Forum Focus
May 2019




Message to Our Membership
Our annual membership meeting is coming up. Thanks to all who have joined and supported the Scarsdale Forum for another fine year. We hope to see many of you on Thursday, May 16 as we transition to next year's leadership including President Tim Foley. I look forward to seeing you all there.

In the meantime, I invite you to learn more about our activities by reading this month's news.

Jon Mark

Upcoming Events
Annual Membership Meeting

Our annual membership meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 16, beginning with a reception at 7:30 pm, and the meeting scheduled for 8:00 pm. Among the items on the agenda are the membership vote for directors at large and our next slate of officers (see Nominating Committee update below). The meeting will be held at the Scarsdale Woman's Club at 37 Drake Road.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin will join us and provide an overview of the recently passed New York State budget and her thoughts on issues likely to be raised during the final two months of the state legislative session.

You may view the meeting agenda ( here) and access a quorum proxy ( here), if you are unable to attend the meeting in person.

Committee Updates
Downtown Revitalization

The Downtown Revitalization Committee is moving ahead with four projects affecting Scarsdale Village Center.

  • The Freightway Subcommittee is reviewing the initial Scarsdale Forum Downtown Revitalization Committee report, the consumer survey report, the merchants survey report, and two traffic safety studies by the Municipal Services Committee, to provide input and summarize recommendations relevant to Freightway redevelopment that may be considered in developing the RFP for the project. 

  • The Parking Subcommittee is reviewing past Scarsdale Forum reports on parking with a view toward (a) locating and tabulating all available parking spaces, both public and private, and (b) considering compatible parking solutions, particularly valet parking. It will collaborate with village management to gather and convey information.

  • The Open Spaces Subcommittee will consider revitalization of green spaces in the village center, such as Boniface Circle and Chase Park, to make these spaces more welcoming and attractive. It hopes to work with other stakeholders, including Friends of the Scarsdale Parks and the Scarsdale Forum's Parks and Recreation Committee.

  • The Events Subcommittee will examine ways to facilitate the village center's ability to host events, serve as a community meeting place, and foster a sense of community. It plans to collaborate with the Scarsdale Business Alliance, village landlords, and Scarsdale administrators, and, perhaps, create a guide to assist organizations in utilizing downtown as a venue (e.g., obtaining necessary clearances, etc.).

Contact Susan Douglass ( susanudouglass@gmail.com) for details.

Nominating

In accordance with the Scarsdale Forum's bylaws, the Nominating Committee has presented nominees for the offices of vice president (who becomes president in the following year), treasurer, secretary, and three directors at large. Forum members will vote on these nominations on Thursday, May 16 at the annual membership meeting. Generally, the committee seeks to find candidates with a willingness and ability to serve, collaborate with others, and encourage and welcome diverse opinions on issues relevant to the Scarsdale community; as well as integrity, ethics, diplomacy, and open-mindedness. This year's nominees are:

  • Directors at Large (three-year term): Diane Greenwald, Dara Gruenberg, and Matthew Martin;
  • Secretary: Richard Pinto;
  • Treasurer: Randy Guggenheimer; and
  • Vice President/President-Elect for 2020-2021: Madelaine Eppenstein.

The Nominating Committee extends its thanks to these indidivuals who have volunteered to serve our membership. Nominating Committee Chair ML Perlman also acknowledges the work of committee members Liz Guggenheimer, Michelle Lichtenberg, Eli Mattioli, and Carlos Ramirez and thanks them for their contributions. Please note that Liz Guggenheimer, the spouse of Randy Guggenheimer, abstained from making a recommendation for Scarsdale Forum treasurer.

Contact ML Perlman ( themlperlman@gmail.com) to learn more.

Program

The Program Committee is beginning to plan for next year. If you have any suggestions for a specific speaker or program, email Dara Gruenberg, Program Committee co-chair, at dara513@gmail.com.

Sustainability Committee and Municipal Services Committee

The Scarsdale Forum Sustainability and Municipal Services Committees just have released a joint report, supplemental to their September 2018 report, which proposed that Scarsdale adopt organic landscape practices for its properties.

The supplemental report recommends that the village adopt a resolution to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, wildlife, and environment by codifying a policy of organic landscape management in all village parks, recreation fields, and green spaces, and eliminating the future use of toxic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers. The full supplemental report is available here .

For more information, contact Sustainability Committee Co-Chairs Michelle Sterling ( michellesterling1@gmail.com) and Darlene Lefrancois ( dlefranc@montefiore.org), or Municipal Services Committee Chair Madelaine Eppenstein ( meppenstein@eppenstein.com).

  Community Events
Scarsdale Foundation Scholarship Application Process Now Open

Students who are graduating from Scarsdale High School, as well as those who lived in Scarsdale during high school, and have completed their first, second, or third year of college, are invited to apply to the Scarsdale Foundation for tuition assistance. For the 2018-2019 academic year, the foundation awarded need-based grants totaling $130,500 to students attending private and state-supported colleges and universities.

Applications for the 2019-2020 academic year should be submitted online via the Scarsdale Foundation website no later than Monday, June 3 . 

For more information, contact Scholarship Committee Co-Chairs Anne Lyons or BK Munguia at scarsdalefoundationscholarship@gmail.com . Please note "Scarsdale Foundation Scholarship Inquiry" in the subject line of your email. As noted above, t he Scarsdale Foundation is independent from, and not affiliated with, the Scarsdale Forum.

Professor Nadine Strossen to Speak at Scarsdale Woman's Club

Nadine Strossen, professor of constitutional law at New York Law School and past president of the America Civil Liberties Union, will discuss First Amendment issues on Monday, May 6 at the Scarsdale Woman's Club, at 37 Drake Road.

The event, "Free Speech: Indispensable Friend or Troublesome Enemy?" will begin at 7:30 pm, and is free and open to the public.

The presentation is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Republican Town Committee and Scarsdale High School’s Young Conservatives Club. For more information, click here.

 Scarsdale Forum Inc.

Scarsdale Forum Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to community education through discussion and analysis of issues relevant to Scarsdale residents. Since 1904, it has contributed meaningfully to village affairs through written reports, public speaker events and committee discussions. Membership is available to all Scarsdale and Mamaroneck Strip residents, regardless of citizenship status. 

Forum Focus generally is distributed to Scarsdale Forum members in the first week of each month. Story ideas should be sent to communications@scarsdaleforum.com one week prior to be included in the coming issue.


Media Contact/Communications Chair
Tim Foley 

Forum Focus Editor
Laura Halligan