Today's News

Details: Published: 01 November 2010; Created: 01 November 2010; Last Updated: 01 November 2010; Hits: 4307

beerbottles A 17 year-old girl called 911 at 10:30 pm on Saturday night when a party got out of control, a boy passed out and he could not be awoken. When they arrived at the home at 47 Edgewood Road in Hartsdale, police found the unresponsive 17 year-old as well as thirteen drunk teens. Paramedics assisted the sick boy and took him to the hospital where he was admitted. He was reported to have drunk a combination of vodka, whiskey and beer. Seven of the thirteen remaining kids, ages 16 and 17 were issued summonses for underage drinking. In addition two fifteen-year-old girls were found to be drunk and will be contacted by the Greenburgh Juvenile Aid Detectives.

No parents were home at the time, and the fifteen-year-old girl who lives there took the offense. A court date has been set for Thursday November 4th at 9:30 am.

Fight at the Hess Station: tempers flared at the Hess Gas Station on Central Avenue on Monday afternoon October 25 when a man accused a woman of cutting the line for gas. The man started to yell at the woman but didn’t stop with words. He seized her arm and tried to pull her out of her car and then grabbed some clothing from the front seat of the car and threw it to the ground. She called the police and wrote down the man’s license plate number as he fled the scene. Police traced the license plate number and contacted the angry man in White Plains. He fessed up to having a dispute and apologized.

An employee of the Christmas Tree Shop on Central Avenue reported that someone stole his jewelry that he had removed and stowed while he was working at the store on October 24 and 25. A review of the store’s videotape showed another man rummaging through employee belongings but the victim did not wish to press charges.

Two fourteen year-old White Plains boys were caught stealing headphones from Best Buy on Friday October 29. A store employee saw the boys take the headphones into the bathroom. The employee got one boy to hand over his headphones but the other got away with a second pair in his book bag. Police took the first suspect into custody and he led the police to the second boy’s home. The boy was not home, but when police told his mother what he had done, she agreed to bring him into headquarters when he returned. Both boys were turned over to juvenile authorities.

A High Point Road man called police at 9 pm on October 29th to report that a burglar was in his house. The man saw an intruder run through the kitchen and leave through a rear sliding glass door. Though additional officers arrived and searched neighboring streets, they were unable to locate the suspect. Approximately $4,900 of jewelry was stolen.

Also in Hartsdale, a Northern Road man woke up on the morning of October 30 and found that the tires and rims had been stolen off his 2009 Honda Accord that was parked in his driveway overnight. His car was perched on two concrete blocks and all that was left were four lug nuts from each of the stolen tires.

Details: Published: 29 October 2010; Created: 29 October 2010; Last Updated: 29 October 2010; Hits: 7410

davidsinger So this was supposed to be the New York voter's autumn of discontent; the year that all incumbents would get tossed out on their collective rears and a massive number of reformers would march in and take over the Governor’s seat and both houses of the state legislature (and possibly even abolish one of them!) It seemed possible that the reform swell would take out many, many incumbents -- in both primary elections --where reform minded Democrats would take out ossified career senators -- and in the general election as well. Yet none of this materialized. Few primary contests ensued against incumbent State legislators, and no truly viable contests will be at the top of the ballot this year. This will drive down turnout by both parties – making the local races ones where the get-out-the-vote efforts will be the key to victory or defeat.

While nationwide there’s a strong anti-incumbent trend likely to turn one if not both houses of Congress over to the GOP – New York will prove to be a lot less productive for the GOP – except possibly in the State Senate, where it’s likely that the GOP will regain control. Here are my predictions for statewide and local races:

Governor: Carl Paladino probably never had much of a shot in the general election – but made things a lot worse for himself and his supporters by continuously creating a negative personal presence in the news for 3- weeks running. Had Rick Lazio or Steve Levy been the GOP candidate – it would have been much closer. Once a candidate’s character becomes the primary issue in a race – he/she is toast. Prediction: Cuomo wins 65%-35% over Paladino.

US Senate: No contests here -- both Chuck Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand will win handily. Schumer’s margin will be about 60%-40% over Jay Townsend (who?) and Gillibrand will win by 10 points over former Westchester Rep Joe DioGuardi, who’s campaign never really gained traction.

US Congress #18: 11-term Democratic incumbent Nita Lowey (who defeated Joe DioGuardi to take the seat in 1988) will win handily over Jim Russell and write-in candidate Cortes DeRussy.

US Congress #19: Two-term Democrat John Hall is in a tough race against Republican Nan Hayworth. Given the leanings of the district, this will be close, but I’m predicting a small margin win for Hayworth.

