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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 16 March 2021

Created: 16 March 2021

Last Updated: 06 April 2022

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The Village of Scarsdale will hold a public hearing on a proposed code change to limit the use of gas powered leaf blowers. Below please find two letters in support of the change:

To the Editor:

Like me, you probably were outside taking a walk or just enjoying the warm, sunny weather last week, only to be assaulted by the deafening roar of the gas-powered leaf blowers favored by many lawn care providers. As we continue to work and study from home this spring, the problems will only intensify.

The gas-powered leaf blowers operate at a dangerous decibel level, blast hurricane-force wind and also heat at plants, grass and trees (you can be sure that this is harmful to them), and blow toxins into the air we breathe. Although the sound levels and airborne particulates are uncomfortable for us, the damage done to the landscapers who work all day long for many months at a time, without adequate protection, is severe. The progressive hearing loss and lung damage to our landscapers is simply unnecessary when other excellent alternatives are available in the form of electric leaf blowers and mulch-mowing.

The Village of Scarsdale is holding a hearing via Zoom on Tuesday, March 23, at 7 p.m., which can be accessed here: The proposal under discussion allows use of the gas-powered leaf blowers through the spring of 2021, as well as from October 1 through the end of the year, Monday-Friday, except for Federal holidays. Starting in January 2022, it adds restrictions for the spring season and for Mondays. Electric-powered leaf blowers are permitted throughout the year.

Members of the Lawn & Turf Association will appear and take the position that the gas-powered leaf blowers are "necessary," and also that not using them will be very costly to Scarsdale residents. This is not true; many landscapers use electric leaf blowers, and their prices are competitive with the other companies. We need your help. Please attend this Zoom hearing, raise your hand, and speak out about why the noise, pollution, and environmentally destructive effects caused by gas-powered leaf blowers are not right for Scarsdale. Many other towns are restricting these devices; Scarsdale needs to join them.

Susan Douglass
Crane Road

59 Crane Road
susanudouglass@gmail.com
914-419-0571

Social and Environmental Justice: Banning Gas Powered Leaf Blowers

As a lifelong physician dedicated to public health and safety, individual wellness, and social and environmental justice, I urge my fellow residents of Scarsdale to please queue up to speak (for all these reasons!) at the Village public hearing on Tuesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. and support the adoption of the proposed resolution to extend our current "summer ban" of gas-powered leaf blowers. It’s a small but urgent step in the right direction.

Gas-powered leaf blowers have highly inefficient two-stroke engines, in which fuel mixes directly with oil and 30% of it fails to undergo complete combustion, thereby propelling toxic fumes comprised of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carcinogenic contaminants like benzene into our air with deafening 185 mph blasts. Using a gas blower for 30 minutes produces pollutants equal to those generated by a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor traveling 3,900 miles, or as far as from Texas to Alaska. Blowers disperse up to 5 pounds of tiny particulates per hour, matter which is inhaled and easily absorbed in our lungs. Medical societies caution us that a few hours of exposure to these dangerous particulates can cause death and other severe respiratory and cardiovascular harms. These machines are an environmental hazard in our own backyard, one which we can ill-afford in our current climate crisis.

Serving a highly disadvantaged population for the last quarter of a century, and as a physician to many landscapers, I have experienced with them firsthand the damaging health impacts of gas blowers. Their ill-health has been socially determined. Catherine Plume, board member of the Sierra Club, notes: “The use of gas powered leaf blowers is as much as an environmental justice issue as it is an environmental issue.” The extreme noise permanently damages their hearing. Environmental health advocates remind us of studies of landscapers wearing monitoring devices revealing that ultrafine particle levels are 50 times higher around a gas leaf blower than at a clogged intersection at rush hour. Landscape workers put in long days toiling in these toxic emissions and particulate, breathing and inhaling contaminants deep into their lungs due to their physical exertion. I for one don’t have to guess at the consequences of this exposure.

Social determinants of health include factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care. The origins of these determinants are ugly, suffice it to say they are based in societal disparities and inequities, and structural racism. Addressing social determinants of health is important for improving health and reducing longstanding disparities in health and health care. And it can be done.

We all in Scarsdale now have a chance to be part of this solution rather than the ongoing problem. As a community, we must seek to shape policies and practices in non-health sectors in ways that promote health and health equity. Banning gas powered blowers is an example of an initiative we are ethically obligated to take to help eradicate these social determinants and promote health in our Village landscape workers.

Please join me in queuing up at the zoom mic on March 23, 2021 at 7 p.m. in support of extending the ban on gas powered leaf blowers. It’s a small but important first step in the right direction.

