THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

District Attorney’s Crimestoppers Notebook: The Grandparent Scam

Posted on March 30, 2015 by John Bailey

Janet DiFiore

WPCNR COMMUNITY ALERT. From Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore, March 30, 2015:

Editor’s Note: This month, District Attorney Janet DiFiore begins a column to alert county residents of typical scams they should be aware are being tried on residents With families going on spring break vacations, her first column is particularly timely. We appreciate the District Attorney for beginning a practice WPCNR has long advocated law enforcement organizations practice: preemptive information.

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore wants to let the public know about trends in crime and criminal behavior that can have an impact on the safety and well being of the citizens of WestchesterCounty. This is the first in a series of “Community Alerts” which will identify and explain those topics, giving the public information it needs to avoid being a victim of a crime or of inappropriate behavior.

There is nothing like the love and affection grandparents have for their grandchildren. And it is that emotional connection which is being exploited by scammers who are stealing thousands from unsuspecting victims. Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore wants to alert the public to the “Grandparent Scam”.

The scammers begin by checking out social media pages of potential victims; checking on names, relationships and phone numbers. The scam itself, works like this. A grandparent gets a frantic call in the middle of the night from someone posing as their grandchild saying they’re in trouble. They might say they’ve been arrested or have been in a car accident and they need their grandparent to wire them money right away. The “fake” grandchild will often plead, “Please don’t tell my parents”. If the caller doesn’t sound like their grandchild, they explain it away be saying “I have a cold” or “My nose was broken in the car accident.”

The call comes in the middle of the night to cause confusion and dread. Good news is usually not delivered at those hours and victims are often panicked or distressed upon learning a loved one is in danger or in trouble. They often don’t ask more questions. They hesitate to call other family members because they’re protecting their grandchild.

The grandparent is told to wire 1,000 or more dollars to somewhere out of state or out of the country. Once that happens it’s like handing over a bag of cash. It’s gone. The victim is often too embarrassed to report it.

You should report it to your local police department or the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Here are some tips to avoid being a victim of the “Grandparent Scam”:

Your antenna should go up anytime someone calls out of the blue asking you to wire them money.

Immediately call family and friends to verify whether there is a true emergency before you wire any money.

Create a code or “password” that only family members know and which should be uttered in the event of a true emergency.

Avoid putting personal information, like vacation or other travel plans on social media sites.

“Grandparent Scam” calls often come during school breaks and during the summer. Times when a grandparent would believe a grandchild might be traveling.

Imposter scams like the “Grandparent Scam” are increasing at an alarming rate. But now that you know about it, forewarned is forearmed.

Governor and Senate, Assembly Majority Leaders Announcxe Agreement on New York Budget

Posted on March 30, 2015 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 30, 2015:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Sunday announced an agreement on the 2015-16 State Budget.

The Budget agreement includes landmark education reforms and investment, an ethics package with the nation’s strongest disclosure laws for legislators with outside income, and new investments in rebuilding and growing the state’s economy, including $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and $500 million to make New York the first in the nation to have statewide broadband.

The Budget agreement holds spending growth below two percent for the fifth consecutive year, continuing a record of fiscal discipline that has reversed decades of state budgets where spending grew at a higher rate than inflation or personal income growth.

Governor Cuomo said: “With this agreement, we address intractable problems that have vexed our state for generations. After decades of leading the nation in education spending but lagging in results, New York will set an example for all other states with a complete overhaul of the entrenched education bureaucracy. These reforms – accompanied by an unprecedented financial investment – will put students first by bringing accountability to the classroom, recruiting and rewarding our best teachers, further reducing over-testing, and finally confronting our chronically failing schools.

“I said I would not sign a Budget without real ethics reform, and this Budget does just that, putting in place the nation’s strongest and most comprehensive rules for disclosure of outside income by public officials, reforming the long-abused per diem system, revoking public pensions for those who abuse the public’s trust, defining and eliminating personal use of campaign funds, and increasing transparency of independent expenditures.

“This is a Budget that all New Yorkers can be proud of.

“I commend Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Skelos, and their colleagues in the Legislature for their hard work and leadership in reaching this agreement.”

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said: “I am pleased that we have arrived at a responsible Budget agreement that lives within the 2 percent spending cap, rejects tax increases and meets the needs of every region of this state – reflecting the priorities of our Senate Republican conference. Thanks to a dramatic reduction in the Gap Elimination Adjustment along with an overall school aid increase of approximately $1.4 billion, students will continue to have the resources they need to learn and thrive. The Budget also includes a blueprint for significant new reforms designed to improve performance in the classroom, reduce over-testing and promote excellence in teaching. In addition, we make sound investments in our infrastructure to create new jobs and encourage the private sector to build and grow. Working together, the Legislature and Governor have also significantly tightened up the state’s ethics and disclosure laws to improve transparency and restore the public’s trust. I thank the Governor, Speaker Heastie, Senator Klein and all of the members of the Senate and Assembly for their hard work and contributions to this year’s enacted Budget, which we expect to pass on time before April 1.”

Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said: “Throughout this Budget process, the Assembly Majority pledged to stand strong for New York’s families. This financial plan provides historic increases in education funding for our children, funds our Higher Education Road to Success initiative, provides safe and affordable housing for a growing number of New Yorkers who are on the brink of homelessness, and grows our economy. I am particularly proud that this agreement builds upon our core values to strengthen our families, uplift our communities, and restore faith in our government. I thank Governor Cuomo and our colleagues in the Senate for their hard work in crafting a Budget that will help move New York forward.”

Spending
The Budget agreement includes spending in the following categories:· Total State Operating Funds: $94.25 billion; 2.0% growth
· School Aid: $23.5 billion; 6.1% growth
· Medicaid: $17.741 billion; 4.6% growth
· Funds from financial settlements: $5.4 billion, including $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and $500 million to make New York the first in the nation to have statewide broadband.
Full details and language to be released Monday.

Snow, What Snow? It’s Palm Sunday, and the Daffs Are Right on Schedule

Posted on March 28, 2015 by John Bailey

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY: The Daffodils like the Tappan Zee Bridge and the New York State Legislature are right on schedule, poking up at Palm Sunday (tomorrow) despite 35 degrees and snow flurries; There’s yellow tips out there!

Flash the News Frog Interviews first of the dogged Daffodils to poike their yellow tips through — getting ready for Easter Sunday. A spokesdil told Flash the public should hang on Spring, they guarantee is coming!

Frank Asprea–A Model Employee–Sets the Standard for Hard Work. And it’s Harder for Him.

Posted on March 28, 2015 by John Bailey

MR. RECEPTION: Frank Asprea of United Cerebral Palsy at the front desk.

WPCNR PEOPLE TO BE PROMOTED. From Cerebral Palsy of Westchester. March 28, 2015:

United Cerebral Palsy’s Frank Asprea speaks volumes to the gifts that those withdevelopmental disabilities possess. Leading the way with an attitude of gratitude, Frank has not only held consistent employment in the community throughout his career but he has brought an awareness to individuals that the only disability in life is a “bad attitude”

.Frank began working at Cerebral Palsy of Westchester in March 2001 in which he worked as a cashier at the Company store for seven years. One year later, in 2002, he was offered a part-time position at Kohl’s in Port Chester again working as a cashier for the Company. As Frank’s skills progressed he continued to push himself and left Kohl’s as a cashier and was hired into the Human Resource Department at Target in Mt. Vernon, NY in which he was responsible for putting together new hire packets for employees, prescreening potential applicants, ordering supplies for the department, working on computers and photocopying bills.

To say Frank has a heart of gold is an understatement. After years of work
experience in the field of hospitality and human resources he applied for a
full-time position at Cerebral Palsy of Westchester as the Agency Receptionist.
In August 2011 Frank was hired by the Agency and continues to do an
excellent job to this day. Frank says: “I’ve always wanted to be an inspiration
to others. Showing all people that when you put your mind to something you
can do it.”

He then added: “As far as I’m concerned you can never judge a
book by its cover. What you see on the outside is not always what you get on
the inside.”
Due to Frank’s hard work and dedication he was voted employee of the
month in February 2011 and accepted the award for employee of the year in
October 2011! Frank Asprea is an exceptional employee who brings awareness
every single day to the life and accomplishments of those with developmental disabilities