Eleven Elected to the Citizens Nominating Committee
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Eleven new members were elected to serve on the Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) on Tuesday November 12, 2024. These new members will join current CNC members for a total of 30 Scarsdale residents serving on the CNC. Together, the CNC will vet and nominate a slate of non-partisan candidates to run in Scarsdale’s March election for open Village Trustee positions and the Mayor of Scarsdale.
Here are the names of the newly elected and previously elected members of the CNC:
A total of 342 residents voted for CNC candidates. The total ballots recieved by area is as follows: Edgewood 66, Fox Meadow 93, Greenacres 94, Heathcote 63, Quaker Ridge 26.
“I greatly appreciate the dedicated, enthusiastic community leaders who volunteered to run for the CNC this year,” said Heath Sroka, Chair, Scarsdale Procedure Committee. “I congratulate the new CNC members and thank them in advance for their hard work and service to Scarsdale. I also thank Procedure Committee Vice Chair Ralph Geer for his partnership and the entire Procedure Committee for their commitment and help throughout this election season.”
Anyone interested in running for the CNC next year should contact Ralph Geer.
Donate to the Procedure Committee here:
Alli Doll Seiden Asks Greenacres Residents for Your Vote for the CNC
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Hello! I’m excited to share that I’m running to represent Greenacres on the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC). The CNC is an elected, non-partisan group of citizens that collectively select a slate of nominees for the village offices of trustee, mayor and village justice. I would be honored to have your support and vote. I would love to share what I bring to this role:
● Connection to the community: I am so grateful everyday for the generous, smart, and kind friends I’ve made in Scarsdale. As a new mom to 7-month old twins, I don’t know what I would’ve done without my mom community. I’ve never experienced such warmth, knowledge, and support in one place. And, I’m excited to get involved in our community through volunteering as a member of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee organizing an event that celebrates Scarsdale’s best volunteers. The twins are forming Scarsdale relationships of their own, playing and learning at the fantastic Scarsdale Library events, Greenacres playground, and classes at friends' homes. We live down the street from my in-laws, so in addition to the young parent crew, I’m also connected to the grandparent crew. As a member of the CNC, I’m confident I can represent the voices and best interest of new and long standing Scarsdale residents.
● Communication and teamwork: Every day, I work with cross-functional teams who have different motivations, skill sets, and styles. I know how to read the room and personalities, honing my communication and decision making style to get the best collective outcome.
● Judgment and decision-making: I always rely on structure and evidence (a vestige of my consulting days) to break down a problem objectively and purposefully get input from all sides before making a tricky decision.
● Commitment to civic duty: I was fortunate to serve Federal agencies as a consultant in Deloitte’s government practice. I learned how purposefully and thoughtfully decisions are made in government and how motivating it is to work in service of a mission and serve fellow citizens.
When and how to vote. You can vote on Tuesday, November 12th at the Scarsdale Library between 7 AM–10 AM and 2 PM–9 PM. If you’re unable to vote in-person, there is a mail-in ballot option. You should have received it via mail last week. Here is a direct link to the mail-in ballot. Mail-in ballots must be mailed by this Thursday, November 7th. Text or call me if you need any help – the mail-in process is a little complicated!
Every vote matters (CNC seats are often decided by one or two votes!), so please tell your friends to vote too. Thank you for your support, and please reach out if you’d like to chat further. I’m excited about the opportunity to serve and represent our community, from young families to long-standing residents.
Warmly,
Alli Doll Seiden
allison.j.doll@gmail.com
216-409-1979
Use These Bins to Recycle Cork, Plastic, Eyeglasses and Tennis Balls
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Scarsdale CAC Chair Michelle Sterling and her husband David Fenigstein volunteered their time to install new recycling signage at the Scarsdale Recycling Center (110 Secor Road) for the Village’s Cork Recycling, Plastic Bag & Film Recycling, Eyeglasses Recycling and Tennis Ball Recycling programs.
These new recycling bins will reduce waste and help the environment.
Email any questions or sign up for the Village’s food scrap recycling program at composting@scarsdale.com.
Scarsdale Goes to the Dogs
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This year, a Halloween celebration in Scarsdale reached out to a new segment of the population…. the dogs! That’s right. On Sunday October 27 residents were invited to dress up their furry friends and join a Howl-o-ween Dog Parade around the streets of the Village.
A crisp clear day, the Sunday Farmer’s Market and the dog fest drew quite the crowd to the event.
Among the crowd were Mayor Justin Arest with his family, his bulldog and a set of large sheepdoodles. Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg with her two kids and three Cavapoos showed up, but sadly the three mischievous hounds removed their own Minions costumes before hitting the streets.
Also in the crowd were a couple dressed up as mustard and ketchup bottles to accompany their pet who wore a hot dog costume, a dog named Ben Gurion dressed in an Israeli Defense Force uniform and another playing the guitar.
State Assemblymember Amy Paulin and her poodle appeared to be having a wonderful time greeting constituents and we saw Village Manager Alex Marshall and her staff donned in dog ears.
