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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 03 May 2012

Created: 03 May 2012

Last Updated: 03 May 2012

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Transitioning from an office in New York City to a home office one flight down the steps from my bedroom has its advantages. Flexibility, anonymity and autonomy to name a few. But after several years working solo in my study, I can now see that many of these advantages are disadvantages at the same time.

I no longer need to search through my closet to find something to wear to work in the morning; yet on the other hand, there’s rarely a reason to get out of my pajamas. I don’t “waste” an hour and half commuting to and from the city; but it seems that those three hours a day are just more hours available for work. I am not disturbed by loud conversations on the train – but I have also lost track of my train buddies and seem to have less time -- rather than more -- to read the newspaper, complete the crossword and keep up with my New Yorkers.

And then there’s the solitude. Since people rarely use the phone anymore, long stretches can go by without any conversation whatsoever. There’s no one to admire a new scarf, take the last cup of coffee or commiserate about the nasty boss.

At least there wasn’t until I discovered a new co-work space called watercooler in Tarrytown. Now almost a year old, watercooler allows freelancers and independents to work in a shared space on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. The space is equipped with desks, a kitchen, copies, printers, Wi-Fi and even a beautiful conference room where those without an office can hold meetings in a respectable, quiet space. Members can purchase their own dedicated desk or buy time by the hour in a variety of pricing packages. Best of all w@tercooler offers community, and members can share everything from a joke to business resources while they network and kick around ideas.

The space is the brainchild of Jenifer Ross of Sleepy Hollow. Ross, a longtime resident of the area wore many hats before opening her latest venture. She had her own art gallery, worked as the Assistant Village Administrator for the Village of Tarrytown, and as Development Director for the library. She is well known for revitalizing downtown Tarrytown by launching Tarrytown Third Fridays, an event that brings art, culture and commerce to the area. She utilized these contacts and talents to launch watercooler which she manages with grace and expertise. Jenifer is so helpful and pleasant that I bet many members stop in everyday just to chat with her.

The loft-like space is welcoming and includes desks as well as a central gathering spot with a coffee table and couches. Attractive artwork lines the walls as Ross has allowed the artists she met as a gallery owner to display their work at watercooler. On the day I visited, one of the members who works in food distribution offered me a yogurt from a new line he represents. Other benefits include morning yoga classes, discounts at Village retailers and restaurants and workshops of special interest to entrepreneurs and freelancers. The site is also used for meet-ups, professional association get-togethers, and workshops of interest to entrepreneurs and on “Unemployed Mondays,” Ross allows those who are out of work to use a desk at no cost.

If you’re intrigued, June 7th is FREE co-working day, and Ross invites you to stop by for a complimentary visit to w@tercooler . Also, if you think this sounds neat and would like your own “watercooler” nearby, please comment below!

Watercooler
21 North Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
914.332.1400
watercoolerhub.com

Monday - Friday: 9am to 5:30pm
Saturday: 10am to 5pm (if booked in advance)Sunday: Closed
Full-time members have extended hours

(Pictured at top: Jenifer Ross. Photo by Margaret Fox, www.margaretfoxphotography.com )

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Published: 25 April 2012

Created: 25 April 2012

Last Updated: 25 April 2012

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Scarsdale High School math teacher Laura Estersohn announced that ten students from the Scarsdale High School math team qualified to participate in the New York State Math League competition to be held on Saturday, April 28. To qualify for this competition, students must show a high level of achievement on monthly Westchester county math meets. These 10 students were among the 41 Westchester students chosen to compete at the state level.

The New York State Math League (NYSML) is a math competition for teams around New York State. It is held every spring at a different location. This year the contest will be held at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, New York (just outside Binghamton.) About 30 teams, consisting of 15 students each, will gather to compete in Individual, Team, Relay and Power races.

This year, the Scarsdale High School math team won first place in the Westchester County Math League in a competition among 24 teams. The teams meet monthly to solve challenging and intriguing math problems. Individuals and teams earn points based on the number of problems they solve correctly.

