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 POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey April 5, 2006 UPDATED with Pix, 1:40 A.M. E.D.T. April 6, 2006: As first reported by WPCNR Wednesday, the Department of Public Safety announced a sweeping reorganization of its police operations  “to change (the department) from a bureaucratic system to a community-based service organization,” in the words of Department of Public Safety Commissioner Dr. Frank Straub at a news conference and promotion ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Public Safety Headquarters.

White Plains “Precincts” Photo WPCNR News.

Straub said  White Plains would be divided into three districts, reporting to new Assistant Chief Anne Fitzsimmons. The three districts are the North Area, under the command of Lieutenant Kevin Christopher; the Central Business District, under command of Captain Paul Lundin; and the South Area, under the leadership of Lieutenant Elizabeth Seit.  Assistant Chief Anne Fitzsimmons, promoted to Assistant Chief Wednesday, is in command of the three districts.

Martin Gleeson, Senior Counsel to the Commissioner and media spokesperson described this system as similar to the New York Police Department Precinct system, where the officers in command of the districts were solely responsible for the policing and safety of their “neighborhoods” going forward.

Gleeson told WPCNR that contacts would be made with neighborhoods beginning shortly. Businesses might be contacted in person by officers, and neighborhood associations would be addressed, and e-mail and phone numbers made available for residents of neighborhoods to call to report on what is going on in their neighborhoods, conditions, or activity.

Straub said the Narcotics Division would be reporting to the Neighborhood Conditions Unit or NCU, under the direction of Lieutenant Michael Knox, in order that the narcotics squad could respond, conduct investigations and intervene more efficiently on suspected drug activity. The NCU would be at direct disposal of District Commanders  Lundin, Seit and Christopher,  to facilitate  police preemptive efforts, or respond to drug and vice conditions, and unsafe housing that come to the attention of the Commanders.

Detectives 20/7

Captain Nicholas Kralik was announced as head of the Detective Division. Commissioner Straub said  the reorganization makes detectives available for immediate investigation 7 days a week, 20 hours a day by agreement with the police union, to investigate matters immediately brought to their attention by the three Neighborhood Districts.

Inspector Ed Ignaszewski being sworn in Wednesday — New Ops Head. Photo, WPCNR News

Newly promoted Inspector Ed Ignaszewski, Straub announced now heads the Operations Division which includes the Neighborhood Conditions Unit, Patrol and Traffic. Straub said Sergeant Howard Tribble and Sergeant Denis Doherty would be joining the NCU under Lt. Knox.

Assistant Chief Anne Fitzsimmons, Commander of the Three Precincts with First Deputy Commissioner Dr. Charles Jennings. Photo, WPCNR News.

New First Deputy Commissioner Dr. Charles Jennings (promoted at today’s ceremony and news conference) told WPCNR he would be doing “pretty much what he’s been doing before,” strategic planning and management of the Fire Bureau. Under Dr. Jennings’ leadership, structural fires declined 21% since 2003; a new fireman onsite personnel dispatch  system was introduced, and the Rescue 88 unit was created.

Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson. Photo, WPCNR News

New Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson, Commissioner Straub said is overseeing bureau operations, coordinating crime control strategies and managing the Compstat process. Jackson told WPCNR he and First Deputy Commissioner Jennings and Dr. Straub work as a team in setting policies and making decisions. Jackson said the North Area, Central Business District and South Areas system introduced today would begin to be implemented immediately.

Reach Out Expected.

Commissioner Jackson said he expected the three commanders to be reaching out to neighborhood associations, and giving the residents and businesses of those areas officers to contact to report neighborhood concerns and situations. He noted, too that he expected officers to routinely attend neighborhood association meetings, and to become more in touch with the areas they patrol.

Jackson noted that he wanted residents to know the policeman in the patrol car by name, not just by patrol car. Asked if foot patrols (police officer on a walking beat) would make a return to White Plains, Deputy Commissioner Jackson said that was a possibility.

It is not clear at this time whether patrol officers would only patrol in one of the three areas or whether they would be rotated through the three White Plains “Precincts.”

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. April 5, 2006: WPCNR has learned  The Department of Public Safety is expected to announce this afternoon that Inspector Daniel Jackson will be promoted Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety replacing David Chong, and  current Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Charles Jennings will be promoted to First Deputy Commissioner, second in command to Police Commissioner Dr. Frank Straub.

