Greenacres Goes Global and Greener for St. Patrick's Day
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Perhaps this year St. Patrick's Day got the short end of the stick at Greenacres Elementary School, when it coincided with the PTA's annual spring multicultural luncheon. For some children the luncheon is their favorite event of the year, and judging by the mad rush in the lunchroom this year was no exception.
Families of students contributed over 130 dishes to the luncheon. Entrees and desserts originated from countries as diverse as Iceland, Nigeria, India, Peru, and New Zealand.
The luncheon was perhaps unique in that it might have been the first school wide zero-waste event ever held in the district. PTA Environmental Committee Chair Michelle Sterling explained that, "a zero-waste event is one that uses sustainable practices to send the least possible amount of waste to a landfill. In order to have a zero waste event all items at the event either need to be reusable, compostable or recyclable - which is what we did!" All food was prepared and brought to the event in either reusable or recyclable aluminum trays. Students were given compostable clamshells and compostable birchwood forks for their food. Even the "plastic" cups used for juice and the gloves servers wore were fully compostable. Food scraps, clamshells, cups and utensils went into the compost bin and all non-reusable serving trays were recycled. 
Ms. Sterling explained that, "normally at a school wide event such as this (serving about 500 people) we would have generated around 50 large bags of trash. Today we filled our compost and recycling bins but our trash bins remained empty!"
Composting is not new to Greenacres students, who have been doing it at every lunch since late 2014.
By Midori Im and Michelle Sterling
Ode to the Massage Parlors
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Scarsdale satirist Deborah Skolnik wrote this poem in honor of the police closing six so-called 'massage parlors' on Central Avenue in Scarsdale last week.
THAT SPECIAL SCARSDALE TOUCH
Scarsdale's a stressful, type-A town,
but try not to let it get you down!
When you're rubbed the wrong way, don't get uptight:
Someone nearby can rub you just right.
To infuse a dull day with ooh and ahh,
guys head to a Central Ave unlicensed 'spa.'
The attractive staff greets them with wide-open arms,
and allegedly some other wide-open charms.
The gals don't do highlights, and no balayage.
What they do is, uh—hmm, they call it massage.
There isn't a mani or pedi in sight,
nor even a blow-dry...well, that one's half-right.
We're far too polite here to guess at their biz. Could
Five Corners' red light not be the sole one there is?
Has Scarsdale branched out multiculturally,
so you can go 'round the world right in 10583?
But now the cops forced all these great spas to close!
I suppose they simply could move if they chose.
Right here in the Village there's unoccupied space—
to let it stay empty is such a disgrace.
How about the old Child's Play? It makes total sense.
Just change Child's to Adults' for the new audience!
If you're sick of snide store clerks, enjoy the new tune:
The spa gals say "Goodbye!" and "Come again—soon!"
© 2015 Deborah Skolnik
See more poems from Deborah Skolnik on her Facebook Page, Gentle Scarsdale Satire. Search for it on Facebook, request to be added and you'll be promptly approved. In less than 3 weeks the page has grown to more than 400 local residents, amused by its slyly humorous daily verses.
Love Has No Labels
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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A video entitled Love Has No Labels broke out as a viral sensation this past week, with over 50 million views worldwide in five days. The video and other elements were the work of the Ad Council. Priscilla Natkins (a Scarsdale resident for many years), who oversees the development of all of the campaigns at the Ad Council, provided some interesting background on this extraordinary effort.
The goal of the campaign is pretty straightforward – further acceptance of all communities regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or age. The ultimate goal is to encourage everyone to examine their own implicit bias. Leading non-profits in this space (including the Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign and Southern Poverty Law Center) serve as partners to this issue.
The ad agency, R/GA worked on a pro bono basis to develop the creative idea, centered around an event held in Santa Monica on Valentine's Day. From this event, a three minute video was developed, and after being posted on Upworthy's Facebook page, spread like wildfire.
Shorter versions of the video were released a few days ago, to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Selma Marches, an event that reminds everyone, that although great progress has been made in promoting equality and reducing acts of discrimination, there's still much to accomplish.
News coverage of the video has been equally impressive. Good Morning America, World News Tonight, CNN, the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, People magazine, Upworthy,Today.com, Buzzfeed, and Funny or Die...to name just a few. More than a million Facebook users have shared to their own pages, causing both 'Ad Council' and 'Love Has No Labels' to become trending topics. Click here to see a link to the Good Morning America segment.
Priscilla noted "we are deeply proud of all of the work we do on behalf of so many important issues facing our country, but we are particularly grateful for the outpouring of support behind this critical issue. We are still reeling from the success! I am personally so honored to be a part of this".
