Lou Mancini Celebrates 40 Years of Service as a Volunteer Firefighter in Scarsdale
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Scarsdale Volunteer Firefighter Captain Lou Mancini (SHS ’83) is marking more than 41 years of service as a volunteer firefighter in Scarsdale this year. He has served the community continuously since 1985 — nearly 42 years of dedicated volunteer service.
A lifelong Scarsdale resident, Lou is one of those steady community figures whose quiet commitment has meant a great deal to the village over the decades. His service stands as a testament to the importance of sustaining a strong volunteer fire department in Scarsdale, especially at a time when departments across the country face increasing challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers.|
Reflecting on this milestone, Mancini said, “If you told me when I first volunteered that I’d still be doing this 40-plus years later, I wouldn’t have believed you. At this point, it’s become part of who I am. You’re serving the town alongside people who become close friends — and in my case, I’m doing it for the town I’ve lived in my whole life. It doesn’t just connect you to your fellow firefighters; it connects you to the community. I’ve met so many people in Scarsdale that I never would have known otherwise. It’s become so much more than volunteering — it’s truly been a 40-plus-year privilege.”
Lou lives in the Edgewood section with his wife, Liz Doyle Daly (SHS ’85). Their grown children Jack/Emily, Taylor, Matt, Samantha and Dean reside in the tri-state area.
Can Scarsdale Host Universal Pre-K for Four Year-Olds?
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A universal Pre-K program for four year-olds statewide could become a reality soon, if Kathy Hochul’s proposal, as delivered in her January 8, 2026 State of the State message is approved in the NYS Legislature.
She is proposing to offer district’s $10,000 per student to provide the Pre-K program for four year-olds whose parents request the program beginning in the 2028-29 school year.
However, what happens when a district has no room to house the program, and the state aid does not fund the entire expense?
Discussing the proposal at a Board of Education meeting on Monday February 9, 2026, Board member Suzie Hahn said, “At first glance this could be another unfunded or unfully funded mandate which could be problematic for us. I think a lot of other districts in the state can accommodate a Universal Pre-K program, because they might see declining enrollment and have room in their buildings, or they might have local programs that they can easily send their four year-olds to that would be within the $10,000 per pupil allotment that the Governor is proposing. I did a quick look on the computer, some of our most popular programs here have tuitions over $20,000, and I believe the mandate is for five hours a day, so even a half day program wouldn't work. Space could obviously be a problem. Who would be staffing these programs? Would it have to be a certified person? Allowing four year-olds to have access to education is important. So it's not that we don't believe in that, but it could be a lot of money for us potentially.”
She suggested that the Scarsdale School Board use the following language about the proposal in a letter to State Senator Shelley Mayer, who heads the Education Committee:
“UPK Mandate: While we recognize the value of Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs and the importance of this initiative for many NYS school districts, the Governor’s UPK mandate as currently proposed could be problematic for Scarsdale. Even with the proposed generous increase in UPK aid, the per pupil aid allocation would not fully fund a program for all four year-olds in our district. Our school buildings are already at capacity and local full-day 4s program tuitions are significantly higher than the proposed per student aid amount. We understand that this proposal is developing and will be watching it carefully.”
Scarsdale Students Bring Prom Joy to Teens in Underserved Communities
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Becca’s Closet at Mount Vernon High School's Prom Dress Giveaway event.For many Scarsdale seniors, prom is typically one of the most exciting events of the year. Girls spend months looking at and trying on dresses in an effort to find the perfect one. Sparkly or plain? Pink or blue? However, just a few towns over, there are girls whose questions aren’t solely based on the aesthetics of the dress, but rather whether or not they can afford a dress at all.
Becca’s Closet is a national non-profit organization that collects and distributes prom dresses to girls in underserved communities. Scarsdale graduates Lauren Schwartz ‘25 and Sophia Wu ‘25 founded the Metro NY Chapter of Becca’s Closet in 2023. Several high school students who have been part of Becca’s Closet since the inception have taken over the effort. Maya Rabinovich, a Scarsdale Senior, is the current President of the Metro NY Chapter and Jalyn Ryu, Caroline Wu, Isabella Rabinovich and Rachel Schwartz are senior board members. These Scarsdale girls have been motivated by the disparities and have worked hard to make prom an enjoyable experience regardless of one’s socioeconomic standing.
