Walk to School Day
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Scarsdale Middle School students and teachers participated in the annual Walk to School Day early on Wednesday October 8. Teachers met students at assigned departure points to gather and walk to school.
Sponsored by the Scarsdale Middle School Physical Education Department this national event promotes the following:
- Physical Activity
- Safe pedestrian skills
- Awareness of our walkable community
- Concern for the environment
- Reduced traffic congestion and speed near schools
- Sharing faculty time with students
We caught up with physical education teachers Melissa Zeiler and Kevin Roemer who met a group of students at the Metro Deli on Palmer Avenue where some ordered breakfast before they walked to school.
We also saw groups of students and teachers making their way to school in groups along Mamaroneck Avenue. Scarsdale's neighborhood schools were originally designed to permit students to walk to school and the event proved how easy it can be.
To read more about this program, click here. 
SOWE Brings Smiles to Scarsdale
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The scale of the Southern Westchester Food Festival in Scarsdale on Sunday September 21 was nothing short of mindboggling. When I rode into town on my bike on Sunday morning I couldn't decide which way to turn first. The food tent looked even bigger than last year, extending the entire length of Spencer Place and Chase Road. There was a band playing and a variety of activities going on in Chase Park and beyond that was an appealing natural foods tent, a wine tasting village and if that wasn't enough I learned I could even win a television or a car.
Rich and Stacey Baumer and their kids think big and brought the show to end all shows to our
often sleepy village. They started out last year with a one-day event in Scarsdale, and this year added a full day in Mamaroneck, a big event on the preceding Friday night at the Infiniti dealership on Central Avenue as well as several other tastings in the weeks leading up to the big weekend.
How a small staff and an army of volunteers could manage all this remains a mystery. The massive tents went up when no one was looking, trucks and cars carrying the booths and food were nowhere to be found and the impressive schedule of events seemed to flow without a hitch.
After watching a few food demonstrations on the large stage we toured the tent trying to decide how to make the best use of our food tickets. At $50 for 10 tickets – a price increase from last year – we wanted to be sure we sampled wisely. We immediately came upon the largest pan of paella we had ever seen, tended by chefs from the Culinary Institute of America. That was a hit and the line remained long until the last clam was consumed. Someone tipped us off to crab crostini from Jean Georges, served at the booth from the Inn at Pound Ridge and it lived up to its reputation. We also liked the guacamole and pork carnitas from Mambo 64 in Tuckahoe and sampled a smoky lobster corn chowder from the newly reopened L'Inizio in Ardsley. What else did we see? Tuna tartare, meatballs, and pizza fired in a wood burning oven brought into town for the occasion. There was far too much to mention – no less eat!
We happened into the Healthy Food tent and found some innovations with new ingredients. There was a Chia drink in a squeezable container, sorbet with no cream, no sugar, no nothing. A woman who was sampling it claimed that you could actually lose weight while eating it. Motto Sparkling Matcha Tea was bright green, light, refreshing and delicious. Scarsdale Chef Jen Rossano was demonstrating healthy home cooking and of course we came upon some kale.
On from there we wandered into the Wine Village that featured a dazzling array of vintages. Wearing wine glasses around their necks, oenophiles were sipping reds, whites, roses, champagnes and more from domestic and international wineries.
Too full to take another bite, we waited on line to have our photo taken at the Infiniti booth where we were told that we had been entered intro a drawing for a new car. The picture was cute but we're still waiting to hear who won the car. No word from Baumer or Infiniti on that question.
So – was the event good for Scarsdale, profitable for the Baumers and worth a third attempt? We
can't say. We did note that some people felt that the ticket price was high and simply walked through the festival without purchasing tickets. Others had no beef about it and felt that the event was a big gift to the community.
Commenting on the second SOWE in Scarsdale, Lewis Arlt, President of the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce said, "When the Chamber of Commerce first sat down and discussed this event with Rich, Stacey and Casey, we had some sense that it would be big, but we had no idea how big, how successful, how community-centric, how service-supportive, nor how many restaurants, food vendors, sponsors, volunteers, and foodies in general would participate. It is incredibly gratifying to see SOWE blossom into this wonderful village event. More than one long-time visitor said to me, "This is best thing that ever happened to Scarsdale." We are so proud to be associated with the event, and so grateful to village leadership for facilitating it, and to the Baumers and their incredible team for working so hard, and offering this gift with such apparent ease."
At the end of the day we ran into two couples from Greenacres who actually took the train from Hartsdale to Scarsdale to get to the festival without driving. They joked that the conductor actually charged them each $1.50 for the one-way trip. But when we saw them they were so full that they decided to go home the old fashioned way – on their own two feet.
Food and Wine Festival in Scarsdale this Sunday!
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The big weekend is upon us. The SOWE 2014 festival comes to Mamaroneck on Saturday and Scarsdale this Sunday and will feature celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, food and wine tastings and live music from Gary U.S. Bonds.
The SOWE Food & Wine Festival will showcase the talents of renowned restaurants, wineries, pit masters, cheese mongers, breweries, specialty culinary providers, chefs and culinary personalities. Hosted by the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce the Festival brings community together through food, wine, and beverage sampling, while generating awareness and raising funds to fight hunger, obesity and malnutrition. This fun-filled weekend also includes music concerts, book signings, cooking demos and even activities for kids.
Come to Scarsdale Village from 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday for this one of a kind community event. A large crowd is expected so if you can walk, ride a bike or even take the train to the event you'll avoid having to park. If you do prefer to drive, parking lots all over town will be available and there will be shuttle service from these lots to the Village. Here's a map of where to park.
Though there is no fee to stroll through the event in the Village and observe the demonstrations, you will need to purchase tickets to eat and drink. You can either buy your tickets online before the event here or purchase them at the ticket booth at the corner of Christie Place and Chase Road, in Scarsdale Village, on Sunday, Sept 21, from 11AM – 5 PM. If you buy your tickets online, you will also need to go to the ticket booth to exchange your email confirmation for your food sample tickets, and wine/beer wristband.
Here is the schedule of events for Scarsdale on Sunday September 21:
Wilson and Son Grand Culinary Village, in Scarsdale NY 11am to 5pm
Celebrity Chef Demos:
11:00am – 12:00pm Brian McMenamin, Club Car
12:00pm – 1:00pm Waldy Malouf, Culinary Institute of America
1:00pm – 2:00pm Mauro Castano, Carlo's Bakery
2:00pm – 3:00pm Sam Talbot
3:00pm – 4:00pm Jay Lippin, Crabtree's Kittle House
4:00pm – 5:00pm Nisa Lee
Music Stage:
11:00am – 11:30am Hip Hop Public Health
11:45pm – 12:15pm A Good Time
12:30pm – 2:00pm Gary U.S. Bonds
2:15pm – 3:00pm Charlie Scopoletti
3:15pm – 3:45pm Hip Hop Public Health
4:00pm – 4:30pm Dark Wing
Hip Hop Public Health will feature:
Mrs. Green's Healthy Eating and Living Pavilion
11:00am – 12:00pm Dinner Time Rescue with Jennifer Rossano
12:00pm – 1:00pm Mrs. Green's Kitchen & Nutrition Team
1:00pm – 2:00pm Amie Vapone-Editor-In-Chief & Founder of (www.thehealthyapple.com)
2:00pm – 3:00pm Mrs. Green's Kitchen & Nutrition Team
3:00pm – 4:00pm Keri Glassman
4:00pm – 5:00pm Rhinku Bhattacharya, An Essential Indian Spice Kit, Seven Essential Spices, their health benefits, and how to use them
Kids Zone:
Activities throughout the day provided by Life The Place To Be, Total Entertainment, Funcraft, Yogibo, and more.
Wine and Beer Village 12pm – 5pm: Sponsored by Zachys and Manhattan Beer Distributors
Exclusive Wine Tasting in Wilson & Son Jewelers (18 Chase Road, Scarsdale, NY). Sunday, Sept 21st, 12 – 5 PM featuring the best-of-the-best wines from Tuscany, California and France
• Piper Heidsieck Rare 2002
• Far Niente Estate Bottled Chardonnay 2012
• Silver Oak Cellars Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
• Barolo Pio Cesare 2010
• Camarcanda Ca Marcanda Gaja 2010
Exclusive Wine & Chocolate Pairing, Sunday, September 21, 12-4 PM, in Wilson & Son Jewelers (18 Chase Road, Scarsdale, NY)
- Sparkling: Brut Toso NV with Belgian Chocolate: Continental Truffle
- White: Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2012 (91JS) with Belgian Chocolate
- Red: Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (90W&S) with Belgian Chocolate: Grand Marnier Truffle
Specialty Cocktails will be served at Zachys on East Parkway from 12 to 4 on Sunday. To celebrate the end of summer Zachys will be sampling specialty cocktails crafted with fresh ingredients and small-batch spirits in the store from 12-4 pm. Stop in after you've tried the wines outside and taste while you shop – and of course the tasting in the store is, as always, complimentary!
Helen Perelman, author of Candy Faries children's book series, will do a reading at the Imagine Candy Shop (22 Harwood Court) on Sunday September 21st, 11 AM – Noon.
A sampling of more than 100 restaurants partaking in SOWE 2014 include: 8 North Broadway, 808 Bistro, Brother Jimmy's BBQ, Emma's Ale House, Madison Kitchen, Inn at Pound Ridge, ABC Cakes, An American Bistro, Artuso Pastry, Benjamin Steakhouse, BLT, Chutney Masala, Crabtree's Kittle House, Pinch, Dolphin, Enrico's Pastry Shop, Ruths Chris Steakhouse, Club Car, Havana Central Ridge Hill, Imagine Candy, Jake's Wayback Burgers, Le Jardin Du Roi, Le Moulin Event Planning & Catering, Longford's Ice Cream, Lu Lu's, Massa, Melting Pot, Palominos, Bistro Latino, Sonora, Parkway, Pete's Saloon, Pizza & Brew, Savona, Serafina, The Sneaky Chef, The Cookery's Dough Nation, Thyme, Chef Johnson, and Dan Rooneys.
As part of its title sponsorship, The Pepe Auto Group is offering a lease give-away contest for the SOWE Food & Wine Festival. People can enter to win a two-year lease on their choice of a 2014 Infiniti Q50 Sedan; 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Coupe; or a 2014 Cadillac ATS Sedan. The winner will be announced live on September 21st at the SOWE Food & Wine Festival. Enter the contest here.
Celebrate Bicycle Sundays on the BRP on September 28
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This Sunday, September 28 marks the 40th anniversary of Westchester County's Bicycle Sundays on the Bronx River Parkway. Festivities are planned including rides on the parkway and beyond and a tailgate party with live music in the parking lot of the Westchester County Center.
At 10 am there will be a ceremony at the County Center with former Lt. Governor Al DelBello, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner and several county officials to mark the four decades since DelBello, then Westchester County Executive, closed the parkway on a pilot basis in 1974.
The music starts at noon with Chris Brown, a Westchester singer/songwriter who plays several nights a week around the county. At 2, Tall County, a Putnam-based string trio, takes the stage.
Celebrate 40 years of riding on the Bronx River Parkway on Sunday September 28.
League Greets Scarsdale Superintendent Thomas Hagerman
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The League of Women Voters drew an uncommonly large crowd to its meeting on Monday, September 8 when the new school Superintendent Thomas Hagerman as well as Board President Mary Beth Gose and Assistant Schools Superintendent Linda Purvis were invited to discuss priorities and answer questions.
Hagerman addressed the group and explained his process for getting to know Scarsdale and to assess the views of school administrators, students and their parents. He explained that since starting the job in July he has been engaging with the constituents, doing formal data gathering and incorporating feedback into future agendas. He also announced that the format of Board of Education meetings would change. All meetings will be held in rooms 170-172 of the high school so that they can be televised and watched live. In addition, each Board meeting will begin with a study session from 6:30 – 7:30 followed by a reception where the community will be given time to interact with the Board and administration. Upcoming work sessions at future board meetings will include discussion of personnel, insurance, special education, regulatory requirements and the bond issue.
The conversation then turned to the question of the bond issue. Mary Beth Evans asked whether or not the Board had time over the summer to communicate with the building level committees at each school to discuss questions about the project list. Diane Baylor suggested that the public might not realize that even after the bond issue was approved (if it is), construction details and project elements could still be altered depending on unknowns and new information.
Renee Baylor said she hoped that technology alone was not driving the project list saying, "The moguls are imposing their views on public education." Both Superintendent Hagerman and Ms. Gose assured her that human interaction was key to a successful education program. Gose said, "The most important part of education is human interaction. Collaboration is important – people work in teams – office structures are different than they were. We are not forgetting human interaction."
Hagerman agreed, saying, "Liberal arts, math, science, fine arts and technology are all important components of education. It's not about discreet facts – it is how to think deeply about issues, problem solve and use resources to solve problems."
Purvis said that she was hopeful that the Board would make some decisions at the meeting that night with a final decision at the meeting on October 6th. If approved by the Board, the bond referendum would be held in early December.
Nan Berke asked about the upcoming school budget saying that she noticed that pension costs were projected to go up by 7%. Gose said, "We are very concerned with the numbers. The official numbers have not come out yet for ERS (employee retirement system) and TRS (teacher retirement system). I am hopeful that we will have a good sense by December. Referring to Dr. Hagerman, Purvis said, "We have a fresh set of eyes. Everything is up for grabs and we will look carefully at the budget."
Mary Beth Evans asked a question about the health care reserve fund that was dissolved last year when the auditor ruled that the district could not maintain a reserve for the self-insured health plan. The group learned that though the State Senate and State Assembly had both voted to allow Scarsdale to maintain the reserve, the bill has not yet been signed by Governor Cuomo. League President Susie Rush told the group that the Governor's counsel is now looking at the bill and asking questions. It is not known whether or not Cuomo will sign it.
Board member Bill Natbony who was in attendance at the meeting said that a proposed new gift policy is on the Village's website. It does not distinguish between the foundation and other groups that could be formed. Under the new policy, the board would not abdicate its responsibility to decide what programs should run and could decide about disparities between schools.
Susie Rush asked Assistant Superintendent Linda Purvis if she had reconsidered her plans to retire and Purvis said, "No, I plan to retire March 7th though there could be some flexibility. I have a new grandchild and look forward to a new phase of my life."
