Who Deserves the Scarsdale Bowl?
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The 2016 Scarsdale Bowl Committee will begin its work in early December to select the 2016 recipient of the Scarsdale Bowl and is seeking recommendations from the community for a possible honoree. The Scarsdale Bowl, under the sponsorship of the Scarsdale Foundation, has been awarded annually since 1943 to an individual, or in rare instances, to a husband and wife, who has given "unselfishly of his/her time, energy and effort to the civic welfare of the community." The founding donors of the Bowl believed that "many who serve generously and voluntarily, without office, honor or publicity, are those deserving of having their names permanently inscribed on the Scarsdale Bowl."
Michelle Lichtenberg is serving as chair of this year's Scarsdale Bowl Committee. The members of the committee serve staggered two-year terms. The newly appointed Class of 2017 includes Beth Ehrich Berkley, Jonathan Bradlow, Fran Galloway, Gary Katz, Janet Korins, Eli Mattiolli, and Jyoti Ruta. The continuing Class of 2016 includes Felicia Block, Kay Eisenman, Susan Hochvert, Anne Lyons, Michael Pollack, and Jay Musoff. Jane Veron, Scarsdale Foundation trustee, will serve on the committee as the liaison, and Robert Jeremiah is serving as secretary/treasurer. Evelyn Stock, president of the Scarsdale Foundation, is an ex-officio, non-voting member.
The Scarsdale Bowl will be awarded at a dinner on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, at The Fountainhead in New Rochelle. The ceremony will pay tribute to the 2016 honoree and to the spirit of volunteerism, central to the civic life of the Scarsdale community.
The Bowl Committee enthusiastically welcomes community input. It will hold its first meeting December 6, 2015, and requests that residents contact any member of the committee with suggestions of potential recipients. Recommendations are requested by November 10, 2015, although suggestions will be accepted at any time prior to the Committee's December meeting. Suggestions should be emailed to the Committee at: scarbowl@gmail.com. Questions may be directed to the Scarsdale Bowl Committee Chair, Michelle Lichtenberg, at (914) 725.6545.
Additional information about the Scarsdale Foundation and the Scarsdale Bowl can be found at www.scarsdalefoundation.org.
Mayor Jon Mark Welcomes Home the SHS Class of 1965
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This weekend, Scarsdale Mayor Jon Mark welcomed back 190 of his classmates from the SHS Class of 1965. Here is a letter he wrote to the class on the occasion of the reunion:
To the SHS Class of 1965: Welcome back. I am very much looking forward to seeing all of you this evening. My past 50 years have been filled with a variety of ups and downs probably not unlike what many of you have experienced. Of immediate note is the present "up" in which I find myself serving as Mayor of Scarsdale. To answer a question I am often asked, "no, this is not a position I ever aspired to or dreamed of holding." But here I am -- and I am glad to be serving the town I grew up in.
There is a room in Village Hall – the Trustees room – where the Board of Trustees, which I Chair as Mayor, meets twice a month. On the walls are photographic portraits of former Mayors. Among them are Jean Stone – the first woman Mayor and Greg Marx's aunt, George Szabad, Ellen Szabad's father, and Seymor (Chuck) Sims, Barbara Sims' father. There may be others who are relatives of some of our classmates but these are the names I recognize. I am humbled to be in such good company. (Mark later learned that Mayor Warren Cunningham was the great grandfather of his classmate Bob Shay and Mayor Malcom Pirnie was the grandfather of classmate Pam Pirnie.)
The Village has changed in a variety of ways since we grew up here. It is more built up, housing prices and real property taxes are high and the kids' sports leagues seem more competitive than recreational. However, in important ways the Village is the same as it was in 1965. Education and the schools remain the predominant reason families move here – and are most of the reason for the high real property taxes. The desire for beautiful park-like surroundings in which to raise a family is still an attraction to those who come here from, and commute to, New York City.
