David Marash, CBS Veteran, WPHS Grad,Anchor for Al Jazeera-English News Network

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WPCNR PRESS ROOM.  November 16, 2006: David Marash, former WCBS-TV correspondent, journalist and White Plains High School graduate debuted last night as the Evening News Anchor and Washington, D.C. Correspondent  for Al Jazeera-English. Mr. Marash may be seen this evening as he was last night, when he anchored the first day of Al Jazeera-English on its first 6 o’clock worldwide telecast in the launch of the English language version of  its world news network, based in Qatar.


 



White Plains High Guy Makes Good.  David Marash, member of the White Plains High School Hall of Fame, former Nightline Correspondent, CBS Newsman, WCBS-TV Anchor and broadcast journalist debuted the evening 6 o’clock newscast  with his Co-Anchor Ghida Fahkry on the debut of the Al Jazeera-English News Network Wednesday evening. Photo Capture from USA Today website.



Marash, according to a spokesperson for Al Jazeera speaking to WPCNR from the network’s U.S. based public relations firm, Brown, Lloyd James,  anchors the 6 o’clock EST news with his co-anchor Ghida Fahkry. “He does many hits during the day, as well,” The spokesperson said with Mr. Marash doing cut-ins and reports during the day for the network. “There is a news hit from Washington D.C. offices during the day at 2 o’clock as well as the 6 o’clock news hour.”


 


Certainly more American correspondents will be hired in the future the spokesperson  said. Al Jazeera–English , she said is an international news network with four broadcast newscenters worldwide, Washington D.C. being one of them, the others in London, Kuala Lumpur, and the headquarters in Doha, Qatar, in addition to that she said there are a couple of dozen bureaus (around the world).


 


Asked how much editorial control Mr. Marash exercises over the content of the newscast, the spokesman said, “He’s certainly heavily involved in the editorial control (content).”


 


Mr. Marash may be seen this evening on the streaming version of Al Jazeera-English on the website http://www.aljazeera.net/english





 

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School District Invites Members to Serve on Annual Budget Committee

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. November 16, 2006:  The White Plains Board of Education has announced the formation of its Annual Budget  Committee (ABC) for the 11th consecutive year, as it begins the formal process of preparing the 2007-08 school budget.  The ABC is an advisory group which provides input, feedback and suggestions to the District.  President Michelle Trataros said, “The Board is pleased and proud that the budget has had the support of the community and believes that the ABC has contributed greatly to that success, through its input and assistance.”  The first formal meetings of the Committee will be held on February 7, February 14 and March 7.


Members of the White Plains community interested in serving on the committee may contact the District Clerk, at 422-2071. The Committee is comprised of representatives of more than a dozen civic and community organizations and other interested individuals. Meetings take place at Education House, 5 Homeside Lane, at 7:30 P.M., and will include an overview of the budget as well as discussions of key issues and  recommendations.  In addition, members will be invited to attend preliminary planning and informational sessions on the budget in January.


 

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Ron Jackson, The Last Activist Is Dead.

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WPCNR MILESTONES. November 16, 2006: Ron Jackson — advocate for the underprivileged — host of Winbrook Like It Is — former member of the White Plains Housing Authority and always in the forefront on issues that matter died today in White Plains as a result of a smoking accident



Ron Jackson, “The Last Activist,”  right, as he appeared on White Plains Week in 2004 before health problems beset him. He is seen as most people will remember him — advocating and speaking out on the issues. Mr. Jackson arranged for the naming of Ferris Avenue after his friend Bump Robinson. He advocated for the Slater Center. He was responsible in part for lobbying for a more intelligent construction of the White Plains Housing Authority Headquarters at Winbrook. He was always vigilant and fearless.  Photo, WPCNR News Archives.


 


. White Plains Police reported Mr. Jackson’s death early this morning as a result of an accident. Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson told WPCNR, “Public Safety personnel responded to the Apartment of Ron Jackson at 13-15 Harmon Street at 6:36 this morning. Apparently he suffered injuries when a lit cigarette and his Oxygen supply caused a flash over.


There was no active fire however Mr. Jackson went into cardiac arrest. He was transported by ambulance to White Plains hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Unfortunately, his ailing health and the injuries this morning were too much for him.


It really didn’t cause more than an instant flare-up. There was no fire to extinguish. No damage to the apt.


It is a significant and tragic loss to the City of White Plains. The City of White Plains Department of Public Safety expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Jackson.”


