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 ISSUES AND ANSWERS. From Westchester Jewish Community Services. April 16, 2004: 150 students from high schools throughout Westchester County participated in The 3rd Annual Breaking the Silence last Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. A youth speak-out aimed at educating the public about anti-gay harassment in high schools, Breaking the Silence was the culmination to the National Day of Silence during which students take a vow of silence to recognize the discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.



As part of the program, a Purchase College theater major performed “The Fag,” a one-man show he’s written for his senior thesis based on true stories. Breaking the Silence also included an “open mic” segment during which several students gave painful and poignant personal accounts of their life experiences.

“School should be a place where all students feel they’re accepted for who they are, a place where they can be themselves, a place where they don’t feel isolated or ostracized,” says Sara Braun, Director of Westchester Jewish Community Services’ Center Lane, one of the sponsors of Breaking the Silence. “Unfortunately for gay, lesbian and questioning youth this is often not the case. The harassment they experience at school not only impacts how they feel about themselves but it also influences their ability to perform academically.”

According to Ms. Braun, Breaking the Silence gives a voice to those who are often silenced by fear, discrimination and harassment at school. The event empowers students to express how hurtful their day-to-day experiences with peers and, sometimes with faculty and administrators can be.

“We are so proud of the courage and energy of the many Westchester youth, who participated in the Day of Silence and the Breaking the Silence,” says Mary Jane Karger, Chair of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) Hudson Valley, co-sponsor of the event. “Their presence in our county is a strong indication of the desire and commitment of many students to keep our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth safe in our schools.”

The National Day of Silence, which is observed in high schools throughout the country, is a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in collaboration with the United State Student Association (USSA). Center Lane, a program of Westchester Jewish Community Services, is the county’s only community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Each year nearly 200 adolescents participate in recreational and educational activities

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education, and WPCNR. April 26, 2004: Registration for the White Plains Board of Education Annual Election and Budget Vote will take place on Saturday, May 1st, Noon to 5 P.M., at Mamaroneck Avenue School, Nosband Avenue.  A registrant must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or more, and a White Plains resident for at least 30 days prior to the election on May 18th.  If a resident has voted in a General Election in the past four years, he is automatically registered and need not re-register.

Voters who have moved within the City of White Plains since the last election may also re-register at this time.For further information contact the District Clerk at 422-2071.

WPCNR has also learned that there is one new candidate collecting signatures for the Board of Education seat to  run with Michelle Tratoros, (present member of the Board). Susan Kirkpatrick, presently a member of the Board of Education is not going to run for reelection. If no one else submits a petition, Ms. Tratoros and the new, as yet unidentified citizen, will automatically be assured of being elected to the Board of Education.

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WPCNR’S FEINER REPORT. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. April 26, 2004: The recent tree  tragedy on the Saw Mill River Parkway highlights the need for the state, county and local governments to be more aggressive re: examining trees that are in danger of falling. It’s impossible for any government to guarantee that no tree will fall down  and it’s probably impossible for any government to inspect every tree within ones borders. However, government can be proactive- we can take proactive actions to reduce the risks. The Town of Greenburgh has appropriated funds in our budget for the removal of hazardous trees. And, we recently sent out a Request for Proposals for consulting services within unincorporated Greenburgh. The Town contains over 130 linear miles of roadway and public transportation corridors and over 400 acres of parkland. 19 square miles comprise the unincorporated area of Greenburgh.

  Please note over 20 companies received the Triage Tree Assessment RFP and only one submitted a proposal.  We were very specific and did not want fly by night companies responding.

 The Town of Greenburgh this spring, plans to retain professional services to compliment the existing work force who presently exam trees located in town parkland and along transportation corridors in the unincorporated areas of the Town of Greenburgh.  The consultant is to provide 60 days (480 hours) of inspection services that is to include:

*  Identify from visual observation potentially hazardous trees located in the Town of Greenburgh and within the land managed by the town.

¨      Conduct additional examinations of individual trees as deemed appropriate.

¨      Document the condition of each tree examined.

¨      Provide a Latitude and Longitude location for each tree requiring remedial work.

¨      Provide a durable tag affixed to each tree requiring work.

¨      Provide a written report at the termination of the fieldwork identifying the specific trees by number and condition and providing an index of severity of observed conditions.

¨      Provide a database of field data to the Town of Greenburgh at the termination of fieldwork.

¨      Provide a file of point data identifying each tree in a format compatible with AutoCAD Land Development Desktop software for incorporation within the Town of Greenburgh GIS.

The latitude and longitude will be collected via the Global Positioning System.  This will be utilized in collecting data in the field and processed for reports.

Note no tree survey or evaluation can answer all questions.  Trees are complex organisms living in complex environments.  Efforts by the consultant and town will be made to locate and identify trees within the designated areas that pose a recognizable threat.  Trees examined will be those that exceed 12 inches in diameter as measured at 4.5 feet above grade and that have visible external symptoms warranting additional investigation at the time of initial examination.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. By the White Plains Roving Photographer. April 25, 2004: The Sunday Photograph of the Day shows the action in the White Plains Little League Senior Girls Divison at White Plains High School where parents watched the Delfino’s Angels-sponsored Mets even their series with The Sports Authority’s Yankees, 5-2 in the second straight well-pitched game. Kate Smayda stares in to get the sign while Maraid McGovern leads from second. Meanwhile, an enterprising party enjoys a picnic with table cloth and buffet in the “Skybox” down the right field line.

FOLLOWING THE SOFTBALL SUN. By TheWPCNR Roving Photographer.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. April 22, 2004: After a long presentation by Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, outlining an Affordable Home Ownership program that would require developers of condominiums to kick in cash instead of actual living units for affordable housing, the council got into heated debate over whether the city should make available more units for affordable housing, or create supplemental subsidies to enable residents to purchase their own condominiums and coops, or even land.

As the meeting closed, the Council agreed that developers of condominiums should be required to make a cash payment, not make available units,  and conceded that they had to set a rate or fee per unit that future condo developers would have to pay.

Action would be delayed on the legislation until  City Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy wrote a legal memorandium outlining the legal pitfalls and limites involved in requiring  what Mr. Dunphy described to WPCNR as “Impact Payments.”

Louis Cappelli, who will be required on his 700 condominums to pay $1,050,000 for that cash payment noted that the city could turn that into $10,000,000 of mortgage leverage to help persons afford homes. Cappelli also said that if the city required payments of $150,000 a unit, that this was “a fantasy,” sayin no developer would consider that.

It was also reported by Susan Habel that the city is having more difficulty than expected in finding renters who are able to meet the credit requirements of owners on the affordable rental housing units being made available. Habel said that families of four making $74,400 (80% of median income) had more credit history problems than the city expected. Those that are being rejected by owners are being referred for credit counseling to aid them in presenting a more acceptable credit profile to owners. Habel said the city is working with those rejected for credit problems.

George Gretsas said that approximately 20% of affordable rental units have been rented so far. Susan Habel said she would get the exact number for WPCNR, but she did not have the numbers because they change daily.

Gretsas cautioned the Common Council not to get hung up and demanding too much payment for affordable housing of developers, pointing out that the city has built more affordable housing than any other community in Westchester County. Gretsas cautioned the Council “not to lose perspective.” He told WPCNR the city has built 200 affordable units of housing since 1997. Prior to that the city had built only one apartment building in 9 years and that was The Seasons, which was a luxury building.