Bronx Non-Profit Head Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. June 4, 2011:



PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea of DAVID GRIFFITHS, the executive director of the Neighborhood Enhancement for Training Services, Inc. (“NETS”), a not-for-profit corporation located in the Bronx, New York. GRIFFITHS pled guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge ANDREW J. PECK to one count of mail fraud.


According to the information, the complaint, and statements made in Manhattan federal court yesterday:


From September 13, 2010, up to and including the present, GRIFFITHS, on behalf of NETS, attempted to obtain $400,000 in grant money from a New York State agency under false and fraudulent pretenses. Specifically, in seeking the grant, he falsely represented to the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York that neither NETS nor any of its officers or directors had been the subject of a criminal investigation for the past five years. During the plea, GRIFFITHS admitted that he had actually been interviewed by the FBI about NETS, and, as alleged in the complaint, GRIFFITHS had produced certain documents related to the non profit to the FBI in response to a grand jury subpoena.


GRIFFITHS, 65, of White Plains, New York, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. He will be sentenced by Judge HELLERSTEIN on a date to be determined.


Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the FBI.


This case is being prosecuted by the office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney CARRIE H. COHEN is in charge of the prosecution.

Posted in Uncategorized

100 WP Hosp Staffers Lose 1,000 pounds in 8 weeks. Award 3,000 Apples to School

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR BODY & SOUL. June 2, 2011:


 


White Plains Hospital  announced the winners of their hospital wide employee Biggest Loser weight loss contest Tuesday, saluting the Day Shift “Fun Buns” team of Carissa, Michelle, Dena and Shannon who lost 8% of their total body weight in 8 weeks over the 3-month Weight Loss Contest; and  ICU Critical Mass (Joan of White Plains, Andrea, Jean and Tanisha who lost 4% of their body weight in 6 weeks.


 



 


 


Ed Aquino, lost the most weight, 16.5% in a White Plains Hospital weight loss program that really works. He was saluted as “The Biggest Loser.” With him at left, WPH Chairman Mike Divney; to his left, Susan Liller of the hospital, and WPH CEO Jon Schandler. 3,000 Delicious Apples are being donated to the School District to promote “healthy snacking,” in the schools and to celebrate the 1,000 pounds lost by hospital employees.


 


Mike Divney, Chairman of White Plains Hospital Medical Center and its Chief Executive Officer, Jon Schandler introduced the winning teams and Mr. Aquino. They announced the 100 hospital employees participating in the contest had lost a total of 1,000 pounds, and in recognition of this effort that combined nutrition advice, walking exercise, and coaching, the hospital was donating 1,000 pounds red Delicious Apples to the White Plains City School District.


 



The Fun Buns– Winning Team–lost 8% of their body weight in 8 weeks


 



ICU MASS — LOSERS OF 4% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT IN 6 WEEKS.


 


Jessica O’Donovan, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education were on hand to accept the over 3,000 apples that would begin to be available in 8 school cafeterias this week in the district, Schoenfeld said.


 


 


Mr. Divney read several coments from employees about the contest, one was particularly insightful: “The Biggest Loser Contest helped me develop a more positive way of life.”


 


Divney said the program was designed to help people become more healthy  “because we don’t want you in our hospital.”


 



 


Susan Liller Director of  Occupational Health Services, said the hospital would be glad to discuss how to set up a Biggest Loser  Contest  and learn more about the hospital’s Wellness as a Way of Life program by calling (914) 681-1119


 


Over the last three months, teams of four weighed in every Friday, working towards the highest percentage of weight loss, combined. Participating staff members were given pedometers to encourage and track walking, received weekly newsletters that offered tips to stay on task, received free weekly yoga classes and could join group walking excursions through White Plains. The members of the two winning teams receive three-month memberships to New York Sports Clubs.


 


Aquino said the contest helped him lose weight because it was not just an appearance motivator.It affected his whole mindset. Through the hospital coaching, nutrition advice, and walking exercises, the Biggest Loser Contest got him into making health a habit.

Posted in Uncategorized

FBI Indicts Bridgeporter on Charges of Selling Explosives to Undercover Police O

Posted on by

Hits: 0


WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. June 1, 2011:


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”), and RAYMOND W. KELLY, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York, announced today the filing of an indictment against NICHOLAS LAHINES for manufacturing, dealing, transporting, and distributing explosive materials without a license.


