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The Port Chester Blog Of Record

The Port Chester Blog Of Record - Brain Harrod Editor / Publisher

Friday, January 25, 2008

01/25/08 - Port Chester Newswire

Port Chester News Briefs

Village’s at-Large Voting Is Found to Be Biased
New York Times - United States
“This court is persuaded that there is some history of official discrimination in Port Chester that continues to touch the rights of Hispanics to ...

Judge: NY Village Violates US Voting Law
The Associated Press -
The decision against Port Chester, on the Connecticut border 25 miles from New York City, is expected to force a revision of the village's at-large election ...



This as-it-happens News Alert is brought to you by
Port Chester Roundup.

To go to the Port Chester Roundup Homepage, please click here.

01/25/08 - Port Chester Consumer News


The "Westmore Snooze" Misses

A Lot Of Port Chester News Stories.


As usual the Westmore News littered the Internet with spam links begging for money from the good citizen's of Port Chester.


You can pay the Westmore News $33.00 to read these stories online....



R. B. voters will decide on extending terms
Village board wants to extend terms of mayor and trustees from two years to three
By Jananne Abel
It's now official: besides an election for mayor and two trustees on Mar. 18, there will be a referendum on the ballot asking Rye... [more]

The history of Port Chester High School
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the current PCHS building, this is the 10th in a series of articles about its history. This section relates the dedication of the stadium to the memory of Port Chester's first elected mayor, John... [more]

Fearsome Fivesome
All five Port Chester starters are averaging double figures in points-per-game, the main reason why the Rams have been blowing out opponents during their five-game win streak.
By Peter Kollmann
IMAGINE being without your 6-foot-11 center and leading scorer for the first... [more]


Or you can get all this news at the Journal News For FREE !!!!


Each Of These Journal News Articles Is About Or Mentions The Village Of Port Chester.


March 18 election called off in Port Chester
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
Port Chester's election for its Board of Trustees, scheduled for March 18, is being called off for the second year in a row because of an ongoing federal voting rights case. Five of six seats were up for a vote this year, but a federal judge ruled... read entire article»


$573 million for sewage upgrades on Sound
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
Upgrades for Westchester's sewage treatment plants on Long Island Sound would cost as much as $573 million, bringing "astronomical" tax increases to the communities near the sound, Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz told legislators today. He ... read entire article»
Ken Valenti The Journal News


Some big basketball showdowns on tap for today
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
It's been a light week of action throughout the Lower Hudson Valley because of midterms. But the schedule picks up in earnest tonight with no less than 64 varsity events. Among them are some big basketball showdowns. On the boys side, New Rochelle... read entire article»


Area varsity events: Scores and schedule
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
Yesterday's results Boys basketball Keio 44, Green Meadow 26 Rye 74, Ardsley 54 Croton-Harmon 68, Lincoln Hall 67 Girls basketball North Salem 51, Solomon Schechter 36 North Rockland 44, Clarkstown North 29 Rye 42, Ardsley 35 ... read entire article»


Yesterday's wrestling results
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
Suffern 52, North Rockland 22 At Suffern 215 - Mike Wagner (Sf) pin. Pat Cahill, 1:50; 285 - Cristian Garcia (NRk) won by forfeit; 96 - Nick Oliveto (Sf) tech. fall Mike Caputo, 16-1; 103 - Justin Artrip (Sf) pin. Mark DeRosa, 3:27; 112 - D... read entire article»


Westchester-Putnam letters for 1/25.
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
I read with some cynicism New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's comments at the Jan. 15 fund-raiser of the Yonkers Partners in Education. I am a retired NYC teacher and former teachers' union activist. I have my biases, for sure, but I also know... read entire article»


Port Chester seeks new ways to hold elections
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
PORT CHESTER - Now that a federal judge has declared the village elections unfair to Hispanics, the question is how to change the system. And it's not clear whether anything will happen in time for the next election March 18, when five of six vill... read entire article»
Leah Rae The Journal News


North Rockland travels to Suffern in wrestling
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
Suffern hosts North Rockland in a wrestling match at 4:30 p.m. A likely big match will occur 119 between North Rockland's Joe Slane and Suffern's Adam DeStefano. A gymnastics tri-meet of R.C. Ketcham, Tappan Zee and Clarkstown will take place at 6... read entire article»


Area varsity events: Scores and schedule �
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
Yesterday's results Boys basketball Fieldston 64, Hackley 58 New Rochelle 65, Newburgh 52 Masters 53, Greens Farms 33 Iona Prep at Mount St. Michael, 4 p.m. Girls basketball Suffern 50, Lincoln 15 Harvey 38, Forman 27 Hackley ... read entire article»


Section 1 Coaches Association wrestler rankings
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
Division I 96 - 1. Brian Realbuto (Somers); 2. Nick Oliveto (Suffern); 3. Peter Grippi (Fox Lane). 103 - 1. Steven Rodrigues (Fox Lane); 2. Henry Stauber (John Jay); 3. Justin Artrip (Suffern). 112 - 1. Mike Rose (Carme... read entire article»


Quincy-Jones hoping for memorable ending to solid career
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
As is his custom, Pace forward Desmond Quincy-Jones took a look down his upcoming schedule to see what the men's basketball season would bring. As his eyes locked in on a Feb. 26 home game against Assumption, he realized this season was going to b... read entire article»
Jeff Gold The Journal News


Westchester/Putnam wrestling notebook: Super 16 is springboard for Fox Lane
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
Joey Grippi and his Fox Lane teammates always add extra emphasis to the annual Super 16 wrestling championship. "Coach (Joe) Amuso created the tournament, so it is always nice to win it for him," said the junior 125-pounder, who is undefeated. "We... read entire article»
Tony Pinciaro The Journal News


Port Chester cops search for 2 lottery scammers
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
PORT CHESTER - Police are searching for two people who duped a village woman out of $10,000 yesterday with promises that she would get $56,000 from the proceeds of a winning $356,000 lottery ticket. A woman approached the 31-year-old victim on Wes... read entire article»
Shawn Cohen The Journal News


Port Chester man pleads guilty in knifepoint rape
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
WHITE PLAINS - A Port Chester man pleaded guilty yesterday to raping a woman after hiding in the back of her car and forcing her at knifepoint to drive to a desolate area. Federico Ordaz-Ceja, 27, of 241 S. Regent St., faces up to 25 years in pris... read entire article»
Shawn Cohen The Journal News


Port Chester man held on charge of sexually abusing girl, 3
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
PORT CHESTER - A 52-year-old village man is due in court tomorrow, accused of molesting a 3-year-old girl who was living in the same home, police said. Ramon Avilla-Yanez was charged yesterday with first-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, for a... read entire article»
Shawn Cohen The Journal News


Judge says Port Chester election system violates rights of village Hispanics
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
PORT CHESTER - A federal judge has ruled that Port Chester's election system violates the Voting Rights Act by making it tougher for Hispanic citizens to gain power. The at-large system of voting for six village trustees "prevents Hispanic voters ... read entire article»


Westchester-Putnam letters for 1/23.
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
Tractor trailers have been going onto the river parkways of Westchester and Fairfield counties for many years now. I find it ridiculous to blame it on GPS units ("GPS devices: Blessing, curse or a bit of both," Jan. 4 article). For many years, the... read entire article»


Police blotter
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008
Huguenot Street: A 31-year-old city man was punched in the face and robbed inside Club Eclipse at 348 Huguenot St., police said. The victim was in the restroom just after 3 a.m. Monday when he was attacked by a man who punched him in the fa... read entire article»


Port Chester man pleads guilty to knifepoint rape
Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
WHITE PLAINS - A Port Chester man pleaded guilty today to raping a woman after hiding in the back seat of her car and forcing her at knifepoint to drive to a desolate area. Federico Ordaz-Ceja, 27, of 241 S. Regent St., faces up to 25 years in pri... read entire article»
Shawn Cohen The Journal News


Updated: Judge strikes down Port Chester elections system; village officials to meet tonight
Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
A federal judge has ruled Port Chester's at-large voting districts for its Board of Trustees violate the federal Voting Rights Act. Judge Stephen C. Robinson, in a decision signed Thursday but released this morning by the court, wrote that the sys... read entire article»


Area varsity events: Scores and schedule
Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
Yesterday's results Boys basketball Sleepy Hollow 58, Byram Hills 56 Kennedy 53, Somers 35 Iona Prep 58, Scanlan 47 Edgemont at Salesian, 2 p.m. Hockey Fox Lane 2, Mt. Pleasant 1 Suffern 4, Rye Town/Harrison 2 Nyack vs. Somers... read entire article»


Port Chester set to vote on adult establishments moratorium
Monday, Jan 21, 2008
PORT CHESTER - Since the shutdown of a strip club in 2002, the village hasn't touched adult establishments with a 10-foot pole. "If you look back at the history, the village has had a moratorium on this five times," Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla... read entire article»
Aman Ali The Journal News


Kent police charge Dutchess man with felony drunken driving
Monday, Jan 21, 2008
KENT - Town police charged a 29-year-old Dutchess County man with felony driving while intoxicated after traffic stop on Ludingtonville Road, police said today. Wilder Guerra of Blueberry Lane, Stormville, was also charged with first-degree aggrav... read entire article»
Terence Corcoran The Journal News


The Lowdown: A look at the week ahead in local sports
Monday, Jan 21, 2008
A light week in boys basketball finishes with a flourish Friday and Saturday. Tuckahoe takes on Blind Brook Friday in what could be a preview of the Class C final. White Plains visits New Rochelle as well, and Gorton hosts Roosevelt. And Mount St.... read entire article»


