WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER May 17, 2008 

Common Council Should Not Lower Taxes: Fund Service Office; Give WPPAC the $150,000...

E-Mail comments on issues to editor@whiteplainscnr.com.

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WPCNR Quill & Eyeshade. By John F. Bailey. May 15, 2008: Administrators  of the White Plains City School District  (Principals, House Administrators, Directors and academic Coordinators will receive  an average 5% increases in salaries for 2008-2009 with some receiving 13% or more in the new 2008-2009 school budget, coming to a vote this Tuesday, May 20, in White Plains.

Increases for the White Plains City School District Administrators  described in "The Big Yellow Book" pictured above, ranged from 2.6% to 15% in a year when the inflation rate as measured by the state was 2.8% according to the statement of property taxes and school budget comparisons being mailed to White Plains taxpayers this week. In the budget process, district budget crafters said the local New York Metropolitan area inflation rate was 3.3% according to the state.

The year to year increases for the salaried administrators makes up 11% ($444,553)  of the $4.2 Million  increase in salaries in the 2008-2009 budget.  Salaries of  all 1,200 plus employees and part-time employees make up  $100.1 Million of the $184.4 Million proposed budget. Fringe Benefits, another  $39 Million.  Negotiations with the White Plains Teachers are still continuing, but are expected to be settled within the salary  increase estimate plugged into the 2008-2009 Budget ($4.2 Million) – about 3.5% -- perhaps with some givebacks.

WPCNR COURTSIDE. May 15, 2008: The tears of happiness were falling Thursday afternoon, as White Plains Tigers Angelei Aguirre who by force of will, her heart and  leadership and desire lead the Tigers to their fourth consecutive Section I Championship this year signed a Letter of Intent to attend the University of California at Berkeley on a four year full athletic scholarship.

From left, Mark Aguire, Mrs. Aguirre, Angelei, Coach Sue Adams and Athletic Director, Nick Panero at the big signing Thursday afternoon. On the dais, are the 4 Section 1 Basketball ChampionTrophies won by the teams Ms. Aguirre has played on for White Plains

Ms. Aguirre is the fifth member of the WPHS Tigers Girls Basketball Champions the last four years to receive a Division I academic scholarship. The other three, Kim Adams, Elise Bronzo, Danica Covington and Liz Flooks who lead the champions of 2007, 2006 and 2005 were in the audience clapping, crying, remembering.

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From Cappelli Enterprises (Edited) May 15, 2008: Via Quadronno, one of the most distinctive dining destinations in New York City offering a unique Italian café fare, today opened its newest restaurant at Renaissance Square in the heart of downtown White Plains. The Bar Building sidewalk cafe/coffee bar/eatery adds White Plains to its exclusive other locations in Miami, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. Special to WPCNR. May 13, 2008: The Common Council this evening indicated to the mayor a series of cuts in the $161.7 Million proposed budget that would trim the budget $505,000, trimming the city tax increase from 4.9 to 3.9%. The bulk of the half-million cut would, sources say come from trimming the $6,064,892 set aside for the Reserve for Financing by $300,000; rejecting an additional $150,000 funding for the White Plains Performing Arts Center as requested by the Mayor, and trimming $55,000 for the Service Department, the White Plains Armory based office that specialized in aiding senior citizens and others with protocol questions and procedures to obtain benefits.

The Reserve for Financing are the monies set aside for merit raises, projected union settlements for all four city unions, allowances for official vacancies. According to the budget book, “Monies for all potential settlements have been included in the City’s reserve for financing and have not been budgeted in departmental salary accounts.”

WPCNR points out that in official Aid to Independent Municipalities applications, the city filed financial projections anticipating 5% increases in total salaries paid by the city in 2008-2009.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 13, 2008: The White Plains Board of Education considers itself to be “mindful” of the $184.4 Million school budget pressure on White Plains taxpayers, but offered no assurances or plans to rein in district costs next year. The Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, entering the last year of his current contract in June said property tax relief was up to Albany legislators to have “courage” to establish a separate commercial property tax rate.  

Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, explaining a fine point of the school budget last night at the public hearing on the $184.4 Million Budget. President of Board of Education, Donna Mclaughlin, is at right.

The School District in a second public meeting opportunity to report the state STAR cuts,  did not disclose the additional $200 increase in property taxes White Plains taxpayers (and taxpayers across the state) will pay automatically as a result of the state legislature quietly  cutting the Basic and Enhanced Star Exemptions by 10%, the largest cut the exemptions have taken since their inception  in 1997– despite having two public meetings in which to make full disclosure of this secret cut.

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By "Bull" Allen. May 12, 2008: Well,  pro football has a lot to explain.  It seems that 8 new video “sideline surveillance tapes” showing both offensive and defensive signals  of  6 games involving 5 opponents from the New England Phonies have been turned over to the pro football league offices by a former Phonies employee. We wonder what the Commissioner is going to do about these?

Old Yankee Stadium, 1956-- BVE  (Before Video Era)

The paragon coaching genius of the league – the defensive “guru” – the man whom of it has been said, give him two weeks of preparation and he can stop any offense, wasn’t that much of a genius without his tapes, was he? Well, now we know why, don’t we?

WPCNR POET IN RESIDENCE. May 13, 2007:

Hey Mom!

Hey Mom, bring me two waters so I’m set?

Where’s my under armor? And my visor?

Are my tights washed? My skates are dull.

Hey Mom, can you call, go, get, call the advisor?

Hey Mom,  I wasn’t yelling at you.

I didn’t mean to! You were yelling at me!

You never let me do anything my friends do

Hey Mom, would you chill, lighten up, just do!

Hey Mom, I don’t like the way this looks for the prom --

I don’t like the color, how could you think this was me?

I just can’t wear this, it’s this, it’s that it’s…Oh, Mom!?!

Hey Mom, I’ve been studying all morning getting knowledge.

Can’t I go out, I’ll be back by ten.

But, I know the material, gone over it again and again.

Oh, Mom – I hate my life! I can hardly wait until college.

Hey Mom – But I did call and let you know

Don’t you understand, I couldn’t call at that time.

No, you can’t not let me go – it’s a great band

Oh, Mom – I hate you! You never understand!

Hey, Mom, please don’t embarrass me at the game

By screaming so loud, it’s just so tacky

But, hey mom, I like that you’re over there in the stand

Watching me play, you know that don’t you Mom, you understand.

Hey Mom, can you get me to the rink

At 5 – I know you have to take off from work early?

Thanks, Mom, I’m so sorry but the team has a special thing

I have to be there, thanks Mom – I love you—dearly.

Hey, Mom, please when you pick me up at the dorm

Don't come inside. Just wait outside, call me on the cell

I'll be right down -- it's the norm.

Don't ring the bell.

Hey, Mom, I've read the classifieds

There are no jobs, I can't make all those calls.

Well, OK, I guess  I can send that resume you made for me (sigh).

OK, I'm lost, where's the post office, down Lexington to what?

Hey Mom, well I'm bringing my friends by,

Don't let Dad embarrass me with his jokes, OK?

I'll just die if he's silly again -- you won't let him do that?

You'll talk to him about that?

All right, Mom I'll take that extra course.

But I've just been going to school for months it never ends!

Can't I have a little vacation, I don't know what's worse

Can't I spend a little time with my friends?

You do like him Mom?

Oh, I hoped you would.

Yes, I really do

I am so glad you do too!

Hey Mom, can you take care of the kids this weekend?

We’re going to Vermont with a friend.

And Mom, the cats get kibble in morning and meat at night,

We love you mom, sorry for the short notice, talk to you tonight.

Hey Mom, I’m sorry I can’t see you Mother’s Day.

Are you all right, what will you be doing today?

Going to the club – great – you know we love you in every way?

Though we may not show it you’re always with us

even when you’re away.

