Sister District Project Connects Scarsdale Volunteers to Swing Election Districts
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- Written by Brooke White
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This November, as Westchester votes in elections for County Executive and a number of other local seats, the commonwealth of Virginia will hold elections for all 100 seats in their lower chamber, the House of Delegates. Activists have set their sights on the Virginia House races as the elections to watch in 2017, and volunteers from across New York's 16th Congressional district, including many from Scarsdale, are getting involved through the Sister District Project.
Sister District Project is one of a number of organizations formed in the days immediately following the 2016 elections. Stunned by President Trump's election and alarmed by the number of Republican "trifectas" (states where Republicans hold both legislative chambers and the governorship), Rita Bosworth, a 38-year-old former federal public defender from San Jose, California, thought there had to be a way to connect progressive donors and volunteers in solidly blue areas to swing districts, where Democratic candidates need reinforcements. Bosworth and her co-founders started Sister District Project to do just that.
One of only two states to hold state elections in odd years, Virginia has elected more Democrats in recent years (no Republican has won a statewide election since 2009), while Republicans have held control of both legislative chambers. After digging deeper into the 2016 election returns for Virginia, Bosworth and team made an interesting discovery: Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in seventeen Republican-held Delegate districts -- the same number of seats Democrats need to win in order to take back control of the Virginia House.
The 16th Congressional district's local team supports two candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates -- Chris Hurst, the Democratic candidate in the 12th House of Delegates district, and Karrie Delaney, the Democratic candidate in the 67th House of Delegates district. Close to 200 residents of the 16th district have volunteered for Sister District Project, and NY-16 volunteers have reached out to hundreds of voters through phone calls and handwritten postcards, and donated more than $2,000 to Hurst and Delaney's campaigns.
To learn more about Sister District Project and sign up to volunteer, visit sisterdistrict.com or email the NY-16 team for Scarsdale at [email protected].
Scarsdale Woman's Club Membership Drive Open House
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Welcoming members from all communities, The Scarsdale Woman's Club will hold a Membership Drive Open House on Thursday, September 7, 2017 from 1-4 pm at 37 Drake Road, Scarsdale.
Membership in the club provides opportunities for learning, friendships and fun.
The club offers sections that cater to many different interests: Art, Music, Community Affairs, Food and Dining, Home and Garden, Literature, Music, Personal Investing, Pottery, Programs at Seven and World Cultures and Travel. As a new member, you can try each one!
Special Events and fundraisers include Holidays through the House, Candlelight Dinner, Winter Special Event, Rhododendron Luncheon and Clambake. These are great opportunities to meet other members and have a good time.
The Scarsdale Woman's Club programs focus on cultural, educational and philanthropic activities. Funds raised by the Thrift Committee are donated to local charities. Operation Bookshelf ships millions of books to schools and service organizations around the world.
Club membership is open to all. Current members reside in all Westchester communities, Rockland County, lower Connecticut, Manhattan and The Bronx. New members are welcome to join this dynamic group.
The Scarsdale Woman's Club is located at 37 Drake Road in Scarsdale with ample parking behind the house. Club members will be on hand to share their enthusiasm with displays and tours during this annual membership drive open house. Anyone unable to attend the Open House, can find the membership information on their website, www.scarsdalewomansclub.org.
Fallen Leaves: Don't Leave Them in the Street
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Did you know that Scarsdale Village code prohibits leaf piles in the street? Why? Because leaf piles can cause a multitude of problems – blocking walkways and fire hydrants, becoming a slippery hazard to pedestrians and drivers, creating visual obstructions and clogging storm drains and catch basins.
That's why village code requires that leaf piles should be placed on the grass, near the edge of the curb –and not in the street.
However, this has proven to be difficult to enforce. Gardeners often blow leaves onto the street, onto neighboring properties, onto traffic islands and into the public right of way. Should the village get tougher about enforcing the rules?
