Mark Your Calendars!

School Board Nominating Committee Election

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

7 - 10 a.m. and 2 - 9 p.m.

Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium Lobby

More information in Upcoming Events below

November General Election Results

On November 8, 2022, voters in Scarsdale and throughout New York voted, not only on candidate races, but also on NY Proposal 1 - the Environment and Climate Change Bonds Measure. This proposal was approved. 

In advance of election day, the Westchester County League had provided to the Westchester County Board of Elections educational materials regarding election security. The materials were created by the State League. You may have seen some of these flyers and handouts at polling locations. This detailed information about how elections work was a wonderful service provided by the League of Women Voters that furthers its mission of civic engagement and voter education. All voters can be confident that voting in America is secure!

The Scarsdale League thanks all of our sister Leagues around the State for coordinating efforts to produce this year’s Vote411 Guide, which went live online and was distributed in print in October.

As always, the League thanks all those who participated in the electoral process this year and all those who exercised their very powerful right to vote!

State Redistricting

A New York judge ordered the NYS Independent Redistricting Commission to resume its work redrawing unconstitutional NYS Assembly maps by April 2023. This ruling, issued on September 29 by state Supreme Court Justice Laurence L. Love, was the result of a legal challenge to the Assembly district lines that were drawn by the New York State Legislature.

The new US Congressional and NY State Senate district lines that were drawn by a special master in the spring were in effect for the November 2022 election and will continue to be in effect until 2030. The current NY Assembly districts were in effect for the last time for the November 2022 election and are due to be redrawn by April 2023, for future elections.

County Redistricting

The Westchester County Board of Legislators has released proposed electoral maps for the County, based on recent census figures. Scarsdale remains in County District 5. The Scarsdale League coordinates with the Westchester League and other local Leagues to provide comments about the proposed maps to the Board of Legislators.

Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee Election Results

On November 15, 2022, voters in Scarsdale voted not only for candidates to serve on the Citizens Nominating Committee, but also on proposed amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution, the governing document for Scarsdale’s nonpartisan system. The amendments were approved.

I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family.

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale had a very active and busy fall. On November 16, we hosted Rabia Muqaddam, attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, to learn about the ramifications of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on women’s access to reproductive healthcare. Ms. Muqaddam discussed the nature of her work and her assessment of the steps to be taken to protect women’s healthcare choices. The LWVS is so appreciative of Ms. Muqaddam and all who attended this informative and important event.

In November, we also partnered with the Social Studies Department of Scarsdale Middle School on a Civics Jeopardy Quiz for the eighth grade classrooms and a Mock Election for the entire student body. We hope the experience will help spark a lifelong interest in voting and civic engagement.  

In December, the League moves into Consensus Season. Our Village Election Portfolio chair is busy preparing for the Village Election Information Session and Consensus meeting on Monday, December 5. Please join us to learn about our local political process and to ask questions. Procedure Committee Chair Michelle Sterling and Vice Chair Peri Zelig will be attending the Information Session to present detailed information regarding the CNC Election. Please join us at the Scarsdale Public Library for this important meeting!

I welcome everyone in the Scarsdale community to join the LWVS and support our work. 

I encourage all of you to stand up, speak up, and stay informed. Thank you for your continued support of the LWVS.

I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Upcoming Events:

• Monday, December 5: Village Election Session and Consensus Meeting, 10:00 a.m. at the Scarsdale Public Library *The Information Session is open to the public.
• Thursday, December 8: LWVW Holiday Celebration, 12:00 p.m. at Manhattanville College Reid Castle, East Library Room.

Join the League today!

