New Voting Machines
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The New York State primary election was held on Tuesday September 14 and the new voting machines were as big a part of the story as the candidates. Attendance was light at our local poll where there were far more people working the election than voting. We went down to check out the new machines and did find the system to be easy to understand, as there were only two races on the ballot. In November, when there will be more contests and many more voters, the new system will be put to the test.
Below are comments on the new scanners from our political columnist David Singer:
I just returned from voting in the primary election -- for the first time using the new, federally mandated, three-step paper ballot optical scanner vote counting device. And I'm not sure how well this will work in the long run. I went to my polling location and signed into the voter registry like I've always done. Then, one of the election clerks peeled off a ballot from a stack of ballots -- and handed it to me and directed me to a free-standing three sided table to fill out my ballot. There I found something akin to a Sharpie indelible marker (the smudge hasn't come off my hand yet). Completing the ballot is easy if you've ever filled out an absentee ballot or taken a standardized test. But then -- and here's where the multitudinous breakdowns will occur -- I had to slip the completed ballot into some absurd, cumbersome, oversized file folder. I then handed the file folder to another election clerk (privacy issues, anyone?) who made sure to have the correct end of my ballot stick out of the absurd, cumbersome, oversized file folder. Then the clerk (not me) shoved the end of the ballot (and not the absurd, cumbersome, oversized file folder) into the optical scanner. This act of insertion was quite similar to how you stick a dollar bill into a vending machine (which inevitably, 3 out of 4 times, spits your dollar back out at you, especially if you're really thirsty) -- and voila! My vote was cast -- or so it seems.
While I found the process relatively easy, any process that contains multiple steps is quite likely to break down somewhere along the line. But the most concerning aspect of my voting experience today was that it was relatively easy for the assisting election clerk to see who I voted for -- since he/she is integral to the process of getting the ballot scanned in. That will need to be fixed. Stay tuned for the inevitable deluge of problems and complaints.
Burglaries, Disputes and a Suicide Averted
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From the Scarsdale Police: Burglaries and Thefts: Chateaux Circle residents were robbed while they slept during the night of September 5th. Burglars entered the apartment through an open window and stole a Dell computer, money, a wallet and ids. An iPhone and a remote control, which had been placed on the night table next to the resident’s bed, were both found on the floor, though they did not hear any suspicious noises.
An orthodontist’s office in Scarsdale Village was robbed when the staff left the office for a lunch break on September 3 between 1:10 and 2 PM. When the staff returned at 2 pm they found that a laptop computer and a digital camera were missing. Police contacted the building superintendant who checked the building’s surveillance video and observed a black male wearing a long sleeved shirt leaving the building in a hurry. It appeared that he was carrying a laptop computer under his right arm.
A Harvest Road man reported a broken lock on his first floor window and suspects that someone tried to break-in to the house. He is uncertain of when this occurred.
A gray Trek bicycle, locked to a bike rack on Depot Place was stolen on August 31st. The owner of the bike is a New Rochelle resident who commutes to and from New York to work from the Scarsdale Train Station.
Accident: Cyclist Richard Hyatt of White Plains was hit by a Ryder truck driven by a Connecticut man at 5:45 am on September 1. Both the truck and the bicycle were traveling south on the Post Road and the driver said he did not see the cyclist until he hit him, striking the back wheel of the bike. The cyclist’s left leg was injured, his nose was bleeding, he was confused and he complained of chest pain. The rear tire of the bike was detached from the frame. Hyatt was taken to the hospital.
Disputes: A Kingston Road man called police on August 31 to intervene in a dispute with a workman named Ramone Maya who did some work at the Kingston Road home. Maya did not want to complete the job but came by to collect $100 that was owed to him. The homeowner refused to pay up until the job was complete.
A Horseguard Lane man called police on the morning of September 5th, to complain that his neighbor was driving by his house and videotaping his children at play in the driveway. Police went to the neighbors home who explained that she had videotaped the tree limbs that the man had cut down. The trees are on the border of their properties and they have an ongoing disagreement about them.
Police were called to the parking lot of the Scarsdale Pool on Labor Day when a seven year-old child put his hands around the necks of two younger children, ages four and six. The father of the younger children asked the woman who was with the aggressor to stop the boy, but she did nothing. The father stepped in and put his arms around the 7 year-old to stop him. The older child’s guardian explained that the boy is autistic and wanted to play with the younger children.
Jersey City Police asked the Scarsdale Police for assistance on September 3 in the transfer of an 8 year-old child. The mother of the child had a court order granting her custody. The father’s child, a Gilmore Court man, had threatened to unlawfully remove the child to Gambia. Police stood by while the child was transferred to the mother.
