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JIM BENEROFE , MR. RETAIL ON THE CITY'S FLABBY SALES TAX WHAT'S WRONG.
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David Buchwald Announces Engagement to Lara Samet
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David Buchwald November, 2011 on the White Plains Week program.
WPCNR PERSONALITIES. May 20, 2013:
New York State Assemblyman White Plains own David Buchwald has announced his engagement to Ms. Lara Samet, a litigation attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
Ms. Samet is a native of New Jersey and resident of Manhattan. She is a graduate of Duke University (magna ***** laude) and NYU School of Law (***** laude).
Assemblyman Buchwald is a native of Westchester County and a resident of White Plains, where he served on the City's Common Council for three years prior to his election to the Assembly in 2012.
He now represents the towns of Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mt. Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, and Pound Ridge and half of the City of White Plains.
Assemblyman Buchwald is a graduate of Yale University, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Law School (***** laude). For the six years prior to serving in the State Assembly, he was an attorney in the tax department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
The couple has not set a wedding date, though they are looking at the first half of next year.
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School Budget Vote Tuesday 12 Noon to 9: $193.4 Million, up 2.4%;Taxes up 3.1%
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. May 20, 2013:
Registered voters in White Plains go to the 6 polling places in White Plains Tuesday to approve or disapprove the 2013-14 school year budget and to approve reelection to another term for two incumbent school board members, Sheryl Brady and Charles Norris, “approve” is the operative word here since neither Ms. Brady nor Mr. Norris have opponents.
The Polling Places:
District 1: Battle Hill Fire Station # 5
District 2: Church Street School (reeidents above Hamilton Ave.)
District 3: Rochambeau School
District 4: Highlands School
District 5: Mamaroneck Avenue School
District 6: Ridgeway School
The budget, is praised by the Board of Education:
“We are proud ot the excellent fiscal management of the district over the last several years (Editor’s note: during the three years of outgoing Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Christopher Clouet), which has enabled us to put forth a budget which is in full compliance with the state mandated tax levy cap (of 2%), and has no major program or staffing cuts. ..
Two new guidance counselors (for the middle school and high school) will further ensure that our students have the educational support required for academic success. Restoring the school resource officer position will provide an extra measure of safety for our students. And in response to parent input, we are retraining the Library/Media staffing at our elementary schools at current levels.”
In 2012-13, the school budget was $188.8 Million, and is going up, if the budget is approved Tuesday to $193.4 Million, but this is without a contract with the teachers union as yet, which has begun a fact-finding procedure with the district with newly appointed interim Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors reportedly taking a lead role in the new attempt to arrive at a contract that would retroactively cover the current year and into the future. Teachers twice voted down contracts presented them by the Board of Education and negotiated by the Finance Commiteee which sought to eliminate automatic step increases in return for teachers not having to pay more for health benefits.
If the school budget is voted down, the district has the choice of resubmitting the budget or going to a Contingency Budget based on a formula that reduces the budget to $187,2 Million which would reduce the budget by $6 Million, the equivalent of, depending on what the district decides, 60 full time employed positions.
In 2012, when voters were presented with a similar 3.o3% tax increase, 1,113 voters of 29,000 registered voters turned out (5% of registered voters) and voted 901 to 212 to approve the budget.
Note: On the television program WHITE PLAINS WEEK, John Bailey interviewed Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business for the city school district, May 3. To see that interview, go to www.whiteplainsweek.com and click on the program for May 3, 2013
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If Funds Are Short, Should County Fund the Playland Childrens Museum With Tax $$
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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. WESTCHESTER POLL. MAY 18, 2013:
At a news conference this week, the Childrens Museum Group and three County Legislators pointed out how the County has delayed turning over possession of the Playland North Bathhouse to the Childrens Museum to develop for about a year.
