Wednesday, Dec 11th

spiereheadshotAccording to USA Today a decomposed body found on Sunday July 3rd in Indianapolis is not Laurent Spierer. A forensic examination found that the victim was African American and taller than Spierer.

According to WXIN television , a woman's body was pulled from Fall Creek on the northeast side of Indianapolis on Sunday evening. Witnesses called 911 at 6:50 pm on July 3rd to report that they saw a body floating in the creek, lodged between some debris. Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene in the 6500 block of Fall Creek Parkway. Indianapolis Metro Police Officers say the body was badly decomposed. The news fueled speculation that the body could be Lauren Spierer who has been missing since June 3rd. However, the autopsy ruled out a connection to the case and Spierer is still missing.

 

robertspiererFour weeks after their daughter’s disappearance, Robert and Charlene Spierer are determined to continue the search in Bloomington, Indiana. At a press conference at Bloomington Police headquarters on July 1st, he called the event “our worst nightmare, one that we don’t want anyone to ever have to go through.” In an update on the investigation, he said that police are now conducting specific investigative searches rather than sending out the general search parties that have been at work over the past four weeks. Spierer thanked the thousands of volunteers, some who have travelled four to six hours to participate, taking leave from their jobs to assist. He expressed their gratitude to the people and merchants of Bloomington, law enforcement, the police and the national organizations who sent in teams to help.

Speaking on the eve of the holiday weekend, Spierer urged the parents of Lauren’s friends to cooperative with the investigation. He said, “July 4th is a time for family and friends to get together. We are appealing to the parents of the children who may have first or secondhand knowledge of what happened to Lauren. Please take time to sit down with the children and find out if they know anything. Help your children find the courage to come forward…. help them find their moral compass. They need your guidance and your strength to do the right thing.”

Choking back tears, Charlene Spierer came to the mike and assured listeners of their resolve to find their daughter. Sending a message to those who know where Lauren is, she said, “To the person who has knowledge of Laurent’s whereabouts, if you think our determination is any less, it's not. If you think that our hope and our belief that we are going to find Lauren has changed, it has not. We are just as determined now as we were from day one.” She ended by speaking directly to her daughter, saying, “We love you… we’re here for you.”

See the entire press conference here: http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/pages/video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

reservoirlevelsThough the reservoirs that supply our water are nearly filled to capacity, Scarsdale has imposed watering restrictions due to inadequate pumping capacity. Earlier this month the Scarsdale Middle School had to be closed when the water pressure dropped so low that the lavatories were inoperable.  The restrictions limit watering between the hours of 12 AM and 12 noon the following day by area.

However, according to Deputy Village Manager Steve Pappalardo, there are no limitations in any area of town on watering anyday between 12 noon and 12 pm. Here is what he said, "The lawn watering restrictions are limited from 12:01AM – 12:00PM in certain geographical sections of the Village during certain days (each section gets 2 days during which they can water their lawns during these hours). All residents may water their lawns 7 days a week between the hours of 12:01PM-12:00AM."

Jim Macri of the Scarsdale Water Department blames the drop in pressure on early morning lawn watering. The Village is working to bring a new pumping station online, but until that time the Village has mandated the same restrictions on watering that were utilized during draught conditions.

Here are the new rules which limit the watering of lawns to twice per week:

Between the Bronx River Parkway and the Post Road, watering is permitted Mondays and Thursdays from 12:01 am to 12:00 pm.

Between the Post Road and Wilmot Road/Palmer Avenue/Secor Road/Mamaroneck Road, watering is permitted Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:01 am to12:00 pm.

Between Wilmot Road/Palmer Avenue/Secor Road/Old Mamaroneck Road and the Town of Mamaroneck boundary watering is permitted Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12:01 am to 12:00 pm.

See the watering map below for clarification and click here for more details:

Restrictions are effective June 20, 2011 and violators may be subject to immediate discontuation of their water service. The Village utilized their new automatic call system to alert residents on June 17, 2011.

