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)

Food Fight Leader Denied Particpation in Graduation. Juniors Suspended in Sept.

Posted on June 19, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 19, 2012:

White Plains Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet announced displinary actions today for students who planned and instigated the senior prank food fight that broke out at lunch hour in the White Plains High School cafeteria June 7.

Clouet told WPCNR that the senior class member found by school officials to have planned and organized the food fight would not be allowed to participate in high school graduation ceremonies Thursday evening. He cannot march with his class, appear on stage and receive his diploma on stage. He is also suspended and taking his final exams and Regents exams separate from classmates.

Five other seniors found to have thrown food and water balloons to begin the fight are currently suspended and assigned to custodial clean-up duty for three hours from 2:30 to 5:30 P.M. Monday, today and Wednesday under supervision of high school custodians.

Clouet said if the seniors show up and perform their clean-up duty satisfactorily under supervision of the custodians, they will be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Junior class members found to have participated are currently suspended (with exams administered privately) and the suspension will continue for one week beginning next September when they begin their senior year.

Clouet said the school district will not tolerate any event, or prank of this nature on the part of future senior classes. He said any class members in the future found to plan and stage such a prank would automatically be banned from graduation ceremonies.

The punishments were administered in Superintendent’s Hearings. Two more hearings are scheduled today.

Clouet said he was satisfied with the performance of high school security personnel during the food fight and bringing it under control.

He said that rumors that the high school administrators knew of the food fightefore b and allowed it to take place were “untrue.”

The Superintendent said a total of 10 students, seniors and juniors were identified as instigators and participants in the June 7 food fight. He said there were no serious injuries.

Clouet said the names of the students disciplined would not be released.

Sales Tax Receipts Up 15.6% in White Plains in a Year. County up 4% 1st 5 Months

Posted on June 17, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. Special to WPCNR From the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance. June 18, 2012:

White Plains is having a very good year in sales tax receipts. The May city sales tax receipts from Albany show the city collections are up 15.6% over the first 11 months of the city fiscal year ending June 30.

Westchester County is showing the start of statistically significant growth in the county economy, too, up 4% the first 5 months of their fiscal year.

Through May, White Plains has collected $46,754,475 in sales tax receipts in fiscal 2011-12, $6.3 Million more than received through May in fiscal 2010-11 when the city had collected $40,419,241. The growth is real full 15.6% because the sales tax rate was equal both years.

If the city collects $5 Million in June as the city did last June, the city is on target to collect $51.7 Million in sales tax receipts for fiscal 2011-12.

The County has collected $186.4 Million in sales taxes the first five months of its new fiscal year 2012, compared to $179.3 Million in 2011, a 4% growth in the county economy so far.

SCOOP OF WEEK: What a Day to Open a Soda Parlor! McGovern-Perrone Family SCOOPS!

Posted on June 15, 2012 by John Bailey

The White Plains Living Cones (Ryan Trapp, left and big brother Mike Trapp) sucked in first time customers in a steady stream to get first licks, off the street in to Anne McGovern-Perrone’s new ice cream parlor today on a beautiful day for cone! 80 SUNNY WPCNR DEGREES!

Anniez is scooping old-fashioned cones and soda-jerking thick and frosties from 11 A.M. to 11P.M. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; Tuesday through Thursday 12 noon to 9 P.M.

Check it out! The shakes are thick and frosty (Fribble-Quality–WPCNR-endorsed), the ice cream selection (Mt. Pleasant Ice Cream) has the diversity White Plains demands…and Moms, teens, Dads, and kids of all ages will love. Come on down! Thompson & Bender may want to sign the Living Cones up for their next promotion!

Anne McGovern-Perrone second from left and her Sweet Annie’s Team…Their Scoops work for you! Annie’s is on the south end of Mamaroneck Avenue right across the street from The Jefferson, with plenty of free parking available. No waiting. Right next door to Cartridge World. Anne says it is a joint family venture between her and her husband…and they have plenty of help.

Abinanti on the new proposed reorganization of delivering services to the disab

Posted on June 14, 2012 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Thomas J. Abinanti, Assemblyman, 92nd Assembly District. June 14,2012:

The Assemblyman forwards the following critique of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s reform bill that would establish a superagency to determine which services and how much money would be spent on disabled individuals’ care. The bill, previously highlighted only on the White Plains Week television show, has serious flaws in Mr. Abinanti’s opinion.

Here he highlights the flaws of the legislation as presently constituted. Mr. Abinanti’s office has been notified to ascertain how committed the two houses are to passing the bill in its present form.

The legislation was conceived in response to the federal government requiring more accountability from the state which has been found to be using medicaid money for the disabled as part of the general fund budget. The state response was to formulate this bill to spend federal funds more prudently and save money.

Mr. Abinanti writes about the bill’s ambiguities and pitfalls:

I. GOAL: INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT

A. Reform means establishing independent oversight from different sources separate from service-provider agencies.

The proposed legislation concentrates oversight in one super agency which also provides services. Combining operational functions (rule-making, training, recordkeeping, reporting of incidents) with oversight institutionalizes a conflict. Concentrating oversight control in the Governor’s office gives the appearance of diminishing prosecutorial independence.

The legislation should include:

1. Career prosecutors not reporting to Executive Branch

Employed and supervised by NYS Attorney General

Local prosecutors with AG support

Special State Police Unit to support local police

2. Inspector General not reporting to Executive Branch

a. Employed and supervised by NYS State Comptroller

b. Input from family/guardian counsels and ombudsman

3. Non governmental not for profit protection and advocacy (P&A) watchdog agency with guaranteed funding from state and non-state sources empowered to investigate and commence civil litigation for systemic sufficiency.

a. Should be established by statute not executive order. Executive Order makes entity dependent on the discretion of Executive Branch over which it is charged with oversight.

b. Should have jurisdiction over OPWDD, OMH, and OASAS and also OCFS programs and adult homes.

c. Governing Board should consist of a majority of people with disabilities and family members.

d. Functions should be restricted to monitoring, investigating and reporting on abuse/neglect. Other functions should be moved to an office of services for people with disabilities.

4. Reinstatement of local board–of-visitors type function.

B. Reform means facilitating immediate notification to most convenient law enforcement for investigation of possible crimes, preservation of evidence and protection of witnesses and victims.

The proposed legislation funnels all abuse/neglect complaints through a new clearinghouse bureaucracy which will cause significant delay of /impediment to immediate notification of law enforcement officials of potential crimes. The proposed legislation appears to delete requirements for certain officials to immediately notify law enforcement of a potential crime yet requires whistleblowers to use dictated channels under criminal penalty even if they are at risk of retaliation.

The legislation should:

1. Clarify that anyone may report a crime directly to law enforcement.

a. No limitations on where complaints may be made

b. Statewide reporting registry designed as a registry and tracking tool one means of entry into the criminal justice system not a clearing house for complaints.

2. Reward not punish whistleblowers or put them at risk

C. Reform means understandable definitions and standards that reflect Zero Tolerance for criminal behavior.

The proposed legislation raises the bar for referrals to law enforcement.

The legislation should:

1. Standards

a. Not raise the threshold from “some credible” evidence to “preponderance of evidence”

b. Not raise the threshold from “indicated” to “substantiated” requiring a finding that an individual or facility is responsible.

2. Definitions:

a. Advocates and providers have complained about the proposed definitions being imprecise

b. Definitions of abuse/neglect appear to wrongly omit accidental injurious physical conduct no matter how often repeated, or how many victims

c. Definition of physical injury appears to wrongly require diminution of physical condition not just harm or damage

d. Confusion arises by changing Penal Law district attorney definition to include inspector general.

e. The act should use accepted language of “people with disabilities” not “people with special needs.”

II. GOAL: ENHANCE THE ROLE OF FAMILIES

A. Reform means enhancing the role of families of people with disabilities who are residing in facilities operated by the state and the private sector.

The proposed legislation adds no meaningful enhancement of the role of families.

The legislation should include:

1. Family Bill of Rights

a. Immediate notification of any untoward event

b. Access information: learn as if resident could talk

c. Freedom to unannounced visits

d. Input to health and safety issues

e. Regularly scheduled meetings

2. Family/Guardian Councils

a. Advise on statewide and local budget

b. Review expenditures to ensure financial transparency

3. Ombudsman Program/Advocacy Program

a. Paid staff and unpaid family advocates for state and

non-profit agencies

B. Reform means total transparency for families to examine the operation, care and finances of the entire system and each individual facility. Protecting the privacy of individual residents should not be used as the excuse to prevent family members to access and understand information as if the person with disabilities were able to explain to them what occurred.

The proposed legislation appears to reinforce present “confidentiality” provisions which have served to cloak care agencies in secrecy and block family access to information. (Example, Why restrict medical examiner’s release of death report to justice center?)

III. GOAL: IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS

Reform means improving the living conditions of people with disabilities and preventing abuse and neglect.

The proposed legislation adds no meaningful enhancement of the living conditions of people with disabilities. At most, it instructs existing agencies that have failed to better both living conditions and working conditions to promulgate new regulations to do what they should have been doing all along. It does nothing to implement the recommendations and latest reports to the Governor that there should be increased opportunities for people in residential facilities to have community integrated services and “segregation as last resort”.

The legislation should include:

1. Abuse and neglect prevention

a. Establish standards for good appropriate care

b. Integrate person centered programs

c. Carefully drafted uniform definitions of abuse and neglect of people with disabilities, including intentional and accidental behavior

2. Better care from better working conditions

a. Living wage

b .Limited overtime

c . Appropriate training

d. Careful employee vetting

e. Standards/Qualifications/Job Descriptions

3. Implementation

a. Should establish commission to determine appropriate staffing and costs

b. Need budget amendment for finances

c. Include family members and, where possible, people with disabilities consumers in planning transition to new system

d. There should be no delay in implementing recent reform laws.