Scarsdale Bowl Recipient Michelle Lichtenberg Calls On Community to "Work Together To Make Our Village Even Better For The Next Generation"
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Nancy Michaels and Michelle LichtenbergThis year’s Scarsdale Bowl winner, Michelle Lichtenberg, was honored on June 2, at a small backyard ceremony, hosted by Scarsdale Foundation President Randy Guggenheimer and his wife, Liz, an avid volunteer as well. A slice of Michelle’s many friends and fellow volunteers, along with her family, gathered to watch her accept the Scarsdale Bowl, a powerful symbol, now in its 78th year, of the high regard this community has long had for volunteer service.
Michelle, who has participated in an exhaustive list of civic organizations as well as perpetrating acts of kindness on a regular basis, was gently roasted by her two grown sons for not being available sometimes when they were kids due to all her commitments--and for sometimes being too present, as a chaperone at various dances and the like, but each of them thanked her setting a wonderful example of how to live a meaningful life. “She taught us to be curious about everyone’s story, to invest in long term relationships, and to give our best to bring out the best in others,” said Alec Lichtenberg, adding that it was a delight to have this opportunity to honor his mother, who is always lifting up others. “I’m grateful to you, Mom, for all you taught me.” His brother, Andrew, agreed, remembering the many dinners during which their mom had to leave the table to take calls, and crediting her with inspiring him to include pro bono work in his portfolio now that he is a lawyer at a big firm.
While everyone looks forward to holding a traditional Bowl dinner next April, honoring Michelle, along with last year’s recipients of the Bowl, Jon Mark and BK Munguia, as well as next year’s winner, it felt somehow appropriate to focus on Michelle, who is reluctant to be in the spotlight, in such a homespun and low-key way. “I am honored, grateful, a little embarrassed and thrilled” was how Michelle began her remarks after Nancy Michaels, the indefatigable Bowl Committee Chair, who has presided during Covid, presented the award, praising the honoree’s “calm diplomatic manner” and her “generosity of spirit” as she contributed her time and energy to nearly every organization in Scarsdale during the last 30 years. Michelle, in turn, remembered Terri Simon, another volunteer with tremendous bona fides who was present, first inviting her to join the PT Council Budget Study Committee, and immediately feeling as though she had joined “a family of volunteers.” She also recalled being PTA president on that terrible “first Tuesday of the school year” when 9/11 happened, and then the following September dealing with what she called “the self-inflicted wound” of the 2002 Homecoming debacle, when the New York Times ran a front-page story about students drinking and being sickened at the dance, and the consequences of that episode. A yearlong dialogue among students, parents and school administrators working to make prom possible, yielded the creative response of the now-popular Red Carpet event at the high school, where students gather to take photos and board buses that will take them to prom. Michelle expressed pride in the cultural shift that Scarsdale pulled off in that case, and hope that the Red Carpet, which was recently on hiatus due to Covid protocols, would return next year.
"Stuff happens,” she said, “but we are a resilient and caring community. I am humbled to my core, and want to emphasize that collaboration yields the best outcomes. Let’s work together to make our Village even better for the next generation.”
In addition to her years of service in the school PTAs at every level, Michelle served as Co-Chair of the Scarsdale Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Co-Chair of the Scarsdale Education Transfer Program, a member of the School Board Nominating Committee, the Citizens Nominating Committee, and Scarsdale Forum Education Program Committee, Chair of the Procedure Committee, a Director-at-Large of Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service, and President of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale.
There’s more! Michelle has also been very engaged with the Scarsdale Public Library for the last ten years, serving as a Trustee from 2011 to 2016 and President from 2013 to 2015. During her presidency, she oversaw the finalization of the Library’s first Strategic Plan, the development of the Master Plan, hiring of the architectural firm responsible for the extensive renovation and expansion, and the formation of the Capital Campaign Committee. She’s very excited about the just-completed renovation, and is currently a member of the Friends of the Scarsdale Library.
