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)

Tarrytown School Board Votes Unanimously to Hire Dr. Christopher Clouet to Head

Posted on February 15, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. Exclusive. February 15, 2013:

The Board of Education of the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns office announced to WPCNR Friday morning that the Board voted unanimously to authorize the hiring of White Plains Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet for a four year contract.

The Board office also announced that Dr. Clouet has accepted the position at a first year salary, beginning in July of $253,000, $27,000 more than White Plains is paying him.

Clouet will leave White Plains after serving four years. He was hired to replace Timothy Connors in 2009. The White Plains Board of Education had an opportunity to retain Dr. Clouet, but refused to reopen his contract.

Board of Legislators Vet 4 Playland Would-Be Operators at County Center

Posted on February 14, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR PLAYLAND PRESS. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. February 14, 2013:

More than 200 people flocked to the Little Theater at the Westchester County Center last night for a public information session on the four proposals to revitalize Playland, the 280-acre County Park and National Historic landmark. The event was hosted by the Westchester County Board of Legislators and moderated by Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), chair of the BOL’s Government Operations Committee

The info session began with trade show-style presentations from representatives of the four revitalization proposals—Sustainable Playland, Standard Amusements, Central Amusements and the Paidia Company / Legoland—and attendees spent over an hour perusing displays, talking with the various representatives and gathering flyers and other materials related to the different proposals. The BOL’s entire Democratic caucus and one Republican legislator also showed up for the event.

The four proposals were presented in detail to the public, and then Borgia led an hour-long Q & A period in which both broad and specific concerns were addressed to the representatives of the revitalization proposals.

“I’m very pleased that so many people turned out for this information session,” said Borgia. “It was important for our evaluation process to give members of the public an opportunity to see the four proposals side by side and discern the differences between them. That’s the level of openness and transparency to the decision-making process regarding the future of Playland rightfully deserves.”

The BOL moved forward last month with its evaluation of the top four proposals for the revitalization of Playland when the BOL Government Operations Committee outlined goals for the decision process and began in-depth discussions with the four Playland RFP respondents regarding proposed operations, financial viability and intended modifications to the park and infrastructure.

Many of the questions fielded by the representatives of the four proposals dealt with economic viability, maintaining Playland’s amusement offerings, environmental protections, public access and projected attendance figures.

“The Board of Legislators has made a lot of information is available on the decision process because the revitalization of Playland will impact residents throughout the county, as well as in Rye,” said Borgia, who added that the BOL Government Operations Committee will soon make its own recommendation about which Playland proposal is right for Westchester.

“After that, the Board of Legislators will look to collaborate with the Administration in working with the group entrusted with Playland’s future,” said Borgia.

In today’s meeting of the County’s Acquisition and Contract Board, BOL Chairman Jenkins (D-Yonkers) provided for the record prior legislation showing that in 1980 the BOL had approved the management agreement with Marriott to operate Playland.

Also, the BOL has retained the services of an outside auditor to review the financial aspects of all four Playland revitalization proposals.

Links to each of the Playland proposal presentation can be found on the Government Operations Committee page on the BOL website: http://westchesterlegislators.com/committees.html?id=2029

Inside Information Hedger Gets Probation

Posted on February 14, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. February 14, 2013:

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEVEN FORTUNA, who co-founded the hedge fund S2 Capital LLC (S2), was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation for his participation in an insider trading scheme in which he obtained and traded on material, non-public information (Inside Information) about various publicly traded companies from employees at other hedge funds.

FORTUNA pled guilty in October 2009 to three counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud pursuant to a cooperation agreement with the government. He was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein.

As part of the conditions of his probation, FORTUNA, 50, of Westwood, Massachusetts, was ordered to serve six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring and 120 hours of community service during each of the years of his probation. He was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $200,000 and a $400 special assessment fee.

According to the information, statements made during FORTUNA’s guilty plea proceeding, and the government’s sentencing submission in his case:

From July 2008 through March 2009, while working as a portfolio manager at a hedge fund he co-founded, FORTUNA obtained Inside Information concerning various technology companies from employees at other hedge funds for the purpose of trading on that information. The Inside Information was disclosed by company insiders in breach of their duties to their respective employers.

For example, in July and August 2008, FORTUNA obtained Inside Information concerning Akamai, Inc. (Akamai) from Danielle Chiesi, a portfolio manager at New Castle Partners, a hedge fund. Chiesi told FORTUNA that Akamai planned to report that its revenue guidance for the following quarter would miss expectations and that, internally, the company believed that its stock price would fall following the quarterly earnings announcement. FORTUNA executed trades based on that Inside Information, and earned approximately $2.4 million in profits.

Sales Tax $$ for WP DOWN 3% thru 7 Months. Slightly Behind 11-12 Pace

Posted on February 13, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE From the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance. February 13, 2013:

The White Plains economy is limping along with no sign of robust growth yet.

The January White Plains Sales Tax Receipts report from the NYS Department of Taxation & Finance position White Plains running 3% below last fiscal year pace in sales tax revenues collected in the first seven months of Fiscal 2012-13.

The city has collected $29.5 Million from July through January 2012-13. In fiscal 2011-12 the city collected $30.5 Million. That is approximately a 3% shortfall in expected revenue.

If the city maintains last year’s pace of sales tax revenue growth the next five months ($20 Million), the city will top $49 Million, easily meeting the city budgeted $46.5 Million, but falling short of the $51 Million the city collected last year. Assuming 2% inflation the city should hit $50 Million in sales tax receipts by the end of fiscal 2012-13 in June.

This pace will supply just enough cash to replenish the cash reserve they have anticipated adding to the fund balance stabilization fund they are planning on using to pay any labor settlements with police and fire unions that are currently in the binding arbitration fact-finding process.

Westchester County collected 5% more sales tax receipts in January, the start of the county fiscal year, collecting $41 Million compared to $39 Million in January 2012.

The city collected $4.9 Million in sales tax receipts in January 2012 compared to $4.7 Million last January (a 4 % increase),