LAHINES, 37, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was arrested in the Bronx on May 19, 2011, immediately after selling eight cylinders containing explosives to a confidential source of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (the “CS”). On May 20, 2011, LAHINES was charged in a criminal complaint presented in Manhattan federal court before Magistrate Judge HENRY B. PITMAN and ordered detained.


 



Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: “As alleged, Nicholas Lahines was very proud of his bomb-making prowess, and more than happy to offer specific instructions on how to detonate his creations to maximize the harm they caused. The fact that he is in custody and no longer a danger to the public is a measure of how seriously we, along with our law enforcement partners, take the illegal manufacture and sale of explosives, regardless of the seller’s motivation or affiliation.”



FBI Assistant Director in Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK stated: “Regardless of what purpose was intended, the defendant’s illegal manufacture and distribution of explosives is a serious matter, and the FBI treated it seriously. The defendant’s interest in explosives, even absent any specific plan by him to cause harm, nonetheless posed a serious threat to public safety. He clearly was willing to sell explosive devices without regard to how they would be used.”


NYPD Police Commissioner RAYMOND W. KELLY stated: “NYPD detectives and FBI agents worked successfully together to avert potential serious injury and death that these devices were capable of delivering. Congratulations to them and to U.S. Attorney Bharara and his staff in bringing this individual to justice.”


According to the indictment filed today in Manhattan federal court and the criminal complaint filed on May 20, 2011:


In late April 2011, law enforcement officers suspected that an individual, later identified as NICHOLAS LAHINES, was involved in the distribution of explosive devices. On May 19, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of LAHINES’ residence in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and followed him as he drove to a parking lot in Bronx County, where the CS entered LAHINES’ car. LAHINES then retrieved two plastic containers from the trunk and gave the plastic containers to the CS. Each of those containers held four cylindrical explosive devices.


LAHINES then discussed the devices with the CS, and explained, among other things, the components that he had used to make the devices, the fact that he had inserted ball bearings within the devices, and that, in the past, he had added glass and metal to such devices. The CS paid LAHINES $3,200 for the devices, and got out of the car. LAHINES was then placed under arrest. The Joint Terrorism Task Force Bomb Technicians took custody of the devices, one of which later tested positive for the presence of gunpowder, and secured LAHINES’ car.


Law enforcement officers searched LAHINES’ Connecticut residence from the evening of his arrest on May 19 through early the next morning, pursuant to a search warrant, and obtained, among other things, tubes, cord-like material, and caps similar in appearance to those used to construct the eight cylindrical devices that LAHINES sold to the CS, and a plastic container holding a powder whose appearance was consistent with that of gunpowder. A small jar of white powdery residue, also found in the residence, detonated in the course of being examined, causing injury to at least one law enforcement officer at the scene.





























Count Charge Maximum Prison Term
1 Manufacture and dealing in explosive materials without a license 10 years
2 Transportation of explosive materials without a license 10 years
3 Distribution of explosive materials without a license 10 years
4 Manufacture and dealing in firearms without a license 5 years
5 Transportation of a destructive device in interstate commerce without a license 5 years

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge LEONARD B. SAND. LAHINES is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in the indictment on June 2, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.


Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (“JTTF”) in New York and Connecticut, especially those JTTF members from the FBI and the New York City Police Department, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Connecticut State Police Department, the FBI New Haven Field Office, the trial attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. He also thanked Kimberly Mertz, the FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Field Office.


Assistant U.S. Attorneys JOHN P. CRONAN and SEAN S. BUCKLEY from the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.


The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Posted in Uncategorized

Memorial Day Origins

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR STARS AND STRIPES. Contributed by Carl Albanese. May 30, 2011:


Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.


“Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.” — General Logan – May 5, 1868



 We need to remember with sincere respect those who paid the price for our freedoms; we need to keep in sacred remembrance those who died serving their country. We need to never let them be forgotten. However, over the years the original meaning and spirit of Memorial Day has faded from the public consciousness.


 


Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead” (Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).


While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.



Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.


