12 Candidates Elected to Serve on SBNC, All Eight Amendments to the Resolution Pass
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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On Tuesday January 11, 2022, 425 voters elected 12 candidates to serve on the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee for 2022. They also passed eight amendments to the resolution governing the process.
The passage of these amendments will result in meaningful change in the process of selecting and nominating candidates for the Scarsdale School Board.
-For the first time in Scarsdale history, non-citizen Scarsdale residents can serve on the School Board Nominating Committee and vote in the SBNC election.
-Also for the first time, the nominating committee will ask each school board candidate “individualized and differentiated questions,” in addition to having each candidate make a prepared oral presentation.
Elected to serve are:
Edgewood – Anne McCourt Bates, Christine Weston, Meng Zhang
Fox Meadow – Claudia Green, Jennifer Zola
Greenacres – Kim Greene-Liebowitz, Allison Kahner, Eva Romas Wilson
Heathcote – Kimberly Miller Champlin, Dianna Cohen-Irom, Sarah Hopkins
Quaker Ridge – Lisa Gans
A total of 448 votes were cast in the election, 379 in person and 69 by mail-in ballot. Vote totals by neighborhood were as follows:
Edgewood – 130
Fox Meadow – 103
Greenacres – 83
Heathcote – 31
Quaker Ridge – 101
This year’s new SBNC members will join the continuing members of the committee and will each serve a three-year term on the SBNC followed by a two-year term as part of the SBNC Administrative Committee.
The eight amendments to the Resolution were passed. A total of 425 Resolution ballots were cast in the election, of which 69 were mail-in ballots. The breakdown of votes cast for each amendment is as follows:
The SBNC will have its first meeting on January 23, 2022, and by the end of March it will nominate three candidates for the Scarsdale Board of Education to fill the seats currently held by Karen Ceske, Carl Finger and Ronald Schulhof, all completing their first term and eligible for re-nomination. All Scarsdale residents are welcome to propose Board of Education candidates to the SBNC chair at sbncchair@gmail.com. The SBNC-nominated Board of Education candidates, along with any other candidates who may choose to run, will stand for public election on May 17, 2022 at the same time as the school budget vote.
For more information, contact Laura Liu, 917-816-1461, ying.liu@gmail.com
Vote in the SBNC Election on January 11 or Mail in your Ballot Today
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The 2022 School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) Election will take place on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 7–10 a.m. and 2–9 p.m. in the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium Lobby at 134 Mamaroneck Road.
For those who choose not to vote in person, mail-in ballots are available in electronic form available in electronic form here.
Hard copies of ballots can be found at Scarsdale Village Hall and the Scarsdale Public Library. Completed mail-in ballots must be sent to:
SBNC Administrative Chair
PO Box 172H
Scarsdale, NY 10583
and received in the SBNC PO Box no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. Please follow the detailed instructions on the ballot website to ensure that your ballot is filled out correctly.
Vote for Candidates in your elementary district ONLY:
Edgewood (vote for 3): Anne McCourt Bates, Frank Murtha, Christine Weston, Meng Zhang
Fox Meadow (vote for 2): Claudia Green, H. Gitonga Kiara, Jonathan Schmerin, Jennifer Zola
Greenacres (vote for 3): Kim Greene-Liebowitz, Allison Kahner, Seth Morgulas, Eva Romas Wilson
Heathcote (vote for 3): Kimberly Miller Champlin, Dianna Cohen-Irom, Sarah Hopkins
Quaker Ridge (vote for 1): Lisa Gans, Alexander Wolf
Candidate biographies can be found here.
Besides electing candidates, voters will also decide on the newly proposed amendments to the SBNC Resolution. View the amendments marked up in the original Resolution here.
Con Edison Provides Timeline on Installation of Gas Main in Greenacres
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Just how long will Con Edison be working on Walworth Avenue in Greenacres? That’s what many residents who live and travel along one of Scarsdale’s primary routes want to know. The utility has been working on just one segment of the road, from Fenimore to Greenacres Avenue since the summer. That segment, which many use to access Hartsdale and the train station, was closed on weekdays, causing detours, traffic and aggravation.
Now, the first portion has been completed, the road has been repaved and the utility will install the next portion of a 6 foot wide gas transmission line on Walworth from Greenacres Avenue to Colvin Road.
Residents are hopeful that this portion will be speedier.
Currently there is a moratorium for any new gas service in Westchester. We asked Con Edison if the presence of this new line traversing Scarsdale would change that policy for residents. The answer was “no.” According to the spokesperson, the moratorium will remain in place and no new gas service will be available to Scarsdale residents or businesses, despite the considerable inconvenience caused by the disruption of our streets. How about compensating those who are impacted with a price break on electric and gas? That does not appear to be in the offing either.
