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 ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. July 7,2012:

 

 You’re watching the ingeniously-conceived  Rock Island passenger car  rattle and chug, carrying fast-talking traveling salesmen jittering with every clack across old-time turn-of-the-century America to River City on the Westchester Broadway Theatre stage.

 

Scott Bierko as The Music Man.

Photos by Eli Silverman, Courtesy The Family Theatre Company

 

It’s the Family Theatre Company’s traditional non-Equity production of Meredith Willson’s 1957 MUSIC MAN, as the fantastic living rail car “sshhhhes, hisses, and huffs” to a rollicking start with fast-talking Charlie Cowell and his salesmen conversation matching railcar rhythm you know it’s going to be a great night:

 

Never heard of any salesman Hill
Now he dosen’t know the territory
Dosen’t know the territory?!?
What’s the fellow’s line?
Never worries bout his line
Never worries bout his line?!?
Or a doggone thing. He’s just a bang beat, bell ringing,
Big haul, great go, neck or nothin, rip roarin,
every time a bull’s eye salesman. Thats Professor Harold Hill, Harold Hill
What’s the fellows line?
Whats his line?
He’s a fake, and he doesn’t know the territory!

 

The full-house on opening night Friday shifted into high spirits by the signature song of the overture, 76 Trombones, then knew they were in for a rollicking evening. They reconnected with an America long gone. Harold Hill played by Yorktown Heights music teacher, Scott Bierko, is coming to River City to start up a band. Winner of 5 Tonys in 1957, including Best Musical, and a Grammy for Best Original Cast Album, The Music Man is pulling into the WBT for a run through August 29.

 

 

Victoria Lauzun, (far right) American Musical and Dramatical Academy graduate, wins admirers at first-sung words, casting her spell, her glittering luxurious soprano singing  Goodnight My Someone.  When she sings, everyone in the audience listens, transported. To borrow from  Byron, to describe this ingenue’s voice, “she sings in beauty like the night.” Left to right, the “Board of Education Quartet,”: FaTye, Martin Bonventre, Jimmy Tate, Brian Conlin; Brandon Singel as Winthrop,Lexi Staub as Amaryllis, Bierko and Victoria Lauzun.

 

Lauzun plays librarian Marion with engaging primness, intelligence and propriety, suspicioning the charming Hill (Bierko) is not what he claims to be. Will she turn him in? Will she spoil her dreams, her townspeople’s hopes, the stuff dreams are made of? Not in this musical! At the very end, theatre lovers, the heart of  this old-time America saves the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Lauzun’s My White Knight, stirs women and men to dream again with a voice of unique emotional connection singing ”My white knight, not a Lancelot, nor an angel with wings Just someone to love me, who is not ashamed of a few nice things.
My white knight who knew what my heart would say if it only knew how.
Please, dear Venus, show me now.”

 

Mr. Bierko, in sporty patent leather shoes,flashy suit with gift of glib, bluster and blab, paints a community-pride picture of 76 trombones leading a big parade. He wins instrument purchasers by the score. He’s selling community spirit, pride, everything we are all suckers for.

 

He convinces River City residents Ya Got Trouble (In River City) with the enterprising Mayor Shin is opening a pool hall that will, Hill says, corrupt youth.  His pitch – the citizens need to keep their  youth out of the pool den by starting a community band, buying instruments and uniforms, and he, Hill will teach their children to play with his “Think Method.”

 

Star turns” step up this American musical morality tale of Midwestern values and  good old hucksterism.

 

Peter Ackerman playing the Mayor, his pool hall threatened, asks the Board of Education to investigate Hill’s “credentials.” Hill charms the Board of Education by recognizing the potential of their voices, and creates a Board of Education quartet.

 

The Board of Ed interludes are  a “Greek Chorus of harmony” guiding us through the melodrama going on. The four (FaTye, Jimmy Tate,Brian Conklin, and Martin Bonventre)  stop the audience who hang on their every harmony from Ice Cream and Sincere in Act I and come back for Goodnight Ladies in Act One, and charm us some more Board of Ed Harmony in Act II  even dueting with Ms. Lauzun on It’s You and Lyda Rose and Will I Ever Tell You

 