Harassed: A Brite Avenue woman claimed that a neighbor harassed her around 11 pm on 9/3. The complainant was outside walking her dog when she passed a husband and wife walking their dog. The wife said, “I should loose the dog because it only attacks females.” The complainant thought the comment was directed at her. Police did try to talk to both parties but neither wanted to discuss the matter.
A Ridgecrest West man reported that he received harassing phone calls in the middle of the night from a former client who was attempting to extort money from the Scarsdale resident’s law firm.
Arrests: Hector Garcia of White Plains was stopped on Walworth Avenue on the afternoon of August 31 when he went through a stop sign. Though he had a valid NYS driver’s license, he was driving an unregistered Dodge pickup with license plates that belonged on another car. The car was towed and impounded and the police took the license plates. Garcia received citations for driving an unregistered vehicle, operating an insured car with improper plates and failing to stop at a stop sign.
Mamaroneck police arrested Joseph Melagrano of Mamaroneck at 9:30 on 8/31 and turned him over to Scarsdale police where there was an active bench warrant. He was arraigned before Judge Arlene Katz at 10:40 pm, released on $250 bail and given an appearance ticket for September 1.
New Rochelle Police arrested David Delva of Pembroke Pines, Florida at 1 am on 9/3 and turned him over to Scarsdale police where he was wanted for a bench warrant. He was placed in the holding cell, arraigned before Judge Arlene Katz and released with an appearance ticket for September 8th.
Lost Teen: A concerned White Plains mother called Scarsdale Police to help her locate her daughter at 1:30 am on September 4th. She thought the girl might be with a Scarsdale girl who lives on the Post Road. Police went to the Post Road home to investigate but found the house dark and got no answer when they rang the bell.
Mischief: On the afternoon of September 4, police received a report that kids were on the roof of the Edgewood School. However, when police arrived, the kids had left the area.
Damage: A tree branch fell on a gray Audi parked in the driveway of a Secor Road home on September 4, causing the rear window of the car to break. The owner of the car thought the branch came from a village-owned tree however police were not sure if the tree was on village or private property.
A front window of a Carman Road home was broken overnight on September 4. No one attempted to enter the house.
Abandoned Cat: A Heathcote Road woman called police on 9/2 to say that she found an abandoned cat on her doorstep. Police transported cat to the New Rochelle Humane Society.
From the Greenburgh Police: 
Suicide Averted: At 11 PM on 9/3 police were called to West Hartsdale Avenue on the report of a missing man, who was depressed and believed to be suicidal. The missing man is a NYPD Sergeant who is currently suspended from his job. His girlfriend has a restraining order against him. His sister had last seen him that afternoon, however that night he texted and phoned her, telling his sister to say goodbye to his daughter for him and to open a package had had left for her. When she opened the envelope she found a suicide note, personal asset instructions, and letters and a CD for his daughter.
The sister called her brother’s cell phone but he provided conflicting reports of his whereabouts and was incoherent. Suspecting he was in Carmel, the Greenburgh Police contacted the Putnam Police and asked them to search for the man. Early in the morning of 9/4 he was found, semi-conscious on his boat. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Harassed: A Hartsdale woman had a scare on the afternoon of August 30th when she was walking her dog in the woods behind her home on Grayrock Road. She came upon a homeless man who was verbally abusive and screamed obscenities at her. She exited the woods and called the police who were unable to locate the man.
Around midnight on 9/2 two people were doing their laundry in the basement of an apartment building on Rockledge Road in Hartsdale when a neighbor who was holding a pipe threatened them. He yelled at them, told them they were inconsiderate and would not accept an apology.
Thefts: The Manager of the A&P market on Knollwood Road reports that his store is currently the target of thieves who steal beer from the premises while they are open for business. On the afternoon of 08/23/2010 an arrest was made for a theft of beer, and on August 30th, a thin, light-skinned black woman in her early 20`s loaded a shopping cart full of eight Heineken twelve packs, proceeded to park the shopping cart near the door and continued browsing. When she noticed she was being watched, she left the store quickly without the beer.
A black and yellow Honda motorcycle was stolen from the Best Buy parking lot on the afternoon of September 3rd. The bike is valued at $7,000.00.
Disputes: The owner of the Central Animal Hospital on Ardsley Road reported that they received several letters accusing them of unsafe and unfair practices and of providing unnecessary services to pet owners. Though the letters were not threatening she wanted to report them.
