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The Port Chester Blog Of Record

The Port Chester Blog Of Record - Brain Harrod Editor / Publisher
Showing posts with label Eminent Domain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eminent Domain. Show all posts

Sunday, February 3, 2008

02/03/08 - Port Chester Blogwire For Sunday

Port Chester Blog Posts

Update on Port Chester big man
By Bill Martin
billmartin@caainsider.com (mailto:billmartin@caainsider.com)Jordan Henriquez (http://caainsider.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=339&Itemid=100) is a 6-11 senior from Port Chester High School in New York. He is a...
Powered by Mambo - http://www.caainsider.com

Power rankings
By Kevin Devaney Jr.
Port Chester (11-5): Squeaked past Spring Valley this week in a matchup they’d love to avoid in the playoffs. Lou Larizza, as I’ve been saying for a while, is the key to their postseason success. He had 29 against Spring Valley and ...
Varsity Insider - http://varsityinsider.lohudblogs.com

Saturday tournament results
By Tony Pinciaro
Port Chester (PC) 61; 13. East Ramapo (ER) 48.5. Championship 96 – Shane Connolly (Ww) dec. Charlie Gonzalez (PC), 2-0; 103 – Colin Coffey (Bab) maj. dec. Justin Okamoto (Nk), 12-0; 112 – Andrew Nicholson (E) dec. Pat Flynn (Cop), 2-0; ...
Takedowns - http://takedowns.lohudblogs.com

Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Challenge to “Atlantic Yards ...
Port Chester, that the due process challenge to the New York Eminent Domain Procedure Law would fail. On appeal, Plaintiffs claimed that government officials had abdicated their eminent domain authority and had been co-opted by Mr. ...
New York Zoning and Municipal Law Blog - http://blog.szlawfirm.net/


Please send comments to PortChesterRoundup@gmail.com

Saturday, September 15, 2007

09-15-07 This Weeks Port Chester Roundup


Source: The Journal News

A homeless man took a leap of faith while trying to elude Port Chester police yesterday afternoon - but ended up with two broken ankles and an arrest warrant for his pains.
Curtis Stamps, 39, jumped from a third-floor bathroom at 13 Weber Drive as village police escorted a Child Protective Services agent there for an unrelated visit, explained Lt. Jim Ladeairous, Port Chester police.

"He has family there, but he's been given notice that he's not allowed on the property," Ladeairous said. "I guess he decided to elude us and jumped out the third-floor window and busted both his ankles."

Stamps has been banned from the Housing Authority's Weber Drive complex since April 2006, Ladeairous said. Police had a warrant for his arrest for criminal trespass, a misdemeanor, stemming from an Aug. 27, 2007, call that he was on the property.

A May 2006 effort to elude police on the property had also proved unsuccessful: Stamps threw his bicycle at an officer who tried to arrest him for trespassing on the parking lot. He was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and third-degree criminal trespass and resisting arrest, misdemeanors.......

Source: Cleaning & Maintenance Mgmt.

NEW YORK — Nine cleaners who spent months after the 9/11 terror attacks working in offices, apartments and stores near Ground Zero have sued their employers for a variety of wage violations, according to The New York Times.

The suit alleges that cleaning companies failed to pay overtime, failed to keep true time records, and failed to comply with a state requirement that companies provide an extra hour of pay whenever employees work 10 or more hours a day, the story stated......

...... a dozen companies were named in the suit, including Maxons Restorations of Manhattan, Crystal Restoration of Port Chester, NY, and Milro Services of Freeport, NY, the story noted. The lawyers who brought the suit hope to get class action status by .......
Click here to read the full article.
Cleaners File Suit Over Pay for Jobs Near Ground Zero

“These companies took advantage of this tragedy to enrich themselves at our expense. We are demanding justice.”

Nine workers who spent months after the Sept. 11 attacks cleaning offices, apartments and stores near ground zero filed a lawsuit yesterday against several of their former employers, accusing them of wage ... via New York Times

For related information, click here.


Source: Express-Times
According to Bethlehem police, the following members of the Lehigh University Swimming and Diving team were cited for underage drinking late Wednesday night after officers broke up a party at a home in the 500 block of Taylor Street:

... Nolan, 18, of Orchard Park, N.Y. n Andrew G. DiPietro, 18, of Monmouth Beach, N.J. n Jaclyn A. McGowan, 18, of Port Chester, N.Y. n Amy R. Delynn, 18, of Ryebrook, N.J.* n Ian Squier Johnson, 18, of Halifax, Pa. n William R. Dunne, 18, of ...


