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IMMIGRATION LAWYER JEFFREY BINDER DISCUSSED IMMIGRATION DO’S, DON’TS AND HOW-TO’S IN THE TRICKY TASK OF IMMIGRATING TO THE U.S.A. LEGALLY WITH JIM BENEROFE RIGHT AND JOHN BAILEY IN FEBRUARY…HIS INFORMATION IS TIMELY, ENLIGHTENING AND SOBERING.
SEE HIS COMMENTS TONIGHT AT 8 PM ON WESTCHESTER COUNTY’S MOST RELEVANT INTERVIEW PROGRAM PEOPLE TO BE HEARD. WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, HAVE THEIR SAY.
OR DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM at www.whiteplainsweek.com
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Bob Funking, Co-Owner of the Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford prsents a check for $15,000 to Beth Vought, Co-Director of Hudson Valley Honor Flight, and Bill Skennion, Vice Chairman, (2nd from right), while Steve Calleran, WBT Host far right looks on. Mr. Funking also presented a check for $1,000 for Honor Flight to donate to Fisher House, a group that contributes and arranges family visits to veterans undergoing treat. An additional $713 was raised by an in-house 50-50 raffel where some 350 person bought $1,450 worth of raffle tickets. Photo by WPCNR
WW II Vets see All Hands on Deck — Free– the show for veterans and Americans who love them!
ALL HANDS ON DECK turns back the hands of time: The “Bond Bombshell”, Betty Blake (Valerie Hill), the old smoothie, John Handley (Carter Lynch) Daisy Maxwell (Emily Peterson) and emcee of the Victory Tour, smooth-talking banterest and bon vivant Ted Crosley (Jody Madaras) thrilling 50 Westchester Veterans last night and over 300 more. Photo, All Hands on Deck website.
WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. November 18, 2015:
November 17 was my father’s birthday, and my father was in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942 before I was born.
He was stationed in Charleston,S.C. and defending the coastline. His name was Charles Bailey. He grew up in Pleasantville, New York, USA. Tended soda fountain at Baldwin’s Pharmacy, and wanted to be a soda jerk. He never went to college. He and my mother adopted me. He played trombone in the Pleasantville High School Military Band. He served.
ALL HANDS ON DECK is for him and all who served and all who support them.
When the intrepid troup of the Hollywood Victory Tour broke into the Coast Guard Anthem at the close of ALL HANDS ON DECK, and Coast Guard Veterans, including two women, stood—I felt like standing up!
So did the over 350 in the audience last night which included 50 WWII veterans invited free as a salute in the Westchester Broadway Theatre sixth annual Honor Flight fund-raising event.
Bob Foster, left,Chairman of the Eastchester Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (Mr. Foster served in the Vietnam War) organized the ALL HANDS ON DECK event, hosted by Westchester Broadway Theatre. Bob Funking, right WBT Impressario and Co-Owner with Bill Stutler, selected the ALL HANDS ON DECK SHOW. The two have gotten together on 6 straight fundraisers at WBT, Tuesday night was the most successful the WBT has put on. raising double the amount from last year. Photo by WPCNR
The matinee performance yesterday sold out. Both performances raised $16,713, the highest sum raised to date, by far.
ALL HANDS ON DECK is the best little musical no one knows about— written, directed, and choreographed and arranged by Jody Madaras, performing 42 songs from the heart of the World War II entertainment era who had this “idea for a musical” based on his childhood in Ohio, the son of a patriotic family. His grandfather immigrated to Ellis Island in 1911 and served as a naval officer in World War II
Mr. Madaras is a Broadway Star: Finian’s Rainbow with Lauren Bacall, The I Love Lucy Live On Stage first national tour, and Irving Berlin’s I Love a Piano – Japan Tour, and on television, As the World Turns – but he had this idea…and turned it into a musical of his own.
According to the All Hands on Deck website, Madaras says “We are reminded everyday our country has challenges. I wanted to write about patriotic unity, what’s right about our country, and thank our veterans in a musical way. I know how much these songs mean to them. I wanted audiences to leave feeling a little better and happier about our country.”
He had no idea it would be such a hit nationwide when he premiered it in Perryville, Ohio in 2011.
“It was a complete surprise that so many people came to the show in Perrysburg. I had a simple idea worth trying, and the audience’s response was overwhelming.”
The audience was overwhelmed last night in Elmsford, just as they were in Perryville.
ALL HANDS, in the last two weeks has just performed in Kalamazoo,MI, Toledo, Bransom,MO, Jacksonville, Morgantown, NC, and Sarasota. When the “mythical” Hollywood Victory Tour Train arrived in Elmsford last night memories were stirred, old romances kindled, the love of a different America in a different time, enthralled and set today’s hearts beating again to perhaps the greatest, most emotional songs of all time.
The show begins with Movietone Newsreel depicting actual film of the Pear Harbor Attack December 7, 1941; President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech, and footage of the original Hollywood Victory Tour—a cross country train caravan of Hollywood stars Hedy Lamar, Bob Hope, Martha Raye, Clark Gable,Lucille Ball,among others who crisscrossed the heartland, whistle-stop to whistle-stop, selling warbonds to fund the war effort.
Madaras on his website, says “When I got the idea to do the show, one of the things I found was no one had ever done a show based on the Caravan. It was a huge part of the war effort and no one had ever fully honored them.”
Ted Crosley (Jody Madaras), John Handley (Carter Lynch), Betty Blake (Valeriw Hill) and Daisy Maxwell (Emily Peterson) Photo, ALL HANDS ON DECK webtsite.
ALL HANDS ON DECK honors more than just the caravan. It honors the human sacrifices of the heart, the loneliness on the home front, the longing, the worry, and all Americans working as a team when they had to to win a two-front world war, producing military ordinance, planes, tanks, trucks, ships basically from a start-up position.
After the newsreel puts the audience right into the mindset of the nation in 1942, Jody Madaras playing Ted Crosley (the name he created for a very Bob Hope-like emcee with all “old ski nose” and Fred Astaire trademark steps and moves) breaks into the show theme “I’ve Heard that Song Before.” He greets “ Good evening, Elms FORD, New York” deliberately mispronouuncing , bringing laughs.
He introduces the sultry Betty Blake (played by seething Valerie Hill. They are joined by another old smoothie, John Hanley (Carter Lynch, Gaston in the Broadway Tour of Beauty and the Beast) and the “Bond Bombshell,” Daisy Maxwell (Emily Peterson).
They get you into the rhythm immediately with the famous “train songs” of the forties: Chattanooga Choo Choo, The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and Sentimental Journey—impeccably backed with the Victory Tour Orchestra behind trademark bandstands – creating the lost lovely music of that era when train travel moved recruits, soldiers and brought them back home to families who waited and longed for their guys and gals.
The second half recreates a radio show aired every week from Hollywood, transcribed and sent around the world. The group directs the audience with hand signals when to applaud and when to applaud loud. The radio hour really moves and with the audience enthusiastically responding on cue, and complete with Maxwell House Coffee commercials and Mercury automobile commercials…delivered live by these Broadway pros.
Highlights are the many love songs of the era: where the baby-talking muted trumpet, the mellow trombone of Tommy Dorsey are brought back by the fabulous onstage orchestra. This just filled the house with music you could tap your feet to, dream of an old romance, and remember just how it made you feel. Mr. Mandaras as Ted Crosley and Ms. Peterson as Daisy do a long intricate tap dance that they improvise as crowd keeps applauding — and you’d swear they were Fred (Astaire) and Ginger (Rogers).
The Victory Radio Show–performing South of the Border. Photo, ALL HANDS ON DECK website.
The ode to those strange places were recruits trained…Texas, California, and other sandy dusty places are laughingly recalled with the great Don’t Fence Me In (by Mr. Mandaras, who sounds just like Der Bingle on this one), and the Priceless Quartet combines on Deep In the Heart of Texas, and South of the Border
The Mailcall segment brings the ladies back to reprise The Andrews Sisters on Don’t Sit Under the Appletree. There is no lag-space—ALL HANDS is very tight.
The love songs are here: Embraceable You, I Can Dream Can’t I?, Long, Long Trail, and the two lovely ladies Ms. Hill and Ms. Peterson make them shimmer and strum the strings of memory, still sharp as ever in this audience. When Embraceable You was sung by Ms. Valerie Hill (Betty Blake), women in the audience started to sing the lyrics softly. It is one of the most touching sequences I have ever seen in theatre. The loving way these top-of-their-game entertainers treat the classics – straight with meaning and beauty brings the airwaves of the 40s right back.
Magic was turning back the hands of time and making them stand still for 2 hours. I and anyone who sees this show on their next stop will always remember, too.
ALL HANDS ON DECK is a postcard to what America was when it needed to stand up and step up together, and it never slows down.
The finale featuring stirring, brassy, get-up-out-of-your-seat-and-march themes of all the services is a great moment in show business. When they played The Caissons Go Rolling Along, about 40 army veterans stood up to applause and clapping and the vets moved to the march like old times. During Anchors Aweigh, former legislator Vito Pinto, Navy vet was standing waving his arms. Everyone loves this conclusion
Unfortunately, this was a one day stop for the Hands on Deck. They should make a stop here every year!
The All Hands on Deck VICTORY TOUR “Imaginary Train” left Elmsford for the last two stops on the 2015 tour this weekend in Ogdensburg NY at the George Hall Auditorium Saturday and Sunday in Oneida at the Oneida Performing Arts Center. Go to www.allhandsondeckshow.com to learn more about the show and all the songs.
ALL HANDS ON DECK is “must-see musical,” when it comes to a town near you, easily the best original patriotic production since Yankee Doodle Dandy
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. November 18, 2015:
The telephone message began with these words:
“Hello.
This call is officially a final notice from IRS.
Internal Revenue Service.
The reason of this call is to inform you that IRS is filing a lawsuit against you
To get more information about this case file
Please call immediately on our department number
202-751-1163.
I repeat
202-751-1163
Thank you.”
When the IRS calls, people listen.
But this was not the IRS…it is a scam designed to ellicit important personal information or even a payment..and persons receiving this call should not answer any questions asked.
I called the number…and it just rang and rang.
I called the IRS Local Taxpayer Advocate Office in New York, and asked what they thought of this call, whether it was legitimate or not. The person who handled the call said they had not heard of this, but thought it was a scam.
