Candidates Sought for Associate Village Justice
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The Judicial Qualifications Advisory Committee is seeking individuals interested in serving as Scarsdale’s Associate Village Justice.
The Committee welcomes all qualified applicants who live in the Village of Scarsdale and are members in good standing of the New York State Bar with courtroom experience.
The Associate Village Justice serves in the absence or incapacity of the Village Justice. The Committee screens candidates for this position and reports their assessment of the candidate’s qualifications to the Mayor. The Mayor then makes the appointment with confirmation by the Village Board of Trustees. The position is open as Associate Village Justice Michael Curti was appointed to fill the term of the retired Village Justice. The term of the Associate Village Justice is one year, beginning April 01, 2024. The Associate Justice may be reappointed for additional one-year periods, each commencing on the first Monday in April of the year in question.
Interested persons should send a letter of interest and resume to Stephen Sage by email to personnel@scarsdale.com or by United States Postal Mail to 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale, New York 10583. The deadline for receipt of materials is February 16, 2024. If the Committee wishes to interview a candidate, they will contact the candidate directly after the deadline for submissions has passed.
High School Students Invited to Apply for Students Inside Albany
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Students Inside Albany (SIA) Conference: Sunday, May 19, 2024, through Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Albany
Deadline for Application: Monday, February 5. 2024
LWVS SIA 2024 Application and Instructions
Students may open and copy the application to edit and then submit via email to LWVSyouthprograms@gmail.com.
LWVS invites high school students to submit applications to attend the Students Inside Albany (SIA) Conference. Any 10th grade, 11th grade, or 12th grade student who attends Scarsdale High School or who resides in the school district is eligible to apply.
This year, the New York State LWV Education Foundation and LWV of Scarsdale will fund the expenses for at least one highly qualified Scarsdale student, selected from an outstanding pool of applicants. The conference will continue to be free for students to attend.
The program is designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, enacted and changed in New York State and educate them as to how they can influence and affect this process. Traditionally, the conference brings approximately 60 students from across the state to Albany to get a first-hand education about their state government. The highlight for most students is the opportunity to shadow their state representatives, with many students getting the opportunity to attend a session on the chamber floor. Follow this link to the LWVNYS pamphlet for additional information.
Scarsdale students who attended this program in the past were unanimous in their enthusiasm about the program. Follow this link to read an article about SIA written by Scarsdale’s two student representatives who attended the in-person conference held in 2019.
For more information, view LWVNYS’s recap of the conference held in 2023 and LWVNYS’s SIA 2023 brochure.
Please contact LWVSyouthprograms@gmail.com for more information.
Playgrounds, Courts and Parks to be Upgraded in Scarsdale
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How do Scarsdale’s playgrounds rate in popularity and which ones are in the best and worst conditions? Which ones needs to be upgraded or replaced all together?
How are the tennis courts faring and when was the last time they were resurfaced?
How much will it cost to replace the bathrooms at Crossway?
These are just a few of the questions answered in an inventory of Scarsdale’s recreational facilities presented by Recreation Supervisor Brian Gray to the Board of Trustees at a budget work session on Tuesday night January 16, 2024.
The in-depth analysis of all the facilities run by the Recreation Department provides a look at the wide range of resources available to Scarsdale resident as well as the cost of maintaining and upgrading them. In preparation for the 2024-25 Village budget, trustees asked Gray to let them know the state of the facilities and to provide estimates for any prospective work to be done.
First, on the playgrounds, the Village manages ten playgrounds ranging in size from 2,300 square feet at Wynmor Park to 11,950 at Hyatt Park. The most popular of these are Hyatt and Davis Park, and the least used are Wynmor and Colonial Acres Park.
Which ones are most in need of replacement? Of the ten playgrounds, Greenacres is in the worst shape – along with Willow Playground. In best condition are Wynmor and Hyatt Park.
Slated for a total replacement in 2022/23 was Greenacres at a cost of $100,00 - $110,000. That project has not moved forward as yet, but residents are hopeful that the work on the 3,744 square foot playground, built between 1996-99, will be done in the coming year.
Also in poor condition are the playgrounds at the pool and the one at Aspen Park, which is rated “aging and outdated.” The Village’s newest playground at Wynmor Park is only 2,300 square feet but is in good condition with a play structure and working swings.