Source: Bridgeport News
The Bridgeport Area Cultural Italian Organization is best known by its acronym, BACIO, which means "kiss" in Italian. BACIO sponsors lectures, dinners, films, Italian language classes and even wine-making sessions to fulfill its mission.Former Bridgeport Mayor Leonard S. Paoletta, who heads the group, said he is determined to do all he can to deepen Italian-Americans' appreciation of for their heritage.
"We should know whence we came and about all the contributions our forebears made to the world," said Paoletta, noting the influence of Italians in music, science and many other fields.
From his home in Easton, Paoletta regularly e-mails BACIO news to its 275 members. About 40 percent of members are from Bridgeport, a city that historically has had a large Italian-American population.
Paoletta, 72, has been a state workers' compensation commissioner since 1998. He likely will retire from the appointed position next March, at which time, he said, "I'll have more time to devote to BACIO."

... wine-making session in the home garage of Anthony Landino of North Haven, a wine master. "We buy our grapes in Port Chester, N.Y., and eight or nine of us make 22 to 23 cases holding 12 bottles each," Paoletta said. The wine will be on sale at ...


Source: Atlantic Yards Report
Plaintiffs in the eminent domain lawsuit challenging Atlantic Yards have already received a major setback in the case, after a federal court judge dismissed it for failure to state a claim, and as the appeal proceeds, a fierce set of response briefs from the defense ups the ante considerably.
The plaintiffs (a mix of 15 homeowners, commercial property owners, and residential and business tenants) and the defense (government agencies and officials) see controlling issues quite differently. The defense, drawing on U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis’s emphatic opinion, declare that the inquiry should end because the government—the ESDC—found that the project would achieve a public purpose, including affordable housing, an arena, and open space.
While that reflects longstanding Supreme Court doctrine, the plaintiffs look at it from another angle, arguing in their appeals brief that the court’s 2005 Kelo v. New London decision and Justice Anthony Kennedy’s concurrence require a more transparent sequence, which must be followed for condemnation to be legitimate. And in response, the defense says that Kelo doesn’t apply to this case and, even if it did, the sequence was legitimate.
The plaintiffs’ framework to some degree pushes the envelope—the ESDC points to the paradox that most commentators believed that Kelo “confirmed—and possibly even loosened—the already extremely deferential judicial review of the public purposes of proposed takings.” But the plaintiffs think it gives them more leverage.

... invasion into an area exclusively reserved for the legislature,'" citing a case called Brody v. Village of Port Chester . And FCR points to Garaufis's question , during oral argument, "Aren't you asking for more of the ESDC than was ever required in ...

Source: Norwalk Advocate
Last Friday was a perfect late summer night - not too hot, with a slight breeze. The wine was flowing. Great conversation all about. And the best part? Pizza for dinner and ice cream and truffles for dessert.
It really can't get much better than this.
Especially for Pizza Post, which beat out 11 other pizza makers, winning the title Best Pizza in Greenwich.
The blind tasting was held at the home of Carolyn and Jerry Anderson. This annual tasting - a way for the couple to thank the clients of their real estate business, Anderson Associates of Greenwich - showcases local businesses........

....... Friday night's dessert was the ice cream from the No. 3 winner that night, Longfords in Port Chester, N.Y., and the truffle from No. 1 Bridgewater Chocolate, a delightfully rich concoction that tastes as decadent as it looks. ........

Source URL: http://www.norwalkadvocate.com/features/scn-sa-pizza2sep12,0,6598514.story

Source: Mid-Hudson News

The plan to present a preferred alternative for the Tappan Zee Bridge by February or March of next year will be pushed back.

The entire team working on the project of how to deal with the more than 50-year-old bridge and the need to enhance transportation capacity will present a new timetable next month, according to Michael Anderson, the state Transportation Department’s project manager.

Anderson told the Hudson Valley Regional Council meeting at Stewart Airport Tuesday the project is about more than just providing transportation from the Hudson Valley to New York City, but it will provide for a major east-west corridor.
"It's a 30 mile corridor between Suffern and Port Chester and if you extend, on either side with reasonable reach for the market, it easily becomes 60 miles," he said. "Now we've got .......

Source URL: http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/TZB_recs-12Sep07.html

Source: Church Executive

...... GETV's Founder and CEO. Mr. Boyd started GETV under the inspiration of his mother. He was born and raised in Port Chester, New York and grew up in the Church. He was baptized at the age of 12, and became president of the church youth group and sang ......

Source: The Journal News
The man police say abducted a 21-year-old village woman from a local gas station at knifepoint and sexually assaulted her was apprehended in Chicago, police said.

The man, identified as Federico Ordaz-Cejia, 26, was believed to be in the fourth district in Chicago, Port Chester police Lt. James Ladeairous said, when a wanted poster for him was circulated Sept. 4. He had no known local address. ...

