Police Report: Homes Entered and Missing Cash
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- Hits: 4646
A Walworth Avenue home was entered by an unknown suspect at 5:40 pm on November 12th while a 13 year-old boy was home alone. The Scarsdale Middle School student was playing XBOX upstairs when he heard someone in the hall and assumed his Dad had come home from work. When he went out into the hall to say hello, he turned on the light and heard loud footsteps of someone descending the stairs and going out the back door. He went downstairs to see if anyone was still in the house and called the police and then his parents. When police arrived they found that the master bedroom had been rummaged. When the residents arrived home they found an open jewelry box but determined that nothing had been stolen. They were not sure if the door was locked when the suspect entered the house.
Also on Walworth Avenue on the afternoon of 11/6 someone entered a home by breaking a sunroom window. Items were moved around the house and $500 in cash was taken from a drawer. A jewelry box was removed from a drawer but nothing was missing.
Threats: A Fox Meadow Road man reported the receipt of threatening phone calls on November 2. He was called by someone with whom he is currently engaged in a dispute. The caller said, “you and your house will not survive the upcoming storm.” He received a similar call at his second home in Massachusetts and became concerned enough to report the threats to the police. In addition, a Greenacres Avenue man received a threatening call on the morning of 11/9. The caller claimed he knew the resident’s personal information and threatened to “investigate” his business.
On November 7, the security officer at Scarsdale Synagogue reported the receipt of a suspicious letter that included four pages of religious quotations. The letter was not threatening and police made an unsuccessful attempt to reach the sender who had a Brooklyn address
Stolen Generator: A two kilowatt generator, valued at $800, was stolen from the driveway of a home on Richbell Close on the evening of 11/5.
Found: At 6:40 am on 11/7, police found a black bag on the ground at the Girl Scout House parking lot on Wayside Lane. The bag contained a laptop computer, cash and some mail. Police tried to contact the owner of the bag but were unable to reach her so that bag was stored at Police Headquarters.
Lost: A Dolma Road woman lost a rose gold bracelet on November 3 while visiting a friend on Popham Road during the power outage.
Missing $35,000? A Boulevard man called police on the evening of 11/9 to say that he believed his daughter had entered his home and stolen $30,000 from his dresser drawers. He said that he wanted to discuss the matter with his son and then file a report with the police.
Storm Trouble: On the morning of 11/9 a Saxon Woods Road woman called police to say that she had “lost control of herself” due to the power outage. She said she called Con Edison many times and that they were doing nothing. She became very upset when she saw the trucks driving by her house and failing to stop to help her. She said she called 911 because she did not know what to do.
At 9 am on 11/10 Con Edison called the Scarsdale Police to say that a Mamaroneck Road man said he was going to connect the power line to his home himself! Con Ed told him not to but he was uncooperative. Police went to the house and the homeowner said he had asked Con Edison if he could hire an electrician to connect his line.
Help: Police were called to a Colvin Road home on the afternoon of 11/7 when a man who suffers from Alzheimers refused to get out of the car and return to the house. The man and his wife were staying in their unheated home throughout the storm and Detective Albano urged them to seek shelter in a nursing home but they refused to go.
Stranger at the Door: Just after midnight on 11/8, Berkeley Road residents called police when they found a stranger knocking on their door and an SUV parked in front. Police arrive and found the man getting into his car. He said he was going door to door asking to shovel snow. Police found that man did not have a NYS driver’s license and gave him a summons.
Errant Cat: On 11/8, residents from Crossway called police when they found a stray cat in the crawl space of their basement. Police provided them with the name of an animal trapper.
A Thank You from Scarsdale10583
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 3483
When I started Scarsdale 10583, the vision was to create a vibrant on-line community that would unite Scarsdale and provide a forum for open and honest dialogue. Last week’s storm tested the strength of this vision. And the site came out on top. It was clear that our community relied on this virtual “life line” as Hurricane Sandy hit Scarsdale hard and knocked out the heat, lights, cable and phones along with the Village communications system.
Residents had nowhere to turn but their iPads and smartphones and monthly site traffic surged to 86,000 page views and 37,000 site visits. Considering that Scarsdale only has 17,000 residents, and at least 5,000 are children, that’s a lot of site traffic.
Folks who stayed in town and those who fled turned to the site for news and information. Readers from far and wide used it to find out how their friends and relatives in Scarsdale were faring.
