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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 12 July 2022

Created: 12 July 2022

Last Updated: 12 July 2022

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Fun was had by all at the Greenacres Neighborhood Association’s Fourth of July festivities.

Over 200 people attended the celebration, enjoying breakfast and watermelon, games for all ages, a patriotic program and more. The festivities were capped off with the Scarsdale Fire Department’s rainbow producing water display.

Longtime Greenacres Neighborhood Association President Andrew Sereysky with incoming President Kristen ZakierskiGames included sack, spoon and three-legged races; a dash; foul shots and a candy hunt. Results are available below.

Scarsdale Mayor Jane Veron, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, state senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Shelley Mayer, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, and Assemblymember Amy Paulin joined Greenacres neighbors to celebrate.

"Neighbors new and old came together to show that Greenacres is still the place to be," said incoming Greenacres Neighborhood Association President Kristen Zakierski. "We are immensely grateful to all our volunteers and members. The Fourth of July may traditionally be about red, white and blue, but today it was also about green."

The Greenacres Neighborhood Association plans events throughout the year. For more information, and to join the GNA, visit www.greenacres10583.com.

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See below for the names of the contest winners.

Jamaal Bowman, George Latimer, Jane Veron, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Michelle Lichtenberg, Amy Paulin and Andrew SereyskyContest and Race Winners

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Written by: Adam Katcher

Published: 03 July 2022

Created: 03 July 2022

Last Updated: 07 July 2022

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Every year, during July 4th’s Independence Day Celebrations, Scarsdale sets up a remarkable firework show for the community to enjoy. With the fireworks set for 9:15 pm at the Scarsdale Pool on Thursday June 30th, pool members arrived well before the 8 pm deadline. After that, all members of the town, even if a member of the Scarsdale Pool, had to pay a five-dollar fee to enter – a price worth the experience.

After walking through the pool’s main entrance, with the sun low, the bugs humming, and the moon on the rise, the symphony of noise from the thousands of Scarsdalians flocking to the area, as well as the Westchester Band, was impossible to avoid. The event may have even amassed the turnout of the recent Scarsdale High School Graduation ceremony, and it seemed as if the entire town was there. All the lifeguards were on duty: Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps offered free water to anyone who wanted it: returning college students swung by and residents of neighboring town attended as well.

The banks of the pool complex were filled to the brim with people accompanied by chairs, picnic blankets, umbrellas, refreshments, and their loved ones. All four pools had their perimeters surrounded by eager onlookers. Any green patch of grass that could be found was a hot commodity in the moments leading up to the start of the show. The on-site food vendors only saw lines cool off once the firework show began.

After giving directions on exiting the premises over the loudspeaker, the show commenced. With the fireworks launched from Saxon Woods Golf Course, a few people had to change their seats to get a better view due to trees blocking their view. But with the exception of that one, rather insignificant issue, the performance was flawless. The “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from excited children rung out, while parents and grandparents watched on in a more contemplative, yet excited and intrigued, fashion.

The majority of the firework show was released from one platform on the golf course. The finale, however, came from a different portion of the golf course, providing a surprise encore to what was already an enjoyable community event.

This firework show proved that this town tradition will not be shaken away. Regardless of the two year hiatus to the tradition from COVID-19, families coming and going and the pool’s uncertain future the July 4th fireworks celebration is one that will always remain a fond favorite in the hearts of Scarsdalians. This year provided more evidence for just why that is.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 26 June 2022

Created: 26 June 2022

Last Updated: 26 June 2022

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(This is the opinion of Scarsdale10583 founder Joanne Wallenstein)
Looking at the polarized political national landscape I used to console myself with the thought that I live in New York, a state that has strong gun control laws and offers legalized abortion. In the face of school shootings in Florida, limitations on abortion in Texas and states run by legislators with far-right agendas based on evangelical beliefs, I found comfort knowing that I chose to live in a state led by smart sensible legislators intent on protecting my rights and the safety of my family and friends.

But in one stunning week, two Supreme Court decisions have rocked all my assumptions. First, on Thursday the Supreme Court overturned the NYS ban on carry concealed weapons in public places. Then on Friday, we got another kick in the teeth when we learned that the Court had overturned Roe vs. Wade, denying women everywhere the right to choose whether or not to have a baby.

