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)

Assemblyman Castelli, Mayor Roach Highlight Tuesday Council of Neighborhood Asso

Posted on July 11, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS. July 11, 2011:

The July Meeting of the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) will be held on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30 pm in the lower meeting room of Education House, 5 Homeside Lane, White Plains.

State Assemblyman Robert Castelli and White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach will be the guest speakers (see the press release attached).

Topics sure to be mentioned in their presentations and in the Q&A sessions afterward include hydrofracking, closing Indian point, the 2% property tax cap, the City budget, the Gedney landfill closure, open space recreation zoning, FASNY, City layoffs and staffing, and the Sassower B&B.

The meeting is open to the public and will start promptly at 7:30 pm. Please come early to get a good seat and allow time for audience participation and networking.

Board of Legislators Poised to Green Light Childrens Museum at Playland. Hear no

Posted on July 10, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT By John F. Bailey. July 10, 2011:

When County Legislator Bill Ryan of the recreation committee is asked point blank what is going to go into the Westchester Childrens Museum proposed for the Playland bathhouses, and he can’t give you an answer as to what if anything really historic or significant is going to go there, I as a voter have a problem with that.

Tomorrow the local law giving the Westchester Childrens Museum group a 10-year, $1 a year lease of the bathouses at Playland, in return for their paying approximately $7 Million for the County renovation of the bathouses, still mired in a contractual dispute, will be on the agenda for a quiet enactment, unless some legislators act responsibly..

This has been a loaded project from the start. Touted as being able to bring in $4 Million a year to the county in admissions by attracting parents to an indoor museum during the winter months (when nothing is going on at Playland except a lot of great ice-skating activity, you have to wonder what powerful professional do-gooders (and political contributors, perhaps) have a stake in this mystery boondoggle that is all for the kids.

The county legislators have not been asking the questions that really need answering. Why? Because they don’t want to think about it. But why am I not surprised, county legislators don’t think it is their job to think. It’s not their job.

They hear no evil. Speak no evil. See no evil. And ask no hard questions.

Childrens museums usually thrive in a destination location like Baltimore’s Inner Harbor…but they are not even museums for the most part.They are glorified exhibits of involving amusement.

For a county that does not even have their own Westchester County Museum of History (where the Board of Legislators could establish the Ken Jenkins legislators’ Hall of Fame, an Andrew J. O’Rourke County Executive’s Hall of Fame (or Infamy). Gee, maybe I should not have written that.

But, I digress.

Last week the county approved money for another park I have never heard of—yet the last two years we have been taking dead aim at killing a park – Playland – that is the largest employer of youth during the summer in the county – while killing attendance by raising fees that have resulted in a 40% drop in attendance this summer.

Excuse me, but I do not see the thinking here.

Now because some politically connected do-gooder types think a children’s museum would be a good idea, when they cannot tell us what is going in it? (They had every opportunity during the hearing on this issue last month, and did not.)

What will the themes will be, what will be the reason people will go there except general platitudes that this will be a wonderful thing for the county. I do not buy it.

Besides, as County Executive Robert Astorino points out – it is compromising the Playland proposals – and saddles any future developer with the albatross of the children’s museum.

But as I wrote last week – the hard questions are not being asked.

Will Playland even be open next year(depriving Westchester, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Connecticut a wholesome attraction)?

Will the Playland beach be open next year?

Will it be accessible to the public if some developer gets the prize parcel?

Will the splendid Playland pool (above) be open next year?

What is going into the “Mystery” Children’s Museum (maybe they’ll have a how government and private partnership works exhibit)? Beware the private partnership – another euphemism for deal remember finding the home for Westchester County Election Machines that resulted in a windfall for a political contributor to a previous county emperor?

When will the county ever finish redoing the art deco facade on the bathhouses? The bond company is in the process of finding another contractor, as of last week.

If a developer comes in, how much of the old Playland—the rides, boardwalk access, the docks will be preserved (what’s the commitment of this committee on this issue)?

More to the point, who will determine what rides, attractions are of enough historical significance to be saved, preserved improved?

Why has the county executive and the county legislature put in an admissions policy apparently calculated to lower attendance, not raise attendance? (Because that is what their policy is resulting in,)

When will details of all the proposals be divulged in detail?

When I wrote a column on this last week, it was out of the blue. I did not know the actual committee on Playland was holding a meeting on their preliminary report which they did not make public that day. And surprise! They did not make the preliminary report public! Come on. Who’s going to be making big money on this project? Is the committee already committed to the chldren’s museum? You bet it is.

My questions continue:

How long will the selected developer and the Chidren’s Museum be given to develop the property? The Children Museum has two years from the lease agreement to develop the property. Lots of luck.

They have not raised the extra cash to build the interior of the museum yet. If they do not have it in hand right now? (They have money for their share of the renovation, and say they can raise the museum construction …trust us.)

