Introducing the Color of the Year
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This article was written by Tonie Germie, Architectural & Design Representative, Long Island and Westchester for Benjamin Moore & Co. Wallauer is the largest Benjamin Moore paint dealer in Westchester and has 15 locations across Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland Counties. For more information and to find a location near you click here.
Wallauer’s annual celebration of color is the result of a yearlong exploration into design, art, fashion, cultural and environmental influences around the globe. From Benjamin Moore’s library of over 3,500 colors, they curate a Color Trends palette that balances modern-day relevance with long-lasting appeal. At the center is one special hue that defines the palette—and the moment.
This year’s color of the year is Aegean Teal.
Aegean Teal is an exceptionally balanced color with just the right amount of saturation, with a slight touch of gray that makes this appealing mid-tone easy to pair with other colors and materials. The result is an intriguing and engaging color with both complexity and depth.
Aegean Teal, brings together the associations of blue and green for a calming and restorative quality. In some cultures, teal is believed to be a symbol of infinity, truth and clarity of thought – symbolism that is particularly meaningful for 2021.
When developing the palette for 2021, much of the discussion centered around colors that had an organic, rooted and welcoming quality. Many of the colors in our consideration set fell to the warmer side of the color wheel, with a selection of cooler hues that complemented this warmth for an accordant feel.
As they combed through our collections, the palette evolved and shifted, leading to a selection of colors that appropriately conveyed a grounded sensibility for 2021. Ultimately, they curated a palette twelve comforting, sunbaked hues that radiate warmth and wellbeing, in addition to feeling modern with time-tested appeal.
This year, focuses on mid-tone colors that balance out the deeper and paler colors in the palette to offer a breadth of options. The resulting palette has a gracious, ‘lived-in’ character with instant resonance that invites us to surround ourselves with color as we enhance our homes.
Wallauer Paint and Decorating Centers have been serving Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties since 1921. The fourth-generation family-owned business, headquartered in White Plains, New York, offers the finest selection of paints from Benjamin Moore, specialty products and accessories from Ace Hardware, window treatments from Hunter Douglas, designer fabrics and wall coverings, area rugs, and home design services, and has 15 stores across the region.
The company philosophy has always been: “Good old-fashioned family values, a team approach, and integrity.” It is these principles that have enabled the organization to reach a milestone of 100 years in business, achieved by only the very best of American companies.
The secret to Wallauer success isn’t a secret at all according to company COO Edward Klein. “It really comes down to having a knowledgeable group of people who know their craft and provide excellent customer service. Then it is word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers that Wallauer is the go-to place for home improvement locally.”
To thank long time customers as well as new, a $100 gift certificate will be awarded to one shopper in every store every month through December. To register for the drawings, visit www.wallauer.com/100 . In addition, Wallauer will offer a “buy one paint sample, get a second one at ‘100%’ off” throughout the year. Click here for more details.
Wallauer offers a wide variety of interior and exterior paints and stains, including low-odor paints, washable finishes and more from Benjamin Moore and is the largest Benjamin Moore paint, hardware and decorating retailer in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. Wallauer also offers their own brand of paints and has more than 5,000 color selections available ensuring there is a perfect color for every project. Customers can take advantage of their color matching services and even create their own custom color palate - a Wallauer specialty.
Across 15 Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland County locations, Wallauer offers home design services in six and offers Ace Hardware Departments in five. Every Wallauer Design department features the latest window displays from Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, specializing in motorization and full house automation of blinds and shades. Carrying hundreds of designer fabrics from Robert Allen, Kravet, Fabricut and Kasmir and top wallpaper designers that include Schumacher, Thibaut, Nina Campbell, Candice Olson and more. Custom-made Roman shades, fabric panels and cornices products and accessories can be created to match any style and budget. Highly trained staff can provide recommendations and offer in-store consultations and in-home services to people living in and around the tri-county area.
Wallauer also supports home and commercial contractors with a variety of services including estimates, job specs, and submittals. They have dedicated sales rep who will visit the job site with the contractor to assist with job estimates, writing commercial specs and preparing color drawdowns. They also assist with enrollment in the Benjamin Moore Contractor Rewards program and are the only dealer to offer auto submission of receipts for contractors.
