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 COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey November 6, 2010:

As first reported by WPCNR Friday evening, the Common Council shocked Mayor Adam Bradley and his administration by voting to table  an Environmental Resolution backing the environmental viability of the city taking over and running the Ridgeway Country Club, 6 to 1. They voted 6 to 1 to table the acquisition and improvement Project approved Thursday afternoon by the Capital Projects Board in Executive Session.

They then voted 6 to 1 to  table the financing of $15 Million in bonds to enable the Mayor to bid on the Ridgeway Country Club by Tuesday, the suddenly surfaced “deadline” promulgated by the country club. (Previously when WPCNR repeatedly asked the city if there was a deadline, we were told no.)  All three measures were tabled to December 6, the next public meeting of the Common Council.

Tom Roach, the Common Council President, said the council did so because a second feasibility study of the project requested by the Common Council, executed by NGF Consulting of Jupiter Florida did not paint such a positive scenario of the project as did the administration consultants, Greenwich Golf Group. Roach said the NGF study questioned the revenues from swimming, the number of rounds projected, and noted Lake Isle Country Club and Rye Golf Club, the two municipally run golf courses cited by the study the Mayor’s Administration as models on how White Plains would run the course had not made money the last two years. Roach also said he was reluctant to add public employees to the payroll to staff the Ridgeway Country Club given the projected increase in city pension fund contributions (3 to 4%) it will have to pay to the state next budget year.

Coumcilman David Buchwald said the possibility of the city acquiring the club is not dead, that he would hope the Ridgeway Country Club might approach the city once bids are in Tuesday. Buchwald said the council requested the second study, and Councilperson Beth Smayda suggested the consultant. The administration agreen to pay the $15,000 cost for NGF Consulting to execute the council study to date. Roach said the council needed a more detailed feasibility study examining the flaws the NGF group found and suggested more detailed work be done. Apparently the council wants NGF consulting to do a further study

Sources speaking to WPCNR under condition of anonymity told WPCNR at no time did the Common Council  express any intention to the administration that they were not going to vote to authorize the bid from the first Executive Session October 4 when the Council was present with the overall city plan to acquire the club.

Mayor Bradley when he called the votes appeared to be taken aback by the three consecutive “Table” votes.

The NGF Study–made public on the city website sometime this week on the city website does note questions about golf growth nationally, the soft years Lake Isle and Rye Golf Club have had, and questions about the estimate of the rounds and the kind of  management of the club.

However, the original city financial model originally presented the council does note, (in extensive admissions charges for different categories of patrons) contrary to what the NGF study says, that there will be resident and non-resident members for golf only and for golf, swimming and tennis, as well as walk up traffic. The city intent was to run the club as a resident and non-residential club and also general admissions, that is clearly in the financial model. If the council did not like that they should have said at the time.

At no time did the council members voting to table last night express that they were not for the proposal publicly. 

Councilman Buchwald told this reporter that approving the  measures Friday night would be giving the administration  “a blank check.”  However, the Common Council could have easily prevented this by demanding as part of the legislation “with the approval of the Common Council.”

The proposal the administration presented to the Council which they have had for a month, was always described as “conceptual” by the administration.

The tabling gives the opportunity for the city perhaps to get the club at a lower price, as Buchwald suggested.    But, it puts the city at the mercy of Ridgeway Country Club.

NGF Consulting did have positive comments about the Greenwich Golf Group “Golf Market Feasibility Review:”

“Our review of the consultant’s feasibility analysis revealed the study methedology was sound and that the consultant clearly displayed knowledge of the business of golf and the local market. Given the time contraints (NGF noted Greenwich Golf Group had 5 business days to do the study) the consultant seemingly put in a yeoman’s effort to establish reasonable parameters for potential daily fee demand, green fee levels, pool/tennis membership levels, and operating expenses. “

But notes, “…the analysis relied too heavily on the demographic variables of population, age, and income to determine potential demand. There are quantitative variables (e.g., socioeconomic, site factors, price/value proposition relative to competitors) that can affect demand and determine the type of  operating model that would be most successful; NGF believes it is unlikely that these types of variables could be sufficiently addressed in the amount of time given for this study (Greenwich Golf Group’s study). This is especially salient in today’s golf market, as many uncontrollable external influences are negatively affecting the business of golf facility operations.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2010. By John F. Bailey. November 5, 2010:

In an exclusive interview with WPCNR News Thursday night, Robert Castelli, incumbent Assemblyman in the 89^th Assembly District said there are 1,000 emergency ballots  (handed out  to voters, due to voting machine malfunctions during the Tuesday election in District 89) and 1,150 absentee ballots distributed before the election, including military ballots that could be out to be counted to decide his race with White Plains Common Council President Tom Roach.

Robert Castelli, Being Sworn in last February to the 89th Assembly District Seat. He hopes for a repeat ceremony in January, pending the results of the outstanding Emergency Ballots and Absentee Ballots, he says could number 2,200. He currently has a 142-vote margin. Tom Roach, his opponnent told WPCNR he, Roach was so thankful to the voters of White Plains for their great support that has made the race virtually a dead heat.

The Dominion Voting Machine Under Fire for Multiple Malfunctioning across Westchester County

Invitation to Testify:

Westchester County Board of Elections Commissioners Reginald LaFayette, left, and Douglas Colety Invited by Castelli to Critique the new voting device performance.Wednesday, Mr. LaFayette and Mr. Colety went on record exclusively to WPCNR News calling for eliminating paper ballots and the state switching to a touch screen system.

Castelli severly criticised the County’s new optical scan voting machines.

He said as a member of the State Assembly Election Law Committee, if he returns to Albany in January, he will invite Westchester County Board of Elections Commissioners Reginald LaFayette and Douglas Colety to testify before the Committee about the new Optical Scan voting machines. 

“A Nightmare.”

Asked how he felt about the election and the new machine experience, Castelli called it “a bloody mess,” and later in the interview, “a nightmare.”

He said when he voted he had to attempt to insert his ballot three times before the machine registered it. He said the secrecy was compromised by the “rickety” writing tables where citizens marked their ballots. He said the ballot was too small and hard to read, and the machine ability to read  the circular strip was highly sensitive and appeared that unless the circle was completely filled in, the vote would not register.

The state Castelli said “has created a ridiculous solution to a non-existant problem. The old lever machines were great. Each of these machines cost the state $10,000, but they don’t perform like a $10,000 piece of equipment. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.”

After all Election Districts are in, Mr. Castelli leads Mr. Roach by 142 votes.

Castelli said that reporting of voting machines computer chip results resumed Thursday with all machine results now in for all 110 Election Districts. He said the machines had all been impounded at a request of a court order filed by one of the Supreme Court Judge Candidates,  sealing the Emergency Ballots. Castelli said he expected the absentee and emergency ballot counting for the continuation of the 89^th district count to resume Wednesday November 10.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2010. November 4, 2010 UPDATED 9:45 P.M. E.D.T.:

 Late this afternoon, with Election District “reports” resuming, Robert Castelli, the incumbent Assemblyman saw his 380 vote margin over Tom Roach, the Common Council President decline to 142 votes with 109 of 110 districts reporting.

In the other major race affecting White Plains for the State Senate, Suzi Oppenheimer continued her down-the-stretch roll gaining about 200 votes in her margin over Robert Cohen  as 52 of 54 outstanding electoral districts were recorded today. Oppenheimer, with 279 of 281 Election Districts reporting in the 37th District is leading Robert Cohen 40,397 votes to 39,931. After those final two districts are computed Emergency Ballots “bagged” at the 281 Election Districts plus absentee ballots have to be counted to determine the outcome.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2010. By John F. Bailey and Peter Katz. November 3, 2010 UPDATED 4 P.M.:

 In an exclusive interview with WPCNR reporters this afternoon, Westchester County Board of Elections Commssioners Reginald LaFayette and Douglas Colety called for an end to the new paper ballot/optical scanning system introduced two months ago and receiving its first big election test yesterday. 

Commissioners Reginald LaFayette left, and Douglas Colety said they would testify to the state legislature  the paper ballot system approved by the state and processing its first general election in the county yesterday  created too many voter-triggered problems by the filling out  and scanning of paper ballots.

The new optical scanner machines were purchased by the county at a cost of $4 Million (partially bonded) in 2006, according to the 2010 county budget http://www.westchestergov.com/pdfs/BUDGET_2010AdoptedCapital_sectionC1a.pdf

Lafayette said he was always against the paper ballot system and was in favor of a touch-screen system from the start. Colety said the technology is out there now allowing voters to touch a screen to register their ballot with the machine generating the “paper trail” automatically. Colety said New Jersey uses a touch-screen system.

Lafayette confirmed that many optical scanners used throughout the county for the first time in a general election jammed multiple times, resulting in election workers providing emergency ballots to voters while the machines awaited one of the fifteen county technicians to arrive and clear the machines. Lafayette explained that election workers are not allowed to unjam the machines themselves for security reasons.

Jams, Lafayette said to Peter Katz, left, were caused in some cases by paper ballots being “too long” and other ballots  being placed into the ballot reception slot by the voter in a manner that resulted in “jams.” He said some of the problems in scanning occurred because voters mismarked ballots, the marker pens bled through the paper stock used for the ballots — especially affecting Yonkers votes which had propositions on the flip side of the ballot.

Election materials being brought to the Board of Elections Wednesday afternoon.

On the day after the November 3 election, Lafayette said the Board of Elections had impounded all machines, as standard procedure, including those in unreporting districts still outstanding in the hotly contested races for Assembly District 89 between incumbent Assemblyman Robert Castelli and Thomas Roach,Jr. of White Plains, and the epic race between Robert Cohen and State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer.  Lafayette said results might still be posted this evening in those races, depending on when “reports” are received. Presently all voting machines including ballots and emergency ballots were being impounded.

LaFayette said that the Board of Elections is prepared to respond appropriately and handle any court orders that attorneys for candidates may get in disputed contests.

LaFayette said that they did not necessarily have to recount ballots by hand. He said a properly operating  optical scanner  could be used to automate the recount process which would be conducted under appropriate observation.

THE ELECTION ACTION AS OF 4 P.M.

Mr. LaFayette said he felt the pace of election returns reporting Tuesday evening was consistent with the past, saying it may have seemed slow due to persons in the media and who were eager for the results being impatient because the races were so close.

Meanwhile, the voter totals in the “too close to call” Assembly District 89 Race, and the Senate District 37 race have not changed as 3:45 P.M. Mr. Castelli leads Mr. Roach by 318 votes with 91 of 110 election districts reporting, 16,752 to 16,434.

In the even closer race in State Senate District 37, Suzi Oppenheimer leads Robert Cohen by 180 votes, 33,272 to 33,092 with 54 election districts not reporting (20% of the districts unreported at this time.

In other intriguing races,  Nan Hayward running against John Hall for the 19th Congressional District is trailing Mr. Hall on the Board of Elections results site, but Dr. Hayward claimed victory last night according to the Gannett chain, last night. Hall leads Hayward 24,941 to 22,325 with 23 Election Districts uncounted.

Michael Kaplowitz in the 40th NY Senate District leads Greg Ball 24,346 to 22,235, a 2,111 vote lead; Andrea Stewart-Cousins has a 5,000 vote lead in Senate District 35 over Liam McLaughlin, but only 70% of the districts there 295 of 419 have been counted.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2010 By John F. Bailey. November 3, 2010 UPDATED  10:57 A.M. E.D.T.:

Westchester County’s new optical scanning voting machines failed big time in the two most important races to White Plains on Election Day.

Sources say that results of the Castelli-Roach race and Oppeneheimer-Cohen race will not be known for 1 to 2 weeks and that the Board of Elections does not have an immediate handle on what districts have not reported.

37TH SENATE DISTRICT AND 89TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT VOTE COUNTS COULD NOT BE COMPLETED TUESDAY EVENING DUE TO WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WITH THE OPTICAL SCANNERS READING BALLOTS, SO A HAND COUNT HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE REMAINING 19 Election Districts in THE 89TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT.

At 1:30 Wednesday morning, Robert Castelli, incumbent Assemblyman in the 89th District told WPCNR that machines from 19 Election Districts in the 89th District had been impounded due to malfunction of the scanners. He said ballots within those machines would have to be hand-counted, starting, he thought tomorrow to determine the eventual winner in his race with White Plains Common Councilman, Tom Roach.

As of 1:30 A.M. when returns stopped coming in, Mr. Castelli led Mr. Roach by 318 votes, 16,752 to 16,434 in an amazing race with four lead-changes over three hours.

Mr. Castelli had taken command of the race between midnight and 1 A.M. as he had told a WPCNR contact at his headquarters at the Crowne Plaza he thought he would, because his strength in Harrison started to come through. Then with 19 Election Districts to be reported, and Mr. Castelli pulling away, the counting stopped.

Castelli said the machines from what he understands are very sensitive to how the paper ballots are marked and circles filled-in. It was his understanding that many ballots had not been counted by the machines. “The machines, some in Harrison, some in White Plains, and some up in my neck of the woods, have all been impounded.”  Asked if he had any idea why the counts had taken so long to come in, when the machine presents an electronic readout, Castelli said he did not.

Castelli also told WPCNR that the 37th State Senate District featuring an equally amazing race between incumbent Suzi Oppenheimer and Republican Challenger Robert Cohen had also had counts suspended for the same reason, but with many more election districts still out.

Ms. Oppenheimer after trailing through the first three hours by as much as 1,000 votes caught up with Cohen and surpassed his totals with 54 Election Districts remaining. Oppenheimer as of 1:30 A.M. leads Mr. Cohen, by just 180 votes, 33,272 to 33,092.  Castelli told WPCNR that many of the districts in the 37th Senate Race matched the districts in question in the 89th district where machines malfunctioned in registering the ballots. Mr. Castelli said he has had no explanation from the Board of Elections or any officials as to why the counts were so slow in coming in.

By WPCNR recollection, only half the districts in the Castelli race were totaled by 11:30 P.M., compared to complete counts  that were in by midnight when mechanical lever voting machines were used.

Castelli said he was in a “virtual dead heat” with Mr. Roach with the 19 districts left to be hand-counted beginning he thought sometime today. Castelli also said there were “hundreds” of absentee ballots.

The 33,186 votes in the 89th Assembly Race is, WPCNR believes is a record for votes cast in this district, and certainly the highest amount in the decade WPCNR has been covering this district. The 37th Senate District race so far with 54 districts left to count has seen 66,364 votes cast.

In other races, Amy Paulin appears to have won the 88th Assembly District easily, but her election dricts are not complete, either.

Andrew Cuomo won the Governorship, and Senator Charles Schumer won election to another term in the Senate, and Kirsten Gillebrand won to serve the remaining two years of Hillary Clinton’s Senate Term. Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel won reelection to the House of Representatives.