GOOD NEWS
He is Baaack!
Our favorite restaurant owner, Joe Franco – who ran Café on the Green so brilliantly for so many years – got a big Valentine’s Day present when Community Board 7 voted to grant his application to rezone the whole block where his new restaurant, The White House resides.
Franco applied to build a second floor on the building located on 154th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Whitestone. He plans to use the additional space as a catering area with restaurant dining on the first floor.
The basement and part of the rear yards will be converted into parking spaces for approximately 110 cars for large affairs and parties.
The neighbors to the north of The White House did not object and ones across the street spoke in favor of an improved catering hall. The board agreed 29 in favor and six opposed.
Save us a window table!
BAD NEWS
Mayor Bloomberg has started the four month budget negotiations this year with a shoot heard around the country. He warns of reducing the Department of Education by some 6,166 teachers. BOOM!
The process is a tug-of-war to get to Bloomy’s proposed budget of $65.6 billion – or $300 million less than the current year.
While attrition will remove 1,500 teachers this year, that would still leave a staggering 4,666 layoffs on the table. Hizzoner also announced that he will be spending more on education – $2.2 billion more – than last year!
According to Mayor Mike, the blame for any classroom pain is the loss of $800 million in Federal funds and $1.1 billion from Governor Cuomo.
All of this made for scary headlines, but may be driven in part by the Mayor’s desire to change the New York State law of LIFO – last in first out. Under that law, the newest, younger teachers would be laid off first.
There is also the fact that city tax revenues are running two billion dollars higher than previously estimated.
It is all semantics and numbers until June – stay tuned right here.
