A Narrow Loss to Eastchester on Senior Night
- Details
- Hits: 5375
It was a special night at SHS on Monday, February 4, when the Raider's Boys Basketball played their last home basketball game against Eastchester and celebrated Senior Night by honoring the team's eight seniors. In an emotional pre-game ceremony hosted by Coach Jon Feld, each of the eight seniors and their parents were introduced, with each players' mother wearing her son's away jersey and receiving flowers from her son. Honored were second-year varsity players Tyler Nathan, Jon Cohen, Dylan LoBue, Peter Simon, and Brad Fiedler, together with third-year varsity players Robert Plummer, and co-captains Alex Squadron and Jack Hewitt.
Below are pictures of SHS seniors and their parents during the pre-game festivities.
Eastchester entered the game with a 14-1 record, fighting to hold off Byram Hills for the top seed in the upcoming Section 1 Class A tournament. In what has become a tradition, co-captains Squadron and Hewitt relinquished their 
starting roles to other seniors in a gesture of gratitude and appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Not surprisingly, the starting line-up of Cohen, Nathan, Plummer, LoBue, and Simon played inspired basketball and the game remained a hard-fought, physical battle with the first quarter ending with Eastchester clinging to a 13-12 lead.
In the second quarter, Scarsdale seemed unable to match Eastchester's quickness and turned to one of its rarely used juniors for a spark. Showing that he belonged on the court, junior Grant Goodman answered the call, delivering quickness, energy, and solid defense in addition to six second quarter points to keep the Raiders close. Goodman was followed by junior forward Matthew Katz, who added a basket, leaving Scarsdale trailing by only three points at the half, 28-25. The Raiders suffered a scare during the second quarter when senior guard, Tyler Nathan, was thrown to the ground and lay motionless on the court for several seconds. Nathan was assisted from the floor with a calf injury, received treatment during halftime, and was able to return in the second half.
The Raiders came out in the second half and quickly found themselves down 33-25. But Hewitt (who finished the game with 15 points and 17 rebounds) put the team on his back and, as he has done so many times this season, brought the Raiders back, scoring nine of the Raiders' next 12 points to reduce the deficit to 38-37. After Eastchester pulled ahead, 46-41, the Raiders answered with baskets from LoBue and a three-pointer from Nathan (who delivered a gutty performance, coming back twice from what looked to be serious injuries) to tie the game at 46-46. But, again, the Eagles had an answer. After an Eastchester basket and two foul shots by Squadron (6 points, 7 rebounds), Eagles guard Jack Daly (who finished the game with 23 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and five steals) showed his versatility finding Nick Campana and Dan Ciardiello for consecutive three pointers to put Eastchester ahead 54-48 with just over 90 seconds remaining. Eagles' coach, Fred DiCarlo (who utilized 12 players during the game) credited his team's strength, depth, and stamina as keeping his team fresh in the late stages of games.
Following a foul by the Eagles, DiCarlo was called for a technical foul, resulting in 4 foul shots and the ball for the Raiders. Jon Cohen (6 points) 
made 3 of 4 foul shots and Nathan (8 points) followed with a long jump shot to cut the Eagles lead to 54-53 with just over one minute to play. But the Raiders would get no closer, as Eastchester connected on free throws following a Scarsdale turnover and the Raiders attempt at a game-tying three pointer fell short when Scarsdale was unable to free up any shooters and had to settle for an off balance three-pointer by Cohen. A final foul shot by Eastchester made the final score 57-53. Scarsdale, which has dropped three consecutive games, sits at 12-5, with their final game of the season this Friday at New Rochelle. A Raider win on Friday increases the team's chances for a first round home playoff game.
A New Twist on Purim
- Details
- Hits: 5171
Don't look for a traditional Purim carnival at Westchester Reform Temple this year. Instead, the Scarsdale-based temple will present an "Adar-nival" on Sunday, February 10, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. WRT's new twist on the spring festival pairs the community-wide carnival with a celebration of the Jewish calendar's month of Adar (the month in which we traditionally celebrate Purim). Thus, the new nomenclature "Adar-nival."