When the Metropolitan NY chapter started, getting donations proved to be extremely challenging. The girls spent many hours cold calling stores and hosting dress drives in various locations including one at a local synagogue. They were overjoyed to see how much the Scarsdale community cared and wanted to contribute. The girls and parent volunteers would drive to dress stores as far away as other states to get every donation they could. As more stores began donating, their credibility grew and the chapter took off. To date, the chapter has collected approximately one million dollars’ worth of prom dresses, an exponential increase from their first dress drive three years ago.
However, to the girls Becca’s Closet’s impact goes beyond the statistics. Maya states “The small moments of connection with the teens proved that we were making a tangible impact. My favorite part was watching hundreds of girls walk down the red carpet with a smile on their face as they ‘say yes to the dress.’” These moments are what have made the work feel meaningful to the girls involved.
Becca’s Closet is excited for the new prom season. The chapter is planning multiple events this spring including partnerships with several schools such as Mount Vernon High School and Mott School in the Bronx and a prom giveaway event through the Bronx Borough President’s office.
They welcome donations of new and gently worn prom dresses and are also recruiting teens looking for volunteer and leadership opportunities. Please email beccasclosetscarsdale@gmail.com.
Becca’s Closet students at prom dress giveaway hosted by the Office of Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
Smoke on the Tracks: Fire at Scarsdale Train Station
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Fire broke out beneath a train at Scarsdale Train Station early on Wednesday January 28, 2026. The MTA reports that 125 commuters were evacuated from the train.
According to Scarsdale Fire Chief Chris Mytych, “Our units were dispatched to the Scarsdale Railroad Station for a report of fire beneath a train this morning at 7:22 AM. The area of fire origin appeared adjacent to a third rail contact shoe beneath the train car. Our members confirmed a hold on all train movement and de-energization of the third rail before accompanying Metro-North Railroad personnel to the tracks. The fire was extinguished with pressurized water fire extinguishers. At least two passengers were evaluated by the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps for smoke inhalation, though I can’t confirm whether any were transported to a hospital. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.”
If anyone was on the train, please email us your account of the incident at scarsdalecomments@gmail.com.
Two New Faces Join the Scarsdale School Board
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There are two new, underage faces at the table at meetings of the Scarsdale School Board. Under a new law, drafted by State Senator Shelley Mayer and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, school districts in NYS are required to have non-voting student members on their Boards of Education.
As a result, last spring the SHS student body held an election, and selected two students and an alternate to serve. Junior Lucy Eisenberg and Senior Anish Mehta won the two seats and have been in attendance at school board meetings, serving as the eighth and ninth members of the board for the 2025-26 school year.. They have both given the student body a voice on matters before the board, weighing in with a student perspective on important issues such as the upcoming school bond.
We had the opportunity to question Board of Education member Lucy Eisenberg, who spoke on behalf of herself and Anish. Here is what she had to say:
How has the experience been so far as the first students on the Board of Education? Is it what you expected?
So far I've really enjoyed my time serving on the Board of Ed. All of the school staff and other board members have been so kind and welcoming, and I really feel like they appreciate, and take into account, what Anish and I have to say. Going in, and given it was the first year, I wasn't sure how much of an opportunity Anish and I would have to add value and provide input at the meetings, but I've been pleasantly surprised how much of a "voice at the table" we've had.
What are some things this experience has taught you?
This experience has taught me how important preparation is before meetings, how vast the school board scope of work is, and how interested and passionate people in the community are, outside of the board, regarding Scarsdale school issues. I've also learned a lot about the procedure of school boards and the best ways to gather feedback from a large student body.
What motivated you to apply for this position?
I thought this was a great and unique opportunity to not only learn further about the inner workings of our schools, but also to give the student body a voice on important decisions.
The meetings are quite long. Are you finding it challenging to balance the meetings with schoolwork?
Everyone on the Board has been so accommodating with allowing Anish and I to leave early if we need to. I try to plan ahead and complete my work in advance, when possible, but I've never felt pressured to stay very late from any Board members. Over time, I've gotten more familiar with the agenda of meetings and have been able to further approximate what topics would most benefit from having a student's perspective in the discussion.
Has this experience impacted what you might want to do professionally in future years?
Yes, it's definitely piqued my interest in the operations of a school district and civic engagement in general. I have a much larger understanding and appreciation for what goes into operating a school system like our own.
Commenting on the addition of student board members, Coleen Brown, Vice President of the Scarsdale School Board said, “Having students as part of the Board of Education has been a real asset. It provides us with hands-on student perspective and feedback during our discussions. It has also been a wonderful way to keep the student community informed about Board of Education work. Student members provide updates to their peers through the school newspaper, Maroon and meet regularly with student government. This involvement is strengthening the BOE–student relationship, which can only enhance our work.
