State Senate Majority Leader Skelos Statement on the Property Tax Cap as Nov. 19

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. Statement to the Press August 17, 2008 from New York State Senate Majority Leader, Dean Skelos: Next week, the Legislature will be returning to Albany to address the fiscal challenges facing New York as a result of the national economic slowdown.  I spoke with the Governor a number of times today and once again commended him for his leadership in focusing the Legislature and others on this important issue.  He is right to call for spending reductions that allow us to begin our work on next year’s Budget.

Just last week, we partnered with the Governor to pass a property tax cap that would begin to provide real relief for overburdened taxpayers. There is no more critical issue facing the Legislature than the property tax crisis facing Upstate and suburban homeowners.  Hard-working taxpayers need and deserve real property tax relief, and we urge the Assembly to pass the Governor’s property tax cap bill, along with our legislation that provides mandate relief for schools, when they are in Albany for the August 19th special session.



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The Senate Majority has been clear from the outset that this Budget will not be balanced through mid-year education cuts, State workforce layoffs or cuts that would force local governments to raise their taxes to make up for a shortfall from Albany.  Cuts of this nature, midway through the current fiscal year, would be counterproductive and would unnecessarily create hardship.

The Senate Majority is also opposed to any cuts that deprive New Yorkers of vital health services and quality health care.  I believe we can identify savings that will not impact our hospitals and other health care providers, as well as other spending reductions within a $121 billion State Budget, that if distributed fairly and equitably, would allow the Governor to achieve the spending reductions he has proposed.

In the meantime, we must redouble our efforts to root out the waste, fraud and abuse that exist in the Medicaid system so Albany is more accountable to taxpayers.

We also urge the Governor to endorse our constitutional spending cap and call on the Assembly to pass the measure.  A spending cap would limit annual increases in State spending to no more than 4 percent and help reduce next year’s projected deficit.  If this amendment was already in effect, taxpayers would have saved $2.8 billion this year alone.

As we look ahead to the 2008-09 Budget, it’s imperative that we reduce State spending and work cooperatively to overcome the State’s ongoing fiscal challenges, while protecting services that are vital to all of New York’s families.

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WBT PRODUCERS Ulla-licious! A Smash! Big Laughs Are Back. Should Run for 20 YRS

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WPCNR 8-ROWS UP CENTER LEFT. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. August 16, 2008 UPDATED WITH SLICKS: This reporter is thrilled to be making his debut review of his favorite funny movie, The Producers — also making its Westchester professional stage debut at Westchester Broadway Theatre — of Mel Brooks’ first movie and his best



 “BIALEEESCHTOCK AND BLOOOOOOME!” “The Producer-Pros” Robert Amaral (right) as Max Bialystock and Joel Newsome as his accountant sidekick,  Leo Bloom (left) are a team with their own style, chemistry, schtick and timing. Karyn McNay (the blonde always gets the ink on Broadway) as Ulla steals the show.


Observers of the Broadway stage version of The Producers, told your reporter WBT’s staging Thursday evening was as entertaining as the Broadway version with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, although Robert Amaral (Max) and Joel Newsome (Leo Bloom) were not Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. My consultants still thought it was terrific. As Mel Brooks might put it, “You’ll laugh til you plotz”






From the moment the two Usherette cuties, Karen Hyland and Tracy Wholf (in the slick below, in red)  snap you to visual attention in an inviting pas de deux in their spiffy uniform epaulets on Shubert Alley you’re whisked into bygone Broadway.  You listen in on what the critics and opening night audience are saying about Max Bialystock’s latest production,  Funny Boy! 


You’re hooked into the Damon Runyon world of the unscrupulous Broadway hustler. This nifty little number with the two cuties sets the tone as the bustle of a Broadway opening night excitement is stirred up like a glass swizzle stick swishes up a gin gimlet.



Mr. Amaral a comic mix of Jackie Gleason, Jack Lemmon, Jerry Orbach and Zero Mostel wild-eyed lunacy wins your sympathy, as every con-man does, from the first opening and closing night, when Max laments his fate singing The King of Broadway,  with various street ne’er do wells after critics kill his Funny Boy with a chorus of opening nighters singing comments like “we’re in shock, who produced this schlock?” Lyrics to die for throughout!


When Leo Bloom, played by the obsequious Gene Wilder look-alike, Newsome, comes to do Mr. Bialystock’s books, a  double shot of  champagne cocktail with a foamy stein of beer chaser of mirth, mayhem and hysteria raises the roof of the good old WBT.


Amaral and Newsome carry off a fast-talking, gag-every-five-seconds book, mesh with perfect comic timing, emote, overact, and go over the top for a full 2 hours and 45 minutes with 30 minute intermission included. The daffy duo drives this madcap, bratwurst and sausage stuffed, tasteless chaotic hoot of a play with the deadpans, the personalities of the masters Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder who created the roles.


