Let the Sunshine In On Scarsdale's Nominating Process
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Here is a letter from Robert Selvaggio, a longtime Scarsdale resident and a write-in candidate for Scarsdale Village Trustee in the March, 2011 election. Selvaggio is commenting on the Scarsdale Forum Non-Partisan Procedure Committee’s report released on June 16, 2011.
I see two significant problems with the Forum's evaluation of the "non-partisan process": the first is that many of the signatories to the report are themselves or have been vested in that process as key players and therefore cannot be expected to provide an unbiased critique; and the second is the report's insistence on a confidentiality that can only breed suspicion and distrust at its best, and provide cover for fraud at its worst.
A Scarsdale Forum critique of the "nonpartisan process" is no different than a chef's evaluation of the cooking he has performed for decades -- both can argue that had they not liked the taste of their cooking they would have changed it long ago. It is enough to point out that among the signatories are individuals who are personally involved in situations that the "nepotism" part of the report addresses directly and who were personally involved in the decision not to drop the candidate among the three with the lowest vote total on the first ballot. I am not arguing that there is anything improper about these and this point needn't be belabored -- these are all citizen volunteers with good intentions -- it's just that if our citizens want a true audit of the "non-partisan process" we need to commission outsiders, not insiders to the process, to conduct that audit.
Where I believe the report truly has it wrong is in its insistence on confidentiality through the nominating process. There is little doubt that the cleansing power of sunlight would allay many of the concerns of dissatisfied voters (so many of whom see voting as an exercise in futility and a waste of time and gasoline) and might also encourage a wider swath of our talented and busy Scarsdale residents to run for office and serve the community.
While certainly most citizen volunteers of the Scarsdale Forum and the CNC (indeed a number of Scarsdale Forum committee members are also or have been CNC nominators) choose to serve out of a true desire to give to their community, some (as in any large group) will have narrow, self-interested goals in mind and will act with single-minded passion to advance their own private agendas. Enforcing confidentiality as recommended by the report simply gives these individuals a screen behind which they can hide their misbehaviors, and frustrates and discourages the honest, generous CNC volunteers who must tolerate these miscreants until their own terms of service are mercifully over. Ultimately CNC members might view themselves as consorting to the untoward behavior they witness if they are forced to honor a code of silence under the threat of disciplinary action for their whistleblowing.
Who was it in the eleventh hour of balloting that leveled scurrilous accusations against one of the mayoral candidates? Was any attempt made to allow that candidate to respond to the charges? Which candidate received the lowest number of votes on the first ballot, and why was the tradition of eliminating the low-vote candidate ended that night? We'd all like to believe that the victim of the scurrilous charges was the one given a second chance, but only a handful of citizens know for sure. Were all candidates truly evaluated fairly or did horse trading occur to balance the self-serving concerns of various special interests? What was the relationship if any between the Village Hall "poll watchers" engaged in what some regarded as intimidating behavior on Election Day and the CNC? Is there actual evidence that allowing husband/wife teams on the CNC leads to bad outcomes? Voters want answers, but the report and subsequent defenses of it seem much more concerned about circling the wagons and asserting that all is just fine than in establishing, maintaining and projecting the integrity of "the process".
Wouldn't it would be best for our community if someone at that meeting last winter who is not yet heavily vested in the system were to give an honest public accounting of the CNC selection process on that night so shrouded in mystery? Why not televise future CNC nomination proceedings or second best, at least allow members of the local media access to the deliberations? The arguments made for secrecy are not compelling -- candidates for nomination fully expect that their CVs will be scrutinized, references contacted, and their relative merits and suitability for office debated. And who questions the public's right to know the qualifications and backgrounds of those who would be put in a position of public trust? Candidates also want to know that the debate about their candidacy is a fair one and only openness can provide that guarantee. Individuals who are willing to go through the nominating process deserve no less than the assurance of fairness that full public disclosure will guarantee.
