Forum Focus
February 2019




Message to Our Membership
We have an active February planned, beginning with Winterfest 2019 tomorrow night, February 2. We hope to see many of you at the Scarsdale Woman's Club for what promises to be a fine evening of visiting with each other, dining and music.

On Thursday, February 7, our membership meeting will feature County Executive George Latimer, who will speak to us about the “State of the County.” We will meet at the Scarsdale Woman's Club.

On Sunday, February 10, we will screen the film, JFK: The Last Speech, as part of our Sunday Speaker Series. The event, co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Public Library and League of Women Voters Scarsdale, will take place at the Scarsdale Woman's Club, and is made possible by former Scarsdale resident and Scarsdale Forum president, Neil Bicknell.

On Thursday, February 28, we will join the Scarsdale Public Library, the Scarsdale PT Council and the SHS PTA in welcoming Dr. Arthur Levine to speak about the specifics of teaching Gen Z students, or those born after 1995.

We look forward to seeing many of you at one or more of these events.

Jon Mark

Committee Updates
Municipal Services, Sustainability and Downtown Revitalization

The Municipal Services Committee is preparing an update to its November 2015 and January 2018 traffic safety reports, and recent survey, including a review of traffic improvements made by the Village of Scarsdale and the status of recommendations yet to be implemented. 

The committee also continues its collaboration with the Sustainability Committee on the September 2018 report recommending that the village adopt an organic pest management policy. In addition, it also is working with the Downtown Revitalization Committee on a Freightway development project study.

For more details, contact Municipal Services Committee Chair Madelaine Eppenstein ( meppenstein@eppenstein.com); Sustainability Committee Co-Chairs Michelle Sterling ( MichelleSterling1@gmail.com) and Darlene LeFrancois-Haber ( dlefranc@montefiore.org); and Downtown Revitalization Committee Chair Susan Douglass ( susanudouglass@gmail.com).

Program

Scarsdale Forum members are encouraged to attend an upcoming presentation, "21st Century Learning for Gen Z," by Dr. Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and former president and professor of education at Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Levine is a scholar known for his work in helping prepare school leaders, teachers and education researchers.

Gen Z, which refers to young people born between 1996 and 2014, represents the largest percentage of the U.S. population. Also known as "Post-Millennials" or "the iGeneration," Gen Zers have never known life without the internet, are technologically advanced and perceive information digitally, which has shaped the way they learn and communicate.

Dr. Levine's talk is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Public Library, Scarsdale Forum, the Scarsdale PT Council and the SHS PTA, and scheduled for Thursday, February 28 at Scarsdale Middle School. It will begin at 7:30 pm.

For more information, email Program Committee Co-Chair Dara Gruenberg ( dara513@gmail.com ).

  Community Events
Try Your Luck at Casino Night

The Friends of the Scarsdale Library will host a casino night in support of the Scarsdale Public Library on Friday, March 8 at Fenway Golf Club, beginning at 7:30 pm.

Community members are invited to join other library supporters at the event, which will feature a full open bar, food, dancing and casino games (for fun only). Tickets purchased before Thursday, February 14 are priced at $225 per person; tickets purchased after that date are priced at $250 per person. To order tickets, click here.

 Scarsdale Forum Inc.

Scarsdale Forum Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to community education through discussion and analysis of issues relevant to Scarsdale residents. Since 1904, it has contributed meaningfully to village affairs through written reports, public speaker events and committee discussions. Membership is available to all Scarsdale and Mamaroneck Strip residents, regardless of citizenship status. 

Forum Focus generally is distributed to Scarsdale Forum members in the first week of each month. Story ideas should be sent to communications@scarsdaleforum.com one week prior to be included in the coming issue.


Media Contact/Communications Chair
Tim Foley 

Forum Focus Editor
Laura Halligan