2024 Scarsdale Bowl Goes to Jane Veron, Spotlight Award to Maroon and White
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
Suzanne Seiden, Jane Veron and Erika RublinJane Veron is the 2024 recipient of the venerated Scarsdale Bowl, awarded annually since 1943 to those who have “given unselfishly of time, energy, and effort to the civic welfare of the community.”
The Scarsdale Foundation also continued its new tradition of honoring either an individual or an organization who has made a tangible difference in the community’s quality of life in one specific area. The second-ever Spotlight Award goes to Maroon and White for its enormous contribution to high school and middle school athletics, and by extension the community.
Please plan to celebrate the Foundation’s honorees at the Bowl Dinner on Thursday, April 11th. The Scarsdale Foundation promotes and celebrates volunteerism, administers grants and scholarships, provides need-based college scholarships for sophomores, juniors and seniors and recognizes extraordinary volunteers who work toward the betterment of the community.
A Bit About Jane Veron
“Jane has contributed so much to the Scarsdale community, and we are thrilled to honor her with the Bowl this year,” said Scarsdale Bowl Chair Erika Rublin. “She is an extraordinary leader whose vision, commitment and compassion has made a tremendous difference for Scarsdale.
The Bowl Committee, a diverse group of 15 community volunteers representing all areas and demographics of Scarsdale, selects the recipient after reviewing and vetting many worthy candidates who are nominated by the community. Following the Bowl Committee vote on Sunday night, Erika Rublin along with Suzanne Seiden, President of the Scarsdale Foundation, Leah Dembitzer Secretary of the Bowl Committee, Isabel Finegold, Treasurer of the Bowl Committee, and Bowl Committee member Sharon Higgins surprised Veron at her home with the news on Sunday night.
Suzanne Seiden, Erika Rublin, Sharon Higgins, Jane Veron, Isabel Finegold and Leah Dembitzer
“I feel such overwhelming emotion and am honored beyond words,” said former Mayor Veron. “I have such strong love for this community and deeply admire the incredible people who make up this special place. I was truly caught off guard Sunday night when an exceptional group of volunteers gathered at my front door. Being recognized by those who are deserving in their own right makes this award profoundly meaningful.”
Fox Meadow resident Jane Veron has had a long history of volunteer work touching upon so many organizations that are the pillars of life in the village, making her a natural recipient of the 2024 Scarsdale Bowl award. Well known in the community for her volunteerism, Veron has tirelessly championed local government initiatives in Scarsdale, revitalizing the downtown while championing broad policy improvements for municipal services, infrastructure, economic development, and land use. Veron and her husband, Andrew Feldstein, have lived in Scarsdale since 1997 and raised their three daughters, Emily, Julia and Anna, here.
Professionally, Veron has demonstrated recognizable social impact serving as the CEO and co-founder of The Acceleration Project (TAP), a nonprofit organization creating a more equitable and inclusive economy providing advisory services to under-resourced small business owners across the country. Since co-founding TAP in 2012, Veron has grown the organization to nearly 200 consultants who serve thousands of small business owners annually. She is currently serving on the SBA Investment Capital Advisory Committee, a new federal committee of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the leading advocate for America’s 33 million small businesses.
A lover of learning, Veron said she always knew she wanted to use her abilities for social good. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA) and Yale University (BA). Her public service resume includes serving as President, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale; Chair, Scarsdale Neighborhood Association of Presidents (SNAP); President, Fox Meadow Neighborhood Association; Executive Committee, Fox Meadow PTA; Vice President, Scarsdale-Edgemont Family Counseling Service; Secretary, Scarsdale Foundation; Chair, Scarsdale Bowl Committee; Chair, Scarsdale Planning Board; Steering Committee Member, Youth Athletic Coalition; and many positions on various Scarsdale community boards. Her dynamic approach models outreach and engagement on issues to reach consensus.
Community member Nicky Ziman said, “Jane is an eminently capable, committed volunteer in Scarsdale in a variety of civic roles, culminating in her mayorship. Motivated to achieve optimal outcomes for all, Jane always demonstrated thoughtful evaluation of initiatives, insightful judgment, and deliberation informed by community and professional opinions. For Jane, the ultimate goal of civic leadership was the betterment and welfare of Scarsdale and she took her responsibilities seriously, pursuing them with genuine and wholehearted interest. Jane’s lasting impact on Scarsdale is undeniable from her contributions to the Library renovation and expansion to the revitalization of Scarsdale Village Center. She is an asset to our village, and Scarsdale is a better place for having Jane as a citizen of this community."