I tried reaching the IRS numbers but simply got standard voice mail directions, no dial for a “live” representative.
Then I called the White Plains Police. The officer who handled the call said this IRS call was definitely a scam and warned that if one calls the number, and they are asked any questions…they should not under any circumstances answer them.
The IRS representative at the Advocate Office said the IRS will routinely send many letters regarding enforcement matters to you prefer instituting any legal action.
I also received this call again, Tuesday evening.
If you get a call like the one I described. Ignore it.
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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From The Commissioner of Public Safety. November 14, 2015. 10:30 P.M. E.S.T.:
More details on the fire Saturday morning on Avenue were reported to WPCNR by David Chong, White Plains Commissioner of Public Safety. He sent this statement to WPCNR late this evening:
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THE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 EDITION
SEE IT NOW
ON YOUTUBE
PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY AND JIM BENEROFE ON
COVERAGE OF HUDSON VALLEY HONOR FLIGHT A PETER KATZ REPORT–INTERVIEW WITH SAM FREDMAN
Commissioner of Planning Announces Grid Properties former Sholz property has agreed to include residential component in its retail complex
FIRST WINBROOK RESIDENTS MOVING IN TO THE PRELUDE — FIRST OF BUILDINGS IN WINBROOK REBUILD
55 BANK STREET UNDERWAY–GROUNDBREAKING NEXT THURSDAY
THE TAPPAN ZEE NEW BRIDGE DELAY
SOUNDVIEW MANOR
AND MORE
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. November 13, 2015:
Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino today proposed a $1.8 billion budget for 2016 that preserves essential services, maintains the safety net for the county’s neediest residents and for the sixth straight year does not raise the county tax levy.
“This budget demonstrates that the county can live within its means,” said Astorino. “Every year there are challenges. This year sales tax revenues are down and unfunded mandates from the state and federal government continue to rise, but through smart management we have put together a budget that balances our dual obligation of providing essential services and keeping Westchester affordable for our seniors, young families, and businesses.”
The proposed 2016 budget holds spending flat to the 2015 level of $1.8 billion, which is still lower than when Astorino took office in 2010.
Once again, Astorino has crafted a budget that operates within what he calls the two “goal posts” of no increase in the tax levy and no raiding of the unrestricted fund balance – the so-called rainy day or emergency fund – to pay for day-to-day expenses. As a result, there is no increase in the tax levy, which stays at $548 million, or the unrestricted fund balance, which stays at just under $140 million.
Protecting Taxpayers
Astorino said keeping taxes flat was critical to protecting taxpayers in Westchester, which is the highest taxed county in the United States. After five years of no tax increases, he said, pressure would mount from some this year to raise taxes. But he said that would be a step backwards, pointing out that if the county had raised the tax levy just 2% a year since 2011 when the state’s cap went into effect, the cumulative cost to Westchester taxpayers would have been $167 million.
“By anyone’s standards $167 million is real money,” said Astorino. “That’s money that has stayed in the pockets of seniors, young families and business owners for them to spend on the necessities in their lives. The zero tax increase is how we keep essential services affordable to the people paying the bills.”
AAA Credit Ratings Affirmed
Astorino used the occasion of his budget announcement to note that both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch reaffirmed Westchester’s AAA credit ratings, the highest levels, this week.
The ratings agencies also gave Westchester a “stable outlook,” as did Moody’s, which gave Westchester its second highest rating AA1. No county in New York has a higher credit rating from the three agencies than Westchester, which means the county gets the most favorable interest rates on its borrowings.
“These ratings are a vote of confidence in how the county’s finances are being managed,” Astorino said.
Mandates from Washington and Albany Cost Westchester $900 Million
Unfunded mandates from the state and federal government remain the county’s biggest financial hurdle. Requirements from Washington and Albany will consume 75 cents of every dollar in the 2016 budget. This money pays for jails, Medicaid, and a variety of other worthwhile health and social services programs. The challenges for the county are that it has little to no control over the cost of these programs and that Washington and Albany pay only a third of the bill.
“Here’s the math,” said Astorino. “Washington and Albany tell us we have to spend $1.35 billion on their programs, but only give us $424 million to pay the bill. That means county taxpayers have to make up the $926 million difference and once that’s done, there’s only $450 million left to pay for all of the county’s own expenses – the money that goes to buses, roads, bridges, parks, police, libraries, arts and not-for-profits.”
Astorino added that the stress on local taxpayers is made worse by the lack of local say in how state and federal programs are administered. “The issue isn’t the programs themselves, it’s that we have little to no say when it comes to making the programs more accountable and efficient. The one-size-fits-all mentality from Washington and Albany is a prescription for ever escalating costs.”
The county’s finances are also being hit by a decline in sales tax revenue, caused primarily by lower energy prices and bad weather earlier this year. The budget projects that sales tax collections will rebound in 2016, but the 4% increase is calculated off a lower baseline because 2015 collections are running about $24 million behind initial projections.
Another negative factor is a decrease in aid from Washington. Federal aid in 2016 is budgeted at $182 million, a decline of $7 million or about 4% from this year. State aid is projected at $241 million, which is roughly flat to this year.
