The Hissy-Fits Begin at the Michaelian

Hits: 0

WPCNR BLACK COFFEE. By WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY ROVING CORRESPONDENT, NANCY KING. February 14, 2012:


It is safe to say that County Executive Rob Astorino did not get his New Year’s wish of having a more bi-partisan legislative branch.  Having broken the super-majority the Democrats still hold the majority on the eighth floor.  On Monday night it was apparent that things haven’t changed a damn bit with Democrats voting against the County  Executive five out of eight times.


At question were appointments that the County Executive had proposed for the purpose of overseeing volunteer citizen committees.  The committees in question are as follows: The Housing Opportunity Commission ,Deferred Compensation Board, the Human Rights  Commission, The Fair Housing Board,  and the African-American Advancement Board.    The dozen or so nominees were primarily Republican supporters of the County Executive but they are all volunteers.  There isn’t a single appointee that was to receive any sort of salary or stipend for serving on any one of those committees.


 


As each name was read and a vote was taken, the Democratic side of the board continually voted against those nominated.  Republican legislator  JimMaisano stated during the proceeding  that he has “never seen such partisan and destructive antics from a group of legislators as now are witnessing from the Democratics on the board”.  It was hoped after reaching a historic compromise on the budget, that these two sides of the CBoL would be able to work with one another in a more bi-partisan manner.


We can expect  contentious meetings from the CBoL for the rest of the legislative session as Mr. Astorino appears to be in full campaign mode while we still await a final declaration of candidacy from Chairman of the Board, Ken Jenkins. 


 

Posted in Uncategorized

Buchwald Tapped by Pound Ridge, Harrison Dems in Bid to Face Castelli

Hits: 0




WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2012. From the David Buchwald Campaign. February 14, 2012 UPDATED February 16, 2012:


The local Democratic parties in Harrison and Pound Ridge provided (White Plains Councilman)David Buchwald with substantial back-to-back wins in his campaign to be the New York State Assemblyman for much of northeastern Westchester.


The Harrison Democratic Committee voted 17 to 1 to endorse Buchwald over the weekend and the Pound Ridge Democratic Committee endorsed him unanimously last night. The votes follow the White Plains Democratic City Committee’s decision to enthusiastically endorse Buchwald by a vote of 67 to 1. In each case the low vote getter was Mr. Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, a lawyer who recently moved to White Plains following his failure 18 months ago to receive the Democratic Party nomination for the State Assembly in Astoria, Queens.


Frei-Pearson earlier in the week was reported to have won the endorsement of the Bedford Democratic Committee.


David Buchwald also gained the support of a former challenger. Dr. Clifford Gevirtz, a Harrison anesthesiologist who had been seeking the Democratic nomination for the Assembly seat and who withdrew prior to the Harrison vote, said “I support David Buchwald because he is a proven vote getter who has the right policies on economic development, the environment and transportation. He will represent not just Harrison but the entire Assembly District with a true sense of caring about people and providing them a government they can be proud of.” David Buchwald remarked that he was honored to have Dr. Gevirtz’s endorsement and would be campaigning with him in Harrison.


Roslyn Stone-Pollock, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Pound Ridge said, “David’s strong credentials coupled with his commitment to our Westchester community made him an excellent choice. He understands the issues that are important to us in Pound Ridge and has the background and experience to best represent us in Albany. David’s work on the White Plains Common Council, the Metro-North advisory board and in the community were important factors in our decision.”


 


Buchwald hopes to win the Democratic Party’s nomination to take on incumbent Republican Robert Castelli in the renumbered 93rd State Assembly District, which includes Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge and half of White Plains.

Posted in Uncategorized

BIG RIVER Explores Slavery, Roots of Black Music Thru Mark Twain’s 1850s South

Hits: 0



WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. February 13, 2012:


 


BIG RIVER, a spirited, rousing Family Theatre Company production staged at Westchester Broadway Theatre was recognized by a host of Westchester County leaders on its premier week as WBT’s giveback to the community to celebrate Black History Month. The leaders were on hand to salute WBT owners and producers Bob Funking and Bill Stutler for turning over the theatre in February for the first time to present a production keyed to celebrate Black History Month.’



County Executive Robert Astorino and County Leaders Thank Westchester Broadway Theatre for creating the first Black History Month production, Big River, produced by the local family theatre group, Family Theatre Company.WPCNR Photo


 



The Family Theatre Company Cast of BIG RIVER playing through February 26 — musical black history! Production Photos by Jordan Matter


Fittingly they chose John Fanelli the longtime major domo and pioneer of theatre programs for youth in the county at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, John Fanelli, (since then he has founded the educational Times Square Group theatre in New York, the Lighthouse Youth Theatre, and now the Family Theatre Company. The FTC production of the rolling,endearing Big River is based on Samuel Clemens breakthrough classics, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin.




