Historical Society to Premier, "The Village: A History of Downtown Scarsdale"
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The Scarsdale Historical Society will be premiering its newest documentary, The Village: A History of Downtown Scarsdale, at the Scarsdale Public Library on Tuesday, May 14thst at 6:15 PM and 7:30 PM. This half-hour film explores how Scarsdale’s business district grew from a train depot and a few wooden buildings into today’s iconic Tudor Revival-style commercial center.
The Village will take viewers on a journey spanning more than 200 years, beginning with a colonial-era mill on the Bronx River. Archival photographs capture the development of Scarsdale’s earliest businesses and “downtown” streets, when horses clip-clopped on dusty roads. The film chronicles the factors that contributed to Scarsdale’s suburbanization, and the prominent, community-minded residents that developed the business district as it stands today.
The cohesive English design of the downtown area was carefully designed, down to the gabled roofs, elaborate stonework, and even the gas stations. Landmarks like the Harwood and Parkway Buildings were meticulously planned to meet the high aesthetic standards of the existing population and those they hoped to attract.
“Thanks to the remarkable foresight of Scarsdale’s founders, the heart of our village remains as a picturesque, thriving hub of commerce and culture today,” stated Randy Guggenheimer, President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. “In keeping with our mission to preserve and share Scarsdale’s history, we are pleased to present the story behind our distinguished business district.”
The title of the film, The Village, is a nod to the nickname used by Scarsdale insiders when referring to “downtown.” Guggenheimer continued, “Residents may not realize we have our own local vernacular when we say we’re “going into ‘the Village.’ It’s an expression that unites us as residents, and seemed only fitting as a title for this film.”
Perhaps the first real estate office in Scarsdale, The North End Land Improvement Company building was once on the corner of today's Popham Road at Scarsdale Avenue (on the right) around 1902.
Following the screening there will be a Q&A with the film’s participants: historians Jordan Copeland and Leslie Chang, and Peter Blier from Scarsdale Central Taxi.
This half-hour documentary is directed and edited by local filmmaker Lesley Topping. It is part of an ongoing series from the Scarsdale Historical Society on the history and neighborhoods of Scarsdale. All the previous films can be viewed here.
Admission to the film is free. The event is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Historical Society, the Scarsdale Public Library and the Scarsdale Business Alliance.
The public can register for the premiere here.
Jordan at Harwood: Scarsdale Village Historian Jordan Copeland guides viewers through today’s Village center.”
County Executive George Latimer Explains What He Can Do For You in Washington
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Westchester County Executive George Latimer is a familiar face around town – showing up at Scarsdale events and supporting the Village in many ways. Now he is vying to move his office from White Plains to Washington D.C. by challenging incumbent Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman for representation of New York’s 16th Congressional District. The hotly contested seat is being watched locally, around the state and even nationwide. The election will be held on Tuesday June 25, 2024, and since the district leans Democratic, the winner of the primary will be the front runner in the general election in November.
We asked Latimer why he decided to run and for his views on a wide range of issues and here is what he shared:
Tell us how you will leverage your years of experience to be effective in Congress.
I am a lifelong Westchester resident who has built a career in public service by delivering unparalleled progressive results for local residents. I have a track record in making Westchester the most progressive County government in the state including successfully cutting regressive taxes, fighting for civil rights and racial equality, defending a woman’s right to choose, standing up to the NRA to keep guns off our streets, voting for marriage equality, and smartly investing a Green New Deal style infrastructure projects across the County.
I can deliver in Congress because I know how to build coalitions, find common goals, and win tough fights. That’s how we flipped Westchester, a formerly solid Republican County, into a blue firewall that has withstood multiple red waves in recent years. It’s how we’ve governed, it’s how I kicked the gun shows out of the County center, it’s how we defended reproductive health clinics when they were under attack.
Why did you decide to challenge a Democrat incumbent for his seat in Congress?
My opponent spends too much time on divisive rhetoric, alienating the people he is supposed to serve, and votes against the interests of our district. He voted against President Biden’s infrastructure bill, he voted against the debt ceiling, he even voted this year to shut down the federal government. That’s not governing. And at the same time, he’s been caught in scandal after scandal, and has been forced to walk back comments on 9/11 truther conspiracies, his embrace of known Anti-Semites, and his words falsely accusing rape victims of making up propaganda.
