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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 12 April 2018

Created: 12 April 2018

Last Updated: 13 February 2025

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This letter was sent to the Board of Education by Maroon and White and read at the Board of Education meeting on April 10, 2018 by M&W President Beth Dell’Orto

Dear Scarsdale Board of Education,
Maroon and White, the booster organization for Scarsdale High School athletics would like to address the turf field budget issue.

We feel strongly that the turf field must be replaced as soon as possible. The field is long past its useful life and may be a safety concern for our athletes who continue to use the current field.

The turf field has been in the budget since the budget was presented in the beginning of the year and the timing was that the turf field would be replaced after the Fall 2018 sports season.

The $1.2M in the budget was to replace the field with the same type of rubber crumb fill and to resurface the track. There have been community members who have brought up the possible health issues with turf fields made from this material. Maroon and White supports a turf field made from safer, better quality material. Our recommendation is that $1.6M be allocated in the budget for the field and that the different types of material be researched in more detail and decided on in time for Fall 2018 installation. If a lower cost option is recommended the additional budgeted funds would go back into the budget.

The grass field that was suggested by some BOE members is not a feasible option. There are several reasons the field needs to remain a turf field.

Our Fall and Spring teams would be limited in their practice time and playing time due to weather if we have a grass field. Having additional time for on-field practice allows teams to be better prepared-not only to be more competitive, but also to learn best techniques and play safer, helping to avoid injuries. This is extremely relevant in football where there is a state mandated number of practices required prior to a player being eligible to play in a scrimmage or a game. Such requirements are for safety of players, not for competitiveness. If field time is less predictable, teams may have to start summer sessions a week earlier to ensure practice mandates are met prior to the start of the season.

The Spring sports teams have started practicing and playing. Without the turf field these teams would not have been able to play or practice due to the grass field conditions. The teams that they compete against who have turf fields would have an immediate advantage in being able to practice after rain or snow while we would have to wait for the grass field to be usable. Note as an example, our Middle School grass field has not been open yet. The active modified spring teams are currently using the parking lot and tennis courts for lacrosse, baseball and softball practices.

A grass field would not be able to accommodate the number of students and athletes that need to use that field. We are able to have multiple teams and fitness classes use the turf field in a day which would not be possible with a grass field due to wear and upkeep. Not only would the Butler field have to be maintained if it was a grass field but all of the other fields the sports teams use would have to be maintained to the highest level to have any chance of having enough fields available for our athletes and students. The cost of leveling, irrigation, chemicals and manpower on all the fields will exceed the cost of the turf field.

The turf field has allowed for teams to play many more home games. This encourages school spirit as the community gets together to watch Field Hockey, Boys and Girls Lacrosse and Boys and Girls Soccer. With the addition of lights, which Maroon and White has been focused on helping to raise funds for, we would be able to have night games and have more community and student turnout for games. This would not be possible if we are weather dependent on a grass field.

Scheduling of games, which is already very difficult, would be made even harder with a grass field due to weather dependency.

The health issues of a turf field versus a grass field are debatable. The addition of new types of turf field material limits the possible toxicity issues. Grass fields which need to be maintained with chemicals also have concerns.

The other issue of grass versus turf is the injury issue. Grass cannot be uniform in consistency. A turf field, maintained well, will be safer for the athletes.

Finally, there was some discussion that grass would be less expensive than turf. This is not necessarily true. The current field has an infrastructure that is set up for turf. Therefore, replacement of turf would require minimal changes. The addition of a grass field would require a new infrastructure to allow for proper drainage and leveling.

Maroon and White firmly believes that the turf field must be replaced this Fall and not postponed or changed to a grass field.

Sincerely,

Beth Dell’Orto and Greg Cahaly - Maroon and White Co-Presidents The Maroon and White Board

Past Presidents of Maroon and White
Kathy Coleman
Peter Zurkow
John McCann
Penny Bauersfeld
Charlotte Carr
Gail Leone
Lew Leone Sr.
Lew Leone – past Maroon and White Board member

April 8, 2018

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Written by: Harlan Levy

Published: 03 April 2018

Created: 03 April 2018

Last Updated: 03 April 2018

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Last week I, a consumer columnist no less, made a careless mistake.

