New Staff Members Join Scarsdale Elementary and Middle Schools
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September brings many new faces to the Scarsdale School community. The District recently announced that 90 more students than estimated started school this fall – and to accommodate the student population the school welcomed some new staff members. Below is information on the new additions to the staff at the Elementary and Middle Schools: Erik Holvig has come to Heathcote as an elementary computer teacher. He previously taught at Henderson High School in Pennsylvania where he was an Instructional Teacher Coordinator and Video Production Teacher. He holds a BA in Elementary Education from Bethel University and MS from Full Sail University in Educational Media and Design Technology and is a training specialist with Apple. Erik signifies a changing of the guard - as his father
John Calvert is an elementary computer teacher at Quaker Ridge School. He holds a BS in psychology from Mercy College and a MS in Educational Technology from Pace. In a comment for Scarsdale10583 Calvert said, “Before coming to Scarsdale I was the K-12 Technology facilitator for the Clarkstown Central School District. I am a Google Certified Teacher and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at Pace University. I am delighted to be joining the wonderful Quaker Ridge community. I am looking forward to getting to know the students and helping them develop a love of learning through technology. I continue to be impressed by the professionalism and ability of my new colleagues. It is clear that this is a special place.”
Megan Matthews has joined Quaker Ridge as a kindergarten special education teacher. Her credentials include a BS in Economics and an MA in Management from Quinnipiac University and a MA in Childhood Education from the College of New Rochelle. Megan comes to Scarsdale from New York City where she has been a special education teacher. She has a passion for lacrosse and is being inducted into the Hall of Fame at Quinnipiac College.
At the Middle School, Robert Daly will teach social studies in CHOICE. He previously taught at
William Maldarelli will continue teaching Public Speaking at the middle school in Alex Campbell's absence. William received a BA in Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University and a MA in Social Studies from Manhattanville College. He was a teacher aide in the special education classes prior to this assignment. Little known fact - he was a deli man in pursuit of a job before he landed in Scarsdale.
Janet Phoon joins the Middle School staff as the school nurse. She has been a substitute nurse for the Scarsdale Schools. She holds an MS in Nursing from the University of San Francisco, a BS in Nursing from Columbia University and a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona.
Where to Go for the High Holidays and a Holiday Recipe
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The Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are upon us. The Jewish New Year begins at sundown on Sunday September 16th. Though many already have their high holiday tickets in hand, for those who do not belong to a synagogue there are services at local synagogues that are open to the public. Whether you have recently moved to town and are looking for the right house of worship to join or have let your membership lapse, these temples open their doors to all for the following services.
And for those who are planning meals for hungry worshippers, I have taken this opportunity to share my mother’s brisket recipe below. If you have a family recipe to share, please email it to [email protected]
Here’s where to worship:
Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, a Reconstructionist congregation at 295 Soundview Avenue in White Plains, 
warmly welcomes guests to its High Holy Day services, which are held in an enormous tent on their back lawn. There are no tickets and no assigned seating, but guests are asked to register in advance. (A suggested contribution is encouraged - see registration form.) Check the synagogue website for the schedule and to download the registration form :
Congregation Kol Ami at 252 Soundview Avenue in White Plains welcomes member of the community to attend the following ticketless services.
Rosh Hashanah Day; Family Service - appropriate for families with children under the age of 6 3:15-4:00. Family Reception following services
Community Tashlich 5:45 near the Cushman Road entrance of the property
Second Day Rosh Hashanah Service - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm followed by a community reception- appropriate for all ages
Yom Kippur Day; Family Service 3:15 - 4:00 pm- appropriate for families with children under the age of 6
Afternoon Service in Chapel 2:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Memorial and Neilah Service 5:00 - 7:00 pm
carsdale Synagogue is a modern Reform Jewish congregation—a diverse family of families. Founded in 1961, they take a vibrant, contemporary approach to their heritage and faith. Their programs seek to welcome and inspire families and people of all ages, including single-parent, interfaith, couples, LGBT and singles.
They welcome the wider community to worship on the High Holy Days and invite non-members to attend the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement services listed below. Please register in advance by calling 725-5175, emailing Executive Director at [email protected], or visiting www.sstte.org and clicking on "Register for Free High Holy Day Services."
Rosh Hashanah:
Evening Service Sunday, September 16th, 8:00 p.m.
Afternoon Family Service Monday, September 17th, 2:00 p.m.
Second Day Service; Tuesday, September 18th, 10:00 a.m.
Yom Kippur: Wednesday, September 26th
Adult Discussion: 1:00 pm
Family Service: 1:30 pm
Afternoon Service: 3:00 pm
Yizkor (Memorial) Service 4:45 pm
Neilah (Concluding) Service 5:30 pm
Join with the Westchester Reform Temple at 255 Mamaroneck Road in Scarsdale for the High Holidays. 