WPCNR'S The Real Deal By The Wedding Jeannie, Jeannie Uyanik of Cap and Gown Weddings. The Mother's Day Column May 10, 2008:

I have an almost two-year old son. He does not sleep, never stops moving, and more often than not, unlike my friends with little girls, needs to be constantly entertained.  I am told though that while the first few years with a boy are harder, I will be laughing through the teenage years and wedding planning while those with girls struggle.  While I am far from knowledgeable about children and teenagers, I can impart wisdom about mothers and daughters during the wedding planning process; from what I see and have learned personally, it might just rival moments with a teenager and for many of the same reasons.

Much like turning 13, planning a wedding is a milestone in a woman’s life.  She needs the support and love of her mother, but has her own ideas about what to do and how.  While the everyday guidance of a mother to a bride is not as essential as it might be for a teenager, the approval and tacit support is, even in just the assurance that disapproval is not soon coming.  Hopefully this column will serve to provide a backbone of a few do’s and don’ts because at the end of the day, a mother/daughter relationship is more important than any venue, florist, caterer or schedule. 

WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. May 8, 2008: The Horton’s Mill Town Homes, built as “work force housing units” available only to families earning 80% of median income, opened officially Wednesday morning with Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz and Mayor Joseph Delfino  of White Plains anchoring the ceremonies.

A total of 14 families have already gone to contract on 14 of the 17  Horton's Mill Village homes available on the market for about $200,000 to $225,000.  A number of the families, it was announced, had loaned money for their downpayments to be able to go to contract, arranged through Westchester Residential Opportunities and the Housing Action Council.

The homes, originally approved in spring 2003 opened to much praise, with the Deputy County Executive promising Westchester County would be building more. The developer, John Saraceno said he is anticipating building a similar project for the county in Ossining.

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE  EIGHTH AVENUE MEZZANINE. By “Goal” Gordon. May 7, 2008:

Let me tilt back my fedora, light up a Lucky, and pound this out on my  Royal Corona keys while in the quiet of the old Garden press gondola. The real  Garden. The one with the blue haze of cigar smoke hanging in the upper deck, when the ice was made by hand cart and the players played without helmets, when Gumper was in Goal and Andy Bathgate, Camille Henry and Andy Hebenton were my favorites, and the New York World Telegram and Sun called them the Blueshirts, and they used to run 1-inch ads in the sports sections, reading "Hockey Tonight Toronto 7 PM Fastest Game on Earth."

Madison Square Garden 1950s. Eighth Avenue and 49th Street.

Now that hockey, figure skating, (I remember the Ice Capades), has grown and now faces an ice crisis. I think The Rangers have the oppportunity to give back to the community a favor that will never be forgotten, and make a memory as warm as the 1994 Stanley Cup. A selfless gesture that will be appreciated so much by the community that has loved them so long.

What We Would Give for some Ice -- like Yost Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Just 10 Hours Away

You see they have closed the New Roc rink in New Rochelle.  New Rochelle city government is reported thinking about building a new rink. Meanwhile New Rochelle High School, Rye,  and some other hockey teams, not to mention the Team Image of Yonkers, the Synchronized Skating 4th  Ranked National Team,  have no place to skate or practice. Most of the rink slots in Mount Vernon, E. J. Murray Rink, Westchester Skating Academy, Katonah Harvey School, and in Stamford and Greenwich are filled.

But there is a rink that is only used eight months a year.

And the New York Rangers are not using it now.

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. May 7, 2008 UPDATED May 8, 2008:

It’s all going according to plan.

Barack Obama’s faltering in the stretch, the media’s unfailing cooperation with America’s political establishment, combined with Senator Obama’s main character flaw as a politician (his sense of decency), has been exploited by the Clinton campaign to frustrate Mr. Obama’s ability to achieve a first ballot Presidential nomination at the Democratic convention.

As I wrote months ago, the Clinton strategy is to deny Mr. Obama the first ballot nomination, freeing up the pledged delegates and the Super Delegates to hand it to Mrs. Clinton on the second or third ballot, with the rationale that Mrs. Clinton has shown the ability to win the big electoral states more than Senator Obama.

Doesn’t anyone see this except me?

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. May 5, 2008: The Common Council approved construction of The Venue this evening, an upscale mini-mall to be built on the present parking lot opposite Bloomingdale's. The vote was 6-1, with Milagros Lecuona voting against.