Edgemont Newcomers Gather for Potluck Evening
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- Written by Ali Farfel
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On the evening of Saturday, Januay 25th, as the snow fell and the temperature dropped outside, forty Edgemont residents stayed warm inside Laura Kim's newly renovated home in the Cotswolds. Members of the Edgemont Newcomers Club (ENC) and their spouses were enjoying a potluck dinner, featuring lively conversation and homemade dishes from baked salmon and chicken curry to mocha cake and pear tart.
The potluck dinner was just one of many yearly ENC gatherings. The ENC is a volunteer-run social club designed to meet the needs of new and nearly new families in the community. Former Edgemont resident and New Zealand native Louise Bull founded the ENC in 2010 when it branched off from the ever-growing Scarsdale New Residents Club. Recognizing that the stress of moving and adjusting to a new place can often be overwhelming, Louise, as a new resident herself, saw value in assisting others in the same situation.
The ENC not only connects newcomers with others who understand the experience and know the community, the club also brings the opportunity for socializing and fun. In addition to dinners, the ENC hosts monthly coffee mornings and frequent outings, such as visits to area art exhibits, gardens, and restaurants. These activities help club members bond; they also help familiarize new residents with the area.
Many ENC events are captured by club photographer (and Saturday evening's host) Mrs. Kim. The dinner was so much fun, though, that she forgot to take pictures!
To find out more about the Edgemont Newcomers Club, click here:
Register Now for the Young Writers' Workshop
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Registration now is open for the 19th Annual Scarsdale Young Writers' Workshop. This community event for third to fifth graders is scheduled for Saturday, March 22, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, at Scarsdale Middle School. Once again, this promises to be a fantastic morning with many new and interesting workshops, as well as favorites from the past.
The event will begin with a keynote address by C. Alexander London, author of the An Accidental Adventure and Dog Tags series of children's books. London, who also writes for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War) and teens (Proxy), is a former journalist who reported from combat zones and refugee camps. He now is a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY. A sought-after speaker at schools, he'll teach two interactive "master workshops" following his keynote address.
London will be joined by 36 talented professionals from the worlds of book publishing, journalism, technology, music, politics, art and more who'll share their experience with students. 
This year, the Y.W.W. welcomes a former presidential speechwriter, a senior advisor to a U.S. senator, a 30-year veteran of The Wall Street Journal, the co-founder of Colin Cowie Lifestyle and dozens of other accomplished New Yorkers. These experts will help students develop skills in a wide range of media, from pop art, song composition and public speaking, to criticism, story and character development and the art of the interview.
The Young Writers' Workshop will partner with two local cultural organizations – the Jacob Burns Film Center and Writopia Lab. Jacob Burns Film Center is a Pleasantville, NY-based non-profit cultural arts center dedicated to presenting the best of independent, documentary and world cinema; promoting 21st Century literacy; and, making film a vibrant part of the community. Writopia Lab is a New York City-based creative writing program for kids and teens, with a new location in Hartsdale, NY. Both organizations will provide teaching artists to participate in the event.
Giving Back
As in past years, students will have the opportunity to give back to local communities by donating school supplies for needy children at the workshop. The goal is to collect notebooks, boxes of pencils and erasers and provide them to underprivileged students to encourage their creativity.
Registration takes place online at www.youngwritersworkshop.eventbrite.com from January 22 through February 14. Registrations after February 14 will be assessed a $10 late fee and are subject to workshop availability. (Registrations will not be accepted after February 26.)
Scarsdale's Linda Lieberman Named President of Hadassah Chapter
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Elana Chapter of Hadassah, based in White Plains, kicked off its 40th anniversary year by installing a new executive board. Outgoing Chapter President Gale Friedland installed the new officers: President – Linda Ettinger Lieberman of White Plains; Vice Presidents of Education - Yvette Lawrie of Greenburgh; Fund Raising – Elaine Glover and Louise Sanet of White Plains; Membership – Abbe Goodman of White Plains; Programming – Wendy Hollander of Edgemont and Cindy Dickstein of Riverdale; Corresponding/Recording Secretary- Eileen Allen of Scarsdale; and Treasurer – Diane Wilensky of Eastchester.
The Elana Chapter was chartered December 3, 1973 in White Plains. Founded by Harriette Ketover, formerly of Brooklyn, who resided in White Plains at the time, the group met at Temple Bet Am Shalom and local homes. With 377 members, all but 10 life members, the Elana Chapter has an active book club, holds film screenings, trips to Jewish and other cultural sites, as well as game days for those avid players of mah jongg, bridge and board games. It hosts many speakers on topics of interest to its members, mostly in their 50s – 70s. New members and transfers are welcome. Call 914-472-3626 or e-mail ElanaChapterofHadassah@gmail.com for further information.
Scarsdale Bowl Awarded to SVAC President David Raizen
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David Raizen, President of the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps has been picked to be the 2014 recipient of Scarsdale's highest honor – the Scarsdale Bowl. David who is a Scarsdale native will be the youngest recipient in the Bowl's 71-year history. The Bowl is awarded each year since 1943 to on who has given "unselfishly of their time, energy, and effort to the civic welfare of the community". David has toiled tirelessly and creatively for almost four decades to improve and save the lives of Scarsdale's residents both as an EMT and as President of the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
"David Raizen is an extraordinary volunteer who has dedicated himself to safeguarding the health and well-being of every resident of Scarsdale" stated David Brodsky President of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. The Bowl Committee is made up of a diverse group of 15 community volunteers that selects the honoree after reviewing many worthy candidates who are nominated by residents.