 It treats the grim issue of slavery in America (as do Clemens’ novels)  with a precise touch, not too harsh for the children and not too soft for the adults while showcasing some of the brightest young performers around the County. It plays for two more weeks at the WBT, and provides a diverse, funny, and rollicking entertainment experience that starts slowly an  gathers dignity, joy, and mightiness like the Mississippi itself.



 



The eager Anthony Malchar (right) carries the precocious role of Huck Finn, the runaway, aided by his michievous pal, the silly and naive Todd Ritch (left) as Tom Sawyer,  the lads entertain the audience and will amuse youngsters with their shenanigans, and sense of adventure. With his innocence and sense of self-preservation to get away from his threatening father, Huck sets off with Jim, a freed slave, down the Mississippi and the friendship that grows between the two, as does Huck’s sense of right and wrong, send a valuable lesson that will not be lost to the young, nor the old.


Perhaps no other novels of the nineteenth century said more about in the inhumanity of slavery than Clemens’ (writing under the greatest nom de plume of all time, Mark Twain)two books, and said it in such a way that made the conclusion that slavery was wrong inevitable to whomever read them. Clemens would have won a Pulitzer prize if they gave them away then. Big River delivers the jolt.



Fatye Francis playing Jim belting out Free at Last in the Grand Finale


Highlight performer of the evening is FaTye Francis as Jim whose presence dominates the stageand belies his age and his  ringing voice lifts the roof  to the Heavens. He is easily the most commanding black voice I have heard in musical theatre in some time. (But then there are not many black leading men in Broadway Musical Theatre are there? I do not see many. Tell me I’m wrong.)


FaTaye is a star-to-be. He  gives the role of Jim the runaway salve, intelligence, dignity, and  gravitas that Clemens’ books do not. In the Huckleberry Finn novel, Jim is portrayed as somewhat dependent on Huck. In Big River, Jim trusts Huck not to betray him, but is suspicious and presents a portrait of the runaway slave that is not stereotypical, hut his own man. FaTye makes Jim the hero of this show through his sheer force of will and magnificent voice. We’ll be seeing him on Broadway, I predict. He is worth going to see and hear!


The choreography in the hour and a half first act portraying slaves in the field uniquely captures the sweat of working in the hot southern sun while in one striking metaphor shows how the rhythm of the fields found its way into the rhythms of early Black music in “Waitin for the Light to Shine.”


Later in the first act, the role of the church that made life livable for many black slaves (as if I knew anything about that), is captured with electrifying emotion when we first hear and see the amazing soprano of Jasmine Knight singing the spiritual, “The Crossing.”  Her voice will send chills up your spine during a recreation of a old church service. It is a rouser!


Ms. Knight is also featured in the second act singling Waitin for the Light to Shine. This young lady is a star of the future. You will not forget her voice. It is a voice from Heaven that fills your heart, and makes you want to look for Billy Graham.


One of the most touching scenes occurs  when two conmen that Huck and Jim meet up with attempt to swindle Susan Wilkes out of her inheritance, and as a result her slaves have to sold and families split up. Their walk up on the  auction block, the way the amateur actors convey the doom of parting from family is heart-rending. This is easily the hardest scene in the play and it is very moving.


Tom and Huck save the day by duping the two conmen, the King and The Duke (played deliciously deviously by August Abatecola andJoey Sanzaro) when Tom realizes Susan Wilkes (played most innocently and virtuously by Melanie Burg who sings You Oughta Be Here With Me)


For a production that features many youth of the area,  delivering at once flawlessly, (with pretty good articulation for young actors and actresses), a historical perspective on America’s shame of slavery, an era of youth innocence, and the strong roots of Black music in America, Big River is a satisfying first production in the first of many Westchester Broadway Black History Month productions in Februaries to come.



Anthony Malcar as Huck with FaTye as Jim


 


BIG RIVER plays February 15 and 16 at 11:15 A.M.; The 17th and 18th at 6:15 P.M.; the 19th at 11:15 A.M. and 5:15 P.M.; the 23rd at 11:15 A.M. and  6:15 P.M.; the 24th at 6:15 P.M.; the 25th at 6:15 P.M. and closes Sunday the 26th with an 11:15 A.M. performance. For more information go to www.broadwaytheatre.com, www.facebook.com/BigRiverMusical . Or call the WBT at 914-592-2268

Posted in Uncategorized

Looking at the Long, Tall Lean Guy from Illinois

Hits: 0

WPCNR’s The Daily Bailey. By John F. Bailey. February 12, 2012 Retrieved from the WPCNR ARCHIVES.


Today marks the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, whose Presidential performance during the Civil War (1861-1865) was perhaps the most admirable of any American President. He had to create things as he went, dealing with a complex political issue: slavery, while deciding to fight a war to preserve a divided nation.