 

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Strategic Planning Schedule announced for School District

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. November 16, 2006: Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors reported Monday evening at the Board of Education meeting  that Stephen Barone of Transformation Systems, Ltd., who has been selected to aid the district in strategically planning its future has begun his fact-finding efforts in the community.


 


Having already met with key coordinators and personnel in the District Administration, to as Superintendent Connors put it, get a perspective on the issues facing the district.  Barone’s next step will be the observation of meetings around the district on November 20 to develop a “diagnosis” of district issues.



 


 


On January 8, Barone will provide an “Overview” of the Strategic Planning Process for the staff and the community in a public meeting of the Board of Education. This will consist of two sessions – late afternoon for the faculty and staff and an evening session for citizens of White Plains and the Board of Education.


 


 


The key time for community input into the plan will be during events Barone calls the “World Café Sessions,” expected to be staged in mid-January.  The World Café Session (there may be more than one), is described as 3 hours in length in which school district staff and community members interact with one another “regarding the future of education in White Plains.” The impressions gathered from this interactive “town meeting” will provide input for the “Core Planning Team.”


 


The composition of persons making up the Core Planning Team have not been announced.


 


Barone will next conduct a workshop for Internal Coordinators December 6 and January 8 on how to manage the planning process. On December 8 and January 9 he will hold a Workshop on Trust for all district administrators and members of the School Board, if they wish to participate. This Workshop will be followed up by a another two-day Workshop on “Designing and Facilitating Powerful Conversations and Meetings on February 15 and march 1 for all district administrators.


 


An “Initial Planning Meeting” will take place February 7 to 9 by the “Core Planning Team” which will draft the strategic plan. This will be a private meeting held “offsite.”


 

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5 for 5! 5 Frozen Ropes, Hudson River Panther Rippers Blast way to Scholarships

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny. November 15, 2006: On Letter of Intent Day across the nation, five area fastpitch softball stars from the Northeast officially signed their Letters of Intent to accept fastpitch softball scholarships at five different college programs – including three Division I NCAA schools in a ceremony at Frozen Ropes last night  The “Money Hitters” say they owe their college success to the 18-and-under Hudson River Panthers Travel Softball Team and local White Plains Frozen Ropes Hitting Guru, Rob Crews for turning dreams into dollars.


 



 


Money Hitters: Left Foul Line to Right Foul line: White Plains High Tiger Dena Frederick (Concordia, Bronxville), Murray Bergtraum High’s Brijette Martin (Stony Brook University), Pitching/Hitting leaders from New Rochelle High, the elite windmilker, Jillian Schonberg(Villanova), and Erica Koehler (Central Connecticut State) and Poughkeepsie’s Taryn LaColla (University of Albany) – good enough to dream and achieve that dream. The Sluggerettes signed their Letters of Intent at their “hitting institute,” Frozen Ropes in White Plains last night. Photo by WPCNR Sports




The growing expertise of fastpitch softball in the northeast was in evidence last night at Frozen Ropes. Five young women signed Letters of Intent for big time college softball scholarships showing that California and the South are not the only the only places where great fastpitch softball players are made. Each of the young women credited the work ethic of training intensely with the right coaches and playing the best competition at the 18-and-under softball level as the keys to their hitting their way into a softball scholarships.




 


Dena Frederick,  senior at White Plains High School who plays for Ted O’Donnell’s White Plains Tigers, and her father, Ray Frederick, Coach of the Hudson River Panthers (founded by Mr. Frederick in 2004) sign Dena’s Letter of Intent  with Dena’s Mom to play for Concordia at “The Ropes” last night. Photo, WPCNR Sports.


 


Dena said she chose Concordia, because. “I know someone who goes there, who always spoke highly of the coach and of the school. So I went there and checked it out. When I talk to the coach, the coach makes me feel so comfortable. Juliana Labella always spoke highly of it.” She liked it and says the coach is looking at her for possibly second base – and Dena is hoping to get in the line up by her sophomore year. She believes at this time she’ll major in education, but is not sure.  She had this to say about the Travel ball experience: “I love it. It was fun. I did it for six years traveling around the East Coast, and I would never take it back. It was so much fun.”


 


WPCNR asked about the advantages of playing at the 18-Under “Showcase Tournaments,” and Dena described the pressure: “The showcase is really nice, because you have to play 110%. If you don’t play as hard as you can, you just get overlooked and then you’re not going to college and that’s what everyone wants to do. I think it’s more difficult because fastpitch is a big team sport, you have to rely on your team members but you still have to do what you have to do. There’s no one to back you up if you mess up on hitting. No one else can get the ball for you then. There’s more pressure on you because eight other players are relying on you.”



