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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 21 October 2014

Created: 21 October 2014

Last Updated: 02 November 2014

Hits: 10284

There's no end of talent in Scarsdale, as demonstrated at the 63rd annual Halloween Window Painting Contest. This year's Grand Prize went to Mary Cecil for her masterpiece, Ghoul with the Pearl Earring, now on display at LF in the Village. The contest began in 1952 and the Recreation Department believes that Scarsdale was the first Village to run such a contest.

There were a total of 149 individual entries, 117 team entries and 106 parent/child entries for a total of 595 participants. It was fun and challenging for parents and children who quickly learned that there's even an art to painting the window background. Awards and honorable mentions were given out by a team of volunteers judges including current and former Scarsdale residents, many who were former window painters themselves.

An official awards ceremony will take place on Thursday November 6th at 7:30 pm in the auditorium at the Quaker Ridge School. Congrats to all the painters:

Here's the list of winners and a photo gallery of young painters in town by local photographer Trudy Zohn:

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Group # 1

1ST Harley Koch I-30 La Renaissance
2ND Anna Henry I-23 Parkway Coffee Shop
3RD William Gettinger I-27 Scarsdale Eye Care Center

MOST COMICAL Raymond Donovan I-47 DeCicco's

Honorable Mentions:

Taylor Mann I-4 Lange's Deli
Zachary Kristol I-5 Lange's Deli
Danielle Barro I-11 Great Stuff
Fiona Kantor I-33 Trapp Opticians
Samantha Loeser I-43 Sam Lehr

Group #2

1ST Liu, Olivia II-39 Remax
2ND Cavalier, Andrew II-13 Scarsdale Hardware Company
3RD Litofsky, Camryn II-37 Remax

MOST COMICAL Fujii, Miho II-11 Henry's Barber Shop

Honorable Mentions:

Hyman, Benjamin II-4 Coldwell Banker
Nova, Henry II-12 Scarsdale Hardware Company
Fischman, Miles II-24 Authentic Pilates
Kolodner, Emily II-30 Authentic Pilates

Group #3

1ST Wise, Chloe III-25 Kumon
2ND Schwarz, Jordan III-1 Big Top
3RD Kantor, Jolie III-5 Big Top

MOST COMICAL Perl, Alexandra III-9 Big Top

Honorable Mentions:

Knispel, Matthew III-3 Big Top
Breakstone, Leah III-17 Jade Spoon
Stefanou, Anastasia III-26 Kumon
Rechtschaffen, Nathaniel III-35 Amore Pizza

Group #4

1ST Du, Lucy IV-14 Gingerbread Kidz
2ND Glik, Amanda IV-7 Prudential
3RD Cecil, Jack IV-10 Gingerbread Kidz
MOST COMICAL Bailey, Madeleine IV-6 Pamela Robbins

Honorable Mentions:

Segale, Carla IV-1 Wilson & Sons
Mahoney, Lynne IV-3 Wilson & Sons
Cecil, Lucy IV-9 Gingerbread Kidz
Kantor, Margaret IV-13 Gingerbread Kidz

Group #5

1ST Enders, Clara V-3 LF Stores
2ND Bochner, Amy V-1 Danielle Trissi
3RD Cooper, Emma V-2 LF Stores

Group # 6

1ST Griffin Miller Jake Lippmann VI-14 Chef's Table
2ND Luciana Serrano Jade Kraut VI-18 Neil's
3RD Drew Frank Billie Eichel VI-7 Platinum Drive Realty

MOST COMICAL Lana Weiser Maya Regenstreif VI-16 Eye Q Optometrist

Honorable Mentions:

Claire Matula-Osterman, Deanna Matula-Osterman VI-1 Bagel Power
Drew Siegel Abby Etra VI-3 Bagel Power

Group #7

Ellie Bowen Sophie Brenner VII-5 Chase Bank
Madeline Stein Isabelle GoldbanVII-2 Chase Bank
Anna Feldstein Carly GellesVII-18 Vintology Wine & Spirits
Ashley Katzenberg Sydney Seslowe VII-27 Chase Bank

