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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 16 November 2020

Created: 16 November 2020

Last Updated: 18 November 2020

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In response to the spread of COVID-19 and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Governor Cuomo has limited all indoor gatherings in private residences to 10 people. How will this affect your Thanksgiving? Answer our quick, anonymous survey below:

Click here to take the survey:

And if you are celebrating at home, here are instructions for a safer Thanksgiving dinner from Westchester County Health Commissioner Sherita Amler:

Thanksgiving Health Advice

Open the windows -- the wider the better and as many as possible -- to promote cross-ventilation.

Run your kitchen exhaust fan.

Keep guests out of the kitchen.

Wash or sanitize hands frequently.

Have your guests wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking.

Avoid passing platters from person to person.

Designate one person with gloved hands to serve buffet style from a central location.

Consider making side dishes in single-serve ramekins and using single service plates and utensils.

Ask your guests to reduce their contacts and potential exposures for the two weeks prior to their visit.

Remind your guests to stay home if they have any COVID symptoms or a fever, are awaiting COVID test results, or are under quarantine or isolation orders.

Have your returning college student limit his or her exposure to others and get tested this week, next week and a day or two before returning home, wear a mask throughout their travel home when around others, whether by plane, train or car, with windows open.

Invite your guests to wear masks and meet you for a walk, a turkey trot or a hike in a park.

Amler said: “It is especially important to keep uninvited germs out of your holiday meal, so wash your hands thoroughly when you arrive and before you take that first bite. Good hand hygiene can help reduce the risk of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.”

At home, when you remove your fresh or defrosted turkey from the refrigerator, do not wash it -- this spreads pathogens onto kitchen surfaces. Fully cook the turkey to kill bacteria that causes foodborne illness. The Health Department recommends holiday hosts and their helpers follow these 10 food safety tips:

Food Safety

Wash hands and food-contact surfaces with hot water and soap thoroughly and often.

Thaw turkey in a pan in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds.

Keep raw meat, poultry and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

Use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils when handling raw turkey to avoid cross-contamination.

Wash items that have touched raw meat with hot water and soap, or place them in a dishwasher.

Rinse all fruits and vegetables in cool running water and remove surface dirt.

Cook turkey and stuffing to 165°F, as measured by a food thermometer. Check the turkey’s temperature by inserting the thermometer in three places: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing.

When preparing the meal, cut down on the amount of fat and sugar in recipes and boost flavor with fresh herbs instead of salt.

Refrigerate turkey, stuffing and sides within two hours.

Reheat leftovers to at least at least 165°F before serving. (Check the temperature with a metal probe thermometer.)

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 11 November 2020

Created: 11 November 2020

Last Updated: 02 November 2021

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The results of the Citizens Nominating Committee election are in. Scarsdale voters elected their neighbors to serve on the nonpartisan Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC). These newly elected members will join current CNC members to meet and evaluate non-partisan candidates for the offices of Village Mayor and three Village Trustees. The 30 elected members of the CNC will then nominate candidates to represent the Non-Partisan party’s slate in the village election, which takes place in March, 2021.

The 2020 CNC election was held on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 by mail-in ballot only in the interests of public health and safety during the health crisis. A total of 251 votes were cast, all by mail.

Sarit Kessel Fuchs, Chair of the Procedure Committee, provide the following information. The vote count by neighborhood was:

Edgewood 75
Fox Meadow 45
Greenacres 79
Heathcote 34
Quaker Ridge 18

Below are the names of the 2020 clected CNC Members, Class of 2024, all to serve three-year terms:

Edgewood: Laurie Medvinsky; Richard Wingate
Fox Meadow: Kay Eisenman; Jennifer Rosen
Greenacres: Mary Pat Jones; Jared Stern
Heathcote: Lynn Badain; Han Zhou
Quaker Ridge: Robert Tepper; Matthew Zik

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 04 November 2020

Created: 04 November 2020

Last Updated: 06 November 2020

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Though the final results are not in for Westchester County, the unofficial tally as of 1 am on November 4 shows big wins for the Democrats in many races.

Starting at the top of the ballot, Westchester voters went for the Biden/Harris ticket with 63% of the vote to 36% for Trump/Pence.

Jamaal Bowman, who defeated Eliot Engel in the primary for the 16th Congressional District ran against Conservative Party candidate Patrick McManus and took home 79% of the vote, making Bowman the new Congressman for some Scarsdale residents.

Newcomer and Democrat Mondaire Jones, running for the 17th Congressional District won 59% of the vote to Republican and retired firefighter Maureen McArdle-Schulman’s 37%.

In the NYS Senate, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins ran unopposed and therefore took 100% of the votes. Scarsdale’s longtime Assemblywoman Amy Paulin also ran unopposed with 100% of the vote.

Stewart-Cousins reported that the Democrats had retained their majority in the NYS Senate. She said, “Despite a difficult night for many Democratic candidates throughout the state and nation, the Senate Democratic Conference comfortably retained our majority and will be welcoming a historic group of new upstate Democrats to the Senate. With the record high number of outstanding absentee ballots that are overwhelmingly Democratic, we will add even more victories to our majority as the vote counts continue. The Senate Democratic Majority will continue to lead New York State forward as we recover from this pandemic and economic crisis.”

