The Engineer’s Engineer: Joseph ‘Bud’ Nicoletti

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT.  February 27, 2008: The Westchester/Putnam Chapter of the New York State Society of Engineers has named White Plains Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti as their “Engineer of the Year,” as a professional engineer who over time, “has made significant contributions to the profession.”



The Engineer’s Engineer


2008 Westchester Putnam Engineer of the Year


White Plains Commissioner of Public Works


Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti


Mr. Nicoletti was given the award last Saturday night, February 23 at Mansion Hill in Briarcliff Manor at the Society’s Annual Engineer’s Week Dinner Dance.  Mayor Joseph Delfino was on hand for the occasion. The Society’s Albany Headquarters is also considering Mr. Nicoletti for the “statewide” Engineer of the Year Award.


Alfred Freed, an engineer with Westchester County Department of Public Works for 42 years,  in announcing the award to Mayor Joseph Delfino, wrote:


“I can unequivocally say that Bud is a quintessential professional. The City’s (White Plains) infrastructure reflects this expertise, as it has kept pace and coped with the burgeoning development without breaking down or being overwhelmed. 


I received the same award in 1988. Unlike the challenges Bud now faces, back then Trump was a term in card games, nighttime bowling was a sport on downtown Mamaroneck Avenue, occasional horses roamed along our parkways, the Courthouse didn’t leak and we rarely experienced tornadoes or blizzards.


The challenges of today make his efforts even more impressive. White Plains owes him much.”


This is the second time Mr. Nicoletti has been honored in this fashion by the Society. He was named “Outstanding Engineer in Government” by the chapter in 1996.

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CO2 Action Plan Voluntary..Communities to Analyze Conditions—County to Monitor

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. February 26, 2008: Over 300 persons including county officials, environmentalists, educators and concerned citizens gathered at Manhattanville College in Purchase today to hear County Executive Andrew Spano, and Reese Berman, Chair of the County Executive’s Task Force on Global Warming introduce a Westchester Action Plan that calls for the County to reduce its “carbon footprint” by 20% by 2015 and 80% by 2050.


 



The County Executive at the podium, emphasized “We can and must do this. We cannot fail.” His plan introduces steps the County, Municipal, Business, Education and Housing sectors can take to reduce their carbon emissions to begin to address the global warming crisis.  The plan and its suggestions may be viewed at www.westchestergov.com/globalwarming.


 




The County Executive said that institutions, businesses and communities and individual residents can find specific actions  on this site, that they can take to limit collectively the county output of greenhouse gases. Executive Spano reported the county’s next step involves municipalities and towns conducting an analysis of practices in effect now in their areas to assess the extebt if their community  Carbon Dioxide impact and consider/take steps to lower it by 2% a year.



County Executive Spano told WPCNR that existing county departments would monitor municipality and town efforts to analyze their community “carbon footprints.”  Executive Spano emphasized he was not anticipating creation of any new departments or personnel added to the County to administer this task, that present county departments would undertake the monitoring and whatever comes next.  



It was not clear from today’s conference the timelines communities, businesses and institutions would be given to cutback on their carbon emissions and how the county would address the situation if communities failed to reach targets, if they fell behind or did not comply.  The timelines were said  to be included in the plan on the website (the front page of which is below, http://www.westchestergov.com/globalwarming.




Reese Berman, chair of the Task Force said additional information for households, businesses and schools will be added to the on line website and more actions by the county will be forthcoming.  She said the county is setting a goal of 2% or more reduction a year in carbon emissions to cut them by 20% by 2015.  


 



Berman showed a slide indicating the 2005 County Collective C02 Emmissions. Residential Energy accounted for 30%; Transportation 38%, Non-residential energy, 29%, Waste, 3%. Spano noted that the county recycles about 80% of its garbage accounting for the 3% waste.


This she said would put the county on target for 80% reduction in the emissions by 2050. She spent most of her talk  explaining how the carbon-emission cutback steps are presented on the website for each sector: Municipalities, County Government, Education, Business, and Housing, and how they could be utilized by the sectors to  begin the carbon emmissions reduction.


The conference broke up into individual sessions on what the five sectors of Westchester would be expected to do to reach that goal.



Housing Panel unfolds in The French Parlor at the Manhattanville Castle in Purchase.


In the Housing segment WPCNR attended from 10:45 to 11:30 AM, the task appeared daunting. WPCNR observed that the individual homeowner has a long way to go. Dani Glaser of Croton-On-Hudson, the lead panelist emphasized that “Awareness is the first step to change.”


Susan Cember of Action for Tomorrow’s Environment,  observed that  “We should not underestimate the power of one,” and pointed out that the residential sector through their energy use is the largest contributor to county Carbon emmissions (37%).  She said the individual resident first has to determine their annual output of  the number of tons of carbon emissions their household puts out into the environment each year by going to the Nature Conservancy site, www.nature.org and clicking on the “Carbon Calculator.”



