WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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Went down to the station,Leaned against the door.Went down to the station,I…leaned against the door.I knew it was the Empire State,Can tell by the way she blows.

No. 999 preserved on static display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, photo from 2003.Asked the depot agent,“Please let me ride the blinds.”Asked the depot agent,“Please let me ride the blinds.”He said, “Son, I like to help you…you know,But the Empire State ain’t mine”.The Empire State…you know she,Rides on Eastern time.The Empire State,She rides on Eastern time,She’s the “rollingest” baby,On the New York Central line.

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Office. December 27, 2019:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Thursday the 13th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda – convening outside experts to reexamine and rethink strategies to bring high-speed rail to New York.

The Governor will task a panel of engineers to reexamine past high-speed rail plans, question and rethink every assumption and method, and recommend a new plan for how to build faster, greener, more reliable high-speed rail in New York.

“High speed rail is transforming economies around the world. We’ve been told that bringing this technology to our state is too expensive, too difficult and would take too long – that’s not an acceptable attitude for New York,” Governor Cuomo said. “When we developed our plan to repair the L Train Tunnel, the team of experts we assembled questioned every assumption and brought new creativity to a seemingly intractable problem. We not only found a way to repair the tunnel without shutting down service, we are doing it ahead of schedule. This kind of outside-the-box thinking will help us determine how we could deliver high speed rail for New York.”

Most of the State’s population lives a short distance from the Empire Corridor, which connects the State through New York City, Albany, and Buffalo. However, these lines average 51 miles per hour, meaning it is often the slowest method available for New Yorkers.

Recommendations to implement high speed rail across the State, which have not changed much over the last two decades, have consistently estimated that projects would take decades and be unaffordable. This team of experts will review these past studies, and strategies that countries all over the world have used to build thousands of miles of high-speed rail, to ask every question and find the best way to build high-speed rail in New York.

No other state has demonstrated a stronger commitment to rebuilding its transportation infrastructure than New York under Governor Cuomo. The Governor’s latest five-year, $150 billion infrastructure plan builds upon his historic $100 billion infrastructure initiative that concluded last year.

The capital projects included in these plans rebuild transportation and mass transit systems, construct safe and secure affordable housing, drive economic and community development, build new and better school buildings for 21st century learning, create new environmental and park facilities, support our sustainable energy future, and generate 675,000 new jobs and expand opportunity for all New Yorkers.

New Yorkers are already benefiting from the capital assets funded through the initial $100 billion infrastructure plan, from the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, to the 2nd Avenue Subway, to rebuilding Upstate airports, to downtown revitalizations and water infrastructure projects all across the state.

These projects are supporting the creation of approximately 450,000 jobs and contribute to New York’s all-time high job count. Since the beginning of Governor Cuomo’s administration, New York State’s economy has experienced employment growth in 76 of the past 88 months.

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WPCNR LABOR WATCH. Special to WPCNR from the Service Employees International 32BJ. December 23, 2019:H

In a Stamford Marriott meeting room this afternoon, a union bargaining committee representing over 3,000 janitors in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and the lower Hudson Valley, New York, reached a tentative contract agreement with an industry group representing cleaning contractors and building owners, thereby averting a strike after December 31. 

“We are pleased and proud to have reached a strong tentative agreement today,” said Lenore Friedlaender, Assistant to the President of 32BJ SEIU and head of the union in the Hudson Valley. “This four-year deal gives 3,000 men and women a solid wage increase, maintains their high quality, employer-paid benefits, and makes important rule changes that will improve communication and respect on the job, including providing clear language on prohibiting sexual harassment.”

Friedlaender continued, “This agreement will make a real difference in the lives of our members and is reasonable for the employers in the region. Our members proudly work hard to make Fairfield County and the Hudson Valley a great place to work, study, shop, and live.” 

“Our efforts here confirm that we’re more than just vacuum pushers,” New York Medical College cleaner and bargaining committee member Claudia Rodriguez said. “We are full human beings, and with this accord, we have now made our needs felt and respected.”

Negotiations between 32BJ SEIU and the contractors began on October 30 in White Plains, NY, and progressed slowly for weeks.

Janitors then voted unanimously on December 12 in White Plains and on December 14 in Stamford to authorize the bargaining committee to call a strike after the December 31 contract termination if necessary.

