Real Heroes May Not Wear Capes

Raquel, Arthur, Luca and Leonardo Soares with Scarsdale Mayor Justin ArestA quick response from a 13 year-old Quaker Ridge boy may have saved the life of a young boy at Splash Down Water Park in Fishkill, NY on July 12, 2024.

Luca Soares, who will be entering eighth grade at Scarsdale Middle School in the fall, was at the water park with the Scarsdale Teen Travel Camp. He explained that he was in the Monster Wave Pool, a large pool where waves are sent over the swimmers. Just after a big wave passed him, a small boy grabbed him. The boy was choking and crying and asked for help. He was too small to swim safely in that pool. Soares picked him up, ran out of the pool and searched the crowd for the boy’s family.

His mother appeared and grabbed the young boy and yelled at him, never acknowledging Luca. But it was clear to the Scarsdale camp counselors that Luca had acted heroically.

They shared the story with the Village of Scarsdale who issued a proclamation in Luca’s honor at the August 13 meeting of the Village Board. Luca was presented with the proclamation and his parents Raquel and Leonardo and his younger brother Arthur proudly posed for photos with the Mayor and Village Trustees.

Mr. Bitterman, the Director of the Teen Travel Camp remarked that Luca was humble and nonchalant about his heroism, but many in Village Hall had tears in their eyes as they watched the proceedings.

Here are the words of the proclamation as read by Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest:

Whereas, Luca Soares, a 13-year-old rising 8th grader in the Choice Program at Scarsdale Middle School, demonstrated exceptional courage and quick thinking, acting as the right person in the right place at the absolute right time to assist a small child in distress; and

Whereas, on Friday, July 12, 2024, at SplashDown Beach Water Park in Fishkill, New York, while enjoying the Monster Wave Pool as part of the Scarsdale Teen Travel Camp, Luca noticed a young child who had been pulled underwater by a wave and had not resurfaced; and

Whereas, without hesitation, Luca acted swiftly and decisively, pulling the child from the water and ensuring the child's safety; and

Whereas, Luca carried the coughing and crying child out of the pool and sought out the child's mother, all the while downplaying his actions and modestly insisting to his camp counselors that he had not done anything special; and

Whereas, Luca's bravery and quick action not only saved the child from potential harm, but also exemplified the core values of responsibility, vigilance, and empathy, setting a powerful example for his peers and community members; and

Whereas, Luca’s quick response and willingness to help a stranger in need exemplify the values of bravery, compassion, and selflessness that our community cherishes and strives to uphold; and

Now, Therefore, I, Justin Arest, Mayor of the Village of Scarsdale, on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the and the entire Scarsdale community, hereby honor and celebrate Luca Soares for his heroic actions, recognizing him as a shining example of the best in our youth. His actions remind us all that real heroes may not wear capes, but are defined by their readiness to act in the service of others; and be it further

Proclaimed, that August 13, 2024, be recognized as Luca Soares Day in the Village of Scarsdale.

The Search for a Village Manager

With the position of Village Manager vacant since the departure of Rob Cole in September 2023, Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest gave an update on the search for his replacement. According to the Mayor, the Village conducted a nationwide search which yielded 20 potential candidates. Those 20 were narrowed down to a list of four semi-finalists. Two on the list accepted an invitation to come to Scarsdale and meet with trustees and a group of selected residents. However, following the visits, rather than hiring one of the candidates, the Board decided to suspend the search.

Why? Arest said an explanation would be provided in September.

Pool Renovations

And what about the pool? Is the Village any closer to finalizing plans for the renovation and improvement of the aging complex? At the August 13, 2024 meeting of the Village Board, Mayor Arest said that the Village renegotiated their contract with the construction management firm, Hill International and is working with the pool architects, Lothrop. Arest said, “We have begun program development using the data and input received from the community. We will have a more substantive update at our first September board meeting which will include additional ways for residents to stay involved and provide input.”

Arest confirmed that construction is still scheduled to begin following the 2025 summer pool season.

Village Emails and Website

Acting Village Manager Alexandra Marshall explained that on August 9, 2024 all Village email addresses were changed from Scarsdale.com to Scarsdale.gov. She asked residents to check their spam filters for any emails they may have missed. As of October 1 all Village websites will be transitioned from .com to .gov. This will improve security and ensure that users are accessing a secure government website.

Paving

Marshall also informed the public of the following paving projects which will be done overnight.

The Village of Scarsdale is performing overnight paving operations at various locations throughout the Village Center. In an effort to minimize disruption to residents and local businesses, all work will take place between the approximate hours of 7 PM - 5 AM. Please note the below paving schedule is tentative and may fluctuate depending on weather:

• Tuesday, August 13: Paving on Spencer Place, Boniface Circle, and Harwood Court
• Wednesday, August 14: Milling on Popham Road and Chase Road
• Thursday, August 15: Paving on Popham Road and Chase Road
• Sunday, August 19: Paving in the Freightway Parking Lot
• Tuesday, August 21: Paving at Village Hal

Trustee Ken Mazer announced that Tuesday October 1 will be Senior Law Day at Westchester County Center. There will be 50 experienced attorneys who will be available to conduct one on one consultations on senior issues, elder law, social security and more.

Resolutions

The Village Board awarded a contract for pedestrian bridge repairs at Freightway Garage to Southern Industries of Tarrytown, NY.

They signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Scarsdale School District and Scarsdale Family Counseling Service to renew the contract for fiscal year 2024-25 for the Youth Services Project.

They amended the schedule of village wide fees and charges to include 2024-25 fees for site plan review per the amended Village code.

Deardre Nedal was appointed to serve on the Advisory Council on Senior Citizens until April 2026.

Treasurer's Report

Scarsdale Village Treasurer Ann Scaglione provided the following tax report:

As of July 31, 2024 99.49% of the county tax levy was collected and 99.57% of the 2023 school tax levy collected.

As of August 1, 2024, 59% of Village tax levy have been collected.