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)

Governor Andrew Cuomo on The 2012-13 Legislative Accomplishments

Posted on June 23, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Office (Edited). June 23, 2013:

Friday marked the end of the 2013 Legislative Session, and we have again worked together to transform our state and show that government can confront – and solve – New York’s toughest problems.

In our first year, the state closed a $10 billion budget deficit with no new taxes, cut taxes for the middle-class, established a property tax cap to hold the line on skyrocketing tax bills, created a new economic development paradigm with the Regional Economic Development Councils and reclaimed New York’s title as a progressive leader for the nation when we passed the Marriage Equality Act.

The momentum continued into the second year with the passage of legislation imposing a comprehensive teacher evaluation system that now serves as a model system for the nation, sweeping pension reform that saves state and local governments more than $80 billion, and a coordinated statewide plan to rebuild our infrastructure and create thousands of jobs, including the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

This year, Governor Cuomo took the state’s focus on job creation, particularly upstate, to the next level. This session produced one of the most aggressive economic development agendas in our state’s history, including:

START-UP NY: Groundbreaking jobs program designed to jump start the upstate economy through tax-free communities linked to State University of New York (SUNY) and private college campuses.
High-tech Job Programs: Innovative “Hot Spot” incubator program and the Venture Capital Fund will help to better commercialize our state’s ideas and innovations and create businesses to transform the face of job creation in New York.
Upstate NY Jobs From Gaming: If passed by voters in November, world-class destination gaming resorts will drive economic growth by attracting tourists, generating economic activity for local businesses, and creating thousands of good-paying jobs.
Reducing Taxes on Businesses and Families: Nearly $800 million in tax relief for New York businesses over the next three years and relief for middle class families with a targeted tax credit of $350 per year for three years, beginning in 2014.
Financial Assistance for Local Governments: Establishes a Financial Restructuring Board for local governments and reforms binding arbitration to help eligible distressed cities and local governments manage their finances and provide public services in a more cost-effective manner.

Again breaking with Albany’s long tradition of late budgets, Governor Cuomo secured passage of this year’s budget days before the April 1 deadline. It was the earliest budget since 1983, and it marked the first time since 1984 that New York has had three consecutive, on-time budgets.

Under the Governor’s leadership, this session that added to the growing reputation of New York State as the progressive capital of the nation, including:

One of the most difficult and politically challenging issues facing the nation – reducing gun violence – with the NY SAFE Act, the most comprehensive gun control law in the nation.
A long-overdue increase to the minimum wage to align with the standard of living in this state, from $7.25 to $9 per hour over three years.
Nationally-recognized education reform continuing our work to create a world-class education system that prepares our next generation for the future.
$1 billion affordable housing program to preserve and create 14,300 affordable housing units, which will also create jobs and stabilize distressed areas.

The Governor proposed a tough anti-corruption and reform agenda in Albany and gave the legislature a simple choice: Pass the legislation or face an investigative commission dedicated to rooting out corruption among public officials in Albany. This commission would determine the key weaknesses in existing law and propose reforms to address those weaknesses in such areas as elections, campaign finance, and the abuse of public office or public funds for personal gain.

New York expects to receive approximately $30 billion in federal aid for recovery, rebuilding and mitigation. This will enable New York to build back smarter and stronger, and ensure that the state is better prepared for the future.

Click here to read more about this session’s accomplishments.

Tappan Zee Constructors To Deploy Sturgeon Monitorings Program This Week. Closures East on I-87/287 Midday all Week

Posted on June 23, 2013 by John Bailey

The Sturgeon

WPCNR NEW NEW YORK BRIDGE NEWS & TRAFFIC ADVISORY. Special to WPCNR from The New York State Thruway Authority. June 23, 2013:

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will place a full array of acoustic receivers near the construction zone during the week of June 24. This series of receivers will be used to locate endangered Atlantic and Short-Nose sturgeon that have been tagged by other researchers.

Limited geotechnical analysis boring and subsurface utility exploration operations continue this week in Tarrytown. The work will require eastbound I-87/I-287 right lane closures in the vicinity of exit 9 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday as well as westbound I-87/I-287 right lane closures Wednesday and Friday. Work activities will be conducted between 10 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday.