The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Posted in Uncategorized

The PEP-TALK — FROM PHIL PEPE, DEAN OF NY SPORTSWRITERS — AUTHOR OF 1961

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK By Bull Allen (John Bailey) Meets Phil Pepe, the King of the Corona (typewriter) in the Old Yankee Stadium mezzanine open air press box. May 29,  2011:


 


One of the great shows on Public Access Television White Plains is Beyond the Game, hosted the last decade by John Vorperian, crusading county attorney by day, sportscaster/interviewer, sabermetrician by night.


 



 


View from Phil Pepe’s seat in the Old Yankee Stadium Press Box in the Mezzenine, 1961, when he covered the greatest Yankee team of them all: the 1961 Yankees and the Maris-Mantle homerun chase.


 


 


Mr. Vorperian gets the most interesting sports personalities dropping by his show. Last week, he invited me to meet Phil Pepe, the man who covered the Yankees in 1961 when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris battled to beat Babe Ruth’s 60-homer record in a season, with the Rajah hitting number 61 on the final day of the season. I saw Maris hit that one on television off Tracy Stallard with Phil Rizzuto making the call on old WPIX Channel 11(Baseball and Ballantine; Baseball and Ballantine).It was fittingly the only run of the game, to beat the Red Sox, 1-0


 


I was 16 years old when I saw the September 1 Friday night game with the Tigers that year on a 95 degree night that the Yankees won, 1-0 in the ninth on a single by the Moose, Bill Skowron, after a tense duel between the Tigers Don Mossi and a string of Yankee pitchers who kept defusing Tiger threats. Well, I digress.


 



 


Mr. Pepe has written a book about the Maris-Mantle race for the home run crown, titled 1961 from Triump Books. (http://www.amazon.com/1961-Inside-Story-Maris-Mantle-Chase/dp/1600783902 That wonderful Yankee season featured the Bombers (they were Bombers then) holding off the Detroit Tigers by 3 games. The CitizeNetReporter interviewed Mr. Pepe after his BEYOND THE GAME appearance.


 


After Mr.Vorperian’s show, I talked with Mr. Pepe about baseball today here’s his view from the Upper Deck:


 


WPCNR: How has Bud Selig done as Commissioner of Baseball? Good, bad, or what?


 


Phil Pepe: I think he’s done a terrific job. When he took over, him as an owner,  you thought well….but I think he’s really improved the game. He doesn’t get high marks on the steroids  situation (in the 90s). He should have known. We all should have known.He didn’t react to steroids right away, but he’s made a pretty good comeback since then.


 


 


I don’t have daily contact with him. From afar, I look at him as a fan, and I think his overall record has been positive.


 


WPCNR: You think his changes to the playoffs have been positive (adding two extra teams to the Wild Card for example)?


 


Phil: I don’t like it. I’m a traditionalist. Every move he’s made. How can you argue with a success? The attendance is up all over, everywhere. The Yankees are going to draw 4 million people this year. In my day if they drew 2 million that was outstanding. In 1961 they drew 1.7 million I think it was. The final day  they had 23,000 people at the game when Roger Maris hit his 61st homerun. The proof is in the pudding. Attendance everywhere is up. TV ratings are high. World Series ratings aren’t very good. Look at the Red Sox, how many consecutive sellouts have they had, 600?


 


WPCNR: Back in the 90s, do you think sportswriters should have discovered and reported steroid use?


 


Phil: I don’t think they knew. I don’t think they were aware of it. We didn’t have privy to what was going on behind the scenes. It  did not come about in the early 90s, it was more in the late 90s. The first tip off was the number of homeruns being it. But there were other reasons for that: the ball was juiced, the bats were different; the ballparks were smaller; the strike zone was reduced; they were excuses, they were alibis.


 


The other thing that should have been a tip-off was the size of some of the players. They exploded. They burst. Their heads were getting bigger. Their shoulders were getting bigger. If you didn’t want to think the worst  you’d say it was because of weight-lifting and the way they were working out. Every player now works out year round.  It wasn’t that way when I was young. Most of the high paid guys have gyms in their homes. They workout in their home. They have trainers they work with. They don’t have to have a job in the offseason. So they can devote their offseason to working out. Back when I was covering, players would use spring training to lose weight, Now they come into spring training in shape.


 


WPCNR: Do you like the way the game has evolved today?


