Scarsdale Police Issue General Orders for Use of Cameras, License Plate Readers and Drones
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(Written by Joanne Wallenstein) If you drove to Manhattan, Long Island or New Jersey in the past few days, it may have taken far longer than you planned. Traffic was snarled for hours at the bridges not due to construction, an accident or the weather. Why? A multi-agency law enforcement operation set up roadblocks at the entrances to the bridges to raise funds for the departments. They stopped unregistered vehicles, people with suspended licenses, toll violators and drivers who use ghost plates to bypass the tolls.
This enforcement was done at the busiest time on the roadways – during rush hour on weekday evenings and at 5 pm on Sunday, when many were traversing the boroughs.
Reports say, “MTA Bridges and Tunnels officers, the NYPD and regional law enforcement partners made 21 arrests, seized 21 vehicles and issued 793 summonses in a joint two-day interagency operation focused on quelling ghost plates and persistent toll violators, transit officials announced on Sunday.
The crackdown took place at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge on Thursday and the Throgs Neck Bridge, George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel on Friday.
In this time, officers seized 21 vehicles for numerous violations including unpaid tolls, unregistered vehicles, suspended licenses and other traffic infractions, officials said.
Twenty-one people were arrested and 793 summonses were issued to remedy the $586,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, judgments and debts the scofflaws racked up.”
I was caught in two of these roadblocks which held up traffic for miles and I sat in the car for hours.
This happened at the same time that the Village of Scarsdale has announced plans to purchase $1.8mm in surveillance equipment from Flock Safety which will enhance their ability to conduct similar operations. On April 8 Village Trustees passed a resolution to purchase license plate readers, cameras and a drone, all to be used to increase surveillance in the Village. This was done without public notice or an opportunity for public comment.
Though the Mayor originally said that the equipment would only be purchased if the Village received a federal grant, in the 2025-26 Village budget $200,000 of Scarsdale taxpayer money was allocated for Police Technology. And now it appears that the Village may go ahead with this plan, with or without the federal grant. Last week the Mayor announced a work session about the purchase but the agenda is not about the merits of the plan, it is about the policy for its use.
The Village Manager’s office has drafted General Orders for the use of drones, license plate readers and cameras. It is not clear whether or not these General Orders are subject to the same review policies as Village Code. You can see the draft here.
The Scarsdale Village Board will hold a public meeting at Village Hall on Tuesday June 10 at 5:30 pm to discuss the surveillance technology. Public comment will be limited to 3 minutes. If you are not able to attend, you may participate remotely via Zoom. Here are instructions:
Here is the link to the new policies:
If you have concerns about living in a police state, attend the meeting or watch it online on Tuesday June 10 at 5:30 pm or email Mayor@Scarsdale.gov.
Faceoff Specialists and Former Teammates Meet on NCAA Stage
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Colby Baldwin signs an autograph.OOn the weekend of May 24, 2025 Paul Lamonaca, a senior at Syracuse University and Colby Baldwin, a sophomore, at Penn State were both a part of the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four Tournament. While Cornell ultimately won the championship, it was a proud moment to see these two young men competing at such a high level. Both athletes were faceoff specialists and played an integral role in getting their teams to this elite level of competition.
SHS coach James Synowiez travelled with his entire family and several members of the Scarsdale team to see both boys play. It was an electric weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough where Coach Synowiez and his family did a quick change from their Penn State gear to their Syracuse gear to support two of his former players.
Adding to the excitement, both of the boys’ mothers are longtime Scarsdale educators, each having dedicated over 25 years to the district. It is a wonderful achievement for both families and an inspiring moment for the Scarsdale Lacrosse community.
Paul Lamanoca and Coach Synowiez
Coach Synowiez's Family
The Lamonaca Family
AFC Urgent Care Comes to Scarsdale
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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A new health care solution promises quality, convenient care. American Family Care Scarsdale has opened its doors to the public on Monday, May 12th at 777 White Plains Road in Scarsdale. The Grand Opening was celebrated by many community members, dignitaries, and business leaders who welcomed the new health care provider at the ribbon cutting ceremony. AFC is the second largest privately owned operator of urgent care and accessible primary care facilities in the country. With this new state-of-the-art facility, we will provide accessible and affordable healthcare services for non-life-threatening illness and injuries to the residents of Scarsdale and its surrounding communities.
Dr. Akshay Gupta, the Center’s Medical Director and Head Physician stated, “I'm excited about opening an urgent care center because it allows me to make a real difference in the community by providing accessible, timely, and high-quality care to people when they need it most. It's an opportunity to bridge gaps in healthcare and ensure that patients receive the attention they deserve without long waits or unnecessary stress.”
The center offers a wide array of services including but not limited to; onsite laboratory and X-Ray services, general urgent care needs, physicals (DOT, sports, school, employment), drug testing, vaccinations, and immunizations. The new facility will have extended hours from M-F 8:00 am - 8:00 pm/ S-S 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, 7 days a week and no appointment necessary. Conveniently located in the same shopping center as Decicco’s facing the entrance on White Plains Road.
AFC Scarsdale is a modern urgent care facility that dedicates its time and commitment to our patients by providing high quality, convenient and affordable health care to the community. It’s our mission to open an urgent care that offers a patient-centric experience, where we respect the individual patient's needs, preferences, and values to provide the best healthcare in a kind and caring environment.
(Photographed by Peter T. Michaelis Photography)
Garrett Capobianco To Serve as District Governor for the Rotary
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- Written by: Sharon Higgins
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Garrett CapobiancoThe history of The Rotary Club, a civil service club, was founded in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century (1905). The name “rotary” was used as a reference to the rotating weekly meetings held at the varied business offices of the original members who gathered to organize and plan service projects for their community. Today, the Rotary Club has expanded from the original three members in the first club in Chicago, to a global network of 1.4 million with 35,000 local clubs in over 200 countries. The Scarsdale local chapter of The Rotary Club still continues this mission with the same purpose and describes itself as “a club of neighbors, friends, leaders and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change…in our communities, and in ourselves”. They focus their voluntary service projects around the original seven broad areas; “promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mother and children through accessible health care and other services, supporting basic education and literacy, growing local economies and protecting the environment.” The original Scarsdale chapter of The Rotary Club founded in 1923 had 16 members. At the 25th anniversary of the club in 1948, the chapter grew to 67 members and is still going strong today.
It was just recently announced that past Scarsdale Rotary Club President, Mr. Garrett Capobianco was selected by the District Nominating Committee to be the next District Governor for District 7230 for the Rotary Year 2025-26. Current District Governor Marty Schulman who announced his successor, describes this leadership position as the following: “the district governor appoints assistant governors from among the Rotarians of the district to assist in the management of Rotary activity and multi-club projects in the district. Rotary District 7230 (which includes The Scarsdale Rotary Club), home to the United Nations in New York, is the governing organization of 50 Rotary Clubs, 6 Rotaract Clubs, and 21 Interact Clubs spanning the New York Metro area (Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester) and Bermuda.”
What makes this such a remarkable appointment is that Mr. Capobianco is not only a current resident of Scarsdale but also a Scarsdale High School grad, class of 1984. He grew up in Fox Meadow/Heathcote neighborhoods and lives in Greenacres now as he continues to give back to the community. It is the first time a Scarsdale resident has been named to this position and a very great honor. Dr. Elizabeth Frost, a Scarsdale Rotary Club member, describes Mr. Capobianco’s new position, “He is travelling all over now to take the word of our projects, getting more support and generally putting Scarsdale even more on the map. Last year, we were able to finance and thus create the first physician anesthesiologist in the entire county of Liberia.”
Local Scarsdale Rotary Club work occurred just this past Wednesday evening (May 7th) at the Scarsdale High School Awards Night. Each year the Scarsdale Rotary Club presents $1500 scholarship awards to Scarsdale High School seniors who emulate the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” Student candidates are selected by the high school administration and interviewed by a committee of Scarsdale Rotary Club members who determine the recipients.
The committee explained that this year’s “six candidates were all outstanding selections who represented SHS admirably and 
instilled confidence in the committee that our society will be in the good hands of such future leaders”. The first of three recipients of the Scarsdale Rotary Club scholarship awards for 2025, Avery Dickstein, is an avid student environmentalist who is co-president of the Project Green Club where she is working to reduce the use of plastic in local eateries. The next recipient, Kamila El Moselhy is a co-founder of the SHS Muslim Club and after October 7th she reached out to her peers in the Jewish Culture Club to brainstorm ideas to bring their communities together, demonstrate unity, and help civilians affected by the war. Lastly, Amelia Fader serves as a Public Relations/Recruitment Officer of the SHS Innocence Club which helps spread awareness about unjust incarceration practices and advocates for criminal and social justice reform. She is also the Programming Officer of the SHS UNICEF Club which advocates for the wellness and human rights of children around the world. The District Governor elect of Rotary, Garrett Capobianco, attended the SHS Awards Assembly on May 7th and presented the awards to each student.
A celebration marking Mr. Capobianco’s appointment as District Governor, will be held at the Scarsdale Women’s Club on May 31st starting at 6:30pm. Scarsdale Rotary is celebrating its 102nd year serving local, national, and international needs through projects and fundraising. More information can be found on its website: scarsdalerotary.org New members are always welcome. The club meets weekly on Tuesdays either by ZOOM or in person.
Six From Scarsdale Win National Merit Scholarships
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National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced this year’s National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.
National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
Here are the winners from Scarsdale:
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