Fifth Graders Moving On Up
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- Written by: Debra Asher
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Edgewood School and the four other Scarsdale elementary schools all conducted warm and vibrant ceremonies marking the moving-up of their 2021 fifth grade classes.
There was a processional with Pomp and Circumstance playing. There were encouraging and thoughtful speeches as well as parents smiling and cheering in the audience.
At Edgewood the music portion was provided via a video that was found in the program with a QR code. The fifth graders had recorded a song they sang while playing their ukuleles. In addition, each class wrote customized lyrics that brought many to tears. Restrictions prevented singing at the ceremony.
Shortly thereafter, the children enjoyed ice cream and professional photos were taken of the children in their graduation t-shirts. It will always be a memorable day for all in attendance.
Scarsdale Mom Asks For Your Help to Cure Juvenile Dermatomyostis
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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This letter was written by Scarsdale resident Nikki Hahn:
As many of you know, my daughter, Addie suffers from a rare and life-threatening disease called Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Since diagnosis 7 years ago, Addie has endured monthly 12-hour infusions, high doses of steroids, low dose chemotherapy medication, and a multitude of side effects that, unfortunately, accompany those treatments. Ironically - today is infusion day for Addie.
The pandemic had a negative impact on our fundraising so we need your help now more than ever - we have an opportunity to fund a clinical trial for a steroid replacement drug, Vamaorolone. It's a drug that acts as a steroid but without debilitating side effects. Please consider making a donation to make this research possible!
Cure JM is the only organization committed to funding research for better treatments and ultimately a cure for JM. We also provide family education, support, and advocacy. I am proud to be a member of the Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the Development Committee, and President of the National Foundation. It is an honor and a duty; I simply don’t want other kids to go through what 
Addie HahnAddie has been through.
I hope you'll join us Friday at our home at 5 pm for a short walk to raise funds for a cure! Email me at [email protected] for the address.
Please help me fund more research so we can find a cure and give kids like Addie hope for a brighter future!
A $25 donation gets you a piece of Cure JM swag!
SVAC Providing PCR Testing for Campers
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps is providing extended hours PCR COVID-19 testing for kids heading to camp. This year, most camps are requiring a negative PCR test 72 hours in advance, even with proof of vaccination. SVAC provides convenient testing at its 5 Weaver Street headquarters, and results are received in approximately 15 minutes. Reservations can be made here.
SVAC acquired both rapid and PCR testing capabilities a few months ago as an alternative to the long lines that were forming at area urgent cares. Patients pull their car into a dedicated parking spot where they are met by an EMT. Without leaving the vehicle, they are swabbed, and their results provided while they wait.
“We have performed more than 400 tests in the last two months,” said David Raizen, SVAC’s President. “Originally, the State of New York provided us the test kits, but they have not replenished them and we must now procure them on our own at market value.”
In addition to individual appointments, SVAC has worked with Scarsdale Schools to provide private testing sessions for prom-bound kids and is offering rapid testing for unvaccinated individuals attending commencement.
“We are a community-based volunteer organization that is passionate about serving Scarsdale and the surrounding area in any way we can,” said Raizen. “We have highly trained personnel, we have modern equipment and facilities, and we have the supplies. It is the right thing to do.”
SVAC is transitioning from a model of being purely reactive to include proactive services as well. They ran vaccination clinics including at-home injections to homebound seniors. They are currently running four EMT classes, including an accelerated version for senior option students. And, they are once again offering CPR classes, a service they had suspended during COVID.
SVAC celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and runs four 911 ambulances and three fly cars through a combination of paid and volunteer personnel. As one of a handful of certified EMS training centers in the County, they provide all the training necessary for new volunteers. No prior experience is required except a desire to help your community. For more information about becoming a volunteer, donating, or taking a class, visit scarsdalevac.com.
Check Out Your Real Estate Taxes: 2021 Assessment Roll is Online
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Wondering how much your real estate taxes will be next year? The Village of Scarsdale has posted the 2021 assessment roll and your can look up your home here:
If you did not do any construction on your house this past year, your assessment should remain unchanged. And this year, the equalization rate for Scarsdale is 100%, meaning that the value shown is considered the fair market value and you don’t need to do any complicated math to figure out how much you will pay.
