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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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Jill Ianetta, City of White Plains.August 25, 2015:

How would you like to see your home on the big screen or the little screen?

The Mayor’s office is compiling a database of homes that White Plains can show to location scouts for consideration in future productions. We are also compiling a directory of craft services.

If you haven’t noticed, the City of White Plains has become a popular venue for filming projects. White Plains has recently hosted crews from Elementary, Madam Secretary, Sneaky Pete, Billions, Mr. Robot, and Blindspot.

In recent months, our library, restaurants on Mamaroneck Avenue, and homes in residential neighborhoods have all served as film sets in various productions.

The City of White Plains is considered to be strategically located within the “Studio Zone Radius.” This means that film crews can film here and studios do not have to reimburse them for travel time or hotels, thus making filming in White Plains desirable and economical.

Our diverse neighborhoods and eclectic architecture appeal to location scouts. Mayor Tom Roach, recognizing economic benefits said, “White Plains is perfectly suited for this nontraditional area of economic development because our city has neighborhoods, buildings, and open space that fit a variety of location needs. We have urban and suburban settings, interesting architecture, and we are, of course, easily accessible by car and train. We know that we live in a great city and now the world is seeing it. White Plains has streamlined its processes, and film crews find that working in White Plains is a positive experience.”
The Mayor’s office is compiling a database of homes that we can show to location scouts for consideration in future productions. We are also compiling a directory of craft services.

If you would like your business to be listed as a source for craft services, such as catering, sound, tutoring or anything else a film crew might need, we will list your contact information in our directory.

Please contact Jill Iannetta in the Mayor’s office at (914) 422-1411 or jiannetta@whiteplainsny.gov for more information or to be included in the database and/or directory of craft services.

Tell them WPCNR sent you!

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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. From the Columbia Journalism Review. August 23:

EDITOR: The following essay and research paper was sent to me by the Columbia Journalism Review. It reveals an embarrassment to journalism, and I feel it deserves attention:

IN MANY NEWSROOMS THERE ARE NO REPORTERS OF COLOR By Alex T. Williams

Last month I wrote about how editors have explained a lack of minority journalists in newsrooms as a “pipeline problem” (i.e., editors claim they aren’t hiring minorities because there aren’t enough minority applicants), but data collected from colleges and newsrooms across the country rejects this idea. The problem isn’t a lack of qualified candidates; it’s unequal hiring.

But there’s another problem: Minority journalists are more likely to leave journalism than their white counterparts. As a PhD student interested in the future of journalism, I wanted to study this issue from a new vantage point. So in addition to looking at retention rates in newsrooms, I also requested unpublished data from the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) to review how many reporters of color a typical newsroom employs. Even with low expectations, the results were surprising.

Illustrating what many journalists of color refer to as “being the only one in the room,” newspapers with a circulation of less than 50,000 typically employ 0 reporters of color in their newsrooms. While this number is frustrating for a number of reasons, I want to focus on the burden it places on reporters of color when they are hired, and how that burden may affect retention.

Take, for example, a passage published by Rebecca Carroll last year in The New Republic, in which she reflects on what it was like to work as a black journalist for 15 years before finally quitting the media industry:

At the start of each new job, where I was almost invariably the only black editor on staff (unless it was a black publication—I have worked at a few), I would be heralded for my “voice” (and the implicit diversity it brought), until that voice became threatening or intimidating, or just too black.

Now consider that for the last 30 years, ASNE has estimated a retention rate for newspaper employees. In 22 of those 30 years, the retention rate for minority journalists has been lower than Caucasians. In 2015, the difference was more pronounced than ever, with 78 percent of minorities being retained compared to 86 percent of white journalists.

Combine lower retention rates with unequal hiring, and the number of minority journalists in newsrooms hovers around 13 percent. Looking specifically at newspaper reporters in the 2015 ASNE census, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans are each under-represented compared to their portion of the population.

Graph by Alex T. Williams

To understand the cause of this imbalance, we need to look at the actual number of reporters of color, not just the percentage. We can analyze what a typical newsroom looks like by using the median number of reporters.

According to the ASNE 2015 census data, newspapers with a circulation of less than 50,000 typically employ 0 reporters of color in their newsrooms, as previously mentioned. But while larger newspapers are more likely to employ journalists of color, it’s important to note that out of about 1,400 daily newspapers in the US, approximately 1,250 of them have circulations less than 50,000. These smaller newspapers are often where young journalists begin their careers.

Graph by Alex T. Williams

These low numbers are troubling not only because of what they illustrate about the current state of diversity, but also because of the burden they place on minority reporters when they are hired.

At NPR’s Code Switch, Gene Demby recently interviewed Scott Page, a professor at the University of Michigan who studies how diversity improves decision making at organizations, to explore the pitfalls of “being the only one in the room.”

“One question you can ask is how many people of a particular group have to be in a room for them to speak,” Page said. That is, having a woman in a room doesn’t affect a whole lot if she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking up. And while he has found that the presence of just one member of a minority group in a room can positively influence the rest of the group to be more cognizant of their own language and behavior, that’s different from actually hearing out that person’s ideas.

What Carroll and Demby both point out is that it’s taxing if you are the lone dissenting voice in the room, particularly when you are forced to represent entire communities against the opinions of people who outrank you. Yet the common argument for more diverse newsrooms is improved coverage—which requires minority journalists to challenge and change the status quo.

Given this tension, a 2009 study on minority journalists is worth reviewing. The research team, led by Professor Katsuo A. Nishikawa, wanted to resolve a paradox: Why have some studies found that hiring minority journalists improves coverage of minority communities, while others have found no effect?

After interviewing 18 journalists, the authors concluded that journalists of color acted as “watchdogs” by pointing out stories that needed more nuance and improving the selection of new topics and resources. However, they explain:

A lone voice, asking the pointed question, waving the red flag, might well be drowned out by a chorus of often more senior and influential White voices … diverse newsrooms have the potential to transform the stereotypical, two-dimensional portrayals of minority communities into more accurate, multi-layered depictions. A critical mass of minority journalists committed to that goal, however, is necessary to bring about that transformation.

Since the typical newsroom at a newspaper with a circulation under 50,000 does not even employ one reporter of color, we are clearly a long way from realizing that transformation. And as a result, too often the status quo wins out, with talented reporters of color leaving the field in frustration.

 

If you’d like to get email from United States Project writers and editors, add your email address to our list and we’ll be in touch.

Alex T. Williams is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania. His writing his been published by the Pew Research Center, Poynter, and The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage. Find him on Twitter@AlexT_Williams or on his website.

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WPCNR REALTY-GO-ROUND. By John Bailey based on data  Rand Realty, White Plains. August 22, 2015:

Mike Graessle’s Rand Realty sales report on the  April-May-June quarter is upbeat for single home sellers and condo owners, but owners of co-ops and multi-families cool off in price and consumer interest.

Mike writes  me “activity was way up in the second quarter. My colleagues agree the market (in White Plains) seems the busiest that it’s been in years. Even with all that demand coming into the market, we’re not seeing yet any significant impact on prices. I can tell you that in the field we’re definitely seeing pricing start to creep up, with the return of ‘multiple offer’ situations and bidding wars. My guess is, it’s just a matter of time before prices start to escalate.

The data for White Plains in the 2^nd quarter for closed sales indicates 8 more single family homes sold in this year’s second quarter compared to last year (52 to 44). In the first quarter this year 39 homes sold a 33% increase for the first six months

Average price declined in the second quarter to $669,549, down 7% and the median selling price (meaning half sold above for prices higher, half lower) was $613,750. Average days on the market was 5 months. Average discount from original price was 2.4%. In the first six months of 2015 the median price dropped 24% ($805,000 to $613,750).

Condominiums appear to making a slight recovery in White Plains, sales up 20% in the first six months of 2015, and prices up, too. The average selling price of a condo in the second quarter was $686,786 on the 49 closings an increase of 20%. In the first six months of this year the average price of closed condo sale was $536,310—up 28%  Sellers on average had to discount their sale price almost 7%. Condos selling took an average 5 months to move.

Sales of Co-ops which had been reasonably brisk in the first quarter, dipped  13%. Nevertheless in the first half of 2015 38 Co-ops sold…29% higher than the first half of 2014.

