WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. February 2, 2012:

White Plains Police apprehended 42 year old Daniel Mosca of 10 Bryant Crescent White Plains early Thursday morning 12:20 A.M. in possession of a anti-FASNY sign and charged him with petty larceny and fifth degree of stolen property.

Last Friday evening, approximately 30 Anti-French School of New York Development signs were removed from private home yards in the vicinity of Ridgeway Country Club, according to an e-mail from the President of the Gedney Farms Association, Terence Guerriere. (The school is planning to develop the former country club into a central campus, a project bitterly opposed by the neighborhood.)

LoHud Reporter Richard Liebson in reporting the arrest, cited a police report of the arrest as saying Mosca had thought the signs were put up by the French School in support of the project, and that he thought the signs were ugly and detracted from the neighborhood.

That the suspect admitted he was confused is interesting.

FASNY SIGNS RETURN TO LINE RIDGEWAY.

Last year, when the anti-FASNY signs first sprouted up in yards bordering Ridgeway avenue adjacent Ridgeway Country Club, the popular White Plains Week television news roundup show pointed out the ambiguous message of the design of the signs.

Many of the signs, pictured above featured the classic cross-out red circle (a negative) on top of the "FASNO" word, actually neutralizing the message of the neighborhood being against the FASNY project. The commentators agreed it was an ambiguous design which possibly sent the wrong message. Apparently in one case, it was misunderstood.

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. January 31, 2012:

City Assessor Lloyd Tasch reported this morning to WPCNR that the number of homeowners challenging their assessments this year (the interval to challenge expired last Friday) was 914, down 20% from last year.

Tasch said he expected the Board of Assessment Review would be able to meet the challenges and defend the city assessments more successfully this year because the White Plains Equalization Rate and Residential Assessment Ratio both went up significantly.

However, Tasch says, the damage has been done.

He reports the roll has already absorbed an additional $1.9 Million in lowered assessments. He predicted that he expected the Roll for 2012 to be down $2.25 Million.

WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. Special to WPCNR from Westchester County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. January 30, 2012:

David Buchwald was nominated to run against Robert Castelli for the New York State Assembly 93rd district Monday evening.

Democratic leaders met on January 30^th at the YWCA in White Plains to choose a challenger to run against current Republican Assemblyman Robert Castelli.  At stake is Castelli’s seat in what is currently the 89^th legislative district.  Under  new redistricting maps, this district will  renamed the 93^rd district and that means that lines will shift as well.   Going into tonight’s nominating session were three possible candidates.  David Buchwald, current Common Council member, White Plains lawyer Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Harrison resident Clifford Gevirtz. 

David Buchwald is a current member of the White Plains Common Council and acts a liason between City Hall and a variety of city departments.  Frei-Pearson is a lawyer who specializes in workplace complaints. Harrison resident Dr. Clifford Gevirtz also has also made clear his intentions to run for office. Though all three shared the same Democratic principles in regards to same sex marriage, reproductive rights and adversion to hydro fracking each had a different vision quest going into this race.

WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY By the WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. January 27, 2012:

Temperatures in the fifties combined with the heavy moisture in the atmosphere after last night's rains, made downtown White Plains, New York, USA invisible this afternoon at 1 P.M. The rare sight of zero visibility to ground level made it appear as if aliens had beamed White Plains up into space and no city ever existed. Photographs are from the terrace of City Limits Restaurant, looking East to the City Center. You would never know two 500 foot buildings were in that fog bank.

WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. January 25, 2012 UPDATED WITH ROBIN INTELLIGENCE, January 26, 2012: 

Two of the 5 Robins who visited WPCNR News Tuesday afternoon.

A squadron of five robins, red-breasted and well-rested landed at WPCNR World News Headquarters in White Plains, New York, USA Tuesday afternoon at 4:45 P.M and proceeded to browse the grounds.

A WPCNR Reader, Paul Schwarz responded to our inquiry yesterday as to why the robins are back so early. He explains they may never leave:

"I participate in Feeder Watch - a project which is based at the Cornell Dept. of Ornithology. Thousands of individual reports from all around the country help to create detailed maps and patterns of bird populations.

White Plains Looking South

Vacant former Wallachs on Mamaroneck Avenue, January 2012

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. January 17, 2012 UDATED 4 P.M. E.D.T.:

WPCNR has learned there was an armed robbery of the coin exchange in the White Plains Mall .

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong advises WPCNR:

"At approximately 10 AM this morning White Plains police units responded to a holdup alarm at the Coin Mint store located in the White Plains Mall at 200 Hamilton Ave. 

 Units arrived to find one employee, who was unhurt, the employee stated that "a Dark Skinned Male, approximately 5"7, wearing a black coat and black knit hat was buzzed into the store, once inside he displayed a silver gun and told the employee to open the safe." 

The employee did not have the combination, the suspect then went into the back office and took the weekends proceeds from a desk.  Employee is reporting approximately $9,700 (was taken). 

