Photo Opps: Emily Hirsh Honored, Scarsdale Boys Excel at Ski Race
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Here are few photos from this week in Scarsdale.
On Thursday, January 19, 2017, County Legislator Ben Boykin honored Emily Hirsch, owner of Candy ‘N Cards, with a special proclamation from Westchester County. After 50 years, Ms. Hirsch’s doors will be closing at the end of the month, so Boykin wanted to do something to honor her on the occasion. He visited the store and presented her with a framed proclamation, which declared January 31, 2017 “Emily Hirsch Day” in the County of Westchester.
On Saturday, January 21, 2017, Heathcote fourth grader William Lemerond and second grader Charles Lemerond competed in a ski race, the Giant Slalom at Ski Sundown. Over 40 U10 boys competed in the race. William came in third, and Charles came in 4th.
Kathy and Bob Steves to Receive the 2017 Scarsdale Bowl
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Kathy and Bob Steves, an extraordinary couple with over 30 years of dedicated volunteerism to Scarsdale, will be the 2017 joint recipients of the community's highest award, the Scarsdale Bowl. The Scarsdale Bowl is awarded annually to "one who has given unselfishly of time, energy, and effort to the civic welfare of the community," according to the Bowl founding documents.
David Lee, Chair of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee, said "Kathy and Bob have been immersed in the civic life of Scarsdale for decades; their outstanding and generous contributions to the community epitomizes the meaning of the Scarsdale Bowl."
Kathy and Bob will be honored at the Scarsdale Bowl dinner on Wednesday evening, April 26th, at The Fountainhead in New Rochelle. Lee encourages all members of the community to attend: "It is an incredibly uplifting evening to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism that permeates and propels our Village." The Bowl Committee will send out invitations March 1st .
"The Scarsdale Bowl was initiated in 1943 to recognize an individual's outstanding contributions to the civic life of this community," said Lee. The Bowl Committee, a diverse group of 16 community volunteers, selects the recipient after reviewing many worthy candidates who are nominated by the community.
Twice before, the Bowl was awarded to a husband and wife: Esther and Robert Shay in 1994, and Eleanor and Robert November in 2001, in recognition that each "set an example of civic responsibility toward the betterment of the community."
Last Sunday evening, the Committee voted to honor Kathy and Bob Steves. Delegates from the Bowl Committee including Lee, Scarsdale Foundation President Emily Sherwood, Foundation Liaison to the Committee Evelyn Stock, Committee Secretary/Treasurer Robert Jeremiah and Committee members Norman Alterman, Mona Longman and Suzanne Seiden arrived at the Steves' home on Sunday evening to announce their selection. Kathy and Bob were completely surprised. They appeared "stunned, overwhelmed, humbled and very appreciative," Lee said. Bob opened the door after feeling disappointed that the NY Giants lost to the Green Bay Packers. Bob said "I was almost speechless—very hard for me –when the Committee showed up at the house. To say I was deeply moved would be an understatement. Volunteerism is the heart and soul of Scarsdale and it has been its own reward. I'm especially pleased to share this honor with my wife. I've looked to past Bowl recipients as role models and look forward to serving that same role." And Kathy said, "I am thrilled to be honored as a Scarsdale Bowl recipient, an honor I truly never expected. To be included with my husband is extraordinary. Volunteerism has always been an important part of our lives in Scarsdale."
Kathy and Bob Steves have a long distinguished record of service to Scarsdale. They manage to answer the call to service in addition to both working at full time jobs. Kathy is the library Director at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx and Bob is the Assistant Treasurer at Fordham University. "They have dedicated themselves to making Scarsdale a better community for all of its residents. I salute and appreciate those efforts," said Evelyn Stock.
Bob is currently the Co-Chair of the Public Library Capital Campaign Committee and has been involved in numerous major organizations of the community, including the school board and Village government, serving as both President of the Scarsdale Board of Education, and the Mayor of the Village of Scarsdale in 2015-2016. Among his long list of past civic activities, Bob has also Co-Chaired the Student Transfer Education Plan (STEP), served as a member of the School Board Nominating Committee, President and Treasurer for the Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service, and Chair of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. Outside of Scarsdale, Bob was a Board member and President of the New York Epilepsy Institute. Bob is universally respected as a leader and selfless volunteer in the community.