All the best,

Alissa Baum

December 2022

• 12/5, Monday:
• 9:15 a.m. Board Meeting
• 10:00 a.m. General Membership and Consensus Meeting (Village Election), Scarsdale Public Library

January 2023

• 1/9, Monday:
• 9:15 a.m. Board Meeting
• 1/10, Tuesday
• 7-10 a.m. and 2-9 p.m. SBNC Election, Scarsdale Middle School. Snow date: Wednesday, 1/11
• 1/20, Friday:
• 11:30 a.m. General Membership and Consensus Meeting (School Election), Zoom
• 1/28: Saturday:
• 5:00 p.m. LWVS Winter Fundraiser, location tbd

February 2023

• 2/6, Monday:
• 9:15 a.m. Board Meeting
• 10:00 a.m. General Membership and Consensus Meeting (Local, County and State Program)

LWVS General Membership Information Session and

Consensus Meeting on the Village Election System

Monday, December 5, 2022

10:00 a.m. at Scarsdale Public Library

LWVS welcomes all members of the public to its annual general membership information session regarding this year's Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) election and referendum on the amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution. Procedure Committee Chair Michelle Sterling and Vice Chair Peri Zelig will be presenting and answering questions.

The Procedure Committee is the body that solicits candidates for CNC, proposes amendments to the Resolution, and runs the CNC election and referendum on the amendments. The CNC is the body that vets applicants and nominates the proposed slate for the Village Board of Trustees, including Mayor. The Non-Partisan Resolution is the document that governs the Village's nonpartisan election system.

A consensus discussion will immediately follow the information session for purposes of making recommendations to the Procedure Committee. Only League members may be present for the consensus discussion. Those who have not yet paid annual dues are welcome to renew/join at the event.

Follow this link to the Information Session Agenda with PC Responses and Consensus Questions. For purposes of discussion, attendees are encouraged to review these materials in advance.

For more information, please contact Diane Baylor, LWVS Village Election System Chair, at [email protected].

School Board Nominating Committee Election

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

7 - 10 a.m. and 2 - 9 p.m.

Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium Lobby

The election of School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) members will take place on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Residents may vote in person in the auditorium lobby at the Scarsdale Middle School from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., or by mail-in ballot received by 4:00 p.m. on election day.

In the event of a snow day or run-off election, the election will be held during the same hours and in the same location on the earlier of (i) Wednesday, January 11, or (ii) the next day school is in session.

See the https://scarsdalesbnc.org/ website for more information.

LWVS Information Session and Consensus Meeting on the

School Election System

Friday, January 20, 2022

11:30 a.m. via Zoom

The LWVS will hold a general membership information session regarding this year's School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) election. Susi D'ambra Coplan and Claire (Yin) Yang, SBNC Election Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, will be present to answer questions. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

The SBNC Administrative Committee is the committee that solicits candidates for the School Board Nominating Committee and runs the SBNC election. Once SBNC members are elected in a given year, the SBNC nominates its proposed slate for the Scarsdale Board of Education.

A consensus discussion will immediately follow the information session for purposes of making recommendations to the Administrative Committee. Only League members may be present for the consensus discussion. Those who have not yet paid annual dues are welcome to renew/join at the event.

For more information, please contact Jyoti Ruta, LWVS School Election System Chair, at [email protected].

Students Inside Albany

Application Deadline: Monday, February 6

For the twelfth consecutive year, the LWVS will select two high school students to send to the annual Students Inside Albany conference held on May 21-24, 2023 in Albany, New York. Any Sophomore, Junior, or Senior who attends Scarsdale High School or resides in the school district is eligible to apply. 

Students Inside Albany is a four-day conference designed to increase students’ awareness of their responsibility in a representative government and provide the tools necessary for meeting that responsibility. This interactive conference will bring together high school students from across the state to learn about New York State government and the process by which citizens can participate in the policymaking arena. As part of this program, students will also tour the Capitol and observe both the Senate and Assembly in action by spending an afternoon shadowing their legislators.

The cost of the conference, including hotel and meals, will be co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters New York State Education Foundation, Inc. and our Scarsdale League. 

Applications will be available by December 15th on the Scarsdale LWVS website. Completed applications are due Monday, February 6.

For more information, see Youth Programs under the League of Women Voters of New York State website, or contact Cindy S. Yau at [email protected] or Jessica Zellner at [email protected].

