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 ALBANY ROUNDS. From White Plains  Assemblyman David Buchwald. January 27, 2014:

In an effort to provide equality and justice for all New York State citizens, Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-Westchester) today proudly announced Assembly passage of the full 10-point Women’s Equality Act (WEA). The legislation (A.8070) addresses pay inequity, sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, human trafficking, domestic violence and family status discrimination, and strengthens women’s health and reproductive rights.

“It’s disheartening that women are still faced with economic barriers and inequalities in everyday life,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “We must send a forceful message that we will not tolerate discrimination. I strongly urge the State Senate to do the right thing this year by passing all 10 points of the Women’s Equality Act.”

Assemblyman Buchwald also noted that in today’s economy, women need more economic security – not less. In New York, women make just 84 cents for every dollar earned by men, creating a substantial yearly pay gap of roughly $8,275 between men and women working full time for the same level of work.[1]

“Equal pay and equal opportunity for women are not just issues about fairness,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “These are also issues that impact our economic growth and the financial security of middle-class families. I have said this before, and I will continue to speak loudly for women’s equality – it’s time we act.”

Assemblyman David Buchwald today attended the Family Planning Advocates Day of Action and met with the local branch of Planned Parenthood to show his support for the Women’s Equality Act.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 24, 2014:

The first School District Community Forum held  Thursday evening at the White Plains High School to start the school district budget process introduced a 2014-15 possible school budget of $199,200,000 without settlement of the White Plains Teachers Contract and year to year increase of 3%, double the rate of inflation.

Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business in his Power Point show noted that in order for the district to present a budget under the the 1.5% Tax Levy Cap, the district would have to cut $800,000 or  a half percent of the total projected expenditure of the budget.

WPCNR calculates this would mean roughly the cutting of  approximately  20 employees low on the pay scale and longevity ranks, depending on how many retirements might be taken in the coming months.

Potential new school aid of $1,000,000 was projected without building aid.

All exemptions from the 1.46 %  increase allowed in the tax cap levy have been figured.

The district is allowed  to raise its levy $4,037,959 to $197.437,959 plus another expected $1 million in school aid.

The Governor’s tax levy cap once again is apparently being followed to the cent by the City School District with no intention of trimming expenses any more than they absolutely have to do.

The effect of the Governor’s tax levy the last three  years it has been in effect has not had the effect of cutting the White Plains School Budget at all.

Instead the district keeps as much of their programs, administration and teaching staff in place as they can without actually taking creative cuts to cut more expenses than they absolutely have to cut.

The public is invited to submit comments leading to the next and final budget forum on March 19 on how the district should cut their $800,000 to present a budget in compliance with the tax cap to reach the “cap compliant” budget of $198.4 Million.

If the 2014 city assessment roll remains the same, (the roll will be released March 1),The effect of this proposed budget will raise the school tax on the $650,000 average White Plains home $227, and raise the school tax rate from $583 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $598 per $1,000. This would take the school tax for the average home to about $9,900 in 2014-15.

Of course more school aid from the surplus that Governor Andrew Cuomo is touting could lower the tax rate if the school district chose to do so. Last year, when more school aid was received at the last moment, they just increased the budget to $193.4 Million and kept the tax rate where it was $583.21 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

A problem in all the calculation is the labor impasse with the White Plains Teachers Association. A settlement on wage increases for teachers at the top of the pay scale (who are ineligible for step increases) is the sticking point.

Teachers still in the step raise sequence receiving those steps this year as well as perhaps raises or lack thereof in the step increase schedule is a thorny issue. With more than have half of White Plains teachers last year not covered by the step, this is the bulk of the teacher salary total, and such an increase  plus retroactive pay if negotiated as part of the settlement would have to be covered some how in the 2014-15 budget, or start in the 2015-16 budget–which will be a whopper.

Next year, if the school district continues its rollover spending ways without trimming substantially the district could increase $10 Million.

Comments on how to cut the budget should be directed to the White Plains City School District, 5 Homeside Lane, White Plains NY.

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. January 23, 2013:

The new and improved 2014 Titanic set sail with majesty, and unfurled whip-snapping pennants of hope on the emotional voices of a strong ensemble  and haunting staging on the high seas of the Westchester Broadway Theatre Thursday evening .