They’re not Zero and Gene or Nathan and Matthew, but they are their own Max and Leo and the chemistry is there. Trust me, you’re gonna love it.


Amaral and Newsome should,  they’re Producer pros. They’ve played the parts on the road across the country. WBT has spared no effort to mount their own Producers as it should be mounted.


The blonde bombshell from the middle west, the iconette Karyn McNay, (also a veteran of The Producers road show) as the Swedish receptionist Ulla, (played by the fluffy Lee Meredith in the original movie), delightfully stops the show. She’s the top — every moment she flaunts, flows, undulates, and struts across the stage — giving us a combination of Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Madonna as Ulla (lots of Swedish Last names) the hopeful who drops by Max’s office.



Just as Max and Leo do, Ms. McNay stops the train of thought and gets another train started — but does not stop the whip-crackling dialogue! Her Swedish accent is a little thick, but I am not going to quibble! She is worth going off to Rio with– but that would be telling too much. Here she works her wiles on Leo, Mr. Newsome after redirecting Max’s office.


Her precocious, naughty When you Got it Flaunt it when she delivers an audition for Max and Leo, reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe’s My Heart Belongs to Daddy — is a show-topper — in which she encourages all to “show their assets” among other things that gets the house laughing uncontrolably.


The audience  was in a fine mood, thanks to Leo’s deciding to move into the producing business with Max. You know the story, don’t you, pally? Leo, doing Max’s books suggests you could make more money with a flop. Max sees this as his salvation and pleads with Bloom to join him in “We Can do It!”



Joel Newsome’s  (Leo’s) dingy offices down on Chambers Street are cleverly created on the stage with a set of cubicles,  (great concept by scene designer Peter Barbieri, Jr.)where Bloom is dominated by a CPA who bridles at “the revolting stench of self esteem” in his accountants. Bloom decides he’s not going to take it any more and sings I Want to be a Producer” in a fine soft shoe. Ahh, the seduction of the great white way! I want to be a producer too.


Great set-up but the first act — an hour and a half of it — that flies by — introduces you to Max’s source of finances…the Little Old Ladies — typified by Hold-me Touch-Me, a “little old lady” whose hilarious lust breaks up the audience in a comic tryst with Max.  I have to tell you Amy Griffin as Hold-me Touch-Me grapples with Max hilariously here as he pleads with her for “the checky.”


 



The Producers, Max and Leo set off to find the worst play — Springtime for Hitler, A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva in the Burtesgarden. They go to meet the playwright tending his pigeons  played by Eric Anderson. What a character!  He makes them take the oath of allegiance to der Fuerher but you will see where this is going.


Then it’s off to find the world’s worst director, Roger De Bris where the duo meet a different world. They meet his companion and servant, the utterly divine Carmen Ghia played by John West, whose exits and entrances milk the audience for laughs until they are gasping.  He is too funny in his send-ups. It is illegal for Mr. West to be this funny. Mr. West is the gay man’s gay man. When Roger is finally introduced in drag, he first objects to doing the musical about Hitler, singing Keep It Gay, an admonishment to producers everywhere in selecting a play. Every scene in this play is stand-alone funny in and of itself.



Act One raps up with Max and the Little Old Ladies performing a song and dance routine with walkers ad Max sets about raising the cash with his “backers“ — you have to see how those walkers set a new standard in choreography props — and they all sing Along Came Bialy together. That’s Mr. West as Carmen Ghia on far right, front with Craig Fols as the director, Roger De Bris, with Max and Leo, of course.


After Act One’s assault on sensibilities and all that is politically correct, you need that 30-minute intermission. The energy of this cast is astounding and was rewarded with “bravos” going to intermission. But then it’s Broadway baby.


Act Two takes us to rehearsals and auditions — hilarious in and of themselves — and the playwright the obsessed Nazi adorer, Franz Liebkind wins the part of Hitler. As he arrives for opening night, he breaks his leg and Roger the director assumes the part.



Max and Leo singing You Never Say Good Luck on Opening Night


Springtime for Hitler opens in the most outrageously outrageous, funny as Hell scene WBT has ever staged. Chorus girls with beer steins for headgear, draped in sausages and steins, German Eagles for headresses with brown shirted Nazi troopers singing Springtime for Hitler and Germany. Dazzling lighting by Andrew Gmoser makes the scene one you will always remember. It’s offensive. It’s schlock. It’s shock. Beyond tasteless. But hysterical. I defy you not to laugh. It goes on forever with bursting voluptuousness of bratwurst and the foamy head of a beer. I especially like the chorus girls in the little Panzer Tanks. Kudos to the costume guy, Matthew Hemesath.


You are then introduced to Craig Fols (Roger De Bris)  as Der Fuehrer who sings “Heil Myself” with Karyn McKay’s Ms.Ulla strutting herself once more. Fols is “over the roof” hysterical in this bit.


So the play is a hit. The critics love it. But the playwright feels mocked. He goes berserk and attempts to shoot Leo and Max, missing of course which ends Max up in a courtroom when the cops discover two sets of books.


How the muscial meanders its hilarious way to send us into the summer night grinning and satisfied, you cannot beat it. Be warned though — the jokes are dirty. The “F-word” is said. It is a sexy show. It is a show that has won the most Tonys in history. And by the way has grossed $214 Million on the road since 2002.


Highlights — Bob Amaral’s incredible soliloquy Betrayed where he recaps the entire play grousing about how things have turned out. Mr. Newsome’s  Til Him extolling male bonding.


The WBT real life “Producers” Bill Stutler and Bob Funking have assembled a huge cast, a bouncy, comically gifted orchestra and used video screens, multi-level stages and imaginative to their maximum creativity, and allowed veteran Producers-maven David Edwards to direct The Producers Producers. 


Edwards  the director, played Bialystock and Bloom in the First National Tour. He brings a sure, deft hand for timing, choregraphy and nuance that paces the madcap show that sprawls and ripples like a too tight dress on a buxom blonde — it’s overflowing, cleavage the works —  too much to take in all at once, yet  comprehensive, dramatic, and spectacularly schmaltzy and schnappsy to this box office sure-thing.


Hats off to the orchestra behind the scenes   under the baton of Leo Carusone — maniacal, frantic, Chaplinesque music…underplaying the singers splendidly.   Sound was slick throughout. Best set: the evocative perspective view out of Max’s office with the theatre marquees.


So you go see it twice, baby. And, did I mention you get dinner included in the price of your ticket? What a steal!


If you have not seen The Producers on Broadway, or have seen it, or not  seen the movie call for tickets now. But go see it again, and you won’t care about today’s economy.


You’ll also wish someone would produce a full-length musical Springtime for Hitler.


We also need a musical now about “The Developers.” I have plenty of material, Mr. Bialystock! Read this book!


My consultants, the Broadway experts say it is the best show WBT has ever done. Call the box office before it’s too late, 914-592-2222 or the WBT website box office, www.broadwaytheatre.com.



Seen on Press Night:


The dynamic former morning information and entertainment team on WFAS Radio encountered each other. The newsman who brought Westchester up to date, Peter Katz, (now appearing weekly on White Plains Week, left, and the morning man, Bob E. Lloyd who for decades read those school closings, and got Westchester off and working Monday through Friday. Mr. Lloyd came in especially for Press Night. It was good to see him again. It was good to see Mr. Katz, too, Westchester’s most distinguished and accurate news analyst.



 

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City cable telecasts lose sound

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WPCNR MEDIA OBSERVER. August 15, 2008 : Local telecasts on Channel 76, which originates cable public access programming within White Plains had picture but no audio for all of its shows Friday evening.


The White Plains Week television show which aired at 7:30 P.M. WITHOUT SOUND may be viewed in its complete broadcast quality with sound on the website http://www.whiteplainsweek.com.

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The Sports Therapists Are No Longer In.

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen. August 15, 2008:  New York’s sports therapists are no more. Monday afternoons will never be the same in New York.  When the Giants blew another game on Sunday afternoon, you tuned in to Mike and The Mad Dog to round up the usual suspects. When the Knickerbockers had another debacle, you tuned in to hear Francesca and Russo light them up. You delighted in it. When the Metropolitans let another lead slip away, M&TMD  made it better as fans listened  to their blunt knowledgeable criticism, they made the hurt and the heartbreak go away.



Yankee Stadium, 2003



Being a rat dog dick of a reporter, who loves train wrecks and exposing the fallacies and poor judgments and conspiracies of life, it was more fun when New York had a big sports loss, or a ball club was in trouble, because then Mike and Chris just shown. The negative sports talk that they allowed sportscallers to call in and blast, and let the “professionals” have it, was catharthic.


WFAN announced last night that Mr. Russo would not be returning to the program in September when Mr. Francesca will be soloing alone, pending a new partner, a new format, whatever. But the feel will be different.


I stopped listening a number of years ago, but still the program was unique. It pioneered. It made sports radio. Even ESPN Radio with all its money has never equaled the spontaneity and the feel for what the fans want to talk about.


 Often imitated, their format of two guys talking sports was humorous, kept things in perspective, and immensely knowledgeable bringing up parts of sporting events with blunt honesty and drawing out analysis that expanded the average fan’s knowledge of the game. They entertained. They educated. But kept things in perspective for both the sport-obsessed and casual fan.


Francesa when solo is interesting to listen to. So is Russo. But together as so many bereft sportscallers were calling in yesterday, they were special.


Not since Bob and Ray has a radio team been so unique together. We’ll miss them. Like Bob and Ray, who were a humor team, when you stumbled on them on the dial. You could not move past the dial, you had to keep listening to hear in B and R’s case, the gist of the comedy bit.


