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 GREEN NEWS. December 7, 2011:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today issued a statement to the CitizeNetReporter to the effect that the agency will approve a closure plan for the contaminated city dump, under review by the DEC for the last six years will be approved by the end of the month. The statement from the DEC press office today:

“The Department is performing a technical review of the final draft of the Landfill Closure Plan for the Gedney Way Leaf and Yard Waste Compost Facility (Gedney Way Landfill).  The Plan provides the detailed design information for the closure of the landfill under the state’s Part 360 Solid Waste regulations.  

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the White Plains Department of Public Safety. December 6, 2011:

On November 11  at approx 1837 hrs, a male black subject entered the Bluebay Spa, located at 239 Central Avenue 3rd floor, brandished what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash from the owner.

The victim turned over approximately $800 in cash and the unknown gunman fled on foot in an unknown direction.

During the subsequent investigation, Detectives were, with the assistance of NYPD Detectives from the 112 Precinct, able to positively identify

Andrew Tate, 9/9/81 of 66-23 Austin St #2C of Queens, NY as the subject responsible for the Bluebay Spa robbery. Tate was subsequently arrested and charged with Robbery in the First degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon.

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. December 6, 2011:

The city took the time Monday evening to honor employees of the city, employed for 25 years..

They are:

Elisa Parisi Principle Clerk

Carol Endres Deputy Commissioner

Edward Robinson Maintenance Mechanic

Patricia Colucci Account Clerk

Susan Habel Commissioner

Kevin Heffernan Fire Lieutenant

Lawrence Toglia Fire Lieutenant

Margaret Motts Police Officer

Joseph Palmiotto Police Officer

Kenneth Smith Police Officer

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. From the WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER STEPHEN SISLER. December 5, 2011:

Mayor Tom Roach and his Family and Assemblyman Robert Castelli switched on the city holiday season Sunday afternoon by introducing  and lighting a living holiday tree that will grow and be lit for many holidays to come. A festive community crowd in Tibbetts Park enjoyed songs, refreshments and the incandescent magic of the holidays.

Multitudes bask in White Plains Living Holiday Tree.

Mayor Roach Arrives with Santa for the Sunday afternoon ceremony.

Mayor Roach is joined by Assemblyman Robert Castelli, second from left and Mr. Roach’s family for the official beginning of the White Plains Holiday Season.

Mayor Roach and his Family Light up White Plains. turning on the living tree below.

White Plains Living Holiday Tree

(All Photos by Stephen Sisler)

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. Special to WPCNR by Westchester County Roving Correspondent Nancy King. December 1, 2011:

On Monday evening, it was learned that County Executive Rob Astorino had ordered Comptroller AnnMarie Berg to make a fund balance transfer to satisfy a 28 million dollar pension benefit bill.  This payment is historically made in early December although it was not due until February 2012.  Paying bills on time or even early is normally an admirable undertaking but in this case, the early payment no doubt left the county with the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in accrued interest.  

When the CBOL summoned Ms. Berg to eighth floor to question why this transfer was made at this time and without notice to the board, she replied that she was directed to make a payment and she doesn’t question a directive made by a supervisor.  

 However, one must wonder if this was Rob Astorino’s way of making sure that the Democratic majority of the Westchester County Board of Legislators had no choice in passing his budget.  What he probably didn’t count on was that in ordering Ms. Berg to make that fund transfer; he was more than likely violating the county charter.

According to County Charter law (83-167-121), “No money shall be spent by the county or any agency thereof, nor shall any obligation for the spending of money be incurred, unless in pursuance of the annual appropriations act thereof except provided in this section.  Transfers of appropriations act between general classifications of expenditures within the same department may be authorized by the County Executive upon recommendation of the budget director and with the approval of a committee of the County Board designated by the resolution of such board…supplemental appropriations may be made at any time upon the recommendation of the County Executive by a majority role of all members of the County Board”. 

 In other words, Mr. Astorino ordered Ms. Berg to make the fund transfer and didn’t bother letting his colleagues on the eighth in on his little secret.  

Democratic majority leader Pete Harkham stated “his talk of open government clearly doesn’t match his actions”. 

It is also believed that Chairman Jenkins will be summoning Ms. Berg to the eighth floor to testify under oath, which fund balances from which departments were used in order to make that fund transfer.

As reported in the November 14^th edition of WPCNR, Westchester County ended its fiscal year with a sales tax receipts increase of 7.3 million dollars through the first ten months of 2011.  

 In clear numbers, last year’s sales tax  through October was $361,958,134.00 and this year it came in at 369,262,423.00.  By our projections, Westchester County is on pace to earn 80 million dollars  more in sales tax revenue and that we may even top off at $449 million dollars in sales tax for 2011. That is $449 Million,  That is $87 Million over Mr. Astorino’s sales tax projection in his proposed budget  for 2012 of $362 Million.

 For all of you math whiz’s out there, that’s up by 2% from last year.  Perhaps even more interesting is WPCNR actually posted these numbers the day before Mr. Astorino ordered Ms. Berg to make those transfers. It’s nice  to know that the 9^th floor is reading here but perhaps in all honesty they  should be following County protocol before moving money from column A to column B. WPCNR will be reporting  continuing developments to this story.