Wait - There's One More Important Election - Vote on Tuesday
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Please vote in the CNC Election on November 15, 2022, 7:00-9:30 am and 2:00-9:00 pm at the Scarsdale Library.
The 30 members of the Scarsdale Citizen’s Nominating Committee (CNC) each year choose a slate of non-partisan candidates to run in Scarsdale’s March election for Mayor and Village Trustee positions. There are 12 new CNC members who are up for election on Tuesday, November 15.
The current and proposed new CNC members are:
This year several amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution (NPR), which is the document that governs the CNC process, are also part of the CNC election ballot.
This year there are 7 substantive proposed amendments to the NPR, and 8 non-substantive ones. All of the amendments can be reviewed at www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org.
One of the substantive proposed amendments would allow Scarsdale residents who are not U.S. citizens to fully participate in the CNC process by serving on the CNC, signing CNC petitions and participating on the Procedure Committee.
“At this year’s CNC election we have on the ballot an amendment to our governing resolution which will allow non-citizen Scarsdale residents to participate in the CNC,” said Michelle Sterling, Chair of the Procedure Committee. “We have many residents who live here, own homes, pay taxes, and send their kids to school here, but are not able to participate in their local governance because they are not U.S. citizens. With this amendment we have a chance to allow all residents to get involved and impact their local government by being able to participate on the CNC. I hope that residents come out and vote in support of it at the CNC election on November 15.”
A Halloween Treat on Elm Road
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Though some worry about being overwhelmed with trick or treaters there are others who sadly don’t receive any trick or treaters at their door. That’s what Art Caione realized when he moved to Elm Road in Greenacres in 1996. Because it was a dead end street, kids rarely visited Elm Road on Halloween.
What to do? He decided to put Elm Road on the Halloween map by making it a destination for little ghouls and goblins.
Artie Caione
In 1997, he started by crafting large witch silhouettes from a Martha Stewart magazine. Then each year he added gravestones, jack o lanterns, howling dogs, skeletons and even a coffin that bangs shut, until his entire front lawn became a Halloween wonderland. A volunteer fireman, Caione knew how to wire the yard to light up the decorations and animate them with sound. When night falls, he adds blasts of fog to the scene to make it even more eerie.
He did all this with the help of his two daughters, Alex and Sophia, now 23 and 21. When his girls were around, Elm Road did become the place to congregate. Now that they have grown up and moved on, he invites all the children on the block to help erect and take down the display.
Last year, his house flooded due to Hurricane Ida so there was no show. But thankfully the decorations were stored under the Caiones back porch and escaped the deluge without damage.
So this year, Elm Road is again a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting and Caione invites you to stop by and see the decorations, light and fog.
Global Citizenship Day Inspires Students to Facilitate Change
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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Dr. Drew Patrick at “Are Public Schools Essential to Democracy?” Photo Michelle VernaIn my mind, there are good reasons why Scarsdale High School was ranked the number one high school in Westchester County by Niche Magazine. It’s well known that our district has a stellar reputation for providing students with an exceptional education, for having the best and brightest teachers, and for utilizing progressive pedagogy approaches. There are few better examples of how this all culminates to deliver the best for our students than SHS’s Global Citizenship Day.
The day began 10 years ago with just three periods dedicated to the immersive learning and has organically grown to encompass so much more. This year there were speakers and presenters that included students, teachers, administrators, prominent community leaders, and world-renowned authors throughout each period of the day. To top it all off, the PTA hosted an International Luncheon with cultural foods from around the world including dishes like samosas, mooncakes, dumplings, brigadieros and tables full of other delectable bites.
To quote the SHS website, “The goal of the day is to educate our students about issues that they citizens and future leaders of the world need to know to inspire change. Our hope is that they are moved to act and that they are able to have a more global perspective on the rights and responsibilities inherent in being a global citizen.”
Thanks in large part to the hard work of organizers Heather Waters and Meredith Dutra this year students participated in an array of classes and presentations covering topics such as:
-Teaching the Midterm Elections
-Beyond the Headlines: Deepening Our Understanding Of Book Bans
-Social Justice On The Stage
-Guide Dogs and Therapy Support
In each of these classes and all of the others I had the privilege of observing, you could see the goal of Global Citizenship Day being achieved in real time. In addition to the presentations encouraging students to think deeply about the world around them, to take responsible actions, to empathize and look at situations from other perspectives, and to work hard to better understand motivations, the day also provoked meaningful dialogue, sparked informed debates and allowed students to dive deep into what it means to be a good citizen and a participating member of society.
I saw all of this in action during an event titled Free Speech, hosted by SHS teachers Stephen Mounkhall and Christopher 
Stephen Mounkhall and Christopher Paulison gave a session on the meaning of free speech. Photo Credit: Michelle VernaPaulison. To start, at the early hour of 8 am, these teachers were excited, enthusiastic and best of all entertaining. They didn’t just lecture the students on the meaning of free speech but asked pointed questions and encouraged students to turn to their peers and discuss their opinions. The teachers discussed current affairs such as Twitter’s suspension of Donald Trump’s and Kanye West’s accounts and went even further with the banning of Salaman Rushdie’s book, “Satanic Verses” to encourage students to ponder how far censorship should extend and if people should be allowed to publish material that another group finds offensive. It was impressive that even though this was the first class of the day, students were engaged, gave thoughtful responses, and took part in contemplative discussion.
