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Samantha of White Plains pleads for you to be on the lookout for LUCKY, her pet cockatiel lost Wednesday afternoon if you spot him call Samantha at 917-704-7241
He has gray wings with white edging, gray c with orange spots below each eye with a dashing yellow crest below his beak. He is friendly and may sit on your head.
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BAILEY!
John Bailey, The CitizeNetReporter since 2000!
KATZ!
The Anchor for All Seasons, PETER KATZ!
BENEROFE!
Jim Benerofe the Dean of the White Plains School of Journalism
TOTAL COVERAGE OF THE COMPLETE FASNY STORY!
WHITE PLAINS WEEK WORLDWIDE!
FASNY AND THE SCHOOL BOARD
FASNY AND THE COMMON COUNCIL
FASNY AND YOU
WHERE THEY STAND WHAT’S NEXT!
THE METRO NORTH PUSH TO THE TRACKS
THE PHANTOM OF THE BIKE LANES
EXTENDING THE GREENWAY EATS UP MORE GREEN
THE ESPLANADE $17 MILLION GARAGE EATS UP EVEM MORE GREEN
YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE TEXTING ZONE
THE FIRST CANDIDATES FORUM
AND
EXCLUSIVE ON THE INTERNET–
TWO! TWO PLACES TO WATCH
EXCLUSIVE TAPED TODAY!
A FASNY WEEK SPECIAL
JOHN BAILEY AND JIM BENEROFE INTERVIEW
FASNY’S LEGAL STRATEGIST, MIKE ZARIN
AND BOARD MEMBER JOHN BOTTI
JOHN BAILEY WITH MICHAEL ZARIN, JOHN BOTTI OF THE FRENCH AMERICAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK AND JIM BENEROFE RECORDING TODAY IN THE WHITE PLAINS TELEVISION SUBTERRANEAN STUDIOS IN DOWNTOWN WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA
ON THE NORTH STREET ENTRANCE TO FASNY PROPOSAL
and the looming Findings Showdown.
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MAYA LEGGAT: WOMAN INJURED WHEN PUSHED INTO THE WAY OF A NORTHBOUND METRO NORTH TRAIN WEDNESDAY . Photo from Goodgle
WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From The Daily News. September 27, 2013:
The woman pushed onto the Metro North northbound train track at the White Plains Railroad Station Wednesday has survived being hit by a northbound out of service train after a homeless man identified as Howard Mickens of a White Plains homeless shelter allegedly pushed her onto the tracks after she refused to give him money, according to The Daily News.
Reporter Tracy Robbins reports Maya Leggat, 21, a graduate of White Plains High School is in Westchester County Medical Center, suffering from severed fingers and a mangled leg. Mickens was arraigned in City Court Thursday and charged with attempted murder. He returns to court October 25.
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. September 26, 2013:
As a result of a multi-department effort that led to the arrests of part-time employees for stealing the receipts of county parking operations, a new system of controls has been put in place to prevent this type of theft in the future.
The Parks Department assisted detectives from the Department of Public Safety in the year-long investigation that led to the indictment of three former hourly Parks employees and the arrests of 12 others. The thefts occurred between 2009 and 2012 and involved employees pocketing money from patrons for monthly parking permits and MetroCards and then falsifying records to cover their crimes.
County Executive Robert P. Astorino said he was disgusted that employees would steal from Westchester County taxpayers. “This is a violation of the public’s trust,” he said. “As soon as allegations surfaced, I made sure the county moved quickly to find out the full extent of the problem and take the steps necessary to prevent it from happening again. Theft in any form cannot be tolerated and we must always be vigilant to prevent it.”
Parks Commissioner Kathleen O’Connor, whose department oversees the county’s parking operations, said the implementation of new controls began over a year ago, but were not disclosed publicly until now to prevent tipping off those involved in the scheme.
“Now that the criminal investigation has concluded, we can report that changes have already been made to strengthen our internal controls,” she said. “These individuals were able – at least for a while – to get around the checks and balances. We have revamped the system to address these weaknesses. We can’t prevent every theft, but we can make criminal acts more difficult to commit and easier to detect and that is what our new controls are designed to do.”
Public Safety Commissioner George N. Longworth thanked the Parks Department for its cooperation over the course of the investigation and praised the work of Detectives Edward Kelch and George Ruiz of the General Investigations Unit.
“These detectives reviewed thousands of documents and conducted a detailed investigation to identify the extent of this fraud,” Longworth said. “We believe that all persons who were criminally responsible have been identified and formally charged.”
O’Connor said that all of the employees who were implicated in the fraud were terminated following their arrests.
