Putnam-Rockland-Westchester Jobs Grow 1% per cent in Year Painfully Slow.

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WPCNR DAILY BREAD. From the New York State Department of Labor. December 19, 2013:

Overall regional job growth is centered in the lower Hudson Valley– Putnam-Rockland-Westchester labor market area. This lower Hudson Valley area is the driving force behind the overall job gains reported regionally.

The three county  job count grew 0.9 percent or 4,400 jobs over the period. Growth in that area is mostly attributed to a strong educational and health services sector, which grew by 1.6 percent or 2,000 jobs, with about 80 percent of the growth centered in the health care and social assistance component.

For the 12-month period ending in November 2013, private sector employment in the entire Hudson Valley Region increased by 0.2 percent or 1,500 jobs.
Employment gains were recorded in the following industries: trade, transportation and utilities (+2,200), natural resources, mining and construction (+1,100), and other services (+900).
Meanwhile, job losses were most apparent in manufacturing (-1,700), followed by information (-600), and professional and business services (-300). The government sector shed 3,100 jobs over the year.
In November 2013, the regional job market continued to expand, although the pace of private sector job growth has slowed down considerably. Nonetheless, growth in trade, transportation and utilities (1.2 percent), natural resources, mining and construction (2.7 percent), and other services (2.2 percent) have continued.
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Governor Cuomo Signs Buchwald Bill Requiring Public Service Commission to Receive Customer Complaints

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Assemblyman Davd Buchwald’s Office. December 19, 2013: 

            Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-Westchester) announced today that his bill (A.5556), which would help ensure that customers are better able to formally complain about power outages, has been signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo (Chapter 521 of 2013).

This legislation would for the first time require that the Public Service Commission include a proper complaint form on its website, and explicitly allow the duration of a power outage to be a basis for filing a complaint with the Commission.

“I am very pleased for Westchester families that Governor Cuomo signed this important legislation,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “Superstorm Sandy devastated our infrastructure, caused power outages throughout Westchester, and exposed a serious problem with the process of restoring utilities following a natural disaster. This legislation will help cut down on the length of service disruptions and better prepare us for future disasters.”

The Public Service Commission oversees New York’s utility companies, and by tracking complaints regarding utility response times, the Commission can better work to address reoccurring problems and improve communication, Assemblyman Buchwald noted.

Earlier this year in January, Assemblyman Buchwald testified at a hearing in Westchester of Governor Cuomo’s Moreland Commission on Utility Storm Preparation and Response. Buchwald recommended this legislation to improve oversight and communications between utility companies and costumers.

This bipartisan legislation was sponsored in the State Senate by Senator Jack Martins (R-Mineola), who represents a Long Island constituency that was also significantly impacted by Superstorm Sandy.“The loss of gas and power is more than an inconvenience; it’s a stressful situation that can have potentially life threatening consequences, especially when it’s for an extended period of time,” said Senator Martins. “The need for this legislation is even more important during the winter months when families need to keep their homes heated to stay warm. On behalf of Long Island and Westchester families, I want to thank Assemblyman Buchwald for working alongside me to help make this bill become law.”

 

 

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HOLIDAY BUYING LOOKS PROMISING: COUNTY NOVEMBER SALES BOOM UP 10.4% IN NOVEMBER. WHITE PLAINS SALES UP 4.3%.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. December 19, 2013:

The Westchester County economy on the retail side was up sharply by 10.4% in November, showing a $3 Million increase in November sales tax receipts. White Plains City Sales Tax receipts were up 4.3% over November of 2012, according to the November sales tax receipts released yesterday by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

The county (if the vibrant 10% increase rate continues in December to finish off the 2013 fiscal year) will top $490 Million in sales tax receipts, $12 Million over what the county budgeted. If the county only draws what they generated in December of 2012 ($48.5 Million), they will have a $10 Million surplus. Through November, the county as generated $437,070,676, compared to $411 Million through the first 11 months of 2012. The county sales tax handle through November has continued its steady 6% increase pace over the last six months.

White Plains experienced its best growth in months, gaining 4.2% over November of 2012.

Through the first five months of the White Plains 2013-14 fiscal year, the city has generated $20,767,728 in sales tax receipts compared to $19,915,758 in 2012, a 4.3% increase.

If the city reaps the good December of 2012, $4,769192, it will finish the first half of the year with $24.7 Million in sales tax receipts, on target to hit $50 Million for the fiscal year ending in June, $1 Million less than they collected two years ago in the first year of the last increase in the sales tax.

