Good Night, Larry. Delgado, 1st Hispanic Councilman Honored at Final Meeting.

Hits: 0

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. December 5, 2005:  At the close of Monday’s Common Council meeting Tom Roach, Council President, saluted outgoing Councilman Larry Delgado (who was defeated by Glen Hockley in the recent November election for another term) thanking him for his work on behalf of the people of White Plains as Mr. Delgado was serving in his last regular  Common Council meeting.


 



Mayor Presents Larry Delgado, First Hispanic Councilman of the City of White Plains, with an award for his years of service. Mr. Delgado quipped “Where’s my free movie ticket and dinner for two?” which brought down the house. (Video Capture from WPGA-TV, Government Access, live cablecast by WPCNR News)


 


Roach borrowed the legendary  signoff of the great disc jockey Allan Freed, saying he (Roach) was saying not goodbye to Larry Delgado but “goodnight” because he expected Mr. Delgado would be participating ongoing as the city developed. He did not elaborate on what role Mr. Delgado would assume, and neither did the Mayor who alluded to plans for including Mr. Delgado in future city public service.


Roach gave Delgado “our thanks for your hard work and commitment to our city, your wisdom and patience…(that) have earned the respect and friendship of your colleagues.” Roach praised Mr. Delgado for his contributions to the city’s development in the best interest of all of the city.


 


The Quiet Legacy — A Loyal Sidekick That Made the Right Calls.


 


In his six and a half years on the council, Mr. Delgado voted to approve the first White Plains “Renaissance” project, the Bank Street Commons. He voted to approve the Stop N Shop Supermarket project on Westchester Avenue.  


 


He voted to approve the Louis Cappelli City Center project in 2001 and attempted to reason against the  attempts by Democratic council members for the Ernst & Young study of the “halo effect” of that project which threatened the proposal.  Later as  attacks on the single building design of the project by  Councilperson Malmud surfaced, Delgado was a voice of reason. (The design quibbles eventually lead to Louis Cappelli’s hiring Fred Bland to split the residential project into two buildings.) Throughout the painful City Center approval process of City Center, Mr. Delgado was Mayor Delfino’s only ally on the project.


 


Mr. Delgado voted with the Mayor to refer out  New York Presbyterian Hospital offer of 60 acres of land for a park in exchange for  commercial retail adjacent Bloomingdale’s  That was rejected by the Common Council in the year 2000 not to refer out that proposal for comment. This rejection paved the way for the present proton accelerator project. Delgado  was not on the council when the Council voted to approve the proton accelerator project in 2002, which is now in limbo. Mr. Delgado was right on that one and the Common Council was wrong as events turn out. Now we see development of far greater density possible for that property the Common Council. That 5-2 vote by the council cost the city a park.


 


Greatest Honor of His Life


 



In his remarks tonight, Mr. Delgado said of his service on the Council that “it has been an honor and a privilege – the greatest honor of my life. (Serving on the Council) was a responsibility I took very seriously.” He said he considered proposals for the city with what he called “White Plainsmanship, not partisanship.” (Video Capture from WPGA-TV, Government Access, Live Cablecast, by WPCNR News)


 


 


 


Speaking extemporaneously, Mr. Delgado reminisced he mentioned former Council Colleagues Jo Falcone and Bill King. He praised the staff of the city as very dedicated and good to work with.


 


He said he planned to remain active in the affairs of the city. He urged the city to keep taxes as low as possible in the future and urge both parties to work to nominate and run an Hispanic American to the council.


 


He said to the television audience, “Thank you for the privilege of letting me represent you over the years, good night.”


 


Hockley-Delgado Memories


 


Mr. Delgado, the first Hispanic-American to hold office on the Common Council service on the Council totaled six years and five months interrupted by 19 months, 15 months of which were served by the new 2006-2009 Councilman-elect Glen Hockley who illegally occupied the office as a “usurper,” having been appointed councilman in March 2002 after the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals threw out the call for a citywide election decision handed down by the Appellate Court in Brooklyn.


 


Mr. Delgado will be forever remembered in White Plains hundreds of years from now in the law books and in law schools nationally for his dogged pursuit of his Council seat through all the legal machinations and roadblocks  the Democratic Party threw  at him over nineteen months of litigation to retain Mr. Hockley, a Democrat,  in the Council seat.


 


People of White Plains learned more than they ever wanted to know about election law.


 


Hockley claimed the seat after the Court of Appeals threw out the lower court call for a special citywide election. Hockley kept the seat until the Attorney General quo warranto action produced a summary judgment that unceremoniously ousted Mr. Hockley from the Council in July, 2004.


 


The Hockley occupation was produced when a voting machine  jammed in District 18 in November of 2001, which cost Mr. Delgado 103 votes and appeared to hand Mr. Hockley the seat.


 


Even after the machine had proven to be jammed, a special election called for in District 18  by Judge Francis Nicolai, Mr. Hockley and his lawyer, Adam Bradley fought the special election as a violation of election law right up to the New York State Court of Appeals.  The Court of Appeals threw out the call for a special election saying the only remedy was a quo warranto procedure brought by the Attorney General of the State of New York.


 


Eliot Spitzer as Attorney General brought the quo warranto on behalf of Mr. Delgado. It took 15 months (March 2002 to July 2003)  for the quo warranto action to bear fruit, resulting in the unceremonious ouster of Mr. Hockley July 17, 2004. Mr. Delgado returned to the council in July of 2004, and has served since then, approving The 221 Main Cappelli-Hotel Project, and the senior citizen assisted living residence adjacent White Plains Hospital Center.


 


WPCNR remembers Mr. Delgado for his candor, his gentlemanly manner, and his genuine manner. I always felt he answered questions as honestly as he could and he looked to what was best for all. Like Bill King before him, he tried to do what was right.

Posted in Uncategorized

Hale Ave Condos Postponed. $100,000 to WPPAC. CAFRA presented.

Hits: 0

                


WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. November 5, 2005: As predicted by WPCNR earlier Monday, the legal counsel for  Hale LLC submitted a letter prior to last night’s council meeting asking that the Monday evening Public Hearing on the proposed 10 story condominiums at 97-111 and 100-114 Hale Avenue be postponed until January 3, making it a short 45-minute Common Council meeting Monday.


 


In other business, the council extended the site plans for Calvary Baptist Church and the senior housing project at South Kensico Avenue and Hadden Avenue for the third straight year, (with the only evidence of construction for the latter, a pile of dirt in the middle of the lot as of last week).


 


The council approved $100,000 in improvements from the General Fund for renovation of the Thomas Slater Center which Councilman Benjamin Boykin said consisting of replacement of carpeting, restoring exterior retaining walls, and improvements to the rest rooms, and $100,000 for the White Plains Performing Arts Center, a project that was supposed to be self-sustaining when the Council first approved the operators.


 


 



$100,000 into the White Plains Performing Arts Center


 


In consent agenda ordinance # 31, the council quietly approved $100,000 for the White Plains Performing Arts Center by transferring urban renewal funds into the Main Mamaroneck Plaza Fountain Design and Construction  fund, (the $100,000 coming from that fund), without mentioning the amount of funds on the live telecast of the meeting.


 


This is $100,000 in addition to the payment the city sends to the White Plains Performing Arts Center nonprofit organization which runs the theater, and in addition to the estimated $192,860  (This was the amount in in-kind services the city provided to the WPPAC in the first year of the theatre’s operation in 2003-2004 – the only year for which “in-kind services provided by the city are documented)  in services the city provides the center at city expense. No one on the Common Council made any comment on this $100,000 bailout of the theatre. Nor has the Council made any public effort or inquiry of the Center’s Board for the direction they are taking the theater which continues to lose money.


 


By Mr. Stimac’s comments at the recent Common Council meeting, the Performing Arts Center has lost $197,000 its first year, $107,000, its second year, and stands to lose $300,000 in its third year, without $100,000 from the city, and another $200,000 promised by developer Louis Cappelli. In addition, it should be noted that the next show, opening this week, A Christmas Carol, is being advertised as being sponsored  by the Louis Cappelli Foundation.


 


Environmental Scopings approved for North Shore Community, DEIS for the Pinnacle.


 


The Final Environmental Scoping Outline, with three pages of amendments was approved for the North Street Community, the senior assisted living luxury condo project proposed for the former St. Agnes Hospital property. Rita Malmud, Councilperson insisted on the inclusion of the three pages, which asked more indepth explanation of issues involving affordable housing; possible impacts of alternatives if the council decided the density and number of units of the proposed senior assisted living condominiums on the former St. Agnes property was too big, and decided to cut the number of units from the proposed 381, and environmental recycling and environmental construction procedures.


 


The council approved a resolution accepting the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of The Pinnacle. However, environmental activist Daniel Seidel has pointed out to WPCNR that a copy of the DEIS as of Friday was not available to the public in the library or from the city, a violation of SEQR procedures.


 


Malmud, Delfino support Grace Social Services Center at 96 East Post Road.