Right now, our democracy is under attack. We need to elect people who are ready to make the tough choices needed to govern, to keep our government functioning, to serve all of their constituents. Through my three decades of public service, my work has been defined by my deep commitment to local community needs, and my ability to deliver real results for the constituents I represent. From my tenure on the Rye City Council to the County Legislature to the State Legislature and my current role of Westchester County Executive, I am a proud progressive champion who fights for the rights of all people while passing smart, effective policies that make a real difference in people’s lives.
On what issues do you and your opponent most disagree?
As I said, he voted against infrastructure funding for Westchester County (although he then took credit for the funds he tried to block), he voted to shut down the government, he voted against the debt ceiling. I would not. He has engaged in promoting baseless conspiracy theories and false narratives about the victims of the 10/7 terrorist attacks. I would not. And he is of course openly hostile to Israel and favors capitulation to terrorists, while I favor a 2-state solution and a return of hostages as a condition of stopping the fighting.
I have been working as a public servant for more than 30 years, improving the quality of life of the people I serve in Westchester County. From securing millions of dollars in infrastructure to supporting abortion rights, reducing gun violence, building more affordable housing, to strengthening our democracy, I am committed to go to Washington to fight for what’s really important – the families of working New Yorkers.
How has redistricting in NYS affected your campaign?
While the Westchester portion of the district remains the same, there are some minor changes to the Bronx portion so it now includes Bronx families in Wakefield, Baychester and Co-op City. I need to introduce myself to those voters and we’ll be organizing aggressively through those regions and across the entire district. I’ve already started meeting with residents, community leaders, faith leaders and others to hear their concerns, I have made it clear that I will re-open the Bronx constituent services office that the incumbent closed down after taking office, and my track record on education funding, tenant’s rights, infrastructure, reproductive rights, transit and common sense gun laws all resonate well with voters there.
Why is the critical election the primary in June rather than the general election in November?
As with many districts in New York, the 16th CD has an overwhelming Democratic enrollment edge and the primary is the only place where an incumbent can be held accountable for his votes and actions as a public official. Many politicians, like my opponent, feel that they are above being challenged and deserve to be returned to office automatically; I believe that elections are an important place for voters to have choices about who represents them.
With these uncertain times, where a woman’s right to choose and plan a family hangs in a balance, hate crimes are rising, guns are far too available to those who should never have them, we need someone who can bring our communities together and vote for the things we need in Washington.
Tell us about the differences between running for County Executive and US Congress? Are you hearing from people all over the country?
As the first Democratic Chair of the County Legislature, I cut property taxes three consecutive years while passing ground-breaking legislation including creating Westchester’s Human Rights Commission, passing Smoke Free Workplace Laws, Waste Haulers reforms, and establishing the first cable TV coverage of Board of Legislators meetings.
As a former tenant organizer, I was a leader on housing in the State Assembly, championed critical environmental issues, and he proudly voted to pass Marriage Equality, defend a woman’s right to choose, and keep dangerous guns off our streets. I also cosponsored the New York Health Act to bring universal health care to all New York residents. After several years in the Assembly, I won a tough battle to win a seat in the State Senate in November 2012, before defeating a MAGA Republican in 2017 to become the current County Executive.
With experience as both an executive and a legislator, I bring a unique set of skills and an understanding of legislative and governmental operations that will position me to deliver the funds and policies our district deserves.
In your mind, what are the key issues for voters in this race?
A. First, we must ensure that the economy is working for all New Yorkers. We need more jobs and more wealth building opportunities for everyone. I am committed to making college and career technical programs more accessible and affordable as well as expand support for solopreneurs and small business owners.
In addition, I am a supporter of a living wage for working Americans, and sensitive to the impacts of inflation on food, gas and other essentials on New York residents. If elected to Congress, I would support increasing the national minimum wage to $17 by 2028 in order to help the most vulnerable working people manage ever increasing costs.
B. Gun Violence. The surge in shootings in America is frightening. The number 1 cause of death in children is death by firearms. Locally, I have stood up to the NRA both in the legislature and as County Executive, passing legislation to ban assault weapons and implement universal background checks here in New York, and banning gun shows from County Property. Now we need national legislation to do the same, keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and other dangerous individuals, shutting down the interstate trade in illegal gun trafficking, and banning ghost guns and bump stocks. I am committed to increasing gun back programs, fund more afterschool programs, and expand mental health services with our community centers. We need to strengthen partnerships with faith leaders and community organizers, and invest in grassroots organizations doing the hard work.
C. Safeguarding our rights and our democracy is vital right now. We live in uncertain times and our democracy and the great American experiment will be on the ballot, which is why we must all vote to re-elect the President and continue to undo the damage of the Trump administration’s stacking of the Supreme Court. We need to defend voting rights and fight all efforts at voter suppression and protect our elections from misinformation and manipulation. We must also restore abortion rights on a national level, comparable to what we have already done here in New York, to protect both those seeking abortion care and the health care professionals who serve them.
D. Climate. Climate change is an existential threat to our planet and our future, and we can no longer allow science denying extremists to control the debate. We need leaders who can pass a real Green New Deal that not only creates jobs, but also directly fights climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon while freeing us from dependency on fossil fuels.
E. Housing. As County Executive, I have been a leader in helping create affordable housing throughout a region with scarce housing options. Under my leadership, between 2018 and 2023, we have created 6,443 units of affordable housing in the County. Our aggressive affordable housing efforts continue with $5.7 million recently awarded for land acquisition to create 168 senior units, and I recently authorized the 2024 County Budget, which contains $100 million for additional new affordable housing. We have also sought innovative options for creating affordable housing for vulnerable members of the community, including the use of County property for future affordable units for LGBTQ+ seniors.
If you are elected, what would you advocate for to help local constituents?
Locally, we need increased school aid, increased housing support and NYCHA funding, further investments in infrastructure funding for our roads, bridges, transit, and anti-flooding systems. We need to invest in jobs and job training programs. And we need to protect Social Security and Medicare from republican attempts to gut these vital programs.
Do you think there is a chance to get back the deduction for state and local taxes for New Yorkers? Yes. Trump’s SALT tax hike on New Yorkers must be repealed, and I believe that our best chance of raising the SALT cap is to elect a Democratic majority to Congress and I would work to make that a reality.
Can the Federal Government help Westchester with environmental issues such as flooding?
Yes, the federal government is a key stakeholder to help Westchester mitigate environmental issues such as flooding. For example, currently, in the Village of Mamaroneck the Army Corps of Engineers is leading a $100M federally funded project to mitigate flooding along the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers, when severe damage was caused by Hurricane Ida. I would support more federal funding to remedy this and other flood mitigation projects. Federal "Superfund" money under the EPA has also been available for several decades to facilitate the cleanup of contaminated lands, these are the types of programs that I would strengthen and support continuing.
How can those who back you help with your campaign?
Anyone is welcome to join our growing grassroots campaign. Please visit https://latimerforny.com for information.
SBNC Nominates Leah Dembitzer and James Dugan for Scarsdale School Board
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Leah Dembitzer has been nominated for a first term on the Scarsdale School Board(This announcement was sent to us by the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee)
The 2024 School Board Nominating Committee (“SBNC” or the “Committee”) has selected Leah Dembitzer and James Dugan for the 2024 non-partisan slate for election to the Scarsdale Board of Education. The Committee chose Leah and Jim from a pool of dedicated candidates after a thorough vetting process. If elected during the school board election on May 21, 2024, Leah will assume her role as a first-term school board member and Jim, who currently serves as a member of the Board of Education, will return for his second term effective July 1, 2024.
The Candidates
The SBNC enthusiastically endorses Leah and Jim for election to the School Board. These two qualified candidates will bring different perspectives and draw on complementary backgrounds and experiences to serve our community. What they have in common is a deep commitment to maintaining the excellence of the Scarsdale schools and serving different constituents.
