WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR MILESTONES. April 10, 2006: A friend passes along this family remembrance of Stanley Schear:

The family of Stanley Schear would like you to know that Stanley, 77, died peacefully at home at the Schear farmhouse in Briarcliff Manor, NY, on Saturday morning, April 8. A team of home hospice nurses and a home health aide worked with the Schear family to keep Stanley comfortable and free of pain. Stanley was diagnosed with esophageal cancer nearly three years ago, and he continued to live his life con gusto and work on behalf of the causes he believed in, despite major surgery and rounds of chemo therapy and radiation treatments.

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Since 2001, Stanley dedicated himself to the low-income elderly residents of Westchester County, New York as the Director of the LIFE Program (Living Independently for the Frail Elderly ) of Family Service of Westchester. For the preceding decade, Stanley directed the Bridge Fund of Westchester, a program that prevents homelessness by making it possible for at-risk individuals and families to stay in their homes and apartments.

Before becoming a full-time advocate for affordable housing, Stanley was renowned for twenty-five years as the owner and operator of Jespersen’s Pastry Shop in Scarsdale Village, where his famed chocolate pastry named for Sarah Bernhardt brought joy to countless connoisseurs of fine pastry. 

Stanley was also well known as a community activist who believed that all people deserve the dignity of a roof over their heads, regardless of their race, income, age, or mental health status. An avid defender of the U.S. Bill of Rights, Stanley served on the boards of the Westchester County and New York State Civil Liberties Unions, as well as the Paul Robeson Foundation. Stanley founded and organized the annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration for high school students, which takes place at St. Paul’s Church in Mt. Vernon, the site of the trial of Peter Zenger, which established freedom of the press.

Stanley is survived by Doris Schear, his loving wife and life partner of 58 years, his daughter Rose Anne and sons Stuart and Mitchell, and their families. Stanley leaves behind many friends, admiring colleagues, and fellow activists who believe in the full promise of the American dream for all. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Stanley’s honor to the Sunshine Fund of Family Service of Westchester, which meets critical needs of the county’s low-income frail elderly, so they may live with dignity. Donations to the Sunshine Fund may be sent c/o FSW, One Gateway Plaza, Port Chester, NY, 10573.

A public Memorial Service will take place at the Westchester Society for Ethical Culture in White Plains on Saturday, April 29 at 1 PM. . The family will be receiving guests on Monday April 10 and Tuesday April 11 starting at 5 PM, and on Sunday, April 16 starting at 2 PM at 230 South State Road in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Burial is private.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE.  By John F. Bailey April 8, 2006: First looks at two pages of the 2006-2007 budget by WPCNR indicate the city is running a deficit of  $2,249,069 more than revenues as the Common Council prepares to be briefed by the Mayor’s financialists Monday at 6 P.M. in the Mayor’s Conference Room at City Hall. The projected tax rate for both city and school system mean the owner of the White Plains average home assessed at $15,000, will pay a total of $8,393 in school and city property taxes in budget year 2006-2007.

THE RAW BUDGET. A “Black Market” copy of the budget may be seen on www.whiteplainsonline.com. Photo, WPCNR DocuLab.

The tax rate bumping up against 9% is caused in part by the hemorrhaging of assessables that spiraled down to $296,154,564 for 2006-2007 down from $302,256,199 in 2005-2006. The city has to make up far less than the school district. The ratio between school district and city tax dollar is $4 for every $1.

When School and City Taxes Mingle…

Combine the rather modest  $144 City Tax increase with the $500 increase called for by the new School District Adopted Budget released Monday.  That same average total city-school tax bill for for $15,000 property will goes up $644 for that $15,000-assessed house. 

The homeowner of the $15,000 home pays $1,989 in City Tax as the present City Budget goes into surgery, and $6,404 in School Property Taxes for a total of $8,393 in taxes.

