New Castle Democrats 2019 Are Involved in Our Community

Ivy Pool joined the Town Board in 2018, but many residents first got to know her not as a Council Member or a candidate, but as a community member and volunteer. Her interest in serving the community as Town Supervisor stems from her love for this town, and she is motivated by a strong desire to make this the very best place in Westchester to live, work, and raise a family. 

Ivy and her husband, Christian Edstrom, moved to New Castle in 2010 having “discovered” the town during their frequent bike rides from the City as members of the New York Cycle Club. They loved the quaint hamlets, the rolling hills, and the acres of leafy trees. Ivy grew up riding her bike to friends’ houses and playing in the street, and she wanted that same experience for her kids. She loves living in the kind of community where her neighbors know her kids and can get them off the bus if she is running late. 

Over the years Ivy has been involved in many community and family activities including:

• Since 2014, Ivy has been a Girl Scout Troop Leader. Her troop, which began in Kindergarten, has grown to include 19 4th grade girls. In 2018, Ivy stepped up to serve as the Grafflin Girl Scouts Recruitment Coordinator. Ivy is passionate about supporting and mentoring young women. Scouting is a family affair! Christian is a former Cubmaster and Den Leader, and recently Ivy started serving on Boy Scouts Troop 2 Eagle Scout Board of Review.

• Ivy is an usher at the First Congregational Church (FCC) of Chappaqua, where Christian serves on the Church Council as the Assistant Treasurer. In 2018 their family took over responsibility for the FCC’s famous Christmas tree sales. On December weekends you can find them selling trees to benefit the church’s many community service projects.
• Like many New Castle parents, Ivy has taken her turn coaching youth sports. She served as a co-coach for her son’s recreational baseball team and as the head coach for her daughter’s softball team. Most weekends she’s in her favorite orange camp chair cheering for New Castle teams.

• Ivy has been active in the Grafflin PTA, including serving as Class Mom, as the parent liaison to the Building Planning Committee, as a co-chair for Grafflin Family Game Night, and, of course, volunteering every year at the Grafflin Spooktacular.
• Since 2014, Ivy has served as the Vice President and Treasurer of the Greeley Hills Neighborhood Association. She has planned block parties, created a neighborhood directory, and launched a new neighborhood tradition – holiday caroling! She has also advocated with the Town on behalf of the neighborhood, to make sure potholes are patched and tree work is performed.
• As a member of the Chappaqua PTA STEM committee, Ivy coached a first grade Jr. First Lego League team, a weekly commitment with several hours per week of prep work and lesson planning.
• Since 2017, the Edstrom & Pool Family have hosted summer scholarship students in their home as a host family for the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program. CSSP is a college prep and enrichment program for academically motivated students from under-resourced NYC public schools.

In addition, Ivy has been an advocate for the political and social issues that are important to her and to this community, and she has supported candidates that have upheld these values. This includes attending the Women’s March, the March for Our Lives, and the Climate March in NYC, among others. Ivy has spoken at several local rallies, including those in support of the Reproductive Health Act and a woman’s right to choose, immigrants’ rights, and common sense gun violence legislation. Ivy has canvassed to support NYS Assemblyman David Buchwald, NYS Senator Peter Harckham, County Executive George Latimer, and Westchester County Legislature Candidate Vedat Gashi, among others. In 2016, she supported and volunteered for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. 

Ivy is running for Town Supervisor because she is passionate about public service, and she is ready to deepen her commitment to serving her friends, neighbors, and fellow residents. Ivy loves living in a place where people know her name, and she is honored when residents trust her to help them solve problems. Ivy’s commitment to her community, coupled with her leadership experience and her family and democratic values, are what we need for the future of New Castle!  

Jason has lived in Millwood for almost 15 years with his wife and his two children.  It is difficult to NOT find Jason at some event in town each and every week.   He can be seen most Saturday mornings roaming the Chappaqua Farmers Market, picking up a breakfast burrito and a coffee, and talking with our friends and neighbors about our town, kids, or whatever seems to be the topic of the day. Constantly on carpool duty for his high school senior and high school freshman at Greeley (hooray for his son’s driver’s license!), he can be seen in the stands or as a timer for dozens of swim meets each year around New York (Saw Mill Aquatics - Storm, Willowbrook Swim and Tennis, and Greeley Varsity), or watching his daughter sing and act on stage. 

Jason has participated in numerous community activities, both formally and informally. Whenever possible, he attends New Castle Town Board meetings, CCSD School Board meetings, Westchester County Airport Advisory Board meetings, etc., well before he ever considered running for Town Board. He has attended Master Plan/Comprehensive Plan meetings and community outreach sessions, form-based code zoning sessions, and keeps on top of Town Board discussion items. It is nearly impossible to enumerate on all of the town activities in which he’s been participated or has been actively involved. Throughout his adult life, Jason has always put the needs and concerns of others above his own, which shows in his interests in helping our community. 

• As a volunteer for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival for the last four years, and now as a board member, Jason works hard to make sure the festival is well planned and runs smoothly throughout the day while working with the festival’s numerous sponsors. His company is a Masterpiece Sponsor for the event, with a shared goal of putting books into the hands of the children who need them across Westchester County and beyond. 

• Jason was on the Board of Directors for the Willowbrook Swim and Tennis club, where he oversaw the management of swim and tennis club activities, including facilities and personnel. Operating on a slim budget, Jason ensured the facilities were kept in excellent shape and started a number of clubs and activities that allowed Willowbrook to continue to attract new members every year.

• Jason is a member of the Chappaqua Central School District Financial Advisory Committee, which serves an advisory role to District administrators regarding the development of the annual school budget and long-range planning.

• As a founding board member of Up2Us, Jason educates and trains volunteers in Westchester County, and helps coordinate and staff candidate campaign offices. He helped organize Secretary Clinton’s Westchester campaign offices during the 2016 election, ensuring volunteers had the tools they needed to get out the vote. He worked on New Castle, county, and state elections. He helped bring federal, state, and county representatives to New Castle for Q&A sessions, including Congresswoman Nita Lowey, NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, NYS Senator Peter Harckham, NYS Assemblyman David Buchwald, NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Westchester County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, and Westchester County Legislator MaryJane Shimsky. 

• He has been a New Castle Democratic Committee district leader since 2016, bringing a fresh perspective to the committee. 

Jason will put the issues and needs of our community first and foremost, above any special interests and political parties. He cares tremendously about our community, and his qualifications will make him an exceptional member of our Town Board.