High School Students Vow to Change
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- Written by Ali Farfel
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Each year people make resolutions to do better or be better in some way. We hear about what politicians will try to improve, and we hear about what adults care to change, but rarely do we hear from the students. Students are creative and fun, and are tougher on themselves than most adults are. Therefore, it's important that students take part in the resolution ritual, and that everyone hear about them and help fulfill them.
Sam Kaplan, a senior at Scarsdale High School has one of the classic resolutions, to try new things and step out of his comfort zone. This specific resolution has been said over and over throughout the years, but it is one of the toughest to achieve. Juniors Sara Calderon and Kristina Camaj want to attempt to care less about what people think of them. "I want to focus more on myself," Kristina said. Amanda Shuster resolves to work harder this year (as the new president of the school we're sure she will!), and Allison Shein plans to try going to bed at a reasonable time on school days. Both Amanda and Allison are working through a tough junior year, so hopefully they can succeed in their goals. As his senior year is nearly half way over, senior
Evan Dweck's resolution is, "to not senior slump that much." Very respectable. Finally, senior Krysna wants to be more organized with school work and life in general. She also had an interesting prediction for the new year. "I predict that the winter olympics is going to be terrible but the world cup is going to be amazing."
On that high note, good luck to everyone out there with a resolution to fulfill.
Ambulance Corps Responds to Record Number of Calls
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The first two weeks of 2014 have been unusually busy at the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, due in large part to the extreme weather. The overall call volume is nearly 20% higher than the same period last year.
In the 24-hour period starting January 5, SVAC responded to 13 calls, four times its average. While most of the calls were falls due to slippery walkways from a weekend storm, SVAC also responded to a cardiac arrest and three medical-related calls. In all, ten people were transported to area hospitals.
"If we are transporting a patient, an ambulance will be tied-up for at least an hour," said David Raizen, SVAC's President. "Two of our three ambulances handled all of those calls, with at least one of them on the road constantly during that time."
Then, last Friday and Saturday after temperatures rose, SVAC responded to a total of 21 calls in 48 hours, which included three Scarsdale ambulances standing by at a gas leak on Garth Road.
The last time SVAC was this busy was during Hurricane Sandy, in 2012, when they responded to 13 calls in 28 hours. In all three events, Scarsdale was able to handle the increased call volume without requesting assistance from neighboring towns, a practice known as "mutual aid." Mutual aid introduces delayed response times due to the process of finding an available ambulance and the added distance to the scene.
"The only thing predicable about EMS is that it's unpredictable," said Raizen. "This serves as a reminder of how important it is to support SVAC, both financially and through volunteerism, to continue our tradition of providing the highest level of pre-hospital care in the County."
The SVAC fund drive is 85% under its annual goal. Proceeds are primarily used for insurance and to hire career paramedics who can administer more than 40 drugs and interpret an EKG in the field.
They also rely heavily on volunteers to drive the ambulance and provide additional care, eliminating the need to tax Scarsdale residents for EMS services. No experience is necessary as SVAC provides all needed training to its volunteers.
For more details about donating or volunteering, visit www.scarsdalevac.com. Checks can also be sent directly to PO Box 92, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
The Burglars Are Back: Scarsdale Police Report
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Crafty thieves seem to be aware that many are out of town for the holidays and are snooping around to find good targets for burglaries. This week, in addition to entering unoccupied homes, they burglarized a home on Springdale Road while the babysitter was inside. Here's what happened: A home on Springdale Road was entered on the night of 12/28 between 7:15 pm and 7:35 pm while the babysitter was upstairs napping in her room. The babysitter was home alone when she was awoken by a car horn at 6 pm and went to the garage to see if the family needed something but saw no one. She went back to sleep and was again awoken by noise at 7:15 pm and assumed the family had returned. However 20 minutes later she realized that something was not right and looked outside her bedroom door on the second floor and saw a flashlight moving near the door to the master bedroom on the first floor. She texted the homeowner to find out if they were home and when they replied "no" she asked them to call the police because she thought someone was in the house. Police arrived, confirmed that the woman was okay and cleared the house. They found that the suspects had broken a lock on a rear sliding door and entered the home. It appeared that the suspect entered the bedroom. An empty jewelry box/case was found in the kitchen with a small amount of jewelry strewn about. A fire safe that contained the victim's document and photos was missing but recovered on a neighbor's property the next morning.
A home on Barker Road was burglarized on Christmas between 5 and 11:30 pm. The resident returned home and found that a glass sliding door from their patio had been shattered and their home ransacked. Police found a pry mark on the lower left side of the door that appeared to have been made with a screwdriver. The home office, master bedroom and master bath were tossed and several pieces of jewelry were stolen. Police also found fresh footprints leading from the street to the back of the house.
Police responded to a burglar alarm at a home on Fenimore Road on the morning of 12/24 and found an open rear door and signs of forced entry. The door seal was removed, there was damaged to the door and frame and a broken dead bolt and a footprint on the door where it appeared that someone had attempted to kick it in. Police inspected and determined that the vandals had not proceeded past the doorway and the house was not disturbed. The homeowners were out of town. Police called Scarsdale Security who came by to secure the open door.
Pothole: Three cars were damaged when they fell into a large pothole on Weaver Street at Haverford Road between 9 pm and 9:23 pm on 12/19. The pothole was three feet wide and 4 -5 inches deep and took out a total of five tires in just 20 minutes. The first car, a 2009 Honda got a flat tire on the front passenger side. After hitting the pothole, the driver continued to drive the car to her home in New Rochelle and said she would have it towed from there. The second two cars, which were found on opposite sides of Weaver Street each had both their front and rear tires damaged by the hole. A 2011 Mercedes and a 2013 Mercedes both were damaged and had to be towed away.