The Tony Award winning musical of 1997 has been retrofitted anew by its composer and lyricist, Maury Yeston and staged with inventive direction by Don Stephenson. The old girl is sailing jaunty and proud on the songs that in virtually every number uplift the human spirit – the reason we see musicals in the first place.

Seamless musical interludes to render the gaity of the fated passengers and crew  the cold beauty of the North Atlantic  starry night, the high hopes of all the classes of all the souls who sailed aboard  the most famous ship of all time  102 years ago into eternity. Subtle  lighting creates eerie special effects such as a serving tray sliding across a ball room to indicate that the ship is really sinking.

The leading lady of this show is the spirit of the Titanic herself. You are aboard her, and thankful  you are in the seats and not on the decks as she sails through the starry night.

The movie gave you one romance, this Titanic gives you four, each cameoed spot-on by Patricia Noonan as Caroline with her beau Noah Plomgren as Charles Clark who charm the audience with  I Give you my Hand, (they are running away on the Titanic to New York).The sassy, spunky Sarah Charles as Kate McGowan and John Lanfley  playing Barrett give us a tempestuous charming Irish couple that meet shipboard and do a very touching number under the starry North Atlantic night, The Proposal. 

Couples three and four are Kay Walbye and David Studwell playing the famous lifelong couple, Ida and Isidor Strauss, they shine in the melodramatic lifeboat fairwell scene in act two, Still—the bring-down-the-house number of the show.

Rounding out the romantic quarter are the social climbing Alice played by Donna English with excellent comic timing who enjoys the first class salon appointments even though the ship is sinking and her long-suffering hardware store husband,  Edgar, deadpanly drolly played by Philip Hoffman. Nothing he does is ever good enough for her. Long time marrieds will find their just-right nuances very familiar  even their duet I Have Danced  is a gay but ironic tune at the dance on the promenade deck at the close of act one.

A strong quartet of key personalities captains this ship. The architect, Thomas Andrews (above, second from right) is played tragically by Tom Hewitt and he interplays splendidly with Adam Heller (far right) who as the villain of the Titanic tragedy, J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line, stage a brilliant “blame game” scene in Act II that I have never seen portrayed in any Titanic movie. 

The tempers of Andrews and Ismay flare. The panic and sense of despair is drama that grips as few musical conflict scenes do the way these two stage it. William Parry (Far left) the tragic figure of the Captain, Edward J. Smith deserves a salute from this passenger. Jeremy Ellison-Gladstone is the radio operator seated who makes the most of his plaintive sending a romantic message from a ship’s stoker. Lots of melodramatic moments that grip you in this musical!

Hewitt’s hits Andrews’  despair dead on  as he views his plans of the Titanic and sees how a slight design change could have prevented the accident is gripping. He sings out the technical solution as he describes the ship’s fate as it is sinking..

The sense of suspense leading up to the striking of the iceberg is brilliant!  There is the lookout in the crow’s nest, there is the helmsman at the bridge. Suddenly the iceberg appears reminiscent of the scene in Jaws.  The awe of what is about to happen is compelling and you have to see it.

The loading of the lifeboats is touchingly rendered highlighted by the the singing of We’ll Meet Tomorrow.

This successful voyage of the Titanic sails at Westchester Broadway Theatre through February 23. Book your First Class passage today, by calling Westchester Broadway Theatre lines at 914-592-2222, or visiting www.BroadwayTheatre.com

You will dine on dishes that were served to the passengers of the Titanic, including Roasted Pork with Sage, mushrooms and Pearl Onions (shown above, superbly cooked, moist, I felt like an Astor); Chicken Lyonnaise, and Roasted Turkey with Savory Cranberry Sauce and Basa with Rock Shrimp Stuffing. These dishes a departure of the usual WBT fare is a great touch .

Sail on, Titanic!

Photos of the production, courtesy, Westchester Broadway Theatre by John Vecchiola

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. Special to WPCNR. January 23, 2013:

Late Wednesday evening,  Senator George Latimer  (D, 35th Senate District) told WPCNR he  is co-sponsoring a bill  (S-4723) with Republican Senator Little  that would provide copies of each graded Common Core examination and the results on that examination for each of a teacher’s pupils taking the Common Core tests by next September.

