WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR Rockola. By KKIX THE BIG 1440’S Big Melvin Mead “The Rock Daddy Show With All the Hits You Need”. May 5, 2008: He shows up minutes before concert time.  Bounces on stage dressed in black, hits the keyboard with the seductive good time individual  signature dum dum plunk diddee plunk plunk plunk, dum dum plunk diddee plunk plunk plunk of Lonely Too Long and you know it’s been  way too long since you’ve heard that Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals sound since the 60s.

Fasten your seatbelts, rock and roll turbulence ahead! Felix Cavaliere and His Rascals Blasted the 60-Somethings at Irvington Town Hall — the latest in the White Plains Westco Gold Star “Tour” Saturday night. Irvington Town Hall Theatre will never be the same!

Felix Cavaliere and Susie The K After the Rascals Blast — White Plains own Susan Katz, founder of Westco Productions — rapidly assuming the title of “Westchester’s First Lady of Rock N Roll.

Like rocking a coin solidly into the slot – you get a big round mound of sound and all hits all the time—from the first note Mr. Cavaliere plays. Felix Cavalier’s  Rascals – the latest rockologists to emerge from White Plains Westco Productions “DynamicVeebleVetzer Time Machine”  they call the Gold Star Series — laid down a wall of sound of Felix’s Rascals hits splashing the sound canvas of the seething shoulder to shoulder Town Hall Theater with Jackson Pollack madness in sound, with slashing, driving, get-into-your-body and make-you-bob-to-the-beat rock and roll the way a rock and roll party should be.

Whoever coined the term rock concert got that wrong. Rock’s not a concert, man, it’s a zone – the good time zone — a party, man.

 That’s what Felix Cavaliere turned the Irvington Town Hall into Saturday night.  Westco Productions continued their uncanny stroke-of-genius programming: the Westco Gold Star series. Each 60s  and 70s rock group they have brought back to “sophisticated Westchesta”  have opened up tapped into a secret outlet, a yearning, a craving for rock-n-rollers too old too rock and roll no more, but they kinda like the music.  

A sellout crowd  streamed in, beeping the hand-held scanners at the rate of a supermarket cash register on Super Bowl Sunday Saturday night. The Lettermen, Judy Collins, The 5^th Dimension, Gary Puckett, The Association, The Kingston Trio have all brought out different audiences, Susan Katz and Peter Katz the promoters say, and the series has struck a loyal following in Westchester County, Saturday night kept the hits coming back – sounding better than ever

Felix, working up a sweat in minutes, pounding the Hammond and making it a living, rockin thing.

Mr. Cavaliere – no stranger to playing the metro area – showed why: he delivered just the great Rascals music man – the straight ahead, fidgety, signature rock and roll keyboard style that opens up your party spirit and makes you feel “Good Lovin’” all night. Well, at least for an hour and 30 minutes, Cavaliere and his three sidemen  overmodulated raucously enough to wake up Rip Van Winkle from his siesta on the Town Hall lawn.

The Pyschedlic Medley

It was all Racals there – the punctuated contrapuntal organ keys to start Lonely too Long, the swells of organ crescendos – not heard since The Happy Organ – flowing like a flood of wine across a picnic blanket on “Good Lovin”.

Cavaliere’s side men, Mark Prentice’s bass (left) sounded like a power drill. Lead guitarist Mike Severs (right) laid in clear, aggressive nasty licks like a chain saw over Mr. Cavalieri’s signature organ segues. Severs  recreated the essence of  psychedelia in a medley in the second half of the show, His lead guitar lent a power dimension to the Rascals hits that sounded better, danceable, and thumped into you from the feet up through the body, with the Roadway Truck backbeat of drummer Vince Santoro.

The sold-out hall bobbed  its  heads in sync throughout the spontaneous big beat mayhem on stage.

Cavaliere was a pied piper – an icon preaching  the old time beat and exposing the rock roots of the audience with an attitude. Felix recreated the old time rebel look tonight, coming on stage and doing his thing. No anecdotes – just the hits man. The crowd was in rock and roll shock –  they bobbed heads, clapped hands, but were not moved to dance as if they were awed in reverence by the sweaty, grinding crescendos of tightly tracked, pounding songs dominating the hall – not heard this way in sometime – and sounding better than records. 

From Lonely Too Long, Felix and his beatmasters, Prentice and Severs mixed in those dance staples – including Midnight Hour – handled by drummer Santoro – cooling down to Groovin –getting to the heart of teen love pain on Do What You Know You Should – made all the more harsh by Felix’s full-swells of Hammond glory. His medleys were things of rock and roll genius mixing his hits with other gotcha songs.