The Spotlight Award
Suzanne Seiden, Amy Frank and Erika RublinFor the second time, the Bowl Committee also selected a Spotlight Award winner. As opposed to the depth and breadth required of the Bowl winner, the Spotlight Award recognizes meaningful contributions in a specific area or a problem solved after focused effort.
The Bowl Committee requested suggestions of individuals and organizations alike from the community and reviewed many worthy nominations before voting for Maroon and White to be the 2024 recipient of the Spotlight Award in recognition of their significant contributions to the Scarsdale student athletic community. Maroon and White Co-President Amy Frank was likewise surprised to learn of the award when Erika Rublin, Suzanne Seiden, Leah Dembitzer, Isabel Finegold and Sharon Higgins surprised her at her home with the news on Sunday night.
On behalf of the parents, donors, and volunteers for Maroon and White, we were honored and delighted to be recognized as only the second-ever recipient of the Spotlight Award," said Maroon and White Co-President Amy Frank.
Co-President Moira Crouch added, "We exist to support our kids and our athletes and to honor excellence and team spirit and it is gratifying to be so recognized by the larger 'team' of our community in Scarsdale."
Maroon and White has been the booster program for high school and middle school athletics for 55 years, providing funds to purchase necessary equipment for their teams that aren’t covered in the current year school budget. In the last 5 years alone, the charitable volunteer and parent-led organization has donated over $780,000 to fund numerous projects. Most notable of these have been the lights at Butler Field and a new scoreboard at Supply Field, which have been significant to both the teams that use these fields and the wider Scarsdale community.
In addition to their financial support, the volunteers of Maroon and White are the consummate cheerleaders for Scarsdale’s high school athletes. Throughout the year, Maroon and White highlights weekly sports achievements through their “Raider of the Week” program, encourages attendance at important games with social media posts and email blasts, provides celebratory food, snacks and drinks at various game days, sponsors team dinners at the end of each sports season, and this past fall organized a parade to honor the season’s multiple State Championship teams. Maroon and White also plays a key role in promoting leadership, sportsmanship and a strong work ethic through numerous annual recognition awards given to deserving student athletes.
Suzanne Seiden, President of the Scarsdale Foundation said, “Every year, the Scarsdale Foundation and the Scarsdale Bowl Committee seeks to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and generosity that make our community so special by honoring those who exemplify those ideals. Maroon and White embodies the generosity of our parents and our community, and has made an outstanding difference in the lives of our student athletes. Jane Veron, a remarkable volunteer and leader, has left an indelible mark on our village. We are thrilled to be celebrating with such dedicated volunteers and our larger community on April 11th.”
Community Debates Two Versions of 2024-25 School Calendar
- Details
- Written by Wendy MacMillan
- Category: The Goods
In Version 1, school opens the day after Labor Day and there is a two-week holiday break.Earlier this month, the Scarsdale School District released its proposed drafts for the 2024-25 school calendar. For many in our community, a peek at the drafts can give insight into when school might start, when the breaks will fall, and when school might let out for summer, which makes planning for things like vacations and camps all the easier. But while this glimpse of the future can be helpful, each year the proposed calendars also garner a lot of feedback from parents who are both happy about the drafts and from those who have concerns.
This year there are two proposed calendars. While both drafts include the newly added holidays of Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Eid al-Fitr, the first version offers two full weeks of vacation for the holiday break in December while the second version has a shortened holiday break and adds the two extra days off to the end of the Labor day weekend.
According to online chatter, the first version can prove to be difficult for some dual-working parents of elementary aged students. As one mom Andrea Hirshberg said, “The two week December break is incredibly challenging for families with young children- it was a very long time to be out of school, and it’s not feasible for parents who work to always take two full weeks off (especially when there are two additional weeklong breaks in the subsequent 4 months) creating significant childcare/coverage issues. Not every family in Scarsdale is able to travel abroad for two full weeks, for various reasons.”
Along with many others, one commenter agrees with Ms. Hirshberg, and had this to say about the long holiday break we had this year, “Two weeks off was so disruptive. Kids were out of sorts going back to school, parents were off routine and exhausted.”
Still, the majority of those chiming in seem to favor the first version which provides a full two weeks break over the winter holidays giving international families a chance to travel home, families with college aged kids a real opportunity to spend time together, and older students the mental break they need to truly recharge.
In Version 2, school starts on September 5, and there are eight days off for the winter holidays.
Though sympathetic with working parents, Monika Desai shared, “I was not initially a fan of the two weeks off during Christmas as we are dual full-time working household w kids in elementary. Now that we had it, I loved it. We felt much more refreshed coming into the new year, can only imagine how important that is for middle and high school where academics can be stressful and rough. Plus, those families tend to have kids split in high school and in college and it allows all of them to be off together. I will appreciate that when I’m in that position.
This year, we traveled for the second week and did a hodge-podge of child care coverage for the post Christmas week while working, changing hours for our afterschool care, etc. I’ve noticed it tends to be a lighter workload in the medical/corporate world too since many people are away. It wasn’t easy but we did it. I can imagine if not traveling while working for either week with young kids would be rough.
I would rather start Sept 3 after Labor Day and have two weeks off during winter again.”
Esthela Lecouna, another parent in favor of a longer holiday break added, “ Two weeks break is great for international families, especially the ones who celebrate Christmas with our loved ones. It's also important for every student who needs a mental break for school. They work pretty hard during fall so they deserve time to rest, other activities, different routines and to recharge energy.”
Apsara Sriram shared, “Version one makes more sense. Most people are ready to start immediately after Labor Day. I don’t see a point of two extra days [For the Labor Day Weekend] when high school students start sports and other activities earlier. Makes more sense to get the two week break in Dec/ Jan.”
As they do every January, the Scarsdale Board of Education will carefully consider the drafts put forth by the District and in February, a revised draft will be presented at a Board of Education meeting with the final calendar being approved by the end of that month. During their deliberations, the BOE will not only take into account all of the various factors that are considered when the District thoughtfully develops the drafts (such as laws and regulations that apply to all public schools in the state, the legal holidays that must be observed, and agreements that exist between the Board of Education and the seven unions that represent employees in the district) but they will also allow consider feedback from our parent and student bodies. To learn more about how the school calendar is developed please see here.
Vote for the SBNC on Wednesday Night January 17 at SHS
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
(Updated January 16, 2024) An additional election date (due to the extremely inclement weather during the evening of the original Jan. 9 election date) for the 2024 School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) election will take place on Wednesday January 16, from 5 – 9 PM in the Scarsdale High School Brewster Road entranceway. Any resident of the School District who is (i) 18 years of age or older, and (ii) a resident of the School District for 30 days prior to the election may vote in the SBNC Election.
If you have any questions please contact the SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair at SBNCElection@gmail.com or see https://scarsdalesbnc.com/.
Please vote and be a part of the process to ensure that great candidates represent us on the Scarsdale Board of Education! Thank you!
Listed below are the candidates from each neighborhood along with their biographies
EDGEWOOD (3 candidates running for 3 positions)
SHIVI S. BANSAL: 175 Nelson Road Length of Residency: 5 years
Occupation: Finance
Education: IIT Kanpur, India (BS), University of Illinois (PhD)
Child/Children’s ages: 5, 3
Civic Activities: Board of Trustees, Kids’ B.A.S.E. & The Little School; Technology Advisory Committee Village of Scarsdale
OWEN ELLIOTT: 177 Madison Road Length of Residency: 5 years
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, freelance corporate video and photography work, Previously: Media Producer & Director
Education: University of Newcastle (BS, Communications)
Child/Children’s ages: 13, 11, 3
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Congregational Church, Volunteer; Edgewood Girl Scout troop, Volunteer; Edgewood Elementary School, Class Parent; Nutcote Trust Board, Deputy Chair; Neutral Bay Public School (Australia), Volunteer
MIMI ROBINSON: 171 Nelson Road Length of Residency: 1 year, 3 months
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, Previously: HR/Pharmaceutical Industry
Education: University of Texas (BS, Communications), NYU, (MS, HR Management)
Child/Children’s ages: 12, 10
Civic Activities: SMS—Compact Committee, Pizza, Compost, Library Volunteer, Edgewood—Yearbook, Fifth Grade Events, Lunar New Year Co-Chair, Edgewood Fair, Multicultural Tasting, Book Fair Volunteer, Grassroots Grocery-Volunteer
FOX MEADOW (1 candidate running for 1 position)
ADAM HELLEGERS: 18 Lockwood Road Length of Residence: 11.5 years
Occupation: Attorney/Real Estate Development/Affordable Housing
Education: University of Pennsylvania (BA), Northwestern University (JD)
Child/Children’s ages: 17, 13
Civic Activities: Board of Directors (Building and Development Committee Chair, former Chair), Osborne Association; Westchester Board, Habitat for Humanity; Board of Advisors, NYU Furman Center for Real Estate; Secretary/Executive Committee, Westchester Reform Temple
GREENACRES (3 candidates running for 3 positions)
AMADALLY HOSSEINBUKUS: 26 Elm Road Length of Residence: 15 years
Occupation: Management consultant
Education: Durham University, (BS, Computer Science)
Child/Children’s ages: 18, 17
Civic Activities: Girl Scouts, Troop Co-Leader, Scarsdale Youth Soccer Parent coach, Lower East Side (NYC) Mentor
LISA PURCELL: 25 Montrose Road Length of Residence: 6 years
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, Previously: Attorney
Education: Dartmouth College (BA), Columbia Law School (JD)
Child/Children’s ages: Twins, 5
Civic Activities: Class Parent (GA), Board Member, Greenacres Neighborhood Association, Coach-Scarsdale Little League
KRISTEN ZAKIERSKI: 81 Greenacres Avenue Length of Residence: 4 years
Occupation: Education consultant
Education: Vanderbilt University (BS), Pace University (MST)
Child/Children’s ages: 5, 2, 5 mo.
