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)

TAX BILLS ARRIVE ONE DAY EARLY

Posted on June 30, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. JUNE 30, 2012:

Tax Bills for the city and the school district arrived a day early today to add to the aggravation caused by the tropical heat wave frying the metropolitan area.

The tax bills show that the median priced home ($650,000) in the White Plains area busted the $10,000 mark for city and school taxes combined for the first time.

In one case, even newly reduced assessed value did not stop the tax tide. This homeowner succeeded in lowering her assessed value $2,000, but…the increase in taxes from the city (4.75%) and the school district (3%) still made that homeowner’s taxes $200 More than last year. For this median house was newly assessed at $16,475 with a $3,460 STAR EXEMPTION knock off from the asssessed value, the total city and school tax is still $10,800. “That’s still more than last year,” she notes. “Thank God we went for a tax certiorari.”

Every day for the next 365 Days the City and the school district will spend $973,424.

Every week the city and the school district will spend $6.8 Million a week.

Every month the city and the school district will spend $29.6 Million.

The City budget is $166.5 Million. The School Budget is $188.8 Million. Total City and School Budget Cost combined for fiscal 2012-13: $355.3 MILLION

Zip Cars Zip into White Plains

Posted on June 27, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR TRAFFIC NEWS. From Zipcar Media Relations. (EDITED) June 27, 2012:

Zipcar, Inc., the world’s leading car sharing network announced the expansion of the Zipcar car sharing service into the City of White Plains Tuesday. The new Zipcar program will provide White Plains residents, businesses and visitors with increased access to affordable, convenient transportation options that are proven to reduce congestion and emissions.

The Zipcar program is ready to go for persons holding a ZipCAR Membership Card, launching with eight vehicles in three locations in downtown White Plains:

White Plains Center Garage at 237 Martine Avenue
Hamilton-Main Garage at 365 Hamilton Avenue
Bronx Street Lot at 3 Hamilton Avenue adjacent to the White Plains Train Station

Persons must have a ZipCar Membership ($60 a year, plus non-refundable Application Fee), and need to reserve a car online, via Smartphone or FaceBook. The cars may be rented for as little as $9 an hour in New York and $83 a day. To rent a ZipCar on the weekend, the fees are $14 an hour, and $125 a day.

Billing is handled via the credit card you register with the company when applying for your membership. Since there are no attendants at the ZipCar locations, access is gained by applying your ZipCar Membership Card on a barcode on the windshield of the vehicle. (The is in the vehicle.) Jessica Margolis-Pineo, a spokesperson for ZipCar noted that though the rates are higher than other rental car services, ZipCar pays for all gas, and provides insurance included in the cost of the rental.

Zipcar worked closely with the City of White Plains to determine the best locations for the Zipcars, which will be in areas with heavy foot traffic, access to public transportation and the offering of convenience for area members.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Zipcar to the City of White Plains, as another step toward providing alternate transportation options to residents. Zipcar is a convenient and environmentally responsible way to travel and offers residents who live in downtown White Plains an affordable alternative to owning a personal vehicle,” said Mayor Thomas Roach.

As an environmentally friendly transportation option, Zipcar will help to reduce White Plains’ carbon footprint. National studies have shown that each car shared takes 15 privately owned vehicles off the road, and that vehicle miles traveled per driver is reduced nearly 40 percent when car owners switch to car sharing.

Zipcar also provides White Plains residents a cost-effective alternative to car ownership. Research firm Frost & Sullivan estimates that car sharing can reduce the total transit costs for its members by 70 percent, and Zipcar members report saving an average of $600 per month compared to owning a car.

“We’re excited to be expanding our presence in Westchester County to provide residents and employees of local businesses in White Plains with access to all the convenient, sustainable and cost-effective benefits of car sharing that our members appreciate,” said Charlie Irons, Zipcar New York’s general manager. “This expansion is an extension of our successful Zipcar program in New York City, where many people depend on Zipcar every day to run errands, attend business meetings, visit friends and take road trips to explore all that the tri-state area has to offer. We hope this new program in White Plains will help residents and those who commute back and forth between New York City to get out and Zip by giving them access to a car without the high costs and hassles of car ownership.”

The Zipcar program in White Plains is available to local residents and visitors, as well as to employees of local businesses through the company’s “Zipcar for Business” program that offers discounted driving Monday through Friday. Zipcar for Business helps businesses save money, meet environmental sustainability goals and reduce parking requirements by providing their employees with access to Zipcars for business meetings and more.

Gas, reserved parking spots, insurance, roadside assistance and up to 180 miles per day are included in the hourly and daily Zipcar rates. Cars can be reserved for as short as an hour or for several days. For more information, including how to become a Zipcar member in White Plains, please visit www.zipcar.com.

About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world’s leading car-sharing service with more than 700,000 members and 9,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Spain. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. More information is available at www.zipcar.com. Photos and b-roll footage are available for media purposes at www.zipcar.mediaroom.com.

FBI CHARGES 22 MEMBERS OF YONKERS GANG WITH NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING, FIREARMS VIO

Posted on June 27, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. June 27, 2012:

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Janice K. Fedarcyk, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charles Gardner, the Commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department, and George N. Longworth the Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, announced today the unsealing of three separate indictments charging a total of 22 defendants with a series of crimes, including the distribution of narcotics and the use of firearms in Yonkers, New York.

A two-count indictment, United States v. Mark David et al., charges 20 members and associates of the Strip Boyz street gang with conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine and marijuana, and the use of firearms in relation to that conspiracy. Two additional indictments charge two Yonkers residents with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine as well as substantive counts of distribution of, and possessing with intent to distribute, crack cocaine.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “Violent street gangs are a blight on our neighborhoods, and our crackdown against them continues unabated. We cannot and will not allow them to cast the shadow of guns and drugs over our streets and jeopardize the safety of our residents. Today’s arrests once again underscore our commitment to solving this problem. ”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk stated, “Violent gangs, such as the Strip Boyz, wreak havoc in our communities by selling narcotics, possessing weapons, and being in violent disputes with rival gangs. As alleged in the complaint today, the Strip Boyz were no different in their operating procedures, except that some of their members took to social media to brag about their illegal and often brutal activities. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to investigating and getting gangs like the Strip Boyz off our streets.”

Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner stated, “These indictments involving members of the Strip Boyz—a local drug distribution network, will remove several violent individuals from our community and improve the quality of life for the residents of this northwest Yonkers neighborhood. This investigation is a prime example of the value of joint federal and local law enforcement agency initiatives and how these collaborative efforts can make a difference in improving public safety. The Yonkers Police Department is very grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of NY and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force for partnering with us in addressing this violent criminal activity occurring in our city.”

Commissioner George N. Longworth of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety stated, “Gang activity and the crime and violence associated with it will not be tolerated in Westchester County. The Department of Public Safety is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate gang activity wherever it occurs.”

The following allegations are based on the Indictments unsealed today in White Plains federal court:

The Strip Boyz is a drug trafficking organization/gang whose members have, since at least 2001, sold crack cocaine and, to a lesser extent, marijuana, in and around the Schlobohm Housing Project on Schroeder Street in Yonkers, New York. Members and associates of the Strip Boyz worked together to ensure that they all profited from the gang’s drug sales. They also shared firearms and used them to protect their territory from encroachment by rival gangs. The Strip Boyz and members of other gangs from Locust Hill Avenue have been engaged in a long-running, violent dispute with other Yonkers street gangs, including the “Elm Street Wolves,” the “Cliff Street Gangsters,” and “Two Guns U” from Riverdale Avenue. Certain members of the Strip Boyz committed acts of violence, including beatings, stabbings, and shootings, to protect their drug territory. Certain members of the Strip Boyz also created, performed, recorded, and distributed—including on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube—rap music that celebrated their illegal activities.

Twenty members and associates of the Strip Boyz—MARK DAVID, 23; CALVIN BAILEY, 21; LAQUAY COKLEY, 20; JOSE CRUZ, 26; WAYNE CUSTIS, 21; MELVIN DIAS, 25; TREMAINE GARRISON, 21; DAIQUAN HENDERSON, 22; MICHAEL HENDERSON, 23; LEANELL HINES, 21; DAWONE HODGES, 28; ERIC LOCKHART, 28; DARRYL McFADDEN, 22; HARRY QUINTANA-CRUZ, 21; JOHN SLADE, 27; AKEEM SMITH, 21; PAU.S.INSON, 39; JOEL URENA, 24; JOSHUA VILIAN, 27; and GREGORY WILLIAMS, 26—are charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine, and marijuana from 2001 up to June 2012. Twelve of these defendants are also charged with using, carrying, possessing, and discharging firearms during the narcotics conspiracy.

TYRONE HALL, 23, is charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine in Yonkers from January 2012 up to June 2012, and with possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute the crack cocaine on several occasions during that time period. Finally, JONATHAN MILES, 23, is charged with possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it in April 2012.

The indictments are the result of a long-term investigation conducted by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. As part of that investigation, in March 2009, this office obtained indictments charging three members of the Elm Street Wolves—Gregory Fuller, Davon Young, and Thomas Chambliss—with the January 2008 murder of a narcotics dealer in northern Yonkers. Fuller, Young, and Chambliss were each convicted after trial of murder, conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, robbery, and firearms offenses and were sentenced to 100, 65, and 45 years of imprisonment, respectively.

In August 2011, 66 Yonkers gang members—47 members and associates of the Elm Street Wolves, 12 members and associates of the Cliff Street Gangsters, and 7 other individuals—were charged with narcotics trafficking and firearm offenses. Four of the Elm Street Wolves defendants were also charged with the murder of Christopher Cokley, a leading member of the Strip Boyz. Twenty of these defendants, including all 12 of the charged members and associates of the Cliff Street Gangsters, have pled guilty, and 15 of them face mandatory minimum sentences of between 10 and 17 years of imprisonment. The remaining cases are not yet resolved, and the charges against them are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

* * *

Nineteen of the defendants charged in the indictments unsealed today were arrested today or have previously been taken into custody. Three others were still being sought as fugitives. The defendants arrested today and presented in White Plains federal court this afternoon. The Strip Boyz case is assigned to United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos. The charges against each defendant and the corresponding maximum potential penalties are outlined in the charts attached to this press release.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Yonkers Police Department. He added that the investigation is continuing.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Bauer and Ilan Graff are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Count	Charge	Defendants	Maximum Penalties
1	Narcotics conspiracy (Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of cocaine)	CALVIN BAILEY LAQUAY COKLEY JOSE CRUZ WAYNE CUSTIS MARK DAVID MELVIN DIAS TREMAINE GARRISON DAIQUAN HENDERSON MICHAEL HENDERSON LEANELL HINES DAWONE HODGES ERIC LOCKHART DARRYL MCFADDEN HARRY QUINTANA-CRUZ JOHN SLADE AKEEM SMITH PAU.S.INSON JOEL URENA JOSHUAN VILIAN GREGORY WILLIAMS	Life in prison Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison
2	Possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime	CALVIN BAILEY LAQUAY COKLEY JOSE CRUZ WAYNE CUSTIS MARK, DAVID TREMAINE GARRISON DAIQUAN HENDERSON MICHAEL HENDERSON LEANELL HINES DAWONE HODGES ERIC LOCKHART DARRYL MCFADDEN	Life in prison Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison, consecutive to any sentence

Count	Charge	Defendant	Maximum Penalties
1	Narcotics conspiracy (Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine)	TYRONE HALL	40 years in prison Mandatory minimum: Five years in prison

Count	Charge	Defendant	Maximum Penalties
1	Narcotics possession (Possession with intent to distribute cocaine)	JONATHAN MILES

Council Approves $11.3 MILLION To Close City Dump. Composting, Recycling to Retu

Posted on June 26, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. June 26, 2012:

Thirty-seven years after contamination was first discovered in the city landfill, the Common Council voted this morning to spend $11.3 Million to close and cap the dump to comply with a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation consent order.

As first reported by WPCNR early yesterday afternoon, the Common Council this morning reconvened after Monday evening’s Special meeting on the Gedney Lanfill bonds, and in a formality (necessitated by David Buchwald’s not being able to attend in person Monday evening), passed an $11.3 Million bond project to pay for closing the Gedney Landfill. The vote was 6-0, with Councilman John Martin recusing himself, City Clerk Ann McPherson reported to WPCNR this morning.

Last night, Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti, explained to the Common Council, how he was able to negotiate the price of cleaning up and capping the dump down from the !2.2 Million low bid to $10.1 Million with a 5% contingency fund for cost overruns, $100,000 to cart compost and recycling materials offsite and $350,000 in engineering services from the city engineering consultants, EKRF.

Nicoletti said the approximate $2 Million in savings came from deciding not to cart away the asphalt residue that currently is in the dump and to use the remaining asphalt to cap the dump as well as negotiating “sub-contractors” with the chosen bidder. Nicoletti said leaving the asphalt in the dump was significant. Asked if the asphalt wasn’t contaminated, Nicoletti assured the council “There is no polluted materials that have to be taken out of there (the dump).”

Councilwoman Milagros Lecouna expressed concern about cost overruns, saying from her experience, 5% contingency (for overruns) is low. Nicoletti said the contractor selected, ELQ Industries is “well aware” of that.

Nicoletti said work would begin first at the Our Lady of Sorrows softball field which the DEC requires to be resodded due to ashes left from decades ago that are close to the surface of the field. Nicoletti said the field is expected to be completed by September but would be unusable until grass grew in. The entire project of the dump capping and closing is expected to be completed in September, 2013, subject to DEC approval.

Michael Genito,Commissioner of Finance, told WPCNR short term notes would be used to finance the project, so if the project comes in for less money or over the contingency of 5%, the city could bond for less money or more. The municipal bonds will be general obligation bonds,over a period of 20 years (according to the legislation approved) and not closely-held bonds, Genito said.

Last night Mayor Roach said the project was being undertaken because the city had to do it so it was no longer a responsibility for future generations. Council President Beth Smayda and Councilwoman Lecouna complimented Roach on moving the project to a resolution.

The city and the Department of Environmental Conservation have known about the TCE (TriCloral Ethylene) contamination located some 16 to 20 feet below the surface of the dump, that, the DEC has determined has been leaking into the Mamaroneck River for decades. TCE is a known cancer causing agent. TCE is a known ingredient of dry cleaning fluids that had been dumped into the site by a previous business adjacent to the dump

The work according to the city backup material “includes the regrading and creation of additional storm water drainage channels, as well as required security system enhancements (closed circuit cameras, fencing, etc.) and at the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, the site of an inactive ash fill, the addition of a soil layer and subsequent re-establishment of a playing field.”

The project has been three years in the starting (undergoing 94 monitoring wells, and two retooling of closure plans at the request of the DEC) since the city entered into a consent order with the New York State Department of Conservation in June, 2007.

The extent of the TCE contamination was exposed by photographs and DEC papers made public by the White Plains activist, Carl Albanese. Mr. Albanese video taped Monday evening’s meeting, the only television camera there, as the city elected to vote on the bond separate from the regularly televised Common Council meeting of July 2. The meeting was hastily called Friday, and this reporter was not notified. Also, the amount of the bond was not included in the original agenda appearing on the city website Monday.

Mr. Nicoletti told WPCNR that after closing is approved by the DEC, the city would move recycling operations and composting back to the dump. He said there would be some area to use for other purposes in addition to re-establishing recycling and composting.