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

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Some of the Magic To Do Players enact a scene from Peter Pan.

 Photo, Courtesy, Westco Productions

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Westco Productions. (Edited) May 19, 2007: Westco Productions, White Plains’ continuously producing, year-round professional arts organization for 27 years, has received a five-year grant from Hudson Valley Developmental Disabilities Services for $44,850 for its four year-old  Magic To Do Players Creative Theater Workshop Program.

Each Magic To Do Players session serves 20-30 young people who have developmental disabilities such as Autism, Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and other disabilities.

The program was created four years ago by “First Lady of White Plains Theater,” Westco’s founder,  Susan Katz with the goal of offering young people with developmental disabilities the opportunityto participate in a performing arts experience.

The youngsters experience the exciting process of creating a musical production and performing for an audience. The program consists of two 11-week sessions (spring and fall) where the group rehearses on Saturdays , learning songs, dances and dialogue that culminate in a performance at the end of each session.

Parents of children who have participated in the classes have raved about the positive experiences their disabled youngsters have had and the new skills the magic of theatre has brought out in their children that their children  never could do before. The ability  to appear on a stage before an audience  – following directions – singing – working as a team – anyone who saw the troop perform at the Westchester Broadway Theatre last year — including this cynical, seen-it-all Broadway reporter — was touched by the potential the Magic To Do Players staff turned into new skills with their “special players.”

Benefits of the program include helping with social skills, developing friendships, building communication and conversation skills, fostering self-confidence and self-discipline, and support of self-expression and cultural enrichment via the theater arts.

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By State Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley, 89th District. May 16, 2007: The student loan industry scandal – in which certain colleges and universities were found to have had inappropriate financial relationships with lenders – has put New York’s college students in jeopardy.  New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s ongoing investigation brought the scandal to light, revealing the increasing use of questionable practices to market private loans to students and their families.

In order to remedy the problem as quickly as possible, the Assembly and Senate recently passed legislation I sponsored to stop the student loan industry’s conflicts of interest used to steer borrowers at colleges and universities to certain lenders (A.7950).  The legislation is to be known as SLATE, the Student Lending Accountability, Transparency and Enforcement Act.  Some provisions of the bill include:

·                    prohibiting lenders from giving gifts to colleges and universities and ban colleges and universities from accepting them in exchange for any advantage in loan activities;

·                    barring college and university employees from receiving any compensation for serving on a lender’s advisory board;

·                    prohibiting lender employees and agents from posing as college or university employees;

·                    requiring colleges to tell inquiring students about public loans – which may be a better option – before talking to them about private loans.

Over 20 colleges and universities nationwide have signed the Attorney General’s Code of Conduct, which ensures that the relationships between schools and student loan lenders put the needs of students ahead of the needs of shareholders.  A handful of schools in New York have signed onto the Code, including:  New York University; Fordham University; Syracuse University; Pace University; and 29 State University of New York Campuses.

It is disappointing that colleges and universities favored certain student loan lenders for particular advantages, putting themselves first, instead of the students they purport to care about. Significant numbers of students and their parents turn to loans to help pay for college. Loans are supposed to help a student complete his or her degree to get ahead, not purposely drag them into so much debt that they can barely make a living. I am confident that the governor will sign SLATE so we can end these dubious loan practices. In this way, we can help restore trust in an education system that is supposed to support our youth, not prey on them.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 16, 2007: Pending official final figures, the 2007-2008 School Budget of $174.1 Million has passed by 933 votes to 648. This gennerates a 6.95% tax rate increase for the citizens in the next school year beginning July 1. Sheryl Brady and Charles Norris were elected unopposed to three year terms on the Board of Education, joining Donna McLaughlin, Terrance McGuire, Peter Bassano and Rosemarie Eller and Bill Pollak, bringing the Board of Education up to full strength for the first time in a year. Newly elected Board Member Charles Norris said that more details on the district strategic plan should be emerging at the end of May.  The vote passed the budget by slightly less a margin than last year, 59% voting to approve last night, while 64% voted approval last year. 

Sheryl Brady,  and Charles Norris were Elected to three year terms to the Board of Education.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors said, “We’re appreciative of the folks coming out to vote. We certainly appreciate the vote for the school budget and the two candidates and we’ll look to move forward in getting ready for the next school year.”

