive, take her extended family to Cape Cod, travel to New Zealand with her boyfriend and complete a MIT program for entrepreneurs. And the award from Empact 100, that got her to the White House, a lifelong dream - accomplished. Castronova believes successful entrepreneurs have certain common qualities. “They’re ambitious and they dream big,” she said. “They find a way to make it happen - they PLAN to make their dreams come true.” I’ve seen her “Bucket List.” Great things will continue to happen for Castronova. She’s definitely a woman with a plan.

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::special feature

By Ashley Cooper I photo by brandon vick

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

The appeal to become a Rochester city-dweller in the early nineties was, to a degree, weak. Former City Counsel President Lois Geiss affirms that at the time there was “little enthusiasm about buying a home in the city.” In fact, two decades ago, the market had depleted so much so that she was approached by realtors who unreservedly offered what services they could provide in order to boost real estate in municipal territory. Geiss claims that this sparked the notion, among her and her cohorts, to devise a program that would engage the community. “We talked about it amongst ourselves,” explains Geiss, “and we came up with the idea of jump-starting open homes.” Geiss and associates realized that if this innovative twist on real estate known as, “City Living Sundays” was to come to fruition, it would certainly have to be a collaborative effort. She stated that among the original assemblage of supporters were realtors, mainly women realtors, as well as local banks interested in educating the public about financing a home and offering incentives to first-time buyers. “A couple banks were very enthusiastic,” says Geiss, “and so we came up with the idea of creating fairs with seminars…banks have always been willing to make it a professional event.” Geiss further explains that in time, the Landmark Society of Western New York and the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors (GRAR) became full-time partners as well, graciously contributing to advertising costs, among other expenses. Equally as critical in terms of championing “City Living Sundays” is the Rochester City School District. “We invited them to be the hosts of facilities,” says Geiss. She emphasized that this action was necessary so that potential buyers with families could be acquainted with the local schools and neighborhoods. Representatives of participating schools now have opportunity to endorse their education program at informational sessions. City Living Sundays is comprised of several affiliations within the community that enhance the benefits of becoming a permanent Rochester resident. Attorneys provide extensive counsel to prospective buyers, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and comfort they need in order to purchase a home, including advice on applying for loans. Event attendees also have opportunities to tour their potential neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods, shopping locations, churches, etc. via bus tours given by the Landmark Society of WNY at no cost. What are the advantages of living in the city? Having been involved as a co-chair of City Living Sundays, Barbara Jones stresses that there are numerous opportunities for urbanites to excel in Rochester. For example, “it’s very close to all sorts of services” she states, mentioning that everything from shopping centers to libraries to postal services are typically within walking distance. Public transportation is easily attainable, which is convenient when one considers the constant creeping up of gas prices. As over one-hundred homes are opened for perusal and on the market during City Living Sundays, Jones is pleased about a major selling point that most of them share: “the charm of an older home.” Jones also alludes to sidewalks and front porches as being prized features of most city homes. Given the fact that many residencies are older, they also possess some coveted-after amenities such as hard-wood floors, which Jones states are typically “innate of homes built in the city.” 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of City Living Sundays. Jones says that it has been most rewarding for her to witness the escalation of the program, being gratified by seeing “people looking forward to living in the city, doing it by choice. You make a conscious decision about where you live” and to her and many other families who have benefitted from the program, becoming a city dweller “just makes sense.”

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::healthy woman

By Sraddha Prativadi, MD

To mentally charge myself and fill my cup of inspiration prior to starting four years of residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, I visited the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY many years ago. “How lucky I am,” I thought, “that I am pursuing training in the birthplace of the women’s suffrage movement. This is the fountain of belief in a woman’s right to express herself democratically through the right to vote.” Because a few group of women believed that they had the right for a greater voice and representation in our society, we today enjoy not only a greater level of involvement in political circles, but also a greater level of empowerment through health care and power through business. This is a wonderful month to reflect on how far we have progressed in areas of healthcare in terms of women’s empowerment. Developments in contraception have empowered women to time pregnancies and pursue careers and allow their bodies to ideally recover between pregnancies for healthiest outcomes. We can also prevent medically dangerous pregnancies from occurring and prevent pregnancies from occurring in abusive and socially dangerous situations. We can help women avoid pregnancy totally with office-based minimally invasive permanent contraception. There is a greater awareness of relationship violence and developing safe havens within healthcare offices for divulging and discussing these issues. We have access to wonderful obstetrical care in our region that allows a woman and her partner to feel empowered during labor in a medically safe environment, mixing the best of medical science and humanism for a safe and fulfilling labor and delivery experience. And the list goes on and on with development of the HPV vaccine to pain control in labor to minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries. The exciting aspect of reflecting on the achievements so far is in envisioning possibilities for the future and believing in greater achievements and standards of health. 26

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

From Lewis Carroll we read: “There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” “I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” So this month, I thank Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott and their courageous sisterhood for believing in impossibilities in their time and creating and developing a dialogue that would eventually lead to the many freedoms and privileges that we enjoy today as American women. What do you believe we women deserve? What do you believe you deserve? Your beliefs are your mantras about yourself that run through your head. What are the thoughts that repeat over and over in your head? Do they strengthen you or weaken you? Make those beliefs about yourself as positive, strong and elevated as possible. My friend Elizabeth gave me a mantra at the lowest part of my life: “You are a strong and resourceful woman.” I said this to myself until I believed it and was able to empower myself to create a better life. Elevate your beliefs about yourself and what you deserve and you will transform and elevate the life that you live and the lives around you. For me, the power of belief in great impossibilities is the most inspiring aspect of Women’s History month. I believe YOU are a strong and resourceful. I believe YOU are capable of great and positive impossibilities! Dr. Prativadi practices at Madonna OBGYN she can be reached at www.madonnaobgyn.com or by calling (585) 698-7077.

::healthy woman

Save the Date March 30, 2012

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::special feature

Women Still Earn Less Than Men By Marie Caiola

Despite being awarded many college degrees, holding high-level positions, and being influential decision-makers, women still earn less than men in the workforce. New female graduates still earn 17 percent less than their male peers across the board. Furthermore, only 14 percent of women hold executive officer positions at Fortune 500 companies, according to U.S. census findings. Many women are asking the question, “Why?” Nearly 50 years after it became illegal in America to pay women less based on their sex, the average woman still makes less than her male counterparts. White women earn $.77 on every dollar compared to a man. African-American women earn 68 percent of what their male peers make, while Latinas earn roughly 58 percent. Ask some people and they will say that the numbers are deflated unfairly. There are hypotheses that women flock to lower-paying jobs more so than men despite similar educational backgrounds. Still others argue that the salary gap is there regardless of the occupation. For example, 2007 Census Bureau numbers indicate that female truck drivers earned 76.5 percent of the weekly pay of their male counterparts for the same job, while male secretaries earned about 15 percent more than female secretaries. In some government and municipal occupations where salary is graded according to certain levels, men and women can make the same salary regardless of gender. There are some expert economists who say that, conscious or not, gender discrimination does occur at work, with men faring better than women with respect to job placement and salary. In addition to the salary gap issue, studies have shown there are some double standards between male and female workers that also tend to prevail.

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

* Networking may help men and harm women. Perhaps because of the fear of rejection, many women tend to be conservative when sending friend requests from business social networking sites. Women also tend to socialize with lower-paid professionals, simply because they are often part of that clique. Men seem to network more freely and out of their pay grade. * Being a parent can hinder women but be an asset to men. According to research from Stanford University, female job applicants on contrived applications for jobs who showed no signs they were parents on a resume (i.e, mentioning participation in the PTA, etc.) were twice as likely to be called in for an interview as women who offered hints that they had kids. However, men who mentioned child-related activities were just as likely to get a call back as those who didn’t. Similar findings by the school indicated that job screeners ranked female applicants with kids as “less competent” and “less committed” than men with kids. * Asking for a raise is seen as assertive in men and pushy in women. During a study by Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard Kennedy School, actors portraying employees asking for a raise were videotaped saying the same lines and asking for the same raises. Both male and female viewers (including bosses) felt the women came off as unlikable and aggressive compared to the men. Some surmise that asking for a raise and asserting oneself is out of character for a woman and can be off-putting. Experts advise women to gather all of their facts in support of a raise and suggest a pay range as opposed to a specific salary. This makes women seem competent but not pushy. No one can pinpoint if the salary disparity will ever come to an end -even with legislative intervention. Female workers may still have to fight to realize the same benefits as men in the workplace.

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::queen of arts

By Jade Mathis

For the first time since 2007, Geva’s Nextstage will present a series of performances during their 2012 season. This represents a significant investment for the theatre to expand it’s breadth of programming, stimulate the downtown economy and serve the diversity of the Rochester Community. “This spring we bring four diverse theatrical experiences to Rochester: two entrancing solo performers from New York City, a hit production from outside Boston and a landmark play being produced by one of Rochester’s exciting and up-and-coming theatre companies,” said Geva Artistic Director, Mark Cuddy. The season kicks off with I Got Sick Then I Got Better, which tells one woman’s journey following her 2005 diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Jenny Allen makes her Geva Theatre debut as she tells her story of the dizzying tailspin following her diagnosis, combining biting humor with searing emotion in a witty, bittersweet monologue that depicts the personal and family collateral damage brought on by a life-threatening illness. “The thing about this show is that people don’t have to have had cancer to identify with it”, said Allen. “It’s a true conversation with the audience, except I’m doing all of the talking,” said Allen.

Allen’s essays and articles have appeared for years in many magazines, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Vogue, Esquire and more. I Got Sick Then I Got Better was first performed on Martha’s Vineyard in the summer of 2007; director James Lapine then collaborated with Allen and Darren Katz on shaping and expanding the material. The show has been performed at theatres and arts festivals around the country. Allen produced and performs stand-up comedy in Manhattan and recently appeared in Love, Loss and What I Wore, an Intimate Collection of Stories by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron at the Westside Theatre in New York. She received the 2010 “It’s Always Something” award from Gilda’s Club in NYC. I Got Sick Then I Got Better is directed by James Lapine and Darren Katz and runs March 7th through the 11th in the Fielding Nextstage at Geva Theatre. On April 12th, writer and actress Nora Cole brings her solo show Voices of the Spirits in My Soul to Geva’s Nextstage. In Voices, Cole chronicles the African American experience through stores of her great, great grandmother who was born into slavery but saw it abolished during her lifetime and her great aunt, Mamie Gardner Knight, a longtime activist and founding member of the local NAACP chapter here in Rochester. “I want people to know my history, I believe if you knew the truth about me, and the miracle of my very existence, you could not hate me and judge me.”, says Cole. Voices of the Spirits in My Soul is performed and directed by Nora Cole and runs April 12th through the 15th.

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

The 2012 Nextstage Season is dedicated to the memory of Donna Fielding and is supported in part by the Gouvernet Arts Fund at The Community Foundation. For more information on all of the performances, visit www.gevatheatre.org.

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::cover story SHIFT+CONTROL

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

ail Riggs

::cover story

The Woman with a Purpose By Caurie Putnam I Photos by Brandon Vick

Excuse me, but I have to ask, where did you get those incredible purses?” politely interrupted a woman as I interviewed Gail Riggs at a coffee shop in Pittsford. I was not surprised by the interruption. I had felt eyes upon us all morning as Riggs, the principal and designer of the Abigail Riggs Collection, showed me her stunning pieces of art. But, the woman popping into the interview was surprised to learn, that “those incredible purses” were more than bags. Riggs’ purses are beautiful symbols of empowerment that each tell a story of historic women who have come before us. Before the stories Riggs’ bags can be told; the story of the designer, herself, must. Presenting Mrs. Gail Riggs Riggs was born and raised in the Midwest. Growing up she had a strong and natural pull towards the arts. In particular she loved to paint. “I believe artists are born,” Riggs said. “I always saw myself as an artist. I need to have art in my life to be happy.” Riggs was also an academic. She earned her M.S.W. and PhD in family therapy at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was while practicing in a hospital in New Orleans that Riggs met the man who would become her husband – Dr. Patrick Riggs. In time, the two re-located to Rochester where Patrick is now the Chief of Vascular Surgery Associates at Rochester General Hospital. It was in a Rochester hospital where Gail and Patrick experienced something that would change their lives forever and, ultimately, lead to the founding of The Abigail Riggs Collection. Presenting Ms. Abigail Riggs In the fall of 2001 Riggs gave birth to her twins Abigail and John at Strong Memorial Hospital. The twins were premature and had to go into the neo natal intensive care unit (NICU) “It was a time of great happiness and helplessness,” Riggs said. “They were born right around the time of September 11th and it was just such an emotional experience.” The twins did wonderful in the NICU, but the experience made Riggs think about her future and the lessons she wanted to teach her son and daughter. “They are the purpose,” said Gail of her twins. “They are the engine that makes life purposeful. I told myself that if we got out of the NICU I would raise my children in a way that gave back to others.” Riggs began “The Abigail Riggs Collection” that year.

“The company was born from my desire to teach my daughter about empowerment, generosity, kindness, and the great women who came before her,” Riggs said. “I have two wonderful, happy children and I see Abigail Riggs as a way of empowering them.” The family-owned company is run out of a lakefront production studio in Webster and began purely as a couture handbag operation with Gail Riggs as the designer. Women would often bring Riggs important fabric heirlooms, like their grandmothers’ old wraps, to have woven into a one-of-a-kind purse. “My couture pieces are designed to be a special piece of art,” Riggs said. “They are infused by nature and what is happening or has happened in a woman’s life.” Through couture pieces Riggs established herself not only as a highfashion designer, but an artist and a strong following of local women who collected her work ensued. But, that was just the beginning of The Abigail Riggs Collection’s story. Presenting Ms. Anthony 2010 was the year that marked an important change in The Abigail Riggs Collection. Riggs brought her company from small, couture to mass produced and internationally recognized. How did it happen? You can thank the Lady with the Alligator Purse. In 2010 the historic Susan B. Anthony House in the City of Rochester found themselves facing financial distress. With decreased funding and a poor economy the house in which famed women’s suffragist Susan B. Anthony lived and worked needed a miracle of sorts. Broadcast journalist Lynn Sherr, who spoke at the house’s annual luncheon in 2009, suggested selling replicas of Anthony’s alligator purse as a unique fundraising tool for the museum. Anthony’s purse, which is housed at the museum, represented much more than the years it traveled nationwide with her – stuffed with legal papers and a transcript of her 1873 trial from her arrest (in Rochester) for voting in the 1872 presidential election. It represented Anthony’s quest for equality for women and the ability to have their own financial independence – in essence, a “purse” of their own. The board of the Susan B. Anthony House began talking about doing an alligator purse project and that is when trustee Peggy Hubbarb made the connection between the board and Riggs in July 2010.

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

::COVER STORY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother.â&#x20AC;? --Susan B. Anthony

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

“As soon as I heard about the project I knew it was such an important thing to do on so many levels,” Riggs said. “I knew it would be a risk, but I also knew I had the chance to raise an extraordinary amount of money for women and for this amazing woman who has made it possible for all of us to be where we are.” Riggs dove right into the “Purse with a Purpose” project, creating a prototype of a bag that did not replicate Anthony’s boxy doctors-bag type alligator purse, but honored it and gave today’s modern women the space they needed to carry their work tools, like a laptop. Riggs presented her prototype to the board in September 2010 and within a few months, fifteen private donors believing firmly in the limited-edition bag donated $45,000 to begin production. The first 200 bags were sold before they even arrived in Rochester in late December 2010. Since then over 1,000 bags have been sold and approximately $250,000 has been grossed by the Susan B. Anthony House thanks to Riggs’ donating 100% of proceeds to the house.