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Forum (hospitality/special events), Greenacres Neighborhood Association (President), Hitchcock PTA (President) Hitchcock School Board
HEATHCOTE 2 candidates running for 4 positions)
KEN MEYERSON: 5 Hanover Road Length of Residence: 13.5 years
Occupation: Commercial Real Estate
Education: Boston University, BSBA
Child/Children’s ages: 16, 13
Civic Activities: All Stars Project, National Board member and co-chair, NY Board, Member, Real Estate Board of NY, Boy Scouts of America, Honoree, Heathcote coach, Basketball & Baseball
SAUM SHETTY: 2 Burgess Road Length of Residence: 2 years
Occupation: Digital Marketer
Education: BA, Mass Media
Child/Children’s ages: 11, 7, 5
Civic Activities: Heathcote Multicultural Chair, SMS DEI Chair
QUAKER RIDGE (2 candidates running for 3 positions)
Alissa Baum: 2 Sylvan Lane Length of Residence: 17 years
Occupation: Stay at home parent, Previously: Attorney
Education: BA, JD, University of Texas-Austn
Child/Children’s ages: 16
Civic Activities: SHS Compact Committee (elected 23-25), SHS PTA Parent/Teacher Conference committee, LWV-Scarsdale, president (2023), JCY-Westchester Community Partners, reading buddy, SMS, Class Parent, QR, member PTA Legislative Advocacy Committee, volunteer, learning to look
Kamala Vittal: 27 Stratton Road Length of Residence: 10 years
Occupation: Real Estate Agent, Previously: Administrator (Montessori School, NJ), Optometrist/Researcher (Hospital, India)
Education: Elite School of Optometry, India (BS)
Child/Children’s ages: 21, 17
Civic Activities: SHS New Families Committee (Chair, 22-24), SHS Wellness Committee (Co-Chair, 23-24), SHS DEI Committee (Co-Chair, 23-24), SHS LIbrary Volunteers (Co-chair), SHS College & Career Center Volunteer, SHS P/T Conferences Volunteer, SHS & SMS Audit Committees, SMS & QR Multicultural Events
About the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC)
The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is a committee of residents elected from across the Village for the purpose of nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education. Members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a term of three years on the Nominating Committee and two additional years on the Administrative Committee.
The Administrative Committee would like to encourage all Scarsdale residents to support the SBNC by voting in local elections, considering a candidacy, and making a contribution. The SBNC Administrative Committee runs the annual SBNC elections financed entirely by community support. Any contribution is greatly appreciated.
