Details

Published: 11 August 2011

Created: 11 August 2011

Last Updated: 11 August 2011

Hits: 4770

Details

Published: 16 August 2011

Created: 16 August 2011

Last Updated: 16 August 2011

Hits: 4707

There’s still no sign of Lauren Spierer of Edgemont, missing since June 3rd, 2011 at Indiana University in Bloomington. As hope of finding her alive has dimmed, some pressed police to search area landfills and they have now complied. In the press release below, dated August 16, police offer the specifics of a search of the Sycamore Ridge Landfill that was launched on Tuesday with help from the FBI, Indiana University Police Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The search time is estimated to be two weeks. Also below, find a statement from Lauren’s family.

From the Bloomington Police: The Bloomington Police Department has begun looking for evidence at the Sycamore Ridge Landfill related to the disappearance of Lauren Spierer. The operation began at approximately 7:00 a.m. today. The Sycamore Ridge Landfill is located in Pimento, IN (Vigo County). The Department is being assisted by agents from the FBI, officers from the Indiana University Police Department and a search expert from Team Adam affiliated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Approximately 20-30 law enforcement personnel from all of the agencies will participate each day. The area of interest within the landfill is estimated to be approximately 70’ X 120’ X 20’ and the search effort may take up to two weeks.

Preparations for this undertaking began within days of Lauren Spierer being reported missing on June 3, 2011. It should be noted that dumpsters in the area of 11th and College were included in the initial search effort by police that took place immediately after Spierer was reported missing. As an additional precaution, during the week of June 6th initial contact was made with the companies providing waste collection for the dumpsters located near 11th and College. It was determined that all waste from Bloomington is taken to a transfer station south of the city and then transported to the Sycamore Ridge Landfill. While working with the company that operates the landfill, Republic Services, waste that was taken from the city on and around the dates of Spierer’s disappearance was identified at the landfill site. That location within the landfill has remained isolated and secured since that time with no additional waste placed in the identified area.

As preliminary preparations for checking the landfill began, the decision was made to allow ongoing land search efforts to continue. Thousands of civilian and professional searchers covered a perimeter of 10-12 miles from Spierer’s last reported location. Additional specific rural locations that were identified as possible disposal sites were also searched both inside and outside of Monroe County.

The Team Adam landfill search experts affiliated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children began working with investigators in early July even as other efforts continued. An extensive plan was developed including determining the number of personnel needed, what agencies would be able to contribute personnel, what safety equipment and tools would be needed and where that equipment could be obtained. Other logistical considerations include such things as wash stations, restroom facilities, shelter, food, water and daily transportation for search personnel from Bloomington to the Terre Haute area.

Once the plan was finalized, the week of August 15th was chosen as a start date for the operation. In the interim, the personnel and equipment resources that would be needed as part of the plan were identified and procured.

The following statement is being released on behalf of the Spierer family:

“Please keep all the members of the Bloomington Police Department and all other law enforcement agencies who are assisting in this incredibly complex undertaking to search the landfill safe. With sincere thanks and appreciation for their continued support in our efforts to find Lauren.”

Rob, Charlene and Rebecca Spierer

Details

Published: 03 August 2011

Created: 03 August 2011

Last Updated: 03 August 2011

Hits: 8508

Vacarros Shoe Repair, one of the first businesses to open in downtown Scarsdale, will close at the end of August. Three generations of the Vacarro family kept the people of this town on their well-shod feet since 1929, the year of the stock market crash, and now, as the country faces another economic downturn, the family run shop is about to close its doors. The eight decades of the store traces a history of the country from the time of the arrival of waves of immigrants hoping to make their fortune and care for their families while becoming proud Americans to a time of uncertainty. The fate of the store has the fate of many mom and pop stores, here and throughout the country and reflects changes in buying habits, style, and mores.

The shop was founded by Donato Vaccaro, grandfather of the current owner Luke Vacarro. One of the first merchants in downtown Scarsdale, Vacarro signed a lease for the space with Rush Wilson’s grandfather and the Harwood Building remains in the Wilson family today. At that time, the Scarsdale Post Office was in the Harwood Building, occupying the space now held by retailer LF, and a grocer sold premium meats from another store in the building. According to Luke, his overworked grandfather died young in 1950 leaving the store to Luke’s father. Luke’s dad, who was 40 at the time, and the father of 13 children learned on the job. He also worked without rest and died leaving Luke to take over the family business at the tender age of 19. Though Luke dreamed of being a math teacher and basketball coach, he had to drop out of college to run the shop to support his widowed mother and 12 younger brothers and sisters.

Like his father, Luke learned on the job, first sweeping the store, then wrapping the shoes and later moving on to shoe shine, and repair. He was the man at the counter and the face of the Vaccaro family to the community. With the help of his family, including his sister Nikki Reno and his brother Justin, he has run the shop for 41 years, since 1970.

During these years, he pursued his love of coaching basketball, founding an AAU Girl’s Travel Basketball team that still operates today. When Scarsdale High School needed a girl’s basketball coach, parent’s drafted Vacarro, who said he would try it for a year in 1996 and ended up staying on for 15 years. To keep up with work at the shop he would often coach from 6 pm – 9 pm, and return to the shop after practice at night. During his career, he coached star players Hillary Howard of Scarsdale and Katrina Gaither of Mt. Vernon and continues to coach the AAU team today.

In the 1960’s, Vacarro’s sold pet food and supplies in addition to running the shoe repair. They kept three rhesus monkeys in a cage in the large front display window to entertain customers. On one occasion one of the monkeys got out of the cage at night and when the shop opened in the morning the monkey was found sitting behind the register chewing on a piece of leather. Another day, a monkey escaped and was spotted in a tree at the Scarsdale Post Office on Chase Road. The Fire Department needed to bring in a ladder to get him down. Scarsdale alumni often return to town for their reunions and stop in at Vacarros to look for the monkeys.

So why is the shop closing now after 82 years in business? The reasons are numerous:

• Vacarro reports that people now wear more casual shoes and sneakers, trading in leather soles for rubber and plastic soled shoes that are thrown away, rather than repaired.
• Customers used to hold onto their shoes for years, repairing heels and soles and having them shined regularly. Now people are more likely to toss shoes than repair them.
• Workplaces have become more casual and people no longer wear good leather shoes everyday.
• Shoemaking is a vanishing trade and it is difficult to find skilled craftsman to repair leather shoes, bags and belts. Vacarro reports that 75% - 80% of shoe repair shops in the country have closed since the 1980’s.
• At one time, the shop repaired shoes for big stores such as Bonwit Teller, Neiman Marcus and Florsheim. But many of those stores have gone out of business and it no longer makes economic sense for stores to repair damaged merchandise.

So what’s in store for Vacarro? He is looking for a new position and for the first time in his life he will work for someone else. He’ll continue to coach and hopes to open a basketball gym with several other local coaches. Looking back at 43 years in town, he reminisced about his friend David Emmer who ran the Scarsdale Wrapping and Shipping Center, and thought of all the stores that closed before him - such as Arcade Stationers, County Men and Boys and the Scarsdale Pharmacy.

He said, “I’ve been very fortunate and learned a lot from my customers. They were patient, beautiful, kind and generous, and very good to my family.” Most would agree that the Vacarros have been good to the people of Scarsdale. They will be missed.