Source URL: http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/NEWS02/709110370

Friday, August 10, 2007

08/10/07 - Ex- Westmore News Polster And Part- Time Columnist Bart Didden Goes Nuts, Because Brody Wins His Eminent Domain Case

Bart Why Don't You Try Not To Be Soooooooooooo Jealous OF Bill Brody




Thu Aug 09, 2007




the last invoice listed on a FOIL response from the Village of Port Chester Clerks office is - $ 196,979.94 of OUR TAX DOLLARS When will our leaders tell us what is happening with OUR VILLAGE? When will we know what the total exposure to the Village is, what do we expect to gain with new lawyers now? ......Blah.....Blah.....Blah......


Replies: Zero as of August 10, 2007




Sun Jul 29, 2007




After reading my last to posts lets try using this forum to take a poll. ......Blah......Blah.......Blah......


Replies: Zero as of August 10, 2007




Sun Jul 29, 2007




Last week G&S began the process of removing the asbestos on the last two buildings still standing at the corner of North Main Street and Westchester Avenue. All of the Village taxpayers however are the ones who have been picking up the short comings on the.......Blah......Blah......Blah......


Replies: Zero as of August 10, 2007




Sun Jul 29, 2007




Port Chester wrongly took businessman's land, judge rules By TIMOTHY O'CONNOR THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original Publication: July 21, 2007) The legal battle July 1999: The village of Port Chester announces its decision to seize William Brody's four office buildings and two lots as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. October 2000: Brody files a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, challenging the village's attempt to seize his properties. ......Blah......Blah......Blah......


Replies: Zero as of August 10, 2007


Why dosen't anyone want to talk to Bart Didden about these issues?





Source: Lohud.com


Reporter: Bart Didden




Thursday, August 9, 2007

08/09/07 - Forget About Mark Weingarten And The Other G&S Lawyers


HEADLINE:




STORY:


The village is looking to hire its own lawyers to fight the long-standing eminent-domain lawsuit against businessman William Brody.


The Board of Trustees is expected to hold a special vote later this week to hire the White Plains law firm Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker as special counsel in the suit. That vote had been scheduled for Monday, but was postponed after the board failed to gather a quorum.


The seven-year suit has so far cost the village $197,000. It had been sharing lawyers and legal fees with G&S Investors, the developer of the massive shopping and entertainment complex that swallowed Brody's downtown property........


In compliance with copyright and fair use standards, this story has been truncated. Please click on the Source URL link below to read the entire story.

Source: Journal News

Publlication Date: August 8, 2007

Reporter: Liz Sadler at esadler@lohud.com or 914-694-3525.

Source URL: http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007708080400

Friday, August 3, 2007

Aogust 03, 2007 Port Chester News






By MARCELA ROJAS

THE JOURNAL NEWS


The Guatemalan Consulate General in New York began issuing the photo identification cards to its citizens in August 2002. To receive a card, an individual must submit a valid passport, a birth certificate or cédula, Consul General Rosa Maria Merida said. The card costs $15.

"The Guatemalan ID card is a very safe document," Merida said. "We have taken all appropriate measures to verify and ensure the cards' security. We are sure that the document is true and correct."

... true and correct." The consulate has provided more than 70 mobile consulate service centers, including ones in Port Chester, Mamaroneck and Mount Kisco, Merida said. This year, 11,300 photo ID cards have been issued throughout New York, New Jersey, ...

Full Story: Journal News

==============================






by Dave

Al and Ruby were married at Port Chester, New York on 21 September 1928. He was (at least) forty three. She was nineteen. Ruby's parents objected to the marriage right up to the time the ceremony was performed by a justice of the peace. ...



==============================


Police Blotter
Four-year term in teen's rape

“My client continues to steadfastly maintain his innocence”
An illegal immigrant from Ecuador will serve four years in prison for raping a 14-year-old girl last March during an afternoon of drinking in his parents' Chickahominy home.
... and sodomized her. Authorities said the two other defendants, a 15-year-old Greenwich boy and a 16-year-old Port Chester, N.Y., boy, also raped the girl. The two other defendants, whose names were withheld because of their ages, have pleaded ...

Also Take A Look At This.....


By: WTNH
Stamford (AP) _ A 20-year-old man, one of three suspects charged in a gang rape in Greenwich, has been sentenced to four years in prison.....

... bedroom and sexually assaulted her. Police say two other suspect, a 15-year-old Greenwich boy and a 16-year-old Port Chester, New York boy, also raped the girl. They have pleaded not guilty and their trials are pending.
Full Story: WTHN

===============================





THE JOURNAL NEWS

Luiz Ribeiro sat in a classroom with two friends and fussed with some toothpicks and candy.

... for a diverse world.' Eight districts from Westchester County - Bedford, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Ossining, Port Chester, Sleepy Hollow, Valhalla and White Plains - take part in the program. Starting in seventh grade, students are chosen after ...

