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.

Hits: 0

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Thomas J. Abinanti, Assemblyman, 92nd Assembly District. June 14,2012:

The Assemblyman forwards the following critique of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s reform bill that would establish a superagency to determine which services and how much money would be spent on disabled individuals’ care. The bill, previously highlighted only on the White Plains Week television show, has serious flaws in Mr. Abinanti’s opinion.

Here he highlights the flaws of the legislation as presently constituted. Mr. Abinanti’s office has been notified to ascertain how committed the two houses are to passing the bill in its present form.

The legislation was conceived in response to the federal government requiring more accountability from the state which has been found to be using medicaid money for the disabled as part of the general fund budget. The state response was to formulate this bill to spend federal funds more prudently and save money.

Mr. Abinanti writes about the bill’s ambiguities and pitfalls:

I. GOAL: INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT

A. Reform means establishing independent oversight from different sources separate from service-provider agencies.

The proposed legislation concentrates oversight in one super agency which also provides services. Combining operational functions (rule-making, training, recordkeeping, reporting of incidents) with oversight institutionalizes a conflict. Concentrating oversight control in the Governor’s office gives the appearance of diminishing prosecutorial independence.

The legislation should include:

1. Career prosecutors not reporting to Executive Branch

Employed and supervised by NYS Attorney General

Local prosecutors with AG support

Special State Police Unit to support local police

2. Inspector General not reporting to Executive Branch

a. Employed and supervised by NYS State Comptroller

b. Input from family/guardian counsels and ombudsman

3. Non governmental not for profit protection and advocacy (P&A) watchdog agency with guaranteed funding from state and non-state sources empowered to investigate and commence civil litigation for systemic sufficiency.

a. Should be established by statute not executive order. Executive Order makes entity dependent on the discretion of Executive Branch over which it is charged with oversight.

b. Should have jurisdiction over OPWDD, OMH, and OASAS and also OCFS programs and adult homes.

c. Governing Board should consist of a majority of people with disabilities and family members.

d. Functions should be restricted to monitoring, investigating and reporting on abuse/neglect. Other functions should be moved to an office of services for people with disabilities.

4. Reinstatement of local board–of-visitors type function.

B. Reform means facilitating immediate notification to most convenient law enforcement for investigation of possible crimes, preservation of evidence and protection of witnesses and victims.

The proposed legislation funnels all abuse/neglect complaints through a new clearinghouse bureaucracy which will cause significant delay of /impediment to immediate notification of law enforcement officials of potential crimes. The proposed legislation appears to delete requirements for certain officials to immediately notify law enforcement of a potential crime yet requires whistleblowers to use dictated channels under criminal penalty even if they are at risk of retaliation.

The legislation should:

1. Clarify that anyone may report a crime directly to law enforcement.

a. No limitations on where complaints may be made

b. Statewide reporting registry designed as a registry and tracking tool one means of entry into the criminal justice system not a clearing house for complaints.

2. Reward not punish whistleblowers or put them at risk

C. Reform means understandable definitions and standards that reflect Zero Tolerance for criminal behavior.

The proposed legislation raises the bar for referrals to law enforcement.

The legislation should:

1. Standards

a. Not raise the threshold from “some credible” evidence to “preponderance of evidence”

b. Not raise the threshold from “indicated” to “substantiated” requiring a finding that an individual or facility is responsible.

2. Definitions:

a. Advocates and providers have complained about the proposed definitions being imprecise

b. Definitions of abuse/neglect appear to wrongly omit accidental injurious physical conduct no matter how often repeated, or how many victims

c. Definition of physical injury appears to wrongly require diminution of physical condition not just harm or damage

d. Confusion arises by changing Penal Law district attorney definition to include inspector general.

e. The act should use accepted language of “people with disabilities” not “people with special needs.”

II. GOAL: ENHANCE THE ROLE OF FAMILIES

A. Reform means enhancing the role of families of people with disabilities who are residing in facilities operated by the state and the private sector.

The proposed legislation adds no meaningful enhancement of the role of families.

The legislation should include:

1. Family Bill of Rights

a. Immediate notification of any untoward event

b. Access information: learn as if resident could talk

c. Freedom to unannounced visits

d. Input to health and safety issues

e. Regularly scheduled meetings

2. Family/Guardian Councils

a. Advise on statewide and local budget

b. Review expenditures to ensure financial transparency

3. Ombudsman Program/Advocacy Program

a. Paid staff and unpaid family advocates for state and

non-profit agencies

B. Reform means total transparency for families to examine the operation, care and finances of the entire system and each individual facility. Protecting the privacy of individual residents should not be used as the excuse to prevent family members to access and understand information as if the person with disabilities were able to explain to them what occurred.

The proposed legislation appears to reinforce present “confidentiality” provisions which have served to cloak care agencies in secrecy and block family access to information. (Example, Why restrict medical examiner’s release of death report to justice center?)

III. GOAL: IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS

Reform means improving the living conditions of people with disabilities and preventing abuse and neglect.

The proposed legislation adds no meaningful enhancement of the living conditions of people with disabilities. At most, it instructs existing agencies that have failed to better both living conditions and working conditions to promulgate new regulations to do what they should have been doing all along. It does nothing to implement the recommendations and latest reports to the Governor that there should be increased opportunities for people in residential facilities to have community integrated services and “segregation as last resort”.

The legislation should include:

1. Abuse and neglect prevention

a. Establish standards for good appropriate care

b. Integrate person centered programs

c. Carefully drafted uniform definitions of abuse and neglect of people with disabilities, including intentional and accidental behavior

2. Better care from better working conditions

a. Living wage

b .Limited overtime

c . Appropriate training

d. Careful employee vetting

e. Standards/Qualifications/Job Descriptions

3. Implementation

a. Should establish commission to determine appropriate staffing and costs

b. Need budget amendment for finances

c. Include family members and, where possible, people with disabilities consumers in planning transition to new system

d. There should be no delay in implementing recent reform laws.

Hits: 0

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. June 13, 2012. :

Since WPCNR reported Monday Judge Gerald Loehr’s decision striking down 12-hour police shifts, requiring the city of White Plains to return to the practice of paying overtime after 8 hours of duty for patrol officers, the Mayor’s Office has not responded to WPCNR requests for how the city will manage the overtime drain, that three years ago was costing the city $500,000 a year.

 The 12-hour shift, according to former Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub cut overtime in half. The President of the Common Council, Beth Smayda has not returned a call from WPCNR asking if the council would consider officially approving the 12-hour shifts or at least reopen the discussion of whether 12-hour shifts indeed do cut overtime.

However, Robert Riley President of the White Plains Police Benevolent Association issued a statement to WPCNR on the matter of 12-hour shifts and points out that since 11 police officers were fired by the Common Council in 2010,  serious crimes in White Plains  (Murder, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault (domestic and non-domestic, Burglary, Larcenies and Auto Theft have risen 50%. Here Officer Riley Comments on Judge Loehr’s decision  effect on overtime and the crime trends — which reflect the data on the Public Safety website.

Mr. Riley’s statement:

2010 (Total year)

 

VIOLENT CRIMES

• · There were 24 burglaries as of 6/8/2010 and that increased to 50 burglaries by the end of 2010, which is a 100% increase in burglaries in just 6 six months after the layoffs of 12 officers

• · There were 10 aggravated non-domestic assaults as of 6/8/2010 and that increased to 26 by the end of 2010, which is an increase of 150%

2010 to 2011 (Total year)

• · Part One Crimes increased by 14.8%. There were 173 more crimes that the previous year (1171 in 2010 and 1344 in 2011)

June 2011 to June 2012

• · Part One Crimes increased from 480 in June 2011 to 635 in June 2012

• · That is an increase of 32.3%

Part One Crimes consist of the following offenses:

1. Murder
2. Rape
3. Robbery
4. Aggravated Assault (domestic and non-domestic)
5. Burglary
6. Larcenies
7. Auto Theft

Hits: 0

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 12, 2012:

 At the Final Board of Education meeting of the year, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet commented on the Food Fight “incident” that Clouet said took White Plains High administrators by surprise when it erupted in the high school cafeteria last Thursday. He said names of the students involved would not be released to the media 

Clouet indicated the fate of the identified participants is uncertain, pending Superintendent’s Hearings for each student. Previously senior participants in the unprovoked food fight (it was just started as a so-called “senior prank,” deteriorating to the point where  “water” balloons of urine were alleged to be thrown, according to students who were there.

No parents addressed the Board during the public comment portion of the meeting expressing concern about the incident.

Clouet told the attendees at the Board meeting,  the so-called senior prank

“went a little awry and unfortunately a food fight that developed and it was an embarrassing situation, and just like  in any family some things happen that you’re not proud of. This would be that kind of moment for us.”

“With that said, most of the kids at the high school were not even aware of it (the food fight) at that time, certainly regulatory had no information of any kind. It did not result in any kind of fisticuffs or arrests or things like that, but it was unseemly that type of behavior.  The high school administrators and the teachers did a great job getting  kids  back in the classrooms safely. The rest of the day was uneventful. There were no serious injuries.

“In any event, we were not happy about it. The investigation into who was responsible for organizing it  is  well underway and there already have been some suspensions and we have already scheduled Superintendent hearings to discuss further acts of discipline .

“This kind of behavior will not be tolerated. It does not reflect most of the kids in our school. Take one of those (copies of The Orange, the high school newspaper), with you (and he opened to the center spread showing college acceptancees’ pictures) in the middle you will see a listing of all the seniors and all the colleges going to. This is what represents White Plains High School. Not that unfortunate incident.”

Clouet told WPCNR before he spoke to the meeting  that 6 Seniors had already been suspended, but it has not been decided whether those seniors will be excluded from participating in High School graduation June 21 as had been previously told to WPCNR by sources  who said they were familiar with calls that went out to parents of those seniors.

Clouet said some  students from other classes had “high-jacked” the event, and they are in the process of being identified and Superintendents’ hearings  scheduled. WPCNR asked how many, Clouet said 10 to 15 students will be talked to about participation in the incident.

He said that the high school nurse had reported two him two injuries, a girl with a “badly sprained ankle, (not broken),” and a student whom Clouet did not know was a boy or girl, hit upon the head with an apple. He said no student was hospitalized.

Asked if slingshots had been used to launch projectiles of food, Clouet said he was uncertain. He said White Plains Police did not play a role in stopping the incident and were only asked to come after the incident was over, to assure that that the incident did not start again during school dismissal.

Asked to comment on the YouTube videos posted by students after the incident showing students stampeding down the halls with no sounds of public address system announcements heard, Clouet said there were announcements, but bullhorns were  not used by security personnel. He said administrators were called in from other schools in the district. He reported it took  10 to 15 minutes to stop the food fight.

He assured WPCNR  that next year’s senior class would be told in no uncertain terms  to “make sure this  doesn’t happen again.”

Hits: 0

 

WPCNR Theatrical Review by  John F. Bailey. June 9, 2012:

 

Westchester’s living “Hall of Fame” of musical theatre, Westchester Broadway Theatre staged a wallapaloosa revival of the 1968 Tony Winner, George M last night in a solid, star-spangled Independence Day treat for the entire family. 

 

 

The Man Who Owns Broadway:

John Scherer as the man who created musical theatre, George M. Cohan 

Photos Courtesy, Westchester Broadway Theatre by John Vechiola

 

GM is as big, brash and bold as George M. Cohan himself. This express of a musical takes you from vaudeville to modern Broadway Theatre is stopping in Elmsford only to July 1,  so get your ducats now at (914) 592-2222 or go to www.broadwaytheatre.org. You have no time to waste. Call now!