That was the subject of a meeting of the Municipal Services Committee of the Scarsdale Village government on August 8, 2017. Public Works Superintendent Benny Salanitro explained that during leaf season, which runs from mid-October to late December, staff from the Highway Department vacuums leaves, and on average does seven pick-ups per location per season.
If twigs, branches or grass clippings are mixed into the leaf piles, they cannot be vacuumed and may damage the vacuum equipment. As an alternative leaves can be put into biodegradable bags which will be collected by the Village.
The Village currently takes several measures to inform residents and landscapers about proper leaf disposal, mailing a flyer of "Do's and Don'ts" to the 408 contractors that are known to work in Scarsdale. In addition the flyer is posted in the newspaper, on the village website and on cable television. If police notice leaf piles in the streets they too assist with enforcement of the rules.
To those who don't comply, warning notices are distributed to homes where leaves are present in the roadway, usually about 300 per year. However, no legal summons have been issued.
At the meeting the Trustees discussed the possibility of stepping up enforcement. Should the Public Works department create "door knockers" to be placed at homes that abuse the policy – or should legal summons be issued to residents and landscapers who pile leaves in the streets? At the conclusion of the meeting, Trustees agreed to ask Village Staff to recommend ways to step up enforcement and reduce the dangers of leaves being piled in the street.
And what has come of the many discussions of mulching in place, i.e. mowing over fallen leaves and leaving the remains on the lawn? For now that discussion and the move to eliminate leaf vacuuming by the Village seems to be on hold. The Cornell Waste Management Institute is currently doing a study to assess the effect of mulch mowing on the tick populations on lawns. The initial study showed no increased incidence of ticks on mulch-mowed lawns. The NYS Department of Health advises that lawns be kept mowed to create a "tick-free zone around your home."
How can you help? Rake your leaves to the edge of the lawn and ask your gardener to do the same. If not, you may receive an unpleasant notice from the Highway Department!
Annual Scarsdale Library Book Sale Kicks off September 8
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Volunteers are busy sorting and organizing thousands of donated books for the Friends of the Scarsdale Library Annual Book Sale that begins Friday, September 8, with a Friends' Preview and continues through Sunday, September 17. Buyers should stock up this year as the sale will be on hiatus for a couple of years during the planned renovation and upgrading of the library. The Friends will stop accepting donations this Friday, August 25.
Current and out-of-print books, including bestsellers, classics, biographies, fiction, parenting, cooking, art, graphic novels, humor, travel, self-help, drama, religion, philosophy, poetry, history, political science, and business will be available. There is also a large selection of children's books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, audiobooks and sheet music. A special attraction is the large category of highly collectible books, rare books, limited and first editions as well as autographed copies. Proceeds from the sale help fund library programs and key services.
The opening evening Friends' Preview on September 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. is open to members of the Friends. New members may join at the door for $25. Only cash and checks are accepted for the sale, no credit cards.
As the sale progresses, the price of books is reduced. The schedule is:
Regular Sale - Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 10, Monday, Sept 11, and Tuesday, Sept 12, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Half-Price Sale – Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Blow-Out Sale – Saturday, Sept. 16, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Scarsdale Library is located at 54 Olmsted Road, corner Route 22, Scarsdale. For additional information goes to scarsdalelibrary.org/friends.
Scarsdale's Food Scrap Recyclying Program Featured on News 12 Westchester
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Scarsdale's own Michelle Sterling, Ron Schulhof and Mayor Dan Hochvert were featured on NEWS 12 Westchester last week, discussing the Village's food scrap recycling program which has already recycled 67,000 pounds of food scraps this year. As food scraps make up 30% of residential waste, this new program has also served to lighten the load for trash pick-up.
Participating residents purchase a counter top starter kit that is used to collect food scraps. Usually about once a week, they bring their scraps to the Scarsdale recycling center where it is collected, transported and then turned into compost.
The program has already become a model for other communities: Similar programs have been launched in Bedford and Mamaroneck and Larchmont, Greenburgh and New Castle will start their own programs in the fall.
See how you can get started here:
