Vote Row B for a Return to Civility in Village Hall
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Justin Arest and a supporters at the Meet and GreetThis is the opinion of site founder Joanne Wallenstein
On Tuesday March 20th, residents will vote to elect three Village Trustees in the second contested election in two years. This year, three candidates, Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Jane Veron have been selected by a democratically elected group of residents called the Citizen’s Nominating Committee to run on the Non-Partisan Party slate, and one candidate, Robert Berg, is running independently. For those who don’t follow Village politics, last year Berg ran as an independent candidate for Mayor -- and after a polarizing campaign he lost by a 2:1 margin.
I have nothing against contested elections. Elections are the hallmark of democracy. However, in a small town like Scarsdale, I do object to the nasty and divisive rhetoric and campaign tactics.
At a recent candidates forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Berg insulted the Village Attorney, the current Village Board and the Mayor. He said the Village Attorney let us violate the constitution and that the Village Board let him trample on our constitutional rights. He said that two of the current Trustees who are attorneys don’t understand constitutional law.
Berg’s campaign signs are an insult to those who are currently serving and the nominees. The signs say, “Vote for a Leader, Not a Lemming!”
His personal attacks make even those who are sitting in the audience uncomfortable.
At various time during the forum he used bombast and hyperbole to describe the state of the Village. Referring to the Non-Partisan process he said, “The system is broken in town.” He said the roads looked like “Damascus” and that Scarsdale is a “disaster.”
How to address these issues? He suggests we pass a $4 million bond referendum to repair Village roads, but at the same time appeals to empty nesters by claiming he will reduce taxes. Now how does that work?
Putting aside the insults, Berg is clear that he doesn’t believe in building consensus. At the forum he said, "I don't believe in the process of consensus. We get the wrong answer because we try to reach consensus. We have to explore all the arguments, look at the angles, take a vote and the majority should rule. That's a great weakness here; everyone has to be Kumbaya.”
Berg went as far as to file a lawsuit against the Village for removing signs from the Village right of way, causing the Village to spend funds on attorney’s fees to defend the suit.
In his closing statement Berg defended himself against charges of bullying, claiming that “Despite my reputation as a bully, I am not a bully. I am forceful…. I get along with people.”
Is he a bully? I have had my own experience with Berg and his followers that make me reluctant to write my own opinion on my own website.
Here’s what he recently said about Scarsdale10583 in the lawsuit mentioned above. Keep in mind the suit, which concerned the placement of political signs in the Village right of way, had nothing to do with the site.
Trustee Jane Veron engaging with residents.He wrote, “The leading gossip blog in Scarsdale, hardly rising to even the level of yellow journalism, Scarsdale10583.com, has orchestrated a determined no-holds barred “defeat the bond” campaign for months, highlighted by Fake News stories replete with factual inaccuracies, bias, refusal by the editor to post contrary viewpoints or facts, and vindictive bashing of bond supporters by anonymous internet trolls.”
Though he denies any links to the anonymous “trolls” who continue to attempt to post nasty comments on Scarsdale10583, they all denigrate the SCNP candidates and favor Bob’s candidacy. i.e. the internet trolls are his own. Even after we changed our policy to require names and email addresses, the trolls made up pseudonyms and opened email accounts in an attempt to post nasty comments on the site.
Given Berg’s views on Scarsdale10583, I was surprised to receive numerous emails from Mr. Berg asking for prominent featuring of his campaign announcements and letters of support on the site. Why, I wondered, would he want to be associated with such dreck?
Though he suggests that I don’t have a right to express my own views and that my opinions are biased, I refuse to be intimidated from writing editorials from time to time on important issues before the Village. I own the website and I have every right to say what I think.
So, if you’re wondering whom I am supporting on Tuesday, it’s the three candidates -- Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Jane Veron in Row B, who have been nominated by the Citizen’s Nominating Committee. They have all demonstrated a willingness to listen, engage in civil discourse, do a thorough analysis of the issues and build consensus to forge solutions. I am not alone in my view - see below for a list of your neighbors who also support the Non-Partisan Party candidates.
