Anti-Semitic Incident at Local Synagogue
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Rabbi Jeffrey Brown and President Donna Ruskin of Scarsdale Synagogue Tremont Temple Emanuel on Ogden Road reported that a children's block bearing a pro-Hitler phrase was found in the art room of the school wing on the evening of April 14, 2015. The block was found by someone from Test Takers, a tutoring group that rents space at the temple.
The synagogue's security officer notified the Scarsdale Police who conducted a full security sweep of the property and the building. The temple is open with security measures in place and increased police presence.
According to an April 15 notification from the synagogue, "concern is magnified today because this incident was connected to space used by our children. And on top of that, we are distressed because of the timing of the incident. Tonight marks the beginning of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)."
SSTTE will hold a joint commemoration of Yom HaShoah with Shaarei Tikvah on Wednesday night April 15 at 7 pm.
Big Night Out Has A Big Impact in Westchester
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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On Friday, March 27, 2015, the Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) hosted BIG NIGHT OUT: Big Night, Big Causes, Big Impact. Over 300 guests joined the JLCW in celebration of the launch and success of the JLCW Westchester County Diaper Bank.
The JLCW Westchester County Diaper Bank is a joint effort with the Westchester County Government to end the silent epidemic of diaper deprivation. "Diapers are a basic need for children – as essential as food and shelter," said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. "I want to thank the Junior League of Central Westchester for this tremendous partnership. Along with the county's Department of Social Services (DSS), together we are working to keep babies clean, safe and healthy."
The event honored The Acceleration Project and its co-founders, Lisa Tretler and Jane Veron for sharing in its commitment to tapping the potential of women.
Guests enjoyed wonderful food and drinks from local area restaurants and beverage purveyors, including Andreas 25 North, Caperberry Events, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Char, Dolphin, Frankie & Fanucci's, Kumo Sushi Lounge, Lulu Cake Boutique, MS Walker, Morton's The Steakhouse, Niko's Greek Taverna, Penny Lick Ice Cream Company, Sapori, Slovenia Vodka, The Fresh Market, Usquaebach and Zachys Wine & Liquor.
Attendees were treated to a special musical performance by New York Yankee legend and Grammy nominated musician, Bernie Williams. Diana Gould, Ltd, Total Entertainment and Meagan Newhart Photography also contributed to the wonderful evening.
The JLCW is grateful to all of its 2015 sponsors, particularly its Crown Jewel Sponsors, Pepe Infiniti, the host of Big Night Out, and Morgan Stanley, a founding sponsor of the JLCW Westchester County Diaper Bank. Other gracious sponsors include The Chubb Corporation, Neiman Marcus Group, Advocate Brokerage Corp., GEICO Local Office Westchester, Platinum Drive Realty, Simon Property Group, TD Bank, Sportime, Houlihan Lawrence, Clean Design and Coldwell Banker.
The JLCW thanks everyone for coming out to support them. The evening was a resounding success.
Hip Enough to Eat
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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If you're craving wood-fired pizza, meatballs and roasted vegetables but don't have the patience to wait for a table at Poppeltina or Burrata, here's your best bet. La Fortina of Armonk has opened a second large new venue in the Rye Ridge Shopping Center – and the good news is they take reservations.
The vibe is the same as their place up north – young, hip and a bit loud. The millennial staff is eager to please and greets you with plenty of smiles, advice about the menu and a high-tech ordering system that should guarantee quick service.
Similar to the Armonk venue the restaurant has a long bar, open ceilings and rustic furnishings that feel more like Williamsburg that suburban Rye. I was happy to find a place that felt far away but was only a short drive from Scarsdale.
So what is there to drink and eat? They offer an impressive selection of beers on draft and by the bottle from Germany, Australia, California, Colorado, Maine and more. Mixed drinks include cocktails, and even mocktails for anyone wishing to avoid alcohol. The wine list is extensive with whites, reds, Spumantis and rose from Italy, France and beyond offered by the bottle and the glass. It's worth taking a little time to study the list on the back of the oversized menu before making your selection.
Though at first glance you may think this is just another pizza parlor, you'll be surprised to find an extensive menu with salumie e formaggi, anti-pasti, wood-fired vegetable, pasta made on the premises and entrees including chicken, fish, pork and beef.
We started with an arugula salad with lemon, sweet candied pistachios and shave parmesan and the wood-fired baby carrots with walnut cream and pecorino. All the dishes were large enough for our party of three to share. Our waitress recommended the Luigi Bianco pizza and it could not have been better. The hot, crispy crust was smothered in burrata, robiolona and parmesan cheese and drizzled with black truffles. A rich, earthy delight.
Pasta selection include fresh ravioli, pastasciutto with tomato, basil and parm, baked 
ziti, fusilli with tomato, onion, smoked bacon, chili and pecorino. We ordered the wood-fired paccheri, which are large tube-shaped noodles with vodka-béchamel sauce, baby veal meatballs and parmesan. That dish went quickly!
Since there was a problem with our service– (perhaps the waitress did not hit "enter" on her iPad after she input our order?), we were unexpectedly served a full array of complimentary desserts – all good. If you have room, go for the brown butter bread pudding with maple marscapone. It's a sweet treat that reminded me of Christmas. Also delicious was their homemade soft-serve gelato and the tiramisu.
Prices are reasonable, tables are plentiful and the mood is seriously casual.
It's no wonder why La Fortina is rapidly expanding; they have plans to open in Brooklyn soon!
