Feiner Remembers the Elmsford Homeless And How They Came to Be.

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WPCNR’S THE FEINER REPORT. By Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. January 26, 2006: WESTHAB Elmsford, the 103 room homeless shelter located on Tarrytown Road, will be closing on March 31st.This shelter has served the homeless population since the early 1990s. The shelter previously was a Howard Johnson’s Hotel. When I was a member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators the hotel was receiving $49 a day for rent. The owners of the hotel started accepting homeless families and raised the daily rates to $108.


The county, over my objections, placed homeless families in every major hotel in Westchester—including the Rye Town Hilton, Tarrytown Hilton, Crowne Plaza.  Soon, the Howard Johnson’s Hotel became a homeless hotel. At one point, early in the 1990s, the NY TIMES, called Elmsford the homeless capitol of the nation. Every hotel in Elmsford was used as a homeless facility.


WESTHAB eventually took over the responsibility of housing the homeless at this location and turned the complex into a transitional housing facility—providing families with social services and housing.


The homeless population in the county has been declining in recent years – rooms have not been  fully occupied. And, Elmsford is no longer the homeless capitol of America.


PAUL FEINER

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County Will Close Elmsford Homeless Shelter for Families. Homeless Down In Cty.

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WPCNR HOMELESS NEWS. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) January 26, 2006:  With Westchester’s homeless population half the level it was in 1998, County Executive Andy Spano announced today that the WestHab Family Shelter in Elmsford will be closed at a savings of more than $5 million. 


The 46 families still living there will be relocated to other county shelters by March 31. A plan is currently being developed to ensure that the children’s schooling is not disrupted and there will be a continuation of other services. 


 


“This has not happened by accident. We have worked hard to reduce our homeless population,” Spano said. “We have done this by preventing homelessness whenever possible and by providing job training and social services to those who have been in our shelter system. Our goal has been, and will remain, to place as many families and individuals as possible in permanent housing. I am very proud of this effort.”


By closing this facility and relocating the families, the gross annual savings will be about $5.2 million, of which one-quarter of the money comes directly from county taxpayer dollars. 


 The number of homeless single adults in 1998 was 635. The number of homeless families in 1999 was 839.


As of November 2005, the number of homeless single adults was 333  (first reported by WPCNR  in a story dated January 5, 2006, though the figure given then was 331), and the number of homeless families was 317. This is approximately a 50 percent reduction in homeless people since 1998. 


 


The WestHab Family Center in Elmsford, on Tarrytown Road, presently has a 48.7 percent vacancy rate in its 103 units.


To accomplish the reduction in homelessness the county has done the following


·        Used all possible tools to prevent homelessness, including special grants to prevent eviction;


·        Collaborated with providers of mental health services to serve this needy population, and moved about 200 of these individuals into permanent housing;


·        Gave rental assistance through a special county-initiated program to families to help them get into permanent housing (families with earned income who were taken off public assistance);


·        Moved 400 families into permanent housing through a state/county program that allowed higher rent subsidies to prevent homelessness; 


·        Continued various job training programs (through welfare to work programs) that helped homeless  individuals get job training and employment.  


 

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The Ruff Report to the Commissioner of Social Services II: Assessment

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WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By Geoffrey Ruff. (Part II) (c) 2006, The White Plains CitizeNetReporter. All rights reserved.  January 26, 2006: Part II of Mr. Ruff’s report personally delivered to the Westchester County Department of Social Services Commissioner Monday, January 23, takes up after the applicant for DSS social services has been accepted for placement. (See Part I of Mr. Ruff’s Report, published January 25 in The CitizeNetReporter) Mr. Ruff’s report continues:


 


ASSESSMENT


Step II


 


The applicant waits for the VOA (Volunteers of America) van, that is said to arrive outside the DSS District Office (85 Court Street) at 5:00 P.M. for transport to the VOA Shelter for assessment. The assessment process can take anywhere from 1 day to 1 month.


(More)


Once the applicant is chosen for assessment, he is screened for determination. This process takes usually 3 days. On day 1, he usually goes through a series of “doors.” These “doors” screen him for his Personal History, Personal Family History, Drug History (which is greatly emphasized), Mental Health History, and Physical Medical History.


