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Written by: Carly Glickenhaus

Published: 09 June 2016

Created: 09 June 2016

Last Updated: 13 June 2016

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With Graduation Day around the corner, the Class of 2016 says a few more goodbyes every day. Last class, last exam, last week of senior options, last match on the field as a Raider. The spring seasons have come to a close with tearful losses in sectionals. While those athletes continuing their careers on the next level in college will have four more years of camaraderie, team apparel, and bonding, there is nothing quite like wearing your Raider uniform to school on game day. There will be no more homecoming games, Raider Pride week, or pep rallies. For those playing on the club level in college, an era has come to a screeching halt. College no doubt has great adventures in store, but there is nothing like high school athletics, having your friends and family cheer you on. Mom and Dad may not make it to residence hall intramural matches next year.

Tuesday's Maroon and White honored student athletes. Michaela Nicholas will play lacrosse at Franklin and Marshall College. Her brother Stephen Nicholas will play football at F&M. Andrew Liskin will play football at Ithaca College. Michael Rolfe will play football at University of Pennsylvania. Elliot Graham will play lacrosse at Skidmore College. Lindsay Kramer will play basketball at Washington University in St. Louis. Fazl Shaikh will play soccer at Middlebury College. Eryn McDonald will play soccer at Dickinson College. Ethan Raff will play football at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Brendan Knaack will play football for Alfred University. will play football at Ithaca College. Kristine Fink will play volleyball at Michigan Tech. Scottie Berridge will swim for Columbia. Her teammate Bebe Thompson will become her competitor at Yale. Josh Hendell will swim at Dartmouth. Hailey Thornton will run track at U Albany. Gillian Lubin will playlacrosse at Wesleyan University. Eliza Brosgol will play lacrosse at Haverford College.

The final Maroon and White event honored those student-athletes who have played a sport during every single season, three seasons for four years. Ethan Raff played football, wrestled, and competed in Track and Field. Maggie DesRosiers, Josh Klein, James Cotter, Matt Brotman, and George Crowley ran cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. Stephen Nicholas played football, hockey, and lacrosse. Kayle Waterhouse played tennis, basketball, baseball on the boys team, and softball. Teddy DeLorenzo played football and baseball and wrestled.

This year's recipient of the Nonie Knopp award is Stephen Nicholas. He is praised by all his coaches as the "go-to" guy. He is counted on by all his teammates and regardless of the team's performance he does not let them down. On the turf or on the ice, he is a natural leader and younger players look up to his calm demeanor in high-pressure situations.

Jake Nathanson, ski team manager and Varsity golfer, received the Elizabeth Timberger Memorial Award for his contributions off the slopes helping keep the ski team organized and have their events run smoothly.

Michaela Nicholas received the Nina F. Mooney Award for her outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, and worth ethic as a Varsity Field Hockey and Lacrosse star and captain.

The Peppers Awards one male and one female student-athlete that excels in the classroom, in their sport, and in the greater community. This year, Michael Rolfe and Sydney Bernstein were honored for their athletic talent, notable academic performance, and contributions to youth programs in their sports.

The seniors look forward to finding a new community within their colleges that will provide the same spirit and sense of belonging that the Raiders teams did. They will continue to display the Raider values of commitment, pride, and tradition in sports or otherwise next year.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 25 May 2016

Created: 25 May 2016

Last Updated: 26 May 2016

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Mayor Jon Mark took a step to raise awareness about gun violence when he issued a proclamation declaring Thursday June 2 to be Gun Violence Awareness Day in Scarsdale at the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday May 24

Members of the Interfaith Coalition Against Gun Violence attended, wearing orange, and posed with the Mayor and Trustees before the beginning of the meeting. The group was formed in the wake of the shootings in Newtown and is co-chaired by Patricia Colella from the Scarsdale Congregational Church. The group is raising awareness about gun violence and approaching the problem though a variety of tactics. At the meeting, Colella advocated for the passage of laws to ensure the safe storage of guns, asked sympathizers to sell any stock funds they own that include investments in gun manufacturers, recommended visits to websites of organizations that fight gun violence and urged residents to wear orange on June 2 in recognition of Gun Violence Awareness Day.

For his part, the Mayor read the following proclamation:

National Gun Violence Awareness: June 2, 2016 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. In the spirit of supporting a substantive discussion of that issue with the goal of helping to reduce threat to public safety and health posed by gun violence, I offer the following proclamation.
"WHEREAS, the daily killings and injuries of Americans by Gun Violence constitute a significant public safety and health concern in this country and it is desirable that our local communities promote substantive conversation of this issue with a goal of reducing the occurrence of Gun Violence; and
"WHEREAS, many communities have declared Thursday, June 2, 2016 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day to honor and remember victims and survivors of gun violence and to increase awareness among their residents about Gun Violence and its effects on human lives; and
"WHEREAS, this day was inspired by Hadiya Pendleton, who was a victim of Gun Violence weeks after marching in President Obama's second inaugural parade; and
"WHEREAS, Ms. Pendleton was born on June 2, and her classmates decided to commemorate her life by wearing the color orange, a color that symbolizes the value of human life; and
"WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale believes it is vital to increase awareness, among its residents, about Gun Violence and honor the lives of Americans such as Hadiya Pendleton who have been victimized by Gun Violence; and
"WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale encourages all of its residents to reflect upon Gun Violence and join the members of Scarsdale Congregational Church Interfaith Coalition Against Gun Violence and citizens around the country by wearing orange on June 2nd.
"Now, Therefore, Jonathan I. Mark, Mayor of the Village of Scarsdale, does hereby proclaim Thursday, June 2, 2016 to be
"National Gun Violence Awareness Day
"in the Village of Scarsdale, and on behalf of all Village residents, am pleased and proud to join all associated with National Gun Violence Awareness Day and herein encourage all citizens to support their local community efforts to prevent gun violence and to honor and value human life."

License for Tree Planting:

In other Village business, the trustees considered an application of a license for Mendel Hui of 10 Ogden Road to install 34 giant arborvitae trees and a sprinkler line on the border of his property, extending into the Village right of way. According to the resolution, the Village Engineer inspected the area and the proposed landscape plan and determined that the trees would not "create a visual obstruction or unsafe conditions." Hui will indemnify the Village from all claims, judgments and costs and provide a certificate of liability insurance naming the Village as an additional insured. He also agreed to pay a fee of $1,000 for the license. The license would be revocable.

Village Manager Steve Pappalardo said that the right of way is 24 feet wide, double the regular width. He is aware of the trees that were there before and said the Village had torn out the ones that posed a problem. He said that the Village Engineer had inspected several times and said he did not believe the arborvitae would cause a problem. Pappalardo said the Village would continue to monitor the trees once they were planted. Mayor Mark said the license was revocable and if the trees were causing an issue they could rip them out.

Bob Harrison objected to an application and said that the trees would cause an obstruction in the sight line resulting in a blind curve for walkers and drivers. Bob's wife Terri Harrison also spoke on the matter and said that the hedge that was in that spot before created an obstruction that prevented her from seeing oncoming traffic. She told trustees that a young Scarsdale woman was once killed at the intersection of Ogden and Fox Meadow Roads and urged the Board not to permit the planting of large trees there.

Following the discussion, the trustees granted the license to Hui.

Sidewalk Sale:

The Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce received permission to hold the annual Sidewalk Sale on Thursday July 28, Friday July 29 and Saturday July 30, 2016 from 10am to 5 pm in Scarsdale Village.

Gift to the Library:

The Board of Trustees accepted a gift of $100,000 from the Siegel Family Endowment to be used for the Scarsdale Library Master Plan Improvement Project.

Sediment Removal at Crane Berkley Pond:

The Board of Trustees authorized $626,908 to Aqua Cleaner Environmental for cleaning the watercourse and pond of sediment and debris that has accumulated in the drainage system at Crane Berkeley Pond. A portion of the expense will be paid by Crane Berkley property owners and collected in their property taxes. The Village will collect more than half of the expense from the homeowners over a period of 5-7 years.

Wage Increase for Department Heads:

Trustees granted a 2% salary increase to department heads and other non-union personnel no represented by collective bargaining agreements.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 18 May 2016

Created: 18 May 2016

Last Updated: 19 May 2016

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This update was submitted to Scarsdale10583 by Max Grudin who chairs the Procedure Committee for the Citizen's Nominating Non-Partisan Party.

Following the much-discussed, contested Village election in March, the 2016 Procedure Committee began its work in early May. The Committee seeks to build on the increased engagement of the election and capture feedback from the Scarsdale community to review what, if any, changes should be made to the Scarsdale electoral process.

The Procedure Committee is an appointed committee of 22 members. It consists of members from each neighborhood in the Village and the ten retiring members of the CNC. It has the responsibilities of setting the schedule for the CNC election, recruiting residents to run for the CNC in each neighborhood, and initiate changes to the Procedures that govern the election. This year's Committee is led by Chairman Max Grudin and Vice Chairman Dan Finger.

Grudin said: "The last election has triggered an active discussion in the community. Our goal is to review and address the issues that have been raised. At the same time, we want to balance that with the long successful tradition of the Non-Partisan system."

At the initial meeting of the Procedure Committee on May 2 the Chairman and Vice Chairman asked each member for their thoughts on the election process and for proposals to improve the Procedures.

During the meeting a number of structural changes to the CNC process were discussed. They include:

• Respecting the contributions and experience of first term Trustees by giving them either preference in the selection process or ensuring their re-election (barring dereliction) by restoring a long-held policy of the CNC.
• Having longer interviews with Trustee and Mayoral candidates and allowing questions from individual members of the CNC. Others suggested that candidates be asked questions about issues facing the community, which would be a major change in formal Procedure.
• Providing stronger guidance to the Chair and Vice Chair of the CNC, which they would communicate to the voting members.
• Building greater awareness about the Non-Partisan system through publicity and public meetings.
• Including non-US citizens who are residents of the Village to vote for in the CNC election, although they are not permitted to vote for Trustees and Mayor because the election rules are governed by the State of New York and the U.S. Constitution.
• Having more than one candidate for each vacant position.

