Police Report: Firefighters Shore up Central Avenue Apartment After Car Crashed through Wall

Scarsdale firefighters who are part of Technical Rescue Squad 36 assisted in shoring up a Central Park Avenue two-story apartment building after a car drove into a garden apartment April 12. The accident occurred around 2 p.m. on the side of Building B of the Scarsdale Ridge Apartments in Greenburgh. An elderly man and woman were the driver and passenger of the car, a blue Honda Accord. The car penetrated the building’s wall, creating a large hole, and the car continued to drive halfway into the building. The couple was taken to Westchester Medical Center with reported “minor injuries.” Nobody else was injured in the accident. The entire building, consisting of twelve apartments, was evacuated, and all utilities were shut off.

The initial public safety response consisted of the Greenville Fire Department along with Greenburgh police. While assessing the situation, the Greenville FD Incident Commander requested a response from Technical Rescue Squad 36, along with the Greenburgh Technical Rescue Team. TRS-36 consists of the Fairview, Greenville, Hartsdale and Scarsdale Fire Departments. According to Scarsdale Fire Chief James Seymour, “When TRS-36 is requested, assets from each of the four departments respond along with assets from the Greenburgh Police Department with pre-assigned apparatus and equipment.” Firefighters participating in TRS-36 worked to mitigate immediate risk by shoring the building, and engineers were called in to further check the accident’s impact on building’s overall structural integrity.

Over the last 18 months or so, representatives from 12 local fire departments, in cooperation with Westchester County Commissioner of Emergency Services John Cullen, have been working on the implementation of a technical rescue squad matrix. During the planning stages of this initiative, training, equipment, dispatch and responses were addressed. Currently, three Technical Rescue Squads are operational and identified in the County’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. The Squads are TRS-32 (New Rochelle), TRS-34 (White Plains) and TRS-36. As this concept continues to evolve, additional area departments will be blended into the matrix.

“In cooperation with DES, we have requested that instructor authorization courses be taught from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control,” Seymour explained. “These instructor authorizations will certify our local fire officers to teach these particular courses to our firefighters, in an effort to increase the amount of personnel adequately trained to the highest level possible.”

Explaining the necessity of the technical rescue squads, Seymour said: “This initiative began with the identification or belief that fire departments must be better prepared to respond and mitigate more than just fires. Throughout Westchester you can easily find workers in trenches, workers in manholes and other confined spaces, people stranded at increased elevations and buildings that have been structurally compromised. These squads have the necessary assets to respond to these types of incidents within our response districts.”

The Central Avenue accident was the initial response for the newly aligned TRS-36 team, and it was a success.

“People should know that area fire departments work every day trying to identify ways to better protect their residents,” Seymour said. “This program will allow for an expeditious deployment of necessary manpower and equipment in cases for which people find themselves stuck, trapped or incapacitated in trenches, confined spaces or even building collapses.

Bank Robbery on Tarrytown Road
On Friday April 13th at approximately 2:45 P.M. Greenburgh Police Officers responded to the Chase Bank located at 409 Tarrytown Road on a report of a bank robbery. The suspect passed a note to the teller and fled on foot with an undetermined amount of cash. The suspect was described as a black male wearing a black and white shirt, red hooded sweatshirt with a black hood, black hat with a red brim, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

Stolen
On April 9, an Eastchester woman reported someone stole her iPhone 8. She said she had accompanied her sister and nephew to a children’s Spanish class at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church and School from 10:30 a.m. until 11:20 a.m. that day. During the class, she used her iPhone to take pictures of her nephew. She placed her phone on top of her purse, which was on a classroom desk and visible to others in the room. After walking outside to the car, the woman realized she did not have her phone with her. She called it three times. The first two times, it rang out and went to voicemail. The third time, it went immediately to voicemail. She then went back into the classroom to look for her phone, but it was not there.

On April 10, a Popham Road man reported his passport might have been stolen. He said he last saw his passport inside his residence at the end of February. He did not move his passport to another location or use his passport, but in March, he noticed it was missing. He believes it was stolen.

On April 13, a Wildwood Road resident reported a package from Amazon was stolen from her front porch. According to tracking information, the package was delivered April 9. It contained Ray Ban sunglasses valued at $180.

Identity theft
On April 9, a Rugby Lane man reported unauthorized charges were made to his credit card. He said he believes he lost four credit cards and his New York Sports Club ID card at the NYSC facility in Hartsdale April 8. He received a call from Chase bank’s fraud department on April 9, stating that someone attempted to use his Chase debit and credit cards at the Best Buy location on Central Avenue. Chase declined the attempted transactions. While following up with his other credit card companies to report his cards had been lost, the man learned a fraudulent transaction had been made at the Apple store in the Ridge Hill Shopping Center in Yonkers. The transaction was evenly split between two credit cards. The manager of the Apple store said the transaction had been captured on video. Police are following up.

On April 11, an Oxford Road resident reported his American Express card was used to make a fraudulent purchase of $35.68 at a Chipotle Mexican Grille on April 6. He informed American Express that the transaction was fraudulent, and the account was closed. The man also reported an unknown person attempted to credit cards in his name at Lowe’s and Home Depot in March. These attempts were denied.

Handbag
On April 10, a Garth Road storeowner reported possible fraud with a handbag transaction. The owner of the business said a woman purchased a $9,200 blue and black Hermes Birkin handbag on March 19. She paid $700 cash and split the difference between two credit cards – $4,250 on an American Express card and $4,250 on a Visa. On March 20, the woman returned to the store and wanted to put the same handbag back on consignment for $9,800. The storeowner said both credit card companies had informed her that the customer was disputing both charges of $4,250. The creditors refunded the customer a total of $8,482.50, according to the storeowner. The storeowner reached out to the customer by leaving her a message. The handbag is at the store and the owner believes it is the same handbag that was originally purchased on March 19. Police advised the storeowner this is a civil matter.

