On Our Minds

Details: Written by: Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 10 August 2022; Created: 10 August 2022; Last Updated: 11 August 2022; Hits: 4619

GashiSide1 (Updated August 11, 2022) You only need to look at your mailbox to see that the race for the Democratic nomination for the redrawn Congressional District 16 is heating up. Incumbent Jamaal Bowman is sparring with two members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators for the nomination. Vedat Gashi, a refugee from Kosovo who is Muslim, has been on the Board of Legislators for two terms, and Catherine Parker, a fourth generation resident of Westchester who has served on the County Board of Legislators for nine terms are both posing significant challenges to Bowman’s re-election.

Gashi does not currently live in the district but says he will move here if he wins. Parker lives in Rye, and the entire County Legislative District, which she has represented since 2014, is in the newly-drawn NY-16.

With the primary vote just two weeks away on August 23, Gashi is using the mail to position himself against Bowman, highlighting Bowman’s record in Congress where he voted against President Biden’s infrastructure bill, against military aid for Ukraine and has failed to support Israel.

But Gashi’s most recent mailer, received in home on August 8, 2022, has evoked claims of racism from Bowman. Why? Bowman, who is black, alleges that the mailer pictures a darkened photo of him, making it difficult to see his features, while showing a well-lit picture of Gashi with his white wife and two children.

In an article about the mailer on the website City&State New York dated August 8, 2002, Bowman says, “To be Black in America is to deal with multiple forms of racism on a consistent basis. This is one of them. There is an ugly history behind facial distortion to spread hate and disdain for political purposes. This is why voters were angered.” Gashi2 The Gashi Family pictured on the reverse side of the mailer.

Gashi’s campaign said that the photo was not altered. Campaign Manager Dan Johnson said, ""Of course, we did not alter the photo. We simply took the photo from the incumbent's Facebook page which his campaign has since removed. This is just another example of how he refuses to be held accountable for his failed record. Our campaign is focused on protecting our democratic values and helping families in Westchester and the Bronx thrive.”

Commenting on the Gashi mailer, Scarsdale resident Diane Greenwald said, "What really struck me — and immediately upset me — was the flier’s visual juxtaposition that seems to send an intentional message. Vedat shows himself bright, smiling and surrounded by a beautiful, loving family. In contrast, Bowman is depicted a lone Black man, in sinister shadow. It is a not-so-subtle use of a familiar racist trope of fear and loathing— and its not ok. I am disappointed in Bowman’s job performance as a Congressman, but do admire his strong voice calling for an end to systemic racism. Bowman deserves greater personal respect. I really question any candidate's judgement who pursues this messaging. We are not the party of Willy Horton and I want better than this.”

The situation got even more complicated on August 11, 2022 when a mailer from Catherine Parker was received in Scarsdale homes comparing her positions on Israel to those of Bowman. This mailer pictured Parker with a family that appears to be at a bar mitzvah. In the center of the photo is a young man wearing a yalmulke and a tallit, surrounded by Parker and others who appear to be family. There is no photo caption and it looks as if Parker is jewish and celebrating her son's bar mitzvah.

Asked about the picture her Campaign Manager Carolyn Riggs explained, "Catherine is not Jewish, nor has ever claimed to be. She is pictured with her family and her nephew at his bar mitzvah."

See the mailer below:

ParkerMailer

Details: Written by: Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 02 August 2022; Created: 02 August 2022; Last Updated: 03 August 2022; Hits: 2948

gunsonbed (This is the opinion of Scarsdale10583 site founder Joanne Wallenstein) After a report two weeks ago that a mother in my neighborhood discovered semi-automatic weapons under her son’s bed, I got a crash course in the laws surrounding assault weapons. What’s the difference between a semi-automatic weapon and an assault rifle and which ones are New Yorkers permitted to own? What is a magazine?

I knew that New York State had some of the toughest gun laws in the country but was surprised to learn that it is legal for adults over the age of 21 to purchase and own semi-automatic rifles and semi-automatic pistols with 10 round magazines. New York State law only allows magazines to hold 10 rounds and you can only have a maximum of 7 rounds loaded into the magazine unless you are at a gun range, when you can fill the entire 10 rounds into the magazine.

There are exceptions however.

If a person has a criminal conviction, they cannot purchase such a weapon.

Those who are “dangerously mentally ill” cannot purchase these weapons

Certain weapons, even though they have the capacity to fire 10 rounds or fewer, are illegal in New York State. The Safe Act, passed in 2013, prohibits weapons that have a detachable magazine AND at least one of several different features that make the weapon identifiable as an “assault weapon.”

So the long and short of it is that the vast majority of New Yorkers can legally purchase powerful weapons, that pose a risk to themselves, their families and their neighbors. According to Brady, in 2019, more than 60% of gun deaths, for a total of 23,941 fatalities, were due to suicide. And Everytown for Gun Safety says, “Access to a firearm significantly increases the risk of death by suicide, domestic dispute, homicide, and unintentional gunshot.”

The numbers show that owning guns and storing them at home poses the greatest risk to the gun owner themselves and their families. Though people claim to need guns to protect themselves, in fact owning the gun only increases the chance that they will themselves be the victim when the gun is fired.

So, it seems pretty clear to me that owning and storing guns of any kind in your house is a bad idea. If you know that a loved one is storing a gun in your home, urge them to turn it over to the police. And if you don’t know what’s being stored in your house, get nosey and find out. Look under the bed, inspect your attic and basement and make sure that you’re not harboring weapons that could ultimately harm you, your family or others in our community.

If the guns were purchased legally, you can surrender them to the police. If a relative dies and had a gun you can turn those guns over as well. However, according to the police, “illegally possessed items could still cause for an investigation into the matter of how, why and when they were acquired/possessed.”

Do all your friends in Scarsdale a favor – get rid of your guns.

Details: Written by: Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 18 July 2022; Created: 18 July 2022; Last Updated: 18 July 2022; Hits: 2064

votebutton In Scarsdale, there is an upcoming Democratic Primary Election for the U.S. Congress, District 16. (Please note, there is no Republican primary).

• Now: Residents should check their voter registration status at: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

• July 29: Last day for your voter registration form to be postmarked. Last day to register to vote in person at the Westchester County Board of Elections’ Office (25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601).

Please note the following deadlines regarding ABSENTEE BALLOTS:

• August 8: Last day for the Westchester County Board of Elections to RECEIVE an application for an absentee ballot by mail, email, fax letter, or web portal. The Board of Elections website details the variety of ways to apply for an absentee ballot. Note: Voters may still apply to vote by absentee ballot using the temporary illness clause, which includes being unable to appear due to risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19.

• August 22: Last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot.

• August 23: Election Day. Last day to postmark a completed absentee ballot (must be received by August 30) or submit a completed absentee ballot in person.

The County Board of Elections website provides instructions for completing an absentee ballot.

EARLY VOTING for the August Democratic Primary Election is AUGUST 13-21, 2022:
• You may vote early at any of the designated Early Voting polling locations throughout the County. The Board of Elections website lists all polling locations and hours.

PRIMARY ELECTION DAY is TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022:
You may vote only at your assigned polling location which you can look up here:

For information about the candidates, see Vote411.org, the website the U.S. League maintains with comprehensive information on elections nationwide.

On Monday, July 25, the League of Women Voters of Westchester is holding a Virtual Democratic Candidate Forum for U.S. Congressional District 16. Please register at this link:

Questions regarding voting in the Primary Election should be directed to our LWVS Voter Service Chairs at lwvsvoterservice@gmail.com.

Details: Written by: Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 14 July 2022; Created: 14 July 2022; Last Updated: 14 July 2022; Hits: 2352

tenniscourt (The following was submitted by Bob Harrison)
The 38th season of the Scarsdale Summer Youth Tennis League continues on Monday July 18th for boys and girls ages 6 to 18 through early August on weekday evenings from 6 to 8 PM at the Middle School Tennis Courts .

The program is the best buy in Scarsdale youth sports with more than 28 hours of tennis play for $60 per player.

All players will play round robin matches with players of similar tennis ability and the program concludes with tournaments in each skill level with champion and runner-up trophies and a pizza and ice cream party. All players receive participation trophies.

