Neighborhood News

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 18 December 2012; Created: 18 December 2012; Last Updated: 03 January 2013; Hits: 5777

kidsandguns Though the constitution guarantees us the "right to bear arms," it doesn't guarantee us the right to store these weapons at home. Given what happened in Newtown on Friday it seems to me that we should all be concerned about what our neighbors might be concealing in their nightstands.

From all accounts, Americans are mad for guns. According to the Congressional Research Service there were 310 million non-military firearms in the United States in 2009 at a time when the census estimated there were 314 million people in the country. That means there was practically one gun for every person in the country. The Huffington Post said "we are armed to the teeth," and among Americans who report having a gun in their home or on their property, 62% have more than one. With 88.3 firearms per 100 people, the U.S. has the highest gun ownership rate in the world. Though we don't have a count of how many of those guns are sitting inside homes in Scarsdale, you can bet there are more that you'd like to think.

Would you let your child have a play date at a house where you knew guns were kept? If you knew that your neighbor had a gun, would you take them to task about shoving leaves on your property or argue over fallen branches? I contend that if we knew who had guns this information would become a factor in our daily interactions.

Consider this: If a known sex offender moves into your neighborhood your local police department must advise you that an offender is in your midst. But though a gun owner is required to have a license and police are able to access the list of registered gun owners, the public has no way to find out who's armed. To me it seems far more likely that someone in my family will be the victim of violence than prey to a sex offender. Why not make this database of gun owners publicly available so that we all know who's packing a pistol?

From what I have read, there's a possibility that Congress will soon consider laws to limit the sale of assault weapons. However, limiting the sale of just one kind of gun does nothing to address the millions of guns already in possession. From the numbers it seems like those will be with us for a lifetime. And how can we ever feel safe with the knowledge that one of these guns could be used against us or our loved ones?

If we can't limit possession, let's limit privacy and expose the names of those who own guns. If the information were publicly available, perhaps gun owners would feel pressure to turn in their guns or store them at the police station rather than under their beds.

If we know who is armed, we can maintain our distance from people who look like friends but could quickly become enemies.

See a live discussion about guns and your neighbors with Joanne Wallenstein on Huffington Post live:

Details: Published: 13 December 2012; Created: 13 December 2012; Last Updated: 13 December 2012; Hits: 3946

Accidents: An 80 year-old driver crashed his 2005 Lincoln into the Parkway Diner on Spencer Place in Scarsdale shortly after 2 pm on Wednesday afternoon. Louis Bauman of Boulder Lane in Scarsdale was pulling into a parking space on Spencer Place and hit the accelerator, causing the car to crash into the building. Miraculously there were no injuries!

According to an email from the Scarsdale School district, on Tuesday morning 12/11, a Scarsdale School bus headed for the Middle School after picking up students in Greenacres and Fox Meadow had a minor accident with a bus from another company. When the bus arrived at school, the nurse evaluated the passengers and took 11 students to the Health Office for further examination and to contact their parents. The other students were upset because they were late for school but enjoyed having a police escort.

A 17 year-old Scarsdale girl got into two car accidents in one week. Around 3 pm on Monday 12/3 she was driving her 200 Acura east on Mamaroneck Road behind a 2012 Toyota. The girl was "momentarily distracted" and ran into the Toyota. On Tuesday December 4th at 6:46 pm the same 17 year-old was backing a 1999 Honda out of a driveway on Mamaroneck Road and a car going south on Mamaroneck Road hit her car. They did not see one another due to the fog.

Thefts: An 82 year-old woman from Ridgedale Road was arrested for the theft of a framed newspaper article valued at $500 from a home in Scarsdale. She surrendered to police accompanied by her attorney.

A woman from Purchase reported that she left her iPhone at Soul Cycle in Scarsdale on December 4 and when she returned there later that day the phone was gone. The manager said she had searched for it but was unable to find it.

A dad from Wildwood Road came to police to report that his daughter's iPhone had been stolen from her backpack while she was at school on the morning of 12/5.

Identity Theft: A woman from Secor Road reported that on 12/7 a clutch for a BMW was delivered to her home though she never ordered it. She refused to pay for it and later learned that someone posing as an employee of her company may have ordered the part and used her address for billing.

Stranger at the Door: Police got a call from a concerned resident on the afternoon of 12/4 to say that a suspicious man keeps knocking on the door and upsetting his children who are home alone. Police found the man in question and he turned out to be a tax assessor working on the revaluation for Scarsdale Village.

Rifle? On the morning of 12/9 a White Plains man called police when he saw two teenage boys walking on Cushman Road and one appeared to be holding a rifle. Multiple police cars searched the area but they were unable to find the boys or determine whether or not it was a real rifle.

More to the story? A Mamaroneck Road man called police around 10 pm on 12/9 when a yellow taxi with a passenger inside refused to leave the Scarsdale man's property. The resident spoke to the passenger who claimed he was there to buy the man's house through foreclosure. The resident explained that his house was not for sale and went back inside. At that point the passenger, who was described as a large man in a fur hat, rang the doorbell. The resident activated the alarm and the man fled. Police searched the area and later that evening found the taxi driver. He confirmed that he had driven a man to Mamaroneck Road and then to the Central Motel on Central Avenue.

Dropped keys: A woman from Ardsley dropped her keys into the storm drain near Rothmans on Boniface Circle on the afternoon of 12/4. A man from the Highway Department attempted to recover the keys but was unable to get them.

Found purse: A purse was found at the intersection of the Post Road and Sunset Drive on the morning of 12/7. Police were able to identify the owner by the contents of the bag and returned it to a woman from Birchall Drive.

Help: The staff at Search for Change on the Post Road called police on the morning of 12/4 when one of the residents was agitated and shouting and disturbing other members of the house. The upset resident was sent to White Plains Hospital for evaluation.

Details: Published: 03 December 2012; Created: 03 December 2012; Last Updated: 06 December 2012; Hits: 4183

scarsdalevillagehall In response to feedback that the proceedings of the Citizen's Nominating Committee were too secretive, the Scarsdale Procedure Committee proposed a change in the Non-Partisan Resolution to open the first meeting of the year to the public. That resolution passed in the general election in November and as a result, the CNC hosted their first public meeting on Sunday night December 2 at Village Hall.

Chair Dan Hochvert lead the group through the agenda and David Irwin was approved as Secretary for the CNC's deliberations. Hochvert explained that this year the group is charged with the nomination of three Village Trustees and the Mayor.

Among the items on the agenda were confidentiality, due diligence and the process of attributing information about candidates to individuals and rules of civility. Also under discussion were rules concerning those who miss meetings, bad weather contingency plans and acceptance of the rules of procedure. Though there were proposed changes to these procedural rules from the Procedure Committee, the proposals were not discussed and the group quickly voted to adopt the rules of procedure that were used last year.

Three trustees who are not up for re-nomination – Trustees Eisenman, Lee and Mark – were invited jonmark to the meeting to share their thoughts on what qualities make a good trustee. These thoughts were shared with the nominating committee so that they could seek candidates who fit the bill. Also invited was Mayor Miriam Flisser to contribute her thoughts on the qualities of a good Mayor.

Trustee Mark began and used his time to speak in support of the Non-Partisan System, which he said came "under attack" in the wake of the storm. He suggested that the "types of issues our municipal government addresses are not ones that are driven by political debates....The municipal government is charged with providing basic services," and "plays a role through zoning and other ordinances in overseeing the physical character of the Village." He added, "we are also charged with establishing a budget and setting local tax rates to raise the funds necessary for Village operations and capital improvements....these are not political debates or .... discussions that break down on Democratic or Republican lines."

He explained, "The mayor and the village board do not run the municipal operations of the Village. The Village staff does that well ... and the overwhelming evidence is that that our Village is very well run." He added, "I am not convinced that a partisan process would produce a better result. I could make the argument that under a partisan system, elected officials could easily find themselves beholden to those who put them in office to the detriment of those who voted for their opponents" and added, "the ability of the Board to approach issues without the pressures of partisanship gives it the freedom to balance competing concerns in exercising its judgment on the matters before it."

He said that "almost any resident can participate in the process" and that "the issues the Board addresses are issues for all of us. When your power goes out, our power goes out, when trees fall and block your streets, they block our streets as well. When your property taxes go up, our property taxes go up."

He said that candidates should be willing to make a "commitment of time and effort," should be "willing to work with others and to "respond courteously to staff and village residents."

kayeisenman1 Kay Eisenman agreed, saying, "Jon said almost everything I am going to say and did it well." She concurred that "party politics have no place in this system," and added, "I would not have become a trustee if I had to campaign – we are not politicians."
According to Eisenman, "Trustees must be able to listen without feeling attacked and must take whatever slings and arrows come our way." She said, Trustees, "must be prepared to accept anger or discontent, to be able to work in a group, and must do the necessary reading in order to fully understand the issues." She suggested that "knowledge of the law, land use, the environment would be helpful and also said, "It's important to know when to compromise and be open to the ideas of others."