Just as in a traditional Purim carnival, "Adar-nival" participants are encouraged to dress in costume as a favorite hero, villain, queen or princess, or any other Purim-themed outfit. New and updated carnival activities, including electronic games, will delight children of all ages and be accessible to all. For more information on accessibility, email [email protected].
As a community service, participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be distributed at a local food bank. Raffle tickets, food, snacks, and donated items will be available for purchase, as well, with proceeds dedicated to helping victims of superstorm Sandy, and to stocking the shelves at the Food Bank of Westchester.
Tickets for the "Adar-nival" are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Parents and children under 3 are free. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wrtemple.org; using the Adar-nival link. For those looking for the Megillah Reading and Spiel, this service will take place on the holiday of Purim, February 24, 2013, at 10:00 am in the sanctuary.
Westchester Reform Temple is located at 255 Mamaroneck Road in Scarsdale, N.Y. For directions or information, call 914-723-7727, email to [email protected], or visit www.wrtemple.org.
Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee Set for Friday Night February 1
- Details
- Hits: 4376
The third annual Friends of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee will entertain the community on Friday, February 1 at 7:30 PM at the Scarsdale High School Auditorium (Brewster Road entrance). All are invited to cheer their favorite teams and to participate in interactive trivia games, a silent auction, and raffles while supporting the Library.
Amongst the twenty participating teams, five teams of teenagers, the highest teen participation ever, will strive to win the grand prize and bragging rights as Scarsdale's best spellers. Reigning champions Lucas Meyer and Esther Sloan of Team Hip to Bee Square will do their utmost to defeat all comers.
Team US Histor-Bee will consist of two Scarsdale High School students and their teacher, Dr. Dominique Padurano. Says Padurano, "I'm delighted to participate in this event, both to share my love of orthography and to get to know a bit better two fine students, Noah Klayman and Rachael Pflaum, outside of the classroom setting. And, as the runner-up in the Sycamore Avenue Elementary School's 1980 spelling bee, I'm hoping to avenge this decades-old disappointment!"
Junaid Chida and Meera Kymal will battle against their daughters Maleeha Chida and Viveka Kymal. Maleeha and Viveka made the final round last year, and they have set their sights on matching the first year win of Maleeha's brother, Zohaib. See the Friends of the Scarsdale Library web page, http://scarsdalelibrary.org/friends/annual-spelling-bee, for a list of all participants.
Between rounds, audience members will have a chance to participate in lively trivia quizzes with prizes for the winners. Music and the emceeing of Ed Coleman, the radio voice of the New York Mets, will add to the festivities.
A silent auction and raffles will be run until the end of intermission. Featured auction items include a TestTakers SAT prep course valued at $1995, an iPad4, and Le Creuset enamel cookware. Raffle prizes include SoulCycle classes, baskets of children's games, and more. The doors open at 6:45 PM for the silent auction and raffles.
Admission to the Spelling Bee is $5, and refreshments will be available for purchase. Cash and checks will be accepted for raffles and silent auction bids.
Scarsdale Orchestra Concert Webstreamed Live to Kabul
- Details
- Hits: 5418
The Scarsdale High School Orchestra performed a late evening benefit concert on Tuesday, January 15 at 11 pm to raise money for an upcoming Afghan Youth Orchestra tour of the U.S. The concert featured chamber works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven and was performed late at night so that the concert could be streamed live and viewed by the Afghan students in Kabul.
This partnership came about because Scarsdale High School Orchestra director Amedee Williams read a New York Times article last year about the Afghan Youth Orchestra and was inspired to track down the Afghan Youth Orchestra director and offer help. Williams learned that the Afghans needed financial help for the tour and that Carnegie Hall had offered its hall. After many emails they put together a cultural exchange.
Williams was very pleased with the 1-15 event. He reported, "Many people watched the concert online and have sent me emails that they will be mailing in donations. I think the community is now more aware of the AYO tour and I hope people will attend the concert at Carnegie Hall on February 12th." Though there were initial problems with the internet, ultimately they were able to stream the concert live to Kabul.
