Convenience Store to Open at Hartsdale Train Station
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Starbucks formerly held the concession at the Hartsdale Train Station.The first blast of frigid weather last week in Westchester was a sad reminder that the station house in Hartsdale is still not open. Even though there is a heated overpass, this leaves most commuters outside on a freezing platform awaiting the train.
Why is it taking so many years for Metro North to find a new tenant for the station house? Starbucks vacated the property during the COVID crisis and the building has now been shuttered and empty since 2021. Train riders no longer can use the bathrooms, stay warm or enjoy a cup of coffee. In better times locals congregated at tables inside and outside the station and the venue was a place to meet. Since that time Enrico's bakery in Hartsdale has also closed, taking away their sidewalk cafe too.
We contacted Ray Raimundi from the MTA Press Office who had some news. He reports that the MTA signed a lease with Airport Mart, Inc for a food, beverage and convenience store. He has no further details about what will be inside and when it will open.
We assume the business will be similar to a 7-Eleven, but don’t know whether or not there will be tables and chairs for customers or if any fresh food will be offered. A Chestnut Market, which is another snack and beverage store, is also slated to open across the street at the gas station at 240 East Hartsdale Avenue.
The station house in Scarsdale has also been closed, but the Village of Scarsdale recently issued an RFP to find a food vendor to re-open the building.
We’ll continue to follow this and send you updates when available.
Back-to-Back Sellouts in Scarsdale
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- Written by Bill Doescher
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The New Choral Society performs two sold out concerts of Handel's Messiah at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church. (Photo credit: Steven Schnur)The New Choral Society (NCS) has done it again.
NCS, in its 58th and 59th consecutive performances of Georg Friedrich Handel’s Messiah, the always well-prepared musical organization once again registered back-to-back sellouts on Friday evening, Dec. 6, and Sunday afternoon on Sunday, Dec. 8, to the delight of its enthusiastic concert-goers of all ages at both events.
The sellouts took place in the Sanctuary at the Hitchcock Presbyterian Church on Greenacres Avenue in Scarsdale.
In his 31st consecutive year at the helm, Maestro Dr. John T. King, artistic director and conductor who founded NCS in 1994, was as usual his energetic self while directing the 48 choral singers and 14 orchestra members who kept their eyes continuously glued and clearly focused on their leader during the performances.
Many of the singers had continuous smiles on their faces for the entire 75-minute performances of the Messiah. They absolutely seemed to be enjoying themselves while performing as the two audiences did the viewing and listening.
One of those steady smiles came from Soprano Liv Redpath, who was the last soloist of four to stand-up and perform. It was Redpath’s debut with NCS, and it was most noticeable that she was thoroughly enjoying her own “very professional” performance as well as the singing of all the other performers and the other soloists.
Redpath, a graduate of Harvard University and The Juilliard School, according to the concert’s program, “has been hailed as possessing such a radiant voice, effortless even in the highest register with breathtaking coloratura, the likes of which have not been heard for a long time.”
The other three Messiah soloists also had their moments of greatness. They included Anne Marie Stanley, Mezzo-Soprano; David Portillo, Tenor, and Sean Michael Plumb, Baritone. Portillo and Plumb appeared by courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Always willing to experiment for a better and clearer sound for his educated audiences, Dr. King for these 2024 Messiah concerts reconfigured the NCS singers in the line-up with the basses and sopranos closely melded together and the same for the tenors and altos. Members of the orchestra were entirely at their familiar posts.
It was indeed another success story for NCS.
Dr. John T. King backstage with soloists David Portillo, Sean Michael Plumb, Liv Redpath and Anne Marie Stanley
CNC Invites Public to Organization Meeting Wednesday Night December 4
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Citizens Nominating Committee welcomes 12 newly elected members and invites the public to observe its first meeting Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 8:00 PM. The meeting will be held in the Scott Room at the Scarsdale Public Library. Members of the public wishing to attend the public portion of the organization meeting are more than welcome to attend.
Come to the meeting to learn more about Scarsdale's non-partisan system for selecting candidates to run for Village office on the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party slate.
The CNC consists of 30 elected Scarsdale residents who represent their neighborhood election units (Edgewood, Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Heathcote and Quaker Ridge). New members are elected to the CNC each November to serve staggered three-year terms. The volunteer group will meet over 5-6 meetings from November through January to seek, interview, and evaluate potential candidates to run for Village office. This year the CNC will nominate individuals to run for Mayor and three Trustee positions. The General Village Election will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Scarsdale's non-partisan system has been operating successfully for over 100 years, following a contentious election in 1909. The goal of the non-partisan system is to attract qualified citizens who would otherwise avoid campaigning but would be willing to run for office. The CNC's deliberations and due diligence on all potential nominees is kept confidential to further encourage well-qualified volunteers to apply for a spot on the non-partisan slate. Potential candidates also have the option to run for office outside of the Non-Partisan System under provisions of New York State law.