Residents on Elizabeth Street in Scarsdale continue to spar over property lines on September 1st. One resident, Audrey Pierot called a paving company to give her a quote on paving her driveway, but as the workman was leaving, her neighbor Michael Marom told the man he could not pave the driveway because it belonged to him.
When Can We Start Watering Again
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If your lawn is turning brown, you are probably wondering how long the watering restrictions will be in force, and if the restrictions have been effective in reducing usage. In order to learn more, Scarsdale10583 posed some questions to Deputy Village Manager Steve Pappalardo, and here is what we found out:
Have the watering restrictions been effective in reducing usage?
The water restrictions have been effective to the extent that they have helped the Village to re-establish adequate water pressure in the water distribution system.
How much has usage declined?
The Village does not have the exact daily usage numbers handy but we can report that the peak period summer water usage, defined as the time between 3:00 AM-8:30 AM, has declined since the imposition of the water restrictions which was the goal. Again, we were able to better to maintain water pressure in the system during this peak period.
We noticed that summons have been served to those who violate the restrictions. How much is the penalty?
A summons issued to any individual violating the mandatory water restrictions results in a court appearance. The penalty for violating the restrictions per Village Code is $250.00 per day, however the Judge has the authority to reduce the fine at his/her discretion.
How are we doing on construction of our pumping station?
Current construction at the Ardsley Road Pumping Station is scheduled to be complete by the end of this calendar year and tested and fully operational by spring/summer 2011.
Will the Village be able to lift the watering restrictions soon?
Annual water usage has historically dropped off significantly by the end of September so if this holds true again this year, we hope to lift the mandatory restrictions by October 1, 2010. We would likely continue with the voluntary restrictions at that point.
Citizens Nominating Committee Seeks Candidates
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Procedure Committee invites eligible Scarsdale residents to run for election on November 9th to the Citizen’s Nominating Committee (CNC), the non-partisan group that chooses candidates for major Village offices. This is one of two venues for citizens to participate in the electoral process in Scarsdale (the other being the School Board Nominating Committee Election). Once elected, the 10 new members of the CNC will join 20 sitting CNC members in 4 or 5 meetings to propose and choose individuals to run in the Village election next March for three Trustee positions and Mayor. These candidates run under the banner of the Scarsdale Non-Partisan Party, and since they usually run unopposed, by choosing them the CNC effectively chooses the Village government.
CNC members are expected to attend all meetings, to serve for 3 years (10 of the 30 members retire and are replaced each year), and to serve on the Procedure Committee for one year after their retirement from the CNC. CNC meeting dates for 2010-2011 will be Dec 5, Jan 9, Jan 23, Jan 26 and if necessary Jan 30. Note with the exception of Jan 23 (Wed), all meeting dates are on Sundays and scheduled to minimally interfere with holiday and other commitments.
Eligible CNC candidates have to be registered voters and to have lived in Scarsdale for at least two years. In addition, CNC candidates cannot be currently on the School Board Nominating or Administrative Committees, the Board of Education, the Board of Trustees or the Procedure Committee.
Candidates run for one of two CNC positions in their elementary school district. A minimum of 2 candidates are needed per position, 4 candidates per school district and a minimum total of 20 candidates to run for 10 CNC positions this year.
To run, candidates must file a nominating petition with 10 signatures of registered voters from their elementary school district, as well as a short biographical sketch. Forms for both are available as downloads from the Procedure committee website http://scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org/forms.htm. They may also be obtained at the Scarsdale Library, Village Hall, from the Chair of the Procedure Committee (Jim Pullman, jpullman@verizon.net, 472-6395) or the Vice Chair (Michelle Lichtenberg, michelle.lichtenberg@gmail.com, 725-6545).
The deadline for filing both forms is Sept 30; after this date, candidates for any school district will only be accepted if there are fewer than two candidates for that district. The nominating petitions must be filed as hardcopy with original signatures, while the biographical sketches must be filed as MS Word or text files, preferably as email attachments.
Missing: A 4 Carat Diamond and $4,000
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Car break-ins: There were three car break-ins on the night of 8/15-8/16, and in all three cases the robber broke the passenger side front window to gain access to the car.
A Thornwood man parked his 1998 Audi on Foxhall Road over night and when he went outside in the morning he found a broken window and his iPod was gone. There was also a crack in the car windshield. That same night, a 2005 Honda Pilot, parked on Tyler Road was vandalized and a Nikon Cool Shot camera was taken from the car. In addition, the passenger side window of a 2004 Toyota Sequoia parked at 323 Heathcote Road was broken and a Dell Inspiron laptop computer valued at $2,430 was taken along with a broadband card.