Spokespersons for the Museum group, said they have spent about $6 Million on the project so far, and currently have about $2.5 Million to begin building out the project, but need about $6 Million to $10 Million more dollars. They said Thursday that they can build the museum interior in 14 to 18 months.
They expect perhaps several million in funds once they obtain possession of the building. But, they admitted that County foot-dragging on giving them occupancy and standing as developers of the museum have severely hampered fund-raising.
Another possibility is for a state-run agency to fund whatever balance they need.
Should the county step up and finance the construction of the museum, funding as much as $6 Million to $10 Million for the project--if the Childrens Museum fundraising efforts fall short?
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April Sales Tax $$ Soft Off 3%. City Needs Boffo Finish to Avert $$ Shortfall
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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. May 17, 2013:
White Plains Sales Tax Colllections were down 3% in April from the amount collected last year according to state Department of Taxation and Finance figures reported to WPCNR this week.
Two months ago, in March, receipts were $10,000 shorty of March 2012 receipts, and gave the impression an upturn in retail activity was beginning after the sales tax receipts had declined at a 2% pace for four straight months.
The city has earned $41.6 Million in sales taxes through April, 2% off last year's collections.
Westchester County,in contrast is up 4% through the first four months of 2013, about $6 Million ahead.
If the city equals the sales tax receipts it collected in May and June last year ($8.1 MILLION for the 2 months) the city will gross $49.8 MILLION about $1.1 to $1.2 MILLION less than it collected in 2011-12-producing a 2% decline.
If May and June are softer, the city transfer of $5 Million to the Fund Balance Stability Fund with which they used to cover salary and labor raises for 2012-13, and plan to do so in the 2013-14 and beyond, this may present a problem.
The city has been extracting money from the Fund Balance Stability Fund to cover city wage increases.
In a related development, Moody's after reviewing the city budget announced they have removed the Negative Outlook they have given White Plains bonds in their credit ratings, according to City Council President Beth Smayda. Smayda said the removal was based the city policy of not bonding for tax certiorari refunds and restoring the fund balance by devoting a portion of sales tax receipts each year to the stability fund.
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Employment Gains Slowly Through Hud Valley Region
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WPCNR LABOR LEDGER. From the New York State Department of Labor. May 16, 2013:
For the 12-month period ending in April 2013, private sector employment in the Hudson Valley Region increased by 10,200 or 1.4 percent. Employment gains were strongest in trade, transportation and utilities (+4,400), followed by educational and health services (+2,900), leisure and hospitality (+2,800), professional and business services (+2,700), and other services (+900).
Meanwhile, job losses were centered in information (-1,300), natural resources, mining and construction and manufacturing – both down 800 jobs respectively, and financial activities (-600). The government sector shed 3,200 jobs over the year.
The regional economy continued to expand in April 2013. Private sector job growth was spread throughout the region. Percentage wise, Kingston posted the strongest job growth (+2.7 percent); followed by Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown (+2.3 percent); and the Putnam-Rockland-Westchester labor market area (+1.0 percent). Sullivan County (-0.5 percent) was the only area in the region that experienced a decline in private sector job count.
Overall, regional private sector job growth is broad-based, with more industries reporting job gains than losses. Trade, transportation and utilities, up 2.5 percent year-to-year in April, is the region’s leading job generator. It added 4,400 jobs - its strongest job growth in 2 years. The supersector benefited from strong hiring in retail trade, as the latter accounted for more than 90 percent of the overall gains.
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What's the Delay, Legislators Say? Children's Museum Should Take Possession
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WPCNR PLAYLAND NEWS. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators (Edited and incorporating WPCNR on the scene observations and interviews). May 16, 2013:
Several Democratic caucus members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) called today on County Executive Rob Astorino to hand over the keys for the North Bathhouse at Playland to Westchester Children’s Museum officials so work can begin immediately and allow the much-awaited attraction to open by 2014.
