Letter to the Editor: Vote No on Proposed Amendment 5 to the SBNC Resolution
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 2016
This letter to the editor was submitted by Alex Wolf of Harvest Drive, candidate for the School Board Nominating Committee:
To the Editor,
Vote “No” on SBNC (School Board Nominating Committee) Amendment number 5 codifying the procedure to contact references not provided by each candidate. The SBNC is a committee comprised of volunteers who, in the tradition of non-partisanship, seek to vet candidates for our school board. These candidates for the school board are themselves volunteers contributing their time and talents to serve our schools. While it is entirely consistent with the SBNC’s vetting process to contact references given by school board candidates, I contend that it is unneighborly and inconsistent with the Scarsdale spirit when the SBNC’s vetting process strays from the legitimate role of evaluating candidates to investigating them. Scarsdale does not suffer from a surfeit of individuals desiring to devote their time to serving the community. In point of fact, a number of the open positions on the SBNC are uncontested. That the SBNC, a number of whose members will have been elected by default in uncontested elections, would investigate school board candidates by contacting individuals not provided by these candidates as references seems inappropriate at best and, at worst, a mechanism for injecting personal bias into the process. It should be enough that a member of our community who wants to give freely of their time and talents can provide references who can speak to their character and capabilities. Let us recall that even Abraham Lincoln had his detractors.
Full disclosure, I am running for the SBNC from Quaker Ridge. I work as a real estate attorney and educator. My wife, Tracy Tang, is very active in the community both professionally and as a volunteer. I have two boys, one at SHS in the 9th grade and the other at SMS in the 7th grade. We, like so many, feel privileged to have our children attend the Scarsdale schools. I welcome the opportunity to share my perspective in selecting candidates for our school board. Anyone with questions about my candidacy may feel free to email me at awolf@wolflawyer.com.
The 2022 SBNC Election will take place on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 7–10 a.m. and 2–9 p.m. in the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium Lobby at 134 Mamaroneck Road.
Alex Wolf
Harvest Drive
HSS Regional Director Dr. Dara Kass Finds Community in Scarsdale
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 3537
Dr. Dara Kass, has experienced some big life changes in the past year. Formerly an emergency room physician at Columbia University, last month President Biden announced her appointment as the Regional Director of Region 2 of the US Department of Health and Human Services including New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. What more? This summer she moved her family of three children, ages 14, 12 and 9 to Scarsdale.
Here Dr. Kass shares her thoughts on the pandemic, affordable health care and adjusting to life in the suburbs. Find out more about your new neighbor here:
What are the biggest challenges facing the department now?
Combatting COVID-19, making health insurance coverage more accessible and affordable, and improving health equity are three major priorities of the Administration. As a physician, it is hard to overstate the impact that COVID-19 has had on Americans- claiming 750,000 lives, and creating hardships for many more. Combating the pandemic is closely linked with health equity, as we know that communities of color are suffering the greatest impact from the virus. Fortunately, as numbers are starting to show – the Administration is making huge strides when it comes to reducing disparities in health access. As of this fall, 73% of Latinos and 70% of Black Americans have now gotten at least their first shot, compared to 71% of white Americans. But we still have more work to do, to ensure vaccination numbers continue to rise.
The pandemic has also made it abundantly clear that Americans want and need access to affordable, quality health insurance coverage. We know this because 2.8 million people took advantage of lower health insurance premiums during this year’s Marketplace Special Enrollment Period and received coverage. It is more in reach than ever – currently 4 in 5 Americans can access quality coverage for less than $10 a month. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan we are better positioned to protect our most vulnerable populations.
What are some of your personal goals in your new role?
I am proud of the work that the Administration has done to improve Americans’ health and wellbeing. Working firsthand in the Emergency Room magnifies both the tremendous successes we’ve realized and the need for greater access to care for all of us. In my new role, I will work to amplify the messages of the Administration so that more Americans in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands can gain access to the healthier outcomes they deserve.
What do you anticipate will be the major differences for you between working at medical institutions and serving in your new role in the government?
First and foremost, the schedule should be a bit kinder to my aging body! Emergency departments are open 24/7 and I have worked overnights and weekends since I became a doctor. I am looking forward to a more “normal” schedule where I sleep when other people sleep.