These recommendations will be discussed in more depth at upcoming meetings of the Procedure Committee and must be approved by a majority of the members. Any changes in formal Procedure would then be presented to the entire Forum and members of the public.

By way of background, the contested election in March was not the first in Non-Partisan history, although it was the first in which a write-in candidate prevailed. In 2012, long-time resident Harry Reynolds ran for the Village Board, challenging the CNC process. In 2011, Sharon Lindsay ran a write-in campaign for mayor, challenging the Citizen's Non-Partisan candidate Miriam Flisser, who was elected.

In 1999, Dr. Flisser, Robert Harrison and Jeff Zock ran the first successful challenge to the Citizen's Non-Partisan party, electing Mr. Zock as Trustee. Dr. Flisser and Mr. Harrison were both elected Trustee in subsequent elections.

Members of the community are invited to contact members of the Procedure Committee with feedback and suggestions.

Please contact members of the Procedure Committee with comments.

Edgewood: Elissa Bookner, Charles Chestnut, Linda Killian, Eli Mattioli, Ed Morgan and Matthew Martin. Fox Meadow: Max Grudin, Joan Mazur Kapner, Mary Louise Perlman and Bruce Wells. Greenacres: John Baer, Barry Klayman and Carrie Fishman. Heathcote: Laurent Mintzer, Daniel Finger, David Irwin, Amy Cooper. Quaker Ridge: Diane Chesler, Mary Beth Gose and Michael Gorelick.

Submitted by Max Grudin, mgrudin@gmail.com.

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Written by: Kara Elcik

Published: 09 May 2016

Created: 09 May 2016

Last Updated: 03 February 2021

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The Scarsdale League of Women Voters (LWVS) hosted speaker Felicia Wong at the Scarsdale Golf Club on May 6th. Each year the league invites a speaker to discuss a pressing political issue and this year's topic was income inequality and the widening gap between rich and poor in the United States. League President Deb Morel started the luncheon by recognizing those in attendance including County Legislator Ben Boykin, Village Trustees, past league presidents, current league members and two Scarsdale High School students who were among the 60 attendees.

Wong, who is the President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, presented their views on suggested economic and political reforms to decrease inequality and promote shared prosperity, which they believe will improve the overall economy.

The Roosevelt Institute was inspired by the legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's policies to reimagine America as "a place where hard work is rewarded, everyone participates, and everyone enjoys a fair share of our collective prosperity." They believe that, "when the rules work against this vision, it's our responsibility to recreate them."

The Roosevelt Institute conducts in depth research in political science, social sciences, and economics to identify how to implement their ideals. Through an active campus network, they bring together multiple generations of intellectual thinkers to empower younger generations to speak up. Recently, Chief Economist of The Roosevelt Institute, Joseph Stiglitz, led the team to publish "Rewrite The Rules", a new book that identifies the roots of inequality and provides a road map to alleviate it. The book calls for a rewrite of the tax code, equal wages for women and minorities, and regulation to ensure equal opportunity.

Wong suggested that the current state of the 2016 election indicates that the country may be ripe for significant social change. She discussed how more radical candidates on both sides of the election, like Trump and Sanders, signify the public's desire for new policies. She argued that "trickle-down" economics has not created shared prosperity and "race-neutral policies" have heightened race and class segregation rather than decreasing barriers for minorities.

Wong argued that excessive and unproductive growth at the top, limited public investment, and lack of specific policies targeted to increase equality cause stagnation at the middle and bottom of the economy. In addition, Ms. Wong debated that now is the best time to act because the presidential election is so different than others in the past.

The Roosevelt Institute's website lists steps our society needs to take in order to reach their goals of equality and shared prosperity in the economy.

• Reform the tax code
• Build strong local economies
• Counter undue influence of financial sector
• Eradicate child poverty
• Build worker power and improve working conditions
• Prepare workers for the new economy

Wong called for the increase of the minimum wage to $15 and addressed the fear that a rise in wages would cause job losses. Instead she said, that "a rising tide raises all boats." She referenced Seattle where a phased-in increase in the minimum wage to $15 has not impacted employment statistics.

Wong also presented the results of recent polls they conducted to assess public opinion about their policies. She reported the following findings:

"84 percent of voters believe that leveling the playing field in favor of working Americans and small businesses will lead to greater economic growth, and raise the incomes and living standards of the middle class and working families. Raising taxes on the CEOs and the wealthy, reforming our financial markets, curbing corporate short-termism, paid leave, and investing in infrastructure all received over 70 percent of public support."

For more information about the Roosevelt Institute and their mission please click here.
and to find out more about the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale click here.

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