Well, maybe the tightwad banks of choice in Westchester will lend them the money? Fundraising is getting killed this year. Where are the contributions going to come from?

Another issue:

Will Playland remain open next season if it continues its dismal attendance trend? Will it be functioning while the developer the county chooses, develops?

How long will Playland be closed, if it is closed while the developer develops?

How much county money will given the developer picked to do the property over? And how much money will the county lend or grant outright to the children’s museum people if they can’t raise the bucks to furnish the exhibits?

Will the county have an approval in the theme of the exhibits in the museum?

Will County dollars put into redevelopment cost of Playland, if any county dollars are planned, amount to far more than it costs to run the park now as it is? This Board of Legislators has to be the most short-sighted, naïve group of legislators – but wait – I think the White Plains Common Council is in a tie.

How is the Playland developer and the Children’s Museum going to get the financing if needed, in this market? Connections maybe? With the banks?

Will the developer selected be allowed to clear the old Playland structures before they get financing? This is very key. Will they be forced to operate it while developing? Can that be done given dangers of construction?

How expensive will be the admission price of the new facility be whatever it is going to be to get into?

If the cost of admission is less than the present policy, then you know the county wanted to kill this wonderful magic place all along.

Why aren’t our County Legislators asking these questions? Can they think more than one veto in advance?

Playland is priceless.

Everybody has fun there of all races, ages, and creeds.

All that will be left after the Museum deal and the developer deal is done will be the memories.

Just because the white elite in this county don’t like hispanic, black, asian people from The Bronx, Manhattan and Queens coming to Playland, does not mean we should shut them out by raising the admissions bar. Come on, Robert Moses, the father of parks built parks with all the people in mind.

County Executive Astorino will have the ignominious distinction of being the man who made the deal that resulted in the destruction of the last amusement park of old-time vintage in the country.

Because unless the developer is forced to keep Playland open while they construct — something no developer wants to do — Playland will be just a memory for the years it will take to redo a park.

Can’t our team of blind mice see that?

Go and enjoy this park the rest of this summer, folks because it may not be there at all next year to enjoy.

It will go the way of Palisades Park, Luna Park, FreedomLand.

Go out and ride the Kiddyland train once more, and the original carousel. That’s what they’re going to kill.

Joy.

Override! Westchester Residents Can Now Walk Playland Free

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. July 7, 2011:

With most of the warm summer weeks still to come, the Westchester County Board of Legislators voted today to eliminate the resident spectator entrance fee at Playland by overriding the County Executive’s veto of the plan. The Board cited one of the reasons was Playland attendance being down 30% from 2010 levels.

The new free admission (for walkaround privileges inside the park) for Westchester County residents goes into affect today.

The vote, taken at a Special Meeting of the BOL here this morning, was 12-4 and along party lines, with Democrats in favor. Legislator Bernice Spreckman (R-Yonkers) was absent.

In a news release, the Board reported, “it is clear that the spectator entrance fees have hurt attendance with numbers for the year down almost 30% from last year. Through 6/12/11, resident spectators were 7,323—down from 12,212 in 2010. This is the best statistic yet that the spectator entrance fee is keeping residents away.”

Two years ago, the County implemented, for the first time, a spectator entrance fee of $3 for residents and $5 for non-residents. The fee allowed visitors a one-day entry to Playland, with rides, amusements and food costs all extra. In the 2011 budget, the County Executive and Parks Department increased the spectator entrance fees–to $5 for residents and $10 for non-residents as a means of increasing revenue.

Higher gasoline and travel costs, along with better financial projections and worries about pricing visitors away from the park, caused the BOL to modify this policy, eliminating the fee for residents and dropping it to $5 for non-residents. Following the County Executive’s veto of this plan, the BOL came back with a compromise in which the resident spectator fee was still eliminated but the non-resident fee was kept at $10.

Asked Legislator and Public Works, Parks, Labor and Transportation Committee Chairman William J. Ryan (D-White Plains): “Westchester residents already pay property taxes that help to keep all of our parks open and beautiful—why should they have to spend more of their hard-earned dollars just to go to this park and walk around?”

“The goal is to get people into Playland—not keep them out,” said Legislator and Minority Whip Judith Myers (D-Larchmont). “This plan is a compromise with the Administration, giving county residents free access to the park while continuing to charge non-residents. For Rye and other Sound Shore residents, this is a clear victory, as so many utilize the park on a daily basis and would like to accompany friends and family members into the amusement area and other parts of the park without being charged to do so.”

Statistics that suggest Playland is losing $4 million annually is based on debt service and county costs that are not in any other county park balance sheets, or otherwise all of the parks and county-run golf courses would also show they are run at a loss. Last year, Playland actually netted $900,000 for county coffers before the debt and County-related costs were applied to the bottom line.

Changing signage and refunding a few dozen season-pass holders who paid for a spectator-only season pass will not be a problem, noted Ryan.

“It was my hope that the Board of Legislators and the County Executive would reach a compromise solution to the issue of Playland fees,” said Legislator John Nonna (D-Pleasantville). “While the Board’s majority was willing to accept a compromise, the County Executive was regrettably unwilling to do so. For me, it was a simple question of fairness. Why should a county resident be able to bring children or grandchildren to Muscoot Farm, Ward Pound Ridge or other county parks and not have to pay a spectator fee, yet bring those same children to Playland and have to pay a spectator fee?”

Westchester County Parks Department officials estimate that Playland continues to be on target to achieve the $12 million dollars in budgeted revenue for 2011.

At Wednesday’s vote, Legislator and Majority Leader Peter Harckham (D-Katonah) noted that the Republican legislators were overly concerned about the $200,000-plus revenue shortfall caused by the new resident spectator fee plan—which ends the double taxation of Westchester residents—while ignoring the Astorino Administration’s bungled negotiation with the Playland vendors which cost taxpayers $660,000.

The new plan eliminating spectator entrance fees at Playland will go into effect tomorrow.

New President at Archbishop Stepinac is From White Plains

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Archbishop Stepinac High School. July 7, 2011:

The Board of Trustees of Archbishop Stepinac Catholic High School announced today that White Plains native, Father Thomas Collins has been named the new President of the boys high school. He is the ninth leader of the 63-year-old school, succeeding Monsignor Anthony Marchitelli.

Father Thomas Collins

Father Collins,who grew up in White Plains, is a 1979 graduate of the school and is a member of a family with strong connections to the all boys’ high school on Mamaroneck Avenue that was founded 63 years ago. His two brothers, John (Class of 1980) and Joe (1981), along with his nephew, Joe (2009) are Stepinac graduates and another nephew, Michael, graduated just last month. His parents, Thomas and Martha Collins, have lived in White Plains for the last 35 years.

Father Collins graduated from Iona College in New Rochelle in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Father Collins studied at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1992. In 1995 he returned to Stepinac as a member of the faculty. In 2001 he was named Associate Dean of Students and a year later became Dean of Students, a position he held until 2007 when he joined the school’s Office of Development. An avid and accomplished golfer, he has been coach of Stepinac’s golf team for the last 15 years.

As a priest, Father Collins celebrates Mass on Sundays at three Westchester parishes: Resurrection Church in Rye, Holy Rosary Church in Hawthorne and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in White Plains. He serves as board member at The School of the Holy Child in Rye and has been active in civic affairs in the community including serving as an aide to the Grand Marshall at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in White Plains.

“I am honored to have been chosen to fill this important position at the school to which so much of my life has been closely associated,” Father Collins said. “Stepinac has not only played a key role in shaping the lives of five members of the Collins family but in the lives of literally thousands of other families, as well. The school offers a unique and supportive environment, a tradition that we respect and that remains an integral aspect a Stepinac educationtoday.”

He added: “Now that we are an independent school, Stepinac is facingboth new challenges and new opportunities. Over the last three years we have seen a significant increase in enrollment and we are confident that we will be able to maintain this very positive trend.We have a dedicated and motivated faculty, staff and administration that has embraced our new era asan independent school. This fall we will open a new turf athletic field that will be a major improvement for our athleticprogram. We have numerous other exciting projects we are pursuing to expand and improve Stepinac’scurricula and academics. This is an exciting time to be a part of Stepinac and I look forward to having a leadership role as we move forward.”

William F. Plunkett Jr., Stepinac’s Board Chairman, said:“We are extremely fortunate to have an individual with Father Collins’ abilities and deep knowledge of the school be able to step into this critically important role. Msgr. Marchitelli has provided a steady hand in overseeing the school during the transition to independence and leaves us with a solid foundation on which to build for the future. We are indebted to him for all he has done for the school.” Msgr. Marchitelli has been named administrator of Our Lady of the Assumption parish in the Bronx. He had been at Stepinac since 2003.

Mr. Plunkett said that Father Collins’ experience with Stepinac as a student, teacher and administrator provide him with a unique perspective. His experience in Stepinac’s Development Office over the last several years has also given him an in-depth knowledge of the financial needs and goals of the school.

“Now that Stepinac is an independent school, it iscrucially important that we continue to enhance our academics, enrich our many extracurricular programs and expand our fund raising activities. We enjoy the solid support of our Board of Trustees, the Stepinac Foundation and our alumni. Father Collins will play a key role in shaping and expanding the involvement of Stepinac’s expansive alumni base in our fundraising, as well as in overseeing the educational experience that Stepinac offers.”

Founded in 1948, Archbishop Stepinac High School’s mission is to offer young men a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that are unique to the Stepinac experience. For more information on Stepinac High School, please visit www.stepinac.org.