With M & C, their unique New York-accent voices were compelling unlike the canned, modulated professional announcer sound of most of the nondescript ESPN announcers. Listening to M & C, was like talking sports in a bar to an extent. No other sportstalk show duplicated that.  Even the Mike and the Mad Dog clone shows that FAN has put together in desperation cannot hold adjust the clean-up talkers mikes. Imitation of the original is never the same.


I will particularly miss them when the Giants playing a varsity schedule this year suddenly are not so good. No one can light up sports management like Francesa and Russo could as a team.


I will wonder how Chris and Mike  would have handled it when the Knickerbockers get run out of every arena in the league this year because they cannot play defense. Running is going to save the Knicks? They’re going to be destroyed by teams will scorers. I will miss that uniquely dismissive way Mike and Chris had of humiliating Knick management on the air after the first month and the Knicks have not won a game.


When postmorteming losses, the mourning was never complete until you got the Mike and the Mad Dog take.


I’ll miss Chris next spring when the Yankees try and sell you on their 2009 changes. Russo and Francesa told it like it was.


Neither was better than the other. Neither tried to dominate the other as many team sportstalkers do.


Francesa and Russo. Mike and The Mad Dog.  Perfect together.


You never know when something you count on will go away, and how much you will miss it when it’s gone.


They were  Maris and Mantle in the SportsTalk all-time lineup.

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Ray Mitchell Honored as Outstanding 2007 Football Senior. Receives Art Monk Awar

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. August 14, 2008: Dan Woodard, former White Plains High Principal, and tireless advocate for athletic achievement in White Plains, with football coach Michael Skip Stevens presented a $1,000 check from this week’s NFL Hall of Fame inductee and White Plains High great, Art Monk, witha a crystal spire trophy to Ray Mitchell the star running back and receiver for the 2007 White Plains football team at Loucks Field today.



Number 33 Ray Mitchell chosen outstanding 2007 Football Senior, receives Art Monk Award. Coach Michael Skip Stevens, left, Dan Woodard, former White Plains High School Principal, at right.



 


Mr. Mitchell will play football while attending Hartwick College in Oneonta, starting practice this Saturday, he said. He plans to major in business, and hopes to fit in, any way he can on the team, and help Hartwick, which he described as a strong winning program continue its football success.



Ray Mitchell, hanging slightly back, about to set up a TD (Center of action) following James Bryant about ready to throw a key block that would spring The Rayman  at 3rd and 10 from the 39 for a 24 yard run to the 15 yard line to set up the first Tiger Touchdown in the second quarter  in WP’s victory over Scarsdale last season.


Mitchell praised his White Plains High experiences, saying that former players such as Marcus Austin who come back to help the program were a great inspiration and created a strong White Plains football performance ethic. He said he appreciated the team efforts of coaches to help each other and work for the betterment of the program. Complimented on Mr. Mitchell‘s proclivity for orchestrating comebacks and making big plays when the team was behind, Mr. Mitchell attributed that to the former players who helped him and the coaches: “At White Plains, we never believe a game is over until the scoreboard reads 0:00.”


Mitchell said he planned to use his $1,000 for purchase of books and academic needs. Mr. Woodard thanked Mr. Monk for his $1,000 gift, which Mr. Monk has given to deserving White Plains football seniors annually for the last fifteen years. Woodard said Mr. Monk always tells him to give the money to the player he believes most deserves it for their academic and athletic contributions.



 

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Build 240 Main Street to 28 Stories, 50 Stories, 65 stories and Up.

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WPCNR THE DEVELOPER NEWS. News & Comment. By John F. Bailey August 14, 2008: Reporter Keith Eddings description of the impasse on the Cappelli Enterprises affordable housing obligation before the developer can open the Ritz second tower: whether to collect $1.2 Million from Cappelli Enterprises and let that firm off the hook for 17 units of affordable housing for the Trump Tower, or extend the developer more time to build them is interesting.


Here you have Mr. Eddings quoting Paul Wood, the Mayor’s Executive Officer to wit, “The question is, what do you get for $1.2 million? Can you build 17 units for that?”



White Plains B.C. –1950s. B.C. (Before Cappelli) Dead in 2001, shunned by big time developers and property owners. (WPCNR Collection)



White Plains 2008 A.C. (After Cappelli)  4 towers, 1 hotel, 1 four level shopping center, built in 7 years


(WPCNR Photo)


And later in the same report, Louis Cappelli is quoted as saying, “How can you build affordable housing for $450,000 a unit?” in his lament that the city designated the 240 Main Street building as a high rise increased his cost and made the project unaffordable.


The interesting thing is, last Friday, the Common Council agreed to a deal that pays LCOR $50.5 Million in real taxpayer dollars (abated taxes) (over 24 years) to build 107 affordable units, which works out to $472,000 a unit. So the city itself is paying $472,000 a unit for one affordable housing unit at least in the LCOR deal. This is being reported as only about a $27 Million tax abatement, but by the city’s own figures sheet they list it as a $50.5 Million tax abatement which are the real tax dollars.