Commenting on her re-election Paulin said, ""I am humbled and grateful to continue to represent our community in the State Assembly. Your vote sends a message of confidence that inspires me to continue to work diligently to improve the lives of all residents in my district. The pandemic has left so many of us struggling and it is my mission to do everything I can to alleviate and remediate this situation." She added, "While I know many of us are anxious to see the election results, we must be patient and wait for all the votes to be counted. With the record-breaking number of votes cast, it may take days or weeks before we know the final results."

Another race to note is the 40th state senatorial district where former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino ran on the Republican and Conservative party lines against State Senator and Democrat Peter B. Harckham. As of 1 am on November 4, Harckham was leading narrowly with 52% of the votes to Astorino’s 48%.

Top of mind for many in Scarsdale was the race for Westchester County District Attorney, featuring another Scarsdale resident Mimi Rocah, who defeated incumbent Anthony Scarpino in the June primary and took 64% of the vote on election day, defeating Republican Bruce Bendish.

A press release from Rocah says, “I am honored to be Westchester’s District Attorney-Elect, and I look forward to serving every community of Westchester with respect, integrity, and a commitment to justice for all.” She continued, ““As we await the results of other local and federal races, it is imperative that every vote is counted. Every voice should be heard. This has been a difficult year for many of us -- we have battled the coronavirus pandemic, economic recession, faced a reckoning on racial injustice, and acknowledged a loss of faith in many of our public institutions. The importance of transparent leadership at the local level that is focused on integrity and fairness has never been more clear. These values have been the foundation of my campaign since we launched nearly a year ago when I pledged to 'do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.' From conviction integrity to gun violence prevention, from support for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence to holding public officials accountable, I am ready to hit the ground running.”

Below is a statement from Myra Saul, Chair of the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee on the unofficial election results released to the public: "Based upon the unofficial results of the votes counted so far, the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee is gratified that all of our congressional, state and county candidates are leading in their respective elections. We congratulate especially our fellow Scarsdalians--Amy Paulin and Mimi Rocah. Of course, in accordance with New York election law, absentee ballots that were postmarked by election day and received by November 10th are still to be counted. We will not have a final tally for awhile."

"Our community and nation needs to heed that message on a national level. Each state has its own election laws and must follow its own procedures. Votes are still being counted in several states that will determine who has won the presidency. President Trump cannot declare himself the winner, stop the counting in some states and encourage the counting where he currently leads in others. Let's be clear. His statement last night wasn't just a lie. It is a signal to his followers to distrust any ultimately unfavorable results and sows further division when we so very much need healing in our country. We need to ignore the undemocratic, bombastic noise out there and count every vote."

Also weighing in on this historic election is the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale. They said, "The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors thanks our community members for their engagement and participation in the voting process during this unprecedented time, in the midst of a global pandemic. As so many voters cast their ballot by mail and absentee ballot this year, it will take time to count every vote.

Across the United States, election officials are taking the time to conduct an accurate and complete count, as required by law. A delayed result due to an increased number of mailed ballots is to be expected and indicates that the system is working to ensure the integrity of our election process. A complete and accurate ballot count is more important than a fast ballot count. The League thanks the election officials, poll monitors, and League volunteers who helped facilitate our elections and worked to inform voters.

Scarsdale voters report that many waited on long lines to vote early, prior to election day. However for voting on election day, with so many polling places open in Scarsdale, there were virtually no crowds. People voted quickly and easily.  For the first time this year, the polls were equipped with electronic tablets to look up voters and verify their signatures.

Scarsdale10583 will update and finalize these numbers as the results come in.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 21 October 2020

Created: 21 October 2020

Last Updated: 23 October 2020

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The Scarsdale Historical Society is pleased to announce the Zoom premiere of a new film, Pathway to a Scarsdale Community: Fox Meadow and the Butler Estate. The half hour documentary, the first in a series about Scarsdale neighborhoods, is the story of Charles and Emily Butler who owned the magnificent 500-acre estate that became the neighborhood of Fox Meadow. The film will be shown via Zoom on Thursday, November 12th at 7:00pm. Please register to view the film here. 

Using rare photographs and new research, the film portrays the life of Charles Butler (1802-1898), a brilliant financier and philanthropist who also had a surprising influence on national events. The second part of the film is about his daughter, Emily Ogden Butler (1840-1927) who played an important role in the community and early suburbanization of Fox Meadow and Greenacres.

The Scarsdale Historical Society was motivated to produce the film after it received a trove of rare photographs of the Fox Meadow Estate, which was donated by Joan Brandt of Saugerties, New York. Her late husband, Everett, who enjoyed collecting, bought the photo album at a flea market in the 1960s. When he passed, his wife and children were thoughtful enough to contact the Historical Society and donate the photo album.

The film, Pathway to a Scarsdale Community: Fox Meadow and the Butler Estate, was directed by Lesley Topping, a veteran filmmaker originally from Scarsdale, working under the historical guidance of Barbara Shay MacDonald, the Historian and Vice President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. Barbara MacDonald also is one of the film's narrators.

About the Scarsdale Historical Society
The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve, and disseminate historical information as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central mid-Westchester region. The Scarsdale Historical Society’s other videos and articles can be seen on the Society’s website at www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org. These films include A Tour of the Cudner-Hyatt House, A History of the Bronx River, Scarsdale in the 18th and 19th Centuries, and Anna Richards Brewster’s Life and Art in Scarsdale.