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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Sharon Balkom, Marisa Dinardo, Hemanth Kumar Puttur, Joe Riverso,

Gregory Rodriguez, Linda Sheehan

WPCNR MILESTONES. September 12, 2014:

The ceremony observing the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, part of a two-site attack by terrorists taking over three commerical airliners was solemnly remembered and the six residents of White Plains honored and memorialized yesterday at 8 A.M.

The observance struck a plaintiff evocation and painful remembrance of how anyone watching the all-too-real video images that day, by White Plains Police Officer Tara Altamuro’s stately colorata voice singing the Star Spangled Banner.

Richard Hoffman, the brother-in-law of Joseph Riverso, one of the six White Plains citizens lost on that day,  read a poem One  that observed  the horror that unfolded that day 13 years ago that every American, no matter who they were, what color their skin was, what religion they followed became “One Family. One Faith” for each other. He is seen here with Marisa Hoffman, niece of Joseph Riverso

The verse evoked exactly how every person living here across the nation felt.  As Mayor Tom Roach noted in his remarks, “we all wanted to help.”

Counilmembers laid a wreath on the marble memorial, after Mayor Roach read the names of the White Plains six.

Officer Altamuro concluded the solemnity by rendering hope and love in her robust singing of God Bless America

The Mayor thanked all for coming and quiet conversations followed.

And all dispersed, going our separate ways.

.(You can see and hear Officer Altamuro concluding the remembrance singing God Bless America on White Plains Week, this evening at 7:30 P.M. on Channels 45 FIOS countywide and Cablevision Channel 76 in White Plains, or on the internet at www.whiteplainsweek.com)

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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. By John F. Bailey. September 10, 2014:

After being informed of the French American School of New York Plans by Ann Bobroff-Hajal , of White Plains, the Army Corps of Engineers has requested details of the FASNY site, showing branches of the Mamaroneck River that lay underground in manmade underground conduits of the river branches.

A  letter from Stephan Ryba, Chief Eastern Section, the Army Corps of Engineers, obtained by Freedom of Information Act request sent by Ms. Bobroff-Hajal,  sent to FASNY July  31, (5 weeks ago), confirms this.  Mr. Ryba directed FASNY in the letter as follows:

“It has come to the attention of this office (Corps of Engineers) that the French American School of New York (FASNY) has proposed work activities which may occur in, and involve discharge of fill material to waters of the United States on your property located at 400 Ridgeway in the City of White Plains, County of Westchester, New York.

Until a jurisdictional determination is prepared for the site and approved by the Corps of Engineers, we cannot determine the extent of proposed work in Corps juristion.

Therefore, the Corps recommends FASNY now submit to this office a request for a Corps jurisdictional determination for the entire site to clarify the extent of wetlands and Waters of the United States on the property.”

After receiving this letter The French American School of New York started to submit and continues to submit materials requested by the Army Corps of Engineers delineating site maps and natural streams and features of their proposed new campus construction site.

Here is a copy of this letter:

The Corps of Engineers learned of the proposed construction on the former Ridgeway Construction site from White Plains resident Ann Bobroff-Hajal,  one of whom spoke at the still open Special Permit and Site Plan Hearing  continuing this evening at 6:30 P.M. at White Plains High School in the auditorium. The purpose is to hear some 30 speakers who were still left to speak late Monday evening when the hearing was suspended until this evening.

On July 31, Stephan Ryba, Chief of the Eastern Section of the Army Corps of Engineers, 26 Federal Plaza, Manhattan, wrote The French American School of New York Chairman, Mischa Zabotin the following letter, released to WPCNR by Ms. Bobroff-Hajal.

After requesting a  ruling on whether or not the Army Corps of Engineers had jurisdiction on their property twice in June, 2011, the French American School of New York did not submit the scope of their proposed construction as it became available for three years to the Corps, and had not as of the date of July31. They have been very cooperative after receiving the Ryba letter.