A Garmin GPS device, valued at $400, was stolen from a 2009 Subaru Outback, parked in the Balducci’s parking lot on the evening of 8/13. There was no damage to the car.
Around midnight on 8/15, Kelwynne Road residents heard a loud thud and then their burglar alarm went off. The residents found that a large rock, approximately 40 pounds, had been thrown through their front bay window. Police later learned that the White Plains police had arrested three kids that night for throwing rocks through home windows and the Scarsdale police suspect that these kids may have done the damage on Kelwynne Road.
Arrested: An Edgewood man who was wanted for assaulting his wife and damaging the contents of her home turned himself into police on the afternoon of August 13th.
A man needing money from his ex-wife came to police headquarters on 8/12 to ask them to call her. His wife has an order of protection against him and does not accept his calls. He failed to collect his weekly support payment from her and needed money to get home to Manhattan. The ex-wife came to headquarters and gave the man his funds.
Graffiti: The slide at Hyatt Field playground was spray painted with an expletive in blue and orange. The paint was found on the afternoon of August 9th.
Missing: a visitor to 88 Popham Road left a rucksack in the house when he accompanied the family on an outing on 8/13 at 10 am. When they returned at 2 in the afternoon they found that the rear sliding door to the was open, but everything was in order at the house. However, on August 14, the guest noticed that $4000.00 was missing from his rucksack. The sack had been left in the second floor guest room and the family does not suspect any family members and no other people were in the house at the time.
In another curious incident, a Mamaroneck Road woman reported that her $60,000 4-carat diamond ring has been missing since February. She also reported that a bathing suit and cover-up were missing as well.
Even stranger, the loss prevention supervisor from Balducci’s came to police headquarters to report a stolen company gas card. The card was supposed to be cancelled in February when someone noticed it was missing, but due to an internal error no one cancelled the account until August 10th. In the intervening six months $34,751 was charged to the card.
A Walworth Road woman who had previously been the victim of a scam on Craig’s List found that the culprits had written another fraudulent check from her account. Though Chase Bank had instructions to close the account they cleared an additional fraudulent check for $3,950.87.
Someone attempted to open a Bank of America credit card in the name of a Heathcote man on 8/4 using his date of birth and social security number. However, the person provided the wrong address and no card was issued.
A representative from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation came to Scarsdale police to report two bad checks he received at an outing at Quaker Ridge Golf Club. Police contacted the man who wrote the checks and he said he would rectify the situation.
Harassment: A Sage Terrace man reported that he received a disturbing voicemail on his home answering machine on 8/12. Earlier that day, the man’s wife had given his seven year-old daughter a number to call and later realized she had given the girl the wrong number. They suspect that the disturbing call came from the number the little girl dialed in error. In addition, the nanny for a Scarsdale family has been receiving phone calls at all hours of the day since February from an ex-boyfriend who lived in Brazil. Though the nanny let the man know she no longer wished to speak to him, he continued to call.
A Saxon Woods Road man has been receiving a call at 8:13 am everyday since June 1st and when he picks up the phone, there is no one on the line. After the initial call he receives additional calls every 20 minutes. The caller i.d. says “out of the area.” Though the man was not fearful, he was unsure of what to do. Police advised the man to call Verizon and to call the police again if the calls do not stop.
Confused: an elderly Fox Meadow woman called police at 4 am on 8/10 when she became confused and could not remember where she was. She reported taking an ambien to help her sleep but she woke up disoriented and fell several times and cut and bruised her elbow. With the help of the police, she realized she was at home. SVAC was called but the woman refused medical attention and police called the woman’s daughter to take care of her.
Watering Summons: Police served a summons to a Ferncliff Road man who was watering his lawn on the wrong day of the week. The man had previously been warned about the restrictions but continued to water.
Feuding neighbors on Ferncliff Road called police to intervene. One accused the other of calling the police to report that they were violating the watering restrictions. The other told his neighbor not to talk to him or his wife or he would be sorry. Both parties agreed not to speak to each other, call or approach their neighbor.
An Ardsley woman came to Scarsdale police headquarters on August 12th to complain that she had tripped on a store display at Great Stuff on August 5th. The fall caused bruising and pain to her knee. Police called the store and the owner’s son said they were aware of the woman’s fall and that she had been wearing big dark sunglasses at the time. They offered her ice and water.
A homeless man was found yelling and screaming in the middle of East Parkway on the afternoon of 8/13. The man appeared to be heavily intoxicated and police took him to White Plains Hospital for treatment.
