Robert Cole to be Scarsdale's Next Village Manager
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Following an extensive search for a new Village Manager, the Scarsdale Board of Trustees has selected Deputy Village Manager Rob Cole as the next Village Manager, succeeding Steve Pappalardo who retired in July.
Cole has worked in Scarsdale since 2015. Prior to taking on the role as Deputy Village Manager, he was the Assistant Village Manager in Oak Park, Illinois where he worked for 19 years . He holds a B.S. and a Masters in Public Service Management from De Paul University.
In an announcement from Scarsdale Mayor Jane Veron she said the following about Cole. “Rob has demonstrated a strong commitment to transparency, progress, and efficiency. He brings a fresh perspective, innovative ideas, and a strategic mindset. He also possesses an abiding respect for Scarsdale’s legacy, has a deep understanding of the Village’s finances and constraints, and has the highest regard for Scarsdale staff and residents. There is no one more well poised to lead Scarsdale into the future. We look forward to supporting Rob and our excellent staff in their work.
Commenting on the news Cole told Scarsdale10583:
“I have deeply appreciated the opportunity to serve the Scarsdale community for the past six years and look forward with great optimism to leading our exceptional staff in continuing pursuit of organizational excellence in the coming weeks, months, and years. As Village Manager, I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with our staff, members of the community, and our Village Board to maintain and further enhance Scarsdale’s exceptional quality of life. I feel blessed to be able to share the Scarsdale experience with the wonderful people who call Scarsdale home while helping to ensure an effective, responsive, transparent, and accountable local government that each resident and elected official can take pride in.”
Scarsdale Golf Club Member Guest Tournament: Fun on the Court for All
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Jill Fischer and Jennifer LoveScarsdale Golf Club held their Ladies Member Guest Tennis Tournament under sunny skies on Thursday July 22, 2021.
A total of 12 teams of members and guests competed, and fun was had by all.
The six rounds of six-game matches were followed by a final match among the high scoring teams.
Playing for the top spot were the team of Anne Lyons and Nanette Koryn, both captains of their tennis teams, against Jennifer Love and Jill Fischer.
Though Lyons and Koryn won “best costume,” for their leopard tennis outfits, Jennifer Love and Jill Fischer came out the winners on the court, with a score of 8-5.
There were raffle prizes, water bottles and great gifts for the winners.
Congrats to all the players and kudos to tennis pro Matej Stakne and Shingy Nyagura for a wonderful tournament.
Anne Lyons and Nanette Koryn
Death Investigation At Kensico Dam Park In Valhalla
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On June 18 Westchester County Police announced that they are investigating the death of a man who jumped from the Kensico Dam in Valhalla.
The deceased, a man in his late 50s, was found in the northeast corner of the plaza at Kensico Dam Park in the morning. The plaza area is adjacent to the base of the dam. EMS responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene.
His identity is being withheld pending notification to his family.
The plaza area remained closed for several hours as the investigation was conducted. Westchester County Police were assisted by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police Department. The dam is owned by DEP and the park property is owned by Westchester County.
Crossway Field Renamed for Rippy Philipps
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After an outpouring of public support, earlier this year, Scarsdale Village Trustees approved a resolution to rename Crossway Fields as Rippy Philipps Field.
The designation honors Rippy who has been a coach, mentor and friends to hundreds of Scarsdale students and their families.
The new signage was unveiled on July 13, when Rippy was joined by John McCann, Mayor Jane Veron, Former Mayor Marc Samwick, brother Michael Philipps and his dad Peter Philipps, to mark this special day.
Stop by Crossway to see the new sign!
Hats off to Rippy.