Full Story: Journal News


==============================




Bloggers Are Still Excited About The Brody Case


by rht - a land use and appellate lawyer based in Honolulu, Hawaii


A New York federal court has ruled in favor of a property owner that a municipality wrongfully exercised eminent domain and denied the landowner procedural due process by not providing proper notice of his right to contest the taking. Brody v. Village of Port Chester, No. 00 Civ. 7481 (HB) (SDNY, July 18, 2007).

.....The rationale of the Brody decisions should have broad application any time a statutory scheme provides a finite time window to make a challenge to the government's determination of public use or the propriety of a condemnation. The government has an affirmative obligation to make reasonable attempts to inform the property owner, and those attempts must include "conspicuous mention" of any time limitations. Story here from the local newspaper. Full opinion of the court here.


Also Look At This....


"Village Attorney Anthony Cerreto believes it is now appropriate for the village to obtain separate counsel."

By Jananne Abe

After a federal judge ruled against the Village of Port Chester last month in an eminent domain case that has been dragging on for seven years, the village attorney is recommending that the municipality hire its own law firm to defend the suit going forward. Up until this point, Port Chester has been represented by developer G&S Port... [more]

=================================

Chowhound Chatter




It is called The International Cafe. I have not seen feijoada there ever. You could always ask. They seem particularly nice. I agree about the meat.I like to order the extudo sandwich which feeds two, or you bring home half. to enjoy .
*******************

... but I'm more worried about the non seafood options. Menu online looked weak in that regard. Thoughts? * Nessa - Port Chester. I'd never even heard of this place until a post a few weeks ago. Sounds great, but sounds expensive. In my price range? ...
==================================
Editor's Note
Here Are Two Reports From The Westmore News
That Do Not Seem To Be Tainted By The Fact
That Westmore News Founder Bernard Abel
Once Again Failed To Pay His Property Taxes
And Is Feuding With Local Politicians
"Family, friends, beer greet Pfc. John Evans"
By Jeff Benzak

Pfc. John Evans is home from the Iraq war for 18 days.
Evans, a 2003 Port Chester High School graduate and former captain of the football team, arrived at his family's Terrace Avenue home Wednesday afternoon. He has been in East Baghdad for the past 10 months.
"It's unreal," he said after being home... [more]
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
For Port Chester family, a fire reveals love of a community
"Turtle dies in Munson St. blaze"
By Jeff Benzak

A fire swept through part of the Savanella family home on Munson Street in Port Chester Sunday evening, causing significant fire and water damage and claiming the life of a pet turtle.
The blaze began at about 4:30 p.m. in a small second-floor room located above the garage of the brown stucco home. Moments...
[more]

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Archive 2007 July 29 Rye Brook Westchester & Beyond


Local Letter To The Editor

'Being green' just up to little guy?

"Don't make left turns." This is what my wife called me at work about after reading an article on saving fuel and becoming more "green." I wondered then, "How will I make it home?"

With the planet seemingly on the brink of collapse from global warming, I can only hope that some day we will end our reliance on gasoline, and have "clean"-burning fuels instead.......

....It would be refreshing to hear the CEOs of fossil fuel-producing companies, and even the president of the U.S., announce that cleaner, more environmentally friendly fuels are on the way- and soon! Then I can go back to making left turns and finally make it home.

G.R. Ceccarelli

Port Chester

Link To All The Days Letters To The Editor


=========================


by rht

The NY Times posts "Now You Own It, Soon You Don't?," a story about property owners fighting eminent domain abuse in Long Branch, NJ; Norwalk, CT, and Port Chester, NY, among other places. The article also details the legislative ...


=========================


Denise Grant emailed us at PortChesterRoundUp@gmail.com

and sent us this message.....

More water access desired

My cousin thought this was interesting.

"Almost four centuries ago, Henry Hudson and Adriaen Block became the first Europeans to fully explore the Hudson River and Long Island Sound.

To get to the waters now associated with their names - the Hudson for Henry and the Sound (capped by Block Island) for Adriaen - the two sailed an ocean bounded by the unknown.

From Pelham Manor to Port Chester on the Sound and from Yonkers to Haverstraw to Cold Spring on the river, getting to the water can be a challenge. ..."

Do you?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Archive 2007 July 23 Port Chester News Wire

More On Brody's Legal Victory Over Port Chester







by Thomas L. Knapp



“After seven years of litigation, a federal trial judge confirmed last week what Bill Brody has known all along — the government must provide citizens with notice before their right to challenge eminent domain expires. Further, the judge ruled, the Village of Port Chester violated Brody’s rights by failing to do so. …




While Brody was restoring four abandoned buildings in Port Chester, the village issued him permits but never once informed him that in the end it planned to take his buildings, bulldoze them, and hand the land over to a private developer for a Stop & Shop supermarket parking garage.




