A Big Week for the Greenburgh Police
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Greenburgh Police issued two press alerts this week: one concerning a suspicious envelope received at the New York Sports Club in Elmsford and another about a large drug bust in Dobbs Ferry.
On Tuesday, an employee of the New York Sports Club on Executive Boulevard in Elmsford opened an envelope that contained a white powder-like substance that irritated her skin.
Police, fire, EMS and Hazmat personnel were sent to the scene where they evacuated the club and had four club employees and a postal worker go through a decontamination process. The suspicious envelope was taken to the Westchester County Department of Laboratory Services for testing.
On November 4th, the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task force, acting with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Westchester County District Attorney’s office executed a narcotics search warrant in Dobbs Ferry. The warrant was based on an eleven-month investigation of suspicious activity at 5 Gould Avenue in Dobbs Ferry.
On the premises, police found 100 pounds of marijuana, packaged for sale. In addition to the marijuana, which was valued at $300,000 they found $67,000 in cash.
Five defendants were taken into custody for possession, and one of the suspects was also found to be wanted by the New York City Police for kidnapping. All five were sent to Westchester County Jail where they will be held without bail until their court date on Thursday, November 18.
Car break-in at Seely Place School: A Chappaqua woman parked her Honda Odyssey at Seely Place while she watched a soccer game on the afternoon of 11/7. When she returned to her car, she found her car window smashed. Her pocketbook, which she had left in the car, was still there, but $300 was missing from her wallet.
Shoplifters: The loss prevention officer at Marshalls caught two women shoplifting at the store on November 1. He saw them conceal merchandise and when they left the store without paying, he stopped them and called the police. Judi Neil of the Bronx and Patricia Trinidad of Yonkers were booked and given court dates.Also at Marshalls on November 2, Jose Portorreal of the Bronx was caught switching price tags on merchandise and returning merchandise with switched tags in order to make a profit. The Greenburgh Police took him into custody.
A Best Buy employee was arrested on 11/1 when it came to light that he had issued himself an unauthorized gift card in the amount of $1,063.61 and used the gift card to make purchases at other Best Buy locations. The employee, Michael Guzman, age 20 of Mt. Vernon was arrested and taken to Greenburgh Police Headquarters.
On November 7, an employee of CVS on Central Avenue in Hartsdale reported that a black man, approximately 6 feet tall, came into the store, grabbed six Touchscreen MP3 players, each valued at $87.99, and ran out of the store. He fled in a small silver car driven by a woman. The store will check the videotape to see if they can see the suspect.
Disputes: Precious Jones of the Bronx got into a fight with a Bee Line bus driver when he overshot her stop on Central Avenue on November 6th. When she eventually got onto the bus, her metro card did not go through. As she was talking on the phone, the bus driver tapped Ms. Jones arm and she became verbally abusive to the driver. The woman was removed from the bus by a supervisor and the police took her to White Plains station to catch a train.
Missing Man: A Hartsdale woman reported that her husband was missing on 11/6. The 69 year-old man drove to Mohegan Sun Casino on Thursday 11/4 and when his wife had not heard back from him by Saturday she called the police. Police called the casino who found that the man’s car was parked in the valet parking lot at the casino, though the man was not registered at the hotel. They also checked the local hospital and there was no record of the man who suffers from early stage dementia. The Greenburgh Police entered the victim on the missing person registry.
On 11/5 Social Services workers followed up on a claim from a Barclay Road boy. He told his teacher at school that his father “got mad and struck him causing a bruise to his back” because he didn’t want to do his homework. Social Services found no signs that the boy was being mistreated or neglected.
Post-Election Round-up
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As of Wednesday morning in the 37th District New York Senate race, Suzi Oppenheimer and Bob Cohen are in a dead heat. The Westchester County election results show each with a 50% share of the vote, with Oppenheimer leading with 33,272 votes over Cohen’s 33,092. This will likely be decided by a recount and absentee ballots. My quick and dirty analysis: Oppenheimer’s attacks on Cohen as a “slumlord” backfired. But at the same time — Democrats prevailed due to Cuomo at the top of the ticket against a Republican candidate most found patently objectionable on any level.
Cohen’s supporters met at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains on election night where the mood was hopeful but subdued. As the results came in, Cohen was maintaining a 2% lead over Oppenheimer, splitting the vote 51% to 49%. However the count narrowed overnight and now neither candidate can claim a victory. County Executive Rob Astorino came to the Crowne Plaza and predicted a win for
the Republican Scarsdale real estate executive, saying that a Cohen victory would be the result of Democrats crossing party lines and Independents voting for Cohen to send a message to Albany to rein in spending and taxes.
Incumbent Amy Paulin scored a big win over Republican challenger Rene Atayan for the 88th State Assembly seat. Results show 62% for Paulin of Scarsdale vs. 38% for Bronxville’s Atayan. Paulin supporters gathered at Chat American Bistro on election night and the mood was happy and relaxed as Paulin maintained a strong lead all night.
Only an analysis of the data will show what really happened — but the lack of any viable Republicans at the top of the ticket — could be a factor that actually saves Oppenheimer from defeat — and clearly played a role in Scarsdale’s Harry Wilson’s defeat by Tom DiNapoli in the State Comptroller’s race. Wilson was quite successful in getting ticket splitters — but not enough to offset the onslaught of down-the-line Democrats.
One of two things happened in Westchester and New York State yesterday: the Democrats came out in force — with the result being mostly the maintenance of the status quo; and/or with fatal weakness at the top of the ticket for Governor and US Senate, Republicans in New York could not capitalize on the national trend. In the Hudson Valley area, except for the wins by Nan Hayworth over John Hall for Congress and Greg Ball over Mike Kaplowitz for the State Senate — both districts in way northern Westchester and Putnam, Democrats held most seats. Aside from the Oppenheimer-Cohen contest, the other local race that’s too close to call is the 89th Assembly district race between Republican Bob Castelli and Democrat Tom Roach another contest that will be decided by recount and absentee ballots.Stay tuned.
David A. Singer is a former political consultant/campaign professional and political junkie currently toiling as a lawyer in Westchester and managing real estate and media investments.
State Senate Candidates Pick Up Key Endorsements
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If you’ve been watching your mailbox, or answering your phone, you already know that we’re living through one of the most hotly contested races in the state. Scarsdale resident Bob Cohen is challenging Mamaroneck’s Suzi Oppenheimer for the seat in NYS Senate she has held for 26 years. With only three days to go before the November 2nd election, the focus is on the candidates.
Today, Cohen’s campaign got a huge boost when he was endorsed by The New York Times. Given the paper’s liberal leanings this is a real coup for a registered Republican. Here is what they said…
“The Republican candidate, Bob Cohen, dares to name United States Senator Jacob Javits - a voice of thoughtful moderation - as his hero. He is challenging Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, a Democrat, who has held the seat for 26 years. A real estate executive and political newcomer, Mr. Cohen has promised to focus on straightening out the mess of a state budget. He wants to cap state spending with adjustments for inflation, set long-term targets for Medicaid and schools, and eliminate "all V.I.P. tax credits to politically connected insiders." Mr. Cohen says he wants to work with both sides of the aisle, a revolutionary idea, especially in this polarized year. Senator Oppenheimer is a person of integrity, but she has too little to show for her years in Albany.”
On Thursday October 26, Cohen also picked up the endorsement of Mayor Bloomberg of New York. He said, ““Albany is broken and it has been for too long,” It's time for a change. Bob Cohen is a businessman, not a career politician, and he is running to bring fiscal order to Albany. I’m an independent and I support candidates for office from both parties who I think are best for New York State. That’s why I’m strongly supporting Bob Cohen for State Senate in Westchester.”
Incumbent Suzi Oppenheimer picked up here share of key endorsements as well. US Senator Chuck Schumer is backing her, saying, citing her ability to break through the Albany gridlock and her leadership on education reforms that will better prepare New York students for the challenges of the 21st century.
According to Schumer, “Suzi Oppenheimer has been a knowledgeable and determined advocate for New York, especially on issues of importance to Westchester such as education, flood control, and lowering burdensome property taxes. We have worked together to protect the citizens of Westchester County. “
On October 21st, gubernatorial likely Andrew Cuomo, endorsed Oppenheimer, saying “Senator Oppenheimer has established a stellar record of accomplishment as a true public servant. This year she played a key role in passing the Education Reform Law, which she sponsored and helped negotiate. Because of her proven ability to build coalitions and get results, I need Suzi as a partner in making government more effective. I enthusiastically endorse her re-election. Oppenheimer joined Cuomo on the campaign trail and returned the favor saying, “New York needs the leadership that Andrew Cuomo will bring to address the serious challenges facing our state.”
With signs at every intersection, overstuffed mailboxes and non-stop phone calls, local residents are keenly aware of the race. We’ll let you know what happens on Tuesday --as soon as we know.
Scarsdale Forum to Discuss Tax Revaluation
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The Scarsdale Forum (TVCCEF) cordially invites the public, free of charge, to its membership meeting on Thursday, November 18 in the Scott Room of the Scarsdale Library at 8 p.m. A welcome reception will begin at 7:30 p.m. Specials guests that evening will include members of the Scarsdale business and real estate community.
In response to a village-wide revaluation under consideration by the Village Board of Trustees, the Assessment Revaluation Committee of the Scarsdale Forum presents:
“The Pros and Cons of Village-wide Assessment Revaluation”, a panel discussion moderated by Robert Berg. Panelists include John Wolham, Director of the Southern Region of the New York Office of Real Property Tax Services; Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville who is undertaking her third town-wide revaluation since 2007; Steve Altieri, the Town Administrator of Mamaroneck who is coordinating the town’s first revaluation in decades and Alfred Gatta, Village Manager of Scarsdale, who is also chair of a county-wide committee of assessors studying the issue.
The Scarsdale Forum is a 106 year old civic club dedicated to improving life in Scarsdale. The Forum studies issues before the Village and County governing boards and provides input to them via reports and recommendations. Scarsdale residents are encouraged to join and participate in the process.
For more information, visit www.ScarsdaleForum.com , call 914-723-2829 or e-mail [email protected] .
Halloween Window Painting Winners Announced
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The annual Halloween Window Painting Contest, sponsored by the Scarsdale Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department and co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, brought approximately 700 painters into the Village and surrounding areas.
The contest is a long standing tradition in the Village and has been going on for over 48 years. The Police Department, Department of Public Works , and members of the Chamber of Commerce and all pulled together to provide an opportunity for kids to have fun and show off their artistic talents. In addition, Hartsdale had their own painting event on Saturday October 23.
The Grand Prize in Scarsdale went to Claudia Laurie for her painting located at Rothman’s, at 1 Boniface Circle. Her painting is pictured on the right and below please find many more colorful Halloween windows paintings.