Rockland briefing
Monday, Jan 21, 2008
Police officers arrested five 16-year-old boys last night who are accused of shooting pellet guns from their car window as they drove through Haverstraw village, officials said. Haverstraw police became aware of the boys around 9:30 p.m. when seve... read entire article»


Rockland boys basketball notebook: Spring Valley bounces back after slow start
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
Willie Worsley stood before his team and delivered an unfamiliar message. "Guys, we might not make the playoffs," the Spring Valley boys basketball coach told his then 2-5 team. Their reaction? "Basically, we chuckled," said Jamal Little, who lead... read entire article»


Rye Town supervisor defends town accountant, attorney picks
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
RYE TOWN - A local Democratic leader threw a jab at Supervisor Joseph Carvin last week, charging the newly elected Republican went back on his word in his first week in office. "His big promise (in the campaign) was not to give out these no-bid pr... read entire article»
Aman Ali The Journal News


Southern Westchester boys basketball notebook: Wright emerges as a force for Scarsdale
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
At every level Travis Wright has played at New Rochelle, he was told he was too small to play in the post. Yet the 6-foot-2 junior is proving to be the inside presence the Huguenots desperately need. Wright has been stellar of late, and had arguab... read entire article»
Kevin Devaney Jr. The Journal News


Northern Westchester boys basketball notebook: Foxes look ahead, make gains
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
Fox Lane coach Chris Violante realized a bad habit in his team when it started the season 0-4, one common in teams lacking significant experience. "The guys were getting caught up in the previous play," Violante said. "When something would go wron... read entire article»
Kevin Devaney Jr. The Journal News


Central Westchester boys basketball notebook: Defense makes a difference for Pleasantville
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
Pleasantville has been holding opponents to point totals this season that look more like winter temperatures than basketball scores. It was below freezing at the Panthers' games this past week. Section 1's best defensive team held Putnam Valley to... read entire article»
Kevin Devaney Jr. The Journal News


Rockland people in the news
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
Bill Cooperman was named the coordinator of independent living services for the Rockland Independent Living Center, an organization that provides services to people with disabilities. Cooperman, who has expertise in Social Security disability bene... read entire article»


Family, dealer clash over SUV wreck
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
A Yonkers man and his daughter say they've been treated poorly by a Port Chester car dealership after a service technician allegedly crashed their car in White Plains a few days before Christmas and left the accident scene. "They've done a horribl... read entire article»
Richard Liebson The Journal News


New TZ Bridge approach raises optimism, questions
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
The decision to divide a study about the future of the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Interstate 287 corridor into two parts will end bureaucratic gridlock, give ordinary citizens a greater voice and save taxpayers billions, state transportation offici... read entire article»
Khurram Saeed The Journal News


Military news
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
PLEASANTVILLE: William B. Price has been promoted to gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Price, in his 13th year of service, is public affairs chief of Marine Corps Barracks, Washington, D.C. He has recently written and published a b... read entire article»


The Tappan Zee puzzle
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
What we learned last week about a new process to determine the future of the Tappan Zee Bridge sounds good, if the timeline holds, the money somehow magically materializes, and the agencies partnering on the project figure out how to make it all c... read entire article»
Bob Baird Journal News columnist


Few regulations govern food product dating
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
YONKERS - In a large refrigerated storage room behind the dairy displays at Stew Leonard's market, two employees busily restock half-gallon cartons of milk. Dozens of crates, containing the store's daily delivery of some 6,000 containers of milk, ... read entire article»
David Schepp The Journal News


Yesterday's wrestling matches
Sunday, Jan 20, 2008
Wrestling Beacon tournament At Beacon High School Team standings and key -�1. John Jay (JJ) 232.5 points; 2. Half Hollow Hills East (HHHE) 178; 3. Fox Lane (FL) 158; 4. Carmel (C) 138; 5. Arlington (Arl) 128.5; 6. Beacon (Be... read entire article»


The road ahead
Saturday, Jan 19, 2008
Wow. When the Department of Transportation took the lead last year in the Tappan Zee Bridge/Interstate 287 Project, we expected things would get stirred up. The project had lumbered along, and DOT's involvement, at the behest of Gov. Eliot Spitzer... read entire article»


Westchester-Putnam letters for 1/19.
Saturday, Jan 19, 2008
The latest exploit of Westchester's county legislators in appointing their own Albany lobbyist to compete with a lobbyist already appointed by the county executive knocks the bottom out of the proverbial barrel. Of course, taxpayers are left to fo... read entire article»


Man says gunman in Jason mask busted into his home
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
PORT CHESTER - A village man reported that an intruder, wielding a shotgun and wearing a mask like Jason in "Friday the 13th," kicked open his door and stole his car keys. The reported gunman was not found when officers responded Wednesday night, ... read entire article»
Shawn Cohen The Journal News