The strike could have affected any of almost 90% of the large office buildings in the region, including landmarks like the Westchester Financial Center, IBM, and Pepsi Cola in the Hudson Valley, and 1 Landmark Square, the Stamford Government Center, and Sikorsky Aircraft in Fairfield County. The settlement is the last in of a series covering over 75,000 32BJ commercial cleaners on the East Coast this fall.

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COUNTY SALES TAX RECEIPTS UP 23% IN NOVEMBER ON TRACK FOR $607 MILLION  FOR THE YEAR  10.2% GAIN

SALES TAX TAKE UP STATEWIDE, TAX OFFICE SAYS.

 WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX UP 4.3% FROM LAST YEAR’S PACE.

WPCNR QUILL AND EYE SHADE. By John F. Bailey with Data from the NY DEPT OF TAXATION & FINANCE. UPDATED WITH NEW WHITE PLAINS FIGURES. December 23, 2019, Updated December 27, 2019:

Cash registers in Westchester County were Jingle Bells  again in November with the county collecting  23% more Sales Tax Dollars  in November year to year, ringing up a A $55.2 MILLION “handle” for the second month in a row,  to last year’s $42.1 MILLION.

And Yes, Virginia, the county sales tax receipts reflect internet sales, The New York State Department & Finance confirmed to WPCNR in this statement:

“Yes. All internet sales that were paid would be included in the Westchester County Sales Tax Figures. Internet Sales might be a portion of the increase but the increase is also due in part to 1- the new 1% increase in Westchester County Sales Tax rates that began in August 2019 and 2- total Sales Tax collections being up overall in NYS. Sales Tax Receipts is up compared to October 2018.”

The state did not have what the percentage of internet sales tax receipts were internet-generated.

This county bonanza was a bewildering contrast compared to White Plains White Plains was even in November sales tax receipts–$3,999,814 compared to $3,975,933 in November 2018.  

The county is awash in new lovely money.

Through the first 5 months of the White Plains fiscal year 2019-20, the city has collected $21,126,850 in contrast to $20, 258,107 last year at THIS time.

 (This corrects a WPCNR line error on the 2018 report, and now showing that White Plains is now ahead of last year’s pace of sales tax collections  by 4.3%. WPCNR gives a tip of the WPCNR fedora to Cliff Blau  for the tip.)

The White Plains economy is not experiencing the same prosperity the rest of the county is, even though White Plains collects the same sales tax as the county.

White Plains is UP 4.3%. A boffo December may get the city back on track. to meet the city’s conservative-by-law sales tax estimate.

The county predicts $747 MILLION in sales tax money will come in in their 2020 budget.

If the county gets another $59 MILLION in sales in December for the third month in a row, they clear $607 MILLION for the year, a 10.2% increase. But, if this pace continues in 2020, and the $607 Million grows 15% the county will add an  additional $91  million for a 2020 total of $698  million.

That leaves a possible $49 MILLION deficit from the predicted $747 Million in sales taxes.

The  figure of $747 Million is said to be a calculation by the county that has not been explained.

If  the $607 Million grows  12%, the deficit balloons to $67 MILLION.

If it hits 10% more sales taxes, the increase in sales taxes grows 61 Million, leaving a $73 million deficit off the projected $747,000,000

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. December 21:

The bluesy trumpet first notes seduce you into a tap-your-toe urban rhapsody as you gaze into the intrigue of endless tenement roofs receding to the horizon.

Newsies grabbed the first night audience Friday  with zip, zing and ginger at White Plains Performing Arts Center in its 16^th season  in a rousing-fast-moving, never-a-lull revival of the Disney musical about the famous strike of the newsboys against The New York World when its publisher tried to cut their wages in half in 1899.

Dawn breaks over the spectacular “New Yawk” set—a cascading view into the tenements of turn-of-the-19^th century lower East Side.  Waking up are Jack Kelly (the charming bad boy Alex Prakken) an in-your-face wiseguy with heart-winning sensitivity who sings his dreams  out front in a reverie, Santa Fe.

Then its off to Newsie Square to pick up The World, Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, for distribution and the newsies sing Carry the Banner, the best labor anthem since ‘Look for the Union Label” for the ILGWU (The International Garment Workers Union).

