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)

Historical Society Celebrates George Washington’s Birthday.

Posted on February 5, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR CHATTERTON HILL CHATTER. From John Vorperian. February 4, 2006:Sunday, February 19, 2006:, 1PM-3PM, celebrate George Washington’s 274th Birthday with the White Plains Historical Society, Purdy House, 60 Park Avenue, White Plains, NY. The free event will feature colonial music led by William Eckfeld and the White Plains High School Sting Ensemble, Revolutionary War Re-enactors, and refreshments for all. For more information call 328-1776 or 682-8426.

Observation of Washington’s Birthday at Purdy House, White Plains, 2005. Photo, WPCNR News Archive

Terrance Schruers, School District Budget Mastermind, To Retire in September.

Posted on February 4, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. February 4, 2006: The Assistant Superintendent for Business for the White Plains City School District has announced his retirement effective in September. Terrance Schruers, who replaced Richard Lasselle in September of 2003, will leave the district after three years almost to the day he came to White Plains.

Terrance Schruers, Assistant Superintendent for Business, left, with City Assessor Eyde McCarthy talk about PILOTS, April 2006. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Mr. Schruers plans to leave the School District almost three years to the day when he came to White Plains to replace Richard Lasselle, the previous Assistant Superintendent for Business for eight years. Schruers is known for his candor and willingness to answer any question on finances with patience, and for outlining a financial situation realistically.

Mr. Schruers has also nimbly kept the budget from requiring double digit property tax increases by using the school district ability to bond for short terms for certiorari repayments, and has scheduled them to be paid off within the next two years.

He leaves White Plains as the city school district faces a school budget ($167.5 Million projected for 2006-07), that by existing contracts and inflation alone will top $200 Million by 2008-2009. It is not known whether Jacqueline Mackin, who has assisted Mr. Schruers these last three years and Mr. Lasselle, before that, will be promoted to Mr. Schruers position or whether a search will be conducted for a successor.

Schruers in his management of the city budgets has faced a dwindling assessment roll that declined $12 Million between 2003 and 2005, lead by the city’s most successful businesses filing certioraris that they won. Among those businesses contributing to the certiorari drain were AT & T, Westchester One, Nordstroms, Gateway I and Bloomingdale’s. In 2005 and 2006 the School District bonded for $16 Million in certiorari refunds.

The district will lose Mr. Schruers at the time when it may be floating its largest bond in its history, $67 Million for building improvements in the district.

The Feiner Report: Outage Aftermath, Generator Gap, Flu Shots.

Posted on February 4, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S THE FEINER REPORT. By Town of Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. February 4, 2006: Last month, after the severe power outages, I called on the Greenburgh Town Board to place emergency generators at municipal buildings. The Town Hall, Multipurpose Center and Theodore Young Community Center do not have emergency generators in the buildings. Most schools within the town do not have emergency generators either. The Westchester County Center (a county operated facility located on the border of Greenburgh/White Plains) does not have generators. This could create problems for the frail elderly/disabled if there is an outage during severe cold weather or during the hot summer months.

This afternoon (Friday, February 3) I attended a meeting of the Council of Governments (hosted by the County Executive). I am pleased to report that the lack of generators in government buildings was discussed by my colleagues at the county and local levels. A few communities, like Sleepy Hollow, have emergency generators (Sleepy Hollow has purchased portable generators). Most school districts, government buildings around the county do not have emergency generators.

County Executive Andrew Spano indicated he would support having the county provide localities that purchase generators (for regional use) with financial assistance. I will ask the Town Board to authorize the town to apply to the county for financial assistance so we can purchase generators. I will also ask town officials to explore purchasing portable generators and to explore cheaper alternatives (military surplus generators). Greenburgh Police Chief John Kapica has submitted a letter endorsing having generators in town buildings. The county police also advocate generators. I intend to include funding for a generator in my upcoming capital budget.

CELL TOWERS SHOULD ALSO HAVE GENERATORS…

At the meeting that I attended today it was pointed out that if we have a severe power failure phone service in the town/county could be impacted. A suggestion was made for local governments to require cell companies that place antennas on cell towers to also place generators on cell towers. This would enable cell phones to work in the event of an emergency. I will forward this suggestion to members of the Town Board, our antenna committee and building department.

PNEUMONIA SHOTS RECOMMENDED

The county Department of Health provided officials with an update on bird flu/pandemic influenza. Depending on severity and duration of an outbreak, NYS (excluding NYC) could expect anywhere between: (worst case scenario)

1400 -15,0000 influenza related hospital admissions per week (120-1300 in Westchester)…400 to 3,700 influenza related deaths per week (35-300 in Westchester).

The county is being proactive—trying to plan for a crisis (even though the crisis may never happen). One suggestion that I wanted to forward to readers is the fact that flue is not often a direct killer but rather a fatal ingredient in a mix of factors that lead to someone’s death. Flu sometimes gets in lungs and that leads to pneumonia. A suggestion was made to encourage residents to take the pneumonia shot. It can help save lives.

PAUL FEINER, Greenburgh Town Supervisor

Adam in Albany: Assembly Passes His Environmental Justice Bill

Posted on February 4, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. From Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. February 4, 2006:

Assemblyman Adam Bradley (D-White Plains) announced that the Assembly passed legislation he authored to protect the environment. The legislation, entitled the “Environmental Access to Justice Act” would give individuals the ability to challenge the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) determinations (A.114).

“We must remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our environment,” Bradley said. “We need to ensure that individuals are empowered to protect the environment when they are suffering from an environmental harm.”

The legislation aims to correct current law where individuals can be effectively barred from bringing legal action against those who violate environmental law. Individuals or entities that may suffer from such violations should not be denied the right to have their cases heard. Bradley’s legislation would ensure that individuals adversely impacted would have standing in court if they could establish that they were environmentally harmed.

Bradley noted that this legislation is supported by top environmental groups including The Environmental Advocates of New York, The Adirondack Council, The Sierra Club as well as The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). The legislation passed the Assembly in 2005 and 2004, but died on both instances in the Senate.

“I remain committed in my fight to protect the environment and I will continue to push for measures that will protect citizens who have suffered an environmental harm,” said Bradley. “I urge the Senate to pass this common sense legislation that gives New Yorkers an important opportunity to preserve and protect the environment from irreparable harm.”