No Cuts to Child Care, Libraries and Bus Routes
Despite the financial challenges, the budget maintains Astorino’s commitment to serving the county’s neediest residents. Spending for the Department of Social Services (DSS), which administers the county’s safety net programs, is budgeted at $595 million, the same level as this year. This means there will be no cuts to the funding for child care, or a need to raise parent contributions from the current level of 27 %, which is lower than New York City and many other counties around the state. Westchester’s program is also open to more applicants than most other counties. Funding will be at 2015 budget levels with capacity maintained at 2,637 slots for the low-income program and 175 slots for the Title XX program.
Transportation is also being protected. All of the Bee-Line Bus System’s current routes will remain intact as a result of more than $27 million subsidies from the county budget. However, late-night and weekend bus runs on a few routes are being discontinued due to extremely low ridership.
Funding from the county to Westchester’s public library system is untouched, with the contribution for 2016 remaining at its current level of $1 million.
Balancing the budget will require some reductions to the money the county gives to not-for profits. The proposed budget calls for grants of $2.3 million to Legal Services of Hudson Valley, $1.3 million to Arts Westchester, and $577,000 for the Hudson River Museum and $200,000 for Cornell Cooperative.
“The decreases were the result of financial necessity and don’t reflect on the value of the programs,” said Astorino. “We were forced to make tough decisions, and we have tried to make them in a reasonable way.”
Efficiency Initiatives
To bring expenses in line with revenues, county departments have launched a number of initiatives. For example, DSS is digitizing application forms and setting up on-line kiosks to reduce paperwork and man hours and improve record keeping; moving the homeless into permanent housing faster; and expanding job training opportunities to move people from welfare to work. The Information Technology Department expects to save $50,000 a year by cutting back the number of county issued cell phones.
“We have literally looked at every expense,” said Astorino. “Some of them are not that big, but every dollar of savings counts.”
One new program is called “A Job Is Waiting for You.” This is a partnership between DSS, the county’s Industrial Development Agency and Workforce Investment Board, area colleges and the health care industry in Westchester. The idea is to provide training for good paying jobs to the hard to employ in the field of health care in areas where companies are struggling with a shortage of workers, as is the case with MRI technicians. The program’s first “boot camp” is underway.
Average Compensation for a County Worker Is More Than $128,000
The biggest single expense in the budget is employee compensation. The average salary of a county worker is $79,350, compared to $66,765 for private sector workers. Total compensation for county workers jumps to $128,333, when health care, pensions and other benefits are added.
Since coming into office, Astorino has worked to control the cost of fringe benefits, which amount to 62 percent of salary, by negotiating contracts that require employees to pay a portion of their health insurance. Seven of the county’s eight unions currently contribute to their health care, saving taxpayers about $5 million a year. The county’s largest union, the Civil Service Employees Association, is the one hold out and rejected a neutral fact-finder’s recommendation last year, which Astorino accepted, that would have included health care contributions.
Workforce Reduction Includes 25 Layoffs
Astorino has steadily moved to control employee costs. Earlier this year, he offered a separation incentive, which was accepted by 158 employees and is expected to save $3 million this year. To further reduce costs, the proposed budget calls for reducing headcount in 2016 to 4,783 with 25 of the 84 position eliminations coming through layoffs.
“As I have mentioned repeatedly, our county employees are terrific, but they are very expensive,” Astorino said. “If we can’t bring down the cost of our employees, we have to operate with fewer of them. Our preference is attrition and buyouts, but unfortunately the financial situation this year also requires layoffs to balance the budget.”
Since coming into office Astorino has reduced the size of county government by about 900 positions. The smaller workforce means the county can also reduce its real estate footprint. The county has a pending sale of 375 Executive Boulevard in Elmsford whose proceeds will be applied to the 2016 budget.
The county has also been in talks to sell a property in Yonkers on Austin Avenue, which is owned by the County’s Industrial Development Agency. However, no agreement has been reached at this point and may not be reached in the foreseeable future. Without an agreement, any potential revenue cannot be booked in the budget because it would simply be too speculative.
To minimize layoffs, the county will be bonding $11 million to pay for anticipated tax certioraris. Tax certs, as they are commonly called, are claims made against the county by property owners challenging the assessments on which their tax bills are based.
Because of the county’s very good credit rating, bonding $11 million for tax certs will costs about $60,000 in interest per year. In contrast, it would take 110 layoffs to make up the $11 million saved by bonding the certs.
“Bonding for tax certs is something we do reluctantly,” said Astorino. “But it is a tool that makes sense to use judiciously because it allows us to keep services available and more people on the job.”
Other highlights:
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The Prelude — first building in the new rebuild of the Winbrook complex today. Offices on the first floor were being used for a meeting; and persons familiar with complex report move-ins of present Winbrook complex tenants from Buildings 11 and 135 have begun to move into apartments on the upper floors. Move-Ins started two weeks ago. Photo by WPCNR
WPCNR WINBOOK NEWS. By John F. Bailey. November 12, 2015:
WPCNR HAS LEARNED WINBROOK RESIDENTS ARE MOVING INTO THE NEW “PRELUDE” BUILDING ON FISHER AVENUE NOW IN THE FINAL STAGES OF INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION BEFORE THE SCHEDULED OPENING IN JANUARY.
