An Extraordinary Year in Scarsdale

There was no shortage of excitement in Scarsdale in 2012. With much to discuss in person and online, Scarsdale10583 had a banner year. Here are the top stories on Scarsdale10583 for 2012:

Schools: When former Dean Dave Mendelowitz was indicted in November for patronizing prostitutes, possession of crack cocaine and obstruction of justice, readers roared. Neither parents nor students could reconcile their image of the trusted role model and member of the Drug and Alcohol Task Force with the reports of the Dean's Friday night activities with "Yoyo" and "Suji." What can we say but we thought we knew you?

June saw a changing of the guard at Scarsdale High School when Co-Principals Fred Goldberg and Kelly Hamm retired after a combined 46 years of service to the school. The duo had become of the face of SHS, greeting students and parents each morning, disciplining those that had gone astray, tackling complex scheduling problems and directing hundreds through gridlocked halls. To lose both at once caused "a seismic shift in the landscape," according to Joan Weber, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel at the district.

Celebrities: An unconfirmed rumor that superstars Beyonce, husband Jay-Z and newborn Baby Blue were moving to a manse on Heathcote Road was the talk of the town in January, 2012. The paparazzi were parked in front of a closed gate at the entrance to 10A Heathcote Road, hoping to get a glimpse of the celebrities. The rumor turned out to be baseless ... but that didn't stop Saturday Night Live from running a spoof of the family's move to the dale. Watch it here: 

Openings: As the economy came back to life in Scarsdale, so did retail and restaurants. Diners welcomed Savona, an elegant bistro downtown and have been packing tables ever since their opening in April. Locals were pleased to find West Elm's colorful furnishings in the Vernon Hills Shopping Center and Athleta next to the Gap nearby. Also open this year was MAG Tricote for one-of-a-kind handknit creations on Christie Place, Martines on East Parkway for fresh baked items, lunch and coffee and Skin TheraP on the Popham Road Bridge. Though Morton Williams closed, two new markets appeared ... H Mart and Fresh Market opened, increasing options for groceries and gourmet food shopping in our area.

Hurricane Sandy: Though we would all like to forget it, Mother Nature was probably the biggest force in Scarsdale this year. On October 29 the nor'easter struck, taking down trees and power lines and nothing has been the same since. Many, including yours truly, were without power for 11 long days. Temperatures dropped, tempers flared and generators droned when after four days there was no sign of Con Edison in town. Why was Scarsdale overlooked and what can be done to prevent a similar crisis in the future have been fueling conversations ever since.

Saying Goodbye: Scarsdale mourned the loss of rising SHS junior Tyler Madoff who was swept out to sea during a summer adventure trip on the Big Island of Hawaii. Though Madoff was a strong swimmer and avid rower, he was overcome by the force of the wave. Despite a wide scale search, his body was never recovered.

Not a week later, Greenacres father of three, Pete Sauer died while playing basketball at Gardella Park in White Plains. Sauer, who was 6'7" tall, was the captain of the 1998 Final Four Basketball Team at Stanford University where he played on the team for four seasons. An autopsy revealed that Sauer had an enlarged heart, a condition called cardiomegaly, and also suffered a fractured skull when he fell. The family was already planning to move and tragically left Scarsdale without their dad.

Back from the Dead and Very Much Alive: An Edgemont woman was far more fortunate. What could have been a tragedy turned into an inspirational story of a husband's heroism. While on a scuba vacation in Costa Rica Dr. Hillary Greenberg was also hit by a surge and ended up on the ocean floor without the regulator (breathing tube) in her mouth. Determined to save her, her husband Bill performed CPR for 40 minutes until she could be moved out of the water to a local hospital. Though she remained in a coma for weeks she has made a miraculous recovery and will hopefully return to work as a doctor again this year.

Non-Partisan System: Perennial questions about Scarsdale's Non-Partisan System re-emerged last winter. Is the system too secretive? Is it undemocratic? Would the Village be better served by popular elections for Village Trustees and the Mayor. These and other concerns continued to be debated, but this year some meaningful changes were made to the Non-Partisan Resolution.

Tax Revaluation: Inequities in Scarsdale's real estate taxes were finally addressed this year as Scarsdale undertook a revaluation of all Village properties. Since the last revaluation was done in 1969, the difference between the assessed value and market value on many homes has grown and caused a steep rise in the number of field grievances. To make it fair, all homes and properties are currently being reassessed with the goal of implementing new tax rates in 2014.

People: In April Florie Wachtenheim received the Scarsdale Bowl, the community's most coveted award for volunteerism. Tracking her progression from PTA mom to President of the Scarsdale School Board, colleague Linda Chayes credited Wachtenheim for "balancing a seriousness of purpose with a wry sense of humor and a deep appreciation for complexity and nuance."

Another local hero celebrated her 95th birthday this year. Emiily Hirsch who has run Scarsdale Candy 'N Cards for 45 years had an outdoor birthday bash in Scarsdale Village on June 15 sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, catered by Lange's, with coffee from Starbucks and a beautiful birthday cake from La Rennaissance.

Historic preservation was also on the agenda in 2012 – especially when the Scarsdale Historical Society applied to the Scarsdale Zoning Board of Appeals to sell the Cudner Hyatt House on the Post Road and convert it from a museum to a single family house. Turns out that the house had far more defenders than anticipated and a lively meeting ensued where the Scarsdale Arts Council attempted to save what they called "one of Scarsdale's greatest heritage treasures."

Pop Culture: When Scarsdale's Julie Gerstenblatt heard that 50 Shades of Gray author E.L. James was coming to Westchester, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet her. Despite the fact that Gerstenblatt found 50 Shades of Gray "awfully written," like millions of other women, "she couldn't put it down." Here are her thoughts on what E.L.James did not discuss at the event!