Latimer and Mayer Vow to Fight Executive Order to Pause Federal Funds
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 247
Newly elected Congressman George Latimer’s arrival in Washington has coincided with a crisis in government that threatens the well-being of the country and his constituents. In his first week in office, President Trump signed an executive order to pause payments of federal funds, jeopardizing Medicaid funding to the states, funding to non-profits, hospitals, meals on wheels and school lunches just to name a few of the programs that are affected.
We spoke to Latimer on the evening of January 28, 2025 when he expressed his determination to fight these efforts using whatever means are available. Latimer said, “The illegal action to halt funding that was legally approved by the Federal government is an attempt to impose an ideology on America. The pain and suffering will cause great hardship, raise prices, increase homelessness, hurt veterans, jeopardize education, and more. It’s indefensible.” He added, “The President does not have the power to freeze these payments. It is without just cause.”
Though Latimer acknowledges that Democrats are in the minority in Congress, he is determined to fight these orders with whatever tools are available.
Latimer reported that NY Attorney General Tish James had filed a lawsuit to challenge the order which was joined by additional states. On Tuesday, a federal judge enjoined the spending freeze until Monday February 3, 2025. 
Latimer was sworn in on January 26, 2025 in Rye.
On Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship, Latimer said, “Trump’s order is clearly illegal. Birthright citizenship is guaranteed in the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”
What to do? Latimer said, “I am not sitting here and saying woe is me. We are drawing public attention to the actions. We think that even pausing benefits and programs can interrupt and possibly stop these programs.”
Why is Trump taking such dramatic actions? Latimer explained, “Trump is intending to use this as leverage to get his deportation policy through – for those who won’t help him do his dirty work – he will force this by withholding their Medicaid money. He wants 12 million people to be deported.”
He added, “None of this is a surprise to me. People have seen him in New York for years and know his tactics.” Latimer said, “The only office in government Trump has held is President. He is a critic of government and want to deconstruct it.”
What can citizens do? Latimer urged residents to speak up. He said, “Trump is not impervious to public pressure. When enough people who are on his side hear concerns the pressure will come back on him. If you disagree, let people know. Use your voice.”
State Senator Shelley Mayer also expressed concern about the pause. On Tuesday January 28, 2025 she said , “I’m deeply disturbed by President 
Trump’s unauthorized ‘pause’ of appropriated federal funds. It is already causing distress, confusion, and havoc in New York State, as payments that flow through to New York institutions are impacted. So far we have heard that online systems through which Medicaid payments are received by New York State were blocked and that non-profits reimbursed through federal funds are at great risk of non-payment for services they provide. These include hospitals, Head Start programs, veterans’ programs and more – services New Yorkers depend on, and our Congressmembers and Senators fought for and were enacted into law.
“Credit to New York Attorney General Tish James and other state Attorneys General, who promptly filed suit challenging this order. It appears a federal judge briefly delayed the President’s order. We cannot stay silent in the face of such action by the President; I appeal to my Republican Federal colleagues to use every tool at their disposal to stop this effort.
“It’s unacceptable and cannot stand.”
Kudos to Two Local Grads
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 907
Izzy Motokoff and Alexis Chan developed SteadyScribTwo local graduates are making news this week. Read below about Edgemont's Alexis Chan who designed a new product and Rachelle Gage who published her fourth book:
Alexis Chan, a 2020 graduate of Edgemont High School and a 2024 graduate of Northwestern, has just released a new product. Chan majored in biomedical engineering and worked with another student at school to develop SteadyScrib. SteadyScrib is a comprehensive pen set that includes a magnetic pen, pairing clipboards, and two magnets to secure paper to help people with Parkinson’s to write.
It’s the first writing utensil designed for people with Parkinson’s Disease.
The product was inspired by Chan’s co-founder Izzy Mokotoff’s weekly letter exchanges with her grandfather Pops which were cut short by his Parkinson’s symptoms. Now, in his loving memory, Co-Founders Alexis Chan and Izzy Mokotoff have our sights set on helping millions of others with Parkinson’s disease.
SteadyScrib is available for purchase on the company’s website. The Co-Founders are actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with healthcare providers, support groups, and advocates to extend their impact and bring this innovative solution to more individuals in the Parkinson’s community.
The design is now officially patented. Izzy and Alexis were named to Forbes 30 under 30 Chicago and have been featured on many news channels including NBC News, ABC7, and recently Good Day Chicago.
Learn more at www.steadyscrib.com.
