Wednesday, Dec 11th

Burglars continued to prey on Scarsdale residents with two more additional incidents in neighboring homes in Greenacares on Saturday night March 27th.

Vandals entered a Brite Avenue home by cutting a screen to an unlocked living room window. The house was not tossed or ransacked. The intruders went to the master bedroom and took jewelry and watches valued at almost $20,000. Stolen were gold and diamond jewelry and two watches.

Also on Saturday night a neighboring Brite Avenue home was entered through a window to the family room in the back of the house. The residents returned home to find a light on in their bedroom window and jewelry and cash gone.

These two incidents are the latest in a series of home burglaries that have been occuring almost weekly. Police advise residents to lock up, activate alarms and keep jewelry and valuables hidden.

A home under construction at Brittany Close was also vandalized on 3/25, when someone forced open a basement door, breaking the door jam and frame. Suspects stole a Viking six-burner cooktop valued at $5,000.00.

The father of a Scarsdale High School student reported items taken from his son’s locker, which was left unlocked. Missing were a North Face jacket, $20, an iPod, a wallet and a Starbucks gift card.

A Crane Road woman reported that her housekeeper had taken several items of clothing, however when police spoke to the housekeeper she denied taking anything and agreed to fully cooperate with the police.

Drunk driver: Police stopped the driver of a 2006 Chevrolet at 10 pm on March23 after they saw him hit a curb, drive onto the brick sidewalk on Crane Road and finally stop in the middle of the intersection of Crane Road and East Parkway. The driver then pulled into a parking space on East Parkway and got out of the car to check his tires. He found that he had two flats. Police approached him and noticed that the man was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were bloodshot and he smelled of alcohol. When asked to perform sobriety tests the man almost fell over. As he was performing the tests, the driver kept saying, “You got me. You got me.”

The man, who was identified as Robert Daudier of Wappinger Falls, was taken to headquarters and found to have a Blood Alcohol Level of .22. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated and released to a friend on $100 bail.

Accidents: An 81 year-old Yonkers man was driving on Heathcote Road on the morning of 3/29. He swerved to avoid an ambulance coming in the opposite direction and struck a telephone pole at 28 Heathcote Road. No injuries were reported.

A Scarsdale man driving a 2002 Nissan on Chase Road hit a pedestrian crossing Popham Road on Sunday night 3/28. It was a very rainy night and the driver had poor visibility. The pedestrian, Nadine Levell of the Bronx was conscious and alert but complained of pain in her right foot and discomfort in her head area. SVAC arrived and determined that her foot was fractured.

On Wednesday morning 3/24 at 11 am a White Plains woman driving a 2000 Volkswagen hit a Westchester County Bus on the Post Road at Fairview Road. There were no injuries but the passengers were transferred to another bus.

Death: Ann Wallace, age 80 of Tunstall Road died at home around 7 pm on 3/28.
Her husband Philip Wallace called an ambulance earlier, but by the time they arrived she had passed away.

Graffiti – a Brewster Road man found the letter k.k.k. marked in black ink on a telephone pole at the corner of Brewster and Chesterfield Roads. Police checked other poles in the area and did not find similar markings and recorded the incident for future reference.

Dispute – The wife of an Elm Road man called police to say that her husband was having difficulties getting tenants out of the home, in accordance with a written agreement they had to vacate by 3/23. Police arrived on the scene and both parties left the home immediately.

An Edgewood man called police on the afternoon of 3/24 after he got a call from his babysitter to say that his two 10 year-old children were missing. Police searched the Edgewood School grounds and playground and called the babysitter on the phone. She had picked the children up at school and they were now at home. Turns out that one of the children had placed a call to her father, and impersonated the babysitter.

Dog hit by car – a small dog was hit by a car and killed at the corner of Post and Ferncliff Road at 4:30 on 3/26. Police contacted the dog’s owner who asked police to leave the dog inside his garage until he could get home.

A around 5 pm on 3/28 a caller noticed that kids had started a fire at the Westchester Ethical Society on Saxon Woods Road. The fire department was called to extinguish it.

Missing Child: A concerned Greenacres parent came to police headquarters at 3:30 pm on Wednesday 3/17 to report that his 11 year-old son had run away and that he had not seen him for several hours. Police immediately placed a call to an agency called “A Child Is Missing.” The agency puts out calls to all neighbors of a missing child to alert them. Concerned neighbors got into their cars to search for the boy – and almost immediately police got a call that a boy matching the description was seen walking on Greenacres Avenue. Police sped to the scene, spoke to the boy and he agreed to go home. He had apparently walked to Central Avenue to play video games.

Burglaries: Two more Scarsdale homes were burglarized this past Saturday night, and police suspect that these two incidents are related to previous burglaries in town. Scarsdale police are working with the Westchester County Crime Analysis unit and have increased patrols in the area. Police recommend that residents lock their doors, activate alarms and keep jewelry and jewelry boxes hidden away. They caution that burglars look for jewelry in dresser drawers and advise residents to stow jewelry away from the bedroom.

