The Farmers' Market is Back in the Dale
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale Farmers’ Market is now open, every Sunday in Scarsdale Village. Find fresh artisanal foods, every Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm on Chase Road and Spencer Place in the Village.
We found farm fresh produce, fresh fish, olive oil, pickles and olives, coffee, sour dough bagels, fresh breads and more. Here’s a list of some of the vendors that will frequent the market plus photos of the delicacies that were available last week.
3x3 Kitchen
McGrath Chese
Alpacatrax
Newgate Farms
American Pride Seafood
Norwich Meadow Farms
Simple Fine Food
Cano Coffee
SOVA Organic
Croatian Confections
Wave Hill Breads
Dr. Pickle
Stop by this Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm to support the market.
SVAC Seniors to the Rescue
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- Written by Vivian Zweig
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*This article contains images of fake injuries that some readers may find disturbing or unsettling
A tone blared across the loudspeakers of the SVAC headquarters: Motor vehicle accident; mass casualties. Anxious glances were exchanged among the senior options students as they rushed to the scene, accompanied by flashing red and blue lights.
Each year, seniors are required to complete a six-week unpaid internship to graduate, and some choose to participate in SVAC’s senior options certification program. As a part of the program, students learn anatomy and physiology, practice skills, and go on calls with licensed EMTs and Paramedics. The program is organized by David Raizen, the President of SVAC, who wanted to provide Scarsdale students with the opportunity to build a medical background. This year’s course was taught by Jude Valerioti, the president of Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps (EVAC).
The students participated in a final surprise “farewell” event, where they responded to a mock bus accident at Crossway Field. Alex Vetrone stated that “We got the dispatch in the ambulance house… and to our surprise, there was a staged bus crash with our parents playing all the victims.” As a part of the event, the students had to triage and coordinate how to transport each patient to the hospital. The aspiring EMTs were able to get most of the patients into the ambulance, although Vetrone is “…not sure if Maya’s dad was ever found. He was under the school bus and might still be there actually.”
The program received high praise from many of its participants, who learned not only how to manage medical emergencies but also how to interact with patients. According to Amelia Liu, “I learned that interacting with patients requires a lot of people skills, and that you have to be really good at interacting with all different kinds of patients. Sometimes it’s really easy… you just take them to the hospital. But other times, they might not be behaving rationally.” Liu went on to give an example: “You might get a patient who really needs to go to the hospital, but they refuse to go. So, you have to be really good at knowing how to convince them and how to talk to certain people in the right way.” Ultimately, the common sentiment among the program’s participants is that as an EMT, you must do your best to help your patients make the best decisions about their lives.
Liu went on to recommend the course to others because she “Will probably practice these skills throughout [her] life, even though [she’s] not looking into a medical career.” SVAC runs year-long certification programs that require no prior medical experience. Those interested in becoming certified EMTs should visit the SVAC website to explore their offered programs!
American Legion Honors Veterans on Memorial Day
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- Written by Vivian Zweig
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The mournful notes of taps echoed across Chase Park, signaling the end of the 2023 annual Memorial Day Parade. Each year, this parade is organized by the Scarsdale branch of the American Legion, the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization. Veteran Thomas Adamo opened the event by sharing a few words of remembrance at the Word War II monument in Boniface Circle.
Then, the parade promptly began adjacent to Boniface Circle, on Chase Road. The parade was led by members of the American Legion Post 52. Veterans marched or road by in golf carts, paving the way for boy scouts and girl scouts, who marched with their respective troops. The Scarsdale High School marching band followed the scouts, serenading the crowd. Members of the fire department and the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps brought up the rear of the parade. The procession passed the Church of St. James the Less, where flags and flowers were left on the gravestones of fallen veterans.
After the parade, Tom Adamo led a ceremony at Chase Park, where State Assemblymember Amy Paulin, Mayor Arest, Village Manager Robert Cole, former mayor Dr. Miriam Flisser, and Reverend Astrid Storm spoke. Paulin opened the ceremony by reciting It is the Soldier by veteran Charles M. Province, which recognizes and honors the critical role soldiers play in protecting the rights that we enjoy:
It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
Mayor Arest succinctly summarized the purpose of the day: “Memorial Day at its core is a day to remember the ultimate sacrifice given by our service members, and to honor their legacy…. It is our responsibility to honor their sacrifice by cherishing the freedoms they fought to protect by never taking our rights for granted, and by acknowledging that our liberties have been powerful.” Ultimately, the event accomplished just that by bringing together members of the community to remember and honor the soldiers and veterans who served in World War II.
Photo credit: Michelle Sterling
Scarsdale Stands Against Gun Violence
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Dressed in orange t-shirts, Mom Against Gun Violence along with Village Trustees and Managers, public safety officers, state Senator Shelly Mayer and supporters gathered at Village Hall on the first Friday in June for National Gun Violence Day. With 120 people a day killed due to gun violence, the group is calling for “an end to gun violence in all of its forms, including domestic violence, suicide, and city gun violence.”
In Scarsdale the group was led by Pat Collela who passed away in May. So in addition to recognizing the mission of the organization, the ceremony remembered Pat as well. Her husband, daughter and family members attended.