NYS Comptroller: This is the most interesting statewide race because you actually have a qualitative choice. To date most observers of New York State Government believe that the unelected incumbent Tom DiNapoli has been a competent holder of the office. But the Republican candidate, Harry Wilson, has ignited some bi-partisan passion for his candidacy. DiNapoli tags Wilson as a “Wall Street Wizard”, and in fact Wilson may be that. His most recent accomplishment was serving on the Obama Automobile restructuring task force – and was the primary driver (no pun intended) of the plan that salvaged and rejuvenated General Motors. Although there are severe weaknesses at the top of the statewide GOP ticket, I’m predicating that Wilson will eek out a win by about 2-3% over DiNapoli and net the only statewide win for Republicans this year.

NYS Attorney General: here you have no incumbent in the race – former State Senator Eric Schneiderman survived a 5-candidate Democratic primary for his party’s nomination. The GOP picked Staten Island DA, Dan Donovan. Donovan has been endorsed by Mayor Bloomberg and former Mayor Ed Koch. But given the weakness at the top of the ticket, there hasn’t been a groundswell for Donovan in this race – and the Cuomo coat-tails will carry the better-recognized Schneiderman to a 5% victory over Donovan.

NYS Senate # 37: In a fiercely contested race, 25-year Democratic incumbent Suzi Oppenheimer faces Republican political newcomer Bob Cohen. Cohen has gone after Oppenheimer’s long tenure in office, while Oppenheimer has gone starkly personal and negative with mailers and commercials that tag Cohen as a “slumlord” – allegations of which were refuted by the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee. All this shows that the Oppenheimer camp is deeply worried about this race. The Democratic registration outnumbers Republicans by 2:1 – but turnout will be key. This is pretty much a jump ball – particularly now with the New York Times’ endorsement of Cohen’s candidacy. Late polls indicate that undecideds and independents may be breaking for Cohen. As an aside, had former Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld run again this year, she would have likely defeated Oppenheimer. Feld, who would have had more name recognition than Cohen, chose not to make the race in part because she was disgusted at the GOP leadership role in the Pedro Espada fiasco.

NYS Senate #34: Democratic Senator (and Deputy Majority Leader) Jeff Klein is opposed by Republican civic activist Frank Vernuccio. Klein will win easily. Assuming Klein wins – he may be in line to be the new majority leader (if the Dems hold onto their majority) or most certainly will be the minority leader if the Dems lose their majority.

NYS Senate #35: two-term Democratic incumbent Andrea-Stewart Cousins will prevail with a 3% victory over former Yonkers City Councilman Liam McLaughlin.

NYS Senate #36: Democratic Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson is running against Robert Diamond. Hassell-Thompson will win handily.

NYS Senate #40: this district straddles northern Westchester and Putnam Counties. Another hard fought race that looks like a jump ball at this point – between the incendiary Republican Assemblyman Greg Ball and Democratic Westchester County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz. Given the weakness at the top of the GOP ticket and Kaplowitz’ center-right campaign, I’m predicting a small margin win by Kaplowitz.

NYS Assembly #87: Incumbent Democrat Gary Pretlow will breeze to victory over Independence Party candidate Sam Rivers.

NYS Assembly #88: Democratic incumbent Amy Paulin will easily defeat her Republican opponent, Rene Atayan.

NYS Assembly #89: Republican incumbent Bob Castelli attained the seat in a special election earlier this year when Adam Bradley left to become mayor of White Plains. In the February special election, Castelli prevailed over County Legislator Peter Harckham in a low-turnout race. In September Tom Roach, the White Plains Common Council President defeated Harrison’s Mark Jaffe in the Democratic primary for the right to take on Castelli. Although the voter registration favors Democrats in this district, Castelli’s moderate creds will carry him to a 5% victory over Roach.

NYS Assembly #90: Democratic incumbent Sandra Galef will easily defeat repeat GOP candidate Bill Gouldman.

NYS Assembly #91: Popular Democratic incumbent George Latimer will easily defeat Republican Bill Reed.

NYS Assembly #92: In an open-seat contest for the seat of defeated Attorney General candidate Richard Brodsky, long time Democratic County Legislator Tom Abinanti will easily win over Republican Thomas Bock.

NYS Assembly #93: a somewhat hotly contested race favors incumbent Democrat (former Republican) Mike Spano over GOP candidate Ramondelli.

So locally, with few exceptions, incumbency will once again be the rule.

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.

Details: Published: 25 October 2010; Created: 25 October 2010; Last Updated: 26 October 2010; Hits: 11184

ScarsdaleVillage An attempt at the third suicide in our area in the last week was made early Sunday morning in Scarsdale Village while children were painting Halloween windows outside. Whether the impetus for the suicides was the economy, the change in seasons or personal demons is anyone’s guess.

