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)

Former Rye Golf Club Manager Pleas Guilty to Grand Larceny Third Degree, stealing $271,120, Falsifying Records in First Degree

Posted on November 6, 2014 by John Bailey

Scott Yandrasevich

WPCNR COURTSIDE. From the Office of the Westchester District Attorney. November 7, 2014:

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Scott Yandrasevich (DOB 2/25/1964) of 11 Abbey Lane, Danbury, Connecticut, pled guilty today to:

one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony,
two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, class “E” Felonies.

Between April 10th, 2007 and August 20, 2012, the defendant, who was the General Manager of the Rye Golf Club, located at 330 Boston Post Road, in Rye, New York, stole approximately $271,120 from the Club and the City of Rye by knowingly submitting false invoices to the City of Rye for fictitious employees over this approximate four and a half year period.

The club is a RyeCity owned non-equity membership club.

The defendant accomplished this larceny by setting up and effectively controlling a staffing company called RM Staffing for the purposes of billing the City of Rye for services provided to the Club.

The defendant submitted false bi-weekly invoices on RM Staffing stationary listing individual(s) who were falsely described as working in “Administration,” “Restaurant” and/or “Operations” at the Club, when in fact no such person(s) worked for the Club.

In total, these fraudulent invoices were submitted during a span of over one hundred pay periods and the City of Rye paid out approximately $271,120 to RM Staffing for these fictional services.

After RM Staffing received these stolen monies, said stolen monies were ultimately transferred back to the defendant, who used said funds for his own personal use.

The Westchester County District Attorneys Office was assisted in this investigation by the City of Rye government officials as well as the Rye City Police Department.

The Rye Police Department became aware of financial irregularities, hired outside counsel who further investigated and forwarded those findings to the District Attorneys office.

Sentencing will be on April 9th, 2015.

The amount of upfront restitution will impact the sentence.

He faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Conway, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.

New Teachers Contract Up for Approval Monday Keeps Step Increases; Increases Salaries 1% and 1/2% (on top of Step Increases) in 2015-16 and 2016-17

Posted on November 5, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. November 6, 2014:

Labor peace between the White Plains City School District and its teachers without a contract for two years and four months has been achieved.

Interim Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR, he could not talk about the contract until the Board of Education approved it, but said he was happy with the agreement and that both the Board of Education and the White Plains Teachers worked very hard to settle their differences that as he put it, ” we appreciate and respect our teachers and this agreement enables the district to move forward.”

The sides put aside the acrimony of 3 rejected contract offers the last two years. The sticking point was the school district insistence on attempting to curtail step increases in earlier offers.

The district now (if the Board of Education votes to approve the contract) has established labor peace for three years of any new Superintendent of Schools they hire to replace the architect of the agreement, Timothy Connors who has apparently talked the sides into the necessity of coming to an agreement

The White Plains Teachers are happy with the contract, they voted in favor of the five year contract by a 3 to 1 margin, 398 to 75 via secret ballot Wednesday afternoon, according to the President of the White Plains Teachers union, Kelly Broderick. Is she happy? WPCNR asked?

“I am,” she said shortly after the Wednesday afternoon vote. “I am as happy as can be because the agreement gives a little bit everyone. There is no retroactive salary increase for the last two years (Editor’s note: Eligible teachers received step increases under the Taylor Law the last two years).

Broderick said the contract and runs through 2017. Step increases are preserved, and there is no salary increase this school year (2014-15).

Teachers who have reached step 20,and have not received a salary increase the last two, years as a result of their longevity will receive a $750 increase July 1, 2015. Making up for their lack of any raise the last two years.

The new contract according to the Memorandum of Agreement, calls for a 1% raise across the entire step range in 2015-16 and a $600 Raise will be added to Teachers past Step 20.

In the final year of the contract in 2016-17, teachers across all Step Levels receive a 1/2% raise and teachers past the Step 20 level receive an additional $600.

The School district, the Memorandum of Agreement notes has also gotten the teachers union to agree to one health plan provider for all teachers the Southern Westchester Schools Consortium Health Plan which saves (through coopegfrative bargaining) saving the district $2,574.24 on a Single Person Health Plan; $5,431.80 on a Two-Person Health Plan, and $5,889.84 for a Family Plan over Oxford and HIP plans.

Teachers currently pay 10-1/2 % of their Health Care. In January 2015 of this year’s new proposed contract, they will pay 11.5%; On July 1, 2015 their share of premium will go to 12.5%, and in the last year of the contract, beginning July 1, 2016 their share of health care premium will go to 13%.

Readers should be aware that the salary increases scheduled for years 4 and 5 will increase salaries by 1-1/2% added on to the present step pay increases.

For example if you as a teacher have moved into another year of service and added to your education, you get that step increase plus more money. A teacher scheduled for an automatic 2% step increase as they moved up in degree and longevity actually get a 3% increase in salary not a 1%. The School District refers to a salary increase as a 1% raise when it is actually increasing salaries about 2 to 3-1/2% depending on the Step level a teacher is moving up to each year they stay in the district.

Board of Elections Completed Unofficial Result Counts Confirm Lowey, Latimer, Stewart-Cousins, Hunt-Robinson the Winners.

Posted on November 5, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2014. November 5, 2014:

With 100% of Tuesday ballots counted, last night trends held up, returning Nita Lowey to Congress with a 59% to 41% margin over her challenger, Chris Day in the 17th Congressional District.

Andrea Stewart Cousins defeated Robert Foti to win reelection to White Plains 35th New York State Senate district, by a 2 to 1 margin of votes, 39,466 to 14,526, though Foti did not actively campaign.

George Latimer held on to his lead late election night over Joe Dillon, finishing with 36,619 votes to Mr. Dillon’s 33,488, the Latimer margin declining to 52% to48%.

Joe Dillon of Yonkers has conceded the close race for New York State Senate’s 37th District. He called to congratulate Senator George Latimer for a spirited campaign, and lauded Latimer’s joining him in an extensive number of debate appearances, which Dillon said was “a testament to the regard we both share for the people of this district and it was healthy for the election process.”

Said Dillon:

“I have spoken to George Latimer and wished him all the best going forward. My family joins me in expressing my deep gratitude for the support of all those who embraced our campaign. Our everlasting friendship and appreciation goes well beyond this election.”

“In three short months we rose from obscurity to come within four points of unseating a deeply entrenched incumbent, and we did it focusing strictly on the issues of most concern to our community. We held our campaign to the highest standard because that’s what voters deserve, and I am very proud about that.”

“I hope that George will consider the support echoed by the people for term limits, tax relief, ethics reform and an overhaul of school funding. While Mr. Latimer has won, the people have made it clear that they want change, and their voices deserve to be heard; no matter their station, and regardless of party.”

With all Election Districts reporting, the unofficial Board of Elections count confirmed Democratic City Committee vote totals, reported by WPCNR early Wednesday morning on the Common Council Special Election.

Ms. Nadine Hunt-Robinson finished by sweeping 39 of 46 Election Districts, defeating Terence Guerriere, 7,110 votes to 4,793, a 60% to 40% margin.

White Plains Teachers Vote to Approve New 5 Year Contract with the School District.

Posted on November 5, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. November 5, 2014:

The White Plains Schools two year dispute over pay and benefits with the White Plains Teachers Association has ended.

Michele Schoenfeld confirmed to WPCNR that the White Plains teachers voted this afternoon to approve a 5 year contract with the district, including settlement of the two years they have been without a contract.

Schoenfeld said the contract is scheduled to be voted on and approved at the Monday Board of Education meeting. Details of the contract will be made public at that time.

Schoenfeld did say the contract covers the last two years the district has been without a contract (2012-13, 2013-14 and three years into the future (2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17), that includes the current school year.

Interim Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors has succeeded in settling with the teachers thus making it much easer to attract a new superintendent of schools.

Leonora Boehlert, the former Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources was hired in September as a consultant to resume the district search for a new Superintendent.

Today, Ms. Schoenfeld told WPCNR that the Superintendent qualifications developed by the previous Superintendent search firm were being used to screen Superintendent candidates who respond to the school district advertisements which have begun.