Sincerely,
Darlene LeFrancois Haber M.D.
Nelson Road

It's Noisy Out There - Let you Voices Be Heard About the Harms of Gas Leaf Blowers

The village board and village staff across all departments have been proactively working to protect residents from the preventable harms to our health and wellbeing caused by gas leaf blowers. The board has scheduled a public hearing this coming Tuesday, March 23 at 7:00 pm, when it will be important for residents to offer comments in support of the village’s new proposal to regulate gas leaf blowers. This is a significant advance in Scarsdale policy. Gas leaf blowers are dangerous because they do not blow air – they blow at hurricane speed a combination of dangerous chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic, other pollutants, and particulate matter that pose grave health risks to residents of all ages, landscape workers, pets, and wildlife. Not to mention the harm to human hearing from excessive noise and the deleterious effect on air quality and our environment generally. Village action will also help prevent the proven cardiac, respiratory, and other adverse impacts from gas blowers.

The village board together with the residents who serve on its appointed Conservation Advisory Council were instrumental in advancing this initiative. They are to be congratulated for encouraging the use of safer and quieter electric/battery operated landscape care equipment, which is already required most of the year in Scarsdale.

Please participate on Tuesday, March 23 at 7:00 pm as follows: via online link at https://zoom.us/j/93183703358; or login via Zoom using ID 931 8370 3358; or phone in to the meeting using 1-929-436-2866 and entering the same Meeting ID 931 8370 3358. To participate in the public comment period, if online click “Raise Hand,” or if by phone dial *9.

Madelaine Eppenstein
Autenrieth Road
For more information contact me at meppenstein@eppenstein.com

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 24 March 2021

Created: 24 March 2021

Last Updated: 24 March 2021

Hits: 1896

After the horrific shootings in Atlanta on March 16, 2021, many in Scarsdale spoke out to condemn the violence. Below please find letters from the Scarsdale Chinese Association, the Scarsdale High School PTA, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick. See their statements below.

What can you do?

Attend a Vigil against hate at Chase Park in Scarsdale from 1-3 pm on Saturday March 27, 2021.

On April 13th the SHS PTA, the SMS PTA and the PT Council are co-sponsoring a program on Implicit (or Unconscious) Bias for parents. They encourage all parents to participate and engage with parent and school communities to talk, learn, advocate and grow.

Here are their letters:

Scarsdale Chinese Association Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Violence

Racist attacks against Asian-Americans have dramatically increased in recent months across the nation, from verbal to physical and deadly. We, the Scarsdale Chinese Association, representing over 300 families in Scarsdale, condemn such horrific violence and denounce these acts of hate and racism.

With the recent White Plains incident being so close-by and the Atlanta massacre so fatal and massive, we call for more awareness from the community on anti-Asian hate crimes. We call for more police vigilance against and timely prosecution of racially-charged crimes. We call for an end to racism against Asians that has always existed throughout American history and manifests through hate crimes, racial slurs, and stereotypes. Racial hatred must stop!

Within Scarsdale, our members generally feel safe and protected. When racially-charged incidents occur, we feel that they are adequately addressed in schools and in the community at large. We welcome Mayor Samwick's timely letter of 3/18 to the Scarsdale community, restating the goal to “promote and maintain a community culture of acceptance and inclusion, free from racism, bias, and discrimination.” We appreciate the village‘s support to our Asian communities at this difficult time, and together we build a united community.

SCA Executive Board: Jingqing Chai, Sharine Chen, Jennifer Hong, Johnny Huang, Vivian Lin, Jing Lu, Lisa Tan

Scarsdale High School PTA

We are deeply disturbed about the recent violent attacks on Asian Americans and the murders of 8 people in Atlanta, 6 of whom were of Asian descent. We are also aware that we are not immune and that there have been anti-Asian racist attacks right here in Westchester.
The PTA is an organization that is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and we stand firmly against all racism and hate. We condemn all acts of hate, and violence against people of any ethnicity, nationality, culture, race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexuality or neurodiversity. Bigotry and xenophobia of any kind is unacceptable in our school and in our community.

We stand with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community in solidarity with outrage and support in grief. We will not tolerate hate and discrimination on any level. We are a community of multiculturalism and diversity and we value, celebrate and are proud of our differences.

There remains much work to be done in our community and our school, and the SHS PTA is committed to continuing this work. To that end, on April 13th SHS PTA, the SMS PTA and the PT Council are co-sponsoring a program on Implicit (or Unconscious) Bias for parents. We encourage all parents to join us for this program, and to engage with our parent and school communities as we continue the process of talking, learning, advocating and growing. This work is ongoing and transcends one tragedy or one program. We are also working closely with the high school administration to ensure there are parent voices on the SHS Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which consists of students, teachers and administration. If you would like to get more involved, or to bring our attention to specific experiences within our community, please reach out to the PTA President.

