Parties Invites Community to Meet the Candidates
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The Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party (SCNP) will host a series of events between now and the March 21st Scarsdale Village election to allow residents to meet and learn about the experience and qualifications of SCNP's candidates running for the offices of Mayor and Trustees. The schedule of "Meet the Candidates with Experience" events - which are free, with refreshments, and open to the public (including two special Kid Friendly events) - are listed below.
According to Campaign Committee Chair, ML Perlman, "We look forward to introducing the candidates with real qualifications and experience for the challenging job of running Village government. The Citizens' Non-Partisan candidates are a highly experienced group with tremendous depth and insight into Village affairs. In particular, Dan Hochvert, Mayoral Candidate and former 2-term Trustee with an engineering background has the experience, qualifications, and temperament to lead, as do SCNP Trustee candidates Matt Callaghan, Carl Finger and Seth Ross.
The public is invited to attend any and all of the below events to meet the Citizens' Non-Partisan Party candidates, each with the experience, integrity and strength of character to earn Scarsdale's vote on March 21st. If unable to attend, residents may send questions directly to candidates for a one-on-one conversation or a specific answer to an issue or concern.
Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party continues the 100-year tradition of CNC-researched candidate endorsement based on a platform of experience and character as qualifications for office.
Schedule of Events
Monday March 6th – Register to Vote and Meet the Candidates with Experience 7PM-9PM at the Scott Room of Scarsdale Public Library
Deadline to register to Vote is March 10th (Absentee ballots will be available.)
Wednesday March 8th – Eve and Carl Finger Welcome Scarsdale to their home 7PM-9PM at the Finger Residence
Carl is a Sitting Trustee and Candidate for Trustee
RSVP: nonpartisan@scarsdalecitizens.org
Thursday March 9th – Register to Vote and Meet the Candidates
7PM-9PM at the Scott Room of Scarsdale Public Library
Deadline to register to Vote is March 10th (Absentee ballots will be available.)
Saturday March 11th – Kid Friendly! Meet the Candidates with Experience 12PM-2PM at the Scott Room of Scarsdale Public Library
RSVP: nonpartisan@scarsdalecitizens.org
Monday March 13th – Susan and Dan Hochvert Welcome Scarsdale to their home 7PM-9PM at The Hochvert Residence
Dan is Candidate for Mayor and former 2-term Trustee
RSVP: nonpartisan@scarsdalecitizens.org
Wednesday March 15th – Susan & Seth Ross Welcome Scarsdale to their home 7PM-9PM @ The Ross Residence
Seth is a Candidate for Trustee
RSVP: nonpartisan@scarsdalecitizens.org
Sunday March 19th – Kid Friendly! Meet the Candidates With Experience 11AM-1PM @ Scott Room of Scarsdale Public Library
Kindly RSVP: nonpartisan@scarsdalecitizens.org
Tuesday March 21st – Election at Scarsdale Library! 6AM-9AM & 12PM-9PM
Scarsdale Voter's Choice Party:
The Voters' Choice Party candidates, Mayoral Candidate Robert J. Berg and Trustee Candidates, Brice Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Carlos Ramírez, and Robert Selvaggio, will hold a Town Hall Meeting on March 15, 2017, 7:15-9:15pm at the Scarsdale Congregational Church in the Boynton Room, 1 Heathcoate Road.
The Voters' Choice Party candidates are hard-working and accomplished professionals in the fields of accounting, economics, law, media, information technology and risk management who have been involved actively in civic and community affairs in Scarsdale for many years, The candidates will answer your questions about the important Village issues that affect you.
This year the Scarsdale Village election will be held at a new polling place in the Scott Room at the Scarsdale Library on March 21, 2017; the polls will be open from 6-9am and 12-9pm. A Frequently Asked Questions section and the candidates' bios are on www.VotersChoiceParty.com.
SVAC to Provide EMT Training During Senior Options
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Scarsdale High School seniors have a special opportunity to participate in a new senior options program this year offered by the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SVAC). The six-week course is designed for Scarsdale seniors to become certified EMT's before graduating. Scarsdale High School's senior options program is the culmination of a student's academic career and allows students to apply their skills and knowledge to an area of personal interest under the tutelage of faculty members.
SVAC President, David Raizen, said the purpose of the EMT class is to "provide a unique opportunity to students who are interested in the medical field. Senior options is a great program for students who have an interest in something specific." The EMT program entails approximately 150 hours of class and practical skills and 10 hours of an ambulance ride rotation. The course begins May 1, and the state exam is scheduled for June 15. As long as the student is 18 by the exam date, they are eligible to take the class.
Cameron Moser, a member of the Scarsdale ambulance corps, and a Dartmouth College freshman who enrolled in the EMT course last year commented, "It was a great way to put my interest in biology and medicine into practice. Taking the EMT class allowed me to serve the people in my own community, something I have found extremely rewarding." Cameron also obtained national registry certification as an EMT allowing him to join the EMS squad at Dartmouth, and he's currently utilizing his training to become a ski patroller this winter in New Hampshire. Cameron said, "all in all, I am really happy I took my EMT course as it has given me tools to help the people around me when they are hurt and provided me with a set of skills that will be valuable no matter what I do."
While the course at 5 Weaver Street is designed specifically for Scarsdale High School seniors, David Raizen explained the 24 spots are open to high school students from other towns and even adults who are interested in enrolling on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must purchase the textbook though the course is free for students since New York State provides funding. The class runs on weekdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with an attendance obligation. After fulfilling the class requirements and passing the state exam, the EMT certification is valid for three years.