Leah Dembitzer
Leah has lived in Scarsdale for 15 years. She and her husband, David, have three children- two of whom attend Scarsdale High School and one enrolled at Quaker Ridge School. Leah currently serves as PT Council President for the 2023-24 Scarsdale Council of Parent-Teacher Associations as well as a Board Member for the Westchester-Putnam PTA. These roles cap off a track record of a dozen years of community volunteerism which have heavily emphasized service to our District’s schools (via committee and leadership roles across the elementary, middle, and high schools) as well as membership and committee and leadership work in support of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and Westchester (including a two-year tenure as League’s president) and of Westchester Reform Temple (including involvement on the Board of Trustees).
Leah has supported complex initiatives across our community including Budget Study, DEI, literacy (co-chairing the Young Writers’ Workshop), both executing on established programs and innovating and spearheading new initiatives (such as the SMS House Parents pilot program during the 2020-21 year when COVID meaningfully impacted District activities).
Leah was heralded as a hard worker, good listener, well organized, approachable, collaborative, and open-minded based on the feedback the Committee sought out regarding her candidacy. These attributes, paired with the deep and broad knowledge she has of our community and, in particular, the seven Scarsdale schools and District operations borne of her years of volunteering in our community, position her to be a welcome addition to the School Board.
Leah said "I am deeply honored that the SBNC has nominated me to run on its slate for the Scarsdale Board of Education. I thank the members and Chair of the SBNC for their diligence and hard work during this process. If elected, I look forward to serving our incredible community and working collaboratively with the Board members and Administration to support our students and move our schools forward."
James Dugan
Jim Dugan has been nominated for a second term on the Scarsdale School Board
Jim has been a resident of Scarsdale for over 17 years. He and his wife, Shirley, have three children who attend Scarsdale High and Middle Schools. Jim is currently a partner in the Litigation Department at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP focusing on complex commercial litigation. He has more than 28 years of experience representing Fortune 500 companies, hedge funds, private equity firms, C-level executives, and accounting and financial services firms in securities class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, bankruptcy litigation, contract disputes, employment disputes, and restrictive covenant and non-compete litigation. As a member of Willkie’s Pro Bono Committee, Jim has dedicated substantial time to working on cases for the Innocence Project. He served on the Cornell Law School Alumni Board for three years and is currently a member of the New York City Bar Association.
Shortly after moving to Scarsdale, Jim became an active member of the Overhill Neighborhood Association, joining the board and then eventually becoming president of the association and serving for two years in that role. Through this role, he was instrumental in fostering a sense of community for that corner of Scarsdale and keeping neighbors apprised of key issues around the village. He was also a founding member of the Coalition for Scarsdale Schools which was engaged around the issue of elementary school class sizes. This was a natural role for him as he was passionate about maintaining the excellence of our school system. He has also served on the Citizens Nominating Committee, the CNC Procedures Committee, and has served in numerous roles at St. James the Less Episcopal Church. In each of these community roles, Jim has proven a tireless volunteer, giving of his time and expertise to work collaboratively to make Scarsdale a great place to live.
References for Jim uniformly recommended him for reconsideration for the Board of Education based on his primary strengths including being direct, methodical, straightforward, and professional - and, in particular, as someone capable of finding compromise to help reach consensus. This aligns with what the Committee members have observed of his Board service to date. As evidenced by his active and thoughtful participation during board meetings across his first term, Jim will continue to serve the School Board and community well with his valuable skills and perspective.
Jim noted "I’m truly honored to be nominated to serve a second term on the Board of Education. It is my privilege to be a part of supporting Scarsdale’s great and continuing legacy of excellence in public education, and I look forward to continuing to serve the community in this important role. Many thanks to the SNBC for their valuable work in vetting and proposing a slate for the 2024 school board election.”