Instead of mailing Bill notice of the imminent loss of his rights, the village published a legal classified ad that didn’t mention anything about the fact that property owners would be waiving their rights if they didn’t file a lawsuit within 30 days. Now, seven years after his fight began, Bill remains in federal court; proceedings later this year will determine what remedy Bill is due for the Village’s violation of his rights.” (07/22/07)












************
“This is an important decision for the rights of property owners across the country,” said Dana Berliner, a senior attorney for the Institute for Justice, which represents Brody and property owners fighting eminent domain nationwide. “The judge has rejected the village’s dangerous attempt to undermine the Constitution and vindicated a fundamental principle: that the government cannot rely on hints and rumors to warn citizens that their rights are in jeopardy. It is the government’s job to provide citizens with fair notice—not the citizens’ job to chase down the government and ask if it plans to violate their rights that day.”
************











The consultants and volunteer members attending were thoughtful, thorough, dedicated, and professional. But, a tunnel alternative to the bridge is not now being considered in the alternatives under study by this working group, and three other working groups (Traffic/Transit, Land Use, and Bridge Design). At an earlier environmental stakeholder meeting, the higher cost of a tunnel, various impeding logistics, and affect on wetlands were noted as restraints....




... bridge with eight general purpose and two high-occupancy, higher speed toll lanes for BRT between Suffern and Port Chester. 4) Commuter Rail Transit (CRT) in Rockland and in Westchester plus a new bridge 5) CRT in Rockland, Light Rail in Westchester ..




************







Stephen Marc Beaudoin - is a performing artist, writer and director currently based in Portland, Oregon. Beaudoin has performed as soloist or ensemble member with Trinity Consort, Cappella Romana, Opera Boston, King's Chapel, Cantores in Ecclesia and Portland Baroque Orchestra; acted in multiple award-winning productions with New Repertory Theater, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Hand2Mouth Theatre, Boston Playwrights Theatre and American Heartland Theatre; and stage directed for Opera Omaha, Vox Consort, Opera Boston and New England Conservatory. Beaudoin is currently contributing arts writer/critic for Willamette Week (Portland, OR); staff singer at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral; as well as a nonprofit arts consultant. He is a founding member of the new classical manband, FourScore. Beaudoin is an alum, with distinction in performance honors, of Boston's New England Conservatory of Music.


But the number one thing that stephen is proud of is that someone from Port Chester visited his blog. If you want to get Stephen excited send him an email and tell its from Beautiful and exotic down town Port Chester.
Maybe Stephen will do a blog post that called "Just Got An Email From Port Chester !!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


He can be reached at stephenbeaudoin@hotmail.com



Sunday, July 22, 2007

Archive 2007 July 22 Port Chester News Wire


Port Chester wrongly took businessman's land, judge rules


LoHud.com brings us the ultimate nightmare situation: the eminent domain case is won - after the buildings in question have been knocked down, paved over, and made into parking lots.


Brody's fight centered on whether the village had properly informed him of its intent to seize his properties. The village announced its intention in a legal ad in The Journal News in July 1999, following a public hearing on the matter. Brody then had 30 days to challenge the village's "determination and findings" regarding the project.


Brody said he didn't find out until 2000 that the village was going to seize his properties. By that time, his 30-day window had long since expired and he no longer had the right to challenge the seizure.


Largely because of Brody's case, New York state changed its eminent domain law in 2004 to require municipalities to notify property owners by certified mail or personal delivery of decisions to seize their land.


From The Blog: No Land Grab


Here is the Journal News article
************
More On The Brody Decision
PORT CHESTER—After seven years of litigation, a federal trial judge confirmed last week what Bill Brody has known all along—the government must provide citizens with notice before their right to challenge eminent domain expires. Further, the judge ruled, the Village of Port Chester violated Brody’s rights by failing to do so.

...........“This common-sense ruling is long-overdue: now, there is no question that Port Chester failed to provide Bill Brody with the basic notice guaranteed by the Constitution,” said IJ Staff Attorney Robert McNamara. “For property owners nationwide, this ruling means that there is still some teeth to constitutional protections for their homes and small businesses.


“Bill Brody has waged a heroic fight against eminent domain abuse, and it is fitting that his constitutional rights have finally been vindicated,” said Chip Mellor, IJ president and general counsel. “His never-say-die determination is a shining example for home and small business owners across the country.”

Full Story: North Country Gazette

Archived Links:


http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/031907DomainTrial.html http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/120505IllegalSeizure.html 7-22-07

************

Port Chester wrongly took businessman's land, judge rules


22 Jul 2007 by admin LoHud.com brings us the ultimate nightmare situation: the eminent domain case is won - after the buildings in question have been knocked down, paved over, and made into parking lots.

read more.Planetizen Radar - The Planning and Development... - http://radar.planetizen.com

************

The History Of Brody's Legal Battle



July 1999: The village of Port Chester announces its decision to seize William Brody's four office buildings and two lots as part of its downtown redevelopment plan.