Are you interested in running for the position of Trustee or Mayor? Do you know someone who would serve the Village of Scarsdale well? Contact any elected member of the CNC, or inform the CNC Chair, Raju Sitaula at 917-613-7058 or raju.sitaula@gmail.com; or CNC Vice Chair, Scott Harris at 914-419-2497 or scottbharris@aol.com.
The current elected members of the CNC are:
Alex Forschner
Alli Seiden
Allison Zolot
Amy Frank
Anne Gilhool
Aubrey Claude Phillibert II
Beth Altschuler
Brian Bandsma
Brian Culang
Caryn Margolis
Casey Lehman
Dan Kovel
Daniel Besikof
Daniela Retelny
Emily Finn
Emily Mervis
Jeannie Rosenthal
Jeff Weiland
Jessica Weintrob
Jill Spielberg
Joseph Zakierski
Laura Thierer
Lia Tchorni
Liang Leon Xin
Matt Easton
Ryad Vachha
Scott Group
Thippawan Jittiwasurat
Thomas Dundon
Zhendi Shi
School Board Nominating Committee Election Results for Class of 2025
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Ten candidates were elected on December 4, 2024 to join the roster of the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee.
The following candidates were elected:
Edgewood:
Jason Andrus
Boning Liu
Nicole Sternberg
Fox Meadow:
Elaine Wan
Wenchun Wu
Heathcote:
Cynthia Xiaoyue Li
Simon Liebel
Joel Steinhaus
Cindy True
Quaker Ridge:
Jaye Weisbrod
A total of 63 votes were cast in the election, 63 in person and 0 by mail-in ballot. Vote totals for committee members, by neighborhood, were as follows:
Edgewood – 13
Fox Meadow – 31
Heathcote – 8
Quaker Ridge – 11
This year’s new SBNC members will join the continuing members of the committee, each serving a three-year term on the SBNC followed by a 2-year term as part of the SBNC Administrative Committee.
The SBNC will have its first meeting on January 12, 2025, and by the beginning of April it will nominate three candidates for the Scarsdale Board of Education to fill the seats currently held by Colleen Brown, Suzie Hahn, and Ron Schulof, whose terms expire at the end of this school year.
All Scarsdale residents are welcome to propose Board of Education candidates to the SBNC chair at sbncchair@gmail.com. The SBNC Board of Education candidates, along with any other candidates who may choose to run, will stand for public election May 20, 2025 at the same time as the school budget vote.
Results of the votes for the resolution amendments will be announced once the outcome has been evaluated by the resolution committee (ensuring accurate reporting of amendments passing or not).
Contact: Christine Weston, 917-783-2199
Friends of Scarsdale Parks Urges the Village to Preserve Green Space
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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(This letter was written by the Friends of Scarsdale Parks)
Dear Mayor Arest, Village Board Members, Village Manager Marshall, Planning Board Chair, Parks & Recreation Superintendent Gray, Public Works Superintendent Coleman, Board of Education, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Drew Patrick:
Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, Inc. (FOSP), a 501(c)3 New York State charitable organization founded in 1957, has long been and remains dedicated to the conservation, restoration, and protection of Scarsdale’s green spaces and ecosystems.
Village parks, recreation fields, and schoolyards are essential elements of what makes Scarsdale a vibrant community. These resources should provide healthy and safe public spaces for Scarsdale's families. But the serious health risks posed by artificial turf are well researched and documented. They include the exposure of children to artificial turf’s toxic substances that can be ingested and inhaled, more frequent and severe injuries from the compacted surface that artificial turf creates, and a markedly increased heat index given off by artificial turf.
Aside from the health, safety, and environmental hazards posed by artificial turf, FOSP is opposed to the proposed conversion of any of the grass recreational fields in Scarsdale Village to artificial turf because of the damage it causes to local ecosystems by reducing natural water-absorbing grass and soil, and the adverse impacts synthetic turf installations could have on the village’s management of stormwater. In addition, enormous costs are associated with the maintenance, disposal, and replacement of this harmful, short-lived synthetic material.
FOSP encourages the village and school district to plan instead for the conservation of existing green spaces, for planting additional canopy shade trees annually, and for better maintenance of the village’s and school district's natural ecosystems.
Sincerely,
Members of the Board, Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, Inc.:
Betsy H. Bush
Kay Eisenman, Scarsdale Village Trustee, emerita
Madelaine Eppenstein, FOSP President
Timothy B. King
Jeannie Mackler
Richard Reuter
Cynthia V. Roberts, FOSP Vice President
