A New Musical at WBT: ARE WE THERE YET? Debuts Dec. 28.

Posted on December 21, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Allan Gruet, Westchester Broadway Theatre. (EDITED) December 21, 2005: Westchester Broadway Theatre turns to the American Family for its upcoming brand-new, never-performed-before comedy-musical show to usher in the New Year, Are We There Yet? opening December 28. The title comes from the opening scene which features Mom, Dad, and two young children on a road trip, and the inevitable question, ‘are we there yet?’

Kevin Parseau, Susan Haefner, Duke Lafoon and Beverly Ward (clockwise from upper left)Take You Down the Road of Life with the American Family in Are We There Yet? The new WBT musical first engages every parent everywhere with an interminable car ride with the parents taking the kids to Disney World for a family vacation, and ends with the kids driving the parents to Florida to retire; however, the title is just a figurative hook for everything that happens in between, the theme being that ‘life is all about the journey.’ The result is a lively musical that explores the state of a present-day family – and all sorts of families in all of their variety, diversity, hilarity, and dynamics dysfunction. Photo, Courtesy Westchester Broadway Theatre By John Vecchiolla.

Allan Gruet, WBT scribe wrangler, describes the show as being “In the tradition of the long running Off Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, with its theme of dating and modern romantic relationships, Are We There Yet? takes a humorous look at the modern American nuclear family. This delightful theatrical treat pokes fun at kids and their parents, and is appropriate for teenagers, parents, and even grand-parents.”

A New Look with New Performers

WBT has engaged a cast of national actors to introduce the show: Duke Lafoon (who starred previously at WBT in the role of George Bailey in A Wonderful Life), Susan Haefner, Beverly Ward and Kevin Pariseau.

Susan Haefner is making her WBT debut. No stranger to Broadway, she’s appeared in 42nd Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and State Fair. She appeared in the National Tour/West End productions of Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis.

Beverly Ward joins Ms. Haefner in appearing at WBT for the first time, having appeared in the National Tours of Showboat and Crazy for You. She was nominated for the Helen Hayes Award as Best Actress and appeared in Crazy for You in London’s West End.

Kevin Pariseau, will also be making his first appearance on the WBT “square” and has appeared in the Off-Broadway productions of Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. He has played Santa Claus in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, and Max in Lend Me a Tenor, opposite the legendary Mickey Rooney.

The Creators.

“Are We There Yet?” was written by the team of James Hindman, Ray Roderick and Cheryl Stern, with music by John Glaudini, with additional music and lyrics provided by Tom Kochan and Yvonne Adrian.

Among the musical highlights are: “Cause I’m a Mommy,” which is about juggling cooking, carpooling, and child crises; hillbilly cousins twanging out “Blood Is Thicker Than Water,” as they mooch off rich relatives; “Whiplash: Divorce Date,” about the second time around; a touching female duet, “I Know She’s Out There,” and “Baby Rap,” an infant rising out of his crib for a first look at the world. The show is a good mix of comedy, pathos, and lovely haunting ballads. This fresh, rib-tickling, heart–warming musical romp will have you leaving the theatre humming and feeling better about being human. As the show points out, you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.

For more information on the dinner-show combinations of Are We There Yet? debuting December 28, and running through January 21, dial 914-592-2222, or go to www.broadwaytheatre.com

The White Plains Conservation Board Is Looking for a Few Good Men and Women

Posted on December 20, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. December 20, 2005, UPDATED Dec. 21, 10:45 A.M. : Bob Roston, Chair of the White Plains Conservation Board reports to WPCNR that his board too is short members. It consists of 9 persons, but presently only has four members serving. Mr. Roston, invites White Plains residents interested in city environmental issues to apply for the Board. He attaches the following description of members duties and what the Conservation Board does.

Mr. Roston invites those interested in serving or who would like more information on serving to contact Bob Roston, 6 Pilgrim Road, White Plains, NY 10605-3703 Tel. 914 761-3364 Fax 914 761-1811. E mail: [email protected].

WHITE PLAINS CONSERVATION BOARD

Conservation Board is a State mandated board under Article 12-F of the General Municipal Law; Section 239x. Excerpts of the Law are:

…to advise in the development, management and protection of…natural resources.

