Crime: Ithaca mayor acts on our suggestion

Ithaca's Savante Myrick (l) chats with some other mayor

South of 5 and 20, December 2, 2011:

In a city of only 30,014 residents, how many police calls to the same address, in less than one year, does it take to raise a red flag - 25?  50?  75?  100?  What does a single police call cost taxpayers?  We suggest Ithaca's mayor-elect  Svante Myrick plan to have a sit-down with Chestnut Hill's owners on inauguration day.

Ithaca Journal, January 2, 2013:

Public safety and security, including crime prevention, will be among the top focus areas for the City of Ithaca in 2013, Mayor Svante Myrick pledged Wednesday as he gave his annual state of the city address.

The security initiative will include a study of the city’s West Hill neighborhood conducted with the Cornell University Public Service Center covering topics such as housing, economics, transportation, landlord-tenant and renter-permanent resident relations, community cohesiveness and infrastructure needs, Myrick said.

The neighborhood has seen violent incidents including a fatal shooting and non-fatal stabbing in December 2011, and it was the site of the October non-fatal shooting of an Ithaca police officer pursuing a car-theft suspect. The problems have been mostly in certain apartment complexes on West Hill, and the mayor noted trouble spots have historically bubbled up in various parts of the city.

While the Mayor waited over a year to act on our suggestion, we understand he's a busy man.  We'll follow the outcome of the Mayor's initiative, and keep our readers posted.  Meanwhile, we stand ready to advise Mr. Myrick on any other issues - all he needs do is contact us via this blog's email link.

Chestnut Street beat

More crime on Ithaca's Chestnut Street:

The Ithaca Police Department is investigating an armed robbery reported in the 600 block of Chestnut Street at approximately 9 p.m. Monday.

Two victims reported they were stopped in a vehicle when an unknown male suspect got into the vehicle and threatened both occupants with a knife.  An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen before the suspect fled on foot.

We ask once again:  In a city of only 30,014 residents, how many police calls to the same address, in less than one year, does it take to raise a red flag - 25?  50?  75?  100?

Self defense by snow brush

Snow brush season is well under way here in Upstate New York.  In Rochester last night, a snow brush wielding resident fought off an armed robber.

Police in Rochester say a man brushing snow off his car was shot during a robbery attempt Monday evening.

Investigators say the victim had just left a bar at the corner of Delmar Street and Otis Street and was cleaning off his car when he was approached by the suspect and robbed at gunpoint.

Police say the victim fought off his attacker with his snow brush, but was shot in the ankle.

Now that the ubiquitous winter tool has been successfully used as a weapon, expect Chuckles Schumer to soon stand before the cameras demanding federal snow brush registration.

Another shooting death in Ithaca

Another shooting death has occurred in Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell University and hotbed of progressive dogma.  This time, a suspected drug dealer took a round in the back in the middle of the night.

Police are looking for three suspects in connection with the robbery and fatal shooting of a Bronx man early Thursday morning.

Officers responded to a report of the shooting at Chestnut Hill Apartments about 12:08 a.m. and found Francisco Santiago, 25, with a gunshot wound in his back, Ithaca police officials said. He was taken to Cayuga Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, they added.

Chestnut Hill Apartments?  Why does that ring a bell?

Ithaca police have responded to the Chestnut Hill Apartments -- for a variety of reasons -- 112 times from the beginning of the year to Nov. 30, county emergency management officials said. These included noise, disorderly conduct, domestic violence, disputes, shots fired, trespassing, unspecified civil complaint, agency assistance and medical assistance calls, they added.

In a city of only 30,014 residents, how many police calls to the same address, in less than one year, does it take to raise a red flag - 25?  50?  75?  100?  What does a single police call cost taxpayers?  We suggest Ithaca's mayor-elect  Svante Myrick plan to have sit-down with Chestnut Hill's owners on inauguration day.

Chestnut Hill update:

Police charged an Ithaca man with a stabbing related to an ongoing dispute on Sunday...

At about 11:30 a.m., police were called to an apartment at 157 Chestnut St. for a reported stabbing, according to the Ithaca Police Department...

 The apartment complex was the site of a fatal shooting early Thursday.

Burdett shooter apprehended, Rt. 79 reopened

NY Rt. 79 this afternoon, heading west into Burdett

Two Schuyler County sheriff's cars are sporting bullet holes after a Burdett resident began shooting at passing cars this afternoon.  Various sources have reported that the guilty party has been apprehended.