And site users did far more than read the grim facts – they shared information, emailed and commented on the crisis in town. Some used the site to call for help, while others made suggestions about how the situation could be improved and what could be done in the future to avoid another disaster.
A psychologist offered advice about how to weather storm stress and posted an article with wise words on coping. When Lenox Place residents alerted the site to the fact that they were trapped into their dead-end street by fallen trees and wires the office of New York State Assemblywomen Amy Paulin was able to get Con Edison to clear the wires and free the people.
We received many nice emails from users thanking Scarsdale10583 for staying live during the outage. Here is what you had to say:
“I want to thank you for the service you are providing during this crisis. Your frequent updates are invaluable.”
“You have no power, but (Scarsdale 10583) gets the news out! That's dedication! The updates are greatly appreciated.”
“You have done a fabulous job of keeping us all informed during the aftermath of the storm. Thanks and keep warm.”
But all was not rosy. A vocal group used the comments section to rant and rave at our local officials, the utilities, and the Scarsdale Non-Partisan system. While this made for some very lively discourse the tone was sometimes angry and accusatory. These controversial comments were uncomfortable for some but did provide a window into what’s on the minds of Scarsdale residents. Like it or not, the internet and social media are here to stay and we invite everyone to embrace it on Scarsdale10583.
Scarsdale 10583, remains committed to publishing up-to-date information and to providing an open forum for local readers. We thank everyone for your thoughtful comments and helpful suggestions on how to weather this storm. In the end, Hurricane Sandy may be remembered as the storm that brought us together as a community
Day 10: Restoration or Desperation?
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- Hits: 5945
(Updated on Thursday evening) Scarsdale Village's latest update shows that 1,777 or 29% are without power - an improvement over yesterday's stats. Ten crews are working on primary feeder lines on Palmer and Post Roads, on Weaver Street and in Murray Hill. Though we have received information from some that power has been restored, for others Con Edison has delayed the deadline for restoration until 11/11, despite their previous guarantee to bring everyone back by the night of November 9th. For those of you in despair, I am with you - as I have no power either. The Con Ed schedule now shows that we'll be back up on Sunday but it's beginning to feel like never. Our neighborhood is cold, dark and depressing.
In the Mayor’s phone call to residents on Wednesday she said she had spoken to Governor Cuomo but did not relay how he responded.
In other developments:
- Scarsdale Schools opened two hours late today due to the snowstorm.
- Scarsdale’s senior citizens who have been affected by the storm are now being offered free temporary accommodations at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale. Private rooms with full baths at the assisted living facility are available at no cost. The Hebrew Home at Riverdale is also providing hot meals for those in need. Limited transportation to the facility may also be available. If you know someone who would benefit, encourage them to take advantage of this generous offer. For more information contact Deborah Messina at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale at 800-567-3646.
- For those of you who asked, The State of Emergency is still in effect in the Village “until further notice.”
Obama Pumpkin: Wendie Kroll
Yesterday we asked those without power to send us their locations so that we could list streets where the power is out. After objections from a few readers we took down the list for security reasons. Good luck everyone - hoping you'll see the light soon.
Check the Con Ed outage map daily as readers continue to report that their complaints are being cancelled even though they remain without power. If you find that your outage is no longer reported, report it again.
(Photo Credit Top Picture: Diane Gurden)
Day 11: Almost There
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- Hits: 4317
As of noon Friday, State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin reported that 888 are still in the dark in Scarsdale – or 14% of the 6,025 Con Edison customers in the Village. For those who remain without power, the improvement in service may be little consolation-- but indeed we are in the home stretch. Hang on for just another day as Con Edison has promised that everyone will be restored by Sunday at 11 am. Though it’s disappointing that they missed their drop-dead restoration date of November 9, the end of this nightmare is in sight.
If crews have already been on your street but your house was not restored, re-enter your complaint so that they know they missed you. Here is the link: https://apps2.coned.com/csol/reportoutage.asp
Also, for those with power but without Verizon or Cablevision service, call and report it ASAP. Here are the phone numbers: For Cablevision call 914-777-9000; for Verizon call 1-800-Verizon (1-800-837-4966)
If you’re back in a warm house, don’t forget what happened. Take action now to prevent another catastrophe. Though you may feel powerless you do have some power to effect change.
