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)

Plane Crashes at SUNY PURCHASE Departing Westchester Airport. P ilot Sole Occupant Killed

Posted on June 13, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR NEWS BREAK. From Westchester OEM Reports. June 13, 2014 UPDATED 11:05 P.M. E.D.T.:

The Federal Aviation Administration reports a small Piper Malibu Meridian aircraft, originating from Westchester County Airport crashed one mile southwest of the airport near The SUNY Purchase College Campus.

There is one fatal injury to the pilot of the plane who was the only soul on board.

The pilot is identified by a spokesman for his family, as Dr. Richard Rockefeller, 65, a nephew of former Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller, who also was governor of New York from 1959 to 1973. Richard Rockefeller ate dinner with his father, banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller, in Westchester to celebrate the family patriarch’s 99th birthday, a family spokesman said.

The spokesman described him as an experienced pilot whose death left the family in shock.

There are no additional injuries or fatalities reported. The college was not impacted by the crash.

The cause of the crash is still undetermined.

FLASH! REPUBLICAN NOMINEE DEADLINE EXTENDED until MIDNIGHT SUNDAY. STILL TIME, BROTHER! WP GOP Chief gives Nominee ponderers for Common Council Special Election 48 hours to Think Decision Over.

Posted on June 12, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey June 12, 2014 UPDATED 9:30 P.M E.D.T.:

With 3 hours to go until Thursday night’s midnight deadline, Brian Maloney, the head of the White Plains Republican Committee has extended his call this week for persons to step forward and express their desire to run on the Republican Ticket in the fall Special Election for Common Council through Sunday.

Moments ago Mr. Maloney issued this statement to WPCNR:

“because of people requesting to be considered, we have pushed our date before our final decision to Sunday night.”

Mr. Maloney, head of White Plains Republican Party posted an invitation on the White Plains Republican Party website on Sunday, June 8, saying, (after four months since Nadine Hunt-Robinson was appointed to former Councilman, now County Legislator, Benjamin Boykin’s seat on the Council), the GOP is still looking for a candidate to run for Common Council.

The following invitation was posted in a Click-Thru ad on Facebook June 8 and has been up for 4 days. No press release was sent to media announcing this “citywide candidate search,” nor was any news conference held announcing the unique availablity, tonight he has extended that deadline through midnight, Sunday night.

Get White Plains Back On Track!

The White Plains Republican City Committee announces its final call for candidates for the office of White Plains Common Council.

In order to be considered, a candidate need not be a Republican, simply a dedicated White Plains resident.

In order to be considered, a candidate must:

1) Be a registered voter and a resident of the City of White Plains for two years;

2) Be prepared to articulate the candidate’s vision of White Plains; and

3) Call 646-397-4675 or email: [email protected].

Council membership is a part time job that includes family healthcare, a salary and additional benefits. Candidates are also invited to submit any additional material they consider relevant to support their nomination.

Requests for consideration must be submitted by: June 12, 2014.

Brian G. Maloney,
Chairman.

This is a unique opportunity to assure a place on the ballot opposite Nadine Hunt-Robinson if you are a registered Democrat and wish to oppose her, without running a primary. Several disgruntled Democrats, one of whom expected to be appointed to the position, might take advantage of this opportunity, as well as councilpersons of the past, no longer on the council, and are itching to get back on.

You have 13 hours and 10 minutes to make that call.

The Education Commissioner Comes to White Plains, Impresses: Reports Questions, Answers, Answer Justifications of 2014 Assessments Will Be Issued to NY School Districts In August. Says Educators More Positive About 2014 Test Experience

Posted on June 11, 2014 by John Bailey

Education Commissioner John King, standing far right, passionately explaining how the SED is taking fresh initiatives to help NY’s teachers teach the Common Core effectively and make it work. The scene: 701 Westchester Avenue, the BNY Mellon Board Room, White Plains, NY, USA

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 11, 2014:

Actual Questions with answers and justifications of the answers that appeared in the 2014 New York State Assessments will be delivered to School Districts in August, the State Commissioner of Education told WPCNR Wednesday.