Riggs recently created the Ms. Annie bag to benefit the Hospital Patient Safety Movement at Rochester General Hospital. The bag is named after another heroine of hers – sharpshooter and first American female superstar Annie Oakley – and bears her quote “Everything is Possible.” The Ms. Annie bag is a beautiful, bohemian, soft-leather satchel bag with a genuine turquoise pendant that can be worn messenger style. “Each bag in the collection is so different because each woman is so different,” Riggs said. “I admire all women and love retelling their story. We need to be reminded and taught.” Riggs often donates bags from the Abigail Riggs Collection to charities to be auctioned off. Actor Alec Baldwin was one of two people to win a Ms. Anthony bag for $5,000 each at an auction to benefit the Hillside Family of Agencies. Presenting the BELLONNER Harley Hipster The Abigail Gail Riggs Collection began in honor of children and it is fitting that Riggs’ current project is also in honor of children.

“Gail is an unbelievable philanthropist and we are tremendously grateful,” said Deborah L. Hughes, president and CEO of the Susan B. Anthony House. “The number of hours she put into this project was huge. It was truly a labor of love.”

Riggs is currently designing an extremely special bag called The BELLONNER Harley Hipster. It is named after two brave fourth grade students at Harley School in Brighton living with Type 1 diabetes.

2011 was the first year the house ended its fiscal year in the black, thanks to the purse and all the volunteers at the Susan B. Anthony House that helped sell it, said Hughes.

The Harley School and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will be the beneficiary of all proceeds of the bag, which is a limited edition hip hugging, hands free hipster designed with special amenities like an interior pocket to hold an insulin pump, glucometer, and juice box for anyone who has type 1 or 2 Diabetes.

The project, which was featured in the Style section of the New York Times, did more than raise money; it spread the story and mission of Susan B. Anthony. Each Ms. Anthony bag has two gold plates on it with the following quotes by Anthony: “Failure is Impossible” and “Every Woman Needs “ “Purse of Her Own” “Every woman who gets a purse learns Susan B. Anthony’s story,” Hughes said. “That’s timeless. Gail has given us the ability to tell her story in a way that benefits women everywhere.” Presenting Ms. Bouvier and Ms. Annie Since Riggs’ monumental fundraising success with Ms. Anthony, she has gone on to create bags to benefit other organizations and tell the stories of other important women in history. Her black crocodile embossed or plain leather Ms. Bouvier bag is designed in honor of former first lady Jackie (Bouvier) Kennedy Onassis. The quote by Jackie O. on the bag is “I am a woman above everything else.” Twenty percent of the proceeds of the bag benefit the Center for Youth, a not-for-profit homeless shelter and organization for children in Rochester. “I was very impressed with Gail’s ability to create a beautiful product while being aware of and dedicated to a philanthropic purpose,” said Elaine Spaull, CEO of the Center for Youth and councilwoman for the City of Rochester. “She is a positive force in our community and a great model of using her own personal interests and skills to make a difference.”

Students at Harley, where Riggs’ twins attend school, raised the funds to manufacture the bag. Fieldtex Products, Inc. a Rochester manufacturing facility owned by a past Harley parent Sanford R. Abbey will be manufacturing the BELLONNER Harley Hipster. It will be Riggs’ first non-couture bag manufactured in Rochester and will be available for purchase this spring at the Harley book store and on-line at www.abigailriggs.com. Presenting Ms.? As Riggs looks to the future she sees some knowns and some unknowns. She would like to begin producing all of her future bags locally and would like to take them nationally. She sees a real niche in the market for purpose oriented retail and fundraising – something she has brought to Rochester, but wants to spread. “So many movements – like Women’s Rights - have gotten started right here in Rochester,” Riggs said. “I see a movement starting here for fundraising that is ahead of the curve. People don’t want to just buy things, they want to buy things with a purpose.” Riggs knows she will continue to educate and empower women by telling the stories of women who have gone before us through her chosen art of handbags. Who these women will be? Riggs has an entire palate to choose from. “The women I would like to honor are endless – Margaret Sanger, Elizabeth Katy Stanton…,” Riggs said. “The collection will continue to grow as my daughter does. The company has a life and I will keep busy attending to its needs so it can continue to flourish.”

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

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::wisdom in a traffic jam

By Angella Luyk

They say when in business, you want to be in front of potential clients all the time. When a need arises, you want your name brought up. This is a great idea, but how can you be everywhere all the time? - Vanessa Some people make it look so easy; you see or hear about them at every turn. Do they clone themselves? No, they just know the secret. They get people to talk about them. There are a few different ways you can accomplish this. The first is to be seen as an expert at something. What are you the most passionate about? Learn as much as you can about this topic. Talk to other experts in this area. Learn what they know. You can read books, and attend seminars, until you are filled up with knowledge. Now take that knowledge and use it. You need to become a speaker on your chosen topic. Everyone is usually scared or nervous the first time. A good way to combat this is to start slowly. Speak about a book review on your topic. This is a good way to ease in to it. You can add your own thoughts or beliefs while summarizing the book. When you are more confident, you can give a seminar on your own ideas. There are many organizations that would love to have you talk for them. A few are Rochester Women’s Network, NAWBO, and your local chamber of commerce. When you give your first seminar, make sure and include a line about how you can be reached to schedule a talk. Let people know that you would like to speak to their organization. According to Kathie Hess, President of Red Property Holdings, “If a seminar is more than your comfortable with, I started by joining and

participating in the networking events. These are a great way to get in front of a small audience and practice how you want to present too many different people while not facing a large group all at once.” Another way to get your name out there is to write articles for different publications. Each publication has certain criteria they are looking for, so be sure and check out what they want. Once you are published you could be reaching thousands of people who will take your article and potentially send it to thousands of their friends. These are people you may have never met otherwise. You are getting people to talk about you. Your next option is to sponsor a charity that you feel close to. Your name and company logo could be seen on the flyers being sent out, brochures, and t-shirts. People tend to wear these shirts for years after the event. So they are a walking advertisement for you. At the event you may have the chance to speak before the group about who you are. Your final option is to have your company apply for awards. This is a great way to help your company stand out. Many times the local news will pick up the story and write about you. When you win, often times you have the opportunity to give a speech about who you are and what you do, in front of all those people who don’t know you. You have the opportunity to educate them as to how you are different and why they should work with you. Now it does take time for these secrets to work. Be patient and consistent. There will come a point when you reach the tipping point, and word will spread.

rochester WomanMag.com :: march 2012

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::fitness

By Colleen Flaherty, NSCA-CPT

Celebrating women’s history month brings awareness to the growth women have made within society for the betterment of one another. The National Women’s History Project (nwhp.org) states that “After the American Revolution, the notion of education as a safeguard for democracy created opportunities for girls to gain a basic education—based largely on the premise that, as mothers, they would nurture not only the bodies but also the minds of (male) citizens and leaders. The concept that educating women meant educating mothers endured in America for many years, at all levels of education.” Though the basis for educating women was to produce and nurture healthy offspring, many leaders pushed for more than a responsibility to future generations. It was time for women to do something for themselves outside of the family role. Take a look at all the recreational activities you’re allowed to participate in today. Government roles, school boards, collegiate sport teams, business owner, or body builder. These opportunities were once reserved only for the men yet someone stood up for equality and pushed that women could do the same job (if not better). We all know someone who is fighting for change; be it a community role or an internal transformation. I bet you’re proud to support a woman who is taking charge of her situation and committed to a better future. Maybe she’s trying to change a law to make streets safer or maybe she decided to train for a marathon. There’s no doubt she’s working for others but also for herself. Empowerment — we all have this amazing opportunity to make an impact, to make life better for ourselves, in addition to those we care about. The above quote, from NWHP, lays the foundation for the women’s movement. Education was the roots for momentous change, which snowballed. Now women can express, grow, and earn income through individual passions; science, business, government, art, etc. Life grew even more meaningful once society allowed women to actively contribute. Not only were women joining the workforce, but they also became more confident as mothers. They were taking on “role model” and “hero” within the family unit to provide more for their children then ever before. Through out history a woman has always organized, nurtured, educated, and provided for her family. As society shifted, so did she. A woman knows how to evolved, cope, and creatively manage any situation. Now, she can do all that plus effectively participate in personal commitments that fulfill goals and aspirations just for her well being. Daughters and sons are proud to look up to mothers and fathers that lead by positive example. If you focus on the health of your whole self through proper nutrition, exercise, relaxation, self-purpose, hobbies, and creative outlets, you’ll nurture wholesome, charismatic citizens of tomorrow. So if you’re passionate about something, find a way to make it happen! Be inspired by the history of all the mothers, sisters, aunts that have created an empowering story of growth and achievement. Colleen is a Certified Personal Trainer who trains clients at Fore Performance on Monroe Ave at 12 Corners, Brighton. Contact her at http://optimistbrightlife. blogspot.com.

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

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::a little rwm beauty By Jillain Salomone

When I think of women in history, I think of beauty icons like; Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Marilyn Monroe had a sex-goddess image. Platinum blonde hair, beauty mark above her mouth and a curvaceous body that should make any modern day woman feel good. Who says you have to be a size 4 to be sexy? She has done that for our modern day women… true beauty icon that she is. With that said, I could compare some of our recent Hollywood clientele to her. Madonna, Gwen Stefani & Michelle Williams. They’ve all pulled off the platinum blonde hair and did it well. I even found a secret of Marilyn’s, for only you readers to know….Marilyn used a multitude of techniques for the illusion of plumper and fuller lips— without the needle. To get her perfect red pout, Marilyn actually layered five different shades of lipstick and gloss. She first lined lips with a red lip liner and slightly over-drew the shape in the Cupid’s bow. Then, she precisely painted her lipstick on with a lip brush. She strategically placed the darker reds on the outer corners and the light reds in the middle of lips for dimension. She highlighted the Cupid’s bow and bottom lip with a cream highlighter for even more volume.

Herearesomebeautytipsfromthebeauty, Audrey Hepburn herself: For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.

Now, we move onto Sophia Loren. A natural beauty. THE natural beauty in my eyes. A style icon of the 60’s, it seems that nowadays, her style and grace is still remembered in Hollywood because celebrities are getting their inspiration of her vintage style. Celebrities like Charlize Theron, Eva Mendez and Angelina Jolie to name a few…. And they are just as dazzling with their Sophia inspired hair. Asked to share her secrets, Sophia Loren attributed her natural beauty to “a love of life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil.” The practice of bathing in olive oil dates back to her Roman ancestors. Sophia Loren has never had plastic surgery. Early in her career, she was urged to have her nose done, but she declined, and she has continued to reject the notion that women must mold themselves to fit some unnatural ideal of beauty. And last but definitely not least, we have Audrey Hepburn. We all remember the Breakfast at Tiffany’s pose with the cigarette holder hanging out of her mouth, the glamorous jewels she was drenched in and the perfect coifed up-do. These ladies of past days showed style, grace and classiness. It’s only recently that companies in the beauty industry have begun to promote inner beauty and natural grace over an imagined standard of perfection. It may take decades to reverse the emotional bondage around the female image created by society and perpetuated by the fashion, beauty and entertainment industries. Then again, it may not…perhaps all it takes is one generation of strong young women who are happy to love themselves from the inside out. Jillain Salomone- hairstylist & make-up artist, www.jillain.com Visit @jillaindotcom on twitter for beauty tips

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

Inspire

rochester women

JoAnne Ryan

President and CEO of Volunteers of America of Western New York

BY Ashley Cooper I PHOTO BY jennifer merida

It’s impossible not to indulge in the same enthusiasm for Volunteers of America that JoAnne Ryan expresses for the organization when she alludes to her experiences. With a catching, yet sincere zeal, Ryan describes her process of being selected, out of several applicants nationwide, as President and CEO of Volunteers of America of Western New York: “I am the fortunate recipient of the convergence of sheer timing,” Ryan explains, also demonstrating a sharp “desire for change.” While preparing for a series of interviews for the position, Ryan states, “I researched as much information on the agency that I could find and was most impressed by the agency’s scope and mission. I was immediately drawn to the long standing history, powerful work, and extensive services provided to the community by the agency.” Aside from her altruistic personality, perhaps it was her extensive background in healthcare that made her a unique candidate for the position. Ryan’s credentials include an AAS in Nursing, a BA in Gerontology, and a Master’s in Health Systems Administration. She believes that her previous line of work has only enhanced her abilities as CEO and provided for her distinctive approach to leading the agency in Western New York. In fact, since she’s been President and CEO, Ryan has narrowed the productivity of the agency from twenty goals down to a solid four that reflect the abiding values expected of VOA staff members: compassion, respect, integrity, teamwork, and excellence. As the VOA must work within the confines of their budget, Ryan explains that the organization can only execute services that qualify as, “missioncritical.” If a program that requires funding adamantly appeals to any of the four major services provided by VOA (transitional housing and support for the homeless and individuals recently released from prison, professional work attire and job-coaching for those pursuing careers, child care and early childhood education for those considered “at-risk” and crisis assistance for those in demanding situations), it is mission-critical.

“I have been blessed with many exceptional role models,” Ryan affirms. She recognizes her parents as being her earliest influences, saying that as first-generation Italian immigrants, they have “demonstrated a stellar work ethic, a high level of integrity, and equally as important, shared whatever they had through random acts of kindness.” Ryan also looks toward her husband, who has always believed “she can,” for support as well as to her two daughters. She describes their “remarkable transformation from young girls into strong, accomplished, and passionate women” as being central in impacting her to continue to do purposeful, gratifying work. However, Ryan speaks of the staff at VOA with special reverence. She commends them for their “dedication, tenacity, and commitment to service.” Ryan proudly states, “I am honored to be part of this amazing agency and so fortunate to work with so many passionate and talented people who can and do, through their work, strengthen families, break the cycle of poverty, and change lives.” In regards to her role as President and CEO, Ryan has learned that “it is essential to fully embrace the magnitude of your collective

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012 rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

43 43

“ Rochester is big enough to have many opportunities to create change.”

sue cowell

Executive Director, Gay Alliance BY jessica bagley I PHOTO BY jennifer merida

The Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley has been active in the Rochester community for over 40 years. “It started in Rochester as a student group. People wanted to move the group off campus and expand,” said Sue Cowell, Executive Director of the Gay Alliance. In 1973, The Gay Alliance became a nonprofit organization, and has been a cornerstone in the Rochester area ever since, largely working on educating the community. “One of our main projects is helping people from the community who want to tell their stories,” Cowell said. “We teach them skills to help them do so.” Apart from education, the Alliance has twelve ongoing projects— including the Community Safety Program and Anti-Violence Project. The Alliance helps those who have been abused by their partner and works to create a more inclusive system— which would help identify who the aggressor is in a violent relationship, as well as help officials perform the search of a transgender individual in an appropriate way. “We are also focusing on our Shoulders to Stand On project,” said Cowell. “It’s a history project in which we are collecting interviews and records from community groups through a New York State grant.” After the Alliance is done preserving these records, they hope to create a documentary to be featured in the Fall Film Festival. In addition to the grant, the Alliance is also sponsoring a fundraising project to fund the documentary—raising over $27,000 so far. The Alliance is also active in the Ride for Pride, and partners with a variety of Rochester groups for other projects, such as AIDS care and the Center for Youth. The Alliance is partnering with the Jewish Community Center to present a project displaying how the Holocaust affected gays and lesbians. Other upcoming events include the Big Gay Prom, held in May, and the Day of Silence, in April. Through 40 years of work in Rochester, the organization and Cowell, have seen a great deal of social change in the area. “We have gone from working for tolerance, to acceptance, to inclusion,” Cowell said. “We have seen progress through the first openly gay official being elected in 1985.” Cowell, originally from Rhode Island, has enjoyed working in the Rochester area.

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

“Rochester is big enough to have many opportunities to create change, but small enough that one person can really make a difference,” Cowell said. (continued on page 46)

“I love everything about Rochester.” susan rogers

Executive VP and General Manager of WXXI By nicole shein I PHOTO BY jennifer merida

Susan Rogers has traveled on a professional path that ranges from pottery, to the performing arts, to the vice-presidency of a public radio station--but above all, she is a fixer. Her attempts to solve problems have led her to opportunities that she wouldn’t otherwise have considered, and it’s when she is unable to fix things that she knows to change direction altogether. “My career has been a continual process of falling upward,” says Rogers, who is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of WXXI. “If I’m working on a project and a piece isn’t right, I move toward something that I think will fix that, and it opens a new door. Failing, to me, is realizing that I don’t really like what I am doing, and that there’s something about it that I can’t fix.” After earning her MFA from Alfred University, Rogers made her living by making art--specifically ceramics, jewelry and batik. “This was during the 70’s, when arts and crafts were big,” she laughs. “But what I couldn’t fix about [working as an artist] was that I was really lonely. One day I realized I was dreading going into my studio, and I thought , ‘Something is really wrong here.’” Rogers headed back to Alfred, this time to pursue her MS in Education. One of the duties of her graduate assistantship was managing the performing arts and speakers series--but she found herself frustrated by, and eager to fix, the impermanence of live performance. “I was bringing these amazing speakers and performers to the tiny community of Alfred, NY--and then they would leave,” Rogers recalls. “So I made contact with the TV production department, and we started producing videos of these visiting artists. I really saw it as a way to keep an experience for future reference.” Making the experience of the performing arts not only permanent, but accessible to everyone, is what drives Rogers in her current position at WXXI. “One of the joys of this job is when I hear a listener or a viewer, or someone who’s taken advantage of our educational sources, say how much they have enjoyed the programs. This is a part of their day that they feel matters to them, and that’s very rewarding.” Rogers, who lives in Brighton with her husband, Scott Regan, is an unabashed champion of the local community. “I love everything about Rochester,” she says. “The only thing I dislike about it is its self-image; we do a lot of apologizing, and that makes me crazy, because there are so many wonderful places here.” In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of WXXI Public Broadcasting, Rogers is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Rochester’s College of Arts and Sciences, and (continued on page 46)

rochester WomanMag.com :: march 2012

::rw inspire

joanne ryan (cont)

sue cowell (cont)

susan rogers (cont)

responsibility.” She is convinced that fellow leaders would do well to surround themselves with individuals who are passionate about what they do, more than anything else. Ryan explains that when facing challenges and doing sometimes grueling tasks, passion is what continues to fuel the individual, reminding them that every success is a huge success and that “purposeful work is never for naught.” She lives by the mantra that if “you find a job you love, you will never work a day in your life.”

The Alliance is indebted to the Rochester community, as the organization functions with the help of numerous volunteers, who work over 10,000 hours a year.

serves on the boards at Alfred University and the Little Theatre--with which WXXI has recently partnered in order to provide entertainment, education and cultural events while strengthening the mission of both entities.

As Volunteers of America of Western New York anticipates hosting several exciting events, including, “I Remember Mama,” an innovative way to honor Mother’s Day, and “Hunt 4 Hope,” an interactive, online treasure hunt that educates the public about social issues, JoAnne Ryan is determined to preserve the vision that VOA co-founder Maud Booth had over one hundred years ago. Booth sought to redefine the status quo for those in need, and this is kept in mind of staff members as they celebrate “Founder’s Week” this March.

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

“That is the biggest challenge,” Cowell said. “We have really wonderful volunteers and a volunteer coordinator, and we couldn’t do it without their support.” The Alliance publishes The Empty Closet, a free monthly newspaper that includes news, columns, community calendars, and features. The February issue focused on telling transgender individuals’ stories, in an effort to increase readability and inclusion. The Empty Closet is available at many locations— including Boulder Coffee, Little Theatre, and health clinics. For more information on the newspaper and the Alliance, visit www.gayaliance.org.

“I am thankful to be living in a place that values institutions like the public media and the Little Theatre,” says Rogers. “The community is fortunate to have us--but we are also very fortunate to have this community.”

::world of women sports By Sarah Jane Clifford

The recent declaration of bankruptcy by Eastman Kodak Company caused us to begin reflecting on some of the many things this company has accomplished over the years. One such accomplishment was its pioneer sponsorship of women’s college basketball. In particular the company was behind the creation of the Kodak Women’s All-America Basketball Team through the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1975. The AIAW itself only came into existence in 1972. The AIAW was created because the National Collegiate Basketball Association (NCAA) would not accept women teams. In 1979, four years after Kodak got involved, Title IX was finally established providing female athletes a huge step toward achieving their goals. It also meant the end of the AIAW. With passage of Title IX came funding for women sports. Suddenly women athletics were more than a game. They were profitable sports. The NCAA began to make serious offers to AIAW about merging. The AIAW refused. The NCAA then indicated if a school’s men’s basketball program was part of their organization, and most were, a school’s women’s basketball program could join free for a year. This proved very successful and the AIAW sued the NCAA. The suit was unsuccessful. The AIAW and the NCAA then conducted parallel championships in 1981-82 after which the AIAW folded. This left Kodak without an organization to work with concerning the Kodak All-America Team. Two Kodak employees, Hunter Low and Greg DiNovis, noted that women’s basketball coaches did not have a formal organization like men’s basketball coaches; i.e., the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). These two gentlemen got together with several key women basketball coaches and had Kodak lawyers draw up a constitution. This resulted in the creation of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) with Betty Jaynes named as chief executive officer. Kodak then worked with the WBCA to select and announce the Kodak Women’s All-America Basketball Team beginning in 1983. In fact, the Kodak Team was expanded to not only cover NCAA Division I, but NCAA Division II/NAIA, NCAA Division III and Junior/Community Colleges. That lasted until Kodak’s problems resulted in their name being totally removed from the team in 2008. By then the Kodak Teams had gained enormous stature. Over the years such legendary players as Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, Nancy Lieberman, Lynette Woodard, Cheryl Miller and many others made the team. All who were not on an NCAA Final Four Team were brought to the Ladies Final Four Tournament to be honored at Kodak expense. For many years the Kodak Team Press Conference was part of the NCAA Official Schedule. Kodak was the only company that was not an official sponsor of the NCAA allowed this privilege. “When a coach saw that one of his or her players didn’t make the Kodak Team, the trouble began because it was so prestigious, said Beth Bass, the current chief executive officer of the WBCA. “It was the Better Housekeeping ‘Seal of Approva’l in our world. When that list came out, people were waiting with bated breath. They wanted to know if their student-athlete made it.” Until he retired in 1991, Hunter Low was synonymous with the Kodak Teams and in fact he became known as the “Father of the All-America Team.” He was inducted in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and passed away in 2008.Such was the glory of Kodak in year’s past. If you have information, ideas, comments or suggestions for “World Of Women Sports,” please contact Sarah Jane Clifford at 585/388-8686. Her e-mail is gtc@frontiernet.net. Clifford owns and operates The Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester, Inc., 2051 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd., Penfield, NY 14526

