School Budget and Board of Election Results
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Voters turned out in record numbers to vote in Scarsdale’s contested School Board election and budget vote on Tuesday May 18. The race between School Board Nominating Committee candidate Suzanne Seiden and Independent candidate Bob Harrison galvanized voters – with a total of 2,714 votes cast in the race …. 1773 for Suzanne Seiden and 941 for Bob Harrison, giving Seiden the seat on the Board. The $135 million school budget was passed with 1887 yes votes, to 733 no votes, as 72% of voters said yes to the budget. It is interesting to note that 94 more votes were cast in the Seiden- Harrison race than were posted in the budget vote. This may have been because voters failed to see the yes-no budget lever or because they came to vote for the candidates. Later in the day, the personnel monitoring the voting booths began alerting voters to vote for or against the budget on the top line of the voting machine.
In the 2009 election only 722 people voted and the budget passed with a 76.8% approval rate. More than three times the number of people voted this year over last, as Seiden and Harrison campaigned to win votes and encouraged participation.
Jill Spieler and Elizabeth Guggenheimer were both elected to return to the Board, each for an additional three years. Spieler got 1978 votes and Guggenheimer, 1997. Newcomer Lewis Leone Jr. was elected for a two-year term to fill the seat vacated by Board member Joel Gurin.
Rain did not deter voters and the Middle School gym was busy all day. When the polls closed at 9 pm, a group of more than 100 people gathered to await the results. In the crowd were the School Board administration, current and past members of the School Board, representatives from the PT Council and PTA's, and campaign supporters. Due to the high number of absentee ballots, 47 in all, the counting was slow and suspense built as the group waited to hear the tally. Former Trustee Dan Hochvert announced the numbers, leaving the results of the Seiden-Harrison race to the end. District Clerk Lois Rehm put in a 15 hour day at the polls, from the opening at 7 am to the 10 pm announcement of the results.
Harrison’s run was viewed as a challenge to both candidate Suzanne Seiden and the non-partisan system. Until now, those elected to the School Board Nominating Committee have sought out, vetted and nominated one slate of officers who were presented to the community for election. There had been little public debate or campaigning, as once the candidates were selected, their election was virtually guaranteed.
This year, after Harrison threw his hat into the race, a local campaign was set in motion. Seiden was backed by Friends of Slate 2010, a committee formed to defend the non-partisan system and the candidates selected by the SBNC. The group wrote letters, sent emails, made phone calls and posted signs all over town. Harrison also campaigned hard, taking out ads, meeting voters at the train station, utilizing robo-calls and even taping a half hour television interview that appeared on cable television. The two candidates spoke at a forum presented by the League of Women Voters and the flurry of activity surrounding the election spurred discussion.
Harrison, a frequent speaker at School Board meetings contended that local school taxes are too high and prevent young families from moving in and force older people to move out. Citing high teacher’s salaries and high budget reserves, Harrison argued that the School Board needed a member with financial expertise. With 28 years at Goldman Sachs and his career as a financial advisor, Harrison argued that he could help the Board to make sound decisions.
Winning an impressive 941 votes, which is 219 votes more than the total vote tally in 2009, Harrison has demonstrated that all is not well with the status quo. In speaking to his supporters, it was evident that many do want to rein in school taxes. Others were encouraged by the open campaign and felt that school board candidates should be permitted to voice their opinions to the public. Though he was not the victor, Harrison’s campaign gave a voice to the discontented and we will surely hear from this faction again.
The Edgemont School Budget also passed, with 764 yes to 222 no votes. The Edgemont budget passed by what is believed to be the largest margin in Westchester County. The Edgemont School Board Nominating Committee Slate won the four open seats. David Stern, David Chao and Tom McCormack were each elected to three-year terms and Gerry Stoughton was elected to serve the remaining two-year term vacated by Allan Pepper who resigned earlier this year. Chao, a former board president received 740 votes, McCormack was second with 710 votes, Stern received 689 votes and Stoughton received 660 votes. Independent candidate Caroline Tzelios trailed the SBNC nominees with 505 votes and failed to win a seat on the Edgemont School Board.
BOE Election Heats Up in Scarsdale
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There are many new developments in the upcoming School Board election in Scarsdale. With independent candidate Bob Harrison challenging the School Board Nominating Committee’s (SBNC) candidate Suzanne Seiden for a seat on the Board, the community is facing the first contested election in years. In response, forces are aligning to back both candidates.
A committee called “Friends of the 2010 Slate” was formed to support the non-partisan system and the candidates endorsed by the SBNC. An email from the group says,"Since the candidates who were nominated this year by the SBNC did not anticipate they would need to campaign, the new committee has taken the lead to provide this effort this year." In order to get out the vote, the committee plans to make phone calls from the Julia B. Fee office, canvass at the Scarsdale and Hartsdale train stations, distribute palm cards at shopping centers and stores and provide the elderly with rides to the polls. Postcards encouraging residents to vote for Suzanne Seiden and the other SBNC endorsed candidates in the May 18th election were received in Scarsdale homes this week.
