The Goods

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Category: The Goods; Published: 27 January 2021

Rippy The Scarsdale Board of Trustees received an outpouring of 93 communications in support of the renaming of Crossway Fields for beloved football coach and mentor Rippy Philipps. According to John McCann, a former President of Maroon and White who is spearheading the campaign, "For a number of years a group of long time residents have been chatting about Rippy and all he has done for the community and over the last few months it has crystallized. around the idea of Crossway."

Philipps grew up on the Crossways in Scarsdale, in a family of three boys and played football and lacrosse at Scarsdale High School. He moved to the city after college, but when he learned that the high school football program was disbanded, due to lack of interest, he moved back to town to revitalize both the high school program and the Scarsdale Youth Football program.

From the letters received, it is evident that Philipps has had a lifelong impact on students, parents and the community at large. He encouraged both natural athletes and those with special needs to play, helped many get into college and mentored them during their college careers.

And how did he get the name Rippy? Older brother Robert explains that when Richard Philipps was born, Robert was unable to say the “ch” and thus Richard became Rippard and was ultimately shortened to Rippy!

According to Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick, a resolution to rename the field will be introduced at a future meeting of the Village Board with opportunity for public comment.

See below for testaments to Rippy encouraging the renaming of the fields:

RippyRaiders

Petition Signed by 45 Families

Dear Board of Trustees,
First, a sincere thanks for your dedicated service to our community. Your efforts help safeguard and enhance that which makes Scarsdale the unique and desirable place it is to raise families. To that end, we, the undersigned, would like the BOT to consider dedicating the football field at the Crossways Athletic Complex to an iconic Scarsdalian, Richard 'Rippy' Philipps. Rippy has spent the last 25+ years tirelessly serving the youth of Scarsdale and that patch of grass is quite literally the epicenter of his work.

For those of you who do not know Rippy, here is a little background. Rippy grew up in Scarsdale, right across from Crossways, happily playing Scarsdale rec sports throughout the year including Football and Lacrosse at SHS. He touts these experiences as instrumental to his success later in life. His journey to community treasure began in the early 1990's when he found out, much to his dismay, the SHS football program was disbanded due to lack of numbers. He knew that just shouldn't be, so he left NYC, moved to Scarsdale and got involved. He knew the key to having any high school sport was to have a vibrant youth program. The Rec program had also fallen on hard times and he began re-invigorating the youth football program with one team of 17 boys and 2 volunteer Dads. What started as a means to an end, quite quickly took Rippy in a different direction and emphasis. This past fall, in a Covid safe environment, the Scarsdale Youth Football program ("SYF") had over 250 kids of all ages and sizes playing flag football and 20+ Teen and Adult volunteers.

Due to Rippy, the SYF program has grown and continually changed with the times and in most instances, he was the driving force for those changes. Rippy not only makes sure new kids to town are welcomed on the field but ensures that there is a place at the lunch table for them in school. He is also inclusive of both boys and girls playing flag and/or contact football as well as children with special needs getting the opportunity to play with their fellow classmates. Lastly, he also makes sure that SYF is on the cutting edge of safety protocols well before it is newsworthy. He continually seeks guidance from any and all experts and meets regularly with whomever can make the experience "for the kids" the best possible. Who has he met with? The NFL, college coaches across the Northeast , medical professionals, Section 1 officials and the staff at SHS to name just a few.

It is not only the youth of Scarsdale that benefits from his actions. He is on the board of The Scarsdale Football League (“SFL”) which began with the towns of Scarsdale and Edgemont. Through his efforts, it now includes Tarrytown, Dobbs Ferry, Carmel, Hastings, Ossining, Yonkers Boys and Girls Club, Mahopac, Lakeland, St Bernards of White Plains and the White Plains Tigers Football Club. In a nutshell, Rippy's POV has always been more teams, more games, more opportunity for all kids to get in the game and play which equals more fun “for the kids”.

Rippy ensured that participating towns also conformed to the safety measures created by SYF thus benefiting countless children county-wide. It is not an understatement to say he has positively touched the lives of literally thousands of children across Westchester.
Rippy was also instrumental in organizing, planning and raising funds for both the original turf and track upgrade at Butler Field as well as the addition of LED lights this past year. Those two projects have added countless hours of convenience and enjoyment for all members of the Scarsdale Community.

Furthermore, Rippy's guidance for the boys and girls of Scarsdale does not stop after 8th grade. He is a confidant to many throughout their high school years and is a relentless cheerleader and networker for those looking to extend their playing days past their time at SHS. He is not shy about using his college contacts for athletes and non- athletes alike to help "the kids" get into the college of their choice. His mentoring also continues for our young men and women throughout their college years, whether it's a 4 year journey or one that meanders. Lastly, when "his kids" need help landing their first job or well into their careers...He is there. Btw, how strong are these bonds? In the last few years, many of his former players have moved back to Scarsdale to raise their families and now volunteer to coach. As for Rippy, he is now teaching and mentoring the children of the players from his first teams.

Over the last few weeks we have taken an unofficial survey of structures, parks and fields throughout Scarsdale named after individuals: Hyatt Field, Winston Field, George Field Park, Boniface Circle, Dean Field, Butler Field, Davis Park, all 4 houses at SMS, John Coulter field at Edgewood School, Rutherford Hall, the S. Spencer Scott room at Scarsdale Library, de Lima Park and the list goes on.

We, the Undersigned, believe that the Richard "Rippy" Philipps Field at Crossways would be an appropriate addition to that list and the perfect place to acknowledge the decades of positive and tireless service Rippy has given to the community.

Here are excerpts from some of the additional letters:

Lou Henry

A current resident of Scarsdale, I have lived here most of my life and played Raiders football as a member of the class of ’89. In the wake of coach Paladino’s departure in the early 90’s, the Scarsdale football program crumbled. I recall the interest in football waning to the point at which no varsity team could be fielded. There was no light at the end of the tunnel and it was disheartening.

Having witnessed the entire chronology of the unceremonious fall and, subsequent, phoenix-like rise of the program, I can say that one person is singularly responsible for its recovery and eventual excellence: Rippy. He poured his heart and soul into building what never existed before: a robust youth football program. He personally performed the Herculean task of recruiting the town’s boys and (as importantly) their parents. In the new millennium, a lot of SHS graduates of the Paladino years were beginning to return to town to raise their families and, recognizing this, Rippy used his familiarity with the residents, relentless positivity, and (let’s be honest) suffocating gift of gab to rebuild the program. Since persuading my two girls to play seemed like an uphill battle, my only real contribution was watching my nephews grow up playing in the Rippy era.

Scarsdale has great personnel in place right now...a slew of excellent coaches up and down the line and an impactful Maroon & White but, without Rippy, there never would have been a football renaissance in this town.

PhilippsTeam

Sydney Piccoli

Over the past 16 years, I have had the honor of being Rippy’s niece. In that short amount of time, I have not known of any singular human being that is more dedicated to the Scarsdale community and the football program as my uncle. Whenever I tell one that I am Rippy’s niece, a
smile immediately overtakes their face.

Brother Michael Philipps

My name is Michael Philipps, I am the proud younger brother of Rippy Philipps.
Rippy is two years older them me and we shared a room at our home at 60 The Crossway, which is directly across the street from the Crossway field that Rippy has made his coaching legacy & his mentorship of boys, young men and has taught a ton of fathers how to coach on. I would like to focus on what it’s like to have a brother that coaches for the love of the kids and cherishes the opportunity to be a positive sounding board for all of the players from flag football which is for first and second graders up to the 7th and 8th grade which he’s coached for 25 years. Being Rippy’s brother is really cool! Over the many years I have been the recipient of so many compliments about Rippys coaching and his almost surreal way he treats “his kids”. Rippy never says NO when it comes to staying on the field for 15 extra minutes to help a player get some extra private time. Rippy never says NO when asked to drive a player home from practice. Rippy never says NO when asked to talk to a player, when the players parents have asked Rippy to. Rippy gives of himself unconditionally. His dedication to the kids of our town and many kids from Westchester County puts him in a very special category. To see Rippy almost hop out of his car on a weekend afternoon to greet “his kids” with his welcoming smile is a sight to see and I believe its where the energy for our Football program starts.

Rippy is also always present at other Scarsdale events, kinda the town cheerleader. Rippy has worked with, helped or supported young men, young women get into college, get jobs, deal with issues because people can rely on him.

Just spend some time with him and he will share stories of kids he done things for and he beams as if they were his own kids.

Dan Del Guercio

The Richard "Rippy" Philipps Field at Crossways would be an appropriate place and way to acknowledge the decades of positive and tireless service Rippy has given to the community.