Meanwhile, high atop in his carpeted crag in The World Building, Pulitzer played with hubris malice and discusting greed by Mark Bradley Miller, decides to cut the Newsies wages, because the end of the Spanish American War has cut his circulation and his anthem The Bottom Line tells you all you need to know about capitalism in 1899 and capitalism in 2019.

The prices are relayed to the adorable lads, the newsies played with outstanding youth exuberance by the very age appropriate lads. Each is a personality you fall for—and many do star turns…tapdance to begin Act II when the audience is worried about the Newsies fate. You know this is going to work out, but you worry anyway. That’s how good this company works together, acts together and gives it their all every second.  

Enter the Lois Lane of 1899, the inquiring perky lady reporter Katherine, earnest confident Kristen Seggio, her first lead at the WPPAC.

She’s playing the romantic lead that is ancillary to Jack the organizer,  but is actually the woman who takes charge. Ms. Seggio showcases intelligence, pluck, inspiration, motivation,  her glittering soprano style reminds the audience the possibilities you can make come true  when she and Jack sing Something to Believe In.

She types up the interview on a typewriter, singing Watch What Happens, a great send up of the anxiety of a reporter trying to create  the perfect lead. She covers the Newsie  demonstration at The World building She writes it up for the New York Sun that publishes a great article on the strike.  

When the newsies are cleared out with violence by Pulitzer’s goons,  Pulitzer brings Jack back to try and make a deal with him, dropping charges, in return for talking the Newsies out of a strike.

Jack finds out the reporter Katherine has a secret identity. She is not who he thinks she is.  Jack flees the scene delivers the plea not to strike, (he is afraid more newsies will be hurt), 

Katherine searching for Jack finds him in Medda’s theatre where he paints sets. She sees yet another side of him. You can see where this is going. Ahhh, but you will love it! I’m just a romanticist. But if there is an scintilla of sentimentality that old Disney Magic will work on you, your kids, your girlfriend, they will love it.

Ms. Seggio shows her dancing chops fitting right in with the fabulous tap tempo of the newsies, getting their confidence back where they are recovering in Jacob’s Deli. The King of New York is a showstopper!

Ms. Seggio’s Katherine finds Jack at his rooftop retreat. He gets furious with her for misleading him. She tries to work out a plan to help the Newsies. And she gets his attention!

She invents a bold plan to get the Newsie’s story out to all the newsies in all the boroughs.

Does it work?

Does she save the day?

Can a woman who has everything be happy with a homeless newsboy? What do you think?

The show even brings in the great Teddy Roosevelt, then Governor of New York in 1899.

This second act punches through to irresistible suspense, talent working together to put on a show. Newsies has the enthusiasm of the old Our Gang movies combined with the power of love to bring about that Happily Ever After. Newsies has been worked for all it has to offer in such an intimate, up-close and personal venue where “every seat is a box seat.”

I salute all the Newsies: Matt Oster, Nathan Cockroft, Talen Piner, Zach Eisenberg, Marcus Parfitt, Elijah Dillehay, Alec Gallazi, Timothy Matthew Flores, Casey Bagnall all involved, on their marks, relentlessly entertaining. They had the patrons of the theatre leaning forward when they went into their dances.

Josh Assor, Choreographer used every foot of the WPPAC proscenium and pushed the talent to execute a flawless procession of difficult close-in dance numbers that held audience attention.

The orchestra delivered the big crisp mound of sound worthy of the intense driving score flawlessly laying a good bed.Stephen Ferri the Conductor, pianist, with Ricky Romano, Philip Varricchio, David Salter, Ryan Resky (he of the trumpet solo), Art Triggs, Gary Capozziello, Andrew Borkowski, Lexi Bodick, Soe Spinelli, Spencer Inch.

Newsies  conquer the world for the next three weekends. It is a great show for children. An elixir for parents for the sadness of today. A history lesson about a true event. There really were Newsies back in that day that brought the media giants to cowtow.

Newsies even brings in the great Teddy Roosevelt.

Newsies is Bully!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Newsies plays through January 12 at the WPPAC. Go to wppac.com to note days and showtimes. Or telephone 914-328-1600