WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR TIGER TICKER. March 18, 2006: The Royal Comets of Rush-Henrietta High School of Rochester defeated the White Plains Tigers, 56-48 moments ago  at the Hudson Valley College Center in Troy denying the Tigers the Class AA New York State Girls Basketball Championship.  More details as they become available. They were lead by BRIA JACKSON, and their sophomore star,  SHENISE JOHNSON who was named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. 

Johnson turned in a Michael Jordanesque performance pouring in 30 points in three quarters, and was unstoppable playing the three periods with 2 fouls. Hitting from outside and getting inside, the Lady Comets with Johnson creating havoc and hitting, overcame an early White Plains lead in the third quarter and held on to win.

The Tigers were lead by Liz Flooks with 24 points and Angelei Aguirre and Elise Bronzo with 8 points each.  The Comets blocked 8 Tiger shots and created 13 steals disrupting the Tiger offense. Though the Tigers outrebounded and outshot the Comets 40-34, the rims were not friendly last night and shots would not fall. The Tigers were also called for 20 personal fouls to 12 by the Comets, resulting in 18 free throw points for the Comets to 7 for the Tigers.

The Tigers finish another season to remember, going 24-3, and making it into the State Class AA Finals for the second straight year.

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WPCNR COURTSIDE. By Tim “Red” Sheehan. Exclusive to The CitizeNetReporter. March 18, 2006: The White Plains High School Girls Basketball team continued in their quest for redemption, knocking off Section II champion Catholic Central (CC), despite yet another subpar third quarter effort, 44-33 last night at the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY.  The White Plains win pits them against last year’s semifinal opponent, Section V’s Rush-Henrietta (RH), who had earlier beaten Section 11’s Massapequa.

For a recap of last year’s semifinal match up between WP and RH, check out http://www.whiteplainscnr.com/article3367.html.  For a more detailed look at Friday night’s win, read on.

The defensive battle between WP and the CC Crusaders began early, as both teams could not break into double figure scoring, though WP led 9-8 at the end of the first quarter.  White Plains pressed, and quickly overcame a 5-2 deficit with an Elise Bronzo put back, a short jumper by Liz Flooks and a quick steal conversion by Kim Adams.

The second quarter featured some sloppy passing by both teams, who play similar ball denial defense.  CC seemed to be in a match up zone that put pressure on anyone that tried to dribble the ball.  At one point, White Plains zipped the ball around the horn to an open Nina Johnson, who nailed the jumper to stake WP to an 11-10 lead, which they would thereafter relinquish until the 4^th quarter. 

Tigers Head Coach Sue Adams, kneeling, center, makes adjustments in the Second Stanza at the Hudson Valley College Center Friday night. Photo by Tim Sheehan.

CC stars Stephanie McBride and Lauren McCormack began to make some noise, with McBride hitting an open three pointer and McCormack cutting to the hoop for lay-ups or put backs.  White Plains was staying in the game with its defense, but on offense, the lanes to their post players were largely clogged and the three point shooting was ice cold.  White Plains was down at halftime 17-16.

Third Quarter Blues

White Plains got the ball at the beginning of the 3^rd quarter, and immediately signaled that their string of terrible third quarter starts was to continue, as they promptly threw the ball away.  White Plains had started out with a 90 degree shift in the axis of its post players, with Elise Bronzo now at the high post.  This new look confused the Crusaders and led to an easy lay-up by Danica Covington. 

CC tried to break away with sharpshooter Jessica Dooley hitting two consecutive jumpers and lead 23-18, but WP replied with a Covington to Flooks feed for a foul line jumper and a Covington lay-up off a quick out of bounds pass to close to 23-22.  CC again pulled away with an open jumper and two lay-ups off of quick passes that broke the WP press and had its biggest lead of the night, 29-22. 

Adams to the Rescue. Adams to the Rescue.

But at the end of the third quarter, Kim Adams nailed the open three pointer to close the lead to 4.  Though Steph McBride answered with a juke move off a screen to hit an open jumper, Kim’s three pointer seemed to rejuvenate WP.  It signaled a recognition among WP players that the open look 3’s that they routinely passed up on during the season in order to get a better shot, may in fact be the best look they may get in a particular offensive set, as the defensive pressure in the playoff rounds has significantly increased. 

Angelei Aguirre again took her overplaying defender to the hoop for a jumper in the lane and Covington hit a key lay-up to close the gap to 31-29.  The WP defense held against the Crusaders last shot attempt and WP had once again survived a mediocre 3^rd quarter, trailing only by 2.