The Carbon Calculator Link is at lower left corner of the Nature Conservancy homepage which links you to the Calculator below:



Ms. Cember said her family’s  personal carbon footprint was 51 tons of CO2 per year. She said the average American family of four put out 110 tons of carbon dioxide per year, and that within the county the target was for each resident unit to limit their output to 22 tons of C02 per year. The goal of course would be to reduce to zero. The Calculator shown above  asks the consumer the amount of consumption of various energy sources each family uses.


Mary Ann Gallagher of Briarcliff Manor CAC, noted the enormity of the task facing the home consumer in cutting carbon dioxide output. She said that each homeowner would have to plant 30 trees a year to offset one year’s worth of carbon dioxide emissions. (For those of you who remember eighth grade Biology, trees take in carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis, and turn it into oxygen. )


Gallagher suggested how carbon dioxide emissions could be limited by cutting lawns to 3-inch heights, leaving grass clippings on the lawn, creating a compost pile where organic garbage could break down into fertilizer to mulch plants. She suggesting sprinkling and watering only during evening hours and working with your landscaping caretaker, or if you do your own yardwork, cutting back on fertilizers and using more environmentally friendly methods to nurture your plants. Organizations and businesses that can help you with this are provided on the website explaining the plan, if not now, they soon will be, the panelists assured the audience.



Judy Martin of  Green Home Consulting.


On what the individual homeowner or apartment dweller or apartment owner or residential dweller can do, Judy Martin suggested the major effort would involve saving energy. She said the most effective measure homeowners can do immediately is install high efficiency insulation in their homes. Next, would be lighting (switching to LED or CFL bulbs) and hotwater use measures, and to target heating and air conditioning use. Air sealing and duct sealing was recommended. Recycling was encouraged. If a major home renovation was to be considered then it would make sense to examine solar energy, a new hot water heater, a new furnace and other measures.


The Global Warming Task Force was made up of 34 persons and they were assisted by over 70 volunteers with expertise in various areas. County Executive Spano, in his talk , referred to criticism the county had received for spending $100,000 to prepare the report with a business that had contributed to Mr.  Spano’s political campaign,  saying that “We did not pay them enough for the job they did. It’s not the money. The someone who has to ask that question: They don’t get it. It’s not about the money. If the effects of global warming occur, our expenses are miniscule.”


Ms. Berman said, “What we do in Westchester will have wide influence,” meaning Westchester would set an example for other counties to follow in reducing emissions.


It was unclear from the official part of the program WPCNR attended how progress would be monitored, whether the county would eventually put teeth into the program as they have with their mandatory recycling program, and how communities, businesses and residents would be monitored.


 

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Hockley Proposes SAT Academy for WP Where Students Would Be Paid to Attend

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. February 25, 2008: Councilman Glen Hockley, concerned about White Plains youths not getting all the Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation they need to be admitted to college because they have to work during the summers , is bringing community leaders from White Plains, the Town of Greenburgh and Westcester County tomorrow evening to discuss setting up an SAT Academy Summer program where teens would be paid $7 a hour to take courses in preparing for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The meeting is at 7 PM at the Thomas Slater Center, South Lexington Avenue.



Councilman Glen Hockley of White Plains with Gregorio Malena, (left) Vice Consul of the Dominican Republic Mission to the United Nations. Mr. Hockley has worked closely with Mr. Malena to ship thousands of dollars of food and relief supplies  donated by White Plains businesses to the flood-ravaged Dominican Republic


Hockley explained, “Currently, the one issue that this city, this county, this country is missing the ball on, is the future of our youth. We’re only as good as our youth as far as going forward obviously, and we must, we must stop only talking about our successes because we need to address the kids who are failing, failing themselves, failing their future. We need to help them get over the hump. Everyone doesn’t necessarily have to go to college…we need to do is to make a success out of kids so they have a future that is complimentary to who they are. Aside from that, the kids who are made for college which we need to give everybody a crack at, a lot of these young people are not doing well, especially those who are coming from low-income families. There’s a lot of stress in the household. Unfortunately, many of them are attracted by negative energy out there. We do have gangs, drugs, alcohol, and we have trouble out there after school. Some of these kids we can help. Hopefully many. Whether we have similar programs out there or not, it doesn’t matter. What you read is about affordable housing and open space. We need to have the headlines start to talk about our young people and the future. Because we won’t have one unless we start applying interest in that area.”



Hockley said that Councilwoman Sonia Brown of Greenburgh has introduced a growing program which has several dimensions to it. One is an SAT Camp that goes for two months in the summer.


