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)

Senator George Latimer Addresses Education Commissioner John King on the Common Core Issues.

Posted on January 24, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. Special to WPCNR From the Office of State Senator George Latimer, 35th Senate District. January 23, 2014:

Thursday the New York State Senate Committee on Education met with New York State Education Commissioner John King.

Here are for your viewing State Senator George Latimer’s exhange with Commissioner King on Common Core and testing issues:

m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=phnbWyc-2×4&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DphnbWyc-2×4%26feature%3Dyoutu.be

TITANIC COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL MAIDEN VOYAGE TO NEW YORK. POWERFUL CAST’S VOICES RAISE TITANIC INSPIRE AUDIENCE WITH ADMIRATION, HOPE, PERSEVERENCE!

Posted on January 24, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. January 23, 2013:

The new and improved 2014 Titanic set sail with majesty, and unfurled whip-snapping pennants of hope on the emotional voices of a strong ensemble and haunting staging on the high seas of the Westchester Broadway Theatre Thursday evening .

The Tony Award winning musical of 1997 has been retrofitted anew by its composer and lyricist, Maury Yeston and staged with inventive direction by Don Stephenson. The old girl is sailing jaunty and proud on the songs that in virtually every number uplift the human spirit – the reason we see musicals in the first place.

Seamless musical interludes to render the gaity of the fated passengers and crew the cold beauty of the North Atlantic starry night, the high hopes of all the classes of all the souls who sailed aboard the most famous ship of all time 102 years ago into eternity. Subtle lighting creates eerie special effects such as a serving tray sliding across a ball room to indicate that the ship is really sinking.

The leading lady of this show is the spirit of the Titanic herself. You are aboard her, and thankful you are in the seats and not on the decks as she sails through the starry night.

The movie gave you one romance, this Titanic gives you four, each cameoed spot-on by Patricia Noonan as Caroline with her beau Noah Plomgren as Charles Clark who charm the audience with I Give you my Hand, (they are running away on the Titanic to New York).The sassy, spunky Sarah Charles as Kate McGowan and John Lanfley playing Barrett give us a tempestuous charming Irish couple that meet shipboard and do a very touching number under the starry North Atlantic night, The Proposal.

Couples three and four are Kay Walbye and David Studwell playing the famous lifelong couple, Ida and Isidor Strauss, they shine in the melodramatic lifeboat fairwell scene in act two, Still—the bring-down-the-house number of the show.

Rounding out the romantic quarter are the social climbing Alice played by Donna English with excellent comic timing who enjoys the first class salon appointments even though the ship is sinking and her long-suffering hardware store husband, Edgar, deadpanly drolly played by Philip Hoffman. Nothing he does is ever good enough for her. Long time marrieds will find their just-right nuances very familiar even their duet I Have Danced is a gay but ironic tune at the dance on the promenade deck at the close of act one.

A strong quartet of key personalities captains this ship. The architect, Thomas Andrews (above, second from right) is played tragically by Tom Hewitt and he interplays splendidly with Adam Heller (far right) who as the villain of the Titanic tragedy, J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line, stage a brilliant “blame game” scene in Act II that I have never seen portrayed in any Titanic movie.

The tempers of Andrews and Ismay flare. The panic and sense of despair is drama that grips as few musical conflict scenes do the way these two stage it. William Parry (Far left) the tragic figure of the Captain, Edward J. Smith deserves a salute from this passenger. Jeremy Ellison-Gladstone is the radio operator seated who makes the most of his plaintive sending a romantic message from a ship’s stoker. Lots of melodramatic moments that grip you in this musical!

Hewitt’s hits Andrews’ despair dead on as he views his plans of the Titanic and sees how a slight design change could have prevented the accident is gripping. He sings out the technical solution as he describes the ship’s fate as it is sinking..

The sense of suspense leading up to the striking of the iceberg is brilliant! There is the lookout in the crow’s nest, there is the helmsman at the bridge. Suddenly the iceberg appears reminiscent of the scene in Jaws. The awe of what is about to happen is compelling and you have to see it.

The loading of the lifeboats is touchingly rendered highlighted by the the singing of We’ll Meet Tomorrow.

This successful voyage of the Titanic sails at Westchester Broadway Theatre through February 23. Book your First Class passage today, by calling Westchester Broadway Theatre lines at 914-592-2222, or visiting www.BroadwayTheatre.com

You will dine on dishes that were served to the passengers of the Titanic, including Roasted Pork with Sage, mushrooms and Pearl Onions (shown above, superbly cooked, moist, I felt like an Astor); Chicken Lyonnaise, and Roasted Turkey with Savory Cranberry Sauce and Basa with Rock Shrimp Stuffing. These dishes a departure of the usual WBT fare is a great touch .

Sail on, Titanic!

Photos of the production, courtesy, Westchester Broadway Theatre by John Vecchiola

Employment Level Unchanged in Hudson Valley in a year.

Posted on January 23, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR 9 TO 5. From the New York State Department of Labor. January 23, 2014:

The over the year picture is positive in the lower Hudson Valley Putnam-Rockland-Westchester labor market area, where private sector job count in December rose 0.9 percent or 4,400 jobs.

As was the case last month, growth in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam County is supported by a strong educational and health care sector, up 2.0 percent, or 2,400 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities also came in fairly strong, up by 1.5 percent or 1,700 jobs over the period, aided by strong hiring in retail trade.

For the 12-month period ending in December 2013, private sector employment in the Hudson Valley Region was relatively unchanged (increased by 0.1 percent or 600 jobs).

Employment gains were strongest in the following industries: trade, transportation and utilities (+2,300), other services (+700) and financial activities (+300).

Meanwhile, job losses were most apparent in manufacturing (-1,600), followed by information and leisure and hospitality – both down 400 respectively, and natural resources, mining and construction (-300). The government sector shed 2,700 jobs over the year.

In December 2013, the regional private sector job growth continued to expand, albeit at a slower pace – particularly over the past three months. Through the first nine months of the year, private sector employment in the region grew on average by about 1.1 percent, year over year.

Meanwhile, over the last three months (from October to December), growth in that sector was flat.

Senator Latimer Co-Sponsors Bill Allowing Teachers to See Common Core Test Results for Each Student by September

Posted on January 23, 2014 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. Special to WPCNR. January 23, 2013:

Late Wednesday evening, Senator George Latimer (D, 35th Senate District) told WPCNR he is co-sponsoring a bill (S-4723) with Republican Senator Little that would provide copies of each graded Common Core examination and the results on that examination for each of a teacher’s pupils taking the Common Core tests by next September.

Appearing on the WPCNR-produced television program, People to Be Heard last month, State Senator George Latimer of the 35 Senate District, indicated he would work for legislation that would allow teachers who prepared students for the Common Core assessment tests to see the results their students achieved on those assessments. (Currently, the state Education Department is suppressing the results, preventing teachers from analyzing where each student’s weaknesses are.)

Asked what the chances are for the bill passing, Senator Latimer in a statement to WPCNR wrote:

“Hard to know the likely result. I signed on to a Republican bill, so it’s now a bi-partisan bill. We need more co-sponsors to get to critical mass. Only the second week, so committees have barely started to meet. I’ll have a better take on it in a month.”

The language of the bill allows that it will take effect, if passed by both houses of the legislature, on the first of September succeeding the date the bill is passed. If the State Assembly and Senate pass it and the Governor signs it, teachers could receive results of this year’s Common Core tests by September.

To see the Latimer interview, go to www.whiteplainsweek.com, scroll down to the People to Be Heard program lineup and click on the December 13 program.