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 PLAYLAND GO-ROUND. Commentary from Stakeholders. June 14, 1014:

WPCNR continues to receive reaction on the fate of the Sustainable Playland proposal having been withdrawn this week and where it leaves the county attraction, Playland.

From Marissa Brett, of the Westchester County Association:

“We are deeply disappointed that after three years of discussions and planning, Westchester County and Sustainable Playland, Inc., have abandoned their agreement to redevelop Rye Playland. While no one party is to be blamed for letting the process flounder, certainly the process is at fault.

“Whether one agrees or not with Sustainable Playland’s proposed plans, it is apparent that the group invested considerable thought, time, effort, and money to rescue and resuscitate a money-losing county venture. Unfortunately, they had to work with multiple government entities, some with conflicting visions for the property, in developing their plans. In the end, Sustainable Playland ran out of patience and money for this project.

“Our concern is that this decision may jeopardize future projects between the private sector and the County. We have supported the use of Public-Private Partnerships to improve our County’s infrastructure and to monetize government assets. We need to encourage, and not discourage, more projects between the public and private sectors, such as North 60 at Grasslands in Valhalla, where Fareri Associates has a plan to develop 60 acres of County property for use by biotech companies, a key growth area for Westchester.

“Westchester needs a clear roadmap for developers to follow so there is less risk that important projects lose momentum and die. The Westchester County Association is committed to working with business and government to streamline the process, and we already are meeting with municipal leaders and sharing ideas. It is essential to upgrade our approach to development, and prevent others from spending millions of dollars that lead to nowhere.”

From County Legislator Ken Jenkins, (and Yonkers IDA Director):

“County Executive Rob Astorino seems to be doubling down on a failed approach that makes pre-mature pronouncements on a 10 year contract that will require a super-majority vote of the BOL and wastes taxpayers’ money to perform an analysis that the County Executive claims to have used in making his initial selection of Sustainable Playland.

“The time is now for the BOL, as the governing authority for Westchester County, to bring together the two remaining RFP respondents, Central Amusements and Standard Amusements and develop a lease for the management of Playland’s Amusement area using the framework of the 2010 Resolution adopted by the BOL regarding Playland. 

These last two remaining RFP respondents are prepared today to invest $25 million dollars into the amusement area and get things up and running in time for the 2015 Playland season. The BOL did this with the Children’s Museum with a unanimous vote then a unanimous override of County Executive Astorino’s veto.

“Friends of the Parks are well established group that supports all of Westchester and is concession vendor at Playland.  It will be interesting to see how the Astorino administration addresses the concerns of disparities that have come from organizations like the Central Park Conservancy. 

“I am hopeful my colleagues on the BOL will combine the remaining RFP respondents and develop a lease to operate the amusement area at Playland based on over 2 years of Committee hearings and public review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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WPCNR NEWS BREAK. From Westchester OEM Reports. June 13, 2014 UPDATED 11:05 P.M. E.D.T.:

The Federal Aviation Administration reports a small Piper Malibu Meridian aircraft, originating from Westchester County Airport crashed one mile southwest of the airport near The SUNY Purchase College Campus.

There is one fatal injury to the pilot of the plane who was the only soul on board.

The pilot is identified by a spokesman for his family,  as Dr.  Richard Rockefeller, 65, a nephew of former Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller, who also was governor of New York from 1959 to 1973. Richard Rockefeller ate dinner with his father, banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller, in Westchester to celebrate the family patriarch’s 99th birthday, a family spokesman said.

The spokesman described him as an experienced pilot whose death left the family in shock.

There are no additional injuries or fatalities reported. The college was not impacted by the crash.

The cause of the crash is still undetermined.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 11, 2014:

Actual Questions with answers and justifications of the answers that appeared in the 2014 New York State Assessments will be delivered to School Districts in August, the State Commissioner of Education told WPCNR Wednesday.

Commissioner of Education for the State of New York John King delivered a request to the Business Council of Westchester Wednesday morning: He sought the business community help — for business leaders and community leaders to spread the word that the successful implementation of Common Core standards is needed to prepare NY children and turn out graduates with the skills the NY workplace needs.

He said districts needed to focus on what they are spending their budgets on to devote more funds they have to tuning Common Core teaching methods, commending  performances of school districts in Virginia and Maryland as  prudent spending models.

He spent a very cordial hour with the Business Council and experienced none of the rancor he received on his tours of school districts last year. He demonstrated a more involved and hands-on, “we’re going to fix this” attitude and expressed the confidence that as students become more familiar with Common Core-instilled skills, and the assessment test process the students  will improve test performance. He detailed one way the state is doing this:

He said the state is preparing videos of successful classrooms in action teaching the Common Core where school populations have been successful on the recent state tests and those videos will be sent to Principals to assist in preparing teachers to teach the Common Core standards successfully.

In a post-meeting session for the media, I  asked Mr. King when copies of partial questions appearing on this year’s state assessment tests recently completed (demanded by teachers and advocated by the state legislator two months ago with the passing of the budget. King said a representative portion of actual questions (complete with answers and justifications for the answers from the 2014 ELA and Math assessments) would be furnished school districts across the state in August with 2014 state assessment results.