 


Rita Malmud noted that in setting a hearing for the Grace Church Community Services organization on its plans to operate a social service center for homeless persons dropped off in White Plains a few doors down from the Open Arms shelter at 96 Post Road should have hours that allow the center to be “immediately” available when the homeless are dropped off by Westchester County policy at about 6 in the morning when they have leave the county homeless shelter at the County Airport, and when they have to leave the Open Arms Shelter.


 



New Grace Social Services Center is Planned to locate in the vacant storefront at 96 East Post Road slightly to the left of the white van in this photograph. Open Arms Shelter is the building at far left. Photo, WPCNR News.


 


Both Mrs. Malmud and Mayor Delfino were very supportive of this project. Mr. Delfino said Grace Church Community Services did a great job and that it was great the county had contracted with them to run the center. The Mayor pointed out that he had said it was horrendous that the county would drop these persons off in White Plains with no place to go, at the time of the Galleria murder in June when a White Plains woman was allegedly killed by one of the homeless persons the county had dropped off.


 


 


Malmud sees rosy scenario as CAFRA is released.


 


With the announcement of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Rita Malmud stated to the audience of thousands out in White Plains in the live telecast.


 



 


Holding up the CAFRA report, Malmud said the CAFRA “confirms some good news,” that the work of the last eight years was beginning to pay off, and that the CAFRA “confirms” that “the city is an excellent financial situation.” (Video Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 Live Cablecast by WPCNR News)


 


 


She reported the CAFRA shows the city earned a “a surplus of $1.5 million,” (first reported by WPCNR in August, 2005), which she said goes into the general fund, and that the city income has risen 6.8% last year, and that the city fund balance is risen to 22.8 million, as well as an 8.6% increase in sales tax, (also first reported by WPCNR in October, 2005).


 


Mrs. Malmud did not comment on the First Quarter Financials for 2005-2006, which were also quietly presented at the meeting as part of the consent agenda. Those figures show the sales tax perking at the same rate as one year ago.


 


Benjamin Boykin in commenting on the CAFRA explained that most of the budget pressures the city was experiencing were personnel-related relating to salary increases and benefits and retirement costs, saying 80% of the city budget was in salaries, which increased the budge automatically 5-6% every year.


 


Roughly, this means the $89,868,335 in actual salary and benefits expenditures reported by the city for 2005-2005 will increase at the very least $5,392,100 increasing the $117,516,912 expenditure of the general fund  to  $122,909,012, with increases in other costs still to be budgeted.


 


Mayor Joseph Delfino noted that the CAFRA was showing the development of the city was beginning to pay off. “We knew it wasn’t going to happen right away. We’re starting to get our rewards.”


 



Nazael Fernandez, Junior Engineer in the Department of Public Works was honored as Employee of the Month for his work on  traffic projections and DPW projects. Mayor Delfino said he was “an engineer’s engineer.” Mr. Fernandez said “It does feel pretty good in a setting like this to impact the infrastructure of this wonderful city, this promising environment that I love…as I continue to serve. (Video Capture from WPGA-TV, Government Access Live Cablecast by WPCNR News.)


 


 

Posted in Uncategorized

Skyliners Compete with Best in the West at the Dr. Porter Synchro in Ann Arbor

Hits: 0

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. December 5, 2005: The Skyliners of the Skating Club of New York and the Windy Hill Skating Club, gained confidence and poise under the pressure of facing the elite midwest synchronized skating clubs at the 10th Annual Dr. Porter Synchronized Skating Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan this weekend. The Skyliners Junior Syncrhro Team, skating out of the Westchester Skating Academy, Playland Ice Rink and other rinks around the region, featuring skaters from the New York tri-state area finished a confident seventh in a field of eleven teams from Michigan, Canada, Illinoius, Maryland Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Junior Short Program and eighth  in skating their Junior Long program for the first time in competition.


The Skyliners  were participating in the first synchro skating event in this country ever scored by the new computer-video scoring system, a system that was the talk of the day with intriguing results and the usual mixed opinions on what it means.


The Colonials from Massachusetts looked in end-of-season form, finishing first in the Junior Short program Saturday, while the Hockettes of Ann Arbor made a dazzling Rockettes skate to Copacabana to win the Junior Long Sunday.



Skyliners Performing their Junior Long program for the first time Sunday at a packed house for the Junior Division competition at posh  “Ice Cube”  in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photo, WPCNR Sports.