However that also means that you might not have much success filing a grievance this year. In recent months homes have been selling at far above their assessed value, so your taxes, for now, may appear reasonable.
If you do want to grieve your taxes, see a link to instructions on how to do so. You only have until June 15, 2021, so act quickly.
Here is an interpretation on the Village’s 2021 assessment roll from local expert Robert Berg. He said, “This will be I believe my ninth year serving on the Board of Assessment Review. Because of an odd statistical coincidence, the State's equalization rate for the Village of Scarsdale this year is 100%. This suggests that the assessed value of a property equals its fair market value. But for most properties, that's not true. The last town-wide assessment was the highly criticized Ryan revaluation conducted in 2016 which led to several thousand property tax grievances over the subsequent years. So our current assessment roll is a hodgepodge of grieved, settled, or court-determined assessments, along with residual Ryan-era assessments. Basically, it's a mess. Moreover, because of the rather spectacular rise in market values over the past year, the assessment valuations, on average, substantially understate the fair market valuations of the properties, even using the July 1, 2020 valuation date for this year's property grievance proceedings.
What this all means is that last year was the year to file a property grievance, not this year. For most Scarsdale properties, filing a property grievance this year will be a losing proposition. My advice this year -- check your tentative assessment value. If you think it is significantly above the fair market value of your property as of July 1, 2020, then contact our Assessor, Victoria Sirota, immediately. If she has time to review your assessment, she will be happy to give you her opinion as to its appropriateness. Indeed, if she feels your property is over assessed, she likely will propose lowering your assessment. If you don't agree with her, you can still file a grievance as long as you file it on or before Grievance Day. Victoria and her staff are extremely courteous and professional, and I encourage you to contact them if you have any questions about the grievance process.”
If you do want to grieve, click here for instructions and forms:
Gun Violence Awareness Day Declared for June 4th
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Pat Colella and members of the Westchester Chapter of Moms Demand Action Against Gun Violence gathered at Village Hall at noon on June 1 to receive a proclamation from Scarsdale Mayor Jane Veron declaring June 4 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Scarsdale.
Before reading the proclamation, Veron thanked the group for their devotion and standing up for their beliefs. She said, “what you do is so important.”
She read the proclamation which was followed by remarks from Pat Colella, the co-lead of the Westchester chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Pat Colella said,“National Gun VIolence Awareness is an annual event that takes place on the first Friday in June, and is the beginning of Wear Orange Weekend. Wear Orange is dedicated to honoring the lives of people in the United States affected by gun violence and elevating the voice of those demanding an end to gun violence.
Wear Orange originated on June 2, 2015 - what would have been Hadiya Pendelton’s 18th
Shelly Katz, Amy Stern, Elee Bernd, Pat Collela, Ginny Srere, Nan Berke, Sara Kober, Kelly Rogers and Mayor Jane Veron. birthday. It began with teenagers in Chicago, who wanted to honor their friend, Hadiya, after she was shot and killed one week after performing in President Obama’s second Inaugural Parade in 2013.
Gun violence didn’t stop because of COVID-19 - in fact, it worsened. In 2020, the number of people killed by gun violence exceeded 40,000 - the highest rate of gun deaths in two decades.
But as gun violence has grown, so has the movement to stop it. I’m here as a volunteer with the Westchester County Local Group of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, which was founded in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In the 8 years since that tragic day, Moms Demand Action has expanded to include a chapter in every state, with more than 6 million volunteers dedicated to ending the epidemic of gun violence in our nation.
Across the country, Moms Demand Action works with students, survivors of gun violence, law enforcement officers, faith leaders, teachers, doctors, and all kinds of Americans who know there is more we can do to prevent gun violence.
Together, we advocate for stronger laws and policies that will save lives, and we are proud to be a driving force behind many Wear Orange events.
On behalf of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, I thank Mayor Veron and the Village of Scarsdale for supporting us in this important movement.”
- Armed Robbery at Rite Aid in Hartsdale
- Scarsdale Library Celebrates Opening After Ten Years of Planning and Building
- All Restrictions on Restaurant Dining to be Lifted May 19, COVID Counts Going in the Right Direction
- Scarsdale Forum Says New Limitations on the Use of Gas Leaf Blowers Do Not Go Far Enough