Michelle is also a current board member of the Scarsdale Foundation, the Scarsdale Adult School, and a member of the Greenacres Neighborhood Association, as well as a District Leader and member of the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee. And you can also find Michelle encouraging residents to run for the SBNC and CNC, as well as the School Board and the Village Board, gathering required signatures for petitions. No task is too large or too small. She intends to resume her volunteer work with critically ill patients at White Plains Hospital once visitor restrictions are lifted, and is working toward her accreditation in Healing Touch therapy. Whew! Scarsdale is clearly a better place thanks to Michelle!
Michelle hugs son Andrew.
Along those lines, the Scarsdale Foundation, which runs the Bowl event, has started a new initiative called the Scarsdale Volunteer Honor Roll where friends, colleagues, first-responders and teens can be honored for good works of all sorts, large and small. The money raised will be distributed to talented, hardworking Scarsdale students who need help paying college bills during their sophomore, junior and senior years. Please visit //bit.ly/3vQRHu5 to name honorees at just $25 apiece. The Honor Roll is about halfway to its goal of raising $50,000 to bolster the chances for academic success for all SHS alumni, regardless of their financial means, while also recognizing the unsung heroes of our town, particularly in light of the pandemic.
Alec Lichtenberg and Natasha Lee Vega-Colon play the African drums.
The Lichtenberg Family
Michelle Lichtenberg Receives the 2021 Scarsdale Bowl
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Michelle Lichtenberg, surrounded by her family here, was presented with the Scarsdale Bowl at a backyard ceremony on Wednesday, June 2nd. Liz and Randy Guggenheimer hosted this second (and hopefully last) Covid-era celebration. “I am humbled to my core by this honor,” said Lichtenberg. “Volunteerism is a team sport and I hope that we will all continue to collaborate to keep our community strong, and make it even better for the next generation.”
This was the second year that the traditional Scarsdale Bowl dinner was cancelled due to COVID.
Full story to follow next week.
Art Rublin Says Jim and Jessica Will Address the Need for Change
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To the Editor: With just a day before the important Board of Education election tomorrow (Tuesday), I’m writing in support of SBNC nominees James Dugan and Jessica Resnick-Ault. Informed by my BOE tenure, I believe the SBNC nominated very wisely. And I note that a current Board Member whom I respect a great deal, Ron Schulhof, also supports the SBNC slate.
Here are three reasons I support the SBNC slate:
1) Jim and Jessica are Exceptional Professionals and Volunteers.
Jim is a distinguished lawyer and father of three girls who will be at Fox Meadow, SMS and SHS next year. In 2011, Jim and I and others founded Coalition for Scarsdale Schools, dedicated to supporting quality education in Scarsdale schools. When the BOE explored bending elementary class-size caps, we mobilized to protect reasonable class-sizes. We selected Jim to be our lead speaker at the key BOE meeting. Jim’s presentation was excellent – strong, but not strident. We helped turned the BOE around, largely to Jim’s credit.
Jessica is an award-winning journalist and author. Jessica lost her husband in 2017; but continued to work and volunteer diligently. Jessica has been very active in the community, serving as class parent, PTA committee chair, and Young Writer’s Workshop instructor. Most recently Jessica founded Bake Back America’s local Grant a Wishlist initiative, working with Scarsdale families to meet the needs of surrounding communities with donations and educational programming. Jessica’s and her late husband’s daughter is an Edgewood fifth-grader.
Jim and Jessica distinguished themselves at the two candidate forums that have been held, including most recently at the “School Board Candidate Zoom Panel” held tonight, organized by Scarsdale High School students, at which Jim and Jessica appeared with one other candidate, Irin Israel.
2) Jim and Jessica Will Address the Need for Change.