Skyliners Perform Entrance into a  Parallel Wheel in their Junior Long. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


 



The Skyliners Waiting to be Called to the Ice before about 600 fans (for just one Division). Photo by WPCNR Sports


The Skyliners Junior Synchronized Skating Team is made up of  Christine Kyriakos, Michelle Noviello, Becky Schwartzman, Juliana Baily, Nicole Battaglia, Kelsey Loveday, Hannah Kasper, Krista Shea, Liz Edouard, Nikki Wylan, Chrissy Salamone, Kaitien Boucher, Ryan Donaghy, Allegra Staples, Caitlin Lombardi, Deanna Jensen, Cerene Belli, Laura Fayer, Mary Halling, Emma Marr, Jennifer Nolos, Liz Radonich, Rachel Gottlieb, Mollie Barr and Noelle Vinson and are coached by Josh Babb and Jenny Gibson. The team has been practicing twice a week for about three months at three hours a practice prior to going out to Ann Arbor over the weekend to skate with synchro’s “big dogs of synchro,” the dedicated and demanding teams in the “Valley of Synchro,”  the Middle West.



After competing: on to MORE practice via luxury bus in “The Land of a 1,000 Rinks (Michigan)”. Photo, WPCNR Sports.


Flying out to Detroit Friday afternoon, they held the official Porter practice at 6:15 A.M. Saturday morning to compete in the Junior Short at 11:00 A.M.  Practiced Saturday evening for their Sunday Long Skate, with transportation by luxury bus, just like a professional sports club, just as do all the other competing teams. It is a very organized atmosphere. They stay in hotels just like professional ball clubs, and bond as a team.



The Skyliners Talk it Over After Competing in their Junior Long program with Coach Josh Babb (right) at the magnificent field house at the University of Michigan Dearborn campus,  Prior to Flying Home Sunday Evening. The team and coach talked over how they had performed, the skate still fresh in their minds, and skated out some details. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


 


Precise, Flowing Colonials Win the Long, Hockettes Turning into “Rockettes” Win the Long. Gold Ice of Canada takes two seconds.


In the Junior Short Program, The Colonials won the competition among the eleven skating clubs with Skate Canada, Brampton, Ontario finishing second, the Chicago Jazz, third, with Team Braemar of Edina, Minnesota fourth.The Hockettes Junior team of Ann Arbor, finished fifth; Fond du Lac Blades of Wisconsin, sixth, The Skyliners, seventh, the Starlights of Skokie Valley Illinois, eighth, Fusion of the York Region, Ontario, Canada, ninth, Ice Elite of Geneva, Illinois, tenth, and the Metroliners of Bowie, Maryland, eleventh. The Colonials skating to  I’m Not Sorry, and Love Gone Wrong were in end-of-the-season elegance and just eased past Gold Ice by “an edge” 28.74 to 28.20, a half-point in the new computer-generated scoring system being used in this competition for the first time in the U.S.A. this past weekend. The system gives techniques and style equal weight, and will be used in the major regional synchronized skating championships this season. 



The Hockettes Stakting Last in the Junior Long: One Great Skate Nails First. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


The National Junior Champion Hockettes of Ann Arbor came back to finish first in the Junior Long Program by a solid 61.94 to  Gold Ice’s 56.76, who bring two Silvers back to the Great White North in the Junior Division. The Hockette skate was particularly interesting, because they were the last  of the ten teams to skate.


With the new scoring system determined by separate judging sequence panels for technical and Artistic elements, with “scores” from both panels being inputted and added by computer to come up with a final score, the “leaving room” practice that figure skating panels have been criticised for in the past appears to be less likely to happen. At least it did in the Hockettes final skate in the Junior Long.


The young ladies executed a high energy, spectacular and precisely showcased showgirl routine to Copacabana.



MMMMUAH! The Hockettes in the big finish to their Junior Long bring down the house. The fans and the computer agreed: this was the best of the longs in a morning of outstanding end-of-season effort and excellence by all the teams in the Junior competition. Photo by WPCNR Sports


One shocking move in their Circle-Within-A-Circle featured I  4 “Rockette” high leg kicks over the heads of the four ice princesses who performed them within the circle of their skating partners. It was a spectacular, (over-the-top literally) maneuver fraught with danger performed early in the program that simply stunned the throng. It was daring it was over-the-top, it was electrifying. Coupled with their blocks with just enough daylight, lines, wheels and block splices right to the music, it shot them to the top.


Instructive Scoring Discoveries


The fabulous first made up for the Hockettes finishing fifth in the Junior Short which gave synchro fans an indication of how the new computer scoring system was going to change the sport. This was one of the reasons why the Skyliners competed in Ann Arbor, to find out how the scoring system will effect competitions, in addition to the atmosphere created by skating with most of  the best skaters in synchro.