La Fortina
136 South Ridge Street
Rye Brook, NY
914-937-0900
http://fortinapizza.com/rye-brook/
Monday – Friday 12 pm – all night long
Saturday Dinner starts at 5 pm
Sunday Brunch 12 – 5 pm
Dinner starts at 5 pm
What Happened in Utica Stays in Utica
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Perhaps the community is wondering what ever happened when Scarsdale High School students flocked to support the Raiders at their semi-final hockey game in Utica, New York on March 14. It was a big trip and, to many parents' concern, some students stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn Express near the stadium. Yet, there were no widely known scandals. No emergency parent group meetings. Utica came and went, and everyone arrived home safely. My friends and I wonder how we possibly pulled an adventure off like that without any serious mania. We did, and it was incredible.
On the easy three hour drive up to Utica, it was exciting to spot the proverbial "Scarsdale Raiders" bumper sticker on the windows of other cars driving down the highway and to look over and see a fellow classmate bopping their head to their own road trip playlist. Sleepy rest stops in quiet upstate towns were teaming with Scarsdale students and echoing with the kind of high school chatter that usually fills Langes on Friday afternoons. (One boy even told a story of running into a high school administrator in a rest stop bathroom, and then having to use the urinal next to him.) Most students left at the same time and thus arrived at the stadium at the same time -- all decked out in maroon clothing and face paint. Spirits were high.
At the game, the energy from the cheering fans was unrelenting. In comparison, the McQuiad (the rival team) fan section was subdued, even though their school is much closer to the stadium than ours. The fans were supporting the players throughout the whole game. We cheered for every Scarsdale goal and even encouraged the team after a McQuiad goal. Energy was intense when the teams were tied, but, eventually, those McQuiad goals outnumbered the Scarsdale ones, and the Raiders lost the game 4 - 2. The loss felt tragic, and heads hung low as we all grudgingly headed back to the Holiday Inn Express for the night.
By 9 p.m, however, the mood transformed from sorrow to excitement. After all, the prospect of an unsupervised evening was exciting. It would be like summer camp -- or, more relevant to us seniors, it would be exactly like college. Oh yes, like any classic movie depiction of an out-of-control Big 10 college party it certainly was. All hell broke loose. The class of 2015 completely took over floors two and three, running in and out of rooms and wreaking havoc.
At 10 pm the hotel tried to control everyone and brought out their wartime consigliores'': a team of short middle-aged women with voices louder than the captain of the cheerleading team and presences scarier than the heaviest football player. They were doing what it took to reclaim those second and third floors of their sacred Holiday Inn Express, including threatening to kick kids out of the hotel and searching rooms. They were adding $100 - $200 fines to the bills for rooms that were damaged. Some kid threw a Timberland boot at the manager; others got kicked off the roof. They chased kids out of the pool area, which was definitely filled above maximum capacity.
The team did their job fast, as most students were too scared to leave whatever room they were in by around 11 p.m. My observations end at this time as I only know what happened in my room. I would not dare meet the wrath of those hotel employees by venturing outside.
The next morning was awkward to say the least at the hotel's complimentary buffet breakfast. Eye contact between hotel employees and students was brief, and everyone just tried to get out of there as fast as possible.
On the drive home, we reflected on the amazing season the hockey team had this year and acknowledged how lucky we were to be along for the ride (pun intended). It was the game of the year, and we had all been there supporting the team together. If that is not a priceless high school memory, I do not know what is. When I reached home, my mother asked me how Utica was. "Mom, what happens in Utica, stays in Utica," I replied. That was the end of that.
Library Moves Forward with Improvement Plans
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The Village moved another step forward with plans to renovate and improve the Scarsdale Library at their March 10 meeting when they accepted gifts totaling $105,000 and designated the funds to retain Dattner Architects to further develop the library master plan for a project that is estimated to cost $12 million.
The Scarsdale Library Board has been formulating plans to renovate and expand the building to improve services, better use the space, enhance its technological capacity and create a physical environment that will be a "welcoming and versatile learning center." The Board retained architects to do a master plan that was completed in 2013 and estimates that the total project cost will be $12 million. The Village Board has asked the Library Board to raise $4.5 million and will match this with a contribution of $4.5 million in funds. An additional $3 million will need to be raised to complete the entire project, which will be done in three phases. The plan is to keep the library open during all phases of construction.
At the Board meeting on Tuesday night they accepted a gift of $75,000 from Steven and Barbara Kessler and $30,000 from the E. Wachs Foundation in memory of Elise Maas. The funds will be used to pay for architectural services for schematic designs, design development, construction bid document preparation and bid analysis.
Trustee Stacey Brodsky, who served as the Trustee Liaison to the Library Board said, "The Board will undertake an enormous fundraising campaign to fund renovations and changes to the library to make it a library of the 21st century. Our community is accustomed to giving modest gifts to the Friends of the Library but now the library is looking for real generosity from the community to help develop the library, which is our community space. They plan to build the library that our community wants. The master plan came directly from interviews and focus groups with community members. The Village has in principal agreed to match $4.5 of funds raised --but it will be a $12 million project – not $9 million. The library is asking you to think what it means to you. Please respond when the campaign goes public."
Library Director Elizabeth Bermel said, "We are thrilled to take this next 
major step toward our goal of transforming the Library into a wonderful space for the whole community to enjoy. We know that big changes are needed to meet the expectations of our residents and we are so grateful to the generous donors who are helping make this happen."