John King: proactive and passionate Wednesday morning about the need to sell the need for Common Core skills to the public.

Commissioner of Education for the State of New York John King delivered a request to the Business Council of Westchester Wednesday morning: He sought the business community help — for business leaders and community leaders to spread the word that the successful implementation of Common Core standards is needed to prepare NY children and turn out graduates with the skills the NY workplace needs.

He said districts needed to focus on what they are spending their budgets on to devote more funds they have to tuning Common Core teaching methods, commending performances of school districts in Virginia and Maryland as prudent spending models.

He spent a very cordial hour with the Business Council and experienced none of the rancor he received on his tours of school districts last year. He demonstrated a more involved and hands-on, “we’re going to fix this” attitude and expressed the confidence that as students become more familiar with Common Core-instilled skills, and the assessment test process the students will improve test performance. He detailed one way the state is doing this:

He said the state is preparing videos of successful classrooms in action teaching the Common Core where school populations have been successful on the recent state tests and those videos will be sent to Principals to assist in preparing teachers to teach the Common Core standards successfully.

Meeting the Press: Mr. King spent a good 30 minutes with the media covering his White Plains stop. That’s Jerry McKinstry at left, and Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council with Commissioner King.

In a post-meeting session for the media, I asked Mr. King when copies of partial questions appearing on this year’s state assessment tests recently completed (demanded by teachers and advocated by the state legislator two months ago with the passing of the budget. King said a representative portion of actual questions (complete with answers and justifications for the answers from the 2014 ELA and Math assessments) would be furnished school districts across the state in August with 2014 state assessment results.

I asked him if these questions would be in time for districts to make curriculum results. He said, that did not matter because if the district is teaching the Common Core standards effectively, the students should have no problem with this year’s new tests:

“More test preparation doesn’t really work. You have to raise instruction levels to better outcomes.”

He said drilling on test questions was just teaching to the test, and that the legislature has limited the amount of time teachers can spend on giving students sample tests in the coming year.

Asked if Pearson the worldwide education publisher that prepares the assessments, had been given new suggestions and objectives how to formulate the 2015 assessments based on the test analysis so far, King said the Department of Education has not completed its analysis of the test results or drawn conclusions about the quality, effectivess and difficult of the questions.

When the SED analyses of how students responded to questions were complete the SED impressions of what presumably caused wrong answers would be shared with the Pearson assessment test creators to incorporate in design of 2015 assessment test preparation.

He did not say whether the Stated Education Department would be seeking direct comment from teachers and principals and curriculum coordinators and passing them on — but he did indicate to me the SED is paying attention to comments about the test.

King said strides have been made this year on the 2014 assessments.

The state eliminated two reading booklets used for testing passages on the English Language Arts exam , which teachers said lead to confusion and frustration and in 2014 students had only one book to refer to. King said the tests were shortened. He told me in the news conference that commentary from educators on the 2014 tests indicated students handled the exams better and were not as stressed out.

John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and COO of the Business Council, explaining the skilled worker problem-solving gap the Westchester Business community has been experiencing the last 10 years.

John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Business Council of Westchester told WPCNR in the news session with reporters that “everywhere” he goes business about Westchester County are concerned that new entrants into the workforce do not have the technical and problem-solving skills to analyze and make linear progressions of reasoning to orchestrate a project to completion, what he called the ability to take an assignment from “A-to-B-to-C-to-D.”

He was supportive of the Common Core for its objective to incorporate reading, writing and technical understanding. Asked if today’s I-Phone, Facebook, Instagram, connected twenty-something’s weren’t technically business ready, Ravitz told me, “They are very proficient technically when they operate amusements, but they do not possess an ability to create a functional process that creates an answer or answers to a problem.”

Withdrawal of Sustainable Playland Proposal Surprises County Legislators. Legislator Approval of Consultant, Suggested Ice Rink Operator are needed

Posted on June 11, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR PLAYLAND GO-ROUND. June 11, 2014:

WPCNR has learned from Matt Richter, spokesperson for the Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Mike Kaplowitz, that the County Board of Legislators was not expecting that Sustainable Playland would withdraw its plan from the Playland Review Process today.

Richter said with Sustainable Playland making a request to cancel Monday’s Playland Review meeting, (announced by Majority Leader of the Board of Legislators, Catherine Borgia on WVOX Radio Tuesday morning), legislators felt Sustainable would be continuing the process of review when it was ready.

Asked if the County Board would have to approve contracts with Biederman Redevelopment Ventures to consult and recommend most profitable practices after observing Playland 2014 operations, Mr. Richter said the board would have to approve the contract the payments and terms of the arrangement with Dan Biederman.

The terms under which Biederman would be engaged were not announced in County Executive Robert Astorino’s news release defining the Sustainable Playland new role as fundraiser for Playland, and Biederman being brought on as a consultant and analyst of Playland operations.

Richter told WPCNR to his knowledge Sustainable Playland would not be paid to raise funds for Playland, that they would be operating on their own and contributing to Playland as they wished.

Suggested terms of a contract with American Skating Entertainment Centers, the organization that runs Westchester Skating Academy in Elmsford, to run the Playland Ice Casino were announced in the County Executive press release (see previous WPCNR story). That contract, too would need Board of Legislators’s approval, Richter said.

Various legislators have reacted to Mr. Astorino’s announcement early this afternoon:

Westchester Legislator Pete Harckham (D-North Salem), chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ Labor, Parks, Planning & Housing Committee and Orchestrator of the Playland Review reacted to Mr. Astorino’s announcement:

“While the withdrawal of SPI’s Playland Improvement Plan from consideration certainly represents a setback for the goal of revitalizing Playland, it does afford the Administration and new consultant an opportunity to move forward with the lessons learned from this process: the amusement park must remain the focal point; the impacts to the environment and the neighboring community must be thoroughly vetted and the numbers need to add up and be realistic.

“In the meantime, the Board of Legislators’ Committee on Labor, Parks, Housing & Planning will focus on making Playland as successful as it can be for this season. It is an iconic destination and there is no reason for people not to flock to the park this year.”

MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson), chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ Infrastructure Committee issued this statement to media:

“For me, the main test of any entity seeking to operate Playland is its ability to make a success of the County’s amusement park operation. It has been clear for some time the SPI lacked the expertise, the resources and the desire to do so. Therefore, I am relieved that SPI has been assigned a more appropriate role in Playland’s future.

“However, I am deeply concerned that the (Robert Astorino) Administration seems more interested in buying time than in helping the park. There are already two vendors with amusement park experience that answered the Playland RFP, and both are still interested in operating the park. Immediately negotiating with one or both of these entities would make much more sense than wasting time and taxpayer dollars on a consultant. It is also the only way to make improvements to the park before the 2015 season.

“Moreover, I am concerned about the continued use of Mr. Biederman, who will need to translate his experience—which to date has been focused on dismantling the amusement park—to helping provide the amusement park a path to success. These and other concerns about Mr. Biederman’s continued involvement need to be addressed as quickly as possible, in an open meeting of the appropriate legislative committee.

“Most Westchester residents want a successful amusement park at Playland. The filled-to-capacity parking lot on Memorial Day weekend testifies to the continued potential of an amusement park at the site—even an amusement park that has been so starved of resources for so long.

“If the County Executive truly wants what most Westchester residents want—a successful amusement park at Playland—he would begin negotiations with Central Amusements and Standard Amusements without delay.”

Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye), chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ Environment & Energy Committee:

“I have long admired the work of Dan Biederman in revitalizing public space and parks in New York City. However, I certainly hope Mr. Biederman does not resurrect the notion of a field house among his recommendations for Playland. The community has shown that to be a non-starter.

I encourage Mr. Biederman to avail himself of the plentiful opinions in Rye and incorporate the concerns of our residents and others into his vision. I want to believe that this new turn of events will not end up prolonging the uncertainty over how to revitalize Playland, but each day that passes without a good plan in place diminishes the possibility of a fresh start at Playland for 2015.”