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The Department of Elimination

Posted on August 23, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE DAILY BAILEY. Satire By John F. Bailey. August 22, 2007: Now that City Hall has installed combination locks on the City Hall restrooms, the protocol on restroom usage needs to be established.

Is this the first step in following Fort Lauderdale, our sister city’s lead in installing mechanical restrooms, being put into use at Fort Lauderdale beaches? The combination locks on the restrooms could be the tentative first step to getting a firm grip on City Hall Restroom activity — an obvious and long overlooked security breach in the city’s underbelly.

Frankly I am surprised that on Thursday evening’s Common Council agenda there is not discussion of a feasibility study for managing this much-needed upgrade in City Hall Security, before city hall rushes into this bold new era of supervised comfort zones. Locked restrooms when there are long public meetings for example are a problem… well before we go to far…here are some issues city hall may wish to consider:

Establishment of Pattern Usage

First, not everyone who attends meetings has the same elimination patterns. Therefore it is imperative that before implementing a “Just ask and you can go policy” that a thorough study of how the restrooms are used during public meetings is obviously in order. (Calling Ernst & Young!) Just ask yourself what would Andy Spano and Bill Ryan do, Mayor Delfino? With the possible exception of establishing drop-in shelters, no bureaucrat worth their inflated salary and pension would ever do anything without spending at least $25,000 to $50,000 on a study.

What could such a study tell us: frequency of restroom use; Number of restroom visits a day, broken down by employee and visitor; whether public not doing city hall business uses the rest rooms for convenience, whether usage is increased during public meetings (and needs addressing); breakdowns of visit duration (essential for efficient key and combination queuing); breakdowns of usage pattern between men and women (women tend to use a restroom longer than men, perhaps a separate powder room is in order so relief trips can be expedited and makeup touchups separated ); would security cameras in rest rooms be effective in expediting and reducing occupation times; should the city hall restrooms receive upgrades or perhaps divided into individual comfort stations.

Unnecessary Public Meeting Recesses/ Usage Limitation.

And that is just the beginning of the issues. The last thing city hall wants is extended five minute breaks in Common Council, Planning Department, Zoning Board and Work Sessions due to rest room backlogs, and persons hobbling around in obvious discomfort. Discomfort at City Hall is anxiety-provoking enough without fear of not being able to hold out long enough to get to use the restroom. You would not want to ruin one of those $1,000 suits!

In fact the issue of timing is essential. By acquiring a log of time spent in the City Hall Restrooms by the average user, the city could establish a time limit on how long a person could use it.

Which raises another question – will only one person be able to use the restroom at a time – so any threats to security placed in the restroom would be traceable. Will there be a photographic record taken of each person entering the restroom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The thought is sobering and obviously requires study a lot of it.

Disillusioning Experiences for the Elite

Though outrageous parking policies are being stoically endured by Mr. and Mrs. White Plains, the gazillion-dollar-an-hour attorneys and consultants and projectivists visiting City Hall, will they be able to endure the great leveling experience of the City Hall Restroom Queue?

This raises the issue of whether City Hall will have the Department of Public Works investigate installing rest rooms for different classes of users – perhaps one rest room for makeup and grooming, another for simple eliminations, another for more complex procedures in the interest of expediting the natural course of human events. But this is exactly why we need a study. The rest rooms could be profit centers!

Amenites In Order?

Should fees be considered? They could be upgraded by having attendents in the restrooms, easy chairs, Ritz Carlton style marble and gilded fixtures, and an attendent handing you towels, perhaps warmed — like they used to at “21”?

Should, in the interest in discouraging preemptive restroom visits, fees be charged? Obviously the security lock allows the city to monitor, and charge perhaps at least $1 or more per visit. (The Parking Department shortfall from the Marine tickets could be avoided—with of course armed forces allowed to go free.)

Security Issues

Has the Department of Public Safety noticed a pattern of behavior in the restrooms that have raised this level of threat awareness? It could tell us what has been the pattern of restroom abuse and violations? Have the restrooms been the frequent site of unauthorized activities, or has the alleged naked man in the men’s room been the only incident. (Perhaps city hall is overreacting to an isolated incident? What don’t we know and what do they know they are not revealing?)