Rippy’s selfless dedication to the youth of our community is unmatched. I grew up in Scarsdale and moved back in 2005. From the time I was in HS until today Rippy has been volunteering his time to help our kids. Rippy taught my boys way more than just football, they learned what it means to be a great teammate and how hard work leads to great accomplishments.
Like many in our community, I look forward to driving down Mamaroneck Rd and passing by Rippy Phillips Field.

Stephen d’Incelli

My name is Stephen d’Incelli and I graduated in the class of 2001 from Scarsdale High School and was the Varsity Football co-captain my senior year. Rippy touched my life from the day my family moved to Scarsdale in 4th grade as Rec football was the first sport in which I participated.

Throughout my years playing Football and beyond, Rippy was a coach, mentor, friend and more. He is the embodiment of Scarsdale Football and Crossway field was his temple.
I can think of nothing more fitting than acknowledging Rippy’s years of tireless dedication by naming Crossways field after him. He’s done more for Scarsdale football and for the kids in the program than anyone.

There are few people I can think of that have had a more universally positive influence on as many young people and the community at large. Simply put, he made/makes Scarsdale a better town and its youth better people.

Michael J. Levin

Rippy makes football fun for his players and he made it fun for me. This is obvious based on the number of kids that participate in Scarsdale Youth Football. Rippy also develops his players, turning beginners into fundamentally sound athletes ready to play at the high school level and even beyond. Rippy also teaches his young impressionable players to be gentlemen. I remember it was Rippy that had my teammates and I wear shirts and ties to school on game days. It might seem futile to some, but for a middle school football player, it gave importance and significance for what was to transpire on that field.

See more letters here:

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Category: The Goods; Published: 20 January 2021

BKVaccine BK Munguia got her shot at the NY Presbyterian Armory on Sunday January 18.With the government’s decision to make everyone 65 and up eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, the scramble is on to secure an appointment. Though it’s only been 10 days since the vaccine became available, for the most part, those who are determined have been successful at receiving their first dose and getting an appointment for their second.

We’ve heard myriad tales of how and where people are getting appointments.

Closest to home is the Westchester County Center where 6,400 vaccines have already been administered but there are currently no more appointments. The Javits Center in New York City was also giving vaccines, but there are no more appointments there either.

Andrew Sereysky, President of the Greenacres Association and his wife Joan felt lucky to secure appointments at the Westchester County Department of Health facility at 134 Court Street in White Plains. He reports that they were in and out within 45 minutes and the process was smooth and professional. They were given the Moderna vaccine and so far they feel fine.

Scarsdale Bowl winner BK Munguia was thrilled to receive her first dose at the NY Presbyterian Fort Washington Armory in Washington Heights. The 65,000 square foot indoor track and field complex at 216 Fort Washington Avenue and 169th street has 70 vaccine stations. After an initial appointment in Huntington was cancelled, former Scarsdale Village Trustee Stacey Brodsky and her husband David also got appointments at the Armory on Inauguration Day, which gave them much to celebrate. Those who are eligible can sign up here.

One friend was able to get an appointment for a vaccine at the Rite Aid in Peekskill. However, when he arrived, he learned that the staff had neglected to take the supply out of the freezer and he was instructed to return later in the day.

GeralynsDad Augustine F. Trapasso, age 96, and his aide Donah got their vaccines at the Westchester County Center.Geralyn Della Cava was able to get appointments for her 96 year-old father Augustine F. Trapasso and his aid Donah to get the vaccine at the Westchester County Center on Sunday January 18. She says, "The process went very smoothly ... very pleasant people working there and very kind. We only waited 15 minutes. We set up the next appt immediately after he received the shot for three weeks later."

Scarsdale’s Frank Lichtenberg got an appointment at Metropolitan Hospital on the Upper East Side. His wife Michelle, another Scarsdale Bowl winner, went along and they gave her one too! Here is the site to sign up for vaccines through New York City Health and Hospitals.

In the first few days some received appointments from Mt. Sinai and received their vaccines. But those with later appointments found that they were Brodskys Former Village Trustee Stacey Brodsky and her husband David, got their first dose on Inauguration Day.cancelled due to a shortage in the supply. Their website says, “Because of sudden changes in the allocations of COVID-19 vaccine that we are receiving, we unfortunately had to temporarily pause scheduling of non-employees and cancel patient appointments scheduled from Friday, January 15, through Tuesday, January 19. Vaccine appointments for Wednesday, January 20, and beyond remain on the calendar. We will confirm those appointments 24 to 48 hours in advance, and we will contact those whose appointments were canceled as soon as vaccine supplies are available to reschedule.” Here is the link to their website.