LWVS Food for Thought Speaker Offers Hope in a World Without Roe

This year's Food for Thought speaker event on Wednesday, November 16, attracted a crowd to hear Rabia Muqaddam, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Muqaddam, who represents clinics in legal challenges to abortion access in Oklahoma, discussed national trends in legislation and litigation over reproductive healthcare access in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

As she explained, the current situation is dire for patients and clinicians caught in the crosshairs of a ruling that upended decades-old legal protections. Statistically, 75% of people seeking abortions are those who live 200% below the poverty line and already lack access to pre- and post-natal care. Out of fear of prosecution, doctors in some states are now afraid to offer services even to those suffering medical emergencies; medical schools in certain regions are unable to attract residents because the change in the law precludes these facilities from training students on procedures necessary to their education and medical certification.

Despite the immediate and catastrophic effects of the unpopular Dobbs decision, Muqaddam was generally optimistic that ongoing advocacy and funding for reproductive justice will ultimately cause the pendulum to swing back and "the arc of justice [to] bend . . . in our direction." Specifically, Muqaddam believes that reproductive justice will come to fruition for three reasons. First, the law favors a more rational interpretation of the Constitution than Justice Alito's "egregiously wrong" reasoning and, in time, more courts will come to understand abortion as an equal protection right. Second, clinics are continuing to fight and their efforts will help build back a better and broader right to reproductive access than the one that Dobbs struck down. And third, Gen-Z has proven to be more progressive and more concerned about protecting access to reproductive health. Through the next generation's activism, the anti-choice contingency will eventually face demographic extinction as they age out of the electorate.

The recording of the presentation and the Q&A that followed is available on the Events and Speakers page of the LWVS website and on LWVS's own YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@lwvscarsdale).

LWVW Holiday Celebration!

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Noon – 2:00 P.M.

Manhattanville College Reid Castle, East Library Room

2900 Purchase St.

Purchase, NY 10577

Buffet Luncheon Will Be Served

$50.00

Purchase your ticket(s) by credit card, PayPal, or mail a check with your ticket request to:

League of Women Voters of Westchester

520 White Plains Rd., Suite 500

Tarrytown, NY 10591

LWVS Nominating Committee 2022-23

The LWVS Nominating Committee 2022-23 is calling for nominations to fill League Board Officer and Director positions for the 2023-24 year. The LWVS Nominating Committee will also fill off-board member positions on the Nominating Committee 2023-24.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend to be considered for the League Board or the LWVS Nominating Committee 2023-24, kindly contact Nominating Committee Chair Elissa Ruback at [email protected]. 

Here is a list of our 2022-23 Nominating Committee members, all of whom are able to receive nominations for discussion and consideration:

Elissa Ruback* (Chair)

Leah Dembitzer*

Kerry Hayes*

Diksha Mudbhary

*Off-Board members were approved at our annual meeting in May, 2022.

Thank you

The Scarsdale League serves the community through the dedication and energy of our volunteers. I would like to extend thanks to the League volunteers for all of their hard work this fall.

Thanks to Jessica Zellner and Jen Zola for organizing a successful Civics Jeopardy game and Mock Election at Scarsdale Middle School. Thanks to League and community members Lisa Copeland, Sara Farnsworth, Sakeena Naqvi, Jeremy Oades, Rachana Singh, Sharon Stern, and Christine Weston for volunteering for these events.

Thanks to Diane Baylor for her preparation for the Village Election System Information and Consensus meeting on December 5. Thanks to Jyoti Ruta for her vigilance in monitoring the School Board Nominating Committee’s work and for planning for the Information and Consensus Meeting on January 20. Thanks to Dalya Khan and Nan Eileen Mead for their work in chairing the School Budget Portfolio and preparing for the November Budget Forum.

Thanks to Donna Conkling and Beatrice Sevcik for all of their work on Voter Service and educating the public about the General Election.

Thanks to our amazing Communications team, Diane Baylor, Heedan Chung, and Dana Matsushita, for all of the time they have devoted to making sure the community is aware of voting information and upcoming League events. Thanks to Heedan Chung and Diksha Mudbhary for organizing our fall membership renewal and new member outreach. Thanks to our statistician, Jenny Tabak, for keeping track of our membership, and to our treasurer, Erika Rublin, for keeping track of our finances. Thanks to Dana Matsushita for her precise and detailed work editing the LWVS Bulletin. 

