Scarsdale Rocks at Music Festival
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Lee Miller of the ModtonesHundreds of music lovers enjoyed a halcyon day in Scarsdale Village, grooving to excellent local rock bands. Originally dubbed Scarchella, the Scarsdale Business Alliance first hosted its first music festival in September 2019. That day was a big success and undoubtedly would have become an annual event if not for the COVID crisis.
Now, more than two years later, on Saturday June 4, 2022, the SBA hosted their second music festival and it could not have been better. Under sparkling skies the streets of the Village were closed to traffic, a big stage was erected and a full day of music was played for an appreciative audience. We saw grandparents dancing with toddlers, middle aged rockers reliving their concert-going days and a wide swath of the community reveling at the transformation of the Village to outdoor concert venue.
Music
The musical line-up began with Hot Lunch at noon, followed by Lee Miller and the Modtones at 1 pm. When we arrived they were singing, “Don’t let go – you’ve got in the music in you,” by the New Radicals, and everyone surrounding the stage was clearly feeling the vibe. They followed it with Elvis Costello’s, “What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding,” and it struck a note in these difficult times.
Randi Culang, lead singer for “Louise in Trouble,” took center stage with her brand of country music, stopping everyone in their tracks with a performance of Creedance Clearwater Revivals, “Have you ever seen the rain?” Fortunately there was not a cloud in sight.
They were followed by a well-known band, the Del Bocas with Erika Radin opening the set with “You’re No Good.” Ironically they were good…. Really good!
We were not able to stay to hear Where is Phi, which includes Robert Schire who chaired the musical portion of the day, along with Meerkat and Someday Radio. We heard they were all great and a testament to the talent of local residents. Scarsdale’s enthusiastic Mayor, Jane Veron also took the stage to marvel at the vitality of the Village and the community.
Randi Culang of Louise in Trouble
Food and Fun
Surrounding the stage were food trucks and vendors offering burgers, tacos, lobster rolls, pizza, spicy tuna with crispy rice, crepes, cupcakes, gourmet cheese and more. Zachys built a grand wine tasting tent, stocked with distributors and suppliers serving reds, whites and roses from the US, Europe and beyond. The Scarsdale PBA was behind the grill and the younger set enjoyed a fun zone with face painting, a balloon artist, tatoos and crafts.
Sustainability
The Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) worked with the SBA to make the festival a zero-waste event. Meals and snacks from food vendors were served on compostable (made from plants) or recyclable serveware and the CAC provided recycling and compost bins to keep any waste out of the trash. Sign up to join Scarsdale’s award winning food scrap recycling program by emailing [email protected].
About the Festival
The event was chaired by Marcy Berman Goldstein, co-president of the Scarsdale Business Alliance who attracted a wide range of community sponsors and worked with many Village organizations to make this impressive event a reality. Commenting after the day, Berman-Goldestein said, "We were so thrilled to bring back the long awaited Second Annual Scarsdale Music Festival (SMF) and look forward to making the SMF a “must attend” event for years to come. The streets were flooded with people all day long, dancing, eating, drinking and soaking up the amazing sounds coming from our main stage. The stores and restaurants were packed throughout the day and the sense of community was palpable. We are so grateful to our sponsors for their generosity allowing us to continue to infuse our Village center with liveliness and vibrancy.
Memorial Day Parade Draws a Crowd
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- Written by Adam Katcher
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On Memorial Day, the signature parade, hosted by American Legion Scarsdale Post #52, marches around Scarsdale Village with many spectators viewing from the sidewalks –and some even tagging along with the procession. On May 30, Scarsdale Police set up barriers to clear the streets of portions of the village to ensure the nearly-mile-long route was clear.
Flagbearers captained the parade, followed by golf carts driven by veterans. A celebratory marching band decked in royal blue outfits signaled the start of the portion of the parade honoring current and future local heroes.
Scarsdale Girl Scout Troop #2688 tracked behind the footsteps of the music, with parents of girl scouts following closely behind. Behind them were the Boy Scouts, the step commands loud and clear and their paces in perfect unison.
The Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps was situated behind the Scouts with a banner, ahead of the Scarsdale Fire Company with their banner and flag (and full long-panted uniforms despite the beating sun). Emergency service vehicles from all departments were the parade’s caboose.