 The suspect then ran out of the store and left in an unknown directions.  No one was hurt. 

White Plains Detectives are investigating this case and ask anyone who may have any information about this incident to call 914-422-6223, the Detective TIPS hotline.  All calls will be confidential.

WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. From the Multiple Listing Service. (Edited) January 16, 2012:

The Empire Access Multiple Listing Service issued  numbers on home sales in Westchester for 2011 and the news is not encouraging.

Single Family Home sales  were down 4.4%, condominiums by 10.9% and Co-ops by 8.5%

Westchester home prices continued to bleed equity.

The average selling price of a Westchester single family home was $814,667, while the median selling price was  $600,000, due to a  drop in the sale of luxury homes over $1,000,000, that accounted for only 13.7% of sale down from 16% or more in the fourth quarter in previous years.

The decline in sales in all three residential markets is blamed on the banks. The Multiple Listing Service writes “there is convincing anecdotal evidence from Realtors in our region that the benefit of low (mortgage) rates (4%) is increasingly negated by tougher qualification rations, required higher credit scores, and slower processing by lenders. Overly conservative appraisals are said to be impairing transactions too.”

Consumer confidence is lacking. The service blames this on Westchester County’s “painfully slow improvement in the job market.” They point out that Westchester unemployment declined  3/10 of a percent.

In an unusual criticism of leadership, the Service writes,

“the greatest erosion of confidence is of political origin…there are no undisputed plans in place as to how the economy is to be managed…consumers don’t know what to expect…they hunker down, postponing any decision making of consequence such as home buying. If that is true, we’ll have to wait for elections to establish a firm action agenda for recovery, and the local real estate market in 2012 will look pretty much like 2011 as to sales volumes and prices, unless still deeper price reductions bring on a burst of sales such as appears to have been the case with co-ops in the fourth quarter.

Co-op prices in Westchester County stabilized, averaging $421,688 but  the median sales price  was $146,000 – off 15.2%--declining $30,000) Co-0p sales in Westchester increased by 49 from 2010’s 244 to 2011’s 293.

Condos continued steady, with 200 sold in the 4^th quarter, just 4 less than 2010. Condo price data showed a deceptive impression of stability  with the mean sale price of $421,888, not going down, while the median price was $338,000  (down 5.8% from 2011)

WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. From Timothy Idoni, Westchester County Clerk. (Edited) January 11, 2012:

“Despite lower interest rates and sagging housing prices, county mortgage tax collections in Westchester County continued to lag in 2011,” stated County Clerk Timothy C.  Idoni.  The Office of the Westchester County Clerk is responsible for collecting this important revenue for state agencies as well as the county and all of its municipalities. 

Idoni confirmed today that the county portion of the mortgage tax only increased by 0.85 percent over 2010’s modest total.

While the county had been on track to reach the $13.5 million budgeted for mortgage tax, the monthly average in the final quarter of 2011 fell below the monthly average of the first three quarters, leaving the county approximately $480,000 short, according to Idoni. 

“Lower interest rates should be fueling home sales and increasing borrowing. However, we are simply not seeing a positive impact in the form of increased mortgage tax revenue,” shared Idoni.  With interest rates a point lower than this time last year, Idoni had hoped to see new borrowing such as mortgages taken upon the purchase of a new home or additional mortgages taken for expenditures such as home renovations.

Despite the drop in mortgage tax revenue, the County Clerk’s Office has seen an increase in mortgage recording fees as the result of mortgage consolidations and modifications which result when lenders or borrowers attempt to renegotiate financing.  As most of these mortgage modifications do not increase the amount borrowed, but instead lengthen the payment period or lower the interest rate, only recording fees and not mortgage taxes are generally due. 

For more information about the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, please call (914)995-3080 or visit www.WestchesterClerk.com.     

WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. From Westchester County Department of Communications.  January 9, 2011:(EDITED BY WPCNR)

Westchester County is a year ahead in meeding the demands of providing more affordable housing under the federal government terms of the county's settlement (negotiated by the former Spano administration) with Washington on affordable housing deficits.

            As of this month, the county has 206 housing units approved by the federal housing monitor, of which 182 have all financing in place and 108 units have building permits in place.

Under the terms of the settlement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the county was only required to have 100 units with financing and 50 units with building permits by the end of 2011. The settlement calls for 200 units with financing and 125 with building permits by the end of 2012. The county expects to meet these benchmarks by March.

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. January 4, 2011:

Mayor Thomas Roach confirmed  to WPCNR Tuesday evening there was a stabbing that occurred  shortly after the  White Plains  New Years Eve  ball drop celebrations had completed not far from the main crowds. Police are now seeking witnesses who saw the incident. 

Commissioner of Public Safety, David Chong provided these details to WPCNR:

On January 1st. At approximately 1235 AM a 21 year old man from Greenburgh approached a police cruiser and stated that he had been stabbed on the corner of Quarropas and Court Street.

His story is that he was with a group and his group passed two other groups and a dispute ensued. Words were exchanged and then he felt himself get stabbed in his side.

