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LOFT LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER IN WP TO HONOR CONGRESSWOMAN NITA LOWEY AT OCT. 1 GALA
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WPCNR GOINGS ON ABOUT TOWN. From the LOFT LGBT White Plains. September 17, 2016:
The LOFT LGBT Community Center (Westchester’s premier and largest LGBT community center operating since 1983) is holding its Annual Gala, the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, on Saturday, October 1, 2016, 6:30pm-11:00pm, at The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Tarrytown, New York.
This year, the overwhelming worldwide support for the LGBT community after the Orlando tragedy inspired The LOFT to choose unity as the theme for the Gala, hence the official name The LOFT Gala 2016 UNITY. Unity is also befitting our awards recipients this year as each has given so much to bring our community and supporters together.
Special guest Edie Windsor (United States v. Windsor) will be presenting The Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Equality Award to Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D., U.S. House of Representatives, New York, 17th District), a staunch supporter and good friend to the LGBT community, who will be in attendance to receive the award.
For their exemplary commitment to and support of the LGBT community, two other honorees will be presented with awards. Tarrytown-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will be presented with The TD Bank Business Ally Award, and Mr. Barry Kramer, owner and principal broker of Westchester Choice Realty will receive The LOFT Ally Award.
An exciting program is on tap, including a Live Auction including The Ultimate Hamilton Experience (a package for two which includes pre-show dinner with cast members, show tickets, a private in-theater meet & greet and a signed cast poster), Melissa Etheridge Concert (two tickets to the Melissa Etheridge Memphis Rock and
Soul Tour concert at the Apollo Theater in NYC on October 23rd, including a back-stage meet & greet donated directly by Melissa Etheridge), plus a Westchester Fine Dining Package, Theater & Film Lovers Package, and lots more!
Top event sponsors include TD Bank, Westchester Medical Center, and Gilead and auction sponsors Westchester Broadway Theater, Jacob Burns Film Center and BevMax.
More information and direct purchase of tickets, tables of 10, sponsorships, program book ads, and donations may be made directly at The LOFT’s web site www.loftgaycenter.org .
THE LATEST WHITE PLAINS WEEK ON THE CHAMBERLAIN TRIAL, OPENING OF HILLARY HQ AND EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF THE WP LIBERTY PARK 9/11 REMEMBRANCE ON YOUTUBE NOW
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TONIGHT THE BIG THREE OF WESTCHESTER NEWS
INSTANTLY!
PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY, JIM BENEROFE
ON
KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN JR AND HIS LAWYERS
SPEAKING THEIR MIND ON THE TRIAL COMING UP–EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
NITA LOWEY AND ANDREA STEWART COUSINS SPEAKING AT THE HILLARY CLINTON HEADQUARTERS OPENING
EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE WHITE PLAINS
9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONIES AT LIBERTY PARK IN SILVER LAKE.
STEVE MORTON–LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO THE STARS STAGES HIS FIRST EVER ONE MAN SHOW FEATURING “PAINTED LADIES.”
ON YOU TUBE NOW AT
www.whiteplainsweek.com
Conservatory Theatre Auditions Open in White Plains Performing Arts Center
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Our Fall/Winter Click to see School-Year Conservatory Shows |
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Jonathan Joseph, WPHS CLASS OF ’96 NAMED TEACHING CHAMPION.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the White Plains City School District. September 16, 2016:
White Plains High School Social Studies teacher Jonathan Joseph is a recipient of the 2016 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Teaching Champion Award.
It wil be presented to Mr. Joseph, alongwith other honorees, at the Council for Economic Education’s 2016 Visionary Awards Dinner on October 26th at The Plaza Hotel in New York. In a letter announcing the award, Mr. Joseph was described as–
“an extraordinarily dedicated educator who is committed to helping his students gain an understanding of economics and personal finance.” The awards committee was “particularly impressed with his engagement of students of all levels by differentiating lessons and projects.”
As a Teaching Champion recipient, Mr. Joseph will receie $5,000 cash and a scholarship to attend the Council’s 55th Annual Financial Literacy and Economic Education Conference in Phoenix in October.
White Plains High School will receive $2,500 to support economic and financial education.
A 1996 graudate of White Plains High School, Mr. Joseph returned to teach at his alma mater in 2002.
