Susan Lerner of Common Cause Addresses Scarsdale Forum on Redistricting
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When Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York spoke about the redistricting of the N.Y.S. Senate map on Thursday night April 26 at a meeting of the Scarsdale Forum, she was hopeful that a soon to be released decision by the Department of Justice would find that the new lines discriminated against voters on the basis of race.
However, the letter, released the next day, Friday April 27, found no evidence of racial discrimination in the newly redrawn map.
The new district lines, which were approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo in March have a big impact on residents of southern Westchester, where Scarsdale has been moved from the 35th district which was held by State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer for 28 years. Scarsdale has now been carved out of the 35th district which it shared with Larchmont and Mamaroneck and pushed into Andrea Stewart-Cousin’s district which extends from Yonkers to the Rivertowns and north. According to an analysis by Common Cause, the Republican controlled State Senate drew the new lines using party registration data in an effort to gain another seat for their party in southern Westchester. Lerner called the redistricting, “outrageous political gerrymandering” and said that Common Cause advocates the use of clear standards and community based maps.
In addition to this awkward reconfiguration of the southern districts, an additional 63rd district was created west and south of Albany. This new district is also expected to go for the Republicans.
Lerner told the Forum that another decision was pending about the redrawn districts. Common Cause filed a suit to challenge the
Also at the Scarsdale Forum meeting Assemblywoman Amy Paulin addressed the group on the state of the state. She joked that her district was still in place, largely due to the fact that she lives in Scarsdale, saying, “they can’t move my house.”
She reviewed the state budget that was passed on time and includes additional funds for education and a reduced deficit, but put off mandate reform until next year. Speaking about redistricting, Paulin called the process “too partisan,” and held out hope that in 2020 lines would be drawn more fairly.
State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins stopped by the meeting to meet and greet constituents in Scarsdale who may soon be joining her district.
Edgemont Resident Files Complaint Against Putnam Valley Dog Boarding Facility
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Here is a follow-up to our story about Edgemont resident’s Susy Kahn’s loss of her family dog Coco at a boarding facility in Putnam Valley. The following information was provided by Ms. Kahn’s press consultant Nina Reeves: Susan Kahn has filed a complaint in Supreme Court in Westchester County against The D.O.G. dog boarding and training facility and Joanne Willard and Trever Willard concerning the death of Kahn’s dog Coco, while she was at the D.O.G. facility.
The complaint alleges that on March 15, Ms. Kahn sent Coco, a 6 year-old, 17 lb. Cockapoo to board with The D.O.G. which is reputed to be a “top-of-the-line” dog training and boarding facility in Putnam Valley owned and operated by Joanne Willard. Willard claims to be a specialist in anxiety, fear and other behavioral issues. Coco was to be boarded for a 3-week program recommended by Joanne to comfortably acclimate Coco to other dogs, as she tended to be fearful and intimidated by them. The owners of the facility made the decision to socialize Coco, who was not accustomed to being off-leash with other dogs, by putting her in a room with several dogs, including a 40 lb. pitbull mix who aggressively attacked Coco. Coco was dropped off at a local veterinary hospital which did not have specialists present to deal with Coco’s injuries; Kahn’s husband had Coco transferred by ambulance to the Animal Medical Center in NYC in an attempt to save Coco’s life. Despite life- saving measures, Coco died several hours later, after enduring pain and trauma. Autopsy results show multiple bodily injuries including skull fractures and brain damage so severe that her brain had ultimately stopped signaling the heart to beat. Under the care of a trainer who claims to be experienced in “behavior modification for issues like anxiety, fear and aggression...as well as temperament testing”, Coco should never have been mauled to death by another dog.
The complaint further alleges that the trainer, who advertises herself as an experienced certified dog trainer, refuses to accept responsibility for Coco’s death. Soon after attacking Coco, the same dog, according to a violation issued by Putnam Valley Animal Control “bit, chased, jumped upon or otherwise harassed any person in such manner as to cause intimidation or put such person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm.” The person involved in this incident was a child, who was grabbed.