The Hockettes performing to Walk Like an Egyptian finished fifth which surprised yours truly because of the high creativity, arm movements and visually engaging choreography and creativity. In speaking with members of the Hockettes they said that the judges had told them their twizzles looked like three quarter turns. The Hockettes I spoke with noted that they just did not showcase the twizzles well, but dismissed it as something they simply had to do better. They said they took deductions in all their elements for these technical ambiguities.



Peg Faulkner. National Referee Explains It All at Seminar for Parents at the Ice Cube Saturday. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


 What this reporter took from this and what other veteran observers surmised  is that the judges are going to be looking more at the execution of all the skaters of the required elements, the footwork of all the skaters,  with considerably more scrutiny.  As one parent said to me, you are not going to be able to hide your skaters blocks and lines who cannot execute the technical steps you choreography into the program.


Peg Faulkner, National Referee, in a seminar for parents on the new scoring confirmed this saying that the panel of judges will be looking at each of the eight elements in a program and scoring them up to plus 3 or down to a minus 3 depending on how well the elements are executed. The plus 3 or the minus 3, 2 or 1, will be deducted from a Level of Difficulty number. However the judges looking at the technical execution of a program will not be deciding the level of difficulty.


The Level of Difficulty is decided upon by a Technical Specialist who is backed up by a Technical Assistant and a Technical Coordinator who make that call. Any judge as well as the Technical Specialist have access to instant reply of any elements, on an individual basis to confirm their analysis to see if a team actually missed an element to confirm their individual score. However that is done on a confidential basis on the Judges computer screen. Judges are only looking at technical execution of how each team skates, and are no longer judging level of difficulty.


That is left to the Three Technical persons, who presently are made up of athletes and coaches, and not judges. Faulkner said the technical scores now are given almost equal weight with the artistic score. The technical panel then assign a score of 2.4 to 10 on the way the team skates the program.


 



The Judges Booth Showing the Computer Consoles the judges use to transmit their scores. The second row contains video equipment for instant reply that any judge can call for confidentially to confirm their analysis. The second row also is home to the Technical Specialist, Assistant, and Technical Controller who analyze the quality of each performance. The judges analyze the technical proficiency of the skate. Scores are then fed to a computer which produces one final score, not two. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


The scores are then transmitted by computer and inputted and the computer combines technical and artistic scores to produce the final score. Ordinals by each judge are a thing of the past. As Ms. Faulkner pointed out, sychro fans can put away their pencils because technical marks now are more concentrated on technical execution rather than showmanship. She noted that, as The Hockettes found out in the short program, that a difficult program though more impressive can no longer be a guarantee. Because if the difficult, highly intricate program is not technically proficiently executed by all the skaters in each element  you may not get credit for that element and it obviously intrudes on the marks for what used to be called the “artistic element.”


The weekend was a great learning and growing experience for the Skyliners and they compete again in Bourne Massachusetts on Cape Cod this Friday.


 



Sitting in Stands Through cold practices, taking care of dresses and makeup, and making sure the Ice Princesses are fed emotional, psychologically and physically, are the folks who make this great experience all possible: the parents. Skyliner Moms watching the Skyliner Practice in Dearborn, Michigan Sunday. Photo by WPCNR Sports.



 


 


 

Posted in Uncategorized

Sabbath Services for the Disabled.

Hits: 0

WPCNR Community Calendar. December 4, 2005: In its continuing effort to bring people with special needs closer to their Jewish culture, the Havorah Program of Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is hosting a Special Sabbath Service for persons with developmental disabilities on Saturday, December 17, 2005 at 1 PM at Temple Israel Center, 280 Old Mamaroneck Road, White Plains. All are welcome and admission is free. For information contact Gail Oliver at 845-565-8610 or gailao777@aol.com.


Posted in Uncategorized

Lecture on Autism Scheduled for Wednesday.

Hits: 0

WPCNR COMMUNITY CALENDAR. December 4, 2005:  Asperger’s & Autism Spectrum Disorders will be the subject of the Dr. Samuel Kahn Memorial Lecture sponsored by Westchester Jewish Community Services on Wednesday, December 7 from 10 AM to 12 Noon.  Open to the public, this free lecture will be held at WJCS Headquarters, 845 N. Broadway, White Plains, NY.

 


Keynote speaker will be Celine Saulnier, PhD, an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale Child Study Center.  Dr. Saulnier received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut, where she concentrated in neuropsychology. Her research interests include atypical sensory reactivity in children across the autism spectrum and parental perceptions of complementary and alternative interventions in autism.


 


Registration is required. Please contact Colleen Porrazzo at 761-0600, X210 or cporrazzo@wjcs.com.

Posted in Uncategorized

A CHRISTMAS CAROL opens at WPPAC Wednesday

Hits: 0

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From White Plains Performing Arts Center. (EDITED) December 3, 2005: Charles Dickens‘ classic, A Christmas Carol, will return to the White Plains Performing Arts Center again this holiday season!  Producing Director, Tony Stimac will direct this classic tale brought to life with festive original music, eye-popping special effects and glorious sets.  A Christmas Carol will run from December 8 – December 18 and is sponsored by Union State Bank.



 Tony Stimac, director of A Christmas Carol said of this production, “We hope to make the experience of Scrooge’s journey as real as possible.  Ghosts are scary.  Confronting your lost dreams and realizing what you have become can be devastating.  However, getting a second chance and experiencing the joy of rebirth is the most exhilarating feeling in the world.  This roller coaster of emotions will be accompanied by a glorious score by Jordan Rudess, wonderful special effects and a physical production that will amaze and delight the entire family.”  Mr. Stimac is shown at November’s Common Council Special Meeting. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


 


This fantastical Christmas classic will feature 23 performers including 10 young actors and actresses, all hailing from Westchester County.  Mt. Pleasant Central School District, Library Media Specialist, Phil Cutrone, who played The Ghost of Christmas Present in last year’s production, will take on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. 


Other actors returning from last year’s cast include David Seven-Sky as Bob Crachit; Robert Tarry Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, Krista Woltersdorf as The Ghost of Christmas Past and Howard Davies as Jacob Marley.  The role of Tiny Tim will be played by Scott O’Brien from Rye. 


New to the production are Nellie O’Brien as Mrs. Crachit/Mrs. Fezziwig, Alex Scheer as Belle, David Berman as Young Scrooge, and Joel Karpoff as Mr. Fezziwig/The Ghost of Christmas Present.  Ensemble members include Kevin Cannon, Dana Hamilton, Megan Keane, Kristy O’Driscoll, Marissa Barnes, David Barrett, Sarah Cammarata, Taylor Clay, Sasha Mercuri, Ian Palmer, Scott O’Brien, Dan Pucarelli, Ashely Spinella and April Woltersdorf. 


 The WPPAC version of A Christmas Carol was adapted by the multi-talented Del Tenney.  Mr. Tenney’s career as an actor, writer, director and producer spans over four decades.  Aside from his more than 300 acting credits both on and off Broadway, he was the founder and director of the Hartman Theatre in Stamford, CT, which won the Drama Desk Award for “Outstanding Contributions to the American Theater.”


 Jordan Rudess, composer and musician, has written an original score for A Christmas Carol that will transport the audience back to 18th Century London.  Mr. Rudess is the composer and keyboardist for Dream Theater and regularly plays with the Grammy Award winning Paul Winter Consort. 


 The creative team of A Christmas Carol is as follows: Andrew Cavanaugh Holland (Set Design), Andrew Gmoser (Lighting Design), Jim Walker (Costume Design) and Justin Boccitto (Choreographer).


 A Christmas Carol will play from December 8-18. Tickets prices are from $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 16 and under. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 888-977-2250 or by visiting the website at www.wppac.com.


 


 


 


 

Posted in Uncategorized

White Plains Churches To Hold Joint Service Dec. 17

Hits: 0

WPCNR Community Culturalist. December 3, 2005: The Memorial and Central Korean United Methodist Church choirs present “Christmas at Memorial – A Multicultural Celebration,” on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, at 8 p.m. in Memorial’s acoustically superb sanctuary framed by a rainbow of flags of the world’s countries.

Memorial’s Director of Fine Arts, Carlton Maaia II, and Central Korean’s Music Director, Soyon Cho, will direct the concert, which also features gospel singer John Wilson, Memorial’s musician-in-residence, and his band.

The suggested donation is $10, but those who are unable to pay are welcome. Part of the proceeds will go to charity.

Posted in Uncategorized

School District running at Enrollment Capacity Now.

Hits: 0

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 2, 2005: The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors issued 10 year projected enrollment figures for the White Plains City School District as of October 1 at Monday evening’s bi-monthly meeting of the Board of Education, describing it as “Kind of holding  at the elementary level. A little growth at the Middle School, and growth at the high school.”


 


At this point, the projections show that White Plains will be operating at district facility capacity for the next decade if projections hold true.


 



Connors reported that the New York State Education Department is considering requiring All Day Kindergarten as mandatory throughout the state, but that would not affect White Plains because the School District implemented that policy last year. He did say that one factor that would impact White Plains elementary school enrollment and facilities was the possibility that the State Education Department is considering making Pre-School Education compulsory if only you have the space. That would definitely affect us, Connors said, but he did not indicate when compulsory pre school might be implemented by the state.


 


“If there are any new programs put in place (by the state or White Plains),” Connors said, “We have no space.”


 


Growth Sources


 


Connors noted that the growth in the White Plains High School population comes from more students staying for a fifth year at the high school to complete their diploma, and more students coming into the district at the high school level.


 


From a demographics perspective, Connors said the African-American population in the district is declining, while the number of Hispanic students is increasing. The Hispanic population in the high school counts for 20% of the student body, and 17% at the elementary level. 


 


Connors said he was asking the City of White Plains to provide the School District with the ethnicity of births in the city for the last three years, so the district could get a better perspective on what the actual enrollment pressures might be expected on the elementary school capacities, (which he described as at capacity now), by the school year 2007-2008.


 


He said the number of young Hispanic families was going up, and he wanted to verify that by actual city birth figures.


 


Impacts


 


Referring to class size, he said that presently the average class size in the elementary schools is 19-20. If elementary population projects to grow in three years, that ratio might be affected, as well as the capacity of the schools. Connors said that it takes about five years to build any new school. “You can’t wait until the last minute (to adjust to increases in enrollment).”


 


Asked by William Pollak, Board member, if there was evidence that new residents coming to the new apartments and condominiums opening in White Plains, were adding students, Connors said “The city does not see (the number of ) young families moving in increasing.”


 


In an enrollment study executed for the district by Bishop Associates, Inc. at a cost of $800, handed out to WPCNR, some interesting numbers emerge:


 


Less than 1% Growth in Enrollment over next 5 years


 


According to the projected enrollment figures, total enrollment by 2010-2011 is expected to reach  6,914, an increase of .7%.


 


High school enrollment (now at 1,939 in 2005-06) is projected to increase over the next three years 1,956 in 06-07; 1,965 in 07-08, 1,970 in  08-09; then erode to 1,970 by 2008-2009, then decline  to 1,899 by 2010-11, then hover between the low 1,800s up to 1,900 by 2015-16.


 


In the elementary schools, in 2005-2006 there are 2,758 students in grades K through 5 (an average of 552 students per elementary school. This number is projected to increase to 3,041 by 2010-11, putting 608 students in each elementary school, barring an unexpected influx of elementary age children.


 


Can the Elementaries handle the Growth?


 


For a reference, according to the school calendar for 2005-2006, this  608-student-per school capacity required by 2010-11 appears sustainable by the present elementary school capacity lineup based on the current enrollments.  Church Street School based on the school calendar figures is home this year to 604 students; George Washington School, 648; Mamaroneck Avenue School, 606; Post Road School, 478; and Ridgeway School, 627.


 


In the middle school (grades 6,7,8) the present enrollment is 1,378 according to the study (however actual school calendar enrollment figures indicate the middle school total is 1,558.) This figure is expected to decrease over the next five years by about 90 students to 1,288 by 2010-2011.


 


Middle School Enrollment to grow from 2011-12 to 2015-2016.


 


However the Middle School projection from 2011-12 through 2015-2016 takes an upswing (stemming from the elementary school increase over the next five years. Enrollment at the two ancient middle schools (Highlands and Eastview) is expected to rise from 1,288 in 2010-2011, to 1,320, 1,326, 1,347, 1,403 to 1,443 in 2015-1016. That 1,443 projection is an increase of 155 over the last five years of the decade.  But, considering the Middle School is according to this year’s School Calendar


 already at 1,558. The projections show the aging Middle Schools are going to be at or near capacity for the next ten years.


 


Slightly more enrollment increases from 2011 to 2015.


 


Total Enrollment is expected to grow from 6,762 in 2005-06, to 6,914 in 2010-11, with the growth coming in the elementary school level.  However, Bill Pollak said you had to add 178 to that base figure of 6,762 to reach the present enrollment of 6,940, which would grow with the additional 178 to 7092 in 2010-11.  There was no explanation why the projected study was short the 178. However, the projection trend of the study still is considered valid.


 


Connors said, “The (present) high school (enrollment) numbers are in line with the numbers we used to plan that (2000 high school expansion) project.” 


 


The Bishop Associates Study notes that for the five years from 2005-2006 to 2010, enrollment increases will average .4% or 30 students per year, and from 2011 to 2015, enrollment increases will ascend to .9% or about 61 students per year.