It is unclear at this time, if the Army Corps of Engineers ever followed up, or routinely follows up on the development of such requests  after receiving the initial requests from AKRF, the FASNY environmental consultants in June, 2011.  The Army Corps could have asked if they intended construction on the site and what kind. A call has been placed to the Army Corps of Engineers to ascertain whether follow-up is routine in all requests for jurisdiction determination.

A call to the Mayor’s Office has been placed by WPCNR asking if FASNY informed the city of the receipt of the Ryba letter and the pending Army Corps of Engineers review of jurisdiction (and possible plan approval needed).  The Mayor’s Office has not returned the WPCNR call yesterday asking why city hired consultants and planners did not advise FASNY they should provide detailed information on their plans to the Army Corps of Engineers, since the preliminary plan has undergoing review the last three and a half years.

The Ryba letter after a laundry list of what FASNY has to submit, and has not submitted previously, says the Corps will be in touch for an on-site inspection of the premises:

“Upon receipt of the above requested information, we will contact your office to schedule our site visit to confirm the extent of Corps jurisdiction on the site. Failure to comply with the requirements to obtain authorization to discharge fill into Waters of the United States pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act will result in further enforcement action by this office including the possibility of substantial civil and criminal penalties.”

Ms.Bobroff-Hajal commented to WPCNR that the pond now existing on the golf course, previously thought to be man-made is actually the head waters of the middle branch of the Mamaroneck Riverand feeds an underground pipe with its outflow. She also observed that the new  entrance road at North Street  is planned to be directly over the wetlands that form the Mamaroneck River middle branch.  She commented that when the golf course was made and the pond created using the Mamaroneck River waters, this would have not been allowed under today’s environmental regulations.

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The FASNY Hearing Monday Evening as of 9:45 P.M. Crowd had dwindled by half.

The Common Council listened to speaker after speaker. Here the always passionate Dan Seidel beseeches the Council to vote the proposal down.

WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. By John F. Bailey. September 8, 2014 UPDATED SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 UPDATED 12:45 P.M. UPDATED  2:20 P.M. E.D.T. :

The FASNY SPECIAL PERMIT HEARING on the French American School of New York site plan for a 5-building campus on the Ridgeway Country Club was held open by the Mayor and the Common Council because thirty or more persons still had not gotten the opportunity to speak by midnight last night.

The Office of the City Clerk confirmed to WPCNR the hearing will be continued Wednesday evening at 6:30 P.M. However, the City Clerk office also said when WPCNR asked if more could speak, that  no additional persons may sign up to speak other than those who did not get to speak Monday evening. The Special Permit/Site Plan hearing was suspended at 12:30 A.M. this morning.

Those who were on the list to speak are invited back to White Plains High School at 6:30 P.M. Wednesday to resume the action.

The hearing on the closing of Hathaway Lane was closed approximately 9: 45 P.M, and the site Plan hearing resumed approximately 10 P.M.

The French American School of New York Special Permit/Closure of Hathaway Lane hearings began approximately at 6:30 PM Monday evening with about  700 in attendance. Observers said the hall appeared full which would mean approximately 900 people were in the building. (WPCNR arrived about 9:30 P.M.). Ron Rhodes, one of the speakers told WPCNR  that at the outset of the Hathaway Lane hearing, the Mayor said the process would next include the Common Council coming up with questions that want the French American School of New York  to answer, and FASNY coming back to the Council with answers.

Rhodes also pointed out that Anne Bobroff-Hajal representing EcoNeighbors,  speaking about 11: 20 raised the issue that the Army Corps of Engineers has indicated to her that FASNY had not been as clear as they should have been in explaining the project. She pointed out that the Army Corps of Engineers should have analyzed the site to see where foundations could be put for the project buildings or homes taking into consideration the underground tributaries of the Mamaroneck River.

WPCNR spoke with Anne Bobroff-Hajal this morning who explained: she said FASNY wrote the Army Corps of Engineers three years ago, inquiring whether or not the Army Corps had jurisiction over the property. However they had not sent their plans. Since then, FASNY has not been in contract with the Corps, according to Bobroff-Hajal’s contact at the Army Corps of Engineers Steve Ryba.