The Committee
The SBNC is a non-partisan committee comprised of 26 voting members (with representatives from each of the five elementary districts) who serve for a three year term, and is chaired by a non-voting member. Over the course of Sunday meetings from January through March, this year’s committee conducted extensive candidate outreach to encourage interested community members to apply, listened to applicant presentations, questioned them, conducted detailed due diligence on all applicants, and considered potential candidates’ qualifications and characteristics. Pursuant to the SBNC Resolution, committee deliberations concerning candidates are confidential and the SBNC selects candidates “solely on their qualifications to serve the community” and not on their campaigning abilities or positions on specific issues. All discussions, deliberations, and references shared in Committee are kept confidential. Informed and engaged residents willing to serve on the SBNC and the School Board, along with voter participation, help to ensure the highest quality school board leadership.
The SBNC congratulates Jim and Leah on their nomination and thanks all applicants who went through the nominating process. “I am grateful to the Committee members for their dedication, hard work, and thoughtful consideration, to the applicants for their demonstrated commitment to our community which was further evidenced by their courageous willingness to participate in our rigorous selection process, and to the broader Scarsdale community for its support of the SBNC's efforts to help shape the excellence of the Scarsdale schools and ensure student success and wellbeing,” noted Valerie Phillips, Chair of the SBNC for 2023-24.
Voters in the School District are encouraged to vote on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 in the Scarsdale Middle School Gym. In addition to voting for two School Board seats, District voters will also be voting on a proposed School District Budget for the 2024-25 school year.
For more information on the SBNC, please visit our website at https://scarsdalesbnc.org/ or contact the SBNC Chair at sbncchair@gmail.com
Please Participate
Scarsdale is fortunate to maintain a nonpartisan election process for the Board of Education that selects candidates based solely on their qualifications to serve, not on their campaigning abilities or positions on specific issues. Informed and engaged residents willing to serve on the SBNC and the School Board, along with voter participation, help to ensure the highest quality school board leadership. Please consider serving or suggesting other school district residents to fill future vacancies. You can do so at any time by emailing sbncchair@gmail.com
In addition, please consider a donation to the SBNC. The SBNC elections and process are financed by your contributions alone. Donations are solely used for running the SBNC elections and not towards any candidate. Any amount would be appreciated. Please click here to donate.
Utility Pole Fire Closes Mamaroneck Road in Scarsdale
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The following account and photos were contributed by Sharon Dizenhuz:
(Updated 8 am on April 4, 2024) A raging electrical fire Wednesday afternoon April 3, 2024 brought traffic to a standstill on the corner of Griffen Avenue in Scarsdale at the junction where Mamaroneck Road becomes Old White Plains Road. The blaze began after 4:30 in the minutes after what appeared to be a tree or a utility pole fell across Mamaroneck road. Cars wisely chose not to drive under the space below the fallen pole, turning around on Mamaroneck Road. We were among them, and just as we were about to call 911, we saw a Scarsdale fire truck with flashing lights heading towards the scene, so we held off. 
It is unclear if that truck actually stayed at the scene. In the time it took to get on the Hutchinson Parkway to exit 11 and approach the intersection from Griffen, the toppled tree had become a blazing inferno, with flames reaching 10 feet or so across and 6-8 feet high. The acrid smell of electrical fire filled the air, as did gray clouds of smoke.
Mamaroneck cops held the barrier just before Carriage House Lane on Griffen. A patrolman on duty said he was not aware of the origin of the blaze, indicating that with the high water table in the area, trees often fall on power lines when there is a lot of rain. There is a transformer at the intersection of Griffen Avenue and Mamaroneck Road, but it is on the opposite side of the street to where the blaze was visible from Griffen. It was not clear if there were two fires or one. Mamaroneck police secured Griffen because it seemed that the fire was just a few feet into their jurisdiction. The patrolman on duty stated that he was expecting that the Mamaroneck Fire Department would be “rolling in any minute.” I was unable to see if Scarsdale Police or the Fire Department were on the scene at the Scarsdale side of the blaze. Homes in the area lost power.
Rain and high winds continued throughout the day and night. As of 8 am on April 4, Scarsdale Police reported the following road closures due to downed trees/wires: Mamaroneck Road between Barker Lane and Griffen Ave, Morris Lane between Heathcote Road and Richbell Road, Sprague Road at the Border of New Rochelle, and Oxford Road between Cambridge Road and Park Road.