Rams' quick start burns Dutchmen
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
PORT CHESTER - First came a little eye roll. Next came a perturbed chuckle. Then George Gaine looked away from the court for a second with an exasperated expression. Was Port Chester seriously going to keep hitting virtually every shot? Apparently... read entire article»
Jeff Gold The Journal News


Area high school events: Scores and schedule
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
Yesterday's results Boys basketball Roosevelt 81, Saunders 57 Tuckahoe 55, Leake & Watts 49 Mount Venron 79, Scarsdale 71 Blind Brook 57, Clark Adademy 50 Arlington 61, Carmel 44 Solomon Schechter 52, Children's Village 38 Spring... read entire article»


Westchester-Putnam letters for 1/18
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
Greg Clary wrote (Jan. 11 column), "We'll probably need a crisis," to get us going together toward energy conservation. The climate change crisis is here. But, as Clary said, political leaders are scarcely talking about it - in part because the me... read entire article»


Rockland letters to the editor 1/18.
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
In response to Mario Centenaro's Monday letter to the editor, "Salt, brine add their own snow problems," I'd like to clarify Clarkstown's approach to snowstorms. When snow is anticipated, it is a great benefit to have the salt brine solution alrea... read entire article»


Girls basketball roundup: Duncan nets 1,000th point as Mount Vernon defeats Scarsdale; Mamaroneck gets milestone win vs. New Rochelle; Coach Ricci gets 250th win as Ossining defeats Beacon; Spring Valley defeats Nyack 51-45
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
Mount Vernon 78, Scarsdale 44: At Mount Vernon, senior Nadia Duncan scored 26 points to reach 1,000 for her career. "I was surprised," Duncan said. "I was the last one to know when it happened." Duncan, who is being recruited by Division I ... read entire article»
Compiled from staff reports


Seven new spots spice up Mount Kisco
Friday, Jan 18, 2008
Mount Kisco has always been known as the hub of Northern Westchester. It�s got a little of everything � a bustling downtown with great shopping, easy access, and a diverse array of dining spots. Yet, for all its options, few would equate it wi... read entire article»


Plus Don't Forget To Visit The Port Chester Roundup Homepage For Port Chester News Articles From Newspapers Across The Nation And From Over Seas.


01/25/08 - Port Chester Newswire

Port Chester Voting Rights Case Update

Federal judge: Port Chester's election system hurts Hispanics
Staten Island Advance - SILive.com - Staten Island,NY,USA
AP WHITE PLAINS, NY (AP) — A federal judge says the at-large system for electing trustees in Port Chester violates the Voting Rights Act. Judge Stephen ...

Judge rules NY town violates Voting Rights Act
Reuters - USA
US District Judge Stephen Robinson's order, dated January 17 and released by federal officials on Tuesday, directed the Village of Port Chester to rewrite ...



This as-it-happens News Alert Alert is brought to you by
Port Chester Roundup.

To go to the Port Chester Roundup Home Page, please click Here

01/25/08 - Port Chester Business Wire


Westchester.com

... communications firm, as General Manager. In his new position he will oversee all day-to-day operations for the Port Chester based graphic communications services firm. Prior to joining Magjak, Fehn managed one of the most successful business ...

01/24/08 - Bloggers Repond To Port Chester Voting Rights Case


Judge Stephen Robinson Discards 'One Man, One Vote' to Empower Illegal Aliens



U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson has discarded the concept of "one man, one vote" in Port Chester, New York. According to Robinson, counting votes equally "prevents Hispanic voters from participating equally in the political process in the Village." This is because many of the Hispanics in Port Chester don't vote, since they are not American citizens but rather illegal aliens.


One proposed "remedy" is to gerrymander the town into districts:


Among other arguments, lawyers for the village said that splitting the village into districts by population would weaken the individual votes of people who lived in areas with larger proportions of registered voters. Districts that included many residents who were not citizens or registered to vote would have a much smaller number of actual voters in their overall population — hence each individual voter in that district would carry more weight in choosing his or her local trustee, they said.


Of course. The whole point is to de-emphasize the votes of people who are in the country legally. The technical term for this is "moonbattery."
On a tip from Wiggins.



Full Story: Moonbattery



Comments Made To Moonbattery Blog:


Someone should investigate if this Judge uses illegal housekeepers and/or if his personal investments are in businesses that employ illegal labor.



ALSO:



Restoring Democracy: Felon and Youth Voting Rights


by project vote



“Citing a history of official discrimination against Hispanic voters, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the way municipal elections are conducted in the village of Port Chester, NY, violates federal election law. ...



TPMCafe blogs - http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog



Judges Rules Hispanic Voting Rights Were Violated


by LaDivaLatina



A US judge ruled Port Chester's election system denies equal participation for Hispanics in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landmark law associated with the civil rights movement of the 1960s. ...



LaDivaLatina Magazine - http://ladivalatinamagazine.blogspot.com/

01/24/08 - Port Chester Responds To Judge Robinson




Journal News


Now that a federal judge has declared the village elections unfair to Hispanics, the question is how to change the system.