In another program, Interim Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick gave a thought-provoking presentation to a packed audience. In this program Dr. Patrick highlighted where our school budgets come from, how funding for our public schools works, and how this can influence decision making and can grant or inhibit a school’s power and control over their own process. Dr. Patrick’s presentation encouraged students to thoroughly consider their own communities and why and how their different organizational structures operate. While this is only a short overview, I was again taken with how wholly engaged the students were in addition to how polite and gracious they acted. Dr. Patrick’s session ended with a robust round of applause with several students stopping to say thank you as they exited the Little Theater.
Author Jason Mott conducted a session via Zoom. Photo by Wendy MacMillan.Some of our students were also welcomed to a program with renowned author Jason Mott where he discussed his celebrated book “Hell Of A Book” which touches on the themes of racism, police violence, love, money, and the experience of growing up Black in America. Arranged in conjunction with the Scarsdale Adult School, Mr. Mott appeared via Zoom, yet his charisma, wit, and humbleness shone through. Explaining his motivations to write “Hell Of A Book”, Mott explained that he started writing 10 years ago as a means to cope with the intense emotions he experienced after incidents of police brutality against black men in the US. He graciously answered a host of questions previously submitted by students. One take away from this insightful author visit was that there are always multiple perspectives to consider and when creating his characters he feels he can’t humanize one character without also humanizing the others. Later in the afternoon Mr. Mott himself moderated a book group in an author-led book discussion for a smaller group of SHS students. And it wasn’t only students who were treated to an interview with the acclaimed author, that same evening Jason Mott was a guest at the Scarsdale Adult School where dove deeper into the magical realism and sardonic humor of his masterfully written story that delivers an all-important message.
Still other programs of the day included The Power Of A Story presented by Librarians Liz Waltzman and Katja Rossi in which, using Chimmanda Adiche’s Ted Talk, “The Danger Of Single Story” and the short film The Lunch Date, the class explored how stories, written and told, can influence how we perceive identity and shape stereotypes.
Robin Davies of Yes She Can. Photo by Michelle VernaIn Yes She Can, Robin Davies, the Executive Director of a non-profit which helps train women with autism to work in their stores, related that the definition of Global Citizenship and Inclusion are almost interchangeable.
The Constitution Today hosted by SHS teachers Andrew Morgan, Brendan Lee, and Ron Widelec examined the extent to which the Constitution is effective and/or worthy of our veneration. This session led by passionate and spirited teachers, sparked a lively and thoughtful debate among students who argued their positions with impressive knowledge of US history and current affairs.
At Model UN-The Russia/Ukraine Conflict, Debating the US Role student officers of the model UN Club led participants through a simulation debate of the extent to which the United States should directly engage in the conflict currently engulfing Europe. The officers were all knowledgeable and well-spoken as they gave a brief background of the conflict before leading the class in a debate of possible interventions.
The Genocide 80Twenty Club hosted a presentation with Holocaust survivor Martin Bloch moderated by seniors Benjamin Hyman and Jedd Frydman. The moderators who exuded professionalism and respect, first invited for Bloch to share his amazing tale of survival before leading an impactful Q and A. Bloch’s story of surviving the Holocaust as a child with his mother and brother not only inspired a large audience of SHS students, but also served as inspiration for the movie Defiance. It was a great opportunity for students to hear this remarkable first-hand account delivered by an equally remarkable man who stated that it is his “mission to encourage everyone to pay attention and to always fight against prejudice in order to prevent atrocities from happening again.”
At Effective Citizenship Leadership in the World We Are Entering a panel of upstanding Scarsdale residents (moderated by senior Daniel Hochberg) discussed what it means to serve your community. Speakers included Ruth Suzman, career philanthropist, Allison Kestenbaum, investor relations at Tiger Global Management, and Miriam Rocah, DA of Westchester County who left the students with a list of action items regarding gun safety:
1. If you see something, say something. Teens often hear, see, and know much more than the adults around them so if you hear or suspect that someone could be a threat to themselves or others, please report it. It’s not about getting that person in trouble, it's about getting guns out of a potentially dangerous situation.
2. Urge legislators to enact strong gun laws to get assault weapons off our streets.
3. Speak out against hate and violence.
4. And when you are old enough, register to vote and VOTE.
While I was impressed with the caliber of Global Citizenship Day, and its promotion of awareness, advocacy, and action, I was far from the only one. Social Studies teacher Heather Waters reported that “the high school was abuzz and the response [to the day] has been stellar from teachers, staff and students.” One freshman even said, “This day was very fun and interesting! The speakers that I got a chance to listen to offered me a unique perspective on topics I don’t usually think about.”
For more information on Scarsdale High School’s Global Citizenship Day and a complete list of presentations click here.