Asked if in view of the closer vote, if the district would start looking at budget management earlier this year, the superintendent said, “I think, as we know, the trends in budgets are closer, that’s what people were predicting, and it reminds us we need to encourage people to come out to vote, because when you look at the total number of votes it’s a good turnout. In terms of next year’s budget, let us get through this year and as we go through the year we’ll begin plan for next year as well.”

The  Superintendent said, “We actually start the budget process too early in my mind. You have to have facts you can deal with and not speculation. Until we get into 2008, we won’t begin to plan the budget. We’re certainly mindful and we’ll see what the trends are. This budget’s done, we’ll get ready for the next school year, and in November we’ll start on the next budget.”

Electees Speak

Sheryl Brady, elected to a four year term on the School Board, said  “I’m very honored to be working for the Board. I think they’re a wonderful group of people, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”

Asked if there was a particular matter she looked forward to addressing in her new term, Brady said, “A lot of things interest me. I’m working on the Strategic Planning Core Team and the Communications Action Team. Those are things I’m particularly interested in. I’m also interested in curriculum.”

Asked if there was any outcomes she especially wanted to see happen, Ms. Brady said, “Not right now.”

Charles Norris, the other newly elected Board Member told WPCNR, “I’m very excited. I feel I can bring a lot of energy to the Board. I would like to be a voice for the Strategic Plan. I think that if the Plan is  implemented as it is designed and is being flushed out in other committees, I think it can bring about some needed changes.”

On academics, Norris said “I think all students need to be challenged. All members of our diverse community,  white, black, latino need to feel comfortable in the schools, and that their children are being appropriately challenged.

On school management, Norris said, “I would also as part of the Strategic Plan, work for evaluation of programs, and make sure we’re doing things in as cost-efficient manner as possible. That’s what I’m going to try and be a voice for.”

Strategic Plan to Emerge in More Detail End of May

Asked what direction the mysterious Strategic Plan was taking (the district has not released any new information on their Strategic Plan since the initial goals which were nebulous and nonspecific as to how they were to be accomplished—see previous WPCNR stories on the Strategic Plan), Norris brought WPCNR up-to-date:

“I will know after May 23. At this point in time, I know the subcommittees (creating the Strategic Plan) are meeting to flush out assessments and new programs. I was on the Core Planning Committee that met for three days back in February, and have not had any more information since that time. On May 23, we’ll have another meeting of the Strategic Planning Core Committee where we’ll be reviewing the work done by the subcommittees.”

Turnout Approximates 2006

Opposition Increases.

According to information in the WPCNR files, the vote against this year’s school budget vote is slightly less than 5% higher than was the “No” vote last year. This means that the increase in the “no” votes fell short of keeping up with the increase in the size of the budget. Turnout was very close to last year’s, 1,581 this time, 1,514 last year.

It’s interesting to compare yesterday’s vote with the vote in May, 2004. In 2004 only 22.9% voted “no,” on a much larger increase in the budget (6.8%) and tax increase of  7-1/2%.  When compared with 2004, yesterday’s “No” vote of about 41% is close to twice as big – even when voting down the budget would decrease spending by a mere $400,000. The vote of approval on that 04-05 $143.8 Million budget was a 3 to 1 margin of approval, 1024 to 305.

The margin of approvals continue to erode the last two years but support for the district spending continues. This year’s vote with 59% of the voters approving a 4.4% increase in spending  and 7% increase in taxes, is slightly down from last year’s 2006-2007  966 to 548 approval – which okayed a $165.8 Million budget and 7.1%  (8.1% tax increase) increase by 64% of the voters.

This contrasts sharply with 2005-2006, when 1,458 voted and approved a $154.8 Million budget a 7.61% spending  increase by a 4 to 1 margin, and the $143.8 Million 2004-2005 budget, that increased spending by 6.8% and taxes by 7-1/2%, a 3 to 1 margin.

 Voters approved that 04-05 budget in May of 2004 by a vote of 1,024 to 305, a better than 3 to 1 margin – and in the year 2003-2004 when a $134.6 Million was passed with a 6.1% increase in spending and  6.9% increase in taxes by a 4 to 1 margin.

The main opposition to passing this year’s budget was in the southend of the city with 62% of the No votes coming from the Ridgeway School (256) and the Highlands Middle School (147) Polling Places. Conversely 57% of the voters in those two affluent districts, 299 from Ridgeway and 238 voting at Highlands supported the Yes Vote and 43% voted against it.

Church Street School Polling Place reflected this trend with 195 voting Yes and 146 voting no. 

The vote took place on the evening of the high school spring concert – which could have been a factor in limiting the number of working citizens having the time to vote – since the polls do not open until 12 noon and are open until 9 PM.    Though the polling hours 12 to 9 PM have been the same for years.

The $200 Million Budget Will Be Reached in 2010-2011

This year the school district kept their spending increase to 4.4%. If they hold to that increase– at 5% a year,  the district budget will not grow as fast as WPCNR predicted two years ago. WPCNR said if the present rate of  7% increases continued, and the $65 Million school bond issue (for a new Post Road School, Infrastructure Improvements, and a remodeled Mamaroneck Avenue School, and 2 new football stadiums), were financed in its entirety in one year, the budget would hit $200 Million by  2008-2009.

Now that the District has broken up the bond financing into three separate issues and pushing up of certiorari payments, the  $201 Million will be reached in the year 2011-2012 — but this will only happen if the spending level is kept at 5% or less.

The projections:

2008-09: $182.8 Million

2009-2010: $192 Million

2010-2011: $201.5 Million.

This of course, assumes all expenses stay at their current rates of increase.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey.May 14, 2007 UPDATED 3:07 PM EDT UPDATED 11:31 PM EDT:  The controversy over the Bank Street Job, on the agenda for approval tonight, has been apparently orchestrated, contrived, if you will by the Common Council, since the Council was apprised of city plans to sell the property and promote it for development to 10 firms last May.  Three alternate proposals to the LCOR plan were received. LCOR was selected because, in the city opinion, they had the best proposal, and were a known trusted developer according to City Executive Officer, Paul Wood. Wood told WPCNR this evening that LCOR’s proposal was selected because they were the only developer agreeing to build affordable housing on the scale the city was seeking.

The Common Council after hearing several voices in support and against, and hearing Peter Gilpatric say he had not broached the subject of removing the Plan B option from the LCOR approving legislation adjourned  the public hearing on the LCOR Bank Street apartment project Monday evening until Thursday at 5 PM. 

According to Council President Rita Malmud, Gilpatric said he had not had time to talk with his LCOR Board of Directors to modify or eliminate entirely the Plan B — which would, if the LCOR PILOT (of $29 Million according to the city, or $39 Million the way the Westchester County IDA figures the total tax abatement) is not approved by the council. Plan B would find LCOR paying the city a mere $8 Million for the land (instead of $15.5 Million), and building only 32 units of affordable housing.

Mr. Gilpatric, retreating into the night from City Hall, after discussions behind closed doors in the Mayor’s office, when asked by The CitizeNetReporter what kind of financing would be used to pay for the $260 Million LCOR project, said it would be public markets. Bill Null, the LCOR legal counsel, said municipal issues would not be used and the project would be floated on the open bond market at prevailing rates.

No Decision on Decision Night.

The Council, meeting in the Mayor’s Conference Room after the hearings on LCOR and the White Plains LLC proposal to build affordable housing in the City Center Municipal garage, did not approve the $154.5 Million city budget or set the salary increases for administration personnel as an addition to the budget which should bring the budget to about $156 Million. The council declined to discuss the salaries and preferred to do this Thursday at 4 PM.  (This, despite Councilman Glen Hockley’s reverent comments that the council does everything in public, when Councilman Power and Councilperson Malmud were lobbying for more televised meetings and work sessions).

The rest of the budget action was approved without comment, including raising parking meter rates to $1 an hour on the street and 75 cents an hour in parking lots; adding Registration Fees and Inspection Fees for rental owners as a means of cracking down on substandard, illegal, unsafe housing. The reserve for financing stayed where it was at $4.7 Million (higher this year because of jobs expected to be filled being included in the budget), and the undesignated fund balance remained at $8.6 Million (including certiorari payments). The council also agreed with a provision in the budget allowing bonding for another $1 Million in certioraris.

