SVAC and National Guard Honored at Village Hall
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Mayor Jane Veron issued proclamations honoring Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps and the Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corps for their heroism during the COVID crisis at a ceremony at Scarsdale Village Hall on Tuesday evening March 8, 2022.
Also on hand were members of the National Guard who had been given EMT training by SVAC, in order to bolster the state’s force of healthcare workers. They received 180 hours of training in just five weeks and were presented with certificates for completing the training.
The ceremony at Village Hall followed another from the county on February 8, 2022 when Westchester County Executive George Latimer presented a proclamation to SVAC for its efforts in providing COVID-19 testing and vaccinations to Westchester residents.
Presenting the Proclamation, Mayor Jane Veron said:
"Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp (SVAC), I am humbled to stand beside you this evening to pay tribute for your great deeds. You epitomize the very best of humanity. During the most critical health crisis we have ever known, you put yourselves on the line to serve others. You navigated an uncertain environment, taking proactive measures to keep our community safe. You led us through countless sleepless nights, caring for the sickest, protecting our most fragile.
David, you are an extraordinary leader. You have an incredible gift, to anticipate needs and mobilize a team of the most dedicated volunteers I have ever known. We all remember those frightening early days and those long months that followed. As the virus progressed, with all its twists and turns, you rallied to build out capacity for testing, vaccinating and boosting. You became the place to go, offering convenience, professionalism and peace of mind. You even found a way to make personal calls to home bound residents and to distribute masks on your time off.
Mayor Jane Veron, SVAC President David Raizen and Michelle Sterling, Chief of Staff for Amy Paulin
SVAC, each of you has given so much of yourselves. I call you the beacon of light during Scarsdale’s darkest moments. You have always been here for Scarsdale and for the greater community and you continue to do so today.
It was an honor for me to join you and your partner Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corp (OVAC) at Westchester County’s press conference where they presented proclamations. County Executive Latimer praised you as “examples of heroism”, and it made me so proud. There is really nothing like that wonderful feeling of standing amidst men and women who rose to the occasion, shepherding us through the most difficult time of our lives.
SVAC and OVAC, we salute you and express our thanks.
National Guardsmen pose with the honorees.
I have two certifications of recognition. The first is a proclamation for Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
We are also thrilled to recognize another extraordinary volunteer emergency medical services organization this evening, Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corp. I know SVAC and OVAC work in close partnerships, and Westchester County is beyond lucky to have you in our midst. This certificate recognizes your efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping the public safe with testing and vaccinations. I am happy to present this certificate to OVAC Chief Nick Franzoso, who is here with us tonight. Thank you, Nick, for your dedication to public health and please extend our thanks to everyone else at OVAC."
See more photos of SVAC staff and volunteers, OVAC representatives and members of the National Guard from photographer Jonathan Thaler here:
Buddy Connect Fosters Connections Between Mentors and Mentees
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The following was sent to us by SHS High School Students Alec Rosen, Gretchen Quill, Nicole Cohn, Amira Faden, Michael Emmerman, Sammy Friedland
In the Advanced Topics Social Entrepreneurship course at SHS (the capstone course for the STEAM program), we were tasked with finding and solving a problem in our community that would make a difference in others' lives.
Charged with creating a product or service that could improve someone's life, we quickly decided that we wanted to work with children with cognitive disabilities. After interviews, observations, and conversations with parents and professionals, we noticed that children with cognitive disabilities sometimes feel disconnected from their peers, and don’t always have sufficient opportunities to engage socially. The six of us contemplated the best ways to approach this problem. The result is “Buddy Connect.” Buddy Connect focuses on fostering genuine connections between mentors and mentees in activities that the two of them enjoy. Our free program provides children an opportunity to feel like they have a “big-sibling,” and gives high schoolers the chance to gain new perspectives and create connections with children who have different needs from their own. While Buddy Connect is up and running, we are working to refine the process. Here's how it currently works:
The volunteer and the child are both sent interest forms and paired by their similar interests.
Before the session, the volunteer connects with the parent(s) to discuss concerns and/or logistics of the meetup.
In each session, children can engage in activities such as baking, sports, board games, arts and crafts projects, or anything else the child likes.
After the first meetup, additional sessions can be scheduled to continue fostering a connection.
In addition to being a school project, we are trying to make our program and ultimate vision last beyond this year and hopefully for years to come. We are currently looking for partners in the community to work with us to ensure our project becomes something that is sustained beyond our tenure at SHS.
If you are a high school student interested in volunteering, or a parent of a child who might be interested in Buddy Connect, reach out to us at buddyconnectshs@gmail.com.