In July, she told WPCNR the Army Corps thanked her for drawing their attention to FASNY’S project, and proceeded to request the plans from the French American School.  Bobroff-Hajal reports to WPCNR that the Army Corps cannot determine whether they have do have jurisdiction without doing a study of the property.

(UPDATE, 1:40 P.M.:)First, she told me, the Army Corps does a “desk study” of the project plans then a “site study.”

That process of gathering material to determine jurisdiction, according to material just received from the Corps of Engineers by Ms. Bobroff-Hajal, is now underway.

According to Ms. Bobroff-Hajal, the Army Corps of Engineers does have jurisdiction over the property and “is very interested” in the project plans because the corps is now doing a detailed study of the Mamaroneck River and Sheldrake River water basins. Bobroff-Hajal said that the Army Corps of Engineers map shows underground streams heading out southwest from the pond on the previous golf corse property, which run right across where FASNY plans its construction. One of those streams is not shown on the FASNY public plans.

Bobroff-Hajal told WPCNR she had contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and they were not interested in looking into the project.

However the Army Corps was very interested when she contacted them in July, because, she said, the Corps told her the Army Corps “relies on citizens to inform them of projects that are planned in their cities. Otherwise,” she said,  “they have no way of knowing whether developers proceed with a project or not.”

A letter from Zarin & Steinmetz, FASNY attorneys,  provided by Ms. Bobroff-Hajal dated August 25 (last month) acknowledges Army Corps of Engineers efforts to collect information for the Corps study of jurisiction, FASNY attorneys to the Army Corps of Engineers in response to the Army Corps requests for the FASNY Plans, cited the reason why FASNY feels the former golf course is not subject to Army Corps jurisdiction, saying that streams that have been covered over (in this case by creation of the golf course), are not subject to ACE jurisdiction. Though that regulation has expired.

WPCNR has asked for a statement from the French American School of New York on why they did not explore invoving the Army Corps of Engineers in analyzing the water sensitivity of the property, and whether the Corps feels a study is needed.

WPCNR has asked for a statement from the City of White Plains press office as to why the city’s battery of environmental consultants had not pointed out to FASNY that the Army Corps of Engineers does have jurisdiction over the property three years ago before the process began.

Approximately  70 speakers  were scheduled to speak throughout the evening. The crowd had dwindled to 125 by  11:30 P.M., when the Special Permit hearing was still going on. Applause greeted statements pro and con, reminiscent of a congressional State of the Union message.

This was the largest gathering observed over a land-use issue in the city since the New York Presbyterian Hospital  hearings in the three years 2000 to 2002. That land use controversy resulted in an Article 78 proceeding against the city which the hospital won on the grounds that the city had refused to refer the project for review to departments. That Article 78 decision forced the city to review the Hospital’s proton accelerator project which was eventually approved but the hospital abandoned the plan.

Old grounds for rejecting the current FASNY proposal under review for the last 3 and a half years were repeated by opponents with the majority of comments advising the Common Council of White Plains to reject the school proposal to build a 5-building campus on the former Ridgeway Country Club.

Objections previously raised were that increased traffic would overwhelm North Street and the Gedney Farms  Neighborhood; real estate values would decline;  the project did not fit in  with the neighborhood.

New objections were also raised by Ron Rhodes that the project violated a number of sections of the Comprehensive Plan of the city, and called for the Council to reject the project. Rhodes concluded his statement, saying, “If you follow the (city) law and reject FASNY…you would show you can’t be pressured by outside influences.”

Robert Stackpole, noted that the alternative posibility of building 45 homes did not conform to the usual standards for viable subdivisions. Mr. Stackpole also stated that there was a “billinonaire owner” who was ready to purchase the former Ridgeway Country Club again and “bail the French American School” out.

A realtor in the hearing of the Special Permit suggested the French American School could purchase or rent the Good Counsel property as a way of moving to White Plains without occupying the Gedney Farms neighborhood and continuing to lower the neighborhood  real estate value. She warned the city that Gedney neighborhood home prices had declined some 20% since the school had announced its intentions, and would continue to lower. She said if the city voted in favor of the project it would face certain tax assessment challenges from those homeowners who remained.