She ended by saying, "We have been fortunate to elect people with a higher purpose."

Trustee David Lee outlined three areas to consider:

A candidate's commitment to the demands of being a trustee
Their role as a decision-maker
Their relationship with the community

He advised the group to look for people with "a record of community involvement" and a "devotion to davidlee duty. " According to Lee, Candidate's should be "open-minded and have the ability to consider all sides of an issue. They should demonstrate willingness to compromise in trying to reach consensus and demonstrate practicality and humility."

Trustees should be "accessible, should put themselves out in the community and relating effectively to residents." Though they should listen to the views of friends, residents, and community members, they should "vote on what they consider best for the community as a whole."

He also said that Trustees should show "courtesy and respect toward others, including the Village staff, managers and residents. "

Mayor Flisser thanked the CNC for inviting her and said, "I have served on the Board for six years..... the Village Board is not an adversarial body." "Our mission is synthesize resident's concerns and use them to draft legislation." Among the qualities they should seek in a Mayor, she said, "verbal glibness is not needed."

She continued by saying that the current population of Scarsdale includes younger residents who "are well educated and require modern communications." She said that she "replies to many emails a day." She advised that the nominators on the CNC that they ask to read the "liaison reports that the Trustee produced after community meetings" when vetting a candidate.

She also said that it is "necessary to communicate instantly with the Village staff," sometime on an "hourly" basis. She advised that "the age factor should be considered" and recommended that the nominators seek someone with a "scientific education" who understands "complex mathematics and current scientific language." Referring to decisions about climate, the environment and infrastructure she cautioned "if these policies are left to the managers, they will fail." She warned, "we require strong leadership," not someone who would "lull us into focusing on supportive programs ... non-productive programs." Given that "times are hard," we need a "sound footing in reality." She summed up by saying that we need "grounding in prevalent modern communications of our time," and the ability to "respond in technical language." She said that this is "not the Village Board of yesteryear."

The CNC will meet several times in January and the general election will be held on March 19, 2013.

If you missed the meeting and would like to watch in on television, here the cable schedule is as follows: Tuesday December 4th at 2:00, 5:00, 7:30 and 10:30 pm, Friday December 7th through Sunday December 9th at 2:00, 7:00 and 10:30 pm and Wednesday December 12 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.

CNC Chair Dan Hochvert sent in the following call for candidates:

The Citizen's Nominating Committee (CNC) is looking for potential candidates for Mayor and Village Trustee. Our non-partisan system tries to get the best Scarsdale citizens to serve on our Village Board. The committee considers all who are interested in the positions available.

For further information, please contact a member of the CNC by visiting the Procedure Committee website at http://www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org/ and click on Nominating Committee or contact CNC Chair Dan Hochvert at 725-5040 or dan.hochvert@verizon.net

The deadline for submission of materials is January 8th at 5 p.m. The CNC plans to announce the slate on January 24th.

Details: Published: 04 December 2012; Created: 04 December 2012; Last Updated: 04 December 2012; Hits: 3904

stormworkmen This just in from Village Hall: In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Village Board and administration are undertaking a review of the ways in which the response to a major storm and resulting damage might be improved in future emergency events.

The Village Board is working on this study as a committee of the whole board, chaired by Mayor Flisser. The study is divided into several fact-finding areas, each of which is being coordinated by several trustees. Trustees Bob Steves and David Lee are addressing issues related to the personal safety and well-being of the residents. Trustees Stacey Brodsky, Bob Harrison and Bob Steves are considering communication issues. The role of the public utilities is being examined by Trustees Kay Eisenman and Jon Mark. Mr. Mark and Mr. Harrison are also looking at the question of burying utility lines, and Ms. Eisenman and Ms. Brodsky are examining whether modifications to existing Village tree laws and policies could mitigate future storm damage.

This fact-finding includes a number of steps in which the input of residents has been and will be very valuable. For example, at the request of the Village Board, the Advisory Council on Technology has already met to consider recommendations for building in communication and website redundancy that would protect against major communication failures in the future. The Technology Council's report was then presented to the Village Board and discussed at a public meeting at Village Hall on Monday, December 3. The Planning Board has met and made recommendations to amend the local law governing the installation of permanent emergency generators, easing setback requirements, yard placement and noise level requirements. The Law Committee of the Village Board will consider those recommendations at a public meeting in Village Hall on Wednesday, December 12, at 6:55 p.m. At the Village Board meeting on November 27, Scarsdale Police Chief John Brogan reported on the police department's response during and after Hurricane Sandy, and at the Village Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 11, Scarsdale Fire Chief Thomas Cain will make a similar report with respect to the fire department's emergency response. Other Village department heads will report on their storm-related work at upcoming board meetings.

