Bronxville and Scarsdale region

Village elections are set for March 20. Here is the roundup of those seeking office. So far, both Scarsdale and Bronxville have unopposed candidates for office. Tuckahoe candidates will be announced next week.

SCARSDALE: The Scarsdale Citizens’ Non-Partisan Party candidates for village trustee are Jonathan Mark, Kay Eisenman and David Lee.
The candidate for village justice is John Galloway.

BRONXVILLE: Republicans Anne Poorman and Guy A. Longobardo are seeking to fill two trustee seats on the village board.  George Maier is running for justice. Both Mayer and Poorman are incumbents, Longbardo is a first-time office-seeker whose mother is on the planning board. There are no Democratic contenders for the two seats. Both the Independence and Conservative parties are planning to hold their caucuses on Monday. Both are expected to throw their support to the Republican candidates.

TUCKAHOE: The Republican caucus is set for Monday, the Democratic caucus is set for Tuesday.

This came over this morning from Eastchester schools. The information is for Eastchester School District residents only. If you’re not sure, check your tax bill:

Eastchester Schools Kindergarten Registration

2012- 2013 School Year

For children who turn five years of age on or before December 1, 2012

Call for a registration appointment:

793-6130, ext. 4777.

(Appointments beginning November 30, 2011 through March 31, 2012)

For detailed information and to download an application:

http://district.eastchesterschools.org/m/mod/data/view.php?d=25&rid=755

If you still have questions, call Registrar at 793-6130, ext. 4777.

This just popped in from Bronxville e-alert system:

Con Edison is warning its customers and other members of the public to be vigilant in protecting themselves against several types of scams that have been reported to the company.

The company places the safety of the public first and is working with authorities to catch those who have been trying to pull the scams.

In particular, Con Edison advises people to guard against the following:

•E-mail viruses – Con Edison has received reports of e-mails that appear to be from Con Edison and contain a ‘zip file’ that may create a computer virus. The “From” field of the e-mail reads “no-reply- billing@coned.com” or “no-reply-billing@conedison.com.” Do not open or forward these e-mails. File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

•Green Dot scams – Customers have reported receiving calls from someone instructing them to buy a Green Dot Money Pak in order to pay their utility bill. Con Edison does not accept payments via Green Dot Money Paks.

Be alert if anyone asks you by telephone to arrange for pre-paid credit cards as payment for your bill, or to send money to an out-of-state address. Con Edison does not authorize these payments. Never arrange payment or divulge account or personal information over the telephone, unless you are certain you are speaking to a Con Edison representative.

• Imposters – Any Con Edison employee arriving at your home or business to read your meter will have a visible photo identification badge. Feel free to ask or check for identification before allowing anyone into your home or business. If you feel the person at your door may be an imposter, you can call 1-800- 75CONED (1-800-752-6633) to check.

Anyone who feels they may have been a target of an imposter or Green Dot scam should call their local police department. They may also call Con Edison.

This just in from the Bronxville Library:

“The Bronxville Public Library announced today that Library Director Laura Eckley has submitted a letter of resignation, effective Feb. 3.  Ms. Eckley is leaving to become director of the Larchmont Public Library.

“Laura has been a true asset to our library, and we appreciate her dedication and expertise,’’ said Kathy Mullen, President of the library’s Board of Trustees.  “While we are sad to see her leave, we wish her all the best in her new endeavors.”

Eckley joined the Bronxville Public Library in 2003 and was named Library Director in 2009.

“It has been both a privilege and a honor to work at the Bronxville Public Library for the past nine years,” said Ms Eckley in a resignation letter sent to the board earlier this week.  “It was a truly rewarding experience to serve the community.”

Details regarding the search for a replacement will be released after the next board meeting scheduled for Feb. 8.”

The press release gives no information on how—if at all—Eckley’s resignation will affect the lawsuit she brought against the library after a raise to $100,000 was rescinded several weeks after it was instituted. The suit also charged that Eckley was the victim of gender discrimination, pointing out that men in positions of similar responsibility made much more than she.

The Salon in Eastchester, at 794 Post Road, will hold a “Be Beautiful for Valentine’s Day” event from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 14, with staff available to demonstrate a special e-cure Japanese hair conditioning technique, hand out goody bags of samples, and generally provide a little cheer in the cold months.