 


PHIL: No. There are some things I don’t like. I don’t like the idea that they have a sixth inning specialist, a seventh inning specialist, an eighth inning specialist, and a closer. I like to see pitchers go nine innings. I appreciate a guy like Halliday (Roy), he’ll pitch 9 complete games. Big deal. We’re never going to see the pitching records we used to see.


 


A guy pitches 90 shutouts in his career. That’s never going to happen (again).


 


WPCNR: What’s wrong with the game? What’s right?


 


PHIL: It will always be the national pastime. But the game has changed. The purists and traditionalists like me  don’t  see the game we used to see. We don’t see pitchers like Bob Gibson. We don’t have a Nolan Ryan, though Nolan Ryan should be given credit for getting back some of those old-fashioned ideas (going the distance).


 


What’s  right about it is the players are much better, bigger, stronger, faster. The teaching and conditions in college and high school baseball are much better than it ever was.They have four or five coaches. They have better facilities. They play in these beautiful ballparks. There are college teams  that are probably good enough to play professionally as a group in Class A, or whatever. Now you don’t have as many minor league teams but you have the independent leagues now. The players are bigger, you should see the size of some of these guys. My son is an agent and he tells me there are scouts who will not look at a pitcher unless they are 6 foot 4.


 


WPCNR: Baseball’s future?


 


Phil: I think it’s  going to keep growing. There will be more expansion, but some dilution though. They’ll just move to another location. Maybe Tampa will be replaced by the next coming big city. Free agency is good for the players. They’re making so much money because of that. I just think there’s a problem, and I  don’t mean to pick on the Yankees but they do have a $200 million payroll and the Cleveland Indians, a $30 Million payroll.


 


That’s not fair. There has to be a cap where you can only spend so much money. Revenue sharing is a good idea if they’d only put it into their team. They put it in their pocket.

Posted in Uncategorized

Seussical Coming to WBT. Last 2 Weeks for Singin’ in the Rain.

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Pia Haas, Westchester Broadway Theatre. May 27, 2011:

 

Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (“Ragtime”, “Once on this Island”) have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr Seuss characters in a musical with mass appeal.  The show is light and effervescent and draws on pop influences ranging from the Beach Boys to Gospel and Salsa to, yes, the theme from “Shaft.”  SEUSSICAL proves to be an evening of theatre for everyone, of all ages!  The powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant in a story that makes you laugh and cry. 

 

Family Theatre Productions, brings together some of the very best theatre professionals with talented young actors for a great family experience begginning June 16. 

 

Singin’ in the Rain wraps up it’s last two weeks (see WPCNR review of the current classic show.) For show information, go to www.broadwaytheatre.com.


Posted in Uncategorized

HEDGE FUNDER FOUND GUILTY OF INSIDER TRADING

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. May 27,2011:


PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SAMIR BARAI, a/k/a “Sam Barai,” a portfolio manager at two different New York based hedge funds, and SON NGOC NGUYEN, a/k/a “Sonny,” an employee in the finance department of NVIDIA Corporation (“NVIDIA”), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to charges arising out of their involvement in separate insider trading schemes. BARAI, who had previously been arrested on February 8, 2011, and charged in a criminal complaint, also pled guilty to additional charges, including obstruction of justice, in connection with the insider trading scheme.


According to the informations to which BARAI and NGUYEN pled guilty, statements made during the plea proceedings, and other court documents:


Between 2006 and 2010, BARAI worked as a portfolio manager at two hedge funds located in New York, New York. During that time period he and his co-conspirators, including DONALD LONGUEUIL, NOAH FREEMAN, JASON PFLAUM, and WINIFRED JIAU, participated in a conspiracy to obtain material, non public information (“Inside Information”).


The Inside Information included detailed financial earnings about numerous public companies, including NVIDIA and Marvell Technology Group, Ltd. (“Marvell”). Often, BARAI and his co-conspirators used an “expert networking” firm, (the “Firm”), to communicate with and pay their sources of Inside Information, many of whom were employees of public companies. In addition to their use of the Firm, they also obtained Inside Information from independent research consultants who communicated with employees at public companies.



For example, in May 2008, BARAI allegedly obtained from JIAU Inside Information regarding Marvell’s financial results for the quarter ending on May 3, 2008. Based on that Inside Information, he caused his hedge fund to execute trades in Marvell, realizing trading gains of more than $800,000.