Several services do not require entrance cards and are open to the community including the Children’s Services on Rosh Hashanah (September 17 at 3:00 pm) and Yom Kippur (September 26 at 2:15 pm), the Second Day Rosh Hashanah Services (September 18 at 10:00 am), and the Alternative Yizkor Service (September 26 at 2:15 pm). Photo ID required for adults for all services. Details may be found at www.wrtemple.org .
First Day Rosh Hashanah • Monday, September 17, 2012
3:00 PM: Children’s Afternoon Service: Children under 5 and their families.
Second Day Rosh Hashanah • Tuesday, September 18, 2012
10:00 AM: Morning service and study.
Yom Kippur • Wednesday, September 26, 2012
11:30 AM: Adult Study Group in CJL.
1:00 PM: Musical Meditation: Join us on Yom Kippur afternoon from 1-2pm for an hour of musical mediation. During this time, talented musicians from the congregation will offer classical pieces on a variety of instruments. Through the spiritual practice of listening, we can reflect on this holiest day of the year and turn our attention to renewing ourselves for the New Year.
2:15 PM: Alternate Yizkor service in Beit Midrash: Open to members with entrance cards and non-members with entrance cards ordered in advance. 2:15 PM: Children’s Afternoon Service: Children under 5 and their families. Open to all; no entrance cards needed.
And after you pray, it time to eat. Here is our family’s traditional fare --Adele’s Brisket – to be made the day before!
Ingredients:
- 1 brisket 2-3 pounds
- A few tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 packets George Washington Seasoning and Broth
- 1 package frozen chopped onions
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of red wine
- Pepper
- Paprika
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pot on the top of the stove over medium heat.
Add brisket to pot and sear approximately five minutes on each side.
Add onions to pot, lower heat, cover and steam for 20 minutes.
-Transfer brisket and contents of pot to a large baking pyrex or ceramic baking dish (approximately 9 x 13)
-Sprinkle with two packets of George Washington Seasoning Broth, pepper and paprika. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup red wine.
-Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours until meat is tender.
-Remove from the oven and cool.
-Take the brisket out of the pan and cover it and refrigerate.
-Pour the liquid into large plastic containers and refrigerate overnight.
The following day,
-Skim fat off the liquid and discard.
-Slice meat into thin slices, return it to the baking dish and pour gravy on top.
-Cover with foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Shana Tovah!
Sprainbrook Nursery to Close
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After 68 years, Sprainbrook Nursery on Underhill Road in Scarsdale will close. Owner Al Krautter announced his decision this week citing a host of factors that contributed to the nursery’s economic woes. He called the move “gut-wrenching” but said that old-fashioned garden centers have become “obsolete,” and that he is faced with competition from a wide variety of retailers. Though he loves his passionate and loyal customers, there “are just not enough of them.”
Krautter grew up at Sprainbrook and attended Cornell University where he got a degree in horticulture. He worked in the family business with his wife and parents and “enjoyed his mother’s daily company until she died at age 95.” Krautter’s own children helped out at the nursery as well, and attended the Edgemont School District.
He said “Sprainbrook has been my life” and told his customers that he did not give up on it easily, pouring all of his resources back in the business in the hope of saving it. However, he said, “due to the economic recession our sales have dropped and our costs continue to rise. With health insurance, rising fuel prices, a huge jump in water bills and a very high property tax for the area we are battling huge costs before we ever open the doors.”
We asked Al if a strong fall season could change his mind and what would become of the property if does need to close. Here is what he shared with Scarsdale10583:
We are out of money and cannot continue. I would love to sell it as a nursery but nurseries in particular are all having a difficult time. Part is due to the economy but also because of changing buying patterns. We do need to sell so it will probably go for real estate. We are not sure what our options all are as of yet as we are at the beginning of this process.
The 3.79 acre property in Edgemont will soon be for sale. Stay posted.
Sign Up for Fall Classes at the Scarsdale Adult School Today
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Among the more than 230 classes offered this semester at SAS, the first forty-five courses will be starting next week. Kicking off the semester are classes in foreign languages, arts and crafts, cooking, dance, fitness, golf, music, and games, with many other subjects beginning later in the month.
French, Spanish, Italian, and ESL classes for different levels of ability are generally in sets of ten classes for $210, meeting either at the teacher’s home or the Scarsdale Public Library.
Many drawing and painting courses begin next week as well. Returning favorites such as watercolor, painting with water soluble oils, pastels, and drawing complement the new classes entitled Adventures in Art: All Mediums and Drawing and Painting Open Studio. Depending on the course, classes meet at either the Girl Scout House or Temple Israel Center, for eight to ten weeks, at a cost of $180 to $275.
