Last Words from Jason Marra
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Jason Marra, Scarsdale's Superintendent for Parks, Recreation and Conservation announced that he will leave his job in the Village after seven years in Scarsdale. He has managed a myriad of recreational programs, the Scarsdale Pool, the camp and oversaw the rejuvenation of Hyatt Park and the restoration of Harwood Park. Marra will be working in Great Neck where he will manage an even larger program and budget. We posed a few questions to him and here is what he shared:
Please tell us about your background – I grew up in Harrison NY, Westchester County. Growing up I began developing a passion for parks and recreation not only from using my local parks and athletic fields as a child but at age 15 my first job was working as a summer day camp counselor for the Harrison recreation department. From that moment forward I worked for the Harrison Recreation Department doing almost every recreation job from maintenance to program instructor. This gave me an appreciation to all the work that goes into maintaining parks facilities and program planning.
Where did you go to school? Where did you work before coming to Scarsdale, how did you end up working here and how long have you been here? In what positions? – I have a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies from Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT and a Masters Degree in Recreation Education from Lehman College, Bronx, NY.
My first fulltime recreation position was right out of college at a not-for-profit agency in Purchase, NY at the Purchase Community House. My position was Recreation Supervisor and I was responsible for recreation programming for two years. Then I took a position as Recreation Supervisor for the Town of Cortlandt Manor, NY as I wanted to be involved in municipal parks and recreation. After three years at Cortlandt Manor I took the position as Assistant Superintendent of Parks, Recreation and Conservation for the Village of Scarsdale which I held for four years. In 2012, I was promoted to Superintendent of Parks, Recreation and Conservation for the Village of Scarsdale. I have been with the Village for just over 7 years.
What do you like best about the community and the people you work with?
I loved working in this community as many of the residents shared the same passion I have for parks and recreation and they understand the importance it has in improving the quality of life for the people in the community. There is a great deal of community involvement and volunteerism across a wide range of recreational activities. It was so enjoyable to work with the many volunteer organizations such as the many youth sport groups, the Friends of Scarsdale Parks, and the PRC Advisory Council just to name a few. Whether it was parks, youth sports, or conservation it was great to work with the community to make Scarsdale the best place to live.
Did you find anything to be unique about Scarsdale?
The expectations in Scarsdale were high to provide the best services which I appreciated. I always embraced being held to a high standard. As a parks and recreation professional I strived to be the best and provide the best services for the community.
What are some of the initiatives you are most proud of?
The Parks, Recreation and Conservation Departments goal is to build community and I am proud of the work my staff and I do every day. We are currently working on the Hyatt Park Rejuvenation project which has been amazing to work on. The Hyatt Park project was a complete team effort by the Village as multiple departments worked together to build what is essentially a new park. The redesign focused on fitness and health and I know the park will be enjoyed by many residents of all ages for many years to come. Although work is still in the process of being completed the soft opening of the park has been successful as youth of all ages have enjoyed the park. The official grand opening will take place in May which I plan to attend.
I am also proud of new programs such as the Community Planting Day which brought over 135 volunteers to assist in the restoration of Harwood Park, Parties in the Park which were special event family programs that showcased Village Parks, and the Youth Sport Jamboree which showcased the wide variety of youth sports available. All three of these program focused on building community and bringing people together.
My staff and I were also able to improve and redesign current programs such as youth soccer and youth tennis by providing quality professional instruction. I believe the programs being provided are of higher quality and more efficient from an organizational and scheduling standpoint.
Finally, I am very proud that we were able to increase our revenues for the Village by improving programs and creating new ones. Revenues that offset expenses increased by 7% during my tenure and we are now at 70% revenue that supports the entire PRC Dept. This is the highest percentage we have ever been and what makes this special is we did it by not increasing fees but by improving the quality of service we provide which in turn resulted in high participation and enjoyment.
What are the challenges of working in Scarsdale?
The only challenge I found in Scarsdale was to constantly be the best you can be.
What will be your new position in Great Neck? What are your responsibilities? What challenges are they facing now?
My new position will be the Superintendent for the Great Neck Park District. It will be an exciting position from a career standpoint as Park Districts are unique for New York State. Great Neck Parks is its own taxing district which means all tax revenue goes directly to parks and recreation. The department is larger from a full time employee standpoint as I will have 50 + fulltime staff in Great Neck compared to 11 fulltime in Scarsdale. Also the community size is about double that of Scarsdale. It will always be a challenge going into to new position as I will need to evaluate the current operations and put a long term plan in place. This will take some time as there are many considerations when operating a parks and recreation department and many times operations are designed around the unique community needs. From a community standpoint I believe I am well prepared and there are similarities between Scarsdale and Great Neck.
Where will you live – is housing as expensive there as here?
I have always been a Westchester boy so my plan for now will be to commute from my home in White Plains. My plan is to see how things go for a year or two and make a determination at that time as to what would be best for my family.
Were there any plans in progress here that you hope the staff will continue to implement?
One of the hardest things about leaving the Village at this time is walking away from some of the plans and initiatives I was in the process of working on. As I transition out of my position I will be putting into place some important initiatives for the future incoming Superintendent. My staff and I have worked on improving the senior programs which will be redesigned to offer additional services beginning in June of 2016. Also, I had planned to focus on the Weinberg Nature Center to make that an area not only for outdoor education but to focus on environmental and conservation education. I believe the Weinberg Nature Center could be a jewel that many other communities do not have.
Most importantly, a plan is in place for a community needs assessment and creation of a parks and recreation master plan. The master plan would be designed as a guide for future facilities improvements and program planning for the next 5 to 10 years. It believe this is essential to make sure that the community's needs are being met.
What has been one of the funnier or more interesting problems/issues you faced on the job?
The funniest moment actually happened my first week as Superintendent of Parks, Recreation and Conservation regarding geese. When I took over, the Village had a plan in place to deal with the overpopulation of geese in parks and athletic fields. The plan was to have the USDA round up the resident geese, slaughter them and use them to feed the homeless. Not surprisingly, many people had an issue with this option but I had no idea how much press there would be. I received calls from fox, cbs, nbc, and every other news organization to do interviews. It was strange since it wasn't my plan but I was thrown right into the media fire. I will never forget people calling after the interviews saying they saw me on tv taking about geese poop. I knew in my position I would always being talking to the press but I didn't ever imagine it would be about geese poop? I was known as the "geesebuster" for months. In the end, the Village did not go ahead with the plan and we managed the resident geese population through humane methods.
Last Words
It has been a pleasure working with the Village of Scarsdale and this community for the past seven years. The Mayor and Village Board have always supported and recognized the importance of parks, recreation, and conservation initiatives which have made things easier to accomplish. The Village Manager, Steve Pappalardo, Village staff, and the parks and recreation department staff have helped me develop into the person I am today and none of my accomplishments would have happen without them. It is very difficult to move on from this community as I look to advance my career but my heart will always be in Scarsdale.
Julius Reich Charged with Murder in the Second Degree
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(Updated at 4 pm on 1-21-16) At a press conference on Thursday January 21, Scarsdale Police offered little new information on the death of Robin Goldman but did confirm that Julius Reich, age 61, of 50 Lincoln Road has been charged with second degree murder in the death of his 58 year-old wife at their home around 10 am on Wednesday January 20. Reich called the police at 10:09 am to say that his wife was seriously injured and bleeding. Police and the Scarsdale Ambulance Corps arrived within three minutes but were unable to save Goldman who had been stabbed. Captain Alitzio said Goldman was found "in a lifeless state." There is no history of domestic violence at the home.
The felony complaint says that "during the early morning hours, with the intent to cause the death of Robin Goldman, the defendant did cause the death of Robin Goldman by stabbing her multiple times resulting in death."
Police released a mug shot of Reich with cotton in his ears. 
They said that Reich had injuries to his face and hand and was taken to White Plains Hospital for treatment and then brought to the police station. Apparently the cotton in his ears had nothing to do with the incident. He is now being held without bail.
Reich had filed for divorce from Goldman in August 2015 and the matter was pending at the time of her death. However, police report that the couple still shared the same house. They have three children and four grandchildren. Goldman's funeral was held on Thursday afternoon at Young Israel in keeping with Jewish tradition.
It appears that the act was not pre-meditated. As a lawyer, Reich would know the consequences of stabbing his wife in his own home. He may claim that he acted in self defense, using the cuts on his own arm as evidence or say that an intruder entered the home.
Property records show that their home was built in 1947. Reich purchased it in 1997 for $996,000. It sits on 1.3 acres and has a pool. An addition was put on the house in 2007. It is now valued at $2,675,000.