The Department is also going to be reorganized into three different divisions: Community Policing, Operations and Detectives, effective today.

“Liz Smith” Moves on Up! Captain Anne Fitzsimmons, long a resident of White Plains, and Detective Gus Fazzino addressing the North Broadway Civic Association last month at George Washington School on the burglaries in the North end. She is the first female police officer promoted to Chief in Westchester County. Photo, WPCNR News Archive. 

Captain Anne Fitzsimmons, long time resident of White Plains will be promoted to Assistant Chief and be in command of the Community Policing Division.

 Lieutenant Edward Ignaszewski will be promoted to Inspector and command the Operations Division that will be responsible for Patrol, Traffic and Neighborhood Conditions Unit.

First Deputy Commissioner Jennings, in his new position will concentrate on strategic planning for the department to build organization capacity, and continue to supervice department technology, communications, budget and the fire bureau.

Deputy Commissioner Jackson will have responsibilty for operations, crime control strategy and the Compstat crime tracking program. Eight detective promotions will also be announced this afternoon and two department members promoted to Lieutenant.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. April 3, 2006 UPDATED 2:00 A.M. E.D.T. April 4, 2006, UPDATED April 5, 2006: The Common Council after listening to two hours of protest and pleadings from supporters of preserving the properties on Railside Avenue as open space and rejecting sale of the eight lots, ignored them and voted 5-2 to approve the sale of the Railside 8  for $2,912,000.

Council Chambers swelled by Supporters of Keeping Railside Properties Forever Woods. Hopes were dashed by the Common Council Monday evening. Photo, Courtesy Don Hughes.

Asleep at the Wheel: The Common Council was dragging along about midnight last night at city hall, in the longest meeting since 11:30 P.M. was set as the council curfew three years ago, and moved off the Comprehensive Plan Review hearing until May 1, after condemning Railside Avenue to development.  Photo, WPCNR News.

The new, improved Avalon Bay Apart-O-Plex was presented. Hearing was held open until May 1. Photo, WPCNR News.

Benjamin Boykin, Glen Hockley, Robert Greer, Arnold Bernstein and Mayor Delfino voted for, and Rita Malmud and Thomas Roach voted against to carry through the sale.

Councilman Benjamin Boykin said the proposal to put an easement on Lot 1 and resell it has been modified to withdraw Lot 1 (the property withdrawn from the sale sometime prior to the opening of the bids on the properties last Wednesday), saying it will not be reoffered for sale,and will be kept as a buffer on Ridgeway Avenue. Boykin also noted the 20 foot conservation easement on the sold lots 2 through 9 preserved 46% of the 8 remaining properties.

Glen  Hockley said he had to think of all the residents of the city when he cast his vote in favor of selling Railside Avenue lots. Arnold Bernstein said he could not condemn the city to a 20 to 25% tax increase, and therefore he was voting for the Railside sale, too. Robert Greer through his daughter reading his position speech, said the properties had always been thought of by the city as eventually to be returned to the tax roll and he was sticking to his guns.

Benjamin Boykin said he hoped that the new owner of five of the properties, (Joseph S. Petrillo, an attorney and President of All New York Title Agency in White Plains, www.allnewyorktitle.com)  would get together with the neighbors to discuss his plans for the five properties he was successful bidder (Lots 2,3,6,7,8). Boykin said he hoped the other three winning bidders for  Lot 9 (HCG Drywall of Scarsdale), Lot 4 (S & J & J Holding of White Plains), and Lot 5 (Ricardo Tedesco and Frank D’Ambrosio) would also interact with the neighbors and discuss their intentions  for their lots. No winning bidder appeared to be present at the public speakout on Railside Avenue.

In other matters,

The 5 foot setback proposed for The Pinnacle project from Ginsburg Development could not be voted upon because Robert Greer the Council left the council meeting at approximately 10:15 P.M. after the Railside vote took place.