Not to be outdone in another recurring show favorite, are the ladies of the ensemble: White Plains own University of Mississippi Fine Arts grad, Christina Tompkins  as Mayor Shin’s wife (delivering high chuckles, leading her town dance group in a hilarious Greek Fountain dance—she is a comic in the making),Rene O’Neal, Molly Brown, Jeana Foreman, and Jill Twiss (think I have them all)  tell us all we need to know about spinsterish Marion the Librarian, (Ms. Lauzun) and small town gossip with the tongue-clucking, “Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more

 

Mr. Hill wins over the citizens with the exception of Ms. Marion, flirting with her in the library doing his very coy and amusing Marion the Librarian. Ms.  Lauzun, executing a coy piece of pantomimed “can’t stand you – can’t you see that-ism”  fights her attraction for the charmer. In a solo lament, Bierko laments he cannot get Marion to fall for him, singing of The Sadder But Wiser Girl.  Mr. Bierko demonstrates convincing male frustration. The chemistry between the two grows in Act Two.

 

Act II, we find Marion growing fonder of the con-man, Harold Hill, because her non-communitive brother, Wintrop brother of Marion, played with aplomb masterfully  by 10 year old Brandon Singel, literally stops the show after he delivers  Gary Indiana, precociously with flare so you hear every word.

 

The show had to stop for a good minute the audience giving Brandon the loudest most sustained cheers this reviewer has heard in a decade of reviewing these shows. Well, done kid…see you on Broadway! His mom, Regina Singel is a comedienne considerable as Marion’s mother, lamenting her daughter’s aloofness with pointed barbs and observations that brought the laughs

 

And all this before you even get to hear Ms.Lauzun deliver a spectacular performance of Till There Was You. Now I have never liked this song, but her voice, her style, her sincerity put it over. She decides not to betray Harold Hill, declaring her love. But wait, salesman Charlie Cowell spills the beans. The townspeople are outraged.

 

As Hill is brought before the town court, what can save their love and the spirit…perhaps the band that can’t play? I’m not telling.

 

You’ll have to see the show to see how it all comes out!

 

John Fanelli directed the worthy hard-working company superbly. Timing was good. Set changes smooth, and the railroad car scene is a must-see, Ms.  Lauzun is a must-hear

 

A good part of the cast is comprised of actors who are professional in the sense that they are paid and make their living performing. The only distinction is that they are non union actors.  This company blends those “professional” adult actors with young aspiring actors. And those adults act as their mentors. Judging what this observer saw Friday night it works splendidly!

Costumes by Maria Castaldo and George Croom were colorful and made you feel if you were looking in on turn-of-the-century America. The orchestra under Kurt Kelley delivered enough of the big brass band sound to carry that 76 Trombones standard.

 

Come on home, Americans to the America that used to be!

 

Paul Harvey would have loved it!

 

The Family Theatre Company production of The Music Man plays through August 29 and is a 2 and a half hour show with 30-minute intermission, very entertaining for kids and adults alike. The Box Office may be reached at (914)592-2268, extension 804, or check in at www.BroadwayTheatre.com.

 

 

 

 

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WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. Courtesy, White Plains Department of Public Safety. July3, 2012:

This morning Commissioner of Public Safety of the City of White Plains,  David Chong delivered the following eulogy of Deputy Fire Chief Donald Keinz at the service for Mr. Keinz at Our Lady of Sorrows church White  Plains. WPCNR is proud to print it for our readers.

“Thank You Keinz Family, most specifically to his wife Ann-Marie, his Daughter Emily and his son Bryan for allowing me to have the honor and privilege of saying a few words about the Department of Public Safety’s Donald Keinz, our Donald Keinz, our Deputy Fire Chief, our brother in arms and most importantly, our friend.

 

First of all, Ann-Marie, Emily, Bryan and the entire extended Keinz family, on behalf of our Mayor, Thomas Roach, all of our Common Council members, every official in this City, elected and appointed, every employee in this city, and the thousands of people who throughout the County and the region that have been lucky enough to be touched over the years by Donald, we extend to you, our deepest condolences and you have our heartfelt prayers.

 

  As Donald was a member of our family for 34 years, you will also forever, be a member of the Public Safety family.

 

Deputy Fire Chief Donald Keinz, a man dedicated to a profession he loved, a man dedicated to a city he loved, and a man who committed his professional lifetime, 34 years, to the service and protection of the people he loved. How can we ever thank him enough? Certainly words can never do enough justice. I have heard so many stories about the professional side of Donald, the man, the firefighter, the trainer, the mentor, the friend.

