THE FRONT PAGE JANUARY 7, 2009

FLASH! 6:00 PM E.S.T.

Library Board To Take a Closer Look at Budget to Save Sundays, Save Part-timers Being Let Go After All. MEETS JAN 14.

Story below...

WPCNR THE READING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 7, 2009: City Hall announced today that the White Plains Library is temporarily withdrawing its plan to close Sundays, and will look  at other methods of achieving a Mayor-mandated $60,000 in budget savings (10%) from the library between now and the end of the fiscal year June 30.

Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s Office told WPCNR today:

“Paul and I spoke to Julie Trelstad from the Library Board and she informed us that the board will be meeting on January 14th to take another look at ways to cut the budget with the less impact on everyone's lives (employees and the public) in light of the fact that Sandra Miranda made the decision to close on Sundays. The current cuts in hours and staff may or may not occur after this meeting.  We will have to wait to see what decision the board makes on the 14th. "

Whatever methods the Library does choose to trim their budget, Lopez said would at this time remain in effect for the new fiscal year 2009-2010.

WPCNR PRESS BOX. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. (Edited) January 7, 2009 UPDATED 2:11 P.M. E.S.T.: At its first regular meeting of the new year, the Board of Legislators approved a $1.3 million bond act for the design of a modernized Memorial Field on Sandford Boulevard in the City of Mount Vernon. The project, brought to the Board by County Legislator Lyndon Williams and County Executive Andy Spano, is estimated to ultimately cost $12.7 million.  The county has agreed to reimburse the city up to $9.7 million for the design and construction costs to refurbish the historic Mount Vernon sports venue.

The Grandstand at Mount Vernon Memorial Field on Sanford Boulevard in Mount Vernon. The scene is pre-kickoff between the White Plains Tigers and Mount Vernon Knights in 2006.

The improvement plan calls for the demolition of existing structures, grandstands and courts; construction of a state-of-the-art synthetic turf football/soccer field; a natural turf soccer field; grandstands for 4,000 spectators; an all-weather track; a basketball court; new buildings to house a ticket booth, concession stand, bathrooms, press box and locker rooms. All playing surfaces will be illuminated and other site improvements will include new sidewalks and landscaping. 

White Plains City School District recently completed two stadium renovations with artificial turf for the cost of $9.2 Million, including the architects' fees for design.

WPCNR AIR NEWS. From National Business Aviation Association, Aircraft Owners Pilots Association. (EDITED) January 7, 2009: In comments made to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials Tuesday at Westchester County Airport, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen articulated industry concerns about the agency’s proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) and offered a process for improving the final rule on the proposal. The Aircraft Owners Pilots Association echoed Mr. Bolen's sentiments at the first of six hearings across the country held by the TSA to come in other venues.

A Jet Charter awaits its passengers at Westchester County Airport. Extensive new Transportation Security Administration proposed security measures applicable to private aircraft and aircraft-for-hire as light as 12,500 pounds threaten the airport extensive charter business.

WPCNR BOARDSIDE. From Michele Schoenfeld. January 6, 2009: On December 11, 2008, members of the Mamaroneck Avenue School Chess Team traveled to Disney World in Orlando, Florida to compete in the 2008 National Scholastic Chess Championships.

Congratulations to the MAS Chess Team on WINNING the 2008 National Championship in the 5^th Grade Division!

Individually, Joshua Colas placed 3^rd in the nation, Michael Ainsworth placed 4^th in the nation but it was newcomer Andrew Teller’s victory in the final round that clinched the National Championship for the MAS Team!

WPCNR THE READING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 5, 2009: The report that 11 part-time employees are being fired out of the White Plains Public Library to close the library on Sundays is not true, city hall said today.  WPCNR has been told by Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s Office that no library employees at all are being terminated.

 Ms. Lopez reports that Mayor Joseph Delfino never told the library to close Sundays, leaving the choice up to the library as to what cost cutting moves they would make to cut costs up to 10% as he requested December 16. 

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. January 5, 2009: The Common Council meets Monday evening at 7:30 televised on Cablevision Channel 75, and Verizon FIOS 47, with the Citizens To Be Heard session (untelevised). Hot on the agenda is the obscure ordinance (no. 70) which authorizes a 10 year lease of the Renaissance Square traffic island for occupation by the Ritz-Carlton marble sign in the middle of the island at a rent of $3,000 a year.

Also up is a referral of an amended site plan for 55 Bank Street-- the market rate and affordable housing-retail complex -- still seeking financing, which is submitted in the documents backing up the Council agenda with no diagrams, so it is impossible to visualize. Perhaps there will be some visual presentation at the council meeting, WPCNR will check.

The Council will also hold a public hearing on the extension of the Robert Weisz site plan for the 4-story hotel on the 1133 Westchester Avenue property, and a new office building on that property previously approved.

The Agenda:

WPCNR’S FRIENDLY SKIES. January 4, 2009: Flying friendly politicians to Hawaii by private charter jet  from White Plains, or to Japan on junket or some well-connected pals to Fort Lauderdale for a winter break will not be so easy in the next few years if the Transportation Security Administration has its way.

A typical Charter Aircraft Awaits passengers in July at Westchester County Airport.

The Transportation Security Administration is seeking comment on tough new security procedures for private aircraft weighing over 12,500 pounds and their private flights and chartered flights they fly. Westchester County Airport has many  such flights on private aircraft on charter companies each day where security is left up to the individual company or aircraft owner.

The presumption is the passengers on those flights are known. In the future that golf trip to Hawaii, that ski trip to Colorado even perhaps on a small General Aviation single engine plane may require considerably more advanced planning, including submitting passenger lists and passing it past a Security Watch List may be required. Will the charter aircraft companies be checking you out, or will the TSA? The  TSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be  the subject of a public hearing Tuesday at Westchester County Airport at 9 A.M., at Building 1 on Airport Road.

WPCNR DOWNBEAT. January 3, 2008: Downtown Music, a nonprofit performing arts organization located in the heart of White Plains, begins its calendar of events for the New Year on January 7 with a warming trumpet and piano concert, “Drive the Cold Winter Away.” The half-hour lunchtime concerts are free and begin at 12:10pm.  All January concerts take place at Grace Church, which is located on the corner of Church Street and Main Street in White Plains.

Here's the schedule:

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. January 2, 2009: The Common Council will consider Monday evening an ordinance approving a 10-year lease of the Renaissance Square traffic island to LC Main at a cost of $3,000 a year for ten years ($30,000). If approved, the action appears to end the 9-month dispute of Louis Cappelli’s erecting a stone Ritz-Carlton entrance sign on the 30 foot by 4 foot traffic island without city approval, in the middle of a city right of way.

The Ritz Rock today. The toney Ritz Carlton White Plains is in the background.

Ritz Rock Dispute Being Settled Quietly? The Ritz Carlton sign on a traffic island in Renaissance Square, subject of articles in major metropolitan dailies the last eight months and an ongoing festering feud between the city and LC Main LLC, (the city wanted the monument torn down, and refused to sell the island to the developer, as well as refusing to consider leasing plans for the island) appears headed towards a peaceful solution Monday evening.

                WPCNR CONSIST. By John F. Bailey. December 30, 2008: Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman John Hall made a whistle stop at the White Plains Transit Center Tuesday (both arriving by car)and reported at a news conference  that a new $20 Billion Obama Administration Economic Recovery Package dedicated to Mass Transit was all but certain to be signed into law by President Barack Obama January 21. Schumer expected this to provide millions  for local Metro North improvements that would lead to local economic spending by construction companies and  workers employed on those projects.

Senator Charles Schumer arrives at the White Plains Metro North Railroad Station Tuesday

The  Obama Mass Transit stimulus, Schumer said was expected to allocate $4 Billion to New York State, most of which would be used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to upgrade aesthetics, parking, trackage, and substations on the Harlem, Hudson  and Port Jervis rail lines. The funds would furnish dollars for what Schumer described as projects delayed because of the MTA budget crunch. In addition, he and Congressman Hall were working on a national $2 Billion stimulus for Mass Transit Operations relief, a portion of which New York might receive  about $400 Million to lower the MTA-propoed 23% fare increases scheduled to hit in June.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. December 29, 2008: The Common Council gave their blessing to a historic change in White Plains Department of Public Safety Work Rules Monday evening, agreeing to implement 12-Hour Patrol Tours for 72 Police patrol force and 24-hour tours of duty for fire fighters. The work rule changes are expected to save about $60,000 outright in overtime for police and firefighters combined based on the unions giving up being paid overtime for the time they spend being trained. 

Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson,(head of conference table), and Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety John Cullom, (seated left) assuring the Common Council of the sources of savings in overtime on the new work rules Monday evening. White Plains Firefighters fill the entrance to the chamber, observing the action.

The measure will be in effect for a one year experimental period beginning January 1, 2009.  The Mayor secured the Council agreement to put the work rule changes for both departments on the agenda for the January 5 Common Council meeting.

The pay rate of the new police and fire contracts is the only sticking point being negotiated.  Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, (above behind Mayor Joseph Delfino),  said the unions and the city are far apart on hammering out the wage terms of the contract at this time.

Technically, the unions and the city have until June 30 to negotiate the wage portion of the contract. Originally, the contract rejected the pay increases  December 18 after the raises were presented to them in Executive Session four weeks previously, at which time they did not object strenuously to a schedule that called for raises of 3.75%, 4% and 4%. Pundits, observers of the political scene, have wondered since that time why the council would let a contract come to a vote they did not agree with in the first place.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. December 29, 2008: The outgoing Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, who will be leaving the district in six months, has sent a letter to neighborhood associations in White Plains inviting them to participate in the January 15 first Community Forum on the 2009-2010 school budget, predicted by WPNCR to exceed $200 Million, if the present rate of spending is maintained. 

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors invites Neighborhood Associations to craft the School Budget. Here is the Text of the Superintendent's message:

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. December 29, 2008: At a Special Meeting this evening called Friday by city hall, the Common Council will hear the Commissioner ofPublic Safety discuss the advantages to the police and fire departments of the proposed new shifts in the Police and Fire contracts now under consideration. The meeting takes place at City Hall at 5:30 P.M.

WPCNR in checking on the 12-hour shift situation for police around the country in a random, but by no

means exhaustive internet check, found that, according to a survey of 300 police departments with

over 50 sworn members made by The Police Foundation in November of 2005,  the most-employed

shift length was the 8-hour shift with 40%. Larger agencies (101 to 200 members) employed the 10-

hour shift  with the 8-hour shift used as often (32%) as the 10-hour shift. The 12-hour shift was “most

likely to be implemented in smaller agencies (under 100 officers, more than 50 officers).

WPCNR VOICE OF MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS. December 27, 2008: In the interest in focusing on issues as the city enters 2008, the economy and the alarming increase in property taxes that city residents face in the coming year, have created some issues that the city and the school district leaders perhaps should be paying more than lip service.

I have isolated a few of them at the right, and offer them up to get the public take on them. Simply vote in terms of priority in your mind. The issues should purely be considered from what would White Plains benefit the most from to keep the city "moving forward" as our officials love to say as an excuse for not doing anything about disturbing trends.  You may vote for more than one issue, voting once each day.

Here they are: