Forum Focus
November 2019
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Message to Our Membership
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Dear Neighbors,
Much of our work is aimed to help our fellow neighbors become more empowered to contribute to civic life. As a nonprofit, the Scarsdale Forum takes no stance for or against any candidate or party, but we do take a stance in favor of full participation in our democracy.
In short, if you're a registered voter, please exercise your constitutional right and civic obligation to vote.
New York State passed a law this year to make voting easier than ever. "Early Voting" has already begun for all New York citizens. Registered voters in Scarsdale may cast their ballot early at the Eastchester Public Library (11 Oakridge Place) between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm today (Friday), or between 12 noon and 5:00 pm on either Saturday or Sunday. For more information, read the
Early Voting FAQ f
rom Westchester County Board of Elections.
Of course, polls will be open as usual on
Election Day, November 5
, from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. You can
look up your polling place
and the candidates running in your district
on the Westchester County Board of Elections website.
Finally, although it is administered locally by the Scarsdale Procedure Committee and not through the Westchester County Board of Elections, all qualified Scarsdale voters are eligible to participate in the Citizens Nominating Committee election, which take place on
Tuesday, November 12 from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. One need not be a supporter of the village's nonpartisan system to participate. Learn more about that election via
the Procedure Committee website.
Enjoy the autumn leaves. We'll see you on
November 21
for our annual "State of Our Schools" program.
Tim Foley
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State of Our Schools 2019
We invite you to attend our next program meeting on
Thursday, November 21
, when Scarsdale School Superintendent
Dr. Thomas Hagerman,
Scarsdale Board of Education President
Scott Silberfein
, and Scarsdale Board of Education Vice President
Pam Fuehrer
will join us to discuss
the "State of Our Schools."
The event will take place at the Scarsdale Woman's Club at 37 Drake Road. A
reception will be held prior to the meeting, beginning at 7:30 pm, and the program will begin at 8:00 pm. If you wish to attend, we invite you to RSVP via our
Facebook page
. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Downtown Revitalization
The Downtown Revitalization Committee recently reviewed its plans to revitalize Scarsdale Village, and make it a lively destination for community building, events, and commerce.
Currently, there are nine empty storefronts in the village center, formerly occupied by Lange's (two spaces), Marie's (two spaces), Taiim, Space NK (two spaces), LF, and Candy & Cards. In addition, Sam Lehr is scheduled to close at the end of the year. Some new businesses have opened or will be opening shortly, and residents are urged to patronize them, along with all other merchants.
The space in Harwood Court formerly rented by Imagine Candy now houses a new store featuring hand-blown glass items, called 4ever Crystal; the space on Spencer Place formerly occupied by Candy & Cards will feature a window treatment retailer, The Shade Store.
During the committee's last meeting,
Betsy Bush
, who is studying architecture at Columbia University, presented her project on Scarsdale Village Center and Boniface Circle. She provided fellow committee volunteers with her proposal to make Boniface Circle, a hub of village center activity, more attractive and appealing as a central gathering place for residents.
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Fiscal Affairs Scarsdale
As noted last month, the Fiscal Affairs Scarsdale Committee has begun studying issues related to Scarsdale's draft 2020-21 budget. Specifically, its members have discussed various budget issues, including 1) property tax relief from the county sales tax increase “windfall;” 2) the possibility of a genuine real estate market problem in Scarsdale and whether the village should take any action; and 3) services residents want and/or would be willing to do without.
There is plenty of time for committee members to weigh in on village spending and potential cost savings opportunities. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts or contributing to the group's efforts, contact Chair
Anne Hintermeister
(
ahintermeister@gmail.com
).
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Nominating
The Nominating Committee continues to request suggestions for nominees to fill Scarsdale Forum officer and director at large positions. Any input should be submitted no later than
Sunday, December 1 so that the committee has ample time to recommended candidates at the
February 13, 2020 meeting. Please forward suggestions
to
Jon Mark
, the No
minating Committee chair, at
jmark58@aol.com
,
or one of the other committee members:
Susan Douglass
,
Eli Mattioli
,
ML Perlman
, and
Michelle Sterling
.
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All residents are invited to support the Friends of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee
on
Friday, January 31, 2020. Come see your neighbors showcase their spelling and trivia skills at this special fundraiser, which will take place at 7:30 pm at Scarsdale High School, and be hosted by Scarsdale's own
Ed Coleman, radio voice of the New York Mets.
You may form a team, sponsor the event at a variety of levels, or buy tickets to attend. The event will feature 15 adult teams and five high school teams (all teams consist of three members). Spectator admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 18. For more details, visit
scarsdalelibrary.org.
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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
Diane Greenwald
Forum Focus Editor
Laura Halligan
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