WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. From The New York Civil Liberties Union. (Edited) December 11, 2006: As the New York State Legislature considers a bill hat would authorize the state to re-incarcerate individuals who have already served sentences for sex offenses, the New York Civil Liberties Union today released a report that finds stark racial disparities between the general population and the population of persons designated as Level 3 sex offenders — the vast majority the NYCLU finds are black.
The report also charges that New York uses flawed procedures for assessing an offender’s risk of re-offending.
The Mayor of the City of White Plains has protested strongly for the last year that Westchester County has been allowing Level 3 sex offenders to stay at county shelters at 85 Court Street and 86 Post Road in the city. Over the last year, 1 Level 3 sex offender has been identified at having made an appearance at the 85 Court Street shelter according to police records.
The NYCLU presented its data analysis in a letter to Governor George Pataki, Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The data shows that:
– Blacks make up 15.9 percent of the New York State population but represent 37.2 percent of Level 3 offenders. Blacks are overrepresented by 134 percent.
– In the three upstate counties of Albany, Onondaga and Monroe, blacks are nearly three times more prevalent in the Level 3 population than in the general population.
– Blacks represent 11.1 percent of the Albany County population, but 33.3 percent of the county’s Level 3 offenders. In Onondaga County, blacks represent 9.4 percent of the population, but 28 percent of Level 3 offenders. Monroe County’s black population is 13.7, but 39.1 percent of the county’s Level 3 offenders are black.
– On Long Island blacks are overrepresented among Level 3 offenders by 485 percent relative to their numbers in the general population.
– In Suffolk county blacks represent just under 7 percent of the general population but 42 percent of persons designated Level 3 offenders.
– In Nassau County blacks represent approximately 10 percent of the general population but nearly 56 percent of those designated as Level 3 offenders.
“These disparities indicate that racial bias affects the investigation and prosecution of sex crimes; the adequacy of legal representation provided the accused; and the procedures used to classify sex offenders regarding the risk they pose to public safety,” said Donna Lieberman, NYCLU Executive Director. “The proposed civil commitment bill endorses misguided public policy. Now it appears the bill would promote racial bias. The legislature must say no.”
The NYCLU’s letter will be available on its website, www.nyclu.org. The
report is also available on the website at
www.nyclu.org/pdfs/sexoffender_analysis_121106.pdf.
County Warns of Fish Product to Avoid– Risk of Botulism
WPCNR HEALTH HERALD. From Westchester County Department of Health. December 11, 2006: The Westchester County Department of Health issued a consumer alert today, warning consumers not to eat “Nina International brand all natural smoked boney fish” sold by Gold Coast Trading Corporation, located at 381 Canal Place in the Bronx.
“Although no illnesses have been reported from consumption of this product, there is some concern that the product could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health for Westchester County. “Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal illness. Therefore, we advise consumers not to eat this product.”
The Westchester County Health Department issued this consumer alert after receiving notification of the health concerns from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today. Concerns stem from an analysis by New York State Food Laboratory personnel that found the “smoked boney fish” to be uneviscerated or “ungutted” – the gut and internal organs of this processed fish had not been removed. Sale of uneviscerated processed fish is prohibited under New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets regulations because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera (gut) than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated processed fish has been linked to previous outbreaks of botulism poisoning.
Symptoms of botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing, and respiratory paralysis.
Solid Gold! Skyliners Win Juniors at Cape Cod Classic in 5th Year.
WPCNR RINKSIDE By “Edge”Bailey. December 10, 2006: The Skyliners, the tri-state figure skating team of the Skating Club of New York and the Windy Hill Skating Club of Greenwich, Connecticut won the Junior Division Gold Medal Saturday afternoon in the Cape Cod Synchronized Skating Class competition in Bourne, Massachussetts, in their third major competition of the season. The rewarding skate followed up their promising debut in the Dr. Porter Classic in
Junior Skyliners Two Lines in the Spread Eagle Splice — Coming at Each Other at 20 MPH — At the Point of No Return in their spectacular Eagle Splice — Setting the Tone in their Poseiden Adventure Long Program Saturday afternoon. The Juniors (14-18) won their First Junior Gold Medal in the Cape Cod Synchronized Skating Classic Saturday. Photo, WPCNR Sports
It was a glorious competition for teams from the
The Skyliner Novice team –Pinwheeling.