 


Within the drug history, if there were any prior drug use, no matter when in his life, a determination is made for him to enter into drug treatment. If the applicant has a drug history, and has abstained for quite some time, a majority, but not all the time, it is mandatory that he attend drug treatment. Thus, creating the thought that one must not emphasize any drug use.


 


If the applicant has a Mental Health History, it is determined that he attend Mental Health treatment.


 


If the applicant has no Drug use history, or Mental Health history, it is determined, as long as the Physical Medical evaluation is in accordance, that he be deemed Employable.


 


With the “doors,” the Medical Evaluation happens to be very important. It will determine which category the applicant falls into. Usually that focus is on urinalysis.


 


On Day 3, (From entering the system), the applicant’s fate has been determined, and he is transferred to temporary permanent housing placement (a shelter), from 3 choices he has determined, in accordance with availability of beds.


 


(Mr. Ruff’s report continues tomorrow with Part 3, “Placement”. Mr. Ruff is a nitely client of the 85 Court Street Homeless Drop-In Shelter in White Plains. )

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Crews from Other States Beefed Up Con Ed Repair Crew Strength by 50%.

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 25, 2006: Consolidated Edison is still compiling the staggering statistics on last week’s “Big Blow in Westchester,” that cut power to 40,000 homes one week ago. Con Edison, according to Chris Olert, official spokesperson for their Media Communications department, Con Edison doubled their repair crews by calling on the mutual aid of out-of-state, and upstate power companies and working the force of “hundreds” (no exact number of men had been exactly determined Tuesday morning) in 8-hours on, 8 hours off. Olert noted that within 24 hours of the storm over 50% of the 40,000 households and customers had had their power restored.


 


WPCNR learned that as of 4:30 P.M. Thursday afternoon, January 20,  31,000 of the 40,000 customers had been restored according to the Media Communications spokesperson, Joe Petta.


This was mainly accomplished by Con Edison’s bringing in thousands of out-of-state, in-state reinforcements. According to Mr. Olert of Con Edison, giving rough stats on the scope of the repair effort Tuesday morning, Con Ed brought in six companies to aid Con Edison of New York and Con Edison’s Orange & Rockland Division in tackling the massive wind damage caused by last week’s tropical storm conditions.


Olert said crews were brought in from Niagara Mohawk, Wellsback (an electrical contractor from New York City), Hawkeye (another NYC electrical contractor), C.W. Wright from Potomac Electric in Chester, Virginia; Allegheny Power, from Parkersburg, Virginia, which restored a number of White Plains private homes and neighborhoods; and First Energy from Pennsylania and Ohio.


He said this was the worst storm to hit the county since 1997. He passed on the information that all these power companies were paid by Con Edison to come to the county’s rescue, but he did not have a dollar figure on the fees, nor the cost of the damage as of Tuesday morning.


He did not have a break down for the repairs outside companies executed. Olert noted that generally the crews were aided by a Con Edison honcho to take them through the systems.


Olert affirmed that the lines affecting the most customers were restored first, as is always the case. He also noted that the work was slow dangerous work, which often takes the same amount of time in each case, whether you are restoring 2,000 customers or 1 customer.


WPCNR estimates that Allegheny Power, on the scene in White Plains from 10 A.M. Friday morning, January 21 (48 hours after the storm), was repaired over 30 homes in 48 hours in the White Plains area.


Olert said emergency supplemental crews were called in within 24 hours after the start of the storm.


 


 

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Independent Report to The Commissioner of Social Services on the Homeless System

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WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By Geoffrey Ruff.  (C) 2005, The CitizeNetReporter. All rights reserved. Part 1 January 25, 2006: My name is Geoffrey Ruff. I am a recipient of the Drop-In Service (at 85 Court Street). I have utilized this service on and off for 7 to 8 years. I arrived here, along with others who reside at the Drop-In seeking help, and assistance.


Hopefully this report will reveal that  Westchester’s Department of Social Services is in dire need of additional and/or change, targeting standards, ethics and protocol in regards to housing the Single Homeless Men and Women, who occupy the Drop-In Center.


(More)


To US, these facts are indeed real, and do, in fact, exist. We do not understand that there are Supervisors who will relay to the Administration of the Department of Social Services that “there are some problems, but things are fine” reports, when, in fact, there are problems within the application process that demand the use of the Drop-In Service.


Hopefully, WE can come to some conclusions where the Homeless, and people who seek temporary assistance here in Westchester, and the Department of Social Service can both see “eye to eye” and benefit from the help and assistance.


Thank you for reading and considering this packet. I hope it is very informative.


THE PROCESS  STEP 1


A Homeless applicant first walks into a district office, fills out an application. More than likely that applicant will have to return to the receptionist a number of times, because of questions on the application they don’t understand or just plain missed.


Once the application is complete, and handed in for review, the application is scrutinized by a caseworker. An hour or so later, the applicant is called to review the application. The process starts to become complicated and discouraging at this point.


The applicant is asked if he/she can verify where they have been staying. If the applicant has been staying on the street with no place of housing, i.e., parkbench, back of a supermarket, woods, cardboard box, or anyplace they can rest, they are asked to produce a document(s) to verify that they frequented these places.


It is hard to impossible to get letters verifying these facts (that they were homeless). The applicant is usually alone, and in no contact, or good standings with citizens to write a letter for him/or her.


If the applicant cannot produce this letter, they are stopped at this point, and given the option to produce a letter, or they cannot be accepted for Social Services. The applicant must now utilize the Drop-In Service, or forges a letter to verify (he is homeless), or is discouraged, and returns to the depressing, and dismal squalor they sought help from.


If the applicant has happened to bed-down in someone’s home, the DSS Caseworker askes for a letter verifying this fact. This can also lead to problems, because usually people who let applicants into their house wish not to create this letter for fear of reprisals terminiating their own housing.


Thus, the case, the applicant stopped at this portion of the process, the Homeless applicant is asked to come back at 2:00 P.M. for placement.


(At this point, I am not sure about the process for Homeless Women, so I will keep the facts on Homeless Single Men).


If the applicant comes back to DSS at 2:00 P.M., they wait until 3:00 or 3:30 and are given a placement sheet communicating that they are housed at the Volunteers of America (VOA) until further notice for assessment.


(Part II of Mr. Ruff’s exclusive report  will appear tomorrow).


 

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Egyptian Epic AIDA Marches Into Westchester Broadway Theatre Jan 26

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Westchester Broadway Theatre’s Allan Gruet. January 23, 2006: Westchester Broadway Theatre  is proud to present for the first time on our stage, a diverse cast of actors, in our own production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida.” Like many musical projects today, it can often take years for a musical to actually reach its Broadway opening. “Aida” was no exception.



PYRAMID TRIANGLE! Passion. Desire. Forbidden liaisons twist in torment in the shadows of the Pyramids on the WBT Stage. AIDA opens Thursday at WBT in Elmsford, starring Stephanie Youell as Princess Amneris, left, Eric Sciotto as Radames, and Rozz Morehead-Santos as AIDA, the Nubian Princess. Photo, Courtesy Westchester Broadway Theatre by John Vecchiolla.


 



 


The story of “Aida” is based on the tragic legend that inspired Giuseppi Verdi to write his Opera of the same name. Beyond that, the musical has an entirely different sensibility, along with a number of plot changes.


 


The musical adaptation of “Aida” is a passionate love story that blends perfectly with a contemporary and soaring score by Elton John. Elton is one of our generation’s most talented composers and performers, and “Aida” is a wonderful example of how pop music and musical theatre can be combined to create a powerful theatrical experience.


 


Some of the more popular songs from the show are “Every Story Is a Love Story,” “My Strongest Suit,” Easy As Life,” Written In the Stars,” “Elaborate Lives,” “Enchantment Passing Through,” “A Step Too Far.”


 


“Aida” is a story filled with romance, conflict, and rebirth. The musical centers on the strength of love, with all its compelling and healing powers. It transcends class and race, and in the end love can conquer all. Elton’s intention was to simply create the music for a very strong love story between two people who were willing to die for their love.


 



Rozz-Morehead-Santos as the Nubian Captive, AIDA. Eric Sciotto as her captor, Egyptian,  Radames. Photo, Courtesy Westchester Broadway Theatre by John Vecchiolla


 


The central character of “Aida” is Nubian princess who is captured by Radames, an Egyptian captain. After a long period of an on-going war with Egypt’s deadly enemy Nubia, Radames is called back to the Egyptian court.