“This wonderful museum will help transform Playland into a year-round destination,” said Legislator Judy Myers (D-Larchmont), chair of the BOL Budget & Appropriations Committee, at a press conference here at Playland. “The Westchester Children’s Museum is ready to move in to bathhouse and start all of the necessary work. It’s time for the Astorino Administration to follow the law—unshackle the Museum and let them begin building, bring in jobs, and bring in revenue!"
At the recent fundraising gala held last Friday for the Westchester Children’s Museum in White Plains, Astorino remarked that he was finally ready to fully back the effort for the new museum, after nearly four years of withholding his public support, but that he still feels work on the museum should wait until Sustainable Playland, Inc. (SPI) takes over management of the park in the fall. The BOL will have to approve any changes at Playland.
County Legislator MaryJane Shimsky, speaking at the news conference today at the Bathhouse said that Mr Astorino said that the keys would be turned over "as soon as the Board of Legislators approves Sustainable Playland." Sustainable Playland is Mr. Astorino's choice to redevelop the Playland amusement park. Approval of the Sustainable Playland proposal is now undergoing review along with three other proposals by the Board of Legislators.
Shimsky said "it is time to stop holding this museum hostage. This is a classic case hostage situation."
The Westchester County Department of Communications was asked whether Sustainable Playland had to be approved to release the keys to the museum was true by WPCNR, and this statement from Ned McCormack the Director Communications was issued to WPCNR in response:
"This is the same group of obstructionists Democrats on the board who turned off the lights and set off alarms when they walked out of the budget negotiations, complained when the tremendous damage to Playland's boardwalk from Hurricans Sandy was repaired on time and on budget for the season's opening(last Saturday), and are now trying to create controversy that does not exist.
This group (the Democratic legislators) has been operating in its own parallel universe of hyper-partisan attacks for so long, they seem to have forgotten what partnership, progress and the best interests of county residents look like.
"The county, Sustainable Playland and the Children's Museum are all working together to secure the best possible future for the park and their individual endeavors. We had a conversation Wednesday with Museum representatives that involved creating signage, programming and continuing access. The vision, plan and partnership in place will position Playland and the Children's Museum for success in the future."
Bill Haley, Treasurer for the Children's Museum said the group if given the keys, could have the museum open in 14 to 18 months. He said the group had raised $8 Million and had $2.5 Million on hand having spent $5.5 Million on administration and architectural plans for the space. He said the group needed to raise approximately $6 Million more.
Mark Oxman, a member of the Museum Board, told WPCNR, that not being handed over the keys to the building had had "a chilling effect on fund-raising activities."
Jeanne Fogel, of the Museum Board told WPCNR potential donors had said that as soon as the museum received possession of the North Bathhouse, those angels would be forthcoming with donations. Ms. Fogel said there were grants the museum was expectant of receiving based on the turnover. The Friday fund-raiser in White Plains where Mr. Astorino appeared raised approximately $200,000.
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City Cancels Adoption of Budget Meeting Scheduled for Monday
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From the City Clerk's Office. May 16, 2013:
The City Clerk has sent out a noticed cancelling the Monday evening that was scheduled for the Common Council to adopt the 2013-2014 Budget calling for a 4.2% Property Tax increase to fund a 3.1% increase in spending.
Common Council President Beth Smayda and Councilman Benjamin Boykin each told WPCNR it was because the Albany legislature had not passed the city sales tax extension yet and was not expected to do so until next week. Smayda was asked if the council was considering cutting the budget in view of the 3% sales tax decline just reported in April. Smayda only would say the Council was continuing to "review the budget."
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Pet Food Pantry Receives $5,000 Grant from ASPCA--New Clients Can Now APPLY
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WPCNR VIDEO NEWS. May 16, 2013:
The ASPCA announced at a news conference Wednesday, it was presenting $5,000 to the White Plains Hudson Valley Pet Food Pantry, founded by White Plains Susan Katz.
To see the news conference go to www.whiteplainsweek.com
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Should Parking Enforcement Officers Enforce Quality of Life Violations?
