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

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. September 24, 2007: They stand like a jury of 3,798 persons, (about 700 more deaths than were caused by the World Trade Center attack they were sent to avenge). The little flags are  maudlin lilies of the field today. Little white flags planted with the name of a U.S. Soldier killed in the Iraq War. Each was once an identity and loved, now each is a memory.  The flags, arranged by the year the men and women were killed in action were planted as part of an anti-Iraq war demonstration at the Memorial United Methodist Church Sunday. This is the photograph of the day, more eloquent in its pathos than any vocal statement. The numbers maimed and wounded are in the tens of thousands. Too bad there are not flags for the wounded and maimed — victims forever.

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley (89th District). September 24, 2007: Since January Governor Spitzer has signed into law a number of bills I authored, all of which are aimed at helping Westchester families.

Improving our economy and saving jobs

New York State has incredible economic potential as we continue to recover from the last economic downturn.  But unfortunately the fact remains that many American jobs, including those in high-technology markets, continue to be outsourced.  A new law I authored requires the Department of Labor to examine the impact of offshore outsourcing of information-technology jobs and the stability of New York’s job market if the trend continues (Ch. 435 of 2007).

Additional new laws will penalize individuals or companies who install security or fire alarms without a license (Ch. 437 of 2007) and target thieves who steal metal from businesses and homes to cash them in at metal scrap yards (Ch. 302 of 2007).

Protecting our environment

Beginning this year, communities in Westchester and Putnam counties can voluntarily establish community preservation funds with the goal of protecting the region’s natural resources (Ch. 596 of 2007). The Hudson Valley has a wealth of valuable resources in need of protection, including parks, forests, waterways, wetlands and historic places, and this new law will let individual communities take action by generating funding and choosing which resources they want to focus on. 

Helping families through tough times

Two new laws will help ease the obstacles families face during divorce proceedings. One measure requires that parties in divorce cases be notified of a potential health insurance loss when they have been covered by their spouse’s plan and allows judges to grant a 30-day continuance so parties have a chance to obtain their own health insurance (Ch. 412 of 2007).

Another measure changes the state’s existing law regarding prenuptial agreements and the time period when parties involved in an agreement can raise issues or concerns about the document (Ch. 104 of 2007). The new law adds a three-year statute of limitations from the moment actions are taken to dissolve the marriage. This measure replaces the previous law, which in many cases only allowed parties to challenge the agreement within the first six years of marriage.

Finally, a new law geared toward protecting families allows more child witnesses in court proceedings to testify by two-way closed-circuit television instead of subjecting them to the emotional stress of being in a courtroom (Ch. 548 of 2007).

I worked hard in Albany to make these changes in our laws so that all New Yorkers can feel safer and more secure and have an improved quality of life. I promise that I will continue to fight for our families and help bring more positive changes to Westchester County.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. September 23, 2007:  The White Plains Downtown Residents Association will meet Monday evening at Vintage Restaurant from 7:30 to 8:45 P.M. The Board Meeting starts at 7 and is open to the public. The agenda includes I-287 construction, parking, the Ritz-Carlton, Franklin Avenue litter, the Homeless Task Force, and Crosswalks, and Quality of Life Issues. 

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WPCNR’S THE REAL DEAL By The Wedding Jeannie. September 22, 2007: How much do you have to spend?  Simple enough in theory, but there are many issues at play in setting a budget.  The first is more often than not what the disposable cash is for an event.  We often see the primary constraint is simply what people have in the bank.  If that’s the issue, then make sure you speak with all related parties BEFORE setting a final budget – that includes parents (in terms of a wedding) and anyone else who might be contributing.  It’s very common to not want to have such a candid conversation early in any planning process, but since it can materially affect the entire event, it’s an important one to have upfront. 