As of the morning of April 4, many are without power. including residents around Mamaroneck Road near the site of the fire. See the Con Ed map here to report an outage and to see the estimated restoration time.
Griffen Avenue closed later due to flooding.
Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party Candidates Meet Voters
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Michael Curti, Jeremy Wise and Ken Mazer: Photo by Lisa VanGundyOn Sunday, March 10th the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party (SCNPP) held a “Meet the Candidates” event at the Scarsdale Public Library. The SCNPP candidates for Village Trustee and Village Justice met Scarsdale voters in an informal, “up close and personal” setting.
Approximately 40 Scarsdale voters chatted with the SCNPP slate in anticipation of the upcoming Scarsdale Village election on Tuesday, March 19.
Michael V. Curti, the current Village Justice of the Village of Scarsdale is seeking a full term on the bench. Prior to his appointment as Justice, Curti was Associate Justice for the Village from April 2022-December 2023. Justice Curti chatted with several voters, who also met the Curti family. When asked about his legal background, Curti shared that his public service includes tenures as Corporation Counsel of the City of Yonkers, Westchester County assistant district attorney and principal law secretary in New York State Supreme Court.
First-time Trustee candidate and 33-year Scarsdale resident Jeremy “Jerry” Wise spoke to a number of attendees about his deep experience in local government. Jerry’s interest in good government began in high school and was honed throughout college at Columbia and law school at Boston College. Wise was appointed and served 23 years as the Chief Legal Officer of the NY State entity created to assist in the financial recovery of Nassau County. His responsibilities included long term financial planning, review of budgets and contracts, and facilitating bond issuances.
Jerry Wise joins current Trustees seeking second terms, Jeremy Gans and Ken Mazer on the SCNPP ticket. Gans and Mazer have served on the Board of Trustees since April 2022.
Trustee Mazer met the voters and discussed his experience on the Village Board. Ken chaired the Village Board committees on Personnel and Parks, Recreation & Conservation. In addition to discussing Village government, Mazer was asked about the Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Department, which he has served for 24 years with Company #2. During this time, Ken was a Lieutenant for 12 years and President for 8 years.
Trustee Gans could not attend the event. Prior to becoming a Trustee, he served on the Zoning Board of Appeals from 2016-2022. Jeremy was President of the Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club 2016-2019. The Gans family includes Jeremy’s wife Lisa, and children Jason, a sophomore at Cornell University, Aaron, a sophomore at Scarsdale High School, and Evan, a seventh grader at Scarsdale Middle School.
Joe Zakierski, Chairperson of the SCNPP Campaign Committee was pleased with the turnout and thanked the many voters in attendance. In closing, Joe reminded everyone to vote on March 19 and that detailed biographies of the candidates are posted on the SCNPP website, (scarsdalecitizens.org).
Zakierski noted that several attendees were new residents interested in knowing more about our Village government and the election process. Since 1930, Scarsdale Village elections have been held under the Non-Partisan System. The Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party (SCNPP) is the principal element of the Non-Partisan System. For information about the Non-Partisan System and the SCNPP, visit their website here.
The upcoming Village Election is Tuesday, March 19 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Polls for all Election Districts are at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road. All registered voters who are also Scarsdale residents may vote. Early Voting and Absentee Ballots are also available.
Early Voting Ballots (all voters eligible) and Absentee Ballots (voters must meet eligibility requirement) are available at Village Hall and on the Village website. Visitors to Village Hall may fill out the appropriate application, receive the ballot and submit their vote in one trip.
Tuesday, March 12 was the last day for the Village Clerk to receive applications for Absentee Ballots to be mailed to qualified voters. Voters can still get an Absentee Ballot application (1) online from Village’s website, (2) in-person at the Village Clerk’s Office in Village Hall by Monday, March 18, or visit the SCNPP website “Voter Information” page and scroll down to the links for Voter Registration and Absentee Ballots.
Drop off Early Voting and Absentee Ballots in-person (1) in the drop box at the Scarsdale Public Library any time before polls close at 9 pm, or (2) in the drop box at Village Hall any time before it closes at 5 pm. Completed absentee ballots sent via mail must be received by Village Hall by Election Day before 5 pm.