To date, there has been no discussion of what raises the Mayor, the Executive Officer, the Corporation Counsel, and the rest of the city department heads, and the Common Council will be given. There is the possibility of course that no raises will be given out, in view of the budget squeeze the city is in. But should the raises average 4% it would raise the budget overall to $156 Million. Gina Cuneo-Harwood suggested the total raises for appointed personnel would total only about $200,000. We shall see Thursday.

Management & Budget Committee

Councilman Benjamin Boykin delivered a message from the Management and Budget Committee, which called for enactment of a hotel tax, and Councilperson Malmud was very enthusiastic about this.

Dennis Power, the Councilman, suggested that any sales tax increase (also recommended by the Budget and Management Committee) be shared with the school district. Power suggested that the only way the assembly legislator carrying the sales tax bill would agree with the sales tax increase the city is seeking would be if the city agreed to share some of the revenue with the school district.

The Mayor bristled at this saying he would only turn over sales tax money if the school district cut school property taxes by a commensurate amount. The Mayor griped, “Have you seen their salaries?”

That Nasty Old County Executive

The Mayor also reserved a few choice words for County Executive Andy Spano for not sharing County IDA money with the city. When Councilman Power said he supported a city IDA, the Mayor grumped, “that’s only because you know it’s going to be difficult to pass. But we’re going to try.”

Then the Mayor blew up at the “injustice,”  sputtering, “County IDA gets Millions….Millions… of fees. You’d think the county would share it with us. I asked County Executive Spano, and he said “I take all the credit for everything you (the Mayor) do. How can I do that (give back IDA money) for you?”

Mr. Boykin also mentioned that the Management & Budget Committee suggested reining in health care benefits and salaries. Mr. Bernstein took exception to this “taking it out on the working man.”

PILOTS Not Costing City Anything in Taxes–Boykin

Benjamin Boykin, in reporting on the Management & Budget Committee report also explained that PILOTS are exactly what a property would pay in taxes if it were on the tax rolls. Afterwords, when it was pointed by the CitizeNetReporter that the PILOTS might be set at too low a number by the city assessor, either deliberately or by being instructed to do so,  otherwise why would companies seek them, Boykin stuck to his guns saying that the PILOTS do go up over time at the same rate the property tax increase goes up and that companies sought the PILOTS to acquire sales, and mortgage tax relief from the Westchester County IDA. When the CitizeNetReporter suggested to Mr. Boykin that perhaps the PILOTS go out for too many years, he said that did matter, that the rising tax rate would take care of it and raise taxes fairly.

However, considering that Mr. Gilpatric had told the Westchester County IDA he was getting $39 Million tax abatement from the city, in order to receive IDA tax relief from sales and mortgage taxes, Mr. Boykin did not explain where the $39 Million, or by city math, $29 Million, is coming from if not from the real estate tax

Cappelli Says He is Required by Law to Give Electric Heat Credit

In the quiet approval process involving the 23 apartments White Plains LLC (Louis Cappelli’s holding company that owns the City Center), Bruce Berg said Cappelli Enterprises is willing to pay a percentage of electric heat rates as a credit on the rents of the affordable units that will be built in the City Center Garage — as his boss, Louis Cappelli indicated last Thursday evening.  Berg said that White Plains affordable housing policy dictates that they follow HUD guidelines in figuring the credit and they would comply. The council requested a computation sheet from the Commissioner of Planning showing the “credit” ratio that Section 8 persons received off their utilities under present HUD guidelines.

The Commissioner of Planning said that rent on a 1 Bedroom apartment in the Cappelli City Center Garage building would be $1,450 a month, and on a 2-Bedroom, $1,650. The Corporation Counsel said the amount of the electric heat credit would be placed in the lease. The Cappelli matter will also be taken up again Thursday at 5 PM.

The Usual Outcry

WPCNR has also learned that the Common Council protests that they have not known enough about the Bank Street project to date, may simply be from lack of effort of the Common Council to find out about what was going on and adequately follow up on the endeavor to develop the lot which they approved of doing one year ago, according to Paul Wood, City Executive Officer.

Shopped to 10 Potential Developers

The prospect of selling the Bank Street Commuter Parking lot was discussed with the Common Council during the budget review one year ago, according to Paul Wood, City Executive Officer. He did not provide details, but said the lot was shopped to 10 potential developers.

