New Village Board Takes Its Place on the Dais
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Top Row (Left to Right): Sameer Ahuja, Ken Mazer, Jeremy Gans, Jeremy Wise, Bottom Row (Left to Right): Dara Gruenberg, Justin Arest and Karen BrewMayor Justin Arest welcomed the new Village Board to a new year. The dais now includes Jeremy Wise who was voted into office on March 19.
Arest announced priorities for the coming year including traffic safety, the renovation of the Scarsdale Pool, an evaluation of Scarsdale’s parks and fields and stormwater remediation. The Village is now three months into a six month building moratorium and Arest said that the Village would announce some public hearings on proposed code changes by the end of the month.
The Mayor then announced a long list of appointments for committees and boards and councils that you can see on the Village website.
Trustee Dara Gruenberg was named Deputy Mayor, replacing Randy Whitestone who completed his term of office.
Jordan Copeland was named Village Historian and Leslie Chang as Associate Village Historian.
Trustees Dara Gruenberg and Karen Brew will serve as marriage officers.
Thomas Giuffra will serve as the Associate Village Justice.
Since the Board passed a resolution ending term limits for some of the Village Boards, many who had previously served were reappointed.
Here are a few highlights:
Jack Miller was appointed to the Committee for Historic Preservation which will be chaired by Kevin Reed. Lauren Bender, Meredith Kent, and Talaiya Safdar, Jonathan Lerner and Kevin Reed were reappointed to the committee.
John Clapp was reappointed to Chair the Planning Board and Lynn Brooks Avni was appointed to the Planning Board.
Brad Cetron was reappointed to the Board of Architectural Review and will serve as Chair. Raul Mayta, Tamara Zgonjamim-Li were reappointed, Marsha Morton was newly appointed and Randi Culang and Leslie Shearer were appointed to be alternates.
Jeff Watiker was reappointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals and will serve as Chair. Michael Kass will be an alternate.
See the balance of the appointments here:
In other news, the first Farmer’s Market of the season will be held in Scarsdale Village on Mother’s Day, Sunday 
May 12, 2024.
The Scarsdale Public Library will stay open late from 9 pm – 11 pm for Senior Finals Study Nights on Tuesday night April 16 and Wednesday night 17.
The community is invited to participate in a community read of Sticks and Stones by Emily Bazelon. A discussion lead by Valerie Abrams will be held on Zoom On Tuesday April 30 at 7 pm. Sign up here.
A film on the History of the Bronx River will be shown at the Girl Scout house at 11 on Friday April 12, 2024 in an event hosted for Scarsdale seniors.
Howling Winds Down Trees and Power Lines
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A severe storm with howling wind and driving rain on Wednesday April 3 caused many downed trees and wires, fires and street closures in Scarsdale. Scarsdale Police, Firemen and employees of the Department of Public Works answered scores of emergency calls from about 3 pm to 1 am on the morning of April 4.
A fire from a downed utility pole at the intersection of Mamaroneck Road and Griffen Road caused closure of the route just before 5 pm and it remained closed on the morning of April 4. Power in that area was knocked out and was not restored as of the morning of April 4, 2023. Houses on Haverford Road and Penn Boulevard were hit by trees and many more streets were closed.
As of the morning of April 4, many around Scarsdale are still without power though schools are open.
Take a look at the call log from the Scarsdale Police for April 3, 2024.
Starting at 3 pm on Wednesday April 3, police received the following calls about downed trees and wires:
3:21 pm: Downed wire at Catherine Road
3:35 pm: Tree down on Brookline Road
3:27 pm: Tree down blocking Carman Road
3:49 pm: Tree fell on wires at Valley Road
4:10 pm: Large wire fell on Brown Road
4:11 pm: Tree branch fell in Brewster Road
4:33 pm: Tree branch fell on Heathcote Road
4:33 pm: Tree down on Wildwood Road
4:52 pm: Tree down on wires at Mamaroneck Road and Griffen Avenue. Wires on fire, road closed.
5:59 pm: Tree branches down at Post and Popham Roads
6:54 pm: Cable wire down at Palmer Avenue and Mamaroneck Road
6:57 pm: Tree fell on house and powerlines on Haverford Road, Fire Department called
7:04 pm: Tree fell on wires on Morris Lane. Morris Lane closed between Heathcote and Richbell Roads
7:05 pm: Tree fell on Heathcote Bypass blocking one lane
7:08 pm: Wires sparking on Weaver Street at Wilmot Road.
7:14 pm: Tree fell and blocked Forest Lane
7:29 pm: Tree fell on a house and wires on Penn Boulevard
7:32 pm: Tree on power lines on Oxford Road between Park and Cambridge Roads
8:14 pm: Large tree blocking Saxon Woods Road
8:16 pm Branches fell on Walworth Avenue
8:17 pm Large tree fell and blocked Coralyn Road taking down wires. Con Edison was notified and the street was closed
8:52 pm: Tree fell and blocked Weaver Street between Copper Beach Lane and White Birch Lane. Police blocked off the street.
9:45 pm: Wires sparking on Woods Lane
10:09 pm: Wires sparking on Gaylor Road
12:29 am: Large tree and branches resting on utility pole on Mamaroneck Road between Cushman and Garden Road.
1:09 am: Large tree on power line on Paddington Road
SHS Muslim Youth Club Hosts Iftar Dinner
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Principal Bonamo with students from the Muslim Youth ClubWith a feast fit for a king, the Scarsdale High School Muslim Youth Club celebrated its second annual Iftar Dinner. After last year’s successful test run, the student officers of the club were delighted to open up the event to the whole Scarsdale community. People of all ages and faiths were welcomed to the Learning Commons at SHS to help their Muslim friends break their fasts and to celebrate Ramadan.
According to Ing.org, “Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate. Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation with a heightened focus on devotion, during which Muslims spend extra time reading the Qur’an and performing special prayers.”
Club officers Kamila El Moselhy, Dani Nameen, Rehma Qadir, and Azlan Khan.
Reflection and community are other important aspects of this holy time and Kamila El Moselhy, one of the student officers and founders of the club, said she helped start the Muslim Youth Club to make it easier for herself and other Muslim students to find that sense of community and connection to others. In addition, she says that the club gives her a sense of identity and a place that feels like home.
Nicole DeLuca, the faculty sponsor of the club, couldn’t have been more proud of all of the students and their hard work. DeLuca happily pointed out that the students took the lead on every aspect of the festive celebration; From ordering food, to arranging the pot luck and volunteers, to decorating and setting up, the students took full ownership of the amazing event.
Of course the student officers were also grateful for Ms. DeLuca and all of her support. Addressing the attendees of the evening Kamila El Moselhy said, “I want to thank you all for coming today, this is an outstanding crowd. None of this would be possible without the support we get from our school, so we want to thank our teachers and the administrators for allowing us this space, giving us the tools to be proud of our religion, and enabling us to belong in our community. Thank you to Ms. DeLuca for her unwavering support and Ms. Gorman too.”
Another student officer, Dani Naeem, added, “I would like to thank you all for joining the Scarsdale Muslim Club and the rest of the Muslim community at this iftar. I hope you guys are enjoying the food from different cultures that people have brought. This year has been a difficult time for everyone and to have this large community and showout to this event is very special and something we can all cherish.”
Student officer, Azlan Khan, added “The diversity of our community is very unique, and celebrating our differences is what makes us stronger. We should never be afraid of differences, we should embrace it. This is what makes our community thrive. Thank you for giving us the confidence to be ourselves.”
Club Officer Kamila El Moselhy with Club Advisor Nicole DeLuca.
Rehma Qadir was the last student officer to speak and she ended by saying, “We are so grateful that we have the opportunity to build on this community in Scarsdale and host this event with the help of the school.
We have a donation set up for the organization ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) which helps the civilians in need in Gaza. If you can, please donate to the box that we have set up. Thank you for coming and enjoy the rest of the iftar. Thank You.”
These officers, and all of the other students in the Muslim Youth Club, created a truly incredible celebration. It wasn’t only an evening for friends and neighbors to come together and break their fast, it was an evening filled with laughter, love, and an immense feeling of community and support. As one parent Rokaya Hassaballa said, “Events like this help you feel like you belong.”
BOE members Suzie Hahn and Amber Yusuf join friends Attiya Malik and Hoosna Haque.
Aileen Landes Named Executive Director of the Scarsdale Business Alliance
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The Board of Directors of the Scarsdale Business Alliance (SBA) has announced the appointment of Aileen Landes as the organization’s Executive Director. Landes’ extensive background in development, special events, and fundraising will help advance the mission of the organization to elevate our local businesses, foster strong community ties, and enhance Scarsdale's reputation as a top-notch destination.
For the last five years, Landes served as Assistant Director of Special Events and Community Partnerships for Gilda’s Club Westchester. In this capacity, Landes was responsible for overseeing and creating new events, connecting with the community, and cultivating relationships with prospective and existing donors and new board members. Previously, Landes has worked in Special Events for The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and also at Pet Rescue in Harrison where she assisted in the vetting and adoptions of numerous animals. Landes received her B.S. from the University of Vermont and spent her early career as a media executive in advertising.
