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 QUILL & EYESHADE. Special to WPCNR from the University of Michigan. March 26, 2012:

America’s economy will continue its recovery this year and next as it adds nearly 5 million jobs and unemployment falls below 8 percent, say University of Michigan economists.

“The performance of the U.S. economy during much of 2011 did nothing to alter the perception that we were mired in a sluggish recovery,” said U-M economist Joan Crary. “Indeed, by late summer economists were considering the likelihood of a double-dip recession.

“The economy regained some momentum during the fall, however, with the closing quarter registering some of the best economic readings of the year. Although the economy is growing at a subpar rate to begin 2012, we expect the pace of economic activity to accelerate over the next two years as the economic headwinds that have plagued the recovery begin to abate.”

In their annual spring forecast update of the U.S. economy, Crary and colleagues Daniil Manaenkov and Matthew Hall say that employment rises at a moderate pace, consumer spending increases, the housing market picks up, vehicle sales improve and inflation remains in check in 2012 and 2013.

They predict that payroll employment will rise by 2.5 million jobs during 2012 and 2.3 million during 2013, an average of 200,000 jobs per month.

“An extrapolation of our forecast suggests that the cumulative job growth during the recovery will finally exceed the jobs lost during the recession in the second quarter of 2014, roughly six years after the previous peak in the first quarter of 2008,” Crary said.

Unemployment is expected to edge downward from the current rate of 8.3 percent to about 8 percent by the end of 2012 and to 7.7 percent a year later.

Crary and colleagues project economic output growth (as measured by real Gross Domestic Product) of 2.3 percent during this year and 2.6 percent during 2013—up from 1.6 percent last year.

They say that real nonresidential fixed investment was a major driver of growth in 2011 and continues to be over the forecast horizon, rising by $113 billion in 2012 and $116 billion in 2013.

“Investment is continuing to lead the country out of the recession as consumption growth remains sluggish and government purchases continue to be a drag on the economy,” Crary said. “Investment in nonresidential construction turned around in 2011. It then accelerates in 2012 and 2013, offsetting slower growth in the equipment and software sector, which remains strong but grows at a more sustainable pace.”

The U-M economists say that residential building is beginning to show signs of life, as well. Single-family housing starts—at an all-time low of 430,000 units last year—will increase by about 100,000 units this year and then reach about 730,000 units in 2013.

Existing single-family home sales are projected to rise by 300,000–400,000 units over the next two years, as housing prices stabilize.

Sales of light vehicles are another indicator of a steadily recovering economy, Crary and colleagues say. Sales totaled 12.7 million units in 2011, up from 11.6 million the year before and will rise to 14 million units this year and to 14.6 million units in 2013.

“Part of the strong showing early this year is related to abnormal weather this winter, with the rest coming from make-up purchases deferred due to Japan-related supply shortages and genuine pent-up demand,” Crary said.

“With the average age of a light vehicle approaching 11 years, many consumers will not be able to delay purchases much longer. While weather-related and “make-up” sales will diminish soon, the release of accumulated pent-up demand should keep pushing vehicle sales higher.”

According to the forecast, core inflation will edge upward to 2 percent this year and drop slightly to 1.8 percent in 2013; the price of oil will average about $102 per barrel this year and about $104 next year; and interest rates, while creeping upward, will remain historically low.

Conventional mortgage rates will average 4 percent this year and 4.2 percent in 2013. The 3-month Treasury bill rate will closely follow the fed funds rate, remaining below 20 basis points through next year, while 10-year Treasury notes will rise from 2 percent now to 2.6 percent by the end of next year.

The U-M forecast is based on the Michigan Quarterly Econometric Model of the U.S. Economy and compiled by the U-M Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics. For more information, visit www.umich.edu/~rsqe.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. MARCH 25,2012:

The 49th Ebersole Rink Annual Ice Show wowed over 100 Parents, Friends, and Skating Enthusasts Saturday evening on a great night to skate. Rarely has the weather been so cooperative, delivering a crisp sheet of ice and even crisper skating by 18 solists and about 80 group performers from the Ebersole Rink Skating School.

