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WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the County Board of Legislators.(Edited) UPDATED 3:33 P.M. EDT July 16,2010:
Today, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins announced that he has submitted legislation that will cap local property tax growth. The Chairman’s tax cap proposal would impose long-term fiscal discipline and ease the crushing burden on
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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. FROM DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANALYST JOHNY NELSON. JULY 15, 2010:
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WPCNR
Mayor Adam Bradley is scheduled to return to Supreme Court one week from today to face the charges of domestic abuse filed against him by his wife, Fumiko Bradley, and charges of witness tampering and harassment added by the district attorney’s office.
Lucien Chalfen, spokesperson for the Westchester District Attorney, told WPCNR that Mr. Bradley will return to Judge Susan Capeci’s court room next Thursday “to determine readiness for trial,” and a trial date will be set, Chalfen speculated that trial date will be set in the fall. As part of preparation for trial, jury selection may begin if the parties agree they are ready for trial.
Mr. Bradley’s mother-in-law, meanwhile, Kane Machinaga, a key witness in the matters, was allowed to return to
Mr. Chalfen said the mother-in-law is still in
The Mayor faces charges of alleged assault in the 3rd degree, harrassment,violations stemmping from an alleged tea-throwing incident on January 11 of this year, in addition to assault in the third degree and three other counts regarding a alleged incident February 28 when the Mayor was charged for allegedly slamming his wife’s finger in a door.
The charges of withness tampering, 4th degree, Harrassment 2nd Degree and Contempt in the 2nd degree are a result of the Mayor’s alleged violating the order of protection against him five times.
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. July 14, 2010:
John Callahan, City Hall Chief of Staff, told WPCNR Wednesday that entire block of East Post Road from the Bengal Tiger to Court Street will be demolished before an investigation into the cause of last week’s fire will begin. Callahan said the building was unstable. He also said that the owners of the property, Boston Post Properties, would be handling the demolition, but would be closely monitored by police.
Callahan said the insurance companies, the owner, and city officials had come to agreement to demolish the property today. Callahan said the upper portions of the building were unstable and in danger of collapsing.
Callahan said after the cause or causes of the fire were determined, t”in a couple of weeks,” the city would also conduct a review of fire inspection procedures with the police and the fire bureaus in how older buildings, “grand-fathered” in to out of date less safe fire codes, and therefore not subject to the improved White Plains building and fire codes over the years are handled to prevent such possible conditions in the future.
Callahan said demolition would begin in earnest Thursday morning.
Discussing the future of the Post Road block, Callahan said the block would be returned to being a lot at grade, then the city and the owner, Bost Post Properties would consider how the property might be redeveloped.
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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. July 13, 2010:
While White Plains fire investigators delve into the fire wreckage of The Bengal Tiger trying to find the cause of last Wednesday’s historic blaze, WPCNR has learned that the cause of the transformer explosion that took place between 7:30 and 8 P.M. requiring for precaution, the clearing of Mamaroneck Avenue was man-made, according to Con Edison, and was not the result of any Con Edison equipment malfunction or malfeasance.
Mamaroneck Avenue Sidewalk Cafes cleared between Post Road and Maple Avenue after an small explosion and fire involving a transformer in front of 149 Mamaroneck Avenue last Wednesday. The transformer fire was caused by covering the transformer vault vent with carpeting.
According to Allan Drury, Con Edison spokesperson, the transformer explosion last Wednesday evening was caused because someone or somebody had covered the grating covering the Con Edison transformer vault in its subterranean chamber below the sidewalk in front of 149 Mamaroneck Avenue, shown above.
Drury told WPCNR that the grate was in front of
Drury said that the transformer vault below street level had a grating to vent the vault.“Carpeting had been placed on the grate and that caused heat to collect and the transformer overheated.”
Mayor Adam Bradley in explaining the transformer fire last week as not being part of the
The statement by Con Edison clarifies that neither the Bengal Tiger incident nor Con Edison caused the transformer explosion that caused police to clear all sidewalk cafes on the block between
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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey with the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance. July 12, 2010 UPDATED JULY 12, 2010 3:45 P.M. E.D.T.UPDATED JULY 14, 2010:
Westchester County-wide sales receipts (which include White Plains figures, of course) were up 25% year to year in the June period, reports Susan Burns of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and has experienced a 6.7% increase in sales tax receipts the first six months of its fiscal year.
White Plains did not keep pace with the county. City June tax receipts are up 5%, nearly 4% of that comes from the 1/4% tax rate increase that went into effect in June. The sales tax was raised proportionately 12%, resulting in only 5% more revenue.
The county sales tax dollar handle, though rose approximately $10 Million in June alone, generating $48,046,635.36 in June ’10 compared to $38,386,277 in June 09.