Prices on Co-ops softened. Average Co-op selling price ($179,267)   dropped 9% from last year’s second quarter highwater mark of $196,668. The average price for a co-op in the 2015 first half was $187,116 a 4% decline the first half 2014. The mean selling price for a co-op in the second quarter was $160,000 off 14%.The mean co-op selling price for the first half was $181,500 down 12% from the first six months of 2014. Co-op owners, on average had to cut about 8% from their original price, and had to wait 5 and a half months to sell their co-ops.

Only 1 multi-family home sold in the second quarter, compared to 7 in the first quarter, and for those 8 owners of the co-ops it is taking 9 and a half months to sell. The average price of a multi family the first six months was $459,063, down 48% from the first six months of 2014. The median price for the first half for the 8 Multi-Families  was $420,250, a decline of  43% from the first half of 2014.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. August 18, 2015:

Earlier today, John Murphy, the former Chief Executive Officer of Oak Rock Financial, LLC (Oak Rock), was sentenced in federal court in Central Islip, New York to 97 months of imprisonment.

In December 2013, Murphy pled guilty to bank fraud after admitting that he had been lying to various financial institutions and investors regarding Oak Rock’s financial health since January 2009.

The sentence was announced by Kelly T. Currie, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, Assistance Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).

“By making fraudulent representations with respect to Oak Rock’s financial position, Murphy caused financial institutions and private investors to suffer millions of dollars in losses,” stated Acting United States Attorney Currie. “Those who defraud others will be held accountable for their actions.” Mr. Currie expressed his appreciation to the New York State Department of Financial Services for its assistance in the investigation.

Oak Rock, a financial lending company located in Suffolk County, New York, secured lines of credit for businesses throughout the United States.

During his time as Chief Executive Officer, Murphy misled banks about the state of Oak Rock’s financial health by providing them with false documentation concerning businesses that failed to make timely payments on their loans or that were in default.

Murphy, who was compensated $600,000 a year, failed to address the defaulting loans and instead operated Oak Rock as if it were a sound financial organization through lies and deception. Specifically, he defrauded the banks by changing delinquency dates to make it appear that loans were current; booking fictitious payments, thereby creating fictitious accounts receivable; and falsifying delinquent accounts receivable by copying data from timely paid accounts so that the defaulting loans appeared to be timely paid and stable. These misrepresentations caused Israel Discount Bank, Oak Rock’s primary lender, as well as other financial institutions and private investors, to sustain losses totaling in excess of $93 million.

The charges were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.

The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Leonard D. Wexler.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Canty is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

• JOHN MURPHY
• Age: 65
• Nesconset, New York

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. August 14, 2015

Visitor spending in Westchester hit a record $1.74 billion in 2014 and is on pace to top that number in 2015, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced today. Since 2010, tourism has added $8.3 billion to the county’s economy.

“These numbers show the growing popularity of Westchester as the ‘Meet Me’ destination in the Hudson Valley,” Astorino said. “Whether for business or pleasure, Westchester is attracting more and more visitors and that’s great news for our economy.”

In 2014, visitor spending supported 23,681 jobs in Westchester, 6 percent of all jobs in the county. At the same time, tourism generated $207.7 million in revenue for the county and local municipalities, representing $600 for every household in the county. Overall, visitor spending grew 14 percent – more than $200 million – over five years. Westchester’s tourism industry, which ranks third in the state behind New York City and Long Island, represents 52 percent of all visitor spending in the Hudson Valley region.

Natasha Caputo, Director of Westchester County Tourism & Film, said upcoming attractions for the fall season will add to the momentum of Westchester’s tourism industry.

The fall season’s various events and activities include:

American Gold Cup. Rated as the United States’ No. 1 competition by the North American Riders Group, the American Gold Cup returns to Old Salem Farm September 9-13.

Circus Latino! A 90-foot “Big Top” tent with the sound and energy of Brazilian and Ecuadorian bands combined with the artistry of aerialists and acrobats, at Edge-on-Hudson on September 18-20.

SOWE Music Festival. Featuring three stages of world class rock, dozens of top national and regional artists, beer, wine food trucks, carnival rides and more, this festival takes place on September 19 at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck.

White Plains Jazz Fest. A four-day jazz and blues celebration featuring seven live music concert events, located at venues throughout downtown White Plains on September 24-27.