Visitors
On April 11, a Brite Avenue resident reported her house had been listed for sale that day, and shortly thereafter, two women came to her house and asked to look around. The resident’s nanny let the women into the house. The women stayed in the house for some time, looking around. One said she might want to move to Scarsdale from New York City. Nothing appeared missing from the house. Police advised the resident to talk with her nanny about who is allowed access to the house.

Metal detector
A caller reported seeing a man with a metal detector walking in the area of Brite Avenue and Sage Terrace April 11. Police spoke with the man about the complaint. The man said it was a hobby of his, and he told police he was using a map to make sure he only stayed on public property.

Ticket machine
MTA police reported the ticket machine on the Scarsdale train station platform, on Depot Place, had been tampered with April 12. Scarsdale police checked the area for suspects but did not find any.

Disputes
A Bradford Road resident and a contractor had a verbal argument over the possible impact that construction activity was having on Bradford Road traffic flow April 12. The resident called police. Patrol advised both parties to obey all traffic rules and stay civil with their disagreements.

A taxi driver reported a verbal dispute with a passenger over the fare from JFK airport to Christie Place April 15. While police were on the scene, the driver and passenger came to an agreement over the fare, and the matter was resolved.

Bus
A man had accidentally boarded an Express Bee Line bus, missed his intended stop in White Plains, had an argument with the driver and eventually got off at a stop across from Scarsdale High School on Post Road April 12. He called police for assistance. Police stayed with the man until a local bus headed toward White Plains came, and the man boarded the bus.

Ring
A Post Road resident called police for help in removing a ring at 11 p.m., April 12. Patrol called Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps for assistance. The ring was successfully removed.

Cars and roadways
Police tied up fallen wires on Secor Road April 9.

A person in a Honda parked on Meadow Road had pulled off the parkway to make a phone call April 9.

After an Overlook Road resident complained about traffic hazards caused by illegally parked cars, police went to the area, saw numerous illegally parked cars and issued summonses April 10.

Police spoke with Scarsdale Avenue gas station employees who parked their cars, without permits or authorization, in Merchant Lot, April 12. They were told to park elsewhere, and police will follow up.

Construction vehicles were parked in such a way on Brookby Road that it was making traffic flow difficult April 12. Police spoke with the vehicles’ drivers, and those drivers moved their vehicles.

Patrol issued summonses to two drivers who parked in handicapped spaces near the high school’s turf field and five drivers who parked their cars on Wayside Lane in violation of two-hour parking restrictions April 13.

Police helped a Popham Road motorist start her car after she reported a possible problem wither battery April 14.
A fallen branch broke a streetlight and knocked down wires on Burgess Road April 14. Police stood by for the highway department and Con Edison.

The swing door to a construction site on Weaver Street was blowing open and obstructing the roadway April 14. Patrol closed the gate and positioned cement blocks to prevent it from blowing open.

Patrol removed a yard waste bag from the Five Corners intersection April 14.

Patrol notified the highway department about a fallen tree on Cooper Road April 14.

Patrol issued a summons to the owner of a parked car blocking a driveway on Walworth Avenue April 15.

A handicapped driver reported a car, without handicap tags, was parked in a handicapped spot on Depot Place April 15. Patrol issued a summons.

Three car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Dog bite
On April 14, a Garth Road woman reported an unknown brown and white dog on Chase Road had bitten her earlier that day. She said she had been walking with her dog when she passed the offending dog and its owner. The offending dog lunged at her dog, and the woman pulled her dog away. The offending dog then bit her leg and held on with its teeth, causing the woman to shake her leg to get the dog off. The bite caused a puncture wound and bleeding. The owner of the offending dog asked the woman if she was OK. The woman said she walked away because she was afraid the offending dog would bite her again. The offending dog’s owner was described as a woman with white hair, possibly in her 60s.

Animals
A baby owl was in the roadway at Post and Burgess roads April 12. A wildlife rehabilitator was consulted. The rehabilitator determined the owl was healthy and probably only days away from being able to fly on its own. Patrol relocated the owl to a patch of woods away from the roadway.

A caller reported a person running with an unleashed dog on Lyons Road April 14. Police went to the area and found the person sitting with a dog nearby. The person was advised about village code regarding unleashed dogs and left the area.

Noise
After neighbors complained of noise, police asked a Larch Lane resident to take her dog inside the house April 11.

On April 14, callers complained about a loud outside party on Berkeley Road. Patrol advised the homeowner to lower the volume of music, and the homeowner obliged. Approximately 45 minutes later, another noise complaint was received. Patrol went to the house and, at the request of the homeowner, patrol assisted in dispersing guests in an orderly fashion.

Residents twice complained about loud music coming from Saxon Woods Grill at 10:30 p.m., April 14. Patrol notified Westchester County police and advised the manager of the Grill. The manager said the event was ending momentarily, and patrol stayed on scene to observe this.

Lost and found
A person found a laptop computer and a bag at the Scarsdale train station and gave them to police April 12. Police used information on the laptop to identify the owner. The owner was contacted; her identity was verified; and she picked up her computer and bag. All items in the bag were accounted for.

Firefighters
According to Scarsdale Fire Chief James Seymour, the fire department responded to 31 incidents, including some mutual aid calls, this week. He shared the following narratives:

On April 11, a contractor excavating ground by hand saw gas bubbling near a gas main on Bradford Road. Firefighters notified Con Edison and responded to the scene. There, in addition to a possible gas leak, firefighters noted an open excavation trench, wider and deeper than four feet and without required safety measures. Firefighters notified the building department, and the contractor was informed that necessary trench shielding must be in place before work could continue.

A gasoline generator was leaking fuel in a Post Road garage April 11. Firefighters removed the generator and spread Speedy-Dri on the leak.

On April 13, a teakettle left on a gas-fired stove had overheated and melted in a Claremont Road kitchen. Firefighters removed the kettle from the stove and placed it outside. Firefighters detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the kitchen and investigated further. They measured highest levels of carbon monoxide in the basement boiler room. Con Edison was called to the scene. The boiler was shut down, and firefighters cleared the air inside the house using positive pressure ventilation. The boiler flue pipe was found to be separated and leaking exhaust into the basement. The boiler was red-tagged. Firefighters found a previous red-tag for the boiler dated May 2016. Firefighters advised the resident to contact a heating contractor for repairs. Firefighters also noticed numerous smoke detector heads missing and no carbon monoxide detectors present. The resident was advised about how to correct the situation.

On April 14, a Church Lane South resident reported that heat from a halogen lamp placed near a light switch melted the plastic switch. Firefighters de-energized the switch at the circuit breaker panel, capped the wires with wire nuts and advised the resident to call an electrician for repair.

Firefighters assisted White Plains Fire Department by covering one of their stations while White Plains firefighters were battling a structure fire on Ferris Avenue in White Plains April 14.

An oil burner was misfiring and creating smoke inside the basement of a Chateaux Circle apartment building April 14. The burner was shut down, and the building was ventilated. The super of the building was notified. He responded to the scene and called a boiler technician for repair.

This report covering police and fire department information from April 9-15 has been compiled from official information.

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Residents Object to Renaming PA High School for Donor Steven Schwarzman

Though Board President William Natbony insists that the method of recognizing donors to the Scarsdale Schools is at the sole discretion of the Board of Education, some in the community are questioning whether a 9 ‘ x 9’ foot plaque with donors’ names should be installed at SHS.

Natbony says that the Board of Education already approved the design for these plaques at an earlier meeting, but will discuss the $38,000 in spending as a separate agenda item.

Some community members object to naming donors in the public school setting and fear that it sends the wrong message to students and faculty. They say that the district does not have an official policy on naming rights and object to the installation of such a large public display without the benefit of community debate on the most appropriate way to recognize donors.

In the past, donors were acknowledged in smaller ways. For example, those who gave money to the first synthetic track at SHS 13 years ago, had their names engraved in the pavers. However, in this case, the district and the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation are seeking a way to acknowledge gifts that funded the Fitness Center and Design Lab at the high school and are proposing large plaques to be posted on the walls of the school.

A news item this weekend may be of interest.

According to the New York Times, Wall Street billionaire Stephen A. Schwarzman proposed a $25 million gift to his alma mater in Abington, PA to fund a large renovation of the high school. In exchange for his gift he asked that the school be renamed “Abington Schwarzman High School” in his honor, that spaces in the school be renamed for his twin brothers, that he have the right to review the project’s contractors and the right to sign off on a new school logo.

The Board of Education President was caught off guard when 250 residents showed up at a school board meeting to object. According to the New York Times, there was “shouting, name-calling and more than one demand for officials to resign.” In addition, 1,500 people signed a petition to keep the name of the school as is. They objected to the deal which was “made behind a closed door” and demanded a transparent process.

The NY Times article says, “Naming-rights deals are common, but they increasingly risk provoking fierce reactions — sometimes leading to embarrassing retreats by the wealthy patrons and the recipients of their largess.”

School Board Approves 2018/19 Budget with Funding for Synthetic Turf and Additional Security

The Board of Education approved the resolution for a $157,849,407 budget for the 2018/2019 school year at their April 16 meeting with six of the seven board members voting yea and one against. The budget is 2.71% above the 2017/18 budget and will translate into a 2.65% tax increase for Scarsdale residents and 4.21% for those in the Mamaroneck strip.

As many of the board members noted, the budget supports the educational program, employs staff to limit class sizes, funds necessary plant repairs and improvements and provides for safe and secure schools.

Earlier drafts of the proposed budget projected only a 2% increase. But two decisions made in the subsequent weeks, drove it up by $1,000,000. First, community calls for better security after the shootings in Parkland Florida led the board to approve an expenditure of $250,000 for a director of security and security enhancements at the schools. Then last week, due to concerns about the safety and sustainability of the synthetic turf at the high school, the Board approved an additional $750,000 to be used with the $1.2 million already allocated to purchase and install a synthetic turf with organic infill, pending the findings of a district-wide committee who will research the issue.

Together, those two items took the budget up almost ¾ of a percent.

The district traditionally uses surplus funds from the current year’s budget to buffer tax increases for the following year, and this practice continues next year when $2,125,000 in surplus funds from 2017/18 will be used in the 2018/19 school budget. The undesignated fund balance, which by law cannot exceed 4% of the budget, was 3.81% in 2017/18 and will decrease to 3.59% in June, 2018. Total reserves are projected to drop almost $2 million dollars from $14,771,858 in June, 30, 2017 to $12,895,210 as of June 30, 2018. The dip in reserves and tight budgeting have some community members concerned that if additional faculty has to be hired to maintain class sizes, funds may not be available.

An additional stressor on the budget is the need to maintain high tax certiorari reserves to refund taxpayers who grieve their taxes and win settlements. Historically, the district kept less than $50,000 in tax cert reserves, but following the revaluation, there were many more grievances and the reserve for 2018/19 is $1,376,082.

Board members were given the chance to make statements before casting their budget votes. Nina Cannon said that she found this budget challenging due to the additions for security and the turf. However she said, “I believe this board has been as careful as possible,” and said that the “budget ensures students are safe in the classroom and on the field and provides a 21st century education at all levels.” She said, “I cast my vote in favor of the budget.”

Art Rublin looked back at Scarsdale’s history and noted challenges posed by the recession and by the state tax cap. He discussed the fact that Scarsdale has a large international population with students from 25 countries and “an interest from people all over the world in the best education for their kids.” He said, “We should be proud. … this is about kids, about families and about a community that has distinguished itself around the world.” He said the budget would “continue to sustain what we have and more our education forward,” and voiced his support for the budget.

Chris Morin agreed with Art and noted that though “the budget does not include a lot of money for new instruction, we have done that in the last 2 and 3 years…. We are making significant capital and security investment. We are below the tax cap and in a sustainable place to be.”

Pam Fuehrer said, “I think we continue to honor the budget process and avoid budget spikes which relates to planning by our business department. (The budget funds) all that is needed to support our infrastructure, protects educational excellence, professional development and sustainability … all the key parameters are being maintained at important levels. We have been faithful to a solid process.”

Lee Maude was the only dissenter. She said, “I dreaded this moment…. Thank you to my fellow board members for the hard work… My hope was to speak last because my sense is that you all are going to support the budget….I know you have worked hard… This is a great school and we do invest.” (Referring to the tax increase she said) “But was are at 2.7%. I think I have been consistent. This has all come off the rails for me in the past few weeks. When Butler Field went from $1.2 to $1.9 I was hoping we could postpone the track for $500,000. $950,000 has been added to the budget since February 12. That number will never go away because it goes in the case. It’s things like this $950 that makes Scarsdale so expensive. If I let it go, I don’t think I would be doing my job. I am not against an organic turf field. I wish I had been given a better choice – postpone something. I wish we could have offered a lower tax increase. We will try to do a better job next year.”

Scott Silberfien said, “I do support the budget. I feel that it balances our needs and honors our commitment to our staff and our community – on Butler Field and security. I can only do the best I can do. To wait or get over the $900,000 – I didn’t want to wait a year to do these projects. We heard this was coming anyway.”

Board President William Natbony also supported the budget saying “It meets our needs, enhances our schools, is a prudent budget and is not excessive. It is the result of open, vibrant discussions, open ears and open voices. We listened to the community as well. Some of the budget items were activated by issues beyond our control… We made commitments to the community about Butler Field, I struggled as well. I looked at the field to see if we could wait another year – but I didn’t think so.”

The budget passed six to one, with the nay vote cast by Lee Maude. Natbony reminded everyone that the budget vote will take place on Tuesday May 15 from 7 am to 9 pm at the Scarsdale Middle School gym. School board members will be elected as well.

Food Service Update

Assistant Superintendent Stuart Mattey provided an update on the work of the Food Service Committee who is planning the delivery of lunches to elementary school cafeterias beginning in September, 2018. This district-wide food service will replace lunch programs that were formerly run by the school PTA’s.

The group is planning elementary school menus that will be high quality and healthy. Food options will include a choice of a hot meal or an alternative meal each day. Sandwiches, salads and yogurt, as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables will be available. Monthly menus will be posted online allowing parents to order their children’s meals for up to a month at a time. Kids will not need to have money as parents will fund the accounts online.

The meals will be cooked at the high school where there is excess capacity and transported to the schools by vans leased by Chartwells. The packaging materials for the lunches will be biodegradable and sustainable. The district may try to pilot some aspects of the program at Quaker Ridge in May or June, just to make sure it is working correctly.

All program expenses are funded through program revenues. There is currently a $400,000 balance in the fund that will be used to purchase serving equipment for the elementary schools and to retain an executive chef to oversee the program and ensure its success. The program is self-funded and is not a district expense.

Details about the new lunch program will be conveyed in district communications, at PTA meetings and perhaps on the district website via a new video for parents with instructions on how to order.

Board Meeting Schedule for 2018/19

Another item on the agenda was a discussion of the scheduling of Board of Education meetings for the 2018/19 school year. The administration suggested that Board meetings be moved from Monday nights to Wednesday or Thursday nights, to allow more time to gather information and issue the agenda early enough for the community to consider it with more time before the meeting. Currently the agenda is given to the public on the Monday of the meeting.

There was also discussion about the meeting start time. Since the meetings have been extending to late in the evening, Dr. Hagerman asked if the pre-meetings with community groups could begin at 6 rather than 6:30 pm. However, Art Rublin pointed out that some members of the Board commute to work in Manhattan, and have difficulty making early evening meetings.

Lee Maude urged the Board to go back to schedule meetings at the five elementary schools which was done previously. This is difficult because all the AV equipment needs to be moved to the schools for live streaming. The Board discussed whether or not that practice should be resumed. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Hagerman said he would get input from the principals and PTA’s about meetings at the individual schools and further consider the meeting day shift.

Donor Recognition

During the first public comments session the Linda Doucette-Ashman, Amy Cooper and Leah Dembitzer from the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale read a statement about the relationship between the Board of Education and the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation (SSEF). See the full statement below. In light of a decision to purchase and hang large plaques recognizing donors to the Design Lab and the Fitness Center, the League asked the Board to develop a gift policy specific to the SSEF and a formal policy on donor recognition. They asked that the Board allow public input and discussion on both of these matters and engage the community on these issues.

Just prior to the Board of Education meeting, the Board received a letter from the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation stating their intent to pay the $38,000 for the donor recognition plaques. Since the board had already approved the design of the plaques and no longer had to allocate funds, the matter was considered closed.

At the end of the meeting Chris Morin raised the issues addressed in the League statement. He said, “I do agree that we should discuss this issue of recognition…. gifts. I feel like we answered many of the issues raised in the Leagues letter in our last gift policy. But there are certainly some holes in it. And now with this experience I think it’s worth taking a look at it and trying to get this policy right.” Dr. Hagerman added, “Compounding this issues There is potential legislation that will allow private donations to school districts which will not be given to an adjunct group like our foundation but directly to the district so in anticipation of that, this could be the beginning of something much larger down the road.”

Natbony added, “We have been in touch with our attorneys –- and are awaiting their advice. We do have a naming rights policy in place. We revised our policy a few years ago and discussed whether there should be a separate policy for the foundation at that point and decided “no.” On a broader scale, we need to see where this legislation comes out.”

Statement from the League of Women Voters on BOE Gift Policy and Recognition of Donors
April 16, 2018

The League acknowledges the efforts of the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation (Education Foundation), the Board of Education (the Board) and District Administration for the work that resulted in the creation of the High School Design Lab and Fitness Cente

The League further acknowledges that:
● An October 20, 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into by and between the Board and the Education Foundation for the funding of the High School Design Lab and Fitness Center specifically stipulates Board support for
“an appropriate means of recognizing donors to the projects;” and that
● On June 20, 2016 the Board approved plaques to recognize individual donors who provided various levels of financial support to the Education Foundation, while clarifying such recognition be limited to the one-time and specific situation of the Education Foundation gift to the District of funding for the above-named capital projects.

We also understand that the Board considers its relationship with the Education Foundation to be adequately defined and governed by the 2014 MOU and its existing Gift Policy (1800), last revised on October 6, 2014.

Since the Education Foundation was formed in 2012, the League has repeatedly recommended that the Board proactively develop gift policies through a thoughtful, methodical process that actively engages community input to ensure the resulting policy accurately reflects Scarsdale community values for our public schools.

In 2013 and 2014, the League issued several statements recommending that the Board develop and adopt “a new policy, specific to gifts given by the Education Foundation to the District, in light of the new and unique relationship between the BOE and the Education Foundation,” as well as “the size and nature of past and contemplated gifts 1 from the Education Foundation to the District.” In 2014, the League further suggested that the Board also “develop a policy regarding the recognition of gifts initiated by donors, including naming rights.”2 While certain League suggestions were incorporated into the Board’s revisions to its Gift Policy (1800) in 2014, the Board has yet to adopt these two key League recommendations.

The League observes that on March 19, 2018 the Board discussed and approved the Education Foundation’s preliminary designs for two donor recognition signage plaques, listing individual donors who contributed at various tiers of financial support above a certain threshold to the Education Foundation’s Capital Campaign 2015-17 for the above referenced projects. The Education Foundation’s public presentation of the preliminary designs for these signage plaques indicates a total estimated cost of $38,000. While the overall dimension of the donor recognition plaque for the Fitness Center is clearly shown to be 105.5 inches by 104 inches (about. 8.8 feet x 8.7 feet), the overall dimension of the Design Lab signage appears to be approximately 23 feet by 11 feet, with a donor recognition portion of approximately 38 inches x 59 inches (about 3 feet x 5 feet).3

We further observe that:
• The March 19, 2018 meeting was the first opportunity for the public to see the actual preliminary design of the proposed recognition signage plaques and to 4 learn such details as their overall dimension and cost;
• The March 19, 2018 Board Meeting Agenda afforded no opportunity for public comment between the Board’s discussion and its action to approve the5 preliminary design of the plaques; and that
• Subsequent community discussion and concern has arisen, now that the details of the two donor recognition signage plaques have been made public.

The League believes that now is the time for the Board to develop both a separate gift policy specific to the Education Foundation and a donor recognition policy that appropriately incorporate and reflect Scarsdale community values.

With the 2014 MOU coming to closure, there is gap to be filled with respect to the definition of the Board’s relationship with the Education Foundation. As such, now is the time to develop a policy to establish and clarify that relationship, just as the Board has done with respect to booster organizations. The League asserts that if the Board continues its process by replacing one MOU with another, without first establishing policy to guide what principles, priorities and values will shape the next agreement between the Board and the Education Foundation, it will not be incorporating necessary public input to ensure consistency with Scarsdale community values and priorities. The recent Board discussion and public comments on the issues surrounding the current donor recognition signage, including dimensions and cost, make this an especially opportune time for the Board to ensure their understanding of community values by engaging the broader community in discussion of the full range of issues that arise with such large donations.

We believe that the Board’s one-time approval of donor recognition signage for Education Foundation gifts to the District for the High School Design Lab and Fitness Center, which the Board stated was not intended to set precedent, has also highlighted issues that existing Board policy has yet to address. Based on our review of the June 20, 2016 Board meeting referenced above, we believe members of the Board of Education and District Administration had already begun to discuss and recognize both the absence of, and the need for, a policy regarding recognition of donors. Furthermore, we believe that, without an appropriate policy in place moving forward, the Board’s supposedly one-time recognition of certain donors to the Education Foundation’s gift to the District, does, in effect, serve as precedent that potentially governs future Board actions with respect to the recognition of donors.

The League further asserts that:
● As elected officials, Board members are accountable to the public and have a responsibility to engage in public deliberation and public discussion, and to give the public an opportunity to observe the Board’s decision-making process and to weigh in on its deliberations;
● The Board has a responsibility to provide ample public notice of, and public opportunity for comment on, Board discussions and actions regarding the Education Foundation, and donor recognition, including separately scheduled
Board meetings for Board discussion and Board action; and
● The Board has the responsibility to develop a donor recognition policy that can be applied with consistency, fairness and transparency for both the donors and the community.

Recommendations:

1. While the League acknowledges that preliminary designs for two donor recognition signage plaques have already been approved by the Board, we request that the Board still allow for and consider community input to ensure the Board’s decision on the details of the donor recognition signage for the High School Design Lab and Fitness Center appropriately reflects the values and priorities of both the school community and the broader Scarsdale community.
2. We urge the Board to develop a policy regarding the recognition of donors of gifts to the District, including naming rights. We further urge the Board to solicit public input and schedule opportunities for public comment to ensure that resulting policy reflects community values. In addition to obtaining a sense of community values, this effort will provide the Board with opportunities to identify and address specific issues associated with donor recognition in a methodical manner and thereby allow for the creation of a policy that will enable consistent application going forward.
3. Finally, in light of the Board’s unique relationship with the Education Foundation, as well as the size and nature of past and contemplated gifts from the Education Foundation to the District, we continue to urge the Board to reconsider our previous recommendation to develop and adopt a separate policy regarding its relationship with the Education Foundation.

