Thursday, Jul 03rd

Neale1On November 21, 2024, the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee honored Henry Neale, its former chair and District Leader.

Henry is a true son of Westchester and Scarsdale, as he was born in White Plains Hospital and grew up here in Scarsdale and attended Scarsdale public schools. Henry recently moved to Sleepy Hollow.

Henry not only ran the Committee, he has had a keen interest in public policy. He ran for Assembly in 1982, a tough year for Democrats and lost. In 1991, then chair of the Scarsdale League of Women Voters Amy Paulin started a fight to keep the town of Scarsdale in one district. Henry helped in the effort by bringing a successful redistricting lawsuit for a client in Greenburgh, which in turn set a legal precedent helping to ensure that Scarsdale would not be divided between two county legislative districts on the County Board of Legislators. He was the driving force for the adoption of a resolution by the Westchester County Democratic Committee which criticized then President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq, a controversial call at the time.

Henry’s true love is the environment, including public parks and open spaces--way before these causes were topics of wider public discussion. Henry was Chair of the County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board and is currently a member. He also serves as a Trustee of the Westchester Parks Foundation. Henry has been active in the Environmental Planning Lobby and headed the activist forces that led to New York’s “Bottle Bill”. He also took a principled stand against County Executive O’Rourke, when Henry was the Chair of the Westchester County Environmental Management Council. Henry criticized O’Rourke’s proposed plan to use park land for non-park purposes. O’Rourke subsequently dropped Henry from the Council. Because Henry had publicly spoken out, O’Rourke eventually backed down.

NealeGroupNeale has many admirers.

Henry has also been involved with and a supporter of Hour Children, a group that keeps mothers incarcerated in the Bedford Hills and Taconic Correctional Facilities connected with their children by facilitating family visits in positive settings. Henry has been ahead of his time in promoting family cohesion between these mothers and their children.ProclamationNeale Displays a Proclamation from the office of State Senator Shelley Mayer.

At the party, County Executive George Latimer, State Senator Shelley Mayer, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s office and Westchester Legislator Ben Boykin saluted Henry with their remarks and delivered to him citations in his honor.

Neale SterlingA Proclamation from the office of Amy Paulin, Neale and Michelle Sterling

BoykinNeale with County Legislator Ben Boykin MondaireMichelleMondaire Jones with Michelle LichtenbergcakeNeale cuts the cake with BK Munguia

ParadeFlagsScarsdale honored the bravery and sacrifice of those who have served in our armed forces on Veteran’s Day, Monday November 11, 2024. The morning started with speeches, followed by a parade through the streets of the Village.

ParadeJustin
On hand were Mayor Justin Arest, representatives from the Scarsdale Board of Trustees, Village Manager Alex Marshall, the American Legion, Scarsdale’s Girl Scouts, Scarsdale’s Boy Scouts, the Scarsdale Fire Department, the Scarsdale Police Department and many Scarsdale residents who attended to express their gratitude to our veterans.

scoutsPhoto Credit: Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez

troop4Photo by Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Troop 4 Scouts, Christian Kirkendall-Rodriguez and Jason Ren and the scouts participated in the parade.

 

Photo gallery by Michelle Sterling:

 

 

Parade1
ParadeChiefs
ParadeFlags
ParadeJustin
ParadeLeaders
ParadePaulin
pledge
scouts
scoutsflags
troop4
01/10 
start stop bwd fwd

 

VoteSignIn the run-up to this pivotal election we have heard so much about the potential for fraud and the disenfranchisement of voters. Though many are concerned about the security of the election in other states, most of us assumed that voting in our small Village would be routine.

However, this was not the case on election morning at three Scarsdale polling sites where broken voting machines and a dispute over signs disrupted the vote.

What happened? At the Heathcote School a voter reported that he showed up to vote just after 6 am, the voting machine for his district was broken. (There are four districts in Heathcote and just one machine was broken.)

Eric Schnipper said, “A staff member stated that he was going to report it but had no idea when the Board of Elections would arrive to repair the machines. They went into election day knowing that one of the machines was broken but were surprised that the other machine was broken as well. When I initially voted by affidavit my ballot was placed on the floor and when I protested the lack of security of this ("We have to put it there for now so we can process other voters") it was then placed in an intended envelope which the staff did not seem to know how to open initially. The level of unpreparedness for an event such as this was astounding and I felt disenfranchised.”

Schnipper continued, “I reported this online and have already spoken to someone from the NY State Attorney General's office. Additionally, this story has been picked up by multiple sources on X/Twitter and has been widely disseminated.”

A Quaker Ridge woman had a similar experience. Though the voting machines were initially working, when she went to cast her vote at 8:40 am the voting machine for her district, which is one of two districts, was also broken.

What to do? She was told to fold her ballot and put it into a red bag that would be sealed and brought to the Board of Elections to be tabulated. She left there with the uneasy feeling that her vote would not counted.

There were also reports that one of the two voting machines at the Edgewood School was broken on election day morning.

By 10:30 am the machines had been fixed. It should be noted that the voting machines are supplied by the Westchester County Board of elections who runs the election, not the Village of Scarsdale.

Advocacy
prop1sign

Problems have also emerged with advocates for Proposition 1 who were disseminating literature and speaking to voters outside the polls. NYS law permits signs at polling places if they are 100 feet from the door.

Th school district received a complaint about the advocates near the Heathcote School and the Superintendent was called. Citing a policy that bars advertising near the schools during school hours Superintendent Andrew Patrick said they would have to leave the property.

The question is, when school is not in session and the school is serving as a polling place, do school rules prevail for political activity?

CapbiancoThe following letter was submitted by Victoria Capobianco in support of her father for election to the Citizens Nominating Committee.

It’s late on a Tuesday evening and I’m leaving work. Worn out and drawn long, I eagerly anticipate speaking with my Dad as I drive back to my apartment. After discussing work, studies, and recent global events, I ask him about home and his running for a position on the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC). He fittingly said, “From a place of profound gratitude, I am humbled by the opportunity to continue to serve our community in a new role, as a member of the CNC representing Greenacres.”

Please permit me this opportunity to tell you a little bit about a man whose head and heart have always been filled with service— a man who I call “Dad”

My dad, Garrett Capobianco, is a 53-year-native of Scarsdale, NY and has sought out ways to serve his community throughout his life. His commitment to service was instilled to him by his experiences in the scouts as a young adult and was further cultivated in his 11 years as a member of Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Company 1, an organization which he joined while attending Scarsdale Senior High School at just 18-years-old. My dad would go on to serve as Volunteer Membership Chair from 1987-1992, increasing company membership to the maximum allowed by charter. From 1991-1995, he was Volunteer Lieutenant and later promoted to Volunteer Captain, serving from 1995-1997.
After earning his Bachelor of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from The Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University in 1989, my Dad worked as a loan officer for the Bank of New York Mortgage Company from 1990-1993, earning the title of Assistant Sales Manager in 1992 at just 26-years-old. Throughout his work as a loan officer, he continued to be invested in his contributions as a volunteer Scarsdale firefighter, and although he experienced much success in his position at the Bank of New York Mortgage Company, he felt a deeper calling to service. In 1997, my Dad graduated from the Westchester County Career Fire Chiefs Firefighters Academy Class 1-97, and became a career firefighter for The Village of Scarsdale– the very same town in which he grew up. He served on the letter committee as the Letter Chair & Corresponding Secretary from 1998-2003 for the International Association of Firefighters Local 1394 and as union secretary from 2001-2014. In 2014, he was elected to a two-year term as union president by his department. Throughout this 21-year career, he received many Line of Duty Commendations for his exceptional work and dedication to public service.

