Andrew Harris Meets Alex Trebek
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If you turn on your television to Channel 7 on Friday July 11, you might recognize Scarsdale's Andrew Harris as one of the contestants on Jeopardy. Harris, a 2007 grad of SHS and a 2011 graduate of Hamilton College competed on the show that will air next week. Harris majored in history at Hamilton and then worked for three years for a consulting company that specializes in corporate investigations. He plans to attend NYU Law School in the fall.
We asked Harris how he was selected to compete and what it was like and here is what he told us:
I've always liked Jeopardy, but I wouldn't say I was a big fan or every night watcher. In college, I started taking the online tests they offer each January, and I finally got an invitation to audition in June of 2012. The general thinking is that you need to answer at least 35 of the 50 questions correctly, and then they choose a random selection of the many people who pass to come in and audition in person.
My in-person audition was at a hotel in midtown Manhattan, and it was me and about 20 others in a room with 3 or 4 of the "contestant coordinators." We had to take another 50 question test to make sure we weren't cheating on the online one, and then played a mock game and had an interview session, to get a sense of our personalities for the show.
The thing that struck me most about the audition was how "TV" it felt; the coordinators were incredibly high energy and kept reminding us to display outsized happiness, enthusiasm, and energy. I had thought of Jeopardy as an academic contest, and it is, but it's also a game show, with all that entails. They're not only looking for people who know the answers, but also people who would be interesting to the viewers. They told us that after the audition we'd be in the contestant pool for 18 months -- if we didn't hear from them in that time we could re-take the online test. They said about 10-15% of people are chosen from the auditions to be on the show.
My 18 months, from June 2012 to December 2013, came and went with no call. I had pretty much forgotten about the whole thing. Then in the middle of February, I got a call from Culver City, CA, asking if I wanted to fly out there for a taping in exactly a month. I obviously said yes.
Then came the preparation. The first thing I did was actually to start watching the show regularly, to get a sense for the flow of the game, and what sorts of questions are asked. I started looking around online for the experiences of other contestants, so I knew what I could expect when I actually went out there. I'm hardly a math person by any means, but I started reading about wagering theories for daily doubles and final Jeopardy. And, finally and most importantly, my Dad went through a website that keeps records of every Jeopardy game ever played, J-archive.com , and determined some categories that they frequently ask about, like literature. He, amazingly, also put together a brief series of facts and questions about particularly famous events, movies, and books that Jeopardy seems to ask about with which I had little experience.
Going in, I knew my weakness would be in literature, especially British literature, which the show seems particularly fond of. My knowledge of 60s and 70s pop culture was also hilariously terrible, at least to my parents. There are certain things you can learn before going on the show, like books and authors or the presidents, but I wasn't going to spend time learning about 70s TV. I would say I didn't prepare an outrageous amount, particularly as I was working during the week, but I definitely spent more time on this than I did for most of my exams in high school and college, as my mom liked to remind me.
The night before the taping, all the potential contestants stay in the same hotel in LA, so we shared a nervous, mostly silent ride over to the Sony studios. Once there, we were debriefed on the rules and process for about an hour, and then we had makeup applied and rehearsed our stories for our brief talk with Alex after the first commercial break. You put down three potential talking points, and highlight one that you want to talk about most. The coordinators remind you however that it's ultimately Alex's decision on which one he chooses.
Then they brought us out to the actual set, which looks just about as it does on TV. We practiced on the buzzers for a bit, though I wasn't great with my timing, and didn't feel that confident at that point. They film five shows in a day, and film Tuesday and Wednesday of most weeks. The one thing I was most afraid of was being in the first game, before I had a chance to see how the whole thing worked.
Luckily, I wasn't one of the names randomly drawn first. As I watched the game from the audience with the rest of the other contestants for that day, I was struck by the timing of the show. It's basically shot on the same schedule as it's shown live, they take about 5 minute breaks for commercials when Alex talks with the audience while contestants have their make up retouched. Since contestants never actually talk with him until he walks around the screen before your game, it was nice to get a sense of his stage personality in between games.
And he's really a showman. He's been doing it long enough to know how to work the audience, and he would alternate between his musings on daily life,( i.e. how Ding Dongs have gotten smaller since he was a kid), and taking questions from the audience. He definitely comes off as a bit cynical and dismissive, though again that may be all part of his stage persona.
Given that my first game airs on a Friday, I was actually chosen for the last game of the day's taping. Having watched 4 games before me, I was definitely ready to go. Thinking back now, 4 months later, I only barely remember the questions or categories. Once I was up there, I was sort of in a state of disbelief; I was competing on Jeopardy, something I never thought I'd do. For me, I used the unlikeliness or uniqueness of the whole thing to adopt a "here goes nothing" approach, and I'd like to think I was legitimately comfortable up there. I'm not sure what it may have looked like on screen, but I can say 100% that I loved every minute of being up there.
The other thing you realize only after playing is how random the game actually is. The coordinators tell you this before you even start, but you don't believe it. You think that if you're smart, all you need to do is answer questions correctly and you'll win. But then you watch a previously unbeatable looking champion get some tough categories, or opponents, and you realize how fleeting the game is. Even people who win 3 or 4 or 5 games, legitimately long champions on Jeopardy, are only actually champions for 2 or 3 hours in actual filming time. The coordinators tell you all you can control is how you play the game and comport yourself, and that sounded wishy-washy to me, until I actually played.
Watch Jeopardy on Friday night to see how Andrew Harris fared!
NYS Supreme Court Reverses Lower Court Decision Regarding Leon Behar and Quaker Ridge Golf Club
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A NYS Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Quaker Ridge resident who charged that flying golf balls teed off from the club's second hole were careening into his yard and denying him use of his property. The resident lives on Brittany Close in a home that was built on a piece of the original Winston Estate that borders the Quaker Ridge Golf Club. The club was built in 1918 and the new development went up almost a century later when Gail and Leon Behar Behar bought their home in 2008. Many of the trees that originally shielded the property from the golf course came down during storms or were removed when the Behar's put in a pool.
The case dates back to 2009 when the Behars of 8 Brittany Close in Scarsdale asked the Village of Scarsdale for a variance to construct a 40-foot fence to shield them from flying golf balls. At that time they claimed that during one seven-day stretch 69 golf balls flew into their yard. The Scarsdale Board of Appeals denied the Behars the right to build the fence in March 2010 which neighbors contended would be an eyesore. Behar then retained attorney Julius Cohn who took the case to the State Supreme Court where the judge recommended that the club build not a 40-foot fence, but a 60-foot fence with Behar contributing $10,000 to the cost. In June 2010 the matter went before the Scarsdale Planning Board where the Homeowner's Association objected to a 60-foot fence saying it was unsightly and argued that a 40-foot fence surrounded by trees would suffice.
Until the matter could be resolved use of the second hole of the golf course was restricted.
In November 2010 the Planning Board asked the club to build a 40-foot screen and to plant a stand of 35-foot Armstrong Maple trees on the club's side of the screen. The fence was to stay up for five years until the trees grew in to shield the property. This fence was erected and it appeared that the matter was resolved.
However, apparently the 40-foot fence did not do the trick. Behar says there are still "an inordinate number of balls coming on to his property." He and his attorney Julius Cohn continued to pursue the matter in court and on June 18, 2014 the NYS Supreme Court issued a decision in Behar's favor. The found that Quaker Ridge Club had "failed to reduce the number of golf balls landing on the plantiff's property producing a tangible and appreciate injury to the property that renders its enjoyment especially uncomfortable and inconvenient."
They found that Quaker Ridge was trespassing on the Behar's property as "golf balls have invaded their property with such frequency and over such a long period of time, without Quaker Ridge taking steps to sufficiently abate the situation, so as to amount to willfulness."
They said Quaker Ridge was negligent in it's operation of its golf course in relation to the Behars' property and held ".......that Quaker Ridge breached its duty to exercise reasonable care in the maintenance and use of its property to prevent foreseeable injury that might occur on adjoining property by failing to take precautions in design and location, in the form of play, or in the erection of protective devices as a safeguard against injury to the plaintiffs' property."