Now the City Hall WPCNR Monitoring Service noted this in the first edition of the article, and Paul Wood diplomatically called and said that $27 Million is the real value of today’s dollars of the abatement, it is costing LCOR, he says $221,000 a unit to build in today’s dollars. Mr. Wood says  the city is giving LCOR a “subsidy” to build the affordable units, paying them back in cheaper dollars, $50.5 Million of them. He says the net value of those $50.5 Million is $27 Million. Nevertheless, no matter what the inflation-eroded value of the $50 million, 500th dollar you are still giving $50.5 Million dollars away. At the time that  the $50 million, five-hundredth dollar is deducted from LCOR’s tax in 2032, that is a whole real dollar in 2032.



Now, of course there is a way out of this. As has been  reported on my weekly television show, White Plains Week, for at least three years now, the 240 Main Street spot is too valuable a piece of real estate to sully with affordable housing. But if the building were made higher, providing more units I believe any developer would be happy to build there.


Perhaps if the Council allowed Cappelli Enterprises to increase the height of the building say to 65 stories, enabling the firm to build a building that could pay for itself and be a true high rise which could be marketed for satisfying profit, maybe, maybe Cappelli Enterprises might consider building it and even adding to the affordable housing inventory beyond the 17 units.


I think a 70-story building marking a renewed interest of Cappelli Enterprises in White Plains would be a grand solution to a situation that the Common Council created themselves anyway. Cappelli Enterprises was ready to build the units. They would not let him. They wanted Ginsburg Development to build them.


(Such is the credibility of WPCNR, and the thousands that believe and rely on WPCNR for the news that is true, I regret the concern, alarm and panic expressed by a caller, that I was advocating a 70-story building on the 240 Main site. I was exaggerating to make a point, satirizing if you will. )


The council said no, they felt the city should be open to other developers and relied on another developer to build Cappelli Enterprise affordable commitment. It did not work out. Now, Cappelli Enterprises is being victimized by the Council’s own naivete.


WPCNR placed a call to Cappelli Enterprise public relations firm, Thompson & Bender, to see if an overture to build a higher, tonier 240 Main Street 50 stories, 65 stories — the sky’s the limit– was perhaps on their leader’s mind, and whether that opportunity might solve the hand-wringing over the affordable housing.


Makes sense to me,


However, why should the council turn down $1.2 Million from Cappelli Enterprises? Take the money and run. At least, we know Cappelli Enterprises is good for it, and Cappelli Enterprises has no trouble getting a bankroll, unlike some developers recently.


At least we know that when Cappelli Enterprises speaks, people,  big time hoteliers, and markets listen, and the voice of Cappelli moves markets, even the world’s leading luxury hotel listened to him.


Mr. Cappelli has given us City Center, the world’s premier hotel, Ritz-Carlton, and has actually paid us around $8 Million a year in tax payments for the last 8 years  not to mention the the ancillary sales tax effects. 


I cannot see consistency from the Common Council in their positions.


Take the money and run, Council. Or kiss and make up with Cappelli Enterprises and forget this high rise designation nonsense. No way an 8-story building is a high rise. Come on.


But 70-stories — that’s a high rise.


That would make sense to an Ultra-Developer, but I am not advocating 70 stories, take it easy out there, people.


A profitable one at that that will be poised for the boom and bring back the only developer who has ever really helped the city to survive when all else are hemorraging red ink  — fast.


Mr. Eddings also in a rare coup — a speak-to with Donald Trump — reports Mr. Trump is considering partnering with Mr. Cappelli elsewhere in the county. How about “Twin Trumps” in White Plains? With the right height anything’s possible, right? With the economies of other cities in the county tanking, where would you build if you were an Ultra-Developer?


It is not Cappelli Enterprises fault that the city mismanages its assets, buys open space for millions, never fights a certiorari bandit, and overspends on its school system.


Yet last week, the Common Council gave to LCOR exclusive development rights to city property on Bank Street on a project that has not even been designed yet — while a year ago they denied the same sphere of favored developer status to Cappeli Enterprises on the Station Square project — saying they wanted other developers to have a chance.


Where is the consistency? Station Square was great. The LCOR project is an aesthetic mystery at this time — a bad idea.


Why can’t the Council negotiate a better 240 Main Street project and kiss and make up with the developer who created the rennaisance?


Are we going to keep the Super Developer developing for White Plains, or really say “good bye?”


You’re going to need him the next four years. 

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Photograph of the Day–Bill Ryan is Back!

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. By a WPCNR Roving Photographer. August 13, 2008: Today’s photo, taken last night at the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations features Chair of the County Board of Legislators, Bill Ryan with legislator Judith Meyers, who addressed the CNA on the millions of county dollars available for flood control projects.