At 10 am on Sunday October 23rd local police learned that a Scarsdale man had called a suicide hotline, and they were able to track the call to Scarsdale Village. Police rushed to a village store and forced their way into the locked store.

In the basement they found the storeowner who had attempted to take his own life. Police and emergency workers responded and reported that he was still alive. The Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps transported the man to the emergency room at White Plains Hospital and his condition is unknown.

The victim is a well-liked retailer in Scarsdale Village who has been in town for as long as anyone can remember. His attempt follows the purported suicide of Thomas J. Hill in Hartsdale on October 19th and the death of Corie Vidal, a favorite member of the SHS staff who took her own life on October 21st.

Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, the victim's name, which appeared in the original report, has been removed.

Details: Published: 27 October 2010; Created: 27 October 2010; Last Updated: 27 October 2010; Hits: 4747

silver Scarsdale Police: Burglars entered an Eton Road home by breaking the window on a rear door of the house on the evening of October 22nd. The house was tossed and jewelry was stolen. The house alarm was not activated at the time of the break-in.

Missing: On October 20th a Heathcote Road woman reported that a brown leather chest, containing 14 pieces of silver flatware was missing from her attic. The silverware dates from the 1960’s and is worth approximately $3,000. She last saw the box a month ago and since that time handymen and potential homebuyers have visited the house.

A purse was stolen out of a car that was parked in the Christie Place garage on the afternoon of October 24. A Whig Road woman reported that the rear driver’s side door of her Honda Pilot was unlocked, allowing the theft of her purse, which contained credit cards, keys, a blackberry and id cards.

A Ridgedale Road man reported that political signs for Democratic candidates were removed from his front lawn sometime on October 17 -18. He suspects that Republican operatives may have taken the signs. In addition, on 10/19 the same man called police to report that a car parked near his home had a swastika on it. Police checked with the owner of the car and found that the symbol was actually a Hindu symbol that denotes prosperity.

A Sharon Lane man left his bike unlocked at the Scarsdale Train Station on the morning of 10/18. When he returned at 7 pm, the bike was gone.

Harassed: On October 21 a 17 year-old girl reported that an ex-friend was harassing her, by sending derogatory messages via text, blackberry and instant messaging. Police went to the home of the girl who was sending the messages and told her mother to tell her daughter to stop the harassment.

Stranger at the Door: Police responded to a call from a Walworth Avenue home at 5 am on October 19 where an unknown man was ringing the resident’s doorbell. When police arrived they found Jose Ramos, age 61, who claimed that he was lost and trying to get home to Stevens Street in White Plains. Police called a taxi to take the man home.

A Madison Road woman locked her 15 month-old son in the car by mistake when the car was parked at the Scarsdale Library on the morning of October 19th. Police called the Heathcote Gulf station and they sent someone to unlock the car.

Reckless Driver: On October 20, A Brewster Road woman called police at 9:16 am to report a reckless driver near the school. She provided police the car model and license plate number. Police stopped the driver and warned him to slow down or he would receive a summons in the future.

Misunderstanding: An unidentified caller reported that two boys were trespassing inside a Wayside Lane home at 4:40 pm on October 22nd. Police went to the house to check and found two boys in the garage. When the boys saw the police they quickly closed the garage door and tried to go into the house. Police ordered the boys to come outside and found that one of the boys was the resident of the house, and the other two were his friends.

Coyote Watch

On 10/18 at 3:40 pm on Deerfield Lane
On 10/19 at 9:15 am at the Greenacres School
On 10/19 at 1:33 pm on Reynal Crossing
On 10/19 at 4:22 on Black Walnut Road
On 10/20 at 1:48 pm on Carthage Road
On 10/20 at 6:22 pm on Vanderbilt Road
On 10/20 at 7:04 pm at Secor and Wynmor Roads
On 10/20 at 8:00 pm on Mamaroneck Road at Foxhall Place
On 10/21 at 2:18 pm at Sheldrake and Mamaroneck Roads
On 10/21 at 2:55 pm on Wheelock and Brookby Roads
On 10/21 at 3:41 pm at Foxhall and Secor Roads
On 10/21 at 4:11 pm in the yard of a Foxhall Road home
On 10/21 at 10 pm on Sprague and Lyons Road
On 10/23 at 1:25 pm at Ardmore and Carthage Roads
On 1024 at 8:54 am at Penn Boulevard and Franklin Road

Greenburgh Police – In Hartsdale a Columbia Road woman reported that an unknown man entered her place of business on October 18 at 5 pm and asked if he could scan the premises with a metal detector because it was his hobby. She replied, “absolutely not” and the man left the premises.