“During the summer a lot of kids from low income families go out an get a summer job which is a noble thing but it takes up there time. But they need to prepare for college, for SATS and score better scores. One way to get them to be incentivized is to pay them to go to SAT Camp. I’ve talked to some families, some kids, they all seem to be excited by that. Maybe pay them in the area of $7 an hour for 20 hours of camp. They would also get college preparation training, apprenticeship opportunities and education and all the details of this kind of program tomorrow night.”


Hockley will be hosting the program at 7 for community leaders. Ms. Brown will be presenting a power point presentation on the concept. In attendance will be Frank Williams from the White Plains Youth Bureau, religious activists, organizational business people and Tracy Mitchell, the Director of African-American Affairs for Westchester County, and some young adults who have been directly involved with youth.


Hockley said he felt that private funding was available to fund the program.

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Yonkers Team Image Wins 1st National Synchro Medal

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WPCNR RINKSIDE. February 22, 2008: Team Image Synchronized Skating Team of the Yonkers Figure Skating Club, last team to skate in the 12-team Intermediate Competition at the USFS Synchronized Skating Championships in Providence, Rhode Island today, skated a 58 to secure 4th Place and the Pewter Medal in the tough Intermediate Division. It was Coach Sylvia Muccio’s first national medal in synchronized skating, and capped a splendid season for the teens from Yonkers and Murrays Rink. The 4th Place 58.20 points posted in the 4 minute skate  featured control, splendid pronounced edges, grace and power as they skated to tango themes and their finish was just 5 points away from the first team, the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Blades, Team Del Sol of San Diego and the Chicago Jazz.  It was a glorious and historic afternoon for the Team Image girls!


 



Medal Land! Team Image performing at the Synchronized Skating National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island today.



The Scores Go Up! Team Image Medals!

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Meanwhile at Camp Chill: Future USFS Champs Work on Axels, Wallys and Ducks

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WPCNR RINKSIDE. February 20, 2008: It’s vacation week for White Plains Schools and Kristen Fuerst’s Camp Chill in perfect skating weather at Ebersole Rink is goin on. Over thirty youngsters from  tots to teens are skating from 8:30 in the morning to 12:30, working on power speed classes, in jump and spin clinics, Choreography and instruction in Moves in the Field the footwork patterns and edges required at the escalating United States Figure Skating levels. The day starts with complimentary donuts and juice, then the ice is theirs — with inside exercises — and plenty of ice time with the professional Ebersole Figure Skating School Staff.



Jump Class in Session, Chillin Out at Ebersole Rink Camp Chill Wednesday morning.


 


 




As the Big Skaters handle the big jumps, the younger skating apprentices practice choreography in side the Warming House. 



Hey Mom! I landed it!  Allison Fuerst, demonstates her new Axel for Ebersole Skating School director, Kristen, her  mom. Allison landed her first clean Axel jump in Jump Class Wednesday – a great moment in a young skater’s life — that she will never forget.


The Camp Chill program complete with T-shirts and plenty of individual one-on-one instruction is much better than watching television, and the concentration on skills over an extended series of classes introduces skaters to the nuances of the sport, corrects, polishes, and moves them to “the next level.”


Chill runs every winter break at Ebersole, and has been going for at least fourteen years.


 



Skating School Director Kirsten Fuerst congratulates her daughter, Allison on landing her first Axel jump.

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Revise State Aid Formula for Cities Towns, DiNapoli Says

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the State Comptroller’s Press Office. February 20, 2008: The 50-year-old formula New York State uses to provide aid to local governments needs a complete overhaul to ensure localities are getting their fair share, according a revenue sharing report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report found that 279 small “urban” villages would receive millions in additional state aid if the revenue sharing formula took into account characteristics these villages share with small cities, such as population, rather than historical municipal labels.


The 50-year-old formula New York State uses to provide aid to local governments needs a complete overhaul to ensure localities are getting their fair share, according a revenue sharing report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report found that 279 small “urban” villages would receive millions in additional state aid if the revenue sharing formula took into account characteristics these villages share with small cities, such as population, rather than historical municipal labels.

“The terms ‘city,’ ‘town,’ and ‘village’ have more to do with history than present day governmental functions,” DiNapoli said. “The current formula for state aid ignores the reality that many villages and towns have surpassed cities in size and provide similar services. In the interest of fairness, the state’s decades-old revenue sharing formula needs to change. But increased assistance for villages and towns shouldn’t come at the expense of cities.”

NYCOM Executive Director Peter Baynes said, “This report highlights what NYCOM has been saying for years  that cities and villages are contending with many of the same fiscal challenges and therefore they all, regardless of class, deserve a predictable, equitable and adequate level of state assistance. Furthermore, our 2008 Legislative Program calls for a revenue sharing formula that not only reflects rising costs, but also considers the need demonstrated by each municipality, as well as the types and levels of services provided. We appreciate State Comptroller DiNapoli’s efforts to help bring these issues to light and, in turn, strengthen our case for increased state aid to local governments.”  

The state’s revenue sharing program was once a stable revenue source for local governments, providing them with a predictable, flexible source of unrestricted state aid. But after the state’s fiscal crisis in the early 1990’s, local aid was dramatically cut and then future increases were primarily directed to cities. By 2005, more than half of all revenue sharing funds went to cities.

There are 553 villages and 61 cities (excluding New York City) in the state. There are 279 villages that are similar in structure, demography and financial condition to 52 cities. These smaller “urban” villages provide many of the same services as cities such as police, fire, libraries, water, sewer and garbage collection. In 2006, revenue sharing constituted 9.3 percent of total revenues for downstate cities and 5.4 percent for upstate cities. Revenue sharing for these villages on the other hand made up only one percent of their total revenue.  

The report provides two scenarios of what state revenue sharing for these villages would look like if they had received more equitable aid distributions. Under one scenario, if aid had been distributed based on similar municipal characteristics rather than municipal labels they would have received $109 million in state funding in the 2007-08 fiscal year, compared to the $16.9 million they actually received. Under another model, these villages would have received $27.6 million as compared to $16.9 million had they benefited from similar increases in aid as cities over the past decade. While the report primarily focused on villages, a similar situation would apply to many urban towns.

To view the report, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/research/researchbrief.pdf

For a copy of the 2006 report examining New York’s outdated classifications of local governments, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/research/munistructures.pdf

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A 6.0 Year: Team Image, Skyliners Contend for Nation Titles in New England

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WPCNR RINKSIDE. February 20, 2008:  Team Image of Yonkers Intermediate Team, the  2-time Intermediate Champions in Syncronized Skating this year, and The Skyliners, last year’s Eastern Regional Junior Team Champions and 2nd Place in the Easterns last week will be competing with teams from coast to coast and border to border at the United States Figure Skating Synchronized Skating Championship in Providence Rhode Island beginning today. No matter how they skate, the two teams have pioneered syncrhonized skating in the Tri-State area to be competitive with New England and the “Valley of Synchro — The Middle West.”



Team Image Intermediate — the Darlings of Murray’s Rink — Winners of Two Golds in a Row! Going for a National Title this Weekend! Coach Sylvia Muccio’s team is showing their flawless block at the Dr. Porter Classic in Ann Arbor Michigan December 1 where they finished first of 12 teams in their first skate of the 07-08 season. They showed that was no fluke, finishing 1st again in the Eastern Regional Synchro Regionals in Richmond Virginia last week.





Skyliners Juniors. Skating Their Long Program at Fraser Michigan in January at the Synchro World Qualifier Competition.The Junior performance of this Long program won the Free Skate last week in Richmond, but the Lexettes held on for the Junior First Place Medal.



Synchronized skating is growing as fast as fast-pitch softball for young women across the country, despite little or no coverage by national and local media (except for the CitizeNetReporter and the Nashville Tennessean). The Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club Dr. Porter Competition in December showed this when it attracted an astounding record 163 teams (of 16 to 20 Girls each) to its traditional first synchro competition of the year in December.



Skyliners Juniors in their extremely cool Spread Eagle Wheel Finish of Proud Mary at the MidAmericas in Michigan.


Locally, Team Image of Yonkers E. J. Murray Rink, and The Skyliners sponsored by the Figure Skating Club of New York and the Windy Hill Skating Club, who skate out of Westchester Skating Academy, the Dorothy Hamill Rink in Greenwich, Playland and The Ice Hutch are providing the most team experience you can get and building the East’s reputation  in synchro as accomplished skaters who can skate together baby. Each club program has divisions by age from Preliminary up through Intermediate (Junior for Skyliners) and is always looking for a few great skaters from 6 to 19 — male or female.



Team Image Perfect Circle at Ann Arbor Porter December 2007


Team Image’s Intermediate Team coached by Sylvia Muccio, a Yonkers resident has had a dream skate this season. They have finished first twice – against 12 teams in the Dr. Porter Classic in Ann Arbor Michigan December 2, and again at the Eastern Regionals last week – two Golds in one season. Ms. Muccio’s girls many of whom have skated with her for years through many heartbreaks – are flying this season with a precise style showing their Mohawks, twizzlers and rockers and edges with enough speed and elan to achieve two first place finishes in synchro’s most competitive division. No matter what happens at the Nationals – they are to be admired and saluted!



Team Image — a Perfect Block at Porter.