“We are thrilled to welcome Aileen Landes as the Executive Director of the SBA,” said Marcy Berman-Goldstein, SBA Co-President. “Aileen's arrival marks an exciting chapter for our organization. Her record of civic engagement, strong ties to Scarsdale, desire to make a difference, and enthusiastic attitude make her uniquely qualified for this role. I am confident that under Aileen's leadership, the SBA will reach new heights of success and make an even more significant impact on our community."
Landes stated, “As a 26-year resident of the Edgemont/Scarsdale community, I consider Scarsdale a part of my identity. I thrive on collaboration and problem-solving and am thrilled to lead the SBA to a more prominent level of professionalism and camaraderie. My mission is to ensure that Scarsdale continues to flourish as a premiere dining and shopping destination.”
The SBA will host its spring Meet & Greet Networking Event at Sapori Restaurant on Wednesday, April 10th, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, and looks forward to introducing Aileen to the merchant community. She can also be contacted at aileen@scarsdalebusinessalliance.com.
The SBA is a non–profit organization dedicated to supporting the Village of Scarsdale and its local businesses. For more information about the Scarsdale Business Alliance: www.scarsdalebusinessalliance.com Instagram and Facebook: @Scarsdalebusiness.
SHS Student Wins St. Vincent's Youth Award
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Rishi ShadaksharappaIf anyone needs a reminder that the Scarsdale School District is full of wonderfully caring, considerate, creative, and hard working students they need to look no further than Rishi Shadaksharappa.
Rishi, a junior at Scarsdale High School, was recently celebrated for his dedication to community service when he was honored, along with twenty two other Westchester students, with the St. Vincent Hospital Youth Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.
According to their website, “Each year, the Auxiliary presents awards to high school students whose volunteer service exemplifies St. Vincent's core values of respect, integrity, compassion and excellence…and whose service best exemplifies the mission of St. Vincent's – respect and compassion for ourselves and others, excellence in service, the dignity of human life and commitment to the community.”
In addition to the Youth Award, during the award ceremony at St. Vincent Hospital in Harrison, Rishi was awarded a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the office of Congressman Jamal Bowman.
In order to be considered for this prestigious award, all SHS students needed to submit an essay explaining the ways in which they use their acts of service to make the world a better place. To learn more about Rishi’s dedication to our community and why he was selected from a multitude of SHS applicants, you can read his essay here:
“In July of 2022, coming out of the pandemic, I felt disconnected from my grandparents who live abroad. I realized that a lot of other senior citizens must feel the same way being isolated from their loved ones, especially during the holidays. I also noticed grocery stores were throwing away expiring flowers as new inventory came in weekly. For me, these flowers, being in very good condition, could (and should !) be used to brighten smiles around our local community. Creating a sustainable solution to this issue while also catering towards the senior community seemed possible.
For those reasons, I founded Bouquet Buddy, a non-profit, local community service that donates flowers to hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, and any place where people need a little bit of happiness, free of cost, around Westchester County. Partnering with grocery stores and local florists who provide me with expiring flowers that would otherwise go to waste, I repurpose them into arrangements and distribute them.
Rishi with Manuel Homem and SVP of St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester, Bernadette Kingham -Bez
So far, Bouquet Buddy, has delivered about 3,000 bouquets to local facilities such as GiGi’s Playhouse, the Hospice of Westchester, Scarsdale Senior Center, Eastchester Senior Center, Bristal Assisted Living, Garth Road Senior Center, Burke Rehabilitation Center, the Kensington, and Atria of Rye Brook. Every week, on Thursday evenings, we collect in the range of 30-75 buckets of flowers from different locations. After school on Fridays and Saturdays, I hand-deliver individual bouquets to the facilities.
I often connect with seniors during these visits. They genuinely appreciate the donations and look forward to seeing “the flower boy” each week. It’s really a win-win situation because this project was created looking to connect with the senior community, and Bouquet Buddy has done just that. My mom helps drive me to every location and I have gotten closer to my family during this process. Overall, this organization has taught me valuable skills. It has taught me patience, respectful communication with elders, disciplined work ethic and time management. Having delivered thousands of bouquets over the past 20 months has taken countless hours, I hope to find a way to keep the Bouquet Buddy going in some form long after I graduate from SHS. If you are interested in learning more about my organization (with photos), please take a look at my instagram account @bouquet.buddy.
In addition, since my freshman year of high school, I have also volunteered at the local firehouse to train in fire and emergency services as part of the Scarsdale Fire Explorers Program. I work directly with the well-trained firefighters who mentor me throughout the process. During these sessions, we learn through physical training/drills and about the protocols pertaining to emergency situations. I have come to admire and appreciate the volunteer spirit among the Scarsdale community and have trained to do my part one day.”
Congratulations Rishi Shadaksharappa on your well-deserved recognition.
