By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Apr. 21, 2021: Now that the warmer weather is here to stay and the COVID quarantine is easing, many residents are making plans for travel. 

Even if traveling for a short duration, it is important that one’s home look occupied. Though an extremely safe Village, vigilance is the watchword as crimes in the Village are crimes of opportunity.

To that end, the following are tips from our police department to discourage any would be burglars:

-Share your travel plans with a neighbor and ask them to pick up items left at your door or on your driveway, and urge them to occasionally park in your driveway.

-Alert our police desk of your travels, and our officers will add your home to the “Dark House” list and have an officer go by daily. You may also want to leave a key at the police department should an emergency arise.

Make sure you are part of the Village’s emergency notification system called Swift911. The system has the ability to make phone calls to the entire Village, specific neighborhoods, and even individual homes. One can register for this notification at www.villageofbronxville.com. 

-It will keep you abreast of all that is going on in the Village while away.

-Keep car and house keys on separate rings and unlabeled, so if one should be lost or stolen, both are not vulnerable to theft.

-Bike theft always increases in warmer weather, so make sure they are locked as well as the garage door.

-Put timers on televisions and radios as well as lights.

-Phone ringers in apartments should be lowered as a persistently audible ringing phone is a sign of an empty dwelling.

-Don’t leave hidden keys, as burglars tend to know all the hiding places.

-If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call the police immediately. Let them, as trained professionals, make the determination of the activity.

-If you do return home and find a tampered door or window, do not enter your home. Go to a neighbor’s house to use a landline or call from your cell phone a safe distance away. Do not touch anything until the police have inspected it for evidence.

The warm weather and spring and summer seasons also bring a change of activity in the Village, much of it based outdoors.

The spring harkens the return of the landscape gardening companies.

As a reminder, the Village has a law banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers from June 1 to September 30. Please report anyone using the blowers during this period to our police desk.

If you haven’t already done so, please consider completing the survey being conducted by the Village’s Green Committee to help us better understand your opinions concerning extending the Village’s existing ban on gas powered leaf blowers beyond our current June 1 to September 30 limitation. The survey can be found here. 

We also urge you to keep your open spaces free of chemicals and pesticides as they attach to shoes and, most importantly, animal feet.

In the same spirit of eco-stewardship, make an effort to save your water as the cost of Suez Company water is truly some of the most expensive in the country. Experts recommend watering lawns only once a day and early in the morning when evaporation is at its lowest, thus maximizing the effectiveness of the water. To further conserve water, make sure sprinklers are calibrated, so water is never directed on to driveways or sidewalks.

Mulching your grass clippings will actually facilitate stronger turf, which is the best weed control.

Now is also the time to check the condition of your sidewalks and repair as needed, as they are the homeowner’s responsibility.

Also, due to the season of rapid tree and bush growth, please be mindful that they must be trimmed to allow safe passage along sidewalks as well as to maintain visibility at intersections.

Power outages also start to increase around this time of year. If you experience a power outage, report it directly to Con Edison either by phone 1-800-75CONED or via the internet at www.coned.com as their system does not have the capability of making assumptions that if one house has lost power, the neighboring houses have as well. Each home must be reported separately to maintain a tracking record.

We are also starting to put together our list of streets for paving and curbing. Call Village Hall if you believe your street should be on the list as we catalog all requests and then inspect the street. Streets will be milled before repaving, so the elevation is not affected and with it water flow and drainage.

The nicer weather also brings an increase in home repair projects. If you plan something significant, alert your neighbors so they can adjust their plans accordingly.

As we walk about the Village more and more, please take advantage of our restaurants and shops and support our local merchants.

Photo by A. Warner

Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.