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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Scott Yandrasevich

WPCNR COURTSIDE. From the Office of the Westchester District Attorney. November 7, 2014:

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Scott Yandrasevich (DOB 2/25/1964) of 11 Abbey Lane, Danbury, Connecticut, pled guilty today to:

• one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony,
• two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, class “E” Felonies.

Between April 10th, 2007 and August 20, 2012, the defendant, who was the General Manager of the Rye Golf Club, located at 330 Boston Post Road, in Rye, New York, stole approximately $271,120 from the Club and the City of Rye by knowingly submitting false invoices to the City of Rye for fictitious employees over this approximate four and a half year period.

The club is a RyeCity owned non-equity membership club.

The defendant accomplished this larceny by setting up and effectively controlling a staffing company called RM Staffing for the purposes of billing the City of Rye for services provided to the Club.

The defendant submitted false bi-weekly invoices on RM Staffing stationary listing individual(s) who were falsely described as working in “Administration,” “Restaurant” and/or “Operations” at the Club, when in fact no such person(s) worked for the Club.

In total, these fraudulent invoices were submitted during a span of over one hundred pay periods and the City of Rye paid out approximately $271,120 to RM Staffing for these fictional services.

After RM Staffing received these stolen monies, said stolen monies were ultimately transferred back to the defendant, who used said funds for his own personal use.

The Westchester County District Attorneys Office was assisted in this investigation by the City of Rye government officials as well as the Rye City Police Department.

The Rye Police Department became aware of financial irregularities, hired outside counsel who further investigated and forwarded those findings to the District Attorneys office.

Sentencing will be on April 9th, 2015.

The amount of upfront restitution will impact the sentence.

He faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Conway, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2014. November 5, 2014:

With 100% of Tuesday ballots counted, last night trends held up, returning Nita Lowey to Congress with a 59% to 41% margin over her challenger, Chris Day in the 17th Congressional District.

Andrea Stewart Cousins defeated Robert Foti to win reelection to White Plains 35th New York State Senate district, by a 2 to 1 margin of votes, 39,466 to 14,526, though Foti did not actively campaign.

George Latimer held on to his lead late election night over Joe Dillon, finishing with 36,619 votes to Mr. Dillon’s 33,488, the Latimer margin  declining to 52% to48%.

Joe Dillon of Yonkers has conceded the close race for New York State Senate’s 37th District. He called to congratulate Senator George Latimer for a spirited campaign, and lauded Latimer’s joining him in an extensive number of debate appearances, which Dillon said was “a testament to the regard we both share for the people of this district and it was healthy for the election process.”

Said Dillon:

“I have spoken to George Latimer and wished him all the best going forward. My family joins me in expressing my deep gratitude for the support of all those who embraced our campaign.  Our everlasting friendship and appreciation goes well beyond this election.”

“In three short months we rose from obscurity to come within four points of unseating a deeply entrenched incumbent, and we did it focusing strictly on the issues of most concern to our community.  We held our campaign to the highest standard because that’s what voters deserve, and I am very proud about that.”

“I hope that George will consider the support echoed by the people for term limits, tax relief, ethics reform and an overhaul of school funding. While Mr. Latimer has won, the people have made it clear that they want change, and their voices deserve to be heard; no matter their station, and regardless of party.”

With all Election Districts reporting, the unofficial Board of Elections count confirmed Democratic City Committee vote totals, reported by WPCNR early Wednesday morning on the Common Council Special Election.

Ms. Nadine Hunt-Robinson finished by sweeping 39 of 46 Election Districts, defeating Terence Guerriere, 7,110 votes to 4,793, a 60% to 40% margin.

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Nadine Hunt-Robinson, a resident of the Fisher Hill neighborhood in White Plains  shown in February when she was appointed to the Common Council to replace Benjamin Boykin on an interim basis, won the Special Council Election to serve the final year of Mr. Boykin’s term Tuesday evening

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2014 By John F. Bailey. November 4, 2014:

According to an unofficial tally of raw Election District Results district-by-district tallied by the White Plains Democratic Party furnished to WPCNR, Nadine Hunt-Robinson has won going away  over Terence Guerriere , winning  60% of the  12,032 votes counted, (of a possible 31,000 White Plains registered voters).

Ms. Nadine Hunt-Robinson, second from left, and Terence Guerriere, second from right at oneof the Campaign Forums in White Plains this fall.

In her sweeping victory, she earned  White Plains voters’ endorsement to fill the unexpired year remaining on former Councilman Benjamin Boykin’s council term beginning in January. She received unofficially 7,234 votes to Mr. Guerriere’s 4,798.  She swept 39 of 46 election districts, losing only 7.