The Skyliners – the tri-state Synchronized Skating team made up of skaters from Westchester, New York City, Connecticut and New Jersey will be sending three teams to compete in Junior, Novice and Juvenile Divisions. Team Image with its distinguished performances in the Intermediate Division – two First Places against the best Intermediate Synchro has to offer have set the standard for the Intermediate Division.


 



Josh Babb, Skyliner Coach warming up the Junior Team Warming Up Prior to Skating at MidAmericas in Fraser in January. You have to love the Skyliners haberdashery. And performing the same sequence on ice below in their Proud Mary Skate.



 



Skyliner Juniors in their spectacular Spread Eagle Fan in their Long Program at Frasier Michigan.



The Skyliners Junior Silver Medalists, Richmond Virginia, Eastern Regional Synchronized Skating Championship. Photo, Courtesy, The Skyliners by Lawrence H. Cooke II.


Larry Rosen, Owner of The Athlete’s Foot at The Galleria in White Plains, who is also President of the Skyliners, said the Skyliners have had a strong year in all divisions. The Junior Team, skating to Proud Mary at the Eastern Regionals last week won Second Place with their highest point total in a Short Program to date, then finished First in the Long Program, finishing second overall to the Hadyenette team, The Lexettes.  They’ve stayed in elegant hotels, performed in Bryant Park in New York City, and on the Rachel Ray television show at The Central Park rink. They’ve been through good times, not so good skates and great skates. They skate together and live for the next skate.


 



Skyliners Novice Team — Skating to Queen for a Silver at the Richmond Eastern Regional last week. Photo, Courtesy, The Skyliners By Lawrence H. Cooke II



The Skyliners Novice Team, skating to the music of Bon Jovi won Silver (second place), in the Eastern Regional scoring their highest point total of the year. Photo, Courtesey, The Skyliners, By Lawrence Cooke II



The Skyliners Juvenile Team, performing to Hanna Montana won Silver in a very close competition in what Rosen called their best performance of the year. Photo, Courtesy, The Skyliners, By Lawrence Cooke II.


Rosen said, “All three Skyliners’ qualifying lines will be looking forward to competing at Nationals. Overall the Eastern Regional Competition was a very successful competition for the Skyliners.”


The Skyliners will be having a reunion with former teammates  Nikki Wylan and  Juliana Bailey in Providence, and also when The Skyliners compete in Zagreb, Croatia in March at the Zagreb Snowflakes Competition. They have been chosen with the University of Michigan to represent USFS in that competition.


Synchronized Skating is the most team you can be on. The reason I say this is because in order to be scored at the highest levels in synchronized skating, all skaters have to be skating the same move simultaneously. Everybody has to perform perfectly, otherwise you lose credit for the entire element: circle, double line, spread eagle splice.


No team member  is less important than any other member.  Perhaps the most unsung skaters are the alternates who must be able to “skate in” and know any spot if a skater goes down. And they do. Hats are off to the cross-skaters who because they are age-eligible for two classes of teams, skate on two teams with different practices, different teammates and 4 sets of programs to know, not just 2.


Synchronized Skating teaches dedication and the elusive ability to perform the best you have ever performed under pressure before judges. You may skate your program or programs, Short or Long maybe 5 times during the synchronized skating circuit competitions. You invest hours of repetition and dedication. Synchro teaches its practioners how to live with unfairness, judging you may not agree with,  and how to accept it.


When you fall or fail to connect a line or mess a circle, you learn how to live with personal failure and overcome it.


The synchronized skater gets  satisfaction beyond understanding when you skate great and finish high and higher and higher and closer to the top each time you skate. You skate for yourself and for each other. There is no limit to where you can go in synchro, and it provides infinite preparation and confidence for the challenges to come in a young woman and young man’s life.



The Skyliner Preliminary Team — Where the love affair between you and the ice begins and will always be with you — just a lace up and a pair of blade away.

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P.R. Person Nixed. Mamaroneck Ave. School Contracts Approved.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld. (EDITED) February 19, 2008: The regular Board of Education met last week and approved contracts for the renovation of Mamaroneck Avenue School totaling $4.4 Million. The Board also heard recommendations from Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors on the implementation of the first parts of the Strategic Plan, in which Mr. Connors recommended not hiring a full-time professional public relations person for the district, one of the recommendations of the Action Committees regarding communications.



Moving Forward: Timothy Connors, Superintendent of Schools  presents Strategic Plan last week.


 



 The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors recommended implementation of recommendations of the District Action Teams in each off the five areas derived from Strategies developed by the Core Planning  Committee, as follows:


 



  • Insuring that every employee understands the vision, goals and implications of the mission and strategic objectives. This will be coordinated by Mr. Connors with Teresa Niss.
  • Implementing a systematic process to insure that all programs and projects reflect the mission  and are cost effective.  Assistant Superintendent Fred Seiler will direct this activity.
  • Achieving the goal that at least 90% of all students are reading on grade level by the end of second grade.  This will be led by Assistant Superintendent Margaret Dwyer and Board President Donna McLaughlin, who will focus on the community commitment to the importance of  reading.