Honorable Mentions:

Eshan Agarwal Jackson Fielding VII-7 Chase Bank
Dani Scheiner Chelsea Berson VII-20 Vintology Wine & Spirits

Group #8

1ST Jeffrey Morse Jayden Bharara VIII-14 Chase Bank
2ND Samantha Kefer Sophia Sipe VIII-20 Chase Bank
3RD Danielle Kohn Emily Messerle VIII-16 Chase Bank

MOST COMICAL Justine Karp Anna Forest VIII-46 Houlihan Lawrence

Honorable Mentions:

Deven Mehta Jonah Rosenstein VIII-1 Heathcote Tailors
Julian Glantz Will Reed VIII-5 La Dentelliere
Sydney Frank Marin Yearley VIII-9 Zachy's Liquor Store
Avery Bensche Nozomi Akita VIII-15 Chase Bank
Emily Simons Blake Goodman VIII-18 Chase Bank
Madison Rosenberg Riley Zachem VIII-19 Chase Bank
Jane Schmelkin Emma Hochberg VIII-22 Chase Bank
Jordan Cascade Ethan Weismer VIII-24 Dunkin' DonutsJuliette Silk Emily Shawn VIII-28 Little Thai Kitchen
Samantha Menell Ava Thomas VIII-44 Part II Salon
Jonah Miller Zachary Loeser VIII-45 Merle Norman Cosmetics

Group #9

1ST Anika Agarwal Adina Mistry IX-4 Bank of America

2ND Caroline Goldstein Sanjana Bhatnagar IX-13 Embassy Cleaners

3RD Alison Rothberg Sara Frankenthaler IX-12 Embassy Cleaners

MOST COMICAL Rachel Meiselman Jocelyn Lewis IX-1 Bank of America

Honorable Mentions:

Jordana Love Jessica Solodar IX-2 Bank of America
Jennifer Farfel Evan Shire IX-10 Bank of America
Molly Grand Olivia Boccia IX-17 Embassy Cleaners
Sophie Grand Isabella Lelis IX-18 Embassy Cleaners

Group #10

1ST Abigail Rosenstein, Ariel Stonberg X-1 Rothman's

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 16 October 2014

Created: 16 October 2014

Last Updated: 16 October 2014

Hits: 13240

Heroism, historic preservation, lights and building issues were all on the agenda at a busy meeting of the Scarsdale Village Board meeting on Tuesday night October 14.

Police Officer Patricia Arcesi was awarded an Exceptional Duty Medal for her work in the arrest of an armed man who was fleeing a burglary on Walworth Avenue in July 2013. Arcesi came upon a white SUV with North Carolina stopped on Mamaroneck Road at 10:35 pm blocking traffic. She approached the driver and while she was speaking to him she received a hotline message from the city of White Plains which said they were looking for a car that matched the SUV's description in connection with an interrupted burglary on Walworth Avenue.

As she listened to the dispatch she saw the driver of the car become anxious and agitated and move his hands around the car despite the fact that she told him to keep his hands on the steering wheel. For her own safety she drew her weapon on the driver until back-up arrived. When police got the man out of the car they found what appeared to be a black semi automatic handgun which was later determined to be a pellet gun replica in the driver's side door of the car. The suspect also had a Rye PBA surgeon badge, and Eastchester EMS Medical Director badge and other police paraphernalia along with a vanity license plate that said New York Police.

Arcesi was recognized for remaining "alert, calm and in control in the face of a volatile situation that could have resulted in the use of extreme force." The suspect was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon 4th degree and unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

In the public comments portion of the meeting, Adrienne Price of Herkimer Road took her troubles directly to the Board on Tuesday night, explaining that the developer of a house next door to her house had changed the topography of the site. According to Price, the Board of Architectural Review approved plans for the new home that provided that the level of the backyard remain the same. However, Price reports that the builder added four feet to the height of the backyard, making a visual impact on her property. Despite repeated calls and meetings with the Village Engineer she said nothing had been done. In a rather heated exchange, Village Manager Al Gatta defended the Building Department and Village Engineer saying that the Village has asked the developer for a new storm drainage plan and that the site can't be "brought into compliance while it is under construction." He assured her that the C of O would not be granted until the site was in compliance with the plans.