Roommates on Maple Avenue in Hartsdale got into a nasty dispute on the night of October 18 when one roommate parked her car on the grass because the other one refused to share the driveway. The roommate who refused to share the driveway threatened to punch in the other woman’s face, kicked the room to her door and posted signs around the house to tell the complainant that she was not wanted. The complainant subsequently reported that family and friends of the roommate were posting threatening comments on her Facebook page.

Police were called when two employees in the kitchen at T.G.I. Fridays got into a fight on the morning of October 20th. Both were pulling at a kitchen utensil when it cut one man’s hand. The Manager agreed to speak to the two to work it out.

The owner of Venetian Delight on Central Avenue in Hartsdale was paid with a fraudulent check for $156.00 worth of food delivered to A White Plains address on October 3rd. Though he has tried to contact the woman who wrote the check, he has been unable to find her.

A postman was bitten in the calf by a dog when he was delivering mail to a Glenwood Road home in Scarsdale on October 21. The 6 year-old Wheaton Terrier had been vaccinated.

A 1992 BMW, parked on Clarendon Place was damaged overnight on 10/23. The windshield was shattered, the driver’s side window and mirror were broken and there was damage to a rear plastic window.

Details: Published: 19 October 2010; Created: 19 October 2010; Last Updated: 21 October 2010; Hits: 7704

greenburghtownhall This just in from the Greenburg Police Department: On Tuesday night (10/19) at 10:30 pm, a Hartsdale woman returned to her Keats Avenue home and found her husband, Thomas J. Hill dead in the backyard. According to information released by the Town of Greenburgh Police Department, it appears that the 54-year-old man shot himself, but an autopsy is being done to determine the cause of death.

Intruder: On the afternoon of October 15 the owner of Chopstix Restaurant on Garth Road found a stranger in the basement of the restaurant. The intruder claimed that he was dropped off in the area and was looking for a doctor’s office. As Chopstix in no way resembles a doctor’s office, police were suspicious and searched the man who had no weapons and had not taken anything from the basement. He was identified as Anthony Lindsey of Mt Vernon and a check of his identification revealed no outstanding warrants though the man admitted that he was on parole for an offense committed outside of New York State. As there was no reason to detain him, he was released.

Car break-in: Swarthmore Road residents returned from a trip overseas and found that their car had been vandalized in their absence. The driver’s side window was broken and a GPS was taken from the 2006 Suzuki which was parked in front of the house. The incident occurred on October 9th.

Threats: On October 16th a 19 year-old Brambach Road girl complained of receiving threatening text message and disturbing voice mails from an ex-boyfriend. The girl blocked the man’s phone number from her cell phone and blocked his user name on Facebook.

Stranger at the Door: On October 13 a man came to the door of a Fox Meadow road home with an unlabeled package and asked the homeowner to identify herself, claiming that he had a package for her. When she refused and told him she was going to call the police, a woman came to the door with the same package. The woman also refused to identify herself and left the package at the door. The homeowner told police she would ask her husband what might be in the box before opening it.

Gone: An Apple iPhone was reported stolen from the locker of a Scarsdale Middle School student on October 13th.

Lockwood Road residents reported that a package delivered to their home by UPS on October 14 was stolen. The package contained a drum pad valued at $30.

Rowdy Teens: At 9:30, an employee of Starbucks in Scarsdale Village called to say that about 15 teenagers were roughhousing on the footbridge above the tracks at Scarsdale Train Station. Police sent the kids on their way.

Loud kids were reported at George Field at 11 pm on 10/16. Police arrived and the kids dispersed.

Just before midnight, police received a report that some kids had placed a large rock in the road at the intersection of Walworth and Greenacres Avenues. Police went to the scene and removed the rock.

Disputes: At 9:50 am on 10/17, a Cooper Road man called police to ask for help in getting his wife to drop off the children at his house, per their custody agreement. A court officer arrived, the children were turned over to the father and the mother left the scene.

On Sunday afternoon, a Scarsdale man called police concerning dogs that were running around the high school tennis courts. Since dogs are not allowed to run on school grounds, he asked the dogs owners to take them away. The owners of the dogs became verbally abusive and aggressive and refused to comply. When police arrived they issued one of the men, Philip Taddeo of Yonkers, a summons for violating a local ordinance. Police also found that Taddeo had a suspended license so they instruction his companion to take him home.

Drunk: Eastchester Police found a drunk Scarsdale woman in their jurisdiction at 6 pm on Sunday and drove her back to her home on Edgewood Road. Her husband was home and escorted her inside.

A man called police at 10:20 pm on 10/16 to say that he lost his wallet somewhere between Scarsdale and White Plains. It was determined that the man was drunk and did not know where he lost his wallet, but asked the police to keep his number in case someone turned it in.

A moving truck struck a tree on Garth Road on the afternoon of 10/14 and took down a large branch.

Coyote Watch