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

::making dollars & sense

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

::making dollars & sense By Zina JC Nelson

Like many people, you probably made a New Years Resolution that this is the year you will get healthier – perhaps by losing weight, eating better, quitting smoking or adding some regular exercise into your life. But did you include financial wellness in your fitness plan? Did you know that in addition to keeping you awake at night, financial stress and worry can also actually make you sick? Studies have shown that people dealing with financial stress are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, severe depression, back pain, headaches, digestive problems, and heart attacks; situations that can keep you off work, at the doctors and add to financial pressures. In addition, having financial worries on your mind can affect your job performance – distracting your focus and preventing you from doing your best. Given the recession and the sluggish economic recovery it is not surprising that more of us than ever are concerned about our financial security, whether because of declining home values, mounting credit card debt, saving for college and retirement or simply meeting everyday household expenses. A MetLife study found that 43% percent of employees say they have trouble paying bills and 71% worry about having enough money to make ends meet. So achieving good general health means not only working on your physical health but also on your financial health. Here are some steps you can take to improve your financial wellness: Step 1, Get Started Reviewing financial matters can seem overwhelming, and given the pressure and pace of modern life, it is all too easy to put off tackling the job – especially if you suspect that you are not going to like what you find. How do you get started? In the same way doctors often recommend having a physical checkup before you begin an exercise program, so doing an assessment of your financial vital signs is the first step on the road to financial wellness. And if need be, seek out a financial professional to help you. Only you can decide what’s important to you - whether it is saving for college, paying down debt, or buying a home, and of course preparing for retirement. Having clear goals will help you gauge your progress and clarify the necessary choices and priorities to achieving them. Putting these goals on paper may also encourage you to stay on track. Step 2, Get Smart When people make poor financial choices it’s often because they don’t have the knowledge and information to make better ones; nearly one in two employees report that they do not currently consult with anyone regarding personal financial matters. Getting to your goals is going to need a strategy; and most of us benefit from some help with this. As a starting point, you may want to turn to your place of work as one of the access points to financial education and guidance. Many employers now make financial education available to employees on a variety of topics ranging from basic financial literacy to retirement planning. This can take the form of seminars that you can attend at work, or online webinars that you can conveniently access on your own time, as well as online tools and calculators that can help you make smarter personal financial decisions. If you are looking for more face-to-face professional guidance and advice, you may want to seek out a financial professional to answer your questions and help you through the process of getting your financial house in order. Organizations like the Financial Planning

Association, Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and LIMRA, to name a few, can help. You may also want to seek recommendations from colleagues, friends and family. Step 3, Get Saving Not tomorrow, not when you hit some magic milestone, but now. This is job one! Even if the amount that you will need to save for putting your kids through college or your retirement income seems insurmountable, don’t let yourself think there is no point in even trying. Instead, in the same way that physical health involves building a healthy body with regular exercise, so financial wellness requires a commitment to a regular savings habit. Having a savings plan does not mean hoping there will be something left at the end of the month to put away. If you are like most people that will be much less than you need. Instead make saving easy and automatic by having a regular amount deducted by your employer from each paycheck and put into a savings program before you can spend it. You won’t miss what you don’t see and will be surprised how even a small amount saved from each paycheck can turn into a healthy financial cushion. If you receive a raise, or find yourself with a little more free money such as when a car loan gets paid off, consider increasing your savings amount before you increase your spending levels. It goes without saying that you should be making the most of any tax free savings opportunities available through your workplace. Many employers offer to match a portion of your savings. Not taking advantage of these programs is like turning your back on FREE money. Step 4, Get Protected Most working Americans rely on their income to cover essential living expenses for themselves and their dependents. But have you thought about what would happen if that income is interrupted by a long-term illness or injury or even premature death? Many workers say that they are very concerned about these possibilities, and yet many have not taken steps to protect themselves or their families against these risks. Don’t assume that your medical insurance or Government disability programs will fill the gap. Reduce unnecessary anxiety. Make it part of your financial check-up to calculate how much life insurance and disability income protection coverage you would need to replace your income. Do you currently have enough coverage to maintain your or your family’s lifestyle? Compare the relatively small outlay for income protection insurance, with the potential financial and emotional costs of NOT having coverage. Take advantage of your workplace benefits, and if additional protection is needed, consider supplementing this coverage with an individual policy obtained on your own. No one likes to think of these unpleasant subjects but knowing your loved ones will be taken care of if anything happens to you or your ability to earn a paycheck will put you on the path to peace of mind. Rewiring bad habits is not easy and takes repeated reinforcement – as everyone who has ever tried to give up smoking or lose weight can attest! But working on your financial fitness by taking the above steps can have a big payoff in reduced stress and improved general health. Add financial wellness to your health goals today. Zina JC Nelson is a Financial Services Rep, Financial Advisor for Met Life, znelson@metlife.com, 585-241-5279

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

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By ::special Nicole Sheinfeature by nicole shein

She glides across the stage, half-dazzled by the spotlights and half-deafened by the crowd’s cheers, to accept an armful of flowers and the sparkling tiara. She’s crying, but still beautiful; she embraces the other women and waves graciously. She’s a pageant winner, glamorous and gorgeous. When we were little girls, many of us played the starring role in this daydream -- and then we grew up, got married, and settled down to “real life.” Now, instead of sashes and evening gowns, we spend our time in suits or yoga pants. The time for glamour is over -- or is it? Leah Bartos, who currently holds the title of Mrs. New York America 2012, is proof that married life and pageant life do not need to be mutually exclusive. Her husband Tim, she explains, accompanies her to appearances and has even helped with day-to-day pageant preparation. “There is so much prep that I have to do, and he supports me 100%,” says Bartos. She adds with a laugh, “He even videotaped me walking so I could see what I looked like!”

“The week before Mrs. New York, we celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary,” says Bartos. “It was so special for him to see me win the crown.” Being Mrs. New York creates its own whirlwind of appearances and events, but Bartos seems to thrive on the fast-paced, and tightly packed, schedule. “Recently I was in Orlando, making an appearance at Macy’s,” she recalls. “I was supposed to be there from 1-3, but I could not leave until after 4, because so many people came to talk to me and get photos. The children were so mesmerized, it was so inspiring to them -- that part was very special to me. I barely had time to take a sip of water, but I loved every second of it.” Diane DeNigris, Executive Director of the Mrs. New York America Pageant and herself a former Mrs. World, adds, “Leah is extremely organized. She always has her planner and her phone with her schedule on it, and she’s very rigorous and responsible. I am learning from her, and a lot of women look up to her.” Yet Mrs. New York does more than just look pretty and pose for pictures. Every contestant champions her own charitable platform. “These women have a passion for their platform,” explains DeNigris. “They are all giving back, they have a voice, they all volunteer and recruit volunteers for whatever cause they feel passionate about -- whether it’s fighting breast cancer, working with the American Heart Association, or mentoring children. These women are intelligent, they are beautiful, and they give back.”

M rs New York America, The couple met in 2007, when they were both working for a medical device company, and had a whirlwind romance which culminated with Tim proposing to Leah in a Long Island vineyard. They were married in the fall of 2008.

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

Bartos’s platform is heart health, particularly women’s heart health. An enthusiastic supporter of the American Heart Association, she has served on the logistics committees for Go Red For Women and the Heart Ball, and currently serves on the Corporate Leadership Committee for the AHA’s Go Red For Women campaign.

achieve their goal or made them happier, that’s ultimately what drives me.”

“My father has two stents in his heart,” explains Bartos, “and heart disease runs in our family. I’m so honored to have a bigger voice and be able to bring awareness to heart disease, and how it affects everyone, but women in particular.”

“I highly encourage all married women in the state of New York to compete in this year’s pageant,” says Bartos, adding that the competition is open to women ages 18-65. “We are looking for married women who want to forge new friendships, make a difference in their community, and have doors opened for them.”

Bartos also does volunteer work and fundraising for several other organizations, including the National Federation of the Blind and an initiative called Passion to Heal, which helps provide dermatology and plastic surgery to underserved populations in both the United States and abroad.

In May 2012, Bartos will represent New York State when she competes in the Mrs. America pageant. Next October, she’ll hand over the sash and tiara to a new Mrs. New York, when the pageant is held right here in Rochester.

