Ossining needs help!!!!!! (fwd)
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 21:58:08 -0500
From: DDeBar <Spi...@BestWeb.net>
To: Fred/Debbie Anderson <magi...@norwich.net>,
Eric Salzman <esal...@aba.org>, NYGre...@lists.rpi.edu
Subject: Re: Ossining needs help!!!!!!
Ossining is a village in Westchester County, NY that is the home of Sing
Song prison. It faces an historic opportunity to tranfoorm from river
prison town to tourist draw, without invoking the prison, by drawing upon
the natural beauty of the area. This piece is the first volley in the
attempt to stop the selloff of the riverfront:
Ossining Residents Alert:
Stop the Big Riverfront Giveaway!!!
by Don DeBar
As the current economic boom lifts the value of real estate all around the
area, local officials are trying to leverage available lands to bring in
development dollars. Ossining, of course, is no exception.
The Hudson is a world-class resource that rivals the Seine, Danube and
Rhine, and runs to the financial and social capital of the world. Right
now, Ossining has an historic opportunity to reclaim much of our
riverfront; Village officials instead want a parking garage, condominiums
and, incredibly, a hotel.
Unless we act now, we will lose this once-in-a-century chance to get
something extraordinary: a world-class Riverfront Park and Recreation
Facility, developed with State and Federal money. Absent the proper
development of this multimillion dollar asset, what will draw people to
Ossining in the future?
Village officials claim "tax savings" for residents warrants the loss of
this asset. It's not true - look at the facts!
After many previous promises of "tax relief", taxes have consistently gone
up after the condos were built; buyers need the services their taxes pay
for. A quick look at the real numbers of the proposal illustrates the
point:
Income
Village: 300 units with annual Village Tax bills of $1,500
= $450,000 Village revenue
School: 300 units with annual School Tax bills of $1,800
= $540,000 School district
revenue
Expense
750 added residents(or 2.5/unit)/25,000 present residents
= .03 or 3% pop. increase
1998 Village budget was $25,000,000 (est.) X .03 = $750,000/year; and
1998/99 School budget was $50,000,000 (est.) X .03 = $1,500,000/year
This indicates a net LOSS to Village taxpayers of approximately $1,260,000
annually; there will also be capital costs to the Village, for water, sewer
and road improvements.
Note also a net LOSS to the school district of nearly $1,000,000/year. And,
at 15 students per classroom, 150 new students (assuming only 1 child per 2
apartments) will need approximately 10 additional classrooms, at $100,000
per classroom, an additional $1,000,000 in capital costs to the school
district. (And remember the cost of relocating the school buses...)
Are there "benefits" to the Village from a hotel? Remember the failed
Sheraton, which later became the Ossining Conference Center? The excess of
hotel space in more convenient locations doomed both. This site is now used
for luxury senior housing. Given Marriott's broad involvement in
assisted-living housing, this would be one likely fallback position.
Or, the "hotel" could become an SRO facility, subsidized studio apartments,
but built at a cost of 2 to 3 times that of properly planned one- or
two-bedroom apartments. What would THAT do to our tax base?
Rather than developing the riverfront as a parking lot (privately operated
but NOT ON THE TAX ROLLS), condos (probably going on the market at the end
of the real estate cycle), and a "hotel", consider the obvious alternative:
A MODEL RIVERFRONT PARK AND RECREATION FACILITY.
If assembled with the Sellazo and DeMarchis properties, the Ossining
riverfront could be developed into a model recreational facility running
from Sing Sing to Shattamuck Yacht Club.
Consider this: when the many riverfront projects under current development
(from Yonkers to Poughkeepsie) are done, our riverfront park would be
unique. It would enhance the quality of life for Village residents for a
century, AND draw day-tripping tourists to New York's nearest, largest
riverfront park!
VISITORS TO A MODEL PARK would support the shops and, perhaps, hotel rooms
that tourists would need as they came to Ossining to enjoy one of the
world's most beautiful rivers. This would benefit, not cost, the rest of
the Village's taxpayers.
The development costs to residents would be substantially less than those
of the current proposal. There is Federal, State, and County money
available for parks and recreation which could cover the entire cost of
development.
Unfortunately, the Board's development proposal demonstrates again, on a
grand scale, the lack of vision that has plagued Hudson Valley communities
for many years.
Actually, it's a simple choice: will we, for once, utilize our natural
advantages to move forward? Or will we again follow shortsighted
politicians down another blind alley?
Your voice is needed to help convince Village officials. It only takes a
minute to call the Mayor and Village Manager - please take that minute to
do so now. Then, take another minute and ask two friends to do the same.
Insist that your Village officials STOP, LOOK, AND THINK about the REAL
COST to Ossining of wasting this historic opportunity.
For more information call (914)945-0815
>JRS CALL FOR RADIO ARTICLES & BOOK REVIEWS
Deadline August 1, 1999
The Journal of Radio Studies, published by the Broadcast Education
Association, seeks articles and book reviews for the February 2000 issue.
Studies may concentrate on any historical or contemporary area of radio.
Areas include: interpersonal, rhetorical,
social movements, gender, propaganda, talk radio, internet, political,
advertising, policy/law, management, intercultural, popular culture,
international, and news. In addition, JRS is featuring a symposium on
"Alternative Radio." Details are given below. JRS is the world's only
publication dedicated to radio studies. Deadline for JRS
articles is August 1, 1999.
Submit JRS Articles to: Submit Book/Video Review to:
Frank Chorba Michael Brown
JRS Editor Mass Media Department
Mass Media Department P.O. Box 3904
Washburn University University of Wyoming
Topeka, KS 66621 Laramie, WY 82071
zzc...@washburn.edu mrb...@uwyo.edu
785-231-1010 x1805 307-766-3122
CALL FOR ARTICLES ON "ALTERNATIVE RADIO" (SYMPOSIUM)
Deadline August 15, 1999
JRS is also seeking articles for a symposium to appear in the February
2000 issue on "Alternative Radio in the Next Millennium." The symposium is
being developed by Joe S. Foote and Phyllis Johnson from Southern Illinois
University. The goals are to identify theories and practices that define
and describe alternative radio.
The symposium seeks insights into new and existing forms of radio
transmission
of alternative messages to underserved populations and the counterculture.
The symposium poses the following general questions. What political,
legal, economic and social constraints hinder broadcast opportunities for
those
groups not presently represented by mainstream radio? In their struggle to
break free from mainstream radio, have alternative broadcasters
been hindered or helped by technological advances? What motivates certain
fringe groups, while not others, to challenge traditional radio - and what
is
their impact on the marketplace of ideas, if any? How do other countries
handle challenges to their broadcasting systems?
In addition to the general questions posed above, other possible
themes/topics may include: shock radio, micro broadcasting,
minority/ethnic radio, gender targeting, internet radio, educational
radio, college/community radio, fringe groups and extremists, format
fragmentation, corporate radio, children's radio, & religious radio.
We are looking for ORIGINAL IDEAS AND APPROACHES on these themes. You
may query (via email) the guest editors on the relevancy of a particular
issue or topic to the symposium. However, all papers, unless invited,
will be peer reviewed. Deadline for Symposium articles is August 15,
1999.
Submit queries and Symposium papers to:
Phylis Johnson
Associate Professor
Department of R-TV
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL 62901-6609
Phone: 618-536-7555
Email: Phylis...@email.women.com
Do not submit papers electronically
JRS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit four copies of the manuscript in APA style. An abstract of 100
words or less must accompany the article. JRS articles are usually
limited to 20-25 pages including references. Research in brief articles
are generally 7-10 pages.
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>DeBar
spi...@bestweb.net