Thank you for your consideration.
League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors

Footnotes:

1. LWVS Statement in Connection with the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation, December 9, 2013; LWVS Statement to the BOE regarding Revisions to Gift Policy, September 22, 2014; LWVS Comments to the BOE on Proposed Revisions to the Gift Policy, September 30, 2014; and Third Statement to BOE Regarding Revisions to Their Gift Policy, October 6, 2014, available on LWVS website at http://lwvs.org/issues.html.

2. LWVS Comments to the BOE on Proposed Revisions to the Gift Policy, September 30, 2014

3. Source: March 15, 2018 Education Foundation Director Letter to Dr. Hagerman with attachments, plus two separate documents with signage dimensions, included in the March 19, 2018 Board Meeting Agenda, located on the District website under “Board of Education - Board Meeting Agendas.”

4. At the December 11, 2017 Board Meeting Dr. Hagerman presents the SSEF letter regarding an installment of their gift in the amount of $263,000, adding, “We are also in the process of continuing to work with the Foundation on the signage that will commemorate the donors.” There is no subsequent Board discussion of the signage details or how it will commemorate donors. [See: Board Meeting video recording, minute 2:24.] In addition, neither the District Minutes nor the District Highlights of the December 11, 2017 Board Meeting mention the issue of donor recognition signage.

5 .The District Meeting Notice for the March 19, 2018 Board Meeting emailed on March 15, 2018 lists several agenda topics but does not include mention of the SSEF proposal for donor recognition signage; and, according to the Board Meeting Agenda for March 19, 2018, there was no public comment period scheduled between “8. Information/Discussion Items,” including “8.03 SSEF Donor Recognition Signage,” and “9. Action Items,” including “9.03 SSEF DonorRecognition Signage.” In addition, the March 15, 2018 Education Foundation Letter addressed to Dr. Hagerman and describing their proposal is an attachment to the Board’s Agenda for March 19, 2018, which members of the public could only access on the District website under “Board of Education – Board Meeting Agendas,” was not posted until the afternoon of the same day as the public meeting.

Why I Applied for the Nomination to the SBNC for Board of Education and Still Want to Serve

This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583 by school board candidate Woodrow W. Crouch, PE

I was nominated to the slate for the Board of Education by the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) to the seat for Art Rublin. I want to thank the SBNC for honoring me with this nomination, for all their hard work and Sundays sacrificed. If elected I will do them proud!

I recently learned that Fuehrer is going to contest the election and run against me specifically for Art Rublin’s seat. Alison Singer won Pam Fuehrer’s seat for the SBNC nomination.

I thought I should let the community know about me and why I am going to continue through to the election on May 15th. ACTA NON VERBA

My wife and I have lived in Scarsdale for 40 years. Though I am not in my 40s, I am also not in my 80s! As an older empty nester, I am deeply invested in the Scarsdale community. I have a BS from the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and a MSME from Columbia University and am a licensed New York State Professional Engineer. I was honored with the Outstanding Professional Achievement Award from the USMMA for exemplifying the best tradition of the Corps “ACTA NON VERBA” (Deeds Not Words). I work to exemplify this motto in all parts of my life.

I spent the majority of my career at the New York Power Authority (NYPA). At NYPA, I was Vice President of Project Management and led billion dollar engineering and construction projects for gas, oil and hydroelectric power plants, high voltage transmission lines and high voltage underground and underwater cables. I also led a billion dollar modernization of 29 units of the Niagara and St Lawrence hydroelectric facilities.

Early in my career, I was the project manager for a new coal fired plant fraught with contention on Staten Island. I spent 7 years obtaining extensive licenses and permits and meeting with the community to discuss the project and respond to questions. The Congressman from Staten Island strongly opposed the power plant and its impact on the community.

Years later, I undertook an impossible project for NYPA: the installation of ten power plants throughout New York City to prevent summer blackouts. This effort was accomplished in nine month from August 2000 to June 2001! Because of the trust I built early in my career with local politicians and community leaders, I was able to accomplish the impossible. On Staten Island, that congressman from years prior said, “If Woody Crouch is going to do this job, I will support it. I trust Woody.” This is an example of my ability to work with the community on contentious projects through honesty, respect and thoughtfulness. I believe in always telling the truth. I will bring these qualities to the Board.

I have worked with unions on all my projects to ensure that everyone was treated fairly, with respect and that the safety of the personnel was a number one priority. The workers know me from my being on the job sites and taking an interest in their work and they respect me. A respect that is not given easily, but is earned. Since retiring I has served as a Vice President at Skanska and Noble Environmental Power. I am currently founder and Chief Executive Officer of DC Transmission Partners LLC.

As a leader in the utility industry, I was President of the United States Society on Dams and Chairman of the Construction Committee. While on this Board, I expanded the purview to include small dams, not just large dams, which were aging and in need of technical support. I understand and care about aging infrastructure.

I had a grandson who was born with Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare disease, and lived five months. I am currently serving on the Sturge-Weber Foundation (SWF) Board of Directors. I was on SWF Board for eleven years, with six years as Chairman and was asked to return and am now serving again as a Board member. SWF is dedicated to supporting the families dealing with horrendous rare disease and research to find a cure. My lobbying effort in Congress resulted in the National Institute of Health including SWS in its research.

I have served for decades in various Scarsdale organizations. Currently I serve as a Committee Member of Scarsdale Troop 2 and am a Merit Badge Counselor for Engineering, Energy, Citizenship in the Community, Communication, Family Life and Personal Management. I served on the Drake Edgewood Association as a member of the Board of Governors and as President, on the Scarsdale Neighborhood Association of Presidents as Chairman. I also have chaired the Edgewood Athletic Association and coached girls and boys’ basketball, soccer and softball teams. I served as a member on the IHM Religious Education school Board of Directors and as its Treasurer. My wife and I also co-managed the Edgewood Fair and I volunteered as an Auxiliary Police Officer.