Thanks to Anne Lyons for coordinating the details of our Fall Food for Thought Speaker Event and ensuring a very successful program. Thanks to BK Munguia and Madelaine Eppenstein for their assistance in publicizing the event. Thanks to videographer Jason Wasserman for recording the event for posterity.

Thanks to Kitt Rosenthal for keeping us apprised of League of Women Voters of Westchester pursuits. Thanks to Tracy Tang and Cindy Yau for their important Board work.

Thanks to Elissa Ruback for chairing our Nominating Committee and to the committee members serving this year: Leah Dembitzer, Kerry Hayes, and Diksha Mudbhary.

Thanks to Rabia Muqaddam for a thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking talk at our Fall Food for Thought Speaker Event. Thank you to Charlie Muscat and Roberta Stein-Ham for their help in setting up an inviting space at the Scarsdale Public Library.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season!

All my best,

Alissa Baum

Village of Scarsdale

As of November 30, 2022

Board of Trustees

Jane Veron, Mayor

  Term ends April 2023

Randall Whitestone, Deputy Mayor

  2nd term ends April 2024

Sameer Ahuja

  1st term ends April 2023

Karen Brew

  1st term ends April 2023

Jeremy Gans

  1st term ends April 2024

Jonathan Lewis

  2nd term ends April 2023

Ken Mazer

  1st term ends April 2024

Board of Education

Amber Yusuf, President

   1st term ends June 2023

Ronald Schulhof, Vice President

  2nd term ends June 2025

Colleen Brown

  1st term ends June 2025

Jim Dugan

  1st term ends June 2024

Robert Klein

  1st term ends June 2023

Suzie Hahn Pascutti

  1st term ends June 2025

Jessica Resnick-Ault

  1st term ends June 2024

League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

2022-23

Officers

President: Alissa Baum

[email protected]

First Vice President: Jenny Simon Tabak

Second Vice President: Anne Lyons

Recording Secretary: Diane Baylor

[email protected]

Corresponding Secretary: Dana Matsushita

[email protected]

Treasurer: Erika Rublin

[email protected]

2022-2023 Elected Board Members

Heedan Chung

Donna Conkling

Dalya Khan

Nan Eileen Mead

Diksha Mudbhary

Jyoti Ruta

Beatrice Sevcik

Cindy Yau

Jessica Zellner

Appointed Board Members

Debbie Miller

Kitt Rosenthal

Tracy Tang

Jennifer Zola

Advocacy: Alissa Baum and Diksha Mudbhary 

Audit: Amber Yusuf 

Book Group: Donna Conkling

Budget: Nancy Michaels (Off-Board) 

Communications:

• Bulletin Editor: Dana Matsushita 
• Eblast: Dana Matsushita  
• Publicity: Heedan Chung 
• Social Media: Heedan Chung 
• Website: Diane Baylor 

Development/Finance Drive: Anne Lyons

Hospitality: Kitt Rosenthal

Local Budgets:

• School Budget: Dalya Khan and Nan Eileen Mead 
• Village Budget: Tracy Tang 

Local Election Systems:

• School Election: Jyoti Ruta 
• Village Election: Diane Baylor 

Luncheons: Anne Lyons

LWVW Liaison: Kitt Rosenthal

Membership: Heedan Chung 

• Membership Statistician: Jenny Simon Tabak 

Nominating Chair: Elissa Ruback (Off-Board) 

Program/Education: Cindy Yau

Voter Service:

• Candidate Forum(s): Donna Conkling and Beatrice Sevcik
• Naturalization Court: Donna Conkling and Beatrice Sevcik
• Voter Registration Drive(s): Alissa Baum and Beatrice Sevcik

Youth Engagement:

• Civics Jeopardy: Jessica Zellner and Jen Zola
• Mock Election: Jessica Zellner and Jen Zola
• Students Inside Albany: Cindy Yau