I am also looking forward to having a different impact on the delivery of healthcare. The work I did at Columbia University Medical Center was incredible, and I was a well-known figure nationally in my field, but nothing compares to the ability to support good government and the work it does. This administration has already passed landmark legislation to help guide us out of this pandemic and with the Build Back Better Act, they are on target to affect even more lives. The opportunity to support the implementation of those resources locally is an honor and a privilege.
And about Scarsdale…
How long have you lived here and what drew you to Scarsdale?
We just moved to Scarsdale over the summer. We had never really thought about living in the suburbs, but over the past year we realized we wanted to get our kids into one school system as opposed to the hodgepodge of public and private schools we were at in the city. Once you try to find a community with exceptional schools, reasonable commute to the city and beautiful neighborhoods, the decision becomes rather clear. So here we are!
How old are your children and how have they adjusted?
We have three children. Our daughter Hannah is 14 and a freshman at Scarsdale High School. Charlie is 12. He is a 6th grader at Scarsdale Middle School and Sammy is 9 and in the 4th grade at Fox Meadow. So we are still in different schools, but at least it’s the same school system! They have adjusted well. I think coming here just as everyone was emerging from their pandemic education was a good time for a move, socially and academically.
What do you like about living here?
I really love the sense of belonging in Scarsdale. We came from a tight knit community in Park Slope. We were active in our schools and at our temple. I was a bit worried that we weren’t going to be able to recreate that easily here, but thankfully that is not the case. We have already made great friends and reconnected with others that we knew from college or graduate school. Personally, I love how many physician women live in this town, we must have more per capita than almost any other town in Westchester. Lastly, we joined Shaarei Tikvah, the temple right around the corner from our house and that has been wonderful, not just for religious education for our children, but for an anchor for our whole family.
What (if any) are your favorite places to go?
So as new suburbanites, my daughter and I have been going to the Westchester quite a bit. It may not seem like a big deal to other people but malls and parking are totally novel to us and we love to pop over and walk around.
We love Akai in town and are very grateful to have excellent sushi so close to our house. My boys learned to ride bikes just so they could ride the Bronx River Parkway on Sundays, another totally new experience for us. Overall, our move to Scarsdale has exceeded all of our expectations and we look forward to living here for many years to come.
No Mo Robo Calls
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1257
Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) announces that two of her bills to stop the daily nuisance of spam robocalls have been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. “This legislation is a significant step in ending the current and escalating scourge of robocalls,” said Paulin. “At the same time, they will help protect consumers from fraudulent and costly robocall schemes. Robocalls are a quality-of-life issue and with these new laws we are tackling them head-on.”
A585a/S4281a requires telecommunication companies to authenticate calls using STIR/SHAKEN technology in order to crack down on spam robocalls. The measure will prevent nuisance callers from using technology to “spoof” their identity with a fake, invalid number, while also making it easier for authorities to trace illegal calls back to their source.
A268a/S6267a requires telecommunication providers to block calls coming from numbers that are not valid North American numbering plan numbers, numbers that are valid but are not allocated to a provider, and valid numbers that are allocated to a provider but are unused. The law also requires providers to block calls when the subscriber assigned to a number has requested that calls purporting to originate from such number be blocked because such number is only used for inbound calls.
Robocalls present a significant nuisance for New Yorkers on a daily basis and are the top consumer complaint received by the Federal Communications Commission. Year over year the issue has worsened exponentially, and figures indicate that it will continue to worsen unless preventive measures are implemented to combat the problem. Requiring telecommunication providers to block these calls will afford much needed safeguards to decrease the number of unwanted robocalls New Yorkers receive.
“Robocalls are disruptive, pervasive, and serve no benefit to families and communities. Blocking robocalls can protect vulnerable consumer populations from predatory practices, in particular our seniors who have been targeted by scammers during the pandemic. I am proud to sponsor this legislation, which blocks the majority of robocalls and I am grateful to Governor Hochul for taking this step to help New Yorkers feel safe when using their phones.”
In many instances robocalls are scams targeted at consumers. “The scams are all different, and there won’t be a single silver bullet to fix them all, but these new laws attack the problem from multiple angles,” said Paulin.
“Robocalls are a daily annoyance,” continued Paulin. “No one wants to answer the phone anymore. You can’t even trust calls from local numbers. By requiring providers to utilize technology that prevents spoofed numbers and proactively block calls that are clearly illegitimate, these laws are a critical step towards ending this nuisance. It’s time to take back control of our phones and end this telephone harassment.”
A585a/S4281a is sponsored in the New York Senate by Senator Todd Kaminsky and A268a/S6267a is sponsored by Senator Jeremy Cooney.
SHS Students Raising Awareness of Genocide – Past and Present
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1543
Scarsdale High School students Jedd Fryman and Ben Hyman are seeking to raise awareness of past and current genocides, with the hope that increased awareness will help bring an end to the seemingly never-ending occurrence of genocidal violence. Their work with other genocide-awareness student groups around the world has led them to contribute their families’ personal stories connected to genocide to the recent publication Genocide Know More, which can be viewed here. Assemblymember Amy Paulin has collaborated with them in order to help give their publication a broader platform.
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established December 9 as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. The 9th of December was chosen as it is the anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
In honor of Genocide Awareness Day 2021 Fryman and Hyman ask you to practice being an upstander. Sociologists report that people who were rescued during the Holocaust often reported that altruistic actions were normal to their everyday lives. Build this habit into your life by doing something kind for someone else daily. An act of kindness each day is an honorable goal.
Pictured at top: Scarsdale High School students Jedd Fryman and Ben Hyman
Eulogy for John Gimesh
- Details
- Written by Andrea Seiden
- Hits: 2342
Andrea Seiden and her Father at the Botanical GardenThe following eulogy for John Gimesh, father of Andrea Seiden and Cynthia Samwick, both of Scarsdale, was delivered by Andrea at Congregation Kol Ami on Monday November 1
My father, John Gimesh died on October 29, 2021 at nearly 92. He lived through the Holocaust, boldy immigrated to an unfamiliar country seeking opportunity, watched the twin towers fall, enjoyed economic booms and weathered downturns. He was a survivor. Most recently, he survived the pandemic and years tethered to a dialysis machine. He was a multi-faceted man. He did not have interests or hobbies, he had passions and obsessions. He was a proud Holocaust Jew, renowned medical antique collector, world traveler, doctor, loving father, husband, and grandfather. When writing this eulogy, several stories about his life came to my mind which are a testament to his strength and remarkable life.
Dad the Yid
My dad often said that the Holocaust had given him a unique perspective on life. Allowing him to be positive in the face of adversity and never take anything for granted. However, he had a complicated relationship with his past.
We had flown separately to Hungary; Mark and I from NY and my dad from North Carolina via London. Our plan was to meet in the lobby of the Hilton located in the historic Buda Castle District. The hotel, which was originally a 13th century Dominican cloister and monastery with its gilded furniture, layers of staff, and Gypsy violinists roaming the dining halls and serenading guests. It was formal and intimidating. I worried I would pick up the wrong serving pieces at breakfast or wipe when clearly I should dab.
We waited in the lobby for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, my dad arrived. Rather the gray slacks, vest, blazer and tie he typically wore, he had grown a scraggly gray beard and was wearing small coin silver glasses. A black cap sat on his head. I was horrified. Cringing, I whispered, “Dad, what the hell are you wearing? And why didn’t you cut hair before the trip? You look like Tevye the Milk Man.”
He looked at us and said, “When I dine in a 5-star restaurant or stay in a first class hotel in Hungary, I want them to know that they are serving a Yid.”
Dad the Collector
John Gimesh with daughters Cynthia Samwick and Andrea Seiden
My father was an avid antique collector who took his hobby to a clinical extreme. Every square inch of our apartment in Germany or his home in NC served as exhibition space. Walls were reserved for old clocks-- grandfathers, regulators, mantle, black forest, and coo coos. When wound and synchronized, high noon was a deafening experience. Showcases housed everything from porcelain chamber pots to Hummel figurines. There was an eerie nursey of bisque dolls settled into prams, infant cradles and wooden highchairs. The little kitchen space was no exception. Hanging from hooks, were delft baby feeders and OBGYN instruments; on the windowsill were rows of forest green pharmaceutical bottles.