 

 I could stand here for days speaking about all the lives that Donald has touched, there are so many stories.  The amazing thing is that, I don’t think anyone would mind.

 

 That’s how special Donald was to all of us packed into this church and standing outside.

 

 Donald started in the fire department in 1978! He worked on the line and was promoted in 1991 to Lieutenant.  During his time as a lieutenant he worked in fire prevention, and training.  He brought his very high standards with him and would often say to me, “let them make their mistakes in the academy, there’s no room for error in the real world.” Donald was as tough as nails and as bright and full of energy as the sun.  He could light up a room and was never afraid to voice his opinion.  In 2008 he was promoted to Deputy Chief, one of the highest ranking members in the White Plains Fire Department.

 

As a Deputy Chief, Donald was tasked along with then Police Lieutenant John Fuerst to fine tune the joint response of both Fire and Police and insure that the City had good solid working plans to engage any possible disaster.  They both did a miraculous job and our city will always be better for their efforts.

 

As his fellow firefighters will say, “there was a comfort level just knowing that Deputy Chief Keinz was around.  He made us all better by his presence.  At the scene of many an emergency, he was the steady hand, always prepared, always knowing what to do.

 

Whether it be working Fires, wicked storms, horrible accidents, black-outs, any type of emergency, it was comforting knowing that Deputy Chief Keinz was around.  His fellow brothers on the Fire Department, his Chief, Richard Lyman, his fellow Deputy Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs Houlihan, Ciocca, Griffin, Farrell, and Delanoy, the Lieutenants and the firefighters all have said it best,

 

“When the heat was on, there was no one better to have around than Don.”

  

The department will miss you Deputy Chief Keinz, the city that you made a better place will miss you; certainly your family and friends will miss you.  

 

Donald you left us too suddenly and too soon, but your accomplishments will be here for a long time. So rest and know that your legacy continues to protect this city and the ones you love.

 

Dear Ann-Marie, Emily, Bryan and the entire Keinz family, when you leave this church today, take a look at the sea of uniforms that will be outside to salute your Husband, father, friend, and hero. Besides the first responders, take a look at all the other people that are here today, from all walks of life and all professions.  They are here because of the respect, gratitude and admiration of the entire City and the profession of firefighting. They are there in honor of your beloved Donald, and our beloved Deputy Fire Chief.

 

Deputy Chief Keinz, (Donald), used to salute me every time I saw him! Even in the office, he would salute, and I, Would find myself instinctively saluting back?  One day I said to him, Don, you know you don’t have to salute me in the office?  In his dry witty sense of humor, he just said, “That’s ok, I salute everyone?!”

 

 Well my friend, today; I and a grateful City salute you. Rest in peace Deputy Chief, rest in peace, my friend.

 

 

 

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. July 2, 2012 UPDATED July 3, 2012:

The city announced plans Monday morning to purchase the low-rise office building, 66-72 Church Street, located adjacent the Hamilton-City Hall Garage (just behind and to the west, Northwest of city hall for $2.2 Million.

Monday night, the Common Council made it official passing the resolution unanimously.

FUTURE HOME OF WHITE PLAINS PARKING EMPIRE AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT.

The city plans to renovate the brick one-story premises over the next 7 months for an additional $1.7 Million to house the city Departments of Parking  and Building, currently using rented space at 7-11 South Broadway.

At a meeting of the Capital Projects Board at 9:30 this morning, the Board approved recommendation of the purchase-renovation. The resolution to consumate the purchase is expected to be on the Common Council agenda this evening.

The building is currently owned by the 66-72 Church Street LLC, 21 Orchard Drive, Purchase and is assessed at a market value of $2,378.000 by the city accessor. The property was granted a certiorari in 2010 reducing its accessed value from $115,000 to $88,000, according to the Accessor’s Office, and pays $66,000 in city and school taxes. According to the town of Harrison Assessor’s Office the owners of 21 Orchard Drive, Purchase, the contact address for 66-72 Church Street LLC, are Dr. Andre and Paule Khoury-Yacoub. Dr. Khoury-Yacoub is affiliated with White Plains Radiology Associates.

Mayor Thomas Roach told the Board, “This is a purchase today that will benefit the future.”

