Marijuana: Should it be Legalized for Medicinal Use?
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Though some think that marijuana is just for pot heads, a group of doctors, nurses, medical organizations and patients believe that if legalized, marijuana could be effective in treating symptoms for many seriously ill patients. People suffering from multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease and chronic pain report that marijuana eases their symptoms. The Compassionate Care Act, a bill to legalize the use of marijuana for the treatment of a specified group of illnesses is now being considered by the NYS Assembly. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin held a press conference on Friday March 14 to support the bill and invited those who would benefit from legalized marijuana to tell their stories.
"The medical benefits that can be derived from marijuana are far too great to ignore any longer," Paulin said. "There are so many people suffering from a variety of diseases where medical marijuana would make a huge difference in their quality of life. We need to pass this legislation to help the thousands of patients that need specific strains of marijuana, such as children with Dravet's Syndrome."
According to New York Physicians for Compassionate Care a growing body of scientific evidence has demonstrated that marijuana is effective in controlling chronic pain, alleviating nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, treating wasting syndrome associated with HIV/AIDS, controlling muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis and managing epilepsy.
Scarsdale's Dalia Kessaci attended the press conference with her 3-year old daughter Mellina to tell the group why she is passionate about the passage of the legislation. Mellina suffers from a severe form of epilepsy that is resistant to conventional drug treatment. She can have as many as 100 seizures a week. The anti-seizure drugs caused a different kind of seizure, severely delaying her development. Dalia learned that parents of children with epilepsy in Colorado have given their kids oil of cannabis to control the seizures and it has proven to be safe, effective and have few side effects.
The Hauser family of Suffern was also on hand with their nine year-old daughter Amanda, who is 
able to go to school and after school activities, but suffers from a seizure disorder called Dravet's syndrome. When asked what it feels like to have a seizure, Amanda replied, "it goes black." Her parents are not willing to purchase drugs illegally and attended the press conference to support the passage of this legislation. Her mother Maryanne said,"My family is faced with a choice no one should have to make – watch our child suffer needlessly or contemplate uprooting our family and moving to one of the 20 states where medical marijuana is legal."
We also met Dawn Carney of Mount Vernon who is living with HIV/AIDS. She showed us pictures of herself before her drugs started to work. She was wasting away and smoking marijuana helped to improve her appetite. She said, "It is wrong that New Yorkers living with serious and life-threatening conditions have to break the law to use a medication that can relieve their symptoms.
Learn more at www.compassionatecareny.org.
Never Again
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Dr. John Gimesh, Holocaust survivor and father of Cynthia Samwick and Andrea Seiden, both of Scarsdale, will speak at the Holocaust Remembrance Program sponsored by JCY-Westchester Community Partners and Lincoln Park Jewish Center on Wednesday March 19 at 10 am at the Lincoln Park Jewish Center at 311 Central Park Avenue in Yonkers.
The program honors the memory of the 12 million victims of the genocide, and is open to Yonkers Public School students, as well as the entire community. Holocaust survivors will share their personal stories about how the Holocaust impacted real people. It is hoped that this living history lesson will promote empathy and underscore the importance of having respect for all people.
Dr. Gimesh will present his personal story of the terrible hardships he and his family endured before, during, and after World War II. After he escaped Hungary, he became a pediatrician in the United States Army and moved his family to Germany and eventually to North Carolina, where Cynthia and her sister Andrea grew up. Though the girls knew their father had a difficult childhood, he rarely shared details of this unpleasant past.
Along with seven other survivors, Gimesh will tell his story at the event that runs from March 17 – 21.
For more information, contact JCY-Westchester Community Partners at 30 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701.
Phone: (914) 423-5009
emails: info@jcy-wcp.com
Website: www.jcy-wcp.com
McGill Speaks Out Against High Stakes Testing
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It's no secret in Scarsdale what Superintentendent Michael McGill thinks about state testing, teaching to the tests and evaluating teachers on the results of their student's performance on these exams. Calling it "idealogical madness," McGill, who will retire in June after 16 years in Scarsdale, has just written an article in Education Week in which he speaks out against what he calls "corporate reforms" at schools which have produced "an obsession with numbers."
He says "a real education leaves room for teachers to teach what they love and for students to initiate their learning." He contends there is "no one solution to the different challenges that confront our schools." He asks for recognition that teachers are critical in the learning process and encourages investment in their professional development, rather than "naming and shaming" them when students don't measure up.
Read the entire article here:
Junior League Invites SHS Juniors to Apply for Volunteer Service Awards
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Do you know a female junior in your school who is making a difference? Is she a leader in school or in her community? Is she someone who cared enough about an issue to take a stand and make a difference? However she has done it, she is making a contribution and the Junior Leage of Central Westchester wants to hear about her!
The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) is offering three $300 Volunteer
Service Awards to female high school juniors. The recipients of this award will be young women who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to volunteerism within their community and/or school. The purpose of this award is to promote volunteerism and to support the development of young women.
Award Criteria
The JLCW will consider all applicants who meet the following criteria:
• Female
• High school junior
• Student in Ardsley, Eastchester, Edgemont, Greenburgh Central, Scarsdale or White Plains School District
• Has demonstrated a commitment to volunteerism between September 2012 and February 2014
Application Deadline
All applications must be submitted by April 24, 2014.
To download an application, visit www.jlcentralwestchester.org
Questions? Email: jlcwvolunteerserviceaward@gmail.com
About JLCW
The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is both educational and charitable. Headquartered at historic Wayside Cottage, the JLCW has served the communities of Eastchester, Greenburgh, Scarsdale and White Plains for over 65 years. Its approximately 250 active and sustaining members are accomplished collaborators who identify community needs and develop effective and responsive programs to serve those needs. The JLCW invites women of all races, religions and national origins who are committed to volunteerism to become members.
Build Your Own Snowman Contest
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Here's something to do during the vacation week .... The Scarsdale Department of Parks and Recreation has announced the 2014 Snowman Contest. You can build your best snow creation at home, submit it to the Recreation Department, and be entered to win a prize!
Here's how it works:
- Each family may submit on one entry
- Your snow creation must be built at your own residence
- All snow creations must be freestanding
- Feel free to use as many props, costumes, and accessories as you would like
- Winners will be judged on creativity (have fun with it!)
How to Enter:
After completing your snow creation, email your FAMILY NAME and ADDRESS to recreation@scarsdale.com with the subject "SNOWMAN"
- You MUST include a photo in the email. Photos may be included on the Village website or in their brochure. Have your family strike a pose next to your snow creation! It's your chance to be (sort of) famous!
- All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Monday, February 17th
- Judging will take place on Tuesday, February 18th (a judge may visit your home to get a closer look.) Winners will be posted on our website and notified via email. Prize will supplied by Imagine Candy.
Enjoy ... and send your photos to scarsdalecomments@gmail.com for publication on the site as well.