The trustees are also working with other boards, councils and neighborhood organizations for their insights into storm-related issues. All of these meetings are open to the public. In addition to these meetings, any resident who wishes to share suggestions about how to improve the response to emergencies may also contact the mayor or any of the trustees individually.

Once the fact-finding is complete, the Village Board will convene public meetings to consider what changes should be adopted going forward. These meetings will be an additional opportunity for residents to share their recommendations.

Respectfully submitted,

Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser
Robert J. Steves, Deputy Mayor
Kay Eisenman, Trustee
Jonathan I. Mark, Trustee
Stacey Brodsky, Trustee
Robert H. Harrison, Trustee
David S. Lee, Trustee

Details: Published: 27 November 2012; Created: 27 November 2012; Last Updated: 27 November 2012; Hits: 3633

christmastree1 Scarsdale Fire Chief Thomas Cain sent us the following fire prevention tips prepared by the Scarsdale Fire Department and the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. These safety tips have been prepared by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help you avoid the devastation that a fire during the holidays can bring.

Christmas Trees

Many artificial trees are fire resistant. If you buy one, look for a statement specifying this protection.
A fresh tree will stay green longer and be less of a fire hazard than a dry tree. To check for freshness, remember:
A fresh tree is green.
Fresh needles are hard to pull from branches.
When bent between your fingers, fresh needles do not break.
The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin.
When the trunk of a tree is bounced on the ground, a shower of falling needles shows that tree is too dry.
Place tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Heated rooms dry trees out rapidly, creating fire hazards.
Cut off about two inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorption.
Trim away branches as necessary to set tree trunk in the base of a sturdy, water-holding stand with wide spread feet.
Keep the stand filled with water while the tree is indoors.
Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways. Use thin guy-wires to secure a large tree to walls or ceiling.

Artificial Snow:

Artificial snow sprays can irritate lungs if inhaled. To avoid injury, read container labels and follow directions carefully.

Lights:

Use only lights that have been tested for safety. Identify these by the label from an independent testing laboratory.
Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets or repair them before using.
Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house, walls or other firm support to protect from wind damage.
Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.
Turn off all lights on trees and other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house. Lights could short and start a fire.
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.
Keep "bubbling" lights away from children. These lights with their bright colors and bubbling movement can tempt curious children to break candle-shaped glass (which can cut) and attempt to drink liquid (which contains a hazardous chemical).

Candles:

Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders.
Keep candles away from other decorations and wrapping paper. Place candles where they cannot be knocked down or blown over.

Trimmings:

Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials.
Wear gloves while decorating with spun glass "angel hair" to avoid irritation to eyes and skin.
Choose tinsel or artificial icicles or plastic or non-leaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
In homes with small children, take special care to:
Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable.
Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children. Pieces could be swallowed or inhaled.
Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food. A child could eat them!

Fireplace:

Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that flue is open.
Keep a screen in front of the fireplace all the time a fire is burning.
Use care with "fire salts" which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals which can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation or vomiting if eaten. Keep away from children.

Paper and Wrappings:

When making paper decorations, look for materials labeled non-combustible or flame- resistant.
Never place trimming near open flames or electrical connections.
Remove all wrapping papers from tree and fireplace areas immediately after presents are opened.
Do not burn papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

General Rules for Holiday Safety:

Have working smoke detectors installed on every level of your home. Test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times.
Keep matches, lighters, and candles out of the reach of children. Avoid smoking near flammable decorations.
Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out anywhere in the home. See that each family member knows what to do.

Practice the Plan:

Avoid wearing loose flowing clothes - particularly long, open sleeves - near open flames - such as those of a fireplace, stove, or candlelit table.
Never burn candles near evergreens. Burning evergreens in the fireplace can also be hazardous. When dry, greens burn like tinder. Flames can flare out of control, and send sparks flying into a room, or up the chimney to ignite creosote deposits.

Plan for Safety:
Remember, there is no substitute for common sense. Look for and eliminate potential danger spots near candles, fireplaces, trees, and/or electrical connection.

For more information about fire safety, call Fire Inspector Albert Mignone at 722-1215x3.