Contributions may be made via PayPal online at https://scarsdalesbnc.org/please-donate/ Checks may be made payable to the “SBNC Administrative Committee” and mailed to
P.O. BOX 172H
SCARSDALE, NY 10583
2024 SBNC Continuing Members (Nominating Committee)
Terms End 2024
• Edgewood – Anne McCourt Bates, Christine Weston, Meng Zhang
• Fox Meadow – Claudia Green, Jennifer Zola
• Greenacres – N/A
• Heathcote – Kimberly Miller Champlin
• Quaker Ridge – Lisa Gans
Terms End 2025
• Edgewood – N/A
• Fox Meadow – Kevin Chen, David Kirshenbaum, Susan Lee
• Greenacres – Arthur Rublin, Molly (Yue) Tu, Jocelyn Zoland
• Heathcote – Jacob Adlerstein
• Quaker Ridge – June (Xun) Deng, Jennifer Simon Tabak
2023/2024 SBNC Administrative Committee Members
Zach Altschuler (FM), Treasurer, Sarah E. Bell (TVCC), Resolution Chair, Lauren Hammer Breslow (HE), Lara Chassin (SNAP); Susi Coplan (QR) Election; David Fenigstein, Webmaster (GA), Jennifer Goldfarb (HE), Beth Goldoff (SNAP), Stephanie Israel (QR Swapna Kanekar (FM); Cecelia Anon Kowalski (EW), Jon Lemle, Resolution Chair (FM), Alan Meizlik (EW), Valerie Phillips (EW), Nominating Chair, Deborah Skolnik (GA) Election, Purnima Srivastava (QR), Stacey Strauss (QR), (Claire) Yin Yan (HE), Cindy Yau (GA)
For additional information, please contact Deborah Skolnik, at SBNCElection@gmail.com
Honor Our Hometown Heroes
- Details
- Written by Juliette Gross
- Category: The Goods
Adelia BandsmaScarsdale High School senior Adelia Bandsma came to the Scarsdale Board of Trustees meeting on January 9, 2023 to discuss her Girl Scouts Gold Award project called “Hometown Heroes”.
She explained, “‘Hometown Heroes’ are military tribute banners honoring veterans with a connection to their hometown. Hometown Heroes is a project that started in Pennsylvania and has spread nationwide. I am bringing this project to Scarsdale to celebrate and honor our hometown heroes.”
Adelia thinks that by displaying these military banners, Scarsdale residents will learn “that there are people who live here who have risked or even sacrificed their lives for our country, our security, and our freedom.”
Hometown Heroes is both a national and a local program. Similar banners have been posted in Eastchester, New Rochelle, and Ardsley.
Any military veteran who was either born in Scarsdale or currently lives in Scarsdale will be eligible to have their own banner. The banners will go up for Memorial Day 2024 and will be seen in downtown Scarsdale, along the Memorial Day parade route. Families will pay for their own veterans banners or organization, neighbors, or local businesses can act as sponsors and cover the cost of the banners.The price for each banner will be $150.
Adelia will reach out to the community to take orders for the banners. Orders can be placed by filling out a google document and uploading a photo. A mailed check will also be needed. The deadline for this google document is March 15th and the delivery is expected during the first week of May. The Scarsdale Village road crew will install the banners in time for the Memorial Day Parade.
Overall Adelia thinks that these “military tribute banners will bring awareness of veterans in our midsts. A hero could live right next door and you might not even know it. I want people in Scarsdale to feel part of something larger than just our town.”
New Village Justice Appointed in Scarsdale
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
Michael V. Curti has been appointed Scarsdale Village JusticeScarsdale Village Justice Cynthia Dunne has resigned. Mayor Justin Arest announced the news at the December 12 meeting of the Scarsdale Village Board. With court scheduled to be in session the following day, the Mayor announced that the current Associate Justice, Michael V. Curti would step up and fill the role until the election in March.
Curti has served as Associate Justice for the Village since April 2022. His prior public service includes tenures as Corporation Counsel of the City of Yonkers, Westchester County assistant district attorney and principal law secretary in New York State Supreme Court. He lives in Scarsdale with his wife (an SHS alum) and two children.
Here are the remarks he made at Village Hall on Tuesday night:
I would like to thank the Mayor and the Board of Trustees for considering my appointment as Village Justice this evening. It is a privilege to serve in this incredible position of trust and responsibility alongside my colleagues at the Court, the clerks, court officers, attorneys, and stenographers who make our Village Court hands down the best in New York State.
Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., we will have Court in this room. Along with the gratitude I am feeling this evening is a sense of sadness that the journey will continue without Judge Dunne on the bench. But what will carry forth and continue is her legacy of achieving and maintaining excellence in giving the people of this exceptional community the level of service in the pursuit of justice that they both expect and deserve.
The two years I have been on the Court have been among the most professionally and personally rewarding moments of my life. Judge Dunne always treated me as a peer and I can say without reservation that we worked collaboratively to achieve the best results possible: fairly and impartially, efficiently and effectively.
Of course, that’s no surprise to anyone who has seen her commitment to family, volunteerism in our community in the League and Rotary, and service to our country as an Assistant United States Attorney.
I pledge to you that I will do my best to continue the work of this superb public servant. Thank you.