And it's not clear whether anything will happen in time for the next election March 18, when five of six village board seats are up for a vote.


U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson ruled last week that the way Port Chester elects trustees - to serve at large, rather than representing individual districts - prevents Hispanics from participating equally in local politics. Only two Hispanics have ever run for village board, and both lost. Hispanics account for 46 percent of the population and at least 22 percent of voting-age citizens.


"I'm disappointed that the judge didn't make a decision one way or another on whether or not the March elections are going to be held," said Michael Scarola, the Republican village chair. His Democratic counterpart, Gary Stracuzzi, said his party will ask the judge on Friday to put a hold on the election and caucuses because there's no valid election system to follow.


Robinson, in his Jan. 17 decision, ordered all parties to submit a proposed remedy by Feb. 7. He is certain to receive conflicting proposals


The judge agreed with arguments to carve the village into six districts, each represented by a trustee. That would create a Hispanic voting majority in a neighborhood at the center of town....


...Some communities have settled on cumulative voting as a remedy, but not without the agreement of all the parties involved, he said.


"It can be agreed to, but we're not in favor of it, and we see no reason why we should adopt such a radical approach to voting rights in the village of Port Chester," McLaughlin said.


Yesterday the mayor praised the village's diversity as "our towering strength" and tried out his Spanish with a Telemundo television crew.
But Ruiz, after listening, said the village's proposal won't solve anything for Latino voters.


He lives in the area of town that would become a mostly Hispanic district under a Department of Justice plan. By creating districts, he said, candidates would be able to campaign in one area and be held accountable to those residents.


Last year's election was canceled because of the lawsuit. Despite the uncertainty this year, Republicans made an effort to find candidates in the proposed districts, Scarola said. Democrat Stracuzzi noted that it's not clear where the district lines would fall. Each party is required to name its candidates by Jan. 29.


"It's tough to get people to run anyway for public office," Stracuzzi said. "When you throw in all these other variables ... anybody intelligent is basically going to say: 'I'll wait till the dust settles before I put my name out there.' And some people don't want to be nominated in a system that's in violation of the Voting Rights Act."


Reported By: Leah Rae at lrae@lohud.com or 914-694-3526.


Read reactions to this story:




o.k.- I'm going to take a ride though through Mt. Kisco and Brewster just to make sure your right.


cj10801 wrote:


I respectfully disagree... Based on the empty beer cans I see littering roadways in affluent towns like Rye Harrison, and Greenwich, I would have to say that Budweiser is the new clear choice of the majority of Mexican landscaping crews ...check it out. Much to my surprise, Coors Light seems to be number 2. Maybe I am wrong ...perhaps the residents of these areas, are drinking Bud, and then throwing the cans on their neighbors front lawns?




Not Budweiser cj10801 Corona's or El Presidente's!!!



cj10801 wrote:


I imagine that free Budweiser Beers would drive the voting way up in Port Chester.




Just don't vote anymore. Put all Hispanics in the Port Chester Gov't. This will make that A$$ Hole judge, all the illegals and the rest of the hispanic whiners happy. Afterwards, anyone not hispanic should move out because when this happens Port Chester will look like some dumpy Mexican town. Oh that's right, it already does.

01/24/08 - Port Chester Newswire




The Journal News


Police are searching for two people who duped a village woman out of $10,000 yesterday with promises that she would get $56,000 from the proceeds of a winning $356,000 lottery ticket.


A woman approached the 31-year-old victim on Westchester Avenue and claimed to have won the lottery, but couldn't cash the ticket because she didn't have a bank account. A man then appeared and pretended to call a lottery hotline to confirm the ticket was authentic....


... with them to her bank in Rye and withdrew $10,000 in "good faith" money for them. They then drove her back to Port Chester, pushed her out of the vehicle, and left. The woman con artist was described as Hispanic, 60, wearing blue jeans and a blue ...




The Journal News


... child. Charney off to quick start: After not playing basketball last season and the first part of this season, Port Chester's Chad Charney rejoined SUNY Purchase's men's basketball team and has played well. He's led Purchase in scoring with 17 ...


More Sports headlines:


01/23/08 - More National And International Coverage Of The Port Chester Voting Rights Case




North Country Gazette, NY


WASHINGTON - A federal judge has ruled that the at-large system of election used by the Village of Port Chester to elect its trustees violates the Voting ...



US Department of Justice (press release), DC


A federal judge has ruled that the at-large system of election used by the Village of Port Chester, NY, to elect its trustees violates the ...



PR-CANADA.net (press release), Montenegro


A federal judge has ruled that the at-large system of election used by the Village of Port Chester, NY, to elect its trustees violates the Voting Rights Act ...




PR-USA.net (press release), Bulgaria


A federal judge has ruled that the at-large system of election used by the Village of Port Chester, NY, to elect its trustees violates the Voting Rights Act ...