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Strange Visitor From Another Planet I.D.ed–THE HOLIDAY HERON is a Great Blue Heron

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. Contributed by a WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER, SUSAN KATZ, December 18, 2013:

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“DAMN THAT GARMIN! This is supposed to be Silver Lake!” That’s what this member of the Heron Family,( a Blue Heron),told Peter Katz, when the bird landed in the Katz backyard Wednesday. Susan Katz photographed the visitor. The disgruntled heron said he was looking for Scoop the News Duck. Apparently, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s successful tourism program is even reaching out to Florida

The Mystery bird since appearing yesterday on WPCNR, has been identified positively by two WPCNR readers.

Ellen Alzerez notes: “That bird is a Great Blue Heron.  I had one visiting my back yard a few years ago when I had a water feature with fish.”

Suzanne Evans tracked the visitor down, too: “I pulled out my Peterson Field Guide – Eastern Birds. The bird looks like a great blue heron. According to their range map we would be in the very northernmost reaches of their winter habitat.

 

 

 

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Governor Orders Flags Lowered to Half Staff in Honor of State Trooper David W. Cunniff

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. December 18, 2013:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Thursday, December 19, in honor of New York State Police Trooper David W. Cunniff.

Trooper Cunniff died Tuesday as a result of severe injuries sustained during a traffic accident that occurred last night on the New York State Thruway.

“Words cannot describe the depth of our sorrow as we mourn the tragic loss of Trooper Cunniff,” Governor Cuomo said. “He served the people of this state with valor and courage and was taken from us far too soon. On behalf of all New Yorkers, my deepest condolences are with the loved ones of Trooper Cunniff and we will lower flags on state government buildings this Thursday to honor his memory and service.”

Trooper Cunniff is from Duanesburg, NY and is survived by his wife, Amy, and two sons, 6-year-old Caleb and 4-year-old Zachary. He was 35 years old. Trooper Cunniff was a 9 year veteran of the New York State Police. He worked in Troops B, G and was a member of the then Executive Services Detail at the New York State Capitol. He was assigned to Troop T in February of 2009.

 

 

 

 

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620,000 NY-ers Eligible for BASIC STAR Have Not Renewed. Only 15 Days Left to Keep your STAR

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.December 18, 2013:

Geoffrey Gloak of the New York STate Department of Taxation and Finance told WPCNR Tuesday that with 15 days to go to renew Basic Star Exemptions, 25% of homeowners eligible for the BASIC STAR EXEMPTION have not renewed yet.

Gloak in a statement to WPCNR wrote:.

“76% (more than 2 million) have registered, but more than 620,000 have not.   Help us ensure that every eligible homeowner continues to receive the benefit they deserve! Average savings is $700 every year! ($740,000,000 in tax savings.)John, we expect that those homeowners who were receiving inappropriate STAR exemptions won’t register.   If 1% of the exemptions is inappropriate, that translates to 19 million in savings for New York Taxpayers. “

The Basic STAR exemption is available on the primary residence of homeowners with incomes under $500,000. The registration stems from a Tax Department investigation that found thousands of taxpayers receiving STAR exemptions on more than one property.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded homeowners to register for the Basic STAR property tax exemption by the December 31, 2013 deadline.

With 15 days remaining to register, more than 2 million homeowners have registered for their Basic STAR exemptions.  The registration facilitates Governor Cuomo’s 2013-14 Budget initiative to save New York taxpayers millions by eliminating inappropriate exemptions.

The Tax Department has directly mailed all of the 2.7 million homeowners who claimed the exemption last year, participated in 225 local meetings, fielded more than a half million phone calls, and registered thousands of people at local events including the State Fair.

Senior citizens receiving the Enhanced STAR exemption are not impacted by the new registration program.

To register, visit www.tax.ny.gov  or call 518-457-2036.  Online information is available in six languages, and translators stand ready to assist speakers of all languages via telephone.  The Department is offering extended STAR Hotline hours – 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

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BREAK-IN UPDATE: Police Have Good Leads on 2 Males Who Attempted a House Break-In On Devonshire Drive in Rosedale Neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

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20131217-crime 013WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. December 17, 2013 UPDATED  10: 30 P.M. E.S.T.:

 

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong advised WPCNR  on the latest developments in the search for two males who attempted a break-in on Devonshire Drive in the Rosedale neighborhood.

Early Tuesday evening, the Commissioner gave WPCNR this statement:

“Search was called off around 4pm after all homes in the area were secured.  We have some good leads and the Detectives are following upon them.  

