Scarsdale Alum to Lead Amazon
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Andy Jassy with Thomas Hagerman at Scarsdale High School, September 2014The news broke on Tuesday February 2, 2021 that an alumni of Scarsdale High School will lead Amazon, a $1.7 trillion company with 1.3 million employees. Andy Jassy, who graduated from SHS in 1986 and is now 53 years old, took his first position at Amazon in 1997 immediately after his graduation from Harvard Business School. In 2002 he began to shadow his boss Jeff Bezos, serving as a sounding board and challenger and learned everything about the business firsthand. In 2003, Jassy founded Amazon Web Services, which has grown to be Amazon’s most profitable division. Now Bezos, who is 57, will become Executive Chair of the Amazon Board and Jassy will transition to the role of Amazon CEO.
In September 2014 Jassy came to Scarsdale and was interviewed by School Superintendent Thomas Hagerman. Here is what we wrote at the time:
Scarsdale got a glimpse into the past and the future when the Scarsdale Schools Foundation welcomed SHS alumnus Andy Jassy to address the community on Tuesday night, September 16th. Jassy, who heads up Amazon's Cloud Computing division called Amazon Web Services, gave the packed audience a glimpse into what's driving Amazon's success as well as his own impressive career trajectory at the company, offering credit to Scarsdale for making him the person he is today.
Superintendent Thomas Hagerman interviewed Jassy and said he looked back at Jassy's transcript at Scarsdale High School for something interesting but could only find a record of success. He presented Jassy with a framed photo of himself from his 1986 yearbook.
Jassy reminisced about Scarsdale and said the last time he was in the auditorium he was performing in the senior class play Guys and Dolls. He told the audience that Scarsdale has "an incredible school system" and "you should feel lucky you send your kids to school here." He remembered the teachers who had made a difference in his life including Eric Rothschild who taught him to write, engage and consider himself a student. In Warner Feig's class on constitutional law he learned the Socratic method and the importance of preparing for class. Though he wasn't fond of English teacher Courtney Cauble, he ended up in his class for three years. Cauble had "unrelenting standards" and taught Jassy to write. His ninth grade Social Studies teacher Larry Davis insisted he learned to take notes in shorthand, a skill he continues to use at meetings today.
After attending Harvard College and Harvard Business School Jassy accepted a position at Amazon in Seattle where he felt he could learn and quickly assume bigger responsibilities. In fact, Jassy believes that a hunger to continue to learn throughout life is key to success. Today he manages what he says could become Amazon's biggest business, Amazon Web Services, which serves some of the world's biggest websites, companies and government agencies. Clients include Pinterest, Netflix and Air B&B as well as General Electric, Time Inc. and large academic centers. He said, "We are still in the early days of what is possible," and that the company "develops their services in response to customer needs."
What do they look for in hiring new talent? Amazon seeks intelligent, analytical people with a high tolerance for ambiguity. They look for people who are strategic but can deal with the details as well. Those who succeed are tenacious, persistent, able to overcome barriers, reflective and vocally self-critical. According to Jassy, the company cannot hire enough computer engineers. He said, "It used to be that becoming a doctor was a guarantee of earning a good living. Today, if you graduate with a degree in computer science you will have a job." He encouraged the district to teach coding at an early age as it teaches problem solving and critical thinking.
In order to be nimble, the company is divided into small, autonomous units so that work teams are not dependent on other units to succeed. These units are called "Two pizza teams" meaning that the teams must be small enough that they would need only two pizzas for a meal.
Another key to Amazon's success is the prioritization of new projects. Since there are always new ideas, the challenge is to select those that will respond to customer needs and have the biggest impact. In order to define those projects Jassy says that before any coding or development begins the team will write a press release and an FAQ on the new product, laying out its benefits to customers and answering questions that will arise. By evaluating these materials first the company can decide which projects have the most merit and potential before using resources for development.
What's down the road? Jassy said, "We are planting seeds now that will hopefully grown into trees." More specifically he mentioned the drones project that could be two, five, or even ten years away. He said that in the future very few companies will have their own data centers and will use the cloud to collect, store and analyze data at a far lower cost. He even predicted that cancer would be cured by computer scientists through data analysis. The use of mobile apps and devices will be more pervasive and sensors will be used to collect and transmit data back to the cloud.
Hagerman questioned Jassy about the work environment and Jassy replied that the rapidly growing company always has too little space. In order to make the most of the space they have, walls are lined with white boards so that any room can become a meeting space. To keep teams in Seattle in touch with teams around the world, they stream videoconferencing on their computers 24/7 and speak to people around the world as if they were in the same room.
Asked who inspires him, Jassy said, "My boss Jeff Bezos." He continued, "He is the most brilliant thinker I know, he is unbelievably creative, has technical acumen and unusual empathy for the customer. Jassy shadowed Bezos for 18 months and saw that "he quickly got to the heart of an issue and added value." Bezos is "not set in his ways, does not rest on his laurels, is optimistic about change and does not believe there is a glass ceiling on what we can do."
An audience member asked him what he wished he knew when he was in high school and he quickly replied, "I wish I knew then that trying to be cool or popular was overrated."
The irony is that almost 20 years later Jassy is the coolest guy in the room.
Scarsdale Foundation Grant Aids Hoff-Barthelson with Pandemic Precautions to Restore In-Person Music Lessons
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Hoff-Barthelson Music School has received a grant from the Scarsdale Foundation to complete facility upgrades and install safety equipment that enable the School to meet the growing demand for safe in-person music lessons even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
The $10,835 grant underwrites the costs of upgrading HVAC filtration systems and installing protective barriers and sanitation stations for the school’s second building, Helton House. Helton House, located next to Hoff-Barthelson’s main building on School Lane, is home to eight private music learning rooms. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoff-Barthelson has been running a large slate of online offerings, but has had to sharply limit the number of in-person lessons and classes. The upgrades facilitate the use of those rooms for safe, in-person music lessons as the School launches its spring semester later this month.
“This generous grant from the Scarsdale Foundation has enabled us to complete important safety upgrades to the smaller of our two buildings, bringing additional studios back into service,” said HBMS Executive Director Ken Cole. “While we have been providing a limited number of in-person lessons since the start of the 2020-21 school year, hundreds of our students have been pursuing their music studies entirely online since March, 2020, when the pandemic forced us to drastically reduce the number of people allowed on site. Online lessons and classes work well for many students; however, others require in-person instruction in order to thrive. We are delighted to now be able to safely accommodate greater numbers of students in person, even before the pandemic is fully tamed.”
“The Scarsdale Foundation is pleased to provide a grant to assist Hoff-Barthelson in expanding the number of students who will be able to receive in-person lessons despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Scarsdale Foundation President Randy Guggenheimer.
Families interested in enrolling in music instruction, online or in-person, for the spring semester, are invited to call Hoff-Barthelson Music School at 914-723-1169, email at [email protected], or to visit our website at www.hbms.org.
About Hoff-Barthelson Music School
Hoff-Barthelson Music School has achieved national recognition as a premier community music school for its unsurpassed leadership in education, performance and community service. With a faculty drawn from the region’s most talented teachers and performers, the School has long been one of Westchester County’s most cherished cultural resources. At Hoff-Barthelson, students find a warm, friendly music school dedicated to the highest standards of education, performance, and community service. Students of all ages, aptitudes, and levels of interest enjoy a supportive, joyful learning environment; a focus on the whole person; exceptional teaching; and a multifaceted curriculum.
Westchester Residents 65 and Over Scramble to Find Vaccines
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After much criticism about the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, on Monday January 11, 2021, New York State cleared people aged 75 years and older to receive it. On Tuesday January 12, he changed that to 65 and over, and now thousands are scrambling to find out where and how to get the shot. According to the Governor, NYS now has 7 million people eligible for the vaccine, with only 300,000 vaccines available.
In Manhattan, some of have been successful at scheduling appointments at NYC Department of Health Facilities and at several hospitals.
In Westchester, it’s taking a few more days to make a plan.
At his weekly briefing on Monday January 11, 2021, Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced that the county is working to deliver the vaccine according to New York State guidelines.
The state’s expanded list of who is eligible for the vaccine is as follows:
• People 75 and older (Since changed to 65 and older)
• Teachers and education workers
• First responders
• Public safety workers
• Public transit workers
• High-risk hospital workers (emergency room workers, ICU staff and Pulmonary
Department staff)
• Residents and staff at nursing homes and other congregate care facilities
• Federally Qualified Health Center employees
• EMS workers
• Coroners, medical examiners and certain funeral workers
• Staff and residents at OPWDD, OMH and OASAS facilities
• Urgent Care providers
• Individuals administering COVID-19 vaccines, including local health department staff
• All Outpatient/Ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who
provide direct in-person patient care
• All staff who are in direct contact with patients (i.e., intake staff)
• All front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients,
including those conducting COVID-19 tests, handling COVID-19 specimens and
COVID-19 vaccinations
• Doctors who work in private medical practices and their staff
• Doctors who work in hospital-affiliated medical practices and their staff
• Doctors who work in public health clinics and their staff
• Registered Nurses
• Specialty medical practices of all types
• Dentists and Orthodontists and their staff
• Psychiatrists and Psychologists and their staff
• Physical Therapists and their staff
• Optometrists and their staff
• Pharmacists and Pharmacy Aides
• Home care workers
• Hospice workers
• Staff of nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities who did not receive COVID vaccination
through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program
Latimer provided the following resources to help residents find out if they are eligible for a vaccine, and if so, where to get one.
First, to determine your eligibility and to receive an email and a text message when you qualify, go to this site and answer the questions and register:
Latimer asked that younger relatives or friends help older people to sign up if they are having trouble with the website.
For those who prefer to schedule an appointment on the phone, a vaccination hotline will open at 4 PM today, Monday January 11, 2021. The NY State COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline to schedule vaccination appointments for eligible New Yorkers is: 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
For eligible people to get an appointment for a future date, at the Westchester County Center, click here:
Latimer said that the Westchester County Center will open this Wednesday or Thursday as a facility to dispense vaccinations. It will NOT BE A WALK-IN facility. You will need an appointment to receive one at the County Center.
Help Available: If you're having trouble navigating the websites, Scarsdale students will be happy to help you to get an appointment. A group called VAX HELPERS has been formed. Call the at (914) 574-7863. If they don't pick up, leave a message. You will need to supply them with the following:
Your Name
Allergy History
Address
Phone Number/Email Address
Date of Birth
The state has also issued this list of locations that will be administering vaccines, but we do not know if they have supplies now:
Volunteers Needed
The Hudson Valley Regional HUB, WMCHealth is seeking volunteers to support the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Volunteers are needed to assist with operations and activities at vaccination sites, such as registration and check-in, data entry, greeting and routing participants, traffic flow, and other administrative tasks. Volunteers with specific clinical credentials to administer the vaccine are also needed.
Volunteers must be 18 years of age in good health and proficient in English, with bi-lingual skills also being important. Those working at the vaccination site will be provided with training, PPE and will be able to receive the vaccine, if they wish.
Site locations will be announced in the coming days and will operate 7 days a week. Multiple shifts are available. Volunteers are asked to commit to three shifts a week during a 30-day commitment.
To register to be a part of this historic vaccine program, please click here.
COVID Spread
Turning from the vaccines to the current infection counts, Latimer reported that the COVID spread is increasing. He said, “We have grim numbers.”
As of January 11, 2021 there were 11,265 active cases in Westchester County, higher than the number as we had on April 10, 2020. This is up from 9,278 last week and 8,000 two weeks ago.
As of Saturday January 9, 2021, 504 people were hospitalized but the County’s bed count is higher, with about 2,500 beds so we have not reached a crisis situation. This is a 10% increase over last week and on Halloween night, October 31, 202, there were only 51 in the hospital, one tenth of today’s count.
As of Monday January 11th the county dashboard showed 83 active cases in Scarsdale and a 5.1% positive rate for the county overall.
Check the county dashboard for the latest numbers here:
Latimer to Seek Second Term
In other news, Latimer announced that he will run for a second two-year term as Westchester County Executive.
An email from his campaign says, “It has been my honor to serve you and all of Westchester's residents in navigating an irresponsible fiscal situation passed on by the last administration, a national political environment that warrants local focus on long overdue social justice reforms and an uncharted pandemic that has created further economic struggle for many along with a health care challenge that we must resolve so that more Westchester residents and New Yorkers do not suffer.