We're Not Ok
SHS 2012 grad Rachelle Gage recently published her fourth book, and her first that is out of the children’s book
Rachel Gage recently published her fourth book. world. The book is called We’re Not OK: Jewish and Ally Experiences Post 10/7 and brings together personal anecdotes, poems, and letters following the 10/7 attack on Israel. The words are taken from social media platforms and illustrated by Gage. Some of these voices are those of mothers sharing their fears for their visibly Jewish children, and students writing to their universities with concerns about the pro terror encampments.
Gage says, “As a proud Jew and granddaughter of an Auschwitz survivor, I was impacted firsthand by the rise of antisemitism in the silencing of Jewish voices. I knew I had to amplify these voices, and published my recent book, which includes submissions of various perspectives through personal anecdotes, poems, and letters. This collection and other similar projects are so important in this time where Jewish voices are being silenced, and our history erased. While the title states We’re Not OK, the takeaway message is that we’re not alone. I hope that my book not only raises the authors’ voices but provides comfort to others who have felt isolated for these past two years.”
Find your copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble here:
From Village Hall: A New Deputy Village Manager and a Report from the Village Assessor
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1830
Stephen Shallo has been appointed Deputy Village Manager of ScarsdaleScarsdale has a new Deputy Village Manager. The job has been vacant for more than a year since former Deputy Village Manager, Alex Marshall was promoted to Acting Village Manager in September 2023 and ultimately assumed the position of Village Manager in September 2024. With no second in command, she’s been doing both jobs for over a year. At the December 10 meeting of the Village Board, Marshall announced the appointment of Stephen Shallo as Deputy Village Manager.
She explained, “The Village undertook a professional recruitment process to fill this position, led by our consultants at Strategic Government Resources. We had an abundant number of qualified applicants apply, and after a thorough interview process, the Village has selected Stephen Shallo. Stephen has a robust government career, coming to us from the Village of Bronxville, where he has worked since July of 2019, and currently serves as the Assistant Village Administrator. Prior to his experience in Bronxville, he worked in the New York City Department of Small Business Services as well as other government offices in New York City. Stephen holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware as well as a Masters of Public Administration from Pace University. I know he will make a great addition to our team here in the Managers office and we look forward to welcoming him in January."
Audit
H. Chris Kopf and Robert Daniele of PKF O’Connor Davies who audited the Village of Scarsdale for the year ended May 31, 2024 presented the results of their annual audit. They said they issued a “clean opinion” and commended the Village for receiving a “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. From the Government Finance Officers Association.
Here were a few comments:
In the General Fund, total revenues were $64,051,337 and total expenses were $58,681,127. The Village ended the year with a total fun balance of $31,645,391.
A $460,000 shortfall in parks and recreation fees was offset by $800,000 more that anticipated in interest earnings due to higher interest rates.
The Village was able to use $2.6 million in funds from the prior year’s budget to hedge against a larger tax increase.
The Village currently has only $17 mm in debit that is scheduled to be paid off over the next 15 years, putting them in good fiscal health.
The total unassigned fund balance was $15.1 mm, representing 23% of the budget. Kopf said that other municipalities had also seen an increase in their fund balances due to payments received during COVID.
You can see the entire report here:
Committee for Historic Preservation
Amy Lawrence, of 15 Hamilton Road, who is currently an alternate member of the CHP was appointed replace Talaiya Safdar who resigned. Her term will extend until April 5, 2027.
Menorah in Chase Park
Trustees passed a resolution to permit Chabad to place a menorah in Chase Park in celebration of Hanukkah.
Tax Collections
During the Town of Scarsdale portion of the meeting, Village Treasurer Ann Scaglione reported that the second installment of Village taxes is due on December 31, 2024.
As of November 30, 2024 here were the percentages of tax collections:
99.67% of 2024 County Tax Levy
59.49% of 2024 School Tax Levy
66.11% of the Village Tax Levy
Assessor’s Report
Prior to the Village Board meeting, the Board held a budget work session where they met with Victoria Sirota, Scarsdale Village Assessor to review her office’s budget.
She shared some interesting facts shown below:
Scarsdale includes 5,757 properties with a total assessed value of $10,212 billion and a taxable value of $9,299 billion. This number increased significantly from a taxable assessed value of $8.9 billion in 2024.
She noted that the growth in the assessment roll keeps the tax rate level and that assessments of new construction adds significantly to the tax roll each year.
The number of new homes assessed has been rising steadily, from 25 in 2021 to 54 in 2024, despite the building moratorium, as shown above.
There is a growing gap between the assessed value and the market value of Scarsdale homes, with the average assessed value of $1.6 mm and the average sale price of $2.3 mm.
This high discrepancy between the assessed and market values has led to a big dip in the equalization rate to 74.9% down from an equalization rate of 100% in 2021.