In discussion of this goal, WPCNR noted that Ms. Dwyer said that 81% of White Plains Kindergarten Students leaving Kindergarten in June are performing at grade level, and that 68% of White Plains First and Second Graders as of June 2007 were performing at Grade Level.


 


Superintendent of Connors emphasized that there were no increased costs expected from this goal since programs are already in place to address this issue


.



  • Developing proficiency in the essential characteristics of effective leadership in all district admin- istrators.  Assistant Superintendent Lenora Boehlert and others will be responsible for this.
  • Instituting a process for a coordinated and integrated approach to disseminate information about the district.  Mr. Connors plans to convene a steering committee to provide direction. He recommended against hiring a full-time public relations person, because he expected such a person would cost the district at least $100,000 a year and that it would not be good public relations for the district to do this at this time.

 CAPITAL PROJECT ON MAMARONECK AVENUE SCHOOL FORGES AHEAD


 


 


     Contracts totaling about $4.4 million were awarded for the renovation and construction work at Mamaroneck Avenue School. This is the third set of bids for capital projects that has come in under budget — this one by 20%.   Bids for the new Post Road School will follow in a  few weeks and the tracks (at Highlands Parker Stadium and the High School Loucks Field)  should be completed once the warmer weather arrives.


 


            Board Member Bill Pollak commented that because the Wicks Law is still in effect, separate contractors are required, at a greater cost to the district. 


 


The contracts, Russell Davidson of Keyer Garment & Davidson, the architects overseeing the project went to contractors that KG & D has worked with on prior projects, all of whom were low bidders on the Mamaroneck Avenue School.. Construction Services, LLC was designated the General Contractor on the project for $2,459,000.


 


The HVAC contractor is Mengler Mechanical with a bid of $767,000; the Plumber is Beneway Incorporated for $169,148, and the Electrical Contractor is Talt Electric on a bid of $607,000.


 



 


 


     RECOGNITION OF INTEL SEMIFINALIST:  Timothy Selg, teacher of the High School’s Science Research Program, proudly presented Adam Lanman, (above) White Plains High School’s 14th Semifinalist in the prestigious National Intel Science Talent Search. 


 



 


Mr. Lanham’s study observing video tapes of White Plains High School Hall activity (made with permission), showed that the denseness of WPHS hall traffic did not result in bottlenecks created by students grouping to converse. He said the opposite was true, that though two students might stop to talk, groups of 2 or more did not linger long due to being pulled in opposite directions by their classroom destinations. This was contrary to preconceived perceptions. There were no comparative studies available conducted on street encounters.


 


 



 


 One of only 300 students chosen nationwide,  Adam made a presentation on his topic entitled:  “A Physical Model for the Grouping Behavior of Adolescent Pedestrians.”   The program is in its tenth anniversary year and Mr. Selg expressed appreciation to everyone who has provided support — the Board, administration, Principal Ivan Toper, Science Coordinator Margaret Doty, mentors of the students and particularly the parents. 


 


     RETIREMENTS:  The Board accepted resignations for the purpose of retirement from 12 staff


     members and Mr. Connors and Board members thanked them for their services and wished them


     well.  Retirees are:  Joan Kass, Coordinator of LOTE and ESOL, 6-12; Allyson Alfano, Teaching


     Assistant at George Washington School; Mary Jane Hoag, Teaching Assistant at New York Hos-


     pital; Joseph Thigpen, Custodian, High School; William DeFeo, English Teacher High School;


     Catherine Gruder, Reading Teacher, Middle School-Highlands; Karen Jenkins, Reading Teacher,   Middle School-Eastview; Lidia Lyman, School Counselor, High School; Elaine Norelli, Mathe matics Teacher, High School; Thomas O’Connell, Special Education Teacher, High School; Susan Rosenzweig, Speech Teacher, Middle School-Eastview & High School; and Marian Steinberg, Special Education Teacher, New York Presbyterian Hospital Program.


            Mrs. Kass was thanked for her many initiatives, the special programs she has led, and for


     establishing a strong foundation for the district in the area of languages.


 


 


     PERSONNEL:  Eva Cieloszyk was given a probationary appointment as a Latin Teacher at the


     Highlands Middle School and the High School.


            Two Teaching Assistants were awarded tenure:  Michele Bellantoni at Post Road School, and


     Henry Burford at the Middle School-Highlands.