01/23/08 - Port Chester Newswire



The Journal News


A 52-year-old village man is due in court tomorrow, accused of molesting a 3-year-old girl who was living in the same home, police said.


Ramon Avilla-Yanez was charged yesterday with first-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, for allegedly violating the girl on one occasion in October 2006. It wasn't until earlier this week that the mother of the girl, now 4, told the child's kindergarten teacher about it.


The teacher, as mandated, reported the incident, prompting a police investigation that resulted in the arrest, said Port Chester police Lt. James Ladeairous. Avilla-Yanez, who, along with the girl's family, is from Mexico, has been living with them in ...


Westchester man pleads guilty in gas station abduction, rape


Mid-Hudson News


A Port Chester man pled guilty in Westchester County Court on Tuesday to a charge of first-degree rape.


Judge says Port Chester election system violates rights of village Hispanics


The Journal News


A federal judge has ruled that Port Chester's election system violates the Voting Rights Act by making it tougher for Hispanic citizens to gain power.


Harold K. Foster


Daily Record


... formerly of Hanover Township, passed away on Monday, Jan. 21, 2008, in Madison, N.J. He was 81. Born in Port Chester, N.Y., Mr. Foster was raised in Belleville. He was a graduate of Colgate University and served in the Navy. He began his career ...


Westchester-Putnam letters for 1/23.


Journal News


Don't blame GPS for trucks on parkways


Tractor trailers have been going onto the river parkways of Westchester and Fairfield counties for many years now. I find it ridiculous to blame it on GPS units ("GPS devices: Blessing, curse or a bit of both," Jan. 4 article). For many years, there has been no police presence on the parkways. Recently I saw a long, full-size municipal garbage collection truck on the Saw Mill Parkway, and a full-size landscaper truck with a trailer full of filth-blowers on the Merritt. It is unsafe for these vehicles to be on the parkways; they cannot negotiate the tight turns. (Notice how short official highway trucks are?)


Also, by being overweight, they risk causing the bridges to fail. Remember the Hearst Street Bridge in north Yonkers? It was posted and restricted to passenger cars only, but bus drivers took it as a short cut to the bus lot until the wooden deck collapsed under the weight of a truck.


When a tractor driver sees gigantic pickups trailing mobile homes and utility bucket trucks go onto the ramp to a parkway, the logical conclusion is that, since these vehicles are not permitted on a parkway, they must be entering an interstate highway. And so he follows these huge trucks, thinking that they are permitted.


If police officers don't want the headache of closing down a parkway and an overpass, diverting traffic, waiting for a structural engineer, doing an accident investigation, etc., then they should stop all the non-permitted vehicles from going onto the parkways


Nancy Mattson
Port Chester


Police blotter

Journal News


...Grace Church Street: Luis Morocho Chapa of 158 Selick St., Stamford, Conn., was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, a felony, in connection with an accident on Monday, police said. Chapa, 38, was driving with a suspended license when he collided with the side of a car that was turning onto Greenwood Avenue around 4:45 p.m., police said.


Boston Post Road: Denise King-Garzilli, 52, of 241 Mortimer St. was charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child after she left her 5-year-old child unattended in a car in the Kohl's shopping center, police said. A passenger in another car observed the child sitting alone in the vehicle for about 20 minutes and alerted police. King-Garzilli told police she went into Kohl's to return an item and was only gone a short time. She is due in court in Port Chester tomorrow.


South Regent Street: Joaquin Molina, 27, of South Regent Street was charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, when he allegedly threw a chair and punched a 26-year-old man in the face during a poker game dispute on Jan. 20, police said. The victim was taken to Greenwich Hospital and treated for swelling to his eyes, police said....

01/22/08 - Man Pleads Guilty to Hiding in Car, Raping Driver


Man Pleads Guilty to Hiding in Car,

Raping Driver


A man accused of hiding in a Westchester driver's back seat, then holding a knife to her throat and abducting her, has pleaded guilty to rape.


The attack occurred on Aug. 26. The driver had returned to her car after going into a Port Chester gas station to buy gum and cigarettes.


Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced the plea on Tuesday by Federico Ordaz-Ceja. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 18.....




Full Story: WINS-AM New York
UPDATE:
ALSO:

Journal News

WHITE PLAINS - A Port Chester man pleaded guilty yesterday to raping a woman after hiding in the back of her car and forcing her at knifepoint to drive to a desolate area.
Federico Ordaz-Ceja, 27, of 241 S. Regent St., faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced March 18 for first-degree rape, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said
The victim had driven to a Citgo gas station on Boston Post Road to buy gum and cigarettes the night of Aug. 26. While she was parked, Ordaz-Ceja climbed into her back seat and hid. During her ride home, he placed a knife to her throat and ordered her to drive to a parking lot, where he forced her into the back seat and raped her, DiFiore said....
Reported By: Shawn Cohen at spcohen@lohud.com

01/22/08 - A Local Report About The Port Chester Voting Rights Case




The Journal News


A federal judge has ruled Port Chester's at-large voting districts for its Board of Trustees violate the federal Voting Rights Act.