A crowd of about 30 spectators and parents turned out to watch the event. For the opening, students Rachel Haber, Emily Nishiwaki and Nicholas Politi 
performed a string trio followed by a magnificent Beethoven solo by pianist Cherie Hu. Zubin Katicha, Bryant Lo, Caroline Holmes, and Aron Szanto played a string quartet, followed by a piano trio involving Alan Yao on violin, Aron Szanto on cello, and Cherie Hu on piano. These were concluded with the final performance of a Quartet with Naoko Nakajima and Helen Clapp on violin, Julia Wells on viola and Andrew Starr on cello.
A representative from the Afghan side said that the performance was "a good opportunity to see who we are meeting a few months from now!"
SHS Freshman Alan Yao, who performed in the concert said, "This is really a good experience for all of us. We have been preparing for tonight's concert for about two months."
Kathy Gray, mother of junior Helen Clapp said, "The concert opens up students' minds and makes them more aware of the world outside of Scarsdale."
On Friday, February 8, the Afghan Youth Orchestra will arrive in Scarsdale. Rehearsals, dinners, ice skating and sightseeing, hosted by the Scarsdale school community, will be followed by a joint concert of the two ensembles at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, February 12. The Afghan students will continue on to Boston for performances at the New England Conservatory.
Gangster Rap: Should You See Gangster Squad this Weekend?
- Details
- Hits: 5312
It's 1949. The horrors of World War II may be fading in the rearview mirror, but America's cities are in the grip of a new battle—against mobsters building empires based on heroin, whores, and gambling. In Los Angeles, it's not much of a fight: Boxer-turned-bad-boy Mickey Cohen has cornered the vice market with the help of henchmen and policemen on the take.
But not every cop is crooked. Sergeant John O'Mara, a decorated vet, has taken his guerilla-warfare training to the streets, happily busting up one of Cohen's lucrative brothels. When L.A.'s police chief needs someone to go mano a mano against Cohen, O'Mara's clearly the man. Bravely, he accepts the challenge: to build a team of cops who'll operate under the radar and beyond the bounds of the law to break the mob's stranglehold on the city.
If you're looking for Gangster Squad to reinvent the genre, you'll be disappointed: Watching O'Mara recruit his team is like catching a rerun of The Untouchables on TCM because nothing else is on TV. The squad's got all the standard crew—racially, temperamentally, and intellectually diverse, with lesser members getting so little screen time they're unable to fully transcend caricature. Yet their dialogue is witty and well-paced, giving you plenty of opportunity to chuckle in between the periodic hailstorms of bullets. (Apparently, one shootout was supposed to take place in a movie theater, but the scene got scrapped after the Aurora tragedy. You can still see it in the original film trailer.)
A movie like this soars or fails on the strength of the acting, and fortunately, the principals mostly shine. Sean Penn, as Mickey Cohen, doesn't exude malice so much as suck the light from every room, drawing it into the crags and creases of his damaged boxer's face. As his unhappy lover, Emma Stone whipsaws between hardened vamp and dewy-eyed little girl lost, which is exactly what the role demands. It's not hard to see why she sneaks around with O'Mara's main sidekick—a boyishly endearing Ryan Gosling—in search of a sweeter existence.
Lastly, there's James Brolin as O'Mara, oddly less memorable than many in the ensemble. Squinty-eyed and lock-jawed, he's a man who World War II has permanently changed, imbuing him with a lust for violence coupled with a rigid sense of honor. In his own way, he's as ruined as Cohen; he just chooses more socially acceptable ways of channeling his impulses.
It's all enough to keep you entertained, especially against a backdrop of swinging Hollywood nightlife. Wouldn't you love to have a nightclub called Slapsy Maxie's on Harwood Court, complete with an orchestra and sultry chanteuses? I think Waterworks is still vacant ... Chamber of Commerce, get on it.
Deborah Skolnik is a Greenacres mother of two and a senior editor at Parenting magazine.