…coordinate the activities of unofficial bodies organized for similar purposes…

…cooperate with…official…bodies active in the area of community planning…

…carry out any other duties, tasks, or responsibilities, consistent with the objectives of this article…

To …assist a city…in the development of sound open area planning and assure preservation of natural and scenic resources…

…evaluate the proposed use…may include preferable alternative use…

It is comprised of a maximum of 9 volunteer members.

The members are appointed to the Board by the Mayor and Members of the Common Council. The term of office is 2 years. The appointed members serve without remuneration. There is no limitation on the number of years served.

The Conservation Board meets every 3^rd Monday of the month. The meetings are held in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. All meetings start promptly at 8:00 PM. All meetings are open to the public.

In general, the function of the Board is to:

– To advise the Mayor and the Common Council on environmental

matters.

‑ To advise the Mayor and the Common Council on matters related to the conservation of natural resources.

‑ To make recommendations to all City Agencies on the environmental implications of land use changes for all properties listed in the ‑

Open Space Inventory or those affected by their proximity to the listed

properties.

‑ To engage in such other activities as may benefit the people of White Plains through an improved environment and through wise use of our

natural resources.

Specifically, the functions of the Conservation Board are:

Review all applications for use or development of any open area:

1) Listed in the Open Space Inventory or is abutting or affected by its

proximity.

2) All Conservation Developments.

3) All Environmentally Sensitive Sites.

Update the Open Space Inventory every 10 years.

Create minutes of all meetings.

Applications for use or development, as defined above, are referred to the Conservation Board by the Common Council, the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals and Corporation Counsel. Members of the Conservation Board are assigned the Referrals, they visit the sites, they write reports/letters and lead the discussions of the projects at the regular monthly meetings. The final reports/letters are voted upon by the Board. The secretarial work of typing and distribution is performed by the Planning Department.

Common Council Coup. Malmud Touted for Council President, Bypassing Bernstein

Posted on December 20, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F.Bailey. December 20, 2005: There is a Common Council palace coup in process.

There is a quiet effort by supporters of Councilperson Rita Malmud to elect Ms. Malmud Common Council President bypassing fellow Democrat Councilman Arnold Bernstein, who is in line for the quasi-ceremonial, quasi-whip position. When asked by WPCNR if she was being considered for Council President over her colleague, and would she want the position Ms. Malmud said, “You’ll have to wait for the official statement (on January 3)” twice.

Meanwhile, Glen Hockley, Councilman-elect, a close friend of Mr. Bernstein, asked directly by WPCNR if Ms. Malmud was being touted for Common Council President and if she is making efforts to usurp Mr. Bernstein’s right to the position, Hockley said, “There is some truth to that.”

Arnold Bernstein, center on the Night of His Election, November 2003, now in line for Common Council President Photo, WPCNR News Archive

Rita Malmud: Quiet Contender for Seeking Another Term as Common Council President? Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

The position of Common Council President, who basically serves as a “whip” to the council and as an interface with the Mayor’s Office which controls the agenda, traditionally is rotated on a yearly basis. Mr. Bernstein, elected by White Plains in 2003, is now about to begin his third year on the council is line to be the next Council President to succeed Councilman Tom Roach and Benjamin Boykin.

The interest in Council President this year stems from the fact that the Common Council President succeeds the Mayor should the Mayor become incapacited. Mr. Hockley said the Mayor was “in excellent health.” And, though the Mayor was hospitalized for reported pneumonia in August, he has not shown any signs of backing away from his fastpaced tightly packed public appearances, meetings, and schedule. He is easily the most visible, hands-on Mayor in Westchester County.

Asked today if Mr. Bernstein wanted the Common Council President position, Mr. Bernstein said “Absolutely!”

He said he wanted to improve communication between the Mayor and the Common Council, meeting more with the Mayor himself personally each month than the present twice a month. He said he wanted to promote more frequent communication between members of the Common Council meeting together in small groups to discuss issues more.

“I also want to improve communication between us (The Common Council) and the public,” Bernstein said “I want to take government to the people more and meet with neighborhood organizations and community groups.”

Mr. Hockley discussing Mrs. Malmud’s interest in taking the Council Presidency (which she has, WPCNR believes held three times), said “Arnie is next in line. I’m hoping he will be elected unanimously. He’s qualified. He’s been successful in business. He’s been President of organizations. He’s very thorough.”

