Mitchell’s 3 TDs–Robles Saving Stop — Lick Lincoln, 24-21

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 21, 2006 UPDATED WITH PIX-DETAIL: White Plains contained Lincoln High School in the 4th Quarter bleeding off 5-and a half minutes of 4th quarter time to deny a Lancer comeback for their second win of the season Saturday afternoon.


The key defensive stop of the game happened with 9 Minutes to go in the football game with Lincoln fired up driving for a 4th and 1 on  the way for  the go-ahead touchdown.


After Bobby Thompson slowed the Lancers’ No 8, Ryan Marshall down in the backfield, Marshall was about to turn up field at the corner for the first when Matt Robles came out of nowhere to open-field tackle him on the 45 and let all the air out of the Lancer comeback.


The Robles Stop turned the momentum around and preserved a 24-21 White Plains lead built on a 200 yard rushing — 3 touchdown day by “Sugar Ray” Mitchell, so dubbed because he poured through the Lincoln defenders like sugar.



And he’s Gone! Joe Petit, (Center of Picture) turning the corner at the Lincoln 10 and down the sideline for a 36 yard touchdown run and a 6-0 lead capping Tigers 70 yard drive in 9 plays to begin the game.Photo by WPCNR Sports


The Robles “redirection” preserved a lead that had been built by “Sugar Ray” Mitchell’s third and last touchdown burst into the end zone in the third quarter to give the Tigers a 24-13 lead. With 5:30 to go, the Tigers Paul Labarbera, back at the helm executed a time-eating drive handing the ball off to Sugar Ray six straight times (eating up 5 yards a carry  to run out the time to the 1:09 mark).



Ray had his best day ever as a Tiger rushing for unofficially 200 yards on about 25 carries. Joe Petit ran around right end 36 yards for the Tigers’ first touchdown of the game. Mitchell burst through the middle for a 63 yard touchdown run in the first half and and a 5 yard TD in the second quarter to put White Plains ahead 18-13 at the half.



This game was reminiscent of the old American Football League touchdown a minute  Dallas Texans-New York Titans shoot-outs, with the Tigers scoring the first three times they had the ball, and Lincoln scoring on their first two possessions. There were no “stops” until 4 minutes remained in the first half.




Shifty Pulls in Key 3rd Down Pass on First Drive. Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


The Tigers received the opening kickoff at their 30 and went 70 yards in 9 plays. After a 5 yard penalty,  Robles carried 10 yards for a first down on the 47. Mitchell on second down carried 5 yards for a first down on the Lincoln 42. A hold pushed the Tigers back to midfield. But, Paul Labarbera back at the helm at quarterback connected with Savaughn Greene for a 19 yard cross field strike for a first down on the Lincoln 31. “Shifty” was perefectly positioned for that reception — just over the yardage needed for the first down.


 


After a penalty cost 5 yards Labarbera pitched back to Joe Petit on the JetSweep and angling to the far sideline, Petit swept past the Lancer secondary in pursuit and tightroped into the endzone for a 6-0 Tiger strike at 6:34.


 


Oops!


 


On the Tiger kickoff, Darius Ramsey muffed the kick on the nearside at the 20 and the ball squirted to the near sideline as the kickoff coverage shifted to the farside. Ramsey had his blockers to his left while the coverage swept to Ramsey’s left and behind him and he was gone 80 yards for the tying touchdown. It was 6-6 at 6:23. A kick made it 7-6, Lincoln.


 


Take That!



“Sugar Ray” Mitchell Cruises 63 Yards for 6. Photo, WPCNR Sports.


 


 


The Tigers started from their own 20, and Ray Mitchell’s big day began. He ran for 5 yards. He ran for another 5 yards. A false start pushed the Tigers back to their 25. Mitchell got that back with a 10 yard off-tackle burst. On third and 2, the Tiger offensive line tore a huge hole in the Lancer line and Mitchell battered on through, broke into the clear, split the linebackers, the corners were caught split and Mitchell went all the way – 63 yards for an electrifying 6!  The Tiger attempt for PAT failed and it was 12-7 with 2:55 to go in the first quarter.


 


Kickoff Squib


 


The Tigers,  (with the wind howling on this brisk fall day at a good 20 knots at them), tried a low kick, but it did not travel 10 yards. Lincoln recovered in good field position at their 44. Matt Robles saved a touchdown by stopping Ramsey cold with nothing but daylight at the Tiger 48. On 4th and 1 at the Tiger 48, Lincoln’s Ryan Marshall burst off tackle for 27 yards with Joe Petit saving a touchdown at the Tiger 21.  Marshal put a spin move on the Tiger linebackers for 8 yards and a first down on the Tiger 11. Angelo Devita plunged in for a 1 yard TD dive at the  10:33 mark of the second quarter to make it 13-12, Lincoln. The 2-point conversion failed. The Lancers drive had gone 56 yards in 11 plays.


 


Bobby Breaks It. Mitchell on Fire.


 


The offensive fireworks continued as the Tigers took back the lead. Bobby Thompson took the kickoff at his 20 and returned it 47 yards to the Lancer 33. On third an short at the Lincoln 24, Ray Mitchell burst to the 18. Then Mitchell for 6 to the 11. It was Mitchell for 10 more yards to the 5. Then Mitchell for 5 more for the Touch DOWN. The Tigers had retaken the lead at 18-13 with 6:29 to go.


 



 


The Mitchell Express to the Endzone. Ray Mitchell seconds after plunging into the endzone for a 5 yard touchdown run to retake the lead, 18-13 in the second quarter. Photo, WPCNR Sports.  


Can anyone here make a stop?


 


The Tigers restored normalcy to this wild offensive display, finally stopping Lincoln  at their 45 at the 3:52 mark. The last 4 minutes of the half were spent in a comedy of penalties, confusion  and discussion on the part of the officials with a series of marchoffs that frustrated a White Plains drive and the half mercifully closed with the Tigers with the lead 18-13.


 


LaBarbera to Thompson Sets Up Winner


 


Lincoln took the second half kickoff and the Tigers stopped them on 3 and out. A short punt set the Orange and Black up in business on the Lincoln 47. On second and 9 on the Lancer 46, LaBabera rolled slight to his right and threw cross field to coffin corner leading Bobby Thompson perfectly over Bobby’s right shoulder and he hauled it in just behind the defender for a first down on the Lancer 17.


 



Thompson gathering in a 30 yard pass from Paul LaBarbera at the 22 to set up the last Tiger Touchdown. Photo by WPCNR Sports. 


Labarbera called on the Mitchell Express. Ray took it for 5 to the 12, another Mitchell pitch and roll and rip set up first and goal on the 5. And again the call for Mr. Mitchell who ground it to the 1 and scampered in for the TD at 4:56. The time killing drive took 5 minutes off the clock. 47 yards, 8 plays. The kick failed and the Tigers had a 24-13 lead.


 


Oh those kickoffs!


 


Once again a Tiger squib kick due to the cross wind was fielded at the 50 by Omar Rivera who knocked it down like a third basemen and scampered past the momentum of the Tiger coverage, getting down to the Tiger 36.


 


On 4th and 3 from the White Plains 28, Ryan Marshal rolled around left end for the first down on the 25. Two plays gained no yardage. Then the Tiger secondary got burned on a big play. Devita the quarterback threw over the corner hitting  Henry Bugos all A-LONE on the 5 and he loped into the endzone. An almost identical play converted a 2-point conversion. With 40 seconds to go in the Third Quarter, Lincoln could smell the lead, it was 24-21 White Plains.


 


Robles to the Rescue.


 


The Tigers were stopped 3 and 0ut to begin the fourth quarter, with the potential for instant disaster staring them down on 4th and 20 on the Tiger 18. Punting with the wind, John Perez, standing on his own 5 yard line got off a 43-yard punt in the air. Lincoln took over at the 50.


 


Lincoln was fired up.  Marshal ran the ball to the 45. It was Marshal again to the 42. On 3rd down, Marshal lost yardage. On 4th and 4, Marshal spun away from Thompson, ran straight for the sideline and turned up field and BOOM! Matt Robles took him low and stopped him cold. The drive was stopped.


 


A key holding penalty stopped the next Tiger series and again it was 4th down and 21 from the 50 yard stripe. Enter John Perez. Calmly he got his foot into the punt and boomed it to the Lincoln 20. Perez’s two punts were pressure kicks and contributed greatly to taking the spirit out of Lincoln’s comeback.


 


Two passes failed, then   Number 66 Paris Young sacked  quarterback Devita on the Lincoln 15 forcing a punt with 4:22 to go in the game.


 


Mitchell Express runs down the clock.