October 2000: Brody files a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, challenging the village's attempt to seize his properties.


August 2001: The village annexes Brody's properties. His four buildings and two additional lots are among 39 properties incorporated into the massive development that includes a Costco, a Super Stop & Shop, a Loews movie theater, and a Bed, Bath & Beyond. The village closes or relocates 100 businesses to make way for the project.


January 2005: A federal judge rules the village legally seized Brody's properties.


December 2005: U.S. Court of Appeals reverses the lower court's decision and sends the case back to U.S. District Court for trial.


March: Judge Harold Baer conducts a non-jury trial on the case.


=========================================================

Archive 2007 July 21 Port Chester News Wire

NEW YORK - A lot has happened since William Brody filed a federal lawsuit against the village of Port Chester nearly seven years ago.

The four buildings he was trying to hold onto were seized by the village; the South Main Street commercial buildings were knocked down and paved over as part of the village's downtown redevelopment. A shopping mall and parking lot rose up in their place.
Full Story: Journal News
*************

Is this the place that was a converted garage in Port Chester? I haven't been there since they expanded.
Full Story: Chow Hound

Friday, July 6, 2007

Archive 2007 January 31 Port Chester News Wire

Charged with manslaughter in the second degree
(WABC, January 29, 2007) - A 60-year-old woman is charged with using her car as a weapon to kill her ex-boyfriend.

It happened near the victim's home on Exchange Place in Port Chester.

Eyewitness News reporter Marcus Solis is there with the story.

Police say that after the suspect hit her ex-boyfriend, driving 20 miles north to her town of Mount Kisco and went to police there, and that's where she was promptly arrested.

Maureen Jackson headed to court today to face manslaughter charges. Police say last night the 60-year-old ran over and killed her ex-boyfriend in a fit of rage.
Around 9:30, officers found Jeffrey Scribman on the ground. He would die a short time later. According to police, Scribman was trying to stop Jackson from driving away from his apartment.
===================================================================
The libertarian economics professor opines: "Can the government force one to sell his property? James Madison said yes, so long as it was for a public use and the owner was paid a fair market value. Thomas Jefferson was opposed to a person being forced to sell his property for a public use, arguing that the essence of private property is the right to exclude anyone, including government, from the property. But Madison's view prevailed, hence the Fifth Amendment provision. In recent years, state and local governments have been running roughshod over private property rights in ways that would have horrified our founders. In the 1959 Courtesy Sandwich Shop case, a New York court held that if the tax collector collects more taxes by taking the private property of one party and transferring it to another, that's a public use permitted by the Constitution. Recently, the city of Port Chester, N.Y., gave a private developer virtual power to condemn property within its designated redevelopment area. Bart Didden and Dominick Bologna, owners of property within the redevelopment area, approached the private developer for a permit to build a CVS pharmacy on their land. The developer told them to pay him $800,000 or give him a 50 percent interest in the CVS pharmacy or he'd have the local government condemn the land. Didden and Bologna refused, and the next day their land was condemned. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the local government's decision, which is nothing less than sanctioning extortion. Napolitano concluded his speech pointing out something that few Americans appreciate. Natural rights do not come from government; they spring from our humanity."
================================================================
Mount Kisco woman accused of killing boyfriend after dispute in Port Chester
PORT CHESTER - A 60-year-old Mount Kisco her boyfriend by driving into him as he stood in front of her car, trying to prevent her from leaving his home after an argument Sunday ... via Journal News

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Archive 2007 January 9 Port Chester News Wire

Even More About Didden, G And S, Logan and The Board Of Trustees

This is starting to get boring.



Kelo-Property Rights Update: An Awful Case May Get Heard by the Supremes

Filed under: Economy, Taxes & Government — TBlumer @ 7:39 am

This second item (HT Russell’s Rhetoric) is difficult for me to present without violating the site’s PG-13 standard, but here it is:

Bart Didden wanted to put a CVS pharmacy on his property in Port Chester, N.Y. He even obtained approvals from the local planning board.

But because a portion of the CVS site was in a blighted redevelopment zone, Mr. Didden was told that planning board approval wasn’t enough. He’d have to reach an understanding with a private company that had been selected by Port Chester officials to control all construction inside the renewal zone.

The developer, Gregg Wasser of G&S Port Chester, told Didden he’d have to pay $800,000 or give G&S a 50 percent stake in the CVS business. If Didden refused, Mr. Wasser said, he would have Port Chester condemn and seize his property and instead of a CVS he’d put a Walgreens drugstore on the site.

Didden refused. The next day, the Village of Port Chester began legal proceedings to seize Didden’s land by eminent domain.

Lawyers for Didden took the matter to federal court. They even went to the FBI - all to no avail. Now they are asking the US Supreme Court to examine whether a private company can demand payment in exchange for refraining to seize private property in an urban renewal zone.

