Friday, Apr 26th

Paulin AlbanyFor the fourth consecutive year, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale will select two high school students to send to the annual Students Inside Albany conference, to be held May 17-20, 2015. All Sophomore, Junior and Senior students who attend Scarsdale High School or who reside in the school district are eligible to apply.

The cost of the conference, including hotel and meals, will be co-sponsored by the LWVS New York State Education Foundation, Inc. and our Scarsdale League.

Applications can found at the Scarsdale LWV's website (LWVS.org) and are due by February 3, 2015.

Students Inside Albany is an intensive four-day conference designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, revised and enacted in New York State, and to educate them about the ways in which they can influence and affect this process. Scarsdale students who attended this conference in the past were unanimous in their enthusiasm about the program, which allowed them to interact with students from all over the state, learn about their state government and meet state legislators.

For more information visit the website for the League of Women Voters of New York State and go to Youth Programs tab.

Last year's Scarsdale attendees are happy to answer questions from interested students. Contact Matt Drescher or Daniel Wasserman at SIA@lwvs.org.

Please contact Joan Frankle (914-713-1250 or jagfrankle@aol.com,) or Janet Korins (914-725-0859 or janet.korins@verizon.net) for more information or if you know someone who would like to apply for this opportunity.

DrBaruchFeldmanThe first of three hands-on interactive workshops in the Wellness Series "Get Ready to Change – Make it about YES," led by Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman will be held on Friday, January 9, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Scarsdale Public Library.

The series will focus on making change, increasing resilience and decreasing stress by having a positive outlook, setting realistic and obtainable goals, having a positive long-term view and making plans to confront obstacles.

The first session, "It's Not about Willpower: Make it a Habit," reviews the latest research in making effective habits and willpower. Attendees will learn to develop their own positive new habits enabling them to make New Year's resolutions that will stick. There will be a special emphasis on weight loss.

Dr. Baruch-Feldman is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist. She has a private practice in Scarsdale and works part-time as a school psychologist in Westchester. She focuses on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for children and adults and Psycho-Educational Evaluations. She has authored numerous articles, led various workshops and trained hundreds of teachers, administrators and healthcare professionals. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received her doctorate in Clinical-Child Psychology and a School Psychology Certificate from St. John's University. Dr. Baruch-Feldman did her internship and post-doctoral training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Registration is required on the library website www.scarsdalelibrary.org or by calling the reference desk at 722-1302. There is a list of suggested books that participants are encouraged, but not required, to read that will be the basis of the lecture.

Subsequent sessions will be held on March 27 on the topic "Got Grit, Got Growth, Got Marshmallows? – Increasing self-control and resilience in our lives and the lives of our children," and on May 1 "Helping Decrease Stress and Worry – In our children and our own lives." Each session may be attended individually.

bowlhe Scarsdale Bowl Committee wishes to remind the community that the Committee is seeking input from residents on candidates for consideration as the honoree for the 2015 Scarsdale Bowl.

Nominations can be submitted to the Committee electronically on a confidential basis using the on-line nomination form accessible on the the Scarsdale Foundation website.


Those not wishing to use the form may email their recommendations to the Committee at scarbowl@gmail.com.

volunteerThe Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee is currently meeting to seek candidates for village offices. This year the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) will be selecting a candidate for Mayor as well as three people to serve as Village Trustee. Mayor Bob Steves will complete his two-year term in March and Trustee Stacey Brodsky will complete two, two-year terms as Village Trustee. Trustees Bill Stern and Tom Martin have now served for 2-years and can be re-nominated to serve second two-year terms.

The committee encourages Scarsdale residents to consider running for these positions. Suggestions for candidates are also welcome. The considerable efforts of the Village Board have ensured the continuation of the Village throughout the years
The CNC looks forward to your participation.

To submit nominations or for further information, contact a member of the CNC listed here at or email CNC Chair Robert Berg at robertbergesq@aol.com.

ChristmasTreeFireHere are holiday safety tips from the Scarsdale Fire Department and the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. These tips have been prepared by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and can help you and your family to avoid a holiday fire.

Trees:
Many artificial trees are fire resistant. If you buy one, look for a statement specifying this protection. A fresh tree will stay green longer and be less of a fire hazard than a dry tree. To check for freshness, remember:
A fresh tree is green.
Fresh needles are hard to pull from branches.
When bent between your fingers, fresh needles do not break.
The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin.
When the trunk of a tree is bounced on the ground, a shower of falling needles shows that tree is too dry.
Place tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Heated rooms dry trees out rapidly, creating fire hazards.
Cut off about two inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorption.
Trim away branches as necessary to set tree trunk in the base of a sturdy, water-holding stand with wide spread feet.
Keep the stand filled with water while the tree is indoors.
Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways. Use thin guy-wires to secure a large tree to walls or ceiling.

Artificial Snow:
Artificial snow sprays can irritate lungs if inhaled. To avoid injury, read container labels and follow directions carefully.

Lights:
Use only lights that have been tested for safety. Identify these by the label from an independent testing laboratory.
Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets or repair them before using.
Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house, walls or other firm support to protect from wind damage.
Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.
Turn off all lights on trees and other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house. Lights could short and start a fire.
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.
Keep "bubbling" lights away from children. These lights with their bright colors and bubbling movement can tempt curious children to break candle-shaped glass (which can cut) and attempt to drink liquid (which contains a hazardous chemical).

Candles:
Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders.
Keep candles away from other decorations and wrapping paper. Place candles where they cannot be knocked down or blown over.

Trimming:
Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials.
Wear gloves while decorating with spun glass "angel hair" to avoid irritation to eyes and skin.
Choose tinsel or artificial icicles or plastic or non-leaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
In homes with small children, take special care to:
Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable.
Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children. Pieces could be swallowed or inhaled.
Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food. A child could eat them!

Fireplace:

Before lighting a fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that flue is open.
Keep a screen in front of the fireplace all the time a fire is burning.
Use care with "fire salts" which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals which can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation or vomiting if eaten. Keep away from children.

Paper and Wrappings:
When making paper decorations, look for materials labeled non-combustible or flame- resistant.
Never place trimming near open flames or electrical connections.
Remove all wrapping papers from tree and fireplace areas immediately after presents are opened.
Do not burn papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

Holiday Safety:
Have working smoke detectors installed on every level of your home. Test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times.
Keep matches, lighters, and candles out of the reach of children. Avoid smoking near flammable decorations.
Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out anywhere in the home. See that each family member knows what to do. PRACTICE THE PLAN!
Avoid wearing loose flowing clothes - particularly long, open sleeves - near open flames - such as those of a fireplace, stove, or candlelit table.
Never burn candles near evergreens. Burning evergreens in the fireplace can also be hazardous. When dry, greens burn like tinder. Flames can flare out of control, and send sparks flying into a room, or up the chimney to ignite creosote deposits.

There is no substitute for common sense. Look for and eliminate potential danger spots near candles, fireplaces, trees, and/or electrical connection. For more information about fire safety, call Fire Inspector Albert Mignone at 722-1215x3.

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