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Published: 01 November 2010

Created: 01 November 2010

Last Updated: 01 November 2010

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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.

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Published: 02 November 2010

Created: 02 November 2010

Last Updated: 03 November 2010

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Five Scarsdale teenagers were arrested during the Halloween weekend for activities that had little to do with tricks or treats. A 17-year-old boy was pulled over at 2:45 am on October 31 because he had the high beams on while driving on the Post Road. Police found beer cans in the car and the boy was arrested for unlawful possession of alcohol and failure to dim his lights.

On Halloween, a 17 year-old girl dropped her license on Barry Road where someone found it and turned it over to the police. When she went to headquarters to pick it up, police determined that it was a forged Delaware license and she was arrested for possession of a forged instrument, which is a Class D felony. She was released pending a future court date.

A 17-year-old boy was pulled over on Halloween when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the corner of Boulevard and Madison Roads. The officer asked for his license, and rather than pulling out his valid license, he presented a forged New York State driver’s license by mistake. He was given a summons for going through the stop sign and charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument.

At 10:35 pm on Sunday night, a car was pulled over when it crossed the yellow line while driving on Weaver Street. The officer smelled marijuana in the car and found a large bag at the feet of a passenger riding in the car. The 18-year-old passenger claimed ownership of the marijuana as well as some rolling papers, a glass pipe and a small scale. In addition, the boy had a forged Maryland license in his possession. He was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and possession of a forged instrument. He was released on $500 cash bail pending a future court date.

On Friday night October 29 at 10:15 pm, police found a large group of kids outside the Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane. Though many of the kids fled on foot when the police arrived, police did catch an inebriated 17-year-old boy holding an open can of Coors Light Beer. He was given a summons for consuming alcohol on public property and taken home to his mother.

At midnight on Saturday October 30, police went to talk to the occupants of a parked car on Popham Road and found that one of the girls in the car was sick from drinking too much. None of the other occupants of the car were drunk and they would not tell police where the 18-year-girl had been drinking. Police called the sick girl’s father and he came by to pick her up.

At 3:30 am on October 29th, police saw a N.Y.C taxi pull over on Palmer Avenue. A passenger got out of the cab, and spoke briefly to the driver. Then the policeman saw the passenger start to run into the parking lot and the cab driver got out of the car and yelled “help, stop him”. Police pursued the fleeing passenger into the lot, where he slipped and fell. Police found that he was drunk and running from the cab to avoid paying the $80.00 fare from Grand Central Station in Manhattan. The 23 year-old passenger was detained and later arrested for theft of services for failing to pay the driver. The man was released to his mother, a Sylvan Road resident, on $100 bail.

Leigh Murray, age 26 of Yonkers was arrested at 3:30 am on October 26th when police were conducting traffic stops on Garth Road. Ms Murray, driving a 1999 Volkswagen was found to be drunk with a BAC of .22. She had bloodshot eye, spoke with slurred speech and swayed. She was handcuffed and taken to police headquarters for booking where was placed in the holding cell, photographed, fingerprinted and released on $240 bail to a friend from White Plains at 6 am. Murray was charged with driving while intoxicated, and driving to the left of the pavement markings.

On October 29, Frank Fraioli, age 46 of White Plains, was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear in Scarsdale court. He was sent to jail until his court date on November 3rd. His original offense was stealing chewing gum from the 7-11 on Garth Road.

Burglary: In an incident that is similar to the break-in on Eton Road last week, police responded to a burglar alarm on Sheldrake Road at 8:30 pm on October 30th. They found a shattered rear glass door and a piece of Belgian block on the ground. Though no one was around, the master bedroom was tossed. Jewelry was stolen and the residents will compile a list of the missing items.

Theft: During the early morning hours of 10/28, a 2008 white Lexus 570 was stolen from the driveway of a Horseguard Lane home. The car was valued at $80,000.

Drunk: A woman was reported to be walking on the Bronx River Parkway at 2:32 am on 10/29. Scarsdale Police picked her up and found that she was drunk. SVAC transported the woman, who identified herself as Rita Delfini of Eastchester, to the White Plains Emergency Room.

Lost: Tzu-Chien Ju, age 59 of Palmer Avenue was reported lost at 8 pm on the evening of October 28th. She suffers from dementia and left the house on foot at 7 pm. The 5’2”, 110 pound woman had last been seen walking on Palmer Avenue carrying a plastic bag. Police searched the area for her and notified the Fire Department, SVAC and Central Taxi and also generated a hotline call to all Westchester agencies, the Westchester County Beeline bus, the MTA police and Westchester County control and they all participated in a search. Sergeant Siciliano of the Scarsdale police found the woman on Foxhall Road at 9:48 pm and she was evaluated by paramedics and returned home.