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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. MAY 14, 2013:
At its Monday evening Common Council Meeting, the city announced its intention to expand the duties and jurisdiction of White Plains Parking Enforcement Officers to enforce what Mayor Thomas Roach called quality of life laws.
The actual introductory letter for the legislation from the Corporation Counsel John Callahan reads:
"Submitted herewith for Council deliberation is legislation that would provide the Commissioner of Parking with the authority, concurrent with that vested in other city officials and personnel, to enforce certain quality of life violations and to authorize members of the enforcement staff of the Department of Parking to issue appearance tickets for said violations."
The actual proposed local law that will have a public hearing at the June Common Council meeting authorizes Parking Enforcement Officers, if they see a "quality of life" violation to:
"Enforce concurrently with other designated City department officials and personnel, quality of life laws relating to littering, noise, graffiti, refuse disposal, dumping, peddling, bicycling/skateboarding on sidewalks or municipal parking facilities, shopping carts, signage, handbills, removal of snow and ice, dirt, debris or foreign matter on sidewalks, obstructing or encumbering public streets, highways, or sidewalks, and custody and control of dogs, including but not limited to, authorizing the issuance of appearance tickets by enforcement staff assigned to same;"
What do Mr. and Mrs. White Plains think about this proposal? Do you support this quality of life initiative? Answer the poll at the right.
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Police Charge Suspect in Attempted Burglary Thursday afternoon
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. May 9, 2013 3:30 p.m. E.D.T.UPDATED FRIDAY MAY 10, 2013 2:15 P.M.:
White Plains Police have apprehended a suspect in a confirmed attempted burglary at 1090 Mamaroneck Avenue (slightly north of Amodios nursery).
According to Commissioner of Public Safety, David Chong in a statement to WPCNR Friday:
"Yesterday, Thursday May 9, at approximately 1206 in the afternoon, a homeowner returns to their residence @ 1090 Mamaroneck Ave. The homeowner hears banging coming from the rear of the house and immediately calls 911. White Plains Police Officer's arrive within seconds, set up a perimeter and PO's O'Sullivan and Suban check the home.
While checking the home they spot a male trying to push in the rear door. After a brief foot chase, Officers subdue the suspect in the rear yard. I want to commend the homeowner for their quick actions and doing what we advise people to do, and that is to call us immediately and not confront anyone. I also want to commend the Police Officer's for the arrest and their quick response.
Arrested and charged is Jesus Manual Rosario, DOB 5/30/1966, residing at 525 Faile Street Bronx, NY. He has a long criminal record and is currently on Parole. He is charged with Attempted Burglary 2, which is a felony. and Parole violation.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 8, 2013:
Timothy Connors, former Superintendent of Schools for the city of White Plains from 2002 to 2009, signed an interim contract with the district Tuesday to serve for one year as Interim Superintendent while the district searches for a new one.
Mr. Connors will be paid $258,000 for the year, with 30 days of paid vacation; a $500 a month car allowance and $100 per month "to defray the cost of his use of his personal Smartphone in the performance of his job duties. Connors salary is $31,000 more than what the Board is paying Dr. Christopher Clouet, the present superintendent leaving the district to become Superintendent of the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns.
Previously the White Plains School Board had elected not to renegotiate Dr. Clouet's contract in view of the Tarrytown offer since Clouet was under contract to White Plains for two more years.
The money the district authorized Monday evening to bring back Mr. Connors is $5,000 more than what the Tarrytowns will be paying Dr. Clouet in the first year of Dr. Clouet's new contract ($253,000). Mr. Connors also earns a $39,000 pension from New York State from his White Plains retirement which meets approximately what Mr. Connors was earning in the district in 2009 ($297,000).
Connors is the highest paid public official in White Plains by over $100,000.
