The Andy Spano Hour: CE Conciliatory: Legislature, Counties Must Talk

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-NIGHT-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. January 10, 2003, UPDATED 6 P.M. E.S.T.: County Executive Andy Spano held a wide open “Ask me Anything” news conference on the budget Thursday with area reporters, and said he would be reaching out to all Westchester legislators in the next three weeks, Assemblypersons and State Senators, personally to work with them to solve the state mandates problem creatively and the need for a Westchester 1% sales tax hike. He will begin with a conference with Senate Majority Leader, Joseph Bruno on Monday.



COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANDY SPANO spoke very briefly about his reactions and impressions of the legislature’s mood and Governor Pataki’s State-of-the-State Address Thursday, then opened the floor to budget questions from the media. On Friday afternoon, Executive Spano released a statement reacting to the just released Witt Report mentioned in this article. The Witt Report, sharply critical of the Indian Point Evacuation Plan now in place, may be viewed and commented on directly via e-mail to Witt Associates up until early February at http://wittassociates.com/projects_NYdesc.html

Photo by WPCNR News


Late Friday afternoon, in response to the released of the Witt Report, Mr. Spano talks about later in this article, Mr. Spano made these comments:

“This is the first time we have had an independent, comprehensive review of this plan, and we welcome it. Based on the briefing, we agree with many of the observations that were made,’’ said Spano. “We have already been working to improve the plan as an interim step until we can get the plant closed.”

“It’s unfortunate that the Witt report did not include any of the improvements we have made to the plan since Sept. 11, 2001. But we were encouraged to see that the report confirms that we have done what was required of us, but that the exercise developed by the state and FEMA to test the plan needs to change. We would agree with that.’’

Spano added, “The release of this report is the best thing that could have happened. Now efforts will focus on improving the plan until Indian Point can be closed and we will get more state and federal assistance with a situation that is really a matter of national security, not just a local issue.’’

News Conference of Thursday Analyzed Budget Situation

WPCNR asked the county chief executive if he had been assured of support by any Westchester Assemblypersons for his request for a 1% sales tax to avoid an increase in the county property tax, and he said not as of yet, but that he would be making personal overtures and having discussions with them to win their support for the critical increase within the next three weeks.

Need Sales Tax 1 per-center now.

Spano pointed out the dilemma the Westchester delegation faces: all sales taxes are usually automatically passed in an omnibus bill for all counties and cities in the state later in the budget year. The problem, he said is that Westchester needs its key 1% increase in the sales tax within the next three months to avoid the property tax hike in the county’s contingency budget. Spano’s unspoken implication was clear: the 1% sales tax request will have be championed, lobbied for, and presented artfully and quickly by the Westchester delegation or it will arrive too late to achieve its purpose: balancing the county budget.

Says people back the 1% Sales Tax 3 to 1

Spano noted that the sales tax increase of 1% appeared to be preferred 3 to 1, based on his information, since 25% of the sales tax increase would be paid by persons who are not residents of Westchester. He said a sales tax was not as hard on the poor, since it would not apply in the poorest areas of Westchester, the six cities, as opposed to an increase in the property tax which targets every homeowner and business.

Medicaid costs of caring for Children With Disabilities drive Mandated Costs Higher – doubling in 5 years

Adam Stone of the North County News asked specifically what was causing the state-mandated portion of the Medicaid budget to rise. Spano said it was the mandates to care for early education and county transportation of Children With Disabilities from ages birth to 5. He noted that the county is mandated by the state to pay for the education and the transportation of these children, for “Early Intervention,” ages 0 to 3, and “Pre-K,” ages 4 to 5.

Supports It. Does Not Want to Cut It. Asks to “Cap Medicaid Now.”

Spano said he was not for reducing or cutting the childrens’ programs. He said they were good programs. Instead, he and his 18 other New York County Executives want the present county shares (which in Westchester is $48 Million a year), capped at their present levels, with the state picking up the increases in coming years. When Spano took office in 1997 the amount for Childrens’ Disabilities that the county paid was $24 Million. The entire cost of paying for services for these children in Westchester has gone from $54 Million in 1997 to $110 Million today. The county pays $48 Million of that $110 Million.

County Executives in a Dilemma: Albany Needs to Hear Them.

Spano described the county executives he met with Thursday as in a dilemma. They are angry about these mandates forced on them, and they do not know what they can do about it. Spano told reporters that the counties are familiar with their problems, they know the effects the state mandates have on their budgets, and Albany needs to talk to the county executives, listen and work cooperatively:

“We understand what the problems are (in Albany). We just want to work them out.” Spano said. He said that capping automatic state increases in mandated programs in the future was going to be a major thrust on the part of the New York county executives.



COUNTY EXECS CAMPAIGN AGAINST MANDATES: At the outset of the Hour, Spano displayed a button being handed out by one County Executive, reading “Cap Medicaid Now.”
Photo by WPCNR


Indian Point Red Herring.

A television reporter from News 4, within minutes after Executive Spano’s opening remarks, aggressively turned discussion billed as to be limited to the budget to the Indian Point matter of releasing the Witt report on the County’s Emergency evacuation plan for the Entergy nuclear power plant in Buchanan.

Spano pointed out to the reporter that the county does not “certify” anything. He said the county simply confirms to the state that it has put in place emergency procedures required to be developed by the state. Spano said it did not have to have its emergency procedures be approved or “certified” in any way.

When pressed by the reporter, Spano said this was not a “certification process” and indicated it was a checklist and not an analysis.

When the reporter continued to press the point, Spano said that organizations are using the Witt report that is with Governor Pataki and the county’s emergency plan as simply “a way to get the state to close the plant, and that’s not going to happen,” snapped Spano.

Witt did not work with the county officials to prepare his report.

The County Executive said he thought the county plan was “a great plan,” but that he is going to work to improve it.

Susan Tolchin, Spano’s Chief Advisor, noted that Mr. Witt, the former FEMA chief, who was preparing the report had never sat down with the county officials to review aspects of the emergency plan with them. Spano said he looked forward to doing that with Witt in the future.

Pataki Speech Short on Specifics

Executive Spano said, when asked what he thought of Governor Pataki’s State of the State Address Wednesday , “He did the best he could, but I would have liked to have seen more specifics on what he is going to cut.”

“The Andy Spano Hour” ended after 35 minutes, when reporters could not think of any more questions to ask, but the County Executive was ready for more.

In his very brief opening remarks, Executive Spano noted that the state faced a $2 Billion deficit in this present year 2002…and a $10 Billion deficit for the 2003 year. He remarked that he did not expect Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York to get his commuter tax.



Photo by WPCNR

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JPI Will Post Bond to Back Restoration Plan Contingency. “We’re Gonna Build It.”

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WPCNR MILKMAN’S MATINEE EDITION. By John F. Bailey. January 10, 2003: A spokesman for JPI of Dallas, Texas, designated developers of The Jefferson, the apartment complex approved for 300 Mamaroneck Avenue moved quickly today to assure the city the national developer and manager of some 8,000 units nationwide, has every intention of building The Jefferson and the project is not in jeopardy of becoming another “Hole in the Ground.”



THE JEFFERSON WILL RISE, as soon as financing can be restructured, according to JPI spokesman, Geoffrey Thompson. The design the project to rise on the gentle upslope of 300 Mamaroneck Avenue has been on hold for 10 months, while the project has been reestimated.
Photo by WPCNR News


Geoffrey Thompson, spokesperson for JPI, contacted WPCNR Thursday afternoon and stated strongly that JPI is definitely not “shopping” the property. “They have every intention of building the 280-unit complex with townhouses opposite the Food Emporium,” Thompson said.

Will Come in With Restoration Plan. Will Post Performance Bond with city if requested.

Thompson told WPCNR the company told him late Thursday evening that the company has not told the city they will drop the project if required to put up a performance bond. Thompson reports that JPI is putting together a Landscape Plan or “Restoration Plan” as Thompson described it for presentation to the Common Council Tuesday January 21 when it requests approximately 90 day extention to their site plan approval. “They will also gladly post a performance bond to guarantee they will not leave the project as is, but they say that won’t be necessary, they fully intend to build the project,” Thompson clarified.

Costs being trimed. Financial Adjustments with Backers Being Tinkered.

Thompson explained that costs with the company’s previous contractor for the project, based in Rhode Island, during escavation were determined by the contractor to be way above their estimate of $80 Million, but “not double,” according to Thompson. That previous contractor stopped work to renegotiate the project with JPI. They reached an impasse.

JPI then brought in HRH Corporation, the company building the City Center and Bank Street Commons as a consultant to recost the job, adjust some of the design, and see how to bring the project back into cost range.

Thompson said they have since hired on HRH Corporation as their general contractor, trimmed costs but not quite enough in their opinion. WPCNR has learned that the project is still going to cost approximately 20% more, or $20 Million more than original budget.

Now, Thompson says JPI is renegotiating with the financial backers of the project to repackage the deal.

Thompson strongly delivered JPI’s message to White Plains that the company is not going under. They are not in financial trouble. They fully intend to build the project, and will cooperate with the city to put together a Restoration Plan.

City Has Not Set a Performance Bond Amount.

Paul Wood, city Director of Economic Development, said the city has not set an amount for the performance bond, and said no conclusions should be drawn until JPI has had a chance to meet with the Common Council. The site plan approval expires January 31, according to Mr. Wood.



GRAY HOUSE TO BE DEMOLITIONED: Thompson said JPI will be conducting demolition operations on the gray house on the corner of the property, (photographed in April, 2002), shown to the left, “as soon as the electric and the water are turned off,” as an indication the company is serious about getting the Jefferson going up.
Photo by WPCNR NEWS

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Gov Crowns NYPH Center of Excellence in White Plains. Money Hunt Over?

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WPCNR ALBANY BEACON SENTINEL. By John F. Bailey. January 9, 2003:Though Governor George Pataki called for cuts to deal with the state’s projected $10 Billion Dollar shortfall, in his State of the State Address Wednesday in the capitol, biotech research and development across the state apparently will not be cut or affected if he has anything to say about it.

The Governor called for “expansion” of his biotech initiative, and New York Presbyterian Hospital in White Plains was named as one of its newest beneficiaries.

The Governor specifically named New York Presbyterian Hospital and its affiliate campuses as a “Center of Excellence,” saying that such centers needed to be “nurtured” indicating by inference that the multi-millions in state development funds the hospital has been lobbying for were definitely still in play, and could be expanded.

The Governor’s unequivocal signal that his biotech, hi-tech money pipeline was still going to flow with state cash indicates that the White Plains biomedical research center/proton accelerator money hunt appears to have borne fruit based on the Governor’s own speech.

After detailing biotech center success stories around the state, Governor Pataki stated,

“We need to continue our momentum by expanding our Empire State High Tech Corridor,” the Governor declared. “Therefore, we are moving forward with additional Centers for Excellence – in Westchester with leading research institutions like New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell and Columbia University, New York Medical College and industry and university collaboration are essential to our goal of creation of a new economy in New York.”

The governor went a step farther saying that “all thse new programs and initiatives…are loaded with incredible potential,” and that, “They need to be nurtured with the same energy that was used to conceive and attract them.”

The governor’s speech may be viewed in its entirety at www.state.ny.us.

The New York Presbyterian Hospital biotech and proton accelerator project is currently under scrutiny in New York State Supreme Court with attorneys arguing over whether Concerned Citizens for Open Space has the “standing” to file their Article 78 action.

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Paul Feiner Sets 52 Administration Goals for 2003

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WPCNR GREENBURGH GAZETTE. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. January 9, 2003: At the Town of Greenburgh tour of its newly proposed headquarters last night, Supervisor Paul Feiner outlined 52 goals for 2003.

The goals are specific and range from energy conservation, increased regulation of wetlands development, increasing parking and traffic enforcement, enhancing independence of cable TV, opening the new Town Hall on Hillside Avenue, acquiring Taxter Ridge as a park, background checks in youth sports, increasing court hours, evaluation of town department supervisors on regular basis, streamline special permit application process, lobby for exemption from the Wicks Law, and evaluating town After School program academic progress, among other initiatives.

Here is Mr. Feiner’s “To Do” List, provided to WPCNR by Mr. Feiner. Supervisor Feiner invites Greenburgh residents to contact him at 9l4 993 l540.
l) Approve the Comprehensive Plan. Adopt zoning ordinance that regulates development on steep slopes and wetlands (this goal was not met in 2002)

2) Oversee implementation of Babbitt Court flood control program. Work with families so that homes will be elevated in 2003.