Property rights activists are hoping that a majority of the justices view Didden’s case as an opportunity to clarify a portion of the high court’s controversial decision in its last big eminent domain case, Kelo v. New London. In that June 2005 opinion, the court ruled 5-to-4 that local governments could seize private property and turn it over to a private developer when the action was part of an economic development project of benefit to the public.

So the bad news is that this is the kind of overarching tyranny those who opposed the Kelo ruling feared. The good news is that it could be reviewed by the Supreme Court, which, with the arrival of two new justices since the infamous June 2005 ruling, might decide to rule in a sweeping fashion, perhaps overturning Kelo. Another piece of good news is that the Institute for Justice is involved

[via BizzyBlog.com]

Monday, June 18, 2007

Archive Port Chester Business Wire 2006 December

28 December
FOX NEWS VIDEO
Eminent Domain shocker in Port Chester, NY

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Michael Y. Ahearn of Port Chester, New York, and his brother, Scott, ofSeaboard Weatherproofing and Restoration Company, oversee renovations atBronx Zoo's Elephant House, 31 December 2006
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Website Of The Month


C.J. Pagano Sons, Inc.


420 Westchester Avenue


Port Chester, NY 10573


Phone: (914) 939-1123


Fax: (914) 939-1136






Mapquest Directions Click Here


The mission of C.J. Pagano and Sons, Inc. is to help people successfully meet their real estate and insurance needs by providing superior, professional real estate and insurance services, with the highest quality sales and service professionals, who share a passion for service.
A family owned and operated full service real estate and insurance organization established in 1930.


Our real estate professionals are in tune with the local market conditions that affect price and marketability.


Our insurance professionals are accutely aware that service must join with market knowledge to be successfull.


Built on a reputation of getting the job done in the most efficient manner.
We are committed to this market area and have invested in it ourselves.


About CJ Pagano




Founded in 1930 by Camillo J. Pagano, C.J. Pagano & Sons, Inc. has built a reputation of getting the job done in the quickest and most efficient manner possible.


This is a family owned business with three generations involved in the operation of Real Estate, Insurance and Appraisal Services.


We are following in the tradition of our founder by building on the principle of integrity and offering related financial services pertaining to real property under one roof.


We are committed to this market area and have invested in it ourselves. We have provided over 73 years of service to southern Westchester and Fairfield counties.

When you engage the professionals at C.J. Pagano & Sons, Inc. you are dealing with experienced individuals with seasoned track records of providing the finest Real Estate and Insurance services in the area.




We are committed to this market area and have invested in it ourselves. We have provided over 73 years of service to southern Westchester and Fairfield counties.


When you engage the professionals at C.J. Pagano & Sons, Inc. you are dealing with experienced individuals with seasoned track records of providing the finest Real Estate and Insurance services in the area


Please give a review of this business by posting a comment


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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Archive Port Chester Newswire 2000