Substantial change is needed in School District governance and management. This view of mine and many others was validated by a report last November of the Tri-State Consortium, an alliance of high-performing school districts, focused on the pandemic. The Report found distrust of the District by parents, a feeling on the part of teachers that their voices were not valued, and the need for a “more forward-looking vision.” On the very day the Tri-State Report was released, the BOE extended changes to limit public-comment time at BOE meetings – including a 90-minute limit on comments during the first comment period that left 21 community members without an opportunity to speak during that night’s first comment period. During the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Candidates Forum earlier this month, Jim and Jessica made clear their readiness to engage constructively to address these issues. I urge all voters to view the recording of the LWVS Forum, which you can find at coalitionforscarsdaleschools.org (Candidates tab).
3) Jim and Jessica Have the Experience.
One of Jim and Jessica’s opponents, Alison Singer, argues she should be reelected because, she said in her opening statement at the forum, “In short, experience matters.” With the benefit of my BOE experience, I can state without reservation that Jim and Jessica have more than the requisite experience, based on their professional and community backgrounds. And I don’t consider it at all necessary for the BOE to have officers that are in their second terms. In fact, a number of times in recent years, at least one of the officers has been in his or her first term. In my first BOE year, both officers were in their first terms.
A note about process. An election in which the SBNC slate is challenged creates some surprising dynamics. As an example, Ms. Singer and supporters of hers posted a graphic on Facebook yesterday with a sample ballot in which only her name was checked. Given that this election is for two seats, the District’s sample ballot states, “Vote for a Total Two (2) Candidates.” But Ms. Singer, the Board’s Vice President this year, appears to be urging “bullet voting,” i.e. votes only for herself, which could be seen as increasing her chances. I should note: I am pleased to have always had a good personal relationship with Ms. Singer. But I am disappointed that Ms. Singer, who served on the SBNC, is openly advocating bullet voting only for herself in an election for 2 School Board seats. Everyone has a right to challenge the SBNC’s nominees. But I am saddened by this and other elements of the campaigning that we have seen on social media and in Village spaces this spring.
In sum, I believe the SBNC chose well. Jim and Jessica will bring substantial experience, along with a willingness to engage with the community and deliberate with respect to important issues. Please vote for our excellent SBNC nominees on Tuesday.
Arthur Rublin
Donellan Road
Masks Off As COVID Rates Decline
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You no longer need an appointment for a vaccine at the Westchester County CenterCounty Executive George Latimer had an upbeat press conference on Monday May 17 when he reported a dramatic decline in active cases in Westchester, down from 4,363 a month ago to 922 on Monday. As of Wednesday May 19, cases had declined even further to 839.
There were corresponding declines in the number of hospitalizations and fatalities with 63 in the hospital with COVID and 4 deaths this past week.
Latimer credits the decline in infections to Westchester’s successful vaccination efforts. As of Monday May 17, 70% of the county’s population over the age of 18 had received at least one dose. Overall, 47% of the county’s population is fully vaccinated. More are expected to be vaccinated in the coming weeks as Pfizer announced that anyone ages 12 and over can receive their vaccine as long as a parent or guardian allows them to do so.
There was also good news about the regulations and restrictions. As of Wednesday May 19 those who are fully vaccinated can remove their masks, however they still need to be worn in the following settings: mass transit, nursing homes, homeless shelters, correctional facilities (jail and state institutions), schools, and healthcare facilities. Private venues can provide rules as they see fit. Latimer expressed concern about people who may lie about their vaccination status and remove their masks but he was hopeful the state would provide some guidelines on how to deal with that situation.
For those not yet vaccinated the big news is that you no longer need an appointment to be vaccinated at the Westchester County Center where walk-ins are now permitted. In order to accommodate more residents new daily clinics are being set up around the county. Dobbs Ferry High School is offering vaccines on Wednesday May 19th, Fox Lane High School is offering vaccines on Thursday May 20th, and the Salvation Army in Port Chester is offering vaccines on Saturday May 22 and Monday May 24.