"The training and skills involved in becoming an EMT require a wide range of medical knowledge and good decision-making in the field" according to Angela Manson who is a recently certified SVAC EMT. "I've learned so much from the SVAC team and encourage students interested in the medical field to pursue the senior options opportunity. It's teaching a foundation of basic life support skills and we're fortunate to have this training facility in Scarsdale."
For more information, call 914-722-2288 or email EMT@scarsdalevac.com or info@scarsdalevac.com.
Petty Trump Tweets but not the Housing Crisis? Scant Media Coverage of Homelessness
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- Written by Carly Glickenhaus
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This essay was submitted to Scarsdale10583 by Carly Glickenhaus, who is a SHS grade and freshman at Georgetown University.
Over a steaming cup of hot chocolate on Park Avenue, the homeless men and I debate whether the New York Mets stand a chance this season. Spending hours on the cold streets of New York on Saturday nights talking to the homeless while handing out food and clothes, I noticed we felt a common connection as members of the same city and life. In a world where misunderstanding of differences incites political conflict, there is hope for progress. Equality. Change. However, how can we make a change if we do not know it needs to be made? As a result of disproportionate news coverage, there is not enough public awareness surrounding homelessness, leaving rightful members of society ignored, voiceless, and silent.
On a single night in January 2016, 544,084 people experienced homelessness in the United States. To give visual context of this statistic, 500,000 people were drawn to Washington for the Women's March this January. The aerial views streaming on the news showed downtown Washington inundated by bodies. If every homeless American were to stand next to each other, they would fill the heart of the nation's capital.
The media's pervasive access to every American home and mind grants the press the power and duty to shape public opinion and direct the public attention to homelessness. By inadequately portraying homelessness, the media may be playing an active role in perpetuating a glaring social injustice. The frequency of articles and the minutes of airtime designated to the housing crisis influences how ordinary voters and our elected leaders think about the problem. Democracy depends on the availability of diverse, factual information to ensure voters can make educated decisions.
During this election season, we closely reexamined the way the government upholds our individual rights to property and privacy, women's rights to bodily integrity, and religious rights to free self-expression. The media focuses on singular identity groups like women, the LGBTQ community, Muslims, Blacks, but we give sparse attention to a population that encompasses all of these identity groups. 500,000 flocked to the White House to demonstrate their support for equal human rights on the basis of gender, but a justice issue of equal gravity does not receive the same attention from the public. The homeless are denied rights to property, rights to bodily integrity, and rights to self-expression every night as they sleep on concrete, meekly shielded by sheets of cardboard and coldly ignored by even the kindest passerby. The nation as a whole has a responsibility to change the way the public thinks about homelessness because if we cannot solve the cultural crisis at our doorsteps, we do not have standing to fight for democracy and human rights abroad.
If social justice bills are to earn a vote in Congress, homelessness must find a spot in the national consciousness along with gun control, immigration, and abortion, which the media loves to talk about. Increased media coverage is needed to influence government decisions to allocate resources and funding to address the chronic homelessness, veteran homelessness, and unmet need for emergency food assistance. When the press chooses to cover stories about Trump's juvenile games, our treasured agents of democracy misrepresent the issues that plague our nation.
My plea to you, the public, is to do the job the press is failing. On Facebook, stop sharing links to Trump's latest petty tweet. Before we can move forward in our politically polarized culture, we need to carefully choose our conversations. Let's use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as forums to return to core democratic values so we can move forward. Share articles about housing and social justice issues. Share "Humans of New York" photos until the muffled voices become shouts to Congress. Today, the press is becoming a platform for the mud-slinging of political parties, but if we can calm our insatiable thirst for controversy, then perhaps we can direct the national attention to the issues that will be victories for any party, for the American image, and for humanity.
Carly Glickenhaus, SHS '16, is a freshman Biology major and Division I Varsity Lightweight Rower at Georgetown University. She is a member of the Tour Guide Society and serves as Marketing Director for Homeless Outreach in Georgetown's Center for Social Justice. She wrote this opinion piece for her Writing and Culture seminar at Georgetown.
SBNC Seeks Candidates to Run for Board of Education
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Following the recent School Board Nominating Committee election, returning and new SBNC members have begun to identify potential candidates to serve on the Scarsdale Board of Education for a three year term commencing with the 2017-2018 school year. Over the next few weeks, members of the SBNC will recruit and review candidates to fill two seats held by Chris Morin (current BOE member) and Scott Silberfein (current BOE member).
At the end of the SBNC season, the voting members will nominate two individuals to the nonpartisan slate in the school board election held in May at the same time and place as the school budget vote.
All Scarsdale School District residents are welcome and encouraged to submit and propose names of qualified individuals to serve as trustees of the Scarsdale School District. A candidate must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a qualified voter, and a resident of the Scarsdale School District for at least one year prior to the May 16th, 2017 school board election date.
Candidates should complete a biographical information form and submit it via email to the SBNC Chair, Wendy Gendel, at sbncchair@gmail.com as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, February 28th. Forms are available at www.scarsdalesbnc.com.
For more information on the SBNC, including the governing Resolution, information on the non-partisan system, and a list of the current SBNC members, please visit the SBNC website or contact the SBNC Chair.
LWVS Hosts Winter Fundraiser
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The League of Wonen Voters Of Scarsdale held its annual winter fundraiser on January 28, 2017. Among the guests were former League president Michelle Lichtenberg, New York State Assemblywoman for the 88th District Amy Paulin , US Representative for the 16th Congressional District Eliot Engel, County Legislator Ben Boykin and Village Trustee Marc Samwick (above) as well as Scarsdale's Mayor Jon Mark, members of the Scarsdale School Board, Village Trustees, members of the LWVS and a spirited group of friends.