Posted in Uncategorized

Man Killed by Hit & Run Driver at Westchester Ave & Broadway

Hits: 0

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. December 1, 2005, UPDATED December 2 8:22 A.M.: A pedestrian was struck by a car and killed this evening at the intersection of Westchester Avenue and North Broadway, according to a White Plains Department of Public Safety spokesperson.


Lieutenant Ford of the White Plains Police told WPCNR the fatal accident occurred at 7:41 this evening. Ford said a passerby found the victim lying in the street, the victim of a hit and run driver.  Ford said there were no witnesses to the accident. He said when police arrived, they found the man “mortally wounded” and dead at the scene. 


The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. A followup report in The Journal News this morning indicates police are questioning a possible suspect in the hit and run, and witnesses to the incident had been found. WPCNR awaits information from the police on the details.

Posted in Uncategorized

Connors: No Committment to Bond for School, Stadium Projects At This Time

Hits: 0

 


 


WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. November 29, 2005: In the course of setting a discussion date to evaluate and set priorities for possible renovation of school facilities based on the recent study of a five year facilities plan prepared by Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, the topic of renovation of the high school football stadium came up.


 



The Loucks Dream. Not Committed to, yet. Photo, WPCNR News


 


Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors made a statement to the Board of Education Monday evening to correct an impression created by a letter from the White Plains High School Athletic Fund, Inc., distributed to attendees of last week’s White Plains-Stepinanc Turkey Bowl Game. The letter, Connors pointed out to the Board, was distributed without his knowledge or the school district permission. He said no prior commitments had been made on going ahead with any suggestions and improvements to any schools or facilities at this time. He said those priorties, choices, and timetables, if any,  would be discussed at a meeting on December 19, 7:30 at Education House.


 


Connors, toward the end of the biweekly Board of Education meeting Monday night said, “There is no commitment to build anything. We have only committed to a Study.”


A False Start?


 


The Athletic Fund letter was actively distributed to some 1,000 fans and was included with a reply envelope (for a contribution) in the football program for the Thanksgiving Day Game. The letter contained language that could be construed to indicate the School District was already actively committed to execute  the Fund’s renovation program for Loucks Field. (Athletic facilities had been included in the K. G. & D. study as part of general consideration of athletic facilities.)


 


The language in the Athletic Fund letter read: “Earlier this fall, the White Plains Board of Education was presented with an architect’s report that outlined a comprehensive upgrade at all the schools in the district, including the high school, two middle schools and five elementary schools. Renovations and construction would include physical building and athletic facilities at all locations. The costs estimated for all projects would range from $50 million to $90 million, and would be submitted as a bond authorization to voters in spring 2006. In the meantime the School Board is stydying the proposal to determine the specifics and priority of proposed items it would wish to recommend to the voters.”


 


Upon Further Review.


 


Connors told the Board of Education he had no prior knowledge of the  WPHS Athletic Fund intent to distribute the letter, no one on the Athletic Fund board had spoken to him about it  and he wanted to make it clear that no commitments to execute any projects detailed in the study prepared by Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects, included a $5 Million renovation to Loucks Field, and $3 Million renovations of Parker Stadium and Eastview Fields, had been made, contrary to what the letter conveyed.


 


The letter from Daniel Woodard, the Chairman of the Athletic Fund, said, “If  (Loucks Field renovations were) adopted, renovations would include a new, synthetic field, a new eight-lane track; lighting; home/away seating with a capacity of 3,250; shrubbery and landscaping. The new field would accommodate such sports as field hockey, football, lacrosse, soccer and track & field, as well as other events.”


 


Official Measurement.


 


Woodard’s letter seemed to imply the School District had enthusiastically assumed responsibility for renovating the stadium (by including it in the study), and by the White Plains High School Athletic Fund calling for additional contributions from the public for amenities to the Loucks high school athletic complex in addition to the stadium infrastructure (that the School District would execute) in this statement:


 


“However, more is needed to be done. To help develop and create a truly multipurpose, first-class facility capable of hosting a wide range of quality activities and events, the WPHS Athletic Fund is seeking donations to augment the School Board proposal.


 


Among the projects still needed: a wholly new field house with lockers, meeting and class rooms, and coaches’ offices; a main entrance plaza; state-of-the-art press box, concession stands and sound system. All told, these projects would range $2-3 million in cost.” (Editor’s Note: This is in addition to the $5 million called for in the  Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson study).


 


Connors emphasized that the Board would consider what the district had to do and needed to do for buildings and athletic facilieis at the December 19 meeting.

Posted in Uncategorized