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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 24 May 2025

Created: 24 May 2025

Last Updated: 24 May 2025

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Donna Rose (Balduino) Pritula, born August 28, 1956, died peacefully at her home in Scarsdale, New York surrounded by her family, on May 21, 2025 after a long and courageous fight with cancer. She was the beloved daughter of Joseph and Rose Balduino, who predeceased her.

Donna was born in the Bronx and raised in New Jersey among a loving extended family. Her immediate family and her many aunts, uncles, cousins, and second-cousins provided a constant source of joy and strength in her early years. Throughout her life she placed family above all other things in the world.
After attending Bergenfield High School, Donna matriculated at Princeton University, where she majored in English. She was a universally upbeat and socially engaging classmate and friend to all she encountered during college.

Following her college graduation, Donna returned to New Jersey to assist in the care of her ill father, while also commuting to Greenwich, Connecticut to begin her career in corporate communications. After a decade of successful corporate work and after marrying Michael Pritula, Donna left the professional world to raise her children in Scarsdale, which would become her home for the last 40 years of her life, and where she became an active member of the community.

Donna loved to travel with family and friends while pursuing her hobby of photography, and did so with a sense of wonder and awe about the places she experienced. Her warmth, kindness, humor, and smile were infectious. She cared deeply for others. As a result, she was a loyal, lifelong friend to many from different phases of her life. She collected friends easily.

Donna was predeceased by her loving brother William. She is survived by her children, Michael and his partner Jessica Currier, Andrew, and Christine, who were her pride and joy, her brother Michael and his wife Lynne, her sister-in-law Cathy Balduino, her twelve nieces and nephews and their spouses, her grandnieces and nephews, who she adored, and her cousins, who were her oldest and best friends.

A wake will be held from 4pm to 8pm on Tuesday May 27 at the Edwin Bennett Funeral Home (824 Scarsdale Avenue, Scarsdale), and a funeral service will be held at 10am on Wednesday May 28 at St. Pius X Church (91 Secor Rd, Scarsdale).

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in Donna’s name to The Guiding Eyes for the Blind (www.guidingeyes.org).

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 15 May 2025

Created: 15 May 2025

Last Updated: 15 May 2025

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(The following letter was written by Scarsdale School Board President Suzie Hahn and Board Vice President Jim Dugan)

Dear Scarsdale Community,

The Scarsdale Board of Education is pleased to present the proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year. The vote for the 2025-26 budget will be on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Scarsdale Middle School from 7 AM - 9 PM. Parking is available throughout the day at the lower circle, reached from the school driveway on Kelwynne Road.

The proposed budget is the culmination of a careful and collaborative process, led by the Board and Administration. Deliberations and decisions by the Board were guided by a focus on students and on the District’s Strategic Plan of Learning, Living and Leading, with thoughtful input from the school community. We believe this budget reflects judicious fiscal management while maintaining the educational program that reflects our community’s core values and prepares our students to succeed and thrive.

Budget Accomplishments

The proposed budget preserves our tradition of academic excellence and care for the whole child, while continuing to manage the fiscal challenges facing many school districts such as ours.

Highlights include:

● Continued prioritization of social and emotional learning support at all levels, including social worker support K-12 and Responsive Classroom training

● Sustained support for elementary math program improvement

● Expansion of our special education program for children currently in-District along the continuum of services

● Construction of a synthetic turf practice field at SHS, to be used by hundreds of students

● Initiation of an exciting elementary school playground redesign and replacement program at FM

● Strengthened Safety, Security, and Emergency Management (SSEM) measures throughout the District with the continued addition of door-ajar sensors and security cameras

● Acquisition of 3 EV buses and the associated installation of charging infrastructure as the first phase in a long-term program to fulfill the mandated zero-emissions vehicle requirements established by NY State

Our investments in teaching and learning include funding an exceptional level of instruction through small classroom sizes at the elementary level, the house and team structure at the Middle School, and a rich offering of programs of study at the High School. The proposed budget achieves efficiencies in staffing, with a net reduction of 7.5 FTEs, as well as a 10% reduction in teacher aide support.

Budget Process and Community Engagement

The Board’s budget process began, as in past years, with a public listening session in November for the community to share their budget priorities for the upcoming school year. The feedback from this session helped inform the Administration as they prepared an initial budget proposal to the Board. Multiple presentations and Budget Study Sessions afforded opportunities to take a deep dive into each aspect of the District. Members of the Board also attended Budget information sessions hosted by community groups and have received and responded to numerous questions regarding the budget from the community. Community feedback on the final proposed budget was shared during the Budget Forum on March 24th. The Board voted to approve the budget in April and has attended meetings at each school to discuss it and answer questions.