Scarsdale Police worked with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety Forensic Investigations Unit and the Westchester County District Attorney's Office on an investigation and the street was barricaded to traffic all day and night.
Reich is a highly educated lawyer and CPA. He holds a master of law, taxation from NYU, a law degree from Benjamin Cardozo School of Law and a BS in accounting from Brooklyn College. He joined WeiserMazars as a partner in 2014 and was previously with Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
According to the company website, "Jules has more than 20 years of experience as a leader in corporate consulting - advising corporations, startups, venture capital and private-equity firms in a broad range of industries on critical topics including mergers and acquisitions, complex structuring and tax efficient funding transactions in domestic, international and emerging markets. He has a deep background in due diligence, valuation, capital raising, tax planning, budgeting, cross-functional problem solving, financial reporting and analysis, strategic planning and transaction integration.
Dr. Robin Goldman also had impressive credentials. She was an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Montefiore Medical Group. She attended Downstate Medical School, did her residency at Albert Einstein and a fellowship at Jacob Medical Center. She was board certified in pediatrics.
On Wednesday, the Scarsdale Police sent out an emergency alert email to residents to calm any fears that a murderer posed a threat to the area. Here is the text of the email:
On Wednesday, January 20th at approximately 10:09 am, the Scarsdale Police Department received a 911 call from 50 Lincoln Road in the Village of Scarsdale reporting that a woman had been seriously injured.
Scarsdale Police Officers and the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps responded and were on scene within 3 minutes. We are currently investigating a homicide of a 58 year old female.
We currently have a 61 year old male in custody.
We are working with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety Forensic Investigations Unit and the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.
We are confident that this is an isolated incident which poses no threat to the community.
Scarsdale Attorney Indicted for Conspiracy in Shkreli Case
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A Scarsdale native is in the spotlight in connection with the arrest of Martin Shkreli, the hedge fund manager who became infamous when he purchased a pharma company and jacked up the price of its drugs to astronomical levels. Shkreli's lawyer, Evan Greebel, age 42 of Scarsdale, was also arrested and pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiracy. He was released on $1 million bail.
Shkreli was arrested not for bilking customers for medications, but instead for using funds from his company Retrophin to pay back $11 million to clients who lost money in Shkreli's hedge fund. Shkreli was also released on $5 million bond.
Greebel joined Kaye Scholer LLP, a prominent New York law firm in June 2015. Before June he worked at Katten, Muchin, Rosenman LLP, which is a Chicago-based law firm with an office in New York for 12 years. Greebel who now lives in Quaker Ridge is a graduate of Scarsdale High School, the University of Michigan and Georgetown University Law School.
Prosecutors allege that Greebel used his law license and training to conceal and further the scheme. The indictment says that Greebel conspired with Shkreli to "devise a scheme and artifice to defraud Retrophin and to obtain money and property from Retrophin by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representation and promises."
According to a lawyer who is not involved in the case, "It is very unusual for a lawyer (especially a partner at a major law firm like Kaye Scholer) to be indicted as a co-conspirator with a client for defrauding third parties. I think what the US Attorney was reacting to was that the whole transaction (having a public company pay off debts incurred by a hedge fund that was run by its CEO but with no other connection to the public company) reeked and the lawyer was actively trying to structure it in such a way as to avoid detection by company auditors." An article in the Deal Book section of the NY Times on December 21st provides more background on the case.
Vote Today in the SBNC Election
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The election for the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 with polls open from 7–10 AM and 2–9 PM in the lobby of the auditorium at the Scarsdale Middle School.
The SBNC Administrative Committee is seeking the election of two candidates in each district. In the event of a snow day, the election will be held on Wednesday, January 13, 2016. The biographical information for the candidates for the SBNC slate for the January election is below.
Edgewood
MICHAEL M. CHAYES: 16 Taunton Road. Resident for 24 years.
Education: BA, City College of New York; MS, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, The Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University.
Occupation: Management Consultant and Executive Coach; retired PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP Consulting Partner, Organization Strategy and Change.
Civic Activities: Conducted staff and parent focus groups to support school board strategic planning process (2014). Photographer for SHS Varsity Basketball team (2007 – 2008). Co-coached 2nd grade boys' soccer.
Children: Ages 30 and 25
JORDAN COPELAND: 45 Woods Lane. Resident for 12 years.
Education: B.A., Organizational Behavior and Management, Brown University; M.S., Childhood General Education, Bank Street College of Education; J.D., New York University School of Law
Occupation: Teacher in integrated general / special education 5th grade classroom, P.S. 69, Bronx, NY. Former attorney.
Civic Activities: Cubmaster, Scarsdale Pack 60 Cub Scouts (2012 – Present); Scarsdale Forum (Education Committee) (2015 – Present); Little League coach (2012 – Present); Board Member, The Center @ 862 (formerly Scarsdale Teen Center) (2013 – 15).
Children: Ages 12, 9 and 6
Fox Meadow
MIRIAM G. BEVERIDGE: 26 Circle Road. Resident for 21 years.
Education: The Hotchkiss School 1986; B.A., Barnard College 1990
Occupation: Community Volunteer
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Edgemont Girl Scouts Unit Manager (2013 – Present), Troop Leader (2006 – Present); Overhill Block Assoc. Board Member (2000 – 2003), (2009 – 2011), (2014 – Present); Hotchkiss School Board of Governors or Alumni Assoc. (2012 – Present); Bronx River Sound Shore Audubon Society Board Member (2014 – Present); New England Center for Children Board of Advisors Member (2007 – Present); Scarsdale CHILD Chair (2008 – 2009).
Children: Ages 20, 15 and 13
SANG HAN: 27 Paddington Road. Resident for 9 years.
Education: B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Occupation: Managing Director, Global Equity Derivatives, TD Securities (USA) LLC
Civic Activities: Maroon & White (2015 – Present); Scarsdale Youth Hockey Association various positions (2010 – Present), Treasurer (2013 – Present); Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Department Company 2 (2009 – Present), Quartermaster (2013 – Present); Rec. Dept. Softball Coach (2012 – 2013); Rec. Dept. Basketball Coach (2010); Scarsdale Little League Coach (2009 – 2011); Hitchcock Presbyterian Church Elder (2008 – 2010), Hitchcock Presbyterian Church Deacon (1998 – 2000).
Children: 15, 12 and 10
ERIC LIVERANCE: 63 Brambach Road. Resident for 4.5 years.
Education: Masters Computational Finance, Carnegie Mellon University; Ph.D. Mathematics, University of Maryland; Masters Mathematics, Yale University
Occupation: Financial Modeler
Civic Activities: Vestry member (2015-2017), choir member (2011-present), Sunday school teacher (2014-present), St. James the Less Church, Scarsdale; Cub Scout/Boy Scout leader for Pack 440/Troop 4 at Hitchcock Church, Scarsdale (2010-present).
Child: Age 11
Greenacres
SHARON KASS HIGGINS: 5 Sage Terrace. Resident for 10 years.
Education: Scarsdale High School 1986; BA, University of Vermont; M.Ed Elementary K- 6th, The George Washington University
Occupation: Part-time in marketing and retail.
Civic Activities: Greenacres PTA Executive Board (2013 – Present), Greenacres 100th Diamond Jubilee Gala Chair (2015 – Present); After School Club Chair (2013 – 2015), Nominating Committee (2014), Talent Show (2014 & 2015), Class Parent (2009, 2012); CPSE and CSE Special Education Parent Member (2008 – Present); SMS 6th Grade Rec Night Co-Chair (2013); SMS 7th Rec Night and 8th Grade Breakfast Co-Chair (2015 – Present); CHILD Search Committee for new Special Education Director (2013); Basketball Coach (2012); Softball Coach (2008).
Children: Ages 13, 12, 11 and 9
TANYA SINGER: 8 Montrose Road. Resident 10+ years.
Education: BA, Wellesley College, with honors
Occupation: General Manager, Bloomberg LP
Civic Activities: America's VetDogs, Volunteer; Greenacres PTA Executive Committee Vice President, Fall Fundraiser Chair, Artful Looking/Learning to Look Chair, First Greenacres STEAM Day Chair, Class Parent.
Children: Ages 12 and 5
Heathcote
EMMANOUIL MAKRAKIS: 95 Secor Road. Resident for 3 years.
Education: MS Electrical engineering (Greece) & MS Telecommunications (N.J.I.T)
Occupation: Financial applications development
Civic Activities: Heathcote PTA Bike testing/safety committee chair (2012 – Present); Heathcote STE(A)M committee member, Astronomy event (2014); Volunteer in various Scarsdale schools events: Young writers workshop (2015), Heathcote staff appreciation event (2015), Heathcote carnival (2013).