Threats: A Carstensen Road man reported that he had received several threatening phone calls on December 23. The caller said, "I know where your wife works .... Enjoy the holidays because after I am coming for you. Watch your back." The caller made repeated similar statements on subsequent calls. The resident was very concerned.
Say what? A Colonial Road man called police on the morning of 12/23 when an unknown man showed up in his driveway and spoke only Chinese and could not explain why he was there. The resident also happened to be of Chinese descent but spoke another dialect. Police called "the Language Line" and a Mandarin translator attempted to decipher what the man was saying. He identified himself as Mr Bi and said he had relatives nearby. Police contacted the relatives who said the Mr. Bi was their father-in-law and he was out looking for a lost dog.
Gold digggers? A passerby alerted Police that two teens were at Davis Park with a metal detector and were digging holes in the ground at 4:30 pm on 12/28. Police met two people, one from Thornwood and the other from Mt. Kisco, who were indeed digging holes in the park. Police told them that it was illegal to dig in the park and asked them to leave.
Locked In: A 23 year-old Chesterfield Road woman locked herself in her room after an argument with her brother on Christmas Eve and then was unable to open the door. The brother , age 24, admitted to shoving the door which may have caused the lock to break. Police were unable to open the door and called the fire department who climbed through a window and used tools to open the door from inside the room. The sister said there had been "ongoing tension" with her brother for some time.
Locked Out: A Rock Creek lane woman locked herself out of her house when she was cleaning leaves in her yard on the afternoon of 12/27. The fire department arrived and got inside via an unlocked window.
Family Matters: Fenimore Road residents called police at 9:30 pm on 12/27 to say that their adult daughter was outside and they did not want her to come into the house. Police spoke to the woman who was standing outside and said she was waiting for her father. Police called the father who said that he had given her money and wanted her to leave. The daughter agreed and left the property voluntarily. At 1 am on 12/28 the daughter walked into police headquarters to say that she lost her silver Sony MP3 player on the property of her parents home on Fenimore Road. Police tried to help her find the device but had no luck.
A Lockwood Road man went to headquarters at 8 pm on 12/29 to show police an unauthorized text message he received from his ex-wife, from whom he has an order of protection. The text message was not threatening and concerned a vacation home that the two parties share in Newport, Rhode Island.
Vandals: A Sprague Road man reported that $5.00 in change was taken from his car when it was entered in the early morning hours of 12/19. On the morning of 12/22 he also noticed that the interior light of his car was on and suspected someone may have been inside the car. He was unsure if the car was locked on either occasion.
A Boulevard man reported that something hit a front window of his home and shattered the glass at 10:45 pm on 12/23. Police found a rock in a flowerpot directly below the window. There was no other damage.
Identity Theft: A Heathcote Road discovered that almost $5,000 in unauthorized purchases had been made on her American Express card. Amex advised her that there was unusual activity on her car and they closed the account and issued a new card. In addition, $909.75 in purchases were made from a company called Industrial Press in her name and she received an invoice.
A high school student reported that a credit card, driver's license and cash were stolen from her wallet while she attended track practice at SHS on the morning of 12/24. She had stowed her wallet underneath a friend's bag in the high school breezeway while she attended practice. The friend left before her, picked up the bag and left her wallet exposed.
Found: A purse containing a wallet and identifying papers was found on Greenacres Avenue on the night of 12/27 and turned over to police. Police called the Sleepy Hollow Police to try to find the owner.
The owner of the Parkway Diner found a key ring with four keys in his pocket on the morning of 12/24. There was no identifying information with the keys. He turned them over to police.
A customer at the Scarsdale Shell Station called police at 7:30 pm on 12/29 when he believed he had not been given the proper change after paying for gas. He said he gave the attendant a $100 bill but the attendant said that he had given him a $50 bill. The manager said he would check the register and call the customer to resolve the issue.
Robbery at Great Shapes
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Greenburgh Police are asking for your help to find a man who robbed the Great Shapes store on Central Avenue in Hartsdale just before noon on Wednesday, January 8, 2014. According to police, a white man in his early 30's entered the store and the sales person asked if he needed help. He said "no" and approached the salesperson at the register and handed her a crumpled note demanding money. She gave him less than $100 in cash and he left the store. Police searched the area for the suspect but were unable to locate him.
The suspect is described as a white male in his thirties with a neatly trimmed light brown beard, 5'8" – 5'9"in height, with a medium build, wearing a black knit ski cap, black waist length winter coat, and dark jeans.
Greenburgh Police are seeking the public's assistance in this investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has any information is urged to call detectives at (914) 682-5325. All calls will be kept confidential.
Parking Scofflaws and Fire Safety: News from the Village
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In an effort to improve payment for parking tickets, Scarsdale Village will now tow any car that has accumulated three or more tickets at the maximum fine within a period of 18 months. Rita Azrelyant from the Scarsdale Village Manager's Office says, "We encourage all scofflaws to come to Village Hall and make arrangements to pay for all outstanding tickets in order to avoid being towed. Tickets can be paid online at www.parkingticketpayment.com."
The new policy was enacted on December 2 and Azrelyant reports that, "We have not had any tows however we have had an increase in the number of scofflaw individuals paying their parking tickets."
Holiday Season Fire Prevention Safety Tips
The Scarsdale Fire Department offers the following holiday season Fire Prevention Safety Tips. These safety tips have been prepared by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and can help you and your family to 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.
In General:
- 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 and practice the plan.
Thomas M. Cain
Chief of Department
Tel 914-722-1215
50 Tompkins Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