 

 

WBT has even brought back Mr. Cohan himself – the flying footed, hard- tapping, indefatigable, belting, brash, confident, swaggering, charismatic John Scherer who is George M himself. He has the persuasive chatter of the legendary showman:  “It’s all true, but it’s going to be,” he tells his landlady Mrs. Grimaldi (when he and his family are struggling to pay the rent). He’s the bluster, the swagger, the spirit, the hope of America itself.

 

 

Mr. Scherer belts all the Cohan classics: from the signature Give My Regards to Broadway (above) when George M is heading to England to bet his all on his first  real musical: Little Johnny Jones, to his patriotic spectaculars that never fail to lift the heaviest heart: You’re a Grand Old Flag, Over There, Yankee Doodle Dandy (composed after his breakup with his first wife),  and his wonderful Irish duet with Jim Walton (who plays George’s father) in a mock fisticuffs number, Harrigan — the best I’ve seen staged of that song.

 

Scherer brings the audience to a hush in the dramatic scene in Act II when, coaxed to come back to the stage late in life, he realizes the musical theatre he invented has changed.This is an aching, poignant moment. His moves of realization are just right, the audience feels his anguish as they feel his joy. Not many musical leading men can turn that believable schmaltz on…but he can. And the audience still goes home happy.

This musical takes you from Vaudeville to the  Broadway musicals of the 20s and 30s which followed the format George M. Cohan invented.

 

 

The choreography of  Jonathan Stahl is consistently entertaining sold by the hardest- tapping, furiously footing stylish dance team in months (the raised stage platform which rises from the stage was trembling during the  Grand Old Flag above)

 

The lighting by the magician, Andrew Gmoser, showed so many variations on red. The scene change from Lyric Theatre to Old Glory waving was spectacular, stunning the Opening Night crowd who were just awed.

 

The scenic device of using different prosceniums of different theatres as Mr. Cohan and the three other members of  the Cohan family travel from town to town, is a stroke of genius in design from setman John Carrell. The costumes– evoking the glamour, the parasols, the waist coats, the tuxedoa, the “class” of the period– by Leon Dobkowski–simply gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

The Cohans auditioning in Act One before a producer without vision : Jim Walton as father Jerry, Melodie Wolford as Nellie Cohan, John Scherer as George M. and the belter, Amanda Trusty as sister Josie

 

In Act One, Jerry Cohan, is seen performing a vaudeville act in Providence from the back of the stage looking out at the imaginary audience.  Nine yearold Victoria Dennis of Mt. Kisco runs on stage to tell him his son, George is being born. Thoughout the show the different stages are as much of a star as this dream team giving this show their all. 

 

You see performances from the side, from the front, each theatre stage using the the rotating proscenium stage. Last night’s GM at WBT is a tour de force of how theatre makes “make-believe” real.

 

Mr. Scherer is backed with another WBT galaxy of complimentary actors who perform many swing roles as GEORGE M creates the show biz of the past

 

ANNIE-ESQUE!

 

Katherine Heaton(right) playing the actress Fay Templeton, is with scene stealer Gabriella Palminteri of Bedford. Little Ms. Palminteri, daughter of actor Chaz Palminteri played the role on the performance WPCNR saw and was delightfully precocious, poised and perky, showing excellent comic timing in her appearance in Act I telling George M’s father during a performance of George M’s birth, while forthrightly singing Mary’s a Grand Old Name to demonstrate to Ms. Templeton how good the song was. Very “Annie-esque!” 

 

Katherine Heaton as Templeton radiates turn of the century pulchritude in a spectacular emerald green dress lit immaculately in enchanting emerald hue.  agrees to play in George M’s and Sam Harris’s first production when she sings Mary’s a Grand Old Name in Act Two. The audience is so moved by Ms. Heaton’s rich colorature voice and haunting treatment of this marvelous ballad. She thrilled the audience, producing sentiment and wonder — easily the most striking solo performance in the show. What a voice Ms. Heaton has!