The first of SAS’s cooking courses, Farm to Table Cooking, will meet on September 12, 2012 from 10 
a.m. to 2 p.m., and include a trip to the White Plains farmers’ market under the guidance of instructor Heather Solomon. Tuition is $125.
Belly dancing with Shayna Renzin and zumba classes with YeYe Valerio or Martha Ocequera resume for six sessions each. Tuition for any of the dance courses is $105 and classes meet at either Andrea’s Dance Studio, the Greenville Community Church, or Westchester Reform Temple.
Don’t miss your chance to catch the beginning of the fall fitness line-up. SAS offers eight different yoga classes for beginners to advanced students, including courses specific to hatha and vinyasa practices, with both day and evening meeting times available. Also returning are courses in body sculpting, boot camp, mat pilates, qigong, tai chi, and the ever-popular Walk Live Workout. New to SAS is a chair-based body sculpting class, a course on the Alexander technique, and a power pilates fitness course.
Golf at the Westchester Golf Range with instructor Adrian Ponce will meet on Tuesday evenings for six sessions starting September 11, 2012. Tuition is $175.
Joy of Singing and Song begins on Thursday, September 13, 2012, and meets for six sessions from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church. Led by Shirley Love, an operatic mezzo-soprano featured with the Metropolitan Opera Company, this course welcomes all abilities and levels of experience. Musical selections range from pop to Broadway to classical in this non-threatening choral instruction for $200.
Sylwia McNamara, ACBL accredited bridge teacher, ACBL certified director, and an accomplished tournament player, is the instructor for all bridge classes — for the novice to the advanced player. She will focus on the rules of the game, different aspects of bidding, and analyzing your hand for trick-taking potential in both suit and no-trump contracts. For the early birds who filled Alice Levinson’s canasta class, the series starts on Thursday, September 13, 2012. Optimistic students may add their name to the wait list or, better yet, secure a slot now in Alice Levinson’s mah jongg series later in the semester. Both the bridge and canasta courses meet in the daytime at Westchester Reform Temple and run in sets of five to six classes with tuition in the $125 to $150 range.
SAS Catalogs were mailed in early August and are also available at the Village Hall and the Scarsdale Public Library. To register for courses, visit the SAS website at www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org . Call (914) 723-2325 with questions.
Deadline Approaching for Contributions to the Annual Book Sale
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The deadline to donate books to the Friends of Scarsdale Public Library Annual Book Sale is quickly approaching -- and Kathy Steves, who runs the ambitious sale says that more than 60,000 almost-new and out-of-print books, including bestsellers, classics, biographies, fiction, parenting, cooking, art and antiques, computers, humor, self-help, drama, religion, business and poetry have already been donated. The last day to make your donation is Saturday August 25, so take care of it today.
Steves reports that though contributions are robust, the donations may not include as many current bestsellers as there were in previous years. Why? Because this year many residents were downloading books to their Kindles, Nooks and iPads, and therefore had fewer new offerings to donate. The good news is that the volume of donation remains strong – so you are sure to find something you like at a very reasonable cost. Massmarket paperbacks are already for sale in the library lobby.
Over 30 volunteers are now presorting the books into categories for the buyer’s convenience. There is also a large selection of books for children, as well as DVDs, CDs, videotapes, books on tape, and sheet music. More than $45,000 was raised last year. All proceeds from the sale support library programs and projects.
The official book sale will be held from Friday, September 7th through Sunday, September 16, 2012 at the Scarsdale Public Library, Olmsted Road and Post Road, Scarsdale, NY. The sale will begin on Friday, September 7th from 7 to 9 pm with a “Friends” preview. New members may join at the door that evening for $25. New books are added to the sale daily.
Here is the complete schedule for the sale:
Regular Sale
- Saturday, Sept. 8: 9am - 4:30pm
- Sunday, Sept. 9: 10am - 4pm
- Monday, Sept. 10: 11 am – 8pm
- Tuesday Sept. 11: 11 am – 8 pm
Half-Price Sale
- Wednesday, Sept. 12: 11am – 8 pm
- Thursday, Sept. 13: 11 am – 5 pm
- Friday, Sept. 14: 11am - 4:30pm
Blow-Out Sale
- Saturday, Sept. 15: 9am - 4:30pm
- Sunday, Sept. 16: 11am - 4pm
For more information, please contact Kathy Steves at [email protected]. The Scarsdale Public Library is located at 54 Olmsted Road, Scarsdale, NY, 10583. Phone: (914) 722-1300. Website: www.scarsdalelibrary.org .