The Sturgeon Acoustic Telemetry Monitoring Plan has been developed by fisheries scientists to monitor the movement of sturgeon through the construction zone. This data will be reported to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the National Marine Fisheries Service and will be an important resource in the study of sturgeon migration and movement through the Hudson Valley. This is only one part of a much larger environmental stewardship program being undertaken by TZC and the New York State Thruway Authority.

Ongoing operations:

– Cleaning and preparation for future construction of the Thruway’s Rockland Bulkhead

– Construction of the temporary Westchester work trestle which includes pile driving operations that will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

– Survey inspections on existing bridge

– Rockland environmental monitor installations continue

– Geotechnical land borings

– Mobilization at the Interchange 10 staging area

– Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Rockland: Limited geotechnical analysis boring operations continue this week on Thruway property in South Nyack and will not require lane closures due to work being performed behind barriers. Work is scheduled on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m..

Citizen Adam Bradley Not Guilty on All Counts Jurors Decide

Posted on June 21, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. June 21, 2013

A jury in the New York State Supreme Court in White Plains found former Mayor of White Plains Adam Bradley not guilty on all counts this morning, after deliberating two days after the defense rested in Mr. Bradley’s retrial on three counts of harassment, one count of attempted assault, and one count of criminal attempt.

New York Stands By American Bridge Company and Fluor Corp to build new Tappan Zee based on built-in contract safeguards In Face of California Bay Bridge Situation

Posted on June 20, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE NEWS. By John F. Bailey. June 20, 2013:

The New York State Thruway is standing behind its selection of Tappan Zee Constructors as the contractor on the new Tappan Zee Bridge, despite documented failures described as “catastrophic” by a California Metropolitan Transportation Authority Official in earthquake-resistant supports installed on the new Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco three months before that $6.3 Billion bridge is supposed to open Labor Day.

The New York State Thruway confidence is bolstered by the safeguards built into the New York State contract with American Bridge Company and Fluor Corporation.

The issue surfaced in the face of “catastrophic” failures of one third of the first 96 seismic-resistant bolts being relied on to make the new Oakland Bay Bridge earthquake-safer. The California Department of Transportation (acronym CALTRANS) is investigating the cause of the failures of remaining 2,200 30 foot long bolts, after 32 of 96 bolts snapped upon tightening three months ago.

Governor Andrew Cuomo whose efforts to get the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge going after a decade of trying, have produced a decision on a design, and selected American Bridge Company (Pennsylvania) and Fluor Corporation (Dallas) to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge for $3.9 Billion by 2018 has not issued a statement on the problems with the new Bay Bridge.

CALTRANS is attempting to cope with a shattering of public confidence in the bridge and a blistering media assault on the process that CALTRANS is encountering with the almost-ready-to-open Bay Bridge. A prestigious fund-raiser tied to the Labor Day opening has already been postponed while tests on the approximately 2,200 remaining suspect bolts ( key components of the new bridge mission to be more resistant to earthquakes). Meanwhile, supportive saddles are being installed on the already-failed bolts in place, which cannot be exchanged out. A decision on whether to open the bridge as planned is expected July 10.

The Thruway issued to WPCNR responses to a series of questions said the New NY Bridge and the new Bay Bridge are “very different designs.” The Thruway said there are no plans to use steel bolts or anything on the New New York Bridge from Dyson Corporation of Ohio that supplied the allegedly defective bolts

The communication said that on possible delays and cost overruns, the new New York design-build law shifts the risk for most delays and cost overruns from New York to the contractor “not taxpayers or tallpayers.”

The Thruway noted to WPCNR that HNTB, the firm hired as “Owners Engineer” on the New New York Bridge Project will be doing “rigorous quality control on all aspects of the design and material that will be used, including inspecting steel fabricating facilities.”

The Thruway did not respond yet to WPCNR’s question whether the 12-member Blue Ribbon Selection Committee had talked with CALTRANS to evaluate American Bridge and Fluor Corporation performance through the seven years the new Oakland Bay Bridge, or was aware of the bolt problem that has been known about since 2007-08 as indicated by CALTRANS public documents, and American Bridge Company and Fluor response to the defects found and acknowledged publicly by CALTRANS.

The Thruway also did not respond to the question of whether new test borings recently ordered are routine or to make certain of past findings.