Pedestrian Dies After Accident on Crane Road
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Scarsdale Police are reporting that a female pedestrian died after an accident on Crane Road at the intersection of Church Lane on Wednesday morning October 7 at around 8:09 am. The accident is currently under investigation and the identity of the victim are being witheld, pending notification of the next of kin.
We do know that there was a "serious automobile accident involving a pedestrian." The victim was treated by Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps and transported to Westchester Medical Center where she "succumbed to her injuries." Police say that the operator of the vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
Check back for further information which will be released as the investigation progresses.
Allison Gertzog Marries Matthew Kestenbaum
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Allison Gertzog, the daughter of Lori and Gary Gertzog, and Matthew Kestenbaum, a son of Robin and Bruce Kestenbaum, were married on Saturday September 26, 2020 by Rabbi Joshua Franklin at the bride's parents' home in Sagaponack, New York.
The bride graduated from Scarsdale High School, class of 2008, and received a BS degree from Cornell University. She works in Investor Relations at Tiger Global Management, an investment firm in New York City. The groom grew up in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, received a BS degree from Tulane University, and works in the Infrastructure Private Equity Group in the New York City office of EQT Partners, a global investment firm. The couple lives in New York City. They were introduced through mutual friends.
Thank You from the Scarsdale Citizen's Non-Partisan Party Slate of Trustees
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy WhitestoneThis letter was written by Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone, who were elected to serve as Scarsdale Village Trustees on Tuesday September 15, 2020.
Dear Neighbors,
We are heartened by the overwhelming support shown for the Scarsdale Citizen's Non-Partisan Party slate of Trustees. You not only chose us, you also chose to support a non-partisan process that has served our community well for over 100 years.
In 1911, community-minded individuals made an affirmative and proactive decision to remove partisan politics from Scarsdale. Taxes, property rights, roads, water quality, personal safety, aesthetics, etc. were all just as important then as they are now. But, Scarsdale realized that hard-working and dedicated resident volunteers could better and more effectively address these often complex issues without partisanship that can distort and distract.
We are blessed to live in a community that is committed to bettering itself and dealing with change by being tolerant, inclusive, and kind. We all live here because we want what’s best for our families.
While we appreciate and are honored by the overwhelming support received in this contested election, please know that we will never take you for granted. And, whether or not you voted for us, we take the responsibility to represent everyone in Scarsdale seriously. We hope you stay involved. While we occupy visible roles, Scarsdale is truly based on the school’s motto non sibi, “not for oneself, alone.” Intelligent, dedicated and selfless Scarsdalians work every day without public attention to keep our village the special place we call home. If you are already volunteering, thank you. If you are new or have not had a chance to participate, please join us! Search the Village website www.scarsdale.com or call Village Hall (914)722-1100 with questions. Enter “volunteer” in the homepage search bar to learn more. Share your thoughts, ideas and criticisms. Challenge our facts and assumptions in a constructive and solutions-oriented manner. Talk to any of us on the Village Board or in Village Hall so we can best serve Scarsdale now and into the future.
You can e-mail Mayor@Scarsdale.com with a copy to VillageClerk@Scarsdale.com to get your thoughts on the public record for our next meeting. You can also e-mail any of us directly at our first initial and last name@Scarsdale.com.
We are your neighbors and public servants. We share your desire for a better future for our community. Together, we are that much stronger.
Many thanks to the dedicated Campaign Committee led by Dara Gruenberg and Jon Mark for ensuring we always ran a fair, respectful and honest campaign. Thank you to the campaign volunteers and our families who have supported us tirelessly. We appreciated the open discussion of ideas during the campaign and wish the other candidates well.
Finally, thank you to Village Clerk Donna Conkling and her team, the poll workers, Scarsdale Police and DPW who all worked together to make it safe and relatively easy for everyone to exercise their right to vote in this time of Covid. It's exactly this kind of teamwork behind the scenes that supports the wheels of our democracy. Now, let's get to work. We have a lot to do – together.
Sincerely,
Justin Arest, Lena Crandall, and Randy Whitestone
College and COVID-19: What it’s Like to be a Student at Cornell University During the Pandemic
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- Written by Sydney Ablert
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If someone had told me two months ago that I would still be living on campus almost four weeks after my move-in date, I would have never believed them. I am a sophomore at Cornell University who came to Ithaca this semester excited to learn and reunite with my friends, but apprehensive about the administration’s plans to handle the COVID-19 outbreak. I set my expectations quite low, preparing to be sent home earlier than the proposed end to the semester, and allowing myself to get comfortable with the idea that I would probably contract Covid at some point during my time on campus. However, my experience thus far has counteracted my initial concerns.
Life at Cornell is quite different from previous semesters. I take all of my classes remotely, so I rarely ever travel to central campus. This holds true for many students, but some have opted to take one or two classes in-person. Although I have yet to attend an in-person class, I have heard they comply with all safety guidelines.
My social life is different from last year, but not necessarily in a negative way. I live in a sorority house with thirty girls, which is much more lively than dorm life was last year. The freshmen living in dorms are struggling to socialize due to campus rules that limit gatherings to ten people or less. While my meal plan is provided by my house chef, the freshmen go to dining halls and must reserve eating times.
While I do miss the walks to class and studying at the library, I am making the most of the semester. I have been spending a lot more time outdoors, exploring venues around Ithaca, such as the nearby gorges, Ithaca Farmers’ Market, and a drive-in movie theater. I am holding onto the final warm weeks in Ithaca before it is too cold to do any outdoor activities.
Four weeks into my sophomore year, I am much more confident that I will be able to complete the semester in Ithaca. My school has a steady plan in place for containing Covid cases. I am tested for coronavirus twice a week, and anyone who tests positive is put into isolation immediately. As of yesterday, the administration announced that we are operating at a “green” status, which means “cases are rare and transmission is controlled.” That being said, every school is handling the virus differently. Other colleges and universities with a different system in place may be experiencing more cases. I can only speak for what I know from my own school’s plan, and my outlook on the virus should not be generalized for colleges and universities as a whole. Still, I feel safer that I thought I would on campus. My friends, classmates and I have been extremely safe and responsible, keeping gatherings to a minimum and practicing social distancing whenever possible. I am nervous to see how the semester will play out from here, but I am feeling more optimistic than ever before.
Sydney Albert is a 2018 graduate of Scarsdale High School and is now a sophomore in the School of Industrial Relations at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
Residents Complain About Unauthorized Emails from the Voters Choice Party
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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We received a few letters today about the unauthorised use of email addresses by the Voters Choice Party. A candidate for Village Trustee, running on the Voters Choice Party slate, filed a FOIL request for the entire list of 4,318 names from the Village of Scarsdale.
TheVillage released the list to the candidate on Friday, and today residents are receiving emails, despite the fact that the candidate signed an affadavit claiming that he would not use the list for solicitations.
Here are the letters we received today:
From Jeanette Warner
I was very offended to receive an email from the Voters Choice Party today. I signed up with Scarsdale Village for the “Notify Me” system because I wanted to receive information about emergencies, storms, road closures, sanitation schedules, recreation opportunities and more. And it has been an invaluable communication tool as shown following the recent storms and resulting power outages.
However, I agreed to receive Village emails and alerts not political solicitations.
Whether or not the release of the emails to the Voters Choice Party was required under the FOIL law, or not, I consider the VCP’s obtaining and use this confidential information in violation of the terms of my consent to the Village to be the ultimate expression of their bad faith by their misuse of what should be my confidential information.
This action has convinced me not to support any of their candidates in the Village elections tomorrow.
J Warner
From Curtis Parker
As you predicted in your post from Saturday, I received an email from the VCP this morning. I've never subscribed to anything from them, so it must have come from the email addresses released from the Village. Curiously, though, when I clicked on the "why did I get this?" link at the bottom of the email, it told me that I had opted into receiving their emails via their website (see below). This is patently false. If they even have a website I do not believe I have ever visited it, much less signed up for their distribution list.
Curtis R. Parker
