The Goods

Details: Written by Deborah Skolnik; Published: 19 August 2014; Created: 19 August 2014; Last Updated: 19 August 2014; Hits: 5002

LikeUs Chances are you love Facebook, like everyone else. But we Scarsdalians are special. Our mothers told us so! We need online hubs tailored to our particular needs. So join me in petitioning Mark Zuckerberg to create these smart spinoffs, just for the 10583 crowd:

PARKINGSPACEBOOK - Why waste 50 minutes of your lunch hour looking for a parking spot in the Village, just so you can wolf down a sandwich at Lange's in 2 minutes flat? On Parkingspacebook, people can post when they're about to back out of a parking space, so you can drive right over and snag it (ahead of that dude with the Escalade and attitude, booyah!)

FIRSTBASEBOOK - Don't feel like spending 2 hours at the Supply Field watching your kid's baseball game? Hide out at Seven Woks and log into Firstbasebook! Simply post vaguely encouraging comments every 10 minutes ("You go!" "Lookin' good!"). Later, when your child complains he didn't see you on the bleachers, tell him he just wasn't looking hard enough. Then show him the great remarks you made about the game online, to prove you were cheering his every Mariano-Rivera-like move.

DISGRACEBOOK - If you've ever been caught running a multimillion-dollar marijuana biz, or sunbathing buck naked on the roof of your car in front of Babies R Us, this social media site is for you. You can read everyone's snarky jokes about your crime, and add your own rebuttal. Try "Hey, mama needed that McMansion!" or "How else could I get an even tan?" You might score a few thumbs up. (Or middle fingers.)

DISPLACEBOOK - Did the tax reassessment raise the ludicrously low levy on your big ol' home? Are you now expected to pay nearly as much as your neighbors who live in a saltbox? Come to Displacebook to complain that you might need to move. Bonus: An audio enhancement serenades the site's visitors with the Beatles' "Yesterday," played on a diminutive violin.

CHRISTIEPLACEBOOK - Speaking of taxes, if you followed every twist of the proposed-but-defeated tax hike on this luxury apartment complex, you can relive the bawling and brawling on Christieplacebook. Note: Not recommended for children under 6, as it features adults acting like children under 5.

REPLACEBOOK - Why endure the real world when there's Replacebook? Here, Photoshop pros take pictures of Scarsdale's eyesores, then digitally swap them out for nicer structures. The unoccupied building at the Five Corners? Poof! Now it's a miniature Eiffel Tower. The Crane Road Bridge project? It's been transformed into the twee little bridge in one of Monet's water lily paintings. Magnifique!

RACEBOOK - We'd never suggest that all those folks speed-walking on Mamaroneck Avenue are trying to show each other up. But just in case, Racebook gives you a chance to post anonymous put-downs: "To the Botoxed lady in the Lululemon yoga pants--EAT MY DUST!"

RESURFACEBOOK - It's August, yet you still almost broke an axle on that pothole that's been gaping on your street since February. Thank goodness for Resurfacebook! Here, residents can post their best DIY fixes, like filling potholes with mulch, or feathers from the library geese that have mysteriously disappeared, or that petrified half-gallon of Peachwave yogurt you left in the freezer since May.

Deborah Skolnik is a Greenacres mother of two and a marketing manager at Myron Promotional Products in Maywood, NJ. Her latest essay is scheduled to appear in the October issue of Reader's Digest.

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 06 August 2014; Created: 06 August 2014; Last Updated: 07 August 2014; Hits: 37934

SLT2 The new building at 1 Palmer Avenue in front of Balducci's finally has a tenant and no, it's not CVS. While the first floor of the building is still empty, the second floor of the much-discussed building has been leased to an innovative exercise studio. Now open in Scarsdale is SLT, that is Strengthen, Lengthen and Tone, offering a new type of exercise class that uses the Megaformer machine to tone your whole body.

The format of the class is not easy to describe but founder Amanda Freeman explains it this way: "If cardio, strength training and Pilates had a baby... it would be SLT." The best way to understand what's going on is to view the video on their website. Click here to see SLT in action.

This progressive workout is designed to strengthen, lengthen, and tone the body quickly and safely. This workout is largely based on the holistic principles of Pilates, but also emphasizes the strength training and cardio elements not inherent to Pilates to achieve muscle definition faster than traditional Pilates and/or weight training alone...all in as little as 50 minutes.

