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 The Rushes. Theatre Mini-Review By John F. Bailey. November 22, 2008 UPDATED with Pix:  Get this holiday season’s hot ticket, folks.

 That 1960 history maker – OLIVER! The Lionel Bart  musical  that introduced the concept of turning Charles Dickens works into musicals,  turning Broadway to a new creative direction towards musicals with kids (ANNIE, comes to mind), thrilled the opening night audience at White Plains Performing Arts Center.  It is Luke Yankee’s most miraculous effort yet as a director at WPPAC.  The Man of La Mancha director for WPPAC has produced another “miracle on Main Street.”

 It’s an effort children will love because the kids are the stars!

 and Mr. Yankee and the “Ed Sullivan of White Plains,” producer Jack Batman have succeeded in giving  White Plains and Westchester an OLIVER! with a distinct Disneyesque flavor  where  the villains are just scary enough, and good wins over tragedy.

The Meanie — Mr. Bumble (the scene stealing Roland Rusinek) leading Oliver out of the orphanage for sale, for the sin of asking for more gruel. Oliver gets sold to the ghoulish Mr. Sowerberry at Sowerberry’s Funeral Home, where William Ryall as Sowerberger and wife, Jan Neuberger — perform That’s Your Funeral — a hilarious scene of slapstick and merriment.

After Oliver runs away from the funeral home, he joins up with The Artful Dodger and learns You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two: Fagin (Sidney Burgoyne) center, instructs Oliver (David Gabriel Lerner, to Fagin’s right) in the fine art of nimble fingered-filching, as The Artful Dodger (Jason Edward Cook) looks on (in top hat) as Oliver is inducted into the Fagin gang at Fagin’s hideout. 

Sidney Burgoyne a Mostellish Fagin, the ubiquitous Roland Rusinek as nasty workhouse major domo, Mr. Bumble, a rotund riot,  and William Ryall as the Zacherle-like funeral director and the kindly Dr. Grimwig are portrayed with an edge just scary enough for younger persons. Christian Whelan as the despicable Mr. Sykes is a downright good boogyman. They’re masterful at bringing belief to their characatured Dickensian prototypes..

Your Friendly Neighborhood Master of Thieves, Fagin. Played with Captain Hook-Gaston style by the energetic Mr.  Sidney Burgoyne — delights with his big solos —  Pick A Pocket or Two, Be Back Soon, and the introspectively, cackling,  eyeball-rolling soliloquy, Reviewing the Situation.

Natalie Venetia Belcon(center) as the ill-fated heroine Nancy who comes to Oliver’s rescue, conflicted by her love for nasty Bill Sykes,touched and thrilled the audience with her compelling coloratura style commanding the unrequited lovers’ laments, As Long as He Needs Me and  here, performing I’d Do Anything with The Artful Dodger.

Coming out on Opening Night and simply delighting the audience singing Food Glorious Food was a group of rambunctious, cockney-cracking urchins right out of the London slums of the 1850s lead by the perfect Oliver, David Gabriel Lerner whose sense of timing, mastery of the cockney dialect, and fluent action movements wins hearts and sentiments instantly getting you to root for him.

The ophans living at Mr. Bumble’s workhouse steal the show from the start with Food Glorious Food, complaining about getting nothing but gruel from a Mr. Bumble, who’s so nasty you want to hiss. The boys in the wise guy Brit accents are terrific. So good we’ll name them right here: John P. Geraghty, Christopher Gray, Alex Pasieka, Benjamin Milan-Polisar, Garbriel Rush,  and Noah Silverman.

Then Master Lerner as Oliver singing in perfect, understandle cockney won the opening nighters’ hearts with Where Is Love? Mr. Yankee and Mr. Batman picked the right little hero in Master Lerner.

The sets are swung in and out with smooth ease.  As we go from workhouse to  Mr.  Sowerberry’s brooding funeral parlor to mansion to Fagin’s hideout where all the pickpockets live, the backdrops of 1850s London soar to the proscenium creating the foggy dark Dickensian era – the most creative set yet on the WPPAC Little Theatre on Main Street.

The second act opening featuring Who Will Buy? is strikingly staged. Sellers of roses, strawberries stride through the theatre audience answering Oliver’s song on stage. It’s touching, uplifting and radiates hope. Mr. Yankee has used all of WPPAC in a way that makes the venue come alive with emotion. How Oliver escapes the clutches of Fagin’s gang is realistically created — by Yankee’s exacting fluent direction.

The orchestra directed by Christopher D. Littlefield is madcap Disney laying a musical bed that is evocative and showcases the soloists and the strong voiced ensemble, never overbearing and driving the show with the good nature of a Walt Disney soundtrack.

It’s Broadway every merry note of the way, transporting you to the chock-a-block London of Dickens with fog and “atmosfear.” The costumes of T. Michael Hall are period-perfect (raggamuffin-chic). The lighting of Thom Weaver is subtle and moody, with masterful variety. His creation of the Who Will Buy? scene in Act Two is a work of uplifting lighting art that supports the spellbinding singing performances of the ensemble.

If I were a parent looking for the perfect local entertainment for your family I’d call the box office now at 914-328-1600, or visit the online box office at www.wppac.com. OLIVER! plays the WPPAC through December 14.