“Many people feel down at this time of year,” said Michele Errico, creative
director of The Salon. “This Valentine’s Day event will perk everybody up,
help them look great, and most importantly, feel good about themselves.”

The event is free but registration is essential. To register, call Mark at
The Salon at 914-472-1800. Space is limited.

For more information or to RSVP call The Salon at 914-472-1800. Visit the website at thesalonatwestchester.com.

Got this recently from the JCC:

The JCC of Mid-Westchester and Backyard Sports are launching a new Synagogue Indoor Soccer League (SISL) for boys and girls, grades 4-8, this spring.

“The premise of this new league is similar to the Jewish Basketball League (JBL) where teams are comprised of kids from surrounding synagogues,” said Danny Bernstein, founder and owner of Backyard Sports.  “This new league will give kids a chance to play soccer with their friends without the stress of tryouts and intense practice schedules.”

Teams will be divided by grade and gender and all games will be played indoors at Purchase College.  The season will begin on April 19 and will consist of six weeks of regular season play followed by playoffs .  Games will be played between 7 and 9 p.m.  All games are six versus six including goalie, and all games are officiated by referees.   The league is being promoted to area synagogues to encourage them to form their own teams, though independent teams are also welcome.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Backyard Sports on this new program,” said John O’Brien, Director of Sports & Fitness at the JCC.  “Our two organizations complement each other well. Backyard Sports was able to secure the indoor facilities at Purchase College, and also has a network of referees already in place.

“In addition, Danny is well-connected to the local sports community through Backyard Sports.  We (the JCC) are marketing and administering the program and together we will be reaching out to synagogues for them to get involved by forming teams and participating in the league,” O’Brien said.

Backyard Sports was founded in 2005 by Danny Bernstein of Scarsdale.  Since then, Backyard Sports has been the leading provider of community team sports programs in Westchester County. Their approach combines instruction with emphasis on skills development.

The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester, a beneficiary of UJA-Federation of New York, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community by providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, human services and Jewish identity-building opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds.

For more information contact John O’Brien, Director, Sports & Fitness,  472-3300,  Ext. 329, obrienj@jccmw.org.

The Village of Scarsdale trustees will hold a public hearing at 8 p.m. Feb. 28 in village hall’s Rutherford Hall to discuss a 2012-13 fiscal year budget that could mean a tax levy increase larger than the state-mandated 2 percen

Repairs are still on-going on a water main that broke on Jan. 13 and caused flooding across from Lake Isle club.

One lane remains closed to traffic while workers from Westchester Joint Waterworks finish digging up the broken main to repair it.

Here are some pictures of the site taken about 2:30 p.m. today.

Long view:

Closer view:

Inside the cones:

A look in the hole:

I had a chance to talk with Tony Conetta, manager of the Westchester Joint Waterworks, about the timeline to fix the break.

Best guess is four to five weeks from when the break was first reported.

The Junior League of Central Westchester is holding an informational coffee on at 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Jan. 25.

The coffee will be held at the Wayside Cottage, 1039 Post Road, Scarsdale, and will be a chance for interested women to meet current members, chat with other potential members and visit the cottage.

RSVP to jlcw@verizon.net or by phone to 914-723-6130.

The organization, founded 65 years ago, focuses on positive community change, empowering women, community advocay and volunteerism.

Current projects include the family literacy project; Grace Church soup kitchen; Kids in the Kitchen; Let’s Save the Earth and BackPack Buddies. New members enter a training course and work together on a short-term community service project.

The Village Lutheran Church and its Chapel School are planning a trip to China from June 28 through July 7.

The trip is designed for church and school families and individuals as well as members of the community.

Shanghai and Beijing are the focus of the trip, which “will be a trip of discovery to this ancient land and modern economic and political powerhouse,” according to The Rev. Robert Hartwell, senior pastor at the church and one of its planners. The trip is being arranged with the help of church member Daniel Chao.

Sites include the Lujiazui Center, Huangpu River. old town Zhouzhuang, Shanghai Expo, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Summer place and Lama temple.

Price is $2,900 plus travel insurance and tips; early bird registration (by March 1) is $2,700. A $250 deposit is needed with registration, with $200 refundable if there is a cancellation. Cost includes air fare, buses and tour tickets, accommodations, meals and an English-speaking guide.

For information or reservations, contact Hartwell at 914-337-0207 or online at vlc-ny.org