Wallauer stores are located in White Plains, Bedford Hills, Carmel, Mohegan Lake, Ossining, Pelham, Port Chester, Scarsdale, Yonkers, Yorktown Heights, New Rochelle, Ardsley, and Lewisboro/Cross River. There is also a location in Nanuet in Rockland County which offers Ace Hardware products and there is one location in Putnam County in Mahopac.
Customers can shop online and pick-up in store at www.shop.wallauer.com. For more information click here or call (914)-948-4000.
Assemblywoman Paulin Comments on Tax Increase for Wealthiest New Yorkers: Will They Leave?
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Many in Scarsdale were dismayed to learn that the New York $212 billion budget deal includes a tax increase for the state’s wealthiest individuals and couples. Under the bill, which was approved last week, the tax rate for individuals earning $1 million and more and couples earning $2 million and more, will increase from 8.82% to 9.65%. For those earning between $5 million and $25 million, the rate goes to 10.3% and to 10.9% for those who make more than $25 million.
We spoke to NY State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who lives in Scarsdale and represents us in Albany.
She explained that she was not in favor of the tax increases, especially in the year of a pandemic, but explained, “Any budget is a compromise and this year is no different. There are always things in the budget that I love less and don’t like at all.”
Paulin added, “Considering the original proposal, which was to raise rates starting at incomes of $300,000 I felt like we had a win. Some were advocating for a wealth tax, an estate tax starting at $250,000 and a stock transfer tax. We were able to hold the line.”
In order to offset these increases, Paulin introduced legislation called the SALT Cap Tax Relief for Partnerships which is part of this budget. The law provides state and local taxes (SALT) cap tax relief for partnerships like attorneys and accountants, giving a much needed boost for at least some New Yorkers who’ve been disproportionately affected by the SALT cap.
The budget includes some more positives for Scarsdale. About school aid, she said, “We were able to beat back the Governor’s change to an expense driven formula that would have negatively impacted Scarsdale. In addition, BOCES aid will continue to be $500,0000, and funding for special education and library and textbook aid were preserved. The district will receive $464,000 in pandemic aid from The American Rescue Plan which the Governor tried to eliminate.
For Scarsdale Village there will be funds available for clean water infrastructure projects and CHIPS funds for roads, in addition to the $1.9 million the Village will receive from the federal government.
Are legislators afraid that top earners will leave New York State? Paulin said, “My neighbors are leaving. I am aware of the flight. When you combine the loss of the SALT tax deduction with the increase in the tax rate you have a cumulative effect. With one tax you don’t leave, but with two or three you do!”
Paulin noted that New York State has already suffered population losses that will lead to the loss of two Congressional seats from the state.
We asked where the Governor stood on the tax increase and Paulin said, “The Governor was completely absent in this negotiation. He did not fight the tax increase.” She continued, “I believe in due process but I think we need an engaged Governor. How can you do your job when you’re facing a lengthy investigation and perhaps criminal charges?
Speakers Condemn Hate and Violence at Vigil in Scarsdale Village
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A compelling issue and beautiful weather brought many to Chase Park on Saturday March 27 to condemn hate and memorialize those lost in gunmen’s attacks in Atlanta and Boulder. The Vigil Against Hate was sponsored by students from the Scarsdale High School Asian Conscientization and Empowerment Club and the Scarsdale Chinese Association to mourn the senseless loss of lives, to condemn hate and bias against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and to call for love and respect for all human beings.
The event drew government officials and lawmakers who spoke about policy changes to support equity, inclusion and diversity.
There were speeches by SHS students, Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick, School Board VP Alison Singer, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin as well as the daughter of a hate crime victim in White Plains.
We also spotted many local officials in the crowd including Mayor Elect Jane Veron, Police Chief Andy Matturro, Village Manager Steve Pappalardo, Ellen Hendricks, County Legislator Damon Maher and members of the Chinese community Jingqing Chair, Vivian Lin, Jing Lu and student organizers Vivian Guo and a committee who hosted the event.
Other vigil activities included moments of silence, song singing, reflective yoga moments, music, and a shrine decorated with pictures, poster boards, flowers and cranes.