The owners of the boarding facility state on their website that they only take dogs which they have personally trained - they had not personally trained the Kahn’s dog before, but were happy to change their policy when a substantial training and boarding fee was available. The complaint further alleges that Joanne Willard does not have an operating permit to operate her business out of the kennel where she boards the dogs.
Asked for a comment, Joanne Willard of The D.O.G. provided the following statement to Scarsdale10583.com.
“Our hearts go out to Susan Kahn and her children on the tragic loss of their family dog Coco. This tragic death occurred while their pet was in our care. We feel an intense sense of responsibility for what happened. We are terribly sorry that this occurred. In the coming days, we will make every effort to help the Kahn family deal with their grief and suffering. We have carefully studied what happened and have taken important steps to prevent something like this from ever happening again.”
A Lively Night At Scarsdale Village Hall
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Comments both for and against the proposed 2012-13 Village Budget and the use of reserves were given at the Village Board meeting on Tuesday night April 10th. The League of Women Voters and the Scarsdale Forum support the proposed budget which raises taxes by 5.49%, while a few residents spoke out against the budget, criticizing the Trustees for putting forth a budget that does not comply with the state imposed tax cap and outpaces inflation.
Both the League and Forum warned the Trustees against dipping into reserves to reduce the tax increase, as proposed by Trustee Robert Harrison. Speaking for the Scarsdale Forum, Howard Nadel of Aspen Road said that using reserves could set a precedent for future years, while draining funds available for emergency use and for capitol projects. Instead, a report from the Forum’s Fiscal Affairs Committee recommends that, “the Village consider various measures to achieve cost savings as well as to increase certain fees, … the Committee believes that it is through the implementation of these kinds of measures the Village should endeavor to lower the tax rate, not the use of additional reserves.”
Nan Berke, reading a prepared consensus from the Scarsdale League of Women Voters agreed that the undesignated fund balance should not be used to comply with the tax cap. In the League’s statement they offer the following reasons for their position:
• Any number of contingencies could arise under the proposed bare bones budget where additional funds from the surplus would be needed;
• The tax cap is an artificial number that does not necessarily reflect what is in Scarsdale’s best interest;
• The use of undesignated surplus could potentially be viewed negatively by Moody’s and result in a downgrade of our AAA bond rating;
• Taking funds from the undesignated reserves would negatively impact next year’s budget.
However, Michael Weinstein of Butler Road and Robert Selvaggio of Rochambeau Road urged the Trustees to decrease tax increases.
Using strong language, Weinstein told the Board, “When I reviewed the budget I was left speechless….the bottom line is, if you adopt this budget you have failed in your role as trustees. Over the last 10 years we have increased taxes at twice the rate of inflation. How long can we do this and continue to consider this a desirable place to live? In the last five years as many have endured deep financial hardship, has their incomes or their property values increased by 34%? The state has recently enacted a cap. It is interesting how cavalierly the Board let that go.”
He added, what would happen “if we put a sign up on the Hutch that said, Move to Scarsdale. We aren’t content to have the highest property taxes, our goal is to increase them at twice the rate of inflation.” He closed by saying, “It is time to live up to the fiduciary spirit of the title of trustee and reject this proposed budget.”
Selvaggio commended the Village Manager for submitting an initial budget proposal that complied with Governor Cuomo's tax cap, but added that the current proposed tax rate increase is both above that cap and two times the general rate of inflation. He said, “We have been on that unsustainable trajectory for over 10 years.”... and “we need to break the back of this twice-the-inflation-rate tax increase trajectory now.” He suggested that the Trustees use the savings from the snow removal budget for taxpayer relief, and add $300,000 to reduce the Village tax increase from 5.5% to a bit under 4%, which is more in line with both County tax increase of 3.2% and the school tax increase of 3.8%.
Toasts for Toder:
Before giving the Trustees the floor to laud Toder, she said, “I am deeply saddened to learn that the social actions of the Village Board had caused such acute psychological distress—to some who have been retired for decades.”
