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)

60 Named Scholar Athletes, 4 Winter Varsity Teams Are ACES

Posted on March 18, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michelle Schoenfeld, White Plains City School District. March 18, 2004: Sixty White Plains High School students from four Winter Varsity Teams were honored as Scholar-Athletes by the Board of Education at its March Regular Meeting. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association awards this status, based upon a team average of 90 or better from a specified number of athletes. Athletic Director Mario Scarano presented the teams and their coaches to the Board.

Seven students from the Women’s Basketball Team, coached by Sue Adams, qualified with a 90.879 average. From Men’s Swimming & Diving, Patty Gilmartin, Coach, 15 athletes qualified with an average of 90.048. The Men’s Track Team, coached by Fred Singleton, had 17 members qualify with an average of 90.440. Finally, the Women’s Track Team had 21 athletes qualify, with an average of 90.735. Ed Zemmel is Coach.

In addition, Mr. Scarano recognized five athletes who attained averages over 90, but whose teams did not qualify.

Cell Phone Sweep

Posted on March 18, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR TROOPER TRAIL. From Westchester County Department of Communications. March 18, 2004:If you’re like many law-abiding people, you don’t talk on a hand-held cell phone while driving, but you see almost everyone else doing it, in violation of a state law. Or maybe you do flaunt the law, because you don’t expect to be caught.

A word to the wise – Westchester’s police will be watching and chances are they will find you.

Beginning Monday, Police throughout the county are teaming up in a one-week effort to get the message out that hand-held cell phones and drivers do not mix. The Westchester County Department of Public Safety and 27 city/town/village police departments will embark on a joint effort looking for violators and handing out tickets for using hand-held cell phones while driving.

The fine for talking on a cellphone without use of a handsfree device is $100.

Westchester Way Tour Guide 2004 Is Out.

Posted on March 17, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester Office of Tourism. March 18, 2004: The newly-released publication, The Westchester Way Travel Guide, provides comprehensive travel information for this destination in southeastern New York State. During the spring and summer months, advertisements in print and broadcast media will promote weekend getaways to Westchester County.

The annual 68-page, magazine-style travel guide, produced by the Westchester County Office of Tourism, contains detailed information on the county’s hotels, attractions, historical sites, performing arts centers, parks and recreational opportunities, shopping, nightlife and children’s activities.

The Travel Guide’s calendar of special events describes the fairs, festivals, musical and theatrical programs, ethnic celebrations, museum exhibitions, holiday activities, craft, antique and auto shows, and major sporting events taking place county-wide throughout 2004. The calendar includes the game dates of the USBL’s Westchester Wildfire, and a list of road races and marathons.

There is additional information on parades, fireworks displays, Westchester movie and TV locations, and farms, orchards, and wineries. A special section, “Dining, The Westchester Way”, highlights over forty of the best restaurants in Westchester. Each restaurant that advertised in the guide is listed with information on the type of cuisine served, hours of operation, meal prices, availability for groups, and more.

An advertising campaign is planned in May and June to promote weekend getaway packages, with special rates offered at several Westchester County hotels. The ads will run in newspapers and television stations in the New York City metropolitan area.

The Westchester County Travel Guide is available to the public free of charge, and can be requested by calling the Westchester County Office of Tourism at (800) 833-9282 or (914) 995-8500, or by visiting the Tourism website at www.westchestertourism.com.

State Education Department Analyzes 2002-2003 School Report Cards

Posted on March 17, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From New York State Education Department Press Office. March 17, 2004 (EDITED): School Report Cards released Wednesday by the State Education Department show 85% of students entering high school in 1999 across the state passed their Regents Exams in 2003. Official conclusions on results across the state, showed:

More students are taking and passing Regents Exams at 65 each year, even as 5 exams are required.
The number of students graduating each year remains stable even with higher standards.
Achievement is climbing as more students receive Regents Diplomas, requiring a 65 score on 8 exams including 2 math and 2 science exams.
Despite gains, an achievement gap continues in high school.
Elementary school students show continuing progress in English and math, and middle school students show progress in math.

“This school report card shows good news,” State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, “but New York still faces many challenges. More students are achieving higher standards each year. The number of graduates is staying constant, even with higher standards. But we need to do better. Too many young people historically take longer to graduate, or they drop out. We need to press on and provide more help to students and close the achievement gap.”

Resources Key

“The Board of Regents has made closing the achievement gap a priority,” Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett said. “The improvements shown in this report card, combined with the continuing challenges, make the best possible argument for getting enough resources to the children who need them most. That’s why it’s urgent that New York State adopt the Regents’ proposal for reforming State Aid to schools.”

Trends Identified:

· More students overall are taking and passing Regents Exams each year at a score of 65.

· At least 85 percent of general education students in the group or cohort of students who began 9^th grade in 1999 have passed the five required Regents Exams after four years. The exams are English, Math, Global History and Geography, U.S. History and Government, and Science.

· At least 94 percent of seniors in the 1999 cohort have passed each exam.

· The annual number of high school graduates statewide has stayed consistent despite higher standards. This is true also when comparing the number of graduates to the overall 9^th-12^th grade enrollment.

· More students are getting Regents Diplomas by passing eight Regents Exams, including two Math and two Science exams, at a grade of 65 or above.

ELEMENTARY – MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACHIEVEMENT UP.

· Elementary and middle school achievement is improving among all types of schools and all racial groups, compared to 1999 results. More students are achieving all the standards in elementary English and math and middle school math, as compared with 1999. Fewer students are achieving all the standards in middle school English, compared to 1999. These elementary and middle school results for 2003 were announced earlier this school year.

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDS:

· Hold fast to the standards and high expectations.

· Use the data effectively.

· Recruit certified teachers.

· Recruit and train effective leaders.

· Offer a rigorous curriculum for all. Provide an enriched program for students falling behind – not a slowed-down and repetitive program. Have children read at least 25 books per year with teacher guidance to insure appropriate quality, content, and challenge. Provide basic facts and formulas in math while moving ahead in a rich grade-level curriculum. Forget test prep.

· Improve instruction.

· Improve the middle grades curriculum. Move beyond elementary math to algebra and geometry. Move to more advanced literature and analytical writing.

· Adopt the Regents’ proposal for reforming State Aid to schools.

The State is moving towards a system in which each student has an identifier that is unique statewide. This move is partially completed, but, for example, students who transfer from one district to another cannot yet be fully accounted for. As a result of this move toward a reporting system with individual student records, more students are being reported and included in the cohort