Gatta Warns that Tax Cap Endangers Local Municipalities
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This is the last year that longtime Scarsdale Village Manager Al Gatta will present the Village Budget to the Board of Trustees. Gatta, who will retire in June held a public briefing session on the proposed 2015-16 budget and echoed many of the concerns he has had in past years about the uncertain future of village government. He fears that the state imposed tax cap and pressures to consolidate services with other municipalities will force smaller villages to cut services to residents. Though Gatta will leave Village Hall, it's clear that these issues will continue to weigh on him in the future.
Gatta cited several forces that make it increasingly difficult to continue government as the way we know it in Scarsdale:
- The state is incentivizing smaller governments and school districts to share services and in some cases merge.
- State grants, that in the past we given to Scarsdale only go to larger communities
- The tax cap has been decreased to below 2% though unfunded mandates exceed that percentage.
- Unfunded mandates are being ignored by Albany
- The state is imposing greater mandates on infrastructure improvements for storm drainage and sanitary sewers – while offering the village no way to pay for these mandated costs.
Gatta believes that Governor Cuomo's goal in imposing the cap goes beyond saving taxpayers money. He contends that the governors has an ulterior motive: and that is to reduce disparities and inequalities among state residents by forcing consolidations of local governments and schools.
The proposed 2015-16 Village budget stays within the tax cap and maintains the current level of services. This year, the cap for Scarsdale is 1.68% plus a growth factor of 1%, due to the increased value of village real estate. Overall, there is a 2.68% cap on the property tax levy.
Gatta reviewed some highlights of the proposed $54.4 million dollar budget, which is an increase of $1.766 million from the 2014-15 adopted budget and a mere $1.4 million from the estimated actual budget for 2014-15.
Department expenses will grow by $824,731
The largest increases are for health benefits – 7%, general liability insurance – 40%, and workers compensation insurance – 38%.
Pension contributions are not going up this year ending a five-year increase of 107%.
For the average home in Scarsdale, valued at $1,398,818, the proposed budget would mean an annual increase of $144.
Gatta then shared some facts about Scarsdale's water rates, which have risen dramatically. Scarsdale purchases water from New York City and from 1991 to 2015 the rates have gone up from $103.72 per million gallons to a projected $1705 per million gallons, a 1700% increase in 24 years. For 2015-16 the rate for homeowners sill be $2.05 per unit (749 gallons) for the first 50 units of water and $7.17 per unit for excess water about 749 gallons.
Gatta ended his presentation with the following thoughts:
'The 2015-16 proposed budget stays with the tax cap. This is the third year that the cap has been in effect and for the first two years the village only slightly exceeded the cap. Since the imposition of the cap, the smaller communities are showing the impact from service reductions and deteriorating infrastructure. The question that should be raised by all state residents is whether the incentives from Albany for mergers and consolidations by limiting the use of the property tax is an end in itself, or whether there is a grander goal in mind: one that moves the state in the direction of redistributing and equalizing the level of services in municipalities and school systems for all state residents."
Feeling Powerless: Melting Away the Winter Weather Blues
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- Written by: Dr. Adam S. Weissman
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The winter blues affect us all. Short, chilly days, early sunsets, and dark, blistery cold nights offer limited opportunities for warmth, sunlight, routine outdoor activity, and Vitamin D. What's more, that unnerving and unpredictable Winter Storm watch has us glued to our favorite news channel, ready to derail us at any moment from our work, travel, exercise, and social routines, against our will, leaving us feeling helpless and not in control of our own lives.
Uncertainty is the root of anxiety; it's human nature. We naturally feel anxious and unbalanced in the face of uncertainty, whether it's applying to college, financial instability, caring for a sick family member, relationship woes, or having our weekly plans - and in many cases, our livelihood - cast aside by Winter Storm Juno and the icy travel conditions and snows to follow. The key to mental equilibrium is acceptance of the things we cannot control and the ability to slow down our thoughts and emotions by problem-solving and weighing the evidence for and against our worried thoughts.
For example, while you may be unable to make it into the office for that important meeting or project deadline, it may be helpful to reason that our bosses and co-workers will likely understand since they are in the same boat as we are, instead of worrying endlessly about the ramifications of our unfinished work. And while it is possible that a call to a friend or relative that goes straight to voicemail may mean that he or she is in danger, perhaps that friend or relative simply lost power, or perhaps he or she is making the most of the unplanned "vacation day" with a warm bubble bath or an impromptu family movie night.
During this period of uncertainty, it is important that we all take care of ourselves... and each other... the STOP AND COPE coping tips below are a good place to start.
1. Shift Your Focus - When you're feeling tense or stressed out, you may get the urge to mentally replay your worries over and over in your mind. Shift your focus to something more positive. Remind yourself of something that makes you feel good. This can be a place you find relaxing and peaceful (e.g., a favorite beach or park) or maybe for your kids, a place where they had fun recently (e.g., an amusement park or baseball game).
2. Take Deep Breaths - You can also shift your focus to your body. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down, and concentrate on your bodily sensations and on your breath. Take long, deep breaths from your diaphragm; try inhaling slowly through your nose for five seconds, and then exhaling through your mouth for seven. Exhaling longer than you inhale deepens your breathing, which helps calm your nervous system. To enhance your mindful breathing, you can say a mantra as you focus on your breath (e.g., "one... relax, two... relax"; "breath in calm, breath out stress")
3. Open the Door and Get Some Fresh Air – You've been cooped up for days... of course you're feeling on edge! Go outside, maybe take a short walk (if it's safe where you are), and get some fresh air. Most importantly, get back into your routine as soon as possible. Don't let your stress or fear derail you from getting back on track with the things that you enjoy and the things that are important and fulfilling in your life.
4. Play a Game or Do Something Fun with Your Family - Schools are closed and the nasty weather conditions provide a unique opportunity for family bonding time. How often are we stuck at home, perhaps with no power (e.g., phone, TV, Facebook)? Spend time together as a family, talking, playing board games, building that fort in the living room the kids have been asking about for weeks! Or watch a funny movie together if you do have power. When we're doing something fun - smiling and laughing, it's pretty hard to feel anxious. Find the silver lining and turn this stressful event into a fun and positive family bonding experience that the kids will remember forever.
5. Anxious Thought Busters – When we're feeling stressed out, we have anxious, exaggerated thoughts; we tend to overestimate the likelihood of something bad happening and underestimate our own abilities to cope. Give yourself (and your kids) a pep talk. Identify your anxious thoughts and "talk back" to your "Worry Bully" (we all have one!) by coming up with more helpful, realistic coping thoughts (e.g., "I have been in worse situations than this before and have been able to manage just fine", "What would I tell a friend in this situation?", "I can rely on my friends and family if I need help", "The power will be back on soon")
6. New Adventures – Sometimes we can get stuck in our daily routine and not take the time to stop and think about our overall stress level, how we are balancing our lives, and perhaps scheduling some time for fun. Think of this "down" time as an opportunity to break free from your weekly routine. Start planning some dates for your next family vacation or perhaps a romantic weekend getaway!
7. Draw or Write – Writing down your anxious thoughts can help relieve some of the stress caused by repetitive worry, especially at night before bed when our "Worry Bully" tends to rear its ugly head and disrupt our sleep. Write down your anxious thoughts or fears on a piece of paper, put the paper aside, and re-visit your list in a few hours. Your worried thoughts may not seem so bad in the morning. Coach your kids to write down their worries, as well, or express themselves through drawing.
8. Close Your Eyes and Imagine Your Peaceful Place – Create your own utopia or relaxing place in your mind and go through each sensory experience – what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. Perhaps make a special soothing playlist for your iPod and play some relaxing music in the background.
9. Open Up to a Parent or Friend - Share your feelings and don't be afraid to ask for help. Encourage your kids to talk about their feelings, as well, and to ask questions if they are feeling scared. Help each other and your neighbors.
10. Problem-Solve – Write down (or say out loud) the steps you are prepared to take to manage stressful situations that may arise (e.g., power outage, road block, running low on food, no public transportation, house or car damage). We are generally better problem-solvers than we give ourselves credit for, especially when we are feeling stressed out. Slow down your thoughts and emotions by following the 5 problem-solving STEPS below:
- Say the Problem
- Think of Solutions
- Examine Each Solution (pros and cons)
- Pick a Solution
- See if it worked
11. Exercise – You haven't made it out to the gym in days, so you probably have some pent up energy. Take a break, walk up and down a few flights of stairs, do some push-ups or sit-ups at home, or sign up for that Zumba or kickboxing class you've been dying to try. No matter what's going on in your life, exercise will always make you feel better. Try it out, and rate your stress level before and after on a scale of 0-10!
This article was written by Adam S. Weissman, Ph.D,the Founder & Executive Director of the Child & Family Institute in Scarsdale and Manhattan. He completed his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, his M.S./Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers, his internship at the NYU Child Study Center, and a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in child/adolescent psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Weissman is a nationally-recognized expert in CBT for youth anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and ADHD, and an accomplished clinical researcher with nearly 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, 3 edited books, and over 50 professional presentations.
Disclaimer: Although Dr. Weissman is a board member of the Westchester County Psychological Association (WCPA), the views in this article are his and not the views of WCPA.
