Wednesday, Dec 25th

ZachysCharityThe Scarsdale Policeman's Benevolent Association presented two checks, each for $22,500 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Navigating the Spectrum (Autism Support) on Wednesday, January 7 at Zachys Wine & Liquor in Scarsdale. The amount which totals $45,000 was raised at the 2014 Scarsdale PBA Golf Classic. This year's Golf Classic will be held October 19, 2015 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club. In attendance: Don Zacharia, Chairman of Zachys Wine & Liquor, Cheryl and David Bunzel of JDRF, Tara Lee, JDRF NYC Development Manager, Betty Crea, Executive Director of Navigating the Spectrum, and Ronnie Arafieg of Scarsdale Policeman's Benevolent Association.

waltjohnsonThe Scarsdale Library will host some interesting speakers and discussions this month. Here are just a few of the events for December. Also – the Friends of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee will be held on January 23, 2015. The deadline for teens or adults to enter iis December 15th. Please see details below.


Naval Historian to Discuss Contrarian Interpretation of World War II in the Pacific

It was a "Day of Infamy," that started a "Clash of Civilizations" as many theorized after December 7, 1941. Scarsdale resident Walt Johanson, who served in the Navy and helped plan "Operation Desert Storm" in 1990 has a different view.

Johanson will discuss his contrarian viewpoint in the context of the conflicts the U.S. faces today at the Scarsdale Public Library on Monday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m. Johanson believes that viewing the war as a clash of civilizations goes contrary to an analysis of the deep-rooted causes of the war in the Pacific and that thinking has contributed to the "failed policies" of today.

Johanson retired from the Navy in 1995 after a 30-year career in that service and the Marine Corps Reserves. He was an analyst at the Navy War College and wrote a history of the naval reserve. After retiring from the Navy he has taught in Mount Vernon and at the City College of New York, Iona College and Mercy College.

Black Holes and the Evolution of the Universe:

megurryMeg Urry, the chair of the Physics Department at Yale will speak at the library on Tuesday night December 9th at 7:30 pm. She is an engaging lecturer and will present a great astrophysics slide show. Urry has been a leading promoter of women seeking careers in science and has been written up in the NY Times. The event is sponsored by the Yale Westchester Alumni Association Speakers Program. The public is invited and the event is free. For more information and to register, click here.

Interstellar Dust Bunnies

Nancy's Book Group to Discuss "The Rise and Fall of Great Powers"

Nancy's Book Group, led by Nancy Zachary, will discuss "The Rise and Fall of Great Powers" by Tom theriseandfallRachman at the Scarsdale Public Library on Wednesday, December 17, at 1 p.m., with an evening session at 7:30 p.m. The New York Times described the work as "ingenious."

The novel focuses on Tooly Zylberberg, who as child led a peripatetic existence. Left to her own devices much of the time, it seemed inevitable that Tooly would fall in with a ragtag group of ex-pats who took her under their collective wing. The novel spans the last 30 years in this tale of a rocky road to adulthood. Over the course of flashbacks and fast-forward escapades, Tooly gradually pieces together the jigsaw of her unconventional life to confront a complete picture that isn't always comforting.
Registration is required at the library's main desk or by calling 722-1300.

Sign Up for the Spelling Bee!

Time is running out to sign up to participate in the fifth annual Friends of the Scarsdale Library Adult and Teen Spelling Bee. Teams of up to three individuals compete for prizes and recognition as the community's premier spellers. Spots are filling quickly, and the entry deadline is December 15th. Application forms are available at the Library or online at http://www.scarsdalelibrary.org/friends. Returning teams are looking for competition from challengers, who must be in high school and/or adults. The competition promises to be keen, with audience members spelling along quietly or cheering for their favorite team to win the grand prize, a set of Bose TrueSound headphones.

Besides the etymological main event, the evening's fun will include raffles and a silent auction. Notable auction items this year include an eight-week SAT prep course offered by TestTakers and valued at $1995, and a painter for a day, provided by A.G. Williams Painting Company, Inc., and valued at $600.

spellingbeeThe Spelling Bee will take place on Friday, January 23rd at 7:30 PM in the Scarsdale High School Auditorium. Proceeds from the Spelling Bee will be used to fund a high-level speaker series, bringing quality programming to Scarsdale and making the library the intellectual hub of the community.

For more information, contact co-chairs Renu Lalwani at 917-584-8834 or [email protected] or Carolyn Mehta at 914 584-5903 or [email protected].

santa1Santa Claus is coming to town! The Scarsdale Parks and Recreation Department and the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce will be Co-Sponsoring the fourth annual Scarsdale Holiday Breakfast on Saturday, December 13th from 9:00-11:00 am for all Pre-K through 4th Grade students and their families. Those who attend will receive special holiday giveaways as well as have the opportunity to take their picture with Santa who will be visiting Scarsdale from the North Pole.

Cost is $5 per person. Please register online here or at the Recreation Department by the December 8th deadline. Special Thanks to Lange's Deli for providing breakfast and Imagine Candy for providing giveaways.

Happy Holidays!

SantaFlyer

GivingTuesdayScarsdale Synagogue Tremont Temple Emmanu-El has joined more than 10,000 organizations in 46 countries to sponsor #Giving Tuesday on Tuesday December 2nd. 

All you have to do to participate is give food, donations or money to causes or organizations you believe in. Charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together on December 2 for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

It's a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Be part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity.

SSTTE encourages you to give and share what you are doing on Facebook, Twitter and un-selfieInstagram. Post an "UN-Selfie" about how, where or why you give on the SSTTE Facebook page.

PoseyWhat is actor/comedian Bill Murray's connection to Scarsdale? His character in the recent movie "The Monument's Men" was based on Robert Kelley Posey, a former Scarsdale resident, who as part of the Monuments Men group tracked down thousands of works of art looted by the Nazis. Posey's biggest discovery was the Ghent Altarpiece, also known as the "Adoration of the Lamb" the magnificent 15-Century Flemish masterpiece by the brothers Hubert and Jan Van Eyck.

On Tuesday, November 25, at 7:00 p.m., Paul Harris, Ph.D., an associate professor of political science at Auburn University in Alabama will discuss this fascinating Scarsdalian at the Scarsdale Public Library.

Harris specializes in post-war Germany and is currently working on a book on the U.S. Army Occupation of Germany between 1945-1949, Posey, an architect, was born in Morris, Alabama, in 1904 and moved to the New York area in 1929, eventually settling in Scarsdale in a house he designed on Black Birch Lane. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves and entered active service in War World II. He was hand-picked to serve as a Monuments Man for General George Patton's Third Army.