Frustrated with the slow flow of the vaccines, NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to Pfizer asking to buy the vaccines directly from the company but that request was denied. The state received just 250,000 vaccines this week, down from 300,000 last week, so it could take months to vaccinate all the eligible people in the first two groups.

Where else might you find a vaccine? Here are some sites to check:

NYC Vaccine Finder

Another resident reports success on Essen Health Care however they have now paused on scheduling appointments as they have no more vaccines. They suggest you check their site daily to see if more appointments become available.

Please share any information you have about getting a vaccine in the comments section below or email it to scarsdalecomments@gmail.com.

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Category: The Goods; Published: 05 January 2021

covidJanuary5 (Updated January 7, 2021) County Executive George Latimer delivered what he called “sobering statistics” at his COVID briefing on January 4, 2021. Though he had hoped that the spread was decreasing in Westchester the numbers are going the wrong way. Latimer said that active cases in the county had climbed 1,400 in just one week, from 7,957 to 9,389. As a point of comparison, before Thanksgiving there were 6,000 active cases in the county.

Latimer said this surge was thought to be due to Christmas and New Year’s get-togethers and feared that Dr. Fauci’s prediction that January could be the worst month of the pandemic might turn out to be true.

Since almost all public celebrations were cancelled, Latimer surmised that the surge was due to gatherings in private homes where people are not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. He reported that on Friday, January 1, 1,000 new cases were reported.

To date, 1,683 people in Westchester County have died, 31 people in the past seven days and 41 the previous week. In the six-week period from Thanksgiving to New Years, 165 people died, the same number who died in total in the five months from May to October.

In terms of hospitalization, 455 were in the hospital as of January 2, 2021. This count grew by 63 from the prior week when 392 were hospitalized.

Latimer reported that New York State is now following the new CDC protocol for quarantines which allows people who were exposed to COVID but have no symptoms to return to normal life after ten days.

The county COVID dashboard shows 71 active cases in Scarsdale as of January 7, down from over 80 cases at Christmas time but up from 59 on January 4, 2021. See the county COVID dashboard here.

The Scarsdale Schools also sent an email on January 4 outlining the number of positive cases reported during the school vacation. According to the email:

“During the latter part of break and today, we learned of eight new positive cases of Covid-19. One of the cases involved a staff member in the Facilities Department and the others were students from Quaker Ridge School, Edgewood School, Scarsdale Middle School and Scarsdale High School.

The staff member was last in school on December 30 and placed on quarantine due to symptoms. The staff member had no contact with students and the staff who had contact with the individual were instructed to quarantine.

The positive students were last in the building prior to break and the timing of their tests precludes the need for in school contact tracing.”

Details: Written by Sammy Silberberg; Category: The Goods; Published: 13 January 2021

Even during a tumultuous pandemic, local government must continue to do the work of every-day management and governance of the community. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, the Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees met to discuss a variety of issues and policy action items affecting the town. Mayor Samwick began the meeting by talking about the tragic car crash that occurred in Fox Meadow this past week and wishing a safe and quick recovery for all five of the teenagers who were in the hospital. He went on to send a message of healing for all of those in the community who are suffering and ill during this difficult time in the pandemic. Mayor Samwick closed by thanking all of the village staff members and people throughout the community who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep Scarsdale running as smoothly as possible and who navigated this chaotic period gracefully.

The Covid-19 Vaccine:

Village Manager Pappalardo summarized the status of the Covid-19 vaccine in New York State. New York is receiving 300,000 doses of vaccine every week from the federal government. As of January 11, 2021, everyone who falls into category 1A and 1B, which includes healthcare workers, government workers, first responders, public transit workers, and school district faculty, are eligible to receive the vaccine. New York is hoping to vaccinate everyone in groups 1A and 1B over the next 14 weeks. In Scarsdale, this includes the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Core, the Scarsdale Police Department, the Scarsdale Fire Department, and all staff that work for the school district.