I am proud of my first term record with two consecutive years of zero property tax increases, timely budgets with no lay-offs or service cuts and swift action on so many social issues like justice reform, LGBT equality and women's rights.
Feeding Westchester: A Lifeline for Thousands of Hungry Residents
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Perhaps you’ve noticed people clutching empty bags in a long lines just over the border in White Plains. Many from Scarsdale drive by and wonder what these folks are waiting for. Sadly the answer is food. That’s right. Even in a wealthy county like Westchester the pandemic has hit hard and thousands have lost their jobs and are experiencing food insecurity, some for the first time. Feeding Westchester, an agency that distributes food to those in need, reports that they are serving 260,000- 300,000 residents per month, twice the number of people they helped before the COVID-19 outbreak.
How do they do it and how can you help? Read below for the story of an organization that is providing a lifeline to those most in need.
Tell us what Feeding Westchester is doing to feed those in need in Southern Westchester.
Feeding Westchester works with a network of nearly 300 partners and programs that distribute food throughout all of Westchester County, including pantries, soup kitchens, schools, and our mobile food pantry. We have also partnered with additional emergency “pop-up” pantries to meet the increased need due to COVID-19.
How do you secure the food? Is it all donated or do you need to purchase some of it?
Food comes to us in three ways. Some is purchased or provided by government programs, while other food is sourced through donation (such as food drives or retail recovery). Our Retail Recovery program allows local grocers and suppliers to contribute, rather than waste, food that is still usable. Those in the food service business may also donate food or household products for local people in need.
What is typically given to a family when they come to collect food – what are the contents of the bag?
Deliveries of fresh produce and dry goods are made to our programs and agencies each week. Specific items vary based on availability. Produce is sourced at least once a week and people receive all types of food at distributions. Agencies can also select the quantity and type of meat and dairy they wish to receive.
Tell us where and how the food is stored and distributed in this area.
The Feeding Westchester warehouse is located in Elmsford and delivers throughout Westchester. We have been distributing roughly 100,000 pounds of food per day (2 million pounds per month) since March through our partners and programs—twice the volume as compared to pre-COVID. Our partners include schools, pantries, soup kitchens, mobile food pantries, United Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties, Boys and Girls Club Mount Vernon, DoorDash, and our senior grocery program.
In terms of numbers, how have you seen the demand for food grow since the beginning of the pandemic? Do you ever run out of food and have to turn people away?
Feeding Westchester’s programs and partner agencies are serving between 260,000 – 300,000 residents who are hungry each month — more than twice as many as pre-COVID-19. This includes a number of individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity for the first time as a result of the pandemic. We have distributed nearly 20 million pounds of food, or 17.4 million meals, in the last year compared to 10.2 million pounds in 2019.
Thankfully, Feeding Westchester has never run out of food. We have also created “pop-up” distribution sites when needed, to ensure that every person in need has access to fresh, nutritious food.
Do you receive any government funding?
Yes, Feeding Westchester receives funding from the county, state and federal government in addition to support from individuals, corporations, and organizations throughout our community.
Tell us briefly about the history of Feeding Westchester. When and how did it start and how has it evolved?
The mission of Feeding Westchester is to end hunger in Westchester County. As the heart of a large network, we source and distribute food, and other resources, to towns across Westchester helping to ensure that none of our neighbors are hungry.
We were incorporated in 1988 as the "Food-PATCH" (People Allied to Combat Hunger) to fight the growing problem of hunger in Westchester County. At that time, operations consisted of one man, one van, and one small room at the Sharing Community Center in Yonkers, NY.
In 1990, we moved to a distribution facility in Hawthorne and distributed over one million pounds of food. We also became affiliated with America’s Second Harvest (now Feeding America).
We changed our name in 2007 to Food Bank For Westchester, distributing over 5 million pounds of food through 167 local programs. Five years later, we moved into our current distribution center in Elmsford, which houses the largest walk-in freezer in Westchester County.
In 2017, we launched our first Fresh Market programs. With the celebration of our 30th anniversary in 2018, we rebranded as Feeding Westchester to better reflect our mission and the scope of our work.