For more information about the Mrs. New York America pageant, please visit http://www.mrsnyamerica.com/.

As if a full-time career, volunteer work for several organizations, and numerous appearances as Mrs. New York America weren’t enough, Bartos is also embarking on a new venture -- the creation of her own firm, Baronley Consulting, which helps companies sharpen their professional etiquette and networking skills in order to become more competitive in the marketplace and to grow long-lasting, mutually fulfilling business relationships. “I enjoy working. I’m driven that way,” says Bartos. “I want to say, I made a difference in someone’s life. When something that I did helped someone else

Glamorous and Gorgeo u s

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

::gardening diva

By Frances Grossman

Hello and welcome to the often wild and crazy ride through the month of March. We’ve done it! We’ve made our way through winter and are on the way to longer days accompanied by brighter rays of sunshine. This month is a beautiful transition between our cozy months of hibernation and quiet introspect to a feeling of being a bit more footloose and fancy free. Warmer weather and sunlight triggers our internal switches to flip ‘ON’. I feel like this is the green light to more energy and making things happen. This is a month of tangible bench marks in the weather that change our outlook on the days ahead. March 11th brings daylight savings time; giving us the true gift of more sun light. The time change actually feels like we’re gaining 3 additional hours every day to accomplish more! March 20th marks the first day of spring (go ahead, do a fun little ‘whoot-whoot’ here!) Yet, this is where things can get tricky. March can be fickle; she is after all known to come “in like a lion and go out like a lamb!” You and I are ready to start planting and enjoying the soil in our hands. It feels

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

like time to uncover the patio furniture and get the outdoor fountains running. Yet Mother Nature often has a few surprises up her sleeve this month, hindering the progress that we’re ready to make. So what am I going to do now? Well... the same as you! I’m going to make sure my boots are handy, accompanied by my favorite brightly colored scarf that makes me feel terrific – just in case we see a bit of flying snow. My houseplants will be re-potted and my terrarium will continue to bring daily enjoyment with lush foliage and vibrant color. I’ll continue to look ahead towards my spring garden, summer alfresco entertaining and everything in between. The calendar ensures that warm weather enjoyment is only a few steps away and there’s no way that I’m going to let any grass grow under my feet. (Well, that’s not exactly true. Larry and I are getting ready for our spring lawn care program so we can, in fact have gorgeous grass growing under our feet!) Until next month when it’ll be prime time for planting pansies, snapdragons and other colorful, yet cool-weather loving flowers. Here’s to finding that little lamb amidst the transition of March! Frances Grossman is the president of Grossman’s Garden and Home, www.grossmans.com

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::rw reads & writes

Knowing Love is an excerpt of a chapter of the same name from Ms. Fritschi’s first book, “All That I Need, Or Live Like A Dog With Its Head Stuck Out The Car Window”. History’s greatest lovers have been ill-fated. Had they overcome circumstance, scheming relatives, scorned lovers, political intrigue, if the Moirae, the three furies, had shown greater favour would we even know the names of Tristan and Isolde, Abelard and Heloise, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, Paris and Helen today? Remember the Kate Beckinsale/John Cusack movie Serendipity or Ms. Bullock opposite Keanu Reeves in The Lake House with its lovely reference to Jane Austen’s Persuasion? The ever perfect happy ending presented as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Barrett overcome all in Ms Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? Even if some measure of palpable pain is on the menu, the promise of consummation outweighs the potential of immolation. How do you know that it’s love? It doesn’t need to scream at you, or shouldn’t. It should ‘feel’ like a thick oversized cashmere sweater - soft, warm, comforting, and most of all, reliable. Listen to your inner voice, that intuition that can almost guarantee that you are not about to make a stupid choice. Have the conviction to follow through as Ewan McGregors’ character Christian in Moulin Rouge sings Come What May. Live your life with intention, powerfully. It isn’t so different from simply getting through each day – it just has the exquisite possibilities of living without regret. The principles applied to unleashing your 4 year-old self to the joy of splashing through a 5” deep rain puddle is the same for falling in love with someone – it’s about letting go. Find the ability to feel the exquisiteness of a single moment and believe me you will know what is possible when it comes to loving. Remember those Pepto-Bismol pink desk sets with the blue metal legs found in elementary schools during the sixties? I was in the 2nd grade and a boy named Paul put pink rose buds in the holes of my overturned chair for two weeks until Mrs. Gumm put a stop to ‘the nonsense’. Amidst the whirl of activity surrounding senior year of high school, my ‘adopted’ twin nieces (the daughters of one of my dearest friends) Kate and Julia still make time to visit their grandfather at his extended-care facility. Joe sometimes plays Bingo or Scrabble, often watches a Yankees game, and frequently falls asleep. But they go, willingly, to visit a couple of times each week. There’s the kind of love a parent has for a child...dragging hoses out of the basement at 11 PM to flood the frozen woods glazing the ice to near mirror perfection, providing recipes to hotel chefs far away from home to ensure a grown daughter has her special birthday cake as she turns 29, sitting in the pouring rain for athletic activities and driving hundreds of miles to look at college campuses. 60

march 2012 :: rochesterWomanMag.com

Walk in Boston’s Public Gardens, Manhattan’s Central Park, along the narrow sidewalks of San Francisco’s Chinatown and you’ll see them still holding hands or her arm threaded through his as they walk, often with canes, still glowing, chattering away like tiny birds or not at all, enviable in companionable silence, these lovers in their eighties and nineties both a sort of shade of griege touched with sea foam reflecting a translucent pink unique to age. “Hold onto him darling, a good man is hard to find!” They smile, announce they’ve been married for some astonishing number of decades and he says, clearly still smitten as a school boy, “she the only girl I have ever loved.” The knowledge of love is cellular isn’t it? We look in his/her eyes and the world spins, our heart clenches and unfolds in wonder and willingness to explore all life has to offer. If we’re really lucky we mate, as swans do, for life and it’s long and deliriously happy - even when it’s as boring as watching paint dry. My great uncle Eddie and his bride Wanda were like that. Married in 1928, together for nearly 75 years - he passing at 96, she within six months at 93. They exuded kindness and ease, provided a framework of unconditional love for one another, their daughters and their families, and all who knew them. I can still hear her say, “Now Eddie”, taste her cheesecake, smell his greenish tinted cigars, feel the presence of their love though they have been dead since 2002. Love cannot grow, flourish, sustain, nurture, set an example or comfort anyone else unless it exists within each of us as individuals. Self-esteem, the greatest form of human love, is the guarantor of the capacity to love others. We can rise from ashes like mythical phoenix with the presence of love. When we give it away, quietly and without need for adoration or acclaim, love multiplies exponentially like spring bulbs, cascading waters down the face of a mountain or the visual confection presented as a flock of pink flamingos takes off in flight. It is beauty in every form imaginable. For most of us love will never be sweeping poetry delirious with adjectives - it’s much more likely to be formed with crayons, colored pencils and water soluble paint on a horizontal piece of paper attached to the refrigerator. There’s the physical love shared with longing and passion, tenderness and innate understanding which can result in perfectly synchronized, simultaneous climax. Once experienced makes you willing to go without – if even reluctantly – forever. Love isn’t either chocolate or vanilla - unless it’s homemade tapioca pudding, Crème brûlée, warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of cold milk as you get home from school or molten chocolate cake oozing Belgian decadence across your tongue. I know for certain that love is strawberry flavoured in the form of my Aunt Jeanne’s Jell-O salad with crushed pecans, pineapple, strawberries, bananas and a thick layer of sour cream. The colour of love isn’t the deep throbbing of Valentine red but rather like the spectrum of light in reverse, pure white with the slightest tint of blue-y lavender. The full range of colour, of life, brought together in one perfect calming shade.