SOURCES SAID THE MOVE-INS BEGAN APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO.
ONE SOURCE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRESS SAID 40% OF THE BUILDING APARTMENTS HAD BEEN MOVED IN.
ONE OF THE FIRST RESIDENTS TOLD AN ACQUAINTANCE WPCNR SPOKE WITH THAT HER NEW APARTMENT WAS “VERY NICE.” THIS ACQUAINTANCE SAID ABOUT 40 TO 50 PERSONS HAVE MOVED IN,
A MEETING WAS OBSERVED GOING ON IN THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE PRELUDE OFFICES THIS MORNING BY WPCNR. Finishing construction was going on. Meanwhile decorations in the windows on apartment floors could be seen.
The project was originally aproved in 2006. And due to HUD withdrawing its promise of financing for complete rebuild of 7 buildings. The rebuild is proceeding one building at a time. The Prelude is the first, and was begun in 2013, after HUD agreed to finance half the $5 Million cost of the first floor training center. The building was built and financed for $42 Million by Jonathan Rose Associates.
At the time that change in plan, that occurred in 2011, WPCNR reported:
” The Common Council approved the first step in the ongoing Winbrook Revitalization Project, approving a 10-story building,housing an Education Center , which will be built first, however funding is only available for the first floor housing the education center on the first floor.
The city is funding $1.5 Million of the project and the Housing and Urban Development, $3,500,000 as of this spring. The Housing and Urban Development press office in New York confirmed to WPCNR, HUD is still funding the $3.5 Million “only for the education facility,” the spokesman explained.
During the 2012 hearing on the Winbrook project, William Null, the attorney for the enterprise said in response to a question by Council President Beth Smayda that plans for subsequent buildings in the project would be submitted on a project-by-project basis and built individually according to the individual’s financial model, and not as part of a connected project.
Design, Null said would depend on whom the Housing Authority was working with to develop each building in the future, so, Null suggested that it was somewhat impossible to present the kind of comprehensive (building)plan that Smayda suggested.
The architect for the project (Dattner Architects) stepped up to say that the Authority had not applied for the financing yet, because it needed approval to do so and would be applying to state agencies for tax credit financing after approval. The Housing and Urban Development agency in Washington told the authority in the spring of this year (2012), its funds were no longer available for financing the entire project.
Previously, a delay in applying for HUD financing for the entire rebuilding fell through in part because the White Plains Housing Authority missed the deadline to apply for HUD financing, which might have secured the financing before the financial crisis of 2008.
The Winbrook Revitalization plan began almost 10 years ago in the Joseph Delfino Administration when a coordinated design vision of the project from the White Plains Housing Authority envisioning a mixed subsidized housing and market rate housing, consisting of 7 new buildings with a coordinated design was displayed. The 450 tenants of Winbrook were assured at the time new buildings would be built one at a time and no tenants would be displaced during construction.
The city rezoned the Winbrook/Lexington Avenue site as mixed use, allowing retail on the street level of the complex. An agreement was struck where the Department of Housing and Urban Development would finance the project.
As economic conditions deteriorated beginning in 2008, HUD informed the Housing Authority it would no longer fund the project.
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WHITE PLAINS COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, COMMISSIONER, CHRISTOPHER GOMEZ, (4TH FROM RIGHT) AND COMMISSIONER OF BUILDING, DAMON AMADIO (5th FROM RIGHT) APPEARING AT THE COUNCIL OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TUESDAY EVENING IN WHITE PLAINS. Photo by Ayana Meade
WPCNR Post Road Posting. Special to WPCNR by Ayana Meade. November 12, 2015:
“You’ve probably been reading about the train station re-development, ” said newly appointed Planning Commissioner Christopher Gomez, during Tuesday’s Nov. 10) White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) meeting, where he and Damon Amadio, Building Commissioner, addressed questions about the train station and a host of other neighborhood development projects, during a public forum meeting at the Education House.
The million dollar grant issued to the city by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERTA) will be used to look at better ways to integrate the transit connections at the station to downtown, create a walkable pedestrian friendly environment, and better integrate the different modes of transportation around the train station, says Gomez.
When asked whether creating sufficient parking at the station is a part of the plan, Gomez replied that the initial phase requires the city to work within the current infrastructure.
Strategic Vision Survey Goal.
As it stands, Gomez says developing a strategic plan is the ultimate goal during the 12-month process. He and his team have picked a consultant for the project, and will be working with stakeholders and neighborhood community associations like WPCNA to develop a strategic vision to address the issues facing the station—i.e., whether creating a “new” train station is the goal, or better access to it, or if more open space around the train and bus stations is the plan. Gomez also thinks addressing how the community looks at zoning codes and laws that govern future development in the area is important.
The Stakeholder Task Force was formed by the Mayor and represents, different segments and stakeholders from the community. While Gomez says they are somewhat limited by the scope of the grant in terms of how many people can serve, the goal is to ensure that those selected represent a cross-section of the community and their constituents.
Community members at-large will have an opportunity to weigh-in on the project through an interactive web portal scheduled to launch by the end of the year, and the first public meetings will be scheduled for sometime in February—exact date TBD.
