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

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By 89th District Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. March 1, 2005: Assemblyman Bradley in the following column attacks Governor George Pataki’s budget as cutting health care severely and raising taxes. Here is his column:

Governor Pataki’s proposed budget will seriously damage our already ailing health care system and raise taxes on New Yorkers trying to save money.

Taxing New York’s struggling hospitals

      Despite the fact that New York hospitals have lost money six years in a row and more than half the state’s hospitals failed to break even, the governor has proposed a $264 million “sick tax.” Already, Westchester families have faced the closing of St. Agnes Hospital in White Plains in 2003. Most recently, New York United Hospital Medical Center in Port Chester – a 116-year-old institution – announced it too is shutting down.

       Under the governor’s recent budget proposal, funding for hospitals in our community would be cut by over $68 million in the first year and $273 million in the next five years. These cuts and taxes will jeopardize the health and well-being of our families; we cannot sit back while the governor threatens access to quality health care.

Hitting Westchester families with hidden taxes and fees

      While the governor’s proposal is promising a $200 tax rebate in 2011, it does nothing for those who have to pay more than $2.5 billion in higher taxes and fees he is once again proposing, including:

·        a sales tax on clothing – replacing the permanent clothing exemption with two, one-week exemptions per year;

·        a 40 percent increase in the state’s mortgage tax, a more than $700 increase for the average Westchester homebuyer;

·        new and increased DMV fees totaling $290 million, including hiking registration fees by 33 percent for most passenger vehicles and as much as 75 percent for certain vehicles;

·        a more than 32 percent increase in camping fees; and

·        a whopping 450 percent increase in ATV registration fees.

      The governor’s administration proposes increasing tolls on the New York State Thruway by as much as 35 percent, and increasing tolls on other highways. And, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) also intends to again increase fares and tolls, while cutting jobs and services.

      Unfortunately, the governor has also proposed a plan to privatize some public roads. The plan would allow private companies to manage and charge tolls on the roads, while receiving tax benefits through depreciation. Simply put, the management of New York’s infrastructure must remain accountable to taxpayers and not handed over to a private company with a handful of taxpayer dollars.

Attack from Washington

      To put further strain on our pocketbooks, the Bush Administration has proposed eliminating the deductibility of state and local taxes as part of its broad overhaul of the federal tax system. Westchester families already pay an extraordinary amount of property taxes and state income taxes, but the deduction of state and local taxes has been a major benefit for us. However, it has been estimated that eliminating this deduction would cause New Yorkers to pay an additional $39 billion in federal taxes.

      We need strong leadership from our governor; he needs to use his influence with Congress and the president to lobby against this costly measure. Balancing the budget, either on a state or federal level, on the backs of New York families is not a viable option. Finally, failing to invest in New York’s health care facilities and picking the pockets of families is not the way to build a better New York. I’ll continue to fight the attempt to balance the budget at the expense of our own health and well-being and will continue to oppose misguided tax policies that will be detrimental to all New Yorkers..

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. February 28, 2005: The City School District has announced that information from the city on the current state of PILOT payments that the school district can expect for 2005-06 and into the future, which was expected to be talked about at length by the City Assessor, Eyde McCarthy, this evening will be delivered to the district in writing in time for Wednesday evening’s meeting with the Annual Budget Committee.

 The Assessor, according to the Clerk to the Board of Education, Michele Schoenfeld, has no plans to address the board or the ABC Committee on PILOTS or assessments  in the near future. This evening’s meeting with the Board of Education was cancelled as of 10 o’clock this morning due to the inclimate weather expected this evening.

Schoenfeld said the information has not been delivered to the District as of midday Monday.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, FEBRUARY 26, 2005: Miami University of Ohio won the Collegiate Competition at the 2005 Synchronized Skating Championships Saturday afternoon with a spendid swing dance program, then narrowly missed sweeping the day, coming in second to the Haydenettes in the Senior Competition bringing the Synchronized Nationals to a close.