 And I assure you, it will be much more fruitful than doing it once the planning has started.  We recommend that couples be open and honest with family immediately – to avoid a situation where anyone is uncomfortable about brining up the topic.  Don’t tell parents what you “need”, rather focus on suggesting that if they are open and willing, it would be great to have their support – financially and otherwise.  If one side is paying for the event in its entirety, then determine what is available to the couple up front – it’s always better to have the parents raise the issue early and leave no question as to what the participation will be. 

How many guests?  That’s the second question you have to answer in planning anything.  And of course there is a differential between how many are invited and how many will actually come.  We generally assume that there will be a 20-25% attrition rate from the guest list as a whole.  For holiday weekends, that number will run between 30-35%.  If you have a number of out of town guests and you are planning for a Sunday wedding on a non-holiday weekend, we expect attrition around the same as that for holiday weekends.  Determining your actual attendance number is key for two reasons; budget and minimum guarantees.  

Imagine that you have an initial guest list of 200 people.  We assume that roughly 160 will actually attend.  From a budgeting perspective, there is large gap between costs for 200 versus for 160.  Many couples find that they cannot afford a particular wedding or venue for 200 guests, but that they can afford it for 160.  It’s important that this be determined early on.  There are of course certain fixed costs that wont change, regardless of the guest list (music, hair/makeup, dress, and videography) but all others from invitations to favors, will be recalculated down if the guest list is lower. 

 Some photographer for instance will shoot 150 guests alone and feel comfortable that they will be able to cover the whole event.  Others will have a second shooter present if there are 200 guests and or if you want photographs of each table.  And of course, the per-person costs vary widely with or without 40 extra people.  Remember that in addition to the dollar amount for each guest at a venue, you also have to calculate almost 30% extra to incorporate the costs of tax (depending where you are about 8%) and service (usually anywhere from 18% to 22%).  Even your flowers will be slightly lower if you have 40 less guests – assume that you are seating 10 guests at a table and all of a sudden you need 4 less tables.  Calculations per table can add up quickly if each arrangement is going to be around $200 (this is a VERY rough figure) then you can save almost $1000 if 40 less guests are coming. 

In terms of your minimum numbers when you lock in a venue, pricing is often set based on how many people you expect to attend.  If you lock in at 200 and sign a contract before you make your guest list and then realize that the list is lower – I guarantee that no venue is going to be sympathetic.  And as suggested above, the costs for that are pretty high.  Do you really want 40 people there that you had not planned on inviting just because you locked in at that rate?  The answer across the board is always no. 

Once you have your guest list set you can begin looking for the perfect location.  And please note that by “set” we mean lists that are in WRITING and that include all guests from both families as well as the couples’ own list.  We could write a lengthy chapter on how guest list calculation without family lists and not in writing have been as bad as not doing a list at all.  Finding the venue before any other vendor is important for the process for a host of reasons.  The venue sets the tone of the wedding – whether you choose it because of outdoor space, high ceilings, capacity or food.  Additionally, venues do tend to get booked farther in advance than all other event related services, so checking that off the to do list is huge.  Finally, the reception or party portion of your budget is always the largest and once that is confirmed, you can go start backing out all the other pieces of your wedding or event more easily from a financial perspective. 

The most popular thing for brides to do before guest list, budget or venue search – is hunt for a dress.  And while we don’t mean to minimize the importance of this – it can wait.  In a perfect world, it’s always best to give a store or dress maker 8 months advance notice in ordering or purchasing a wedding gown.  But, if you do that at the expense of weighing all the other details, it can decrease the joy of finding the perfect dress (especially if you can’t afford it OR if it does not end up fitting the venue/time of year that you select during the location process).  Hold off on buying the dress until you are sure of the larger pictures – specifically the financials of the entire event, how many people are coming and where it will be happening.  We often see couples that are thinking of holding an event in a ballroom and then fall in love with a vineyard instead.  The dresses for these two occasions might be the same, but wouldn’t it be great to make that decision knowing all the details?