On Saturday mornings the kitchen was a staging area where Dad would clean and catalogue his latest bargains. Cynthia and I would wake up early to the sound of Victorian hand crank music boxes. We wanted nothing more than a bowl of Captain Crunch and to curl up on the cozy horsehair couch and watch American cartoons or HR Puff N’ Stuff.
But Dad had other plans for us. We were to help him clean his latest acquisitions. In a ten gallon pot intended for pasta or soup, old pewter dinnerware was boiling in a mixture of water, baking soda and vinegar intended to dissolve the grime that coated the pieces for the last 150 years. Frothy scum rolled over steins, plates and ladles that were hiding below the waterline.
While the pewter was tumbling, Dad would teach us to clean and deworm old chests using a syringe filled with poison that we would inject into the neat, little holes created by the larvae incubating deep in the dark oak.
Dad the Traveler
My dad was a very curious person and loved exploring people and places. During his lifetime, he explored much of the world.
John Gimesh at his grandson's Bar MitzvahHe hiked Machu Picchu, the pyramids of Egypt, bargained in Tunisia, Marrakesh, Jerusalem toured and Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. He loved being an American and made it his business to take us to numerous national parks and cities such as Charleston, Savanah, Santa Fe. He spoke five languages somewhat fluently and was proud that he had working knowledge of profanity in many other dialects. He had a natural way of ingratiated himself to people of different cultures and customs, usually disarming them with a dirty joke. He loved when Mark or the boys would reel off a litany of dirty words when meeting other Hungarians. My dad would proudly instruct them, “Tell them what I taught you boys!”
His favorite means of exploration was from behind the wheel of a car. He loved the freedom of driving. And he drove everywhere. He raced on the autobahns when we were living in Germany, drove the Pacific Coast Highway stopping to take family photos at virtually every point of interest and intimately knew I-95.
But the truth is, even though he liked to drive, he was not the type of driver who concerned himself much with passenger comfort. Like most Europeans, he rode the break, aggressively passed, and leaned on the horn. To stay awake on long trips, he would roll down the window and let the cold air in and slap his face.
As he got older, even the bravest of passengers riding along with my 90-year old father in his Mercedes found themselves bracing at every turn and holding their breath as he dodged in and out of lanes with only sporadic use of a signal. It was easy to imagine swerving into an oncoming car as he motored down a one lane road gripping the steering wheel and simultaneously searching for a classical music radio station. We begged him to stop driving, but he would not even entertain the idea. “How would I get to dialysis”, he asked,
Shortly before the onset of the COVID pandemic, my father had a minor auto accident. He hit a tree while driving out of his independent residence. While he did not break any bones or hurt anyone, the air bags banged him up and he was hospitalized for a few days. In a symbolic passing of the torch, he called me from his hospital room with tears in his voice, and said, “I lost control. You can take my keys”.
Dad as Dad
The role that meant the most to me was my father as a dad. After my parents divorced, he picked us up every weekend to take us hiking, to lunch, or to go to Cross Creek. Often I wanted to hang with my friends, but he wanted us to be together and resorted to bribing me with a trip to the mall and buying corduroys at the Gap. When I got older and attended college, he hopped in the car and came up to see me – taking me and my friends to dinner or the Raleigh symphony. Once when I accidently ate pot laced brownies and was certain I would die of a heart attack or be carted off Dorothea Dix, the state mental hospital, in an effort to calm me, he immediately raced up to my dorm, armed with the latest medical articles on the hazards of ingesting cannabis. We laughed about that for years. We talked about everything – nothing was off limits and nothing was uncomfortable.
He was a sweet, loving person. Calling me every day to check in to see how I was doing and always asked about Mark, Josh, Greg and Alli. He endlessly thanked me for everything I did and ended every phone call with “I love you”.
Even in his hospital room as he faded in an out of consciousness, dad held my hand and told me how much he appreciated everything I did for him since moving to NY. Perhaps the best compliment I can receive is when people say, “I am a chip off the old Hungarian block”. Dad you will remain an inspiration to me for the rest of my life and I will miss you dearly.