Judge Stephen C. Robinson, in a decision signed Thursday but released this morning by the court, wrote that the system for electing the village's six trustees "prevents Hispanic voters from participating equally in the political process in the village."


The case was brought by the United States and local resident Cesar Ruiz against the village in December 2006. It led to the cancellation of the March 2007 trustee election.


Its effect on a new election scheduled for this coming March was not immediately clear.


The judge ordered all sides to present "proposed remedial plans" to the court within three weeks, and said he would set a one-day hearing on the matter after that.


Anthony Piscionere, an attorney for the village, said he will meet with the village Board of Trustees in closed-door session tonight to decide the village's next step. He said no decision needs to be made yet on whether to appeal the ruling.


Calling it an "adverse decision," Piscionere said in a statement: "Although not unexpected, we are disappointed....Port Chester has a long history of being a tolerant and richly diverse community. Regrettably, Judge Robinson has not yet addressed the important Constitutional issue of vote devaluation.".....


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Read reactions to this story:


Aidan wrote:


Expect things to get worse.


pccan473 wrote:


Where do all these illegals live? In houses owned by legal landlords who fuel the fire. This is so way outof hand and is affecting every aspect of life here in Port Chester. I understand that the Principal of Park Avenue School is suggesting a clinic be placed inthe school. Has she run this by the Board of Ed and for that matter the taxpayers and all the parents who send their children to the school. Not just the most needy?




Yes, i think judge Robinson is dating judge Colleen McMahon. They must joke over dinner dates how they put one over on American citzens again.



atech227 wrote:


Judge Robinson should realize that many Port Chester hispanics can't vote because they are illegals. Many can't read english. This judge must be related to the one who let the 6 John Does win the case against Mamaroneck. STOP bowing down and get this country back to what is was. This is all becoming B.S.




I agree this is a huge joke. Is this judge aware that about 75% (if not more) of the hispanics in Port Chester are "illegals" and if I remember correctly.....you have to be a citizen to vote. Maybe we should change to constitution forr the them. What does this judge have to say about all the "illegal" and over crowding housing in PC not to mention the over crowded classrooms .......I could go on and on. Wanna solve the problem? Get rid of all the "illegals" and the educated citizens (including legal hispanics) wont have a problem.


theresa1 wrote:


i'd also like to know how port chester violated the voting rights? no spanish ballots listing the names of the trustees? this is ridiculous.



GOARMYBEATNAVY wrote more:


This bum robinson is just another left wing liberal judge who has sided with an unproductive Hispanic community that does nothing but whine and cry about everything like a child until they get their way. How did Port Chester violate the voting rights act? As long as you are a citizen of the U.S. and a registered voter you go to the polls and vote like everyone else. The next thing will be free transportation to the polls for Hispanics ONLY paid for by tax payers. That being said how is it that Hispanics can't participate equally in elections? What a joke!!!

01/22/08 - Voting Rights Case Brings National And International Media Attention To The Village Of Port Chester




Politics on the Hudson, NY


A federal judge has ruled Port Chester’s at-large voting districts for its Board of Trustees violate the federal Voting Rights Act.


Judge Stephen C. Robinson, in a decision signed Thursday but released this morning by the court, wrote that the system for electing the village’s six trustees “prevents Hispanic voters from participating equally in the political process in the village.”


The case was brought by the United States and local resident Cesar Ruiz against the village in December 2006. It led to the cancellation of the March 2007 trustee election.


Its effect on a new election scheduled for this coming March was not immediately clear.


The judge ordered all sides to present “proposed remedial plans” to the court within three weeks, and said he would set a one-day hearing on the matter after that.


Randolph McLaughlin, a Pace Law school professor representing Cesar Ruiz, who filed the lawsuit, said he would ask the judge to block the March trustee elections if the village plans to conduct the elections the way it always has....


This entry was posted by Liz Anderson.




By Daniel Trotta


NEW YORK (Reuters)


A U.S. judge ruled a New York town's election system denies equal participation for Hispanics in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landmark law associated with the civil rights movement of the 1960s.


U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson's order, dated January 17 and released by federal officials on Tuesday, directed the Village of Port Chester to rewrite its election laws because they have denied Hispanics a seat in the local government.


Hispanics make up 46 percent of Port Chester's population but no Hispanic has been elected to the board governing the village of 28,000 people some 25 miles north of New York City.


Latin American immigrants have flocked to Port Chester in recent years, seeking work in the affluent suburbs of Westchester County


The U.S. Justice Department had sued the village but the all-white board of trustees refused to change its "at-large" system under which the board of trustees is elected by a village-wide vote rather than by districts, which would improve the chances of a Hispanic getting elected......