As mentioned above, Feeding Westchester is a member of Feeding America, the nationwide network of more than 200 food banks serving every state in the United States. Our membership gives us access to millions of pounds of donated food products from national companies and also provides access to trainings and resources that help us maximize efficiency. We are proud to be part of the top ten percent of Feeding America’s member food banks for distributing nutritious food to local people.
Today, Feeding Westchester supplies the region’s food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and daycare and residential programs. Our collaboration with major retailers and corporations, and our expertise in food procurement, storage, and distribution, turns every monetary donation into fresh food for our community.
Do you envision any long-term solutions to the problem of hunger in Westchester?
Hunger is here — right where we live. Although many in Westchester are wealthy, the cost of living is high. With fixed expenses like rent and childcare on the rise, groceries are often the first line slashed in a household’s budget.
Feeding Westchester is at the heart of a network that expertly sources and distributes food and resources to feed people who are hungry in every town in Westchester, nourishing all who are in need. Our mission is to end hunger in Westchester County.
How can readers help – do you need food donations, monetary donations or volunteers? Please provide details on how readers can get involved.
As Westchester continues to navigate COVID-19, our neighbors are relying on Feeding Westchester more than ever. Readers can get involved by making a donation, hosting a food drive or by participating in a virtual volunteer opportunity.
Karen C. Erren, President & CEO of Feeding Westchester explained, “This holiday season presents an unprecedented set of challenges for many families and individuals right here in Westchester County. From those who are struggling to make the holidays special for their children, to seniors who are spending the holidays alone, the impact of hunger is pervasive in our community. Feeding Westchester is here to support our neighbors who are struggling with hunger and make their holiday season a little bit brighter.”
Every $1 donated to Feeding Westchester provides three meals for children, seniors, and working families struggling with hunger over the holida¬¬y season. To find help, or to help, go to feedingwestchester.org.
Update from SNAP on Holiday Giving: Neighborly’ Doesn’t Just Mean Scarsdale.
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Rokaya Hassaballa with HOPE Executive Director Walt Ritz, Director of Operations Benito Ceja and Pantry Director Sister Mary Alice Hannan and SNAP for HOPE’s Week 1 donations (both tables!).This letter was writing by Scarsdale Neighborhood Association President Sarah Bell
Dear Scarsdale: We officially kicked-off SNAP for HOPE this week and all I can say is wow!
This week we delivered a total of 1,950 baked items, several hundred books and a few toys to HOPE. The items we delivered went directly from our cars to tables for HOPE clients. Thank you, Scarsdale! Let’s keep up the great work!
Scarsdale Neighborhood Association Presidents and all of the Scarsdale Neighborhood Associations invite you to participate in SNAP for HOPE, a six week of Village-wide holiday season service to provide baked goods, books and toys to HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle.
All Scarsdale residents can assist HOPE (Help Our People Eat) Community Services, the largest emergency Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen in our region. They need 1,600 baked items every week to provide to their client population, especially families and the elderly, as well as used books and new toys. SNAP’s goal is for Scarsdale to meet HOPE’s full 1,600 item need every week for the six consecutive weeks from Thanksgiving to the New Year plus donate much needed books and toys.
If you would like to participate, please email: [email protected].
Looking ahead:
HOPE let us know that they are short on new toys for the families that signed up for holiday toys. If anyone can sign up to donate new toys, please consider doing so.
We could use some baskets/trays for our baked goods and a folding or similar bookshelf for all of the books. If anyone has any baskets or similar to donate, or a bookshelf that will fit in a trunk that they are willing to donate, please email [email protected].
If you would like to bake and haven’t signed up, please consider signing up for Weeks 4, 5 or 6, which are short(er) on volunteers.
Emails with information and reminders will go out twice during the week before each Monday delivery.
All baked goods, books and toys should be in paper shopping bags with handles and clearly labelled with the type of item and number of items in the bag (i.e. 65 cookies, 10 books, 3 toys, etc).
Toys should NOT be wrapped.
Non-perishable” means – does not need to be refrigerated (any ‘traditional’ baked item is fine!).
To participate, please email: [email protected].
