Celebrity Sighting in Scarsdale...Every Day
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- Written by Stacie M. Waldman
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Mark Jessamy is certainly a local celebrity. ...Don't know him?
Have you been to Starbucks in the Village and been greeted with a warm and friendly smile as early as 6:00 AM with a genuine, "How are you today? Really, I want to know?" Have you been to a sporting event at a Scarsdale elementary school and caught sight of the photographer that seems to know every single person by name?
Then you know Mark Jessamy. He's a true local celebrity here in the 'Dale. And if you don't know him, then he'll put a spark in your step and a bit of sunshine in your life simply by taking the time to say "good morning" and remembering your name (and probably your drink) the next time you come in to Starbucks. He's the name that comes up on Facebook when people on local sites seek photographer recommendations. And I was lucky enough to have the chance to sit down and chat with him about the ins-and-outs of Scarsdale and its people. We thought meeting at the Eastchester Starbucks would be a safer bet than meeting in Scarsdale where so many stop to say hello --but apparently he's just as popular in Eastchester.
How do you do it? Some complain that Scarsdale doesn't have a friendly vibe but you prove them wrong each morning.
I like to know people...really know them. I'm a firm believer that if I'm talking to you, I'm actively listening to you. I stay engaged. You have my attention and hopefully I have yours. That's important to me. I believe in neighborhoods and I love the Scarsdale neighborhood. I like the people I meet. Everybody has a story. It's like being in a library. There's always something interesting on the shelves in terms of people. And if you listen, if you take the time to listen, everyone tells their story and some people don't even realize they're doing it. Everybody wants to be heard...even little kids. And the kids tell you everything. I listen to everyone. I'm fortunate to have people trust in me and with my professional photography business, my brand is me, so I'm upholding that brand at all times. I approach life every day in a positive way. It works for me.
There can be 15 people in the line at Starbucks but you still give each person a moment of your time to show that you care to know how their morning or afternoon is going.
I understand that I might be the first person that you talk to in the morning. Your kids and spouse might not even be up yet. Your coffee is important to you. You have two minutes until your train is coming. I understand all of this and I try to show that I care, because I genuinely do.
You love working at Starbucks 20 hours a week but your other passion is photography and you have a professional photography business. Tell me more!
Well, I took art, music, and photography in high school as electives and when I realized I couldn't draw, I discovered that I could capture art through pictures. Film was my canvas. I pursued a college degree at FIT. It took me a few years until I believed that I could make a career of it, but I started with school pictures and sports and realized I was good at it. Now I do school photos at several of the elementary schools, sports photography for Scarsdale rec leagues, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, portraits...really anything and everything. I also teach photography 101. I love what I do. It's nice to be able to make a living doing what I love to do.
Working here, you consider Scarsdale part of your community. What do you love about Scarsdale?
I have friends in the community, I eat in the community, I work in the community. I'm really comfortable here. It's not just a place of work, it's a meeting place for me. I'm a cigar smoker. A couple guys and I go out and smoke cigars on a regular basis. And the kids around here are amazing. I love watching them grow up. I've embraced the village of Scarsdale and the village of Scarsdale has embraced me back. I feel very lucky.
What do you do for fun?
I love cooking, I enjoy a cigar every once in a while, and my photography is also my fun. I love jazz. I enjoy people; I consider people a hobby.
What's your drink?
I have 6 shots of espresso with a tall portion of milk. That's all the caffeine I have for the day. I love our teas. I like the earl gray and chai.
And with that, we concluded our interview and Mr. Mark gave me the biggest, tightest, most genuine hug goodbye. I highly recommend his hugs.
Fox Meadow Hosts Multicultural Fair
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Fox Meadow gym was teeming with happy kids and parents for an international celebration at the Fox Meadow Multicultural Fair on Wednesday afternoon January 13. Event chairs were surprised to find that the 200 passports they created disappeared in a flash – with attendance even higher than expected. Parents estimate that about a third of the school's population hails from other countries, providing a diverse mix in the school's classrooms.
At the fair, representatives from eighteen countries dressed in native costumes, served tasty treats from their homelands, taught customs and invited students to do crafts. Mayra Rodriguez, who manned the table from Mexico, noted that all the table organizers from the countries that exhibited were either immigrants or first generation Americans.
We found Prince William and Princess Kate serving tea and crumpets, Japanese women teaching origami, a chocolate fountain from Ecuador, empanadas from Argentina, delicious spinach and onion crepes called "pita" from Albania, Russians serving tea from a samovar and Indian moms showing kids how to say Namaste.