I spotted a sale on replacement toothbrushes – the hardest of the two types -- for my Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush, $19.99 for eight, instead of the $45 I had spent six months ago for four. The caption read “Sonifresh Toothbrush Heads, DiamondClean Replacement Heads.” So I ordered them.

They came in eight individual wrappers in a box labeled “Sonifresh,” not “Sonicare.” Oops, as former presidential candidate Rick Perry said in forgetting the name of an agency he had promised to eliminate.

I tried one, and it was not as hard as the Sonicare brushes, which I ordered this week. It was a stupid mistake to not order what I wanted, and it’s somewhat similar to mistakenly and unconsciously ordering substandard counterfeit goods online, a big problem that’s my topic for today.

Two weeks ago The Counterfeit Report, an industry watchdog, published a report listing 26 million counterfeit items sold online, including electronics, over-the-counter drugs, sporting goods, children’s toys, and fragrances. And, the report said, when the manufacturers told the websites – including Amazon, eBay, and Walmart -- the websites did not notify the deceived buyers.

“There may be no indication in seller profiles of a counterfeit sales history,” the report said, “even for sellers having over 100 counterfeit listings removed by The Counterfeit Report.”

In a recent decision the U.S. Court of Appeals (Milo & Gabby v. Amazon) upheld a U.S. District Court decision excusing Amazon from liability in the sale of counterfeit items on its website.

“The value of counterfeit and pirated goods is forecast to grow to $2.8 trillion and cost 5.4 million net job losses by 2022,” said “The Economic Costs of Counterfeiting and Piracy,” a January report by Frontier Economics Ltd. for The International Chamber of Commerce Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy and The International Trademark Association.

What’s more, the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General’s Office reported that the post office lost $308 million between 2010 and 2014 delivering “foreign treaty” mail, getting paid about $1.50 for delivering a one-pound package from a foreign carrier.

How to spot counterfeit goods
The Counterfeit Report has these tips:

-Price: If the product is significantly cheaper than other advertised items, that’s a red flag.

-Packaging: Check the manufacturer’s website for product details and model photos. Misspellings and bad grammar are a tipoff. Avoid items in plastic bags regardless of “OEM” (Original Equipment Manufacturer) claims or “genuine” or “authentic” in the description.

-Manufacturer: Buy directly from the manufacturer’s website or the actual manufacturer if it maintains a listing on Amazon. Watch out for “look-alike” websites and sites that direct the buyer to an external online payment system. And when in doubt, call the manufacturer.

Now you know.

Harlan Levy was an attorney at the Federal Communications Commission's Cable Television Bureau before becoming a reporter at radio station WGTR-AM in the Boston area. He then worked as a TV news reporter at WXEX-TV Richmond, VA., WCIX-TV Miami, FL (winning a Florida Emmy), and WVIT-TV, West Hartford, CT. Then he was a reporter and managing editor for The Commercial Record (a banking and real estate weekly newspaper), followed by 20 years as an award-winning business reporter, town reporter, and columnist at the Connecticut daily newspaper, the Journal Inquirer.

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Written by: Emmeline Berridge

Published: 27 March 2018

Created: 27 March 2018

Last Updated: 28 March 2018

Hits: 6201

Every season, the Maroon and White awards dinner honors Scarsdale's athletes for their dedication and success in their respective seasons. The winter dinner was held on March 14th at Mulino's of Lake Isle. A special emphasis is put on the seniors of each team, as this is usually their last time competing at a varsity level in athletics at Scarsdale.