 


The coaching decisions were easy for Coach Skip Stevens. He put the ball on the Mitchell Express. Ray Mitchell ran to the 42. The 32. The 25, and by that time Lincoln was down to its last 1:50, and out of timeouts.


 



Grinding Out  the Sands of Time in the Long Shadows: Paul LaBarbera (12) has just handed off to Ray Mitchell (33) on route to the killer first down on the Lincoln 25 wit 3 minutes to. Mitchell had a career day and carried 3 times for 5 yards or more on the time-killing drive in the 4th quarter. Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


Two desperation passes failed. Then the quarterback got confused and spiked the ball on 4th down to kill the clock. The Tigers took over and had notched their second win of the season.


 


White Plains awaits a Section match-up football game next weekend.


 



The Tiger Line that Lubricated the Mitchell Express and had its best game of the season: Kneeling, Savaughn Greene(83), Bobby Thompson(13) and Alexaander Trataros(18). And The Beef: George Don Pierre (64), Matt Conveney(60), Conner Spellman(72), John Kornblit(51) and Mr. 66, Paris Young. Photo, WPCNR Sports.



The Go-To Guys: Bobby Thompson (13), Matt Robles (26), Quarterback Paul LaBarbera 912) and Ray Mitchell (33)  Photo, WPCNR Sports.


 



And There’s That Band Again! The White Plains High School Traveling Band supplying pep. Photo, WPCNR Sports


 

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Referendum Passes by 5%. 139Absentee/Affidavit Ballots Create “Last Hour Rush”

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS  By John F. Bailey. October 21, 2006: There will be a second session  of the Board of Education to “recertify”  the referendum canvas ratified Wednesday evening by the White Plains Board of Education due to a “clerical error” after the first recanvas Wednesday morning, according to the Clerk to the Board of Education, Michele Schoenfeld. Ms. Schoenfeld reported the second “final” canvas results to WPCNR late Friday afternoon showing the dramatic increase in votes over the last hours of the Tuesday to be the result of the counting of 139 unopened Absentee and Affidavit by District-employed Board of Elections inspectors when polls closed.


 


WPCNR learned Thursday that the City School District conducts, records and reports its budget votes and special elections independent of any outside, neutral oversight and has for years. WPCNR has a call into the State Education Department to ascertain whether the School District has the legal ability to engage the Westchester Board of Elections legally to run and report every aspect of school elections to prevent such reporting gliches in the future.



The tally released Friday morning to the media, finds the $69.6 Million Capital Project Referendum carrying by 1050 votes to 934. That count, Schoenfeld said, includes 122 Absentee Ballots and 17 Affidavit Ballots. Of the 122 Absentee Ballots, 96 were “yes” votes and 26 were “no” votes. Of the Affidavit Votes there were 10 “Yes” Votes and 7 “No” Votes.


 


However, if all absentee and affidavit votes were thrown out, the referendum would still carry on the voting machine count, 944 to 901,  a 43-vote margin, and a 5% plurality, the margin carries by 4.56 per cent of the vote.


 


A Clerical Error: “9” was an “8”


 


Ms Schoenfeld said  the “clerical error  occurred when an “8” was incorrectly interpreted as a “9” on a recording sheet that reduced the “Yes” total by 10 votes. This was apparently discovered Thursday by the School District after the first recanvas was supposed to have been executed Friday presumably before the Board of Education ratified the vote Wednesday eveing. Ms. Schoenfeld did not say when the error was discovered but it would be presumably discovered Thursday after the “ratification.”.


 


Ms. Schoenfeld says this 8 instead of a 9 misread was the only error found in transcribing. She did not say whether she personally checked the “count wheels” in the machines, but every routine Board of Elections canvas does that, and does it before they “certify,” so naturally Ms. Schoenfeld and her two-person team would be expected to do that, too, or should have.


 


Invisible Voter Mobs were Actually Pieces of Paper


 


The perception on the part of three letter writers that there had to have been mobs of last minute voters that were not there at their three polling places Tuesday evening: Rochambeau, Highlands and Church Street would not have been perceived had the absentee ballot totals been presented Tuesday evening broken down by the School Voting Districts which they were not.  The first four Results were also chalked up on the blacboard at City School District Headquarters at Education House,  very early about 10 minutes at the most past 9 P.M., which is unprecendented, and the final two districts, the largest, were written on the big chalk board at about 9:15 P.M. Inspectors had closed the polls at 9 P.M., opened the machines, recorded to votes off the counters in the machines, and then opened all 139 paper ballots and phoned in the results to Ms. Schoenfeld by 9:15 to 9:20 P.M.


