Jonathan Thaler's Gallery of Nature Photographs
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1581
Though many of us have seen Jonathan Thaler taking photos at Scarsdale athletic events, it turns out his talents extend well beyond the field. A 26-year resident, Thaler explains his passion for photographing birds in Westchester.
“I have been an avid photographer for over 50 years, moving from film to digital, starting as a teenager and working through my adult life. My older brother is a professional photographer, my younger brother a graphic artist, and I am a Lighting Designer. We’ve always been an arts-oriented family and photography dovetails nicely. Subject matter has long been family, travel, and life events. In the more recent past sports photography and local SFD, SPD, and SVAC events. A paramedic at the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp showed me pictures of bald eagles at the Verplanck Nature Preserve in Cortlandt a few years ago and that got me started on bird photography. It’s the most difficult type of photography I have done and has made me a better photographer overall. Who knew this existed on our doorstep? “
Thaler continued, “Birding in Westchester has become a popular pastime. "Merlin Bird ID" is a great free app from Cornell for identifying birds and "eBIRD" is a great web site for finding them.
Here, Thaler has shared photos taken at Verplank along with Sheldrake Environmental Center, Marshland Preserve, Malfitano Park and Carpenter’s Pond.
See more of Thaler’s photos here:
Rock the ’Dale Brings Music, Food, and Community to Scarsdale Village Center
- Details
- Written by: Claudia Wang
- Hits: 1832
On Sunday, September 14th, Scarsdale’s Village Centre was filled with wondrous music, laughter, and the late-summer energy of friends and neighbours gathering together for a day that celebrated local talent, delicious food market stands, family-fun activities, and community connection.
From 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the Village hosted Rock the ’Dale, a community event presented by the Scarsdale Business Alliance and the Village of Scarsdale. As a part of the ongoing Destination Scarsdale initiative, the day brought together residents and passers-by of all ages for the live performances, family activities, and the weekly farmers market, all in the heart of our town.
The music lineup featured six local bands that brought their own unique sound to the centre of Scarsdale. Songs for Seeds opened the day with a lively family-friendly set that drew in the younger audience, while Conversing with Oceans, Louise in Trouble, and The Del Bocas followed with incredible indie, rock, and alternate-pop performances. By midday, Hot Lunch and The Modtones had taken the stage with upbeat sets that had listeners nodding along, smiling, and stopping to enjoy the music while browsing the farmers market or going out for lunch nearby.
Throughout the event, the Farmers Market was in full swing, with fresh produce, baked goods, and handmade items from local vendors. Scarsdale restaurants also joined in, offering lunch specials and outdoor service that encouraged guests to eat and enjoy the sunshine.
There was something fun for everyone! Children lined up for face painting, took part in art projects with Happy Place Creative Studio, and visited the Scarsdale Rotary Club’s booth, which offered family-friendly activities.
Cyclists taking part in Westchester County’s Bicycle Sundays stopped at the event as well, with Rock the ’Dale as a midway point for riders to refuel and enjoy the live music and community atmosphere.
Sunshine and the magnificent music flowed through that Sunday morning and early afternoon, as friends and family sampled local favorites, and celebrated Scarsdale’s vibrant village center.
SHS Welcome Back Barbeque
- Details
- Written by: Claudia Wang
- Hits: 2010
On Tuesday, September 2nd, Scarsdale High School’s campus came alive not only with the excitement of a new academic year, but with delicious burgers, the laughter of reunited friend groups, and the wondrous feel of our Scarsdale school community reconnecting under a bright summer sky.
After welcoming an impressive 4,676 students back through its doors for the 2025–26 school year, SHS successfully ended the first day with a celebratory after-school barbecue hosted by the SHS Student Government. The event, held at the Brewster Road entrance started at 5:30 p.m., and it was truly a community-powered reminder of Scarsdale’s collaboration, student determination, and summer fun.
