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 COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. March  21, 2011 UPDATED MARCH 23, 2011:

 He also said the Nuclear Energy Institute, the trade organization representing operators of nuclear plants, would be studying nuclear plant earthquake resistance abilities nationally.

In a related development first reported on Westchester County’s  leading public affairs program, WHITE PLAINS WEEK Friday evening, which can be seen at www.whiteplainsweek.com Jerry Nappi, spokesperson for Entergy told WPCNR that the trade association of operators of nuclear plants, the Nuclear Energy Institute would be undertaking a review of current operating plant construction and their structural integrity of their designs  and ability to withstand earthquakes in the range of the one that struck Japan ten days ago causing catastrophic damage to nuclear facilities.

Regarding the position of spent fuel rod pools, the most affected parts of the stricken Japanese nuclear plant on the area of the Japan earthquake ten (now 12 )days ago, Nappi told WPCNR that spent fuel rods at Indian Point were stored underground, encased in concrete lined with a 1/4 inch steel barrier.

Asked how long it would take to close Indian Point, and remove radioactive spent fuel (called for by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last week), Nappi said he did not have that answer.

Asked if the Indian Point relicensing processes, (one plant expires in 2013, the other 2015), would incorporate its structural ability to resist adequately a 9.0 earthquake, Nappi again could not answer, but the Nuclear Energy Institute study would address that.

Queried on how much it would cost the government, county or federal, to purchase Indian Point, for the purpose of shutting it down,  Nappi did not have a figure. “I don’t see that happening,” he said.

In a news release Monday, The Westchester County Board of Legislators Committees on Environment & Energy and Public Safety announced it would host a series of informational meetings discussing disaster preparedness plans at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, in light of the horrific events in Japan.

  Committee Chairmen Legislator Michael B. Kaplowitz  and Legislator Martin Rogowsky have invited officials from Entergy Corporation, the owners of the Indian Point Nuclear Plant, and all interested parties to come before the committee, so that accurate, factual data can be put on the record and made available to the public as soon as possible. 

 Yesterday, Entergy Corp released a statement saying that they will conduct a safety review of its ability to respond to catastrophic events at a New York nuclear power plant. This statement comes following a report that the plant was the most susceptible in the United States to a potential earthquake.

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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. MARCH 10, 2011:

The Superintendent of Schools this week proposed a $184.8 Million School Budget for 2011-12.  Further cuts could be made. Presently, 48 positions are scheduled to be eliminated, including 17 full-time teachers and 6 teaching assistants, with the  balance being cut from civil service positions, according to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Jessica O’Donovan last Monday evening. The budget pending further tweaking means a 2.81% tax increas, (about $200 on a typical $650,000 home which would pay $8,600 in property taxes.

In the cuts, Universal Pre-K would be provided by Westchester Family Services, Adult Education provided by BOCES; Summer School limited to Grades 8 to 12, reading intervention programs curtailedand the TSAP program moved to the high school. The personnel cuts have trimmed the number of district employees 15% in three years from 1,197 Full Time Employees to 1,013 Full Time Employees.

Should the district cut the budget more?

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WPCNR THE DUMP NEWS. By John F. Bailey. Special to WPCNR From the Department of Environmental Conservation Press Office. March 18, 2011:

The Department of Environmental Conservation is having an investigation conducted into the quality of air in citizen residences near the city landfill that has been contaminated by TCEs since the mid-1970s.

The DEC reported this new phase of their investigation of city dump pollution today exclusively to WPCNR. The investigation of residential air quality adjacent to the dump has not been completed yet, and no information has been issued on how many homes are being sampled, and for how long and what seasons they will be tested further. WPCNR awaits more details from the DEC.

The information was disclosed in an update to WPCNR on where the clean-up of the dump stands after six years of the DEC negotiations with the city.

The DEC also reports a major six-month “capping” plan will begin in the White Plains Gedney Landfill under DEC supervision in July,and continue into 2012,  according to Wendy Rosenbach, spokesperson for the New York State Department of Conservation which this week was to have toured the landfill with White Plains officials.

The city closure plan though still has not met DEC expectations and further “tweaks” to the plan are required to be resubmitted to the DEC next month, according to Ms. Rosenbach’s latest update issued exclusively to WPCNR Friday afternoon.

Ms. Rosenbach said that White Plains will hold a public information meeting on the constuction to be conducted on the dump.

The Mayor’s Office has declined to confirm to WPCNR despite daily requests that a “walk-through” inspection of the dump reported by the top DEC facilities management official, scheduled this week took place and the results  of it,or whether it took place at all.

