Scarsdale in 2010 The Year in Review

Scarsdale in 2010 The Year in Review

Wednesday, 22 December 2010 18:06

Last Updated: Tuesday, 28 December 2010 00:39

Published: Wednesday, 22 December 2010 18:06

snow2-26 It’s been another remarkable year in Scarsdale; and both the good and the bad have been chronicled on Scarsdale10583. With 2010 winding down, and 2011 in the offing, we thought it was a good time to look back on what happened here in the past year.

We started 2010 with news of a devastating earthquake in Haiti, and former Scarsdale resident Danielle Butin was quick to rally support from Scarsdale residents who contributed money, food, supplies and their time to AFYA, a relief organization she founded.

Our beautiful neighborhoods were not spared from the whims of Mother Nature. In February, a big snowstorm paralyzed the town and in March a powerful rain and windstorm swept through Scarsdale, knocking down hundreds of trees and power lines. A state of emergency was declared when the storm plunged thousands of residents into the dark leaving many without heat, electricity, or phone service for days. Crews from all over the country were brought in to restore power and in the end, Village Manager Al Gatta estimated that the storm cleanup had cost the village a bundle.

Scarsdale breeds good citizens, and this year, two extraordinary people were honored for their local achievements.

Bowl Winner Jackie Irwin

Jackie Irwin was awarded the Scarsdale Bowl in April in recognition of her years of voluntary service and former Fox Meadow School Principal Steve Frantz was honored by Scarsdale and Edgemont Family Counseling at the Gourmet Galaxy in May.

Also in May, the Scarsdale School system celebrated 225 years of excellence and both Scarsdale and Edgemont experienced heated School Board elections, which posed a challenge to the candidates and the non-partisan system.

Summer brought additional woes to our area when hundreds of gallons of heating oil was spilled into the Bronx River in June and Crane's Pond in Edgemont grew a fluorescent green slick that covered the pond for the entire summer. Inadequate

A Green Slick on Crane's Pond

pumping stations caused the Village to impose watering restrictions resulting in a summer of scorched lawns.

Before school even opened in September, rumors about a student brawl during Labor Day weekend polarized Scarsdale, though all was forgotten when the Scarsdale Boys Varsity A Soccer team progressed to the state semi-finals with enthusiastic fans in attendance. The Scarsdale Raiders Football team’s winning season was also a source of great pride.

In other education news, New York State won a Race to the Top grant which some thought was actually a loss for Scarsdale. The League of Women Voters held a panel discussion to explore the establishment of a Scarsdale Schools Foundation and issued a long awaited report on the subject, but failed to come to consensus on forming a foundation in Scarsdale.

The Scarsdale Village Trustees considered enacting an historic preservation law to safeguard our treasures and contemplated how to bring more retailers into downtown Scarsdale. Controversial sessions were held to weigh a proposal for a $24 million underground indoor pool and a potential Village-wide tax revaluation to update assessments that date back to 1969.

In Heathcote, a new retail building was approved at the Five Corners in place of the gas station and dismayed

Proposed Retail Building for Heathcote Corners

residents watched the construction of nine new homes at Heathcote Manor on Weaver Street, behind a forbidding concrete wall. Meanwhile, a new restaurant promised on the site of the former Bistro Citron is still not open, and a roundabout to ease traffic at the Five Corners is currently being examined.

Residents were frightened as scores of coyotes moved into Village neighborhoods, haunting adults and children who had heard of coyote attacks in nearby Rye. By year end, the coyotes seemed to have vanished. Are they hibernating or have they been “relocated”?

Election season brought three Scarsdalians to the ballot, as Amy Paulin, Harry Wilson and Bob Cohen vied for public office and launched lively campaigns for our votes.

In a tragic turn of events, four members of the community committed suicide in the fall, leaving their perplexed friends and neighbors in mourning. Concerned residents gathered at a day of meetings to learn and share. In Edgemont, everyone was abuzz about the arrest of two 2010 grads for burglary and a drug bust in a home on a quiet, upscale street.

The Scarsdale Sidewalk Sale

Downtown Scarsdale was the site of many events including a first-time professional art show on Father’s Day weekend, a successful sidewalk sale in late July, the Scarsdale Concours in October and the Christmas tree lighting in December. Though the Village Board approved a resolution to place a Menorah in Chase Park, no one seems to be able to find it.

But residents were able to locate two abusive nannies and a speeding menace, both due to letters to Scarsdale10583. As the year moved forward, the site received more and more community input and became a portal for discussion.

We look forward to continuing to serve as a nexus for the community and thank you, our readers, for your support. We are also grateful to everyone who advertised on the site this year, and have listed the businesses and organizations below. You can help to keep the site vital by advertising your own service or business on Scarsdale10583 and patronizing our advertisers. When you do, please let them know you saw their ads on Scarsdale 10583.

Happy holidays to all!

Thank you to our 2010 advertisers: