WPCNR MEDIA LOUNGE. Compiled by Jimmy Olsen. February 12, 2008 UPDATED 3 PM EST:

Renee Cohen addressed the Board of Education during the Public Participation segment at the BOE meeting and advised the school board of the Biltmore Condominium plan to accept 18 (not 30 as first reported),  cell phone antennas to be erected on the roof of the Biltmore complex on Main Street directly opposite Eastview School. Cohen drew the BOE attention to the plan -- for which a contract has been signed -- because of the unknown effect of concentrated cellular phone signals on the large school population.

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More Flashes on Legislator Pay; School Construction, Elementary School Performance Ahead...

Pay Board: The Board of Legislators has appointed 4 citizens to its Compensation Advisory Board to evaluate whether to upgrade legislators' stipends, with 3 more citizens to be appointed, they are William Mooney, President of the Westchester County Association, Brian Wallach of White Plains; Ernest Prince, President of the Urban League of Westchester, and John Mattis, a financial advisor. We await the other three.

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Mamaroneck Avenue School Moves Forward: The White Plains Board of Education last night approved contracts for rehabilitation and expansion of the Mamaroneck Avenue School in the second phase of the district's $69 Million makeover. Four contractors were approved for the project which will cost $3,992,148. This is slightly below the previously estimated cost according to Russell Davidson, the architect. 

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Track Laydown at Loucks: Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler said the Loucks Field track is expected to be laid down in March when the weather is warmer in time for the Loucks games in May.

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Early Grades Performance: Margaret Dwyer, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction noted in discussion of the Strategic Plan that 81% of Kindergarten students were performing at the end of June 2007 at the academic level expected of them after their first year in Kindergarten. She said that 68% of White Plains First and Second Graders were performing at grade level at the end of June 2007. This came up in discussion of the Strategic Plan Goal that by 2012, 90% of students would be performing at grade level at the end of Second Grade.

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School Public Relations Mastermind nixed: The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors advised the Board of Education that the district could not hire a full-time Public Relations person as had been recommended by one of the Strategic Plan Action Committees. He recommended it be handled in-house by committee.