This is the first the DEC has reported inquiries into the dump’s pollution affects into the air at populated area around the city dump,though residents and users of city ball fields have smelled nauseous fumes coming from the dump for decades.

According to Ms. Rosenbach on Monday, Martin Brand of the DEC was to tour the dump with city officials this week. John Callahan, city Chief of Staff, did not know of such a meeting when contacted Monday. According to Rosenbach, the DEC update on the dump situation will see cleanup and capping beginning in July.

Previously, on a plan that was unacceptable to the DEC in the fall, Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti estimated the cost of clean-up and cap to be between $8 Million and $10 Million. Nicoletti submitted a revised plan in February. This week’s walk-through was to discuss that plan apparently. Nicoletti was supposed to discuss his and the city consultant’s revised plan with the DEC this week. Rosenbach of the DEC estimates six months of clean-up and capping will begin in July.

Apparently, according to Ms. Rosenbach’s statement which follows, the plan still needs work. The city has already authorized over $1 Million in fees to a consultant to prepare the closure plans. H

Here is the DEC statement from Ms. Rosenbach today:

“Below is information I received from Solid Waste staff here in the regional office re: the Gedney Way Landfill (including background information):

The facility is a 52.4 acre complex located at 87 Gedney Way, in the City of White Plains. The site was used for the disposal of incinerator ash from a municipal waste incinerator from approximately 1948. The site is operated by the Department of Public Works and is currently used for the composting of yard and leaf wastes, collection of recyclables, and storage of DPW equipment and material.

Pursuant to a June 19, 2007 DEC Consent Order, White Plains was directed to investigate the environmental conditions at the site and close the landfill under Part 360 (DEC Solid Waste regulations). Two phases of investigation were conducted in 2007 and 2008, and a supplemental off-site investigation was initiated in November 2010.

These investigations have included groundwater and surface water sampling, soil gas sampling, and an indoor air investigation of several residences located near the landfill. Results on the latest investigation are pending.

Regarding closure, a preliminary (conceptual) closure plan was approved in June 2010 by DEC.

The plan includes the capping of the landfill with a synthetic cap in some areas and soil covers in others areas.

A Design Plan, including detailed plans and specifications, was submitted to DEC regional staff on February 15, 2011.

This plan is under review.

Additional submissions and revisions, leading to a final closure plan, are expected in April 2011.

 The tentative schedule is for DEC approval in May or June 2011.

DEC anticipates the project will go to construction in July or August 2011.

 White Plains plans to hold a public information meeting to announce and describe the construction activities. While DEC expects significant areas to be capped this summer, construction is likely to go until early 2012 for all aspects of the project. 

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL By John F. Bailey and Peter Katz. March 17, 2011:

Judge Susan Capeci, sentenced former White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley to probation on all counts this morning on Mr. Bradley’s December 9 convictions for attempted assault, contempt, and three charges of harassment involving his wife. Mr. Bradley will also be subject to an order of protection prohibiting him from seeing his wife, Fumiko Bradley for five years, subject to modification for custody and visitation purposes.

Mr. Bradley must also undergo any treatments deemed appropriate and follow all provisions of his probation. Mr. Bradley will not go to jail. He will be required to pay fines for each conviction.

The charges other than the contempt of court conviction were given a one-year conditional discharge, which means that if Bradley does every thing he is supposed to, those convictions will be discharged after a year.

During today’s court session, the clerk of the court outlined the appeal procedure. The attorney representing Bradley today, Fred Shapiro, told WPCNR that now that they know the sentence, they can finish drafting their appeal and plan to file it within thirty days.

When Judge Capeci asked Bradley whether he had a statement before she passed sentence, Bradley said, “No thank you, your Honor.”

The prosecutors had asked the judge to send Bradley to jail. Prosecutor Audrey Stone said Bradley has shown a lack of remorse and contempt for the criminal justice system. Prosecutor Amy Puerto read a letter from Fumiko Bradley (who was not in court) in which she said that she learned that women who are suffering in abusive relationships can receive justice throughher experience with this case..

 When asked for reaction to today’s sentencing, Bradley told WPCNR that it would be best for him not to say anything. After the sentencing Bradley was surrounded by family and well-wishers.

The prosecutors when asked by WPCNR whether they were satisfied with the outcome, even though the judge did not accept their recommendation of jail time, declined to comment.

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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. News & Comment. By Paul Feiner, Greenburgh Town Supervisor. March 17, 2011:

Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed budget, if approved, could lead to the closure of the New York School for the Deaf–which is located on 555 Knollwood Road. I think the closing of this historic school would be a big mistake. I am very familiar with the successes the school has had and have held every one of my swearing in ceremonies at the school  since being elected Town Supervisor (and before that Westchester County Legislator).