Based on comparison of year to year records supplied by the Department of Taxation and Finance,the county has generated $219,830,772 in Sales Tax Receipts compared to $206 Million (rounded off to nearest million) in the first six months of 2009, a year to year gain in 2010 over 2009 of 6.7% over the first six months of the current fiscal year.
If Westchester County (on a January to December fiscal year) maintains last year’s sales tax pace the last six months of their fiscal year (in which it received $209 Million from July to December, the county will get $429 Million in sales tax receipts.
The county has budgeted for $432,600,000 in sales tax.
A sustained 7% growth rate in sales tax receipts could generate an $11 Million surplus in County Sales Tax Receipts over budget, if June is a bellwether that the county economy is turning around.
If the county continues to keep this 6.7% gain the rest of the year, the county would realize $444 Million in sales tax receipts easily making the county budget with a surplus of $12 Million.
According to Susan Burns of the Department of Taxation and finance, “Westchester showed many sectors with growth, including but not limited to: Auto dealers, Telephone and Utilities, Finance and Insurance, and Retail.”
The city of White Plains, by contrast, with a 1/4% sales tax increase going into effect June 1, generated $4,073,768 and 47 cents in sales tax in June, finishing the 2009-10 Fiscal Year ending June 30 with $43,533,908 in sales tax receipts, approximately $200,000 over Commissioner of Finance Michael Genito’s projection.
Nevertheless, this is $3,8 Million in the red below what the Delfino administration had projected for 09-10.
The $4.1 Million city June handle is up only 5% (4.89%) in sales tax receipts over last June’s take of $3.9 Million.
This trend, if I were in charge of the city would concern me because if White Plains, the leading retail and entertainment center in the county (and easiest place to travel to), is up only 5% in sales tax receipts in a month while the county is up 25%, then people are going elsewhere in the county to shop, instead of White Plains.
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WPCNR SPORTSWIRE. July 12, 2010: White Plains District 20 14-and-under All-Stars defeated Eastchester, 7-5 in 8 innings to win the city’s first District Championship since 1998 this weekend. After losing game one, White Plains took two in a row to win the Championship. They now go on to the State tournament.
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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. July 12,2010 UPDATED 8:40 A.M. E.D.T.:
What was a disaster for 13 businesses last week: The Bengal Tiger fire, now presents an opportunity for White Plains, if the city has imagination to revitalize the moribund East Post Road corridor with something either completely different or the lack of imagination and deliver more of the same.
THE BENGAL TIGER BLOCK TODAY. DEMOLITION WAS IN FULL SWING OVER WEEKEND
As demolition proceeded on the site over the weekend, WPCNR thought of just a few possibilities for the block which of course could be reconstructed the way it was or turn into something completely different and dynamic.
WPCNR thought of just a few possibilities (at the right in our brand-new poll) which the city might consider seriously to counter the economic stagnatio of pay-and-keep-out parking policies, a rowdy drinking district and a deteriorated West Side. The city has been talking for years about revitalizing the West Side and even still has yet to tell specifics of the Lexington Avenue plan even though the developer has already been picked. Now, there is an opportunity to key note it as the Bengal Tiger block has to be rebuilt.
Here is Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains opportunity in the survey at the right to tell the city how to plan and what it needs on the burned-out block. If any of the choices appeal to you at the right, vote early and often:
New
Bi-level Retail Shopping Mall: A two-or-three story mall with parking deck, with shops, restaurants and retail, creating a dynamic upscale presence complimenting the Downtown Drinking District on
Multi-story Office/Mixed Use Building: A 10 or 20 story combination residential/office/with retail at the street level, bringing new residentialites, professional office space and a cosmopolitan mix of retail to the street.
New
City of
Permanent
Chain Food or Entertainment Complex: This would envision White Plains and the Bengal Tiger owners who own the block, again removing the office building behind the BT Block and attracting some destination chain such as SHAKE SHACK, HARD ROCK Cage, ESPN ZONE, SCORES (a neat fit with the Drinking District a weaving stroll away),
RETAIL CHAIN BIG BOX: Think Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond.
New City Hall: The City again could acquire the Bengal Tiger Block and the office building behind it and combine it with the Municipal Parking lot and build a new City Hall (right across from the county office complex. Makes great sense – and opens the very attractive old city hall site for development. The new City Hall could combine all city offices in one place. Call it the
New Public School; The block could be swapped out to the School District for a new public school to handle the growing elementary school population that is exceeding district estimates. Growing at a 100 kids a year, the district will need a new elementary in five years.