2 Killer Threes

CC started with the ball at the start of the 4^th quarter and converted a Sara Decker jumper to jump ahead by 4 points, but White Plains answered with a Flooks baseline special and yet another 3 point dagger by Adams.  With 5:31 left in the game, White Plains regained the lead that they relinquished in the second quarter and never looked back. 

The Stand.

Their man to man defense was beginning to choke off CC’s passing lanes and their players began to drive to the hoop, but only managed to put up wild shots.  Both teams then exchanged unsuccessful shot attempts before Aguirre got fouled on a drive attempt with 1:14 left.  After hitting the first free throw, CC called time out, to no avail as Angelei hit the second as well. 

At this point, CC was forced to attempt desperation three pointers on offense, and foul WP players on defense.  But they bricked the threes and then fouled WP’s best free throw shooters, Adams and Aguirre, who made 6 out of 8 free throw attempts to seal the victory. 

White Plains, too, is Well-Coached.

In previewing WP’s last two opponents, much has been said about these teams being “well coached.”  After watching the regional finals and semifinals games, I certainly agree with that assessment. 

Back in the Finals Again. Debbie Flooks, left, and Sue Adams have brought the Tigers back to the last big game. Photo by Tim Sheehan.

 But seemingly overlooked is the great coaching job that Sue Adams, Debbie Flooks, Mike Easton and John Joseph have been doing for WP.  No one player dominates every game and the scoring is spread around.  Team members play hard on defense and share the ball, sometimes to a fault. 

The game time coaching and half time adjustments have been superb.  No matter what happens tomorrow night as the Tigers attempt to tame RH superstars Shenise Johnson and Bria Jackson, it should be said that White Plains, like the other 3 semifinalists, is a well coached team.

Hope that folks can break away from the weekend routine to take the ride up and support the Tigers as they try to obtain the champion’s crown that they barely missed getting last year.

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WPCNR  POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. March 17, 2006: Public Safety Aids, the intrepid enforcers of White Plains Parking laws, fearless observers of every second of  time that ticks away on White Plains parking meters were informed today that they have a new boss.

White Plains Public Safety Aids who seem to have an uncanny sixth sense telling them exactly when your meter expires in White Plains shift to Parking Department Management exclusively beginning Monday. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

The approximately 30 PSAs who write White Plains parking tickets day and night in the garages and municipal parking lots and on the metered streets, previously reported to the Department of Public Safety under Dr. Frank Straub. All will now report to Albert Moroni, Director of Parking  of the White Plains Department of Parking, according to a  Public Safety Aid, speaking on condition of anonymity,  who said PSAs were told of the change in bosses Friday, after a meeting between the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Parking was held to negotiate the change.

The Public Safety Aid said they were told there would be no change in pay, byt the PSAs would receive new badges and patches, and a new title they believed to be “Parking Attendent.”  Each “Parking Attendent” would continue to be equipped with police radios and be in touch with police at all times while on duty, they said.  There are currently three shifts filled by the 30 aids, the veteran PSA officer said.

Asked if the PSAs were given a reason for the change, they said it was a matter of consolidation, since the Department of Parking reimbursed the Department of Public Safety for the salaries for the approximately 30 aids. The aid said to their knowledge the training would continue as before with veteran PSA

The aid did say conflicts occasionally arose because of working for the police department, while trying to follow the policies of the Parking Department, and that there were miscommunications on occasion, but did not elaborate on their nature.

The aid said that both Dr. Frank Straub, Commissioner of Public Safety and Albert Moroni, Director of Parking were “wonderful bosses,” “wonderful men to work for.”

Director of Parking Albert Moroni and Commissioner of Public Safety Straub were not able to be reached for comment. Civil Service Employees Association union head Joe Roche has been contacted and WPCNR awaits his comments.

Hopefully more light on the reasons for the shift, whether this would affect budgeting (now underway), whether this shifts formulation of parking enforcement policy strictly within Mr. Moroni’s  parking empire, or if there is a more significant change in policy to come will be forthcoming regarding  the Public Safety Aids.

The PSA’s, patrolling on foot and in the parking enforcement jeeps, write the $15 parking summonses which brought in $2,700,000 in fines from parking meters in  2004, according to figures in the 2005 and is estimated to bring in $2,820,000 in meter fines in all of 2005 according to the city budget. The PSA’s were estimated in the city budget to write 112,000 other parking violation summonses other than meter vios, which vary in higher amounts. If each of those additional non-meter summonses were $25 or more you would come up with a figure of an additional $2.8 Million in revenue for a rough total in fines revenue of $5.6 Million.

