The Birds and the Bees Visit Scarsdale’s 5th Graders
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Over the past few weeks, Scarsdale’s fifth graders received a special visit from Emelie Sciarpelletti, the district’s retired health coordinator, or as my daughter said, “we are going through puberty this week.” On the agenda: age-appropriate sex education, complete with a “goodie bag.” According to the Guttmacher Institute (as of May 1, 2012), 21 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education. Interestingly, New York state has only an HIV mandate, not one for sex education.
In Scarsdale, sex education has been part of the fifth grade health education curriculum since the early 1960s, with only one or two families opting out each year, usually for religious reasons. According to Sciarpelletti, the material taught is updated continuously to incorporate new research findings from experts in the field and addresses current issues. For example, although “sexting,” specifically has not been included in the curriculum at the fifth grade level, there is discussion about the transmission of images through social media and what the children should do to protect themselves. Likewise, while gay marriage is not discussed (although it is legal in New York state), the children learn that as they get older and start expressing their sexuality, they may find themselves drawn to one gender or the other, and that this experience is normal. Above all, they should be kind, considerate and compassionate to those who are different from them.
I asked Sciarpelletti what she wanted parents to know about their children at this age regarding their sexual development. She
said children, despite all the giggles, already know considerably more than their parents might think. They are constantly bombarded with sexual imagery and information (sometimes totally incorrect) from youtube, their friends, music, books and magazines, billboards among others. Research has shown consistently that children want to hear the information from their parents, in addition to learning about it in school, and they want their parents to help them make sense of it all. So, take the time to talk with your kids even if you think that they are not interested. “The Talk” can be broken down into brief conversations and take place when appropriate. It can be as general or specific as you want, guided by your child’s interest level. And perhaps, most important, well-informed children with correct information make better-informed decision, which is what all parents want, isn’t it?
Bloomington Police Investigate Possible Link in Spierer Case
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On Thursday, Bloomington, Indiana police issued its first news release regarding the disappearance of Lauren Spierer in months. The police announced that they are investigating any possible connection between Lauren’s disappearance and a man suspected of murdering three women in New Albany, Indiana.
Convicted sex-offender William Clyde Gibson, known as Clyde Gibson, became the primary suspect in the disappearance of Stephanie Kirk, a southern Indiana woman who disappeared after going to meet a man at a bar a month ago. Kirk’s remains were found buried in Gibson’s backyard last week.
The Bloomington police issued the statement due to several media inquiries over the possible connection between the Gibson case and Lauren Spierer’s disappearance.
Edgemont resident and Indiana University student, Lauren Spierer has been missing since June 3, 2011 after a night out with friends.
According to the statement from Bloomington Police Captain Joe Qualters, “A detective from the Bloomington Police Department has been assigned to make an inquiry with investigators in New Albany regarding the Clyde Gibson case they are investigating. We view this as the responsible thing to do as part of our ongoing investigation and it is much like the inquiries we make on unidentified bodies that become known to us from other jurisdictions. We have no indication that there is any connection to Lauren's case, but we are certainly interested in anyone who comes to the attention of law enforcement for targeting women as victims. That is the sole purpose for the inquiry.”
Gibson is also charged with killing a 75-year woman in April whose body was found in his home. He has also allegedly confessed to an unsolved 
2002 murder as well.
Clyde Gibson has yet to be charged in the Kirk case as the coroner awaits the exact cause of death.
News outlets in Indiana say that investigators have been investigating Gibson’s property and his home for additional information and other possible murders.
Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.
Family Concert with Rick Recht at WRT
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Rick Recht, the top-touring musician in Jewish music, will perform an all-ages family concert on April 29, 2012 at 2:00 PM. This extraordinary, inspirational, and moving concert experience will be held at the Westchester Reform Temple, located at 255 Mamaroneck Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
Rick Recht’s high-energy, interactive family concert will appeal to all ages and feature singing, clapping and jumping from the audience. He will be performing songs from his newly released album Simply Shabbat, as well as selections from his other hit Jewish rock albums. Rick Recht performs more than 125 concerts each year from coast to coast and was recently named as a celebrity spokesperson for The PJ Library®.
This program is presented by The PJ Library @Westchester Reform Temple. For more information about this program visit www.wrtemple.org . For more about Rick Recht, visit www.rickrecht.com .
Announcing the Compton Tennis Tournament in Scarsdale
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In just a few weeks, the John Parker Compton Memorial Tennis Tournament will be held at Fox Meadow Tennis Club. Now in its 66th year, the tournament is open to all Westchester junior tennis players and is a USTA level 1 sponsored event. It is held at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, as well as the Scarsdale High School, beginning on Monday, June 4th, with the earliest matches starting at 3:30pm. Register online on the USTA website at www.usta.com/tennislink . To register, click “Enter Now” under Tournaments; type in “Compton” in the Quick Search box. The entry deadline date is Wednesday, May 30th at 9am. If you have any questions regarding the tournament, call either Dan Walczewski at 722-1160 or Dorothy Yewer at 723-3540.
Mookie Wilson and Bruce Beck Open Scarsdale Little League Spring Season
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Former Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson and NBC sportscaster Bruce Beck kicked off the spring season of the Scarsdale Little League on Saturday, April 14. The teams gathered in their designated spots on the Crossway field, the Boy Scouts raised the American flag, Beck provided words of inspiration, and baseball star Mookie Wilson, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. A notable difference in this year’s program from prior years was the selection of local sponsors to help fund maintenance costs of the playing fields and to underwrite various capital improvements. According to Scarsdale Little League President James Carnicelli, “over $10,000 was raised in this year’s sponsorship program with expectations of a growing number of sponsors in the future.” The complete list of sponsors who chose to help out can be found on the league’s website.
For the second year in a row, the league is using minor league team associations with names like the Savannah Sand Gnats, Midland Rockhounds and Bowling Green Hot Rods versus the old system (where major league team associations were used) in an effort to add a little more fun. From an informal survey of the kids at the Opening Day ceremony, the change has been a big hit!
The theme of fun was consistent in the speeches delivered Saturday morning. Bruce Beck mentioned that even though he was at the Opening Day 
game for the Yankees the previous day, the Scarsdale Little League Opening Day was a bigger event for him and his family (Beck and his sons all played Little League ball). He noted that Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter actually said that “at Opening Day at Yankee Stadium you feel like you’re in Little League”. Beck went on the say, “This is true baseball – this is pure baseball”.
SLL President Carnicelli encouraged players, coaches and parents, to “have fun,” adding, “that’s why we’re out here.” Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser got right to the point and encouraged the players “to just have fun”. Mookie Wilson closed the ceremony with the reinforcement “above anything else – always have fun”.
Scarsdale Little League is the largest youth athletic program in the Village with over 1,200 registered participants (grades K-8) in the leagues Spring, Summer and Fall programs. The common goal for the board members and parent volunteers is “the desire to promote the development of baseball skills, emotional growth through a team baseball experience and, ultimately, a love of baseball itself.”
Writer Will Heffner played 10 years of Little League, junior league and high school baseball. His brother James is starting his 5th year of Little League ball.