After BARAI and his co-conspirators received Inside Information from their sources, BARAI had regular conference calls with LONGUEUIL and FREEMAN, who worked at other hedge funds, during which they shared the information they learned with each other.


During the course of the insider trading scheme, BARAI destroyed and attempted to destroy documents and electronic records in connection with the scheme. As he admitted at the plea proceeding, after learning about a federal investigation into insider trading, BARAI directed his research analyst to destroy electronic and hard copy documents relevant to the investigation.


In a separate but overlapping insider trading scheme, from 2007 through early 2009, while employed in the finance department of NVIDIA, NGUYEN, along with a co-conspirator (“CC- 1”) employed in the finance department of Marvell, allegedly shared Inside Information with WINIFRED JIAU. In this scheme, they agreed to provide JIAU with Inside Information about NVIDIA and Marvell, which she then allegedly used to trade for her own profit, and also sold to others, including BARAI and FREEMAN. In exchange for the information NGUYEN provided to her, JIAU allegedly agreed to provide NGUYEN and CC-1 with stock tips that she learned from other contacts she had at various companies.


BARAI, 39, of New York, New York, pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge KEVIN NATHANIEL FOX to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, one count of securities fraud based on his trading in Marvell, one count of wire fraud, and one count of obstruction of justice. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, the securities fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and the obstruction count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense on the conspiracy count, a maximum fine of $5 million on the securities fraud count, a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense on the wire fraud count, and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense on the obstruction count. In addition, BARAI agreed as part of his plea agreement to forfeit the amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the offenses. BARAI is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge DEBORAH A. BATTS on August 29, 2011.


NGUYEN, 39, of San Jose, California, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge JED S. RAKOFF to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. This count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. NGUYEN also faces a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense on the conspiracy count. NGUYEN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge RAKOFF on November 29, 2011, at 4:00 p.m.


LONGUEUIL, FREEMAN, and PFLAUM previously pled guilty to conspiracy and securities fraud charges. Charges against JIAU remain pending and are merely accusations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.


These cases were brought in coordination with President BARACK OBAMA’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, on which Mr. BHARARA serves as a co-chair of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group. President OBAMA established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.


These cases are being handled by the office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys AVI WEITZMAN and DAVID LEIBOWITZ, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney ANDREW Z. MICHAELSON, are in charge of the prosecution.

Posted in Uncategorized

Council Slips in a Work Session–to Perhaps Hire a Consultant

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. From the City Clerk. May 26,2011:


The Common Council will meet this evening at 5;30 P.M, to discuss trolleys in the downtown, imposing a smoking ban in White Plains parks, and will hold an Executive Session to discuss hiring a consultant, subject of the consulting is not disclosed.


The council will also later in the evening (at 6 PM) meet to pass the city budget of $160.5 Million, that will raise city property taxes 4.9%. (See previous story.)

Posted in Uncategorized

County Funds $4 Million North Street MAKEOVER Beginning in July

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR STOP AND GO. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. May 25, 2011:


In a unanimous vote Monday night, the Westchester County Board of Legislators authorized $4.075 million for improvements to North Street in the city of White Plains.


The North Street project involves the 2.52 mile stretch of roadway running from the Hutchinson River Parkway to White Plains Road.  North Street has an annual daily traffic count of 12,059. It is expected to begin in July.


 


This project is sponsored by Legislator Bill Ryan (D-WF — White Plains, Scarsdale).  Mr. Ryan chairs the Board’s public works committee.



In urging the County Board to authorize the bonding for the job, Legislator Ryan said “North Street is a major ‘gateway’ into White Plains and it needs corrective maintenance to extend the life of the roadway.  Corrective maintenance now, will cost less than structural rehabilitation or reconstruction at a later date.  This saves taxpayer dollars.”



In 2010, the road received a pavement condition index (PCI) of 67.  The PCI is a pavement condition rating with a range of 0 to 100, with 0 signifying that the road requires reconstruction and 100 signifying that the road is new.  With a rating of 67, the road requires corrective maintenance.  “The planned improvements will provide a safer roadway for the thousands of motorists who use North Street each day,” stated Mr. Ryan.



The job calls for milling; resurfacing; catch basin repair; concrete curb replacement, as needed; new pavement markings; and the installation of two in-pavement bus pads.



