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 BLACK COFFEE. News & Comment by Nancy King, WPCNR Westchester Roving Correspondent, February 7, 2012:

In the last two years, the County of Westchester and the Westchester Medical Center have been quietly shedding jobs and programs in what is believed to be cost-cutting measures and closing budget gaps.

Nancy King

The County Executive ran in 2009 on a platform that while these cuts would be painful, they were indeed necessary. And so in this period of the Great Recession he did indeed begin to whittle away jobs, services and programs. Most Westchester originally agreed with the County Executive until those who least expected it found themselves in these difficult financial times, needing those very services.

Let’s take a birdseye look at the County services  after 25 Months of Robert Astorino governance:

To save money, inmate health care once provided in conjunction with the Westchester Medical Center and their staff, has been outsourced to a Tennessee based company that specialized in caring for the incarcerated. After much debate between the County and the WMC it was agreed that Ward 29 would no longer receive these inmates. 

It is believed that they are transported to Mt. Vernon Hospital when they need care. You’ve lost some of the staff that cared for these people and the mileage and Correction Officer overtime used during transport also adds up.  So you’ve got to wonder just how those savings are working.

During the budget hearings, residents had three separate opportunities to speak out concerning the cuts that were planned for 2012.  Suddenly,  Westchesterites weren’t too happy about having the number of swimming pools reduced, or their fireworks display threatened.  Still others came out to voice their concern about elimination of Bee-Line bus routes, Day Care Subsidies, and mental health services. They also came out to protest the elimination of  jobs. 

Though the number of jobs to be eliminated originally floated between 150 to 300 employees, it was reduced to around 45 jobs.  Again the County Executive has told residents and employees of the county that they would have to learn to do more with less. Through some last minute negotiations, the County Board of Legislators was able to restore many of the programs and all but those 45 positions that were still eliminated.

Meanwhile up at Grasslands

As the county was eliminating programs that care for chronically needy and the new recession needy, Westchester Medical Center , a public benefits corporation, once a safety net hospital for those in need was also quietly closing their budget gap.  In just a few short years, CEO Michael Israel and his nearly 3 dozen Vice Presidents have closed down the laundry building and have outsourced them.

Patient transport, housekeeping, food service have all been replaced with a private vendor.  This past summer, CPAP, the community based crisis team was eliminated.  This past summer  saw  the  end of the aids treatment program.  This outreach program visited and treated those patients who were housebound.  Union officials believe that the program has been taken over by Medical Research Associates in affiliation with New York Medical College (where Israel is a board member). While it seemed   medical students would be providing those services, no one was able to confirm whether that was happening.

Last month, patients and staff were informed that the Behavioral Health Center would be outsourced to  Liberty  Healthcare Corporation—a  private Philadelphia company  that specializes in monitoring mental health patients.  Liberty has informed those staff members being replaced they are encouraged to apply for their old jobs even if their new salaries will only be between  $12.00 and $15.00 dollars an hour before payroll deductions for health insurance.

Who is Liberty Healthcare Corporation? One only has to Google Liberty Health Care Corp to come up with 66 pages of violations  against the company where allegations run from sex offenders in treatment having sexual relations with staff  to a situation where two patients under Liberty  care actually stole a helicopter.  So what kind of bargain are we getting here? 

Both the County Executive and the CEO of the  Westchester  Medical Center, justify privatization in their respective departments by saying that we need to keep tightening up those belts.  Workers are continuing to lose their jobs, cash strapped residents are losing social services and we seem to be stuck going in a circle.

The saddest part though is that both of these gentlemen, while cutting jobs, programs and outsourcing programs to private vendors in the name of saving money, continue to hire individuals to work in their executive offices.   Both of them maintain that it takes high priced talent to run government and corporations.  It is just sad that those who may not possess their definition of  talent  are left  without a net.

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WPCNR Common Council Chronicle  Examiner. By John F. Bailey. February 7,2012:

 

The Common Council approved a $432,516.82 property tax certiorari refund to AT&T Corporation covering the last four tax years of (07-08, 08-09, 09-10, 11-12) Monday evening. The settlement reduced the assessment of AT& T properties at 360,  400 and 440 Hamilton Avenue $762,900. Those three properties are three of the choice Class A business addresses in the Central Business District.

 

The additional cost of the city settlement to the City School District will be approximately $1.7 Million out of the district coffers.

 

Owner of Soundview Manor making her plea for Bread and Breakfast rezoning Monday evening. The hearing may be seen at http://whiteplainsny.swagit.com/player.php?refid=02062012-151

 

The public hearing on the fate of Soundview Manor as a possible recognized bed and breakfast was opened. Extensive comments were heard pro and con on whether a zoning amendment designating “bed and breakfast” as a “permitted principal use” in the R1-30 neighborhoods: Soundview, North Street and Oak Ridge. The Mayor closed the hearing, and a revised amendment by the owner was submitted for the Common Council consideration. What course lies ahead is unclear at the present time.

 

In other council action—

 

 

*** The Council approved issuing $162,000 of bonds to finance in part the design of a new first floor for the White Plains Library, which is also accepting approximately $65,000 in citizen contributions through the White Plains Library Foundation. That project is expected to be completed within 5 years and cost  in the neighborhood of $5 Million. The floor project will include development of The Edge, an interactive, new media area to cater to youth.

 

*** A total of $131,500 was voted to be diverted from the city water fund to puchase .8 of an acre of woodlands off Chadwick Road to add it as an open space buffer to the city watershed. Mayor Thomas Roach said “anytime you can add space to an existing open space parcel, it enhanced the value of that open space.” He cited the vast open space adjacent the property already preserved. Council President Benjamin Boykin said, defending the swift, secret decision to buy the property three weeks ago in acquiring the property, that “land cannot be negotiated for on the internet or in public. It has to be private.” 

 

*** The council accepted $6,000 from Hudson Grille as a contribution towards acquiring a bomb-sniffing dog for the City Department of Public Safety. Mayor Roach said the dog is coming from Austria and the acquisition is proceeding.

 

Bed & Breakfasts Up in the Air

 

*** The owner of Soundview Manor appeared at a public hearing on the owner’s request for a zoning change that in effect would allow Bed & Breakfast operations as an accepted use in the R1-30 residential zones in the southend of town. The hearing heard a series of pro and con speakers after a lengthy presentation by the owner, which may be seen on the city website.  

 

Three  residents supported the city granting the dispensation, including the activist-lawyer, Dan Seidel, who urged the city to work with the owner to preserve the property by giving her the right to run a bed and breakfast there, as did Carl Albanese, long an advocate for the owner’s quest to have official city approval of a B & B there.  

 

Three property owners living across the street opposed it, due to its bringing transients to the area.  Two residents living in neighborhoods that would be affected opposed it—saying a Special Permit should be sought for such a use, instead of a zoning change now.

 

One resident, Joel Rudikoff of the Oak Ridge neighborhood, pointed out that the request as proposed opened the city up for a proliferation of bed and breakfasts.

 

The owner of Soundview Manor presented a revised copy of an amendment to the zoning she wanted the Common Council to consider.

 

The amendment up for discussion at the hearing, according to the backup material supplied with the Council agenda, proposes conditions that only the Soundview Manor property at this time fills:

 

“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 that is non-residential, used or to be used for providing overnight accommodations, with or without a morning meal, to not more than ten roomers and containing not more than five bedrooms for such roomers”

 

According to the backup material, the Soundview Manor applicant’s Amendment defines the Bed and Breakfast be  a “Permitted Principal Use” and that it “shall be deemed to include permission to hold special events typically held at such historic sites, such as celebrate national, state or local holidays, life cycle events or religious observances, including, but not limited to, social gatherings and business meetings.”

 

The Planning Department also notes, “The Applicant’s Amendment further provides that such special events “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-arrangement with nearby institutional or municipal users with available parking lots.”

 

The Mayor closed the hearing. A WPCNR query to City Corporation Counsel, John Callahan, as to the next step, has yet to be returned as of this report.

 

***  Three public hearings for renewals of cabaret licenses  were scheduled next month for three cabarets, the Black Bear, Wicked Wolf and Hudson Grille. Councilpersons Milagros Lecuona remarked as an aside that the Building Department has found all three cabarets have been found to exceed city-enforced decibel levels in  their establishments and that unless they complied with keeping their noise levels below 85 decibels, the building department would commence enforcement proceedings.

 

*** Three grants for the Youth Bureau were accepted bringing in $126,000 in funds for the youth bureau. Councilman Benjamin Boykin lauded the Youth Bureau fund-raising efforts at securing the grants.  One of them from the Student Assistance Services Corporation, furnishes $36,677 to provide a Middle School Prevention Coordinator as part of the White Plains Cares Coalition.

 

*** The Metropolitan (planned for the intersection of Maple and DeKalb Avenues) site plan was extended another year

 

*** Recreation fees were accepted for the 2012 season with some slight increases, as well as Youth Bureau fees for summer and after school programs. Councilman Benjamin Boykin made it a point that the youth bureau would work with any parent(s) who could not afford to continue to sending their children to the programs.

 

*** Jill Iannetta was appointed member of the Budget and Management Advisory Committee, replacing Saul Yanofsky who resigned from the committee. Chair of the Committee, Beth Smayda described Ms. Iannetta as a persone with extensive experience in fixed income asset management.

 

*** Reckson-S.L.Green was recognized by the Mayor for having one of its properties it had improved, 360 Hamilton Avenue selected one of 10 buildings in New York State as being a state-of-the-art green building with 20% savings on energy and water consumption. (This was one of the AT & T properties receiving part of the assessment reduction and certiorari refund reported at the top of this story.)