The Prelude–Enter the new Winbrook
The other neighborhood revitalization project Gomez is excited about is the development of a mixed-use affordable housing community, and training center called The Prelude. The Prelude is the first phase in the redevelopment of Brookfield Commons (previously known as the Winbrook Public Housing Complex).
THE PRELUDE TODAY. Photo, WPCNR
Rising on the corner of South Lexington and Quarropas Street, the Prelude includes 104 new affordable housing apartments, and a 13,500 square foot community education and training center. This first phase in the project will cost $42.18 million.
The future phases will replace all of the older, out of date complex towers with new, green mixed income buildings. Through partnerships with various regional organizations for adult education and training, the center will offer training in hospitality, the culinary arts and healthcare, as well as other skilled trades including technology. Ribbon cutting of the training center is scheduled for January.
(Editor’s Note: WPCNR learned Thursday morning that residents from the Winbrook complex had begun to move in starting approximately two weeks ago according to a person familiar with the area who spoke with one of the first residents whod told an official she was very pleased. WPCNR has learned that some of the offices on the first floor are being used, in fact a meeting was being held there this morning in one of the conference rooms. Another source familiar with the building said about 40 percent of the new apartments in “The Prelude” have been moved into. They were coming from Building 135 and the Winbrook building just across from the entrance.)
Grid Properties to Include Residences on old Sholz Property at Maple/ Post Road
Other questions posed by the group included one regarding what type of development project is planned for the large section of land between Maple Avenue and East Post Road. Amadio responded that Grid Properties acquired the land about 1-2 years ago—they’ve developed concepts for the site but haven’t submitted anything official yet.
The Grid Properties Parcel Today, looking East from Rathbun and Maple to the Downtown.. Photo, WPCNR
They’re proposing building a high-end small retail space—similar to those in Eastchester. They’re currently doing marketing and obtaining tenants. There will be a small residential component that will face Maple Avenue, and the balance will be boutique-style retail space.
One attendee asked about the city’s efforts to help community members with obtaining solar panels at a reduced rate. Amadio replied that while the city did consult with Solarized Westchester and thought the project was a good idea, it did not feel it was appropriate for municipalities to endorse the selection and contractual aspects involved with installation, and therefore opted out.
A question posed by a member of Eco Neighbors regarding the status of the city’s progress with obtaining it’s Climate Smart Communities Certification—a program that provides local governments with a robust framework to guide their climate action and enables high performing communities to achieve recognition for their leadership. Gomez responded that his staff has a conference call scheduled for next week—sitting down with the Commissioner of the DPW. There are only 6 cities in the entire State of NY that currently have the certification, so Gomez is hopeful that White Plains can obtain the certification status.
White Plains Planning & Development Meeting
By Ayana Meade
“You’ve probably been reading about the train station re-development, ” said newly appointed Planning Commissioner Christopher Gomez, during Tuesday’s White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) meeting, where he and Damon Amadio, Building Commissioner, addressed questions about the train station and a host of other neighborhood development projects, during a public forum meeting at the Education House.
The million dollar grant issued to the city by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERTA) will be used to look at better ways to integrate the transit connections at the station to downtown, create a walkable pedestrian friendly environment, and better integrate the different modes of transportation around the train station, says Gomez. When asked whether creating sufficient parking at the station is a part of the plan, Gomez replied that the initial phase requires the city to work within the current infrastructure.
As it stands, Gomez says developing a strategic plan is the ultimate goal during the 12-month process. He and his team have picked a consultant for the project, and will be working with stakeholders and neighborhood community associations like WPCNA to develop a strategic vision to address the issues facing the station—i.e., whether creating a “new” train station is the goal, or better access to it, or if more open space around the train and bus stations is the plan. Gomez also thinks addressing how the community looks at zoning codes and laws that govern future development in the area is important.
The Stakeholder Task Force was formed by the Mayor and represents, different segments and stakeholders from the community. While Gomez says they are somewhat limited by the scope of the grant in terms of how many people can serve, the goal is to ensure that those selected represent a cross-section of the community and their constituents. Community members at-large will have an opportunity to weigh-in on the project through an interactive web portal scheduled to launch by the end of the year, and the first public meetings will be scheduled for sometime in February—exact date TBD.
The other neighborhood revitalization project Gomez is excited about is the development of a mixed-use affordable housing community, and training center called The Prelude. The Prelude is the first phase in the redevelopment of Brookfield Commons (previously known as the Winbrook Public Housing Complex). Rising on the corner of South Lexington and Quarropas Street, the Prelude includes 104 new affordable housing apartments, and a 13,500 square foot community education and training center. This first phase in the project will cost $42.18 million. The future phases will replace all of the older, out of date complex towers with new, green mixed income buildings. Through partnerships with various regional organizations for adult education and training, the center will offer training in hospitality, the culinary arts and healthcare, as well as other skilled trades including technology. Ribbon cutting scheduled for January.
Other questions posed by the group included one regarding what type of development project is planned for the large section of land between Maple Avenue and East Post Road. Amadio responded that Grid Properties acquired the land about 1-2 years ago—they’ve developed concepts for the site but haven’t submitted anything official yet. They’re proposing building a high-end small retail space—similar to those in Eastchester. They’re currently doing marketing and obtaining tenants. There will be a small residential component that will face Maple Avenue, and the balance will be boutique-style retail space.