Trustee Jon Mark said it was an honor and privilege to serve with and learn from Richard Toder, crediting him with great intelligence, good humor and abundant energy. He said that Toder “was as good a listener as he was a talker,” and “was not afraid to call it as he saw it.”
Trustee Stacey Brodsky said that “Richard leaves a hole that we already feel.” She said he had the “quickest wit, the greatest energy, the biggest smile and was the person in the room who always seemed to be having the best time.” She thanked him for his “painstaking work on the revaluation and on longstanding litigation on behalf of the Village,” and said “Richard set a high standard all of the time.”
Trustee Robert Harrison said that “he learned a great deal from him,” and told the community that as a parting gift, Toder had labels made for Bob that read, “Hi I am Bob Harrison, the Trustee that cares. Do you have a complaint? Let me know so that I can take action.”
Trustee Steves said that Toder taught him what it means to be prepared for a meeting, the importance of speaking your mind and being well-informed and thoughtful.” He hopes the community will somehow recognize Toder’s value to the Village.
Other Business:
Building Woes: Perhaps the most impassioned speaker at the meeting was Village resident Sandy Frankel who took the mike during the public comments section. A resident at 17 Richbell Road, he and his wife Ruth have voiced frequent complaints about a neighbor’s construction project and Mrs. Frankel recently presented a petition to the Village with 200 signatures complaining about the Village Building Department.
Frankel told Trustees, “I am not here to address the dirt issue where we have been forced to swallow dirt during the construction. The Village gave me no protection.
I am here to address the unilateral, unauthorized change in the topography of the Tretter’s (his neighbor’s) driveway.” He explained, “This narrow neck of property has been the focus of controversy between the Tretter’s and the Rose’s since the Tretters began their construction project.”
He continued to claim that the grade of the Tretter’s driveway had been changed so that it now drains onto his property -- and also stated that a drainage pipe has been installed inches from his property that will cause the water to flow onto his land.
He said that the Tretter’s project had caused “tens of thousands of dollars in damage to his garage,” and urged the Trustees to come to visit his home that night to view the exposed drainage pipe. He also suggested that the Building Department’s lack of attention to the drainage issue was retribution for the petition filed by Ruth Frankel.
Cudner-Hyatt House: Former Mayor Ed Morgan spoke about the Cudner-Hyatt house on behalf of the Scarsdale Council for the Arts. He said, “this is really about the plight of a 1745 Colonial farmhouse,” which he called “an endangered landmark.” He urged the Board to give the “community the chance to become aware of what this is about and coalesce around a solution.”
Personnel: With the installation of the new Board, the Mayor announced Trustee liaison and committee assignments and appointments to Village Boards and Councils. Robert Steves was appointed Deputy Mayor, Jonathan Mark as Police Commissioner and Kay Eisenman as Fire Commission. The full list of assignments and appointments can be found on the Village website.
Tom Chapin to Give FREE Performance at Sustainable Scarsdale Day
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Tom Chapin and Friends will be live in Scarsdale on Saturday May 5th as part of Sustainable Scarsdale Day at the Scarsdale Middle School. Hosted by the Scarsdale Schools, Scarsdale Forum and Scarsdale Village, the day will offer exhibits, events, speakers and fun – all focused on green living.
An impressive array of exhibitors have been recruited to demonstrate how we can help to guard our environment. On hand will be experts to show you how to reduce energy usage at home, how to compost to enrich your soil and recycle your household waste and how to mulch your leaves to feed your lawn. There will even be a car show, featuring a sustainable fleet of vehicles including Tesla, Fiskar, Volt, and Leaf. A full list of presenters and exhibitors is included below.
The day will be completed with a free concert by Tom Chapin and Friends at 2 pm in the Scarsdale Middle School auditorium.