He was taken to Westchester Medical Center with a non-life threatening stab wound and is in satisfactory condition. He is uncooperative at this time and is someone that is known to the Department. The investigation is being handled by White Plains Detectives. The night was unusually warm and we had a extremely large and festive crowd celebrating the New Years. We ask if there were any witnesses to come forward and contact White Plains Detectives. (422-6111)

There were no other major incidents during the evening as the police officers did a great job of crowd control and the vast majority of New Years revelers were well behaved.

WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER.  January 2,2012:

Our Digital Rover strolled down Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, once billed as the Fifth Avenue of Westchester County,  on the first day of the year and noted 13 business establishments for rent for enterprising businesses to move into thriving White Plains. Check 'em out!

The former site of the old Gourmandise bakery.

Four Storefronts available opposite Macy's on Court Street

Rennaissance Fountain shutdown for season.

Retail Space Next to the Seasons on Mamaroneck Ave.

2 on Martine Avenue

Temporary HQ of Kensington for Rent--prime location opposite City Center

Former Music Plus Movies storefront opposite Iron Tomato

Vacant Kinkos/Wallach's corner on Post and Mamaroneck.

Former Headquarters of Demerjian.

WPCNR MAMARONECK AVENUE AMBLER. January 1, 2012:

White Plains dropped its ninth consecutive New Year's Eve Ball Drop at Court and Main Street to the delight of a large crowd of revellers of all ages Saturday evening complete with exploding confetti from a new Official White Plains ball that descended from a crane while onlookers counted down the seconds in the street below.

Meanwhile down in Times Square, New York, USA, Lady GaGa and Mr. New Year's Eve, Dick Clark appeared as the official Times Aquare ball dropped from it's traditional descent. The only personality missing of course, was the immortal Guy Lombardo, and his song, Auld Lang Syne, which no celebration we saw included. A big dissappointment. Here is how it looked:

Ball Begins its descent seconds before midnight.

Happy New Year Mr. and Mrs. White Plains!

Joy, Janet, Marsha and Susan Toast the New 2012 White Plains!

The Great Dick Clark hosted his 40th Rockin New Year's Eve on ABC, showing continued recovery from his devastating stroke. An inspiration.

We still remember you, Guy -- It's not New Year's Eve without his Auld Lang Syne

Since Auld Lang Syne was not played on the television coverage, we saw,  I will give you the words and the originsof this disappearing tradition.

Number one the song is not German as I had originally thought, but Scottish, coming from the pen of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns in the late 18^th century. It has been sung in English-speaking countries for over 200 years. Usually accompanied by a traditional dance, the song’s name, Auld Lang Syne, translates in Scots as “old long since” or “long ago” or “days gone by.” “Syne” is pronounced like the English word “sign.”

The melody – not from Guy Lombardo – is according to Wikipedia a pentatonic Scots  folk melody, described as a dance in quicker tempo than today’s stately melancholy. The English composer William Shield uses the Auld Lang Syne melody at the end of the overature to his opera Rosina. Wikipedia suggests that  Shield and Burns took their melody from Scottish folksongs The Miller’s Wedding or The Miller’s Daughter, while Burns biography claims he based it on Can Ye Labour Yea.

Anyway it has worked its way around the world, sung in Denmark in 1927. It is also the tune to the alma meter of the University of Virginia. In Japan, it is the Japanese students’ song. It is the tune to the South Korean National Anthem.

Here are Robert Burns original lyrics for Auld Lang Syne:

Should auld acquaintance be forget,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne?

CHORUS

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne,

We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness

Yet,

For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp!

And surely I’ll be mine!

And we’ll tak a coup o’ kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pou’d the gowans fine;

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary

Fit,

Sin’auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,

Frae morning sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar’d

Sin’ auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !

And gies a hand o’ thine !

And we’ll tak a right gude-willie-

Waught

For auld lang syne

CHORUS

The English Translation:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne?

CHORUS

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne,

We’ll take a cup o’ kindness

Yet,

For auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint

Cup!

And surely I’ll buy mine!

And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the hills,

And pulled the daisies fine;

But we’ve wandered many a weary

Foot,

Since auld lang syne

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

From morning sun till dine (dinner time)

But seas between us broad have

Roared

Since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty

Friend

And give us a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll take a right good-will

Draught,

For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

WPCNR CITY CIRCUIT. December 28, 2011:

Come one, come all to downtown White Plains this New Year’s Eve! Mayor Thomas M. Roach today announced that the City of White Plains, in cooperation with the White Plains Business Improvement District will ring in the New Year in the downtown corridor on Main Street between Court Street and Renaissance Square. This free outdoor event will be held on Saturday, December 31 and will feature: Celebration Entertainment DJ music from 10:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m., crowd countdown, illuminated ball drop, and a midnight fireworks display by the Zambelli Company.

City's First Ever Ball Drop January 1, 2003 The WPCNR PHOTO NEWS ARCHIVE.