How did Abraham Lincoln handle pressure and political opportunists? He did not have press agents and spinmasters and talk show hosts and superior punditry critiquing his every move and loading him up with advice.


Though he did have the “crusading editors” and “editorial boards” of his day. Let’s take a look at the Big Guy from Illinois


In the days of Lincoln, media coverage was simply print media, however, the amount of reporting on the burning issues of the day was far more detailed than today with dozens of newspapers presenting the chronicles of burning issues. For Lincoln’s presidency was the presidency of the nation’s greatest crisis in its eighty-five year history:


The Civil War.


It is interesting to note how President Lincoln conducted himself in dealing with America’s interests, its factions, pulling him to free the slaves.

When Lincoln was running for the Presidency in 1860 at the Republican Convention in riproaring Chicago, he was up against James Seward, a powerful New York politician. However, the western states at the time were highly distrustful of the New York political machine. Lincoln won over support by taking a position of what was good for the nation as a whole.

Taking a Position and Working To it

Lincoln first gave notice of his potential for the Presidency when he impressed Horace Greeley, influential editor of the New York Tribune with a fiery speech at the Cooper Union in February, 1860, delivering a sharp criticism of the South, hard on the heels of South Carolina’s secession from the Union. The speech included these words,

You say you will not abide the election of a Republican President. In that supposed event, you say, you will destroy the Union; and then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us! (The northern states) That is cool. A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, “Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!”

Greeley printed the speech in his Tribune the next day, scooping the other New York papers, by simply asking Lincoln for a copy of the speech. The subsequent printing in the popular Trib, sent Mr. Lincoln on his way. As William Harlan Hale’s biography of Mr. Greeley (Horace Greeley: Voice of the People)describes the scene at “The original Trib’s” offices, as remembered by Amos Cummings, a young proofreader:

Amos Cummings, then a young proofreader, remembered the lanky westerner appearing over his shoulder amid the noise of the pressroom late at midnight, drawing up a chair, adjusting his spectacles, and in the glare of the gaslight reading each galley (of the Cooper Union speech) with scrupulous care and then rechecking his corrections, oblivious to his surroundings.

A Comeback President

Lincoln had been a highly successful politician from Illinois in the 1830s and 1840s. He was three times elected to the state legislature, and The Kunhardts’ The American Presidency reports he was “a recognized expert at forming coalitions…he learned how to keep secrets, how to trade favors, how to use the press to his advantage. And he cultivated his relationship with the party hierarchy.”

Graff’s book writes that Lincoln was described as “ruthless,” that he “handled men remotely like pieces on a chessboard.” Humor and frankness were character traits.

Lincoln was elected a congressman, only to serve just one term.

Lincoln had been practicing corporate law privately and had lost interest in politics by 1854, until the repeal of The Missouri Compromise, which had restricted slavery to the southern states. Lincoln felt stirred to come back. He spoke out against the spread of slavery, running for the senate in 1858 against William Douglas, unsuccessfully.

Saving the Union His Mantra

As the furor over slavery and the South’s threats to secede grew, a crisis of spirit and purpose in this nation which makes today’s concerns about terrorism as a threat to America, pale in comparison, Lincoln realized that the Union was the larger issue. He expressed this in response to Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, an influential figure at the Republican (Whig) Convention in Chicago in 1860. Greeley was the kingmaker at the 1860 Chicago convention who eventually swung the western states for Lincoln, giving the man from Illinois the nomination on the third ballot over William Seward, the candidate of the Thurlow Weed “New York Machine.”

Greeley then tried to influence the President-Elect to free the slaves. (Lincoln was being lobbied by the still-powerful Weed-Seward faction to compromise with the southern states on the issue of slavery).

Standing Tall Against Pressure.

Lincoln refused to free the slaves as one of the first acts of his presidency, standing firm to hold the union together, when he announced his attention not to do so, on his way to Washington after being elected. His words in this time of international tension, are worth remembering as America considers starting a war for the first time. Lincoln said:

I have often inquired of myself what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy (the Union, he means), so long together. It was not the mere matter of separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty not alone to the single people of this country, but hope to all the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights would be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance.

Seeing the Big Picture.

After Fort Sumter was fired upon, Lincoln was pressured harder to free the slaves. Still, Lincoln held firm. Mr. Greeley published a blistering open letter to the President, he called “The Letter of Twenty Millions,” meaning his readers (slightly exaggerated)in The New York Tribune. Greeley’s letter took the President to task for not freeing the slaves now that the Civil War was on, writing, “all attempts to put down the rebellion and at the same time uphold its inciting cause are preposterous and futile.”