The evening was highlighted by an advanced Finale Number peformed by the Advanced Figure Skating Program skaters shown below.

Mayor Thomas Roach, Rink Manager Matt Hansen, and Commissioner of Recreation and Parks, Wayne Bass opened the festivities with the Mayor saying what a wonderful skating program the Skating School runs and congratulated all the skaters on the culmination of their hard work.

The Advanced Figure Skaters Executing a perfect Pinwheel in the Show’s spectacular Finale.

Under the Bridge: Advanced Figure Skaters Impress the crowd with their synchronized finale farewell — easily the most spectacular final number seen in the last 15 years of these shows.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR FROM The Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 23, 2012:

The FBI and local police are hunting a bank robber who may have struck four times this week: twice in New Jersey, and twice in New York City. The robber in all three robberies fits the same description and has the same appearance in bank security video as pictured above.

On March 19, 2012, at approximately 3:00 p.m., a lone unidentified Asian male walked into the Chase Bank located at 125 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, and stopped at the check-writing counter. The man looked around then proceeded to a teller counter, where he reached into his pocket with his right hand and gave a demand note to the teller without saying a word.

After being handed an undisclosed sum of cash, the robber took the envelope full of cash, put it into his pocket, and left the bank in an undetermined direction. The robber was described as an Asian male in his early to mid-20s, approximately 6’0”-6’2” in height, weighing 170 pounds, with dark hair, a thin build, clean shaven, wearing a black hat, pewter color framed Ray Ban sunglasses, black leather jacket, North Face backpack, medium wash colored jeans, and black and white shoes.

On March 21, 2012, a bank robbery attempt was made at the Chase Bank located at 109 Delancey Street, New York, New York, just before 3:00 p.m. A lone Asian male approached the teller counter, passed a demand note to the teller, but fled the bank before obtaining any property. Later that day, March 21, a lone Asian male entered Capitol One Bank located at 41-60 Main Street, New York, New York and passed a demand note to a teller. This time, the robber received an undisclosed sum of cash and fled the location. In both incidents, the robber was described as being an Asian male, age 30-35, 5’11”-6’ tall, and about 180 pounds. In both incidents, he was wearing a black coat, a black fedora hat, and black sunglasses.

Yesterday, March 22, 2012, the Chase Bank located at 460 Bergen Blvd, Palisades Park, New Jersey, was robbed at 2:37 p.m. by a man fitting a similar description as the bank robber on March 19. The man presented a note to the teller demanding money and received an undisclosed sum of cash. He then fled the bank on foot and dropped a large quantity of the stolen money. The dropped money was recovered and ultimately turned over to Bergen County CSI who processed the scene. The bank robber was described as an Asian male, approximately 5’10” tall with a slim build wearing a black fedora-style hat, black sunglasses, black leather jacket, and black trousers.

Again, that description is:

Race: Asian
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10”–6’2”
Weight: Approximately 170 pounds, slim build
Age: Early 20s to mid-30s
Hair: Dark, short, clean shaven face
Clothing: Black fedora hat, black leather jacket, black framed or pewter framed Ray Ban sunglasses, North Face Backpack, black and white shoes

Anyone with information about these or any other bank robberies should contact the FBI in New Jersey at 973-792-3000, or in New York at 212-384-1000. Citizens in New York can also contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public is encouraged to regularly visit bandittrackernortheast.com for additional information, updates, and photos.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 23, 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 Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Rose Gill Hearn, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Raymond W. Kelly, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (NYPD), today announced charges against KELVIN JENNINGS and PAMELA JONES, two long-time employees of the New York City Human Resources Administration (NYC-HRA), for allegedly creating and distributing fraudulent Medicaid cards in exchange for cash payments. JONES was arrested this morning and is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court later today. JENNINGS remains at large.

The following allegations are based on the complaint unsealed earlier today in Manhattan federal court:

JENNINGS has been employed with NYC-HRA since 1982 and is a Medicaid eligibility specialist at Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan. JONES has been employed with NYC-HRA since 2000 and is a Medicaid eligibility specialist in its Office of Mail Renewal in Manhattan.