Speakers list:
Peter He (SHS) MOC/Host
Vivian Guo (SHS, Co-founder of ACE)
Karen Lee (SHS, Co-founder of ACE)
Janmariz Deguia (SHS)
Rishika Bansal (SHS)
Olivia Liu (SHS)
Jingqing Chai (SCA Chair)
Jing Lu (Board Member of SCA)
Anna Wang (Lead singer of the closing song)
Linda Toh (Daughter of the victim of White Plains attack on March 12th, 2021)
Regina Lee (Yoga Instructor)
Marc Samwick (Scarsdale Mayor)
Alison Singer (Vice President of the Scarsdale Board of Education)
Jamaal Bowman (Congressman)
Andrea Stewart-Cousins (New York State Senate Majority Leader)
Amy Paulin (New York State Assembly Member)
LWVS Donates 66 Books to the Scarsdale Library and Produces Video to Honor its 100 Anniversary
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In honor of its Centennial Year, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale has made a large donation of books to the Scarsdale Public Library. The book topics include voting rights, women's rights, civil rights, the environment, and more in the Adult, Young Adult and Children's book genres. The LWVS ordered the books through Scarsdale bookstore, Bronx River Books, and they appreciate their partnership with bookstore owners Mark Fowler and Jessica Kaplan. The LWVS has already donated 59 of 66 ordered books to the library and is proud to give this gift to the Scarsdale community.
The list of books was curated by the library and can be viewed here:
The League has also produced a Centennial Video Montage that includes statements from many of our local leaders. Watch it to hear statements about the importance of voting, democracy and consensus building from Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Amy Paulin, George Latimer and others.
Here's to the next 100 years of the League of Women Voters.
Community Organizations Condemn Racism and Violence
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After the horrific shootings in Atlanta on March 16, 2021, many in Scarsdale spoke out to condemn the violence. Below please find letters from the Scarsdale Chinese Association, the Scarsdale High School PTA, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick. See their statements below.
What can you do?
Attend a Vigil against hate at Chase Park in Scarsdale from 1-3 pm on Saturday March 27, 2021.
On April 13th the SHS PTA, the SMS PTA and the PT Council are co-sponsoring a program on Implicit (or Unconscious) Bias for parents. They encourage all parents to participate and engage with parent and school communities to talk, learn, advocate and grow.
Here are their letters:
Scarsdale Chinese Association Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Violence
Racist attacks against Asian-Americans have dramatically increased in recent months across the nation, from verbal to physical and deadly. We, the Scarsdale Chinese Association, representing over 300 families in Scarsdale, condemn such horrific violence and denounce these acts of hate and racism.
With the recent White Plains incident being so close-by and the Atlanta massacre so fatal and massive, we call for more awareness from the community on anti-Asian hate crimes. We call for more police vigilance against and timely prosecution of racially-charged crimes. We call for an end to racism against Asians that has always existed throughout American history and manifests through hate crimes, racial slurs, and stereotypes. Racial hatred must stop!
Within Scarsdale, our members generally feel safe and protected. When racially-charged incidents occur, we feel that they are adequately addressed in schools and in the community at large. We welcome Mayor Samwick's timely letter of 3/18 to the Scarsdale community, restating the goal to “promote and maintain a community culture of acceptance and inclusion, free from racism, bias, and discrimination.” We appreciate the village‘s support to our Asian communities at this difficult time, and together we build a united community.
SCA Executive Board: Jingqing Chai, Sharine Chen, Jennifer Hong, Johnny Huang, Vivian Lin, Jing Lu, Lisa Tan
Scarsdale High School PTA
We are deeply disturbed about the recent violent attacks on Asian Americans and the murders of 8 people in Atlanta, 6 of whom were of Asian descent. We are also aware that we are not immune and that there have been anti-Asian racist attacks right here in Westchester.
The PTA is an organization that is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and we stand firmly against all racism and hate. We condemn all acts of hate, and violence against people of any ethnicity, nationality, culture, race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexuality or neurodiversity. Bigotry and xenophobia of any kind is unacceptable in our school and in our community.
We stand with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community in solidarity with outrage and support in grief. We will not tolerate hate and discrimination on any level. We are a community of multiculturalism and diversity and we value, celebrate and are proud of our differences.