So far only 9 of 46 Westchester Communities have applied to the county for projects taking advantage of this aid. Meyers told WPCNR that it is possible that White Plains could  have the county repair the decades-of-incompatible  city-county drainage systems in the Railside avenue area where a 20 inch city sewer main pipe drains into a 16-inch county pipe, which was blamed by the city for flooding in that area last year causing basement flooding in scores of homes. 



Bill Ryan is Back!. Legislator Judith Meyers demonstrates color coded county drainage schemes. Photo by WPCNR Roving Photographer, Lou Bruno.


Mr. Ryan, appearing for one of the first times in public since a heart operation earlier this summer, seemed in excellent spirits and well on the road to recovery.  Ryan said he hoped that the city leadership would encourage city commissioners to seek out and use county department expertise and facilities to work together to solve problems, flooding and otherwise.



Pilgrim Road flooding off Railside Avenue.  County, City pipe incompatibility still unaddressed. WPCNR File Photo


 


 

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Planning Board Blesses Saxon Woods Assisted Living Complex Rear of Ethical Soc.

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WPCNR THE PLANNING BOARD REPORT. August 13, 2009: The Planning Board voted 4 to 1 Tuesday evening to advise the Zoning Board of Appeals that it had no problem with approving a zoning variance for the assisted living facility proposed to be built on Saxon Woods Road, with access through the Westchester Ethical Culture Society entrance off Saxon Woods Road. The project has been stalled for six years due to previous adamant opposition from the city to the project.



Coming to Saxon Woods: The Renamba assisted senior living project of approximately 115 units was greenlighted by the Planning Board last night. It is planned to be built to the left of the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester top building with access off of Saxon Woods Road (the fork off Mamaroneck Avenue (green and yellow road). The white rectangle in lower center of your picture is the Saxon Woods Pool & complex. Photo by Google Satellite.


John Garment Chairman of the Planning Board said that Secretary to the Planning Board, Eileen McClain had not typed up the actually Planning Board conditions under which the board determined the project could go ahead, but expected them ready by Friday.


Garment said the  finding effect was  “that if it (the Zoning Board) sees fit, it is appropriate to approve the project.”



Garment said the Planning Board had no problem with the city granting access to water through the city system, or granting access to the Scarsdale site through the Ethical Culture Society property driveway. These two conditions, previously vigorously opposed by the city, had long been a road block to the project since former Planning Commissioner Mike Graessle and Department of Public Works Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti had strongly voiced opposition to the project six years ago.


Asked if Renamba LLC had changed the project in some way that alleviated the concerns the city had expressed six years ago, Garment said “that I don’t know. Basically this was the feeling of the members of the Planning Board, the members right now. We had access to the approvals made in Scarsdale approving this. We had the feeling this was not a question of appropriateness, but there wasn’t much we could do about it other than imposing significant conditions (upon any approval).”


The matter now comes before the Zoning Board of Appeals September 3. There was no public hearing at the Planning Board on the project after the representatives from Renamba made the presentation last night.


Renamba in order to gain access to the Scarsdale site off Saxon Woods Road, has agreed to pay The Ethical Culture Society of Westchester $400,000 for an easement, and $25,000 a year for the first ten years of use of the Society driveway.


 

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State Graduation Rates Improve.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From State Education Department. August 12, 2008: Statewide high school graduation results reported by school districts and released today show that:

 



  • Statewide, almost 69 percent of the students who started 9th grade in 2003 had graduated after 4 years, by June 2007. This is almost 3 percentage points higher than for students two years before.

  • For the first time, the State Education Department is able to collect data showing graduation rates in August. Statewide, 71 percent of the students who started 9th grade in 2003 had graduated by August 2007.

  • A fifth year of high school makes a difference for many students. Among students who started 9th grade in 2002, 73 percent had graduated by 2007, an increase of six percentage points or 13,000 more students during the fifth year.

  • The 4-year graduation rate of African-American students increased from 45 to 51 percent between 2005 and 2007, although it remains far too low and far below the rate of white students. Also, more Black students are staying in school.

  • The 4-year graduation rate of Hispanic students increased from 42 to 47 percent between 2005 and 2007, although it also remains far too low. Also, more Hispanic students are staying in school.

  • A fifth year makes a significant difference for Black and Hispanic students. About 10 percent more graduated in the fifth year.


           



  • New York City has increased its 4-year graduation rate from 46.5 percent in 2005 to 52 percent in 2007. Almost 10 percent more students graduated in the fifth year.
  • The 4-year graduation rate for students with disabilities has declined, although more students are staying in school and not dropping out. Graduation rates are especially low in high need districts.
  • The 4-year graduation rate for English Language Learners is also low and declining.


 


            “Graduation rates have improved slightly overall, but they need to improve much faster,” Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett said. “Students must graduate and continue their education to ensure their lifetime earnings will support themselves and their families. The potential is there. Resources have increased, and will increase again this coming year. School leaders and teachers must use practices that work, create better connections between middle and high school, and call on higher education and business to partner. This will be a major issue for the Board of Regents this coming year.”