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 Festivities got under way with a skating  tribute to the Boston Red Sox, to the tune of “Let’s Get It Started,” where skaters in Red Sox T-shirts enacted a Bosox homer met with good natured groans by the Team Image section.

Staged  by host synchronized skating club, The Colonials there was a program with a message, “The Evolution of a Skater,” where various age groups of skaters from child to adult demonstrated how the discipline and dedication to skating builds character, will, toughness, tenacity, poise, and the ability to get up off the ice and skate.

 The pairs skaters – all local stars this reporter believes — wowed the audience with throw triple salchows, lifts, and acrobatics in dancing spotlights thrilling the assembled parents and Juvenile teams about to skate with possibilities.

Evolution of a Skater

 As the narrator said, after introducing the “Evolution of a Skater,” no other sport prepares a young person more for the challenges of life than figure skating.

 Opening ceremonies featured the parade of the banners of 107 synchronized skating teams from coast-to-coast from Juvenile to Adult Masters, which is really impressive what with 20 skaters on each team , you had at least 2,000 or more skaters on hand for these championships plus parents coaches and entourage. And, there were no ESPN or CNN, or  local television stations to be seen covering these championships. Another example of how women’s sports get no media respect in this country.

Juvies Finest Hour

 At 11, the competition began with the Juvenile ( 11 and Under) competition, the first three teams to skate each encountered at least one fall, it was time for Team Image to take the ice. The girls in green took the ice with confidence and skated strongly cleanly with blocks on like, their 4-spoke wheel  defined and their backward splice lunge dashing. They were the first to skate without a faux pas. All agreed their last skate of the season was their best skate of the season. Congrats are in order to Jillian Baumeister, Alexandra Berliner, Diandra Brennan, Stephanie Damascus, Nicole Dzikas, Adrienne Henderson, Sarah Johnson, River Kynoch, Emma Leary, Abby Leibowitz, Elizabeth Mayhew, Chole McFadyen, Jessica Moh, Katie O’Brien, Izra Serrantes, Ashley Snow, Lauren Snow, Jacqueline Sullivan, and Alexandria Vicente.

 Nicole  Dzikas skated though she had been sick to her stomach most of the previous night, and Adrienne Henderson skated with a broken wrist. As Adrienne told her mom, “skaters skate.”

 The Juvenile division was won by the Chicago Jazz, with the Ice Cubes of the Haydenettes Organization, second, Team Elan of Detroit third and Gems on Ice of Plymouth fourth—despite two falls. Team Image placed 9^th of 12 teams, just behind The Colonials. They were all pleased with their skate and showing since they have never been this close to The Colonials all season.

Juniors Hang In There

 The Team Image Junior Team were scheduled for their short Technical Progam the first part of  the two step Junior competition in the late evening.  The Hockettes, the world’s first synchronized skating team from Ann Arbor Michigan (founded in 1956), skated third and held the lead up until the Chicago Jazz skated last and absolutely aced their skate to take the lead going into the Long program this evening. Team Image skating  14^th, suffered a fall in one of their moving blocks that cost them that element but executed the rest of the way.

 The technical program, as it does in solo figure skating competitions kills you, with the slightest mistake and Thursday evening was no exception.

 Team Image Novice team skates Friday Afternoon, and the Junior team skates their long program Friday evening.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. FEBRUARY 23, 2005: Coach Sue Adams’ White Plains Tigers Women’s Basketball team won their first Sectional Championship in two decades Tuesday evening beating Ossining 54-47 when Elise Bronzo caught fire in the final Tiger 18-3  run in the final six minutes to take the Championship home. The Tigers finished at 21-3 and won it going away at the County Center as it should be.

Bronzo scored six points and made several key blocks to take over the game during the winning run. White Plains got balanced scoring from Liz Flooks with 13, Bronzo with 12,  Kim Adams, 8 and Danica Covington and Jenn OOsher with 7 each. Nina Johnson scored 3, and Angelei Aguirre, 3, in the historic win.