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Mayor Creates The Street Ambassadors: Youth Bureau Appointees Welcome Visitors

Posted on July 16, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From The Mayor’s Office. July 15, 2003: White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino announced the start of a new program Tuesday which features a corps of uniformed Downtown Street Ambassadors to aid shoppers, residents, and office workers in finding their way around the City’s growing and busy business district.

The program, part of the Mayor’s Phase Three Economic Development Plan, is a unique public/private partnership between the City’s Youth Bureau and Public Safety Department, the Mayor’s Office, the White Plains Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and Nextel.

“We’re experiencing tremendous and rapid growth in our City and we’re seeing an increasing number of office workers, students and residents who are new to our City and our downtown. Soon, there will be even more new residents and hotel guests coming into downtown,” Mayor Delfino said at a news conference on Mamaroneck Avenue Tuesday announcing the initiative. “In order to make the downtown more accessible to these new visitors, the street ambassadors will be available to give directions, point out shoppin locations for those seeking specific items and provide a comfortaing presence on our downtown streets.”

The ambassadors for this pilot program were selected from the Youth Bureau’s Summer Employment Program and received training from the Youth Bureau and the City’s Public Safety Department. In addition, they were given an orientation of the downtown by representatives of the BID. The $8,000 cost for the pilot program is being paid for with $5,000 from Public Safety’s Drug Conviction Asset Forfeiture Fund, and $1,500 each from the Youth Bureau and the BID. In addition, Nextel has donated phones for use by the ambassadors.

The ambassadors will be equipped with lunch guides, maps and lists of stores that are available in the downtown. They have undergone training by the City’s Public Safety Department about what to do and who to contact in case of an emergency. The ambassadors will help keep the downtown streets clean by communicating with the BID when they observe a messy area or problem.

“Most importantly, the ambassadors will put an even friendlier face on our growing downtown for the increasing numbers of new residents, office workers and shoppers,” said Mayor Delfino.

The ambassadors will take the streets beginning Wednesday, July 16^th. The program will run through the summer and will be evaluated following that.

Reader Blasts News 12 Coverage of Hudson Hills

Posted on July 15, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. July 15, 2003. A Letter Addressed to News 12:

Dear Ms. Rose, (News Director, Channel 12)
I watched last night’s story about Hudson Hills. This ill-conceived project has cost more than double the original estimate. Several years ago I questioned why we would build a 6th golf course when we can’t maintain the other 5. I still question the thinking.

Our 5 existing courses are unworthy of Westchester County, home of some of the best golf courses in the world. Our county courses can’t compare to other nearby municipal course such as Richter Park, Spook Rock or E. Griffith Harris.

Your story claims there are only public and private golf courses available. This is untrue. Centennial, The Links at Unionvale, Country Club of Lake McGregor, Casperkill, and many others offer upscale daily fee golf in a price range competitive with the (as yet unannounced but assumed) green fee at Hudson Hills.

The county has passed numerous fee increases in the last few years. We were told none of that money was going to Hudson Hills. When all of the golf revenue,( which inlcudes approximately $250,000 for the abominable sale of tee-times for the season), goes into a general fund it’s hard to know where the money comes from. County courses ONLY ACCEPT CASH, which further confuses the issue.

Hudson Hills is a political boondoggle and should be sold to a private developer before another cent is wasted on it.

Ken Robins
23 Talcott Road
Rye Brook, NY 10573

Scandal of Hudson Hills Rages On

Posted on July 15, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. By Bob Petrucci. From The Fair Way. July 15, 2003: If you read the NY Times Westchester Section and watched News12, you will have noticed the Hudson Hills issue…well, only part of it. Also, in the News12 piece, Hudson Hills Manager Falcone said, “HOPEFULLY” it will be completed by December. And what if it is not?

There was, however, one commonality…and maybe it was picked up by those of you who have been concerned residents for some years.

If you’ll recall, Hudson Hills as a $7million (all-inclusive) project was passed to provide golf for the allegedly overcrowded MUNICIPAL county courses and respond to the 400,000 or so rounds of golf that were allegedly not being met in Westchester. And on that basis, it moved along with no threat to the referendum cap or anything else, even though many questioned the 400,000 (when not related to price).

Then, there was a change in administrations and so too a change in Hudson Hills’ direction, even though the new administration made the same “overcrowded, rounds unmet” claim. However, expenses/costs began escalating wildly. The words “premier” and “upscale” were introduced…and with it the threat to the $10 milllion referendum cap, which has since been violated.

Then, as existing-course fees had record increases and the courses had record deterioration (sacrificed for the Hills), they became a “poor product value” and resident golfers stayed away, resulting in a huge 15% plunge in playing rounds.

Now, in both the NY Times and on News12, the administration says its “reason” for Hudson Hills is to provide a place for select people to play golf who do not want to pay the $125 fees of Centennial and the like (and therefore will pay $70 for the Hills). And that is what most golfers have said all along…that Hudson Hills is financially-exclusionary.

And right there is the difference between what was originally passed by the legislators and what we have now. Clearly, these are TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS…by objective and by cost…and that’s another reason why the present one with its $17 million cost ($15 million in bond issues) should require a referendum. It is NOT the same PROJECT.

The really shameful part is that millions of dollars in revenue was/is being taken from existing courses in on-going increased fees to pay for Hudson Hills…and from the very people, the seniors, economically-challenged, etc. that won’t afford Hudson Hills’ $70 fees. Many have reduced their rounds and some have simply stopped playing.

All this so the county elite could have its select country club.

And that’s not what “municipal” is all about.

Bob and Jenny Petrucci

Newsmail Editors

County Residents Protection Alliance

Resident Golfers Protection Group

Yonkers Summer Stock: ”Portraits of Love” Opens July 19. Shakespeare at Unterm

Posted on July 14, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From The Yonkers Tribune, July 14, 2003: Piper Theatre Productions, the only summer stock theatre company based in Yonkers opens its third season of free, professional and accessible drama with production of GIANT a world premiere production directed by company member Thomas Piper at the Yonkers Riverfront Library July 19 and 20th at 8pm.

This is not the first original piece Piper has produced, earlier this year, Johnny Boy’s Graduation written and directed by Mark Nassar, co-creator of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, founder of the Downtown Theatre Club and the LA Drama Desk Nominee for playwrighting for his production of The Mayor’s Limo.

Shakespeare in the Park

Taming of the Shrew directed by Cecilia Rubino and A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by John P. McEneny round out the summer festival of romantic comedies, dubbed Portraits of Love. The company of 60 is made up of actors from Westchester and New York City.

Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeares most entertaining comedies. It is the tale of the bawdy battle of wits and wills between Katherine and Petruchio. In the 1960’s this couple was made famous by the real life steamy duo of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Now, it will be presented live in the classic setting of Untermyer Park.

Shrew Performance Dates: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday July16, 17, and 18th at 7:30 p.m., Untermyer Park.

The free outdoor performances will be held at Untermyer Park located at 945 North Broadway in Yonkers. Samuel Untermyer, the original owner of the estate, and his wife were patrons of the arts and would have lavish parties and shows which included Isadora Duncan dancing in their Grecian Gardens and fountains overlooking the Palisades and Hudson River. It is now owned and maintained by the City of Yonkers.

Following The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, perhaps Shakespeare’s best known comedy, is a dream within a dream filled with fairies, foibles and mistaken identities.

Midsummer Performance Dates: Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays – July 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, and August 1st, Untermyer Park. The Saturday, August 2nd 2 p.m. Performance is at the Riverfront Library.

And finally As You Like It rounds off our romantic comedy season with our Apprentice Company Production. All the actors are area students who have worked so very hard to present an afternoon of Shakespeare assessable to all. These two performances will be held in the beautiful new auditorium of the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

As You Like It, Apprentice Company Performances, are on July 26th and 27th at 2 p.m. the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

This will be the third season of free Summer Shakespeare in Untermyer Park. It was founded in 2001 by John and Rachel McEneny, in the past two seasons over 5,500 people throughout Westchester have attended and experienced Shakespeare in the Park in Yonkers. All are invited to come early, bring chairs or blankets, food, and family and enjoy and evening you thought only possible in New York City.

Local Westchester County Performers in Shrew include: Bruce Sabath* (Hortensio) of Katonah, Ashton Crosy (Gremio) of Bedford, Sean Moran (Luciento), Joe Lauriero (Pedant) and Robbie Hothan of Yonkers, Tal Aviezer (Baptista) of Dobbs Ferry, and Allison Friedland (Biondello) of Mount Vernon.

*Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association

Adam In Albany: Sign Up Now to Say Good-Bye to Telemarketers

Posted on July 14, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By New York State Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. July 14, 2003: A few years ago, New York’s state government created a law that helped to protect quiet family dinners and relaxing weekend afternoons. That law set up the state’s Do-Not-Call Registry, a list residents can sign up for to stop receiving calls from persistent and obnoxious telemarketers.

To sign up for the national do-not-call list, visit Get rid of all water holding containers, especially old tires, cans, buckets, drums, wheelbarrows and bottles.

· Cover all outdoor trash containers to keep rainwater from accumulating inside.

· Drill holes in the bottoms of all recycling containers that are left outdoors.

· Clean roof gutters and remove standing water from flat roofs.

· Drain the water in birdbaths, plant pots and drip trays twice weekly.

· Sweep driveways after it rains so that they are free of puddles.

For additional information on West Nile virus, call the Public Health Information Line at (914) 813-5609, or visit its website at www.westchestergov.com/health.

School District Taps Lasselle Colleague for New Assistant Superintendent of Biz

Posted on July 11, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 11, 2003. 12 Noon E.D.T. UPDATED 1 P.M. E.D.T.: The White Plains City School District will vote on approving the hiring of Terrance Schruers to the position of Assistant Superintendent for Business effective September 22, to fill the shoes of Richard Lasselle, the perennial “Mr. Numbers” for the School District the last eight years. Mr. Lasselle is retiring, effective August 1.

Mr. Schruers, (pronounced “SHEARS”), is a longtime associate of Mr. Lasselle who has worked with Mr. Lasselle as a member of the New York State Association of School Board Officials. Mr. Schruers, described as a man in his 50s, comes to White Plains from the New Hartford Central School District, located outside of Utica, New York, where he is Assistant Superintendent for Business Affairs, and has worked for the district since 1975.

The New Hartford Central School District is located in picturesque Oneida County, New York, and serves approximately 2,900 students. It has a 2003-04 School Budget of $35 Million dollars. You can learn more about the District by going to the website, www.newhartfordschools.org. (The White Plains City School District budget for 2003-04 is $134.6 Million).On the New Hartford schools website, you can download New Hartford school budget newsletters detailing the District budget justifications in bullet-like, terse detail, with a clarity, comprehensiveness and persuasive flare that closely resemble Richard Lasselle’s skills at communicating complex budget requirements effectively.

Schruers is a Director of the Association of School Board Officials, and is known to Mr. Lasselle, according to Ms. Schoenfeld. Mr. Schruers district also participates in the same insurance plan the White Plains School District uses. According to Monday evening’s Board of Education agenda, Schruers will be hired for a three year contract beginning in September.

”Save The Watch” Committee Organizing. City Blamed for Loss of Advertisers

Posted on July 11, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS MAIN STREET. By John F. Bailey. July 11, 2003. 1:00 A.M. E.D.T.: A citizens’ Committee to Save the White Plains Watch, (the city monthly newspaper published for the past five years), is in the process of being formed.

In an electronic mailing sent and forwarded to a large number of citizens, Barbara Benjamin is calling upon White Plains residents to help “The Watch” by becoming subscribers and placing advertisements. The mailing, a copy of which was sent to White Plains CitizeNetReporter, characterizes itself as a “call to arms to try and find a way to save the White Plains Watch!” Ms. Benjamin’s letter asks for it to be forwarded by e-mail to “any and all who might be willing to help,” and asks for a volunteer to get the committee going.

Ms. Benjamin, interviewed by WPCNR Thursday afternoon said, she has gotten a “fabulous” response, with people telling her “I’m going to help.” Ms. Benjamin did not say how many had contacted her, or how they planned to help, but said they could help by “becoming subscribers and taking out ads.” She said she was moved to send out the mailing because “The Watch” is “a good paper” and the city needs a free independent press.

The recruiting message sent out through Ms. Benjamin’s e-mail address, says that she had spoken with Susan Chang, the publisher of The Watch, and learned that Ms. Chang will not be publishing an August issue. Ms. Benjamin’s letter goes on to say that, “As a result of the city black ball of The Watch, she has lost advertisers and is losing money on each issue, which she cannot continue to do.”

Ms. Benjamin’s letter suggests that the citizen’s committee be formed to “publicize her plight and the reason for it;” conduct a mailing to get subscribers, and hold a “fund-raiser”.

WCNR asked Ms. Benjamin how the Committee will be formed, and proceed, and she said that it was uncertain at this stage. (Her e-mail text said she hoped a volunteer would come forward “to help me get this going.”

Publisher Declines to Comment.

Prior to calling Ms. Benjamin, WPCNR contacted Susan Chang. Ms. Chang said she did not wish to comment on the “Save the Watch Committee.” She said “we are continuing to publish” and that though The Watch has published in August in the past, they chose not to do so in August because of her staff vacation schedules. As I was about to ask Ms. Chang what Ms. Benjamin could have meant by the “city black ball of The Watch,” the telephone call was disconnected. Calling back immediately, I talked to Ms. Chang’s assistant who said Ms. Chang did not wish to speak further on the issue.

In my interview with Ms. Benjamin, I started by asking her what she meant by the “city black ball” comment in her mailing, she said if Ms. Chang was not going to comment she was not going to comment. Ms. Benjamin also said this effort of hers, “had nothing to do with CCOS (Concerned Citizens for Open Space, the organization with which she is associated).”

When pressed on the details of how the city was “black-balling the watch” according to the allegation in her letter, Ms. Benjamin became irritated, said I was “a troublemaker” and said she would not speak to a “yellow journalist like you.” And on that comment, she terminated the interview.

WPCNR contacted the Mayor’s Office asking what they thought Ms. Benjamin’s comment about the “city black ball” meant, and the Mayor’s Office had no comment.

Complete Text of the Save The Watch Commitee Letter Circulated July 7:

This memo is being written by me as a private citizen and not as chairperson of anything. It is a “call to arms” to try and find a way to SAVE THE WHITE PLAINS WATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spoke to Susan Chang today. She will be putting a notice in the July issue of the Watch re our Candidates Meeting because there will be no August issue.

As a result of the city black ball of the Watch, she has lost advertisers and is losing money on each issue, which she cannot continue to do.

I believe a citizen’s committee should be formed, a Save the Watch Committee, and we should find a way to:

1) Publicize her plight and the reason for it

2) Do a city mailing and try to get her hundreds of subscribers.

3) Host a fund raiser to help her out

These are not things she can do herself. It is up to this community to get all the people who support the Watch to fight to save it. Closing it would be a terrible loss to the city and a free press.

I do not want to be chairman of this, but I will be happy to open my house to a “get started” meeting and work hard with any committee that can be formed.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO ANY AND ALL WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO HELP. I can think of a great many people who should get this e-mail, but I don’t have the necessary e-mail addresses — but you might. I CAN BE AN E-MAIL CENTER FOR RESPONSES, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEONE VOLUNTEER TO HELP ME GET THIS GOING.

Barbara

Hickey Seeks to Throw out Republican Council Ticket

Posted on July 10, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. July 10, 2003 UPDATED 4:50 P.M. E.D.T.: Daniel Hickey, challenger of Republican Party-designated candidates for Common Council, Jeffrey Binder, Rosa Munoz and TimSheehan, filed a “General Objection” with the Board of Elections Wednesday to the designating petitions of the Republican trio, attempting to have the Board of Elections throw them off the ballot.

At a news conference this morning, the stung Republican nominees said Mr. Hickey filed the objection “without first examining the Binder/Munoz/Sheehan petitions.” Hickey, who was present, said he had not had time to examine the petitions, and simply wanted to protect his rights to examine the signatures. Hickey stated he did not plan to carry the legal process forward. The designated nominees alleged that Hickey simply filed the wrong form, (there is a general objection form and a form to request review of petition signatures), and questioned his judgment.

Jeffrey Binder, speaking to WPCNR moments ago, amplified his comments, charging that Hickey deliberately filed the general objection form, because he asked Carolee Sunderland, the Co-Chair of the Board of Elections about how he could file a General Objection form about 10 days ago. Binder said this clearly indicated that Hickey had deliberately planned to file the General Objection, and said he and his two running mates were not “stunned,” they were “outraged.”

Carolee Sunderland confirmed Mr. Binder’s report to WPCNR Thursday evening, saying Hickey had come into the Board of Elections two weeks ago asking how he could file an objection, and did so again the day petitions were due.