Hockley said if the other members of the council were to bypass Mr. Bernstein in favor of someone else, that “It would be totally disrespectful of him as an elected official to not support him.”

Board of Education Considers Trimmed Infrastructure/Renovations $$ of $67.5M

Posted on December 20, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 20, 2005: The architects preparing the five year facilities plan for the Board of Education presented a sharply lower renovation and infrastructure plan for the School District last night which has the district taking care of only Priority 1 and 2 infrastructure items, and proposing the building of a new Post Road School, and artificial surfacing of Loucks Field and increasing its capacity to only 2,500. Surfacing of Eastview athletic fields and the Highlands Parker Stadium was eliminated, but the Parker Stadium field surfacing is still being considered.

Board of Education Hears Trimmed Bond Plan Last Night at Education House. Russ Davidson addressed the Board of Education. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors is seen at far left, seated. The meeting was videotaped and will be telecast on the School Channel 77 this week. Photo, WPCNR News.

New Proposal: Now under analysis by the Board of Education. Totals of dollars to be sent on each facility are at far right. Photo, WPCNR News.

The new Preliminary Proposal before the board calls for spending $67.5 Million over five years instead of the previously considered amount of $95 Million. A total of $35 Million of that $67.5 Million investment is for construction of a new school at Post Road.

The Board plans to issue a Request for Proposals with a few weeks for a Construction Manager to analyze specific costs as the plan is considered and moves forward.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors emphasized that no decision has been made to go ahead with any portion of the plan at this time, and any adaption of a construction plan awaited intense Board discussion of the options presented last night.

Connors said the district enrollment was seen as steady over the next five years but was 10% over facility capacity at this time. He allowed that “we could get hurt if there was a sudden increase in class size.”

$66 Increase in Taxes to Bond

Assistant Superintendent for Business Terrance Schreurs noted to the handful of observers and the board that the cost to the taxpayers of a $65 Million Bond would not be felt until the budget year 2007-2008. He said the bond would raise the school taxes of the average White Plains residence ($15,000 Assessed Valuation), $58.05 in 07-08, $70.50 in 08-09, and $69 in 2009-20010. This carrying cost of the bond would be in addition to tax increases required by future school budgets in those years, and whatever tax certioraris might impact the School District.

Tax Rate Increases From Proposed Construction Bond and Certiorari Bonding. The handwriting shows the combined increase in the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed valuation from the new $67.5 Million bond combined with projected certiorari refund bonding. There would be no bond cost in 2006-07, but there would be a $6.88 increase in the tax rate due to the school cert liability already committed for. In 2007-2008 the new bond would cost taxpayers $3.87 and an additional $6.25 in cert repaying for a total of $10.12/per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The combined impact of certs and the new construction bond on Mr. & Mrs. & Ms. White Plains would drop to 4.76 in 08-09 and 4.65 in 09-10. Photo, WPCNR News.

The Tax Impact. Photo, WPCNR News

The Board’s Peter Bassano said he was not convinced that the District needed to do any of the renovations and infrastructure upgrading proposed. He thought the 16 day time frame of deciding on the specifics of the project prior to January 6 was too short.

Russell Davidson the principal of the architectural firm handling the Facilities Plan for the city advised the Board the renovations were not in any way mandatory or required to be done by the state. He said that in order to do anything, though, the district needed a survey of facilities and plans to be submitted to the state.

Donna McLaughlin, President of the Board of Education, expressed the thought that the district was not locked in to a bond referendum at the same time as the District Budget Vote in May, though referendums had always been done in the past in conjunction with the budget vote.

Russell Davidson, the principal architect on the project for the School District noted that the skyrocketing construction costs (projected at increasing 9.5% in 2005) indicated that the renovations and infrastructure would only cost more in the future. (Blue Bar indicates cost of construction. Photo, WPCNR News

Preliminary Timetable for a May Vote Issued.

A tentative draft timetable for pulling together the paperwork and community information necessary to present a bond to the District in May at budget time was presented. According to this timetable, the Board is to consider what projects if any, are to be done, and decided the bonding amount by January 6.

Draft Schedule for a May, 2005 Bond Referendum. Photo, WPCNR News

After the meeting the Board members agreed that they would be discussing the Preliminary Proposal in early January on a schedule for presenting individual school renovation plans to the residents of the district in mid-January.