O’Connor said that changes made by the Parks Department include:
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. SPECIAL TO WPCNR FROM M.ANDERS, METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY POLICE COMMUNICATIONS September 25, 2013 UPDATED 6:28 P.M.E.D.T. UPDATED 6:30 A.M., September 26, 2013:
The Journal News reported overnight that a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman has identified the alleged suspect in the pushing of a young woman in front of a train at White Plains Wednesday morning.
He is Howard J. Mickens of White Plains, a resident of a White Plains homeless shelter and he has been charged with Attempted Murder. The News reported MTA spokesman Salvatore Anders as describing Mickens as having been arrested 11 times, and 5 of the arrests were for alleged violent felonies.
The victim, the spokesperson said, was hospitalized with serious leg trauma.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police issued WPCNR this description of the 11 AM incident at the White Plains Train Station when a man identified as Milkens pushed (witnesses said “he picked up and threw”) the woman in front of a train:
“At 11:05 a.m., a 21-year-old White Plains woman was standing on the (island) platform at the White Plains train station. According to multiple witnesses, she was pushed to the tracks and struck by an empty, (not in service) northbound train.
Two witnesses chased the man (identified this morning as Mickens) and he was quickly arrested by MTA Police at the station. (THE WITNESSES HAVE NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED, ACCORDING TO M. ANDERS AS OF 6:30 P.M.)
The woman (victim), a Hunter College student on her way into Manhattan, was taken alive to Westchester Medical Center.
Before the ambulance arrived, an MTA Police officer climbed down to the tracks to assist the woman and calm her down. She was conscious and talking to police.
Harlem Line train service was disrupted for about an hour. Four trains were affected, two northbound and two southbound.
Because of the incident and because of track work in the Scarsdale/Hartsdale area, two northbound trains were terminated at Crestwood, the 10:25 a.m. local out of Grand Central and the 10:55 a.m. local out of Grand Central. The train that was terminated at Crestwood was turned and provided southbound service out of Crestwood.
Two southbound trains also were held at North White Plains, the 10:38 out of Southeast. 10:13 out of Southeast .
Normal Harlem Line service resumed at noon.”
Asked about MTA police presence at Westchester stations. Ms. Anders wrote in a statement, “We had officers at the station because of the bus diversion from the New Haven line . We patrol all stations, but do not have fixed posts at each of our 121 stations. MTAPD has about 650 officers to cover 5,000 square miles.”
The man identified as the suspect who threw the victim upon the northbound tracks, was reported by a vendor at the station as a regular loiterer around the elevated Metro North train station in White Plains.
White Plains Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong issued this statement to WPCNR:
“This investigation and case is being handled by the MTA Police as it is their
jurisdiction. The woman appears to have survived the incident although she has
some serious injuries. The suspect is in custody and will be processed and
charged by the MTA Police. We assisted the MTA Police in the rescue of the
woman and the apprehension of the suspect.”
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AnneMarie Encanarcao Candidate for Common Council
WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013. From the AnneMarie Encarnacao Campaign. September 25, 2013:
AnneMarie is a lifelong resident of White Plains for 46 years and has lived in 5 different neighborhoods throughout the city: Prospect Park, Soundview, Battle Hill, Fisher Hill, and now The Highlands. She and her husband Rui have been married for 26 years and have two adult children, Ashley and Rui, who attended White Plains Public Schools K-12.
AnneMarie is a licensed insurance and real estate broker in downtown White Plains. Actually, her insurance company is in the Republican Headquarters, thus ultimately leading her to run for Common Council.
Her exact words were “I want to run for Common Council because instead of complaining, I want to get involved!” So that is exactly what she did.
AnneMarie went out in her neighborhood/district and got signatures to get her name on the ballot for Common Council along with her fellow team members, Cass Cibelli who is running for Mayor and Claudia Murphy who is also running for Common Council.
The Encarnarcoas: Daughter Ashley, Son Rui, Anne-Marie Encanarcao, and husband Rui
As a middle class working family, Rui and AnneMarie have seen their real estate taxes double in the 13 years they have lived in their same home in the Highlands! This is one of AnneMarie’s biggest concerns, taxes. She realizes through her career as a Realtor that senior citizens in the city can’t afford to live in their homes any longer because of the ever increasing taxes. She would like to see a City Senior STAR for them to help alleviate the high taxes to try and keep them in their homes!
Another concern of AnneMarie as a lifelong citizen was the two large Open Spaces that were made available to the city over the last decade that would have benefitted all White Plains residents, young and old!
Both were voted down by some of the present common council members and the mayor! One was NY Hospital’s proposal to give the city an abundant amount of acres for a “Central Park” including playing fields! The other was Ridgeway Country Club that the city passed on buying. It should/could have been White Plains’ “Lake Isle” as in Eastchester that is a money making venue for that city and a club for its residents.