The Halloween Parade brought many younger children downtown to show off their costumes. Catch a few of them below and see the contest winners here:
Halloween Window Painting Contest Winners
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Claudia Laurie V - 2
GROUP I – 3RD GRADE
1ST Place: Isabella DeCastro I-11
2nd Place: Arielle Schulman I-19
3rd Place: Margaret Kantor I-28
Most Comical: Brandon Harnett I-37
Honorable Mention: Lynne Mahoney I-8
Rotem Sosna I-10
Peter Wenger I-16
Javin Edlitz I-24
Valentina Elenberg I-30
GROUP II – 4th GRADE
1st Place: Amanda Glik II-9
2nd Place: Kazuki Katoh II-36
3rd Place: Renata Pratt II-29
Most Comical Katia Jacovides II-15
Honorable Mention: Caroline Shuh II-5
Jocelyn Weiss II-10
Alex Mayer II-20
Milena Fava-Pastilha II-24
Sarah Bock II-25
Willow Paykin II-50
Sophie Ewing II-49
GROUP III – 5TH AND 6TH GRADES
1st Place: Katie Fehrenbaker III-3
2nd Place: Lena Proctor III-37
3rd Place: Isabella Bailey III-50
Most Comical Dermot Kantor III-7
Honorable Mention: Morgan Cochrane III-59
Maggie Donovan III-51
Annie Cohen III-14
GROUP IV - 7TH AND 8TH GRADES
1st Place: Michaela Dwyer IV-25
2nd Place Kathleen Kantor IV-18
3rd Place Leah Kashar IV-16
Most Comical Kaitlyn Doyle IV-6
Honorable Mention: Caroline Huh IV-3
Daniel Gliedman IV-5
Alyssa Josselsohn IV-12
Maggie O’Keefe IV-23
Chloe Stoddard IV-26
GROUP V – 9th AND 10TH GRADES
1st Place: Arielle Trenk V-1
2nd Place Shannon Kelly V-3
GROUP VI – TEAM ENTRY – 3RD GRADE
1st Place: Caroline Greenhouse and Nicole Gibson VI-4
2nd Place: Mark Ifrah and Ford Lechner VI-18
3rd Place: Scott Galbreath and Jeremy Schmelkin VI-3
Most Comical Angela Ferrigno and Bridget Dibbini VI-26
Honorable Mention: Andy Morin and Jack Greenspan VI-7
Jennifer Farfel and Kayla Sung VI-10
Annie Radin and Hope Walker V1-19
Mollie Grand and Sophie Grand V1-22
GROUP VII – TEAM ENTRY – 4TH GRADE
1st Place: Katie Karp and Emma Schuartz VII-3
2nd Place: Caroline Goldstein and Sanjana Bhatnager VII-28
3rd Place: Lilly Batt and Rachel Annex VII-8
Most Comical Arin Hendell and Karly Kessler VII-7
Honorable Mention: Kelli Rainer and Lena Glickman VII-4
Adina Mistry and Anika Agarwal VII-22
Margo Boxer and Maisie Suzman VII-29
Alessandra Sinibaldi and Isabella Jackson VII-32
GROUP VIII – TEAM ENTRY – 5TH AND 6TH GRADES
1st Place: Sophie Cammarata and Theresa Alarcon VIII-31
2nd Place: Anna Spin and Laura Morse VIII-2
3rd Place: Kimberly Ellis and Zoe Millman VIII-26
Most Comical Rachel Gee and Courtney DeLong VIII-37
Honorable Mention: Carly Binday and Ilana Tamir VIII-15
Abigail Rosenstein and Ariel Stonberg VIII-21
Mao Okusawa and Yumi Arima VIII-34
Jenna Marcus and Kallen Cohane VIII-29
Katie Bowen and Maddy Song VIII-19
Sophie Greenhouse and Caroline Gerla VIII-3
Maya Kulick and Alexandra Fogel VIII-55
Sascha Eckersly and Chiaki Katoh VIII-41
GROUP IX – TEAM ENTRY – 7TH AND 8TH GRADES
1ST Place: Alice Kinsley and Alexa Binday IX-20
2nd Place: Syd Bernstein and Gillian Lubin IX-5
3rd Place: Allison Shein and Emily Natbony IX-10
Most Comical Elizabeth Jacobs and Remy Weisbrot IX-25
Honarable Mention: Cara Blumstein IX-2
Abigail Haber and Rachel Haber IX- 14
Genna Shuster and Sarah Bowen IX-11
GROUP X – TEAM ENTRY – 9TH AND 10TH GRADES
1ST Place: Carina Spiro and Anna Dursztman X-2
2nd Place: Christine Rooney and Emma Whitestone X-7
3rd Place: Emily Yankowitz and Kathryn Evans X-1
Most Comical Madeline Satin and Emily Shapiro X-4