 


He decides to bring Aida with him as a present to his betrothed, the beautiful Egyptian Princess Amneris, to become one of her personal slaves. During the course of the musical, Radames who is unaware of Aida’s true identity, that of a Nubian princess, proceeds to fall in love with her.


 


The old Pharaoh is very ill and about to die. Radames has been pledged to the Princess Amneris and their union will ultimately make him the next Pharoah.


 


The rivalry for Radames affection between the two princesses is the conflict that ultimately causes Amneris to condemn Radames and Aida as traitors.


 


They are sentenced to death and are buried alive together in a tomb. Aida and Radames pledge to find each other in another world…and somewhere beyond the next bend of the Nile, there is another world, just waiting to be discovered!


 


Westchester Broadway Theatre’s production will star Rozz Morehead-Santos as Aida, Eric Sciotto as Radames, Stephanie Youell as Amneris, John Schiappa as Zoser, Eric Jackson as Mereb, Carla Woods as Nehebka and J. Bernard Calloway as Amonasro. The Production is Directed & Choreographed by Patricia Wilcox, with Musical Direction by David Andrews Rogers; Set design is by George Puello, Costume design by Gail Baldoni, Hair/Wig Design by Gerard Kelly, Lighting design by Andrew Moser, and sound design by Jon Hatton.


 


 


Elton & Tim began working on “Aida” in 1994. Six years later, after a several work shops, out of town tryouts in Atlanta and Chicago, and the release of a concept album featuring major pop stars, “Aida” opened at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in March of 2000. The show ran in New York for over four years, playing 1852 performances, winning four Tony Awards, and the original cast album won a Grammy Award. The U.S National Tour scheduled from April to September of 2002 was extended twice. International productions have been mounted in the Netherlands, Estonia, Japan, and Germany.


 


Following “AIDA” will be-


 


 


 


“BARNUM”


MAY 4th,  2006 – JULY 8th,  2006


PRESS NIGHT MAY 11th, 2006


Music by Cy Coleman


Lyrics by Michael Stewart


Book by Mark Bramble


 


 


“HOT MIKADO”


JULY13th – SEPTEMBER 9th, 2006


Book & Lyrics Adapted by David Bell


Music Adapted by Rob Bowman


Based on “The Mikado” by W. S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan


 


 


 


“THE FULL MONTY”


SEPTEMBER 14th   – NOVEMBER 18th, 2006


Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek


Book by Terrence McNally


Based on the film written by Simon Beaufoy

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Feiner Troubled By Diseased Trees That May Have Escalated Windstorm Damage

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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. January 23, 2006: The January 18th wind  storm has created an enormous amount of inconvenience to residents throughout the region and town. Many trees fell, causing power outages.   Businesses within Greenburgh and schools in Greenburgh have also been forced to close down because of the power outages.

 


An excellent suggestion has been made: for the town to sponsor a briefing for residents on diseased trees. How can we, as residents, be proactive? What steps should homeowners take to inspect their trees? What can you do to make trees stronger and healthier? What do you do if you suspect that your neighbor has a diseased tree—but your neighbor doesn’t want to take any proactive action?



At the February 8thh Town Board meeting I will ask that the first half hour of the meeting be devoted to tree safety information. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at Greenburgh Town Hall. Meetings are televised live on cable. Residents can call in—993-1540. Please e mail me if you have questions that you would like to have answered at this proactive forum: pfeiner@greenburghny.com.


PAUL FEINER

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School Annual Budget Committee Opens Deliberations February 8

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From City School District. January 27, 2006: The White Plains Board of Education will meet with the Annual Budget Committee (ABC) for the tenth consecutive year, as it begins the formal process of preparing the 2006-07 school budget, curently projected at $167.5 Millon.  The ABC is an advisory group which provides input, feedback and suggestions to the District.  President Donna McLaughlin said of the committee, “The Board is pleased and proud that the budget has passed by an overwhelming majority since the inception of the vote, and believes that the ABC has contributed greatly to that success, through its assistance and support.” 

The Committee is comprised of representatives of more than a dozen civic and community organizations and other interested individuals.  The first meeting, on February 8th, will include an orientation session for new members, as well as background information.  Two additional meetings with the administration and Board of Education members will follow, on February 15th and March 8th. 