If they are elected, hopefully they can return civility to Village Hall and stop the nasty, vindictive personal attacks that make sitting in the audience so uncomfortable.
Vote for the Scarsdale Citizens’ Non-Partisan Party slate in Row B on Tuesday. The polls will be open from 6 to 9 am and noon to 9 pm at Scarsdale Library.
Kumbaya Scarsdale!
We Lived Through Last Week ... Thanks to Our Generator
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- Written by: Jeff Blatt
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(Contributed by Jeff Blatt on Walworth Avenue who was out of power for 8 days last week.) I'll admit it. I love my generator, Elecktra. She was born in August 2012, just two months prior to Hurricane Sandy. ConEd had done everything in its power to delay Elecktra's arrival, but I had persevered and the hour of redemption was at hand.
As my family and I sat in the basement while Sandy's violence whipped through Scarsdale, we all knew the power was about to go out. We put our trust in Elecktra – a 20kw beast – and waited. My mind drifted back to a conversation regarding the size of the generator I wished to purchase. My electrician had asked, "Do you want to be able to run your air conditioners?" and I had replied, "Fred, I want to be able to run my neighbors' air conditioners."
Sitting in the basement, as our house shook, I assured the children that we would not be without power and then, the lights went out. We sat in silence, waiting, and less than a minute later, the generator went on and lo, power was restored. This was a great and now legendary moment in my house and my children chanted "Yay daddy, yay daddy, yay daddy." I believe that my wife Erin, a tough judge if ever there was one, was at least moderately impressed. Elecktra ran flawlessly for eleven straight days until Con Edison restored power.
My view is that, for those who can afford it, and who are subject to above ground power wires, a generator is now a must-have appliance, no different than a stove. I say this not for the comfort a generator provides, though there is that, but for preservation of one's home. Global warming promises more extreme weather in the years and decades to come, and losing power in the dead of winter can easily lead to frozen pipes and all the associated misery that comes with such a development. In essence, one can view the cost of a generator as a form of insurance. I also believe the presence of a generator increases the value of my home.
Before Elecktra, we lost power with some frequency, often for a day or two at a time. We stayed in hotels, threw out frozen food, and spent money dining out. We no longer incur these expenses.
We lost power last Friday, as did many Scarsdale residents. Elecktra ran for more than seven days until power was restored, and I have no doubt that she'll be called upon to serve again.
Note from SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo Re: Walk Out on March 14
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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(Here is a note to parents from SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo) As you are likely aware, many of our students are planning to participate in a walkout on Wednesday, March 14th, in response to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, last month. While we support students in exercising their right to engage in political activism, we must be careful not to support any specific political messages as an institution. We think we have found a way to walk this fine line, and I am writing to share with you our plan for the day.
The national organizers have indicated that the event will begin at 10:00 a.m. I have asked our school government officers to work with students who are leading various activities at that time and apprise us of their plans for the day so that we may plan for the safety and security of our students, which is our primary concern. Therefore, the campus will be closed to visitors and traffic from approximately 9:45 until 10:45 on the morning of March 14th. While we understand that parents and other community members may wish to participate or observe the students' activities on this day, safety concerns necessitate that we keep the campus closed to visitors during this time. If you have an appointment in the school building or in the district office at that time, please call or email your contact person to reschedule it for another time. We will be asking the Scarsdale Police Department to assist us with securing the campus during this timeframe.
Although many members of the faculty wish to at least memorialize the Parkland victims, our first obligation is to provide a regular instructional day on March 14th. As a result, I have asked teachers who are teaching classes during that time to remain in their classrooms and teachers who are not assigned to a class at that time to assist with the overall supervision of the activity and to provide safety and security for the campus. Teachers' presence in classrooms or at the activity should not be interpreted as a sign of support or lack thereof, but rather a fulfillment of their obligations as staff members for the day.