President Lincoln responded with an open letter which Greeley published in The Tribune. President Lincoln’s letter is instructive as to how a President moves in crisis, when a nation is ripped apart to calm and state his position. He begins with a conciliatory tone, calming Greeley’s bombast:

…If there be perceptible in it (Greeley’s letter) an impatient and dictatorial tone, I waive it in deference to an old friend whose heart I have always supposed to be right.

As to the policy I “seem to be pursuing,” as you say, I have not meant to leave any one in doubt. I would save the Union. I would save it in the shortest way under the Constitution.

The sooner the national authority can be restored the nearer the Union will be – the Union as it was.

If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them.

If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them.

If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it – if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it – and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.

What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save this Union, and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I believe doing more will help the cause.

I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be new views.

I have here stated my purpose according to my views of official duty, and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free, Yours

A. Lincoln

Wearied by War

Horace Greeley described the toll the Civil War had taken on Mr. Lincoln, seeing him in person shortly beforeGeneral Lee surrendered. Greeley wrote:

Lincoln’s face had nothing in it of the sunny, gladsome countenance he first brought from Illinois. It is now a face haggard with care and seamed with thought and trouble…tempest-tossed and weatherbeaten, as if he were some tough old mariner who had for years been beating up against the wind and tide, unable to make his port or find safe anchorage…The sunset of life was plainly looking out of his kindly eyes.”



Posted in Uncategorized

FBI DETAILS FORMER SENATOR SPANO’S TAX EVASION ACTIVITIES RESULTING IN GUILTY PL

Hits: 0




WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (EDITED) February 10, 2012:


Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Victor W. Lessoff, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (“IRS-CID”), and Janice K. Fedarcyk, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that former New York State Senator NICHOLAS A. SPANO pled guilty today in White Plains federal court to obstructing the ability of the IRS to assess and collect U.S. income taxes by filing fraudulent tax returns. This evening a news release revealed details of the former Senator’s tax evasion activities.


SPANO, 58, of Yonkers, New York, pled guilty to one count of obstructing and impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue Laws. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss derived from the crime.


According to the information and statements made during today’s proceeding in White Plains, here is what former Senator Spano did:


Background


NICHOLAS SPANO served as a New York State Senator for the 35th district, representing most of Westchester County, from 1987 until 2006. In that capacity, SPANO was responsible for voting on and approving the operating budget for New York State, a portion of which included funding for the Office of General Services (“OGS”).


In 1993, a White Plains-based insurance company began paying SPANO a $1,500 monthly fee to act as an outside consultant. In 1996, after the insurance company was awarded a lucrative contract by OGS to become the broker of record for New York State, the payments increased to $5,000 per month. The payments were subsequently increased to $6,000 per month in 1999 and $8,333.33 (or $100,000 per year) in 2002. The payments stopped in 2008 when the insurance company ceased to be OGS’s broker of record.


The payments from the insurance company were paid through various corporate entities controlled by SPANO, including ONAPS, Inc. which later changed its name to HVM Corp. ONAPS had no employees or offices and was used almost exclusively to receive money paid to SPANO by the insurance company.


Spano’s Concealment of Income


From 2000 through 2008, SPANO engaged in a scheme to impede and impair the due administration of the Internal Revenue Laws by filing false federal income tax returns that falsely characterized income he received from the insurance company and other sources to unlawfully reduce his tax burden.


During the relevant time period, SPANO wrote checks that totaled more than $180,000 from HVM to a real estate holding company he owned, 221 Ridge Ave. Corp, which owned a two-family rental property in Yonkers, New York. The checks were for non-existent rental expenses. SPANO falsely advised his tax return preparer that HVM conducted business at 221 Ridge Avenue, had an office at that location, and paid rent to the holding company. As a result, HVM deducted more than $180,000 in false and fraudulent rental expenses on its tax returns.


In 2004, SPANO also failed to report to the IRS a $45,000 commission he received from the sale of a building to a White Plains real estate developer, and between 2005 and 2006, failed to report cash rental payments he received from residential real estate tenants.


* * *


Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Former Senator Nicholas Spano is the latest in a regrettably long line of lawmakers turned lawbreakers. When elected officials put padding their pockets above the law, they tarnish our government and undermine people’s faith in their public servants. We will not tolerate this conduct and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in it.”


IRS Acting Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff stated: “Public officials, whether elected or appointed, hold positions of trust in the eyes of the public. That trust is broken when these officials commit crimes. Public officials do not get free passes to ignore the tax laws and they will still be held accountable after they leave office. IRS-CI works to ensure that everyone pays their fair share. “


FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk stated: “We hope that our elected representatives hold themselves to a higher standard. At a minimum, the people of New York have the right to expect that lawmakers will not be lawbreakers.”


SPANO will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel on June 11, 2012, at 3:30 p.m.


Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding work of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI in the investigation.