ONLINE NOW ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD STATE SENATOR GEORGE LATIMER
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Online tonight
PEOPLE TO HEARD
THE TRI-STATE’S MOST RELEVANT INTERVIEW PROGRAM
YOU’VE GOT
STATE SENATOR GEORGE LATIMER
OF THE 37TH SENATE DISTRICT
ON
TERM LIMITS
EDUCATION GOING FORWARD
THE ROAD ALBANY REFORM FACES IN MONTHS AHEAD
HOW TO CUT MANDATES.
HAS THE TAX CAP DONE ITS JOB
THE SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER PLAN FINANCING THE SOLAR PANELS, THE WINDMILLS
AND MORE
INTERVIEWED BY
JOHN BAILEY, JIM BENEROFE AND PETER KATZ
THE WESTCHESTER REPORTERS
WHITE PLAINS LIBRARY RECEIVES $25,000 GRANT FROM ALLSTATE FOR “FIRST TO GO TO COLLEGE” BILINGUAL PROGRAM AIMED AT HELPING MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS SELECT COLLEGES, APPLICATION, PROCEDURES.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the White Plains Library Foundation. September 15, 2016:
Parents and their children who will be the first in their families to go to college will get some much-needed help in making those dreams a reality thanks to a $25,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation to the White Plains Library Foundation in partnership with Latino U College Access.
The program, First Steps to College, a bilingual program, targets middle school students and their parents and will feature a series of workshops and information sessions to help guide them through the process of planning for college.
First Steps to College starts in October at the White Plains Public Library. For information on dates and times now in the process of being scheduled, contact Nancy Rubino of the White Plains Library Foundation at 914-422-1495.
“We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with The Allstate Foundation, who have already made such a difference in the lives of first generation, college bound students,” said Library Director Brian Kenney. “Most college prep takes place during the high school years. But in this program, we’ll be targeting parents and children even earlier—in middle school. It’s great to work with an organization like Latino U College Access, which grew up here in Westchester to meet exactly these needs.”
“As a national leader dedicated to empowering young people, The Allstate Foundation provides youth with resources that help them build confidence, achieve academic success, and become more engaged citizens” said Kayla Taylor, New York Allstate Foundation Spokesperson. “We are proud to continue our partnership with the White Plains Public Library to provide college readiness programs that focus on middle school students who will be the first in their families to attend college.”
First Steps to College Program will include bi-lingual information sessions for parents and a series of afterschool workshops for students in grades 6 – 8.
Topics IN the FIRST STEPS TO COLLEGE program will include:
Thinking about College, What a College Education Can Do for Me, Paying for College, and more. Programs will include opportunities for participants to talk with college advisors and college students who are also the first in their families to pursue higher education.
Bi-lingual Information sessions for parents will focus primarily on speakers of Spanish; the workshops for students will be conducted in English and open to any ‘first gen’ students in middle school.
The White Plains Library Foundation, a non-profit organization, was incorporated in 1995 to raise funds to help meet the long-range goals of the White Plains Public Library. The Foundation supports initiatives that promote literacy, educational achievement, career development, and lifelong learning.
For more information ON TIMES, DATES OF THE FIRST STEPS TO COLLEGE PROGRAM IN OCTOBER, visit www.whiteplainslibrary.org
Founded by Westchester County resident, Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, Latino U College Access is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase college enrollment and completion rates among Latino youth who are first in their families to go to college. The organization provides access and guidance to educational opportunity through education, outreach, collaboration and advocacy, enabling students to reach their full academic and life potential. www.latinou.org
County Clerk Warns Seniors: Tax Dept Scammers Are Back. Beware. Scammers give you NYS Tax Fraud Hotline Numbers as callbacks to Delude the Innocent.
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the Westchester County Clerk. September 14, 2016:
Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni warns county residents, especially seniors, to beware of scammers who call impersonating New York State Department of Taxation and Finance officials.
“Scammers have been making phone calls to households claiming to represent the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Tax and demanding payment for taxes they falsely claim are owed. The calls appear on Caller ID as tax department numbers. These calls are not coming from the tax department, and you should not respond to these calls,” cautioned County Clerk Idoni.
According to a release from the Department of Taxation and Finance, scammers are using sophisticated methods to mask their phone numbers with the tax department’s fraud hotline numbers (518) 457-5181 or (518) 457-0578. The Tax Department will not use fraud hotline numbers to contact taxpayers.
Residents, and especially seniors, in the county are urged to be on the lookout for signs of possible scam calls, such as the use of scare tactics to get you to share your personal and financial information.