 


I think he did a real good job. He’s got six kids going to college on his team so he must be doing something right.”


 


Asked how it is playing for your father, Ms. Frederick noted, “There’s a lot more pressure. I mean you have to do everything right. Because if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the example for everything. It’ll be harder on you. It was tough for me, he usually used me as an example every time and you don’t want anyone to be like coach’s favorite because you’re the daughter. That was never the case. He never treated me like that. He did a good job.”


 


Asked about Panther success, she said, besides the good players, “We’ve all been playing together for awhile and we all get along so great so we really click.”


 


Three of the players winning scholarships, Dena Frederick, White Plains Tigers High second baser, Erica Koehler, New Rochelle’s power hitting outfielder, Poughkeepsie’s Our Lady of Lords Taryn LaColla (University of Albany)  played for the Hudson River Panthers, founded and managed by White Plains own Ray Frederick. New Rochelle’s elite windmiller, Jillian Shonberg and New York’s Brijette Martin who also train with Rob Crews of Frozen Ropes credited Mr. Crews’ hitting focus and Mr. Frederick’s coaching with building their skills, showcasing them before coaches in prestigious tournaments and  getting them noticed by the colleges they signed with. 


 



New Rochelle’s elite windmill pitcher, Jillian Schonberg with her mother, credited Rob Crews for turning Jillian’s swing around.  Jillian said that her “travel” with the Morris County Belles attracted Villanova interest. She plans to major in Communications at Villanova and getting people out.Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


Ms. Shonberg credited her Morris County Belles travel team with her being noticed by the Villanova softball coach.  She said  her Villanova Coach was attracted to her at a tournament, when  Shonberg noticed the Villanova coach radar gunning Shonberg’s  pitching for the Morris County Belles, a travel team in New Jersey. Shonberg credited Mr. Crews for streamlining her swing and making her a hitter to the point where Villanova’s coach is considering Ms. Shonberg as a hitter, not just a pitcher. (Usually pitchers on the Division I softball level do not hit.)


 



 


Taryn Lacolla of Poughkeepsie (third from left) and her parents, signing her “L of I” last night. She told WPCNR  hit her way with the Panthers to a 4 year full ride at the University of Albany and says of Coach Frederick, “Ray saved my softball career. My confidence was shot. He gave me the best summer of my life, turned my swing around. He believed in me. He brought my best game out of me and taught me to never quit.” Photo, WPCNR Sports


 



 


 


 


Brijette  Martin, in the Red Stony Brook jersey, with her mother and father. Brijette of Murray Bergtraum High in New York City, will be attending Stony Brook on a full four year softball scholarship. She played with the New Jersey Breakers 18-under Gold Team, credited Rob Crews with “taking me to that level in softball. He encouraged me to go that extra mile by building up my strength training, getting me to swing level. He’s great!”  With Ms. Martin is her high school coach, Ed Diaz of Murray Bergtraum High.  Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


 



Erica Koehler of New Ro — signing up for Central Connecticut State last night with her parents and Coach Frederick looking on. Photo, WPCNR Sports.


 


Ms Koehler said Central Connecticut State got interested in her watching her play in Panther tournaments, which she alerted the CCS coach to come and see her. Of her Panther ball experience, she said, “I made a lot of friends. It’s highly competitive.  Everybody is trying their best. It makes you a better player.”


 


 



Hudson River Panthers Founder and Head Coach: White Plains Ray “Make It Work” Frederick. Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


Mr. Frederick founded the Panthers in 2004, said of the Travel Team Experience: “The toughest thing at the travel team level is trying to make sure all the girls are feeling good before the first game, if they’ve been well-rested and there there ready to play. It’s getting the girls prepared for those first three games of the day, probably the hardest thing. Once they get past that first and second inning, everything seems to go well.”


 


Frederick talked about the commitment Erica, Dena, and Taryn had to make to play the 18-Under Gold Circuit: “The Panthers practice ten months of the year. We keep it going. We work at Frozen Ropes during the winter Tuesdays and Thursdays. We give individual hitting to the players on Sunday mornings. We rent the armory in Peekskill during the winter, from 9 to 1 we’re up there for three months. At the high school season we stop. When it stops we pick up again. We practice on Sundays in the spring to get the girls back together in the spring prior to our summer season.”


 



Ray Frederick and his Panther Scholarship girls: L to R, Dena, Taryn LaColla and Erica Koehler. Photo WPCNR Sports.