This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Perry A. Carbone, Jason P.W. Halperin, and Cynthia Dunne are in charge of the prosecution.

Posted in Uncategorized

Spano Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion in White Plains Federal Court

Hits: 0

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. At the U.S. District Court House today. Special to WPCNR from Westchester County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. February 10, 2012:

 


Former Senator Nick Spano surrendered in Federal Court Friday on tax evasion charges.  Originally scheduled to appear at 10:30 a.m., Spano arrived at court about 45 minutes early and was in an unmarked car.



Waiting for Spano. Media Assembled for former Senator Nick Spano’s arraignment today in White Plains.


Earlier in the morning, United States Attorney’s Office spokesperson Herbert Hadad said that Spano had turned himself in at the FBI’s district office on Bloomindale Road in White Plains. Prior to this statement,Hadad had only released a brief statement on Thursday evening that said “a proceeding of interest in a public corruption matter” would be taking place on Thursday morning before Magistrate Judge Lisa M. Smith.   As this was taking place, Leonard Spano, the former senator’s brother said that his brother (Nick) would be making a short statement following the surrender.


As of around 11:15 a.m. Spano had indeed been arraigned  by Justice Cathy Seibel.  He was ordered held on $100,000.00 bond which was co-signed by his brother former Westchester County Clerk Leonard Spano. At 10:45 a.m. Spano plead not guilty as a formality to the charge of obstructing and impeding the administration of Internal Revenue Laws.  As expected, he appeared before  Magistrate Lisa Smith. By 11:45 the plea of guilty was entered and Spano  was released on bond. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11th.


The details of his plea deal were unclear at the present time but is believed to include 12 to 18 months of prison time.  Half of that sentence could be completed while at home.  It is also up to a judge to decide if there would be any prison sentence at all.  During a break in the courtroom proceedings, Spano joined the large contingent of media present and chatted  with them.


When he finally addressed all of the media, Spano said that he was ready and willing to take responsibility for his actions.  His brother, Mayor Mike Spano also issued a statement that re-iterated that “This is a very difficult time for our family”.  He also hoped that they would be able to put this behind them and that Nick Spano would once again be able to serve others. 


Nick Spano ,once one of the most powerful men in New York State, spent 28 years in the Senate legislature rising to the position of Assistant Senate Majority Leader.   In 2006 he was edged out of his senate seat by Democrat Andrea Stewart Cousins.  Since then, Spano has returned to Albany as a lobbyist.  He is the principal with Empire Strategic Planning whose client list includes, Yonkers Raceway,CityCarting,a branch of the Capelli enterprises, the Westchester County Police Department and the Westchester County corrections Officers unions. 


Today’s turn of events  have  been rumored for months here in Westchester.  There were unconfirmed reports of Spano being seen in and about lower Manhattan as questioning of former Spano aide Anthony Mangone , former Yonkers Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and former Yonkers GOP leader Zehy Jerais were preparing for their trial on federal corruption charges.  That trial is expected to begin on Tuesday February 14th.


Whether Mangone’s cooperation with Federal authorities had anything to do with today’s charges has yet to be revealed. Mr. Spano’s lobbying firm was instrumental in in getting the Ridge Hill project in Yonkers developed.  Forest City Ratner, the developer of Ridge Hill was a client of Spano’s.  Former City Council member Sandy Annabiis charged with accepting bribes to change her vote in order to move the project forward.


WPCNR.com will continue to follow this story as it unfolds.


(Editor’s Note:) News of Nick Spano’s intention to plead guilty on tax evasion charges was first reported by New York Times reporters William Rashbaum and Danny Hakim early Thursday evening. The reporters quoted Mr. Spano’s lawyer,Richard Levitt as saying Spano would appear in Federal District Court in White Plains this morning and plead guilty to “failing to avoid more than $45,000 in income from 2000 to 2008.


WPCNR tax experts estimate this to mean Mr. Spano did not report approximately $150,000 in income.


The Times reported Mr. Levitt as saying Spano didn’t report a $45,000 “commission” he got on a real estate transaction; he reported deductions for a corporation he owned for rental expenses for an office he did not have; he failed to report “cash rental payments” from tenants in a building he owned in Yonkers.


Ms. King reports no details of the principles or actions involved in these situations Levitt described were revealed in the court proceedings today.

Posted in Uncategorized

FBI CHARGES 33 IN MIDDLETOWN HEROIN-COCAINE RING

Hits: 0

WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. February 10, 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”), Wilbert L. Plummer, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Joseph A. D’Amico, the Superintendent of the New York State Police, Ramon Bethencourt, the Chief of the Middletown Police Department, Frank Phillips, the Orange County District Attorney, and Carl E. DuBois, the Orange County Sheriff, today announced federal narcotics charges against 33 members of a drug trafficking ring operating in and around Middletown, New York. The ring was led by QUIANE WILLIAMS, CURTIS MACK, and STEPHONE HERRING, who were, along with many other defendants charged today, members of the Bloods, a nationwide gang. WILLIAMS and another defendant, JOSHUA MARTIN, are also charged with firearms-related offenses.


