Suicide: It is not a solution

It is not painless for those left behind.

Suicide is something that should not be taken lightly. If you or someone you love is at the brink, seek help immediately. My condolences for the families of the victims that are mentioned in this entry.

Scarsdale is no different than any other in town in that it has stress points. When those points are attacked, there is no telling how people will react. Sometimes it leads to decisions where people decide to opt out permanently.


Below is a list of suicides that have recently occurred in Scarsdale.



Long-Time Tarrytown Resident, Scarsdale Schools Employee, to be Buried Tuesday
Corinne “Corie” Vidal, took her own life on Thursday.

The funeral service for Corinne "Corie" Vidal will take place this Tuesday, 10 a.m., at the Transfiguration Church in Tarrytown.

Vidal was an assistant at Scarsdale High School and was a long-time resident of Tarrytown since her birth in 1969. She died on Thursday, Oct. 21, after committing suicide.

She is survived by her parents Antonio and Irene Vidal of Tarrytown; her older sister and brother-in-law Christina and Paul Clarke of Sleepy Hollow and her younger sister and brother-in-law Carla and Kevin Sapienza of Cortlandt Manor. She is also survived by her son Albert "Ryan" Rivero.

In an obituary, Vidal was described as always loving her job and her students, and always "tried to listen and brighten up someone's day even if it was just with a smile."

Scarsdale High School is offering counselling services to students who may need to speak about the matter. Visitation for Vidal will continue on Monday, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Coffey Funeral Home in Tarrytown.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to charity.

Another Tragic Loss in Scarsdale

A mother’s suicide on Tuesday has left Scarsdale searching for answers as to why four people in the community have taken their own lives (one unconfirmed) in the past seven weeks. The mother of two jumped from the Tappan Zee Bridge, leaving grief-stricken children, parents, friends and neighbors seeking to explain the inexplicable.

Lynne Spencer was a former school psychologist and the mother of a fourth grader at Heathcote Elementary School and a sophomore at Scarsdale High School. According to the Journal News Spencer drove her Toyota Highlander onto the bridge around noon on Tuesday, got out, and jumped 150 feet into the Hudson River. Miraculously a construction crew that was under the bridge to sandblast one of the piers saw her fall about 50 feet in front of them. Three men from the crew jumped into a boat and pulled Spencer out of the water where she was floating face down.

In terms of media coverage, this particular suicide was given special dispensation.
http://fwix.com/westchester/article/194668ed19/long-time_tarrytown_resident_scarsdale_schools_employee_to_be_buried_tuesday

Below was the original report from one site
Scarsdale Emergency Workers Respond to Suicide Attempt

An attempt at the third suicide in our area in the last week was made early Sunday morning in Scarsdale Village while children were painting Halloween windows outside. Whether the impetus for the suicides was the economy, the change in seasons or personal demons is anyone's guess. At 10 am on Sunday October 23rd local police learned that a Scarsdale man had called a suicide hotline, and they were able to track the call to Scarsdale Village. Police rushed to Scarsdale Wrapping and Shipping on Harwood Court and forced their way into the locked store. In the basement they found storeowner David Emmer, who had attempted to take his own life. Police and emergency workers responded and reported that he was still alive. The Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps transported Emmer to the emergency room at White Plains Hospital and his condition is unknown. Emmer, aged 49, is a well-liked retailer in Scarsdale Village who has been in town for as long as anyone can remember. He is 49 years old, and married with two children. Emmer's attempt follows the purported suicide of Thomas J. Hill in Hartsdale on October 19th and the death of Corie Vidal, a favorite member of the SHS staff who took her own life on October 21st. A sign on the door of the Scarsdale Shipping Center on Harwood Court says Closed Until Further Notice.

Then it was changed.

Scarsdale Emergency Workers Respond to Suicide Attempt

An attempt at the third suicide in our area in the last week was made early Sunday morning in Scarsdale Village while children were painting Halloween windows outside. Whether the impetus for the suicides was the economy, the change in seasons or personal demons is anyone’s guess.

At 10 am on Sunday October 23rd local police learned that a Scarsdale man had called a suicide hotline, and they were able to track the call to Scarsdale Village. Police rushed to a village store and forced their way into the locked store.

In the basement they found the storeowner who had attempted to take his own life. Police and emergency workers responded and reported that he was still alive. The Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps transported the man to the emergency room at White Plains Hospital and his condition is unknown.

The victim is a well-liked retailer in Scarsdale Village who has been in town for as long as anyone can remember. His attempt follows the purported suicide of Thomas J. Hill in Hartsdale on October 19th and the death of Corie Vidal, a favorite member of the SHS staff who took her own life on October 21st.

Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, the victim's name, which appeared in the original report, has been removed.

Below is his obituary.

David Emmer, 49, business owner and local volunteer

David Emmer of South Salem died Oct. 30. He was 49.

Mr. Emmer was co-president of the Jewish Family Congregation in South Salem and served on its board of trustees.

David Emmer
He was named an “honored volunteer” of the Child Abuse Prevention Center for 2008-09. He was the owner of Scarsdale Wrapping and Shipping Center and had previously owned Arcade Stationers.

Mr. Emmer is survived by his wife Jane; sons Andrew and Matthew; mother Bea; brother Jeffrey; and sister Susan.

The funeral was held today at the Jewish Family Congregation, with burial at Sharon Gardens in Valhalla.

Donations may be made to a college scholarship fund for Mr. Emmer’s two sons, Andrew and Matthew: Andrew and Matthew Emmer College Trust Fund, c/o Richard M. Cohlan, Trustee, 199 Main Street, Suite 500, White Plains, NY 10601.

If you do a google search under this person's name along with suicide, the results will include "attempt".

Unless you read the previous report, you would never be able to connect the dots to in determining the cause of his passing. Probably the only way to verify the facts is to do a series of FOIA requests and examining public records.

It appears that the local media have no problem reporting the identity of the other individuals. Why did they do that in this particular situation? Because this incident took place in the Village during on their most popular event. Better to make things as vague as possible for the sake of appearances.

There is a certain cachet associated with Scarsdale. Excellent schools, snobbery, high property values and spoiled rich kids.

When you first move to Scarsdale, you have not made it. You have just begun to fight to establish yourself in the social order. And the fight will seem eternal, or at least until your kids graduate from high school.

In other words Scarsdale is the Manhattan of Westchester County. Like, Manhattan, it requires a lot of money to live there. And God help you if you don't have it.

Was money the reason behind these suicides? I don't know. There were probably other variables that will be only be known to the parties involved. What I do know is that the current state of economy has had a negative impact on all of our lives. Even on a place like Scarsdale. In fact Scarsdale might be one of the places hit the hardest.