Starting and ending at Chase Park, the route traveled to the notoriously steep Popham Road hill. Then, the parade turned left through Church Lane Street, down Crane Road, and back to the starting point. Chairs were set up in the park for the brief Memorial Day ceremony held at the parade’s conclusion.
Some waited in Chase Park the entire time while others tried matching the parade step for step throughout. Regardless, humid conditions could not prevent the Scarsdale Annual Memorial Day Parade from being a huge success with infants, grandparents, families, friends, and everything in between in abundance in the crowds. It was a truly communal environment, apt for recognizing the heroic sacrifices of the people who have died serving the country.
Fill the Boot Event Raises $76,000 for Rare Degenerative Disease
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Brett, Iris and Robin Schultz with Hunter on his Fifth BirthdayHundreds of friends and supporters turned out in Scarsdale Village on Saturday April 30 to support the efforts of the Schultz family to raise awareness and funds to fight Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease type 4B3 (CMT4B3).
The event was held on the fifth birthday of Hunter Schultz, whose grandfather Billy Schultz is a Scarsdale Volunteer Firefighter, and whosefather, Brett Schultz is a Scarsdale native. The event was hosted by the Scarsdale Uniformed Fire Fighters and organized by Robin and Iris Schultz.
In addition to fire trucks, the event featured food trucks, a magician, a raffle, silent auction, a DJ, face painting, cotton candy, crafts for kids and more. State Senators Andrea Stewart Cousins and Shelley Mayer came by and found Boniface Circle hopping. A great time was had by all.
According to Schultz, the event raised $76,000 for the Hunters CMT4B3 Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds groundbreaking research to develop a life-saving gene therapy and treatments for children living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease type 4B3 (CMT4B3). In less than two years, the foundation has raised over $750,000.00 through grass-roots fundraising efforts, assembled an expert-driven worldwide research network and is currently funding seven different research projects. The foundation has also received recognition from the National Institute of Health and the Peripheral Nerve Society.
For more information about the foundation please visit www.cmt4b3research.org.
Scarsdale-Based Insuranced Firm Celebrates Vice President's 40 Years of Service
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- Written by Adam Katcher
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On May 5, 2022, the Advocate Brokerage team, as well as the Binday and Koslowsky families, celebrated Carol Gramolini’s 40th year of service to the Scarsdalian insurance firm. The festivities, which the company and friends dubbed “Cinco de Carol,” took place at the Aperiti Wine Bar on Garth Road. Gramolini currently serves as the firm’s Vice President and Commercial Lines Manager.
She was a pioneer for the firm, joining in 1982, just 14 years after the company was created and at a time of immense growth for the Scarsdale brand. She worked closely alongside company founder and president Roz Binday, who founded the company on the premise of making insurance a more positive and easier to understand experience.
Recalling Gramolini’s earliest days at the firm, Binday exclaimed, Carol was my right hand during the early years and together, we made quite a formidable team! Her loyalty and dedication to Advocate Brokerage cannot be adequately expressed. We adore you!” 
The “Cinco de Carol” festivities at the wine bar saw the company’s staff and founding family sink their teeth into stories about the past 40 years, recount some of the funniest memories they have had together, and, of course, enjoy some food and refreshments.
Denise Koslowsky, also a long-time company worker and the daughter of Roz Binday, explained, “We were so fortunate to be able together with so many members of our Advocate family to celebrate Cinco de Carol! The food and company were both amazing and the live, in-person smiles on everyone’s faces made this a priceless evening.”
Residents to be Surveyed About the Future of the Scarsdale Pool
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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What is the status on the renovation of the Scarsdale Pool Complex? And what is the vision for the next iteration of Scarsdale's aquatic center? Architects Lothrop Associates presented their findings of the existing pool conditions and plans to survey and engage with the community to assess views at a work session of the Village Board on April 26, 2022.
Their inventory of the existing facility found that many features of the current complex are deteriorated, outdated, non-compliant with current health and safety regulations and inefficient. The pool equipment, the locker rooms, facilities and even the pool depths require substantial updating and replacement.
The report explains, “At over 50 years old, the pools at the Complex have reached their expected service life. There are structural failures with the concrete pools, failures of the underground piping between them, and an obsolete hydraulic filtration system. It is also known that building and sanitary codes have developed and expanded significantly during the lifetime of the pool complex. While upgrades to meet current codes do not always apply to existing facilities retroactively, pool water hygiene standards will be required to comply with current health code requirements. Furthermore, compliance with current codes and standards can yield significant hygienic, life safety, and operational cost benefits.”
Furthermore the facility does not meet accessibility standards as outlined in NYS building code.
Long story short, the architects outlined cost estimates in three categories as illustrated below.
They provided estimates to address the risk of safety or damage, code compliance and operations and maintenance costs. All told, they estimate that it would cost $13.2 mm to simply replace the current pools and facilities, without adding any enhancements or special features.
Take a look at a detailed report on the pool fencing, barriers, pool decks, pool vessels, pool depths and more here.
There is almost nothing that does not require attention. The pool equipment needs to be replaced. Currently all four pools have only one drain each while current code requires two drains in each pool. The overflow gutter systems are cracked and need to be replaced and the intermediate pool wall needs to be leveled. The main pool and diving pool share a pool pump and each needs a dedicated pump. The same applies to the intermediate pool and wading pool. The filter tanks for all four pools are 30 years old and need new filters. The report found that the underground cast iron pool piping is corroding and is not code compliant.
And the problems don’t end with the pool itself. The locker room, doors and roof are in serious need of renovation or replacement. The facilities are not code compliant and do not meet accessibility standards. The facilities are also not adequate for the current pool users and 13 additional toilets are required in the women’s locker room.
Problems continue into the concession building where walls are cracked, new doors are needed, the roof needs work, the floor requires replacement along with the ceiling, lights and countertops.
The list goes on -- Read more details here.
What to do?
As part of the process, Lothrop is working with Ballard and King to assess the market, demographics and potential users for a new pool complex. What is the extent of interest within the community for the pool and what features would users like to see?
Can the pool continue to be self- sustaining? According to the report, “The median income in the secondary service area is higher than both the state and national figures, with the income level in the Village being close to triple those figures. The income level in the Village creates a unique opportunity for a seasonal pool to capture 100% of its operating expenses. However, the Village pool complex needs to differentiate itself within the market so that they can continue its enterprise fund operating philosophy and supporting rate structure.”
And who will use the pool? Of the Village’s total population of 18,344 the largest age groups are children ages 5-17 and adults ages 
Charles Cook Memorial Pool in Cortlandt Manor45-64. So a pool update should offer features to attract people in these age groups.
Why do people come to the pool complex? The research finds that the vast majority of people come to the pool for the social aspect:
4% look for organized activities
20% want organized and recreational
76% recreational only
If the Village does decide to enhance the pool complex, the consultants identified some features and activities that might be included:
-For leisure and recreation, the complex could include “leisure pools with zero-depth entry, warm water, play apparatus, slides, seating areas and deck space.”
-Instructional programming in “Reasonably warm water, shallow depth with deeper water (4 ft. or more), and open expanses of water.”
-Fitness programming, aqua exercise classes, lap swimming.
-Therapy in warm, shallow water for therapy and rehabilitation
-Social/relaxation in natural landscapes
-Special events/rentals for birthdays, corporate events, community organization functions and rentals to outside groups to generate additional revenues.
What do residents want to see at the pool? Slides, a lazy river and water features? Upgraded dining options, classes or upgraded seating?
In order to assess community opinion, a survey will be issued both in print and online. A random group of 2,000 households will receive a survey in the mail to be completed in writing or online. The online survey will open on May 30, 2022. Survey findings are expected to be reported in July 2022. The Village will use their outreach to support survey response.
Also planned are community engagement sessions on a Friday and Saturday in early June.
During public comments, two residents spoke in support of repairing and maintaining the Scarsdale Pool.
Michelle Lichtenberg of Greenacres Avenue said, "The pool is such an important asset. I remember when we first moved here on July 3 and we were at the pool July 5. I heard rumors that people thought the pool was not interesting any more – it is! There is nothing more lovely than the Scarsdale pool. Is it aging? Yes! Does it need improvement? Yes! Is it an asset, Yes!"
Susan Ross of Ardmore Road said, "The pool and the schools were a factor when we decided to move to Scarsdale over many other lovely towns in Westchester. And now that my kids are grown, I still enjoy the lap pool and seeing friends there. There is nothing like our lap pool. It would be irresponsible to let this valuable asset slip away."