A Brewster Road home was broken into on Saturday night 3/20. The house was tossed and vandals rummaged through the master bedroom, closet, and an office. Drawers were open and contents were strewn about. The point of entry could not be determined. Among the missing items are $300 in cash, a laptop computer, as well as gold, diamond, pearl and opal jewelry all valued at about $30,000.

That same night, a Hampton Road home was also entered. The burglars came in through a screened porch, and kicked in a locked door to the house. The house alarm was not activated. The house was ransacked and silver from the dining room was put into a black duffel bag but left behind. Though the second floor was heavily tossed, only costume jewelry was stolen. Police questioned neighbors but no one had seen anything unusual.

DWI: A Portchester man, Flavio David Patino-Siguenza, age 25 was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Sunday morning at 2 am. Police noticed his 2007 Toyota tailgating another car while driving west on Popham Road. Patrol followed the car and stopped him at Ardsley Road just off Old Army Road and found that the driver had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and appeared to be drunk. His passenger, Ana Naulaguari, was passed out with an open beer container in her lap. In addition there was another open beer can in the console. Patino-Siguenza admitted to drinking six beers and agreed to take an alco-senser test which showed that he had alcohol on his breath. He was arrested for DWI as his blood alcohol content was .17, as well as for driving with an open container of alcohol in the car and for tailgating. His car was impounded and towed, he was released on $100 bail and his passenger was taken to White Plains Hospital.

Theft: A Circle Road resident’s wallet was stolen from the counter of the 7-11-store on Garth Road on Sunday night 3/22. The boy placed his wallet on the counter and walked to the ATM machine in the store. When he turned around his wallet was gone. He followed two other customers out to the parking lot but they left in a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee. Missing are his wallet, school ID, a house key, $90 in Canadian currency and additional ID cards.

Vandalism: A large rock was thrown the front window of a Cartesan Road home on Monday afternoon March 15, breaking the window and damaging an antique armoire that was in the dining room. The residents were not home when the incident occurred and learned about it via an email from a neighbor.

Tree Problems: Police were called on the afternoon of 3/15 to intervene between a resident and workers for the Green Valley Tree Service. The landscapers had cut down a tree at the Scarsdale Historical Society and an irate Lee Road resident wanted the men to remove the wood, rather than leave it piled up for the village to take away. Since the company was not hired by the woman and neither the wood nor the tree were on her property police told the tree service to continue to do their work.

Damage: A vandal or a tree branch damaged the door handle of a Ridgecrest resident’s BMW on 3/15 causing about $300 in damage to the car.

Noise: Police were called to the Fox Meadow tennis club at 11 pm Monday night on a report of kids playing loud music at the club. Police asked the kids to leave the area and they complied. A few minutes later a similar complaint was made about a group of noisy youths at the corner of Crane and Stonehouse, and police stopped by and asked the kids to go inside.

Deer: Charles Seidenberg of White Plains hit a deer while driving his 2008 Audi on Palmer Avenue at 6 am on Tuesday morning 3/16. The highway department had to be called to remove the deer from the roadway.

Bank Robbers: Scarsdale Police were called Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 to assist in the search for a green SUV occupied by two men that may have been involved in a bank robbery in Carmel. Police monitored the traffic but did not spot the car. Shortly afterwards they received a report that a car matching the description had been stopped on the Saw Mill River Parkway.

Gas Leak: Police had to force their way into a home at 1A Sherbrooke Road at 5 am on Wednesday 3/17 due to a gas leak on the street. The residents were not home and police forced open the front door and the utility door inside the basement. No gas leak was found inside. Police also checked 2 Sherbrooke Road and Scarsdale High School.

Elderly Driver: An 87 year-old man driving a 2010 Toyota Camry lost control of his car on Popham Road on Wednesday at 6 pm and went through a row of bushes and hit another car. The same driver had a similar accident about a year ago.

Identity Theft
: On 3/18 a Griffen Road man reported unauthorized charges in the amount of $6,000.00 on a fraudulent Nordstrom credit card that had been opened in his name. He had no knowledge of who opened the account and charged the merchandise.

Car Trouble:  A man who rented a car and parked it on Johnson Road before the storm came to police to find out where the car had gone. The car was crushed during the storm and when he called Hertz to report it, they asked him to leave the key in the car and said they would tow it away. However, on Wednesday the car was gone and when he called Hertz they claimed that they had no record of towing it. Police called R & D Towing who said that Hertz had called them to remove the car and they had towed it away. In addition, A sanitation truck swiped a car parked on Barry Road on the afternoon of March 18.

Left home: A 16 year-old Black Birch Lane girl ran away on Friday night when she was asked to surrender her cigarettes to her parents. She later got in touch with her parents and said she was in a park nearby. Police found her and brought her home.

Bonfire
: Around 9:30 pm on Saturday night 3/20 a caller reported a bonfire on Park Road. A 16 year-old boy told police that he built the fire to toast marshmallows and hot dogs. However, since open fires are not permitted in Scarsdale he was asked to put it out.