The workout blends core stability with muscle dynamics, with resistance and counter-resistance exercises using a system of springs and pulleys in a sequence that allows for periods of zero gravity at peak muscle contraction. The method encourages maximum exertion while allowing for low risk of injury. The workout strengthens the body, tones and elongates the muscles, improves endurance, jump-starts the metabolism, burns fat, increases flexibility and postural alignment, and restores the body's natural balance.

All muscle groups, from big to small, are strengthened in a non-aggressive, non-impact manner making slt this workout as good for your muscles as it is for your joints. Your spine stays protected, your mind engaged, and your body pushed to its limits. Under the guidance of your certified instructor, it's one of the safest ways to strengthen your muscles while reducing stress on the joints and connective tissues.

CEO Amanda Freeman has transported this format from the West Coast to the East Coast where SLT now has two locations in Manhattan as well as sites in Bridgehampton, Roslyn, Rye Brook and Short Hills. Two additional locations in the Flatiron and Upper East Side will also open soon.

Classes are 50 minutes long and limited to ten people per session. You can sign up now for your first class at the special introductory rate of just $20. Click here to see the class schedule in Scarsdale and in Rye Brook.

There is plenty of free parking in front of the entrance of the building and in the garage underneath the building. Please use the entrance in the back of the lot (where the garage is) to enter the studio. You can use the elevator or stairs to take you up to the studio on the 2nd floor!

SLT
1 Palmer Avenue 2nd Floor
Scarsdale, NY
914-305-5880

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 23 July 2014; Created: 23 July 2014; Last Updated: 13 August 2014; Hits: 6188

missile The war in Israel has affected the summer travel plans of many Scarsdale residents and their families. Some were already in Israel when the missiles started flying while others were scheduled to go and deliberated about putting off their plans or forging on. The people we contacted to sought to balance their wish to support Israel with concerns about their safety.

We spoke to Rabbi Jonathan Blake, head Rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale about the situation and here are his thoughts:

"I hear of course a mixture of emotions: anxiety about the conflict and its escalation, pride in Jewish and Israeli unity and in Israel's conduct of the war, and a reassuring theme from many congregants that life continues to go on for Israel even under difficult circumstances. Israelis are nothing if not adaptable in crisis: sirens, bomb shelters, and emergency alerts have become part and parcel of the daily routine and there is a sense of comfort in the experience being shared among the population."

We reached out to several residents who travelled to Israel and here is what we learned. Scarsdale's Lauren Rimland is now staying close to Gaza. She sent us the following email on Wednesday July 23rd:

"I am currently in Israel with my parents and we arrived last Friday, as war was already in progress. We have been staying at my Uncle's dairy farm which is in the 40 km zone from Gaza. We have had daily sirens sending us the shelter, sometimes as many as 4 times a day. My Uncle's house does not have a shelter, so we have to run to the shelter next door. We have only 45 seconds to make it safely to the shelter. Not far from the Moshav is an Iron Dome which we are able to see and hear the loud booms. At night we are able to see the Iron Dome in action as well. We constantly hear and feel the rockets coming from Gaza. As we sit in their house, you can feel the vibrations. Everyone is on constant alert. My cousins are always on their cell phones on group communications, making sure everyone is ok and also, where the last rocket landed if it was in their neighborhood, to assess the damage."

"I have a very large family here. My aunt and uncle and their six children all live here. Each of my six cousins have family themselves and three of the families each have a daughter currently in the IDF. One is posted at the Gaza border and another is at the home front. It is disconcerting to see my 19 year-old cousin show up at her parent's farm with her rifle when she was on leave two days ago. What is truly amazing is to watch my other cousin stay composed as the sirens go off. She calmly starts singing a song as she leads her daughters into the shelter. The little girls are 2 and 4 years old. If you ask them what to do, they will tell you where to go and what to do."

"I am in awe of everyone here and will take this experience with me. I will be adding this experience to one from 1973 when i was here for my older brother's bar mitzvah in December right after the Yom Kippur war. My uncles walked into my grandparents' house and put their rifles on my grandmother's dining room table. It feel like it is deja vu."

"One of my cousins joked and said I have become like an Israeli because I am constantly checking my phone for the latest news about where the bombs are landing."

"We are supposed to return on Saturday, but Air France has indefinitely suspended travel to and from Israel, so we are now trying to figure out how to return home. Hopefully all will work out without too much difficulty."

In early July, Laura Kline, a rising senior at Scarsdale High School, was on a trip to Israel with a Jewish Organization called 92Y Havaya International when she experienced first-hand the missile conflict that is currently brewing on the Gaza Strip. Laura explained that during her two-week trip, she heard six sirens and blasts from explosions on two different occasions. Her group even had to go to a shelter for protection. Although she did not hear the explosions everyday, Laura conveyed the situation as stressful and traumatic. According to Laura, "the first time we heard the missiles, two of my Israeli friends cried. It's part of their life style unfortunately. It's not something you get used to, but with the iron dome and the shelters, you'll be ok." Because she became friends with Israeli teenagers like herself, she was able to understand the trauma they endured as missiles were being fired into their home country. She then explained, "one of my friends left the south and moved to Shoham, and she had post traumatic stress when she heard the sirens again." On one occasion, Laura and friends became aware that a missile had blown up a grocery store they were shopping in earlier that day. Luckily, she was able to stay safe.

Scarsdale's David Landau explained that his 17 year-old son Andrew has been in Israel on a NRTY trip for the last four weeks. Despite the conflict Andrew has had a great time and NFTY sent daily updates to the parents back home to keep them informed of the kids' whereabouts and to allay their fears. For the first three weeks of the trip they were able to keep to their planned itinerary. However last week they changed their plans and missed out on seeing Yad Vashem and shortened their time in Jerusalem to 1 ½ days. Though Landau has not spoken to his son much he does know that he has heard the sirens. Parents David and Melanie Landau had confidence in the iron dome and in Israel and remained relatively calm. However, Andrew was supposed to come home this week and when his flight was cancelled he was rerouted to Zurich where he will spend the night before flying to Geneva to catch a plane home. They expect to see him on Thursday July 23 after his three-day journey back.

Recent college grad Bryan Gertzog returned on July 2 from a Birthright trip to Israel and a few BirthrightTrip extra days in Tel Aviv. Here is what he shared:

"I got really lucky with the timing of my trip. Things started getting bad the day that I left, so I never really felt unsafe while I was there. I had an amazing experience on birthright and would highly recommend it when Israel becomes safer. I remember talking with the soldiers early in my trip about how the situation was relatively calm in Israel and had been for some time, with Syria being the biggest concen. Then news broke about the three boys being kidnapped and they knew right away that things might start to get worse."

And Monita Buchwald, sister-in-law of Scarsdale's Marlene Buchwald, is headed to Israel next week. She told Scarsdale10583 the following:

"We're expecting to leave in a week. We generally go to Israel every year to visit my husband Charles' family (his brother, sister-in law, their son (and daughter in law) and my nephew's 10 children. My brother-in-law lives in Bat Yam, a city South of Tel Aviv. He's an American who moved to Israel more than 40 years ago after finishing high school. Charles' parents moved there in 1973 but have since passed away. The focus of the visit is really just to spend time with family. I also have a very close friend in Jerusalem who I'll get together with. Our 29 year-old daughter Sarah is joining us on this trip. If possible, I had hoped to visit some art museums I've never been to. Since we travel there so frequently, we've seen everything touristy."

"For now, we haven't made any changes to our itinerary. I imagine, though, if the war is still on it will certainly restrict our freedom of travel. Additionally, we will really need to be aware of where bomb shelters are and how to respond to red alerts. That's certainly something we hadn't planned on."

"We're flying El Al but not sure about my daughter's plane because she's flying on US Air from Baltimore and at the moment, they aren't flying. Most of the time we will either be in Bat Yam, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem where our nephew lives. Our family is experiencing the red alerts and spending various amounts of time in safe rooms or shelters. Some have had to get out of their cars and lay flat on the road during an alarm, which is the standard operating procedure. While they are all trying to go about their regular lives, there is a sense of "battle.""

Did you go to Israel this summer? Share your experience in the comments section below.