The court overturned the previous ruling that blamed the problem on the Behar's decision to remove trees, saying "Contrary to the Supreme Court's determination, Quaker Ridge did not establish that the plaintiffs were bound by a tree preservation plan, or that the plaintiffs' conduct in failing to preserve trees on their property was the sole proximate cause of the condition underlying their claims of nuisance, trespass, and negligence.
As a consequence, the Club is permanently "enjoined from operating its golf course in a manner which constitutes a private nuisance and causes a trespass upon the Behar's property."
How the club is required to avoid being a nuisance is not clear from this ruling and will be left to another court to decide. However, the Behar's can now seek monetary compensation for the loss of the use of their property and these damages will be decided in a subsequent hearing.
Commenting on the decision, Behar said, "Quaker Ridge Golf Club knowingly prevented me from using the outside of my home or over 6 years. Four Appellate Division judges used the word 'willfulness' in describing the actions of the Club. Moreover, those same four judges found Quaker Ridge Golf Club liable for their actions and in breach of their duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent foreseeable injury. This decision has restored my family's faith in our legal system and I am confident that a Westchester jury will ensure that I am adequately compensated for the loss of the use of our home for the last 6 years and for the unnecessary hardship and fear that Quaker Ridge Golf Club intentionally imposed on my family."
Calls to the Club's manager and their attorney's were not returned.
Constantin's Chocolate Ganache Cake Wins First Prize at Greenacres Bake-off
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Close to 150 residents attended the Greenacres Barbeque and Bake-off at Hitchcock Church on Saturday June 6. Graced with perfect weather, the event, sponsored by the Greenacres Neighborhood Association, offered fun for all and the chance for neighbors young and old to mix and mingle. After a hearty lunch of barbeque, beer and fried chicken, the judging of the bake-off contest began. The judges were Seth Greenberg, known for his famous brownies, and Tal Campana of Martine's Bake Shop. They carefully considered all the fine baked goods and awarded the top prize to Jennifer Constantin, an officer of the Greenacres Neighborhood Association and a first class baker for her Chocolate Ganache Tart. Fortunately, Jennifer agreed to share the recipe with you and you will find it below.
Here is a complete list of contestants and what they baked:
First Place: Jennifer Constantin: Chocolate Ganache Tart
Second Place: Sara Cetron: Coconut Layer Cake
Third Place: Kathryn N. Cotter Gateau Ganache
Midori Im: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Kathy Steves: Linzer Sandwich Rings
Emma Kornberg: Snickerdoodles
Joan Sereysky: Chocolate Frosted Cake
Nora H. Marino: Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Chocolate Ganache Tart Recipe: Courtesy of Jennifer Constantin
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup marcona almonds(rinsed and dried, if salted)
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- Lime zest from one whole lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make dough: In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add sugar, flour, zest and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, pulsing until coarse crumbs form with no large butter lumps (dough should clump together when squeezed with fingers).
Immediately transfer dough to a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup, evenly press dough in bottom and up sides of pan.
Bake in center of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make ganache: Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream, through a sieve, over chocolate. Stir until smooth and creamy in texture. Mix in vanilla.
Pour chocolate mixture into center of cooled tart shell (if chocolate is lumpy, pass through a sieve). Let stand until set, about 2 hours, or chill for 1 hour.
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe for Chocolate Ganache Tart
Richard Rockefeller Dies in Small Plane Crash in Harrison
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The Journal News is reporting that Richard Rockefeller, the 64 year-old son of banker David Rockefeller died Friday morning when the single engine plane he was flying crashed into trees on Cottage Avenue in Purchase. He took off in his Piper Meridian single engine turbo prop plane from Westchester Airport early this morning and crashed at 8:08 am. No one else was on the plane. Rockefeller was a doctor and an experienced pilot and was scheduled to fly to Portland, Maine presumably to return home to Falmouth, Maine. At the time of the accident the weather was foggy and rainy.
Until 2000 Dr. Rockefeller practiced medicine as a family doctor in Falmouth and then started to work on global health causes. He was married and had two grown children. According to family spokesman Fraser Seitel, Richard Rockefeller, who was a grandson of John D. Rockefeller, had dinner with father David on Thursday night to celebrate his father's 99th birthday.