Budget Director Outlook

Anne Reasoner writing in the 2006-2007 begins with this analysis of the city in transition:

“if the City had not planned as well as it has for the future, the following facts hold true here: The assessment reductions on older buildings would still have happened, since the Equalization Rate substantially affects valuation and the increase of residential properties are part of the mix. The increased sales taxes would not have been there to help restrain property taxes. Additional revenues from PILOTS vs. equivalent property taxes would not have been generated. The sizable mortgage tax revenues realized by the City would have been substantially less, not to mention parking revenues from increased visitors and White Plains would very likely have continued to be a City in decline with a deteriorating downtown, instead of the vibrant, award-winning place it has become, attracting new (on balance higher earning and younger residents and visitors to live, work, and play.

Ms. Reasoner’s predictions are mixed:  Revenues from Sales Tax will eventually level off. To that end, it is imperative for the City to review fee structures in all departments to make sure they are kept up to date. Ms. Reasoner, in addition calls for consolidations and to be wary of duplication of services between departments.

Sales Tax Flat at this time. Waiting for Wal Mart

Sales Tax in the 06-07 budget is estimated as $42,550,000 absolutely deadeven with 2005-2006. The city is crossing its fingers that Wal-Mart due to open this month will get the sales tax nudging.  The money collected in sales tax after six months of 2005-2006 was sitting on $21,184,041. Unless Wal Mart comes through big time in May June bringing in a million, without impacting Target and other mall stores, the city will not have that little something extra. But, that is not to say the Wal Mart Windfall will not save the day.

Meanwhile, salaries are projected at $69 million, up 4.2%,(from $66,216,965)  benefits $32.4 Million up 6-1/2% (from $30,424,197) and Debt Service at $8.9 Million in 2006-2007.

The unforeseen windfalls of 2006-2007 could bring visions and realities of  mortgage taxes, new assessment valuations, higher parking collections, and land sales to turn a surplus. But, this should all come clear as the budget talks begin Monday evening.

One thing Ms. Reasoner notes is that the revenue budget is bolstered to the tune of $1,483,365 in deferred (amortized) pension payments for the police and fire pensions, for the third year straight. This technique actually produced the 2004-2005 surplus the city announced prior to the election, when $2,350,000 was teamed with the  mortgage tax windfall of approximately $4,000,000.

Cash coming in over the transom from mortgage taxes in combination with the pension amortization was the 2004-2005 magic bullet that created the “surplus” OF $1,451,437 in 2004-2005.

Combined Budgets Show City Operating at a loss going into budget deliberations. Photo, WPCNR DocuLab.

The “Paper Chaser” Puts 2006-2007 Budget Online

The “paper chaser,” Don Hughes has posted the elusive City of White Plains 2006-2007 Proposed Budget on his “just the documents, ma’am” website where he publishes the documents the city of White Plains could publish if it wished to on its own website, but does not.

Mr. Hughes, as a service to Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains publishes them for aficionados of the obsure but impactful ordinances, relations and decisions that alter and illuminate and complicate our time. All the sections of the brand-new $25 a copy  budget may be viewed at http://www.whiteplainsonline.com/WPOL_listing.rsp?_p_Operation=Ordinance&_p_Path=bd/2007/0.ProposedBudget/ 

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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. From Council of Neighborhood Associations. April 7, 2006: Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub and an entourage of police top brass will be the guests of the Council of Neighborhood Associations Tuesday, April 11 at 7:45 P.M. Commissioner Straub will introduce his three new “Precinct Commanders” to the neighborhoods and explain how the neighborhood and the police can work more closely together in a joint effort to make White Plains a safer city.  The meeting is at 5 Homeside Lane, Education House.