Written by Joanne Wallenstein and Elizabeth Jacobs

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 30 July 2014; Created: 30 July 2014; Last Updated: 30 July 2014; Hits: 6799

minivan moments large Here's a post from a Scarsdale mom who is leaving our fair village now that her kids have all left home. As she looks forward to the next chapter of her life beyond Raider territory, she's spared a last few brain cells for Scarsdale. Here are her parting words on what defines the Scarsdale experience:

You know you are a ScarsdALIEN if ...

You hit the gym religiously...almost as religiously as you hit happy hour.
You type WRT in a text to explain where your Scarsdale Adult School class meets, and it autocorrects to "WTF" on your too smart phone because it knows you use that acronym way more often.
You know your "million dollar home" wouldn't be just a "million dollar home" if you just had another million to spend on it.
You traded in your parenting helicopter for an SUV when you moved out of the city so you could ferry around your kids and their chatty friends to find out what they are REALLY thinking about.
You realize that the real political power in this town lies with its nominating committees. So remind me again how many people actually vote in THOSE elections?
You are a little mystified by the fact that a community of bona fide "one-percenters" seems completely preoccupied with whether or not their neighbors are paying "their fair share."
You have a hot landscaper. He is also your plumber and your car mechanic. And your tennis pro. And you didn't know he even had some of these skills when you married him all those years ago.
You think you are on the right track, but it would be easier to tell if Fox Meadow would just let us put lights on it.
You go to Metro Deli and when you don't specify how you crispy you like your bacon, the waitress comments, "you are not from here, are you?"

The author cops to all of the stuff listed here.

Details: Written by Debra Hyman and Valerie Abrahams; Published: 15 July 2014; Created: 15 July 2014; Last Updated: 15 July 2014; Hits: 9046

STEP Scarsdale Student Transfer Education Plan (STEP) marked the graduation of STEP scholar Dare Olaifa at a celebration dinner in his honor at the home of STEP Board Member Beth Ehrich Berkeley on June 26. Dare, who came to Scarsdale High from Memphis for his junior and senior years, is headed to Villanova University this fall. At the graduation fete, Dare's parents and 10-year-old sister joined STEP board members and friends to commend his many accomplishments during his time at SHS.

STEP senior co-chair Valerie Abrahams presented Dare with gifts from the STEP board and a MacBook Air, a gift from friends of his host family. In her remarks, Valerie praised Dare's academic success and his activities in the community. At SHS, Dare joined the football and track teams, participated in various clubs, was elected to student government, and most recently, performed in the senior class performance of Grease. On weekends, he volunteered at Hawthorne Cedar Knolls, a residential treatment center for adolescents with emotional problems. Valerie also thanked Dare's SHS deans and teachers, as well as former SHS History Department Chair, Eric Rothschild, who founded STEP in 1966. Rothschild, a widely respected retired SHS teacher and Scarsdale Village Historian, attended the graduation dinner as a continuing supporter and board member of STEP.

In a heartfelt speech, Dare thanked his host family, Nina and Ivan Ross and their sons, Ethan, Tyler and Josh, and the STEP board for guiding him through school here, and helping him to feel at home in Scarsdale. He also thanked representatives of Collegistics, a local college advisory service founded by several STEP board members, for helping him to navigate the application, financial aid, and scholarship process. Dare's father, Olefemi Olaifa, expressed his family's gratitude to the Rosses and to the STEP program. Dare's sister, Grace, presented the Ross family with a plaque of appreciation. The Olaifas emigrated to the United States from Nigeria when Dare was six years old.

Robert Lee, STEP's rising senior from Memphis, lives with Nan and Lee Berke during the school year. DonTavius Holmes, STEP's incoming junior, will arrive in Scarsdale in August. He will live with Bettina and Michael Klein. STEP will welcome DonTavius at an event in September, and both students will join STEP board members and students from the SHS STEP Club at its annual fund-raising bake sale at the Friends of the Scarsdale Library book sale on Saturday, September 6.

The Scarsdale Student Transfer Education Plan (STEP) is an independent community program that identifies promising students of color and enables them to attend Scarsdale High School for their junior and senior years. The program offers qualified students access to Scarsdale High School's strong college preparatory program and extensive extracurricular activities, as well as the cultural and recreational resources of the New York metropolitan area. While in Scarsdale, each visiting student lives with a host family and is encouraged to become an integral part of the Scarsdale community. To learn more about STEP, to inquire about becoming a host family, or to make a donation, visit www.scarsdalestep.org.