One attendee asked about the city’s efforts to help community members with obtaining solar panels at a reduced rate. Amadio replied that while the city did consult with Solarized Westchester and thought the project was a good idea, it did not feel it was appropriate for municipalities to endorse the selection and contractual aspects involved with installation, and therefore opted out.
A question posed by a member of Eco Neighbors regarding the status of the city’s progress with obtaining it’s Climate Smart Communities Certification—a program that provides local governments with a robust framework to guide their climate action and enables high performing communities to achieve recognition for their leadership. Gomez responded that his staff has a conference call scheduled for next week—sitting down with the Commissioner of the DPW. There are only 6 cities in the entire State of NY that currently have the certification, so Gomez is hopeful that White Plains can obtain the certification status.
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WPCNR STARS AND STRIPES. By John F. Bailey. November 11, 2015:
It is the 11th day of the 11th month, and it is 1918. Armistice Day the day when World War I “The Great War to end all Wars” officially ended. Sadly, the way “The Great War” ended and subsequent reparations penalties on Germany, was the beginning of a century of war: the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Holocaust, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 6-Day War, the first Iraq War.
Today, in the White Plains Rural Cemetary, White Plains will hold its annual remembrance.the event, organized by the Mayor’s Veterans Committee, will feature recollections and insights by keynote speaker USMC Staff Sergeant Alex Guzman. This year, the Mayor’s Veterans Committee will honor Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran Kevin W. Fischer. All residents and visitors are welcome to join us in tribute to our veterans who have sacrificed so greatly to preserve and protect our freedom. The event begins at 10:30 A.M.
It is cold rainy miserable in White Plains this morning vaguely reminiscent of the trenchs of the Somme in that “Great War.”
I wrote the piece that follows in 2013 that delivers some of the feelings of all Armistice Days
Wayne Bass, Commissioner of Recreation and Parks opens the Veterans Day Ceremonies Monday at the White Plains Rural Cemetary
WPCNR STARS AND STRIPES. By John F. Bailey. November 12, 2013:
I attended the Veterans Day Ceremony in White Plains Rural Cemetery Monday. I met Ross Marsico,(above) the 90 year old veteran of World War II who fought with the Third Army in France, Belgium and Germany. He was wounded by shrapnel, spent 45 days in a hospital THEN returned to active duty.
Mr. Marsico returned to the USA and spent 30 years as an active policeman in Harrison. He was honored as the 2013 Veteran’s Day Honoree
Mr. Marsico is a native of White Plains, just turned 90 yesterday, is an outstanding person to have the honor to meet. When he was asked questions how he felt about being honored, he said he just represented all the other veterans and every day people who had served, that it was not about him. Then he teared up.
Veterans day makes you tear up.
Chaplain Bob Donnelly of American Legion Post 135 in the invocation observed that the gathering was there to honor persons who had written a “blank check to the United States of America, good for everything including their life in service to their country.”
Adele Zucker(above , Past President of Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary, said Veterans day was to honor the veterans who came back and have contributed so much to their hometowns in addition to their military service.
Chaplain Bob Donnelly noted that when he returned from the Vietnam war he was spat upon by a woman in an airport and called a baby killer, and observed today’s veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are much more respected.
Then came brief inspiration remarks by the Mayor, Tom Roach, who proclaimed Monday Veteran’s Day in White Plains and U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jason Freeland(below)
Sergeant Freeland, in his most recent tour, was responsible for training Afghan army and police recruits. He is now head of recruiting for the Marines in White Plains. He mentioned how honored he was to be among the veterans attending, and how it was their and those like them who service that make it possible for him and today’s servicemen and women to perform and live up to the veterans’ example. This truth was echoed again how you serve matters and it is an inspiration to those who come after you.
Mayor Roach with Commandant Jack Collins of American Legion Post 135 places the Mayor’s Veteran’s Day Board Wreath at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
The Home Defense Wreathis placed by members of the White Plains Police and Fire Department
Dennis Jones, left, places the White Plains Historical Society Wreath. Joan Steere , Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed the final commemorative wreath.
The White Plains Middle School Band played Anchors Aweigh, The Caissons Go Rolling Along, The Marines Hymn, Semper Fidelis (Coast Guard), and Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder (Air Force).
Crisp. Inspiring, evoking the rich traditions and pride and sacrifice of the American armed forces.
As the gathering left, the tent was folded, and the crowd drifted away, until another Memorial Day another Veterans Day.
I remained and watched the tombstones of the Revolutionary War Dead…names no longer readable on the stones, they still spoke as one.
Cemeteries like the White Plains Rural Cemetery inspire by the testimony of the simple stones, the tiny flags denoting veterans and the stones too of every day people of long ago who lived well. As I read their stones I wonder what their lives were like their thoughts, their actions in that long ago time.
Cemeteries are not places of regret, but, instead inspiration to ignite in us, with their memories, to continue to work on our own lives and live up to the examples of persons like the veterans still with us and those who have departed.
Rifle Salute to the Departed Veterans by American Legion Post #135, was followed by Taps, played by Bob Freis
The veterans are getting older.