In other news, the Journal News endorsed Bob Harrison for the seat in Scarsdale, saying, “We endorse Harrison for his extensive understanding of the details of the costs of education, and, more to the point, for his willingness to noisily discuss those details." There's nothing like a contested race to bring issues into the open.
Candidates Seiden and Harrison came face to face at a candidates’ forum sponsored by the Scarsdale League of Women Voters on Thursday evening May 6th. Since the seat is contested, the League decided to host the forum to give voters the opportunity to listen to the candidates. Seiden has been nominated by the SBNC and Harrison is running as an independent. Jill Spieler, Liz Guggenheimer and Lewis Leone Jr. have been nominated by the SBNC and are running unopposed. Erin Molloy, a former mayor of Irvington and past president of the LWV in Irvington and Westchester served as moderator.
Jill Spieler, who is running for a second three-year term on the Board and is slated to be Board President next year, discussed the non-partisan system whereby the SBNC seeks out, vets and nominates a slate of candidates for election to the School Board. According to Spieler, since 1965 the non-partisan system has “kept politics out of the process” and she feared that challenges to the system “may limit those who come forward” for consideration in the future. Liz Guggenheimer, also running for a second term, was not able to attend but Malloy read her statement. She attended Scarsdale Schools and is a lawyer who has had a career centered on public service. She currently runs a non-profit organization and is humbled to be selected. She feels that the job of a Board member is to provide a quality education while being fiscally responsible.
The forum moved onto questions for Seiden and Harrison who are vying for the only contested seat on the Board. Harrison led, telling the group he has lived in three homes in Scarsdale for over 30 years. He now has two grandchildren living here and wants to maintain tax rates that are affordable for both the young and the old. He stated that he had submitted a petition for nomination with 67 signatures.
Seiden opened by telling the group that she was proud to be chosen by the School Board Nominating Committee. She has been president of both the Quaker Ridge and Middle School PTA’s, was a co-chair of the Drug and Alcohol Task Force and has three children in 3rd, 9th and 12th grades enrolled in the Scarsdale Schools. She is a labor and employment lawyer and served as the General Counsel of the Office of Personnel Management in the Clinton Administration. After her initial statement there were loud cheers from the audience that were quickly tempered by the moderator.
Seiden told the group that as Quaker Ridge PTA President in 2004, she worked to pass the bond to make needed repairs to the school. The $14 MM tab for the construction was challenged by Harrison and a TVCC committee who thought the work could be done for less. There was heated debate in the community about the bond and there were delays as additional architects and engineers were brought in to assess. In the time it took to get the bond passed, construction costs rose, and some claim that the delay ended up costing the community dearly. It is interesting that Seiden and Harrison were both involved in the debate on the bond, on opposite sides as they are today.
Bob cited his 43 years in business and finance, including 28 years at Goldman Sachs. He offered to provide the Board with budget analysis and sound financial advice and to fill retiring member Jeff Blatt’s shoes on the Board. He discussed his work on the TVCC fiscal education committee and vowed to hold the line on all tax increases. In response to his claim that the Board needs an expert in finance, Seiden mentioned the financial crisis and last year’s bank bailouts and said that even those in finance “don’t always get it right.”
In response to a question about leadership, Seiden discussed her work to get the Board to change its policy on playground construction at the elementary schools which resulted in the Board, not the PTA’s accepting responsibility for the cost of playground construction and maintenance. Bob discussed work he did to revitalize the tennis courts and the tennis program in Scarsdale and to found the Teen Center.
The two disagreed on the School Board nomination process. Seiden said that if the non-partisan system had worked as intended, she would not be at the forum today as the election of the SBNC nominated candidates would not be contested. She told the group that she had gone through the rigorous process of being vetted by the SBNC and she was found to be the best qualified candidate to serve. Harrison felt that the community would benefit from open elections and asserted that at least 5-6 candidates should stand for the four open positions.
In closing, Seiden said that she was proud to be selected and endorsed by the SBNC, that she is a consensus builder with no preset agenda and she vowed to ensure that tax dollars were wisely spent. Harrison emphasized his financial expertise and defended his position on the 2004 Quaker Ridge Bond Issue, claiming that the $14 million dollar project could have been done for $2-$3 million.
The forum provided the community with a taste of what it would be like to have contested elections in Scarsdale.
Happy Birthday to Scarsdale
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The Scarsdale Schools celebrated 225 years of excellence in education at a reception in the SHS Commons on Tuesday evening May fourth. Guests included an illustrious list of those who have contributed to the community, including present and former members of the Board of Education, Village Trustees, administrators, school principals, department heads, teachers and the leadership of the PTA’s and PT Council.