 


“Too many do not graduate, yet the three year trends are encouraging,” State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said.  “Black and Hispanic students showed 5.5 and 5.2 percentage point gains in the 2003 cohort when compared to those who started ninth grade in 2001.  White students improved too, but not as fast – another indicator of a narrowing achievement gap.  Each cohort did better than the one before, and within cohorts, the fifth and sixth year results show a still greater proportion of the class graduating.  Persistence counts. Even the June to August improvements are promising. Teachers and principals combined pressure and support during the summer months to get another 5,500 students over the bar last August.”


 


Commissioner Mills went on to say, “The many examples of improvement don’t yet outweigh the remaining challenges, but there are enough of them to demonstrate that thousands more children have graduated than just a few years ago and more will graduate in the years immediately ahead. We have to keep our focus and urgency and help the students who still are not succeeding.”


 


 


 


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Dist Leadrs Bow to Party Boss, Not Democracy: Hockley. 10 Out Miss Deadline

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WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey. August 11, 2008: Richard Garfunkel of Tarrytown, a White Plains resident of 33 years, engineer of a similar reorganization of new blood in the White Plains Democratic Party in the late 1970s  and Glen Hockley, the Common Councilman announced a campaign to try to break what they described as a closed shop of district leaders in the White Plains Democratic City Committee doing the bidding of  County Legislator William Ryan and Assemblyman Adam Bradley in the selection of candidates and district leaders through party chair Elizabeth Shollenberger.


Hockley and his attorney blamed a judge’s instructions for their missing a deadline that cost them an opportunity in court to reinstate 10 of their challengers whom the Board of Elections had invalidated their politicians.



Richard Garfunkel, Councilman Glen Hockley, and Valentina Mancuso, one of the challengers for District Leader in District 14 at the Board of Elections in White Plains Monday evening


Garfunkel said  the party leaders tight rein on handpicked district leaders was taking away the ballot from voters, and “transparency” since fewer and fewer voters came out to vote because there was no competition due to the demise of the Republican Party in Westchester County. Garfunkel said primary turnout was going lower and lower, allowing primary voters, a distinct minority to choose the candidates presented to the electorate. He pointed to Adam Bradley’s “finessing” of  Democrat Assemblywoman Naomi Matusow in the Democratic Primary of 2002 which effectively won Bradley his present seat in the Assembly by 22 votes in that primary. He easily defeated the Republican opponent.  Bradley faces no opposition this year from the Republican side.


 


 


Bernstein Bump Off the Catalyst.


Garfunkel and then Hockley charged the party leadership use of proxy votes of inactive District leaders combined with a nucleus of 25 such district leaders who regularly meet,  cooperated  with  party leadership “cavalierly” to  “bump off” Councilman Arnold Bernstein from the 2007 council ticket.  who


The Bernstein bump-off blocked him from seeking reelection from the voters. Bernstein was replaced by Milagros Lecuona (a U.S. citizen for just two years at the time) on the ticket. Garfunkel said this “bumping off” of Bernstein (for a hertofore unknown favorite) got him involved in mounting the challenge in the September 9 primary coming up.


 “This is not democracy,” Hockley said, a refrain he repeated often in the sidewalk media event. Garfunkel said that Councilman Benjamin Boykin’s voting pattern was the same as Bernstein’s, and questioned why Boykin was not dumped for not being a real democrat. “When you’re elected you represent the entire town,” Garfunkel said, “and should not be judged based on party loyalty.”


Hockley and Garfunkel introduced two challengers from among the 52 petition-cleared White Plains residents contesting 29 of 42 White Plains Election Districts  saying they were mounting the challenge to remove present party leadership which they charged practiced undemocratic practices.


Takeover Target Not Clear


WPCNR asked  Garfunkel how many of the 52 challengers would have to win their districts for control to be equalized or seized from the powers that currently control the party. Garfunkel said it depended on which weighted districts were won. Asked what those weighted districts were, Garfunkel said he did not have that answer. All 42 Election Districts are assigned voter-weighting contingent upon how many voted in those districts in the last Gubernatorial election (2006), Garfunkel said.


WPCNR asked whether District Leaders would be assigned who actually lived in their districts if enough new leaders were elected. Garfunkel said the party could not change the statewide law, and could not dictate that requirement, but promised  district leaders should be actually from the election districts they represent and be active in their districts moving forward.


Some live in the Election Districts they are running. Some do not.


 One Hockley-Garfunkel candidate, Valentina Mancuso, of Lake Street (in District 23), with Rachel Eckhaus, residing on Longview Avenue (on the West side of Mamaroneck Avenue, out of Election District 14 where Ms. Eckhaus is running) against the spouse of the head of the City Democratic Nominating Committee, Barbara Schwarz who lives on Easton Avenue, and Councilperson Rita Malmud who lives on Seymour Place, both addresses in District 14.  Ms. Mancuso said she was running to serve the best interests of White Plains.