To learn more and register, click here:
Susatainable Scarsdale Day
Saturday May 5 10 am – 3 pm
Scarsdale Middle School
http://www.sustainablescarsdale.com/
Presenters (10:30-12:30)
- Elyssa Rothe, of the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority will discuss NYS regulations, tax rebates, and incentives for Home Energy Improvements
- Bud Nicoletti, the White Plains Commissioner Public Works will discuss alternative fueled vehicles
- Ben Waller, Director Residential Sales at Mercury Solar will discuss solar installations, incentives, & rebates
- Anna Snider, of the Cornell Cooperative Extension will review the benefits of composting. Composting is a great way to reduce your waste stream and create your own organic soil amendment.
- Rick Harper, an arborists and entomologist from the Cornell Cooperative Extension will show how residents of Westchester County can address common pest problems of their home and garden in an environmentally-responsible, least-toxic way.
- Architect Bjorn Kuhn, will discuss the advantages of geothermal heating and cooling.
- Yoel Magid, will discuss the new LEED certified building at Westchester Reform Temple
- Anthony Vulpone will give a leaf mulching demonstration
- Middle School teacher Cara Forray, will lead voluntters at work in the middle school garden.
- Art Teachers will run an environmental art workshop for students and parents
- Larry Nesman, of Phoenix Mechanical will explain the importance of energy audits.
Last, see the display of sustainable cars at the High Voltage Car show, featuring cars by Tesla, Fiskar, Volt, Leaf and White Plains’ sustainable fleet
A FREE concert from Tom Chapin and Friends will be held in the Scarsdale Middle School auditorium frm 2:00 – 3:00 pm.
Exhibitors on Display (10 am-2 pm)
- Boy Scouts
- Bronx River Sound Shore Audubon
- Carol Capobianco, Native Plant Center
- Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
- Conservation Advisory Council
- Embassy Cleaners
- Federated Conservationists of Westchester County
- Friends of Scarsdale Parks
- Grassroots Education
- Green Guru Network
- Green Schools Coalition Westchester
- Greenburgh Nature Center
- Greenhomes Westchester
- Murphy Brothers
- Robison Oil
- Rosehill Home
- Scarsdale/Edgemont Girl Scouts
- Schildwachter Oil
- Southern Westchester Energy Action Consortium
- Weinberg Nature Center
- Westchester Green Business Challenge
Glenn Kramon of the NYT to Speak at Scarsdale Forum April 15
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The Scarsdale Forum cordially invites the public to its third Sunday Speaker Series program on Sunday, April 15 at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club, 37 Drake Road at 3 P.M. Glenn Kramon, assistant managing editor for The New York Times since 2006, will speak on how the newspaper is changing and not changing with the times in his lecture “The Changing Times.”
Kramon oversees long-term reporting efforts in the newsroom. Kramon’s projects include the dangers of distracted driving; the safety and environmental hazards of sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks; the overlooked problem of concussions among young athletes; cheating on taxes, and the loopholes and inequities in the tax code; questionable medical treatments; whether or not the United States is moving toward a more secure energy future; routine abuse of clean-water laws; the financial exploitation of American soldiers by insurers, investment companies and lenders; the exploitation of the elderly by a variety of businesses; environmental devastation in China; and the proliferation of tax and regulatory breaks afforded religious organizations.
Reporters whom Kramon has supervised and edited have won eight Pulitzer Prizes, and have been finalists for the Pulitzer 22 times. They have also earned a number of other honors including 10 George Polk awards for courageous journalism, seven Gerald Loeb awards for distinguished business journalism, the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting and the Grantham Prize for environmental reporting. In June 2003, Mr. Kramon became the first recipient of the Gerald Loeb/Lawrence Minard award for outstanding work as an editor.
Mr. Kramon is a graduate of Scarsdale High School and received a B.A. degree with honors from Stanford University in 1975. Following his remarks, Mr. Kramon will answer questions from the audience.
The Sunday Speaker Series programs are open to the public, free of charge and are underwritten in part by a generous grant from the Irving J. Sloan Education Fund, made possible by the Liz Claiborne-Arthur Ortenberg Foundation.
For more information, visit ( www.ScarsdaleForum.com ), call (914-723-2829) or e-mail (office@scarsdaleforum.com).