Car break-ins: Black Birch Lane residents reported that the front drivers window and front passenger window of their 1994 Dodge had been broken sometime between October 20 and 30.

During the night of October 25-26, there was a spate of car break-ins:

• The right front passenger window of a 2010 Honda CRV parked in the driveway of a Brookby Road was broken and an iPod was stolen.
• On Secor Road the resident believes that someone entered her 2008 Mercedes SUV and took her purse. The bag contained credit cards, a driver’s license, a Blackberry, $40 in cash and an Apple iPod.
• Also on Secor Road the passenger side window of a car was broken and a black purse containing a Louis Vuitton wallet, cash, prescription eyeglasses and an Apple iTouch were stolen.
• The rear passenger window of a 1998 Honda parked in a Quentin Road driveway was broken and two textbooks were taken.
• The passenger window of a 2008 BMW parked on Wynmor Road was broken and a black leather jacket was stolen.

More incidents occurred on the night of October 27-28.

• An Acura car key and a cell phone were taken from an unlocked 2009 Acura parked on Hathaway Road.
• A pair of Nike tennis shoes and a black dress were stolen from the trunk of an unlocked 2008 Mercedes parked in a driveway on Axtell Road.
• Also on Axtell Road, $12.00 in quarters was stolen from an unlocked car parked there overnight.

A Wynmor Road woman reported that $4,700 had been withdrawn from her Citibank account without her authorization on September 18. A withdrawal slip with a forged signature along with i.d. had been presented to a teller who remitted the funds. The incident is under investigation by the Citibank fraud unit.

Missing: Sometime between 10/24 and 10/28 an 18 speed Raleigh bicycle, valued at $450 was stolen from a Foxhall Place garage. Two campaign signs for Suzi Oppenheimer were removed from a Fox Meadow Road home on October 29th.

Lost: A Rectory Lane woman reported that she lost an 18 carat gold bracelet with multi-colored stones when she was walking on Rectory Lane on Saturday October 23rd. A Burgess Road woman reported that her silver and diamond Bedet watch, valued at $6,000 was missing from her home.

Accident: A Hazelton Drive woman, driving through the Scarsdale High School parking lot was hit by a school bus. The bus driver said that he did not see her car.

Harassed: A Mamaroneck Road woman received a note at her door from an estranged relative asking for help on October 26th. The relative also went to the resident’s husband’s place of business to contact him. The Scarsdale woman had not been in contact with the relative for 25 years and did not wish to speak with her. She asked the police to intervene.

A Gaylor Road man called police on October 27 for help getting rid of an unwanted visitor who had come to the house to make amends for a fight. Police asked the visitor to leave and he did so, without incident.

At 12:20 am on October 31, police were called to a Cushman Road home on a report that a fight was in progress. Police found some kids running from the scene, but there was no fighting going on.

At 1 am on October 31st, a Brewster Road woman reported an argument with her husband. Police mediated and everyone went to bed.

On the morning of October 28 a 9-year-old girl fainted in class at the Fox Meadow School. SVAC was called and took the girl to White Plains Hospital

Rocks: A Pinecrest Road man complained to police that kids threw rocks at his car when it was parked on Church Lane at 11:15 pm on Saturday night October 30. No damage was done to the car.

Found and turned over to police:

• A white and blue cell phone on Nelson Road at 9 pm on 10/31
• A Lexus ignition key and a BMW ignition key
• A Tiffany key ring with a car key in front of Starbucks on East Parkway
• A bicycle on Larch Lane

Coyote sightings:

• At 84 Garden Road at 3 pm on October 25
• At 97 Garden Road at 4:30 on 10/25
• At 92 Sheldrake Road at 5:51 on 10/25
• At 239 Mamaroneck Road at 9:47 pm on 10/25
• At 25 Mamaroneck Road on 10/27 at 7 pm
• At 50 Catherine Road at 8 am on 10/28
• At 166 Secor Road at 8:12 am on 10/28
• At Sycamore Road at 8:22 am on 10/28 – caller reports that a coyote attacked her dog but the woman scared the coyote off and the dog was okay.
• At 29 Black Birch Lane at 9:50 am on 10/28
• At 55 Park Road at 6:07 pm on 10/28

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Published: 29 October 2010

Created: 29 October 2010

Last Updated: 29 October 2010

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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.