 


     DONATIONS:  The Board accepted the following donations:  $100 from Laurie Bass and David Fine for High School Orchestra instruments and for the High School Choir trip to the Penn State University Choral Festival; $500 from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hollahan for the High School Choir Penn State trip; $2,000 from an anonymous donor for the High School Choir Penn State trip; Sample fabric books from Joyce Duffy for use by the High School Art Department; and $600 from the Hitchcock Presbyterian Church for the Manhattanville/Centro Hispano Hispanic Outreach Tutorial Program.   Mr. Connors thanked these donors for their generosity.



 


MEETINGS:                             


 


March 3:         Special Meeting, Education House 7:30 P.M. (Expected to include discussion on the 2008-2009 School Budget — is described as being a “Budget Workshop.”


                                                  


March 5:         Second Meeting with Annual Budget Committee, Education House, 7:30 P.M. to include presentation of a potentially lower Preliminary  School Budget Presentation


                                                  


March 10:       Regular Meeting, High School, 7:30 P.M.


                                                                                    Scholar-Athlete Recognition


 


     MOMENT OF SILENCE:  Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors asked for a moment of


     silence in memory of Bernice Banker, an elementary Music Teacher who had been with the district


     for 32 years prior to her retirement.  

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Local Girls Skate for their Colleges at Synchro Nationals in Little Rhodey

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WPCNR RINKSIDE. February 18, 2008: The best “teams” in the country, the synchronized skating elite are coming together from all over the country in Providence, Rhode Island this week.  Five  college teams feature skaters from Westchester County, four from White Plains’ Good Ol’ Ebersole Rink. Juliana Bailey, Amy Reinthaler and  Aly Salonger of White Plains who all learned to skate at Ebersole, Mary  Halling of Yonkers  and Nikki Wylan of Valhalla  skated with The Skyliners and Team Image, two local synchronized skating club teams with national reputations  will be competing for their collegiate synchronized skating teams at the United States Figure Skating Synchronized Skating Championship at the big time vene, the Dunkin Donuts Arena. All girls have fitted in nicely with their college synchronized skating teams.



The University of Michigan Senior Synchronized Skating Team performing and winning the Gold Medal at the MidWestern Synchronized Skating Regionals in Nashville last week.  They’re performing a rotating lift on skates their folks at medium speed! (And No pads or helmets)



Juliana Bailey Graduate of White Plains High, left and Nikki Wylan, Graduate of Valhalla High School after Michigan eased past the spirited and talented Western Michigan Broncos for the Midwest Synchronized Skating Championship and a very close and tension taut finale Free Skate. The two freshman have fit right in with a group of young and talented freshman, sophomores and juniors and steadying senior leaders as synchronized skating grows at U of M.



Irish on Ice: Amy Reinthaler, a Senior at Notre Dame has pioneered synchronized skating at the Golden Dome for the last four years. She is the last skater on the left. She choreographs the team’s routines and this year the Irish skated the best we have seen them skate over the four years.



Two for the Ice: Juliana Bailey, left with White Plains’ Amy Reinthaler, right, pioneer of Synchronized Skating at the University of Notre Dame in Nashville last week. Ms. Reinthaler was a mentor whom Ms. Bailey looked up to for leadership and guidance at Ebersole Rink when they both skated there. Once you skate together, you’re friends for life — and you get all those great college skating warmup jackets, too! 



 





Monday Ms. Bailey and Ms. Wylan of the University of Michigan flew to Providence  to take part with the University of Michigan Synchronized Skating team Senior and Collegiate teams in skates Thursday and Saturday at the U.S. Synchronized Skating National Championship. The two have joined a group of talented veteran skaters and freshman and sophomore skaters to help elevate University of Michigan Synchro to the first Collegiate medal finish  and a first place in the Midwest Regional Senior Division in Nashville Tennessee last week.



Michigan Coach, Brooke Sloan, right, shown here coaching in one of the six practices held in Nashville prior to their three performances, said  had great admiration and respect for her skaters’ abilities to balance their fearsome academic schedules with their commitment and love for synchronized skating. 


 Sloan’s two teams improved significantly in each succeeding competition this season ( the Porter in Ann Arbor, the Fraser Qualifier Outside of Detroit, and the Midwestern Regional in Nashville). The team practices five times a week two hours at a time at The Ice Cube outside Ann Arbor and Yost Arena.)


Sloan adapts a very upbeat  “expect to be the leaders and best” coaching style in her practices consistently massaging the Wolverine programs, expecting her edgers to step up and execute the subtleties demanded by today’s exquisite balance of grace, technicality and showmanship rewarded by synchro’s  International Judging System to move on up.   The Woverines have responded to Sloane’s expectations of excellence.  Sloan has coached six National Championship Teams and two Junior World Qualifying Teams. She has 19 years experience in synchronized skating coaching, including coaching on Preliminary through Juvenile Levels for Team Elan.