 

The entire scene in Harris’s offices is a comic delight to start the second act as George M fast-talks and sells his musical Forty-five Minutes from Broadway to backers and lures Ms. Templeton. Gary Lynch as Sam Harris is a game comic foil to Mr. Scherer’s bombast in this Act II opener.

 

Scherer’s rapport with father, Jerry, played by Jim Walton is very believable. Scherer and the three other dancing Cohans, Nellie (Melodie Wolford) and sister Josie (Laura Schutter) makes an attractive family. The scene where George M is celebrating Opening night at Rector’s Restaurant  where they sing All Our Friends is particularly winning to the audience. In it George M bequeaths half his creative works to his father. Well-played.

 

Act One shows how Cohan fights through rejection and continues to believe in his talent, defending his creations, being loyal to his family, and his lesser-known songs acquaint us with the show biz life.

 

From the opening notes of You’re a Grand Old Flag starting the show, the stage band of Leo Carusone and his sidemen (Patrick Kelly, keyboards; Ken Ross, percussion; Ron Kozak,reeds; Ron Raffio,Bass; Dave Olson, trumpet) deliver a bed that is supportive, just right, and makes the “grand old bigger-than-America songs” glitter and gleam beneath the cast’s fill-the-theatre voices.

 

The glamorous scene, The Man Who Owns Broadway is distinguished by various marquees of the theatres Cohan owned, The Lyric and The Savoy,  is played so well by the irrepressible Mr. Scherer, as he refuses to accept unions, and decides to retire. The company sings about The Man Who Owns Broadway.

 

Mr. Scherer owns this show.

 

This loving, hard-working, fun-loving revival shows why Cohan is one of a kind.

 

George M. Cohan still can give you more fun and good feelings about your country and yourself to this day — 120 years after the songs in this show were written.

 

They couldn’t stop clapping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hits: 0

 

WPCNR DUMP NEWS. By John F. Bailey. June 4, 2012:

 

A spokesperson for the New  York State Department of Conservation confirmed to WPCNR this week  the cost of  sealing and closing the Tri Chloral Etylene-contaminated Gedney Landfill is going at least $2 million more beyond than the  $8 Million to $10 Million price  originally told the Common Council, which has yet to authorize financing for the entire clean-up.

 

Wendy Rosenback, spokesperson for the NYDEC told WPCNR that Martin Brand, Program Director of the Division of Materials Management for the DEC estimates the cleanup, scheduled to begin in July, will cost the city $10 to $12 Million.

 

WPCNR has been told by sources that the Common Council has been informed privately in a non-public meeting  within the last three weeks with the city Department of Public Works the cleanup could cost as much as $14 Million and a request to float more in bonds for the additional financing was met with dismay to say the least. Whether the figure is  as high as $14 Million has not been confirmed by any member of the Common Council, but the DEC today confirmed it is going to soar higher than the $8 to $10 Million the Department of Public Works originally estimated.

 

When WPCNR contacted Common Council members to see if the $14 Million figure had been related to them, Councilmen David Buchwald, Dennis Krolian, and John Martin all said the cleanup project was still in the bid process and they had not heard that price from the Department of Public Works.  Councilwoman Beth Smayda said she did not recall a meeting on that topic and Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona wrote  WPCNR she was not at any such meeting. Councilman Benjamin Boykin did not respond.

 

WPCNR called Joseph Nicoletti, Commissioner of Public Works and left a message  and asked him if the DEC’s Brand was correct, and if the $14 Million figure had been disclosed to the Council or was closer to $12 Million. Mr. Nicoletti so far has not responded.

 

The  DEC and the City Department of Public Works have been formulating a plan for remediation, sealing and closure of the dump since 2005 when the DEC informed the city it has to deal with the TCE-contamination that had been seeping into the Mamaroneck River estuary flowing through the dump. The city had previously ignored the TCE-contamination since 1976, which was left over from when a dry cleaning establishment was located adjacent to the dump. As part of the process he city has also been directed by the DEC to resod the Our Lady of Sorrows Softball Field adjacent the dump