I believe that our teachers are the heart and strength of our school system. While I am an engineer with vast construction experience, I am surrounded by a family of teachers and students. My wife and her two sisters taught in New York City schools. I saw the dedication and teaching skills that they honed through continuing education and their daily preparation for the next day’s class. My two brothers also had careers in education. One was a high school math teacher and later became the Principal and the football coach, and my other brother was a professor. As for myself, I taught as an Adjunct at Manhattan College at night for three years and learned first-hand the preparation that is required for each class. I say hurrah to our teachers who have the privilege to educate these young people. They need and deserve our support.

My two children went through the Scarsdale School system from kindergarten through high school. Until two years ago, when they moved out of state, three of my grandchildren attended Greenacres from kindergarten to fourth grade, with a grandson in the inclusion class. Currently I have five grandchildren in the Scarsdale Schools, two in Edgewood, two in the Middle School and one in the High School. I am at their games, their concerts and everything that I can attend in the schools.

I hope to bring my unique experience in building power plants and laying cables and wires through communities to bear on the capital programs that we are commencing for the Scarsdale Schools. Much of Scarsdale’s infrastructure is turning 100, and I can help the community through this critical period in Scarsdale’s history. My work with unions and my appreciation for education and educators drove my decision to seek nomination to the Board of Education from the School Board Nominating Committee. I earned that nomination. I hope to earn the votes of the citizens of Scarsdale so I can see this endeavor to its fruition. I believe I am the right candidate for the Board right now. To learn more about me, you can visit: https://woodyforboe.com/.

(Pictured at top: Woody Crouch and Governor Mario Cuomo: Woody describes the High Voltage Cable Project underground through Yonkers, Bronxville, Eastchester, New Rochelle; buried under the Long Island Sound and underground through Long Island to Garden City High Voltage Substation.)

Thorough Nominating Committee Process Yields Two Excellent School Board Candidates

This statement was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Elizabeth M. Guggenheimer, 2018 SBNC Chair
As the 2018 School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) has completed its nomination of Woodrow Crouch and Alison Singer for election to the Scarsdale Board of Education, I thank the members of the SBNC for their dedication, thoughtfulness, and diligence in performing this important civic responsibility. I also thank all of the applicants. Scarsdale benefits when many talented citizens are willing to present themselves to the SBNC each year, as well as from the efforts of an engaged SBNC.

Our community created the SBNC to nominate school board candidates who will work to maintain and enhance the quality of education provided by the Scarsdale schools. The SBNC is composed of 30 voting members (six elected from each of the five elementary school areas), a non-voting chair and non-voting vice-chair, and two non-voting appointees from TVCC and SNAP. Pursuant to its governing resolution, it judges and selects candidates “solely on their qualifications to serve the community.”

This year, the SBNC nominated Alison and Woody to fill the two seats that open and begin on July 1, 2018. The SBNC considered many more candidates than could be selected for the two available positions. All current SBNC members signed the nominating petitions.

The Candidates

The SBNC strongly endorses Alison and Woody for election to the School Board. They bring different professional and personal experiences and perspectives to our community. They share a deep commitment to maintaining the excellence of the Scarsdale schools and serving constituents with multiple points of view.

Woodrow Crouch worked at the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for 30 years, where he managed major engineering and Woody Crouchconstruction projects and collaborated with colleagues, residents, politicians and unions, and he continues to work in the industry. He served as president and chaired the construction committee of the US Committee on Large Dams and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He holds a BS from the US Merchant Marine Academy and MS from Columbia University.
Woody and his wife Mary have lived in Scarsdale for 40 years, where he has served as president of the Drake Edgewood Association, chaired SNAP and the Edgewood Athletic Association, coached, and was on the board and treasurer of IHM’s religious school. He currently is a merit badge counselor for Scarsdale Boy Scouts Troop 2 and a board member and past board chair of the Sturge-Weber Foundation. Five of his grandchildren now attend the Scarsdale schools.

Alison Singer is president of the Autism Science Foundation, dedicated to funding innovative autism research and supporting the needs of people with autism. She worked for 15 years in communications, including at NBC, where she engaged in team-oriented work to produce news programs and in business negotiations and personnel matters. Alison holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Alison SingerAlison and her husband Dan have lived in Scarsdale for 18 years, and their two daughters attended the Scarsdale schools. She chaired the SBNC Administrative and Joint Committees and the Parent Committee of the high school speech and debate team. She served on the School District’s Committees on Special Education and Preschool Special Education and the search committee for the Director of Special Education and Student Services.

The School Board Nomination Process

The SBNC nomination process involves several stages. In January, the SBNC heard current school board members’ views on the role and responsibilities of board members and the School District’s opportunities and challenges. SBNC members sought potential board candidates. Each interested applicant submitted a biographical form and then presented orally to the SBNC in February or March.
Pursuant to rules of procedure, committee members conducted due diligence by contacting dozens of people outside of SBNC familiar with the applicants, presented confidential due diligence reports, shared relevant factual information and experiences, focused on the many positive attributes of this year’s candidate pool, and listened to one another carefully.

Discussions and deliberations regarding candidates are confidential in order to encourage people to apply, protect the privacy of candidates and references, allow for candid discussion among SBNC members, and select nominees based on their qualifications.

The committee discussed fully and candidly the qualifications of all proposed candidates before there was any vote, and it voted by secret ballot to fill each vacancy. This year’s SBNC members devoted an estimated 1,600 total hours (an average of 50 hours per person) to their charge. The process was serious and deliberate, with respect for differing opinions.

For more information about the SBNC and its procedures, visit the “About Us” and “Join the School Board” pages of www.scarsdalesbnc.com.