In addition to the Skyliner Junior win (division for girls 12-18), The Skyliner Novice team (girls under 15) skating sharper with every appearance, show their crisp pinwheel (all with footwork in synch) and going at each other in their Backwards Splice Lunge (below) (“The Bladesof Death”) finished a strong Silver to the Hayden (MA) Ice Mates’ Gold performance (See Photo below) as one great Novice program after another was skated. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Hayden Recreation (MA) sassy Ice Mates — footwork perfect — skating to Gold in the Novice division to music from High School Musical. Photo, WPCNR Sports
The Skyliner Juvies — In their Tumultuous Cheerleading Program
America’s Peppiest Most Energetic Precise Skating Cheerleaders — The spectacular Skyliner Juveniles (under 13) (shown in the two pictures above) won the Silver Medal (to go with their two first place “Golds” in the Plymouth Thanksgiving Classic and the Terry Connors Competition). The Syncroettes of Morristown New Jersey (shown below), just eased past the Skyliner “Pep Girls” with a precise flamboyant skate to Annie Get Your Gun where the girls showed such command and showgirlship that they captured the Gold. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
The Syncroettes Showcase! Photo, WPCNR Sports
Team Image from the Yonkers Figure Skating Club scored a “knockout” with their “Rocky” program to win the Intermediate competition (girls under 16). Here, Team Image is shown skating “Rocky” at the Plymouth Thanksgiving Classic last month. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Those Precocious Skyliner Prelimimaries skated to an amazing third straight Gold Medal in the Prelimary Team Division (Girls Under 10) with their jaunty, pridefilled program to “Anchors Aweigh”, shown here in an earlier skate this season at the Plymouth Thanksgiving Classic — their firstever competition skate — where they won the Gold Medal in a strong field. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
The Cape Cod Synchronized Skating Classic was the strongest showing yet turned in by the trio of New York-New Jersey synchronized skating teams on the Eastern Synchro Circuit. The Skyliner, Syncroette and Team Image programs synchronized skating fans attending the Colonial Classic in
Juniors in their Spread Eagle Block in their Poseiden Adventure Free Skate Saturday. Their effort gave them their first Gold, to The Lexettes from Hayden Massachussetts who challenged and placed second in the Junior Division with their trademark impeccable elegance and execution (below) Photo, WPCNR Sports
The Lexettes of Hayden in their spectacular pinwheel, Spread Eagle, in the Junior Skate. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Hard Work and Wanting to Get Better are What Synchro Preaches Most. Here, Team Delaware from the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club earned the Bronze Medal in the Junior Competition with their performance of the season so far, moving on up a tribute to the work ethic of skaters who would skate in sync! Photo, WPCNR Sports
The Skyliners Junior Team has skated in three competitions this year with the Junior team improving each time they take to the ice under the most complex and unforgiving scoring system in sports, the International. every footwork move, Choctaw and Mohawk and Twizzle, Bielman, rocker slice, and spread-eagle splice is double checked against instant replay and if one skater is not executing “the move” simultaneously, the element (circle, pinwheel, splice) is not scored. Flying across the ice at 20 to 30 miles per hour on one blade up in your face, and no pads or face mask, synchronized skating has no margin for error. Just precision, concentration and nerve, baby, or look out!
The Skyliner Juniors in that Tina Turner Attitude, beginning their Short Program Friday evening. The Skyliner Juniors are: Juliana Bailey, Mollie Barr, Nicole Battasglia, Cerene Belli, Heather Dillman, Laura Fayer, Alyssa Franco, Mary Halling, Deanna Jensen, Hannah Kasper, Christina Kyriakos, Christina Lee, Caitlin Lombardi, Kelsey Loveday, Emma Marr, Michele Noviello, Christine Salamone, Becky Schwartzman, Allegra Staples, Nikki Wylan. Photo, WPCNR Sports
In Friday evening’s Short Junior Program, the Juniors’ two and a half minute technical skate to Rolling on the River, the Skyliner Junior Girls executed their Circle, Line, block and wheel and intersection crisply with power and sass and Tine Turner attitude, following that up with a dramatic, dignified body language skate to The Poseiden Adventure Saturday afternoon for their first Gold Medal ever.
Skyliners “Nail” a Block in their Long. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Another View of the Skyliners Spread Eagle Splice Performed in their Short Program in the Plymouth Thanksgiving Classic. Photo WPCNR Sports
The Long Program, is required to display nine elements: A block, a circle, two intersections, one line, one wheel, one Movements in Isolation, one No Hold Up step sequence and one split element. Their Spread Eagle splice in the long program performed about 40 seconds into the program set the tone.
