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)

A LAST CARESS THEN IT’S TIME TO DRESS FOR FALL

Posted on September 22, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the White Plains CitizeNetReporter September 22, 2013:

Those Autumn Leaves Starting to Fall on the way to Thompson’s Cider Mill Below…335 Blinn Road–just down the Road from Teatown, Thompson’s open til 4 PM today.

Thompson’s Cider Mill just off the Taconic Parkway Exit 1 34 JUST PAST TEATOWN You’re gonna love the cider!

Wilkens Fruit Farm White Hill Road, Yorktown Heights..Great Pies (see below), great cider, apples and a working farm

Jason enjoys a delicious hot piece of apple pie baked on the site at the Wilens Bakery shown in the background

The Political Advertisement the Press Refused to Run.

Posted on September 22, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013. September 21, 2013:

A black civil rights organization, The New Rochelle Lincoln Zuber Riders for Justice, based in New Rochelle, paid for an advertisement to run in the Journal News only the paper did not run it, yet.

According to a press release from the Riders organization, announcing a news conference Saturday afternoon to publicize the rejection, the paper declined to run the advertisement. And the paper has not indicated why they refused it according to the Riders. Here is the ad copy that as of this writing, has not be accepted for publication by the newspaper.

The Riders organization issued this news release acusing the newspaper of declining to run the ad:

September 20, 2013 — NEW ROCHELLE, NY—

New Rochelle Lincoln Zuber Riders for Justice, a local New Rochelle organization made up of several prominent African-American leaders, will hold a press conference Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in New Rochelle to demand the Journal News run a print advertisement accepted and paid for earlier this week, scheduled to run today (Saturday) but spiked last night by Gannett corporate.

The advertisement documents New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson’s long-standing hostility and discrimination toward Blacks in New Rochelle.

It was only after the paper was put to bed last night that New Rochelle Lincoln ZuberRiders for Justice was notified that the newspaper wanted two words changed in the advertisement. After further discussion, a Journal News advertising executive admitted that even if the words were changed Gannett corporate had directed the Journal News not to run the ad. No explanation for corporate’s decision was provided.

“As long as I have been reading newspapers, I have never heard of a newspaper refusing to run an ad like this.” said McLean, Spokesman for the Zuber Riders. “This is the kind of underhanded tactics we have seen for years from Bramson and his allies.”

The Zuber Riders print ad banned by the Journal News lists the ways Noam Bramson has locked Blacks out of contracts, out of jobs, out of elected representation, even Lincoln Park, the site of one of the most important Civil Rights cases in U.S. history.

McLean said many in the New Rochelle black community have long felt bitterness and distrust for Mayor Bramson but said what galvanized the group to speak out was when the President of the NAACP, New Rochelle Chapter, was thrown out of historic Lincoln Park on September 5th.

“When they threw Ron out of Lincoln Park, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said McLean. “We knew we couldn’t remain silent anymore. People need to know what we know about Noam Bramson’s attitude towards Blacks.”

“For too long the Black community in New Rochelle has been taken for granted, violated and silenced,” said McLean. “We will not stand for it anymore. We deserve better!”

New Rochelle Lincoln Zuber Riders for Justice will hold a press conference in Lincoln Park, across from 95 Lincoln Avenue in New Rochelle, NY on Saturday afternoon, September 21, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.

On hand will be members of New Rochelle’s African-American community including Ron Williams, President of the NAACP New Rochelle Branch, Pearl Quarles, former Westchester County Legislator and former President of New Rochelle School Board. Mark McLean, Community Activist and Angelo Williams, small business owner with more being added throughout the day.

The Zuber Riders is inviting all those who believe in Free Speech and Civil Rights to be on hand as the media covers this important press conference to expose yet another example of Noam Bramson’s attempts to suppress Black voices in New Rochelle and highlight the facts contained in the ad that the Journal News refused to run.

New Rochelle Lincoln Zuber Riders for Justice is an organization of committed community leaders who are dedicated to honoring the memory of Paul Zuber and ensuring that all Westchester County residents are aware that the struggle for Civil Rights in New Rochelle are always persistent and never forgotten. Paul Zuber was an attorney for the Lincoln school children in New Rochelle. Mr. Zuber successfully fought for integration of New Rochelle’s school district.

The Noam Bramson campaign issued a newsletter by e-mail crying foul, calling out the advertisement for its racist accusations, to wit:

Rob Astorino has hit a new low. His campaign just issued one of the most despicable, racially-divisive attacks ever made in Westchester, accusing Noam directly of discrimination and bigotry.
I want you to read their attacks, so you can see for yourself how outrageous they are: this press release sets the stage, and this website puffs up the charges. It’s really dirty stuff.
African-American leaders throughout the county have joined together to denounce this attack, issuing the following challenge to Astorino:

Mr. Astorino:
Today your campaign launched a racially-charged political attack on Mayor Noam Bramson, spearheaded by an individual whom you appointed to a County Commission. This kind of ugly racial appeal has no place in the politics of Westchester County, and we call upon you to disavow it immediately.
Sincerely,
Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Democratic Caucus Leader, New York State Senate Ruth Hassell-Thompson, New York State Senator J. Gary Pretlow, New York State Assemblymember Ken Jenkins, Chair, Westchester County Board of Legislators Lyndon Williams, Vice-Chair, Westchester County Board of Legislators Alfreda Williams, Westchester County Legislator Gregory Adams, Port Chester Village Board J.Yuhanna Edwards, Mt. Vernon City Council President Marcus Griffith, Mt. Vernon City Council Duane Jackson, Buchanan Village Trustee Christopher Johnson, Yonkers City Council Jared Rice, New Rochelle City Council Karen Watts-Yehudah, Mt. Vernon City Council

We already knew Rob Astorino was running a negative campaign of false attacks on Noam’s record, but this garbage just takes my breath away.