He has said that it “takes a village to raise a child. I was raised in this Village and with this Village I have raised two children.” Of all of the titles and positions he has dutifully fulfilled throughout his lifetime, my Dad assigns the highest priority and pride to his role as a single father to two children– Christian and Victoria. Our Dad raised us in the Scarsdale School System, where both my brother and I attended and graduated from Greenacres. While we learned and grew at Greenacres, our Dad was heavily involved in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for many years and served as Safety Advisor in this position– a role that proved evermore critical in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy. I can recall our Dad attending almost all of our field trips and the playground frequently filled with vibrant, new equipment. It would not be until I grew up that I realized these happy experiences were, in part, the results of Dad’s commitment to the PTA.

In 2015, Garrett joined The Rotary International Club of Scarsdale, NY, and has been a dedicated member ever since. Following his retirement from career firefighting, he became President of the club for the 2020-2021 Rotary year. Charged with transitioning the club from in-person to virtual meetings, Garrett was greatly adaptive in his role and integral to the success of the club throughout the pandemic. In recognition of his service to the club and his community, Garrett was awarded the title of Paul Harris Fellow in 2021. As his role in Rotary continues to expand, he endeavors to live his life by the Rotary International Four Way Test:

Of the things we think, say, and do;
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Is it beneficial to all concerned?

He currently serves as President of the Scarsdale Rotary Foundation, a position which he has fulfilled since 2021. I am filled with excitement to witness how his role in service to the community will continue to grow.

Service is at the core of all my Dad strives to do in his life. In this new role as a representative for Greenacres of the CNC, he brings intellectual humility, profound empathy for others, dedication to “service above self” and an unparalleled appreciation for his village and those in it. My Dad deeply understands what it means to be a member of this community having been raised himself, attended school, worked, raised kids, served and resided in Scarsdale. To this role on the CNC, he also brings with him the capacity to advocate, earning significant experience in this skill as Union President of Local 1394 and later as the President of the Rotary Club of Scarsdale, NY. Throughout his many positions in service to the community, my Dad has worked with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and personalities. From these many experiences and relationships, he has developed true cultural competency, and intellectual humility– he embodies what it means to value the nuances of other perspectives and to be a team player. With your support and vote for my Dad, I am confident that Greenacres would be well represented on the CNC. He is greatly privileged and humbled by the opportunity to serve Scarsdale in this new capacity. I am proud to call him “Dad”.

Please cast your vote on Tuesday, November 12th at the Scarsdale Public Library from the hours of 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 2:00PM to 9:00PM.

With great respect and appreciation,
Victoria Capobianco
SHS ‘20
toricapo15@gmail.com

LettertotheEditorThis letter was submitted by Will Brennan of 10 Tunstall Road Scarsdale and does not reflect the views of the publisher of Scarsdale10583.com as published on our pages.

To the Editor,
Constitutional amendments like Prop 1 (called the New York Equal Rights Amendment by its proponents) should be clearly written and clearly understood by the public before they are adopted. Unfortunately, New York’s Democratic Party appears to have decided that obscuring what Prop 1 says and does better suits their electoral interests. Thus, the Scarsdale Democratic Party’s October 9th Letter to the Editor is woefully inaccurate and misleading in its effort to promote Prop 1. This amendment will make significant, undiscussed changes to New York law, and potentially will alter not only abortion laws and parental rights, but also the application of criminal laws to minors, as well as laws regulating driving, marriage, alcohol/marijuana, and firearms.

First, it’s never a good sign when the proponents of a constitutional amendment fail to link to the actual wording – it is here.

Second, the Scarsdale Democratic Party’s primary selling point for Prop 1 is that “Prop 1 does nothing to change existing law—it does not create any new rights or protections” because it merely “enshrines [existing] rights and protections in the New York Constitution.” This is both implausible – if it doesn’t change existing law, what’s the point? – and inaccurate on multiple grounds.
To begin, constitutionalizing rights previously granted by statute does change them: it gives such rights much more authority in case of a conflict between these rights and other state policies. Put simply, constitutionalized rights almost always win out in conflicts between those rights and other government priorities. More importantly, Prop 1 would create new rights – including rights that appear to be unintended by Prop 1’s drafters – that go well beyond existing law.