The team skated up to the Spread Eagle splice this year – an intense gutsy splice introduced by Miami University of Ohio Senior National Champions last year – where you cannot pull out or change line direction or stance when passing through the line of girls coming right at you in similar stance – was pulled off at the highest speed they have ever done it, evoking shrieks from the 1,000 fans rinkside.
The Juniors Executing their graceful “Group Spiral”. Photo, WPCNR Sports
Josh Babb, former Canadian Junior Ice Dance Champion, Skyliners Coach (with Jenny Gibson) and Choreographer, Director of Synchronized Skating for the Skyliners, was proud of his team for improving to the point where they were “getting all the calls” and improving their score 22 points over their Porter performance 5 days previously in Michigan. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
After skating their Short Program for a 49.07 Friday evening for first, Saturday the Juniors lifted their Free Skate Long Program to a new level, 90.64, for a
Wearing Gold — A Once-in-a-Lifetime Feeling. Photo, WPCNR Sports
From competition to competition, practice to practice the team, the high school girls have concentrated, worked and pushed their hearts to get better in short and long programs in the intricate footwork and the all important posture and arm movements the merciless judges observe. In each competition they have skated better, adjusted mental attitudes to perform under pressure. In synchro you have one skate to be great. It is all about mind, body, heart, spirit and nerve being in, natural synchronization.
Sisters on Ice: Team Delaware (Bronze Medalists) and The Skyliners congratulate each other. A testimony to the pride and sense of achievement that improved performance through work, pride, and determination synchronized skating offers. Photo, WPCNR Sports
As a souvenir shirt in
“Football, 4 downs
Baseball, 3 Strikes
Tennis, 2 Serves
Skating, One Chance.”
Fire Department to Add Jaws of Life, Rabbit Tools to Cut Response Time
WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. (Edited) December 11, 2006: Preferred Services Group and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company has announced the White Plains Fire Department will receive an $8,990 grant for life-saving rescue equipment, the “Jaws of Life” and “Rabbit Tools” to be used throughout the County through the Westchester County Mutual Aid system that provides rescue services on Interstates 287 and 684, Route 22, and the Hutchison River and Bronx River Parkways. The grant will be presented to the city and fire department Friday morning.
White Plains Fire Chief Richard Lyman.
“Firefighters race against the clock to get victims to the emergency room within the ‘golden hour,’” points out Rich Lyman, White Plains Fire Department Fire Chief. “Currently we are using a 25-year-old tool cutter but will now purchase the latest technologically-advanced rescue equipment that will enhance our department’s operational effectiveness and efficiency. I want to thank Preferred Services Group and Fireman’s Fund for recognizing an essential need of our department and this community.” Photo, WPCNR News Archive
Specifically, equipment purchased will include a “Jaws of Life” rescue tool used by emergency responders to cut through metal allowing them to safely and quickly rescue people trapped in motor vehicles as a result of an accident. In addition, funds will purchase two “Rabbit Tools,” forcible entry pieces of equipment used for, among other things, gaining quick access to building interiors during emergencies. Remaining funds will go to the purchase of smoke detectors to be used in conjunction with the department’s Residential Public Education/Smoke Detector program, geared toward providing low-income families and senior citizens with detectors.
“As a White Plains-based company, the welfare of this city and county is of utmost importance to us,” states Ken Murray, vice president of sales & marketing for Preferred Services Group. “This grant will provide critical pieces of equipment that will make this community a safer place in which to live and work.”
Preferred Services Group and Fireman’s Fund executives will come together for a grant presentation event taking place at City Hall with Joseph M. Delfino, Mayor of the City of White Plains, and other local officials in attendance, Friday, December 15 at 10 A.M.
“As a White Plains-based company, the welfare of this city and county is of utmost importance to us,” states Ken Murray, vice president of sales & marketing for Preferred Services Group. “This grant will provide critical pieces of equipment that will make this community a safer place in which to live and work.”
Preferred Services Group and Fireman’s Fund executives will come together for a grant presentation event taking place at City Hall with Joseph M. Delfino, Mayor of the City of White Plains, and other local officials in attendance, Friday, December 15 at 10 A.M.
The grant was funded by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, a premier property and casualty insurance company that also provides grants to fire departments through its Fireman’s Fund Heritage program. Under the program, local agencies like Preferred Services Group that sell Fireman’s Fund products are able to direct grants to support local fire departments and the communities they serve. Additional information about the program can be found at www.firemansfund.com/heritage.