Although 10 Scarsdale student qualified to participate in the competition, only three will attend: The 10 Scarsdale qualifiers are:

• Rebecca Agustin
• Michael Bogaty
• Brian Chieu
• Chenyi Gong
• Andrew Guo
• Caroline Holmes
• Cherie Hu
• Evan Kratzer
• Jessica Lam
• Koji Shiromoto

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Published: 19 April 2012

Created: 19 April 2012

Last Updated: 22 May 2012

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Florie Wachtenheim did not expect to receive the Scarsdale Bowl this year. In fact, when she found six people standing outside her door at 9 pm on a Sunday night in January her immediate thought was that something was wrong. She said, “I raced through a mental checklist of what this visit could be about and grew nervous at the possibilities. So here’s a deep, dark secret about life in the volunteer lane -- if someone misses a meeting or is late to a meeting, that person is usually assigned a task that no one else wants to consider ... big time! “Uh oh”, I thought, “This could be bad. Did I forget to be somewhere?”

No one forgot to attend the celebration of community volunteerism when Florie Wachtenheim accepted the 2012 Scarsdale Bowl at Lake Isle Country Club on Wednesday night April 18, 2012. Wachtenheim looked elegant in a black suit and heels, a makeover from her everyday tennis sweats and sneakers. Ebullient, she graciously greeted over 300 guests with a warm smile. As Florie had requested that this be a “happy night,” the evening began with a few numbers by the Scarsdale High School A Cappella group, For Good Measure.

Bowl Chair Randy Guggenheimer served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening and introduced former School Board colleague Terri Simon. Simon called Wachtenheim “the perfect choice for this tremendous honor,” and credited her with “working tirelessly and with integrity.” Simon complimented the Bowl winner on her “directness and honesty” and ability to “get to the heart of the matter, even in the most sensitive situations.” She drew a laugh from the audience when she relayed Wachtenheim’s ability to ask “the disarming question that everyone else in the room was afraid to ask,” and zero in on what’s important. Referring to Wachtenheim’s prowess on the tennis and paddle courts, Simon said, “not only on the court does Florie keep her eye on the ball.”

Speaking on behalf of the Wachtenheim family, son Andrew, a public defender in the Bronx, commented on his mother’s work ethic, intellect and ability to make others feel valued. Through her he learned how important it is to give back, even when you have very little to give. He ended by conveying the family’s pride in her accomplishments and gratitude for all she has taught them.

Speaking together, Linda Chayes and Jeff Blatt, two who served on the School Board with Florie, gave insight into her ability to navigate difficult situations as School Board President. Chayes said Wachtenheim likes “the thrill of a challenge” and “with a mischievious look and a wink and she lead us down the path.” Remembering a polarized community meeting about the conversion from the advanced placement to advanced topics curriculum at the high school, Jeff Blatt said, the forum “threatened to be completely out of control, like Chicago in the summer of ’68.” But a moment later, “Florie calmed the audience and allowed the Board to accomplish what we set out to do.”

Chayes continued, saying that Florie, “balances a seriousness of purpose with a wry sense of humor and has a deep appreciation for complexity and nuance.” Her integrity and sense of fairness provide her with a solid moral compass.

When Wachtenheim accepted the Bowl her gracious nature shone through. In the course of a brilliant speech, she repeatedly deflected the light from herself to the audience. “I stand here tonight, humbled to my core, and accept this award as your representative – on behalf of all of you who give so much of yourselves to our greater community, in the shadow of some of our iconic leaders and in the light of all the good work still to come.”

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Her life of volunteerism began when her first son entered kindergarten and she was asked to manage the after-school clubs at Fox Meadow School. This first experience taught her valuable lessons about community involvement that still hold true in her mind today.

I noted that our community-based organizations function on a high level and that the work was really interesting, that the parent-teacher organizations were vital to the schools and a model for high-functioning, cross-constituency organizations. I experienced the sense of community that was supported by the various activities which relied on the efforts of our volunteers, emphatically felt in each of the five neighborhood elementary schools. And I appreciated the difference we were making.

As I continue to be involved, all these years later, in many other activities and at different levels, I see that the model holds, enabling good process and bolstered outcomes. Efforts here are not ad hoc, but rather, coherent and inspired by vision. Decision-making in a developed context offers a raison d’etre for each and every one of our volunteer activities. What is our mission? What values does it support? How can we get there? ... are the questions we consider as we rally behind different projects.

She called Scarsdale “a family of volunteers who care for the people and place that we love,” providing “programming and services for every segment of our population, “and “attempting to make it viable for people to remain in Scarsdale if they so desire.”

Though her children have all now left the school system, Wachtenheim says that she continues to be invigorated by work that is “akin to her stage of life,” on the boards of the Scarsdale Adult School and Scarsdale Library and in her efforts to establish a Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation.

Referring back to her early years here, she said, “Never in a million years did I picture myself up on this stage tonight or consider how serendipitous my chairmanship of Fox Meadow’s After School Clubs program would prove to be!”

Again giving credit to all of her colleagues, Wachtenheim said, “As it turns out, there is nothing that I have done that is a singular effort, and the outcome of every program with which I’ve been connected is a reflection of our very best collaboration.”

Though she was generous in redirecting the credit to her many friends in the audience, with their standing ovation, they sent it right back to her. More about her activities on behalf of Scarsdale can be found here.

2012 Scarsdale Bowl Committee

• Randy Guggenheimer, Chair
• Jane Buck
• Marc Carter
• Linda Hillman Chayes
• Merrell Clark
• Amy Cooper
• Malula Gonzalez
• Liz Gruber
• Alice Herman
• Anne Moretti
• Howard Nadel
• William Natbony
• Robert November
• Jim O’Connor
• Seth Ross
• Sara Werder

Non-Voting Members

• Jacqueline E. Irwin Ex Officio
• Deborah Pekarek, Scretary/Treasurer

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Published: 18 April 2012

Created: 18 April 2012

Last Updated: 18 April 2012

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U.S. District Court Naomi Reice Buchwald will step away from her usual courtroom in the Southern District of New York to preside over a trial – “The People v. The King,” at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains on Friday, May 4, 2012 at 8 p.m.

The sanctuary of Kol Ami will become a live courtroom as the biblical King David is prosecuted for rape and murder. Three verdicts will be issued: a vote of the congregation by ballot, the verdict of a six person multi-generational jury, and a verdict to be issued by the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald, Federal District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. The trial is preceded by study (lawyers can separately register for CLE ethics credit), as all prepare for an incredible night.

The trial of the Biblical King David for the rape of Bathsheba and the murder of her husband 3,000 years ago will be a highlight of Synaplex, a series of monthly Friday night events that explore the Jewish experience. “People think the Bible is too holy to wrestle with, but Jews have always wrestled with the text of the Torah,” said Rabbi Shira Milgrom of Congregation Kol Ami. “Sometimes it can be hard to reconcile our beliefs with the texts, so we jump into the ring and wrestle with them.” The Synaplex trial is very much in that tradition, she noted.

Until her appointment, Judge Buchwald had served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York since 1980 and was Chief Magistrate Judge from January 18, 1994 until January 19, 1996. She received a B.A. degree cum laude from Brandeis University in 1965 and an LL.B. degree cum laude from Columbia University School of Law in 1968. Following graduation from Columbia, Judge Buchwald joined the firm of Marshall, Bratter, Greene, Allison & Tucker where she worked as a litigation associate with partner (and Kol Ami member) Charles H. Miller. In 1973 she was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. From 1976 to 1979, she served as Deputy Chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office. In 1979, she was appointed Chief of the Civil Division. Judge Buchwald is the proud mother of David Buchwald, a member of Kol Ami, and a member of the White Plains Common Council.

Defending King David will be Michael P. Zweig, litigation partner at Loeb & Loeb, and Julie B. Ehrlich, a litigation associate at Cuti Hecker Wang. The prosecution team includes Scott D. Musoff, litigation partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom, and Jay K. Musoff, a litigation partner at Loeb & Loeb. The witnesses (as King David; Bathsheba; Joab, David’s Commander; Nathan, the prophet; expert witness, court clerk and the King’s messenger, respectively) will be Daniel Lobatto, a Tax Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hank Rouda , Senior Counsel for H&M, Paul Schwarz, a retired Scarsdale Middle School teacher and summer-camp administrator, Rabbi Nadia Gold, the Junior Youth Group/Madrichim Coordinator at Kol Ami, Larry Heuer, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, Carolyn Lederman Barotz, a Pediatric Ophthalmologist practicing in Purchase, NY; Stamford, CT, and at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in NYC and Edward Nerenberg, who has been a Kol Ami member for 38 years, trustee for the past four years, and “Man of the year” recipient.

A 1.5 hour New York Continuing Legal Education Credit (including .5 ethics credit) will be offered for all interested attorneys. For more information or to make a dinner reservation, please call Janet Hershey at 949-4717 ext. 115.