As a Realtor in White Plains, AnneMarie has seen the effect that the sale of the (Ridgeway) club to The French American School of New York has had on the real estate values of the homes in Gedney Farms. They have lost anywhere upwards of $200,000 each, which is approximately a 20%+ decrease, whereas other areas in the city have only saw half that or less.
AnneMarie is a kind hearted person and would help anyone she meets. She now wants to expand that by running for Common Council and helping her city and its residents. She knows exactly how they feel because she has been one of those citizens and is ready to listen, act, and try to make changes to the way business is done in the city.
The city has been at a stalemate and some of the decisions that have been made were not really the most beneficial to the residents. AnneMarie feels the residents have been cheated out of useful, family, green space that would have been used by all, young and old!
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From cityofwhiteplains.com SEPTEMBER 25, 2013:
On August 2, 2013, the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement (DFEIS) for the environmental review of the French-American School’s proposal to develop a private elementary and secondary school with accessory nursery school and accessory structures (FASNY Project), dated July 21, 2013, was posted on the City’s website home page.
It may be accessed at the following URL:
http://johnmeyerconsulting.com/fasny/feis09162013/
On September 13, 2013, the DFEIS with modifications through September 12, 2013, was posted on the City’s website under Common Council Agendas, Additional Agendas.
On September 16, 2013, the DFEIS with all modifications was accepted by the Common Council as the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
On September 24, 2013, the FEIS was filed with the White Plains City Clerk’s Office, with a copy filed at the White Plains Library, and posted herewith on the City’s website, thus making it available to the involved and interested agencies, and the public.
Pursuant to NYS SEQR regulations at NYCRR 617.11(a), the Lead Agency may not issue a written Findings Statement for at least 10 days after the FEIS is filed and made available to the public.
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French American School of New York proposed this Aligned Intersection at the entrance to White Plains High School to the right in the simulation above, creating a North Street entrance to their proposed new 1,200 student campus to be built on the old Ridgeway Country Club property. A two lane access road would be built into former fairways (left of picture) leading into the club. Cars attempting to make a u-turn heading on North Street north, would be able to turn around in the new Ridgeway entrance drive. Student crosswalks would be built to cross the street to the bus stop and the YWCA
WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. By John F. Bailey. September 23, 2013 UPDATED September 24, 2013 11:30 P.M. E.D.T.:
Seventy persons packed the Board of Education meeting Monday evening, most drawn to hear the French American School of New York explanation to the school board of what FASNY would request for entrance redesign and construction of the Board to allow at the White Plains High School entrance, should a North Street entrance be accepted by the White Plains city Common Council.
The School Board saw an animation of the FASNY choice of North Street entrance to the Ridgeway property consisting of four lanes– 2 northbound with turn lanes into FASNY and the high school and 2 south bound with turn lanes into FASNY and the high school. The new entrance drive continues deep into the nature conservancy area into the FASNY campus. There is a turnabout on the FASNY drive for vehicles heading out of the YWCA to make a u-turn and safely return north without making a u-turn in the intersection as they do now on a regular basis.
The FASNY presenter pointed out that the aligned standard intersection had been endorsed by the Westchester County Department of Public Works and the Westchester County Traffic Commissioner (North Street is a county-owned road). The presenter said FASNY feels the aligned intersection on North Street is the best option, and presently is not considering the roundabout suggestion at North Street or an entrance on Bryant Avenue as noted in the Final Environmental Impact Statement approved last week..
Common Councilman John Kirkpatrick in attendance, asked if the White Plains Planning Department and Public Works Department had approved the aligned intersection too, declined to answer the question, and said “There are still a lot of problems with the Final Environmental Impact Statement. And we are keeping an open mind.”
FASNY also presented a series of North South and East West walking trails that would allow students to walk from Bryant Avenue and Ridgeway to the high school through the former Ridgeway School. They said a mandatory busing program would cut the amount of vehicular traffic by 50% (correction from 80% that appeared previously in this report).
FASNY allowed there would be a service entrance on Ridgeway, too. FASNY also said they will stagger starting hours for their high school, middle school and elementary and nursery schools on the site to mitigate traffic impacts, showing how overlaps spread out the traffic flow.
Fourteen of 16 citizens speaking at the traditional public comment period (scheduled at every Board of Education meeting), were against the North Street entrance alternative presented and most declared there would be too much traffic impact no matter how staggered the hours were.
Interim Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, above, said after the hour and twenty mintute presentation and comment period, the Board of Education would now gather more information from FASNY, and get answers to questions the Board might have. If a request is made for the Board to act on any construction taking high school property, Connors said he would make a recommendation to the Board.