Public Vote on the Budget

The vote for the 2025-26 budget will be on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Scarsdale Middle School from 7AM to 9PM. The projected tax levy is 3.4%, which is within the state-defined tax cap, requiring the support of 50+1 percent of those voting in order to pass. This levy equates to a 1.77%, or $415, increase for the median assessed home in Scarsdale. For homes in Mamaroneck, the median assessed home would see a reduction of 0.23%, or $62, in their tax levy from 2024-25.

SCARSDALE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Suzie Hahn, President
James Dugan, Vice-President

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Written by: Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez

Published: 08 May 2025

Created: 08 May 2025

Last Updated: 08 May 2025

Hits: 2642

(The following was submitted by Mayra Kirdendall-Rodriguez)

Without alerting Scarsdale residents, on April 8 the Scarsdale Village Board voted on a contract with Flock Safety to buy its surveillance products and services. Neither the Board nor Village personnel sought any feedback from Scarsdale residents, Scarsdale School District administrators or the Board of Education, local civic groups or Scarsdale’s fifteen neighborhood associations, While I have inquired whether Village officials or personnel conducted any due diligence on Flock Safety, three weeks later, I am still waiting for a response.

Whether Scarsdale Village residents want surveillance technology, or not, is something that could have been discussed if Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest and the Village Board had simply placed a notice in the Village Agenda inviting residents to opine on this important matter. For several years, numerous towns across America have been holding public forums to discuss surveillance technology. Why not in Scarsdale?

Even after a few residents and I wrote the Village Mayor, Board of Trustees, and Village Manager posing questions about the exclusion of resident input, whether any technology experts tested Flock’s technology, and lack of granular, annual data on crime in Scarsdale, Mayor Arest did not answer our questions and signed a contract with Flock Safety on April 29.

Also troubling is that the contract was signed without Scarsdale Village having any written policies on:

• what type of oversight will exist over Flock Safety, such as background checks of Flock employees working in Scarsdale,
• data collection, use and safekeeping,
• penalties if data is misused,
• cybersecurity and hacking measures to protect residents,
• residents’ privacy,
• sharing of data with federal government or other types of organizations,
• independent testing to verify accuracy of Flock’s technology and its success rates,
• and whether facial recognition technology or any other products will be added later without residents being informed.


Lack of Due Diligence and Written Processes

Were any Village officials or personnel aware of the fact that Flock Safety has had significant legal and regulatory challenges due to unauthorized installations and licensing issues in multiple states? Flock’s surveillance practices have raised constitutional concerns regarding privacy rights.

Flock Safety likes to brag that it has grown quickly and raised a lot of money. As someone who has spent decades working with banks, insurance, and energy companies, I have always found that significant growth is all too often a red flag for potential risks, which will show up sooner or later, such as weak processes for data collection and safekeeping, poor employee training, and even fraud. Just by virtue of being human beings, when companies are growing quickly, numerous risk management issues are often accidentally, or intentionally, overlooked.

Thus far, this is what I have found out about Flock Safety:

Flock is a Private Start-Up Tech Company

Flock Safety was founded in 2017. It is not publicly traded, so we do not have the company’s balance sheet or income statement information. We do not have audited information about how liquid or well-capitalized the company is. Yes, it had a recent, significant fund raising from venture capital firms. Is that enough to keep this company financially healthy so that it honors all its contractual obligations with Scarsdale?

We do not know who the company’s private sector or government clients are and do not know what their risk management policies are.

Flock Has Legal and Legislative Challenges Over Privacy Concerns and Other Issues

Public sources reveal that Flock's Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems are the subject of legal scrutiny concerning privacy rights. Flock Safety’s technology does more than typical ALPR technology; it captures additional details such as vehicle make, model, color, and other distinguishing characteristics such as bumper stickers.