Wendy MacMillan is a former teacher and now a proud mom of two, school aged children. With a background in psychology, education, and mindfulness, Wendy has long been passionate about wellness and helping others.
Best-Selling Author Fiona Davis Greets Fans at Scarsdale Library
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Dara Gruenberg, Fiona Davis And Beth BermelIt was a night to remember at Scarsdale Library. First because the pandemic was finally behind us, permitting an unmasked in person event. Second, because Scarsdale’s dazzling library was completed and the newly modernized Scott Room was available to host a larger audience and last, because the Friends of Scarsdale Library had invited a best-selling author and the community was finally able to enjoy an event that had long been envisioned.
On Thursday October 20, the Friends of Scarsdale Library welcomed Fiona Davis, author of six novels, all mysteries sited in historic buildings. Bringing the evening closer to home, the event had been arranged in conjunction with Davis’ agent Stefanie Lieberman who happens to live here in Scarsdale.
Dara Gruenberg, President of the Friends of Scarsdale Library introduced the event and noted that the Friends sponsor the library’s museum pass program that allows card holders to visit museums for free. This benefit was highlighted as the book, Magnolia Palace, was set at the Frick Museum.
Library Director Beth Bermel said, “I am so happy to have an event of this size at the library, the largest since the opening. Bermel explained that Davis is the author of six books that occur in NYC buildings, including The Lions of Fifth Avenue, about the NY Public Library.
How did Davis come up with this unique genre of historical mysteries involving landmark buildings? Davis explained that her parents are British and that when she was young they visited castles and let her run around the buildings and the grounds. She said, “I love to explore the ghosts of times past.”
Davis signed books after the event.
Her books have a common structure, combining a story from the past and a parallel story from modern times. She said, “A couple of timelines and an element of mystery drive the book forward.” About Magnolia Palace she said, “I have always loved the Frick. It’s many New Yorkers favorite museum. It’s a small, contained house and when you go it feels like the Frick family just went out to dinner.”
How did she devise this formula? She said that her first book was about the Dakota. At the time, Lauren Bacall’s apartment in this historic apartment building was on the market and she toured the apartment with a real estate agent and tried to remember every detail.”
To research Magnolia Palace she asked for a tour of the Frick where she received a “warm welcome.” She noticed that the stately 1914 mansion was “set back from Fifth Avenue, with beautiful magnolia trees in the front.” Though only the first floor is open to the public she was able to visit the basement and saw the bowling alley, which figures prominently in the book, as well as the maid’s rooms on the top floor.
She interviewed people, dove into Frick digital archives and uncovered a party guest list and menu from 1917 along with a list of the salaries of the 27 servants who manned the house. For each book, “she finds the hidden story that is tucked beneath.”
Davis came to novel writing later in life. She originally came to New York to pursue a careers in modeling and then attended Columbia Journalism School and worked in journalism for years. She wrote her first book when she was in her late forties and since them has been researching and writing at a steady clip, churning out a new book every year and a half. It usually takes her four months to do the research, followed by the development of two timelines which she weaves together to form her story.
Up next is “The Spectacular,” the story of an aspiring Rockette, set in the 1950’s.
Sure to be as readable, compelling, enlightening and enjoyable as her prior six books, we’ll be looking for it at the Scarsdale Library.
Thanks to the Friends of Scarsdale Library and Library Director Elizabeth Bermel for a first-rate event in our community gem.
SHS Students Collect More Than 100 Bags of Children's Clothing for 914Cares
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On September 15, 2022, Scarsdale High School’s Baby2Baby Club organized a used clothing drive for 914Cares, a local non-profit organization whose mission is for everyone in Westchester to live a full and happy life free from the hardship of poverty. 914Cares distributes tangible, essential items to families in need throughout Westchester.
Baby2Baby collected more than 100 bags of all types of needed children’s items donated by our local Westchester community. In addition, SHS Baby2Baby, cooked a pasta dinner and put together over 40 lunches for St Bartholomew Church’s Soup Kitchen. SHS Baby2Baby is run by Scarsdale High School students, Tyler Ziffer, Ali Schwartz and Claudia Rosenberg.
Last year, the Baby2Baby club collected and donated over 4000 diapers to 914Cares and more than 2500 to Bundles of Joy, a not-for-profit charitable organization that provides essentials to babies, toddlers and new parents in critical need. It also donated 50 brand new coats
to the church and raised over $1000 for UNICEF for Ukranian children.
Baby2baby pivoted during Covid from doing fundraisers to building partnerships with local agencies like 914Cares and local soup kitchens to collect goods directly from the community and donate them to the people who needed it the most. To meet the evolving needs of the
community, this past year Baby2Baby also started making take away lunches to distribute throughout the community.
Baby2Baby would like to thank the Scarsdale community for its generosity and positive impact on helping children in need. They are currently holding a coat drive. For more information on how to donate please email tziffer24@scarsdaleschools.org.
(Pictured at top: Stevie Rosenberg, Claudia Rosenberg, Jordy Rosenberg, Joey Pappalardo, Tyler Ziffer, John Pappalardo)