U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:


“Drug dealing and gang violence shatter the quality of life in a neighborhood—residents are hesitant to leave their homes, children are afraid to play in the streets, and every corner has the potential for lethal violence. We refuse to stand by and let these purveyors of poison destroy our communities, and today’s charges are the latest manifestation of our commitment to rid our street of these dangerous influences. I commend the dedication and teamwork of our federal and state law enforcement partners in our ongoing effort to clean up the Southern District.”


 



FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk stated: “Today’s arrests are the result of the kind of teamwork that has proven essential in making real headway against gangs in the Hudson Valley. The 9 Trey Bloods and their drug trafficking have been a detriment to the quality of life in Middletown. The work of the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and our partners will continue in earnest, with the goal being the safety and security of all of our communities.”


DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Wilbert L. Plummer stated: “DEA works with our law enforcement counterparts to identify and arrest those distributing illegal drugs throughout our communities. Our goal is to keep our streets safe from drug abuse and the violence associated. The 9 Trey gang has been taken down and will no longer be distributing heroin and crack in the Middletown area. I would like to acknowledge the work of all the law enforcement entities that participated in this investigation.”


New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico stated: “The problems associated with the proliferation of illicit drugs in our communities is compounded by the levels of gun- and drug-related violence that are committed by gang members looking to control the narcotics trade. These criminals have no regard for the safety of the community. This case, investigated with our law enforcement partners over a period of several years, has resulted in the arrest of a large number of violent offenders within these gangs. This case will significantly impact the ability of organized gangs to profit from the sale of narcotics in the Orange County area, and will keep them out of our communities for the foreseeable future.”


Middletown Police Chief Ramon Bethencourt stated: “As a result of this investigation, numerous individuals have been arrested and charged with serious offenses which serve to diminish the quality of life for the Middletown community. Both Mayor Joseph DeStefano and I are hopeful and confident that this investigation will lead to a reduction in crime and make Middletown a better, safer place to live.”


Orange County District Attorney Frank Phillips stated: “This operation is another example of the successful partnership forged between federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as that between the Orange County DA and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The gang members arrested today use violence to terrorize the community while engaged in the drug trade. New York State ‘drug law reform’ has essentially eliminated the ability of police and prosecutors to dismantle these criminal enterprises, and the federal commitment has helped tremendously to reduce the level of drug gang violence. We are fortunate to have a U.S. Attorney who is as committed to cleaning up the streets of Orange County as he is to cleaning up Wall Street.”


Orange County Sheriff Carl E. DuBois stated: “My office remains committed to partnering with the Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, with an emphasis on the Sheriff’s Office Gang Intelligence Unit, which is one of the largest repositories of gang intelligence files in the region. Compiling and sharing this information with other law enforcement agencies, especially the FBI, is a critical component in past, present, and future enforcement efforts.”


The following allegations are based on the indictment that was unsealed today in White Plains federal court:


WILLIAMS, MACK, HERRING, and a number of their associates were members of a sub-group of the Bloods, known as “9 Trey.”


From January 2010 through February 2010, WILLIAMS, MACK, and HERRING coordinated the drug-trafficking activities of the ring, which was known as the “Middletown Organization.” They obtained heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine and marijuana from a variety of suppliers, including WILFREDO GONZALES, MICHAEL GILES, ANTHONY WEBB, KEVIN WILLIAMS, and RASUN KING. After obtaining the drugs, WILLIAMS, MACK, and HERRING supplied the drugs to 21 associates who were part of the Organization’s distribution network. Members of the distribution network also obtained narcotics from HENRY BRINSON, MAURICE COLON, and HECTOR BATISTA. Associates who were members of the distribution network include: JEREMY SCOTT ALLEN, CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON, VICTOR BURNS, LOREN DWYER, TAYSHAWN FIELDS, RAVEN FUENTES, MATTHEW GARCIA, VICTOR GONZALEZ, ZAKIYYAH HOULKER, BRUCE JACKSON, JEROME JACKSON, DUANE KIRBY, LUIS LIMA, JOSHUA MARTIN, DANIEL MISCHIYEV, KENNETH ORTIZ, JACQUELINE RICCI, JORGE SERRANO, JEFFREY SPANGENBURG, CLAUDIS WILSON, and MICHAEL WRIGHT.