    The homeowner was not hurt and reacted the proper way by calling us immediately.  

“I remind all residents to keep presents out of sight and turn on interior lights  and activate home alarms if they have them.

White Plains police are still searching for two males who attempted to break into a home on Devonshire Dr. in the Rosedale section of White Plains.”

WPCNR has learned the males sought are white, one was wearing a green jacket, the other a black jacket. They were being tracked by following their footsteps in the afternoon snow.

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The search eventually spread west towards Mamaroneck Avenue and  involved the West Street area vicinity by the Windward School. Mamaroneck Avenue is the gray road to the left, the Hutchinson River Parkway is the blue two lane road to the right in the map abovel

WPCNR advises anyone with information on possible suspects in the break-in  to contact the police 422-6111 if you think you have seen two males matching the description.

The search, as the Commissioner reports was called off at 4 P.M.

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Two Council Members Tighten Up FASNY FINDINGS STATEMENT LANGUAGE. FASNY FINDING ON FOR THURSDAY NIGHT

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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. By John F. Bailey. December 17, 2013:.

French American School of New York Findings Night has been rescheduled for Thursday evening at 6 PM before the Common Council in City Hall, in the Council Chambers.

Two members of the Common Council according to a source familiar with the revised Findings Statement, have gone through last week’s document with a fine tooth comb, attempting to clear up ambiguity, enforcing various obstacles and hoops” as he described them. (when the vote on the Findings Resolution was tabled because some members of the Council wanted to make changes).

The WPCNR contact, who has read the revised Findings Statement said  the two have rewritten portions of the Findings Statement to be “tighter, more compelling and concrete by changing legal words from “shalls” to “musts” and “coulds to musts.”

The new Findings Statement at the conclusion of the document still limits capacity of the school to 950 students, instead of the French American School capacity of 1,200. It still requires the entrance to the school to be off of North Street, requiring the approval of the White Plains High School, and no entrance to the school off Ridgeway.

The source WPCNR spoke to expects the Council to approve the proposal by a 5-2 or 4-3 vote.

The meeting is expected to be televised on the Government Channel 75 on Cablevision or Channel 44 on Verizon FIOS.

On December 9 the Findings meeting was open and adjourned after 2 minutes, 35 seconds, to allow the Common Council to incorporate further changes in the statement.

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8.8 Million More Visited NY IN 2013

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. (EDITED) December 17, 2013:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Monday released an end of the year progress report on the State’s tourism initiatives showing that the number of visitors to New York increased by 8.8 million this year. In addition, the industry is projected to generate $7.7 billion in state and local taxes with direct spending expected to reach $61.3 billion. The industry is also projected to add 24,800 jobs by the end of the year.

The Governor held a cabinet meeting Monday, where Cristyne Nicholas, Chair of the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Council, gave a presentation on the impressive results being delivered by the state’s efforts to attract more visitors to the state, grow the tourism industry and create jobs.

In the last year, New York’s tourism industry has grown in revenue, job creation, the number of visitors, and hotel occupancy

:· In 2013, the tourism industry is projected to generate $7.7 billion in state and local taxes. Direct spending is projected to reach $61.3 billion, an increase of 7 percent since 2012. Based on Department of Labor figures, this is enough to pay the salary of every firefighter and police officer in New York State.
· Since December 2012, Leisure & Hospitality employment is expected to add 24,800 jobs for a total of 818,700 jobs by the end of 2013, a 3.1% increase.
· The number of visitors to New York in 2013 will increase by 8.8 million, a 4.2% increase since 2012. By the end of the year, the total number of visitors is projected to be 218,800,000.
· In 2013, New York’s hotels will sell 43 million rooms with associated $8.3 billion hotel room revenue. As of October 2013, New York’s hotel occupancy rate is 73.7% which is almost 10% higher than the national rate. 

 

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WHITE PLAINS POLICE REPORT IMPERSONATION OF POLICE OFFICER PHONE SCAM

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the White Plains Department of Public Safety. December 16, 2013:
The White Plains Police Department has received complaints recently of citizens receiving a phone call from a person purporting to be a White Plains PD supervisor, demanding that the citizen pay a fine for missing jury duty.

The caller is instructing the citizen to purchase Green Dot Pre-Paid Credit Cards and provide the access code or risk having a warrant issued for their arrest.

These type of scams generally target elderly persons and people should be aware that police departments do not conduct business in this way.

If any citizens receive calls of this nature they should notify the police department immediately by calling 422-6111.

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