WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,826,065 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—73,578 VISITS A WEEK BY 1,111,506 VISITORS

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WPCNR Evening Star Reporter. From Westchester County Department of Communications. July 22, 2002:Westchester County is predicting a $5 million shortfall in sales tax revenues if numbers from the first six months of the year are any indicator.
According to sales tax receipts released by the state, Westchester collected $328,625 less than expected during the first six months of the year. Sales tax receipts were $116,136,962 from January to June 2002 compared with $116,465,587 that was budgeted.

Sales Tax to the Rescue?

“The news is not good,’’ said County Executive Andy Spano. “The shaky national economy is causing people to spend less, and that means we are losing vital sales tax dollars. This does not bode well for next year. We are facing a $102 million deficit caused by programs the State imposes on us, and if Albany does not give us a new revenue source, the people of Westchester could see a State-imposed double digit tax increase.’’

Asks Albany for 1% Increase in Sales Tax

If Albany would allow Westchester to increase its sales tax by 1 percent, it would raise about $75 million, enough to close about three-quarters of the budget gap.

“Without the sales tax increase our options are not good: a 29 percent State-imposed increase in property taxes or severe cuts in county services or a combination of both,’’ said Spano.

Westchester County Budget Director Kate Carrano said the latest sales tax figures are another blow to the county’s efforts to close the estimated $102 million budget gap.

“The 2002 budget amount for sales tax revenue was the same that was budgeted for 2001,’’ said Carrano. “However, 2001 actual revenues came in $4.5 million short. In the current sales tax picture, we are facing an additional $500,000 shortfall.’’

Spano said while increased costs for State mandated services like pre-school special education, Medicaid and health care were hurting the county, two added mandates from Albany this year delivered a crushing blow — the addition of Family Health Plus health insurance for working families and passage of the Health Care Reform Act.

Both these new programs must be funded by Westchester, increasing the cost to county taxpayers by millions of dollars. This year Medicaid costs increased 19 percent — more than double the 8 percent increase budgeted by the county based on the normal expectations from previous years.

Spano said while these programs were certainly worthy, it was not fair for Albany to pass along their cost to Westchester residents. He said the least that Albany could do was to give Westchester the right to raise additional revenue.

“Our State legislators know how much these State mandated programs are hurting our taxpayers and our only relief is the ability to raise the sales tax one cent on the dollar,’’ said Spano. “I hope they will work with us. Albany caused the problem. Now we need Albany to help solve it.’’

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WPCNR White Plains Variety. July 22, 2002: WPCNR has been notified within the hour by Public Access Channel 71 that this week’s edition of White Plains Week featuring an interview with Naomi Matusow cannot be aired this evening because of an as-yet-to-be-determined technical error which caused the program not to record.
At this hour, Public Access engineers are checking to find the cause of the error that failed to record the 30-minute interview recorded Friday morning, July 19.

Engineers are also checking on whether or not other programs recorded Friday also failed to transfer successfully to tape.

WPCNR is working to set up another date to interview Ms. Matusow. An interview with Robert Ruger, previously recorded will cablecast in place of the Matusow interview.

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WPCNR Planning Board Roundup. Special to WPCNR. July 19, 2002.: The White Plains Planning Board this week endorsed the New York Presbyterian Hospital biotech/proton accelerator proposal, and encouraged the White Plains Common Council to approve the project, according to WPCNR sources who attended last Tuesday evening’s meeting.
WPCNR’s source reports the Board not only supported the project unanimously, but also approved the new location of the project on the interior of the hospital property.

In other matters of note, the developers of the Scott Circle subdivision withdrew their proposal abruptly Tuesday before the meeting began.

According to our contact, “the applicant was unable to achieve the depth required for the middle lot.

In other projects of community interest: XM Radio’s application for an antenna for their satellite radio system and the Bayrakdarian subdivision on Greenridge Avenue were adjourned until the August 13 meeting.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey July 19, 2002. 1:30 PM E.D.T.: The Board of Education today announced that longtime White Plains attorney, Peter Bassano, has been appointed to complete the term of resigned Board member, Richard Bernstein.
Mr. Bassano is employed by the White Plains law firm of Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt. He has been a resident of White Plains for fourteen years and has two children in the White Plains public schools.

Bassano was previously a registered nurse in psychology, and has served on the White Plains Little League Board of Directors, as Safety Director and is very much involved in educational issues.

Board Confident says Schere.

Dorothy S. Schere, Board President, said, “The Board was pleased that five qualified candidates asked to be interviewed for the vacant seat. It’s a very positive indication of the broad interest in the success of our public schools and commitment to public education.” She added, “The Board is confident that Mr. Bassano will make a valuable contribution to the district in the coming year.”

Tratoros impressed.

Bassano was described by Board of Education member, Michelle Tratoros, as bringing excellent negotiating skills to the Board, one of the qualities that impressed her and other Board members.

Ms. Tratoros described him as “a person who will work very well with the Board,” and “very capable.”

Mr. Bassano, according to Ms. Tratoros, was selected from a group of five persons who applied for Mr. Bernstein’s vacant seat. She said he is very familiar with district affairs, having served on the Annual Budget Committee. He will serve until school board elections next May 20, when the seat will be up for election.

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JACK POSEN RECEIVES
2002 PILLARS OF COMMUNITY AWARD

White Plains resident Jack Posen, DDS, was recently honored by Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) with the agency’s 2002 Pillars of Community Award. Dr. Posen was recognized for his exceptional commitment and generosity of spirit to WJCS and the community it serves.

To honor his daughter, who perished when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, Dr. Posen founded The Pammy Fund to help financially needy young people realize their dreams through education. Over the past 10 years, The Pammy Fund has contributed nearly $150,000 to graduates of the WJCS Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) to help defray the cost of higher education.

PCHP is an early learning program designed to prevent school problems for disadvantaged pre-schoolers and promote self-esteem and child rearing competence in their parents. Working with families in Greenburgh, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Port Chester and White Plains, trained home visitors use specially selected toys and books to provide cognitive enrichment through verbal interaction and special game play. During the past 30 years, nearly 2,500 children have participated in the program.

“Jack Posen’s generosity has expanded opportunities for young adults and provided strength for the mission of WJCS,” said Maida Silver, PhD, WJCS Board President and White Plains resident. “A living testament to his daughter’s memory, the Pammy Fund grants nurture the hopes of others and create a family of young people carrying on a lasting and meaningful legacy.”

In addition to supporting PCHP graduates, The Pammy Fund also assists young people involved with Help USA, the YM-YWHA of the Inwwod Section of the Bronx and the Center for Preventive Psychiatry.

A graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dr. Posen is an orthodontist in Armonk.