Members of the Middletown Organization periodically moved the locations at which they stored and distributed drugs in order, among other reasons, to avoid detection by law enforcement. Members of the Middletown Organization engaged in a violent assault outside a diner in Middletown that resulted in the violent stabbing by MACK of RASUN KING, a defendant, multiple times. They also maintained firearms in order to protect the operation’s narcotics and drug proceeds. QUIANE WILLIAMS, who was previously convicted of a felony, is charged with possessing ammunition, specifically two boxes of Lawman 9 mm Luger ammunition. MARTIN, who was also previously convicted of a felony, is charged with possessing a firearm, specifically a .38 caliber Amadeo Rossi revolver.


* * *


Beginning this morning, federal and local law enforcement officers have been making arrests and conducting searches in connection with the Indictment and investigation, primarily in Middletown, New York. Twenty-six of the defendants have been arrested, and seven remain at large. In affecting today’s arrests, law enforcement authorities seized two firearms—a .22 caliber Junior Colt semi-automatic handgun and a .22 caliber H&R revolver, over 100 rounds of ammunition—including .22 caliber rounds, 9 mm rounds, shotgun rounds, and a magazine as well as $6,840 in cash.


The arrested defendants are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in White Plains federal court before a magistrate judge. All of the defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute one kilogram and more of heroin, 280 grams and more of crack cocaine, and cocaine and marijuana. If convicted, all of the defendants face a maximum sentence of life and mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. On the firearms charges, QUIANE WILLIAMS and JOSHUA MARTIN each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.


Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force—which consists of members from the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration Customs Enforcement, United States Marshals Service; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Bureau of Prisons, New York State Police Troop F; New York State Police CNET; City of Newburgh Police Department; City of Middletown Police Department; City of Poughkeepsie Police Department; Orange County Sheriff’s Office; Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office; Beacon Police Department; Village of Monticello Police Department; Port Jervis Police Department; Town of Wallkill Police Department; and Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan County District Attorney’s Offices. Mr. Bharara added that the investigation is continuing.


This case is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia Cohen and Rebecca Mermelstein are in charge of the prosecution.


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

Posted in Uncategorized

County To Shore Up Banks of Bronx River Above County Center & Fisher Lane Area

Hits: 0

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. February 9, 2012:


 County Executive Robert Astorino announced today the county is taking the initiative in clearing and rehabilitating the county-owed Bronx River waterway, devoting approximately $9 Million in county money to clearing the river from obstructions and improving chronic flood areas.



Mayor Tom Roach (left) of White Plains appeared applauding the county initiative which is targeting the Bronx River banks on the portion of the river flowing through White Plains, and in the Fisher Lane flood plain, that Mayor Roach noted turned the North White Plains station parking lot into the lake during Hurricane Irene. The work will be paid for by the county ($700,000), with no cost to the city, part of Astorino’s initiative on mitigating Bronx River flooding announced today.



The work is being done by county park crews along the river north of the County Center, and is being funded south of the County Center by the Army Corps of Engineers at a cost of $1,000,000, which includes $87,000 from the county, and $514,000 in in-kind services from the county,  and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is funding the East Bank that remains to be done.



West Bank of the Bronx River has been rehabilitated and rerouted. Next will come the shoring up of the East Bank with installation of stone retainer walls (stone blocks piled in upper left await installation) to prevent erosion and silting from rains washing away the banks.The East Bank will cost $700,000 with the County paying $350,000 and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, $350,000


 


The County Executive also announced projects at several other flood prone locations: Raising the Oak Street Pump Station in Mount Vernon/Yonkers, at a cost of $450,000 to $500,000; Bronx River realignment and bank stabilization at Garth Woods, $1,000,000 estimated;Harney Road in Eastchester/Yonkers, bank stabilization and channel modification, estimate not available; in Larchmont, drainage improvement along Pine Brook at Boston Post Road: County cost: $2.3 Million, Village of Larchmont, $2.3 Million; in New Rochelle, replacing the Hutchinson River culvert, $5,000,000 split between the county and New Rochelle.


Astorino said the county owns the Bronx River and therefore can execute rehabiltation projects faster than on properties owned by the state, such as the Saw Mill River Parkway, that he indicated was the state responsibility. “The county can and must do whatever it can on its own. While I will continue meeting with state and federal officials to advocate for assistance, we will do everything we can at the county level, working with our municipalities, to target achievable projects to reduce and prevent future flooding.”


The County Executive told the CitizeNetReporter chronic flooding at the North White Plains railroad station would not be addressed but will be tackled in the future.


The Cloverdale Road area in White Plains, another chronic flooding area in White Plains would not be addressed in this phase. County Legislator Bill Ryan, a resident of Seneca Avenue, told WPCNR, the small capacity of the sewer along Cloverdale Road was overmatched by the flow of water from the marsh east of and adjacent to the Central Westchester Parkway. Ryan giving his opinion only, said the cost of replacing that sewerline would cost well into the millions and would have to involve ripping up just completed construction on I-287. In his opinion, some homes that chronically flood in the Cloverdale area would have to be raised up to a higher level and the homeowners bought out and the area turned into a park to absorb the flooding naturally.