Mr. Wood provided Requests for Qualifications (at WPCNR request) from qualified companies to develop the parcel which he said were sent out in June 2006 to Reckson Associates Realty Corporation, M Squared Development/TDC Development, Cooper Carry Architects, LCOR Incorporated, Robert Martin Company, Cappelli Enterprises, Delmhorst and Sheehan, Inc., Archstone Operating Trust; and Summit Development LLC and Greenfield Partners and Laz Parking.  Requests for Qualifications were also sent to DelBello, Donnellan, Weingarten, Tartaglia, Wise & Wiederkehr, Leader Associates, Inc., Cuddy & Feder, Paragon Honda, KSQ Architects and Guy D,Antona.

Wood provided documents showing that Reckson “proposed office use, subsequently withdrew,” M Squared Development and TDC Development proposed 391 units of housing, and 4,874 square feet of retail; LCOR submitted its 536-unit proposal on target for approval on tonight’s agenda; Archstone Smith Operating Trust offered 430-440 Units and 14,000 square feet of retail;  Summit Development suggested 450,000 square feet of office/residential with no conceptual plan, and Laz Parking wanted to acquire the site for parking, with development issues to be discussed “later.”

It would appear some council members need only have done routine follow up calls to ascertain the direction LCOR was taking.

Previously, the city had not revealed the number of firms to which  they had shopped the land.

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 WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Gail Epstein, Mamaroneck Avenue School. May 14, 2007: Beginning this morning at Mamaroneck Avenue School, to kick off Wellness Month at MAS, a new improved healthy lunch menu will be in effect. On Friday, May 18,MAS will produce its annual Health Fair; on May 22, the final PTA meeting will feature a program on how foods effect learning and behavior, wrapping up May 29 with a program on designing a healthy lifestyle concluding with a school musical on May 31, A Better Me, a Better You.

As many children start the day without a healthy breakfast and eat unhealthy snacks throughout the day, the focus on health and wellness is a priority throughout the year at Mamaroneck Avenue School. 

Because research shows that when children eat well and exercise, they perform better in school, Mamaroneck Avenue School stresses a healthy diet and physical fitness in a variety of ways.  The school has devoted the month of May to this effort.  Events will feature the following;

• Walking Club.  Over 230 students in grades 2 through 5, as well as many staff members, are taking part in the recess Walking Club, held daily throughout the month.  Four laps around the perimeter of the school field is one mile and students earn recognition for participation as well as tiny “feet charms” on a chain for every mile they walk.


• MAS Marathon.  In grades 3, 4, and 5 students are participating in an incremental mini- MAS marathon.  They have a fitness log that they fill in each day using the Walking Club miles or walking at home with their parents. Their goal is to complete 26.2 miles by the end of May.  At the end of the month we will have a “last mile run” at school with all three grades together.


• Revised Lunch Menu.  During the week of May 14, we have revised our lunch menu to only offer the healthiest of food choices, including whole wheat pizza and healthy snacks.


• Annual Health Fair.  Our fifth health fair will take place on May 18.  Our 612 students in grades K through 5 will move from classroom to classroom throughout the day to hear thirty-minute presentations on various matters affecting health.  The students will learn from physicians, nurses, yoga instructors, nutritionists, fitness specialists, a dentist, and other professionals on topics ranging from personal hygiene to bicycle safety to first aid to smart eating choices. 


• PTA Meeting.  On May 22 at 7:30 pm the final PTA meeting will highlight the District Wellness Policy and feature a video presentation entitled Impact of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and Behavior.


• Parent Wellness Night.  A Parent Wellness Night on May 29 at 7:00 pm will engage parents in a workshop about how to make healthy lifestyle choices for the family.  It will include recipes and menu development for meals and healthy snack choices for children.  The workshop will also focus on the importance of being role models for their children by participating themselves in some kind of daily fitness and by encouraging children to exercise at least 60 minutes daily.   We will also share information about recreational activities offered in White Plains.  All those who attend will receive one free week pass to the New York Sports Club, coupons to health stores, and bags of healthy snacks.


• Musical Program.  May will end with a musical program on May 31, called, “A Better Me, A Better You” performed by ten of our classes.

Other Wellness initiatives at MAS during the course of the year include:

• A once-a-month health and fitness program.


• Staff workshop on incorporating health and fitness into the curriculum. 


• “Wellness Wednesdays” with a Salad Bar featured in the cafeteria and a health-related “question of the day.”