Scarsdale citizens want more openness about the nominating process, not less. While punishing whistleblowers achieves no good end in politics (Merriam-Webster: "the art or science of government"), cleansing sunshine energizes the honest citizens already serving, encourages others to serve, and engenders confidence in our elected servants and in the political process.
Goodbye, Mr. Klemme
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- Written by Adrienne Fishman
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John Klemme, the principal of Scarsdale High School, will retire this week after 12 years of service to the school. Mr. Klemme was the principal of SHS throughout my four years of high school. In a school of this size, many students only knew Klemme if they were called into the Principal's office, but I had the privilege of getting to know the man who ran the show. As a result of my participation in student government, I had the opportunity to spend time with Mr. Klemme. He always encouraged me to put forth initiatives, supported me when I asked for help and inspired me to make the most of my four years at SHS.
Overwhelmed with obligations and homework assignments, I rarely appreciated how fortunate I was to be getting a Scarsdale education. Mr. Klemme helped me to put things into perspective and to value the excellent teaching that would allow me to thrive later on. Now in college, I see how his words rang true. As an advocate of the move from the AP program to AT courses, Klemme enabled students to stop memorizing and to begin to think analytically. His initiatives and advice have made me into a more creative thinker and have made it possible for other Scarsdale students to distinguish themselves in college. I know I am just one of many in the community who has been impacted by Mr. Klemme and will be sad to see him go.
Before he moves on, I asked him a few questions about his years in Scarsdale and future plans and here is what he said:
What will you miss at Scarsdale High School?
I suppose I will most miss the superior environment for learning at SHS. I often tell teachers new to the building that Scarsdale High School is the kind of place where all the variables in education come together in the right way: motivated students, supportive parents, an excellent faculty, and the resources that make it all work so well. It's in that synergy that Scarsdale is especially distinctive.
What were some of the highlights of your term here?
Many highlights: moments of crisis where I believe I provided the leadership required: Columbine, 9/11, Homecoming 2002. But also moments of transformation: heightened emphasis on reducing stress among students, the movement from AP to AT in the interest of promoting deeper and richer learning, and the hiring of over 90 new faculty members during my tenure which sets the stage for another generation of excellence. No public school, to my knowledge, has yet followed in our AT footsteps although many seem genuinely interested. We've affiliated with the Independent Curriculum Group, a consortium of mostly private schools that do not offer AP, and we sponsored a conference in late April on critical and creative thinking that was well attended by New York area schools.
What are your plans?
I will be returning to the English classroom at The Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, a new private school opening its doors in September with 75 students. I'm thrilled to be going "back to my roots" because the transaction between teacher and students is something most administrators say they miss the most.
What are some of the books on your list for your class next year?
The other English teacher and I have prepared a summer reading list which is a blend of contemporary and classic works, fiction and nonfiction. Among the titles: Lewis Thomas' Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native, and a wonderful new work--The Housekeeper and the Professor, which is the story of a math professor with a memory that lasts only 80 minutes and his relationship with a young boy.
What is your advice to the Class of 2011?
My advice to the class of 2011 is the same as always: recognize how well Scarsdale High School has prepared you for the future, and remember your responsibility to others outside the world you've lived in here in Scarsdale. There's a special meaning for me this year, though: I'm "graduating" with the class this year as well and know that leaving is a difficult process but one that's also full of opportunity.
Will Tax Caps Impact Infrastructure Improvements?
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The proposed property tax cap put forth by the Governor and State Legislative has caused me to reflect on one unintended consequences of their proposal: our infrastructure.
Local governments, faced with the tax cap, may become penny wise and pound foolish--and put off necessary infrastructure needs. Many of our state, county and local roads currently are in bad shape--with many potholes. The tax cap will result in governments spending less on road repaving. Will some of the necessary repairs on our bridges be delayed? Will governments put off maintenance of municipal owned buildings, swimming pools, playgrounds? Will there be short- term savings and long term liability?
Perhaps, the NYS Legislature should exempt infrastructure improvements made by local, school and county governments from the tax cap if the capital improvements were first placed on the ballot for voters to scrutinize and vote on.
