Scarsdale Comes Together for Annual Fireworks Spectacular
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On Thursday evening, July 2nd, Scarsdale came together for a vibrant celebration of all things red, white, and blue. The Scarsdale Pool Complex was the perfect backdrop for the Scarsdale's famous Annual Fireworks Spectacular, bringing everyone together for a night of music, fireworks, and true community spirit.
The excitement started at around 5:00 PM as families and friends packed the grass with blankets and lawn chairs. While children splashed in the water, the pool staff and lifeguards kept a careful eye on everything to make sure that everyone stayed safe amidst the fun.
A Special Night for the Westchester Band
At 7:30 PM, the Westchester Band commenced. The concert was led by Alan Hollander, who celebrated his 25th year conducting this incredible group. He began playing with the band when he was just twelve years old, sharing that music has always been his true passion and love. The band features talented musicians of all ages, from local teenagers to senior players. They played plenty of American classics, and the crowd cheered and gave applause at the end of every single song to celebrate our community's musical talent and commitment.
Fantastic Fireworks Light Up the Sky
As the sun set, the sky came alive at 9:30 PM with a breathtaking fireworks display. Bursts of bright color filled the air, sending waves of excitement through the crowd. Children and adults alike were delighting, "oooh"ing and "aaah"ing at every spark and clapping at the end. From teenagers chatting along to their friends to families relaxing in festive outfits, everyone embraced the 4th of July holiday spirit. Between the heartfelt tunes from the band and the dazzling show in the sky, it was a spectacular summer night that Scarsdale will remember for a long time.
Scarsdale Library's Landscape Project Breaks Ground
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Privately Funded Initiative Will Add New Outdoor Community Spaces
The Scarsdale Library officially broke ground on its new Library in the Park landscape project on June 29, 2026 marking the start of a transformative expansion that will create vibrant outdoor community spaces, and is expected to take approximately six months to complete.
More than 50 attendees, including members of the Landscape Committee, current and former Library Board members, Village trustees and staff, Library administration and staff, project engineers, designers, advisors, Friends of the Scarsdale Library, and generous donors, came together for the groundbreaking ceremony held at the site of the future plaza. The project, made possible entirely through private donations, represents a significant investment in expanding the Library's ability to serve the community.
Guests enjoyed refreshments provided by Boleria Brazilian Bakery Café at the Library before hearing remarks from Library Board President Diksha Mudbhary, Mayor Justin Arest, Library Director Beth Bermel, Friends of the Scarsdale Library Co-Presidents Daniela Retelny and Toby Milstein Schulman, and Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg.
Library Board President, Diksha Mudbhary opened the ceremony thanking all in attendance. She also noted how fitting this project is for the library. "Libraries have always been places where people come to discover, learn and connect. Today they are also vibrant civic spaces that bring communities together in new and meaningful ways. The Library in the Park reflects this evolution beautifully."
Phase One of the project will feature a new outdoor pavilion and plaza, adding approximately 60 outdoor seats for gathering, programming, and community events while preserving all 114 existing parking spaces. The project also includes a renovated main entrance with new seating walls and a reconfigured traffic flow designed to improve accessibility and enhance the visitor experience.
Key contributors to the project include the Library's Landscape Project Committee, co-chaired by Margot Milberg and Terry Singer; Village Capital Project Manager Paul Zaicek; Department of Public Works Superintendent Jeff Coleman; Landscape Architect Donna Maiello and her team at DTS Provident Design; Greg Bencivengo and Hayes and James Slade of Slade Architecture; construction managers Nancy Barbera and Dean Sproch of Savin Engineers; general contractors Richard and Joe Abirzk of AR Brothers Construction; and Brian Adwar and Paul Amato of Adwar Video.
Library officials emphasized that the project has been thoughtfully designed to maintain existing parking capacity while improving the campus's accessibility, functionality, and appearance.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Justin Arest said the project reflects the values that have long defined the Scarsdale community. "Seeing generation after generation using the same library is a wonderful reminder of why places like this matter," he said. "Today's celebration is about more than just an incredible, beautiful landscaping project. It is another example of what makes Scarsdale so special. Dedicated volunteers, outstanding staff, generous donors, and talented professionals all coming together to make projects like these possible. That spirit of partnership and generosity is one of our community's greatest strengths."
Friends of the Scarsdale Library Co-President Daniela Retelny also recognized the extraordinary generosity of the community members who made the project possible. "We are deeply grateful to every individual and family who contributed to making this vision a reality," she said.
The Friends of the Scarsdale Library raised more than $2.2 million through the Library in the Park capital campaign to support the initiative. The new open air pavilion will feature lighting, audiovisual technology, ceiling fans, and heaters, allowing it to host programs and community events throughout much of the year. The space is expected to host book talks, children’s events, lectures, movies, and other Library programs.
Library Director Beth Bermel credited the Library's staff with building the community support that helped make the project possible. "I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the Library staff, "she said. "They are the reason that the Scarsdale community supports the Library so robustly. Having a building, or a pavilion, or even books on the shelves means nothing without dedicated, welcoming, responsive staff in all departments striving to meet community needs and high standards. The hard work of Library staff inspires confidence in the institution, and for this I am grateful."
She also expressed appreciation for the community members whose philanthropy funded the entire project. "A heartfelt thank you to the Friends of the Scarsdale Library and our amazing, generous donors," Bermel said. "We could not do this without you."
A second phase of the project, currently anticipated to begin in 2027, will introduce additional landscape and environmental improvements, including a StoryWalk®, garden lounges, invasive species removal, expanded sidewalks, upgraded stormwater infrastructure, and a redesigned refuse area.
Together, these enhancements will transform the Library campus into a welcoming outdoor destination that extends Library programming beyond its walls while creating new opportunities for learning, gathering, and community connection for generations to come.
Maroon and White Signing Day
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Stella Van Arsdale signing to Rochester.On Wednesday, May 6th, Scarsdale High School held their athlete signing day, for students who are going to continue playing sports for their college. The event started off with acknowledging the athletes who won a section championship during the winter season. Then shifted over to the athletes playing in college. Alex Israel signed to Colgate for rowing. Henry Lamberg signed to St. John’s for baseball. Stella Van Arsdale signed to Rochester for soccer. Emily Baron signed to Mount Saint Mary College for volleyball. Rachel Rakower signed to Caltech for track. Oliver Bandsma signed with the Coast Guard for rowing. Koji Hirata signed to the University of Toronto for baseball. Kieran Lee signed to Williams College for swim and dive.
Alex Israel signing to Colgate.
Henry Lamberg signing to St. John’s.
Emily Baron signing to Mount Saint Mary College.
Rachel Rakower signing to Caltech.
Oliver Bandsma signing with the Coast Guard.
Koji Hirata signing to the University of Toronto.
Kieran Lee signing to Williams College.
Five Scarsdale Track and Field Athletes Bring Home State Championships
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Following an incredible year for the track and field team, 13 runners earned the opportunity to compete at the state championships which took place this past weekend at Webster High School in upstate New York.
The number of qualifiers for the state championship was the highest ever in the team’s history. Five individual qualifiers and two relay teams– the girls 4x400 team and the boys 4x800 team– each earned the right to race at the state championships.
In the end, following a fierce weekend of competition, five athletes became state champions. Representatives from the boys 4x800 meter relay team and Andriana Pettinelli in the girls 800 meter race, took home first in their respective events.
The boys 4x800 meter team consisting of seniors Charlie Rich, Nathaniel Lynch, Yuhan Cruz and junior Brandon Lin came into the race ranked #4 in New York State. After the team raced to a 7:52, just two weeks ago which helped them qualify for states, the boys together finished with a time of 7:46.49, good enough for second overall in the race behind Long Islands’ Port Washington. Despite finishing in second overall in the race, Scarsdale did win Class A, which is why they are being celebrated as state champs. Right behind Scarsdale were our downstate neighbors from New Rochelle, who as a relay team, ran a 7:48.02.
On the flipside, sophomore superstar Ana Pettinelli also brought home a state title following a strong run in the girls 800 meter relay. Pettinelli’s time of 2:07.40 was good enough for first overall in the state and exactly one second ahead of the second place finisher, Olivia Solomon from New Rochelle. Melinna Santee from Horace Greeley also finished sixth, concluding the race with a time of 2:10.74 and helped to make sure Section One was well represented across the leaderboard.
Pentinelli also finished second overall in the 1500 meter relay race, finishing with a time of 4:21.09.
The girls 4x400 meter relay team of Leia Patel, Rachel Rakower, Alice Nicassio and Ziying Su, finished with a time of 4:07.93, a personal record as a relay team. Last, Anna Van den Broek, who is having an amazing season for Scarsdale, qualified for states as a freshman, which in track and field, does not happen often. While at the state championship, Anna brought home a personal best in the girls high jump. Truly incredible stuff.
Along with the five track athletes who became state champions across the two events, the Track Team joined the Boys Tennis Team, who captured the NYS title.
Gold Award Ceremony at the Girl Scout House
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Yashica Balasubramanian, Lillian Liu, Catherine Zhang, Brielle Phillips-Harris and Evie SchiffThe Scarsdale Edgemont Girls Scouts held their Gold Award ceremony at the Betty Taubert house on Sunday June 7, 2026.
The following dignitaries came and presented the girls with certificates: Congressman George Latimer, Senator Shelley Mayer, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Mayor Justin Arest, Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg, Legislator David Imamurra, Scarsdale BOE Vice President Colleen Brown and Morgan Slocombe from Governor Kathy Hochul’s office, LWVS President Beth Cukier and members of the Elks and GS Heart of the Hudson CEO Kari Rockwell.
The four girls who earned Gold were: Evie Schiff for her project Littles & Love - NICU Comfort, Lillian Liu Writing for Electronic Waste, Brielle Phillips-Harris Teens Against Type 2 Diabetes, and Yashica Balasubramanian VetConnect.
Senior Catherine Zhang is in the end stages of her project. She is creating a web platform for food banks to share resources.
Yashica Balasubramanian, whose project helps Veterans navigate the maze of benefits, job opportunities, and local support services. was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from Girl Scouts of the USA. This prestigious scholarship is awarded annually to just one Gold Award Girl Scout from each council, as well as one recipient from USA Girl Scouts Overseas. Scholarship recipients are selected based on projects that demonstrate extraordinary leadership, measurable and sustainable impact, and address issues of national or global significance. Receiving this scholarship is an exceptional honor and a testament to Yashica’s dedication, leadership, and commitment to creating meaningful change.
State Assemblymember Amy Paulin presented certificates to the scouts.
The scouts are proud of these four remarkable young women. While they had many options for how to spend their time outside of school, they chose to remain active in Girl Scouting through the end of high school, demonstrating a lasting commitment to leadership and service.
The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place, and these four young women truly embody that spirit.
The Gold Award is the highest honor in Girl Scouting and represents the culmination of years of dedication and leadership.
To earn this distinction, each recipient completed rigorous prerequisites, identified a need within her community, raised funds, and designed and implemented a sustainable project with a lasting impact. Nationally, only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, making it a truly significant achievement.