I asked him if these questions would be in time for districts to make curriculum results. He said, that did not matter because if the district is teaching the Common Core standards effectively, the students should have no problem with this year’s new tests:

“More test preparation doesn’t really work. You have to raise instruction levels to better outcomes.”

He said drilling on test questions was just teaching to the test, and that the legislature has limited the amount of time teachers can spend on giving students sample tests in the coming year.

Asked if Pearson the worldwide education publisher that prepares the assessments, had been given new suggestions and objectives how to formulate the 2015 assessments based on the test analysis so far, King said the Department of Education has not completed its analysis of the test results or drawn conclusions about the quality, effectivess and difficult of the questions.

When the SED analyses of how students responded to questions  were complete the SED impressions of what presumably caused wrong answers would be shared with the Pearson assessment test creators to incorporate in design of  2015 assessment test preparation.

He did not say whether the Stated Education Department would be seeking direct comment from teachers and principals and curriculum coordinators and passing them on — but he did indicate to me the SED is paying attention to comments about the test.

King said strides have been made this year on the 2014  assessments.

The state eliminated two  reading booklets used  for testing passages on the English Language Arts exam , which teachers said lead to confusion and frustration and in 2014 students had only one book to refer to. King said the tests were shortened. He told me in the news conference that commentary from educators on the 2014 tests indicated students handled the exams better and were not as stressed out.

John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Business Council of Westchester told WPCNR in the news session with reporters that “everywhere” he goes business about Westchester County are concerned that new entrants into the workforce do not have the technical and problem-solving skills to analyze and make linear progressions of reasoning to orchestrate a project to completion, what he called the ability to take an assignment from “A-to-B-to-C-to-D.”

He was supportive of the Common Core for its objective to incorporate reading, writing and technical understanding. Asked if today’s I-Phone, Facebook, Instagram, connected twenty-something’s weren’t technically business ready, Ravitz told me, “They are very proficient technically when they operate amusements, but they do not possess an ability  to create a functional process that creates an answer or answers to a problem.”

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WPCNR PLAYLAND GO-ROUND. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. (Edited:WPCNR Edits in light italics) June 11, 1014:  

The Sustainable Playland  dream of bringing a field house,an amusement zone, a restaurant row on the boardwalk and new modern rides to Playland, as well as a great lawn is for all intent and purposes dead.

The Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced today:

“The asset management agreement the county had with SPI to operate the park will now lapse by mutual agreement. As such, the plans SPI had been making with operators (an Amusement Zone to be run by Central Amusement International and a Field Zone to be run by Playland Sports) are being withdrawn. However, SPI will be retained as a fundraiser for the park.”

Astorino said he understood the frustration that many have that the reinvention of Playland has not moved faster, or been easier. He shares that frustration, but he stressed the important thing was to keep moving forward.

As part of the continuing effort to save Playland, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino today announced several actions ( retaining SPI previously suggested experts), designed to improve the finances of the park and increase its attractiveness as a year-round destination.

American Skating Entertainment Centers, the largest independent owner/operator of ice rinks in the United States, whose year-round sports facilities include the Westchester Skating Academy in Elmsford, will become the new operator of the Ice Casino at Playland. (The Playland Ice Casino has for years been considerably less expensive than the Westchester Skating Academy, WPCNR notes).

The rink operator is one of Sustainable Playland suggested partners in the proposed Sustainable Playland takeover of Playland, that was currently under review by the Board of Legislators a review that is  currently suspended because according to Catherine Borgia of the County Board of Legislators (speaking on Radio WVOX Tuesday), Sustainable Playland was not ready to talk about their financing of the park scheduled to be reviewed  yesterday.

Astorino also announced that Dan Biederman, recognized internationally as a leader in privately funded urban and public space management, whose accomplishments include the restoration of Bryant Park in New York City, has been hired to do an “on the ground” review of the amusement park, which will include examinations of operations, factors contributing to profits and losses, and opportunities for sponsorships.

Biederman, too has been associated with Sustainable Playland as their leading advisor and manager of the park should Sustainable Playland take control of it, which they no longer apparently are interested in doing.

Sustainable Playland Inc. will continue to work with the county, but with a shift in focus, Astorino’s news release reported, saying SPI will now concentrate on fund raising with a particular emphasis on ensuring money is available with respect to historic preservation and environmental conservation. The county, as it currently does, will retain full control over the operations of the entire 280-acre park.

“Everything we have learned in the last four years has pointed to the same conclusion,” said Astorino. “The long-term financial viability of Playland depends on finding ways to make the park a year-round destination. These latest moves reaffirm our approach to not only improve the amusement park, but also to create complimentary attractions that extend the season beyond the summer. The math is simple. More days and more activities mean more dollars to defray costs to taxpayers and invest in preserving the traditions of Playland.”

Last year, Playland cost taxpayers $4.3 million ($1.3 million in operating losses and $3 million in debt service).

Attendence though is up substantially. During the first three weeks of Playland opening weekends since May 11, attendance at the park is up 25%, 54,000 admissions compared to 41,000 in the same period in 2013, according to the County Commissioner of Recreation and Parks, Peter Tartaglia.