Serving as Mayor provides an opportunity
to see first-hand the balancing act required to keep the Village running and delivering the municipal services residents expect. Due to the non-partisan nature of our government, the Board is in the fortunate position of being able to exercise its best judgment on the matters that come before it without being beholden to special interest groups or campaign contributors. It is a unique position in which to serve. I believe it serves the Village well as it frees decision-making on municipal issues (road repaving, sewer maintenance, staffing of police, fire and public works departments and land use issues) from political pressures. We are also fortunate to have a very able and devoted professional staff who assure the Village operates smoothly day in and day out.
When we graduated from the High School in 1965, I was not thinking of coming back. My wife, BK, and I returned in January 1992 and I am glad we did. I look forward to seeing all of you coming to reunion today and tomorrow and hearing your stories as well.
Sincerely,
Jon Mark, Mayor
Village to Test LED Street Lights
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This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Vic Goldberg, Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on LED Streetlights: On April 28, 2015, the Board of Trustees established an Ad Hoc Committee to research Light Emitting Diode (LED) street lights in order to improve lighting, reduce Village costs for electricity and maintenance, and conserve energy. To that end, the Committee was asked to develop a pilot program and make a recommendation on how best to move forward. As chair of the Committee, I am providing this update on the project, and request your assistance in obtaining community feedback as the Pilot Programs proceed.
Since April, our Committee has conducted extensive research on LED street lighting, met with vendors, and examined LED streetlights installed in neighboring communities. Based on the above and given Scarsdale's largely residential setting, we believe it is important to test a variety of lights including some with warmer, less bright colors than have been installed elsewhere. We plan to launch a two-stage pilot program on select Scarsdale streets.
Stage One Mini-Pilot - Planned for September-October, 2015 Twenty five LED streetlights of varying light colors and brightness will be installed on sections of Heathcote Road, Fox Meadow Road and Madison Road. Signage will be affixed to each of the LED poles identifying the pole number and a website for residents to provide feedback and/or ask questions. Residents will also have a more extensive opportunity to provide feedback during the Full Pilot period.
Stage Two Full Pilot - Planned to begin late November or early December Based on what we learn from the Mini-Pilot, the Full Pilot of 100 plus LED streetlights will run for about three months. Although there will not be a Full Pilot LED pole location in every neighborhood association area, locations will be dispersed throughout the Village and will represent the full array of types of streets. Again, signage will be affixed to each of the 100 plus LED streetlight poles, identifying pole number and website address for feedback or questions. A map of all locations will also be available for those who want to drive around and view them.
When specific LED streetlight pole locations are designated for the Full Pilot, we will update you. This same information will also be communicated to the public via the Scarsdale Inquirer and Scarsdale10583.com, and will be posted on the electronic boards in the Scarsdale Library and Village Hall. Community feedback will be an integral part of our initial recommendation to the Village Board planned for January or February 2016.
Many thanks for your cooperation. Please don't hesitate to contact me and the Committee at LED@scarsdale.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Vic Goldberg, Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on LED Streetlights
Recycle Your Old Clothing at the Village Recycling Center
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Did you know that the average US citizen discards 70 pounds of textiles per year? In effort to reduce textiles in our waste stream, the Village of Scarsdale has established a textile recycling program at the Village Recycling Center,110 Secor Road. Residents are able to deposit their textiles Monday through Saturday, 8AM to 3PM, in the bin provided, as pictured below.
Acceptable textiles include: all clothing, shoes, blankets, towels, bed sheets, hats, gloves, scarves etc. Please place all acceptable items in tied bags before placing them in the bin. This will help insure the clothing stays clean and can be properly recycled and reused.
Unacceptable items include: non-textiles, wet/oil soaked textiles, rugs and carpeting, pillows, mattresses, and furniture. For a list of where to donate such items, please click here; and go to "Donate Reusable Items to Local Charities."
If something is donated by accident, please contact County Recycling, LLC at 1-800-261-7099.
Further questions regarding the textile recycling bin should be directed to Scarsdale Village Hall at (914)-722-1110.
New Playground and Fields at Hyatt Park, Road Repairs and More from the Village Board
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Roadwork, park improvements, sewage treatment and portable lights for football were all on the agenda at a busy meeting on the Scarsdale Board of Trustees on Tuesday September 8th.