 


Ms. Schoenfeld told me that absentee ballots were delivered unopened to the six school election districts during the day presumably at the start of the polls. The School District issues Absentee Ballots on request from voters. The Board of Election does not. In order to get an Absentee Ballot, voters had to call Ms. Schoenfeld.


 


Counting Procedure


 


When the polls close, Schoenfeld said, inspectors record the voting totals within each voting machine and match the counts to the number of voters signed in. She said they then after 9 P.M., open and count the Absentee and Affidavit Ballots assigned their district and match the names to the polling sign-ins to make sure no one votes twice and that they are registered voters.


 


 


Board of Election Gets Absentees from Nursing Home


 


Commissioner of the Westchester County Board of Elections Reginald Lafayette told WPCNR that the Board of Elections sells the voter poll lists and signature sign-in books to the Board, and collects absentee ballots from nursing homes where over 25 “White Plains residents” reside within the city.


 


He said the Board of Elections assigned a Republican and a Democrat representative to go to one nursing home in White Plains the Schnurmacher Nursing Home, 12 Tibbetts Avenue, White Plains. Lafayette told WPCNR the School District requests the Board of Elections to execute acquisition of Absentee Ballots from the Schnurmacher residents.  The Board of Elections collected 64 Absentee Ballots from the Schnurmacher home in this election, accounting for the discrepancy a letter writer pointed out when they voted at the Rochambeau School and noticed about 65 more persons would have had to have voted between about 7:15 and 9 P.M. to make up the final count after they had voted.   The same is true of Church Street School and the Highlands.


 


That is unclear though, because Schoenfeld told WPCNR that the Schnurmacher residents are classified as “permanently sick and disabled” and at every election those residents have requested the Board of elections to bring them absentee ballots.


 


Schoenfeld said the City School District does not request the Board of Elections to collect absentees at each election. She said the Board of Elections has this program that persons can sign and at every election the Board will come and collect their absentee ballots and deliver then sealed to the City School District.


 


The Absentee Ballot Count, for the record provided by the City School District Friday:


 


District 1: Fire House  —   2 Ballots    — 1 YES  1 NO


 


District 2: Church Street School —  16 Ballots – 10 YES,  6 NO  (2 Machines)


 


District 3: Rochambeau School – 64 Ballots – 57 YES, 7 NO


 


District 4: Highlands (Middle Sch)   11 BALLOTS   7 YES, 4 NO   (2 Machines)


 


District 5: Mamaroneck  Av  — 8 Ballots —  7 YES    1   NO


 


District 6: Ridgeway School – 21 Ballots – 14 YES  7  NOs


 


 


                                     Absentee Ballot Totals – 96 YES 26 NO


Affidavit Ballot Counts


 


Station 1 :     Zero


 


Station 2:    1  YES, 1  NO


 


Station 3:     1 YES,


 


Station 4:     3 YES, 3 NO


 


Station 5:     2 YES 1 NO


 


Station 6:     3 YES, 2  NO


 


         Affidavit Ballots:   10 YES, 7 NO


 


 


 


This confusion on where the extra voters came from would not have occurred if these Absentee and Affidavit Ballot Breakdowns  had been included with the vote breakdown provided Tuesday evening.  The “concern” by voters would not have surfaced because WPCNR would have reported them. Ms. Schoenfeld said Tuesday night that absentee ballots had been included in the counts, and Friday’s “corrected count” appears to confirm that.

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Police Reopen Main Street & Mamaroneck Avenue

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. October 20, 2006 10:49 P.M. Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Daniel Jackson reports the wind advisory has been lifted and Main Street and Mamaroneck are now open for traffic this evening. They had previously been closed due to the 40 mile per hour winds and higher gusts.

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Portions of Highlands Lose Electricity as Stiff Winds Sweep City.

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From a White Plains CitizeNetReporter. October 20 UPDATED  9:52 P.M. E.D.T.: A Highlands resident reports to WPCNR says Con Edison crews are working on the outage in the  Hartsdale Avenue, and the portion of  Midchester that was out of power is back on/


However, our correspondent says, after interviewing Con Edison workers that they told them they have had to cut all power because there were an undetermined number of live wires down and men were working in the area, and to facilitate repair they cut power causing “all of Soundview to Prescott and around to Ridgeway, and south from Soundview to Cushman Road.