Child: Age 8
MELISSA PECULLAN (Fielding): 46 Crossway. Resident for 5 years.
Education: PhD, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent
Civic Activities: Heathcote PTA, Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club Board Member, Team Parent Manager; Scarsdale Rec. Dept. Soccer Coach.
Children: Ages 10 and 7
Quaker Ridge
JONATHAN DRESCHER: 52 Black Birch Lane. Resident for 15 years.
Education: BA, Allegheny College; M.Arch, UCLA
Occupation: Real Estate Executive
Civic Activities: New York Building Foundation Board of Governors, Vice Chairman; New York League of Conservation Voters, State Board Member; Zoning Board of Appeals (member, Chair), Village of Scarsdale; Planning Board (Member, Chair), Village of Scarsdale; Parking Authority Board, City of White Plains, Board Member; Design Review Board, City of White Plains, Board Member
Children: Ages 20, 17 and 11
ERIC PREMISLER: 238 Rock Creek Lane. Resident for 3 years.
Education: BA, University of Vermont, degree in History and a minor in Political Science; MA, Adelphi University Secondary Education Social Studies
Occupation: Secondary School Teacher of Social Studies
Children: Ages 5 and 2
Deborah Skolnik Publishes 100 Days of Gentle Scarsdale Satire
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Long time Scarsdale resident and writer Deborah Skolnik has released her book '100 days of Gentle Scarsdale Satire," a collection of hilarious satirical poems that gently poke fun at our town's most lovable quirks. Based on her Facebook page, which has attracted more than 700 followers, this book will resonate with not only Scarsdalians, but anyone who appreciates a good laugh.
Skolnik says, "I grew up right here in Scarsdale--Edgemont, to be exact. My family moved here in 1969. Aside from college and six years in the city, I've lived here my entire life. I'm fortunate to be married to a wonderful man, TP Enders, and we have two children.
There have been so many changes in the Scarsdale Village. It's kind of sad to see so many empty storefronts -- there's a poem in the book about that, in fact. The rise of internet commerce has definitely contributed to this, I'm afraid, and so has the onward march of technology in general. For instance, it's hard to imagine someone ever again opening up a store like Reading, Writing and Wrapping in the village, now that so many people read e-books and send e-mails instead of letters. And there used to be a store called the Spencer Five and Dime, filled with all sorts of merchandise--like a mini eBay. We kids could buy pink rubber balls there, and 
I remember being fascinated by the Tiny Dream Curlers--wee little hair curlers they sold for about a quarter. It's impossible to imagine such a humble store in the Village anymore. But on the bright side, fro-yo was a big thing in Scarsdale Village in the 1980s, and then it disappeared, BUT IT'S BACK, BABY!
And you know the bridge where CVS and Little Thai Kitchen is? On the other side, there used to be a whole other row of stores. There was a clock store there and we bought a clock from it that's still in my childhood bedroom. For real! Now that makes me feel old.
In these 40 years, Scarsdalians have remained fundamentally the same--educated, ambitious, conscientious, generous, and child-centered. We're just these things to an even greater degree than we were before. One big change I've seen is that we've become more racially and ethnically diverse, which enriches us all.
On my writing career
I graduated from Edgemont High School and then attended Cornell University. I majored in English and graduated in 1989. After that, I embarked on a 25-year career working at a variety of newspapers and magazines--Woman's Day; the late, great McCall's; American Baby; The New York Daily News; Parents; and Parenting. I spent 8 happy years at Parenting when, in 2013, it folded. I was super fortunate and immediately got a job working for Myron Corporation, a large promotional products firm located in Maywood, New Jersey. If anyone wants the world's best pens, pocket diaries, desk journals, or other items to promote their brand, we are THE source! I have helped write a dental humor calendar for us (yes, that's a real thing) that does very well. It's called Bright Smiles--visit myron.com and check it out!
What I Write About
I've written for every publication mentioned above, plus others including Redbook, Glamour, Closer, The New York Times, Reader's Digest, and Westchester magazine. My writings range from heavily reported pieces to humor pieces and essays. Last year, Reader's Digest bought a few of my Facebook posts and ran them in their "Life in These United States" humor section, which I found humorous in and of itself! I hadn't submitted them--a friend I used to work with thought the posts were funny, and showed them to the magazine's humor editor.