Take a look at the state of your playground in the presentation here:
The Village’s tennis courts at Crossway, the high school, the middle school, Brite Avenue, and Wymor Park are evaluated in the inventory too. At Crossway the Village plans to spend $85,900 to repair linear cracks, depressions and resurface the courts in 2024/25.
At the high school, crack repair and resurfacing are needed and planned for the 2025/26 fiscal year at a cost of $73,900. At the middle school, $55,900 has been allocated this year to address, cracks, dips and resurfacing.
No maintenance has been done at the courts at Brite Avenue since 2002, but the har tru courts appear to be in usable condition.
The Platform tennis courts at the high school and Brite Avenue require annual maintenance including painting, tightening the screens and repairs at a cost of $13,000 per year.
Beyond the recreational facilities themselves, Gray reviews work needed on retaining walls, storage containers and the comfort station at Crossway which is need of a total replacement at a cost of $250,000.
Also included is a review of both the revenues and expenses for the Weinberg Nature Center. Programming revenue brought in $166,474 in 2022-23 with expenses at $184,078, so the center is operating at a deficit, but not a big one.
Following this holistic review, the Board ask Gray to set priorities and return with a list of what he thinks should be address in the coming year and beyond.
Take a look at the state of our recreational facilities here.
11 Elected to School Board Nominating Committee
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11 candidates have been elected to join the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee for 2024. The following candidates were elected:
Edgewood – Shivi S. Bansal, Owen Elliott, Mimi Robinson
Fox Meadow – Adam Hellegers
Greenacres – Amadally Hosseinbukus, Lisa Purcell, Kristen Zakierski Heathcote – Ken Meyerson, Saum Shetty
Quaker Ridge – Alissa Baum, Kamala Vittal
A total of 188 votes were cast in the election: 147 in person, 42 by mail-in ballot. Vote totals by neighborhood were as follows:
Edgewood: 70 Fox Meadow: 10 Greenacres: 54 Heathcote: 32 Quaker Ridge: 22
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 21, 2024, and by the end of March it will nominate 2 candidates for the Scarsdale Board of Education to fill the seats currently held by James Dugan and Jessica Resnick-Ault 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 Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at the same time as the school budget vote.
The Spelling Bee is Back
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Scarsdale residents are buzzing with excitement about the return of the ever-popular Spelling Bee, hosted by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. This community event hits the sweet spot for family fun and will be the Friends’ primary fundraiser for 2024, supporting the hive of activity that we all know as the Scarsdale Public Library.
Spectators of all ages will gather at the Scarsdale High School auditorium on Friday, March 1, at 7:30pm, for a night of stellar spelling and trivia, featuring 2006 SHS alumnus Josh Milstein as emcee—or should we say em-Bee. Mayor Justin Arest, Library Director Beth Bermel, and NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin will serve as judges. Audience admission is $20 for adults, and $10 for anyone under 18 years old.
Fifteen teams of three adults each will compete in multiple swarms, and there will also be a separate set of teen rounds. Winners will receive prizes, bragging rights, and more! Get your teams together—this event fills up quickly! Team registration is $180 for adults; $75 for high-schoolers, and Spelling Bee tee shirts and water bottles will be provided. Be sure to avoid the sting of disappointment: Sign up before the February 12 deadline!
Interested in becoming an event sponsor? There are opportunities for corporate and individual donors. This is also a perfect time to join the Friends of the Scarsdale Library for the first time or renew your commitment to FOSL.
The Friends of the Scarsdale Library plays a pivotal role in sponsoring popular SPL programs, from a variety of children’s events and star-powered book talks to inspiring writers’ workshops and more. Help us keep the momentum going: Attend the Friends of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee on Friday, March 1, at 7:30pm. (Snow date: Friday, March 8th.)
For details about sponsorships or any questions, please contact the event co-chairs:
Mary Pat Jones and Lauren Rubino,
foslspellingbee@gmail.com
FRIENDS OF THE SCARSDALE LIBRARY is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that supports the Scarsdale Public Library through volunteer service and cultural and educational activities. Any donations to the Friends supports special programs, services and additions to the collection.