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WPCNR’S LETTER FROM AMY.  From Assemblyperson Amy Paulin, 88th District, November 19, 2008: On Tuesday, Governor David Patterson and the leaders of the New York State Assembly and Senate made no progress on cutting spending in the third quarter of the state 2008-2009 fiscal year. Ms. Paulin, Assemblyperson from the 88th Assembly District sees this as a missed opportunity:

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. November 19, 2008: The Board of Legislators press office has released the following analysis of the County Law Department and Department of Human Resources Budgets in County Executive Andrew Spano’s 2009 Budget proposed last week:

Focus on Proposed 2009 Budget Hearings:  Law Department; Human Resources Department  

Law Department 

The county’s Law Department manages all the civil law business for the county and its departments.  Its proposed 2009 budget of $13.35 represents a 2.2 % decrease from last year’s budget.  Staffing will be reduced by one position, from its current level of 111 to 110 in 2009.

“The implementation of HAVA, the new requirements regarding E-discovery, an increased focus on pursuing child support claims and environmental consent orders with the state are driving the Law Department’s work load increase,” said County Legislator José Alvarado, Chair of the Budget & Appropriations Committee. “The proposed increase in the hourly rate charged to all county departments for law services from $135 to $139  to raise departmental and interdepartmental revenues by $450,000 is appropriate.”

“I am pleased to see that the increase in case loads has been met by growth in productivity by staff and that the impact felt by taxpayers has been reduced by cutting costs,” said County Legislator Bill Burton, Chair of the Legislation Committee which has oversight responsibility for the Law Department. “The amount of frivolous litigation concerns me.  We need to be more vigilant about that.”

Department of Human Resources

The Department of Human Resources recruits, trains and supports the civil service workforce staffing for Westchester County, the Westchester Medical Center and over120 local government agencies, including fire departments, police departments and school districts for all municipal governments with the exception of the cities of Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon and White Plains, which have their own civil service commissions.

The Department just this past weekend successfully administered the civil service exam for police officers to about 6,000 applicants. The department’s proposed 2009 budget of $5.788 million represents a modest increase of less than $200,000 over its 2008 budget, adding one staff position to centralize administration of the Family Medical Leave Act, which has undergone numerous modifications and enhancements.

“While I certainly stand behind the goals of the Family Medical Leave Act,  it has become too cumbersome to master and manage department by department. As a result, we are forced to add a position to county staff at taxpayer expense to implement an ever evolving federal policy.” said County Legislator José Alvarado, Budget Committee Chair.

 “The Human Resources Department is a good example of how county government saves local municipalities money by providing quality service on a regional basis,” said Ken Jenkins, Government Operations Committee Chair. “By handling everything from administering tests, eligible list certification, payroll certification audits and other aspects of civil service administration, to providing guidance and consultation on State and Federal labor laws, the county’s Department of Human Resources is helping to ensure government mandates are met, reducing potential exposure that could impact the budgets of 120 towns, villages, school districts, special districts, the cities of Rye and Peekskill and the Westchester Health Care Corporation.” 

Click here for an At-A-Glance overview of each department’s proposed budget.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. November 17, 2008: Governor David A. Patterson challenged the state legislators convening in Albany today releasing this statement:

“The State’s 212 legislators will meet in Albany tomorrow to take up the difficult task of closing the $1.5 billion current-year State budget deficit. As I have said since I took office, balancing the State’s finances in a year that has stripped New York of a significant portion of its annual revenue will require sacrifice, compromise and leadership.

“On November 12th, I submitted a proposal for budget reductions totaling $2 billion for my colleagues to consider, a proposal I clearly outlined along with Budget Director Laura Anglin. Though we have provided the legislature with draft bill copy and detailed briefings, we have not filed the legislation because we expected to keep these proposals open for negotiation, correction, amplification or any other changes that might come in the course of collaboration with my legislative colleagues.

“I alone cannot address this mounting deficit. It is incumbent upon the members of the Senate and Assembly to join me at the table and work toward a solution that strengthens our State and serves the people we represent.

“It is essential that we take action tomorrow. Inaction will impede our ability to produce a fair and balanced budget next year. These difficult decisions cannot be put off any longer. If my colleagues disagree with elements of the budget reduction plan I have submitted, I ask them to respond by offering their own solutions.

“I hope we will convene tomorrow with a three-way agreement that puts the fiscal health and viability of the State above all else.”

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WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. November 17, 2008: Westchester Residential Opportunities will hold a public meeting in the Battle Hill Community Room at the Battle Hill condominiums Tuesday evening at 7 PM to acquaint White Plains homeowners with their foreclosure counseling service.

The city awarded WRO $30,000 to pay for a foreclosure expert to counsel White Plains residents facing mortgage payment and possible foreclosure action as to how they can avoid foreclosure proceedings.

Within the last two weeks, notices of sale of auction of three residences foreclosed for prices ranging from $680,000  on Concord Avenue in Fisher Hill, and $1,000,000 on New York Avenue in Prospect Park and  in Gedney Farms have been advertised.

Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel told WPCNR that in the last five months,  the WRO foreclosure expert helped 6 to 7 homeowners in White Plains in foreclosure proceedings. Ms Hable said several homeowners were able with the counselor intervention, keep their homes by arranging less stressful payment schedules with their lenders. She said that a couple of homeowners were in such a poor financial situation that, with the counselor’s help they were to short-sale their homes for the amount of their outstanding mortgages, enabling the owners to preserve their credit ratings.

 Habel said the city has sent out notices of tomorrow evening’s meeting and sent out notices of availability of the WRO’s counselingservice to all homeowners receiving notices of foreclosure proceedings.