SHS Girls Tennis Team Fights Hard Against Horace Greeley
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: Schools
Fallon Krane, Alexa Gallante, Sophie Landa, Jalyn Ryu, Maya Kossakowski, Kay Cottrell, and Sophia WuIt had to end sometime. And it did on Tuesday September 17, 2024 when the Scarsdale Girl’s Varsity A Tennis Team broke their 82 match winning streak. That’s right. The team had been undefeated since 2018, not dropping a single match in six years and winning the NYS title for the past two years.
Gianna Marks
Sadly, the young team was not able to prevail over Horace Greeley at home, losing the match 2-5. Why? It turns out that three top returning players decided not to play on the team this year, on the advice of private coaches who persuaded them to pursue tournament play in order to improve their chances to be recruited for college.
So, Coach Jennifer Roane, who has piloted this highly successful program for years, found herself down three essential team members when her top two singles players, Charlene Dong and Katie Kendall and first doubles player Emma Ha failed to sign up for the season. To make matters worse, returning player Carly Alin is injured.
Though many talented players were moved from doubles to singles, and from the Varsity B team to the Varsity A team, it was tough to recover from this blow.
On Tuesday, they went into the match with a 5-0 record, defeating Rye, John Jay, Harrison, Mamaroneck and Bethlehem – in a scrimmage match. But they knew that Chappaqua, a top team in the league, would be hard to conquer.
Sophia Wu and Jalyn RyuThe team fought hard. Matches were lengthy and the second singles match, played by Isabel Lin went to a tiebreaker. It was close to 6 pm and getting dark before everyone left the court.
There were some bright spots. Returning player Gianna Marks, who played third singles last year, is now playing first singles. She hit deep shots and fierce overheads to win that match 6-3, 6-3.
And in second singles, after long and powerful exchanges from the baseline, Isable Lin won the first set 6-3, dropped the second 4-6, but triumphed with a score of 11-9 in the tiebreaker.
But for third singles player, and former doubles champ Kay Cottrell the match was a disappointment, falling 2-6, 1-6 to her opponent. The same score was reported on the first doubles court where returning players Jalyn Ryu and Sophia Wu, two who are not used to losing, did not prevail.
Also fighting it out in second doubles were juniors Sophie Landa and Maya Kossakowski who ran their opponents around but failed to take it to the finish line, with a score of 2-6, 3-6.
Jalyn Ryu and Kay Cottrell
Playing third doubles were seniors Phoebe Flaster and Emily Hyman and in fourth, were juniors Fallon Krane and Alex Gallante who said they could use more experience playing together.
The girls will have a chance to come back with they play Chappaqua again in two weeks. Coach Roane remained upbeat, saying, “The girls gave 100 percent at the match. The loss has motivated to beat them when we see them in 2 weeks.”
Sophie Landa and Maya Kossakowski
Scarsdale Firefighters Rally to Support Fire Captain Following a Tragic Loss
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: Parenting
Scarsdale Firefighters are asking for your support for the family of Fire Captain Francis Sheehan, who lost both his mother Millie Sheehan and his wife Diana Sheehan in a car accident on Battle Avenue in White Plains on Monday September 16, 2024.
Francis and his wife Diana Sheehan have a 19-month old boy named Kiernan, and Millie had three additional grandchildren, Caiden, Saoirse, and Aisling, from her daughter Christine who are now left without a grandmother. Millie was the wife of Greenburgh Councilman Francis Sheehan who made the following statement on ABC News:
“This is the worst possible nightmare imaginable: we are still in shock. They were wonderful and kind people. Everyone loved them, for good reason. Diana was so much more than a daughter-in-law to us even though that is her legal title. We saw her everyday. They moved next door to us. We are that close a family. We eat together and Millie babysat daily our four grandchildren. Diana loved all our grandkids as her own.”
The accident occurred right after the two women had dropped off two young children at day care.
Firefighters are appealing to the community to support the children. Their note says, “Many have reached out expressing their desire to support this family in their most dire of circumstances. We have set up this fundraiser to help alleviate, and lift, any unforeseen burdens on the family while allowing them the time & space to grieve, heal, and remember. We thank you for your thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement, and support.”