We encourage you to have a conversation with your children about their experiences at SHS and to reflect with them upon this most recent tragedy. Your students may have discussed this in their social studies classes. If your children are experiencing bigotry, xenophobia or microaggressions of any kind, the school deans, psychologists and student outreach workers are available to listen and support them or you.

We reaffirm our commitment to stand together as a community in opposition to bias and welcoming to people of all backgrounds. We are united in the belief that everyone in our community is valued and respected.

The 2020-21 SHS PTA Executive Committee
Leanne Freda, President
Joey Silberfein, President-elect
Jennifer Rossano, VP of Programming and Volunteers Rokaya Hassaballa, VP of Membership and School Events Chyi Landless, Treasurer
Elissa Ruback, Corresponding Secretary
Beth Cukier, Recording Secretary

League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors

Statement Condemning Racism and Supporting the AAPI Community

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (LWVS) believes in individual liberties, civil rights, human rights, and voting rights writ large; we defend democracy and oppose all threats to constitutional rights. The LWVS is an organization that advocates against systemic racism and racist violence and we are committed, in both values and practice, to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale, Board of Directors (League Board) joins our sister Leagues, including the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the League of Women Voters of Georgia, in condemning the anti-Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) racism that has long plagued our country and has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We grieve the senseless loss of eight lives, including six women of Asian descent, this past week to hate-driven gun violence in Georgia.

As stated by LWVUS: “The League is committed to listening to and amplifying AAPI voices and educating ourselves on the historic and ongoing systemic racism that plagues this country so we can be better allies.” Our own community is not immune to anti-AAPI racism, and we must remain vigilant in our stand against racism, violence and hate in all its forms. We fully support our AAPI community members.

The League Board also condemns all forms of violence against women.

The League Board denounces all forms of hate and violence in both actions and words against people of any ethnicity, religion, nationality, race, gender identity or expression, culture, or sexuality.

We urge our members to stand united with us, and call on our elected officials at all levels of government to demonstrate their commitment to keep all communities safe. The LWVUS states: “There can be no liberty in the face of racist and xenophobic violence.” We are only safe from racism, sexism and bigotry if we are all protected by the law and by our fellow citizens.

Mayor Marc Samwick

Dear Scarsdale Community,
The mass murder of eight people, including six Asian women, in Atlanta on Tuesday is yet another tragic event in a series of mass shootings that continue to plague our country with targeted attacks on specific groups of people. Scarsdale strives to live by the motto that, “hatred of any kind is hatred against everyone.” Attacking any individual or any specific group, whether with words or acts of hate, has no place in the Village of Scarsdale.

In Scarsdale, we seek to build a community that is just, fair, welcoming and inclusive, where dignity is maintained. We value and celebrate our community’s cultural commonalities and differences while strongly rejecting bias toward any group.

One year ago, I stated, and it bears repeating, “We recognize our moral and ethical responsibility to value all persons, to firmly oppose discriminatory behaviors and practices, and to embrace the inherent value that all individuals bring to this special place we all call home: Scarsdale.”

The Ad hoc Council to Combat Racism and Bias was formed in July 2020 with the goal to “promote and maintain a community culture of acceptance and inclusion, free from racism, bias, and discrimination. Whether overt or subtle, intentional or accidental, we must all strive as responsible members of the Scarsdale community to endeavor to be aware of cultural differences, value and encourage diversity, and vehemently reject all forms of racism, bias, and discrimination.”

We restate these goals today, by standing together with members of the Scarsdale Asian populace as we continue to strive to build a united community where all people are welcome to call home.

Sincerely,
Marc Samwick Mayor

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 06 March 2021

Created: 06 March 2021

Last Updated: 08 March 2021

Hits: 3219

Sameer Ahuja is running for his first term as Scarsdale Village TrusteeSameer Ahuja grew up in Scarsdale and returned 22 years after high school to raise his own family here. He graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1992 and moved back with his family in 2014. He currently serves on the Village Advisory Council on Communications. Professionally, Sameer has been an entrepreneur for nearly 20 years; he currently works as the COO (GM) of GameChanger Media Inc., a NY-based sports technology company owned by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Ahuja is running for his first term on the Scarsdale Board of Trustees on the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Party slate. Here are his thoughts on Scarsdale and the challenges he will face as Village Trustee. Remember to vote on Tuesday March 16.

-As someone with career experience in technology, how do you envision that the Village might use technology to better serve residents?

There are opportunities, but I would caution that technology isn’t always a panacea. I have found it effective to take an iterative approach, making small incremental changes versus transformational projects that can often fall short of expectations. Can we easily implement software tools to help the staff deliver the same or better level of services to residents? What about widely used communication tools to assist in engaging a broader swath of the community? I would suggest that we test some things out, learn from these tests, and iterate. If a tool helps, let’s keep using it. If not, let’s find that out quickly.