 


Eight of Frederick’s eleven players that he had are signed for college scholarships:  “I have Kristin Fiorio from Poughkeepsie, Katie Lynch from Briarcliff, Tara LaColla here, Erica Koehler, Dena, Samantha LaBella is now playing for Mercy College, Courtney Christie for Iona, I have a pitcher named Tanya Springer from Albany, signing for Mercy College also. My coaches are Mike Barone, Brian Lynch and I did have Juliana LaBella as pitching coach this last summer. That worked out well. It’s nice to have a woman in the dugout. The Panthers will be back in 07, no doubt. Now that the signings are over, I’m relaxed they’re relaxed and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking for a couple of good players a quality catcher right now.”


 


I asked Frederick the advantages of travel ball: “For the girls, it’s camaraderie. Meeting other players. Traveling the East Coast. The experience of traveling, staying in hotels like the professionals do, and they eat together, and share special times in their life. It’s a lot of commitment, learning what it takes to play as a team, and managing your time well. The cons – I don’t think there’s any bad experiences in travel ball.”


 


The Guru.


 


Rob Crews, Frozen Ropes hitting guru – swing coach for Maddy Coon (who is tearing up the PAC-10 for Stamford)  and swing mentor to Brigette, Jillian, Erica, Taryn and Dena concurred with the players and Frederick on the value of travel ball:


 


“I believe that travel ball is most necessary.  It’s definitely more competitive than high school. It puts them on a national platform most times and gets them in front of more college coaches.”


 



Rob Crews Swing Man to the Stars.


Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


I asked him about the value of instruction in turning players careers around: “When


Good genetics intersectswith proper instruction you have players able to reach their highest possible potential. It’s really a never ending process. It’s not something you play your high school season and my summer season and I sit down. It’s really year round training that gets these players geared for the next level. Every player if they’re working hard year round they’re going to be able to obtain their goals and maybe get scholarship dollars.”


I asked Crews the main weakness of hitters on the high school level: “Typical high school hitter it’s commitment and work ethic.”


 


How about mechanics? “I think mechanics are overrated. I think that strength. Girls getting stronger. Girls getting more flexible is really the key to success combined with mechanics.”


 


Why the emphasis on strength? “I think we’ve evolved to where the game has gone. More bat companies are making heavier end-loaded bats. You have to address the strength issue when you’re using 33 inch 30 ounce bats. So you have to get the kids stronger. I think safety is a factor and to properly evaluate the players. You can’t really get the real deal when they’re swinging the light Ping Bats…you can’t tell who’s a good hitter and who’s not.”


 


Where is the game going? “The game of softball is evolving into being a more offensive game. In years past, pitching was dominating. In Division I stats, there’s a lot of strikeouts. Look at Arizona, they had a .311 average but they struck out a lot. From what I see right now, with better pop on the bats, with stronger, more committed athletes, great instruction, a lot of softball people are crossing over to the baseball swing, where there is no such thing as a softball swing. Softball has taken a quantum leap.”


 


What is the hitters’ key weakness today?  “I believe it’s pitch recognition and improving their tracking skills. They’re improving how they see the ball depth perception visual acuity. We spend a lot more time on how hitters see the ball in their visual mechanics than I believe most people who train do.”


 


 

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Executive Spano Introduces 2007-2008 County Budget.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications (EDITE) November 15, 2006: County Executive Andy Spano today released his proposed 2007 budget, describing it as a fiscally sound plan that would protect public health and safety while keeping the tax levy increase below the annual rate of inflation. 


The proposal calls for a gross 2007 budget of $1,692,337,149  and an increase in the county property tax levy of 3.98 percent. The current rate of inflation is 4.1 percent.  This increase would have been less if not for a decrease in mortgage tax revenues due to the slowdown in the housing market.  





 


“We have been prudent and judicious, supporting and funding programs that have proven to be beneficial to the public and vital to their health and safety,” Spano said. “We have provided for mandated expenses while at the same time aggressively pursuing programs to root out Medicaid fraud and abuse. We will not let up on continuing to achieve greater efficiencies. While county taxes make up 15-20 percent of the total property tax, we are ever mindful of the increasing property taxes our residents pay to their schools and local governments. Our goal clearly is to provide the best services to our residents at the lowest possible expense.”


 


The budget includes no increases in fees,  permits or bus fares and no cuts in bus service.(In April of 2007 the Bee-line system will implement the Metro card system which will reduce the cost of bus transportation for many riders). It also includes a 5 percent increase in funding to all contract agencies that work with the county to provide cultural and human service programs.


The effect of Spano’s proposal will ultimately vary from community to community, due to a state


formula that address the way local governments assess property and different trends in market values.


 


SPENDING 


           


 


The gross budget appears as an increase of $152.2 million, but $103 million of that is due to accounting changes mandated by the New York State Comptroller. For the first time (in both revenue and expense lines) the budget must include that portion of the sales tax that is received by the county, but then distributed to the county’s schools, towns, villages and the cities of Rye and Peekskill. Without this mandated addition to the budget, the gross budget would have been shown as $1,589,337,149, an increase of $49.2 million, or just 3.2 percent.


Spano projects that net Social Services expenses next year will be down $7.5 million, the second year in a row there has been a decrease. The decrease comes despite the fact that it provides for 41 new positions in the Child Welfare Unit to meet the potential recommendations of the Child Welfare Workload Study.


Medicaid, the program that pays for health care for the poor, is  projected to cost taxpayers $189.8 million next year. Another state-mandated program, Children with Special Needs (Early Intervention  and Pre-K) will grow to $139.2 million in 2007, up from $130.9 million in 2006. About half of these costs are reimbursed by the federal and state governments.


Other expenditures include an increase of 20 percent in the costs of getting electric power from the New York Power Authority and a 12 percent increase in water costs from New York City’s water system; and $5.1 million for the implementation of  the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the state-mandated centralization of the elections process. In addition, the county anticipates that the costs of court-ordered property tax refunds (known as certioraris) will increase to $10 million next year, from $6 million this year.


The 2007 proposed budget institutionalizes two important public health programs: Teen Aware to prevent teen pregnancy and Healthy Beginnings which provides pre-natal home visits to high-risk populations. In addition, the budget would continue to fund  Spano’s Health Care Disparities Initiative.


 


OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET


ü      A 5 percent increase in county payments to contract agencies, which represents the first increase in five years for these non-profit groups that provide important services and enhance the arts.


ü      Additional subsidies for day care, reducing the parent co-payment to 15 percent (which was reduced last year to 20 percent) and an additional $500,000 in day care scholarships.


ü      Continuation of the county’s ongoing effort to replace its bus fleet with fuel -efficient and hybrid vehicles. 


ü      Continuation of support for the Westchester Medical Center, amounting to $15.3 million.


ü      New positions in the departments of Public Safety, Emergency Services, Probation and the District Attorney’s Office for investigations, law enforcement, overall security and emergency preparedness.


 


REVENUES


            The county budget projects an increase of 3.5 percent in sales tax revenue from 2006, or $467.5 million. (This includes the $103 million pass through to local governments and school districts, a bookkeeping change.)


However there is a 13.8 percent decrease, or $4 million,  in mortgage tax revenues due to the slowing down of the housing market in Westchester. The tax levy increase would raise $517.9 million in revenues.     Taxpayers benefit from the continued growth in the county’s surplus from previous years. For 2007, it is up $4.3 million, to $43.6 million. (Under county fiscal practices, the audited fund balance from 2005 is used in 2007.)


The county anticipates $414.7 million in state and federal aid in 2007, no change from 2006.


 

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Nicoletti: No Dump Cleanup for Yr. Test. Then Solutions. NYDEC O.K.’d No Cleanup

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WPCNR Environmental Epitaph. By John F. Bailey. November 15, 2006: The 35-year contamination by TCEs – a documented  carcinogen – leaking from the City Dump into the Mamaroneck River will continue for at least another year according to Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti told WPCNR Tuesday evening as it has for the last  three and a half decades,  according to Nicoletti with the approval of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  


 



Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti, City of White Plains briefing the Council of Neighborhood Associations on the status of his negotiations over the dump with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo, WPCNR News.



Mr. Nicoletti told the CNA that when test well samples  documented the TCE contamination in 1986, the DEC advised the city it was not necessary to clean up the TCEs because of the difficulty in shoring up the 20 feet deep or more excavations needed to reach the TCE “pocket” 15 feet below the compost, isolated by the city.

 


Nicoletti said he was willing at the time to clean up the TCE contamination in 1986-87, but that  “The state, at the time, said it was not worth the risk of opening that up.” There are no documents so far encountered in the DEC paper trail on this 30 year contamination that support that statement. A call has been made to the DEC press office to confirm this was the DEC directive at the time.


 


The Dump Update.


 


Nicoletti described the city dump situation with the Department of Environmental Conservation to the CNA. He told WPCNR that 20 new Test Wells have been drilled in the city dump at the request of the DEC to measure the current levels of TCEs in the dump. He advised the next step in the city efforts to continue the $100,000 plus-a-year composting operation in the dump is to test the ground water encountered in the new wells. He would forward the new levels of TCE contamination to the DEC. He and the DEC will evaluate the results.  At that time, he will advance possible solutions for cleanup to the DEC, if deemed necessary.


 


Asked if one of the solutions to the TCE leakage into the Mamaroneck River could be a filtering system, Nicoletti said possibly. The timetable the Commissioner told WPNCR would take a least a year from now to analyze what the new wells are telling him, discuss it with the DEC, and propose solutions for the remediation, if the DEC said it was needed.


 


A Limited Composting Operation Continues.


 


 Meanwhile, he told the Council of Neighborhood Associations the composting operations continues with DEC approval. It was not clear from what he told the CNA if or when the concrete pad (which he described would cover about two acres), as requested by the DEC, has been poured yet.


 


Leaving the CNA meeting, Nicoletti told WPCNR he did not expect any resolution on cleanup procedures to remediate the TCE contamination, if it is necessary at all, for at least a year.


 


This means the 36 years of leaking of TCEs from the City Dump/Compost adjacent The Greenway, into the Mamaroneck River from the dump will continue into a 37th  consecutive year, after having been identified by the DEC in the mid-70s and reconfirmed in 1986, according to DEC documents.


 


Just a Little Over Drinking Water Standards


 


Nicoletti described the seriousness of the leak saying it was “just a little over” the parts per billion standard for TCEs for drinking water that the DEC uses.


 


The Commissioner’s description “A little over” in 2006, according to the last Department of Environmental Conservation test report conducted on April 3, 2006, documents that the contamination level is 223 ppb, as opposed to the 005 ppb standard for drinking water. A contaminant level of .11 ppb was found in the West Branch of the Mamaroneck River according to the report:


 



 


 


The April, 2006 DEC Test Report Shows 180 ppb of TCEs as the level of TCE contaminent in a test well at the dump and a smaller level found in the Mamaroneck River on the site. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


 


In other comments, Mr. Nicoletti said it was unfair to complain about his DPW not clearing drains on county roads: North Street, Mamaroneck Avenue, Old Mamaroneck Road, Bryant Avenue because he does not have jurisdiction over their roads.


 


At no time did Mr. Nicoletti say he wanted to clean up the TCE or how it would be accomplished or the cost.


 

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Board Approves $1.9 Million in Refunds. Budget Mulled. $200M In 2 Yrs

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. November 14, 2006: The Board of Education approved $1,961,955 in certiorari tax refunds Monday evening, consisting of a $620,034 payback to The Winter Organization, owners of 81 Main Street, and to Sears for their 275 Main Street property in the amount of $892,751 for the tax years 1999-2003 and $449,170 for tax year 2004-2005. The amount will be paid out of the $8,000,000 certiorari bond floated October 2.


 


This is in addition to the $2,415,280 in certiorari approved for The Cameo House ($100,756), Gateway 1 Group ($662,097) and Macy’s East ($1,652,427) approved previously to be taken out of that bond. (The $1.65 Million to Macy’s is about $400,000 less than WPCNR had estimated when the city approved their certiorari agreement).


 


The School Board entertained preliminary discussion of the 2007-2008 budget, expressing the need for cost-cutting.


Les Storch, representing  Bennett Kielson Storch DeSantis,the auditors of the district presented the annual report of the City School District for the fiscal year ended June 30 and reported a $5.5 Million surplus. This surplus was due in part to a $1.6 Million unanticipated increase in collections of Utility Taxes and a $700,000 increase in interest plus the fund balance from last year. The increased income was due to higher interest rates, resulting in a fund balance of $8 Million, allowing the district an “undesignated fund balance” of $3,066,000. Storch said the district has earmarked $2.6 Million of that for future certiorari payments, or slightly less than 2% of the school district budget, the maxium percentage the school district is allowed to hold in anticipation of certiorari paybacks.


 


Budget Consternation


 


On the Board’s discussion of the 2007-2008 School Budget, Board members Terry McGuire and Donna McLaughlin supported close scrutiny of the effectiveness of school programs in deciding whether existing programs would be continued – McLaughlin suggested new programs only be initiated to “substitute” for programs not in addition.  


 


Board President Michelle Tratoros said the district should look closely at cutting administrative staff to affect savings, not teaching staff. Peter Bassano said the closeness of the capital project vote required conservative budget construction. “We need to be vigilant with this budget. We need to be very creative. I can’t imagine the District is going to submit a budget that looks like this year’s budget.” Bassano, in addition, said he feared to see the increase in the Transportation Budget.


 


Bill Pollak, another Board member demurred, saying the annual budget vote was “not as passionate. Every year, the budget passes. End of story. The bond vote does not necessarily indicate we won’t get the same positive support we get in the budget process.”


 


Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors agreed the bond vote was different from the budget vote, and said that White Plains has always supported and demanded quality education, low class size and supported the school budget.


 


Calling ABC Members.


 


Donna McLaughlin urged the Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors to bring the Annual Budget Committee into the process earlier. Connors said he would be putting together  the Committee of some 30 to 40 persons over the next month, saying he had already gotten persons calling Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk of the District, wishing to serve on the Committee.


 


Connors cautioned though, said the ABC Committee is “advisory” – that they do not decide on what the budget will be, but have the opportunity to “advise” the District on what they should do. Not decide. McLaughlin, suggested that terms on the Annual Budget Committee should be limited to three years, rather than the same persons serving year after year.


 


Connors said he would consider term limits on the ABC. He also said the committee would be formed in December and brought in when the budget is being developed in its preliminary stages in January.


 


Unions Await in Wings


 


No mention was made by any Board member on negotiations with the White Plains Teachers Association, The  Civil Service Employees Association and the Administrators and Supervisors Association.  Representatives of all three unions were at the meeting last night, but did not speak.  WPCNR asked the Superintendent of Schools about the status of the negotiations, and he said it was too early for that, that negotiations had not begun.


 


Jerry Gorski, President of the Teachers Union, in attendance last night, told WPCNR today that by law the union did not have to present their positions to the School District until February. He said the union would be surveying its members beginning in December on contract issues. Results would be tabulated and from those findings, “positions” would be developed.


 


Asked if the union would be taking into consideration the accelerated pace of district expenses (The budget is $165.8 Million in 2006-2007), Gorski said “We’re looking for a fair contract that will benefit the teachers and the school district.” Asked if the union would look at paying more of its health benefits, as they agreed to do for the first time three years ago in negotiating the present contract,  Gorski said “he was open to everything,” but could not address the giveback question until he saw what the school district was “looking for.”  He said that in the last contract that found the union agreeing that  individual members would pay $450 a year share in medical benefits and $950 for a family plan – the first time they had had to pay for health benefits.


 


Gorski appeared firm on retiree benefits, because he felt retirees were “less able”not in as good a position to absorb cuts in benefits as were presently active employed members.


 


Asked for a feel of what his union would seek in salary increases, Gorski said that in surveying other teacher organizations around the area, their increases have ranged 3.5% and up. The city awarded its police, fire, teamster, and civil service unions 4% raises three years ago through 2008.





Budget Trend Line


 


The school budget at $165.8  Million in 2006-2007 and has grown $86.4  Million from $89.4 Million in 1995-96. That is an increase of 86% in a decade when inflation has risen 26%. To finance this growth and the recent declines in city commercial assessments, the school district has increased Mr. and Mrs. White Plains school taxes 92%. From $202.91/$1,000 of assessed valuation(1995-1996) TO $449.64/$1,000 in 2006-2007.


 


In a projection issued February 27, the school district predicted it will spend $178 Million in 2007-2008.  Now let’s take this into 2008-2009. The School District Salaries, according to the Assistant Superintendent for Business office last spring will hit the $104 Million mark in 2008-2009, with fringe benefits hitting $42 Million, and the rest of the budget based on conservative 3% inflation will put the 2008-2009 budgets at $189 Million.


However the district 2008-2009 projection appears understated, because it assumed a 5% per annum increase and 6% per annum increase in transportation and utilities — both sure to escalate with the unforeseen escalation in fuel costs in recent months.


The 2008-2009 projection is a very generous budget prediction on debt service. The $189 Million 2008-2009 “Budget” lists debt service with no allowance for new certioraris in 2008-2009, and leaving out any mention of the capital improvements bond issue just passed.


The School Budget will break $200 Million in two years.

The school debt service would climb from approximately $6,000,000 in 2006-2007 to 10.6 Million in 2008-2009 if the school district floated the full $66.7 Million bond. That adds $4 Million to the $189 budget, lifting it to a minimum $193 Million in two years. This does not include any new certioraris the school district does not know about.It is not inconceivable that year-to-year expenses will bring additonal budget increases well beyond those February 2006 projections that will kite the 2008-2009 budget over $200 Million.



It is interesting to note that if that happens the budget will go from $165.8 Million this year (2006-2007) to $200 Million in two years.  