For example, New York already has statutory age discrimination laws, but these are limited to specific contexts (e.g., employment) and don’t apply to all ages (child labor laws actually require discrimination against minors in many contexts). Prop 1’s constitutionalized ban on all age-based discrimination would sweep far more broadly. On its face, forbidding laws that discriminate based on age would abolish age limits in driving, marriage, purchasing and consuming alcohol and cannabis, and possessing firearms. Our existing laws that give leniency to minors who commit criminal acts constitute de facto discrimination against older offenders – so does Prop 1 mean we will have to punish children more, or adults less? The Scarsdale Democratic Party’s Letter to the Editor also assures voters that Prop 1 would not impact parental rights, but fails to explain how parental rights could be unaffected once laws that discriminate on the basis of age are invalidated. Parental rights are fundamentally age-based -- they depend on the government’s ability to recognize that minors should not have the full set of civil rights exercised by adults. ERA logo

Prop 1 proponents may claim that the New York courts could find a way to avoid striking down at least some of those existing laws and rights, but what does it say about Prop 1 if we have to hope that it won’t be implemented as written?

Third, while Prop 1’s abortion-related wording is not at all clear – it doesn’t even mention the word “abortion” – the Scarsdale Democratic Party assures us that Prop 1 would not change New York’s existing 24-week threshold and the rules that govern abortion after 24 weeks. But no explanation is offered as to how this can be true when Prop 1’s plain text does not indicate any limit at all on abortion rights, let alone the specific 24-week threshold in existing law. It thus seems far more likely that Prop 1 will operate to change New York’s abortion laws than to preserve them and, since Prop 1’s wording is so opaque, it’s not clear what the result will be.

Finally, it is especially problematic that Prop 1’s “Form of Submission”, the description that voters will see on their ballots, fails to adequately describe the proposed amendment. Specifically, the ballot will not describe Prop 1’s Section b, which permits the government to make laws and regulations that do discriminate against protected classes as long as the government claims that such discrimination was needed to “prevent or dismantle” some other discrimination. Thus, Section b arguably increases the power of New York law-makers, since the existing New York Constitution does not have a “good intentions” exception for governmental discrimination. People can absolutely disagree in good faith about whether our state government should be granted the power to discriminate against people based on their group identity when law-makers say they mean to help, but surely the Legislature’s request for a new power to discriminate should be clearly described to the voters.

Prop 1’s proponents should be willing to defend Prop 1’s changes – both intentional and accidental – as part of an honest and open debate, but that’s not what’s been happening. Especially given existing laws and the Democratic Party’s control of all branches of our state government, Prop 1 is just a poorly drafted amendment with unknown effects and for which there is no urgent need. (For those interested in what a better alternative would look like, Ohio passed a much clearer constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights last year.)

I encourage you to vote “No” on Prop 1.

Respectfully,
Will Brennan
10 Tunstall Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583

From State Senator Shelley Mayer

State Senator Shelley Mayer encourages constituents to vote yes on Proposition 1 - here is her letter:

Proposed Constitutional Amendment - Proposition 1 - to be Considered by Voters on November Ballot

This year’s November ballot will include a proposed amendment to the New York State Constitution, named the Equal Rights NYSSenateLogoAmendment, which, if approved, would amend the Constitution to protect against unequal treatment on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, religion, or sex including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive healthcare and autonomy. The Equal Rights Amendment would enshrine the right to abortion in the State Constitution. If the amendment is not approved, the state constitution will be left as it currently is.

The Equal Rights Amendment passed both houses of the New York State Legislature in two consecutive sessions, as required by law. The measure now goes before voters for their consideration.

The New York State Constitution currently only provides protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, and religion. This amendment would extend that protection to include age, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy outcomes, among others.

Prop 1 has been endorsed by the New York City Bar Association and the New York Civil Liberties Union. For more information, please visit your local Board of Elections.

Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I encourage all New Yorkers to make their voice heard on this matter by flipping their ballot over and voting on this constitutional amendment.”

wewillnotgobackA rally for reproductive rights and Proposition 1 was held in White Plains on Saturday October 25.