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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE MEZZANINE. By WPCNR’S SPORTSTALK Morty Slickman. July 11, 2010:
So I am sitting here in the old Madison Square Garden in the blue smoke of the rafters of the mezzanine in the arena of memory.
Richie Guerin in the old garden, going up against Paul Arizin of the Philadelphia Warriors, 1958. That’s the Knicks Kennie Sears (12) and Mendy Rudolph is the Ref in the old garden of memory: where even in the third balcony you were on top of the court, the cigar smoke smelled like sports and the Knicks played hard.
I’m reading the sports pages Saturday and Sunday, and I am musing to myself should I ignore the upbeat spin being spun out by the hapless New York Knick management? Swallowed hook, line and sinker by the sports press? Who are already beating drums for the Knick Brains now out signing everyone in sight?
Should I ignore the urge to tell it like it is, and be a warmer, kinder gentler commentator?
Should I push my fedora back on my head, loosen my tasteless tie, puff my White Owl panatela and drink my black coffee and be positive and upbeat? And get on the Knick bandwagon to the crusade for 12 more wins? Shall I resist the urge to rap out in staccato fashion on the old Smith Corona a blistering indictment of the Knick-Knacks? Shall I show love and compassion?
Absolutely not!
What’s a sports columnist for anyway?
We serve no moral purpose except for creating myth and selling tickets and perpetuating fallacies and ignoring the raw, ugly underbelly of “professional” sports and “knowledgeable management,” who “understand the game.”
I just have to point out the flaws in the spin being floated out there by the desperate Knick-Knack management.
If I own those courtside seats, I’m shortselling.
No less an authority than The Times wrote yesterday that their alternate plan B, and I quote “It appears to be enough to get the Knicks in the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season.”
The Knicks, having fanned on LeBron James – but having signed Amar’e Stoudemire, the Phoenix star—and traded David Lee now have a starting five consisting of three players from the Golden State Warriors, that perennial playoff contender. (NOT!)
The Warriors won three less games than the Knicks last season with these new hopes the Knicks have picked up from the “Wha?yers”: Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuik and Ronny Turiaf. Anthony Randolph is supposed to be a forward, teaming with Stoudemire.
They have signed Ray Felton from
Is this talent from the
Unlike the Knicks, the better clubs in the NBA play defense.
More to the point, does the Knick coach have the patience to develop the young talent? He had no patience with the young players he has struggled with the last two years. Remember how the man the Knick Coach unloaded became a key part of the Celtics? That said a lot about the Knick coach.
However the Knick goal, as usual is modest.
They have to win just 12 more games. Even a one-dimensional coach should be able to squeeze 12 more games out. That would give the Knicks a .500 mark which would have given them the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this year.
But, if as I alluded to Friday, the supporting cast is inconsistent, auccombs to being not quite ready for prime time, Stoudemire will assume the Bernard King role, the only man you have to stop to beat the Knicks. With the rough guys bumping Stoudemire big time, there is the risk of injury. Not only that but Felton and Randolph have a history of injury. The Knicks have Danilo Gallinari coming back and Eddie Curry. Gallinari, whom I always will recall sleeping on the sideline, while the Knicks were staging a comeback last season, has to be won over by the coach.
Is this the best backup plan they could come up with? Scoop up the nucleus of a 26-55 team and two “maybe babies?”
We shall see.
The Knicks lost a lot of games last season because of lousy defense and panic.
Without improving the way they defend, rebound and make stops, they could shoot their way to .500.
Heck, pal, they just have to win 12 more games and they are investing let’s see maybe, what $2 Million per game for each of those 12 more wins? I can’t do the math. I’m a sportswriter.
Get this: if they played defense last year they would have made the playoffs with 12 more wins.
But make no mistake, should the Knicks win those 12 more games, the sportswriters will laud the Knick management is being on the right track, and 2011-12 will be Carmelo Anthony time and a return to glory.
The sportswriters always do, no matter what they do.
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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. July 9, 2010:
Today’s shots to remember are the aftermath of Wednesday’s amazing 11-hour fire on Post Road that left 13 businesses affected, 7 of them destroyed after the fire raged too soon and too hot for firefighters to attack it inside the building. The Roving Photographer shows the implacable, remorseless damage. A pungent, sharp acrid smell of smoke lingered in the air throughout the day Thursday in the vicinity of the White Plains downtown.
At 7:15 Thursday evening. Fireman were still putting out hot spots at the Bengal Tiger. Photo by Patti Cantu.
For more photos, CLICK READ MORE…BELOW
The Street –Noon Thursday
OVERHEAD VIEW OF BLOCK FROM CHESTER & MAPLE GARAGE.
Court Street–what once was a beauty salon.
Behind the Bengal Tiger. Firefighters pump out water at noon Thursday.
