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)

October Sales Tax in City down 9.3%–Up 2% for 1st Q. County Up 2%/YR

Posted on November 14, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. November 14, 2011:

The city sales tax receipts for October slumped 9.3% after a 15% surge in sales tax receipts in September.

October receipts, were down $380,076 from last October 2010 figure of $4,469,015, with $4,088,939 funneled into city coffers last month, due in part to a week of power outages in White Plains and the county from the October snowstorm.

White Plains, after the first quarter of its fiscal year 2011-12, is up 2% over the 2010 pace, slightly less than the inflation rate. The first four months of fiscal 11-12 shows the city having collected $16, 870,644 compared to $16,556,980 in the first quarter of fiscal 2010–2% ahead of last year’s pace.

Westchester County heading into the home stretch of its fiscal year ending in December continues to be 2% over last year’s pace in sales tax receipts, thanks to a solid October at the cash registers. The county through the first ten months of 2011 has received $369,262,423 in sales tax receipts compared to $361,958,134, up $7.3 Million over the same ten month period.

Westchester County is on pace, if they earn the $80 Million they collected in sales tax in November and December last year, to top $449 Million in sales tax for fiscal 2011. Up 2% on the year.

Public Safety’s 1st Promotions in two years: Castelli,Farrelly, Doherty, Hickey

Posted on November 14, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. November 14, 2011:

The Department of Public Safety promoted four new cornerstones to build the future of the Department this morning at Public Safety Headquarters.

First Public Safety Promotions in Two Years, Building the Future. Promoted today at the Department of Public Safety: Far left, Newly promoted Captain Joseph Castelli of the Police Department; Third from left, Lieutenant Brian Hickey of the Fire Bureau; Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong; new Police Sergeant Kevin Farrelly, and new Police Lieutenant Dennis Doherty. Mayor Thomas Roach is second from left.

Mayor Thomas Roach observing, in his remarks said the promotions were a testimony to the fine men and women in the department and the men honored with promotion today were a legacy that was part of building the department for the future.

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong swears in Brian Hickey to the rank of Lieutenant in the Fire Bureau, after only six years with the Bureau.

Commissioner Chong recalled when Hickey was asked during his hiring interview where he hoped to be in the bureau in six years, said, “The Rescue Truck(Engine 88).” Chong said this answer indicated his commitment to the mission of the department. Chong said Hickey’s rise to Lieutenant after only six years in the bureau was remarkable.

Commissioner Chong swore in Joseph Castelli to the rank of Captain in the Police Department, whom he welcomed as a key member of the Captains’ contingent. Chong pointed out police department captains are part of his executive staff. Dennis Doherty was promoted to Lieutenant, and Kevin Farrelly was promoted to Sergeant.

Commissioner Chong in his remarks said he felt the White Plains Department of Public Safety was the finest department anywhere, saying “Not a day goes by that I do not get a call from someone praising the department.” To Commissioner Chong’s left are James Bradley, Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of the Fire Bureau, and Mayor Thomas Roach.

Chong said to the wives, children and proud parents attending that he thanked them for their understanding of the difficulties of the jobs their husbands and sons do every day. Chong said that from his own personnel experience, police officers and fire personnel have to deal with difficult circumstances in the line of duty and their families are special in order to deal with that duty stress.

An overflow crowd of colleagues and family members attended the ceremony and a feeling of good will, pride and happiness lit up the room.

Election Roundup 2011

Posted on November 12, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR PRESS TABLE. News and Comment by County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. November 12, 2011:

The campaigns are over, the votes have been cast and of course there are winners and losers in this week’s local elections here in Westchester County. Starting of course here in White Plains, the Republican ticket of Richard Cirulli, James Arndt, Mike Donnelly and Terence Guerriere had hoped to break the Democratic supermajority on the White Plains Common Council.

Nancy King

Guerriere, a local activist in the southern portion of the city was thought to have been a sure thing given his position as neighborhood spokesperson against the French American School of New York coming to his neighborhood. However, given the fact that he lost his election bid in a big way (801 votes behind Dennis Krolian) can only mean one thing….the neighborhoods in the Ridgeway area of White Plains really either aren’t that upset that FASNY is coming to town or at this point they just don’t care.

Council President Benjamin Boykin won a fourth term and was the leading vote-getter. Dennis Krolian won in a bid to join the council for the first time. Milagros Lecuona won reelection for a second term, while John Martin defeated Mr. Arndt to complete the remain two years of Mayor Thomas Roach’s council term. Mr. Roach won a Special Election to become the Mayor through 2013 last March. For a look at the final White Plains unofficial results, go to the Board of Elections at http://www.westchestergov.com/boe99/link24.aspx

White Plains resident, Democrat Bill Ryan will also keep his seat on the County Board of Legislators easily defeating Republican challenger, Dr. Iris Pagan.

In other legislative races around the county, it appears that the Republican County Executive has finally broken the Democratic supermajority on the 8^th floor which he believes has hindered him from putting forth any and all legislation that he would like to complete before his term is up in two years. It seems that Mr. Astorino has unofficially picked up the 3^rddistrict with Michael Smith edging out John Nonna. It also appears that incumbent legislator Sheila Marcotte of Eastchester has narrowly hung on to her seat in Eastchester. These counts will most likely be heard in court on Monday, November 14^th,

Other races of interest for Mr.Astorino are in the 16^th legislative district where Gordon Burrows easily won his seat again even after facing charges for snorting cocaine upstate last winter. Nonetheless, WPCNR heard today from an inside source that Mr. Burrows may not be sticking around the County Board Of Legislators and will be off to Albany before we know it. It is believed that Mr. Burrows may be seeking the Assembly seat of Yonkers Mayor Elect Mike Spano.

It is also believed that although Bernice Spreckman easily won her race, it is speculated that she will be stepping down in January or February of the upcoming year. Can you say special election?

Astorino also added David Gelfarb to his stable of Republicans who will help him move his legislative agendas forward. Gelfarb defeated Port Chester trustee Dan Brakewood.

However Rob Astorino must be pulling his hair out of his head with Suzanna Keith’s defeat by incumbent Judy Meyer. If you need your memory refreshed, Judy Meyer is the legislator who was the mistaken recipient of what some thought was a sexually charged email by Astorino’s Chief of Staff George Oros. Astorino and his favorite Political Action Committee , New Yorkers for Growth and the Republican party threw all of their resources in the direction of Keith but it was to no avail. Democrat Mike Kaplowitz from Somers will also be retaining his seat since Dr. Terrence Murphy was no match for “Tax Hike Mike”.

So what went so wrong for Rob Astorino that he barely broke the supermajority? He never treated his candidates equitably and after October 5^th when he released his preliminary budget projections, he forced them to run on his agenda; not theirs. Astorino is also believed to have supported the Democratic candidate in the 17^th District instead of the Republican candidate. But at the end of the day none of this really matters. What matters is that during an important election cycle the voters were not buying what any of the candidates were selling.

There comes a time when even the most savvy of voters loses confidence in the process.

With a county average of only 10% voting, it becomes quite clear that the vox populi in this county has neither the respect or the confidence of their elected officials or the candidates. Voters chose not to vote because quite frankly, they are tired of being the pawns in the elaborate game of political chess that is endemic to both local, countywide, state and ultimately the federal election process.

White Plains will muddle through the next two years praying that the recession ends, the sales tax projections continue to increase and that the residents of the south end of town will become so tired of the FASNY controversy that before they know it, the students will be there.

Rob Astorino will pin his hopes for re-election on his new seven member Republican additions to the board. Who will the voters pin their hopes on?

If someone can come up with an answer, please let me know.

Does Fall of Anti-FASNY Champion Signal Voter indifference to FASNY Coming to WP

Posted on November 10, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR MR. AND MRS.WHITE PLAINS POLL. NOVEMBER 10, 2011:

Tonight the League of Women Voters will sponsor a debate between a representative of the French American School of New York, Michael Zarin, and a major opponent of the project, Robert Stackpole, in an effort to focus on the issues involving the school plan to build a 1,200-student campus on the failed Ridgeway Country Club property in the heart of White Plains upscale southend of town.

Steven Silverberg, the City of White Plains consulting attorney on the city effort to craft an ordinance restricting what any school organization could do on the property will outline the process of the environmental review now underway. After the debate, the two protagonists will take written questions from the floor. The debate is at 7 PM at the Ridgeway Country Club.

The debate takes place a day after a candidate with strong opposition to the FASNY project and development in neighborhoods generally, Terence Guerriere, a resident of the Gedney Farms neighborhood where FASNY is planning to develop its campus, was defeated for Common Council by 500 votes (at this time).

It raises a question of whether the vast majority of the city 30,000 registered voters and 57,000 residents really is that passionately concerned that the city not allow the FASNY project, or whether the Common Council is paying too much attention to a small minority of citizerns who have their ear by earmarking about a half a million dollars of city money to studying,crafting and devising an ordinance and study that would hinder development of golf courses in general.

So WPCNR has devised the accompanying poll at the rightto sample the community’s passion index on the FASNY project.