David Brodsky described the reaction of the committee members who voted to honor Raizen: "The committee was impressed by the selfless dedication David has brought to his almost forty years of service to the community and recognized that every resident can sleep a little sounder knowing that should they or a loved one need emergency medical assistance that it is only minutes away. The quiet steadfastness of David's efforts over four decades to create and maintain a state of the medical emergency response team has been nothing short of extraordinary." From emergency runs to the hospital to supplying ice at hot humid graduations to taking care of the pets of those who have been taken to the hospital Brodsky continued, "David has positively impacted the lives of almost every resident of Scarsdale and he has done so without asking for praise or thanks. He embodies all of the attributes of the ideal Bowl recipient – the unselfish devotion of time for the civic welfare."
David will be honored at the Scarsdale Bowl Dinner on April 9th at the newly renovated Fountainhead in
New Rochelle. Brodsky encourages all member of the community to attend the dinner. "This is an opportunity to celebrate not only our honoree but our community where so many people give of their talents and energies to help this Village be one of the finest residential communities on the county. Come to thanks David and stay to enjoy a wonderful evening with friends and neighbors." Anyone wishing to attend should go on line to scarsdalebowldp@gmail.com to request an invitation.
After the vote last Sunday evening, delegates from the Bowl Committee including David Brodsky, Scarsdale Foundation President Richard Toder, secretary/treasurer Deborah Pekarek and committee members Michelle Lichtenberg, George Lindsay and Carolyn Stevens went to Raizen's home on Aspen Road to inform him of his selection. Raizen appeared shocked and confessed to being overwhelmed and humbled by his selection for Scarsdale's highest honor.
Maybe it was because David grew up here in Scarsdale that he caught the 'volunteer bug" early. While a student at Scarsdale High School, David and his friend Steve Rambone (who is now a Middle School teacher here in Scarsdale ) took a first aid and CPR course in 1975. Marty Joel and Kay Mencher, who then ran SVAC asked if he and Steve could help out around the place and assist them in building bedrooms so that the paramedics on duty overnight could get some sleep. Not old enough to be a emergency medical technician, David started doing electrical work and Steve started doing the carpentry works and other odd jobs around the place. David couldn't wait to be allowed to 'ride' as part of the ambulance crew but you had to be 18 to be a to be an EMT. David spent two years helping out and taking his training – and took his first ride on his 18th birthday. Forty years later David is still helping out, still riding – and has worked over these past 40 years to make SVAC one of the finest ambulance corps in the county. Through his leadership the corps has grown from 25 volunteers to 75. He upgraded the level of service SVAC provides to advanced life support and kept them on the cutting edge of technology. The soft-billing program (SVAC will bill a patient's insurer and accepts whatever the insurer pays as full payment) he put in place saves Scarsdale residents tens of thousands of tax dollars every year. He worked very hard to help build the new headquarters for the members SVAC – because they deserved a decent place to work. But David does so much more as the committee learned from the recommendations it received. He has mentored Scarsdale High School students in the emergency medical technician program and Scarsdale Fire Explorers providing them with encouragement and training – and teaching them the value of volunteerism. He is always looking out for the residents without us being aware – such as having the SVAC ambulances at a particularly hot graduation with ice water and Gatorade and cooling fans at the ready for the many folks attending graduation, without being asked. When storms have struck and taken out communication systems David has made his way to the Public Safety Headquarters to help out and coordinate communications so that emergency medical aid would always be available to our residents.
Upon graduation from Scarsdale High School in 1978 David attended Hofstra University where he earned a BA. Upon graduation from college in 1982 started his own business – Scarsdale Security. David has a talent for growing things – today Scarsdale Security employs 95 people providing security and surveillance services to many high-end retailers. He lives in Scarsdale with his lovely and supportive "better half" Bettina, their two young children and a foster child.
(Photo at top courtesy of Jon Thaler)
Ben Boykin To Address LWVS on Monday January 13
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Benjamin Boykin II, White Plains Common Council member and County Legislator for District 5, will meet with League members at its general membership meeting on Monday, January 13th, at 10:30 AM at Village Hall, 3rd Floor. Boykin will discuss issues he expects to address in his first term on the County Board of Legislators and take Q & A.
Boykin, a former White Plains Common Councilman was sworn in as a member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) on Monday January 6. He said, "I am looking forward to working with the sixteen other County legislators to hold down property taxes and create new job opportunities for the residents of Westchester," said Boykin. "Government, at all levels, has to take a proactive approach in increasing economic growth and ensuring a level of prosperity for future generations. That's no small task, but I think working together we can achieve success."
Boykin noted that many Westchester residents are still in need of help and support from County government programs, and pledged to preserve childcare subsidies for working mothers while also maintaining services for seniors and at-risk youths.
Boykin succeeds Bill Ryan as County Legislator for District 5. A CPA with an MBA from the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern, Boykin was Assistant Treasurer at RJR Nabisco. He currently is President of his financial consulting firm, Ben Boykin & Associates. He has served on the White Plains Common Council since 2000, including as its President (April to December 2011, 2008-09 and 2002-03), and served on the Board of Education for the White Plains City School District from 1992 to 1999.