The market value of a home can be calculated by dividing the assessed value by the equalization rate. For example, if a home is assessed at $1.6 mm, divide that by .749 to reach a fair market value of $2.13 mm.
Sirota also showed a chart of the number of tax grievances filed by residents. Though the number declined over the past ten years, they are creeping up again as evidenced by this chart.
County Executive George Latimer Sets Agenda for First Term as Congressman George Latimer
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 444
Westchester’s newly elected Congressman George Latimer will go to Washington in January. But as a junior Congressman in the minority party, what can he hope to accomplish?
That was the subject of an interview on December 15 on The Point with Marcia Kramer where Latimer outlined his expectations for his first term.
He acknowledged that his lack of seniority and the fact that the Republicans hold the majority may make it difficult for him to achieve some of his goals. However, he does plan to address the needs of his constituents in Westchester by advocating for initiatives that will impact them.
Specifically he plans to work to re-establish at least some part of the SALT deduction which allowed New Yorkers to deduct state and local taxes from their federal tax bills. He says there may be support on both sides of the aisle for restoring SALT.
He also mentioned passing legislation to ensure clean water both in the Hudson and the LI Sound and working to bring more affordable housing to Westchester and the Bronx.
And though he will be a Democrat in a Republican led Congress, he vows to fight for issues that will affect public health, saying, “If Bobby Kennedy does become head of HHS and decides he want to get out of the vaccination business, there is going to be a battle. …Polio vaccines prevented the spread of a crippling disease…. This has been settled science for 50 plus years.”
And what about congestion pricing? He noted that while some might not favor it, there is no alternative to fund the MTA that badly needs funds for infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
Watch the entire interview here:
Remembering Jessie Ann Cashen, January 6, 1937 - November 2, 2024
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1557
Jessie “Ann” Cashen died of natural causes on November 2, 2024, at her home in Lenox, Massachusetts. She was 87 years old.
Ann was a natural connector for her community and her family. She always had a smile for everyone and wanted others to feel included and loved. She strived to fill life with warmth and laughter and make her friends and family feel special and understood. It always felt like she was focused in on you, with laser-beam attention. She was a person with an optimistic outlook, and her enthusiastic energy was contagious.
The second of four children born to Mary and Robert MacLeod, Ann grew up in Washington, D.C. She graduated with honors from Western High School and then traveled by train to Ithaca, NY, to attend Cornell University. She majored in psychology and also enjoyed studying art history, literature and music appreciation. She was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. During her senior year, she met Tony Cashen, and they married shortly after graduation.
The early years of Ann’s marriage were spent relocating multiple times for Tony’s career and starting a family. Three daughters, Ann, Sally and Linda, arrived in relatively quick succession. By the time the family got to Scarsdale, NY, Ann was ready to settle in and become part of the community. For the next 40-plus years, Ann was happy to call Scarsdale home, becoming involved with community activities and finding a spiritual home at St. James the Less Episcopal Church.
Ann loved helping children learn. She worked as the Nursery School Director at St. James the Less for about 10 years. During this time, she went back to school, receiving her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Manhattanville College. After her divorce she courageously forged a new path as a single mother, working for several years at a public relations company in New York City. She also worked as a real estate agent in Scarsdale, helping many new families settle into the area. Later, she pursued advanced studies in information technology. She retired as database manager for Mamiya America, importer of professional photography equipment.
Ann loved being involved with her community. At St. James the Less, she served on the vestry and the Altar Guild, also taking stints as a Sunday School teacher, greeter, and, for many years, rummage sale coordinator. Later she helped others feel at ease as a front desk greeter at Phelps Hospital and an ESL tutor in Tarrytown.
For the last five years of her life, Ann lived at Kimball Farms, a retirement community in Lenox, Massachusetts. She loved living in the Berkshires, with its forested hills and quaint villages and towns. As chair of Kimball Farms’ trips committee, she organized outings to local sights, like the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown and Mount Greylock Reservation, the highest point in Massachusetts. On summer Saturday mornings, you could find her at Tanglewood, listening in on rehearsals of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Ann was an influential force for her five grandchildren, sharing her love of reading, history, and travel with them. She took each grandchild on a special Wyoming trip to a destination of their choice when they reached the age of ten. The Alaskan wilderness, the islands and waters of Hawaii, a dude ranch in Colorado, baseball parks of California and Arizona, and a Disney cruise in Florida were all explored in this special way. Her family meant so much to her.
Ann’s family celebrated her life at a private gathering on November 29. A funeral service and interment of ashes will be held at St. James the Less in spring 2025. Donations in her memory can be made to the National Parks Foundation or Tanglewood.
