WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. December 1, 2004, UPDATED 12:00 Midnight, December 1: Susan Tolchin,  County Executive Chief Advisor, and Director of Communications for Weschester County told WPCNR that Grace Church Reverend Janet Vincent's news release of 4:30 P.M. Wednesday, stating the Department of Social Services told Grace Church they would not be offered a contract for 2005 on November 17 was incorrect.

Tolchin, informed of the content of the news release (see previous story) accusing the D.S.S. of denying Grace Church a contract,  was flabbergasted, her first reaction being, "They sent out a press release?"

TOLCHIN SAYS GRACE CHURCH IS MISTAKEN: County Executive Chief Advisor, Susan Tolchin, as she appeared on News12 Wednesday morning, declaring, "They made the decision to close the shelter. The county did not make the decision to close the shelter." Tolchin elaborated on that statement to WPCNR Wednesday morning, naming Joseph D'Ambrosio himself, Executive Director of Grace Church Community Center, as the person who called the Department of Social Services to declare Samaritan House was closing. She denied Reverend Vincent's news release issued Wednesday afternoon stating the Department of Social Services called November 17 to say the shelter was not getting a contract. VideoCapture from News12 by WPCNR News.

WPCNR then asked Tolchin if the Department of Social Services called Grace Church on November 17 and informed the church they would not be given a contract.

Tolchin says not true.

WPCNR asked if the D.S.S. perhaps had told Grace Church they would not be given a contract covering the additional 37% in expenses the Church said they needed to keep Samaritan House going. Tolchin told WPCNR: "No, their contract was in the budget for 2005 submitted November 15. We asked them for backup on the increased expenses, and the next thing we knew they called us and said they were closing."

VINCENT "Negotiating Hard." The Reverend Janet Vincent, Rector of Grace Community Church denied that Grace Church wanted to close Samaritan House, saying on News12, they had been "negotiating hard...to keep it open." VideoCapture from News12 by WPCNR News.

No Substantiation of Expenses.

Ms. Tolchin's revelation that the Department of Social Services had never heard from Grace Church after they asked for "backup" substantiation of the $170,000 in increased expenses, in light of Reverend Vincent's statement on television, she said, " No, we don't want to close the shelter, we wouldn't have been negotiating as hard as we were to keep it open if we wanted to close it."

Tolchin told WPCNR Wednesday morning that Joseph D'Ambrosio, Executive Director of Grace Church Community Center which runs Samaritan House, had personally made the telephone call to the Department of Social Services informing D.S.S. Grace Church was closing Samaritan House.  This information was given WPCNR before Reverend Vincent's news release that was transmitted to the media at 4:30 P.M.

Mr. D'Ambrosio was contacted by WPCNR last week for comment on the entire closing matter, but has not returned that call.

THE SUPER DEVELOPER SAYS "NOTHING'S UP." Louis Cappelli, after speaking at length with WPCNR on the million dollar gift issue met with News12 Reporter Georgina Ginsberg at Grace Church, and repeated that there was no ulterior motive behind his $1 Million gift of contract services, saying "There is no plot. There is no issue. We tried to give a million dollars away and unfortunately it's turned into a why would they give a million dollars away. There must be something up. But there isn't anything up." VideoCapture from News12 by WPCNR News.