WMU NewsApril 2000 doctoral recipients announced. June 7, 2000 ... The daughter of Mathew and Leelamma Paulose of Port Chester, she earned her bachelor's degree at ...
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$100M Port Chester waterfront is go - G and S Investors - Brief ...Real Estate Weekly, June 21, 2000. Ground was broken on the $100 million waterfront and downtown renewal project in the heart of Port Chester, N.Y., ...
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Port Chester project is real eye-openerThe following is a true political parable. It is set in the village of Port Chester.Five years ago, Westchester County agreed to lease a strip of land along the Byram River waterfront that would later be transformed into a "nautical-themed" promenade.
For all intents and purposes, the lease was a taxpayer-supported gift. What else could you call it? Endorsed and approved by County Executive Andrew Spano and the county Board of Legislators, the land deal called for the county to make annual payments of $840,000 for 20 years.
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Institute for Justice: Private Property Rights Cases: New York ...Village of Port Chester New York Property Owners File Federal Lawsuit To Stop ... File Federal Lawsuit To Stop Abuse of Eminent Domain (October 4, 2000) ...
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Public Documents
1. Port Chester Audit Report - 2000
Village of Port Chester - Summary of Recommendations
Internal Control and Compliance
An effective system of internal control is necessary so that the Board of Trustees can have reasonable assurance that resources are safeguarded and that transactions are executed in accordance with management's authorization, are in accordance with statutory requirements and are properly recorded.
Failure to establish proper controls could expose the village's resources to loss or improper use. The following recommendations help ensure that the village's resources are not at risk and that transactions are properly authorized and are in compliance with statutory requirements.
Payments for Professional Services
The Board of Trustees should establish procedures to ensure that the audit of claims includes a comparison of the amounts billed to the agreed upon compensation. Furthermore, all claims should be sufficiently itemized and documented so as to allow a proper audit of the charges by the Board of Trustees. In addition, the Board of Trustees should enter into written agreements with all professionals, stipulating the services to be provided and the basis for compensation.
Competitive Bidding
The Board of Trustees should develop procedures to help ensure that all commodities whose annual purchases are likely to aggregate in excess of $10,000, and all public work contracts whose cost is likely to aggregate in excess of $20,000, are identified and procured in accordance with the competitive bidding requirements of the General Municipal Law.
Street Lighting Maintenance Contract
The Board of Trustees should develop procedures to ensure that public work contracts are not extended unless authorized in the bid specifications.
Segregation of Duties
The treasurer and the Board of Trustees should review the operation of the treasurer's office to determine the feasibility of separating the incompatible functions of cash custody and record keeping to provide additional safeguards for assets and proper maintenance of financial records. Although optimal separation of duties may not always be practicable, we believe that, at the very minimum, the duties of asset custody and record keeping should be separated.
Police Department Investigation Fund
The Board of Trustees should consider authorizing an increase in the police department petty cash fund and allowing its use for investigations as well as other authorized petty cash purposes. The petty cash fund should only be replenished by the village treasurer, after a list of all expenditures together with bills or other documentation supporting such expenditures, are presented to the Board of Trustees for audit. Investigation expenses that cannot, because of their nature, be supported by paid bills should be documented on a form requiring supervisory approval. Furthermore, the board should ensure that moneys received by the police department are remitted directly to the treasurer for recording and deposit.
Audit and Payment of Claims
Unless the Board of Trustees appoints a new finance officer and designates that person village auditor, the Board of Trustees should audit and approve claims prior to payment and evidence such audit and approval by resolution recorded in the minutes of its proceedings.
Solicitation of Competitive Quotations
The Board of Trustees should review the village's procurement policy to ensure that it is in keeping with the current needs of the village and require a specific number of verbal and written quotations for each price range as would be appropriate. In addition, the Board of trustees should ensure that there is compliance with the procurement policy regarding the solicitation of competitive quotations.
Payment of Overtime on Claim Voucher
All payments for personal services, including payments for overtime, should be based on duly approved payrolls. The village treasurer should institute procedures to ensure that required state and federal taxes are withheld from the payment of overtime made to the firefighter and transmitted to the proper authorities.
Filing of Annual Financial ReportThe Board of Trustees should institute procedures to assure compliance with General Municipal Law, §30 regarding the timely preparation and filing of its annual financial report.
Fixed Assets
The Board of Trustees should improve accountability for fixed assets by designating, by resolution, an individual to be responsible for maintaining the fixed asset inventory records. This individual, subject to Board of Trustees approval, should take steps to establish an up to date and complete fixed assets inventory record and should develop written policies and procedures to be followed by village departments and personnel to assure the timely and accurate reporting of all acquisitions, dispositions and transfers of fixed assets.
Vehicle Fuel Records
The Board of Trustees should ensure that a perpetual inventory record is established and maintained showing gallons received, distributed and balance on hand. Periodically, an individual other than employees involved in receiving or distributing fuel, should take physical readings of the amount actually in the tank and should compare these readings to the balances indicated in the inventory records.
Reporting Days Worked to the Retirement System - Part-Time Employee
The Board of Trustees should take steps to ensure that the number of days worked as reported on monthly reports to the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System is based on actual hours worked on payrolls paid during the monthly reporting period and the number of hours set by the village as a full standard workday.
Reporting Termination Payment to the Retirement System
Village officials should ensure that the correct number of days are reported on the monthly reports to the retirement system, and that termination payments for unused leave are not reported, except for up to thirty days for vacation for Tier 1 members.
Reporting Days Worked to the Retirement System -Elected Officials
The Board of Trustees should establish a standard workday for retirement reporting purposes. Elected officials who are members of the retirement system should submit a report of the number of hours worked in a representative sample month to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees should review the hours worked by these officials in the sample month submitted and determine the number of days to be reported for retirement service reporting purposes by dividing the total hours included in the sample month by the number of hours established as a standard workday.
2. Village Profile
The People and Families of Port ChesterIn Port Chester, about 41% of adults are married. The faces of Port Chester are those of its large families. Approximately 39% of Port Chester is non-white. Diversity is a hallmark of Port Chester. Males are more numerous in the village than in most villages
.Wealth and EducationIn 2000, Port Chester had a median family income of $51,025.
Port Chester Housing
As of 2000, the share of housing units in Port Chester that were owner-occupied was 43%. Homes in this community tend to be somewhat older than those in other areas. People on their own appreciate the studio and one-bedroom apartments in Port Chester. As a whole, property taxes tend toward the pricey side in the village, but this often equates to better schools and government services.
Commuting
In Port Chester, 75% of commuters drive to work. More folks in Port Chester use public transportation than most people elsewhere.

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