Paul Feiner
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
(914) 993-1545 or (914) 438-1343
Police Release Photos from Spierer Case
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This just in from the Bloomington, Indiana Police Department: On Wednesday June 15, the Bloomington Police Department released a much-discussed photo of Lauren Spierer that was captured by a surveillance video at the Smallwood apartment complex on the night of her disappearance. Yesterday, police provided updated details on the clothing she was wearing that were obtained through additional video analysis and interviews with friends. The photo shows her wearing a white v-neck shirt and black leggings, possibly with a silver zipper at the ankles.
Police also released two photos of a vehicle that came to the attention of 
investigators reviewing surveillance video. The vehicle is seen twice in video travelling west on W. 10th Street approaching N. Morton Street and one time travelling north on N. Morton Street. The vehicle is first captured at 4:14 a.m. and then again at 4:24 a.m. travelling west on W. 10th Street. That location is within a one block area of Lauren’s last known location of 11th and College Avenue at approximately 4:30 a.m. based on statements received by investigators.
The vehicle is described as a white 4-door Chevrolet Silverado full-size truck or a Chevrolet Colorado mid-size truck, mid-2000 year model with a short bed with a bed liner and possible equipment in the back. The vehicle has distinctive wheels, company writing or a logo on the side doors and may have writing on the rear quarter panel near the tailgate.
Anyone with information about this vehicle or the owner is urged to contact the Bloomington Police Department at 812-339-4477 or by e-mail at policetips@bloomington.in.gov
Junior Olympics: A Victory for Scarsdale's Class of 2012
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“While it might be cloudy outside, it’s sunny for the juniors,” assistant principal Fred Goldberg exclaimed over the loudspeaker at 11:46 today. He was right—it was hot, humid, and muggy. But we didn’t care. We honked our horns, chanted, blasted music, and painted our faces for the next 45 minutes until the events started. Without even realizing it, all the stress melted away. No talk about SATs or college or an upcoming test. We were just reminiscing about old teachers and friends who moved away.
I am a junior and a Heathcote grad, and I can say that Junior Olympics will probably the best day of my high school experience. Because I’ve always been disappointed we don’t have more school spirit, I was so happy to see the juniors donning face paint, bandanas and colored accessories. Junior Olympics was the biggest show of spirit I have ever seen from our school, and I only hope we can keep that momentum up as a class. Perhaps today’s demonstration of enthusiasm continues and becomes part of our legacy as a class. For the afternoon, we forgot that we were stressed out juniors under pressure; we were just some crazily dressed up kids running around the fields without a worry. After they announced the winner, the chants of 2012, ironically reminiscent of a gridlock, showed the pride our grade took in our performance.Up front, Heathcote came in last place, so it’s not a victory that made today’s events so memorable. But in my opinion, it doesn’t really matter who won (though for all curious, it was Greenacres.) Our entire grade should call this day a win because we beat the odds. It seemed that everyone was expecting us to mess it up; even we predicted that the event would last only a half hour before we did something wrong. But from 12:30 when the games started until 3:00 when the winners were announced, we allowed ourselves to be immersed in something totally different from our normal Tuesday afternoon. We didn’t want to screw it up—not for ourselves, and not for the grades to come. So while I thank the administration for allowing our grade the opportunity and privilege of having Junior Olympics, I am just as appreciative and proud of today’s participants; we showed that we could step up to the challenge when the stakes were high and most were expecting us to fail, but hoping we didn’t.
When the bell sounded for dismissal, our Cinderella fairytale was over and we turned back into juniors with research papers, but the air was different. It was still hot and humid, but we had a renewed sense of grade pride and unity. While today we were physically competing, and often the classroom feels like a competition as well, we’re in this together. Having had this day of fun, we walked with an extra spring in our step, and kept our face paint on just a little bit longer, because we didn’t want it to end.
Picture above from left to right: SHS Juniors Jackie Sharlach, Melissa Tucker and Lauren Alin (a Quaker Ridge School captain).