The resolution passed by the Scarsdale Board of Trustees read as follows:
The resolution reads as follows:
...Longtime Scarsdale resident Richard “Rippy” Philipps has been deeply involved in Scarsdale youth athletics for nearly three decades; and
...Mr. Philipps currently serves as the President of the Scarsdale Raiders Football, is a member of the Westchester Youth Football League Board, and previously served as an Executive Board member of the Scarsdale Youth Football League, having committed countless hours over the past 26 years to helping Scarsdale youth enjoy the game of football, while having also encouraged development of valuable life skills, including discipline and collaboration within a team framework; and
...Richard “Rippy” Philipps has not only committed his life to serving Scarsdale youth through his demonstrated leadership and commitment to supporting their recreational interests and enhancing their personal growth, as reflected in the attached bio, but his mentorship guides and supports our youth well after their last down on the field, as they continue on with their life pursuits; and
...as a testament to his positive impact and lasting influence, more than 100 Scarsdale residents, including former football players, have recently written individually to the Village Board of Trustees requesting that the football field at the Crossway Athletic Complex (Crossway Football Field) on Mamaroneck Road be renamed in honor of Richard “Rippy” Philipps; and
...citing the “passion, dedication, love and the tireless and tremendous amounts of time Rippy has dedicated to the youth football program,” the transformative effect Mr. Philipps has had upon Scarsdale’s youth football players, and observing that Rippy is a “local institution, well respected and loved in the community,” the Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation voted unanimously to request that the Village Board consider renaming the Crossway Football Field in honor of Richard “Rippy” Philipps, a request supported by staff; now, therefore, be it
...that the football field at the Crossway Athletic Complex shall now be officially known as the Richard “Rippy” Philipps Field at Crossway, an honor held in the highest regard by the Village Board; and be it further
...that the Village Board extends its heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Richard “Rippy” Philipps for his exemplary commitment and selfless dedication to advancing the physical fitness and positive maturation of Scarsdale’s youth through athletics.
(Photo Credit: Sydney Piccoli)
New Law Passed to Prevent Those at Risk from Purchasing Guns
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Treva Foss ThomsNew legislation signed this week in the NYS Legislature seeks to prevent a tragedy like the one that befell a Bronxville family in January 2020. In late 2019, wife, mother of three, music professor and marathoner, Treva Foss Thoms, voluntarily checked herself into a mental health facility. She was 46 years old and suffered from depression. After being discharged in early January 2020, she purchased a gun and committed suicide. Treva’s husband Dr. Jason Thoms contacted County Legislator Ruth Walter, unable to understand why his wife was able to purchase a firearm right after she got out of the hospital.
According to her obituary, Treva was “an incredible friend, wife, sister, mother, and mentor. Treva loved her family and friends deeply. She was passionate about her children and was filled with hope for them to the very end. She was a generous, kind, open, and genuine person.”
“Treva had two degrees in Music from St. Olaf College, and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She was an excellent Professor of Music and Voice who cared deeply for her students and especially helped her voice students find inner strength, stage presence, and confidence for singing and life.”
“She lived to sing, and anyone who heard her voice was struck by its beauty and her deep purpose-filled music-making. The two highlights of her musical career were her CD Come Sunday and her performance at Carnegie Hall in June 2017. She was particularly proud of the fact that she was a Marathon Maniac, having run over 25 marathons, including 5 in one month!”
The new law requires mental health facilities to provide information on how to seek extreme risk protection orders for patients upon their discharge or conditional release.
“New York’s Red Flag Law was an important step forward by allowing courts to order the temporary seizure of firearms from people believed to pose a danger to themselves or others,” said Amy Paulin, who sponsored the bill in the NYS Assembly. “This bill furthers that law and provides that prior to a patient’s discharge or conditional release from a mental health facility, they and their representative automatically receive materials informing them of New York’s Red Flag Law. It’s essential that patients and their families are made aware of the options available to ensure the safety of others and loved ones.”
Senator Peter Harckham, the sponsor in the NYS Senate said, “Providing information on an extreme risk protection order when a patient with a mental health diagnosis is released from a care facility may save countless lives in the years to come. This is a common-sense safeguard, and it may give patients, family members and authorized representatives of the patient deserved peace of mind. In certain circumstances invoking the Red Flag Law is a step that should not be overlooked.”
Enacted two years ago in New York State, the Red Flag Law, also known as the extreme risk protection order law, prevents individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of firearm. This law was put into effect with the hope of preventing mass shootings, domestic incidents, suicides and other tragedies, all of which continue to afflict our country.
In the case of the Thoms family, the victim’s family had no previous knowledge of the Red Flag Law. Her husband, Dr. Jason Thoms, said, “I assumed that there was no way that my wife, given that she had just been released from a mental services facility where she resided for several months, would have the ability to purchase a gun.” Thoms asserted, “If I had known about the existence of the Red Flag Law and the ability to obtain an extreme risk protection order, I would have secured one for my wife, and she might still be here with us today.”
Under this legislation the patient and their representative will automatically receive materials informing them of the Red Flag Law. Statistics show that firearm suicides account for more than half of all suicide deaths in the United States.
“Providing such notice will prevent future tragedies and ensure that patients and their families are made aware of the options that are available if they have concerns about the safety of their loved ones,” said Paulin. “Guns must be kept away from those who are a threat to themselves or others.”