I also once wrote a song about a brand of birdseed called Birdola. I don't know why, except that the name made me laugh. My husband put a snippet of me singing the Birdola song on YouTube, and several months later, the company reached out to me because they wanted the song! All my friends thought I was going to become a millionaire, but I kept reminding them that I have never seen a birdseed commercial on TV in my life.
In the end, it turned out that the company just wanted to sing my song at their annual Christmas party. I traded them the right to do that in exchange for some birdseed and a sweatshirt that says 'BIRDOLA' on it. So while some people complain that they work for peanuts, I work for birdseed!
How Gentle Scarsdale Satire came to be
One morning last winter, shortly after we parents had all dropped off our kids to school, the school called us and told us to come take them home again because the weather was getting worse. A bunch of parents were complaining about it on Facebook, and a poem popped into my head about it. I put it on the Scarsdale Moms Facebook page - a wonderful community resource- and it got a tremendous response. I was surprised!
After writing a few more poems, it became clear to me that my work would be better off living on its own Facebook page, with a self-selecting audience. I put a note to that effect on the Scarsdale Moms page, inviting people to join my poetry group. I thought maybe 30 people would sign up, and stick around till the snow thawed. Instead, the group now numbers more than 700 people. I am so grateful to each and every one of them.
Sometime this fall, I became aware that I was nearing the 100-poem mark. Quite a few people had suggested making the poems into a book. That hadn't been the original intention, but I figured why not, once there are 100 poems? I finally reached that number a few weeks ago.
Linda Purvis and me
Linda is an incredibly gracious lady. She's retired now, but until last year, she was the Assistant Superintendent of Scarsdale schools. Hers was the voice we would hear on the robo-calls announcing snow days and delays, and as a result she took a lot of heat for those decisions, even though she didn't make them.
When her retirement party was announced, some people in the community who were aware of my snow-day poems (which mentioned Linda) suggested it would be great for me to write a poem in her honor. I did, and was invited to read it at her retirement soiree! I was really nervous; it was a fairly formal setting, and I had to get up in front of the large audience and recite my verses. But I wanted to honor Linda along with the rest of the community. I brought a few laughs to a very bittersweet occasion, and I was glad for that!
I also got to pose with Linda for a picture, which was awesome. She's my Beyoncé!
Why you should definitely own a copy!
I hope a lot of people will want a copy for their coffee table or as a holiday gift for a family member, friend, or anyone who grew up here or recently moved to town. Even if you've never visited Scarsdale, the poems are bound to strike a chord, especially if you live in the suburbs! These verses are about stuff like childcare struggles, overpriced real estate, parking tickets, and lawns that refuse to stay green. I think it's all a good laugh, and a great cause will benefit with each purchase, too: A portion of all the profits will go to My Sister's Place, a wonderful charity that combats domestic violence and human trafficking in Westchester County.
I don't pick on any one person, only on things that I think are near-universal challenges, amusements, or frustrations within our community. Early on, I learned to be mindful of the first word in Gentle Scarsdale Satire! I think at their best, my poems do make people pause and think. I've written about topics like people's over-eagerness to knock down homes with historic significance, for instance, and people who double-park their cars. These may be the same people!
Next on my list
It's been my lifelong dream to write for Saturday Night Live. I'm going to send a copy of 100 Days of Gentle Scarsdale Satire to Lorne Michaels and beg him to just let me be a fly on the wall at a writer's meeting. What have I got to lose? The worst he can do is ignore me or say no.
I was also about halfway through writing a romance novel last summer--a continuation of a trilogy by another author--when I got busy with other things. I may pick it up again too.
You can buy your copy on Amazon here. Skolnik will hold a launch party on Wednesday December 16 at 7 pm at Wayside Cottage. A portion of the profits will go to My Sister's Place.
Here's a poem that Skolnik wrote when England's Princess Charlotte was born.
"All Hail the 'Dale"
A new princess is born! England cheers and rejoices,
and stateside, we add in our own Yankee voices!
But what's the big deal? Because I've gotta say,
in Scarsdale we see princesses every day.
They live in McMansions decked out so chic-shabby
they'd suffice as the setting for McDownton Abbey.
Sadly, these gals lack a carriage and pony,
but with Teslas and Jaguars, they still travel tony.
Slender and coiffed, our princesses look royal
even at C-Town, just buying tin foil.
And just like the Windsors, they seldom feel lonely:
When they eat, you can bet that it's Standing Room Only.