Our correspondent reports Con Edision crews have told them the original outage was caused by a tree going down at Ralph Field. Previously, after the last blackout in September, Con Edison had said they were going to undertake a tree trimming program to eliminate trees close to overhead power wires. However, WPCNR has observed trees with “Xs” on them for at least a month that have not been “taken out.”


Residents who lose electricity should advise Con Edision, 1-800-75-CONED. For NYSEG, 1-800-572-1131. Police will not contact Con Edison for you. It is the fifth time this year the Highlands and White Plains have suffered electrical outages because of weather.


As of 8:45 this evening the back area of RockyDell is also blacked out (higher numbers of 
Hazelton & Coralyn, Brentwood, & Norma.


Con Ed has informed the county that it has brought in extra crews. The storm could bring wind gusts of as much as 45 mph between now and 10 p.m. tonight (Friday). Winds will continue at least until 1 a.m. Saturday morning.


 Con Ed also says it has increased it customer service phone lines and personnel to ensure minimal waits. Customers reporting an outage may use an automatic line or wait to get a person. Either way, the outage will be reported.


Please pass on this information to any friends who are without power.

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Main Street, Fountain Plaza Closed: Police. Debris Blown Off.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. October 20, 2006 UPDATED 10:45 P.M. with PiX:  WPCNR has confirmed from White Plains Police that Main Street  and Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains are closed at this hour. Residents should be advised of the danger of flying debris in the sustained 30 Mile per hour winds, gusting to 40 Miles per hour.



LIKE OLD TIMES IN WHITE PLAINS; View from Corner of Martine and Mamaroneck Ave 9 P.M. Friday night: You could shoot a cannon off and not hit somebody again. Fountain Plaza deserted as White Plains Police cordon off area due to unsecured debris being blown off the “ghostly tower” of The Ritz-Carlton skeleton center of picture. Photo, WPCNR News


WPCNR observations of the City Center-Fountain Plaza area from 8:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. have discovered that Applebee’s, Legal Seafood and Zanaro’s are closed. Citizens are being prevented from walking Main Street West to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and East past City Hall to E. J. Conroy Drive. They are also not being allowed to walk past Martine Avenue. Police interviewed on the scene said they had no idea what debris fell. They also had no idea how long the area would be closed, or whether it would open Saturday morning if the winds subsided. The officer WPCNR spoke with said the area was closed between 5 and 6 P.M.  WPCNR was originally told glass had fallen to the street by a person reporting the incident, but this was denied by police.



The view down an empty Main Street, 9 P.M. Seen from corner across from City Hall. Bar Building is in center of picture. The “ghost” of The Ritz-Carlton (under construction) looms top center. Photo, WPCNR News


The City Center can be entered from the City Place Court yard at Martine Avenue. Movies, retail establishments are open for business.  


In a reported television interview moments ago, Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson told News 12 construction debris, including a piece of plywood had falled from the builing.


According to Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson reporting to WPCNR as of 7 P.M. E.D.T.:


Currently Main Street east of MLK ( Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard) and Mamaroneck Ave. North of Martine are closed. When the wind picked up this afternoon some debris started blowing off 221 Main Street (Ritz-Carlton Hotel). A construction worker suffered a back injury on the 32nd floor when he was blown into a stairwell. At that point the building department determined that it was unsafe for anyone to be on the construction until the wind dies down. 



No glass panels were blown out. We will have the roads closed until the wind subsides. The current wind advisory is in effect until 10 pm for the local area.

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Johnny V. Mr. White Plains Sports — Interviews LA’s Mota, Duncan on BTG–Tues

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. October 20, 2006: Mets Rehab continues into Day 2. White Plains Public Access Television, Channel 76, popular sports television talkshow Beyond the Game presents Gedney’s own Johnny Vorperian interviews with Los Angeles Dodgers Coaches, Manny Mota and Mariano Duncan  Tuesday at  10 P.M. on the local sportscaster’s long-running sports celebrity talk show.  Johnny will also be talking with Sports-caster Julion Pabon, the host of the only bilingual sports talk show in New York on WVOX.



Johnny V on the Diamond with Dodger Pinch-hitter de Lux, now Coach, Manny Mota. Photo, Courtesy, Beyond the Game.