(Pictured left: Top (left to right): John Seider, Jeremy Wolfe, Sam Seltzer, Mike Schur, Loic Harousseau Bottom (left to right): Daniel Koch, Matthew Hyman, Anthony D’ambrosio)

Boy’s Hockey: The boy’s hockey team had a successful season led by their 8 seniors. They faced degrees of adversity, as their coach was suspended for their last game due to a series of penalties and ejections throughout the season. Senior Matt Hyman noted that his favorite memory from the season was the win against North Rockland, noting that it was a “big accomplishment to beat them early in the season, as they went on to compete in the state semifinals, and it gave [the team] a lot of confidence going into games for the rest of the season.” The hockey team will look for a new head coach during the off season.

Girls Basketball: “This team has been the closest of any team I have ever been on,” noted Senior Captain Left to right: Audrey Shaev, Samantha Mancini, Lily Steckel, Lauren Metviner, Nicole LaubLily Steckel, a 3 time varsity captain on the tennis, basketball, and lacrosse teams. The camaraderie of this group helped propel them to success against many strong teams, including a victory against the defending State Champions in Connecticut, Stamford. The girls made a playoff run, but ultimately fell to a strong Ursuline team boasting many formidable offensive players. Mancini finished with a thank you to the team for making this the “best last season she could have imagined.”

Bowling: Above anything else, Senior Jack Waxman mentioned that his highlight from this season was the team’s “cheese fry frame”, which stipulated that “if all of [the team] bowled strikes but one person, that person would have to buy the rest of the team cheese fries.” Although the team bowled “very poorly this year," the girls team won the league and went to sectionals. Sisters Maya Kulick Left to right: Michael Waxman, Maya Kulick, Marc Josephs, Cole Cutlipand Zoe Kulick (Fr.), both very enthusiastic about the sport, led the team to a respectable finish at both league and sectional tournaments. Finally, Waxman noted that the team had an “awesome, fun year as a tight knit group.”

Boy’s Swimming: The Scarsdale boy’s swim team, which featured a number of State qualifiers, had a successful and fun season. Senior Ryan Lee noted that “after 3 years on the team, one of the highlights of the season was going to States with a lot of first timers.” Additionally, the 200 and 400 freestyle relays at both Sectionals and States broke school. The 200 relay consisted of Jack Callahan, Haofung Liu, Riley Haffner (Jr.) and Justin Disanto (Fr.), and the 400 was made up of Ryan Lee, Haofeng Liu, Riley Haffner, Top (left to right): Jack Callahan, Eliot Greene, Ryan Lee Bottom (left to right): Jonny Cohen, Haofung Liuand Jack Callahan. Lee also emphasized that he is “confident the junior class will continue the Scarsdale swimming legacy for the years to come.”

Ski: Despite weather issues, which prevented the team from practicing on their home Thunder Ridge Mountain as often as they could have, the Ski team had a positive season. Senior Mason Marsh noted that the team “sent a lot of racers to sectionals and states”, reinforcing the team’s legitimacy on a regional scale. Senior Joe Weintraub was proud of the face that the boys team won a race at the beginning of the season. Junior standout Connie Ferragu had an outstanding performance at the state meet, placing 22nd in a field of the 64 best skiers in New York state.

Joe Weintraub, Nick Coeytaux, Alison Schwartz, Mason MarshGymnastics: Emily Kopp, one of the senior captains of the Gymnastics team, mentioned that the team was very strong this year, and they posted some of the highest scores in Scarsdale gymnastics history. One gymnast, Sophomore Molly Grand, went on to compete at sectionals for the team. Kopp pointed out that she is “proud of all of the work that everyone did”, and looks forward to seeing what they do in the future.

Cheerleading: Cheerleading had a historic winter season, starting in the fall being section 1 champions, and finished the season at the semi finals of the National Championship in Orlando, Florida, ultimately placing 28th in the nation. Senior Captain Talia Abbe asserted that overall,

the season was “so fun and memorable because everyone worked hard to achieve Lone senior pictured was Emily Kopp[their] common goal.” The team will lose 6 strong leaders and role models from their squad next year.

Boys Basketball: Despite a setback toward the end of the season when beloved coach Bill Murphy was abruptly fired, the boy’s basketball team was successful. Senior Captain Nash Goldman said that the team had a fun season, noting that the “team got very close and learned how to work really well together.” After the dismissal of Coach Murphy, they went on to beat Mount Vernon in a regular season game for the first time in the 21st century, as well as upset North Rockland on the road to make a valiant playoff run. The team will lose many key contributors in Nash Goldman, a 2 year all-section player, Jared Top (left to right): Zaria Cash, Talia Abbe, Ari Stonberg, Sydney Schweber Bottom (left to right): Savannah Smith, Aerin CantorSchulman, a major contributer, Will Hoffman, a strong defensive presence, Trevor Nossel (not pictured), who showed up in many key games including Mount Vernon, strong players Leo Katz, Evan Maroney, and Jack Solodar.

Rich Leaf
Rich Leaf, a long time sports announcer for the Scarsdale Basketball program and Section 1 athletics, was honored with the first ever “Positive Impact Award” from Maroon and White. Leaf, a Scarsdale alumnus, was given this award for his dedication and performance at both boys and girls varsity games. The boys and girls varsity captains spoke about his impact on their respective high school basketball Top (left to right): Nash Goldman, Evan Maroney, Jared Schulman, Will Hoffman, Scott Galst Bottom (left to right): Jack Solodar, Leo Katzcareers. The girls team noted that Rich brings “an unmatchable legitimacy to home games, and adds an irreplaceable energy that gets [the team] excited to play.” After the award was presented, Leaf spoke about how touched he was for the honor of receiving this award.

(Photos by Sydney Albert and Text by Emmeline Berridge)

Rich Leaf speaks after accepting the Maroon and White "Positive Impact Award"

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Written by: Jennifer Rossano

Published: 21 March 2018

Created: 21 March 2018

Last Updated: 21 March 2018

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Trustees unanimously endorse plan for sanitation department to provide weekly curbside pickup of food scraps, the first program of its kind in Westchester County, engaging residents to broaden scope of recycling practices.

On Tuesday, March 13th the Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favor of implementing weekly curbside pickup of food scraps, underscoring their commitment to provide sanitation services that will make it easier for residents to engage in a broadening scope of recycling practices. The recommendation was presented to the Board of Trustees by the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) as part of their Sanitation Study submitted in December 2017. Scarsdale will become the first municipality in Westchester County to provide such a service – history in the making.

Scarsdale launched its Food Scrap Recycling Program in January 2017, providing residents with a home starter kit and establishing a drop-off site for food scraps at the Recycling Center, 110 Secor Road. By metrics alone, the program has been an enormous success, with over 160,000 pounds of food scraps being recycled into compost in 2017. More than numbers, the program’s success highlights an emerging mindset within the community about waste reduction and recycling at large. As early as 2nd grade, Scarsdale students learn the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, and toward the end of their educational journey, high school students can enroll in Food for Thought, a course that connects local, national and global issues surrounding food and sustainability.

Several towns have followed Scarsdale’s lead in creating a Food Scrap Recycling Program. Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Bedford, Greenburgh and more recently New Castle and Rye Brook have all followed suit.

The new weekly curbside service is expected to roll out this spring and will operate in a similar manner to our current curbside paper recycling pickup. Residents will be notified of the new service schedule once it is finalized by the Sanitation Department. The Recycling Center drop-off site will also remain open. The service is open to all residents. Residents just need to email [email protected] stating that they would like to sign up for the program.

The CAC’s recommendation to launch a furniture donation program was also approved by the Board of Trustees at last Tuesday’s meeting. A large furniture collection bin will be set up at the Recycling Center where residents can bring furniture and other household items. These donations will be picked up by Furniture Sharehouse, a local nonprofit organization that provides furniture and household items to those in need throughout Westchester County.

For more information about the work of the CAC, click here.
For further questions, email [email protected].