Mayor Jon Mark offered an update on a continuing dispute regarding excess amounts of untreated sewage flowing from eleven lower Westchester municipalities into the County Sewer District system that in turn empties into Long Island Sound. Westchester County is subject a consent order with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to remediate the situation; and rather than using the County sewer district tax to pay for a study of the district system and potential remedial work, the County is taking the position that 11 municipalities, including Scarsdale, use their tax revenues to fund the work.
If the municipalities fail to meet certain deadlines for completing a study of their sewer systems, the County has threatened to assess them for violations of the Westchester County Sewer Act. Fines under that Act range from $25,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $200,000 per day for failure to comply. The Village Manager met with County officials on August 13 to discuss these issues and County officials made no noticeable change in their position. Scarsdale received a letter from the County on 8/28 in which some of the deadlines for completing the study were extended, but the County's demands remain unchanged. The County is seeking to pass the cost off to the municipalities so that the County budget will not exceed the real property tax "cap" which this year is expected to be less than 1%. No matter how the funds for the study and remedial work are collected, ultimately residents of the municipalities involved will bear the cost. Mayor Mark and Village Manager Steve Pappalardo have reached out to County Legislator Ben Boykin to assist in advancing the Village's position on this matter with the County.
In addition to these pressures, a non-profit group called "Save the Sound" has sued the County, and indicated its intention to sue the eleven municipalities over these matters.
Later in the meeting, the Village Board passed a resolution to spend $677,840 to clean, televise, repair, line and seal the Quaker Ridge sewer line that was originally constructed in 1933. The line serves 757 Village parcels and $169,460 of the fee is eligible for funding from a grant from New York State.
Roadways:
Mayor Mark announced that $1.5 million in funds will be spent to repair five to six miles of Village roads in the 2015-16 fiscal year. The work will begin now and be done in two phases, with a portion completed in the fall, and more work done in the Spring of 2015.
Even better, the Crane Road exit to Scarsdale Village from the Bronx River Parkway has now opened! Take a drive on the new two lane bridge, or better yet, bike it on Bicycle Sunday this weekend.
Parks:
Jason Marra from the Scarsdale Parks and Recreation Department reviewed plans for a new playground, new basketball court and playing fields at Hyatt Park. The park has been redesigned with input from local residents and help from the Village Engineer. A new playground, including ropers, climbing and spinning equipment, is on order along with fitness equipment for adults who can use an outdoor stationary bike, plus elliptical and running machines.
Residents asked the Village to begin work in the fall so that they would have use of the park during the summer months. The new equipment is expected to arrive in October, with installation complete in November.
The Scarsdale Little League has pledged $15,000 to build restrooms at the park, which has two baseball diamonds. The Rec Department is working with the Little League and Village Engineers on the design of the new facilities.
Lights at Supply Field:
The Board approved a gift of four portable lights at Supply Field for the Youth Football Program. Currently, 275 children in grades 3-8 participate in the youth football and flag football programs.
Library:
The Board accepted an anonymous gift of $2,500 to the Scarsdale Library for general operations.
Public Hearings:
Gravel Surfaces:
The Board agreed to hold a hearing on proposed revised Village Code concerning gravel surfaces on September 21. Under the new code, gravel sufaces would be considered impervious – like asphalt. Applications for projects that use gravel surfaces (as pervious surfaces) to exceed lot coverage requirements will not be granted approval by the appropriate Village boards.
Nail Salon at Christie Place:
The Board approved a hearing on September 21, 2015 for an application from the owners of Christie Place for a special use permit to open Flora Nail Salon in one of the storefronts at Christie Place.
The Board agreed to provide $87,500 in funding to the Scarsdale Teen Center for the fiscal year 2015-16.
Car Show:
The 12th Annual Scarsdale Concours Car Show will be held on Sunday October 4 in Scarsdale Village. To accommodate the car show, the Village will temporarily close Spencer Place, Harwood Court, Boniface Circle and Chase Road.