 I  spoke at and attended a very well attended rally at the school with County Legislator Mary Jane Shimsky and encourage residents to write to Governor Andrew Cuomo at the Executive Chamber, NYS Capitol Building, Albany, 12224.  I plan to introduce a resolution before the Greenburgh Town Board urging the Governor & State Legislature to save the school.  I will also urge the school districts in Greenburgh to  urge the state to save the school.

The  2011 budget proposal is a radical change and shifts the costs of educating students who require complex education environments to individual school districts.  School districts do not have specialized staff and are completely unequipped to meet the educational needs of these children.  Yet, your budget will nevertheless require school districts to serve these children, but not give them the staff needed to appropriately serve them.  In fact, there are not enough specialized staff to serve the deaf children of this state unless they are served in centralized locations such as the existing state schools.      THIS PROPOSAL ELIMINATES THE ACCESS OF DEAF CHILDREN TO AN APPROPRIATE EDUCATION. Every student has a legal right to a free appropriate public education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  Given that schools for the deaf serve some of the most complex learners in the state, and a large percentage of the children have more than one disability, we can say with total certainty that many children will not have their educational needs met in their home school districts, thus stripping them of their right to an appropriate education.   WHY THE PROPOSAL HURTS THE DEAF AND MAKES NO SENSE   • Schools for the Deaf will be forced to close, leaving deaf children isolated in school districts, without teachers and peers who can directly communicate with them. • Already financially devastated school districts will be unable to provide essential services required to appropriately educate deaf children. • The proposal will result in deaf children being assessed by people who cannot communicate directly with them.  School districts do not have the specialized staff who are familiar with deaf children and do not have the appropriate tools to evaluate them.   • The proposal will violate the federal law mandate for a free appropriate public education.  The school serves many children who have complex learning needs that cannot be met properly by their local school districts. • The proposal will result in special education litigation throughout the State caused by the district and state’s failure to provide a free appropriate public education. • The proposal will cost New York State more in the long term. Experience has shown that deaf children who are deprived of an appropriate education are more likely to be functionally illiterate, unemployed, and completely dependent on government services and assistance. Paul Feiner Greenburgh Town Supervisor   HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF–THE 2ND OLDEST SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES   In the early 1800s, the Rev. John Stanford gathered a small group of deaf children in downtown New York City to teach them the alphabet and basic language skills.   Chartered in 1817, the New York School for the Deaf is the second oldest school for the deaf in the United States and the oldest in New York State.  Originally located in New York City in the Almshouse behind City Hall, the school moved uptown in 1829 to a ten-acre parcel of land between present day Saks’ Fifth Avenue and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.   The school moved again in 1856, after purchasing a 37.5-acre wooded estate on the bank of the Hudson River, near the current location of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. The school adopted the name of this estate, Fanwood, as its nickname, one that has followed the school to its current location.        In the late 1890s, Fanwood adopted a military curriculum to instill discipline and provide a more structured learning environment for students. The school was the first in the nation to do so and was also the first school for the deaf to form a military band. For the next 50 years, precise military drills in tight formations were a daily occurrence on the Fanwood parade grounds. After spending 80 years in Upper Manhattan, the school purchased a 77-acre apple farm on Knollwood Road near White Plains in 1934. Embarking on a major expansion program, the school constructed Ford, Peet and Currier Halls, the current centerpieces of its campus, as well its athletic field and several residential dormitories. In 1952, the school dropped its military program and become a coeducational institution again. Since then, Fanwood has continued to expand its mission of providing a wide range of educational services to help deaf and hard-of-hearing children in school and become successful adults.   In 1964, the school built Johnson Pavilion to accommodate the growing numbers of elementary school children who became deaf as a result of the rubella epidemic. Today, the pre-school classes represent the fastest-growing segment of the school’s enrollment.   Since 1977, Fanwood has practiced a total communication approach to learning – which challenges students to develop their linguistic ability in a number of areas, oral and written English in addition to American Sign Language.   Fanwood has also fully recognized the benefits of using technology to help deaf children function in the world of the hearing. The TTY phones and closed caption TVs of the 1970s have given way to video phones, smart boards and computer learning aids.    In addition, all students are now assigned MacBooks as part of the Apple 1:1 program for use in the classroom and, for high school students, to use at home as well.   As the New York School for the Deaf approaches its 200th anniversary, Fanwood will continue to build upon its heritage of combining individualized instruction for students with the latest innovations in education for deaf students.