Supported by each class's government and cabinet, the barbecue was open to all students and faculty, and it offered more than just free food. With the summer sun casting a beautiful golden hue across the fields, students gravitated towards games like Spikeball and bean bag toss (cornhole), supplied and set up by student government members. Cheers and laughter filled the air as the friendly games sparked instant fun.
Groups of students clustered around benches or stretched out on the grass, exchanging experiences and stories from their summers apart. Teachers also found moments to relax and reconnect with colleagues after a filled day of new beginnings.
One of the highlights were the burgers offered to all, grilled earlier that day by student members themselves, who enthusiastically manned the barbecue stations. With beverages and a variety of sauces, the refreshments were a huge hit. The final touch for students’ sweet teeth was a local ice cream truck parked by the school fields, serving creamy treats that were nothing short of a lifesaver in the summer heat.
Free, joyful, and student-powered.
The Welcome Back Barbecue served as a symbolic start to our new school year that promises growth, learning, memories, and the Scarsdale school spirit.
Podcast Star Featured in Ad Campaign
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 2353
Evan Lazarus, Scarsdale High class of 2016, is making waves in New York City. Currently, you can spot him featured in Openigloo’s (an apartment rental service) new ad campaign running on all NYC subways through early September.
Evan is also the co-host of the hit podcast Girls Rewatch, recently named one of Vogue’s top podcasts. Girls Rewatch is a podcast that explores millennial culture through the lens of what it means to be a twenty-something in the city today. With a mix of comedy and analysis, the show revisits beloved pieces of media and features standout guests like Lena Dunham, Iris and Judd Apatow, Megan Stalter, Andrew Ranells, and more. Girls Rewatch offers a sharp, funny, and fresh take on life, love, and culture today. Check it out here:
Launchers Win the Scarsdale Adult Softball World Series
- Details
- Written by: Jeffrey Levin
- Hits: 1868
The Launchers Won the SeriesThe Scarsdale Adult Softball 2025 season’s playoffs, the Scarsdale World Series (SWS), was won by the Launchers. The Launchers defeated the Pros in the final game of the SWS in extra innings. The Launchers came from behind to tie the final game in the bottom of the 7th inning and then scored the winning run in the bottom of the 8th to win the 2025 Championship. The final score was Launchers 7 and the Pros 6. The Launchers won their 2nd SWS in six appearances in the finals. The Pros in six appearances in the SWS have won once in 2007. The Pros reached the SWS by eliminating the 2025 pennant winners, Claire Leone. Claire Leone’s four straight SWS championships winning streak was ended by the Pros. Claire Leone had appeared in ten straight championship finals and had won the SWS seven times.
The Launchers were led by co-captains Kiran Ramachandran and Matt Daniel. Hoisting the Championship trophy presented by League Commissioner John Holt were Jack Callahan, David Love, Andrew Fialkow, Seth Thornton, Jake Fischer, Jacob Brief, Scott Galst, Joe Weintraub, Evan Maroney, Noah Glantz, Zach Swartz, Matt Hyman, Michael Berkowitz, Kevin Daniel, James Conlan, Archie Fanning and Mike Green.
The Pros co-captains Mike Liebman and Jeff Levin led a veteran team consisting of Bill Liebman, Scott Liebman (MVP), Charlie Hassan (league leading pitcher), slugger Conrad Horowitz, Jared Kasden, Dan Cohen, Michael Erbsen, Dave Farber, Eric Kaplan, Eric Lichtenstein, Adam Rosen, Steve Sage, Gracie Liebman, Mike Lubanski, Don Repetto, Dan Smith and Brad Weckstein.
The Pros
The final regular season standings were led by the pennant winning Claire Leone (9-3), tied for 2nd place with 8-4 records were the Launchers, Walk Ons and Pros, followed by the Bee Lines (4-8), Green Hornets (4-8) and the Underdawgs (1-11).
It is expected that the seven teams will return next season. The league looks forward to adding additional players and teams for the 2026 season.