• ACLU: In 2022, the American Civil Liberties Union published a white paper on Flock Safety’s unprecedented nationwide mass surveillance goals and technological capabilities. ACLU

• California: Flock Safety hired the mayor of Moreno Valley to promote its technology. Ulises Cabrera now claims Flock wrongfully terminated him, in part, because he refused to use his position as mayor to benefit Flock, according to a lawsuit Cabrera filed against Flock in November 2024. TechCrunch

• Colorado: On Monday, May 5, 2025, the Denver City Council rejected unanimously a contract extension with Flock Safety for more than $600,000 to continue operating the more than 100 automated license plate recognition cameras throughout the city. Denver 7

• Connecticut: Residents in Colchester filed a lawsuit alleging that the use of Flock Safety’s ALPRs violated their Fourth Amendment rights by enabling warrantless tracking of their movements. Connecticut Inside Investigator

• Virginia: In Norfolk, a federal judge allowed a lawsuit to proceed against the city for using over 170 Flock ALPRs without a warrant, potentially violating the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches. Forbes and Institute for Justice. The Virginia legislature is debating a bill to limit the days that Flock Safety can keep data from 30 to 21 days. Virginia Mercury

Flock Has Unauthorized Installations and Licensing Issues

• Florida: In February 2023, Flock installed an ALPR on the John’s Pass Bridge in Treasure Island without approval from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). FDOT demanded its removal, which occurred in November 2023. A subsequent review revealed that over 800 Flock ALPRs in Florida were out of compliance with state regulations. EFF and Forbes

• North Carolina: The North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board sued Flock Safety in March 2023 for installing ALPRs without the required license. A court injunction in November 2023 prohibited further installations without proper licensing. In March 2024, Flock agreed to apply for the necessary license by June 1, 2024. News Observer

• South Carolina: Between 2022 and 2024, the South Carolina Department of Transportation identified more than 200 unpermitted Flock ALPRs on public roads. In July 2023, the agency issued a moratorium on new installations and ordered a safety and compliance review of existing devices. TechDirt

• Texas: In September 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a cease-and-desist order to Flock, stating that Flock was operating as a private security business without the required license. Flock responded by initiating the certification process and anticipated obtaining the necessary license shortly thereafter. FOX 26 Houston

There are Questions about Flock’s Technology’s Accuracy

• California: Berkeley Police Department has found that Flock Technology does not work as well at night. Berkeleyside

• New York: A study by surveillance research firm IPVM revealed that the Flock LPRs misread license plates approximately 10% of the time. Additional errors included incorrect vehicle make identification and multiple readings of the same plate. These findings raised concerns among Syracuse city council members about the potential for wrongful identification and the broader implications for privacy and civil liberties. Central Current

Turning This Ship Around

Scarsdale Village officials can still turn this ship around. As over 240 residents and I are requesting, the Village should have a public forum to hear different perspectives about surveillance technology and Flock Safety. At a recent work session, a couple of Village trustees talked about having events to bring the community together. How can we be together when the Mayor and Board of Trustees do not even want to hear our views about surveillance technology?

Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez is a financial risk consultant and trainer and has lived in Scarsdale almost 14 years.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 01 May 2025

Created: 01 May 2025

Last Updated: 03 May 2025

Hits: 5245

(This letter was submitted by Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez)
Had it not been for Ms. Joanne Wallenstein of Scarsdale 10583, Scarsdale residents would not have learned that Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees voted on a contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance system. While for over a decade, I have reviewed both the Scarsdale School District Board of Trustees agenda as well as the Village's agenda on a bi-weekly basis, I saw nothing about the new surveillance system in the Village’s agenda. It was not until I read Ms. Wallenstein's article that I learned that Village personnel or officials had only placed the terms "Public Safety Equipment" in the April 8 Working Session agenda without any description or other terms. Not telling Scarsdale residents in detail beforehand what the Village mayor, trustees, and personnel were planning, is hardly a hallmark of transparency. Implementing a surveillance system behind residents’ backs could have very dangerous consequences to service providers who come to Scarsdale, as well as to residents and the very fabric of our village.

Had other residents and I known about the Village’s plan to implement a new, massive surveillance system, we could have attended the meeting. Scarsdale Village would benefit from hearing different perspectives. We as residents should have been allowed to discuss perceptions of increased public safety for actual increases in ICE and other federal law enforcement activity around private residences as domestic workers, landscapers and trades people are swept up on suspicion of immigration violations, irrespective of whether there is actual evidence.

For the last two weeks, I have been sending emails with questions to the Scarsdale Village Manager, the Mayor, and the Board of Trustees. None have been answered. I group my questions below:

Surveillance Technology

• Just because other towns might be using Flock Safety, why does Scarsdale need surveillance technology?
• Can you please provide Scarsdale crime data by type and year for the last 15 years?

Scarsdale School District

• Did you inform the Scarsdale School District Superintendent, the Superintendent’s Cabinet, or the Board of Education Trustees about your plan and how it could impact students, teachers, principals, and other staff?
• Did you make the seven Scarsdale teachers, principals, and staff union aware about your plan to significantly increase surveillance?