In other land use news, the Board of Trustees announced their findings following a special meeting on September 22 to consider the fate of 22 Montrose Road (pictured above). The Committee for Historic Preservation had barred the demolition of the home after their May 20, 2014 meeting where they found it had significant historical importance. The owner appealed the decision to the BAR who voted in favor of permitting the demolition by a vote of 3-2. However since that was not a majority vote since others were absent this vote resulted in a default denial.

The decision was then appealed to the Board of Trustees that has different criteria for preservation. After consideration of their four criteria the board found that the house should not be preserved because it "represents the face of the neighborhood," and granted permission to owner Seymour Wald and the prospective buyer Steven Silberstein to tear it down.

Turning to the development of a 14 unit residential building at the site of the Heathcote Tavern and parking lot, the Board approved a resolution allocating $39,000 to retain architect David A Barbuti to review the building plans and inspect for compliance with the plans during construction. The independent monitor will advise the Village on the consistency of the construction documents with the approved plans to ensure that both the interior and exterior are built to match what was approved by the various Village boards.

Road closure: Fenimore Road will be closed from Fox Meadow Road to Oak Way on Monday October 20 and Tuesday October 21 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. The closure will allow for an excavation to measure a water main so that the Village can purchase a line stop. The Village needs an exact measurement to replace a critical valve at the intersection. Therefore, Fenimore Road will be closed for almost six hours a day on Monday and Tuesday

Village Election: The Board authorized the General Village election for March 18, 2015.

Portable Lights for Youth Football: The Board approved a resolution to permit the use of temporary lights at Supply Field for Youth Recreational Football from October 15 through November 21 for three days a week until 7:30 pm. Use of the portable lights has been donated by a Scarsdale resident and those same light will also be utilized by the Scarsdale Teen Center for their haunted house event for nine nights in October.

Peter C. Alderman Foundation: The board received a letter of thanks from the Peter C. Alderman Foundation for the use of village streets and the Fox Meadow School to hold its annual fundraising walk to celebrate Peter's life. Peter died 13 years ago on 9/11 and the even raises fund for the foundation's mission which is to heal the emotional wounds of war-affected societies around the world.

Fire Chief Thomas Cain sent us the photo below of the swearing in of firefighter Michael Owens on October 15, 2014. Owens transferred from the Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department where he has been employed since 2013. While with Mamaroneck Owens completed an intensive seventeen-week training program at the Westchester County Career Fire Academy at the County Fire Training Center in Valhalla, NY and is already a Nationally Certified Level II firefighter. Owens is from Valhalla and is single. Several on-duty Scarsdale firefighters attended the ceremony as well.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 06 October 2014

Created: 06 October 2014

Last Updated: 06 October 2014

Hits: 4502

The 2015 Scarsdale Bowl Committee will begin its work in early December to select the 2015 recipient of the Scarsdale Bowl and is seeking recommendations from the community for a possible honoree. The Scarsdale Bowl, under the sponsorship of the Scarsdale Foundation, has been awarded annually since 1943 to an individual, or in rare instances, to a husband and wife, who has given "unselfishly of his/her time, energy and effort to the civic welfare of the community." The founding donors of the Bowl believed that "many who serve generously and voluntarily, without office, honor or publicity, are those deserving of having their names permanently inscribed on the Scarsdale Bowl."

Jon Mark is serving as chair of this year's Scarsdale Bowl Committee. The members of the committee serve staggered two-year terms. The newly appointed Class of 2016 includes Felicia Block, Kay Eisenman, Susan Hochvert, Anne Lyons, Michael Pollack and Jay Musoff. The continuing Class of 2014 includes Nan Berke, Marc Greenwald, Michelle Lichtenberg, Lisa Messinger, Tom Souther, Geetha Subbakrishna and Richard Wingate. Jane Veron, Scarsdale Foundation trustee, will serve on the committee as the liaison, and Robert Jeremiah is serving as secretary/treasurer. Evelyn Stock, president of the Scarsdale Foundation, is an ex-officio, non-voting member.

The Scarsdale Bowl will be awarded at a dinner on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at The Fountainhead in New Rochelle. The ceremony will pay tribute to the 2015 honoree and to the spirit of volunteerism, central to the civic life of the Scarsdale community.

The Bowl Committee enthusiastically welcomes community input. It will hold its first meeting December 7, 2014, and requests that residents contact any member of the committee with suggestions of potential recipients. It would be most helpful to the Committee if suggestions from the community were made by November 10, 2014, although suggestions can be made after that date and prior to the Committee's meeting in December. Suggestions should be emailed to the Committee at: [email protected]. If you have any questions, please contact Jon Mark at 914.472.4053.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 01 October 2014

Created: 01 October 2014

Last Updated: 01 October 2014

Hits: 4806

Even if you're an empty nester in Scarsdale, you can still be informed about what's going on at the schools and keep up on issues that may affect you. The Board of Education and Superintendent now send out updates to the community following each Board of Education meeting. You don't need to have a child in the Scarsdale Schools to receive these emails. Everyone is welcome to opt-in by clicking here: 

Below is the most recent email that was sent out, recapping the September 22nd meeting of the Board of Education:

Dear Parents and Community Members,

The Board of Education appreciates all the parents and community members who take time out of their busy lives to attend Board meetings and provide valuable feedback. We also recognize that work and life schedules prohibit others from attending, but hope that live streaming and cable versions make the meetings accessible to everyone.

The Board has been working with Superintendent Hagerman to implement changes in practices and procedures for Board meetings. One of the underlying goals has been to continue to improve transparency with respect to the Board's decision-making process. For example, we have adopted a two-week waiting period between the discussion of information about items and Board action on those items. This allows the board additional time to discuss and consider items and, also, to listen to the community's thoughts, which are welcomed and appreciated.

The issues that were discussed at this meeting included the following:

Projects proposed for the bond referendum - Vice President Maude explained the process that led to the September 8 Board approval of Superintendent Hagerman's recommendations for a $16.7 million bond to address long-needed repairs and improvements of school buildings, update the technology infrastructure in all the schools, and to renovate parts of the High School. The High School renovations will resolve the current overcrowding in the cafeteria, while creating flexible learning spaces that will enable large and small groups of students to collaborate creatively, while using state-of-the-art technology.

The Board and Superintendent Hagerman engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of design elements, scope and potential size of the bond referendum. During the discussion, the Board reaffirmed its decision to approve Superintendent Hagerman's recommendations. In addition, because interest rates are currently very low, the Board requested that other unfunded repair projects in the District be reviewed for possible inclusion in the bond issue. The Board placed a limit of $1.3 million on these other projects. It was agreed that Superintendent Hagerman will follow up with the High School building level committee and administrators, as well as Mrs. Linda Purvis, Assistant Superintendent for Business. In addition, the District-Wide Facilities Steering Committee will be requested to meet next week to discuss this issue.

The Board will take action on a proposed bond referendum at its meeting on October 6.

Proposed Policy Revisions - The Board considered revisions to the Gift Policy and a new policy on Hiring, Evaluation and Supervision Procedures. The revisions under discussion have incorporated recommendations made by community and Board members. After the discussion, the Board decided to table consideration of adopting the policies until the October 6 meeting. This will allow time for additional community input on the policies.

Written Communications to the Board of Education - Understanding the need to be flexible, step back, evaluate effects and, as necessary, readjust changes, the Board changed the current practice of publicly reporting written communications in their entirety. The new practice will be to report the topic and the date of the written communication, unless the writer requests that his/her email or letter be published. The Board will not accept, nor will it report anonymous communications that it may receive.

The Board of Education continues to be committed to thoughtful governance, proactive communication, and transparency, and welcome feedback about both District work we are engaged in, and how we, as a Board, can continue to better serve the Scarsdale community.

Scarsdale Board of Education