The School Budget is compounding at about $15 Million a year, so if you take that “automatic”  into play without budget cuts,  the price tag for education in White Plains should reach $180 Million in 2007-2008, and $195 Million in 2008-2009 without any increases in any expense areas.


 

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Rapid Transit Talks Coming Up Between City-State

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WPCNR Main Street News November 13, 2006: The Westchester Business Journal in an article by Alex Philippidis published today summarizes where the Tappan Zee replacement talks and rapid transit plans associated with that project stand at this time, reports  Paul Wood, the White Plains City Executive Officer as saying the city has been contacted by the state to begin discussions where either a bus or rapid rail transit stop or stops could be built within the White Plains downtown with talks scheduled to begin by December according to the state. 


Philippidis writes that the city of White Plains wants any rapid transit system — rail or bus — to link with the trolley service the city is now studying.  


Mr. Philippidis reports that Jeffrey Zupan, a consultant for the Regional Plan Association suggests White Plains needs two stops — the TransCenter at the West gateway to the city and at the Main Street-Mamaroneck Avenue intersection.








A stop at the Westchester Avenue office corridor is also envisioned in a map associated with Mr. Philippidis’s report from the Department of Transportion.


The article does not address whether the rail link would be underground or above ground — and exactly where it would be located. Other issues not raised are how any rail system is going to get to the White Plains Train Station without laying waste to a good portion of Greenburgh along Route 119– let alone reach  Mamaroneck and Main given the present state of density on either side of Main Street in White Plains. A bus transit system exists now in the county and it does not relieve enough traffic going across the county at the present time.


The following are the plans the state is considering:







+ Commuter rail (6 stops): From the bridge, trains enter a tunnel on the Westchester shore to a new Tappan Zee station north of the current tolls. Trains run underground, connect with the Hudson line just north of Lyndhurst, then resurface in Elmsford and stop just east at a new “Greenburgh” station with a park-and-ride lot. Trains follow I-287 till exit 5, where they enter another tunnel into downtown White Plains, with stops at the Metro-North station and The Westchester mall. Heading east, trains resume following I-287, stopping at Corporate Park Drive and at Purchase where another park-and-ride would be built, before ending in Port Chester at the village’s Metro-North station.



+ Light rail (15 stops): Service starts at Metro-North’s current Tarrytown station, follows the Hudson line to the Tappan Zee Bridge, then enters a tunnel into the new Tappan Zee station for a cross-platform transfer to trains bound for Manhattan. Trains stop at Meadow Way and Benedict Avenue before emerging above ground at Route 119, stopping at new Greenburgh West and Greenburgh stations. Trains follow I-287 to exit 5, then diverge to a new County Center stop into downtown White Plains, with stops at the Metro-North station, the Galleria at White Plains and The Westchester. From there trains head east into the I-287 corridor, stopping at Corporate Park Drive, two stops in Purchase and then Port Chester, where trains stop on Route 1 before ending at the Metro-North station.



+ Bus service (12 stops) would use a similar route and similar stops as light rail, but could extend past Port Chester into Stamford


 


 


 


 



 

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Greenburgh Looks at Transit Stops To Be Built as Part of Tap Zee Project.

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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. November 13, 2006: The Greenburgh Town Board is currently reviewing a proposal I included in the 2007 budget to appropriate $30,000 from the town wide budget (unincorporated Greenburgh/villages) to hire a consultant to help us represent residents of the entire Town who will be impacted by any decision the State of New York makes regarding the Tappan Zee bridge.

    In 1952 construction was begun on a bridge crossing the Hudson, connecting Tarrytown and Nyack. A new bridge will have enormous impacts on the character of the Hudson Valley and Greenburgh. The cost of the bridge could be at least $14.5 billion dollars. There could also be construction related congestion problems for our area.


    An article in the November 13, 2006 issue of the Westchester Business Journal (www.westchestercbj.com) indicated that there will be up to 15 new transit stops along the way. Elmsford/Greenburgh was listed as a possible stop. This could include bus terminals or train stations. There are a variety of options: buses, commuter trains or smaller light rail trains.
     As the Business Journal article pointed out – once an option is chosen there are other questions that must be answered. Where will commuters park their cars? How many parking spots are needed near the planned stops? How many acres of property will need to be set aside for parking areas?


    The goal of the consultant study is to identify issues that will impact the town regarding the TZ bridge options. We want to make sure that your interests are advocated before the state finalizes any decision.


 PAUL FEINER


Greenburgh Town Supervisor

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