12/11/07 -- Westmore News Publisher Admits That He Met With Former Village Manager Fritz Falanka, But Says They Only Had "Coffee"

Westmore News Publisher Richard Abel Denies That He Was Meddling In Port Chester Politics

Richard Abel says that he left the Westmore News Offices To Have A Meeting With Former Port Chester Village Clerk / Village Manager Fritz Falanka.

Apparently, It Was Just A Coincedence That Westmore News Publisher Set Up A Meeting With The High School Graduate Who Was Being Offered A Pay Package In Excess Of $100,000.00.

Westmore News Publisher Richard Abel claims the $100,000.00 village clerk's position that is being decided behind closed doors never came up.

Well what in the hell did the Westmore News publisher and Fritz Falanka talk about?

Maybe Westmore News Publisher Richard Abel said something like, "Gee Fritz, I really miss the way that your budgets increased taxes almost 50% durring your last three years at Port Chester."

Or Maybe Richard Abel and Fritz Falanka talked about this.....

5IN PORT CHESTER NAMED IN ETHICS CASE - New York Times

FIVE Port Chester officials, including its Mayor, the Police Chief and the Village Manager, are being charged with a breach of ethics for buying condominiums before they were made available to the public at The Landmark, the former Lifesavers factory in the village.

FIVE Port Chester officials, including its Mayor, the Police Chief and the Village Manager, are being charged with a breach of ethics for buying condominiums before they were made available to the public at The Landmark, the former Lifesavers factory in the village.

The officials are Mayor Peter Iasillo, Joseph Coletti, a Village Trustee; John Grosse, the Chief of Police; Richard Falanka, the Village Clerk; Michael D. Ritchie, the Village Manager, and, in the words of the charge, ''all other village officials, officers and employees similarly situated.''

The complaint, filed with the three-member Village Board of Ethics by two Village Trustees, says the officials voted to rezone the property or performed other official acts in connection with the building and meanwhile ''had their names secretly placed on a preferred list'' in order to be first purchasers.

It also charges that the price was raised 5 percent to other buyers after the officials had bought their units, which were advertised as ''affordable'' at an average price of $150,000 for a one-bedroom unit......

.....buyers included Anthony B. Gioffre, a former State Senator, and Dominick D. Pierro, a County Legislator.

Mr. Gioffre said he would not comment. Mr. Pierro said he had not bought a condominium himself, but was part of a three-member corporation - including his law partner, John Colangelo, and a third person whose name he said he could not disclose -that had bought a studio condominium as an investment.

Christopher Rocca, a member of the Village Board of Ethics, said he would ask the developer for a list of the buyers and would hold hearings in the Village Courthouse in the next few weeks.

The complaint was also filed with the County District Attorney's office, which turned it over to its frauds division for ''inquiry,'' which is a step short of an investigation; with the State Attorney General's office and with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.....

Cached

Source URL: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFDE1630F93BA25753C1A961948260

12/11/07 - Westmore News Publlisher Richard Abel And Westmore News Editor Jananne Abel Meltdown At Port Chester Board Meeting

It's All Caught On Tape.

The Abel's Are Radioactive As They Engage In A Loud Outburst At The Port Chester Board Of Trustees Meeting.

The Abels Go Nut's When There Former Chief Pollster And Part-Time Columnist Bart "The Bigot" Didden Is Once Again Discussed At A Port Chester Board Meeting.

Westmore News Editor Jan Abel Storms Out Of The Public Meeting Screeching Like A

Wild Banshee Out Of Hell.

A Crazed Westmore News Publisher Richard Abel Runs Up To Where The Port Chester Mayor And Trustees Are Seated While The Meeting Is In Session.

Later Mayor Pilla Asks Westmore News Publisher Richard Abel To Please Leave The Court Room So That The Board Of Trustees Can Go Into Executive Session To Talk About The Port Chester Village Clerk Position. Abel Initially Refuses And Demands That The Mayor Call The Police, Because He Fears That He Will Be Assaulted.

Is Richard Abel Hallucinating, Or What?

It's All So Strange.

Coming Soon...

There Will Be Links To The Video.

Maybe We Can Post This Video At America's Scariest Videos.

12/11/07 - Finally, Lazy Liz Sadler At The Journal News Catches Up To 365 Port Chester

Foundation jump-starts makeover plans for Port Chester High library

The Journal News / Lohud.com, NY

By LAZY LIZ SADLER at esadler@lohud.com or 914-694-3525.

The Port Chester High School library will undergo a major facelift this summer thanks to a donation from a local education ...

Here is the original story from 365 Port Chester....

Monday, December 3, 2007

Port Chester High School Receives $50,000 to renovate its library and media center

And Here Is The Spanish Translation From 365 Port Chester.....

La escuela secundaria de Port Chester recibe $50,000 para remodelar la biblioteca y Media Center

12/11/07 - Port Chester Sports Report - Concerned Parent Writes About The Lack Of Playing Feilds For Youth Football. Plus Other Sports News And Videos

Where Can The Kids Play "American" Football?

Why Aren't There Multi-Purpose Playing Fields For The Children Of Port Chester?

It Seems Like Soccer Playing Adults Are Pushing The Children Off The Playing Feilds.

Shouldn't Children Come First?

Dear Port Chester Roundup,

I believe someone needs to show more interest in the youth football league in Port Chester. The league I speak of is Sound Shore Youth Foundation. For my son's it has been a great experience but there is no place in Port Chester for the kids to play anymore.

We used to be able to use the fields at the High school but not anymore.

My main problem is why was Columbus Park made into just a soccer field why wasn't made a multi use field. Seems a little short sighted on someones part.

Now I see a Rye Town Meeting they are talking about the Legacy fields plus two more soccer fields. Give me a break.

What we need are MULTI purpose fields. Not everyone in Port Chester plays soccer.

So please look into what is going on here . The children of Port Chester need some place to play also. Anytime I see people playing soccer it seems to be mostly Latino adults.

Thank you

A concerned parent

ALSO:

Watts propels Peekskill past Port Chester
The Journal News
... established team. However, without Watts, the three-time defending Class A state champs likely would have left Port Chester last night with a loss. The junior transfer was the offensive and defensive spark the Red Devils needed in their 74-56 win ...


Section 1 coaches, schools call on the Shall-Answer Man

The Journal News
... only has our job become more streamlined, the whole operation of Section 1 has become more organized," said Port Chester athletic director Joe Durney, a member of Section 1's athletic council. "Greg has really brought consistency to Section 1." ...


Boys basketball: Peekskill pulls away from Port Chester
Journal News
PORT CHESTER - Lakeland transfer Ralph Watts scored a game-high 24 points as Peekskill defeated host Port Chester 74-56 in boys basketball today.


Peekskill, Port Chester go at it today in early-season boys basketball battle
The Journal News
Peekskill visits Port Chester today at 4:30 p.m. in an early-season battle of Class A boys basketball contenders.


The Lowdown: A look at the week ahead in local sports
The Journal News
... a couple of boys basketball games this week could be previews of sectional finals, beginning with Peekskill at Port Chester today. These teams are considered the top two in Class A this season and have met at the County Center the last two years. ...

LET'S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE:

Video: Peekskill vs. Port Chester boys basketball

Peekskill vs. Port Chester boys basketball at Port Chester high school Dec. 10, 2007. Peekskill defeated Port Chester 74-56.

Lohud.com: Latest News - http://www.LoHud.com

12/10/07 - The Taxpayers Of The Village Of Port Chester Are Not Required To Give The Port Chester Even One Cent. This Is An Accountabilty Moment

If you go to the Port Chester Library you will find many books that explain that accountability is a concept in ethics with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, enforcement, responsibility, blameworthiness, liability and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving. As an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in both the public and private worlds.

The Books in the Port Chester Library teach us that accountability is defined as "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct".

If you go to the Periodical Section of the Port Chester library you will read that, in recent years, there has been a growth in the need for transparency with more and more pressure being put on corporations and businesses to be more accountable in their actions to society and the environment. AccountAbility (Institute of Social and Ethical AccountAbility)- an international non-profit membership organisation, was established in 1996 to help promote accountability innovations for sustainable development.

So Why Is The Port Chester Library Resisting Being Accountable To The Taxpayers Of Port Chester?

Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla: " I want to make sure it's not a closed system, I think it's a step backward."

Port Chester Library Board President Melissa DeVincenzo and Rye Brook Mayor Larry Rand are trying to get Port Chester to start writing blank checks to the closed library governance system.

Worse yet, the Port Chester Public Library has gotten their attorney's, Turner & Turner of Croton to try and devise a Port Chester Bonding scheme, that appears to be unethical and illegal.

Port Chester Treasure Anthony Silligato had better get advice from the New York State Attorney General Coumo before he allows the Port Chester Board of Trustees to enter into this very questionable bonding proposal.

The Port Chester Library is unaccountable, because Lazy Liz Sadler at the Journal News is still absent from Port Chester Board Of Trustee Meetings, when library issues are brought up.

Further, the hopelessly biased Westmore News to date has refused to write about the mismanagement and the lack of accountability at the decrepit Port Chester Library.

The Westmore Snooze Wont Tell You The Facts, But We Will.....

In New York State There Can Only Be Three Kinds Of Libraries Licenced By The Department Of Education.

1). A Self Sustaining Library Association

2). A Municipal Library That Is Part Of A Town Or City.

3). A School Library

The Port Chester Public Library is a self sustaining library that is owned by the members of the library.

If you have a library card you are a member or owner of the library.

The library charter and bylaws says that the members should be approving and electing board members. That's how things were originally done in Port Chester, before the library went down hill. But things have been manipulated over the years so the Port Chester Library Board Members are no longer accountable to the public.

Worse yet the Library Board now wants to lock Port Chester into an illegal 10 year funding and bonding scheme.

The operating costs will be payed by Port Chester tax payers to the tune of 65% of all of the library's bills. This formula may be reviewed again starting in year four of the agreement.

Basically, the library is asking Port Chester to write out ten blank checks, that the single family homeowners of Port Chester will have to pay.

Worse yet, the library is asking Port Chester to enter into an illegal bonding scheme. Port Chester can not bond to reimburse the library for renovations already paid for. Nor can Port Chester bond for the library's past debts on a building that the village does not own.

If this plan goes through Port Chester Village Manager Bill Williams is probably going to have the New York State Attorney General coming by to pay him a visit.

Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla is right to opposed to the library board members choosing their successors.

Mayor Pilla must not be railroaded by Port Chester Board President Melissa DeVincenzo and Rye Brook Mayor Rand. The Village of Port Chester can not write a blank check to a closed system.

If the Port Chester Library Board will not return the ability to elect Board Members, back to the library card holders, then they will have to give Port Chester the right to appoint 65% of the board members.

Port Chester Tax Dollars Must Be Protected From The Abuse, Mismanagement And Waste that Has Occurred At The Port Chester Library In The Past.

The Port Chester Library is solely responsible for funding itself.

The Village of Port Chester has no legal obligation to give even one penny to the library.

The Port Chester Library may come ask the Village Of Port Chester for support, just like it can ask any corporation or foundation for support.

And just like any funding source The Village Of Port Chester can place terms and conditions on the money it gives to the Port Chester Library.

However, this new agreement will legally obligate to fund an association library as if it is a municipal library.

What the Port Chester Library is asking the Mayor and tax payers of Port Chester to do is to fund them like they are a municipal library, but let them be an association library that is unaccountable to the single family homeowners of Port Chester.

Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla is doing the right thing by seeing that Port Chester has representatives on the library board to protect the interests of the single family tax payers of Port Chester.

Melissa DeVincenzo had better wake up and understand that her library governance proposal of being 100% self-appointment will eventually be a deal killer.

Ms. DeVincenzo's inflexibility up to this point is unprofessional and not in the best interests of the Port Chester Library's members (cardholders) that she is supposed to represent.

If the Ms. DeVincenzo and the Port Chester Library Board continue to be inflexible, then Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla and the Port Chester Board will have to keep the current year to year funding requests in place.

That way the taxpayers of Port Chester will be protected. No Port Chester Tax Dollars, without Library representation. Port Chester has always had two appointed representatives. Now Ms. DeVincenzo wants to shut the Port Chester taxpayers out of the Library Boardroom.

Ms. DeVincenzo is arrogant to to assume that she and her board can appoint the two representative positions, instead of the Port Chester Mayor and the Port Chester Board Of Trustees.

Where are the checks and balances designed to protect the single family homeowners of Port Chester from a Port Chester Library board and administration that has a history of mismanagement?

Port Chester Trustee Dan Brakewood summed up the Port Chester Library's proposal very well....

"The devil is in the details."

12/10/07 - Port Chester Police Chief Joseph Krzeminski reinstates DARE Program at all Port Chester's public and private schools.

President George W. Bush delivers a statement on the recent
findings on teen drug use, Dec. 11, 2007. The President said,
"Today we celebrate progress against substance abuse." MORE

Port Chester Police Officer Melissa Acocella Goes Back To Elementary School.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education has been missing from the Port Chester Schools for about six years. Port Chester was the first Police Department to offer DARE, but cancelled to program, because of financial constraints.

The Port Chester Police Department is reinstating the DARE program about two weeks ago. The once a week program and it will be led by Port Chester Police Officer Officer Melissa Acocella. She will teach Port Chester Sixth graders about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Officer Acocella is a former kindergarten teacher.

The program teaches about the dangers of smoking and using drugs, as well as, how to avoid peer pressure. The program also teaches children to avoid gangs and violence.

However, DARE replaces one social studies class per week in the troubled and struggling Port Chester School system. Recently, New York State had to make an emergency 1 Million dollar allocation, because of Port Chester's poor educational performance.

There is considerable marijuana, cocaine and other drug use among the youth in the village.

Perhaps, the drug awareness training is worth the loss of the social studies classes in the troubled Port Chester School system.

Port Chester Police Chief Krzeminski hopes to make DARE an ongoing Police Department Program.

Related Link:

D.A.R.E.

The Official site for the national DARE program. The DARE program gives kids the life skills they need to avoid involvement with drugs, gangs, and violence.

Drug Information
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