THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

Hits: 0

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. FROM NOAA. February 18, 2007: A WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM…JUST EAST OF LONG ISLAND THIS MORNING…WILL RAPIDLY INTENSIFY AS IT TRACKS NORTHEAST OF CAPE COD THIS AFTERNOON…AND INTO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES TONIGHT. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT BETWEEN THIS DEPARTING LOW AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE OHIO VALLEY…WITH NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTS TO 40 MPH EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO MONDAY AFTERNOON.

MEANWHILE A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE THIS
AFTERNOON…USHERING AN ARCTIC AIRMASS INTO THE REGION FOR TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH THE 20S THIS EVENING AND INTO THE LOWER TO MID TEENS BY MONDAY MORNING.

THE BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES…ALONG WITH STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS…WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILL VALUES FROM FIVE TO TEN DEGREES
BELOW ZERO LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE.

EXPOSURE TO COLD CAN CAUSE LIFE THREATENING HEALTH CONDITIONS.
AVOID SERIOUS CONDITIONS SUCH AS FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA BY
KEEPING WARM. IF YOU MUST GO OUTSIDE…WEAR LAYERED CLOTHING…
MITTENS OR GLOVES…AND A HAT. IF YOU OR A PERSON YOU SUSPECT IS SUFFERING FROM FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA…SEEK MEDICAL HELP
IMMEDIATELY OR CALL 911.

THIS WEATHER SYSTEM WILL ALSO PRODUCE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF TONIGHT.

THE COMBINATION OF WINDS AND SNOWFALL MAY CREATE LOCALLY POOR
VISIBILITIES AND ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL NOT OCCUR IN ALL AREAS SO PLEASE BE WARY FOR CHANGING TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO OR VISIT OUR WEB
SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/NYC FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND UPDATES.

Hits: 0

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. February 17, 2007: It is the birthday of our first President, George Washington, the father of our nation, coming up this Thursday.  One cannot help be reminded of the snowy winter at Valley Forge, when the bedraggled, poorly equipped rebel army suffered but held together, and attacked the Hessians in Trenton on Christmas Eve, 1776, crossing the Delaware River at night. What kind of man was he that George Washington could inspire his troops against all odds?

Washington was a man of tremendous character. Where did he get this character? He specialized in self-control at an early age.

Reenacters Marching to Raise Old Glory at Purdy House in Honor of George Washington’s Birthday. Photo, 2003 WPCNR News Archive.

Honor Guard Strikes the Colors to a Drum Roll. Photo, WPCNR News.

Note: The American President By Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Peter W. Kunhardt (Riverhead Books. Penguin-Putnam, Inc.,1999) is the source for this information on George Washington.

This article originally appeared in The CitizeNetReporter in 2003.

Hits: 0

WPCNR THE TRAVEL SCOOP. By John F. Bailey. February 16, 2007 UPDATED 4:40 PM EST: Most air traffic out of Westchester County Airport is being delayed  due to refueling problems, reports a WPCNR observer at Westchester County Terminal.

Susan Tolchin, Assistant to the Westchester County Executive and Director of Communications reports to WPCNR the problem is due to fuel trucks being delayed and unable to deliver fuel to the airport due to the weather over the last few days. She said the airlines all use the same vendor.  

Ms. Tolchin reports that the airport expects to return to normal “within a couple of hours.”

One passenger reports passengers arriving for flights out of Westchester are not being allowed to board because aircraft cannot refuel. Persons expecting to depart should be advised to check with their air carrier. WPCNR has been advised that all Air Tran flights have been cancelled.

To illustrate the problem, our correspondent says that an announcement just made told passengers waiting to board a US Airways airliner to Washington, D.C. that the aircraft has enough fuel to make it to Stewart airport, take on fuel there and head on to Washington or  passengers can wait until the next flight out which is in three days.. Something to do with the fuel trucks, our correspondent reports. WPCNR  is attempting to get more information. 

The correspondent reports the terminal is crowded and “a madhouse, people camped out on the floor.”

Hits: 0

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS by John F. Bailey. February 16, 2007: The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors  in a statement said that the Strategic Plan Core Planning Committee had had a successful three day conference last week, and now the process would begin to develop Action Committees of citizens to define the actions needed to implement the 5 Strategies created by the Core Planning Committee at the Crowne Plaza Hotel “retreat” last week.

Connors  said the process was expected to be completed by November when the 10 Year Strategic Plan would be presented to the Board of Education. He made the remarks at the Board of Education meeting Monday night.  Photo, WPCNR News

There was no statement on the directions the Strategic Plan is going to take, and what issues they considered the district had to address.   There was no indication, for example, whether the Core Planners considered budget containment, administration structure, new building possibilities, demographic shifts,  adding bilingual teachers,  reaching out to obtain corporation financial support were to be pursued, just a few of potential directions a school district with a budget rising twice the rate of inflation yearly with an eroding assessment role might address.