Next week we will go through a few options for what you can do with your dress after the wedding is over – just in case that makes a difference in the decision making process as well (hey, it never killed anyone to know that if they could resell their dress, they would have spent more on it!). 

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WPCNR Police Gazette. By John F. Bailey. September 20, 2007: Mayor Joseph Delfino and Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub announced today the police will notify all city residents informing them of the  Level 2 and 3 sex offenders living within the city. Commissioner Straub the first mailing would go out within 30 days. Should any new Level 2 or 3 offender move into the community between annual mailings, the police will conduct a risk assessment on the person and inform the neighborhood, and place the name on the city website and notify those responsible “for the care of vulnerable populations.”

Mayor Joseph Delfino Announcing the new White Plains Sex Offender Neighborhood Notification Program Friday morning. At left, is Commissioner of Public Safety, Dr.Frank Straub.

What the Report Will Look Like When Residents Receive it in the Mail, and how it will appear on the city Website. The First mailed report of Level 2, and 3 Sex Offenders living in White Plains, should be out to residents by early November.  Links on the city website (www.cityofwhiteplains.com) will direct viewers with the New York State Sex Offender Registry for further information

Straub made it clear that addresses would not be provided for Level 2s, (addresses only for level 3s) but the addresses of those offenders may be found on the New York State Sex Offender Registry. That site may be found at http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/index.htm

Police Aware of all criminals released into city.

Perform Risk Assessments, Ask Their Needs.   

 Straub told the CitizeNetReporter that when any convicted felons are released into White Plains by the county, after serving prison sentences, the White Plains police are informed. The White Plains Police perform a risk assessment and visit that person, asking if the person needs any form of rehab, job counseling, or substance abuse counseling.  Staub said the police are prohibited from conducting this procedure with Level 2 & 3 sex offenders. Straub said his department began this procedure about two years ago.

Commissioner Straub Taking Reporters Questions Today.

32 Live in the City Today.

In the course of the news conference Straub announced there were  15 Level 1 Sex Offenders; 10 Level 2 Sex Offenders, and 7 Level 3 offenders living around the city as of this morning’s news conference.

For reader’s information, Level 2 and Level 3 Sexual Predators are classified as follows by the New York State Department of Justice:

Straub told WPCNR the 17 Level 2 & 3  individuals  and the 15 Level 1s were not concentrated in any one section of the city (“There are no clusters.”) He said some live with family and parents. He also admonished the assembled media that the notification procedure announced today “is no panacea,” that parents need to take responsibility for the childrens’ wellbeing and be vigilant. )

Mayor Joseph Delfino said he hoped in the future, depending on what legal counsel says the city can impart on these individuals, the Mayor hoped for an interactive map on the city website, of the city for residents, if legal counsel advises the city it can do so.

More Information Options being Explored

The Mayor said “This is a major step forward for the City in distributing information to our residents, schools and other organizations that have a concern in this matter.”

Anthony Pilla, a candidate for Common Council, and father of a 6 and 8 year old who take the school bus from a top on Chatterton Parkway, said when asked if this step was enough, said “It’s time.” Patti Cantu, another Battle Hill resident again agreed it was something that should have been done all long

Crimes Requiring the Released Individual to Be Registered.

According to the Department of Justice website the following table are the sex-related crimes that require classification of individuals as Level 1, 2, or 3 Sex Offenders.

¹ A registerable offense only if the victim is less than eighteen years of age or where the defendant has a prior conviction for a sex offense, a sexually violent offense, forcible touching or sexual abuse in the third degree or an attempt thereof even if registration was not required for the prior conviction; regardless of when the prior conviction occurred.

² A registerable offense only if the victim is less than seventeen years old and the offender is not the parent of the victim.

³A registerable offense only if the person patronized is in fact less than seventeen years old.

⁴A registerable offense unless the trial court finds that registration would be unduly harsh and inappropriate. Please note that an attempt to commit this offense does not require registration.