Benay Yaffe, Neighbor

Benay grew up in Arkansas and got her B.A. in psychology at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. She has now lived in Connecticut for 23 years, as long as she lived in the South, and at this point she accepts that although you can take the girl out of the South, you can't take the y'all out of the girl.

Benay has a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fairfield University, and this, combined with her varied work experience as a children's tennis instructor,  metal sorter, psychiatric technician and customer service rep at an HMO has left her eminently unqualified to be a reporter.

At age 50, Benay developed a passion for photography as a way of distracting her from  the realization that she is now old. She is an active member in two camera clubs, a tireless advocate for Newtown Park and Bark and very involved in volunteer activities at her son's school. She lives in Hawleyville.