Forum
Focus
January 2020


Message to Our Membership
Dear neighbors,

The Forum's Program Committee has put together an excellent series of thought-provoking events for the first half of 2020. You'll want to make sure you add these dates to your calendar. If you're looking for a New Year's resolution, perhaps you could even resolve to bring a friend or neighbor as a way to encourage them to get even more involved with our special community.

All events will take place at the Scarsdale Woman's Club, 37 Drake Rd.

  • On Sunday, January 26, we’ll present a talk and film viewing with documentary filmmaker Emily Driscoll at 3:00 pm. Ms. Driscoll is the founder of BonSci Films, a production company specializing in science and art documentaries. This event is co-sponsored by Scarsdale Public Library and Friends of the Scarsdale Parks. Read more here.
  • On Thursday, February 13, we’ll hear from Mayor Marc Samwick on the State of the Village. Reception begins at 7:30 pm, program at 8:00 pm. Read more here.
  • On Sunday, March 1 at 3:00 pm, we’ll hear from former Scarsdale High School teacher and renowned educator Maggie Favretti, on her work with community resilience planning in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Read more here.
  • On Thursday, March 19, we’ll hear from Ben Boykin, the Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators and Scarsdale’s own representative. Reception begins at 7:30 pm, program at 8:00 pm. Read more here.
  • Finally, on Thursday, May 21, we’ll host our Annual Meeting, including the election of new officers, as well as get a report from Albany from Scarsdale’s own Assemblymember Amy Paulin. Reception begins at 7:30 pm, program at 8:00 pm. Read more here.

Looking forward to seeing you at many of these exciting programs, and wishing you and yours a happy and prosperous new year,

Tim Foley
President, Scarsdale Forum

Upcoming Events
Chase Away The Chill At Winterfest 2020

We invite you to chase away the winter blues with a festive evening of food, drink, and lively conversation with your neighbors at Winterfest 2020 .

The event will take place on  Saturday, February 1  at the Scarsdale Woman's Club, beginning at 7:00 pm.  Highlights of the evening will include a catered buffet dinner, musical entertainment, desserts prepared by members, and home brewed beers created by Bruce Wells.

The cost is $50 per person, and limited to members and their guests. Due to the popularity of Winterfest, reservations are encouraged. To register, visit scarsdaleforum.com/winterfest by  Monday, January 27 . We also are looking for volunteers to assist with setup and clean up, donate dessert, and provide musical entertainment during the evening. If you're interested in offering your services, please fill out our online volunteer form
Committee Updates
Climate Resilience

The next meeting of the Climate Resilience Committee will take place Thursday, January 23 at 8:00 pm on the first floor of Village Hall (1001 Post Rd). We’ll be putting the finishing touches on our community survey on what our priorities should be on projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to protect our homes and our communities from the increased likelihood of extreme weather events. If you have ideas or wish to join the committee, reach out to committee chairs Madelaine Eppenstein ( meppenstein@eppenstein.com), Tim Foley ( tim@commanderfoley.com), and Darlene LeFrancois Haber ( DLEFRANC@montefiore.org).
Education

All Scarsdale Forum members are invited to the next Education Committee meeting on Wednesday, January 8 at 8:00 pm, at 45 Woods Lane, during which the group will discuss its report topic for the year. Email the committee co-chairs Nan Berke ( ntberke@gmail.com ) and Jordan Copeland ( jordancopeland@me.com ) for more details.
Fiscal Affairs - Scarsdale

The trustees began work on the Scarsdale Village Tentative Budget for 2020-21 at a November 12, 2019 meeting which was attended by Fiscal Affairs Scarsdale committee members. The budgeting process starts in earnest in January with the "first pass" meeting on January 16, 2020 and continues with many work sessions and briefings before April, including a full-day session with department heads on January 27, 2020. Committee members are encouraged to attend these public meetings and join the online discussion of proposed village spending and potential cost savings opportunities.

Additionally, committee members attended the December 11, 2019 public meeting on the Freightway project and Village Hall. Discussions are underway, and the committee plans to submit analysis and recommendations during the comment period that ends on February 9, 2020. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts or contributing to the group's efforts for either report, contact Chair Anne Hintermeister ( ahintermeister@gmail.com ) .  

Community Events
Check Out The Bee Later This Month
All residents are invited to support the Friends of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee on Friday, January 31. 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 spelling bee 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.
 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
laurabhalligan@gmail.com