The new Interim Superintendent's contract is for one year, and the school board must advise him six months before July 1, 2014 if they want to renew is contract for another year, but the contract does not automatically extend if he is not notified by the district.
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District Attorney Announces Heroin Distribution Arrests
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WPCNR DISTRICT ATTORNEY REPORT. May 8, 2013:
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced today that, after a seven month long investigation, five individuals have been charged with heroin trafficking in Northern Westchester County. The investigation in the Town of Cortlandt, Village of Croton and City of Peekskill was conducted by the Westchester District Attorney Narcotics Initiative (WDANI) along with the New York State Police, Croton-on-Hudson and Harrison Police Departments.
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School District Approves Timothy Connors Contract as Interim Superintendent.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. MAY 7, 2013:
Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education told WPCNR this morning that the Board of Education approved a contract with former Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors ( who served as Superintendent 2002-2009), to serve as Interim Superintendent beginning July 1, while the district searched for a new superintendent.
Terms of the contract will not be disclosed until Mr. Connors signs the contract, Ms. Schoenfeld said, which is expected to happen tomorrow.
Ms. Schoenfeld also reported that John Orcutt was hired as an Assistant Principal at White Plains High School.
She said that no members of the community filed petitions to run for the two positions open on the school board, so Charles Norris and Sheryl Brady, incumbents whose terms are up are running for reelection unopposed.
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PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICIERS MAY ADD ENFORCING QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES.
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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. May 7, 2013 UPDATED MAY 8, 2013:
AT THE MAY COMMON COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT, THE COMMON COUNCIL WILL AUTHORIZE A PUBLIC HEARING IN JUNE TO DISCUSS A NEW LOCAL LAW EXPANDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARKING COMMISSIONER TO ENFORCE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES .
THE LEGISLATION WOULD AUTHORIZE MEMBERS OF THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT STAFF TO ISSUE “APPEARANCE TICKETS“ FOR LITTERING, NOISE, GRAFFITTI, REFUSE DISPOSAL, DUMPING, PEDDLING, BICYCLING/SKLATEBOARDING ON SIDEWALKS OR MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, SHOPPING CARTS, SIGNAGE, HANDBILLS, REMOVAL OF SNOW AND ICE, DIRT, DEBRIS, OR FOREIGN MATTER ON SIDEWALKS,OBSTRUCTING OR ENCUMBERING PUBLIC STREETS, HIGHWAYS, OR SIDEWALKS, AND CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF DOGS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUEANCE OF APPEARANCE TICKETS BY ENFORCEMENT STAFF ASSIGNED TO SAME.”
WPCNR ASKED A COMMON COUNCILMAN WHETHER THERE WOULD BE NEW VIOLATION FINES SET UP AND DEFINITIONS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AN APPEARANCE IN COURT OFFENSE FOR THIS HOST OF ISSUES. THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED YET, HE TOLD ME BUT WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE.
IN ANOTHER MATTER, THE CITY IS GOING TO CHANGE THE ZONING OF THE WHITE PLAINS PAVILION MALL TAKING IT OUT OF THE ENCLOSED MALL ZONING DISTRICT. THIS FUELS SPECULATION THAT URSTADT BIDDLE THE OWNERS OF THAT VERY LITTLE OCCUPIED MALL (FORMERLY HOME TO DEFUNCT BORDERS, DAFFYS, WILL BUILD SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. (At Tuesday's meeting conceptual plans for a hotel and apartment complex were presented.)
THE CITY ALSO STAGED A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CITY BUDGET, PROPOSING A 4.2% TAX INCREASE, WHICH THE BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF WHITE PLAINS IS COMFORTABLE WITH ACCORDING TO TIM SHEEHAN, A SOURCE ON THE COMMITTEE AND HE DOES NOT ANTICIPATE THE COUNCIL MAKING ANY CHANGE. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND A 2% RAISE IS IN LINE FOR MOST COMMISSIONERS.
ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE ON A PROPOSED MORATORIUM FOR SIX MONTHS ON DEVELOPMENT OF POSSIBLE HISTORIC BUILDINGS ON WESTMORELAND AVENUE, PENDING A SURVEY OF THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BUILDINGS ON THAT STREET.
THE COUNCIL MEETING MAY BE VIEWED at www.cityofwhiteplains.com
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CBS Television Wizard, John Taddei. White Plains Public TV Pioneer.
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1925-2013
WPCNR MILESTONES. May 4, 2013:
John Taddei, the man whose natural instinct for solutions contributed to the Columbia Broadcasting System technical growth in television’s golden age of the 1950s and 1960s died this week in White Plains. The White Plains resident was 88 years old.
Mr. Taddei spent his professional career contributing to television innovations that are used to this day. After he retired in the mid-1980s, the City of White Plains chose him to be Chairman of the White Plains Public Access Cable station.
Taddei, working with Executive Director Fred Strauss, and Edward Wolf,and Gary Stukes supervised the design of the White Plains Public Television studios at 4 Martine Avenue in the Four Seasons Apartment complex in White Plains when it moved from the White Plains Library.
The compact studio design with its capacity to televise meetings from the White Plains City Hall became a national model for other communities across the country building community access television operations.
The reason the studio was effective, an acquaintance familiar with the creation of the studio said, was Mr. Taddei gave the committee responsible for designing the new studios access to CBS studios in New York. Taddei arranged for them to tour the CBS Broadcast center and see first-hand how to set up the studio, where they could save money, and bypass “the learning curve.” Taddei, the acquaintance said was revered at CBS, where he knew William S. Paley personally.
Thanks to Taddei’s entrée to CBS, representatives from White Plains television were treated with respect and received expertise on creating their studio, seeing how a premier television network studio was designed and run, that led to the creation of a studio that has served White Plains thirty years from the analog to the digital age.
According to a retrospective of his life distributed at his wake last week Mr. Taddei died in White Plains Hospital on April 26. He was born in Manhattan to Paulo and Rosa (Gherardi) Taddei. The family later moved to Brooklyn where Mr. Taddei attended public school.
The lure of boy-scouting took him out of the city for the first time and inspired him to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He served as assistant scout master at the Ten Mile River Boy Scouts of America Camp in New York’s Catskill Mountains on the Delaware River.
He was a member of the St. Finbar’s CYO basketball team and a tennis player. He met his future wife, Anna Zaharek on the tennis court. They wed in 1952 and later made White Plains their home.
Mr. Taddei commuted to CBS in New York, where he was employed as a television broadcast technician until his retirement in 1986. His expertise led to his being named Chairman of the White Plains Public Access Cable station at the critical time when the present state-of-the-art studio (in the Four Seasons Condominium complex was being designed and equipped.
His love of classical music led to his devising a method to digitize rare pre-war selenophone recordings of Toscanini-conducted performances for the New York Public Library Branch at Lincoln Center.
A man of deep faith, he was very active in various organizations in his parish, Our Lady of Sorrows, and is remembered as the “go-to” person for microphones and television equipment for liturgical and school use.
He was an avid ham radio operator and in his last years relied on his network of ham radio friends to keep him connected.
His wife Anna predeceased him in 2007.
John is survived by his sister Mary (Lucian) DeBonis of Sag Harbor, NY; his children: Joanne Taddei of Cranston, Rhode Island; John (Patricia) Taddei of Somers, NY; Marianne (George) Wisker of Tolland, Connecticut; Robert (Mary) Taddei of Doylestown, Pennsylvania; grandsons John Patrick, Christopher, Nicholas and Benjamin Taddei and many nieces and nephews. He was cared for by his devoted home health aides CeCe and Mariama.
He was laid to rest in Gate of Heaven Cemetary.In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester, 311 North Street, White Plains, www.hospiceofwestchester.com
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