As justification for the first decision, we were told that gun control cannot be dictated by state government, and in the second, the Federal government said abortion policy was up to each state leaving many states to outlaw abortion immediately.

That’s a stunner. You don’t have to be a legal scholar to see the hypocrisy.

Beyond the legal policy, there are practical implications to these decisions. Both add a new level of uncertainty and anxiety to our lives. Can we enjoy movies, concerts and theater knowing that all it takes is one individual with a gun to end it all? How can parents leave their children at school every day, knowing the district can never spend enough to guarantee their safety? And for women everywhere, how can they live their lives the way they choose, knowing that they have lost the right to determine their own future?

I certainly did not vote for the Senators who voted in the Supreme Court justices who adopted these decisions. Some of the senators who did vote for them in are now complaining that they believed deceptive testimony during their confirmation hearings. Though Kavanaugh, Coney Barret and Gorsuch all pledged to respect precedent, when cloaked in their robes and protected by closed doors, they changed their minds. Now we’ve all become victims of crazy decisions based in precedent from the 18th and 19th century, when women did not even have the right to vote.

I asked some experts what, if anything, I could do to change this, and they all said one thing. Vote for the right people this year, and support elections in other states to elect Democrats.

In the meantime, I will continue to support our own State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. In response to the Supreme Court decision on guns, she is introducing more gun control legislation to control the sale and possession of guns.

See below for what she plans to do to secure our safety in New York State.

(From Amy Paulin)

Instead of upholding New York’s laws which help combat gun violence, the U.S. Supreme Court has now overturned a 1913 New York statute which limits permits to carry firearms only to individuals who can demonstrate “proper cause” or the need to carry a firearm due to their employment.

This disastrous decision will result in exponentially more New Yorkers carrying a gun in public and will put all New Yorkers in harm’s way every day. It will also imperil the safety of law enforcement, paramedics, fire personnel and all those who work in the public safety sphere.

Our country experiences gun deaths on a daily basis. Most recently we had horrific mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, and even in the few weeks since then we have had several more. Given the seriousness of what we continue to face, the Court’s decision is beyond reckless – it is deadly.

Despite the Court’s profoundly disheartening decision, I will not be deterred from fighting to keep our communities safe. I plan to continue advancing the most stringent gun legislation possible to protects New Yorkers, and along with Senator Brian Kavanagh, I have just introduced several additional bills in light of the Court’s decision.

We now need to ensure that guns are prohibited from mass transit, entertainment venues, religious institutions, and bars and restaurants where alcohol is served, just to name a few. I have introduced a bill that will make it a crime to possess guns at these “sensitive places.”

I’ve also introduced a bill requiring a license to possess shot guns and rifles. This is common sense and should already be in place – there is no more time to wait to enact this law.

The third bill requires all firearm permit holders to have an evaluation from a mental health professional rather than merely stating that they are mentally fit which is what the current law requires.

Another bill requires completion of a training course in order to obtain a license for a firearm under New York State law, and an advanced training course which includes time on the firing range for those seeking a license to carry a weapon in public. Requiring thorough training for all permit holders will help increase public safety as more guns are now likely to be carried out onto New York’s streets.

Finally, I’ve introduced a bill which requires background checks prior to the renewal of a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver. This will lead to license holders being screened every 5 years to ensure that they have no prior conviction of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, have not been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility pursuant to NYS mental hygiene, criminal procedure, and correction laws, and have not been reported by a medical health professional to likely engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to themselves or others. Reexamining all license holders’ eligibility to possess a firearm license every five years is an essential safeguard to help ensure the safety of all New Yorkers.