Scarsdale High School Awards and National Merit Finalists
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Scarsdale High School Awards:
On Wednesday night, May 5th, 53 Scarsdale High School students were honored for their achievements at the annual awards ceremony. Faculty and administrators of SHS, along with a few Scarsdale community members, came together to recognize juniors and seniors for accomplishments in academic subjects, community service, and leadership. The Judith E. Weil Kindness Award was presented for the first time, by Ms. Mandy Weil Lax, in honor of her late mother, Scarsdale community member Judith E. Weil. While a ceremony over Zoom posed some unique challenges, the ceremony went smoothly. A list of winners can be found below. Congratulations to all of those honored!
ARTS AWARDS
Excellence in Visual Art 2D: Courtney Guastafeste
Excellence in Visual Art 3D: Mia de la Fuente-Akersveen
Media Award: Caroline Cavalier
Elisa Draper Art History Award: Jayho So
Friends of Music and Art Permanent Collection Award: Anna Cho
ENGLISH AWARDS
Harvard University Award: Angela Hoey
Brown University Award: Anoushka Dasgupta
Princeton English Excellence Award: Emily Hansen
Audrey McGinn Creative Writing Award: Jake Rompala
MATHEMATICS AWARDS
Rensselaer Mathematics & Science Award: Maxwell Trager
Math Faculty Award: Adam Wasserman
PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS
Band Award: Vivian Stewart
Chorus Award: Emily Hansen
Orchestra Award: Juling Wang
Sidney R. Case Memorial Scholarship: Joanna Wang
Friends of Music and Art Drama Award: Alison Robelen
SCIENCE AWARDS
New York Science Supervisors Association Awards
Biology: Samantha Kefer
Chemistry: Shan Daniel
Physics: Abigail Talish
University of Rochester/Bausch and Lomb Award: Maggie Peng
Science Excellence Award: Zach Siegel
Science Department Award: Keerthana Chari
SOCIAL STUDIES AWARDS
Social Studies Achievement Awards: Rowan Haffner, Chinasa Ohajekwe
Social Studies Faculty Award: Adina Weinbaum
Social Studies Excellence Awards: Aanya Schoetz, Robert Fogel
WORLD LANGUAGES AWARDS
Latin Award: Sam Lippmann
Mandarin Award: Margaret Kemp
French Award: Mariana Ferraz
Spanish Language Award: Phoebe Yusen
Spanish Literature Award: Vivian Guo
Departmental Award: Neema Mwamburi
Steve Corbin Academic Success Award: Simon Yu
Counseling Department Award: Jimena Aguilar
Casey Ferrone Memorial Award: Sarah Osinoff
Junior Scholarship/Service Award: Rishika Bansal
Junior Academic Excellence Award: Jeremy Ng
Wellesley Book Award: Claire Scarcella
Yale University Award: Eliana Zitrin
David Smith Memorial Award: Danielle Eforo, Eddie Eforo
Judith E. Weil Kindness Award: Jane Schmelkin
Scarsdale Alumni Association Eric Rothschild Award: Adam Wasserman
Scarsdale Foundation Award: Emmett Goldstein
Michael V. McGill Book Award: Scott Goldban
NYS Comptroller’s Student Achievement Awards: Jolie Kantor, Anabel Calderon, Gustavo Quaresma De Moura
NYS Office of the Attorney General Triple “C” Awards: Devin Goldman, Matthew Ostow
Dartmouth College Award: Jaden Bharara
Billy Safian Humanitarian Award: Jacob Rosewater
Halliday Clark Sr. Memorial Award: Simran Ruta
Principal’s Award: Michael Waxman
National Merit Awards
Two Scarsdale High School students were named National Merit Finalists this year and will each receive a $2,500 merit award.
They are Peiling Megan Niu who plans to study International Relations and Adam H. Wasserman who plans to study Mechanical Engineering.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a pool of some 16,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.
National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
2021 National Merit Scholarship Competition
This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2019 when over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state- representational basis. Only these approximately 17,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.
From the Semifinalist group, some 16,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2021 program, about 7,500 Finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of nearly $30 million in college scholarships.
