Forum Focus
September 2020
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Message to Our Membership |
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Dear Members,
Given how central the schools and education are to the lives of most families in Scarsdale, the Restart program this fall will be especially important. We wish everyone in the Scarsdale learning community a safe and successful school experience.
We all know that voting matters. This year voting safely matters even more. As a public service we are sharing the current information on voting safely in the upcoming Village Election for three trustee positions, now scheduled for Tuesday, September 15.
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If you voted absentee this past March before this Village Election was postponed, that vote has been safeguarded by the Village Clerk’s Office, is still valid, and will be counted in determining the results of the election.
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To obtain an application for an absentee ballot, download the form https://www.scarsdale.com/523/Election-Information. Check the temporary illness box on the application. Pursuant to the recent legislation signed by Governor Cuomo, the risk of contracting or spreading a disease (Covid-19) is a permissible exemption for voting absentee.
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Tuesday, September 8 is the last day an application for an absentee ballot mailed to a voter can be received and processed by the Village Clerk. Obtain your ballot now if you are voting absentee.
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Through Monday, September 14 an applicant or the applicant’s agent can submit an application for an absentee ballot in person and receive a ballot from the Village Clerk .
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Election Day--Tuesday, September 15 is the last day the Village Clerk can accept absentee ballots in person or by mail.
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For those who wish to vote in person, the polls for all election districts will be located at the Scarsdale Congregational Church, 1 Heathcote Road. Polls will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM. CDC guidelines and NYS regulations regarding in-person voting will be observed.
While the Scarsdale Forum and many of its committees have been at work all summer on issues that matter to the community, fall is when we truly kick into the next gear:
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 10
The next Membership meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 1 when County Executive George Latimer will be our speaker
The first Sunday Speaker Series event is scheduled for October 18
All meetings and events will take place over Zoom beginning at 8:00 pm until further notice. Information on how to register or log in will be made available.
With best wishes for the rest of summer and a safe Labor Day,
Sincerely,
Madelaine Eppenstein
meppenstein@eppenstein.com
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October Membership Meeting
We invite you to join us on Thursday, October 1 to hear Westchester County Executive George Latimer speak on the issues facing the county and its residents, including how the county continues to promote the safety and health of the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event will take place over Zoom beginning at 8:00 pm. Information on how to register will be available shortly. All members of the public are welcome.
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A Conversation with Jordan Copeland
Save the Date: The Scarsdale Forum, the Scarsdale Historical Society, and the Scarsdale Public Library will present a special program on Sunday, October 18 at 3pm via Zoom, featuring Jordan Copeland on
"A History of Black People in Scarsdale"
Through a variety of sources including maps, newspaper articles, photographs, and census records, you will learn about Scarsdale’s Black community and how it has changed over the past 300 years, from the time of slavery through suburbanization and the civil rights era.
Jordan is a Scarsdale resident, educator, musician and a member of Scarsdale Forum. He has researched and written extensively about the history of Scarsdale. This event is part of the Scarsdale Forum's Sunday Speaker Series. All members of the public are welcome. Instructions on how to register will be made available.
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Climate Resilience
The Scarsdale Forum's newest committee will gear up this fall. The Resolution passed by the Village in February 2020 to become a Climate Smart Community was an initiative recommended by both the Scarsdale Forum
and the Village's Conservation Advisory Council. We will shortly reschedule a committee meeting, as the last one was postponed by an extreme weather event (fittingly enough).
County Fiscal Affairs
The County Fiscal Affairs Committee has the challenging task of studying the annual county operating and capital budgets, and issuing its review and recommendations in a very short time frame. The county's draft executive budget typically isn't released until early November, and any analysis and suggestions on spending, services, and revenue policies -- including changes to Westchester property tax rates -- usually must be produced and released within a month to impact the county legislature's deliberations on a final budget. Contact Chair Richard Pinto, rpinto10583@gmail.com.
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Education
The Education Committee has met several times over the summer and is finalizing its report on the reaction of school district stakeholders to the District's Restart planning process. The focus will be on the approach and methods used to inform stakeholders. A new paradigm will be proposed for the upcoming 2020/2021 academic year. Contact Chair Barry Meiselman,
Membership
The Membership Committee will be reaching out to invite the community to join the Forum and participate in our committees and events. Please contact Chair Gabrielle Wise, greiffel@me.com.
Municipal Services
In its continuing work on assessing and promoting traffic safety in Scarsdale, the Municipal Services Committee invites members of the community to submit their personal observations of (1) traffic-related violations by motorists in Scarsdale; (2) pedestrian- and bicyclist-related incidents on our roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks; (3) gridlocked intersections; and (4) suggestions for improvements to sidewalks, traffic signals and signage throughout Scarsdale, including the village center. Send feedback to Madelaine Eppenstein at meppenstein@eppenstein.com.
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Check Out
The newly installed Little Free Library outdoor book sharing kiosks offer the public an excellent way to acquire or donate books at four Scarsdale parks: Chase Park, Hyatt Field Park, Crossway Field, and Brite Avenue Park and Tennis Courts. A fifth "bring a book, take a book" kiosk is planned to open with a ribbon cutting ceremony this month at Harwood Park's Audrey Hochberg Pond Preserve near the Public Library grounds. The kiosks were donated by local civic groups in collaboration with the Village -- Friends of the Scarsdale Pubic Library, Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, and the Scarsdale Foundation -- and were creatively decorated by Scarsdale artists.
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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
Jill Spielberg
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