Kathy is currently the Board President of Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service and a Board Member of the Greenacres Neighborhood Association and STEP.
Kathy has served continuously on community boards and has repeatedly taken on leadership positions such as: Scarsdale Neighborhood Association (SNAP) President for multiple terms, President of the Greenacres Neighborhood Association, STEP Board Co- Chair and has Chaired the Friends of the Scarsdale Public Library Book Fair for the past 10 years. She was also a member of the School Board Nominating Committee, Citizens Nominating Committee, and Chair of the Educational Advisory Board of the Scarsdale Historical Society.
The Steves' support each other's work in a low-key, behind the scenes way. For example, when Kathy is running the book fair, Bob is there working as a cashier or hauling books. When Bob was running a STEP event, Kathy set it up. Their partnership is dedicated to the best interest of the community. The Steves summed up their emotions, "We are truly delighted and honored to be this year's Bowl recipients. We share a strong belief that service is an essential part of being a member of a community. We have benefitted greatly from working with so many great people who also share that belief."
Kathy and Bob's greatest joy is their family; they have been married for 46 years. They have three children: Karen lives in Mansfield, Massachusetts and administers a program for autistic children; Matthew works with book dealers and lives in Scarsdale; and Michael, owns a marketing company and lives in China.
Please join the Bowl Committee on April 26th at the Fountainhead to honor Scarsdale's spirit of volunteerism and Kathy and Bob Steves.
A Near Win for the Scarsdale Girls Varsity Basketball Team
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On Monday night 12-19 the Girls Varsity basketball team faced off against Our Lady of Lourdes school. Although official rankings are not out yet, Lourdes is projected to be ranked within the top 15 teams in the state. With a 0-3 record thus far, the Scarsdale Raiders were eager to prove that their new team is a force to be reckoned with. The team came out strong, leading by 5 after the first quarter. By the end of the half, the score was tied 25-25. The third and fourth quarters were back and fourth, Scarsdale ultimately losing by 9 due to bonus foul shots. Although a loss, the Raiders showed their tenacity on the floor and their ability to compete with strong teams. Junior Guard Lily Steckel had a breakout game, scoring 13 points. The team is starting to play as a unified group, utilizing the strengths of their diverse roster. The Raiders will play against Ursuline after the break at home on January 4th.
Photos by Jon Thaler. See more here!
Scarsdale Varsity Players Compete at the Disney Girl's Soccer Showcase
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Nayumi Parente, Carly Rubin and Allison Stafford, all on the Varsity A soccer team at Scarsdale High School, are also members of a club soccer team that competed at the Disney Girls Soccer Showcase in Orlando over New Year's weekend and won a championship in their age group. The team, New York Soccer Club Elite 2000 Sapphire, won its U-17 bracket against top teams from Colorado, Kentucky and Florida and then, in a thrilling contest prevailed over the winner of the other U-17 bracket, New Jersey-based STA Morris United, by a score of 1-0.
A total of 346 girls teams from throughout the United States competed in the 2016-2017 Disney Girls Soccer Showcase at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. This year's event featured teams from 36 states, in age groups ranging from U-15 to U-19, representing the highest level of girls' soccer in the country. More than 200 college soccer coaches attended the tournament and watched the games to identify and observe potential talent for their programs.
Parente, a striker, Rubin, a mid-fielder, and Stafford, a defender, are each key members of NYSC Elite 2000 Sapphire, which won its first game against a team from Kentucky 2-1, tied its second game against a very physical opponent from Colorado 1-1 and won its bracket with a convincing 4-0 win over a team from Jacksonville, Florida. Taken together with their 1-0 victory in the championship game, the team collectively outscored its opponents by 8-2 over the course of four games. The fact that they surrendered a total of only two goals was especially noteworthy.