Hunt-Robinson was appointed to the Common Council  as a surprise selection by the City Democratic Committee when appointed in February by Mayor Thomas Roach and the Common Council.

She has not commented extensively in her 9 months on the council, but her comments have not contained any “mistakes,” have appeared measured and thoughtful. An envirnomental lawyer for an insurance company, she was said to bring a level of expertise on such issues that would augment the Council.

Significantly during the forums and the campaign, Ms. Hunt-Robinson did not commit to any particular vote on the French American School of New York site plan, the key matter before the council he last three and a half years, while her opponent, Mr. Guerriere vowed he would vote against it.

Hunt-Robinson overcame annoyance on the part of members of the White Plains City Committee that her experience was limited if at all in matters of city government and that she had not been active and visible in reacting to city issues in the past, and was not even a member of the Democratic Party. She was a member of the Independence Party

Ms. Hunt-Robinson told WPCNR she was approached by the White Plains Ministerial Fellowship and asked to agree to accept the seat because if she did not, the White Plains black community would not have a seat on the Common Council with the departure of Mr. Boykin

She was challenged in a City Committee  nomination election and won by a narrow margin (one vote WPCNR believes) and subsequently was appointed to the Council by Mayor Roach and the Common Council in a unanimous vote. She was endorsed by the White Plains Examiner, and apparently in her forum appearances impressed many. On the French American School of New York issue (particularly in recent hearings) she carefully noted she was concerned about the health and safety of White Plains High School students and would be considering those issues carefully in any decision vote on the FASNY site plan.

Guerriere’s only strength showed up in the immediate Ridgeway Gedney Farms area of the city. Election Districts, not within the vicinity of the controversial proposed French American School Project, all voted for Hunt-Robinson.

Guerriere only started campaigning in earnest in September. Given the margin of victory by Ms. Hunt-Robinson, more campaigning would not have made a difference.

His promises of working for lower parking rates and hours, calls for better budgeting, and protection of neighborhoods and criticism of the FASNY project did not gain traction.

He lost by a larger margin than he did the last time he ran for Common Council in 2011 when he missed getting on the Common Council, 801 votes behind Dennis Krolian. Tuesday he has been unofficially defeated by 2,436 votes by Ms. Hunt-Robinson, an astounding plurality approaching Joseph Delfino (former Mayor of White Plains) popularity margins.

Mr. Guerriere’s  ideas did not resonate with the voters, who apparently liked Ms. Hunt-Robinson’s rational and level headed demeanor and comportment, and hold out hope she will act in their best interests.

The vote is evidence that  the citizens who voted are not unhappy with the way the Common Council and Mayor are leading the city, at least not unhappy enough with policy and conditions like property taxes, development and services to demand changes,   to do something as shocking as voting out a nice person without giving them a chance in favor of a reform type candidate.

We have learned that the majority of neighborhoods with voters who voted do not care about the plight of any neighborhoods except their own.

They do not like discord in White Plains and believe what city leadership and their party believes, and the Democratic Party ( at least in White Plains anyway) knows the buttons to push to keep their party loyalists and get them out to vote their way. They perhaps should graduate to the Democratic National Committee given the national Democrat results Tuesday.

The Democratic City Committee is a very effective organization.

The people have spoken.

For better or worse.

The city moves forward like the 300-car freight train it is.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF FADING AUTUMN. By the WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. NOVEMBER 4, 2014:

The Playland Park and restaurants are all closed now. But the park still draws people. Here is how the park looked on Election Day. The Park drew 25% more visitors this summer.

The Repaired Ice Casino now open. Full Moon shines on the new roof

Looking Towards “East Egg” from the Playland Pier

The Sweep of the Repaired Boardwalk and Beach Walking

Full Moon Rise Over the Sound

A Lone Patron at the Tikki Bar Egret Buffet

Sunset Over the Bathhouses

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WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From the French American School of New York. November 4, 2014: 

A spokesman for the French American School of New York has just informed WPCNR that the Gedney Neighborhood Association legal action claiming the City of White Plains environmental review of the French American School of New York plan to build a central campus on the former Ridgeway Country violated the open meetings law has been denied by the courts.

Geof Thompson, spokesman for FASNY issued this statement today:

“We just received the judge’s decision dismissing the only remaining GNA (Gedney Neighborhood Association) claim in their lawsuit against the City of White Plains. As you know, GNS’s other claims were dismissed by the court earlier.

This is an important decision finding that the City did NOT violate the Opening Meetings Law.

One other important note:  The decision mentions that FASNY’s counter claim was also dismissed.  Please do not interpret this as FASNY having “lost” the case.  FASNY merely argued that the remaining claim of GNA was not “ripe” on the merits, and the Court agreed which resulted in FASNY’s position being upheld and as a result, that aspect of the matter   was simultaneously dismissed.”