Scarsdale Business Alliance to Host First Annual Scarchella Music Festival
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On Saturday, September 14th, the Scarsdale Business Alliance (SBA) will host its first annual Scarchella Music Festival, presented by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. The event will take place rain or shine on Chase Road and Boniface Circle in Scarsdale Village from 12-6pm. Join us for a festive day full of live music, food, drinks, and family fun activities.
Scarchella Music Festival is an event inspired to bring the community together with local musicians who love to share and perform music. Several bands will be performing throughout the day on the main stage, sponsored by Pepe Infiniti. Confirmed bands include Louise in Trouble, Someday Radio, The Big Red Words, The Del Bocas, The Mod Tones, and Where is Phi. In addition, a group of local high school students will also take the stage.
In honor of their 75th Anniversary, Zachys will be sponsoring two large Grand Tasting Tents on Boniface Circle (open from 12-5pm), with hundreds of wines available to sip and enjoy from numerous wineries around the world.
Scarchella will feature a selection of food trucks and local restaurants with savory and sweet offerings. In addition, the Scarsdale Police Benevolent Association will be hosting a cookout barbecue.
The Houlihan Lawrence Family Fun Zone will feature bouncy castles and a variety of kids’ activities, including face painting, balloon artists, a Gaga Pit and more.
Scarchella Music Festival will be donating a portion of proceeds to Backyard Sports Cares (byardsportscares.org) and The Southeast Consortium (secrec.org). Our donation will help fund community programs for those with limited access and special needs right here in Westchester County.
While this is a free community event, there is a suggested charitable donation of $5. In order to enter the wine tents and consume alcohol, you must show ID that you are over 21 and purchase a wristband for $25. All food and non-alcoholic beverages are a pay as you go. Donations and wristbands are available online now for purchase at scarchella.com and will also be available at the festival by cash or credit card.
“There is such an appetite amongst our residents for events that bring people together, foster community and create positive energy,” said Jane Veron, Village Trustee Liaison. “An energized Village Center is a tremendous positive for the entire Scarsdale Community. There’s been a renewed focus on events, public art, and performance. I am incredibly grateful for the ethos of collaboration and new ideas that emanate from our residents, enabling us to bring such positivity to our town.”
Free parking is available in the Freightway Garage and adjacent outdoor parking lot (72 Freightway) as well as the lower two levels of the Christie Place Garage on East Parkway.
Scarchella is a not-to-be missed experience! The SBA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Village of Scarsdale and its local businesses.
SCARCHELLA EVENT COMMITTEE: Marcy Berman-Goldstein, Darci DeMatteo, Andrew McMurray, ML Perlman, Robert Shire
For more information about the event or to become a sponsor, email [email protected].
Julia B. Fee Sotheby's Congratulates Their Grads
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The realtors of Julia B. Fee Sotheby's in Scarsdale salute their 2019 graduates:
Don’t Follow the Light! The Delicious Menace of Midsommar
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- Written by: Deborah Skolnik
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The darkness, we all know, can be scary indeed. But in the new horror flick Midsommar we learn that unrelenting light is an even more terrifying prospect, leaving nowhere to hide and nowhere to reflect, thus breeding an environment in which logic gives way to rationale. And filmmaker Ari Astor, the mastermind behind last year’s hit Hereditary, paints his characters—and humanity—in a harsh light indeed.
Dani is a young woman who’s very much alone in the world. She moves in rooms that feel empty despite their furnishings, sending e-mails to family that go answered and text messages to a boyfriend who’s slow to respond. That boyfriend, Christian, wants to break up with her—but after a terrible tragedy befalls Dani, he feels obligated to stick around.
His reluctant (shall we say un-Christian) kindness is a variety of cruelty, a type of gaslighting. Dani never feels completely secure, especially around Christian’s friends. Nevertheless, she accepts a begrudging invitation to travel with them to a Swedish village for its nine-day-long “midsommar” festival.
Soon the gang’s in Hårga, where the sun shines nearly 24 hours a day and the white-frocked, flower-crowned natives welcome them into the bosom of their insular community. An episode with hallucinogenic mushrooms ensues, leaving viewers uncertain whether the rest of the sinister tale is merely Dani’s bad trip.
There are feasts, songs and rituals, the last of which grow increasingly eerie, even shocking. Yet somehow there’s always a reason for our characters to stick around—especially Dani, who has unexpectedly found a sense of community among the blissed-out Maypole dancers. It’s a stark contrast to the increasing space, both metaphorical and physical, between her and Christian. In one memorable scene, he surprises her with a piece of birthday cake but can’t manage to light the candle; it’s a vignette that will take on profound meaning as the film’s climax unfolds.
Even as Christian and his friends lose their grounding in Hårga, Dani finds her way. She grows powerful within the tribe, but if Midsommar has a moral message, it’s that power corrupts. Dani’s final smile, as the screen dims, is the definition of chilling—especially because you find yourself cheering for the loss of her moral compass. You won’t return home fearing every odd noise in your house, but you may end up fearing yourself.
Letter to the Editor: Freightway Development Plan Should Consider Impact on Local Traffic
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This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Don Friedman, CEO of GIC Realty:
Initially, I was quite enthusiastic about the proposed Freightway development and all the good things that could flow from the development.