The Court has now made the utterly irresponsible and deadly decision to loosen gun laws in our country rather than tighten them. In New York we are going to fight this decision, and I’m committed, along with Senator Brian Kavanagh to doing so in the New York State Legislature by passing laws which restrict gun access and presence, and increase gun safety.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 23 June 2022

Created: 23 June 2022

Last Updated: 23 June 2022

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The following remarks were made by PT Council President Megan Simon at the Board of Education meeting on June 21, 2022

On behalf of PT Council, I extend a sincere thank you to all the retirees who were recognized earlier this evening. They are what make Scarsdale Schools the special place we treasure. We appreciate all the talent, time and energy they have given to the Scarsdale schools, and wish them well in this next chapter. Our children have all benefited from your commitment and we can’t thank you enough for all you have done for the children of Scarsdale. I would like to give a special thanks to David Wixted, who has served as the President of the teacher’s union for many. Your commitment to your colleagues was evident in all that you did over the years, while ensuring that the success of Scarsdale students was always at the heart of every issue. The Scarsdale schools are stronger because of your many years of leadership. Jerry and Rachel, your experience and guidance will be greatly missed but we know that you leave us poised for continued success and are always just a phone call away! Thank you for your innovation and talent throughout the years that has enabled Scarsdale to remain on the cutting edge of education.

And to mark the final board meeting of the school year, I also wish to thank Board President Karen Ceske, Vice President Amber Yusuf, who also served her second year as board liaison to the PTC, all members of the Board of Education, Drew Patrick, and the entire cabinet for your dedicated service and commitment to our children’s education. The PTC looks forward to continued collaboration with you all next year.

This Board, working with the administration, has continued to face extraordinary challenges this year. As I wrote this, I realized how more often than not over the last three school years we end the year feeling as if the challenges were greater than the years prior, and this year is no exception. We acknowledge the tremendous and almost impossible job you had this year, and thank you for leading us through these difficult times. You have been faced with the continued challenges the pandemic has put upon education, the resignation of our Superintendent and the subsequent work needed to begin the process to find a new leader for this district, as well as an extraordinarily difficult situation and negotiation with the IRS. This was in addition to the normal governance of our school district. These issues were ones the Board had no idea they would be faced with coming into the school year, and solutions were often not readily apparent. You all devoted enormous amounts of time, energy and care to working with the administration to arrive at the best possible outcomes. We know this hasn’t been easy. But we also know that you’ve always done what you believed was best for the District.

I have the honor tonight of also recognizing the two outgoing members of the Board of Education, Karen Ceske and Carl Finger, as they complete their board service.
Karen and Carl - We salute your willingness to contribute your time and expertise to our District over the past three years. I often think it is forgotten that being a member of the Board of Education is a volunteer position, and you all take this on in addition to the obligations of your own professions, families and lives. We also recognize that the time we see you in Board meetings is just a fraction of the hours you have devoted to this District. And we know you have worked so hard because you care. You care about our children’s education, about our schools being the best they can possibly be, and about the future of the community. Both of you have worked to guarantee that Scarsdale schools maintain their standard of excellence and continue to grow and innovate towards an even brighter future.

Karen, thank you for your three years of service on the Board, during the last of which you led as President. Your quiet confidence and direct nature has instilled a real sense of trust in your guidance of this Board through many difficult issues. From the start, we knew you were committed to ensuring that all our students’ needs and concerns were met and addressed. You took your role seriously, respectfully challenging the administration and fully understanding management. You often come to the Board table open to ideas, with a willingness to listen to and learn from others, allowing you to be flexible in your decision-making. Your persistence and confidence were present when needed, but always with an obvious sense of respect for your colleagues and the community. Thank you for keeping our children as the focus and ensuring that our school district maintains a strong level of excellence. We appreciate your service and will miss your voice.

Carl, thank you for your three years of service on the Board. Your experience and confidence have been a great asset to the Board. Even this past year, when Board meetings often went late into the night, your consistently calm demeanor helped the Board navigate through difficult situations. Your appreciation of the other Board members suggestions was noted, and you worked to adjust your opinion based on the input of your fellow Board members and community perspectives. Your thorough consideration of issues helped the Board ensure the big picture and long

term impact were always considered. You were never afraid to ask questions and challenge both the administration and your fellow Board members in order to ensure a better outcome for our children. Thank you for your dedication to our children and all you have given to our District.

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you for giving so selflessly of your time and working so hard to make sure our schools are the best place to learn and for the overall betterment of our community. I wish you all a much deserved restful summer, and a productive successful school year next year.