Engagement Announcement: Peter Simon and Emma Nagel
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Peter Simon (SHS class of 2013), son of Scarsdale residents Joe and Linda Simon, is engaged to Emma Nagel, daughter of Bruce and Marla Nagel of Livingston, NJ. Peter is currently a third year at Penn Law and Emma is studying for an MA in Organizational Psychology at Columbia University. They met at Cornell University shortly before graduating in 2017. An April 2023 wedding is planned.
Governor Removes ADU Proposal from State Budget, Plus a Letter to the Editor
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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After challenges to a controversial proposal to allow accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) on properties zoned for single family homes, Governor Hochul withdrew the plan from her budget. The proposal would have permitted state law to override local zoning codes which regulate lot coverage, setbacks and parking and often prevent secondary units in areas zoned for single family dwellings.
Explaining her decision, the Governor said she was amending her proposal, “to facilitate a conversation about how we build consensus around solutions." But reaffirmed her commitment to affordable housing saying, “I believe that increasing our housing supply is essential to the growth of our economy, to reaching our lower carbon footprint, to achieving our goals of equity and inclusion and to addressing the affordability challenges faced by so many New Yorkers.”
There has been no word about additional legislation in the budget to permit Transit Oriented Development which would also override local zoning code.
After reading an article about the proposed legislation on Scarsdale10583.com, we received the following letter from Michael Glassman, a graduate of Edgemont High School:
Living at home after college graduation wasn’t ideal. I was working full-time and couldn’t afford to rent in Westchester.
Legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) will reduce rental prices to allow more recent graduates to live independently and with dignity.
Current law states it is illegal to construct ADUs. That’s a shame. Homeowners ought to have the option for economic and social flexibility.
ADUs allow empty nesters to rent out their houses as they live in the community. Grandparents can live near their grandchildren and help with daily childcare tasks. Homeowners can rent out their extra units and earn passive income.
Property owners may decide not to make modifications to their homes. That’s okay. Their priorities may change over time. Let’s have that option.
There are plenty of positive externalities too. New York will fill a massive gap in the housing supply. Adding homes on existing footprints rather than building on undeveloped land reduces flooding. More housing options for different income levels will improve the financial position for groups who have been historically blocked from ownership.
Call your state representative and urge them to support homeowners’ ability to retire in place, earn extra money, and spend more quality time with family.
Michael is an Edgemont graduate and currently resides in Washington DC.
Letter to the Editor: CHP Actions Should Be More Transparent
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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This letter was written by Bobby Ben Simon, President of the KOSL Building Group:
To the Editor, As a long-time resident and active developer for many years, I must say the recent discussions amongst the BOT are unbelievable! Both the BOT and CHP appear to be at the cusp of ambiguously imposing harmful regulations that would be detrimental to property rights like never before. Posing as if they own every property in the Village, further emboldened by their voluntary board position, the most recent attempt to deteriorate due process and municipal accountability is shameful to say the least. The unfortunate incident that occurred that created this discussion should have isolated repercussions, strictly limited to that property, and segmented from residual residents within the Village! Five Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Two Scarsdale household will live to regret the consequences of the ridiculous statements insinuated to be enacted if they don’t stand up and reject it. It is well known that 95% of demolition applications are initiated by private homeowners, not developers. The poor actions of one property should not impact the rest of the public and further hinder our individual property rights.
The July 12, 2012, VILLAGE OF SCARSDALE, NEW YORK, RECONNAISSANCE LEVEL, CULTURAL RESOURCE SURVEY REPORT, must be published and inserted into the BAR guidelines for consideration of over 50% alterations. Every historic home that is documented within public Village records should be flagged and noted on its property card for equitable transparency. As consistently demonstrated over the years, the CHP’s lack of interest in advocating for a transparent and fair process is overpowered by their personal biases, regardless of their credentials and public facts. I am not alone when I firmly state that the CHP’s general disdain for property rights compounded with their unchecked accountability is fostering constant frustration and animosity amongst the public. If this board continues to neglect the implementation of fair and clear protocols without internal ramifications for failing to do so, the Village should recognize their obsolete presence and dissolve the board entirely.
Disturbingly, some of the BOT members recently made astonishing dictatorial statements;
Karen Brew said, “For those who demolish without permission, can we implement a process where 2 or 3 strikes and you’re out for multiple abuses? You lose the right to work in our Village?”
Jonathan Lewis said, “Let’s move forward with this stop gap measure while we look into larger solutions. Might we consider a moratorium until we can change this law to deter people from acting rashly if they think the law will be changed?”
It is the municipality’s obligation to hold members of power in check. Such unilateral positions that impact fundamental rights of thousands of innocent residents should be taken seriously. Members of any board that attempt to impose such drastic measures across the public should be removed from their seat without recourse.
Bobby Ben-Simon
Seneca Road
KOSL BUILDING GROUP LLC.
875 Mamaroneck Ave., Suite 400
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