So make sure you reset your automatic sprinklers. Macri also suggests that residents install rain sensors so that the sprinklers are not in use when there is rainfall.

scarsdalewater

 

 

spierer2resizeThe Bloomington Police announced a change in strategy in the search for Lauren Spierer, missing since June 3rd at Indiana University. Rather then send out general search parties, the investigators will base their activities on leads and direct efforts towards specific information.

On Saturday June 25, 615 people participated in a wide scale search on “Find Lauren Day.” Police report that 99 missions were completed on Saturday; on Sunday 107 searchers completed 22 missions.

In a press release dated June 28th, they say, “To date, volunteers that have included citizens, law enforcement, and professional search and rescue groups have conducted more generalized searches. These searches have covered the vast majority of Monroe County and even some areas in surrounding counties. National search experts who were in Bloomington recommended that a five mile radius from Lauren’s last known location be covered extensively and that effort was completed last week. Coordinators for the search effort indicate that much of the area within a ten mile radius has also been covered. Searches have included those conducted on foot, by boat, the use of canines, on horseback, ATV’s and helicopter.”

“We cannot say enough about our appreciation for all of those who volunteered to assist in this effort and for the various agencies that provided resources to our Department. A great deal of credit also goes to Lauren’s parents for the thousands of people who have turned out for the searches simply because they wanted to help,” said Chief Michael Diekhoff. He added, “This transition will allow us to focus and rely more on the investigative aspect of this case and conduct searches based on the information we get as the investigation proceeds.”

Robert and Charlene Spierer will hold a press conference on Friday July 1 at 11:00 am at the Bloomington Police Department. They plan to make a statement regarding the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of their daughter.

chefshatThis summer, the Scarsdale Adult School is offering classes designed exclusively for college bound students or recent graduates. Life Skills for the College Bound Student and Recent Graduate is a two-part series dedicated to teaching young adults 16+ years old how to manage living on their own.

Veteran SAS master chef and teacher Mimi Beaven will teach the first class, Cooking 101 and Eating Healthy. Beaven traces her passion for feeding people back to childhood experiences trimming haricots verts at her grandfather's restaurant in Lyons, France. Later she enjoyed a career in London restaurants and in food television production. Locally, Mimi is involved in growing, selecting and preparing local seasonal produce. Her focus is on the delicious simplicity of good food.

Preparing a simple meal, demonstrating basic cooking skills and preparation tips are all part of the curriculum. Students will learn about handy equipment needed in a kitchen/dorm room and healthy foods to stock up on. The workshop will offer a combination of basic nutrition knowledge and food as well as cooking ideas to help students make healthy choices and prepare balanced meals and snacks on their own. The class will take place Wednesday, July 6th from 7 - 9 pm at the teacher's home and the address will provided upon registration. The cost is $30.

The second class, Auto Maintenance and Safe Driving Techniques will again be taught by Al Porpora, owner of Heathcote Gulf and has been maintaining and repairing cars for more than 35 years. In his class students will learn the basics about cars, simple auto maintenance, and safe driving tips. They will leave it with an understanding of how to regularly maintain a car, fix a flat tire, and safely navigate the road when in an emergency situation. The class will be held Wednesday, July 13th at the Heathcote Gulf Service Station, 1 Weaver Street from 7 - 9 pm. The cost is $30.

The cost to enroll in both classes is $50. A $10 savings! Register online at www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org. Questions? Call 914-723-23258.

Marketing Yourself in Today's Job Environment, a brand new six-week class offered by the Scarsdale Adult School is targeted to anyone looking for a job from the recent graduate to senior job candidates. In this class students will learn to create a step-by-step plan using reliable marketing principles. Participants will learn to utilize simple guides to resume writing, personal assessments, job interview skills and "outside the box" thinking.

Topics covered include: establishing a goal and creating a positioning statement; creating a situation analysis matrix; performing market research and creating a personal matrix; conducting a personal assessment and creating a skills matrix; establishing a personal and professional "Council of Advisors"; and developing a strategy and implementation plan.

Reading, "What Color is Your Parachute" by Richard Nelson Bolles is required. The class is offered six Wednesdays starting July 6th - August 10th from 10 am - noon at the Scarsdale Public Library. The cost is $180. Register online at www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org. Questions? Call 914-723-5278