The event also gave locals the opportunity to meet the Village’s new comfort dog, Sushi. Following the passage of a resolution by the Village Board in October, the therapy dog is now available to offer comfort in situations such as domestic violence, traffic accidents and other traumatic incidents. The presence of a comfort dog has been shown to ease anxiety and stress and to enable positive interactions with police officers on the scene.
Representatives from Feeding Westchester were at the Farmer's Market conducting a food drive while shoppers bought fresh vegetables, coffee, baked goods, fresh fish and more from vendors.
The event was a wonderful collaboration between the Village and the Scarsdale Business Alliance that brought a new segment of the population into town.
Assemblymember Amy Paulin, Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg, Mayor Justin Arest and Village Manager Alex Marshall
Drawings of Scarsdale by Whistler Discovered by Historical Society
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Scarsdale Historical Society Discovers Whistler Drawings of Scarsdale Discovery Coincides with Church’s 175th Anniversary Celebration
A Country Church” by James McNeil Whistler, 1852. Identified as St. James the Less in Scarsdale, NY. Source: Library of CongressThe Scarsdale Historical Society has discovered two drawings of Scarsdale by American master, James McNeil Whistler. They depict a private home and St. James the Less Church, both dated 1852 or 1853. Both works reinforce the Whistler family’s ties to early Scarsdale and St. James. The discovery coincides with the Church’s 175th Anniversary, which is being celebrated with many events all year.
Anna McNeil Whister, the artist’s mother and subject of her son's iconic painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” lived in Scarsdale and attended the church for a few years during the 1850s. She resided with her close friends Margaret and Sarah Hill, whose sister had married William Sherbrooke Popham. Their “cottage” still stands attoday’s 4 Rectory Lane, and was originally part of the vast Popham estate. Many letters written by Anna Whistler during this time have been preserved and digitized on a website by the University of Glasgow. She discusses 1850’s Scarsdale, the Pophams and visits by her sons including James.
“A Country House” by James McNeil Whistler, 1852. Identified as the Fleming-Hill House, today’s 4 Rectory Lane. Source: Library of CongressIt was through that website that Leslie Chang, Associate Scarsdale Village Historian, noticed a very important footnote that read, “JW did a drawing of the church; see A Country Church.” After searching for Whistler (aka JW) drawings titled “A Country Church” on the web, she discovered a work by that name through the Library of Congress. It made no reference to Scarsdale or St. James, but the “country church” and its Gothic Revival architecture were unmistakable as the local church.
The Fleming-Hill House, 4 Rectory Lane. Credit: Scarsdale Public Library
Whistler experts may have known the location of the church subject, but the drawing’s existence is new to Scarsdale - at least the current-day community. Astrid Storm, the rector of St. James the Less, confirmed that neither she nor the current vestry (board) had ever heard of the drawing’s existence. “There's no doubt it's St. James, given [Whistler’s] familiarity with the church. That's the original entrance (south side), and chancel (east end--since removed and expanded). The triangular window on the west side is still there today. It's the only one that survived the 1882 fire.”
The church building was almost completely destroyed by fire on Palm Sunday April 2, 1882. The Whistler drawing is the earliest known image of the church, and is the only image that shows the original triangular window before it survived the fire.
The second artwork has a similarly vague title “A Country House” and the Library of Congress makes no reference to Scarsdale. However, to any Scarsdale history enthusiast, the house is immediately recognizable as 4 Rectory Lane, aka the Fleming-Hill House (his mother’s cottage).
Both drawings are pencil, pen, ink and white paint on tan wove paper. According to their provenance, both drawings were sold together at Christie’s as a set in 1925.
St. James the Less Church, photographed in c. 1905. Located at today’s 10 Church Lane. Credit: Scarsdale Public Library. “The digital age opens up so many new possibilities for unearthing connections to Scarsdale,” stated Randy Guggenheimer, President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. “It’s amazing to think we learned of two priceless drawings thanks to a footnote on a website in Scotland. Each time we find a new photograph, artwork, or primary source, we build a more comprehensive historic record.”
St. James the Less invites the public to attend the kickoff to their year long anniversary celebration this Sunday, Sunday September 29, 10:30 am when they’ll host a Silver Dime Ceremony with members of the Popham family, followed by a forum with Popham descendant Jim Boulden. He’ll share his recent research on the Popham and Morris family history with the slave trade in Barbados, with special attention given to the enslaved men, women and children who worked on their estates. Details here.
For more details on the Whistler connection to Scarsdale, visit https://www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org/.
About the Scarsdale Historical Society
The drawings were discovered by Leslie Chang, Associate Scarsdale Village Historian
The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve and disseminate historical information, as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central Mid-Westchester Region. The Scarsdale Historical Society accepts grant applications for projects that meet its mission, particularly those that will inspire others to learn about the history of Scarsdale and the surrounding communities. Learn more at www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org.