The outline of the deal with American Skating calls for a 10-year contract, with an option to renew for an additional 10 years, that will pay the county an upfront payment of $300,000 the first year; a base payment $250,000 the second year, which will increase by 2% each year thereafter; and 25 percent of the gross revenue above $1.6 million annually.

In addition, American Skating will make $640,000 in capital improvements to the Ice Casino within the first 18 months of the contract. These capital improvements at American Skating’s expense will go largely toward refurbishing and modernizing the interior of the building with upgraded floors, lighting, electronics, bathrooms, locker rooms and guest services areas. These improvements are in addition to the approximately $4.5 million it will take to reopen the Ice Casino in September when repairing the damages caused by Superstorm Sandy will be completed.

“American Skating Entertainment Centers is excited to be coming to Playland, especially at a time when we get to be part of the rebuilding and rebirth of the Ice Casino and the park,” said Shane Coppola, chairman and CEO of American Skating. “Our experience as one of the top ice rink operators in the country, as well as in Westchester, along with the great venue and team at Playland will be a winning combination for skaters at every level and their families.”

Biederman’s role will be to focus on current operations and future opportunities. He and members of his team will be in the park all summer looking for ways to improve revenue generation, cost control, and visitor experience. In addition, the team will explore strategic options for the park such as the selection of a private operator, the addition of new attractions and activities and the development of revenue generating sponsorships. In the fall, Biederman will present a list of recommendations on how best to secure Playland’s long-term future.

“The riddle for solving Playland is how do you make the park relevant in 2014 and still preserve its traditions and charms,” said Biederman, president of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures. “The answer is a combination of operational excellence, having enough money to invest in the future and a vision that positions your assets to excite patrons to want to visit the park for multiple reasons at multiple times throughout the year. The County Executive has put that framework in place. My job is to help tie it together by advising on tactical and strategic matters that will range from improving the financial performance at the park as it now exists to broadening the scope of experiences at the park in the future.”

In its new role, SPI will perform three advocacy functions: act as Playland’s chief private fundraiser, similar to what Friends of Parks does for all of the county’s parks; safeguard the historic nature of park and its traditions; and reach out to residents from around the county to promote their interests and voice their concerns with respect to the future of Playland.

“I want to thank the County Executive for his support,” said Kim Morque, president of Sustainable Playland Inc. “SPI and its volunteer members are proud of the work we have done in launching the vision for a reinvented Playland. We are enthusiastic about our new advocacy and fundraising role, as it will play to our strengths as a group of citizen volunteers. SPI cares deeply about Playland and will continue to work hard to preserve its past traditions and strengthen its financial viability in the future.”

Astorino thanked SPI and its members for their many contributions and looks forward to their continued involvement.

The day-to-day operation of Playland will remain the responsibility of the county Park’s department for the remainder of this year. Whether that role changes won’t be decided until after the recommendations from the Biederman team are made.

For the foreseeable future, the county will also deal directly with the park’s current vendors and partners, such as the Children’s Museum, and potential new operators.

“There are a lot of competing dynamics involved, so it is not surprising that the path to success has not been a straight one,” Astorino said. “But we have made progress, and if we stay focused on finding ways to make the whole park more attractive to more people for more days out of the year, there is still time to find a formula that can secure the future of Playland.”

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WPCNR STREET STRAIGHT. June 10, 2014:

Juneteenth 2014 — the celebration of the freeing of the slaves by President Abaraham Lincoln in 1863, when the news was finally received in Texas in 1865, will be commemorated  in White Plains Saturday with the 10th Annual Juneteenth parade which is honoring Civil Rights Freedom Riders as Grand Marshalls.

The parade takes place between 12 and 2 PM Saturday on Mamaroneck Avenue, followed by a Street Festival on Court Street from 1 to 6 P.M.the by all walks and creeds of life today at the annual Juneteenth parade in White Plains.

For those of you who do not know of the Freedom Riders story,  a handful of white and black activists were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality to take buses into the Deep South to end whites-only segregation in bus terminals. The Freedom Rides began when 13 African-American and white activists departed Washington, D.C.  May 4, 1961. ,  in a risk-fraught effort  to end whites only segregation in bus terminals in the Deep South.

Dan Seidel suggested to  WPCNR Wednesday  that the 1964 murders of  a 21-year black man, James Chaney from Philadelphia, Mississippi, and two Jewish civil rights activists  Andrew Goodman, 20, and 24 year-old Michael Schwerner  who came to  Mississippi to register voters should be included among the unarmed, and extremely brave crusaders for truth justice and the American Way who died for it.

Seidel wrote WPCNR: “These kids deserve memorializing for their efforts – they added to the national conscious.This should be taught to the kids in schools. Some people gave all for the rights of others – the fight being at home.”

We agree.

The three were murdered by a conspiracy between the Ku Klux Klan and the Nashoba County, Mississippi police. Borgna Brunner has written a chilling account of how these three men were murdered and the subsequent arrests and prosecutions. You can read the story of this shameful cold blooded hate crime here– a distinctly “American” hate crime :

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmjustice4.html