John Callahan, the Corporation Counsel said the costs of continuing to rent over the next 20 years as opposed to purchasing and renovating the building are a “wash.” Callahan told WPCNR the building had been available for some time, and the city had been talking to the owner for the last six months. He described the building as completely “gutted” inside. He said a floor office arrangement will be constructed for $1.7 Million.

The 7-11 South Broadway building the city will be leaving, currently is offering 20,000 square feet at $17.02 per square foot on a year’s lease according to the realtor, GHP Office Realty. The city if they leased again for 9,000 square feet, (the approximate size of the square footage in the Gerber Building they have agreed to purchase) for a year would pay $153,180 in rent.

The Gerber Building is so-named because it used to house Gerber insurance, which had as its logo, the Gerber baby symbol. Perhaps older White Plains residents will remember it. Susan Habel, Commissioner of  Planning, noted that the picture of the Gerber baby was a likness of Humphrey Bogart, whose mother was the artist who painted the Gerber baby.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. JUNE 30, 2012:

Tax Bills for the city and the school district arrived a day early today to add to the aggravation caused by the tropical heat wave frying the metropolitan area.

The tax bills show that the median priced home  ($650,000) in the White Plains area busted the $10,000 mark for city and school taxes  combined for the first time.

In one case, even newly reduced assessed value did not stop the tax tide. This homeowner succeeded in lowering her assessed value $2,000, but…the increase in taxes from the city (4.75%) and the school district (3%) still made that homeowner’s taxes $200 More than last year.  For this median house was newly assessed at $16,475  with  a $3,460 STAR EXEMPTION knock off from the asssessed value, the total city and school tax is still $10,800.  “That’s still more than last year,” she notes. “Thank God we went for a tax certiorari.”

Every day for the next 365 Days the City and the school district will spend $973,424.

Every week the city and the school district will spend $6.8 Million a week.

Every month the city and the school district will spend $29.6 Million.

The City budget is $166.5 Million. The School Budget is $188.8 Million. Total City and School Budget Cost combined for fiscal 2012-13: $355.3 MILLION

 

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. June 27, 2012:

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Janice K. Fedarcyk, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charles Gardner, the Commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department, and George N. Longworth the Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, announced today the unsealing of three separate indictments charging a total of 22 defendants with a series of crimes, including the distribution of narcotics and the use of firearms in Yonkers, New York.

A two-count indictment, United States v. Mark David et al., charges 20 members and associates of the Strip Boyz street gang with conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine and marijuana, and the use of firearms in relation to that conspiracy. Two additional indictments charge two Yonkers residents with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine as well as substantive counts of distribution of, and possessing with intent to distribute, crack cocaine.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “Violent street gangs are a blight on our neighborhoods, and our crackdown against them continues unabated. We cannot and will not allow them to cast the shadow of guns and drugs over our streets and jeopardize the safety of our residents. Today’s arrests once again underscore our commitment to solving this problem. ”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk stated, “Violent gangs, such as the Strip Boyz, wreak havoc in our communities by selling narcotics, possessing weapons, and being in violent disputes with rival gangs. As alleged in the complaint today, the Strip Boyz were no different in their operating procedures, except that some of their members took to social media to brag about their illegal and often brutal activities. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to investigating and getting gangs like the Strip Boyz off our streets.”

Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner stated, “These indictments involving members of the Strip Boyz—a local drug distribution network, will remove several violent individuals from our community and improve the quality of life for the residents of this northwest Yonkers neighborhood. This investigation is a prime example of the value of joint federal and local law enforcement agency initiatives and how these collaborative efforts can make a difference in improving public safety. The Yonkers Police Department is very grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of NY and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force for partnering with us in addressing this violent criminal activity occurring in our city.”

Commissioner George N. Longworth of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety stated, “Gang activity and the crime and violence associated with it will not be tolerated in Westchester County. The Department of Public Safety is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate gang activity wherever it occurs.”

The following allegations are based on the Indictments unsealed today in White Plains federal court:

The Strip Boyz is a drug trafficking organization/gang whose members have, since at least 2001, sold crack cocaine and, to a lesser extent, marijuana, in and around the Schlobohm Housing Project on Schroeder Street in Yonkers, New York. Members and associates of the Strip Boyz worked together to ensure that they all profited from the gang’s drug sales. They also shared firearms and used them to protect their territory from encroachment by rival gangs. The Strip Boyz and members of other gangs from Locust Hill Avenue have been engaged in a long-running, violent dispute with other Yonkers street gangs, including the “Elm Street Wolves,” the “Cliff Street Gangsters,” and “Two Guns U” from Riverdale Avenue. Certain members of the Strip Boyz committed acts of violence, including beatings, stabbings, and shootings, to protect their drug territory. Certain members of the Strip Boyz also created, performed, recorded, and distributed—including on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube—rap music that celebrated their illegal activities.