Please click here to make your contribution:
Police Pursue Stolen Ambulance in 3 am Cross County Car Chase
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: Neighborhood News
A patient who was released at 3 am from an emergency room in New Rochelle found a novel way to leave the hospital. He stole an ambulance. He was pursued by police officers from New Rochelle, Eastchester and Scarsdale, and collided with both the Eastchester and Scarsdale Police. But even that didn't stop him. He drove through Greenburgh, White Plains and to Irvington where he was finally stopped by a collision with a utility pole.
Here's a report from the New Rochelle Police Department
At approximately 03:01 am on September 17, 2024, New Rochelle Police received a report from Empress Ambulance personnel that a patient recently released from the Emergency Room had stolen an ambulance. NRPD officers quickly located the stolen ambulance on Lawn Avenue. The vehicle, however, fled from officers who then pursued the ambulance. The pursuit led the ambulance into Eastchester, where the Eastchester Police Department and Scarsdale Police attempted to stop the vehicle. The stolen vehicle collided with both Eastchester and Scarsdale police vehicles during the chase.
The ambulance then continued to evade capture, moving through Scarsdale, Greenburgh, White Plains, and eventually into Irvington. The chase concluded when the vehicle struck a utility pole in Irvington. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene. First aid was administered, and he was transported to Westchester Medical Center for evaluation. He was later discharged after suffering only minor injuries. Remarkably, no officers or citizens sustained injuries, and no NRPD vehicles were damaged during the incident.
The New Rochelle Police Department commends the officers and supporting agencies for their swift and effective response in resolving this dangerous situation. The collaborative efforts of local law enforcement agencies ensured a safe conclusion to the incident.
ARRESTED:
Ernest Burkett, 41 years of age, of New Rochelle, NY.
CHARGES:
New York State Penal Law Sections:
120.25 Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree – D Felony
165.52 Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 2nd Degree – C Felony 155.40 Grand Larceny 2nd Degree – C Felony
270.25 Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer 3rd Degree – A Misdemeanor 145.10 Criminal Mischief 2nd Second Degree – D Felony
It's One Step Forward and Two Steps Back for Retail in Scarsdale and Hartsdale
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: Around Town
Hartsdale Automotive is moving to Gray Rock Road in ScarsdaleNo one seems to want a comment about what’s happening at DeCicco’s in Scarsdale Village. Empty shelves in June had customers wondering what would become of their local market. When we spoke store manager Walter Wadwick a few months ago, he indicated that the store was here to stay and would recover over the summer. He projected that they would be fully stocked for the upcoming high holidays with specialty brands. He encouraged the community to hang in and support the store while they made arrangements with new vendors.
DeCicco's is asking for customers to stick with them while they recover.
And so we hoped to find full shelves in September, but instead were greeted with an even sadder scenario. This week, the produce section is virtually empty, the meat refrigerators are half full and dairy offerings are spotty.
We reached out to Wadwick again for answers and he said, “All I can say is we’re holding our own and hoping for the best right now. (When asked if we could speak to the store owner, he said, “I’m not at liberty to share anything more and I don’t believe they are willing to share anything more about the situation than we are trying our best and hardest especially for the community and our employees and their families. Our jobs are on the line.”
DeCicco’s leases the space from Scarsdale Improvement Corp (SIC), who owns a good chunk of the real estate in the Village. A representative at SIC said, “We’re doing our best to work with them and get them back on track. They want to stay there, make the space nicer and get more food.”
Ramsey's Farm has a beautiful selection of vegetables, fruit and flowers and will remain open until Thanksgiving.For anyone looking for fresh produce in the interim, take a trip to Ramsey’s Farm on Ramsey Road in Scarsdale. They have beautiful vegetables, fruit and flowers and are open seven days a week!
Sadly, the new cheese shop, Dobbs and Bishop, never got their bearings in Scarsdale. After taking almost a year to open, they have already closed. A note on the door thanks Scarsdale for a “warm welcome” but says they are closing “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Hartsdale
Hartsdale is also experiencing some big changes. Earlier this year the Rite Aid closed, leaving a void for many who used the store for prescriptions, vaccinations, household and drugstore purchases. That building is now vacant.