Johnny V In the Dugout with Mariano Duncan of the Dodgers. Photo, Courtesy Beyond the Game


 


 

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Referendum Yes Vote Drops 10 Votes. Does Not Affect Result

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education. October 20, 2006: The City School District announced Friday morning that the number of yes votes, due to a clerical error has been reduced from 1,060 to 1,050. The Number of “No Votes” remains at 934. This will be officially reratified by the Board of Education October 23, 2006 at 7:30 P.M.

     

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School District Supervises, Reports Own Elections, Not Cty Board of Elections.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. October 19, 2006: This may surprise you, because it surprised me, and surprised every one I talked to about it.


 


School District elections in White Plains are not supervised, reported or certified by the Westchester County Board of Elections, according to Tajiane Jones, assistant to Reginald Lafayette the Westchester County Board of Elections Commissioner. The conduct of a school district election and the reporting of its results is solely the responsibility of the City School District


This was a revelation to this reporter who had always thought that at every election in White Plains, the County Board of Elections oversaw the conduct and recorded and reported the results. They do not.  The School District which supervises the school budget vote in May of every year, and Board of Education elections when required is totally responsible for supervising the vote and reporting the results.


 


Ms. Jones said that the County Board of Elections makes available lists of Board of Elections Inspectors to the School District to select from to staff their six election district locations. Jones reported to WPCNR that the Board of Elections supplies the poll lists and signature books which voters arriving on School District Election Day have to sign next to their photocopied signature as they vote. Jones said the District purchases these sign-in books from the Board of Elections, and at the close of the election, the books with the records of who signed in to vote that day are retained by the School District. They are not kept on file with the Board of Elections.


 


Michele Schoenfeld Explains the Process


 


Upon learning this from the Board of Elections, WPCNR asked Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education how the City School District runs its elections.


 


Schoenfeld said she supervises the election with the help of two assistants. She said the district hires Westchester County Board of Elections Inspectors, “most of whom,” she says, “are hired and trained by the Westchester County Board of Elections.”


 


She said they are given a list of rules and protocols to follow and there are three Inspectors, who read the results when the Polling Place closes and phone them in to Ms. Schoenfeld. Schoenfeld said the three inspectors sign a sheet  (A Statement of Canvas) attesting that the number of persons voting and signed in match the number of votes on the machines.


 


Inspectors Trained by County


 


Schoenfeld said the inspectors are trained in operation and opening and counting the voting machines by the County Board of Elections.


 


She explained that each voting machine arrives with a running total on it from previous elections. When the polls close, the inspectors note the number of tallies of  candidate votes or, in the case of the Tuesday election this week,  proposition YES-NO votes, and subtract them from the new total, as a check of how many persons voted, and match that number with those voters signed in. Schoenfeld said they sign a sheet guaranteeing the results. Of course this would mean when there is more than one machine, inspectors add the totals from all three machines to get the number of voters.


 


No Machine-Created Paper Record.


Impound for 30 Days.


 


Schoenfeld reported that there is no paper record created by the voting machines on how many votes were recorded when they are use.


 


Schoenfeld said the election machines are locked up for 30 days, which, looking forward would mean that the approximately 10 voting machines could not be used by the city in their general election November 7. As readers of WPCNR will recall, one of the rationales given by the School District for having the voting for the referendum proposition conducted October 17 and not November 7, the general election day was there were not enough voting machines for the school district to use. The White Plains City Clerk had told WPCNR the city had about 76 machines available, and they expected to use 63 in the November 7 election.


 


In view of this information told WPCNR today, that the machines the district used Tuesday are locked away for 30 days, those machines will not be available for the November 7 general election. This would indicate that the machines could have been available for use by the school district on Election Day after all.


 


As far as inspecting records of any School District election, Schoenfeld said the poll lists and sign-in books from Tuesday are available for viewing at the City School District as well as the list of the inspectors the school district hired to run each district.

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State Education Department Clarifies 60% Majority Circumstances.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From J. Burman, Public Affairs, NY State Education Depatment. October 18, 2006: On Wednesday, before the School District had made a statement on why the District Referendum passed with a simple majority, instead of a 60% plurality, WPCNR asked the State Education Department to clarify the 60% rule. A media spokesperson, provided the following background to WPCNR:


The following Q&As come from a book called “School Law,” which is published jointly by the NYS School Boards Association and the NYS Bar Association. It’s not an SED publication, but provides a good overview of the law.

Q:  Must a school board adopt a resolution to authorize the issuance of bonds and notes?


A:  Yes, according to section 31.00 of the Local Finance Law.

Q:  Must the school district’s voters approve the issuance of bonds and capital notes?