Another Hockley-Garfunkel District Leader candidate introduced was Lucas Simia, second from left,  who has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, and is finishing his degree in criminal justice. Mr. Simia lives on Prospect Street with his family and is running against Victor Avendano  of Oakwood Avenue and Eridania Camacho on Longview Avenue, both incumbent district leaders living in Election District 39.. Simia said he lives just around the corner from Oakwood on Prospect Street slightly out of the district.


More of an at-large system than a Ward System?


But it turns out that it is not unsual among District Leaders to live outside of the district they “District Lead.” Garfunkel said in order to be a District Leader, all you have to do is live within the Assembly District, either 88 or 89. This is the law statewide, according to Deputy Commissioner of the Board of Elections Jeanne Palazola who explained this to WPCNR Monday afternoon, you do not have to live in an Election District to be a “City Committee Member” as  district leaders are known as in Board of Election parlance. You just have to reside in the Assembly district.


 


 Henry Ferlauto, one of the Garfunkel-Hockley challengers said he planned to campaign door to door in the district he was running, (District 29) in which he lives, as does one of his district leader opponents, Monique Guidry. However, the other incumbent District Leader, Tony Pascal Offurum lives on South Lexington Avenue on the West side of town way cross town from District 29.


However, it is not unusual for District Leaders in White Plains to not live anywhere close to the Election Districts they supposedly represent. Nancy Yanofsky lives on New York Avenue deep in the White Plains Southend  enclave of Prospect Park(actually Election District 12, yet she is District leader in District 16 in the North End of town above Hamilton Avenue. Her companion District Leader, Rhoda Fidler lives at City Place—which is below Hamilton Avenue, actually in District 30, adjacent to District 16. Opposing Fidler and Yanofsky are Garfunkel Hockley challengers Stephen and Judith Ross who amazingly actually live in District 16.


Interestingly, Saul Yanofsky – also living on New York Avenue in District 12, Prospect Park (in the heart of a very posh Southend of town is district leader in District 21 (Fisher Hill) entirely on the other side of Post Road, not quite as tony as Prospect Park.  Yanofsky’s companion District Leader  Geoffrey D. Smith, living on Midland Avenue also represents District 21, yet  he actually lives there. Mr. Yanofsky and Mr. Smith are opposed by Fernando Cortes of Jefferson Avenue in Battle Hill (District 33) and Harris Lieber of Greenacres Avenue which is in District 21.


 


Ten Candidates Bumped for Following Court Instructions. Toss Fairness Questioned.


Mr. Hockley charged that ten of his petitioners were “undemocratically” prevented from running by a  technicality on their petitions by the Board of Elections. The failure to put the name of the township, instead putting the name of the town the witnesser of the petitions. He said this was not democratic.



 


Last year the Board of Elections tried a similar ploy to oust Candace Corcoran from the Ballot, but Corcoran pointed out to Reginald Lafayette, Democratic Commissioner of the Board of Elections, of the court decision that struck down just this kind of error as grounds for voiding petitions. Lafayette withdrew the Board of Elections objection to Corcoran’s petitions.l  It is conceivable that had Judge Nicolai not tossed the Garfunkel-Hockley suit, due to the missed deadline because he specified overnight mail delivery (which failed) courts might have upheld those 10 Hockley candidates on similar grounds. 


Hockley and his attorney, Jay Boyarsky of New York  contended that their suit in Supreme Court to overturn the Board of Election ruling tossing the Garfunkel Hockley 10  should not have been thrown out by Judge Francis Nicolai because though the Board of Elections was presented with a show cause order the day before the Board was supposed to get it and because they followed Judge Nicolai’s instructions to “overnight mail” the “response” to the 10 persons objecting to the 10 petitioners running, the show cause order was not received by the respondents until a day later.



Note judge’s instruction in handwriting, stating the response to the 10 protestors listed on the front page of the court document above should be “overnight”


 Subsequently, when the Garfunkel/Hockley papers arrived a day late, Judge Nicolai ruled that the Hockley challenge had missed the deadline to proceed with the court case, even though Mr. Boyarsky said they had followed the Judge’s instructions. Boyarsky said since they had followed the judge’s instructions, it was not their fault they were late in serving the respondents, citing grounds that he was late because he had followed the judge’s orders.


Anybody can be a district leader, City Committee Observer notes.


 Paul Schwarz, the head of the Democrat City Committee Nominating Committee, which came in for criticism from Mr. Hockley for appointing a member of the Nominating Committee to Vice Chair of the party, as being “not democracy,”  Schwarz scoffed at the notion of a district leader closed door policy, saying to WPCNR “all you have to do to be a district leader in the White Plains Democrat City Committee is walk in the door.”


Schwarz also charged that many of those running as challengers were former Republicans, implying they were not real Democrats.  However according to the ballot, they are all Democrats now.

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