To kick off the event, earlier in the day students marveled at a Chinese face changing performer and swayed to the rhythms of a Dominican Republic dancing troupe. Mayra Rodriguez from the Multicultural committee said, "The Fox Meadow Multicultural Fair is a wonderful opportunity to expose Fox Meadow students to the numerous cultures, languages and cuisines of their own peers."
Commenting on the event, Lizi Xie of China said, "The multicultural fair made my fourth-grade daughter very excited. In just one hour she got the opportunity to know eighteen countries' food, crafts, costumes, music and much more. Writing her name in Egyptian, making a bracelet with South African beads, a spoon of chocolate from Ecudaor, a taste of Albanian traditional food, are so very exotic and precious experience for her! Kids learned and got inspired. And thank you the beautiful ladies Mayra, Nosipho, Mariko, Junko who made all this possible."
Committee member Junko Miyoshi of Japan said, "Through the fair, I hope children learned and felt that how comfortable they are in the diverse culture. As a committee member, I would like to share the importance of respect in today's chaotic world."
Nosipho Kweta one of the co-chair representing South Africa said, "Fox Meadow is a diverse community that embraces different cultures and through the multicultural fair kids get to learn about those cultures. It teaches them to be proud of who they are regardless of where they come from. That's what I love about being part of this committee."
Mario Takeda from Japan said, "Thank you for coming to the fair. I hope you felt the energy of young children and their parents towards learning something new. While there are many great things about Fox Meadow School, one thing, in my personal opinion, that makes this school so special is that families with multicultural diversities and non-international families all share the strong sense of mission and become united to dedicate to children's learning. This fair was just another opportunity that I appreciated such enthusiasm. "
Table organizers:
Country Organizers
Albania: Maria Grishaj
Argentina: Paula Bercun, Veronica Olivieri
Brazil: Mariana Albuquerque, Vanessa Chadovsky, & Sheila Melo
China: Lili Chen, Lixia Feng, Amy Sheng, Julie Tang, Lizzie Xie, Emily Zhang, Julie Zhu
Cuba: Martha Duval
Ecuador: Silvana Caccio, Cristina Moscoso
Egypt: Rokaya Hassaballa
France: Nathalie Nguyen
Germany: Cornelia Beyer, Shirly Friedman, Claudia Schwartz
India: Moumita Datta Gupta, Sushma Shadaksharappa, Srilakshmi Vallabhaneni
Israel: Sarah Smith & Ziva Green
Japan: Yuko Kuriyama, Junko Miyoshi, Yu Nakamoto, Misa Ono, Emiko Osada, Ryoko Ozaki, Mariko Takeda , Sachiyo Uchino
Korea: Jane Chwe, Regina Han Jansky, Serina Lee, Sophia Park Mullen, Jenny Ryu, Mia Cha
Mexico: Brice & Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez
The Netherlands: Janske & Pietr Aartsbekker
Russia: Anna Demina, Rebecca Gabin, & Yelena Landa
South Africa: Melanie FitzGibbon, Nosipho Kweta
United Kingdom: Sandeep Lally, Catherine Parkinson
Dominican Republic Dancers Donation from Sandra Alfonso
There Ought to be a Law
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is kicking off a contest for middle school students, grades 6-8, in the 88th Assembly District, titled "There Ought to Be a Law." This contest asks students to identify a problem impacting New Yorkers which needs a legislative solution by creating a new law. One (1) first-place winner will be selected and have the prize of knowing that his or her idea has a chance at becoming a law that impacts over 19 million New Yorkers. One (1) second-place winner and one (1) third-place winner will also be chosen to receive a citation from the New York State Assembly.
The first-place contest winner will have the opportunity to join Assemblywoman Paulin at the State Capitol where the winner, along with a description of his/her proposed law, will receive recognition by members of the Assembly on the Assembly floor.
Here's how to enter:
Students interested in entering the contest will write an essay (750 words maximum) detailing their proposed idea for a law.
To Students: what you choose to write about is up to you, so feel free to get creative! To help you get started, here are some things to consider about your proposed bill idea:
- What's the problem that needs a legislative solution?
- What's your solution? Be as detailed as possible.
- What's the background on this problem? (Are there any statistics, reports, historical information, or even your own personal stories that you could use to back up the need for a legislative proposal?)
- Are there any financial impacts? If so, how much money do you think it would cost?
- Who do you think would support this bill?
- Who do you think would oppose this bill?
The contest is open to all middle school students who live in the 88th Assembly District. This covers the following cities and towns: Scarsdale, Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville, Pelham, and parts of New Rochelle and White Plains.
How to submit your entry:
Those interested in participating in the contest can submit their entries in two ways:
Download and fill out this PDF form, email it and the essay on your proposed law to paulina@assembly.state.ny.us – Attention: Lisa Hofflich, Community Liaison for Assemblywoman Paulin — along with the following information:
Subject line: There Ought to Be a Law Contest Entry
Attach BOTH the Registration Form and the essay (in either an MS Word or Adobe PDF File)
OR
2) Fill out this online form. http://amypaulin.com/there-ought-to-be-a-law-contest-entry-form/
Contest Timeline
February 29: All contest submissions are due by midnight on February 29, 2016.
April 1: The first-, second-, and third-place winners will be notified by telephone and email.
Mid-April to Early June: The first-place contest winner will be able to travel to Albany to join Assemblywoman Paulin in the State Capitol before the end of the legislative session. The exact date and time will depend on the Assemblywoman's meeting schedule.
If you have any questions, please contact Assemblywoman Paulin's District Office at (914) 723-1115.
Labor Negotiator Alan Gordon Passes Away at 70
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Greenacres resident Alan S. Gordon passed away on January 1, 2016 in New Hampshire. He suffered from multiple system atrophy, a rare neurological disorder and died from a stroke.
Gordon was the executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists and represented performers from all over the U.S. including the vocalists in NYC's Metropolitan Opera Company and the San Francisco Opera and Ballet. In a 2014 labor dispute with employees at the Metropolitan Opera, Gordon called for open negotiations to allow the press to report on the sessions. When the Met refused he invited reporters to pre-bargaining sessions. The New York Times said that Gordon "had a way of getting under his adversaries' skin and seemed to relish a good battle."
Peter Gelb, the General Manager of the Met said that a performance of the opera would be dedicated to Gordon this month.
Gordon was born on April 22, 1945 and grew up in the Norwood section of the Bronx where he attended public school. He graduated from City College and the Syracuse University College of Law and worked in labor law for the Textile Workers Union of America and the Directors Build of America.
Gordon is survived by his wife Susan of BrewsterRoad, his daughters Elizabeth and Jessica, a grandson and his sister Karen Gordon Marrinan.
A memorial service was held in his honor at the Riverside Memorial Chapel in Mt. Vernon where a tenor from the Met Chorus, Nathan Carlisle sang, "You'll Never Walk Along." Read more about Gordon here.
Monte Nido Withdraws Application to Open Treatment Center on Morris Lane
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Scarsdale10583 received this information on December 23 from Nancy Turett who represents Monte Nido. The company had filed a highly controversial application to open a treament home for adolescent girls with eating disorders in a large home at 2 Morris Lane in Murray Hill. After much discussion, Scarsdale Village Trustees filed an objection to the application and a hearing with the Commissioner of Health was planned for after the New Year.
However,in the interim, Monte Nido decided to withdraw their application after neighbors stated their intentions to litigate over easements and driveway access. Since the property sits on a flag lot, the driveway crosses neighboring properties and easements were granted for residential use. Save for these issues, the Padavan Law would have protected the applicant's from objections from neighbors.
Here is the information we received:
(from Nancy Turett)
Sadly, Monte Nido is ceasing its pursuit of the property at 2 Morris Lane. Thanks to Scarsdale10583 for e-enabling an open conversation.
We want to ensure Scarsdale leaders and citizens have a clear and accurate understanding of how this came to pass. Attached is an explanatory message from Vicki Kroviak, CEO of Monte Nido:
December 23, 2015
Monte Nido message regarding Scarsdale situation
In order to stay true to its mission to provide superb residential treatment for adolescent girls in regions where the unmet need is especially great, Monte Nido is going to cease planning to move into 2 Morris Lane. Despite our proposal to establish that home being solidly within the spirit and letter of the New York State Padovan law, and the wonderful support of many citizens and leaders across the Scarsdale community, a few neighbors have threatened driveway-access and easement-related litigation that while baseless, could tie up progress at this address for years. While Monte Nido is quite confident that the Village of Scarsdale's rejection of the 2 Morris Lane site was without legal support or justification under the New York State Padavan law, we have chosen to pursue other alternative sites and communities. There is no single property objective more important than getting the families in the area access to Monte Nido residential care as soon as possible.
We appreciate the outpouring of advocacy and support that has come from people across Scarsdale and the region, and at the same time have learned about the lack of understanding about eating disorders and their treatment that even highly educated and accomplished individuals may have. Our residential program in Irvington for adults is operating smoothly and without disruption to the local community. Monte Nido remains fully committed to expanding its services in Westchester County and the surrounding area to address a recognized health care need.
We will turn our attention in this area to other properties with neighbors and leaders that welcome residential resources for people with eating disorders. We'll also partner with local health, civic and educational leaders fill the knowledge gaps that interfere not only with establishment of nearby residences but early detection and best-practice-care of eating disorders in our children and loved ones.
Vicki Kroviak
CEO
Monte Nido & Affiliates