 

 

*** Carol Van Scoyoc, Deputy Corporation Counsel (right, above) for the city was recognized by Mayor Thomas Roach (left) with a proclamation declaring February 6 Carol Van Scoyoc Day in the city for her 27 years in public service, for the last 17 years with the city of White Plains, and prior to that ten with Westchester County. The Proclamation came after she was honored by the New York State Bar Association with the Association “Excellence in Public Service” Award. Ms. Van Scoyoc said she was honored by the award and said she was going to continue her career with the city indefinitely.

 

*** Benjamin Van Doren of White Plains High School (right, above) was honored by the city as a Finalist in the National Intel Scholarship competition. According to the Mayor (left, above), he is the only student of 14 Westchester semi-finalists to be chosen to go on to the finals.

 

 

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Ol’ Never Miss

 

 

Ode to Eli Manning and the Giants of the Universe

 

By “Bull” Allen

 

Confetti burst from stands  after  desperate hands of the lame Gronkowski

Fell short of  tumbling pigskin batted to turf by the Giant end zone Posse.

Manning the younger took his place with Giant leaders of yore,

With Danowski, Calligaro, Conerly, Tittle, and Sims who came before.

 

Shock of “aw shucks” hair, cool eyes of a Starr, a Luckman, a Baugh,

Eli the younger of the throwing Mannings, Archie and Peyton exceeded their awe.

Engineer of the Impossible Drive of Giants 08, authored another drive to remember

To his quiet legend of never missing when the game is running out

 

Six Times before he had brought  victory against odds.

Six times the Captain of Fate had defied logic and expert prods.

In a game seemed destined to fall into the evil Patriot lands

 New England with genius coach driving for clinch, Las Vegas clapping hands .

 

Denied by officials reluctant to throw interference flags killing 3 Big Blue drives–

Brady given a touchdown when officials overlooked a blatant holding;

Outplayed by Glamour Boy Brady in the third stanza with Big Blue out of extra lives,

A two-hand drop  by Patriot Welker on way to the TD clincher with 5 to play

Gave Ol’ Never Miss another impossible chance to save the day. 

 

With Patriots coming on  all sides on his favorite down Old Eli Eye Shifty

Spied fleet Wolverine,  fearless, peerless,

Marvelous Manningham double-covered down sideline on the fly

From his 12,  Pats coming in, Eli launched a Louisiana floating spiral to the 50,

Mario, 2 Patriots in panic on his back, pulled her in–dragin’ two shoes in play by a sigh.

 

Burly Patriot scoundrel– mastermind  of tainted Super Bowl crowns dirty,

Challenged the valiant Manningham play. Mario had turned things topsy turvy.

In disarray, Pats watched Burly Bradshaw (Jim Brown for a night) rumble to the 11.

 

Two throws to Manningham of 16 and 2; A Manning strike to Nicks

For 14 to the 18–down to the 7 on Bradshaw cruise rode the 11 in white.

With Eli bleeding clock, Pats had run out of Belichick  tricks.

When once victory seemed certain, anxiety froze Pats’ faces in fright.

 

Bruising Bradshaw powered untouched to TD triggering Thunder.

Darling of sportswriters and broadcasters, the annointed Brady

“Greatest QB of all Time” made his final play.

Vaunted rush by Pierre-Paul and terrible Tuck defense swarming  dread

Found reliable Branch dropping one. Another wing  flew through desperate Hernandez hands and the Patriots was dead.

 

One last Brady prayer floated to the white gang in the Giant end zone,

New England hopes fell with the ball to turf and Brady was, forgotten alone a loser.

Ol’ Never Miss the sharp-shoota delivered one  pass for forever, the winning drive

Inspiring teammates to make the impossible plays to keep the game alive.

 

Manning is the greatest Giant quarterback of them all.

A great person. A quiet “I’ll do it,” Guy who does the toughest job of them all..

Not colorful. Not funny. Not snappy with a phrase. He just makes da Plays.

Throws strikes through  defenders to receivers who give themselves up.

 

He’s the  leader that inspires defense and offense.  Never shows up a teammate

Never whines. Throwback to the no facemask days of

Bobby Lane, Otto Graham. Unitas. He stands tall today

 

He’s the gracious quarterback the press hated, who plays for  the brilliant Coughlin,

The Coach the press did not want. He is grace, good manners, and Captain of Fate

Giant fans will remember  Coughlin years and the fastest gun in NFL-in.

They’ll call him  Ol’ Never Miss, the Giant Greatest of the Great

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. January 31, 2012:

City Assessor Lloyd Tasch reported this morning to WPCNR that the number of homeowners challenging their assessments this year (the interval to challenge expired last Friday) was 914, down 20% from last year.

Tasch said he expected the Board of Assessment Review would be able to meet the challenges and defend the city assessments more successfully this year because the White Plains Equalization Rate and Residential Assessment Ratio both went up significantly.

However, Tasch says, the damage has been done.

He reports the roll has already absorbed an additional $1.9 Million in lowered assessments. He predicted that he expected the Roll for 2012 to be down $2.25 Million.