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, and Westchester Airport Manager Peter Scherrer, as well as public safety officials from Westchester County and the Town of Harrison have planned a press conference at 12:30 pm on Friday to answer questions about the crash.
Read more here:
Tyler Defends Revaluation Methodology in Scarsdale
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A large crowd turned out on Thursday May 29 to hear answers from Tyler Technologies on the methodology behind the first revaluation of Scarsdale real estate in 43 years. Many who rarely visit Village Hall appeared to have come to listen as well as to vent about the results of the revaluation that caused dramatic changes to some property assessments.
In an effort to keep the crowd under control, Mayor Bob Steves gave the floor to Tyler for a lengthy presentation and initially asked those with questions to submit them on index cards rather than come to the podium themselves. He warned the audience that this was not the opportunity to debate the valuation of individual properties but a time to learn more about how properties were assessed.
Eugenia Flynn, the Appraisal Operations Manager at Tyler, shared her credentials and introduced the Tyler team that includes Dr. Richard A. Borst, a senior research scientist – and statistician. Also on hand was John Ryan, an independent revaluation consultant who was hired by Scarsdale Village to monitor the process. Ryan told the group, "If you have good data in the system they are the basis of good values." John Wolham of the NYS Office of Real Property Tax Services also attended the meeting. He will certify the new tax roll when the process is complete.
Flynn explained that the purpose of the revaluation was to bring appraisals to fair market value. The process was begun in 2012 and considers property class, location, desirability and market supply and demand using fair market value as of July 1, 2013.
She explained the difference between a mass appraisal where "all properties are appraised using a common database, uniform methodology and allows for statistical testing of the results," versus individual appraisals who are done by a real estate agent, a certified appraiser or a bank.
According to Flynn, "Equitable appraisals among similarly-valued properties is critical. The same model is 
applied to all properties." In Scarsdale, "95% of homes were inspected (a highly unusual access rate), Tyler built and tested models and valued all properties using these models." Since, "land directly relates to the desirability of a property's specific location." Tyler "analyzed all vacant and teardown land sales to develop land valuation models that were considered to reflect the market as of July 1, 2013." Scarsdale was divided into 13 areas for the purpose of defining comparable sales.
Following the completion of the process earlier this year, notices of the new property assessments were mailed to residents and posted online. Property owners were given the opportunity to have informal meetings with Tyler, and 927 or 15.6% of property owners met with Tyler and 1,088 properties were reviewed. This week, June 1, revised mailers were sent out to those who asked for a review, and the valuations of approximately 437 properties were changed.
Property owners who wish to grieve their new assessments can do so between June 2 – 17, and the final assessment roll for 2015 will be filed by the Village in September, 2014. The Tyler powerpoint presentation has been posted on the Village website and can be viewed here:
A question was asked about how assessments will be updated in the future and Village Assessor Nanette Albanese explained that now that the Village has done the revaluation they have the right to review assessments on an ongoing basis and make changes if they spot trends that affect a group of properties. The Village has submitted a grant application to the state for funds for personnel to keep the property tax roll updated. From the discussion it was not 100% clear how this would be accomplished but Village officials agreed that the roll would be maintained and they would not let many years lapse without a reassessment.
Many questions were asked about the value of the land vs. the home, the inclusion and weight of different variables in the model, the process for making corrections for over-assessed and under assessed properties and the difference between land values in each of the 13 assessment areas.
The statistician spoke at length about the statistical modeling process, but it was very difficult to understand his explanation.
At one point, someone in the audience asked Tyler if they have a way to do the revaluation in a more transparent manner. Borst responded that it is possible to put constraints into the mathematical process that would do this.
The meeting went on after 11 pm with the Mayor giving everyone a chance to speak – some even twice. Despite the call from the Heathcote Association to delay the revaluation, Mayor Steves indicated that " we will make what we have here work," and said he saw little benefit to repeating the process. In addition, Wolham and Borst of Tyler agreed that the model was valid and fell within a 97-98% tolerance level, even if it did not pass muster with some of the taxpayers.
The session was recorded and can be viewed online here:
