Jen Cook
Document Sample
September/October 2010
Our Town’s
Bravest Daughter:
Jen Cook
How the
9/11 Memorial
Found its Home
The “New”
New Castle Media Center
Meet a Chappaqua
Roller Derby Mom!
Maggie Mae Visits the
Ever Delightful
Jean Craighead George
FUNDRAISER “Save The Dates!”
• Chappaqua TAblE Farm Market, 9/11
• Feed Me Fresh - An Edible Evening at Ivana Farm, 9/25
• Food Bank’s Quest to End Childhood Hunger, 10/21
• NCHS Antiques Show, Westorchard, 11/6 and 11/7
September/October 2010 Inside Chappaqua 1
$3.95
How Jen Cook Lives the Dream By Vicki de Vries
If Indiana Jones were that here they were
in search of a female doing something so
counterpart, he could do tremendous yet were
no better than to select so appreciative of us.”
Jen Cook. While never
forced to flee the Temple Then, soon after Hur-
of Doom, Cook already ricane Katrina hit
has had her share New Orleans, Cook
of “nail-biting” mo- again felt compelled
ments—from becoming to help: “Having the
a certified scuba diver opportunity to make
to taking flying lessons, people feel less alone
from being first runner- and more hopeful,
up in the New York Teen just by simply being
Miss America contest to there with water and
driving a fire truck. food was a time I’ll
And those are only for never forget.” She
starters. credits both of her
parents for instilling
Residents of New Castle in her a desire to help
will know Cook as the people.
president and founder
of Lighten Up Massage, From Le Creuset Pan
which she started in into the Fire
1995. Ever since, she Without a doubt, Jen
has been on a crusade to Cook is an inveter-
help people realize that ate entrepreneur,
“massage therapy is for someone who dreams
everyday life because big and is willing to
it relieves stress and Photo by Bill Bramswig take risks. While still
chronic pain and helps massage therapy school and keeping her massage
the body to heal.” To celebrate then opened her own place in therapy business in operation,
the 15th anniversary, she re- Chappaqua. But some people she enrolled in evening and
named the business Chappaqua also know her as the gener- weekend classes at ICE, a well-
Wellness Center, which now ous, warm-hearted person known culinary school in Man-
provides such related health- who volunteered her mas- hattan. With a degree in hand,
oriented features as chiroprac- sage therapy skills to help the Cook began working as a part-
tic care, nutritional advice, and clean-up volunteers after 9/11. time personal chef—something
electrolysis. “They were the most meaning- she had always wanted to do.
ful massages I’ve ever done,” Then last summer, she worked
Busy, Busy Hands said Cook. “I could just feel the as an assistant chef on the TV
A psychology major in col- pain and sadness through my program “Top Chef.”
lege, Cook “just happened” to hands as I touched their bodies.
work for a massage therapist Some of them would talk about In the past year, Cook spent an
during her college years. Af- what they had seen, and others exciting two weeks with a mas-
ter graduation, she attended would just cry. It blew my mind ter chef in Florence, Italy,
September/October 2010 Inside Chappaqua 13
to learn the art of pizza mak- coming a volunteer firefighter. the community, another impor-
ing. Upon returning to the “Some of my best memories tant benefit for Cook is serving
States, she decided to start a are sitting with him in the fire as a role model. One day, while
mobile pizzeria that includes truck on parade days,” said driving the fire truck, she over-
a custom-made wood-burning Cook. So, with a bucket of de- heard a little girl shout, “Look,
brick oven, which heats up to termination, this 5’ tall trail- Mommy, it’s a girl driving the
850 degrees F. and can bake blazer applied as a volunteer fire truck!” and the mother
four small pizzas in two min- at the Chappaqua Fire Depart- reply, “You can do that too
utes. Thus was born her out- ment, which was “very support- someday!” It should be obvious
door pizza business aptly called ive” and doubtless, not a little by now: Jen Cook also enjoys
“Cooking With Fire.” Obviously, surprised, especially when she breaking stereotypes, a trait
for Jen Cook, the expression “If announced she wanted to drive she credits to her mother, who
you can’t take the heat, get was the first female EMT in
out of the kitchen” does not Photo by Joanna Cirasella Ossining.
apply, since she has sought
out heat in a very real sense “Having a very independent,
of the word. courageous and confident
mom has been the ultimate
And as if life weren’t excit- gift in my life,” Cook said.
ing enough, this summer “She raised me and my broth-
Cook won a recipe contest er, Chris [one year younger]
that required a video sub- to follow our hearts and
mission. The “prize”? Be- dreams. And most impor-
ing a guest chef alongside tantly, to approach each new
Bobby Flay on “Grill It,” [to task or challenge with the
air September 19 on the mindset that whether you
Food Network]. reach the final goal or not,
you’ve just learned some-
Now, could all of this pas- thing you can take away and
sion for cooking be tied to build upon.”
her last name? “Absolutely,”
Cook admitted. Kids would Jen Cook with fellow culinary pal Jenny Kmiotek at a
This attitude encouraged
tease her on the school bus Brick Oven Pizza party Cook and her brother to
with the same question: “grab hold of everything we
“What are you cooking for can possibly fit into our lives.