PROCEDURE FOR FILING BUILDING PERMITS RELATED TO THE RECENT STORM EVENT (3/13/10 & 3/14/10 WHERE REQUIRED

1. WHERE BUILDING PERMITS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED:

• Building Permits will not be required where the repair work only includes cosmetic work such as roof shingle repair or replacement, flashing repair or replacement, siding or brick and masonry veneer repair and replacement, gutter repair and replacements, window repair or replacement and any other exterior or interior non-structural repairs (repair or replace plaster or gypsum board walls and ceiling, bathroom tiles, etc.)


2. WHERE BUILDING PERMITS ARE REQUIRED:

• All repairs that require structural work including the repair or replacement of the following require Building Permits to be filed:

➢ roof rafters
➢ roof ridge beams
➢ structural window headers
➢ interior doorway headers
➢ ceiling and floor beams
➢ main girders
➢ exterior wall framing
➢ interior bearing walls
➢ foundation walls
➢ chimneys
➢ retaining walls
➢ accessory structures such as detached garages and sheds

• All Building Permit Drawings and Building, Electrical, & Plumbing Permit Applications should be marked as “STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS”
3. WHERE ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING PERMITS ARE REQUIRED:

• Where electrical or plumbing work is required, the work must be performed by a Westchester County Licensed Electrician and Plumber. Electrical and Plumbing Permits must be filed with the Building Department.

• In the event that the interior was damaged by water or the basement or cellar was flooded and the wiring, receptacles, switches or panels were compromised, a Westchester County Licensed Electrician should be contacted to inspect, evaluate and make the necessary repairs. An Electrical Permit must be filed with the Building Department.


4. PROCESSING OF BUILDING, ELECTRICAL, & PLUMBING PERMITS:

• The processing of all storm related Building, Electrical, & Plumbing Permits will take PRIORITY and Building Department & Engineering Department Staffs will make every effort to EXPEDITE the issuance of these Permits.

• In an effort to expedite the processing and issuance of the Building Permit, the homeowners should have their design professionals (NYS Registered Architect or NYS Professional Engineer) contact the Building Department at 722-1140 or 722-1143 in order to obtain the appropriate information required to prepare the Building Permit Drawings and Applications. This is recommended so that only the information required is filed so as to expedite the issuance of the Building Permits.

Nunzio Pietrosanti, P.E.
Village Engineer/Building Inspector

At 3 pm on Thursday, an improper generator connection cause an electrical fire at 912 Post Road. A SVAC Volunteer happened to be driving by and was the first to arrive at the scene. When he arrived, he saw a woman trying to re-enter the burning house to save her cat. He had to pull her off the stairs as she tried to go up to the seond floor to rescue her pet. He also kept all incoming units updated via his SVAC portable radio.

He then ran up the driveway to shut off the temporary generator. Firemen, volunteers and Hartsdale firemen arrived quickly, but there was extensive heat and smoke damage to the house and it is now uninhabitable. Two people who were inside the home were taken to White Plains Hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation. The Scarsdale Voluntee Ambulance Corps also attempted to retrieve the cat, who unfortunately did not make it.

Paul Feiner forwarded the following report from Con Edison on power outages in Greenburgh:  More than 7,300 Greenburgh homes have been affected by the storm and nearly 6,900 remain without service. Restoration is slow moving and concentrated on blocked roadways, downed wires and public safety issues. Con Edison expects to make significant strides in restoring service as we supplement our workforce with crews from outside our region beginning tomorrow morning.

Con Edison expects restoration to last throughout the week. The company has been securing mutual aid from utilities in several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Massachusetts.

Con Edison has approximately 210 restoration crews now in the field, in addition to other field support personnel clearing roads and trees. The number of restoration crews is expected to grow to 350 on Tuesday and 425 on Wednesday as more out-of-state crews arrive.

Con Edison has additional customer service representatives, electrical and construction crews, along with tree-clearing crews working around the clock to respond to customers and power outages that may occur.

Customers are urged to call Con Edison immediately to report any outages at 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). Customers can also report power interruptions or service problems at www.conEd.com and on their cell phones and PDAs. When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power. Customers who have already reported their outage need not call Con Edison again. They will be called by Con Edison when their estimated restoration time has been established.

In the event of severe outages, primary distribution feeders are restored first, with the highest priority given to lines that supply the most customers out of service. Next, the crews restore secondary facilities, such as transformers and secondary cables, again with highest priority given to lines supplying the most customers out of service. Individual services, lines serving a single home, will be restored as crews become available.

Con Edison offers the following tips to prepare for a storm:

If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them. Treat all downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water. Report all downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.

If your power goes out, turn off all lights and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored. Leave at least one light switch in the on position to alert you when power has been restored.

Check to make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are in working order. Use candles and oil lamps with care. Also, make sure you have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on restorations of electrical service can be heard on most local radio and television stations.

Avoid opening your freezer to see if food is still frozen. Every time you open the door, room-temperature air enters and speeds the thawing process. Most fully loaded freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 36 to 48 hours; half-full freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 24 hours.

The company is maintaining close contact with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to coordinate storm response as necessary.