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)

RIGHT NOW ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD : COUNTY EXECUTIVE ROBERT ASTORINO ON WHAT’S AHEAD FOR 2015

Posted on December 19, 2014 by John Bailey

EXCLUSIVE!

WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE

ROBERT P. ASTORINO

IS INTERVIEWED

BY PETER KATZ AND JOHN BAILEY

WHITE PLAINS TV’S

PEOPLE TO BE HEARD

THE COUNTY’S MOST RELEVANT INTERVIEW PROGRAM IN IT’S 2ND SEASON OF THE INTERVIEWS YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS

ASTORINO

HIS POLITICAL FUTURE

THE HUD HOUSING SITUATION:HEADED FOR THE SUPREME COURT

THE TAPPAN ZEE BUS RAPID TRANSIT SITUATION

TAPPAN ZEE FUNDING URGENCY

WHY THE COUNTY BORROWED FOR PENSIONS

HOW HE KEPT TAXES WHERE THEY ARE FOR 5 YEARS

THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS HIS SAY ON

PEOPLE TO BE HEARD

“THE PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, COME TO SAY IT”

NOW ON

www.whiteplainsweek.com

WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE FRIDAY DEC. 19 SHOW IS ON THE NET NOWWWWWWWWWW!

Posted on December 19, 2014 by John Bailey

KATZ & BAILEY

HERE WE GO!

SEE THEM NOW ON

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THE DYNAMIC NEWS DUO ON

TALIBANICIDE IN PAKISTAN

WELCOME BACK, CUBA

CUOMO BLOCKS FRACKING

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE CONCRETE MAKING BARGE IN THE DAYTIME

WHITHER WHITE PLAINS’ OUR LADY OF CARMEL AND ST BERNARD’S

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SIGNS NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS SUPERSTAR FREE AGENT

THE RIDGEHILL MENACE WILL CITY HALL SEE THE DANGER IN TIME?

John Bailey The CitizeNetReporter

Jim Benerofe, The Dean of White Plains School of Journalism

Peter Katz — Noted Veteran Newscaster, former ABC Correspondent

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Bergen Record: New White Plains Superintendent-Select Leaves New Jersey Because of Christie Cap on Superintendents’ Salaries

Posted on December 18, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. December 20, 2014:

Dr. Paul R. Fried, the man named by the White Plains City School District Thursday as their choice to head the White Plains Schools beginning in July 2015 (one day after he resigned as the Montville Township Superintendency) is one of a number of School Superintendents who are leaving New Jersey because of Governor Chris Christie’s enactment of a cap on Supertintendents of Schools salaries in New Jersey enacted in 2013.

The Bergen Record reported Wednesday that New Jersey caps Superintendent of Schools salaries at $165,000 in districts ranging from 3,001 to 6,500 students. Fried, The Record observed, faced a 30% cut in pay from his present Montville salary of $237,707, (if The Record is correct), dropping him $71,312 to approximately $166,395, less than the $211,200 he started at in Montville five years ago.

Previously, Dr. Fried retired from Mamaroneck Larchmont School District post as Superintendent after a career in education in New York encompassing the Ossining school district, where he was an elementary school principal and Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education.

The Journal News reported that Fried recives a pension from New York State based on his retirement from the Mamaroneck school district in 2010 of over $200,000 which will he will continue to receive in addition to whatever contract White Plains shapes with him.

Should the White Plains City School District approve a contract in January Dr. Fried will be the second retiree the district has hired as its Superintendent. Timothy Connors was also a retired Superintendent from Danbury,Connecticut.

The Larchmont Gazette‘s Judy Silverstein reported in 2010 the year Dr. Fried retired from Mamaroneck district, that the Mamaroneck schools issued this statement,

“Under Dr.Fried’s Leadership, Mamaroneck soared to new heights. For the first time, the District has developed a system for setting measurable goals for all key area of work,including student learning, which has evolved progress to be made in the areas of curriculum consistency and development. A structure now in place creates a highly organized process for teacher goal setting, observation and evaluation, and raises expectations and support for quality teaching. Additionally the district has significantly and positively charged its relationship with the Mamaroneck Teachers Association..he has paid special interest to early learning and intervention…technology–bringing the district to the 21st centruy with updated financial, student databases and communicators systems.”

The Record, on December 17, quoted Dr. Fried from his letter of resignation, delivered Wednesday to the Montville District: ““It is with sadness that I submit this letter of resignation,” Fried wrote. “The board, staff, students and community are aware of the unfortunate reasons behind my decision. It’s about the salary cap. I really enjoy Montville Township. It’s my fifth year here, and it’s been a wonderful experience.”

The Record reported Fried is at the close of a 5 year contract with Montville that would pay him $237,707 this year. He began, The Record reported, in 2010-11 at $211,200.

Karen Cortellino, the President of the Montville Township Board of Education is quoted by The Record on Dr. Fried’s performance: “Fried has done an incredible job for our district. Our schools and our community are enriched by having known and worked with such a talented and thoughtful educator.”

The complete Record article on the reasons for Fried’s departure may be viewed at

http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2014/12/17/montville-school-superintendent-resigning-blames-salary-cap/20555761/

County Executive Gives Annual Report on Astorino Innovation: Local IDA.

Posted on December 18, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 20, 2014:

County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced Thursday that 2014 was a banner year for the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and Local Development Corporation (LDC) with financing and incentives for 20 projects whose private investment totaled more than $560 million and created or retained more than 4,600 permanent and construction jobs.

The 16 IDA projects, which included residential, retail and commercial developments, are projected to create or retain 3,826 permanent and construction jobs. The $435 million in private investment is the highest year-end total for IDA projects since the beginning of the Astorino administration. Financing and incentives totaled $98.1 million and transaction fees paid to the IDA will generate an estimated $1.3 million, which will be used to support small businesses and stimulate job creation.

“This year’s record level of IDA activity for private development projects is unprecedented,” said Astorino. “The message is Westchester is open for business and the product of that message is thousands of construction and permanent jobs and a more vibrant economy.”

Among the major projects helped by the IDA in 2014 were headquarters expansion of Acorda Therapeutics in Ardsley, Harbor Square luxury rentals in Ossining, Saw Mill Lofts rental apartments in Hastings-on-Hudson, Rivertowns Square mixed-use retail center in Dobbs Ferry, Hilton Garden Inn in Dobbs Ferry, a new condominium building on Kensington Road in Bronxville and an affordable senior housing complex in Mamaroneck. The 2014 breakdown for financing and incentives was $84.5 million in tax-exempt bonds and $13.6 million in mortgage recording and sales tax exemptions.

Since 2010, the Westchester IDA has approved projects with a combined private investment of more than $1 billion, spurred by nearly $224 million in financing and incentives.

The four Local Development Corporation (LDC) projects are projected to create and retain 800 permanent and construction jobs. The $129 million in private investment was entirely supported by the LDC through tax-exempt bond financing.

Although the LDC helps arrange financing, there is no financial risk to the county or county taxpayers, because the obligation for repaying the loans rests solely with the borrowing organizations. Transaction fees paid to the LDC on the projects will be an estimated $276,250.

Since the LDC was established in April 2013, it has approved $430 million in tax-exempt bond financing for nine nonprofit projects in Westchester, generating an estimated $840,625 in transaction fees. The projects are projected to create and retain 1,864 permanent and construction jobs.

Nonprofits that were approved to receive LDC support in 2013 and 2014 included Kendal on Hudson, Phelps Memorial Hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital, Purchase College, White Plains Hospital, Pace University, White Plains Housing Company and YWCA of White Plains and Northern Westchester. Pace University’s expansion project was the largest project to be approved by either the LDC or IDA in 2014.

Kevin J. Plunkett, Esq., Deputy County Executive and LDC vice chairman; Tom Brady, Pace University treasurer; Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino; Bill McGrath, Pace University senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Westchester campuses; Stephen J. Hunt, LDC chairman and Jim Coleman, LDC executive director. Pace University’s expansion project was the largest project ($101 million in tax-exempt bond financing) to be approved by either the LDC or IDA in 2014 and was passed in just 28 days.

“By providing highly responsive and friendly customer service, the IDA and LDC have gained the confidence of the business and nonprofit communities as a valuable resource for financing and incentives,” said Jim Coleman, executive director of the Westchester IDA/LDC. “In the case of Pace University, the LDC was able to issue $101 million in tax-exempt bond financing for its Pleasantville campus modernization project in just 28 days.”