In the second half,  with little time inbetween songs, the group’s highlights included What You tryin’ to do to my Heart where the drums shook your bones – and the snarling, Ain’t Gonna be Your Clown No more. The recognition of  old feelings in these songs is just right made possible by the way Felix and the Rascals confront you with the sound.

A long version of Good Lovin in the second half – complete with sing-a-along was just enough audience relationship. To tell you the truth,  the audience appeared stunned by the big ball of rock and roll Felix, Mike, Mike and Vinnie throw out there Saturday night.

The slow songs, which yours truly never really liked when they were hits, were better with a little soul – How Can I Be Sure was a winner the way Felix sings it today – and the one song that Cavalieri got sentimental on, People Got to Be Free  he dedicated to our servicemen and willing, expressing the thought that he hoped their sacrifices would not be in vain. A telling thought.

My favorite was Felix’s working the organ into the classic medley of  Good Lovin’ into La Bamba, Bo Diddley and Mustang Sally, — topped by a pyschedelic medley, featuring Led Zepp and Jimmy Hendrix tunes. All that was missing was incense in the air.

Your rock and roll pal, Big Mel Mead has to say that the hits being recreated by the original artists on the Westco Gold Star “Tour” never sounded this good when I was spinning them on my Rock Daddy Show 1440, KKIX Hit Music Radio Clear Channel the Rock of the Midway.

There is no such thing as an old rock and roller. Felix Cavaliere and His Rascals proved rockers just rock better the older they get!  Here Felix Says Good Bye to the fans, but not before he stayed for an hour meeting and signing autographs for the aficionados.

The faithful should check in at www.westcoproductions.com for a peek at the just-released Gold Star Tour this autumn.

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WPCNR RINKSIDE By Katharina Devitofranceshi, The German School, White Plains. May 4, 2008: Synchronized Skating: Those are two words you don’t hear very often and most likely tell you nothing (that is unless you’re in the 10^th grade of German School New York in White Plains, then you know all about it.)

The Skyliners of New York, the Tri-State Area’s Zagreb Snowflake Trophy Junior Gold Medal Winners, skating in the Frasier, Michigan  Syncrhonized Skating Junior Qualifier in January. The Junior team holds tryouts tonight in Rye, and here a member of the team, attending the German School here in White Plains, Katharina Devitofranceschi reflects on the team’s unforgettable journey, representing the USA in Croatia in March.

Skyliners 2008 Juniors skating their Short Program in Frasier, Michigan in January.

Sounds easy? It’s not. It’s hours of hard work both on ice and off, laden with sweat, lots of yelling, tears and blood, and I’m not over-exaggerating either. Most of us have the scars to prove it.

But, as a team with an incredibly close bound, we are always there for one another.

Being on The Skyliners is much like eating candy: We bit through the hard candy coating and are rewarded with a yummy, soft center.

In this case, the chewy center was an international assignment from United States Figure Skating to skate in Croatia and the title TEAM USA.

So overseas we flew in March to compete in the Zagreb Snowflake Trophy Competition March 9-14, a first flight abroad for most girls on our team, and 12 hours later we made it all the way to Zagreb. We all agreed that it was a surreal sensation to finally be there, after all the anticipation which had built up since August.

We spent most of the days leading into the competition having extra practices, fine-tuning the programs to perfection and listening to our coaches’ (Josh Babb and Jenny Gibson) and parents’ “motivational speeches.” (They got old fast, trust me.)

When the Zagreb Snowflake Trophy Competition actually began, it was absolutely nerve-wracking, knees shaking and jitters, all that good stuff. Our first shock came when we got our scores. They were much lower than anticipated. Dissappointed and heads hung low, we made our way to the locker room in silence, despite the fact we were in first place. But it didn’t mean anything because the favorite-to-win had yet to skate.

But our biggest surprise came when we found out, we, the underdogs, had won! Twenty of the loudest screeches erupted simultaneously. Naturally, celebrating and partying (with the awesome Aussies) ensued.

This year (2007-2008) has undoubtedly been the most trying year, what with juggling school and skating constantly, but our parents’, coaches’ and teachers’ support made everything that much easier. Those last moments in Croatia, standing up on the podium, were unforgettable. The Skyliners’ organization is still pretty young, so to have won the gold at our first international assignment (an accomplishment in itself, was unexpectedly incredible!

I know no matter what happens next year internationally, for good or bad, nothing can make me forget that unimaginable sense of accomplishment as a team.

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WPCNR BUNKO BULLETIN. From Westchester County Clerk’s Office. (Edited) May 3, 2008: Westchester residents are hereby advised that they need not pay up to $60 for a certified copy of a deed to their home, that certified copies are obtainable from the County Clerk’s Office for as little as $6.

Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni warns county residents to beware of a new series of direct mail solicitation letters sent from companies offering to obtain a certified copy of a homeowner’s deed.  Idoni advises homeowners to stay away from companies such as the New York Record Retrieval, Inc. that are charging excessive fees for a certified copy of a deed.   This company is sending out official looking letters to county homeowners advising that “[t]he U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center website recommends that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed.” The letter states that homeowners can order a copy of their deed for the fee of $59.50 by mailing in or faxing a return form with payment information.

Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni warns county residents to beware of a new series of direct mail solicitation letters sent from companies offering to obtain a certified copy of a homeowner’s deed.  Idoni advises homeowners to stay away from companies such as the New York Record Retrieval, Inc. that are charging excessive fees for a certified copy of a deed.   This company is sending out official looking letters to county homeowners advising that “[t]he U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center website recommends that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed.” The letter states that homeowners can order a copy of their deed for the fee of $59.50 by mailing in or faxing a return form with payment information.

 “If you receive a letter from a company asking you to pay an exorbitant fee for a copy of your deed, throw it away!” cautioned Idoni. Homeowners, who want a certified copy of their deed, can easily obtain it from the county clerk’s office for the minimal cost of only $5.00 for up to five pages and $1.00 for each additional page.  “Homeowners are not obligated to pay a non-government agency for a document which is kept on file and properly recorded in our office,” said Idoni. 

The Land Records Division of the County Clerk’s office records all documents pertaining to real property transactions in Westchester County.  Assuring homeowners, Idoni stated, “Once your deed is filed and recorded in our office, it remains valid whether or not you have a certified copy in your possession.” 

For homeowners, there are several options for obtaining a certified copy of a deed.   Visit the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in White Plains, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. excluding legal holidays to speak with staff in the Land Records Division, who can assist you with your request.  Homeowners who cannot visit the office in person can call 914-995-3094.  “Make sure to have the exact name or names of the property owners and property address available before calling or visiting us,” said Idoni. Requests for certified copies can also be obtained by mail or email at

cc-land@westchestergov.com. Information on obtaining a copy of a deed can be found on the county clerk website at westchesterclerk.com.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. May 2, 2008: A lawsuit filed against the city by LC Main LLC  this week, accusing the city of “abuse of discretion,” in the city  effort to direct LC Main to remove the Ritz Carlton granite stone on the Renaissance Square traffic island, was continued to May 16 today.

City and The Super Developer Go to Court over The Ritz Rock on the traffic Island in center of picture on Renaissance Square.

 A Temporary Restraining Order issued by Acting Supreme Court Justice Susan Cacace, prevents the city from removing the Ritz Rock until arguments are heard. The city has until May 16 to submit their case for removal of the sign, and LC Main LLC has until May 23 to rebut.  Meanwhile the stone stands.

The Common Council considers the monument to have been erected without permission, dangerous to auto traffic and commercial use of city property.

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WPCNR Quill & Eyeshade. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. May 1, 2008: The failure of the Common Council to get the ¼ %  sales tax increase implemented sooner this year, possibly caused by a deliberate delay  by not getting the measure to the legislature until January, cost the city about $2 to 2.5 Million in revenue this year – dooming the White Plains taxpayers to paying an additional $2.1 Million in property taxes in 2008-2009.

The Common Council did not grasp that delay of sending the home rule request to Albany in January – and not giving the legislature a chance to pass the ¼% increase by December 1— when they could have legally done, could cost the city five months of collecting sales taxes at the increased rate quarter percent.

The projected revenue the ¼% might have generated for those five months, January, February, March, April and May, 2008 is directly equal to the tax increase in the city budget – $2.1 Million payable by White Plains taxpayers.

When Mayor Joseph Delfino Tuesday evening reported that the bill enacting a ¼% sales tax raising the White Plains sales tax to 8-1/8 %  was signed at noon in Albany Tuesday by Governor David Patterson, City Hall was jubilant, expecting the sales tax hike to click in today. 

According to Executive Officer Paul Wood Tuesday night, the tax was to begin to be charged beginning at midnight this morning.

However, the City’s Chief Financial Officer, Gina Harwood told WPCNR the sales tax increase was always planned to go into effect June 1 because the city merchants need 30 days to adjust their cash registers.

Ms. Harwood explained that the city sales tax may only raised by law four dates a year: June 1, September 1, December 1 and March 1. She said the sales tax had been acted upon “very expeditiously” by the legislature after the home rule was introduced in January.

Virtually No Impact this year.

Harwood also said that the June 1 increase would mean only “trickles” in increase in the sales tax for this year in how it effects the 2008-09 budget. The real impact of the ¼% windfall increase will contribute to the 2009-10 budget.