New York Times


By ALAN FEUER

Citing a history of official discrimination against Hispanic voters, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the way municipal elections are conducted in the village of Port Chester, N.Y., violates federal election law.


The ruling by the judge, Stephen C. Robinson of Federal District Court in White Plains, came in a 56-page order issued as the capstone to a six-day trial last spring. During the trial, the federal government argued that the village’s at-large voting system — in which all village residents can vote for all candidates on the ballot — was unfairly weighted against Hispanics. As part of his ruling, Judge Robinson ordered the village to submit a “remedial plan” to fix the at-large system within three weeks.


“This court is persuaded that there is some history of official discrimination in Port Chester that continues to touch the rights of Hispanics to participate in the political process,” Judge Robinson wrote.


The federal government sued the village in December 2006, charging that the at-large system — as opposed to a system in which separate districts elect separate candidates — violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The suit claimed that the system denied Hispanic voters the opportunity to constitute a majority in any area and thus inhibited them from electing their preferred candidates.


Lawyers from the village argued that Hispanics had been invited to participate in the election process, but had often declined. They suggested that the problem was one of voter apathy or partisan politics rather than one of racial polarization.


In his order, however, Judge Robinson took issue with those claims, as well as others.


“Defendants argued throughout this case that, given time and assuming the continued growth of the Hispanic population of the village, the Hispanic community could come to dominate the political landscape in Port Chester even under the current at-large system,” the judge wrote. “This court, however, is not charged with projecting what might happen years or decades from now; rather we are forced with the current political reality in the village.”


To that end, Judge Robinson ordered the village to draw up plans to change the at-large system. In his order, Judge Robinson seemed inclined to favor a system presented at the trial by Andrew A. Beveridge, a sociology professor and demographer at Queens College.


Dr. Beveridge proposed redrawing the village, which is in Westchester County, into six voting districts and to have each district elect its own member to the Board of Trustees. Judge Robinson said he would wait to rule on plans until the village submitted its own proposal to the court....




PR Newswire (press release), NY


PRNewswire-USNewswire/


A federal judge has ruled that the at-large system of election used by the Village of Port Chester, NY, ...




Kansas City Star,


A suburban village has been violating the Voting Rights Act by using an election system that leaves its rapidly growing Hispanic population without representation, a federal judge said Tuesday.


The decision against Port Chester, on the Connecticut border 25 miles from New York City, is expected to force a revision of the village's at-large election system, in which all voters cast ballots for each of the six trustee positions that run the village government....




News 10NBC - New York


...The likely alternative is a district system, in which each district would elect one trustee. One district would be drawn around Hispanic neighborhoods to increase the chances that a Hispanic-backed candidate would be elected...




MLive.com, MI


...Judge Stephen Robinson, who held a trial last May when the village and the Justice Department could not settle the case, said the at-large system "prevents Hispanic voters from participating equally in the political process in the village."...




MiamiHerald.com, FL


...The government had alleged that the at-large system allowed candidates preferred by whites to win all the trustee elections because whites tended to vote in a bloc. No Hispanic has ever been elected trustee or mayor in Port Chester, although the population is almost half Hispanic. The white population votes in greater numbers....




Orlando Sentinel, FL


...Robinson gave each side until Feb. 7 to recommend solutions. The government has already suggested plans it said would accomplish a Hispanic district, but the village said the plans would devalue the votes in the non-Hispanic districts, which would have larger populations....



Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN


...Anthony Piscionere, Port Chester's attorney, said the village was disappointed but not surprised. Piscionere said he would meet with the trustees Tuesday night "to determine the next steps." It was too early to decide whether to appeal, he said....




Worcester Telegram, MA


...Said U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia: "We hope that Port Chester will move forward and work with us to develop a district-based election system that remedies the violation."...




San Francisco Chronicle


...Robinson blocked last March's trustee elections with an injunction, and they have yet to be held. Meanwhile, a new election is scheduled for this March. It was not clear what effect Tuesday's decision would have on that election....




Biloxi Sun Herald


...Last year's mayoral election went on as scheduled, and the judge noted that it featured "a blatant racial message." He was apparently referring to an anonymous flier that included the statement, "The Hispanics are running the show already."....



Macon Telegraph, GA


...Robinson said he was troubled by the fact that such a message "emerged in the midst of the ongoing proceedings in this case."...




Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX -


...He ruled that the government had met the three principal requirements established by precedents: that the minority group is big enough and compact enough to constitute a majority in a single-member district; that it is politically cohesive and votes as a bloc; and that bloc voting by the white majority generally defeats the minority's preferred candidate....


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Federal judge: Port Chester's election system hurts Hispanics


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WHITE PLAINS, NY (AP) — A federal judge says the at-large system for electing trustees in Port Chester violates the Voting Rights Act. Judge Stephen ...


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