Several years ago the Starbucks closed in the Hartsdale Train Station. Metro North, who owns the station house claims to be searching for a new tenant. However, it remains empty and is missed by many who ran in for a cup of coffee or used the tables both inside and out before commuting or to sit and chat with friends.
Some of those customers moved to the bakery Enrico’s where they could also enjoy pastry and coffee. Sadly Enrico’s has posted a big sign on their window saying they will close by the end of the year. They say they never recovered after the COVID crisis and Hurricane Ida and the owners plan to move to South Carolina. In that space, Mikado Sushi will open.
Most surprising, we learned that Hartsdale Automotive is moving to Gray Rock Road, behind Garth Road, in Scarsdale at the end of September. They have been in business in the same spot for more than 25 years and many rely on them for gas as well as auto repairs. The good news is they are not going far. 
Joelle Anisse Salon is now open in Hartsdale
We asked why they were moving and were told that the property owners want to replace the automotive shop with a convenience store. We can’t verify that!
On a brighter note, a beautiful and expansive new hair salon has opened in the space formerly occupied by the Chase Bank. It’s called Joelle Anisse and they are open for business and ready to serve you. So check them out.
Do you have any insights into what’s going on? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
ERA On the Ballot this November in New York: Learn More
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: People
This November, New Yorkers have the power to protect abortion rights and secure our fundamental freedoms for generations by voting YES on Proposal 1, the New York State Equal Rights Amendment. Prop 1 has the effect of cementing existing legal rights into the NY Constitution, which currently prohibits race and religion based discrimination. The amendment expands coverage to include protections against discrimination by the government based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.
As we have witnessed on the national front, complacency is dangerous, and laws that we assumed were safe may change overnight with the political tides. Prop 1 is about ensuring that we New Yorkers, not politicians, control our healthcare decisions and personal futures.
Throughout Westchester, many of us have shared personal stories about the importance of protecting reproductive freedoms and protecting the liberties of all New Yorkers. “With
Jenna Lauter from the NY Civil Liberties Union will speak at the Scarsdale Library on Tuesday October 1 at 7 pm the fall of Roe v. Wade and increasing attacks on reproductive rights across the country, many of us have realized that the legislative protections we once took for granted can no longer be assumed,” stated one Scarsdale League of Women Voters board member, who is also the parent of two high school students. “That’s why Prop 1 is essential: it permanently protects reproductive rights, including the right to abortion and IVF, in New York’s state constitution, safeguarding them from future political rollbacks.”
Many in our community have also shared their concerns about other forms of discrimination—whether it’s age-based bias in the workplace or the fear that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers could face discrimination in employment, healthcare, or child custody. Prop 1 closes these gaps in our state Constitution and brings the Constitution into alignment with existing state law. It confirms that no New Yorker should be denied access to healthcare, public sector employment, or public services based on who they are. And it reinforces existing laws to ensure that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers are protected from discrimination, that seniors won’t face age-based bias in the workplace, and that pregnant individuals cannot be penalized or disadvantaged.
For another board member, this is personal. “I’ve seen how older colleagues and friends have struggled with age discrimination,” she stated. “It’s heartbreaking to watch someone’s skills and contributions be ignored because of their age. Prop 1 will make sure older New Yorkers are treated with the respect they deserve.”
All New Yorkers deserve the freedom to control our own lives, futures, and healthcare decisions – including personal reproductive decisions, such as our right to abortion. Although some have tried to divide and distract us from the amendment’s goal of guaranteeing our personal freedoms, Prop 1 does not change any existing laws or regulations. It simply codifies our fundamental civil rights and reproductive freedoms in the New York State Constitution.
To learn more about this ballot initiative, its significance, and its potential impact, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale invites you to a community discussion with Jenna Lauter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 7pm at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
Join us in being part of the conversation, flipping over your ballot to vote YES on Prop 1 in November, and ensuring New York remains a stronghold for reproductive rights and equality.
Register for the event on our website at https://lwvs.org/events-and-speakers/
Read the amendment text and learn more about the NY ERA: https://lwvny.org/nys-equal-rights-amendment/