James Dwyer of American Legion Post 135 was scheduled to read Flanders Field. He could not due to illness according to Commander Jack Collins. This is the touching poem penned in World War I, Mr. Dywer would have read. He could not, so I will publish it for him.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field
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WPCNR TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE BULLETIN. From the New York State Thruway Authority Facebook Site. (Edited) November 9, 2015:
New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Robert Megna today announced at a meeting of its Board of Directors that there will be no toll adjustments along the system, including the Tappan Zee Bridge, in 2016. In addition to no toll increase, the Thruway Authority announced the formation and membership of the New NY Bridge Toll Advisory Task Force which will report its recommendations (on tolls) in mid-2016.
Reports on the Board Meeting indicate that during the Board meeting, it was announced the first new span of the New New York Bridge will not be open until spring of 2017. It was scheduled to open in 2016.
“Given our success in balancing the Thruway’s budget and the infusion of additional funding from Governor Cuomo, we have alleviated the need to implement a toll increase for the remainder of 2015 and for all of 2016,” said Executive Director Megna. “The New NY Bridge project has made tremendous progress, which anyone who drives over the Tappan Zee can see first-hand, and we will continue to work to find ways to keep tolls as low as possible for commuters.”
The announcement of no toll increase in 2016 along the Thruway marks the sixth year since the last increase took effect. The maintenance of tolls at the current level was made possible by a $1.285 billion infusion to the Thruway Stabilization Fund included in the 2015-16 state budget and a record-setting $1.6 billion low-interest Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Independent traffic engineering forecasts also include significant upward revisions from the previous forecast submitted in May 2015.
The 2016 budget forecast shows a traffic growth of 3.4 million vehicles or 1.3 percent above 2015, for total traffic volume of 259.3 million vehicles on the system and increased revenue as a result.
The Toll Advisory Task Force will review toll rates, potential commuter discount options, a resident discount program and commercial vehicle rates to secure additional funding for the bridge. The Task Force will be co-chaired by the Thruway Authority’s Executive Director and the state Department of Transportation Commissioner. The panel, which will conduct monthly meetings, and seek public input, is expected to report its findings in mid-2016. The members of the Toll Advisory Task Force are:
Gerald D. Jennings, former Mayor of the City of Albany, had a 21-year career as a teacher and high school administrator for the Albany City School District. Prior to his election victory in 1993, Jennings served 13 years as a member of the Common Council representing the 11th ward.
Matthew Rand, managing partner of Better Homes and Gardens, Rand Realty, and Rand Commercial Services along with Hudson United Home Services, previously served on the Boards of the American Red Cross in Greater New York and the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC) and currently serves on the Boards of Directors of People to People.
Joan McDonald, former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation, previously served as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the Chair of Connecticut Innovations; and held senior management positions at New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York City Department of Transportation; MTA Metro-North Railroad; and Jacobs Engineering.
Lawrence C. Salley, Chairman of the White Plains Housing Authority, previously served as the Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Transportation and is the Secretary of the African American Men of Westchester. He has been an advocate for social and economic development in Westchester, working for financing for businesses and affordable housing in several New York counties.
William C. Thompson, Jr., former New York City Comptroller, currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Managing Director of Siebert Brandford Shank and Co., where he advises state and local governments on a variety of financial services, including housing, health services and transportation. In 2015, Governor Cuomo appointed Mr. Thompson to Chair of the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA).
The New NY Bridge project continues to have a significant economic impact in the lower Hudson Valley region and New York State. More than 5,000 people have worked on the project to date, and Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC has used 622 subcontractors and suppliers based in New York State. The project has also had an unprecedented community outreach plan which has resulted in more than 700 community meetings, educational outreach to more than 25,000 students and a community benefits program that has approved $9.6 million in grants to local residents and communities most impacted by the construction.
Megna also updated the Board on the overall construction progress on the bridge, which remains on target to open in 2018 at a total cost of $3.98 billion. Two major milestones were marked in recent weeks with the steel girder assemblies reaching the one mile point from the Rockland shoreline and the laying of the first sections of concrete road deck panels as the New NY Bridge enters the next building phase with a majority of construction rising above the Hudson River.
Megna outlined for the Board other construction progress made. To date 55 percent of concrete piers are completed; 46 percent of steel girders have been fabricated; 34 percent of the deck panels have been fabricated; 27 percent of girder assemblies placed; and, 13 percent of the main towers poured.
Other 2015 construction milestones Megna outlined include:
At today’s meeting, it was also announced that Jamey Barbas, P.E. has been brought on as the Executive Project Engineer.
Barbas has more than 30 years of experience in bridge management, design, construction and inspection with a special emphasis on complex and long span bridges. Her expertise in leading major structure projects in cold weather climates will continue to move the project ahead. Peter Sanderson, Thruway’s Project Manager for the New NY Bridge, will remain with the project analyzing critical issues associated with different phases of construction on the largest highway bridge infrastructure project in the North America.
Along with today’s announcement, the Thruway Authority unveiled an updated, easier-to-navigate New NY Bridge website with an interactive design featuring more photos and videos of the progress of the project. The revamped website also includes a comprehensive project document archive and the option to sign up for project updates. The New NY Bridge website can be viewed at: http://www.newnybridge.com/.