The New White Plains Police Big Three at CNA Tuesday: Public Safety Commissioner Frank Straub, center is flanked by First Deputy Commissioner Charles Jennings, left, and new Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson, right. They will be joined by Police Chief William Bradley, newly appointed Assistant Police Chief Anne FitzSimmons, and new “Precinct Commanders, Lieutenant Kevin Christopher Commander of the North Area, Lietenant Elizabeth Seit, Commander for the South Area of the City and Police Sergeant Wade Hardy for Captain Paul Lundin who will be in charge of the Central Business District. The White Plains police officials will describe how the new Area Command will be implemented to the neighborhoods. Photo of Wednesday news conference by WPCNR News.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. April 6, 2006:  Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains can feel a little safer tonight. Thanks to unrelenting investigative reporting by yours truly in the face of an onslaught of city denials, threat of lawsuit, and charges of “unsubtantiated allegations”among other hurtful invective hurled from city officials from their citadel on the second floor of City Hall, the 2nd copy of The City of White Plains 2006-2007 Proposed Budget has been located.

The Reference Desk reports as of 2:40 P.M. they have the green and white book, the size of a tombstone and just as heavy has been located by the crack White Plains Library Staff and is available for viewing with no time limit by Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains. But you can’t take it out of the Library. 

A member of the City of White Plains Budget Department confirmed the book had been delivered Tuesday morning, but had been misplaced and was missing. The Budget Department member contacted WPCNR this afternoon and explained that “the budget book was delivered Tuesday morning and was inadvertently left in an Administrative Section (of the library).”

However, for two and a half days the library staff did not know they had the budget book when it was requested. They told reader Don Hughes and another interested citizen, it had not been delivered.

 WPCNR by its Pulitzer Prize winning pursuit of “The Case of the Missing Budget Book”  is pleased to bring a second copy of the Budget Book into service for interested citizens to peruse. The other Budget Book is for viewing only at the City Clerk’s office.

If you wish a personal copy, it will cost you $25, according to Executive Officer Paul Wood who announced the “Pay for the Budget Book” policy — the first time the city has ever charged for the book this week. However books are not expected to be available until the end of next week. No explanation has been given for the budget book shortage.

The mysterious misplacement of an important book by a library joins White Plains folklore taking its place with the “Case of the Missing Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio Portrait” last year which went missing for a week, only to be found under a stairwell in the city rotunda, said to be for “cleaning,” and the infamous “Case of the Nicoletti Memo” that revealed the city Main Street sewer coverup, that never made its way to the Common Council.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 5, 2006: Sharp dressed Marines in uniforms button hole them in the WPHS parking lots surrounding the White Plains High School. According to two WPHS Guidance Counselors speaking Monday evening at The Board of Education, they meet young Hispanic men and women students and promise them anything to sign up for the military, and recently the pressure has increased. White Plains High School wants the zealous, not-by-the-books military recruiting on campus by the local Marine Recruitment Center to stop.

The aggressive military recruiting techniques used by the Marines, (reminiscent of fraternity rush), were detailed by  WPHS Guidance Counselors Harvey Mason and Magda Martas at Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting. Photo,WPCNR News

 Mason told of a young woman who was talked into joining the military and just before the date when she was to sign the recruitment papers, she received a four year scholarship to a college. He also advised of overzealous promises on the part of  recruiters, citing the example of  Emanuel Paulus a 2005 WPHS graduate last year who did sign up, who was promised he would not be sent to a combat zone. Mr. Paulus was sent to Afghanistan April 1.

The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors is sending a letter to local military recruiters reminding them of the rules for engagement with White Plains High students, which all colleges and outside organizations desiring to meet personally with White Plains students have to observe for security reasons.

Ms. Martas read the following statement detailing typical Marine recruiting techniques:

On March 7, 2006, at approximately 3:15 as I was leaving White Plains High School campus I noticed an SUV with government license plates in the parking lot. There were two marines, one outside the vehicle and the other in the driver’s seat. The Marine in the driver’s seat was speaking with 5 students. I parked my car behind the SUV and stepped up to the group of students. I could see that they all had business cards in their hands.

I went by the driver’s door I could see the same cards in the Marine’s hands. I asked for one. He refused. I asked a second time and asked why he was in the school’s parking lot. Still refusing to give me a card, he pointed to the other marine and said he was visiting a teacher. I asked for the card a third time and stated that it was obvious by the cards in the students’ hands and his; in addition to being in uniform and in a government vehicle that he was recruiting.

