Your Letters on the Election

We have received many letters in support of candidates running in the Village election on Tuesday. Here are two letters in support of candidates for Mayor:

(Letter from Suzanne Seiden in Support of the Non Partisan Slate

To the Editor,
I love Scarsdale and have actively participated in the community for more than 15 years.

I live in the Mamaroneck strip and, although my children have attended the Scarsdale schools, I cannot vote in the Village election on March 21st. I feel strongly, however, about the election and urge you to vote for Dan Hochvert for Mayor and Row A for trustees.

In my years of volunteering in the Scarsdale community in such roles as School Board member (six years) and School Board President, PTA President for Quaker Ridge Elementary School, PTA President of Scarsdale Middle School, Co-Chair of the Quaker Ridge Bond Campaign, Co-Vice Chair of the Drug and Alcohol Taskforce, Co-Chair of the Young Writers' Conference, I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of Scarsdale residents -- volunteers dedicated to making the schools and community better for all of us.

Dan Hochvert is one such individual. In fact, he has been actively engaged in Scarsdale for many years – working tirelessly and productively with other members of the community to make positive change for all.
In direct contrast is Bob Berg, who I believe should not be elected. The role of Mayor requires an individual who advocates on behalf of all Scarsdale's citizens from its children to seniors.

Mr. Berg twice stood before the Board of Education (in the spring of 2016 and again in the fall of 2016) and requested that the School Board sue the Village over the Ryan Revaluation. Mr. Berg claimed that if the Board chose not to become involved in the case, he could mobilize voters to come out against the school budget (which he did several years earlier). In addition, Mr. Berg chose to sue the School District regarding the passage of the budget, trying to force outcomes he wanted and putting students' education in jeopardy. He did not prevail, but forced the District to spend precious school dollars to defend this baseless case.

Do we want a Mayor who has previously sued the School District and threatens the School Board when he does not get his way? As Mayor, would he threaten the School Board over Village matters? Would he try to bully the School Board over policy?

I have personally seen Mr. Berg insult the Superintendent, School Board members and community volunteers.

This is not want what I want for my community. I urge you to vote for Dan Hochvert for Mayor and Row A trustees. They will work with community members and on behalf of the entire community. Every vote matters and the future of our community and schools depend on it.

Suzanne Seiden
22 Fairway Drive
Mamaroneck, NY 10543

Letter from Darlene LeFrancois Haber in Support of Dan Hochvert

To the Editor:
I am writing as a private citizen in strong support of Dan Hochvert, the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party Slate candidate for Mayor. While Dan certainly has a long impressive resume of formal civic service on our Village Boards and Councils, as is often the case, resumes only tell half the story!

I know Dan best through my recently gained position on the Board of the Scarsdale Forum, but that is not where I first met him. I was befittingly first introduced to Dan about five years ago on a sunny afternoon by my then young teenage daughter (Naomi Haber), a devoted gardener, at the Scarsdale High School garden. During my daughter's high school tenure, Dan engaged in several garden related initiatives, including the building of the gardening shed. To have recently learned that he built the outdoor deck on the Scarsdale Teen Center with the help of other volunteers of course came as no surprise to me. As prior high school student liaison on the Friends of Scarsdale Parks (FOSP), Naomi worked with Dan in his Board member and Treasurer positions. I learned of not only his incredible kindness and mentoring of her, but also of his unending dedication and the countless hours he devoted to the conservation and beautification of our Village, in Harwood Park and other locations. The time and care that Dan has spent volunteering his energy and expertise on this and numerous other service throughout our Village is unparalleled, and speaks to his priorities, character, and diligence.

Similarly, I heard high praise from my husband Warren Haber in his prior interaction with Dan on the Citizen's Nominating Committee. My husband describes Dan as "a natural leader with exemplary facilitation and negotiation skills." In my position on the Scarsdale Forum, I have truly been privileged to work alongside Dan and witness the same. In addition, there are many laudatory examples of the tremendous foresight, care, and commitment that he routinely applies to Village issues. As the Co-chair of the Forum's Education Committee, he took an instrumental role working with others in a proposal for "a new paradigm of resilient community problem-solving and development of a long-range financial plan in support of Scarsdale schools." Dan is forward thinking, has a vision for the future of our community, and is confident we can, as a community, come together for physical, social, and economic resilience. I passionately agree with him.

As another example of Dan's community advocacy, in the recently proposed construction of a Hyatt Field Park parking lot, Dan recruited other Village leaders and personally surveyed the property with officials to see the impact of the proposal. In Dan's world, a personal survey of all matters is his routine. Dan doesn't just talk the talk, he also walks the walk. He is never afraid to take on a challenge. In fact, his thorough hands-on approach is his mantra; Dan is a doer. As a physician-educator I preach and live the importance of being hands-on because I have learned things may not always be what they initially appear. Dan believes in a thorough, thoughtful, balanced, and experiential, first-hand assessment of issues, cognizant of the importance of getting it right.

There is no better candidate to entrust to the position of Scarsdale Village Mayor. His extensive experience makes him exceptionally well qualified for this role, but it is his vision, leadership, and character that have earned him my respect and trust.

Darlene LeFrancois Haber