dinner tonight, Cook?” Her the fire truck. “That was the This is why I follow my heart
answer was always the same: only issue,” Cook said, but one with new ideas about how to
“Pizza,” one of her favorite she worked hard to overcome experience it all.” But “going for
foods—“a universal food.” by spending many evenings at the gusto” and breaking stereo-
the firehouse studying every types, as important as they are,
Massage therapy… cooking…. detail of the fire truck. still don’t measure up to what
Most people follow one main Cook considers her supreme
pursuit but not Jen Cook, To sum it all up, Cook added in calling in life—being able to
whose enthusiasm for life and a humorous vein: “I can stand help people.
ability to overcome challenges– the heat,” and “I not only can
and sometimes hunt them out– start an oven fire, but I know “Into Every Life,
are bordering on legendary. how to put one out.” Thank A Little Rain Must Fall…”
goodness for multitasking. It may be a truism, but every
When her beloved grandfather, successful person has learned
a former fire chief, died ten Recipe for True Success to deal with hardship in some
years ago, her way of coping While being a female firefighter way. Cook said she and her
with the sad loss was by be- is an exciting “ride” and helps younger brother, Chris, had
Continued on page 16
September/October 2010 Inside Chappaqua 14
a wonderful childhood even of whom are struggling with
though her parents divorced different kinds of issues. Many
when she was 4 years of age, parents and kids feel alone and
and a few years later, her moth- keep their struggles bottled up
er shocked family and friends inside like a secret poison that
by revealing that she was a les- hinders inner healing. Cook
bian. “It was not spoken about believes that many parents
until my brother and I turned and teenagers could be suffer-
11 and 12 years old [respective- ing from Post Traumatic Stress
ly],” said Cook. “We felt we had Syndrome due to 9/11: “Teen-
agers today were in elementary Jen Cook served on the panel at the UN
to protect Mom from society, Peace Summit for Women in Geneva follow-
but it was not a struggle for us school in 2001. Back then, the ing 9/11. Pictured here with Linda Evans.
to personally accept her life- sadness could be felt thick as
style choice.” In fact, “we were a fog.” Eventually Cook and who said it would be a loss to
not traumatized by it except her father enjoyed a restored the community if she moved
that there was a lack of accept- relationship: “After a ton of away. “That just really touched
ance by the parents of some of self-reflection and very difficultmy heart!” said Cook, who is still
our friends, by the school we personal growth on my father’s struggling to forgive the driver
attended, and by family part and mine, I realized my whose gross miscalculation cost
members.” Dad had been traumatized him- her father’s life and left her and
self growing up. He needed love her family devastated by the
Cook sees the silver lining in and support too, and we healed incalculable loss. Four months
that struggle: “Mom’s being together.” later, Cook bought a 1955 Ford
‘different’ was a gift to us in pick-up truck, which she still
the sense that both Chris and A Point of No Return enjoys driving around town.
I are not prejudiced and are Cook now has no regrets, ex- But the truck is more than a
risk takers.” Learning to adjust cept for a tragically major one– novelty: it reminds her of her
to society’s unwelcoming atti- August 9, 2007, the day her dramatic rescue when she tried
tude toward her mother and to father, Greg Cook, was killed by to commit suicide, and is a way
the feeling of being treated as a car that drove ten feet down to honor her father’s memory:
different helped shape Cook’s a sidewalk in Chappaqua before “Dad would always tell me, ‘I
outlook: “The world is a much hurling him into a nearby glass really wish people would make
easier place to live and succeed window. eye contact with passersby and
in, if you can accept all people in smile.’” Now when she drives
spite of their differences and try Just the week before his death, down the road, everyone looks
to find the good in everyone.” Cook had decided to tell him, “I up at her and smiles at the
When turning 16, however, forgive you, Daddy.” Ironically, truck. “I always smile back and
Cook felt so alienated from her they had arranged to meet in think, ‘Dad, they’re finally do-
parents, especially her father, town on the very day and at the ing it!’”
that she tried to commit sui- very spot where he was killed.
cide. Fortunately, teenagers in a She also had planned to hug Her estrangement and eventual
red Ford pick-up truck rescued him–“something she hadn’t done reconciliation with her father
her from an oncoming train. since childhood” and now would taught Cook that “kids can
Eight months in a rehab hospi- never get to do. come to understand their par-
tal helped her to deal with her Over 300 people attended Greg ents also have struggles, while
emotional issues, although she Cook’s funeral. “The love and parents can realize they’re not
angrily told her father, “I never support from not only friends alone” in their battles with
want to see you again!” but also strangers gave me themselves and their kids.
the will and determination to But not being able to hug her
“The reason I’m sharing this remain in town,” Cook said. father and say she had actually
personal revelation,” Cook said, News of the horrific accident forgiven him is something Jen
“is to encourage families, many also reached Hillary Clinton, Cook will always regret.
September/October 2010 Inside Chappaqua 16