He denied it and still did not give me a card. At that point I told him not to give me a card because any one of the students could give me one and that I would give it to my director. He proceeded to tell me he knew my director (Henry Cafaro, Director of Guidance, WPHS). To this I said that he should also know the protocol for accessing our students. Reluctantly, he gave me his card.

I returned to the school and found Mr. Cafaro and told him what was going on in the parking lot. He read the name on the card and said this person had been banned from the school grounds.

To Mr. Cafaro’s credit, he called the recruitment center that evening and brought this matter up to their attention and followed it up with a letter to the recruitment station. I relayed my experience to Mr. Harvey Mason and the next morning, Mr. Mason and I met with Mr. Toper. Of the matters discussed, Mr. Mason and I expressed the following concerns:

The aggressive pursuit of our children to join the military.

The need for a clear message from the district regarding recruitment to the recruiting center.

A meeting was also held (March 9^th) with the Staff Sergeant, T.S. Edgett, Mr. Toper (Principal of White Plains High School), Mr. Cafaro, Mr. Mason and myself. At this meeting, we all relayed to Staff Sergeant Edgett our concerns and Mr. Toper specifically expressed, addressed the need to follow the protocol.

Prior to my experience with this particular individual (Sergeant C. R. Iglesias of the Marine Corps, as identified by the WPHS Guidance Department to WPCNR today), I had heard of other military personnel coming on to school grounds as early as 7:00 A.M. to pursue students. I had also been told about methods used to persuade students to join.

Among these (methods) was to tell the students that they could get residency/citizenry documents for their families and that they would not be sent to fight.

The latter could not be further from the truth. Emanuel Paulus, Class of 2005 was told this when he was recruited by the army. This past Saturday, April 1, 2006, he was shipped to Afghanistan. He has two brothers at White Plains High School who needless to say are frightened for their brother.

I am also concerned that specific recruitment efforts are being focused on Latino students. Many of our Latino families come from countries where the military’s power goes unchecked and their fear or feeling of intimidation of the military is very real.

The United States Military pursuing these children creates an unfair situation that can too easily be taken advantage of by U.S. Military personnel. This is where the separate mailing of the “Opt Out Letter” (sent home to parents in a packet prior to the start of school, and containing a sign-off provision that enables parents to decline the availability of students to mailings and contact by outside organizations), in Spanish in addition to English is vital.

I have come to you the Board of Education of the White Plains School District asking you to consider my request. As a guidance counselor my paramount concern is the safety of our children and today more than ever I feel that this safety is threatened. Our children’s lives depend on how well we protect them from harm.”

Frequent Offender

Henry Cafaro, speaking to WPCNR Wednesay said the individual, Sergeant C. R. Iglesias of the U.S. Marine Corps had been repeatedly warned about previous violations of WPHS protocols, and had been banned from recruiting at the high school. He said Sergeant Iglesias’ most recent violation occurred Monday April 3, when he had arrived at WPHS saying he had an appointment with a teacher, and it turned out Sergeant Iglesias did not.

Cafaro said the army recruiters have observed the protocol and have been very cooperative, visiting when they are scheduled in the WPHS College and Career Center.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told the Board of Education and Mr. Mason and Ms.  Martas he would forward a letter to the Marine Recruitment Center restating the protocol.

For the record, Military Recruiters are:

1. Military Recruiters must make appointments for visits and leave their phone numbers and their supervisor’s phone number.
   
2. Recruiters will be limited to one visit per semester.
   
3. Recruiters will be give a one period time limit per visit.
   
4. Visits will be limited to the College and Career Center.
   
5. No recruiting will be permitted on school grounds or hallways.
   
6. Recruiters cannot administer tests during their visits.
   
7. A guidance counselor or school representative will be present during all visits.
   
8. Release of information request must be filed at least 24 hours in advance.
   
9. Recruiters must make appointments with individual subject coordinators for special group meetings or demonstrations.