School Superintendant Michael McGill told the group that Scarsdale has been nationally recognized for years and though these are difficult times for higher education Scarsdale offers an exemplary education to its students. He had recently met with a group of graduating seniors to assess what they valued most from their Scarsdale education and shared the results with the attendees. Here are the students top nine:
2. Athletics and the opportunity to connect with others
3. Special activities such as trips, fairs and events
4. Trust and freedom
5. Cohesion of houses in the middle school
6. Exposure to other countries
7. Buddy system at the elementary school
8. Range of opportunities
9. Classmates
Edgewood Students Make a Swimmy and Learn to Salsa
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Edgewood Elementary School students made a Swimmy out of the kids and teachers of Edgewood. They first learned about Swimmy in their first assembly in 2009 when they read the story Swimmy by Leo Lionni. They realized that they could all come together as one big fish. Now the students plan to sell the pictures and give that money to the Red Cross to use for relief efforts in Haiti.
In Spanish, the word Salsa means sauce. Using a variety of jazz and authentic Latin percussion instruments, musicians from some of America's most renowned Latin bands explored the Afro-Cuban roots of Salsa and its more contemporary variations at Edgewood Elementary School. Students were introduced to basic techniques, the role of each instrument, and the concept of the clave rhythm, the unifying element of Salsa. Two of the highlights were when students and teachers were invited to salsa dance and when instrumental teacher, Connie Leviatin, was invited to join the band!
The salsa event was sponsored by the Edgewood PTA. Photos and information courtesy of Tracy McCarthy.
A Wonderful World Celebration
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The Scarsdale School District celebrated its 225th birthday with a glorious international fair at the high school on Sunday April 25th. A rich display of the diversity of Scarsdale, the fair included representatives from 32 countries who came together to display the costumes, cuisines and customs of their native lands. The fair was the culmination of five years of work by the Interdependence Institute and the Multi-Cultural Committees of the PTA’s.
Unhampered by rainy weather, the fair opened with a parade of nations. A weaving Chinese dragon, bagpipers, and drummers lead a long line of residents adorned in colorful, traditional dress.
Assistant School Superintendant Dr. Joan Weber, who leads the Interdependence Institute greeted a full auditorium and kicked off the cultural celebration. The day was designed to allow the community to experience international cultures and to teach children what it means to live in an interdependent world. She thanked International Fair Co-Chairs Kathy Laurie and Misao Johnson as well as Assistant Principal Sue Peppers and all the volunteers for their work. Dr. McGill gave a warm welcome to the collective celebration, saying we are “all greater than anyone alone.” Quoting Louis Armstrong, McGill said “It’s a Wonderful World” and invited everyone to enjoy the performances, activities, exhibits and food at the international booths.
The SHS Wind Ensemble played the theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Co-Chairs of the 225th Celebration Committee, Florie Wachtenheim and Rita Golden took the stage to lead the singing of Happy Birthday to the Scarsdale Schools, which were founded in 1784. The Monticelli Cello Trio played followed by a series of performances including a Broom Dance from Papua New Guinea. A Tae Kwon Do demonstration from Korea, dances from France and India and much more.
The hallway and the cafeteria were lined with booths from many nations where participants could taste delicious treats, engage in activities and learn more about international cultures. At the India booth, women were adorned in bridal dress and girls could have a bindi placed on their forehead as well as have their hands painted with henna. At the China exhibit, an artist painted with a bamboo brush and students could play the Chinese Harp. Japanese neighbors installed an entire Japanese tea booth with shoji screens and tatami mats and women dressed in kimonos performed the ritual tea ceremony. At the Israel table, children made name cards with their Hebrew names. Collage artist Michael Albert was on hand and attendees could make collages of their own, using images from boxes, magazines and packaging.
At almost every booth there were delicious taste treats including Turkish delight, French crepes, TimTam cookies from Australia and Indian snacks.
Representatives from Brazil shared their recipe for Brigadeiro:
Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons of chocolate milk powder (Nestle Quick works well)
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
Chocolate sprinkles
Directions:
-Combine the first three ingredients in a pot and stir constantly over medium heat until mixture 
thickens (about 6 minutes).
-Transfer it to a plate and let it cool completely.
-Butter your hands slightly and take small amounts of the mixture with a teaspoon into the palm of your hand.
-Make little balls and roll them in chocolate sprinkles.
-Put them in small paper cups.
Makes about 40
Tip: Keep them in room temperature.
There was widespread participation from the community, both as exhibitors and as attendees. The day highlighted the diversity of Scarsdale and provided an opportunity for international families to share their heritage with neighborhood friends. It was an impressive undertaking filled with many delights. If you were not able to attend, catch some of the fair on Channel 77.