Appearing on the WPCNR-produced television program, People to Be Heard last month, State Senator George Latimer of the 35 Senate District,  indicated he would work for legislation that would allow teachers who prepared students for the Common Core assessment tests to see the results their students achieved on those assessments. (Currently, the state Education Department is suppressing the results, preventing teachers from analyzing where each student’s weaknesses are.)

Asked what the chances are for the bill passing, Senator Latimer in a statement to WPCNR wrote:

“Hard to know the likely result. I signed on to a Republican bill, so it’s now a bi-partisan bill. We need more co-sponsors to get to critical mass. Only the second week, so committees have barely started to meet. I’ll have a better take on it in a month.”

The language of the bill allows that it will take effect, if passed by both houses of the legislature, on the first of September succeeding the date the bill is passed. If the State Assembly and Senate pass it and the Governor signs it, teachers could receive results of this year’s Common Core tests by September.

To see the Latimer interview, go to www.whiteplainsweek.com, scroll down to the People to Be  Heard program lineup and click on the December 13 program.

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Deer at night: Curious, attracted to light.. The Teatown Reservation plans a deer culling night ambush of deer population in the park conducted by professional hunters. (Stock photo supplied by WPCNR)

WPCNR ENVIRONMENTS AND ISSUES. From the Teatown Members & Neighbors Against Animal Cruelty. January 22, 2014:

After just five days more than 600 people have signed a petition strongly opposing a planned deer bait and kill program that is planned by the Teatown Lake Reservation, a prominent Westchester environmental education and nature center, the Teatown Members & Neighbors Against Animal Cruelty said today.

The  petition, initiated by Animal Defenders of Westchester, calls on the nature center to drop its plan to lure deer with bait and shoot them.  The plan calls for taking up to 75 deer this year.

The TMNAAC said that a member of the environmental center’s Advisory Board who has an extensive background in deer population management issues and approaches, said that he only learned of the deer slaughter plan when a story appeared on the front page of the local daily newspaper.

He said that he was shocked to learn that as a member of the Advisory Board that he had not been asked for input based on his experience or even informed that the plan was being implemented.  “Absent any immediate catastrophic threat to human health and safety, there is simply no reason to pursue a cull.”**

Night Deer Ambush

The nature center, which has an Ossining mailing address but is based in Yorktown, had not disclosed any information to the public regarding its plan that involves having sharpshooters armed with high-powered rifles stake out various locations where bait will be placed over a period of weeks to establish a feeding pattern for the deer.

Once the animals are conditioned to come to the feeding stations, the sharpshooters wearing night vision goggles will be stationed to shoot and kill the animals.  A State DEC permit will allow the taking of 75 deer this year and Teatown has indicated that it intends to continue the bait and kill program for at least five years resulting in killing literally hundreds of deer.  Teatown has not disclosed specific dates for the kill but the DEC permit gives it until February 28^th.

TNMAAC said that a neighbor learned of the plan, was shocked and alarmed and posted it on the neighborhood email network.  Once outed, Teatown posted a Q&A about its plan on the email network but has otherwise not communicated with the neighbors or others.

“This plan is wrong in so many ways that it is hard to know where to begin,’ said Linda Conte and Anne Marie Marx, neighbors who founded TMNAAC to provide a unified voice for opposition to the plan.

“The idea of an environmental conservation organization that is visited by school children each day luring wild animals to slaughter them is enough reason to be disturbed.  Then you find out that that their plan calls for secret nighttime rifle kills in the middle of Westchester County which is unbelievable and frightening.  Teatown didn’t even inform its own members or its Advisory Board of this plan.  There’s no excuse.  It’s hard to believe we are talking about Teatown.”

They said that the opposition to Teatown’s deer slaughter plan was growing rapidly as more residents from across Westchester were learning about it.  “No other conservation organization in the county has taken this extreme approach.  Westchester County itself considered the idea in its parks and rejected it.  “We can’t understand why Teatown, an organization that we respect and have been members of for many years, would authorize and pay to slaughter innocent animals.

“We call on the Board of Trustees to put a stop to the current plan.  It’s not too late to let reason prevail.  End the cruelty before it starts and begin a discussion with Teatown’s members, neighbors and the community.”

Don’t stand by while these animals are slaughtered. Let your opinion be known. Please sign the Petition:  http://chn.ge/1dzcmrV