A:  Yes. With limited exceptions, before a school board can adopt a resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds or capital notes, voters must approve a tax to be collected in installments for the bonds that are to be issued (§ 37.00; see also Educ. Law § 416). Different restrictions can be found in sections 37.00 and 104.00 of the Local Finance Law.




Q:   Does a school district need the consent of the Board of Regents or the state comptroller to issue bonds?


A:   The consent of the Board of Regents to issue bonds is necessary when a district, other than a city school district, having an aggregate assessed valuation of real property of $100,000 or more (excluding the payment of judgments or settled or compromised claims), proposes to issue bonds or bond anticipation notes, which would cause the school district’s indebtedness, as determined pursuant to Local Finance Law section 137.00, to exceed 10 percent of the valuation of the real property subject to taxation by the school district. Moreover, under such circumstances, the tax voted to be collected in installments to satisfy the indebtedness, or the proposition for the approval of the bond resolution, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the qualified voters who vote at the election called for such purposes (§ 104.00(d)).
   
In school districts located wholly within the Adirondack Park that have within their boundaries state lands subject to taxation, the full valuation of which is more than 30 percent of the full valuation of real property subject to taxation by the school district, the consent of the state comptroller also is required (§ 104.00(d)(3)).
   
In city school districts, the consent of both the Board of Regents and the state comptroller is necessary before the district can contract indebtedness (including existing indebtedness) that exceeds 5 percent of the average valuation of real property in the school district. Under such circumstances, the tax voted to be collected in installments to satisfy the indebtedness, or the proposition for the approval of the bond resolution, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the qualified voters who vote at the election called for such purposes. The proposition presented to the voters must contain a statement indicating that the obligations to be issued may exceed the constitutional debt limit of the school district (§ 104.00(b)(8), (c); see also 19:76).

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Board of Ed Ratifies Final Referendum Result. Trataros Returns to Board.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. October 18, 2006: The Board of Education received the final official referendum Special Election results this evening from Clerk to the Board, Michele Schoenfeld, and ratified the result unanimously. The final tally was 1,060 voting YES, and 934 voting No for the $69.6 Million Capital Project, a plurality of 53% for and 47% against.



A Full Board Ratifies the Special Election and $66.5 Million in new lending this evening. Photo, WPCNR News


The meeting signalled the return of School Board President, Michelle Trataros to her seat on the board. Ms. Trataros, (shown in orange sweater at head of table in above photo), is in the process of defending a charge  against her for alleged endangerment of the welfare of a child (her daughter), and second-degree harassment. She  has not sat on a public meeting of the Board since September. William Pollak has been Acting President for Ms. Tratoros since the week of September 1, so as not to distract the public from the referendum issue, Pollak said (at the time Ms. Tratoros stopped attending public meetings of the Board of Education).


 


Michele Schoenfeld, the clerk of the Board presented the following final official results:


#1-Fire Station # 5         62 YES       88 NO


#2-Church St. School    175 YES    163 NO


#3-Rochambeau School 116 YES      59 NO


#4-Middle School          293 YES     230 NO


#5-Mam’k Ave School     53 YES       47 NO


#6-Ridgeway School       361 YES     347 NO


TOTALS                       1060 YES    934 NO


Yes: 53%


Schoenfeld said about twenty more absentee ballots were counted with approximately 15 being for the proposition, and 17 Affidavit Ballots from a senior citizens’ home were counted most of which were for the issue. She said officials from the Board of Elections recorded those ballots and oversaw the seniors’ signatures on the ballots.


The Absentee Ballots were delivered to the school district, unopened by the Board of Elections.


Tratoros Never Off.


Michelle Trataros returned to the Board, sitting at the head of the table. WPCNR asked Ms. Trataros if she was back on the Board to stay, and she said she had never left the Board. 


 In view of the Board of Education statement that Ms. Trataros had left the Board temporarily while she dealt with the court proceedings against her, WPCNR asked Ms. Trataros if her daughter had returned home, (currently reported living with relatives) and Ms. Trataros said that that was a personal question she declined to answer.  Asked if the case had been settled, Ms. Trataros referred WPCNR to her attorney but declined to give WPCNR his telephone number.


WPCNR asked if Ms. Trataros felt, in view of her personal experience in her current court case, whether she felt she could maintain an objective view and make valid judgments on discipline issues coming before her on the Board of Education, and she declined to answer the question.

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