From 2003 through 2011, JENNINGS and JONES were involved in a scheme to sell fraudulently obtained Medicaid accounts and Medicaid cards to individuals who were not entitled to Medicaid. In the course of this scheme, JENNINGS sold approximately 18 fraudulent Medicaid cards. As part of the scheme, JONES used her employee-specific identification number at her personal NYC-HRA workstation to create fraudulent Medicaid accounts in the names of fictitious individuals or the names of individuals who would ultimately receive the cards but were ineligible for Medicaid. In total, the 18 fraudulent Medicaid accounts that were part of this scheme resulted in the fraudulent billing of approximately $387,000 to Medicaid.

***

JENNINGS, 53, and JONES, 55, both of New York, New York, each face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI, DOI, NYPD, and the Drug Enforcement Administration in this investigation.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve C. Lee is in charge of the prosecution.

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

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS DOLLARS. By John F. Bailey. March 20, 2012:

The Westchester Business Council in conducting a “volunteered” survey executed by Kraft Foods Research announced a glowing series of positives that attract persons under 35 to Westchester County: commutability, nightlife, parks.

With Mayor Thomas Roach looking on (second from right), and County Executive Robert P. Astorino (far right), Marsha Gordon, President, CEO of the WBC announced the survey found its focus group participants selected White Plains as the County’s “Ideal Community,” for its balance of urban/suburban amenities, walkability, municipal parking, nightlife, family activities, recreation and professional networking, diversity and commutability to Manhattan. Photo by WPCNR

Mayor Roach was complimented by County Executive Robert P. Astorino, as having “picked up the torch” to continue White Plains growth, said in brief remarks, that the county is in a “fight to stop the flight of youth from the county.” Astorino said his leadership planned to do that is to tackle the high cost of living and the high taxes in the county.

Mayor Roach (above) in his remarks complimented Mayor Joseph Delfino as being “instrumental in turning around the fate of this city,” in his development of the White Plains downtown through the City Center development, the Ritz Carlton project, and the resurgence of restaurants and entertainment in the downtown. Roach said he wanted to continue this momentum which he felt was due to the “volunteerism” of White Plains citizens in their willingness to help.

Roach said that in May, as part of a new effort to improve White Plains amenities, the city would launch a Bicycle Lane beginning at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard north across the downtown to Water Street; from Water Street to the TransCenter (train station), and a reverse loop south on South Lexington Avenue to Post Road.

Roach said long term he would be working to gain city access to the Bronx River Reservation; that he has been in talks with General Motors, BMW to create a pioneering electrical car charging station with 10 charging outlets  at the train station.

The Survey, Gordon said found “young professionals strongly desire to stay in Westchester – provided employment opportunities and appropriately placed housing exist,” and that Westchester is “desirable place to live for young adults due to its high quality of life, particularly in the downtowns,” and that Westchester is competing against areas in New Jersey and Connecticut “with more affordable housing and lower taxes.”

The survey was conducted among young adults under 35: one/third were  students; one/third live here; and one/third live in Westchester and commute. The survey sample did not survey specifically persons under 35 living in their parents’ homes, Ms. Gordon told WPCNR. (College graduates employed, but living in their parents’ homes is a growing demographic in the county.”

The Business Council plans, based on survey results to launch a campaign to promote more mixed-use development in downtowns that mix retail,office space and residential development ( of which the White Plains City Center, the Ritz Carlton, and now the Metropolitan Plaza were forerunners.)

The Council wants to focus on “partnering” with Westchester County Department of Parks & Recreation and Friends of Westchester County Parks to create a program “to raise awareness among the young professionals of the County’s 18,000 acres of parkland.

An Internship Clearinghouse is being formed by the Workforce Investment Board to “connect local students with internship and job opportunities at Westchester businesses.”

Arts will be promoted to expand the ArtsWestchester website “to communicate additional activities for young adults in Westchester.”

Ossining was announced as a Pilot City, for a plan to “leverage best practices of other youth oriented communities and serve as a model to be potentially replicated and applied to other communities throughout the county.”

Communities determined by the survey as “Hot” are Katonah and Purchase for arts; Scarsdale and Rye for schools; Yonkers for waterfront and Port Chester for restaurant diversity.