-What aspects of the job of Village Trustee are of most interest to you?

Three areas in particular.

First, outreach and communications with residents. I personally derive a lot of energy from interactions with others and would be excited to draw in the views of a larger segment of the village population. Perhaps some communications tools can help. However, I often like to say at work when we are trying to light a spark with our customer community that you need to “do things that don’t scale”. In this case, that means investing the time to simply reach out and talk to more people. Let them know you want to hear them out and that you are here to help.

Second, I view the increasing diversity of the Village as a great strength for the community and would be proud to bring a new voice to the Board.

Finally, thinking to the future, echoing what Jane Veron hopes to bring as our Mayor - I am excited to contribute to a vision, a long-term strategic framework for Scarsdale that can continue across multiple boards and years.

-What are the biggest challenges facing Scarsdale today – and how do you believe you can contribute to the solutions?

Short-term, is of course the budget. But a bit further out, I believe we are facing a generational shift. I expect remote work to be a lasting trend which will impact how companies work and where people work and live. We need to be preparing the Village for these changes and ensure that Scarsdale remains a community where those of the highest character, integrity, intellect, and achievement want to live.

-Given the fall off in revenues and the budget gap, do you think residents might be willing to pay a bit more in taxes or fees to maintain services?

I want to commend the Village staff for maintaining, during the pandemic, the quality of service that our Residents have come to expect. We need to continue our conversations with residents to understand what they truly value and what they view to be key differentiators for Scarsdale. These conversations will hopefully lead us to the lowest possible tax increase consistent with what our Residents expect from life in Scarsdale.

-The Village pursued a public-private partnership to raise the funds to renovate and expand the library. Can you envision other ways that the Village might work with private individuals, businesses or foundations to finance infrastructure or programming needs?

I am passionate about public-private partnerships; my first entrepreneurial venture was exactly that, working with NY State and City to bring a tourist attraction to post-9/11 Lower Manhattan. There are some very intriguing success stories in other communities. This is actually an area where technology offers more transformational opportunities. I think we can start quite easily - simply by saying clearly and openly that we are excited to do more of this, that we are here to work in partnership with the private sector. This is where Jane Veron’s vision is so exciting. She has proposed four pillars for the work of the Village Board and with it three areas that we need to make progress in

Communications
Sustainability
Technology

I would start to consider public-private partnerships that elevate and accelerate our community’s progress in these three areas.

I also want to say that for me any public-private partnership rests on three guiding principles. 1) A sense of equal and true partnership between parties; 2), Complete transparency from beginning to end; and 3) Clear and comprehensive documentation of the specifics of the partnerships. Only with these can Residents be sure the partnership is in the best interests of the community.

-At times it feels like a few very vocal residents are the only ones giving input to the Village Board. Do you believe that the Village hears from a representative swath of residents? How can you know if you’re voting in the interest of the majority if so many are disengaged?

I want to commend those residents who make the time to analyze the issues facing the Village and speak up. In talking to friends and neighbors, I know that a larger swath of the population has viewpoints they would like to share. I am ready and excited to do the work to bring these new voices into the process. And that is my message to our Residents - get involved!

-What was your role as part of the Village’s Advisory Council on Communications? Tell us about the work of that committee and what it accomplished. What work is still to be done?

I feel privileged to be part of the ACC. It is composed of some of our most dedicated residents and I have made good friendships while serving the community. Chair Dara Gruenberg has established a clear and exciting vision for the council. The committee has created video content about the Village, has implemented strategies to increase and diversify volunteer participation on Village Boards and Councils, and has advanced the redesign of the website in conjunction and coordination with Village Staff. This work will continue and the council has some exciting ideas for communications protocols, the Village’s visual identity/branding, and social media.

I am leading the council’s work on the website redesign. It is a multi-month endeavor, working closely with Village staff and CivicPlus (third-party design firm) on rewriting dozens of pages of site content and revamping the site’s design and look and feel. I am particularly excited about the part of the process when we reach out to residents for feedback on the proposed enhancements, as this input will be crucial to having a site that represents Scarsdale well.

-Anything else?

To conclude, I have seen for nearly four decades how Scarsdale has been so welcoming to so many wonderful people. No different than a business where customers have choices, folks have a choice of where to live. We need to always be working to ensure that the best people come here. The opportunity to live in a place as special as Scarsdale is not something I ever take for granted. That is why I want to work to support and build this community as a Village Trustee. And I could not be more excited to be able to do that with my fellow candidates, who bring so much experience, intellect, and commitment to the table.