Here are two things you can do:
Vote in the election for the Citizen’s Nominating Committee. In this election, you elect representatives who will then select Scarsdale’s next Mayor and Village Trustees. Two nominators are elected from each neighborhood to serve three-year terms. This year, for the first time, you can print out your ballot online and mail it in. Visit www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org for complete instructions.
Whether or not you like Scarsdale’s non-partisan system, it’s the method that is now in place to choose our leadership. So take a minute to cast your ballot by mail or plan to vote in person on November 14 at Scarsdale Village Hall or at the Scarsdale Public Library.
The second way to make a difference is to register a complaint about Con Edison with the Public Service Commission. They regulate public utilities and monitor customer feedback. You can make a complaint online by clicking here: http://www.dps.ny.gov/complaints.html or you can use the following text to send a letter to Jaclyn A Brilling of the New York State Public Service Commission
Dear Secretary Brilling:
I write as a resident of New York State, Westchester County, and the Village of Scarsdale. In every sense of the word, I am powerless.
I am not only without electrical power, but without any power to change the horrific treatment Con Ed has given to the Village of Scarsdale and other Westchester residents following Hurricane Sandy. Just from what I saw on the streets of my community, it is clear that Con Ed was not adequately prepared for the storm, did not allocate sufficient resources to the Village of Scarsdale, assigned Scarsdale a lower priority than other municipalities, did not begin assessing damage in the Village until many days after the storm, and did not communicate accurately any restoration information. The Con Ed outage map was inaccurate. The "Check Status" portion of the Con Ed website provided either no restoration time or a default time over ten days after the storm and over a week after New York City power was restored. Eight days after the storm, 50% of residents remain without power.
These are just a few of the glaring deficiencies obvious to consumers and residents of the Village of Scarsdale. Presumably, other deficiencies are more apparent to your offices or will be determined after investigation. I request that your office begin a full investigation of Con Ed's deficient service to Scarsdale residents and report the results publicly and to me. In those results, please indicate what changes will be made so that Scarsdale residents will receive appropriate priority and service from Con Edison in the future, and what penalties or other disciplinary action will be imposed upon Con Ed.
Respectfully submitted,
[Name]
Mail your letter to:
Secretary to the Commission
Hon. Jaclyn A. Brilling
Secretary to the Commission
New York State Public Service Commission
Empire State Plaza
Agency Building 3
Albany, NY 12223-1350
Phone: (518) 474-6530
Fax: (518) 486-6081
Email: secretary@dps.ny.gov
Day Nine: 35% Still Out and a Burglary
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- Hits: 3880
It’s hard to believe that nine days after the storm these daily updates are still needed. If your power has not been restored you are not alone. As of this morning, Wednesday November 7, Scarsdale Village reports that 2,151, or 35.7% remain without power. The good news is that more repair trucks are in the area. Today there are seven restoration crews in town with 26 bucket trucks. Con Ed has prioritized their efforts to restore the most customers per outage and has assured the Village that everyone will be back up by Friday midnight. According to the Department of Public Works, “Main feeders are being worked on and Con Ed has done all of the surveillance needed to assess the remaining outages and react to them. Con Ed continues to urge customers to continue to call the 800 number for outages.”
However, the company has not even scheduled all repairs. My outage involves approximately 75 homes and Con Edison told one of my neighbors this morning that no crew has yet been assigned, nothing is now scheduled but it should be repaired by Saturday, not Friday as shown on their website.
Even more disturbing is that a robbery was reported on Walworth Avenue on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect got into the house by breaking a window to the sunroom and entered several rooms, opened drawers, and took $500 in cash from a dresser in one of the bedrooms. As this area has no power, it is easy for thieves to get into dark, empty homes without functioning alarms.
The latest statistics on the Con Edison website reports only 1,844 outages in Scarsdale so it’s difficult to know what’s accurate.
Scarsdale’s situation remains one of the worst in the county . With 35% of customers in the dark, we are fourth from the bottom of the list, trailing Pelham Village where 57.5% are without service, the Town of New Castle at 50.8% and the Town of North Castle at 44.9%
Is your power still out? Email scarsdalecomments@gmail.com and give us your street and cross streets and we will create a list of outages and track the repairs.
On a more positive note, if you don't have internet and would like a wam place to work, Prudential Centennial at 4 Chase Road in Scarsdale invites you to come in and utilize their space. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 9:30 am to 4 pm and you can reach them at 914-723-5225.