Twenty members and associates of the Strip Boyz—MARK DAVID, 23; CALVIN BAILEY, 21; LAQUAY COKLEY, 20; JOSE CRUZ, 26; WAYNE CUSTIS, 21; MELVIN DIAS, 25; TREMAINE GARRISON, 21; DAIQUAN HENDERSON, 22; MICHAEL HENDERSON, 23; LEANELL HINES, 21; DAWONE HODGES, 28; ERIC LOCKHART, 28; DARRYL McFADDEN, 22; HARRY QUINTANA-CRUZ, 21; JOHN SLADE, 27; AKEEM SMITH, 21; PAU.S.INSON, 39; JOEL URENA, 24; JOSHUA VILIAN, 27; and GREGORY WILLIAMS, 26—are charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine, and marijuana from 2001 up to June 2012. Twelve of these defendants are also charged with using, carrying, possessing, and discharging firearms during the narcotics conspiracy.

TYRONE HALL, 23, is charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine in Yonkers from January 2012 up to June 2012, and with possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute the crack cocaine on several occasions during that time period. Finally, JONATHAN MILES, 23, is charged with possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it in April 2012.

The indictments are the result of a long-term investigation conducted by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. As part of that investigation, in March 2009, this office obtained indictments charging three members of the Elm Street Wolves—Gregory Fuller, Davon Young, and Thomas Chambliss—with the January 2008 murder of a narcotics dealer in northern Yonkers. Fuller, Young, and Chambliss were each convicted after trial of murder, conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, robbery, and firearms offenses and were sentenced to 100, 65, and 45 years of imprisonment, respectively.

In August 2011, 66 Yonkers gang members—47 members and associates of the Elm Street Wolves, 12 members and associates of the Cliff Street Gangsters, and 7 other individuals—were charged with narcotics trafficking and firearm offenses. Four of the Elm Street Wolves defendants were also charged with the murder of Christopher Cokley, a leading member of the Strip Boyz. Twenty of these defendants, including all 12 of the charged members and associates of the Cliff Street Gangsters, have pled guilty, and 15 of them face mandatory minimum sentences of between 10 and 17 years of imprisonment. The remaining cases are not yet resolved, and the charges against them are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

* * *

Nineteen of the defendants charged in the indictments unsealed today were arrested today or have previously been taken into custody. Three others were still being sought as fugitives. The defendants arrested today and presented in White Plains federal court this afternoon. The Strip Boyz case is assigned to United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos. The charges against each defendant and the corresponding maximum potential penalties are outlined in the charts attached to this press release.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Yonkers Police Department. He added that the investigation is continuing.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Bauer and Ilan Graff are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

Count	Charge	Defendants	Maximum Penalties
1	Narcotics conspiracy (Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of cocaine)	CALVIN BAILEY LAQUAY COKLEY JOSE CRUZ WAYNE CUSTIS MARK DAVID MELVIN DIAS TREMAINE GARRISON DAIQUAN HENDERSON MICHAEL HENDERSON LEANELL HINES DAWONE HODGES ERIC LOCKHART DARRYL MCFADDEN HARRY QUINTANA-CRUZ JOHN SLADE AKEEM SMITH PAU.S.INSON JOEL URENA JOSHUAN VILIAN GREGORY WILLIAMS	Life in prison Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison
2	Possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime	CALVIN BAILEY LAQUAY COKLEY JOSE CRUZ WAYNE CUSTIS MARK, DAVID TREMAINE GARRISON DAIQUAN HENDERSON MICHAEL HENDERSON LEANELL HINES DAWONE HODGES ERIC LOCKHART DARRYL MCFADDEN	Life in prison Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison, consecutive to any sentence

Count	Charge	Defendant	Maximum Penalties
1	Narcotics conspiracy (Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine)	TYRONE HALL	40 years in prison Mandatory minimum: Five years in prison

Count	Charge	Defendant	Maximum Penalties
1	Narcotics possession (Possession with intent to distribute cocaine)	JONATHAN MILES