Extending Outdoor Dining:

The first action item on the agenda was introduced by Trustee Arest, who presented two amendments. The first is a local law amending Chapter 245 of the Scarsdale Village Code entitled Sidewalk Cafes. This change would allow Scarsdale to extend the period that sidewalk dining is permitted until January 1, 2022. The second amendment is to local law Chapter 256 entitled Streets, Sidewalks, and Public Places. This amendment would also be valid for 1 year and would allow businesses located above street level to advertise their establishment on windows with the permission of their landlord. Marcy Berman Goldstein, a Scarsdale resident and the President of the Scarsdale Business Alliance, voiced her support for both of these pieces of legislation, and both were adopted unanimously by the Board of Trustees. diningtent

The Village Reopening Taskforce:

Next, Trustee Arest reviewed his work with the Village Reopening Taskforce (VRTF) and read some of the recommendations that the committee developed. The VRTF supported many of the successful initiatives the village enacted thus far such as sidewalk dining for restaurants, the village food tent, and the creation of additional outdoor seating. The VRTF hopes that permit holders continue to work with the Village Manager's office to make even more efficient use of outdoor tents and to create more outdoor events for community groups. The committee also feels that Chase Park is an underutilized resource and should be involved when developing safe programming options for the community. They recommend that portions of the park be available to service providers for outdoor Covid-safe events.

The Scarsdale Library:

Trustee Waldman provided an update on the Scarsdale Library, which just launched its new website. Ms. Waldman highlighted the user-friendly aspects of the new website and emphasized that residents can now search and reserve books, sign up for virtual programming events, and much more on the site. Ms. Waldman also noted that the library’s Apiary Café is available for curbside pickup and that the contactless book pickup and drop-off system continues to run smoothly.

Scarsdale Village Board and Council Elections:

Trustee Waldman also announced that appointments for Scarsdale Village boards and councils are opening for next year. There are 17 total boards and councils, including the Technology, Library, Youth, Senior, and Parks and Recreation boards. Various Board of Trustee members echoed Ms. Waldman’s sentiment and encouraged all interested residents to apply, and you can learn more about how to get involved HERE.

This year’s Village Election for Mayor and the Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Residents can vote at the Scarsdale Congregational Church. Trustee Whitestone made the following remarks to encourage residents to participate in the important work of local government and community management:

“I’d like to second Trustee Waldman’s remarks. Our Boards and Councils are an important part of the wiring of the Village, and one foundational way many of our residents see local government in action, as we saw earlier this evening with the CAC report on leaf blowers. They’re on the front lines of what matters to our residents. Our neighbors who volunteer their time by serving on these bodies deserve our thanks for the needed roles they play. I hope going forward we can have the broadest possible representation on our Boards and Councils, and encourage everyone to think about it and consider applying. Against the backdrop of a pandemic and, nationally, social and political turmoil, that sense of connectedness really matters these days. We should all feel ownership of how OUR Village – the most local form of government -- is run.

Also briefly, speaking of important work in challenging times, the Scarsdale Drug & Alcohol Task Force, a community coalition dedicated to reducing underage use of drugs and alcohol, lists a number of events scheduled for this month, including programs for parents and teens. Examples include “Helping Your Teen Overcome Anxiety and Depression,” “Building Resilience,” and “Maybe It’s Not Just Experimentation” on spotting the signs and symptoms of substance misuse and mental health disorders. For details, go to www.scarsdaledatf.org and click on the “Events” tab.”

United Westchester Working Group:

Next, Trustee Lewis informed the community about his work with the United Westchester Working Group. The group recently testified before the New York State Public Service Commission and released a 96-page report on the utility and telecom failings that occurred after last summer’s tropical storm. The group enumerated the various ways that Con Edison, Verizon, and other companies did not meet the needs of the community during this time. The United Westchester Working Group voiced several recommendations for improvements that must be made to this crisis management process such as implementing smart meters to track which customers do not have power, updating the list of all critical facilities, updating that map of the Con Edison grid, improving the distribution of dry ice, and creating a utility reserve corp. The group also recommends an audit of the Con Edison weather map, which did not match the National Weather Service map at the time of the storm. Overall, the group highlighted the need to create a more united and regulated response to these types of emergencies.

Highway Snow and Ice Removal:

Trustee Lewis then brought an action item to the Board – highway snow and ice removal. While New York State manages the snow and ice removal on state highways, for efficiency and expediency, Scarsdale Village has historically handled this removal for the 15.7 miles of state highway located in Scarsdale. The Board of Trustees re-authorized this agreement for 2021.

Charitable Gifts:

The Board then reviewed two gifts from the Fenway Golf Club Charitable Fund Committee. All gifts to the town over $500 must be approved by the Board of Trustees, and the Board approved the generous $5,000 gift to the Police Department and the $5,000 gift to the Fire Department from the Fenway Golf Club Charitable Fund Committee. The Board also approved a generous $2,000 gift from the Bauman Family Foundation to the Police Department.

The Zoning Board of Appeals:

Next, the Board addressed the current vacancy on the Scarsdale Zoning Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals consists of five volunteer members and two alternate members that are appointed by the Mayor and subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. Each member serves for five years, with one member’s term expiring each year. Member Steve Pass resigned in 2020 and the Board of Trustees approved alternate member Meredith Millen to fill his role until April 5, 2021.

Town Finances:

After this piece of business, the meeting transitioned to a Town Board Meeting and Village Treasurer Scaglione reviewed the town’s finances. As of January, 99% of the tax levy for 2020 has been received. The school tax collection is currently at 78.3%, which is down from the 94% that is typically seen at this time of year. This is primarily because of the current school tax installment system. This year the town clerk fees increased from $2,800 in 2019 to $5,000 in 2020. The town’s interest earnings decreased in 2020 and currently stands at $13,000, and the cash balance increased and is currently $14,000,000.

Condominiums and the Tax Code:

The final action item on the agenda was to review the Resolution Calling for a Public Hearing on a Local Law Amending Chapter 269 of the Scarsdale Village Code Entitled “Taxation” by the Addition of a New Article XIV to be Entitled “Real Property Assessment of Converted Condominiums.” As explained by Town Assessor Sirota, this amendment was developed as a response to the taxation issues that arise when residents convert single-family homes into condominiums. Currently, single-family homes are assessed and taxed based on their market value, whereas condominiums are assessed based on their income-producing capabilities. This difference in methodology can create a tax exception of greater than 50% for the converted condominiums. This proposed amendment would protect the village from the strategic move residents might make to take advantage of this tax system. Each member of the Board of Trustees voted to hold a public hearing on this matter on February 9, 2021, via Zoom to consider the amendment to this law. Members of the public are encouraged to attend this meeting and voice their opinions and concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Category: The Goods; Published: 22 December 2020

COVID19 What happened to the COVID counts by Village and why are there no more COVID maps from the County?

After a week of wondering where the COVID counts were going, County Executive George Latimer held a COVID briefing at 2 pm on Monday December 21 and explained why he had made the decision to stop sending out the maps.

Latimer explained that the counts on the maps were based on individual records of positive COVID counts by name and address from the state. The county had been taking this data, aggregating it by zip code and producing the map that was then published on the county’s Facebook page.

However, Latimer said that often the data was 3 or 4 days old by the time the map was issued and that zip codes are not unique to one Village, so some of the counts may have crossed Village lines. He used Scarsdale as an example, saying that the 10583 zip code also includes parts of Yonkers, Eastchester and New Rochelle, so that map might not reflect what is actually going on in the Scarsdale School district.

He said that the county was working on a better analysis and said he hoped to issue new information by the end of this week…. December 25.

In the meantime he reported on the numbers for Westchester County overall where, as of Sunday December 20, the positive rate was 5.3% with a 7-day average of 5.9%. You can check the daily counts for the county on the NYS website here.

Latimer reported that there were a total of 8,269 active cases on Monday, almost double the 4,344 active cases on November 20, just before Thanksgiving. However, in the last five days, cases have decreased somewhat, hitting a high of 8,771 on December 15 and falling to 8,269 on Sunday December 20. Latimer said it was too early to tell if this was a trend. The county is still seeing about 500 new positive cases a day, a 5% ratio to the number tested. (As of Tuesday, December 22, cases had climbed back up to 8,910 with a 6% positive rate.)

About the numbers in the hospital, as of Saturday December 19, 353 were in County hospitals with COVID. This has risen steadily from 348 one week ago, 321 two weeks ago, 244 three weeks ago and 168 a month ago. As there are 2,400 beds in Westchester County hospitals, he reported that we are not reaching capacity.

A total of 1,606 people have died from COVID in Westchester since the beginning of the crisis. This week 44 people passed away and two weeks ago we lost 35 people.

The NYS School tracker as of 12/18 reported 29 positive cases among students in the Scarsdale Schools and 21 staff/teachers.

So if you’re wondering how many people in Scarsdale are positive, stay tuned. Latimer is promising new information by the end of the week. In the meantime, click here for statewide statistics.