::rw reads & writes

Dig a hole, work compost and topsoil together, plant a tree on the day you fall in love with the sound and smell of your baby’s first breath and a second one 12 feet apart on their first birthday. Twenty years later watch from the kitchen window as they lay in a hammock strung between the two trees which have marked their life, their arms around their first lover reading to them, the world slipping away on a Sunday afternoon. I believe in 15 seconds. A kiss that includes kissing air – that electrically charged space between lovers before physical contact is made — which is not dissimilar in effect on our sensibilities as the smell of ozone before rain. People who settle for less than this level of a kiss are surely willing to settle for less in all the little and big things which make up the totality of our lives. Don’t settle. Ever. Trudge over a hundred miles one way for weeks, and then months on end to secure treatment for a cancer that is slowly destroying your husband and watch him slip from you in spite of all medicine and you can do for him to know the full extent of love.

glory of God”. If the love you feel is as much spiritual as visceral be truly grateful that any one of these types of love have graced your life. If you love enough, they never leave you. Ms. Fritschi is an international, award-winning marketing communications professional. Her communications career began as an amateur boxing tournament coordinator. She served as the finance director for two Congressional campaigns and spent 16 years working in the high tech space including Fortune 500 firms prior to launching Thistle & Broom, a geo-politically exclusive, Fair Trade based e-commerce site. All That I Need, or Live Like a Dog With Its Head Stuck Out the Car Window is her first book. Ms. Fritschi splits her time between Rochester, New York, and Edinburgh , Scotland. E-versions of the book are available through Amazon, Barnes&Noble and iTunes at $6.05, print-on-demand version exclusively through Amazon $25.

Sit in a sacred sanctuary, regardless of your beliefs or who your Prophet might be, and recognize that love defines what it means when in stone is incised “to the rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

dream it, If you can

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march

Masquerade Ball

ORGANIZATION: Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Scholarship & The Scleroderma Foundation TIME: 7pm WHERE: Memorial Art Gallery WEBSITE: www.meg.rochester.edu

GardenScape: The greater Rochester Flower and Garden Show

TIME: 9am-9pm WHERE: Monroe County Fair & Expo Center WEBSITE: www.rochesterflowershow.com

Johnny’s Runnin’ of the Green 5 mile run

ORGANIZATION: Johnny’s Irish Pub & CATS Athletic Club TIME: 12:30pm WHERE: Blue Cross Arena WEBSITE: www.catspage.com

calendar 17

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

TIME: 12:30pm WHERE: East ave. at Alexander St. to Main St. to Plymouth Ave. WEBSITE: www.rochesterparade.com

17&18, 24&25 Maple Sugar festival

ORGANIZATION: Genesee Country Village & Museum TIME: 9:30am-4pm, pancake breakfast at 9am WHERE: 1410 Flint Hill Road | Mumford, New York 14511 WEBSITE: www.gcv.org

Original Cast Recording On

Education takes the Stage

ORGANIZATION: WXXI and The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra TIME: registration is at 11:30am, lunch begins at 12pm WHERE: Riverside Convention Center WEBSITE: www. interactive.wxxi.org/rpoevent.

women in music festival

ORGANIZATION: Eastman School of Music TIME: 8pm WHERE: Kilburn Hall, Eastman School of Music WEBSITE: www.esm.rochester.edu Do you have an event coming up? Submit your information to events@ rochesterwomanmag.com

rochesterWomanMag.com :: march 2012

::RWM pets

Cant YOU Hear ME? By Mark Forrest Patrick

Note From the Editor: Below is a fictional account of what happens behind the scenes in a puppy mill. Be aware that some of the information is graphic in nature and maybe disturbing to read but is based on fact and is intended to illustrate the horrific conditions experienced by animals at most of these facilities. It’s early in the morning, about 6:00 am. I hear foots steps approaching, people talking. It is dark in this place and smells of feces and urine. The situation here is grave, cold and dark. I lay in this crate with several other dogs, some bigger than me. My tail is stepped on, I lay in filth and I have nowhere to go, no way out. Some of us have gone I am not sure where. Some are lifeless, have they died and still remain in the crate?

The voices are approaching will they give us some water? My mouth is dry, my skin is weak and I can hardly move in this little crate. I would like to see daylight. I wish I could run and play and touch the grass. Is this the way life is really to be for me? I am now six months old and still in this same ole crate. My feet are sore, by bones are aching and all I get is this same old slop to eat. When I get some water my crate mates spill the water. We are now wet from urine and our water bowl. Oh, I whine and cry and no one listens. I never feel the touch of a human. I wish someone would hold me or just give me a bath. Oh, some of my friends here are being placed in crates. Oh, where are they going? Will they stay here with me or are they going to another place? I hear the whine in the air, I hear the babies cry. Oh I hope they are not going to be like me, trapped in this crate. I hope someone is listening and gives me a home. I sit and whine, but why does no one listen to my cry? I feel the drip of water upon my face from the crate above me. The bowl of their slop drips upon my fur. Is anyone here to help me? It is cold outside and I am wet, soiled with feces and food. Where did my mother go? Is my father here to protect me and hear me cry? It is lonely here as we all try to survive, will someone listen? Today another one of my crate mates lays here lifeless, is she alive? I can’t move to help her, my feet are so sore, I feel so weak. My friend had bites, and open sores and had not been able to move. She still lies here, no one seems to care. I am thankful it is cold outside so the flies are not coming. Will someone come and help her please? The life for us here is terrible and it makes us weak. We have so many complaints and so many problems. Some of us will never leave and some of us will be forced to deliver and nurse more just like me. They too will be weak, sick and remain in this crate just like me. You look at us and say “oh how cute!” but if you could see me now you would say “oh my God!”. I am not your cute loveable puppy. I am sick, emaciated, missing hair and being left here to die. A puppy mill is a mass breeding facility that produces puppies for sale at retail outlets across the country. Thousands of puppy mills produce over two million puppies annually. While most of these facilities are inspected and licensed by the U.S.D.A., many are notorious for their filthy, overcrowded conditions, and the unhealthy animals they produce. For more information on puppy mills visit www.banpuppymills.com

Paws

and think... ...about how you can help Rochester’s furry friends:

Adopt

Foster

Volunteer

Donate

The Verona Street Animal Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization that was established to raise funds and promote awareness for Rochester Animal Services. We can’t succeed in this crucial mission without your support. Visit:

www.facebook.com/VeronaStAnimalSociety www.VSAS.org

SAVE THE DATE! Join us on Saturday, June 9, 2012 for The Fast & The Furriest® 5K, 10K and 1-Mile Dog Walk.

Questions? Call 311

www.rochesteranimalservices.com Outside the city call 428-5990

::tips for women

By Andrea L. Vittum

Most of us are too busy dealing with the demands of THIS life to spend too much time thinking about the NEXT. Eventually the day will come when we wonder, “When something happens to me, who will make the arrangements and how will I be remembered?” After nearly 30 years working at a cemetery, I have seen people handle these issues in many different ways. Some plan ahead others don’t. Some take charge of their own final arrangements; others leave it for loved ones to do. Based on my experience, I offer the following suggestions to help you navigate your way through these sensitive issues: • Planning ahead really does make a difference. These are decisions that are best made in a calm and thoughtful manner, not at a time of emotional upheaval. • If you have children, consider the impact of your loss on them. Will you add to their distress by leaving them to face emotional decisions and un-budgeted expenses? Or comfort them by your thoughtful planning?

• With so many memorial options available today, you can easily make a statement about your own life and who or what was important to you. You can choose to honor special relationships, share favorite verses or pass-times, or even express your commitment to the environment by choosing an earth-friendly burial. • If you have a spouse or significant other who refuses to discuss the subject with you, don’t let that be a deterrent. Invite him or her to visit The Nature Trail at White Haven with you and see that burial sites need not be “traditional” or gloomy. Hopefully that will get the discussion going and help you make a thoughtful plan that will be appreciated by your family for generations to come. After all, you’re used to taking charge. So, don’t let these important decisions be made by anyone else but YOU.

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