 


In past years, the Commitee has suggested areas where the School District could trim the original preliminary budget.


 


Meetings are held at 7:30 P.M. at Education House, 5 Homeside Lane and will include an overview of the budget as well as discussions of key issues and recommendations.


 


All of the meetings are open to the public. If you have any questions, please call Michele Schoenfeld, District Clerk, at 422-2071.

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Philip Philippidis Developer of Remote Meter Reading Devices, Passes Away.

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WPCNR OBITUARY. January 22, 2006: Philip A. Philippidis of Kew Gardens, N.Y., a retired electrical engineer and 45-year veteran of Con Edison Inc., died Jan. 18 at the Tropicana Casino  and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., where he was on vacation.

He was 73.


Mr. Philippidis was born Nov. 6, 1932, in Alexandria, Egypt, to Adamantios and Marie Arathymos Philippidis. The family owned and operated the Plaza movie theater in Alexandria, which specialized in showing first-run American films, as part of a Greek community that flourished in Alexandria for
centuries till the Egyptian Revolution of the 1950s.

He emigrated to the United States in 1959, living briefly in the Bronx and later Astoria, Queens, before moving to Kew Gardens in 1981.

From 1959 until he retired in 2004, Mr. Philippidis held a series of  electrical engineering positions at Con Edison’s headquarters in New York City. During that time, Mr. Philippidis developed and was awarded three U.S.  patents related to the remote reading of data from electric utility meters.
He was a member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE).

Mr. Philippidis received a degree in electrical engineering from Farouk University, now the University of Alexandria.

On March 3, 1956, he married Calliope (Poppy) Angela Papaloizou in Alexandria, Egypt.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Philppidis is survived by his sons, Adam Philippidis of Hicksville, N.Y. and Alex Philippidis of White Plains, N.Y.; and a grandson, Philip James Philippidis of White Plains.

A sister, Ann Georges, died in November 2005.

Arrangements are being handled by the Ballard-Durand Funeral Home in White Plains. A wake will take place Monday from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m.

A funeral service is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Greek Orthodox Church of Our Saviour in Rye. Burial will take place at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye.

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Thank you, West Virginia! Allegheny Power Crew of 28 Powers Up WP

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 22, 2006: A crews numbering 28 men from Allegheny Power of Parkersburg, West Virginia have been in White Plains and surrounding areas since 10 A.M. Friday morning aiding Con Edison repair crews in restoring power to White Plains and the tri-state area. Sunday morning 9 Allegheny Powermen were “restoring primary (electric)” to Gardner Road in the Highlands off Hartsdale Avenue. Last night they were in Saxon Woods.


As of 11:30 A.M. Sunday, Con Edison spokesperson D. Joy Faber reported to WPCNR that 347  Con Ed households were without power in Westchester County, because 200 more outages were created by Saturday evening winds gusting up to 50 Miles per hour. She was working on trying to get an up-to-date White Plains figure.



POWER CONVOY From West Virginia Restoring Gardner Avenue area in Highlands Sunday morning. The crew of 9 has been in White Plains since Friday morning 10 A.M. working with Con Edison to bring White Plains back. The crew and 19 other Allegheny Powermen responded to Con Edison to supplement the Con Ed repair force. Allegheny Power has also helped in Louisiana and Florida recently to supplement local crews, part of a national cooperative effort between power companies to handle catastrophic outages. Photo, WPCNR News



“RESTORING SOME PRIMARY:”Don Springman, left Supervisor of the Allegheny Power Men with Con Edison’s Sam Maratta of Brooklyn Sunday morning at Hartsdale Avenue. Springman told WPCNR Allegheny has restored over 30 White Plains homes in 48 hours since arriving from West Virginia Friday morning . Maratta said Wednesday’s storm did more damage in two hours than anyone can imagine. He said work had to be done carefully and slowly due to the danger. Maratta was supervising the crew taking them “through the ropes.”  Photo, WPCNR News.


 



Typical White Plains Damage on Longview: Tree toppled wire leading into this home on Livingston Avenue: typical of damage all around White Plains caused by Wednesday’s storm. Note wires (presumed not electric) down leading across Longview Ave. in right of picture. Repairs were under way Sunday morning.  Photo, WPCNR News.

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