One fourth of the crowd was clad in green “YES” shirts supporting The French American School Proposal.

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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. September 8, 2014:

Geof Thompson, spokesperson for the French American School of New York, after confirming  to WPCNR, that FASNY allowed their postage permit indicia to be used to send a Pro-FASNY mailing brought to them by a group of neighbors in Gedney Farms, has issued a statement this afternoon on reimbursement of the postage, in response to a WPCNR query.

Mr. Thompson wrote WPCNR:

“Mailing cost was under $3000 and FASNY will pay it.  

As I explained in my earlier email and when we spoke, a core group of neighbors drafted and revised the letter which was then sent to supporters who joined the letter. FASNY mailed it for them. Since it arrived in mailboxes Friday an additional 21 neighbors have joined the letter bringing it to 62 neighborhood co-signers.  Each one of them approved the letter and then added their name.  There likely will be more. “

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Archbishop Stepinac High School, White Plains, NY September 8, 2014:

 Classes for the new school year began today for Archbishop Stepinac High School’s Freshman Class consisting of 213 students, representing yet another spike in enrollment that the 66-year-old, all boys school has experienced in recent years.

Since the 2008-2009 school year when the freshman class consisted of 139 students, enrollment has soared 53%.

“Equally significant is that over the same five-year period, the percentage of prospective students who indicated that Stepinac was their first choice also jumped sharply,” said Father Thomas Collins, (Pictured above appearing last September on WHITE PLAINS WEEK, the White Plains TV City News Roundup Show) President. He added, “Back then, 139 students put Stepinac first. This year, 242 made Stepinac number one, representing an astonishing 74% gain.”

The impact of soaring enrollment forced Stepinac this summer to create a wait list for the freshman class as well as hire eight new faculty members.

In explaining the striking difference that five years has made at Stepinac, Father Collins pointed out that today’s freshman class will enjoy several advanced educational and extracurricular features and capabilities that were not available to freshmen in 2008-2009.

They include an all digital textbook library, the first of its kind in the nation; a state-of-the-art computer lab and physics lab; a synthetic turf athletic complex as well as significant enhancements to the school’s Major Bowes Theater and notable building façade, parking lot and grounds improvements.

“As these became a reality, we showcased them at our Open Houses. Over time, word-of mouth—combined with our marketing efforts—sparked increased interest among our target audience of middle-school boys and their parents,” Father Collins explained. “Given our school’s tremendous progress and consistent record of shaping future leaders by providing an outstanding academic education grounded on strong Roman Catholic values and traditions, it comes as no surprise why so many more prospective students and their parents are knocking on our doors.”

Geographically, each of the key areas where Stepinac draws enrollment—the Bronx, lower and Central Westchester— have shown increases over the past five years. But, the school has also been steadily attracting students from northern Westchester, a trend which is expected to continue in the years ahead.

The catalyst that sparked Stepinac’s seemingly overnight enrollment success story was the decision that the Archdiocese of New York made five years ago for 10 of its high schools including Stepinac to become independently chartered. In so doing, each school would be responsible for budgeting, fund raising, marketing and other governance functions associated with running a successful educational institution.

As part of its new independent status, Stepinac created a Board of Trustees comprising prominent alumni and other leaders who have been committed to chart the school’s new future. In 2011, it appointed Father Collins, a Stepinac alum (Class of 1979) as its ninth leader. Previously, he served as Stepinac’s Associate Dean of Students.

“The key to Stepinac’s success has been the tremendous generosity and support of our alumni who have made it possible to raise and invest several millions of dollars to help keep our school at the forefront of secondary education in the region,” Father Collins related. “I cannot imagine how this remarkable story can be told without their fierce loyalty and commitment.”

Sometime later this fall, the school’s new video conference center, located adjacent to the library, will open. It will not only enhance Stepinac’s ability to communicate with its core constituents but it will be used by students to interface with their counterparts in foreign countries, a likely outcome from Stepinac’s recent hosting of students from China.  “A new and exciting chapter in education is happening and Stepinac is proud to help lead the way,” Father Collins stated.