She said the city sales tax figures are computed on an accrual basis, explaining sales taxes charged in June would not be included as revenue in sales tax collections until July when the merchants file their sales tax returns with the state. Harwood noted that the revenues from a month’s sales are always realized in the next month, expecting little impact in raising the 2007-2008 final sales tax figures.

Legislature did Their Job for White Plains

Asked if the state legislature could not have acted faster, implementing the sales tax by March 1, Harwood said that was not the way the legislature worked.  Harwood said the city had always planned to have the sales tax in place by June 1 so the additional sales tax revenue would impact the 2009-10 budget. She said the legislature was not in session in late fall, except for special sessions when they were dealing with “other things,” and that the legislature does not act on sales tax measures until after they pass the state budget.

She said she felt the legislature acted “very expeditiously,” saying the bill was introduced in January and was signed by Governor Patterson this week. She said the city is very grateful for the legislature fast action on the bill.

Council Tabling the Issue Before Election Cost possible $2.5 Million in Sales Tax

There was  the possibility of getting a sales tax increase implemented earlier if the Common Council had not delayed the home rule request over the amount of the tax increase prior to elections in November.

Mayor Joseph Delfino had brought up the ½% tax increase in the spring of 2007 and at no time did the Common Council object strenuously to that amount until fall elections approached. When they began to table the issue, starting in September,  the Mayor was mystified.

 The Common Council dragged its feet on the sales tax increase issue leading up to the fall election – tabling the issue three months in succession that called for a ½% increase, and demanded budget projections from the Mayor (which the state already had on file from its Aid to Independent Municipalities requests, apparently unbeknownst to the council and Assemblyman Adam Bradley who was requesting the projections that the state already had, though he may not have been aware of it at the time. Mayor Delfino refused to make projections at the time, blaming he would jeopardize labor negotiations. )  

After elections were safely over, the council agreed to a ¼% sales tax increase.

Legislature Timing Delayed by Council Politicking

 Conceivably the legislature could have acted sooner and the city would have had increased sales taxes being collected this year.  ( In fairness, it is also possible the former Governor at the time, Eliot Spitzer might not have signed it and the same January introduction would have transpired anyway.)

With the sales tax in effect December 1 or even March 1 – (though according to Harwood, implementation if passed just after the election would not have been possible the way the legislature takes up issues — being out of session after elections.  The increase would have to be passed in the September, October period when the legislature was in session.)

With the sales tax quarter per cent in effect December 1, (in time for the holiday shopping season), White Plains conceivably would have gained five months of accrued $2.5 Million in additional sales tax (in January, February, March, April and May) from the extra ¼% increase. (The additional ¼% is expected to generate $5.6 Million in additional sales tax, according to city projections, an average of  $500,000 a month. )

The deliberate council effort  to delay the home rule request going to Albany so the legislature could have had the opportunity to enact it earlier apparently has cost the city $2 Million to $2.5 Million in sales tax, which could be a costly loss, given the continued soft Westchester economy.

It certainly is to the White Plains taxpayers who are paying an additional $2.1 Million in property taxes in the 2008-2009 budget – exactly equivalent to the failure to get the sales tax increase in place earlier – due to deliberate delay by the Common Council.

The Sales Tax Situation

To date, through March 31, 2008,  the city has collected $33.9 Million in sales taxes for the first  current fiscal year, 2007-2008 through three quarters, according to Ms. Harwood is 0.4% behind the 2006-2007 pace — off 7.6 % from the third quarter last year. 

As of March 31 2007, 2007 the city had collected $34 Million. If the city keeps pace with last year’s sales tax collection rate, it will receive $10.7 Million in sales taxes the final quarter ending June 30, 2008,  easily meeting its budgeted target of $43 Million, generating at this point an estimated $45 Million in sales tax – the projected amount in the city’s proposed 2008-2009 budget

What Might Have Been

The additional $2.5 Million the Council  gave up any shot of getting by their intentional possibly politically motivated delay  under the guise of protecting the taxpayer threw away – virtually burned by their election delay, would have increased sales tax collection to the $48 Million level this year.

Had the legislature only acted sooner and been given the chance to do so by the Common Council would  have easily put White Plains at the $48 Million plus level in sales taxes, generating a  surplus of $2.5 Million over budget ($43 Million in sales tax), now the surplus will be eroded by the $450,000 amount.

The case can be made the failure to act earlier by the Council hurt White Plains taxpayers rather than helped them.

Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains will be paying a 2-1/4%. sales tax to the City of White Plains  and a 1-1/2% sales tax to Westchester County; a 0.375%  sales tax to the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District, and a New York State Sales Tax  of 4% for a total sales tax of 8.125% (8 and 1/8 %).