The experience was a memorable one for all three girls and the closeness and camaraderie among all the players was great to see. Each of the girls is looking forward to continuing the season during the spring of 2017, which will include a trip to Richmond, Virginia in March to compete in the Jefferson Cup, another high profile national girls soccer tournament. And when the 2017-2018 school year begins in September, they each expect to continue their soccer career at Scarsdale High School, hoping to carry over some of the magic they brought to the 2016-2017 Disney Girls Soccer Showcase toward their goal of a third straight section championship for the Raiders.
Greenacres Neighborhood Association Urges School Board to Move Forward on School
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(This letter was sent to the Scarsdale School Board by the GNA. A shorter version was read at the meeting by Linda Doucette Ashman)
On behalf of the Greenacres Neighborhood Association, I want to address two topics:
(1) First, I want to share concerns expressed by members of our association regarding Greenacres School and,
(2) Second, I want to, again, invite the School District Administration and Scarsdale Board of Education to participate in a moderated forum with the sole purpose being for the District to present an update and timeline for work to be done at Greenacres School and engage in a conversation with residents answering their questions and listening to their views.
Concerns:
The primary concerns that we have heard are: (1) lack of information on plans for moving forward with the Greenacres School, (2) lack of sense of urgency to address the Greenacres School all together and (3) continued delay of structural work at the Greenacres School to ensure parity with other Scarsdale schools.
(1) Lack of Information:
The District notified the community in September that it was choosing to "pause" the work underway regarding the Greenacres School. This came as a surprise to some residents. For approximately two years, the District has held meetings, engaged architects and other stakeholders to study the school and proposed options and solutions and convened two Building Committees to evaluate priorities for the educational needs of the building. Now the community is faced with silence. Despite an assurance to the contrary, there have been no communications from the District setting forth goals, plans or even a timeline on the next steps to be taken with regards to the Greenacres School. Concerns are now being raised that the lack of a publicly articulated "Going Forward" plan may result in no plan for addressing the Greenacres school in the foreseeable future.
(2) Timing:
We all are well aware of the thoughtful process that District Administration undertakes when it comes to budgeting for the District facilities' needs (including its assessment/analysis of existing debt/ bonds and what is retiring). This process is long and meticulous and integrated into the District's annual budgeting process which will begin shortly. With no public "Going Forward" plan on Greenacres, residents are concerned about where the Greenacres School work fits in to the District's overall timeline. These are issues that must be discussed and resolved now if the Greenacres School is to be addressed during the next wave of School District projects scheduled for the next 5 years.
(3) Delay:
As we all know, the process of determining what to do with Greenacres School began years ago. The School District created a list of District's priorities and the Greenacres School was put last as the work needed was too significant to be combined with other facility upgrades. These conversations and decisions predate the current School District Administration and most, if not all, of the members of the Board of Education.
We are now approaching the end of 2016. Another year has passed and still no closure to the process for deciding what is needed for the Greenacres School and how these needs will be addressed. If our community is to have any hope of an updated or new Greenacres School in the next five to seven years, the District needs to act now. It can start with the one step the District itself identified in its September, 2016 letter – "to coalesce the community around a shared vision/option that focuses on Greenacres students and their learning". The budget process begins shortly. Once that process begins, more doors will be closed for Greenacres and the project will be furthered delayed by yet another year.
The Greenacres School work deserves a place at the top of the District's priority list now. Our neighborhood community has repeatedly been told to be patient and wait while other schools in the district received the attention. Residents in our community have consistently supported initiatives at other schools, expecting that, when the time came, the entire Scarsdale community would support Greenacres School solutions in order to ensure parity in structures across the District.
To demonstrate that the District intends to commence any work on the Greenacres School initiative during 2017, we request that you: (1) develop and implement a "Going Forward" plan on next steps and (2) inform the Greenacres community and the Scarsdale community at large on what those steps are. It is critical that the School District and Board of Education develop and provide a 21st century learning environment for Greenacres children. To this end, we again reiterate our offer to host and moderate an event in either January or February of 2017 for the School District to do this and allow the residents opportunities to ask questions and share their views. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you on this endeavor.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Andrew Sereysky
President,
Greenacres Neighborhood Association