The PSA’s according to the 2005-06 city budget cost the city a salary and fringe benefit estimated cost of $2,374,000. WPCNR cautions this is a rough estimate based on the 2005-06 budget.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 16, 2006 UPDATED 11:55 P.M. E.S.T.: In a Board of Education work session Thursday evening at Education House, the Board of Education agreed to submit a referendum to the district voters for a bond issue for infrastructure and district facilities improvements in mid-October — the amount to be determined over the summer.

Board of Education deliberating the schedule to bond or not to bond and how much to bond at Education House Thursday evening. Photo, WPCNR News

The board agreed by consensus they would decide on the amount of the bond in late August or early September after a Steering Committee was appointed to scrutinize the architect’s proposals: Priority 1 & 2 items  for $25 Million at 11 district buildings; construction of a new Post Road School for $36 Million, and installation of two synthetic turf stadium makeovers for $10 Million.

The Board expressed they were  buoyed by the Annual Budget Committee show of support for the bond proposal Wednesday evening. (12 of 20 ABC members voted to do all the projects now.) Photo, WPCNR News.

This evening, the board had further discussion with the architect Russ Davidson of  Kaeyer, Garment, and Davidson who sat in at the Board of Education table (far left of your picture). Davidson is seen joining in the discussion of the pros and cons of the proposals, even debating alternatives when his firm’s recommendations were questioned, and suggesting how they could make a successful campaign to convince voters to approve the bond. Davidson said he thought the ABC Committee showed a good cross section of the community.Photo, WPCNR News.

The Board said they would form a “steering committee” to go over the architectural proposals the next five months. (Kaeyer, Garment, and Davidson conducted the District Facility Review, and is the only architect that proposed how the facilities should be upgraded to meet the facility needs. )

The Steering Committee makeup is yet to be determined and the members’ job would be to help the board “sharpen their pencils” and  advise the Board in making the final decision of which projects to execute and how much of a bond referendum to submit to the voters.

City Needs to Step to the Plate Despite “Tough Year Financially.”

Whatever form the city commitment on the projects was to be was needed now according to Terry McGuire and Maria Tratoros, Peter Basano Bill Pollack.  Pollack said, “The Mayor has to come forward and tell us what he’s going to do or not (to help the capital improvements).” He said the city government in White Plains had to “step up to the plate…Talk is Cheap,”

 Donna McLaughlin said the Mayor was willing to help. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors advised that  Common Council members said the city was having “a tough year financially,” and taxes were likely to go up. (This news came less than two months after all on the council said the city was in great financial shape in January both in the Mayor’s State of the City Speech and Common Council President Malmud’s speech.)

Planning Study

In addition, the Board agreed to conduct a Strategic Planning Study which would take about a year to complete. Superintendent of Schools Connors said that that planning would not tell the Board whether or not the infrastructure needs covered by the proposed bond projects were the right course to take. Mr. Davidson said he had just the right consultant in mind who could conduct that kind of strategic planning, but the board did not take him up on that suggestion. Davidson also advised the Board that hiring a Construction Manager would most likely verify his firm’s cost projections of the project on the money. 

Filleting the Budget.

On the School Budget, Terrance Schruers, Assistant Superintendent for Business, announced a further cut of $300,989 in the 2006-2007 School Budget, easing the total down below $166 Million to a new total of $165,841,434.  This translates to a 7.16% year-to-year budget increase.

The action fillets the tax rate increase down from 9.45% to 9.3% and the tax rate down about $1 to $448.67 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.  (The previous Tax Rate released March 6 was $449.64. The School District is saving you 97 cents/$1,000 of assessed valuation.)

The $301,000 in cuts were achieved by eliminating a clerical position at Rochambeau, a teaching position at Mamaroneck Avenue School, and retirement at Highlands, a revise in the fuel estimate and reductions in health insurance, subsitute salary needs, clerical overtime and natural gas savings.

Schruers also announced to the Board that he was in Albany earlier in the day and learned that the Assembly and the State Senate were looking at agreeing on “adding a significant amount of money over the Governor’s project budget,” that would lower BOCES payments primarily.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. By The WPCNR Roving Photographer. March 15, 2006: Today’s photograph shows the Louis Cappelli Renaissance Square Hotel superstructure rising out of the ground above Main Street appearing visible for the first time.

Thar She Blows: The Louis Cappelli Hotel appears above Main Street Tuesday morning. When asked when the name of the hotelier would be revealed, Bruce Berg of Cappelli Enterprises said last week negotiations were still ongoing and he hoped they would be completed soon. Asked how an operator would allow a hotel to be built without having a say in the design, Mr. Berg told WPCNR, “We will build the hotel and find an operator for it.” Photo by WPCNR’s Roving Photographer.