The obvious red flags are calls from imposters demanding payments in the form of iTunes gift cards and reloadable debit cards.
Tax Department employees will not threaten a taxpayer’s failure to pay a tax debt; use email, text messages, or social media to request or discuss your personal or tax information; or demand payment of taxes without the option to question or appeal the amount owed.
Please report any suspicious contact you have with individuals claiming to be Tax Department employees, including any suspicious phone calls and voicemails received; text messages and emails requesting personal information; or interactions with Tax Department employees who do not seem legitimate. Scams can be reported by phone to 518-451-1566, by email to dtfoia@tax.ny.gov or through the Fraud, Scams and Identity Theft section on the tax department website at www.tax.ny.gov.
32 Assembly Members Announce Support of Ban on NY Accepting Out of State Fracking Waste Products (ACCEPTED FOR LAST 6 YEARS)
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Assemblyman David Buchwald. September 14, 2016:
Assemblyman David Buchwald and 32 other members of the New York State Assembly have signed onto a letter urging the Department of Environmental Conservation to ban the environmentally-damaging use or disposal of hydrofracking waste in New York State. The letter comes on the final day of public comments as the DEC receives feedback on its waste management regulations.
Assemblyman Buchwald (D – Mt. Kisco-White Plains) championed the letter, which says that oil and gas waste should not be deposited in landfills or at wastewater treatment plants, and should not be used as a de-icing agent on roads.
The letter, also asks the department to remove the exemption that prevents oil and gas waste from being treated as hazardous materials.
New York State and Governor Cuomo exercised significant leadership in banning high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State due to its potential negative public health and environmental impacts.
Yet, that during the past 6 years, five landfills in New York State have accepted approximately 590,000 tons and 23,000 barrels of fracking waster from operations in Pennsylvania.
“We should not be allowing fracking waste, especially from out of state, to be disposed in New York landfills and at wastewater treatment plants or used as a de-icing agent on our roads,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “Now is the time for the DEC to act. I am very pleased that over 30 of my Assembly colleagues have joined me in added their voice to such an important environmental and public health issue.”
“Communities across the state are reeling from drinking water that is making people sick due to an aging infrastructure and inadequate regulations on industry” said Liz Moran, Water & Natural Resources Associate for Environmental Advocates of New York. “The acceptance of fracking waste is another example where New Yorkers’ health is compromised. The state banned fracking because of the dangers – those dangers include fracking waste. We applaud and thank Assemblyman Buchwald for his leadership in protecting New Yorkers from fracking waste.”
Judge Rules Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr. $21 Million Wrongful Death Suit will proceed to trial November 7.
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Randolph McLaughlin, one of the Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr. Attorneys, at the microphones,conducting a news conference outside the Charles L. Brient Federal Court House in White Plains, announcing the Chamberlain civil lawsuit will go to trial November 7. To Mr. McLaughlin’s right is Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr., to Mr. Chamberlain’s left is Deborah Cohen, the attorney who presented Mr. Chamberlain’s case for a trial. (Photo by Peter Katz
WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. Special to WPCNR from Peter Katz. September 12, 2016 UPDATED 11:26 PM E.S.T. UPDATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, September 14:
United States District Judge Cathy Seibel ruled Monday evening shortly after 5 PM that the $21 Million civil suit filed by the Kenneth Chamberlain family in the fatal shooting of 68-year old former Marine Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr. by the White Plains police, will proceed to trial in November, beginning November 7 with jury selection
In a news conference in front of the Charles L. Brient Federal Courthouse, Randolph McLaughlin one of the Chamberlain legal team said Judge Siebel–
“has ordered the city of White Plains to stand trial for the killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr. The Judge has denied the shooter, Anthony Carelli, who is a defendant his motion for summary judgment. She said there is sufficient evidence for this case against Mr. Carelli to go forward and let a jury determine what happened across the street at 135 South Lexington . She has also concluded that The City of White Plains must also stand trial under state tort law because they hired an individual who, there’s sufficient evidence to go forward arguably committed an assault and battery against Mr. Chamberlain.”
Kenneth Chamberlain, Jr., son of Kenneth Chamberlain, ( above)choked up, almost unable to speak said,
“It’s kind of hard to really put into words. We’re finally — getting our day in court. I’m pleased with the decision the judge made to say that is sufficient evidence The evidence we found out is very disturbing. How could you have police officers like that working in this city?