3) Oversee transition of cable TV operation to a truly independent board insulated from appearances of political interference. More public access programs. Monthly program schedule to be posted on town web site.

4) Acquire Taxter Ridge as a new park –funding should come from state, county and town.

5)Place additional speed humps on streets (goal was not met in 2002)

6)Oversee energy conservation coordinator (new position), implement
aggressive energy conservation efforts which will include community
reach out, developing additional legislative initiatives.

7) Oversee interior work at new Town Hall (l77 Hillside Ave). Move
employees from existing Town Hall site to new building.

8) Review feasibility of placing child care center or other emergency
child care program for employees inside new Town Hall. meet with child care organizations to solicit feedback.

9) Hire architect, commence design for library expansion and renovation.

l0) Demolish existing Town Hall

ll) Open skatepark at East Rumbrook Park by May 2003

l2) Complete Glenville Woods Park Preserve Management Plan and secure funding for the implementation of Phase I of the plan.

l3) Secure additional funding, rebid and award contract for construction of an interactive children’s wading pool at the Anthony Veteran Park pool complex. Bid was rejected in 2002.

l4)Remove and install a new synthetic tennis surface for the East
Rumbrook Park Tennis Courts by summer, 2003.

l5) Accept the East Rumbrook Park Master Plan. Commit to a funding
calendar for implementing phases of the plan.

l6) Purchase and install with in house staff a new pavilion for the AFV
Park Pool Complex snack bar area.

l7) Rebuild greenhouse #3 at the Harts Brook Park and Preserve

l8) Complete trail design and install new trail markings for the 2.5
miles of trails in the Harts Brook Park and Preserve.

l9) Privatize the Town’s summer baseball camp at East Rumbrook Park that will generate a revenue surplus for the Town that includes the Town as additionally insured for general liability.

20) Program a Greenburgh Bike Tour special event hosted by Greenburgh Parks and Recreation in the fall.

2l) Program a special event at the Harts brook Park and preserve called “Harts Brook for Heart” that will be a one day event in which
participants will power/fitness walk throughout the trails.

22) Adopt a policy that will require background checks for all volunteer youth sports coaches that participate in town sponsored youth sports programs by the fall, 2003.

23). Review town court operations-develop recommendations for 2004
budget to address existing problems. Provide funding in 2004 budget for more evening hours. Work with Judges to overcome possible obstacles re: setting up Drug Treatment Court

24) Schedule regular evaluations of all department heads with Town
Board. Evaluations one week. Meeting with Department head to discuss evaluations within a month of the evaluation.

25) Oversee implementation of canine unit into Police Department
operations.

26) In the May, 2000 Assemblyman Richard Brodsky announced that he had secured $30,000 funding for the civil defense cascade truck to provide for the refilling of air bottles of firefighters and rescue workers at emergency scenes. The town never received the promised funding. Will continue to work with Assemblyman Brodsky to secure promised funds. If funds are not received funding to be included in 2003 capital budget (as a loan to be repaid if and when the funds are received).

27) Develop mechanism to pass along WESTHELP funding to school, fire district, neighborhood programs. Start receiving funds from WESTHELP for rent

28) Work with Greenburgh Nature Center to implement the electrical
improvements budgeted in 2002 that have not been started as of yet.

29) Work with the Greenburgh Nature Center to promote green practices through the Greenburgh Nature Center’s greening of Greenburgh exhibit (January 26 through June 23rd) and presentation of activities of Hart’s Brook, Riley Pond and Travis HIll Parks.

30) Complete the Greenburgh Nature Center’s new Birds of Prey Exhibit, start work on renovating the center’s historic apple orchard and wildlife habitat area and generate new funding from the corporate and business community.

3l) Implement fixed asset software which will allow real time inventory of all town assets at all locations through General Ledger integration.

32) Compile and adopt employee safety manual.

33) Review employee benefit plans for customer satisfaction and cost
effectiveness.

34) Complete work to make live the GIS to all villages.

35) Establish a history of Greenburgh section at the new Town Hall.

36) Work with existing museums/arts groups to place quality “loaned”
works of art at new Town Hall

37) Complete review of procedures re: granting approvals to small
business for permits. Draft proposed legislation to reduce government
red tape in certain limited incidents (new businesses reusing existing
space, no traffic or land use impacts)

38) lobby for state legislation that would exempt Greenburgh from
complying with the Wicks Law for library expansion project. The law
mandates that municipalities use multiple prime construction contracts for public works projects costing $50,000 or more. The Wicks law is cumbersome and costly. The cost of building a new library will be as much as 30% more because of this law. Other communities around the state have received waivers. Will ask Senator Nick Spano and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky to introduce a home rule bill that would exempt the town from this costly requirement.

39) Review existing regulations re: tree preservation. Determine
possible modifications of existing laws in consultation with CAC.

40)Continue to work with other communities to monitor the Tappan Zee
Bridge replacement/repair.

4l) Work with coalition seeking to close down Indian Point by pushing
additional elected officials, community leaders to join effort for
shutdown.

42)Continue to work to enhance streetscaping on East Hartsdale Ave.

43) Train inspectors on wireless remote inspection reporting program.

44)Equip inspectors with personal desktop computers to facilitate
inspection scheduling and accessibility.

45)Implement and complete conversion of record imaging from outside
microfilm vendor to in-house digital reproduction and electronic storage system.

46) Complete final phase (Phase III) of pool renovation project at the
Theodore Young Community Center, subject to approval of Department of Health.

47)Create a method of assessment for the students enrolled in the After School Program to measure their rate of progress in school performance, in conjunction with the Today’s Student, Tomorrow’s Teacher Program at Woodlands High. This is an effort to more closely align student performance in school with more external supports to enhance their scores on the standardized tests.

48) Draft legislation, seek state legislative sponsors, enabling
volunteer police, fire, ambulance corp members to receive extra points on civil service exams when taking police/fire exams – credit for volunteer service.

49)Oversee completion of Police Department renovations.

50)Monitor Police Department goal to increase issuance of uniform
traffic tickets by ten percent.

51)Monitor Police Department goal to increase issuance of parking
summonses by ten percent with special attention to handicap and fire
zone violations.

52)Seek State Legislation to Reduce interest rates to be paid on
certiorari judgments. Recent rates have ranged from 6-8%. It is more
expensive to consider appeals of lower decisions and places
municipalities that appeal at distinct disadvantages.

Paul Feiner, Supervisor, Town of Greenburgh

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King Komments:The Horror of Martine & Court. Traffic Manifesto

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WPCNR KING KOMMENTS By White Plains Common Councilman William King. January 9, 2003: This week a planner in the Westchester County Planning Department wrote Councilman King about nearly being struck by a speeding car at the crossroads of Martine Avenue and Court Street just at the entrance of the Michaelian Building, Westchester County Headquarters. Councilman William King comments:



THE HORROR OF MARTINE & COURT: Buses blocking cars, obscuring pedestrian views make crossing to the Michaelian Building a life-and-death proposition for county employees.
Photo by WPCNR News

I’m sorry to hear about your harrowing near accident. I’m glad to know
you’ve lived to tell about it and that you have brought it immediately
to our Traffic Dept’s attention.

I have previously heard about how this intersection is dangerous. While, to me, it has always looked relatively benign, I have heard complaints and stories about accidents at this intersection.

True, drivers are known to drive too fast on Martine (as well as on parallel Main Street on the other side of the Galleria, as I noticed this morning).



MONSTER BUSES BLOCK PEDESTRIAN VIEW OF ONCOMING CARS as pedestrians cross from Macy’s to County Office Building. Mr. King suggests “Belgian Blocks” be created in the crosswalks.
Photo by WPCNR News


Also true is that there is a busy county bus stop on the northeast corner which complicates auto/bus/pedestrian traffic near the Westchester County Office Building and the busy Galleria Mall.

I would like to make the following recommendations to our city traffic
department and state and county legislative leaders (some are repeats of earlier requests) for which I will follow through.

I urge you to contact the County DOT, Larry Salley and Richard Stiller, about point #3 below or, with your permission, I will also do so myself.

Recommendations

1. Submit a bill to both houses of the state legislature allowing
cities and towns other than New York City to install cameras at traffic
lights to photograph vehicles which run red lights.

– I have read about private companies in other states such as
California which have installed cameras at traffic lights which install
the cameras, photograph violators, send out tickets, collect revenues
and keep a small percentage for themselves.

This would increase public safety while also increasing city revenues as our police cannot be at every intersection all the time. As such, this would require no state or local funding.

2. Install Belgian Block or stamped baumonite at intersections along
Martine and Main Street.

– This will be done shortly at intersections along Mamaroneck Ave.
(with stamped baumonite, I believe) as the last part of the current
phase of the downtown streetscape revitalization program.

This should also be done on Main and Martine, from Westchester Ave. to Bank Street in the downtown and also along Tarrytown Road (Route 119), Central Ave. (Route 100), and Chatterton Parkway and Battle Ave. in the Battle Hill neighborhood (popular shortcuts between Routes 119 and 100, to at least the Greenburgh border.

– Such crosswalks make drivers more aware visually, audibly and
physically, of the potential presence of pedestrians (and bicyclists).

– While Chatterton Parkway and Battle Ave. are used as cut-throughs
through a low density residential neighborhood, Main Street and Martine Ave. are actually a continuation of Route 119 through Downtown White Plains and, as such, are used as cut-through by many motorists who have no intention of stopping in Downtown White Plains, or even slowing down if they can help it.

In some respects these downtown streets resemble higher speed state highways at various times of the day – a scenario for more pedestrian accidents. Many times motorists exceed 30 mph by a good
margin in close proximity to pedestrians.

– This would be an excellent candidate for state DOT “traffic calming”
funding which in the past Assemblywoman Amy Paulin has told me there is (or was) funding. Funding should be requested again now as the legislature will soon be taking up the budget for its next fiscal year
starting April 1, 2003.

3. Consolidate the two bus stops on the northeast and northwest
corners of Martine and Court Street to only the northwest corner of this
intersection next to the Galleria.

– This idea was first mentioned to me by another citizen task force
co-chair during the White Plains comprehensive planning process in the mid-90’s. I believe it has been brought up since and struck down. But this needs to be brought up again.

The number of buses in a day stopping on the northeast corner seems to be equal to or greater than the more spacious and out of the way northwest bus stop. This could be easily changed.

Doubtless there are other suggestions that could be implemented.

Thanks very much for bringing this to my and the city traffic
department’s attention.

– Bill King, White Plains Common Council

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From the Upper Deck:The National Fools League: Amateur Officials a Joke

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Howard Rosell, “Telling It Like It Is” (John F. Bailey) First of a Series. January 8, 2003: In the First Great New York Crisis of 2003 — the New York Giants-San Francisco Farce Sunday (which had WFAN’S Steve Sommers opening the New York Knicks Suicide Hotline Monday evening to Giants fans, that vast allegiance to the amateur operation that is the National Football League has to be examined with a critical eye to reform.



VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK: Before the national budget, before the New York State Budget is resolved, before the Westchester County Budget is resolved we must fix the NFL. Put Iraq on hold. Put North Korea on hold. This reporter feels President Bush, Governor Pataki, and yes, Adam Bradley and Amy Paulin have to make NFL reform their number one priority. It matters to America.
Photo of Comisky Park by WPCNR Sports

First, the officiating. The last 6 seconds of the Giant game showed a consistent flaw in the NFL: amateur officiating. The NFL a megabuck property refuses to hire and train full-time, year round officials. The only answer is, they are too cheap.

They need professionals! Why pay officials all year round when you only play less than 300 games a year? Is it no wonder that so many controversial non-calls and flagrantly bad calls of inconsistent value-judgments are made when the official is doing it as a hobby?

And when do those bad calls occur: on big plays, of course! And why are they usually made then: because the official is old, slow, out of position and tired at the end of the game, and simply because they are not going at it with a professional’s mindset. They will tell you they are, but they can’t.

Reliance on instant reply as an answer is a joke, because television is not a three-dimensional medium, and slow motion distorts. Baseball knows that. And even on instant reply the major league umps are rarely wrong. Admittedly some are out of position on calls, but not often. There’s a reason for that, too. Umps in basketball, baseball and hockey are trained, they’re full-time. They know the players they will be officiating, they know what to look for. They know Greg Maddox’s curveball. They know Michael Jordan’s stride. NFL officials act as if they are honored to be on the field with these guys.

When is the NFL going to wake up and smell the beer: they need younger, faster officials who can go the distance, and keep up with the faster athletes they are officiating. And, please, let’s know the rules and not be so amateurish that we forget them in the pressure of the moment as the Keystone Kops officials of Sunday’s Giant Meltdown did.

Baseball, the NBA and the NHL all have paid fulltime officials down through the minor league levels, even. There’s a reason for that. In baseball you rarely have umpires blow a call that costs teams games in big spots. It has happened, but it’s rare. (Ken Burkhart’s call in 1970 at the plate, and the Yankee homer against the Orioles…just two I can recall in 50 years of fandom. However, in the NFL you have a gaff a game.

The reason: the umps live breath and concentrate, as professionals should. They are not just picking up a check, taking time off from the boardroom, the country club, or the college as a number of NFL officials appear to be from.

In fact, there is a mystery about how you get to be an NFL official. Are you an “old boy,” a crony, a person connected with football clubs? Do they have to like the way you flutter your flag? Are you scouted? I have rarely seen a great deal written on how the NFL selects its officials. But they stink, consistently.

In fact, the NFL in the interest of integrity should bring the 49-ers and Giants back to do that last play over, just as major league baseball did in 1908, during the Merkle’s Boner play, which cost another Giant team a pennant.

The NFL is always talking about integrity. Well, here is a chance to prove that dedication to integrity.

And, you know what, if they did bring the teams back, the Giants would miss that kick too!

If the NFL really cared about officiating, officials would be allowed to observe practices, familiarize themselves with team films ( I do not believe they do that), and prepare for games just as the teams do. But, because they are not full-time officials, I do not think they do. They do not have the time off from their dayjob.

If you know Jeremy Shockey showboats they can at the beginning of the game inform offenders that something will be called. NFL officials are consistently unprepared it seems to this observer to be in position to make calls, to deal with player behavior and technique on the field, which accounts for a great deal of playcalling inconsistency.

This column in no way criticises amateur officials on local fields, in softball or kids or high school leagues. These fellows and gals try their best and are not paid a lot.

I believe the NFL amateur officials try, but they simply are not in the position or prepared enough to do a great job. And that is obvious by their performances in playoff games where supposedly we see only the best NFL officials assigned, and they still screw up.

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CinemaScoop: A Gangsta Tour de Force.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VARIETY. “CinemaScoop” By Harry Genty Waksberg. January 8, 2003:If one were to attempt to compile all the greatest elements of classic gangster and revenge films, the outcome would be something like Martin Scorsese’s oft-called opus, Gangs of New York.
This film, starring the recently resurrected Leonardo DiCaprio, the similarly revived Daniel Day-Lewis, and the versatile Cameron Diaz, focuses on Amsterdam Vallon, an Irish-American.

At a young age, Vallon witnessed his father; “Priest” Vallon, leader of the Irish-American gang “The Dead Rabbits”, played brilliantly, if somewhat fleetingly, by Liam Neeson, being killed in a bloody gang war by William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting (Day-Lewis), leader of the less-recently immigrated American gang, “The Natives.” Fifteen years later, Vallon, now played by DiCaprio, returns to New York to seek revenge and discovers the stranglehold that the Butcher now has on the city.

This film is referred to as the culmination of Scorsese’s work, and if it is, he deserves to be proud. Though the storyline itself is almost paint-by-numbers in its predictability, the audience still feels worried during some of the more dramatic scenes, and receives a good number of jolts.

The movie hearkens back to The Godfather (which I’m sure Scorsese would have killed Coppola to direct) in a sort of “girls-don’t-get-it” rules and regulations of gang warfare approach. This is not meant to imply any sexism, but a typical question for this movie would be, “But he likes the Butcher! Why does he have to kill him?” for which the answer would be, “He has no choice. It is the Rule of Revenge,” or another question, “Why doesn’t he just shoot him in the back? He’d get it over with so much quicker,” for which the answer is, “There are rules that must be followed in acts of war.”

In fact, if one accepts this basic precept, a great number of interesting things are revealed about characters by analyzing when and why they deviate from the rules.

One of the few flaws of this film was that Scorsese felt compelled to include in it politically correct messages which, while meaningful, detracted from the intended storyline. Too much emphasis, for example, was put on the African-American member of the Dead Rabbits, a minor character. There were a few scenes of various people praying, the intent of Scorsese seeming to be to convey that all people are essentially alike and fighting is pointless, but, once again, the scenes seemed to derail the story itself.

Special shout-outs for this movie should be given to John C. Reilly, in his fourth modest role of 2002, including being in the films Chicago, The Good Girl, and The Hours. His performance as “Happy Jack,” wherein his one facial expression is used to convey a plethora of emotions was pulled off brilliantly. Also, though previously unmentioned in this review, among the many historical figures added to this film, Jim Broadbent’s portrayal of Boss Tweed was extremely well done, and he gave a good idea of exactly what was going on in his head.

See this movie as soon as you can. It will keep you jumping in your seat from beginning to end, and the very last image is a thought-provoking comment on New York City and our nation.

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JPI to Request Another 90 Days to Finance The Jefferson’s Added Costs

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WPCNR EVENING CITY STAR REPORTER. From City Hall Media Relations Office. January 7, 2003: The Mayor’s office announced via telephone news conference this evening that JPI, developers of The Jefferson at 300 Mamaroneck Avenue, where construction has been stalled for approximately 10 months, will seek another 45 to 90 days extension of their site plan from the Common Council.



SHALLOW POCKETS. 10 MONTHS OF WAITING: The troubled JPI development, The Jefferson at White Plains, as it appeared in March 2002, when excavation stopped due to construction contractor dispute over the cost of the contract. Ground was broken in October, 2001, approximately the same time as the City Center. Now the project is a distant fourth in the White Plains apartment race between Clayton Park, Bank Street Commons, and the City Center “towers.” It appears much the same today.
Photo by WPCNR News


George Gretsas, the Mayor’s Executive Officer, reported that representatives of JPI advised the Mayor Friday that the firm has been unable to finance the increased construction costs agreed to by JPI with their contractor. Having settled the dispute over construction costs, the firm now finds itself apparently unable to get its present investors to increase their commitment to the project. No financial details were disclosed.

Gretsas said JPI will meet with the Common Council on January 21, a Tuesday, in a work session beginning at 6 PM to “make their case” Gretsas said, for a 45 to 90 extension to their site plan.

Gretsas said the council will consider the request, but is expected to ask JPI for what Gretsas described as “a landscape plan” alternative, should JPI abandon the project. “The last thing we need is another hole in the ground,” Gretsas said.

Asked if the council might consider a performance bond of future contractors as a contingency of any site plan approval, Gretsas, said that was premature, having just eliminated the restriction on flexible plumbing joints, long a cost stumbling block to development in White Plains, “the last thing we need is to make it more difficult to develop in White Plains,” Gretsas said.

Gretsas described a landscape plan as a procedure the developer would have to execute as a contingency of any extension of the site plan.

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White Plains’ BIG THREE to Address CNA on Tax Impacts Jan 16.

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WPCNR STREETS OF WHITE PLAINS. From Council of Neighborhood Associations. January 7, 2003: The White Plains representatives to the New York State Assembly, Honorable Amy Paulin newly reelected Assemblyperson from the 88th District and the newly Honorable Adam Bradley, just sworn in to the New York State Assembly Seat in the 89th District, will join White Plains’ County Legislator Bill Ryan for a joint appearance at the first Council of Neighborhood Association’s meeting next Thursday, January 16, at 7:45 PM at Education House.

The White Plains “Big Three” will be discussing the New York State and Westchester County budgets now in a state of disarry, with the county needing the New York Senate and Assembly to vote a 1% sales tax increase to balance the their budget, and the state needing to meet a budget gap varying between $6 Billion and $10 Billion.

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Anonymous WPHS Grad Gift to Educate 200 HS Students in CPR

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS REPORT CARD. By Michelle Schoenfeld, City School District Media Relations. (EDITED)January 7, 2003: A White Plains High School graduate has made a donation of CPR courses for 200 students at the school for each of the next three years. The donor wishes to remain anonymous.

June Holloman, of the American Heart Association, and School Nurse
Coordinator Brenda Madera will direct the project. Students will be selected by the School Safety Team and will be trained during the district’s next Conference Day, on January 21st.

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