Mayor Justin Arest opened the ceremony saying, “This is a different year for the village recognizing national gun violence awareness day, as well as wear orange weekend. We often take some of the best community volunteers for granted and that is because of how effective and organized they are in their various causes. And in this one, like clockwork, the board would not only recognize the important day and cause at our meetings but we would also have orange T-shirt’s and ribbons. Again, this dais different. And that’s because Ms. Pat Colella is not with us. But I am so appreciative that her friends and family are here to support this cause and I and the board and village are proud to stand with them; to stand together against gun violence and remember a tireless advocate and volunteer. “
Randy Whitestone, Justin Arest and Kelly Rogers
He noted the startling statistics:
“In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S., according to the CDC. That figure includes gun murders at 43% and gun suicides at 54%, along with three less common types of gun-related deaths tracked by the CDC which fall in the other category: those that were accidental, those that involved law enforcement and those whose circumstances could not be determined. These which are categorized as “Other” account for the remaining 3%. The total excludes deaths in which gunshot injuries played a contributing, but not principal, role. “
He said, “This is an American problem. This shouldn’t be a political issue. Public safety, saving lives, is hopefully the priority of every government at every level of this nation. I wish we could all collectively work together and keep politics out of this. Scarsdale is proud to make our voices heard in making our nation safer.”
Trustee Randy Whitestone rememberd Pat Collela saying, “We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Pat and her commitment to this and other important causes. Having known her for 20 years, since our daughters played softball together on a team she coached I saw in action that when she was passionate about something she devoted herself completely to it -- with diplomacy, a smile, and real determination. She was the definition of a caring community volunteer, whether it was doing outreach for the Congregational Church, coaching softball, or being the face and voice of the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense. We are here to carry on her commitment to gun safety and will continue this tradition in years to come in her honor.”
Reverend Kelly Rogers of Scarsdale Congregational Church said, “We lift up the victims of gun violence today. We continue this work and we are Pat’s hands s and feet….It takes a community to do work like this. We will be back on the first Friday in June until this ends.”
After the ceremony at Scarsdale Village Hall, the group continued to the Westchester County Center where they were joined on the steps by Westchester Sorority members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Social Action Team and Westchester Gun Sense Candidates:
Victoria Presser
Jeremiah Frei-Pearson
J. Williams Johnson
Ximena Francella
NY Assemblywoman Maryjane Shimsky
Along with:
Moms Demand Action Volunteers and Leaders
Survivor Mom- Nadine Mckenzie
Katherine Schowalter
Amy Stern
Maggie O'Donovan Bolton
Fiona Noyes
Julia Prober
Sara Kober
Shelli Katz
Deborah Maher
Patricia Rosen
Lonnie Philo
Maryellen Chomsky
Book Launch Party: Secrets of the Italian Island
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Scarsdale author Barbara Josselsohn will discuss her new book, Secrets of the Italian Island at a book launch party at Scarsdale Library on Monday June 5 from 5:30- 7:30 pm. The event will be held on the lawn outside the library where Josselsohn will speak with Dara Gruenberg, the former President of the Friends of Scarsdale Library about her book, trends in historical fiction and more for book lovers.
Secrets of the Italian Island is Josselsohn’s sixth novel and her first foray into the historical fiction genre. It takes place in two locales and two different eras:
Italy, 1943. A castle once full of love and laughter is left in ruins by the Nazis, as three sisters are torn apart by one terrible mistake...
New York, present day. Broken by the loss of her beloved grandmother Annalisa, who raised her all alone, Mia is shocked when she finds an old letter sent from Italy in her belongings. Annalisa never told Mia about the magnificent, vine-covered castle on Isola di Parissi where she spent one long summer under the Italian stars. Or that she was accused of something terrible in the darkest days of World War Two...
Arriving on the stunning Italian coast just a boat ride away from Parissi, Mia is devastated to find the island closed to visitors. Desperate to find out what her grandmother was hiding, she finds dark and brooding local guide Leo, who promises to help her sneak in.
As they explore the crumbling castle surrounded by lush olive groves, Mia begins to fall in love with passionate Leo and the beautiful country he calls home. And soon they find handwritten notes hidden in the walls, which confirm her grandmother’s heartbreaking story. Annalisa arrived on the island with her two sisters but was forced to abandon them when the Nazis invaded.
Barbara Solomon Josselsohn
Mia soon realizes that the accusation against Annalisa might be true, and that Leo has his own reasons for wanting to dig up her family’s past. The terrible mistake Annalisa made tore apart the island community. Will it force Mia to leave Leo, and Italy, forever?
An epic, heart-wrenching tale based on the incredible true story of an island at war. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop will be utterly gripped.
About the book, Jossselsohn says, “I was very moved by the idea of a breathtakingly beautiful place that inspired great thoughts and creative works, a place that was glorious for a time but couldn’t last in the face of war. I started to think about how fleeting inspiration is, how transitory the moments when true brilliance is nurtured, and how far into the future the devastation of war can extend.?
Josselsohn is the author of five previous novels including The Lilac House, The Bluebell Girls, The Lily Garden, The Cranberry Inn, and The Last Dreamer. She has also written hundreds of articles and essays in major and regional publications about family, home and relationships. She lives in Scarsdale and enjoys escaping to the beach or the mountains whenever she can. Other than writing, her biggest passion is her family: her husband, her three kids, and her rescue pup, a mini-schnauzer named Albie. She is currently at work on Book 2 of her Sisters of War series, a follow-up to Secrets of the Italian Island.
Sign up here to attend the book launch party at Scarsdale Library on Monday June 5 from 5:30-7 pm.