“So with that being said,this goes back to May of 2012 when there was a failure to indict. This proves there was no full and fair investigation on the part of the Westchester County District Attorney. I’m asking the Department of Justice again to come to the City of White Plains and investigate the police of this city…There’s something wrong in there and it has to do with leadership.To What say you now now that the judge has said there is enough evidence to go forward. Will you now admit wrongdoing or stand by this lie you’ve been telling the entire time. There will be justice for Kenneth Chamberlain,Sr.” (Photo by Peter Katz)
McLaughlin said the claims against Mr. Carelli are under the Federal constitution for violation of constitutional rights, under the fourth amendment that he used excessive force and state law claims as well for assault and battery revolving around the use of the firearm. The charges he said against the City of White Plains, under state law, an employer is responsible for the torts committed by their employee.
Deborah Cohen, the attorney who argued the case before Judge Seibel, said
“We are going to put before the jury, evidence that Mr. Chamberlain was on the ground, after being brought down by the force of four shots from a bean bag shotgun that the city’s own information says is equal to the force of a punch from Mike Tyson or a fastball of a pitcher in the major leagues.
“And that this man, who had serious health problems, which the jury will hear about, could not possibly have bounced up like some sort of low-flying superhero after being felled to the ground, to continue to be a threat to anyone in that room.”
Another attorney, Mr. Bartlet noted that, “It’s crystal clear that one of the things that has to change is the way the police unions are able to operate…They’re the only people who don’t have to give a statement with respect to their conduct and can maintain their employment. They should certainly have fifth amendment rights They should not have to incriminate themselves…
“What we’re dealing here right now is multiple police officers who had an opportunity to confer with one another, to defer their statements and come up with a common statement. That undermines trust in police across the board it puts their fellow officers at risk it makes us question their fellow officers’ behavior and the execution of their jobs as well.
There is no other union, no other employment in the world where you have that right. Not one of us here could engage in conduct where we are mistreating individuals and not have to give an explanation as to how that occurred and have expectation that our job would be waiting for us.”
Supporters of Mr. Chamberlain’s civil lawsuit observed, offering resolve in a respectful manner. Photo by Peter Katz
Mr. McLoughlin said “We think frankly given the current climate of police misconduct, police involved shootings all across the country, we think it would be in city’s best interests to at long last put this case behind us. But that’s in their hands. We have at all times been reasonable and willing to have a conversation. They haven’t been willing. But that’s O.K. with us, we feel very strongly, a jury of Mr. Chamberlain’s peers will come to the same conclusion as us: This was an unjustified shooting.”
“We think that it’s quite clear: Black Lives matter. Black lives matter. If Mr. Chamberlain, Sr. had not been African American, not been suffering from a mental issue, had not been living in a housing project which is perceived as a dangerous place by some, that he’d be alive today. I doubt very seriously any police department would have broken into his house, took his door down if he lived in Scarsdale and was a doctor. So it’s class, race, and mental issues. So yes, it’s a national issue.”
He promised to be very “fight aggressively in the jury selection. If there is any effort by any lawyer here to exclude African Americans from this jury we will have them answer for that.”
McLoughlin also said that the U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara was investigating the case. He said the matter is under investigation by Mr. Bharara’s office.
In the news conference, Mr. Chamberlain, Jr., said that he was never called by police to intervene with his father and possibly have an oportunity to defuse the situation.
Five years ago, the White Plains police responded to the accidental activation of Mr. Chamberlain’s medical alert device in the early morning hours of November 19, 2011.
Mr. Chamberlain refused the police entry into his apartment, repeatedly telling them he was fine and did not require assistance. A little over one hour later, the police broke down Mr. Chamberlain’s door and fired at him with a Taser and a less lethal or “bean bag” shotgun. Police Officer Anthony Carelli then fired his service weapon and fatally wounded Mr. Chamberlain.
Following almost two years of discovery, the City of White Plains and Officer Carelli filed motions for summary judgment seeking dismissal of the case.
Attorneys for Mr. Chamberlain opposed the motion and pointed to evidence that Mr. Chamberlain, who was in very poor health, was shot and killed as he lay on the ground after being knocked down by four powerful blasts from the bean bag shotgun.
Judge Seibel threw out some allegations and allowed others to proceed to trial in November, Peter Katz, covering for WPCNR, reported.
Seibel said there was enough evidence to proceed to trial and exonerated all White Plains police officers involved in the shooting incident except the police officer who shot Mr.Chamberlain,Sr., Officer Anthony Carelli and The City of White Plains.