A recent traffic incident in which New Rochelle High School swim coach Edward "Kip" Fierro caused a three car collision landing a local elementary school teacher in the hospital and him into police custody has brought to light a lucrative deal Fierro and his family have enjoyed for many years at the expense of New Rochelle taxpayers.

The staggering amounts of money involved raises serious questions as to the motivation of school officials involved.

Talk of the Sound spoke with a number of current and former employees of the New Rochelle Board of Education, parents, students and others familiar with the New Rochelle swimming pool and swim programs. They tell us that Kip Fierro has worked for the New Rochelle Board of Education as a Teaching Assistant and Swim Coach as far back as 1997, and possibly longer. He is paid a salary, benefits and accrues a pension. His school day responsibilities largely entail serving as a life guard at the pool. He coaches the boys and girls swim team. His pay and benefits are a pittance to what he makes running the Badger Swim Club out of New Rochelle High School.

Edward "Kip" Fierro, the long-time swim coach at New Rochelle High School, was taken into custody a week ago last Thursday by New Rochelle police after he struck two vehicles in New Rochelle and left the scene of the accident. A DMV records check showed that although he had a valid Connecticut drivers license, his privilege to drive in New York had been suspended for failure to answer a summons.

Fierro was issued a 511-1a violation, an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of between $200.00 and $500.00, up to 30 days in jail, 0 points and a mandatory surcharge of $80 or $85. He was due back in court today.

New Rochelle police were called to the scene at 8:11 am on January 19th. Two drivers heading westbound on the North Avenue overpass were stopped at the yield sign at the intersection of the Elmer Miller Circle at Memorial Highway. Fierro, driving a 2004 Jeep, came up behind the two vehicles, sideswiping one and striking the rear of another, a 2001 Honda. Fierro's Jeep pushed the Honda across three lanes of traffic in the circle and onto the center grassy area of the traffic circle. The other vehicle did not suffer major damage and the drive was not hurt.

Fierro continued driving, as a New Rochelle police officer followed, before pulling over on his own at Lockwood Avenue and Warren Street. Fierro appeared disoriented and was taken into custody for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, according to police.

News12 is reporting that an armed man in a ski mask held up two Iona College students at 30 Eastchester Road early Sunday morning. Talk of the Sound broke the story last week of an armed home invasion and robbery involving 2 men in ski masks at 77 Centre Avenue in downtown New Rochelle.

News12 is reporting that police believe their may be a link between the two cases.

Investigators say that it was just before 5 a.m. on Sunday when two students were walking into the lobby of their apartment building at 30 Eastchester Road and were approached from behind by a gunman. Detectives say a man wearing a mask and a hooded sweatshirt held up the two woman, ages 20 and 21, at gunpoint. They say he took their purses and cell phones, and then fled off on foot.

The Board of Trustees of the New Rochelle Public Library issued a public statement today on their 7-month long investigation into Accounting Discrepancies first reported by Talk of the Sound last June.

After an investigation of the library’s financial records and those maintained by the City School District Treasurer, the New Rochelle Public Library Board of Trustees has determined that the apparent accounting discrepancy that was brought to the attention of the Board in June 2011 was due to an inconsistency in the designation and reporting of “restricted funds” versus “assigned funds” in the library’s Fund Balance. The cash shortfall was primarily solved by transferring funds owed by the Capital Fund to the General Fund in July 2011.

To prevent future accounting discrepancies the Board has taken the following measures:

MSG Varsity, Cablevision’s 24/7 HD network dedicated to all things high school, will televise the White Plains HS vs. New Rochelle HS boys basketball game Friday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m. on Cablevision’s iO TV channel 14.

The game will also stream live on www.msgvarsity.com/livecast, on Thursday, January 26 at 4:30pm. In addition to the full game coverage, MSG Varsity’s Westchester edition of “High School SportsDesk” (7:00 p.m. nightly on MSG Varsity) is THE place to tune into for ALL the latest highlights, interviews and scores from around Westchester.

MSG Varsity is available exclusively to Cablevision’s iO TV subscribers on channel 14; once broadcast, all games are also available on-demand on iO channel 614.

All the cheerleading in the world by the pom-pom crowd in New Rochelle will not change the fact that public education in New York is among the worst in the United States, a country that is consistently ranked at or near the bottom of economically developed countries around the world.

Governor Andrew Cuomo would like to do something about that as Anna Phillips at The New York Times explains: Cuomo Calls for Education Commission, But Is Vague on Details

“The lobbyist for the students.” That is how the governor of New York, Andrew M. Cuomo, positioned himself on educational matters in 2012.

In his State of the State address on Wednesday, the governor announced that he would appoint a commission to work with the State Legislature and recommend changes to how teachers are evaluated and how schools’ spending and performance are managed.

The New Rochelle Board of Education will discuss tonight, for what will be the third time, why the school district is hiring people without background checks as required under New York State law. The above video is a compilation of three clips, the first from the November 29th Board of Education meeting, the second two are from the December 6th Board of Education meeting which represents the entirety of the public dialog that has taken place so far.

Residents who are concerned that the District continues to hire employees without first completing the required background checks are encouraged to attend tonight's board meeting at the Linda Kelly Theater at the New Rochelle High School tonight at 7:00 P.M.

So far, the district has put up a variety of explanations and excuses and more can be expected tonight so those who intend to come tonight need to watch the video above, paying close attention, and then contrast that with the claims made by the district tonight.