There remains much work to be done in our community and our school, and the SHS PTA is committed to continuing this work. To that end, on April 13th SHS PTA, the SMS PTA and the PT Council are co-sponsoring a program on Implicit (or Unconscious) Bias for parents. We encourage all parents to join us for this program, and to engage with our parent and school communities as we continue the process of talking, learning, advocating and growing. This work is ongoing and transcends one tragedy or one program. We are also working closely with the high school administration to ensure there are parent voices on the SHS Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which consists of students, teachers and administration. If you would like to get more involved, or to bring our attention to specific experiences within our community, please reach out to the PTA President.
We encourage you to have a conversation with your children about their experiences at SHS and to reflect with them upon this most recent tragedy. Your students may have discussed this in their social studies classes. If your children are experiencing bigotry, xenophobia or microaggressions of any kind, the school deans, psychologists and student outreach workers are available to listen and support them or you.
We reaffirm our commitment to stand together as a community in opposition to bias and welcoming to people of all backgrounds. We are united in the belief that everyone in our community is valued and respected.
The 2020-21 SHS PTA Executive Committee
Leanne Freda, President
Joey Silberfein, President-elect
Jennifer Rossano, VP of Programming and Volunteers Rokaya Hassaballa, VP of Membership and School Events Chyi Landless, Treasurer
Elissa Ruback, Corresponding Secretary
Beth Cukier, Recording Secretary
League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors
Statement Condemning Racism and Supporting the AAPI Community
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (LWVS) believes in individual liberties, civil rights, human rights, and voting rights writ large; we defend democracy and oppose all threats to constitutional rights. The LWVS is an organization that advocates against systemic racism and racist violence and we are committed, in both values and practice, to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale, Board of Directors (League Board) joins our sister Leagues, including the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the League of Women Voters of Georgia, in condemning the anti-Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) racism that has long plagued our country and has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We grieve the senseless loss of eight lives, including six women of Asian descent, this past week to hate-driven gun violence in Georgia.
As stated by LWVUS: “The League is committed to listening to and amplifying AAPI voices and educating ourselves on the historic and ongoing systemic racism that plagues this country so we can be better allies.” Our own community is not immune to anti-AAPI racism, and we must remain vigilant in our stand against racism, violence and hate in all its forms. We fully support our AAPI community members.
The League Board also condemns all forms of violence against women.
The League Board denounces all forms of hate and violence in both actions and words against people of any ethnicity, religion, nationality, race, gender identity or expression, culture, or sexuality.
We urge our members to stand united with us, and call on our elected officials at all levels of government to demonstrate their commitment to keep all communities safe. The LWVUS states: “There can be no liberty in the face of racist and xenophobic violence.” We are only safe from racism, sexism and bigotry if we are all protected by the law and by our fellow citizens.
Mayor Marc Samwick
Dear Scarsdale Community,
The mass murder of eight people, including six Asian women, in Atlanta on Tuesday is yet another tragic event in a series of mass shootings that continue to plague our country with targeted attacks on specific groups of people. Scarsdale strives to live by the motto that, “hatred of any kind is hatred against everyone.” Attacking any individual or any specific group, whether with words or acts of hate, has no place in the Village of Scarsdale.
In Scarsdale, we seek to build a community that is just, fair, welcoming and inclusive, where dignity is maintained. We value and celebrate our community’s cultural commonalities and differences while strongly rejecting bias toward any group.
One year ago, I stated, and it bears repeating, “We recognize our moral and ethical responsibility to value all persons, to firmly oppose discriminatory behaviors and practices, and to embrace the inherent value that all individuals bring to this special place we all call home: Scarsdale.”
The Ad hoc Council to Combat Racism and Bias was formed in July 2020 with the goal to “promote and maintain a community culture of acceptance and inclusion, free from racism, bias, and discrimination. Whether overt or subtle, intentional or accidental, we must all strive as responsible members of the Scarsdale community to endeavor to be aware of cultural differences, value and encourage diversity, and vehemently reject all forms of racism, bias, and discrimination.”
We restate these goals today, by standing together with members of the Scarsdale Asian populace as we continue to strive to build a united community where all people are welcome to call home.
Sincerely,
Marc Samwick Mayor