Please Participate

Scarsdale is fortunate to maintain a nonpartisan election process for the Board of Education that selects candidates based solely on their qualifications to serve, not on their campaigning abilities or positions on specific issues. Informed and engaged residents willing to serve on the SBNC and the School Board, along with voter participation, help to ensure the highest quality school board leadership. Please consider serving or suggesting other school district residents to fill future vacancies.

Finally, please remember to vote on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 on the school budget and in the school board election.

Storytellers Showcase Their Talent at the Second Annual Tales from the 'Dale and Beyond

There are so many great tales from the ‘Dale and a host of talented community members to tell them. The second annual night of storytelling on April 12, produced by the Scarsdale Adult School, brought together an animated group of students, teachers, former teachers, moms, Scarsdale natives and a few from outside our community with amazing stories to share.

Sandi Marx, a Moth slam favorite and former Greenacres denizen produced the evening at the Heathcote Auditorium. She told a story of her own and invited others to spin their stories. The event drew a rapt crowd who laughed, cried and cheered for the talent.

The performances will be shown on the Scarsdale Cable Television (SCTV) and streamed on video, and I recommend that you watch. Trying to describe a great performance is only second to seeing the performance yourself, so look for it on SCTV.

The evening opened with Sandi Marx who told us how she shared a ride downtown with her childhood idol, Carole King. Marx poked some fun at herself. Usually glib and quick with conversation Marx was overwhelmed when she met King. Marx grew tongue-tied and in an attempt to connect, found herself playing with the famed composer’s curly hair.

Two Scarsdale High School teachers and a retired faculty member were on the program. Joe Vaughn, who teaches physics and also coaches the debate team revealed how a jack knifed tractor-trailer made him three hours late to his interview in Scarsdale, which involved teaching a class. Only 22 years old, he was sure that the mishap would cost him the job. But as hundreds of high school students know, there was a happy ending to this story.

Former A-School Director and social studies teacher Howard Rodstein brought us back to those terrifying 2-minute conference nights, when parents and teachers “speed date.” Rodstein, who revealed that he had trouble with names, confused two students and gave their parents progress reports that they did not expect. How did this play out in the semesters to come … with one of the poorest students thinking he was the class star, and the star fearing he needed to work a lot harder? There is an ironic lesson in this mishap.

Denise Del Balzo told a bittersweet tale about her tempestuous relationship with her mother. Del Balzo had a tough time living up to her mother’s expectations, especially when it came to taming her unruly hair. The hair was a metaphor for their conflict; Denise’s was wild and her mom’s was straight, neat and always perfect. It was only after her mom passed away and Denise was in mourning for the relationship she would never have with her mother, that she read a book that unlocked the secret to getting along with her.

The show included a student at SHS, and an Edgemont alum, and an SHS alum who all shared poignant stories.

Julia Brody, from the Edgemont class of ’13 created the Storytelling Club and was featured in USA Today. During her college years at the University of Delaware, she found a group of soul mates who spent time deep in meaningful conversation. Brody has been honing her storytelling at the Magnet Theater NYC and now has an Instagram account with over 7000 followers. On Thursday she shared how she ultimately used her storytelling skills to help her deal with her mother’s sudden and unexpected death. She said, “I am going to continue to share my story – it makes me feel less alone.”

Also impactful, was SHS junior Nabiha Qadir, who struggled to integrate her Pakistani heritage with her wish to be American, like many of her classmates. After spending years hiding her Pakistani culture she decided to “come out” to her friends, and show them her true self. She found that she was far more comfortable living with her real identity than trying to pretend she was someone else.

Justine Gelfman found out that she could learn more that science from her Physics teacher when he suffered a tragic loss during the year. Though she dreaded science, and didn’t know the difference between astrology and astronomy, she came to love the class and her teacher. After he lost his wife, she wondered if he would return to finish the school year – which he did – demonstrating lessons in courage, strength, tenacity and resilience that Gelfman will remember for a lifetime.

Another SHS Alum, Lori Weitzner returned for an encore appearance, this year sharing the story of how she came to publish a book. An accomplished textile and wallcover designer and the recipient of many design awards, she set her stars on publishing a book – but struggled to figure out what that book should say. At a loss for words, she collected her ideas in a box of inspiration with swatches, poetry and mementos, hoping to communicate through color. Eventually, an editor at Harper Collins helped her overcome her writer’s block and identify her thesis, saying, “I think you are trying to write the book of what people want to read, not what you want to say.”

And there’s more – Rebecca Gabin, the daughter of Russian immigrants, and herself a mother of three, explained how her impulse to rescue others frightened her parents who were survivors who believed “no good deed goes unpunished.” Pregnant with her first child, she rushed to help an elderly woman who had fallen on the streets of the city, and ended up taking a strange ride in an ambulance.

Other community members got in the act as well. Pastor Pete Jones from Hitchcock Church recounted a story from his training years when he was instructed to pay a visit to a Baptist minister, in the last days of his life in a hospice. Fearful that he did not have the theological knowledge to address the man, he was surprised that all the minister wanted was someone to sing to him and make him feel loved as he slipped away.

For the tale from beyond the “Dale,” tech entrepreneur Justin Hefter told the thrilling story of how he and three relative strangers used social media to facilitate peace activist Mohammed El Salhawi's escape from Yemen. It’s a true story that has been turned into a book, The Fox Hunt, and is even being made into a Hollywood film by producer Marc Platt (LaLa Land) and Academy Award winning writer Josh Singer (Spotlight). He came directly to Scarsdale from The Megyn Kelly show. Wow!

Also on the program was Mary Wasacz who shared her adventure trying to recapture her lovebird who flew the nest and ignited a neighborhood chase.

The event was hosted by Sandi Marx and produced by Scarsdale Adult School co-chairs Ann Sacher and Leesa Suzman, and Executive Director Jill Serling.

Kudos to SAS and everyone involved.