“The job will be relatively quick, straight-line work,” explained Legislator Ryan.  The current schedule calls for a July-August start-up.



North Street will be the fifth “gateway” road in White Plains to be improved by County projects sponsored by Legislator Ryan:



·        $1.1 million   Post Road upgrade focusing on curbs and sidewalks


·        $2.0 million   Central Westchester Parkway safety improvements


·        $2.1 million   Old Mamaroneck Road upgrade/improvements


·        $5.1 million   Mamaroneck Avenue upgrade/improvements


·        $4.0 million   North Street upgrade/improvements



Legislator Ryan has a sixth “gateway” road project in the pipeline for the city of White Plains:  $2.33 million to improve North Broadway from Main Street to the White Plains-North Castle line.  The project is currently in design with construction tentatively scheduled for 2012.



Mr. Ryan recently advised residents at the annual meeting of the North Broadway Citizens Association that he is working to “fast track” the job for a 2011 start-up as much of North Broadway’s road surface is in rough shape and progressively getting worse.

Posted in Uncategorized

Board of Legislators Approve Their Redistricting Plan Trumping County Executive

Posted on by

Hits: 0

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER.From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. May 24,2011:


The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) voted Monday night to override County Executive Robert P. Astorino’s veto of the legislative re-districting plan, and now the new maps of the county’s seventeen districts will be in effect until the next Federal Census is completed ten years from now.



The vote, 12-5, was entirely along partisan lines.



The re-districting plan was initially approved and unanimously voted out of the Legislation Committee, chaired by Legislator John Nonna (D-Mount Pleasant), on May 2 by the Republican and Democratic committee members. Following two public hearings, where a total of eight people raised their objections, the plan was approved by the full Board again a week later, but on a partisan 12-5 vote.



When the County Executive vetoed the re-districting plan last week, without offering any alternative plan or idea of how to proceed with new re-mapping, BOL Chairman Ken Jenkins said, “The re-districting plan approved by the Board of Legislators was the result of a careful and thoughtful process that included full bi-partisan participation, open deliberations and well-publicized opportunities for comments and objections from county residents. In the end, the Board of Legislators adopted new district maps that are fair and hard to fault. The fact that the re-districting was completed extremely close to the existing lines, with necessary changes the result of population shifts, was clearly understood by most Westchester residents


The County is required to redistrict its legislative districts every ten years after the Federal Census.  The principal reason for re-districting is to comply with the “one person, one vote” requirement mandated by the United States Constitution and New York State law. Voting districts must have substantially equal population. The basic standard for determining compliance with this mandate is that no district should be more or less than 5% of the average district population of approximately 55,000 people. State law also requires that districts be as compact and contiguous as practicable.


The Board received the federal census data in the last week of March 2011. This data revealed that two districts, District 1 (which includes the City of Peekskill and parts of the Towns of Yorktown and Cortlandt) and District 6 (which includes part of the Town of Harrison, and the Villages of Rye Brook and Port Chester) were not in compliance with the standard because they were more than 5% over the average population. Thus, adjustments had to be made to these districts by taking population away from them without making any other district non-compliant at the same time.



Dr. Andrew Beveridge, a consultant hired by the Board (and the low bid on the project), formulated the new re-districting plan for Westchester. In the end, he did not make any major changes to the County’s legislative districts, moving just 4% of the population. In comparison, a new re-districting plan on Long Island seeks to move over 40% of the residents from one district to another.



“After all the hard work that has been put into this, why spend another dollar and start the project from scratch when these new maps have raised so few objections?” asked Chairman Jenkins. “If the County Executive really thinks the re-districting is flawed, then he should step forward and explain to the taxpayers what he would do otherwise. As is, this is a fair plan for all of Westchester’s residents.”



Legislator Nonna said, “We made every effort to make sure that any changes requested by the legislators, the League of Women Voters and members of the public were discussed in the open at the Legislation Committee meetings. I am dismayed that the re-districting has become a political issue, and hope that we can move forward with the electoral process now that we have voted the new re-districting plan into law.”



“No re-districting plan is perfect, but we feel this one is fair,” Nonna continued. “Anyone can find something to disagree with in these instances when the mapping is finished. This plan, though, was created in an open and transparent process with bi-partisan participation, and that is hard to fault.”


 

Posted in Uncategorized