The team’s belief in their coach and the coach’s approach to and their ability to execute the Sloan way and the heart of the team to skate strong with poise in a big spot,  has brought the skating Wolverines to their greatest achievements in synchronized skating to date.



The College Team Skates to a 4th Place Pewter Medal in the 9-team Collegiate Competition in Nashville.


 



The Michigan College Division Team Skating to their first medal  ever in December at the Ann Arbor Dr. Porter where they finished third.


The College Team earned their first Fourth Place medal in the Collegiate Midwestern skate this year and the Michigan Senior Team captured their First Place medal in the Senior Division, where their best skate of ‘Stairway to Heaven” to Led Zeppelin, skated in competition for only the second time, nosed out the strong, stylish and athletic Western Michigan Broncos for First Place.  


 



Champs! The University of Michigan Senior Midwest Regional Champions 2008 pose for their official portrait.


 



Michigan Senior Team Elegance performing Stairway to Heaven in Nashville



The Leaders: Seniors Hillary Dauffenbach-Tabb of Green Bay, Wiconsin left, President of Michigan’s Synchronized Skating Teams and  Jennifer Cleary, Treasurer, of Ogdenagen, Michigan, who cross-skates on both Collegeiate and Senior teams celebrate the team’s first Midwest Synchronized Skating Championship. Hillary has skated with the Wolverine Synchronized Skating team for her four years at U of M, and this year is the first time the team has medaled. This year has been very meaningful to her.  


The U of M team is a Club, meaning they are not a Varsity Sport. They are run entirely by the students, led by Hillary and Jennifer  who organize the plane flights to their farflung rinks; arrange the hotels; purchase the dresses, and pay the coaches, and the team practice dresses and coveted warmup jackets. The team’s communication, run entirely by the students is infinitely better than any other travel-team organization we have experienced.


The significance of the  Michigan Senior win is their skate was equal to that of the 4th place national finalist last year,  California Gold who skated just before them. The Wolverines summoning the will, skated Stairway to Heaven elegantly outskating the Gold by less than half a point.  It was a landmark skate for the team.


The Senior Team and Collegiate Team and their other competitors in the two Divisions are stronger, skating greater, and closing the gap on the perennial leaders, The Haydenettes, Miami University, Chicago Jazz, The Colonials, and the elegant Team Braemar and California Gold. In collegiate the U of M, Michigan State (which has an immaculate, sophisticated sensational program to the James Bond Theme), Western Michigan, Wisconsin, University of Ilinois, and Indiana have raised their skating levels superbly in just a year.


 



 


White Plains Ally Salonger (center, foreground), spinning for the University of Delaware Synchronized Skating Team at the Dr. Porter Classic in Ann Arbor in December. Ally,  like Juliana Bailey and Amy Reinthaler is a former member of the White Plains Figure Skating Club at Ebersole Rink. She tried out for the University of Delaware Synchro team and has been a stalwart anchor of the synchro program there. Her team will be competing with the University of Michigan Collegiate team this week. 


 



Mary Halling, of Yonkers, another Skyliner, and Mollie Barr of last year’s Skyliners and Team Image Synchro Teams Alumna who were teammates of Ms. Bailey and Ms. Wylan,  won a slot as  Freshmen on the magnificent University of Miami Synchronized Skating Team. (Mary Halling is the first skater on the first line on the right, in the foreground.) The local synchro teams in the Tri-State Area — including the New Jersey Superettes are producing skaters who are growing the sport. Mary and the RedHawks are shown skating in the Junior Qualifier at Fraser Michigan in January.

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How to Be a Better Sports Parent

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. From John Vorperian February 18, 2008: On Monday, March 3, 2008 at 7:00 PM, the Center for Ethics in Sports at Manhattanville (CESAM) will hold a lively panel discussion with a question and answer session, “ABCs of Better Sports Parenting” in Reid Castle. Manhattanville College is located at 2900 Purchase Street, Purchase, NY and CESAM is housed as a function of the Sport Business Management program.

      CESAM’s 2ND Annual Best Practices in the Sports World event . Panelists include WFANs Rick Wolff, Host, The Sports Edge and author of numerous articles about Youth and Sports; Rod Mergardt, Manhattanville Professor and past Interscholastic Athletics Director; and Fred Cambria, 1970 Pittsburgh Pirate and youth baseball coach. CESAM director, John Vorperian said, “In the tri-state area, youth sports play an important role in our children’s lives. Parents, coaches, school administrators, and all interested persons will enjoy this free event.”

      This is a free event and open to the public. RSVP to Program Director Dave Torromeo at 914.323.5301, torromeod@mville.edu or CESAM director John Vorperian at 914.523-6951, jvorperian@yahoo.com.




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