The perpetrator, one Joe Esposito, was described by his mother as "suicidal."   Details here and here.

CNY school administrators drawing scrutiny

VanMinos

The FBI is carrying out a criminal investigation of the Jordan-Elbridge school district:

The school board also fired its interim superintendent and director of operations after a May 15 Post-Standard article revealed the district had awarded Director of Operations Paula VanMinos a contract that guaranteed her tenure or three years’ salary — $308,000.

The article also revealed that VanMinos had been staying overnight at the apartment of the man who signed the contract, then-interim Superintendent Lawrence Zacher. The district terminated its contract with Zacher. In addition to the FBI probe, the state Comptroller’s Office is in the midst of a nearly yearlong probe of the school district’s finances.

Meanwhile, former Trumansburg school superintendent Cosimo Tangorra, who may have been involved in overtaxing T-burg residents during his stint at the Finger Lakes district, is now being looked at by the State Comptroller's office for the same problem at his new gig over in Ilion, NY.

According to the report, filed on the comptroller’s website on June 13, it stated, “The Board did not adequately monitor its fund balance. Consequently, the District has accumulated approximately $1.95 million in excess funds that should be used to benefit taxpayers by reducing the tax levy, funding necessary reserves, reducing debt, and/or paying one-time expenditures, in accordance with statutory requirements.”

These overpaid bureaucrats are driving our property taxes higher every year, even as our economy has collapsed. It's well past time for taxpayers to get involved.  These scammers work for you.  It may sound as unpleasant as root canal, but you need to attend meetings and ask questions.

Schumer: no due process?

Back in Mr. Kolb's U.S. History class, we learned that our government can't punish citizens without those citizens first being found guilty of something.  Due process, evidence, the right to confront one's accuser, all that stuff from 1776. We're not surprised, however, that New York's senior senator, who apparently never learned the three branches of government, doesn't know about due process, either. 

The Finger Lakes region is full of aging hipppies who've voted Democrat since the voting age was 21.  Those "dayglow freaks who used to paint the face" might want to reconsider when they find out that Chuck Schumer thinks their personal habits should be grounds to suspend their constitutional rights, absent the aforementioned due process.  Per the Daily Caller,

Get collared years ago on a bogus drug charge because the oregano in your back pocket looked like (it) was a bag of weed? Or maybe a judge back in 2006 dropped those charges because you were able to provide proof for that Adderall prescription? Under proposed legislation, it will not matter if you were innocent all along or even proven innocent by a court of law.

Either way, you can forget about buying a gun.

The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 would greatly expand the definition of those legally prohibited from owning firearms to include anyone who’s ever been arrested — even if never convicted or found guilty — for drug possession within a five-year period.

Yes, Schumer is sponsoring a bill to deny Second Amendment rights to a class of citizens who have never been convicted of a crime.  We suspect many of Chuck's loyal voters might find this a bummer:

Under Schumer’s bill, the definition of a “drug abuser” would include anyone with “an arrest for the use or possession of a controlled substance within the past 5 years.”

That's an arrest, not a conviction.  New York needs a new senator.  See The Dogcatcher Project for the latest on Amity Shales.

Indictment in Valentine's shooting

Voorheis

A Seneca County resident charged with the Valentine's evening death of Sandra Marsh has been indicted for manslaughter. 

The Ovid man charged with shooting and killing a Lodi woman in her home on the night of February 14th – Valentine’s Day – was indicted by a grand jury on Monday.

Vincent Voorheis pleaded not guilty to second degree manslaughter. The 45-year-old is accused of recklessly causing the death of Sandra Marsh by shooting her in the throat with a 20-gauge shotgun.

The shooting happened inside of Marsh’s Grove Street home in Lodi just before 10 p.m. Valentine’s night.

Valentine's murder in Seneca County?

An Ovid resident has been charged with manslaughter in the fatal Valentine's evening shooting of a Lodi woman.

On, Monday evening at 9:55 p.m., Seneca County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a death at 2178 Grove Street, Lodi, New York.

Upon arrival Sheriff’s Deputies found Sandra D. Marsh, age 51, of 2178 Grove Street, dead of an apparent gunshot wound to the upper torso.

A joint investigation conducted by the Seneca County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Office resulted in the arrest of Vincent K. Voorheis, age 45, of 3838 County Road 139, Ovid

 More at Fingerlakes1.