Players can register by getting an application at the Recreation Department, 244 Heathcote Road or by calling 914 722-1160 and getting an application by e-mail.

For more information, call Bob Harrison, 38 year volunteer , founder and director of the program , at 914 646-4054 or by email at proscars@aol.com . Applications and checks can be made out to the Scarsdale Summer Youth Tennis League and delivered or mailed to Harrison at 65 Fox Meadow Road, Scarsdale , NY 10583.

Details: Written by: Diane Greenwald; Published: 30 June 2022; Created: 30 June 2022; Last Updated: 30 June 2022; Hits: 1828

shscupolacopy This letter was written by Diane Greenwald.
It is unfortunate that the slim report released yesterday about the District payroll tax issues did not come with greater analysis by the board. I hope they will share more in the near future about what this means for the District going forward. Did this report meet their expectations? What did they learn and what questions remain? I want to acknowledge their efforts as intentional and responsible, if not perfect. They are committed to transparency, but they can do more, and I encourage them to consider how. Transparency does not mean all actions are public, but that all actions are contextualized and explained. I hope they will return to the public with greater insights and explain how they will take their learning and concerns forward.

What I think I get from the report and the sanction letters for senior staff, is that this chapter was a mistake, apparently human error without a crime, and hopefully it will be fixed, Scarsdale will eventually get the money back from an understaffed IRS, and new procedures will ensure this error doesn’t happen again. The good news is this mistake did not directly harm children. The bad news is we now know that the former superintendent lied and withheld information, seemingly out of self-serving arrogance, and his senior staff was too disenfranchised or too scared to connect directly with the board on this matter. Many parents in the community, and apparently faculty, have felt the unwelcoming culture that will sadly be Hagerman’s legacy.

Going forward, I will not focus on placing blame or looking for heads to roll. Frankly, even if its warranted, its likely a waste of resources in the highly regulated civil service world. And Hagerman is someone else’s problem now. I personally will be looking for bigger questions to be asked about our district culture, one that has been seemingly dysfunctional. In a school system that is meant to be a model of good will, non sibi, what will the board do now with this information? How can the board help heal divides and address issues that do impact kids, like faculty morale, student wellness, and developing a strategic plan with an actual strategy for investment into innovation and capital projects? Our resources may be ample, but they are finite, and we need tools for decision-making about looming needs. We can improve a budget process so that it better links to student priorities, parent values and faculty expertise in exciting ways! We need welcome.

There is reason for hope. The board has the opportunity now to hire a visionary, compassionate and innovative leader for our wonderful children, faculty and community. The board is on their way. They wrote an excellent RFP for the superintendent search firm, and will hopefully be explaining a vibrant search process, one that is accountable to a public plan on a timeline with ample opportunities for input and understanding. They have not gotten this right in the past, but I hope they will learn going forward. I look forward to learning the ways the community can engage and how the board will reflect their understanding of our collective values.

We, the supportive community, desperately want to trust the board’s leadership. The board can start that positive spiral by trusting us and respecting our capacity for reason and knowledge. I am tired of the mantra that allows parents to be considered toxic. I don’t deny there are entitled (difficult) folks here, but overwhelmingly, parents are the hardworking, supportive backbone of this district. Our children are filled with promise and we value and respect our talented faculty, who help our children grow into contributing global citizens. We need the board to help us come together around these wonderful shared assets.

In the communications that did accompany the report, I applaud the board for expressing commitment to collaboration with the administration, because that is absolutely the goal, to forge successful partnerships. I hope the board will expand focus on many partnerships across all stakeholders, like between board and the community, between faculty and administration, between parents and teachers, and teachers and students! I fear that board language about collaboration with the administration will ring hollow until parents and community can understand and feel changes in approach, attitude and actions. And then the trust will come back.

Thank you to the Board of Education for your fortitude in face of this difficult year. Please redouble your commitment to sharing your critical thinking with us, so we know you hear us and see what we see. Excellence is not perfection but the willingness to reflect and improve. Good luck going forward with your critical task. I am cautiously optimistic so please, prove my hope justified.