State Assemblymember Amy Paulin questioned a Con Edison spokesperson about the timeline for the remainder of the work and here is what she shared with us on December 15, 2021:
"Con Edison and our contractor Network Infrastructure will be installing two new gas lines down Walworth Ave between Greenacres Ave and Brayton Road. This is a continuation of the work completed over the past months from Fenimore Road. The purpose of these mains will be to upgrade and sustain the reliability of our gas service in both Scarsdale and Westchester County. Work on both new installations will take place simultaneously and is planned to be completed by March 31st, 2022. This will also include final site restoration as seen on our first phase of the project between Fenimore Road and Greenacres Avenue.
While we work, we’ll need to store supplies and equipment along the road in some areas. We also may need to excavate on resident sidewalks, driveways or lawn areas. If a customer’s property is affected, we will restore it. During the work, we may need to interrupt gas service temporarily to transfer household services to our new main . We will notify customers in advance if their service will be affected. We will need access our customers’ homes to restore gas service, and we will work with all residents to accommodate their schedule and minimize any interruptions. No interruptions will take place without customer consent and knowledge.
Temporary road closures will also be expected during working hours Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm. We will work closely with all residents in our work zone and ensure residents have complete access in and out of the work site throughout the day. Detours will also be set around our work zone.
We recognize that this important work may cause inconveniences to our customers and the community. We are committed to working closely with our customers to minimize any such inconveniences, and thank them for their patience."
Last Minute Gifts You Can Purchase Online
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- Written by Midori Im
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With unprecedented supply chain challenges this year, many gift givers are finding themselves forced to be creative, especially with less than a week before Christmas. If you find yourself in the same category, take the quiz below to find a perfect present that can be purchased online in a matter of minutes.
Is your giftee someone…
Who can carry a tune?
Music lessons for your future rock star, virtually or in person (https://therockacademy1.com/)
For the younger set there’s mommy (or daddy/grandparent) and me classes (https://www.slsbmusic.com/)
Who owns an oven?
Order a baking kit, either to make a sweet treat for your giftee or their pooch (timetobakeathome@gmail.com)
In need of relaxation?
Yoga on the go with the Down Dog app (https://www.downdogapp.com/).
Who needs sleep?
A subscription to the Headspace app for help with sounder sleep as well as guided meditation and mindfulness (www.headspace.com)
Ready to turn over a greener leaf?
A food scrap recycling kit from Scarsdale’s sanitation department (https://www.scarsdale.com/495/Food-Scrap-Recycling)
A gift certificate for sustainable paperware & cutlery for the next big event, with on-site monitoring as an option.(SustainableCelebrationsNY@gmail.com).
Who has something to shout about?
Balloon yard art is so 2021! Skip the mylar and go for a custom yarn bombing (Sarah Divi Art @sarahdiviart).
A midnight snacker?
Fresh, local, hand scooped ice cream (pints or cake) delivered to your door. Subscriptions available! Penny Lick Ice Cream Co. (https://www.pennylickicecream.com/)
Who is part polar bear?
Snowshoe rentals delivered to your door from Moosejaw (https://www.moosejaw.com/content/)
Who loves being puzzled?
Subscription to the New York Times Games (https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/games)
A lifelong learner?
Masterclass is at the top of the online heap, with preeminent teachers joining periodically (masterclass.com).
DIYers will revel in the variety of online classes all accessible with one annual Craftsy membership (craftsy.com).
Bakers can take virtual classes from the famed King Arthur Baking Company (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/).
Or go local, with a great breadth of courses right in your backyard offered by the Scarsdale Adult School (https://scarsdale.augusoft.net/index.cfm).
Letter to the Editor: Opt Out of Marijuana Sales in Scarsdale
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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(This is a letter to the editor from Tracy Tang of Harvest Drive)
Good afternoon. My name is Tracy Tang. I’m a resident of Scarsdale.
As you know, our village is going to vote in mid-December on whether to opt out/in of permitting a marijuana dispensary and a marijuana store in Scarsdale.
I have two boys, one in 9th and the other in 7th grade. My older boy spends most of the time hanging around in the high school and the village with his friends. As a mother, I am concerned about the potential impact on teenagers’ attitudes towards and perceptions of marijuana.
A recent survey from high school students showed that most students perceived marijuana as less harmful than tobacco and alcohol. In my view, allowing a marijuana store or lounge in our village really reinforces the acceptance of marijuana as a recreational substance for youth. The Scarsdale Drug and Alcohol Task Force cites the critical correlation between early use of marijuana with later chronic adult use, as well as the drug's negative impact on brain development.
The last hearing for whether to opt out of allowing a marijuana store or lounge was on November 23. A large number of residents showed up to voice their demand for Scarsdale to opt out, including the President, Karen Ceske, and Executive Director, Jay Genova, of the Scarsdale& Edgemont Family Council.
I and two other moms, Nanthini Sriskanthan and Xiaobing Zhang, started this petition to ask our trustees to opt out of allowing a marijuana store or lounge in our village. So far, the petition has been signed by more than 570 residents. The overwhelming message is “Let Scarsdale be Scarsdale: a place focused on families, children, education and community.”
If you agree with this message, please sign this petition on and before December 10th, the deadline for written comments, before the Village Trustees’ meeting to vote on this matter.
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Tracy Tang
56 Harvest Drive