Engagement with Scarsdale Residents

Scarsdale Village trustees, mayor, or personnel did not survey residents to learn how we feel about privacy and freedom; that should have happened before the Board of Trustees voted secretly on the contract with Flock Safety.

One of the greatest things about Scarsdale is the incredible diversity of our residents in terms of personal and professional backgrounds. About 25% of our residents are foreign-born and the rest of us hail from numerous states. Why would the Scarsdale mayor and board of trustees not avail themselves of our free expertise?

• Other than discussing this topic amongst yourselves, did you speak to any residents in Scarsdale before the April 8th meeting? How about foreign-born ones? People of color? Security, technology, or risk experts? Lawyers?
• Why did you not hold a public hearing or a meeting about the surveillance issue?
• Why won't you hold a public meeting now to hear residents' views?
• What are the quantifiable benefits to the community of this surveillance system?
• How could you all vote on the surveillance issue when two new trustees had just come on Board? Had you all been discussing this behind closed doors with them? How could the new trustees have been prepared to vote so soon on an issue when they barely had been at Village Hall? Had the rest of you been talking about this issue for several years as your own memo on the Village site states?
• How is it that you could not put this issue on the Main agenda if you knew you would vote on it?

Flock Safety

• Did you consult the ACLU since one of its members wrote about Flock?
• Did you speak to municipal authorities in towns and states where Flock is being sued?
• What due diligence did you conduct on this technology and on Flock itself?
• Can the technology you are buying capture images? If so, what is the accuracy of this technology when used on people of different colors?
• What is Flock’s technology servicing record?
• Did you review Flock’s financial statements? What is the company’s financial health?

In mid-March 2025, Flock raised $275 million from Andreessen Horowitz, with backing from Greenoaks Capital, Bedrock Capital. Meritech Capital, Matrix Partners, Sands Capital, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, Tiger Global, and Y Combinator. Did you conduct due diligence on these investors and how they could affect Flock Safety’s services and financial health?

• How was Flock chosen? Was there a Request for Proposal? What other companies were vetted?
• When will you share with residents the contract you signed with Flock Safety?

Oversight of Surveillance Technology, Data Security, and Use of Images

Flock Safety claims that its professionals will not sell the data they collect, that they are nonpartisan, and maintain audit trails for all data queries.

• What do you know about Flock’s professionals' biases?
• Are you aware of what their data safety protocols are?
• What documentation are you getting Flock to sign before you start implementing the technology in Scarsdale?
• What happens if Flock misuses the images and data their professionals collect?
• Who will supervise the use of this technology? What is the expertise of those individuals?

Federal Grant

The Scarsdale Mayor has stated several times that Scarsdale taxpayers will not pay for this technology and that Scarsdale has applied or is applying for a grant. Yet, most recently, the mayor told a resident that while he personally does not want taxpayers footing the bill, “it would be up to the Board to make that decision.” It is important for the Mayor and BOT to be transparent about the financing of this technology.

Nothing is ever free. If the government or a company gives anything for 'free,' it means that we the individuals are the product.
• When did you file the grant application to the Federal government to pay for the surveillance technology?
• When will you share the grant application with the public?
• Did someone in the Federal government reach out to you with the offer of this grant? Or who in Scarsdale asked for this grant?
• How is it that the Federal government is offering to pay for this technology and why? One has to ask why the federal government would offer funding for the product when the

Administration is making a public show of drastic cost-cutting at the same time

• What does the Federal government require of Scarsdale in exchange for this technology?
• Who would pay for servicing the technology once the initial grant is disbursed?
• If you do not get the grant, will taxpayers be on the hook for paying for this technology?
• If there were to be an error with the technology and someone were to sue the Village, who would pay for that damage?
• And if you are connected to the key individuals who would give Scarsdale a grant, is it possible for you to get funding for our schools, roads, and flood remediation? The return on investment for expenditures on education and infrastructure is far higher than for anything that this technology might accomplish.

Petition to the Village

I encourage Scarsdale residents to sign this petition requesting that the Village have an open forum to discuss this surveillance system. When and if I receive answers to my questions, I would be happy to share them with Scarsdale residents. It is important that we all can discuss the need for surveillance publicly and that the Scarsdale Village mayor, trustees, and personnel take your views into consideration seriously.

Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez is a financial risk consultant and trainer and has lived in Scarsdale almost 14 years.

See the Village's contract with Flock Safety here.