Jeremy Sherber Campaign Manager

Winbrook Revitalization Construction Starts in Nov or December. Financing “In Place,” Developer Confirms

Posted on September 21, 2013 by John Bailey

At Long last, Dattner Architect visions, of how the first new building in the long-awaited Renaissance of Winbrook in White Plains will begin construction at the end of this year, Jonathan Rose Companies confirmed to WPCNR Friday

Site of Building One in the Winbrook Renaissance. Corner of Quarropas and Lexington in White Plains

WPCNR WINDOW ON WINBROOK. By John F. Bailey September 21, 2013:

The rebuilding of Winbrook, the city housing complex built in 1949 will begin new construction within two months, according to a spokesman for Jonathan Rose Companies and speaking for the White Plains Housing Authority. The spokesman confirmed to WPCNR the complete financing for the first building is in place.

Paul Freitag, speaking for the Rose organization to WPCNR from the company offices in Manhattan, said the first 10-story 103-unit building, including a first floor Community Center will be “100% affordable housing, low-income housing,” and will house some of 450 present tenants in existing buildings on the site. No details yet on how tenants will be assigned to the new building.

The Winbrook Revitalization plan began in the Joseph Delfino Administration when a coordinated design vision of the project from the White Plains Housing Authority envisioning a mixed subsidized housing and market rate housing, consisting of 7 new buildings with a coordinated design was displayed. The 450 tenants of Winbrook were assured at the time new buildings would be built one at a time and no tenants would be displaced during construction.

The city rezoned the Winbrook/Lexington Avenue site as mixed use, allowing retail on the street level of the complex. An agreement was struck where the Department of Housing and Urban Development would finance the project. As economic conditions deteriorated beginning in 2008, HUD informed the Housing Authority it would no longer fund the project.

Mr. Freitag said the financing for Building One, to be built on the corner of Lexington and Quarropas Streets, is in place and consists of state funding, $2.5 Million from White Plains, $3 Million from HUD for the Community Center first floor, and the balance from tax credit financing instruments sold to corporate investors and individual investors. Mr. Freitag said he would firm up the cost of the first building project Monday.

Freitag said the building construction would begin first, with street and sewer infrastructure financed by Westchester County in the amount of $1.14 Million would be executed further into construction. According to the website of the architect of the project, Dattner Architects envisions the first building to be complete in 2015.

The County Board of Legislators reported in a news release (see previous story on this matter), they expected to approve the county infrastructure financing.

As previously reported by WPCNR, the County Board of Legislators

County Opposition to HUD Zoning Directives on Affordable Housing, Loses $7.4 Million in Development Funds

Posted on September 21, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators.(Edited) September 21, 2013:

A Friday court decision has cleared the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD) to reallocate $7.4 million in 2011 Community Development Block Grant funds.

The funds still can go to communities in Westchester County at HUD’s discretion.

The court’s decision, which stems from County Executive Rob Astorino’s non-compliance regarding the need to address exclusionary zoning, as stipulated in the fair and affordable housing settlement between the County and the federal government, now permits HUD to reallocate grant funding to other municipalities around the New York metropolitan area.

The 2011 CDBG funding was meant to financially support significant infrastructure improvements in fifteen municipalities around Westchester, as well the building of affordable housing and the delivery of programs related to housing needs. In nearly all of these instances, the work has already been completed and bills paid, which means the local taxpayers will have to pick up the budgetary shortfalls created by the loss of the CDBG funds.

“The federal government gave the Astorino Administration every opportunity to comply with the requirements attached to receiving these essential block grants and program funds,” said County Board Chairman, Kenneth Jenkins. “By simply submitting a plan to address exclusionary zoning in Westchester, the County could have mitigated this dispute, and the money would not have been lost.”

Jenkins noted the federal monitor of the housing settlement, James E. Johnson, Esq., even completed an independent analysis of exclusionary zoning in Westchester to help the County move toward compliance on the issue—and save the CDBG funds. Astorino roundly rejected Johnson’s findings, however.

“The loss of the federal block grant funds is a real blow to our communities and county taxpayers,” said Jenkins. “This money was going to municipalities around Westchester already operating on shoestring budgets. I am disappointed that County Executive Astorino found it necessary to wage public disinformation campaigns and score cheap political points rather than do what’s right for Westchester.”

The exact amounts within the $7.4 million include $5,378,557 of Community Development Block Grant programs, $1,655,688 for the HOME Investment Partnership program (which is used for affordable housing construction) and $405,939 for the Emergency Shelter / Solutions Grant program (which used for homeless prevention and rapid re-housing services).

Jenkins reiterated that the Astorino Administration still needs to focus on protecting the other ten million dollars of federal funds Westchester is in jeopardy of losing by providing substantial assurances that address outstanding issues regarding the housing settlement.

In May 2013, HUD addressed a number of the mischaracterizations and falsehoods that Astorino was repeating at town hall meetings, news conferences and media interviews regarding the County’s obligations under the Fair and Affordable Housing Settlement, most notably Astorino’s assertions that the settlement will require Westchester to fund construction of 10,768 new affordable units and that HUD wants the County “dismantle” zoning in certain communities or eliminate all zoning restrictions.

Yesterday, Johnson again stated at the BOL Committee of the Whole meeting that neither he nor HUD had the lawful ability to require the County to build more than the 750 units of housing as stipulated by the housing settlement.