Peter Bassano, Board member made a statement saying the Core Planning Group had identified 5 Strategies “which define the priorities of the planning process that will be addressed by the action Planning Teams.” What the priorities and objectives  are was not announced by Mr. Bassano, either.

Bassano a member of the committee announced the 5 Strategies were

1. Curriculum and Programs;

2. Communications;

3. District Resources (including finances, infrastructure, personnel);

4. Developing leadership, and

5. Commitment to Implementation of the plan.

Bassano assured the public there was a great deal of controversy during the three days with the “Core Planning 30:”

 “Some of the comments we received from the community echoed my own initial skepticism. As the action teams are formed and begin the detailed planning work, I hope some of these community members will take an active part in the process.”

The board member told the audience “This first phase was not easy. Difficult and occasionally uncomfortable issues were open aired in a bold and constructive manner. The process was not a self-congratulatory, “feel good” exercise.”

He said that the experience was a very good one that they left with a very positive feeling about the district.

Bassano told the CitizeNetReporter that persons wishing to be on the Action Teams being formed to construct strategies to implement the undisclosed priorities should contact the Superintendent’s office, 422-2019.

Three parents, Sheryl Brady, Charlie Norris and Jerry Rosen members of the Core Planning Committee addressed the meeting saying what a great experience it was, and how participation of the students on the committee, Randy Patterson, Ana Montoya and Victor Brady made all so proud of the school district that the students were able to bring so much to the table

Mr. Rosen, one of those parents told WPCNR on leaving the meeting that no specific objectives had been set by the five Strategies. He said no problems or situations had been identified by the Core Planners either, and he said setting objectives to achieve the “Strategies” was up to the Action Committees.

Public will be informed.

Superintendent Connors said that once the Action Committees had set policies to achieve the “priorities” (whatever they may be), he would be glad to explain them and a report would be available to the community. There was no timetable set for the Action Committees to report.

Another committee that will be formed would be an Evaluation Committee to report on how successful the actions of the “Action Plans” were being executed. The Superintendent is picking the members of the Action Committees.

Bassano, in his remarks said, “We have already gotten constructive input from a broad cross section of our community, ranging from parents, educators, representatives from our City government and community members, even from a former mayor and former school superintendent. Going forward, we are gong to take advantage of these community assets as we put together the action teams who will work over the next several months to gather and analyze data and develop specific plans of action to recommend to the Board.”

Stadium — Post Road  Projects Report on February 26

The Superintendent of Schools reported that he would bring the district up to date on the Stadium renovation (a $9.5 Million expenditure), and the Post Road School project (a $39 Million expenditure), part of the $69.6 Million project  on Monday, February 26 at the next Board of Education Meeting.

Peter Bassano mentioned that the architect, Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson had already met with the Post Road School “stakeholders” explaining and getting school input on the final design of that renovation. He did not say if there were any significant changes. WPCNR has learned that the architect has also met with the coaches and other stakeholders in the stadium project.

Connors told WPCNR that final design plans had not been sent to the State Education Department for approval, and did not expect the plans would go to Albany for at least two weeks.

No mention of Court Order and Settlement of WPHS Renovation Court Case

Connors did not make any public mention of the status of the Court Order that Judge Charles Brieant of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District handed down to the district January 25.  Judge Brieant found, in a non-jury trial, that the district owes Travelers Casualty and Surety Company approximately $2 Million in fees and services stemming from the high school renovation. The Judge also found the architect as having engaged in constructive fraud on the White Plains High School renovation project which Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, the architect on the new Capital Project oversaw.

Minor Cert & Transportation Contract Settled.

On other matters – Assistant Superintendent for Business  Fred Seiler said that the White Plains Mall was approved to receive a $101,501.35 certiorari payment. Seiler also reported the district had reached a five year contract with the White Plains Bus Company for transportation services for the district which will be pegged to the rate of yearly inflation, estimated to be about 3.2% for each of the next five years (through 2012).

Hits: 0

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From U.S. District Court, Southern District. February 15, 2007: Lawyers for the White Plains Public Schools have filed a Motion to Reconsider with the court today, delaying any possible settlement of the multi-million judgement handed down by Judge Charles Brieant, January 25. The Clerk to the District Court said he noted no letter suggesting a payment settlement to Travelers Casualty and Surety Company (which took over the White Plains High School renovation), after Trataros Construction had been declared in default by the School District.

The amount stated in the court order would indicate White Plains owes over $2 Million to Travelers. However, the district has over $800,000 left in the renovation account to offset that.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR today  the school district lawyers are still working a settlement. He said he knows the amount, but did not choose to reveal it at this time.