Posted in Uncategorized

Police Ask Public Help Seeking Hit and Run Driver in Pre-Dawn MLK Accident

Hits: 0

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. February 8, 2012:


White Plains Police are seeking information from the public on the identity of a the driver of a dark Toyota sedan that  struck a White Plains man shortly before dawn this morning.



SITE OF HIT & RUN Wednesday morning. Victim was discovered opposite County Optical and Laundromat.


The victim was discovered  by an approaching car, that had to swerve to avoid the victim who was lying face down bleeding in the middle lane of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. He was lying just past the intersection of West Post Road on MLK, in front of an laundromat a few minutes past 6 A.M. . Two motorists stopped to help when they spotted the victim and reported the downed man. The victim was conscious when he was discovered.


Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong reports to WPCNR:


The case is being investigated as a hit and run.  The victim is a White Plains resident, 28 years of age, he was taken to Westchester Medical Center as a precaution but his injuries are non-life threatening. Detectives are looking for an auto described as a dark colored Toyota which fled northbound on MLK.  We will be checking area video to see if we can locate this auto. 


Persons who have information that may lead to the apprehension of the hit-and-run driver may call 914-422-6111. Your identity will remain anonymous.


A previous investigation by White Plains police into a hit and run on Post Road was successful in finding the car and driver of that incident, using video tape of the accident. Commissioner Chong urges the driver to contact police on this incident and turn themselves in.

Posted in Uncategorized

Soundview Manor Revised “Bed & Breakfast” Zoning Amendment Furnished

Hits: 0

WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. February 8, 2012:


The owner of Soundview Manor has furnished WPCNR with a copy of the revised zoning amendment they submitted to the Common Council Monday evening which would classify the property as a single family residence with the right to operate a bed and breakfast on the premise. 


To date, the Mayor’s Office has not responded to WPCNR inquiry as to city hall’s next move, whether the Common Council will consider the revised amendment submitted Monday.


The owner advised WPCNR that they expected the council to take a vote on the matter at the next Council meeting in March. Again, city hall has not confirmed this or commented on the status of the proposal, though asked to do so by WPCNR.


Herewith is the revised amendment submitted by the owner to the City Clerk at Monday evening’s hearing on the Soundview request:


AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WHITE  PLAINS WITH RESPECT TO ESTABLISHING “BED AND BREAKFAST” AS A PERMITTED   ACCESSORY USE IN THE R1-30 ZONING DISTRICT


 


 


The Common Council of the City of White Plains hereby ordains and enacts as follows:


 


Section 1. The Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains, adopted June 1, 1981, and amended to date, shall be and hereby is, further amended at Section 2 by adding the following new definitions to read as follows:


 


A. After “Basement,”


 


“Bed and Breakfast”: An owner-occupied residence recognized as a historic site by inclusion on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places, sharing a common boundary with a neighboring property with a non-residential used or to be used for providing accommodations, with a morning meal, to not more than ten roomers and containing not more than five bedrooms for such roomers.


 


Such permitted accessory use shall be deemed to include permission to hold special events typically held at such historic sites to celebrate national, state or local holidays, life cycle events or religious observances, including, but not limited to, social gatherings and business meetings.


 


For interior use, such will be limited to not more than 75 guests; for exterior use, including the grounds, not more than 150 guests.


 


Parking must be provided onsite or by pre-arrangements for nearby parking lot use.


 


B. “Customary Home Occupations” shall be further amended to include the words: “and Bed and Breakfast, as hereinabove defined” between the words “…a pupil at a time,” and “shall be deemed a “customary home occupation.”


 


C.  After the words “gross land coverage,” the following definition: “Guest”: a transient occupant in a room in a Bed and Breakfast, as hereinabove defined.


 


Section 2.  The Zoning Ordinance is hereby further amended at Sections 5.1 and 5.2 to read as follows:


5.1 Schedule of “Use” Regulations: Residential: Add “Bed and


Breakfast” under “Minor accessory buildings” and add “PA” for this use in the R1-30 District column.


 


5.2 List of “Use” Regulations: Add “Bed and Breakfast” as a Permitted Accessory Use (“PA”) after “Minor accessory buildings”.


 


Section 3. The Zoning Ordinance is hereby further amended at Section 8.3 “Off-Street” Parking and Loading Requirements to add


“Bed and Breakfast” after “Roomers” with a parking requirement under OTHER to read as follows:


“Bed and Breakfast” 2 for one family dwelling plus 8.


 


Section 4. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately.

Posted in Uncategorized