The council then took up the 25,000 square foot air rights transfer matter from 221 Main to The Pinnacle (in order that Mr. Ginsburg could build developer Louis Cappelli’s affordable units he owes the city on the 221 Main project). The council at first thought they could not vote on the transfer, but Corporation Counsel, Edward Dunphy dashed to the rescue striding up the aisle saying the 25,000 square foot is a minor amendment to the ordinance, so the Council could vote on it without Mr. Greer’s presence, which they proceeded to execute unanimously. The 5 foot setback benefit, according Corporation Counsel Dunphy was also passed Monday night. It was simply not clear at the time.

The Avalon Bay public hearing convened and the changes in the 13-14 story rental project were presented in an exhaustive slide show that rivaled Louis Cappelli in its slickness. Residents following the presentation called for the site to be turned into a park. Tim Sheehan, a resident of Park Circle suggested the town houses on the north end of the site should be lowered from their 6 story height to present a better site line. Thomas Whayatt an attorney for the holdout home owner owning a home on Barker that occupies a niche on the Avalon Bay site, said he would push for his client to have special permits for the swimming pool which is adjacent the home with possibly more setbacks from the pool to the homeowner’s property.

With the Common Council falling asleep in their chairs at 12:15 A.M., and the Comprehensive Plan Review Hearing the last item on the agenda, Mayor Delfino asked Robert Levine, representing the Citizens Plan Commitee, there to speak,  what he(Levine) wanted to do at such a late hour, and Levine said he would prefer in view of the hour to postpone to May 1 if the hearing could be first on the agenda. The Mayor agreed. Neither Mary Cavellero, nor John Martin, Co-Chairs of the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee were present for the hearing.

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. April 2, 2006: The highest bidder for the eight Railside Avenue properties on the consent agenda as part of this evening’s Common Council meeting said today he was never notified by the City of White Plains prior to bid opening that one of the properties, 90 Ridgeway, was withdrawn from the sale.  He did not have the opportunity to revise or restructure his bid.

Jacob Selechnik, Principal of Rental Masters, 2855 Grand Concourse, The Bronx, placed a $3,000,000 bid for all nine properties as part of the sealed bid auction last week.  Mr. Selechnik’s bid was rejected by the city as “nonconforming,”

 However, prior to the bid openings, 90 Ridgeway was withdrawn from the sale, according to Councilman Benjamin Boykin last week, in order to place a conservation easement on the property and offer it for resale with the easement.

According to Mr.Selechnik, he was never notified by the city that one of the properties was withdrawn, and given a chance to revise his bid downward or upward.

Selechnik this morning told WPCNR he had never been notified of the results of the opening of the bids. He said he had never been told by the city that Lot 1 had been withdrawn from the sale. He said he had never been given a chance to revise his bid, because only eight lots were for sale instead of 9. And, he has not received his deposit check back. Asked if he had been given a chance to reconfigure his bid, since the city rejected it as “nonconforming,” Mr. Selechnik said he had not.  

According to city officials, Mr. Selechnik’s bid was non-conforming because he had bid a total price for all nine properties.  However, one winning bidder had bid the same price for Lots 3 through 9 with only a price for Lot 2 different from their other 7 bids. 

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. April 2, 2006: Steve Rabinowitz sends along the following reminder : The White Plains Communities That Care Coalition invites you to an White Plains Town Hall Meeting on Preventing Underage Drinking Tuesday, April 4, 2006 7 – 9 p.m.Rochambeau Community School 228 Fisher Avenue

 A panel of speakers will share information about legal consequences of underage drinking, the impact on a young person’s brain and physical development, and the extent of the problem in our community.  Additionally, you will also get a chance to hear from some of our youth who witness the impact of underage drinking everyday and what they think may be effective ways that the adults in the community can help address this issue.

In response to a national call by the federal government to address the serious problem of underage drinking, the White Plains Community That Cares Coalition, Honorable Mayor Joseph Delfino, Superintendent of White Plains Schools Timothy Connors invite you to attend this Town Hall Meeting.  
Speakers will include Justice JoAnn Friia. Dr. Harris Stratyner of Mount Sinai Medical Center,
Associate Commissioner Frances Harding of the NY State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services,  Evelyn-Gonzalez Smith of Church Street School and Arturo Bravo and Mellisa Williams from the Mayor’s Youth Board

Come, ask questions, get the straight facts!

For more information please contact Laura Montoya at 422-1378