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)

Amy Paulin’s Albany: STAR Program Enhanced for Seniors

Posted on May 7, 2002 by John Bailey

Amy Paulin’s Albany: By Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. May 7, 2002, UPDATED May 8, 2002: Assembywoman Paulin reports the agreed-on new NYS Budget enhances the STAR program for Seniors by giving them a cost of living increase, and making available $10 Million more for property tax relief.
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) today announced that the tentative state budget agreement will improve the School Tax Relief (STAR) program by ensuring that a senior’s STAR eligibility is protected from cost-of-living increases. The budget also simplifies the program for seniors.

“STAR plays an important role in whether many New Yorkers – especially seniors living on fixed incomes – can afford their homes,” Paulin said. “The Assembly was determined during budget negotiations that we continue to make New York a better, more affordable place to live. Improving the STAR program is key to that effort.”

Protecting STAR savings for seniors

According to Paulin, the budget includes a provision that would account for cost-of-living increases based upon the rate of inflation – automatically raising the income eligibility levels for seniors receiving enhanced STAR benefits.

Enhanced STAR saved eligible seniors in Westchester County an average of $2,290 last year – the cost-of-living increase will mean an additional $10 million in savings for seniors statewide.

“This program has helped many seniors keep the homes they’ve worked so hard to maintain,” Paulin said. “Unfortunately a small increase in household income has caused some homeowners to lose these important savings – and possibly their homes. This budget will ensure that small increases in income don’t jeopardize the STAR benefits seniors rely on.”

Other STAR improvements under the budget include easing application requirements for seniors and providing extensions for homeowners who fail to meet a STAR deadline due to a death or illness in the family, or other extenuating circumstances.

Council Approves Bike Signs, Budget gets 1 Comment. NYPH Hearing Continues.

Posted on May 7, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR Common Council Reporter. By John F. Bailey. May 7, 2002. 2:30 PM EDT: The Common Council despite vociferous opposition from Robert Ruger and Robert Levine, members of the Traffic Commission, voted 4 to 3 to install 225 Bicycle Route Signs throughout White Plains at a cost of approximately $14,000 in Community Development Funds. George Gretsas denied that this was a prelude to marking out bicycle lanes on White Plains streets.

The Public Hearing on the proposed 2002-03 $103 Million budget was opened. Only Lyn Lubliner, President of the League of Women Voters made a comment. A series of three more Council meetings, with the Capital Projects Board on May 8, the Budget Advisory Committee on May 13, and Decision Night on May 20, will be held for Budget tweaking prior to the planned adoption of the Budget on May 28.

The Hearing on the New York Presbyterian Hospital biotech/proton accelerator plan was held open another month, with Allan Teck, President of CCOS calling for rescinding the designation of portions of the hospital property as landmark status, advocating placement of the biotech facility on the golf course portion of the property, which currently has landmark status. Concerned Citizens for Open Space originally lobbied for that designation of the property in the past. Marc Pollitzer of the North Street Civic Association, called on the council to explore with the hospital a “meaningful approach” to rezoning the property. One other commentator spoke against the project.

The Council meeting produced the lowest turnout in spectators in three years: 12.

Geiger, Sules, Pollak, Tuck, Valentin Contest Two Board of Education Seats

Posted on May 2, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR Daily Mirror. By John F. Bailey. May 2, 2002. 11:00 AM EDT: Two present members of the Board of Education, seeking reelection to the Board for the next three years will be challenged by three at-large candidates in the Board election May 21 for the two seats up for election.
Michelle Schoenfeld reported to WPCNR Wednesday afternoon that the five candidates are:

Photo by WPCNR

*Incumbent Larry Geiger, a marketing executive and incumbent BOE member since 1984, is seeking his seventh term on the Board. Mr. Geiger was on the Board when the White Plains Choice Program was adapted. He supported the need and the execution of district Technology Upgrade of the 1990s, helped steer the Board to Saul Yanofsky’s selection as Superintendent of Schools in 1989, and strongly supported the high school renovation. His tenure encompasses almost twenty years of growth and positive change for the White Plains School System. His wife wrote a definitive history of White Plains High School.

Photo by WPCNR from the Internet, used with permission.

* Incumbent Stephen Sules, an insurance agent, who is seeking reelection to a second term on the School Board. He was elected in 1999. Mr. Sules, a softspoken thoughtful voice, has consistently supported achievement and supported initiatives to improve test scores, physical school projects, and the high school renovation.

Photo by WPCNR.

*Challenger William Pollak, a lawyer, who pioneered the Coachman “Homework Center.” Both his chlidren have attended White Plains Schools. He is a candidate of the White Plains Alliance for Vision in Education(WAVE), and a critic of the Board of Education handling of the decision not to renew Superintendent of Schools Saul Yanofsky’s contract.

Photo by WPCNR from Campaign Brochure.

* Challenger Robert Tuck, owner of a White Plains bicycle shop, husband of a teacher in the school system, long active in working with city youth and citizen at large who twice has run for Common Council unsuccessfully for the Republican Party.

Photo by WPCNR.

*Challenger Maria Valentin, a lawyer, and former popular and effective teacher in the White Plains High School throughout the 1990s. Another candidate supported by White Plains Alliance for Vision in Education (WAVE), she is a strong advocate for the Parent Choice Program, and has first-hand, effective knowledge of the contemporary school learning environment in White Plains.

Who can Vote.

Any legal resident and registered voter of White Plains is eligible to vote in the School Board Election May 21st, and in casting ballots for these candidates, they should vote for two candidates for the Board, because two seats are up for election.

First contested election in two years.

Michell Schoenfeld said that this was the first contested Board of Education election since 1999. Prior to that, she remembers “we always had contested elections.”

Schoenfeld said she distributed ten petitions to persons interested in running for the Board of Education.

The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a debate between the five candidates to held at The Women’s Club of White Plains on Ridgeway Avenue, next Tuesday at 7 PM.

Popular White Plains Umpire Suffers Serious Eye Injury in Field

Posted on May 2, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR PressBox. By John F. Bailey. May 2, 2002. 10:30 AM EDT.: Jimmie Wolf, the man who organized umpiring for the upper ranks of amateur baseball and softball leagues in Westchester County, Rockland and Dutchess Counties, colleges and the White Plains Little League, suffered a serious eye injury yesterday while umpiring a college game in the field.
He is resting at home, but is out of action for weeks, perhaps months.
Wolf, according to his wife, was hit in the eye by a thrown ball while calling action on the basepaths in a college game yesterday. He was hospitalized after the incident, and is now resting at home. Julie Wolf told WPCNR last night that they are hopeful he will recover 100% vision in his eye. Meanwhile, she told WPCNR, his first concern was that “his” games would be covered. She was scrambling to cover games last night.

Wolf organized the science of umpiring over recent years so that leagues could make one call to him, and he’d assign an umpire or crew to the games for reasonable fees. His umpires showed up, called before games and kept control of the game, and most of all knew the rules.

In the White Plains Little League, handling senior games and majors games, we always knew that Wolf would have the umpires there. The Umpire would be good. The game would be under control.

Jimmy professionalized umpire assignment by setting fees, at the beginning of the season, making sure umpires were paid a reasonable fee, and evaluating their competence, only taking on umpires on his staff he felt were good arbiters. He worked games with new recruits to teach them the tools of the arbiter’s trade.

His umpires are even-tempered men and women who bring a touch of class and big league professionalism to every game they call, thanks to Jimmie’s leadership.

It is a tribute to Wolf’s sense of duty to “The Game,” that he was pressuring his wife last night to make sure his own personal umpiring assignments were covered, while in great personal pain.