Letter to the Editor: Mary Neagle Smith on 'Repeated Break-ins' and Changed Locks at Eastchester Fire Department
Dear Editor:
I have regularly followed the "behaviors" (and I use that word deliberately) of the Eastchester Fire Board on the local government channel. The $14.5 million Eastchester Fire District budget (Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe) is a property tax levy determined by this Board.
In a troubling and bizarre set of circumstances, the locks to the "front office" of the Eastchester Fire District were changed in March, locking out Fire Chief Grogan.
Supposedly this happened not because Chief Grogan unearthed financial irregularities (which he did), but because the front office was broken into "5 or 6 times" over a year and a half.
According to EFD Commissioner Richard Steigelman, "Every morning she'd come in and the doors would be unlocked with folders all over the desk," referring to Cara Piliero (EFD Secretary/Treasurer).
Despite the repeated break-ins, the police were not informed and there are no police reports; indeed there are no EFB records or any communications regarding any break-ins (according to FOIL response). One might ask, why not?
Regarding the lock change, purportedly there are no records regarding any communication from the EFB or any Commissioner authorizing a change of lock, expenditure for new locks, or any new policy limiting the Fire Chief's access to the front office.
So, the question remains, who did authorize the expenditure, installation and limited access to the front office? In short, who locked the Fire Chief out, and why?
According to NY Town Law 176-a: the Fire Chief "shall also have supervision...of all officers and employees of the fire department." How can the Fire Chief be "responsible for the overall operation of the Fire Department," (taken from Eastchester Fire District's description in the Eastchester Town website) when he is locked out of the front office?
When refusing to answer a direct question regarding the new lock installation by Fire Commissioner Winter, Ms. Piliero seemed to smirk.
What's so funny?
I hope that public pressure continues so that the Eastchester Fire Board will become transparent in its operations, follow best business practices, and adhere to laws and regulations.
Mary Neagle Smith
Bronxville, June 22, 2011
Editor's Note: MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.
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Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
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