WPCNR reached out to Common Council President Beth Smayda, asking what the timing of any Board of Education vote on approving or rejecting a North Street entrance to the school.
The issues on timing of Board of Education action on the North Street entrance presented Monday night are, (as best as WPCNR can determine) are:
1.)should the Board approve or reject the North Street proposal before the Council makes a Findings Statement,
2. after the Council makes a positive finding on the FASNY project (and before the preparation of a site plan by FASNY), or
3. after a site plan is submitted by FASNY
or
4. Whether a vote would only come if a Common Council site plan approval of the project included the redesign of the White Plains High School entrance to accommodate an entrance and egress drive off North Street leading into the now dormant fairways of the former Ridgeway Club into the new French American School of New York campus.
Council President Smayda has not yet responded.
The representatives from the school said they, if greenlighted by the White Plains Common Council would open in 2015 with construction expected complete by 2019.
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ASTORINO
BRAMSON
WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013. From the Business Council of Westchester September 23, 2013:
The Business Council of Westchester, the county’s largest and most influential business membership organization, will hold the first debate between Republican incumbent Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino and Democratic challenger and New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson for the seat of County Executive.
A panel comprised of the Business Council of Westchester members representing various sectors of the local economy will pose questions to both candidates. The debate is being hosted by SL Green and sponsored by Verizon. It will be moderated by Lee Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College
The event will take place at the Reckson Metro Center Auditorium from 6 to 7:30 P.M. , 360 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains.
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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013. By John F. Bailey. September 23, 2013:
A local paper had the Zuber Riders Open Letter to Noam Bramson advertisement for three days before telling the Zuber Riders for Justice two words were not acceptable, WPCNR has learned. At no time prior to 6 PM Thursday was Zuber Riders told of a legal problem with the copy.
A spokesperson for the Lincoln Zuber Riders told WPCNR Sunday that a Journal News advertising executive told him two words appearing in an advertisement “open letter” demanding an apology from New Rochelle Noam Bramson for alleged “long history of hositility towards the black community,” were objectionable and the ad could not be run with the words “conspired” and “stopped” appearing in the submitted context.
Mark McLean, the spokesperson for Lincoln Zuber said Loren Peterson, representing The Journal News told him about 6 PM last Thursday evening the two words, “conspired” and “stopped” had to be removed from the ad because, (McLean told WPCNR), the paper “was concerned about being sued.”
McLean told WPCNR he had submitted the advertisement Tuesday to run in the Journal News Friday.
McLean was frankly puzzed he said to WPCNR:
“The paper had the ad for three days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I gave them a check on Wednesday. I asked ‘Is it going to run Friday? Is it going to run Friday?’ Thursday they called me at 6 P..M. and said it’s not going to run.”
Why an ad that was accepted for two days (almost three) then pulled out of the blue with no time to change it is a mystery to McLean.
McLean mused that the Bramson administration was holding a large festival and ribbon cutting for the reopening of the Heritage House affordable housing complex, a short distance away from Lincoln Park. But he said that was just speculation on his part .
McLean told WPCNR the following was the context of the first objectionable word flagged by the Journal News, “conspired.”
“Conspired and voted twice to intentionally destroy the one single Black majority Council in New Rochelle,violating the Voting Rights Act and a Federal Judge’s Court Order.”
The context of second flagged word, “Stopped.”
“Stopped a historic opportunity to elect the first black County Executive, Ken Jenkins, the highest elected black official in Westchester.”
McLean said he told Peterson– Lincoln Zuber was willing to change the ad, but he wanted the advertisement to run Friday, prior to the Saturday ribbon-cutting event being held in Lincoln Park Saturday. He said Peterson told him “the paper would not run the ad.”
“They were adamant about that,” McLean added.
Asked if the Robert P. Astorino campaign for County Executive had written the rejected advertisement, McLean said, “Of course not.”
Asked if the Astorino campaign had paid for the ad, McLean said “They had nothing to do with it.”
Asked if Lincoln Zuber would change the ad and attempt to run it in the future, McLean did not say they would, but the organization would “continue to focus on Noam Bramson’s record.” (with the Black Community).
Janet Hasson, President and Publisher of The Journal News was sent an E-Mail by WPCNR Sunday afternoon requesting an explanation for the rejection of the original copy. WPCNR asked:
“1. Could you please give me a statement as to why the Journal News found the ad objectionable? (Any specific violations of election law, for example?)
2. Could you explain the words you wanted them, according to the Zuber press release, you wanted them to put in the ad?
3. Would you have run the ad if Zuber had made the changes?”
So far there has been no response from Ms. Hasson, or The Journal News. WPCNR placed a call to the newsroom this morning, again giving the opportunity for Ms. Hasson to give The Journal News side of why the ad was rejected.