We expect students' activities to be peaceable and in compliance with the code of conduct. We will do our best to allow students to express their opinions, and we remind participants that the code of conduct governs student behavior during the school day. The school is not approving students' plans for the day or any messages that will be shared, nor is it facilitating any awareness campaigns beyond this letter to the community.
Regards,
Kenneth Bonamo
Principal
TEDx Talks Come to Scarsdale
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On Sunday March 11, Tedx Talks will come to Scarsdale. The event, to be held in the SHS auditorium, will feature talks on a range of subjects from entrepreneurship and human rights to journalism and comedy, all curated for a diverse set of interests and delivered by local Scarsdale residents and Scarsdale High School graduates
The event will be hosted by TEDxScarsdale, a group led by SHS students Ishwar, Ben, and Connor, who founded the student-led TEDx club to work together to organize and publicize the upcoming event.
According to the club founders, the goal of the event is "to present local, bright minds to students, hopefully encouraging and inspiring them. The Scarsdale school system has one of the most rigorous yet rewarding curriculums in the country, and we wanted to supplement that with TEDxScarsdale. The auditorium doors will be open to students, enhancing learning, and the overall Scarsdale community, improving SHS's connection to Scarsdale." Audience members (mainly students, teachers, and parents) will get the chance to learn about specific topics from professionals in their respective fields.
Who are these speakers? They come from a range of backgrounds, and each will give their take on "Living a More Meaningful Life" through a 10-15 minute TEDx talk.
Here are the speakers:
Alan Schwarz (SHS Class of '86!) is Pulitzer Prize-nominated 
journalist at The New York Times best known for his articles that exposed the seriousness of concussions among NFL football players.
Suzanne Nossel (SHS Class of '87!) is a human rights activist who played a leading role in U.N. Human Rights Councils and currently serves as the Executive Director of PEN America.
Bradford Hu has been the Chief Risk Officer of Citigroup since 2013 and has more than 20 years of investment banking experience.
Divya Narendra is the CEO of SumZero and co-founder of "Facebook-predecessor" ConnectU with Harvard University classmates Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
Viktor Koen is an award-winning illustrator whose works are regularly featured in national and international publications from Rolling Stone to ESPN.
Frank King, a former writer for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," is a mental health activist and comedian with over 30 years of experience working with celebrities.
There will also be video presentations from Scarsdale residents:
Mark Bezos is an activist and volunteer firefighter. He worked at Robin Hood, the leading poverty-fighting charity in New York City and is the captain of Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Company #2.
Sheryl WuDunn, the first Asian-American reporter to win a Pulitzer Prize, is a business executive and award-winning writer. She is currently advising entrepreneurs involved with social causes and new media.
The TEDx talks will be held in the Scarsdale High School Auditorium (1057 Post Road) on Sunday, March 11th from 2 - 4 pm. Tickets are $18 each and are on sale here.
Police Arrest Two for Burglary of Home on Mamaroneck Road
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Quick work by the Scarsdale Police led to the arrest of two young men for the burglary of a Mamaroneck Road home at 1 pm on Wednesday February 21. Officers noticed suspicious activity in the area and checked the unoccupied house and found that it had just been burglarized. They tracked two men who were seen on the property and took them into custody a short time later at a different location.
The two men, Vincent Cuccurulio, age 31 of White Plains and Christian Rosa, age 26 of Valhalla, were found with stolen property --mainly jewelry -- from the house and they were both charged with Burglary in the 2nd Degree, a Class C Felony. Police report that both had previous criminal convictions and are the subject of an active and ongoing investigation. Additional charges are possible.
Both defendants were arraigned on Thursday morning, February 22, 2018 in Scarsdale Justice Court and remanded to the Westchester County Jail. The Scarsdale Police Department was assisted by the New Rochelle Police, Greenburgh Police, White Plains Police and the Mount Pleasant Police.