What has given me real concern is the present traffic congestion in and around the village. And, what the development could do in worsening that condition.
I live on Garth Road and my business and social life cause me to use all of the roads that surround the development site, daily. I note that normal commutation traffic occludes the roads and that is expected and acceptable. What is of serious concern is that between 9:00AM and 4:30 PM the roads are fairly tight with traffic from the present usage. And, if there is any road work, that is where you see congestion, and is a precursor of what could happen when the Freightway project is completed and occupied.
I can foresee traffic conditions becoming a source of resident outrage.
I submit that a traffic engineer’s input on the potential occupancy use should be a guide and used in selecting a development use that has the least impact on traffic.
In fairness, and transparency I have recommended the above suggestion to the Village Planer who said that was part of the plan. The former Mayor dismissed me as a nonresident.
Don
S.Donald Friedman
CEO
GIC Realty NY Corp.
155 Garth Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
646-831-6444
[email protected]
www.linkedin.com/in/don-friedman-396b921b
Village Installs New Pay by Phone App for Parking and New Parking Enforcement Technology for Police
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New license plate reader technology installed in Scarsdale police cruiser.Though the installation of new parking enforcement technology in a Scarsdale Police car is welcomed by Scarsdale’s parking officers, it may not seem like good news to those who park on Village streets and in Village lots.
The new software allows the driver of the police cruiser to scan cars parked on Village streets and in Village owned lots and store the position of each car at a given time. In the parking lots, if a car does not have a valid permit, or if two cars are using the same permit, the system issues an alert and the parking officer issues a ticket.
Similarly for cars parked in the Village or on Scarsdale streets, the cruiser records times and positions of parked cars, and if the maximum time is reached, the system alerts the officer who can issue a violation.
The maximum time permitted to park in the Village is 90 minutes and the technology immediately warns the officer if a vehicle has been parked too long. In addition, if a driver parks in one spot for 90 minutes and then moves the car to another spot less than 300 feet away, even if the meter is filled, they will be ticketed.
At the same time, the Village has rolled out the use of the parking app PANGO, which allows drivers to use their personal 
Cameras mounted on both sides of the car allow for scanning of license plates on both sides of the street or garage.devices to pay electronically for parking on Village streets rather than feeding coins into the meters. You can download the app at MY PANGO.com
Though the new license plate reader technology may appear to be punitive, Village administrators believe that better enforcement will free up more parking spaces for those wishing to shop and eat in the Village. In addition, the new technology will allow for digital processing of permits and tickets and should results in lower clerical costs for mailing hard copy permits, printing permits (ink, security paper, pouches), and labor for data entry and envelope stuffing. Savings are estimated at $13,000 per year.
The new technology which was installed by SecureWatch 24 at a cost of $64,000. According to Assistant to the Village Manager Josh Ringel, “We will not be recouping the cost through increased revenues. We actually think that (parking) overtime revenues will decrease as the device will result in more compliance.”
Asked for a comment on the new technology, Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick said, “The Village is pleased to be implementing two tools to improve parking in the Village Center - the LPR and Pango. We believe these tools will lead to more complaint usage of Village parking, which we expect will create more availability of spaces for residents and Village Center shoppers. We look forward to expected benefits for our local merchants as shoppers find it easier to find parking spaces.
We also expect more efficient use of Parking Enforcement staff time, saving time and money for Village residents.
The Village is working to create clarity of parking regulations as well as providing easier mechanisms for paying for parking. Last week, we implemented a new parking app - Pango - and we encourage residents to download the app and try it next time they visit the Village Center.
We also encourage people parking in the Village Center to be aware of time limits in the specific area in which they are parking and to be aware that meter feeding for time in excess of stated maximum parking times can result in parking violations being issued. The more awareness people have of parking regulations, the better able they are to avoid ticketing.
Residents are encouraged to call or stop by Village Hall with any questions they may have about parking regulations or the new Pango parking app.
Here’s more information about PANGO from Scarsdale Village
The Village of Scarsdale is pleased to announce that Pango, the parking pay by phone app, is finally here! Pango launched in the Village of Scarsdale on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, with 6% of motorists paying for parking through Pango on the first day. This percentage has exceeded expectations.
Parking meters in the Village Center are now furnished with decals and signage informing motorists of their parking zone and the steps to follow to pay by phone. The Village continues to encourage motorists to download the Pango app and set up an account prior to visiting the Village Center. There is also a Pango customer care call center (1-877-697-2646) available to assist motorists should issues arise. It is recommended that motorists program the call center number in their phone for future use.
Pango allows customers to manage their parking experience on the pay by phone app via their mobile phone or on the Pango website http://www.mypango.com. More specifically, customers can make profile changes, add or delete vehicle information and review parking history. The parking app also provides various ways to pay for parking such as Pango Wallet supported by PayPal,
Venmo, and credit card.
Pango is used in a number of communities in Westchester making implementation of Pango a more convenient and efficient parking alternative for residents and Village center patrons not just in Scarsdale but regionally as well.
Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions or visit Scarsdale.com to learn more about Pango in the Village of Scarsdale
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