Will police want to station a uniformed officer at all times in the restrooms or outside the door who will discreetly knock after say the proscribed timelimit, saying, “Could you please step away from the toilet, sir, and leave the restroom within 30 seconds? Thank you sir.”

ACLU Where are you?

Is there an invasion of privacy here? Because there were no signs saying “No bathing” in the Men’s Restaurant when the naked man was discovered, according to the Mayor who gave this as a reason why the locks were installed to a visitor to City Hall. Perhaps the individual, if he existed at all, spilled something on his clothes and was doing a more extensive cleanup than usual? Perhaps we will never know. Legal may want to put up a friendly sign of what is and is not allowed in the new “secure” restrooms

To help the beleagured Edward Dunphy out, WPCNR can see a list under the picture of Mayor Joseph Delfino, with cooperative smile on his face and the following instructions on the Men’s and Ladies Room Walls:

City of White Plains

Department of Elimination Protocols, Ordinances, Statutes & Limitations

The City Restroom is for efficient elimination operations by authorized public users only, including, but not limited to the natural human elimination processes. The following activities are strictly prohibited:

No Admiring self in mirror.

No Intercourse.

No bathing.

No obsessive washing.

No makeup application beyond 60 seconds.

No laundry processing.

No Conversations.

No Impromptu or Pre-arranged Conferences.

No changing of clothes.

No haircutting, styling.

No Hairspray Permitted.

No vomiting (if you need to vomit due to what you are experiencing due to meeting conditions and actions, contact a security officer who will provide a Mayor Joseph Delfino Mal de City Hall Fashion Bag).

No disposal of unauthorized objects, such as but not limited to site plans, building permits, official documents, financial forecasts, backup material in sanitary facilities. contact a security officer and a shredder will be provided

No drug use permitted.

No oral hygiene permitted. (Brushing of Teeth)

Retrofitting Restrooms?

Should the restrooms be limited to one person using them at a time? Should they be broken up to accommodate one person? The more, I , a mere reporter think about this issue there are great human rights issues in play here. Is restriction to one person, or discrimination based on need, constitutional?

Edward Dunphy, City Corporation Counsel might want to work with the American Civil Liberties Union on this one: An uneasy intrusion into one of our most cherished civil liberties the right to go discreetly and anonymously.

Establish a New City Department

The more I look at this issue, the more I think that the Common Council has to take a closer look. These are too important issues to be wrestled with by one inquiring reporter.

The issues involved with this most basic right really need the full time attention of perhaps an entirely new city department.

To that end the Council should, as part of its study consider creating a Department of Elimination.

The Department would give the city a whole new perspective on elimination procedures and policies to be developed for the City Charter.

There would be a Commissioner of Elimination, and a Deputy Commissioner of Commodeities with a full staff of inspectors. The department could also preside over the messy business of eliminating personnel no longer deemed essential to the city, thus relieving the legal department of the messy job of informing a commissioner they had to go now.

The Department of Elimination would liaison with the Department of Public Safety and the Human Rights Commission to set policy on restroom use, duration of stays, fees, etc.

They could also train inspectors and the monitors who would person the Mayor’s Office of Elimination that could be located in one of the alcoves inside the Mayor’s Office – who would record the names and times of each visitor to the restrooms (for security reasons, of course).

The Department of Elimination, what a concept!

School District to Hire Environmental Consultant to Replace Woods They Destroyed

Posted on August 22, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. August 22, 2007: Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors pledged tonight to replant the forest ripped out of the White Plains High School property adjacent Havilands Lane on the morning and afternoon of August 3. Michael Crino of 76 Havilands Lane told the CitizeNetReport tonight that the Superintendent said “At this point, there are no plans to put ball fields there,” and that the District was going to hire an environmental consultant to design a reforesting design to replace the natural buffer that protected the Havilands Lane residences from noise and views of the high school. No cost or budget for replacing the woods was available.

Aftermath, White Plains High School “woods” leveled to the ground. August 5, 2007

Crino said the district assured the residents they would get an opportunity to meet with the consultant, whom Crino said had not been hired yet, and give the consultant the residents’ ideas on what they would like to see in the gutted woods area.

Crino said the neighbors ideally would like to see an evergreen buffer and more “hardwoods” shown than was shown on a conceptual plan drawn up by Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, the architects of the school district capital improvement projects that are ongoing.

Ostensibly, the woods were destroyed on the order of Michael Lynch, who had contracted with a firm to remove the woods to build a new softball field using fill from the excavations at the new Loucks Field. The School District said Lynch undertook this project on his own without authorization.

Yonkers Suppresses the Press. Prevents Newspaper Distribution.

Posted on August 22, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester Guardian. August 22, 2007: Gene Smith, a Westchester Guardian employee, was given a criminal summons by Yonkers Police, for distributing the Westchester Guardian newspapers to news racks.

At the time of the issuance of the summons, police threatened Mr. Smith with arrest if he did not stop distributing The Guardian newspaper. The publisher, Sam Zherka, when asked if he would be in court on August 23, replied, “absolutely.”

A total of 10 Guardian employees filed suit in Federal District Court in White Plains, claiming the City of Yonkers, The Mayor, Phillip Amicone, Police Commissoner Edmond Hartnett, the DPW Commissioner and a Police Officer, Wood, among many others, violated their right of free speech and press and threatened them with arrest after stopping them from distributing newspapers for the Westchester Guardian. A total of 16 summonses were issued to the Guardian 10. The Employees are scheduled to appear in Yonkers City Court August 23.

Here is what allegedly the City of Yonkers did to distributors of The Guardian, beginning July 9, according to the legal complaint:

13. Commencing during the week of July 9, 2207, and continuing thereafter, the owner of the Guardian and a number of Guardian employees including Plaintiffs repeatedly sought to distribute inside and/or outside Yonkers’ City Hall:

a. Copies of DUMB & DUMBER as contained in the Guardian

b. Copies of the July 26, 2007, Guardian the front page headline of which

reported: “Guardian Publisher Offers $25,000 Reward For Information Leading to the Arrest and Conviction of Westchester Public Officials and Politicians Who Have Broken the Law and Betrayed the Public Trust”, and,

c. Copies of the August 2, 2007, Guardian the front page headline of which read: “Phil Amicone A Huge Flop! Fails to Deal With Police Brutality. Sharpton Correctly Identifies Problem As Not Targeting Only the Minority Community”.

14. In that connection pursuant to a coordinated action orchestrated by Amicone, Hartnett, Liszewsky, their co-defendants and numerous members of the City’s Police and Public Works Departments, all copies of the Guardian were repeatedly confiscated and discarded by Defendants – – hateful conduct motivated in whole or in substantial respect by the substantive content of the Guardian concerning Amicone and the Yonkers Police.

15. Also in that connection and pursuant to the same coordinated action, Guardian newsracks were repeatedly confiscated and/or discarded by Defendants under the direction of Liszewski, action taken by similarly motivated hateful conduct.

16. As a further consequence of that coordinated action, Defendants repeatedly and daily targeted employees of The Guardian News, Inc.”, as indicated infra, threatened them with arrest, and charged them criminally – – with the same motivation and the objective of entirely stopping dissemination of the Guardian in and about City Hall and the City because of its substantive content.

17. By way of contrast publications favorable to Amicone and the City (such as “Yonkers City of Vision”) were permitted by the Defendants to be dispensed from inter alia:

a. A newsrack, located on a stairway in City Hall, and

b. A counter at a security desk in City Hall as manned by a uniformed

Police Officer.

18. Also by way of contrast, persons distributing the publications favorable to Amicone and the City were permitted with impunity by Defendants to place those periodicals:

a. In the stairway newsrack referenced supra, and,

b. On the security desk counter as referenced supra.

19. For the purpose of disseminating copies of the Guardian as referenced supra each of the Plaintiff was, amongst others, assigned by The Guardian News, Inc. to work in the City and at and about Yonkers’ City Hall and in that connection to non-disruptively give to willing recipients, copies of the Guardian.

20. As a proximate result of Plaintiffs’ conduct each was confronted by City Police Officers, including Wood and

a. Ordered to cease distributing the Guardian on the supposed premise that its distribution was illegal in Yonkers,

b. Issued criminal informations charging them with distributing

the Guardian,

b. Ordered to leave the premises,

c. Threatened with arrest/incarcerate should they return to distribute the

Guardian, and,

d. Coerced to depart from the City by intimidation.

21. Under the premises Defendants’ conduct has caused Plaintiffs: to be chilled in the exercise of their First Amendment rights as a consequence of which they will not prospectively distribute the Guardian in the City; emotional upset; public embarrassment; public humiliation; shame; impairment of their right to liberty to the extent they are required by the criminal informations to appear in Yonkers City Court under threat of issuance of a bench warrant; anxiety; punishment for exercising their right of free speech; selectively punished, in contrast to distributors of periodicals favorable to Amicone and the City; and otherwise rendered sick and sore.

Naked in City Hall. Buff Bather in Men’s Room Causes Rest Room Lock Down.

Posted on August 22, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUALITY OF LIFE QUEUE . Special to WPCNR from a CitizeNetReporter. August 21, 2007: Citizens attending meetings at City Hall had better monitor their personal needs because the public restrooms in City Hall are now locked with combination code pad mechanisms. The change was reported to WPCNR by attendees at last evening’s Planning Board meeting. In order to avail oneself of the facilities, one must request a key or the combination for the punch-in key pad to enter the second floor facilities.

Security Leak Plugged. The new Men’s Room at City Hall with its new combination lock. Details on the City Hall security procedures by which one may access the Men’s and Ladies room on the rotunda floor have yet to be promulgated by the Mayor’s Office.

The sudden change in policy, according to a source who asked the mayor, was put in place because a naked man was discovered in the men’s room on the second floor recently. The Mayor did not reveal to the source what the individual was doing.

At the late hour Tuesday evening, WPCNR could not confirm whether the rest rooms would be open during public meetings or whether they would continue with the Lock-Down policy. Previously it was WPCNR’s impression that only the women’s room was locked for security reasons.

Citizens attending city hall should be aware of the new restroom security procedure. Our informants speculated the person was taking a sponge bath in City Hall restroom when discovered, though this has to be treated as pure speculation at this point.

City Hall has locks on the Mayor’s Office which require visitors to be buzzed in, as well as video cameras identifying persons coming into the open door municipal seat of city government. City Hall could not be reached to determine if closed circuit television would be installed in the rest rooms to prevent future misuse of the public restrooms.

Secrets of White Plains Parking Revealed! You Can Park in TransCenter Overnight!

Posted on August 21, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. August 21, 2007: Most White Plains TransCenter Parking Garage Permit holders do not know that they have another perk: They can park overnight in that facility if they pay a nightly fee at the office.

Secrets of the TransCenter Garage! Non Permit Holders can also park in that garage on the ground floor (shown here) and the top floor for $10 a day, if they get there early.

Candyce Corcoran, the Candidate for Common Council in both the September 18 primary and already on the November ballot for Council asked this question in a letter to WPCNR. That lead me to uncover this little known, little-promoted convenience.

The question came up when WPCNR was pointing out that there appears to be no way a person a person can park at the train station to take the County AIR LINK bus to the airport. At least, no way to park that the county and the city chose to make obvious to the public.

Here is how it works, according to the offices at the TransCenter and Galleria garages:

Say, you are headed to Westchester County Airport for a flight to Chicago, or a fast two days in Fort Lauderdale, and you are holder of a TransCenter Parking Permit. You can stop in at the Department of Parking office in the TransCenter garage and purchase an overnight permit for $10 a night, that will allow you to keep your automobile in the TransCenter overnight for four consecutive nights for a maximum of 4 days.

For $40, plus the $1.75 charge for AIR LINK to the Westchester County Airport you can park in the TransCenter, and return to it, using AIR LINK from the airport, (as long as you get out of town and back within 96 hours). The extra $10, 20, 30 or $40 is cheaper than the parking at the airport – if you can find a space at the airport. (WPCNR got the last one on a Thursday morning at the airport last week.)

Those without TransCenter Permits Park at MultiSpace Meters

If you do not hold a parking permit for the TransCenter Garage, but wish to take the AIR LINK to the Westchester County Airport, you may purchase an unlimited amount of time on the multi-space parking meter machine by punching in the space number of the space you select on the first floor or the roof.

The Transit Center office cautions you have to pay for the time you want in advance at the Multi-Space Parking Console, allowing you to park in the TransCenter on the very ground floor or the very top floor of the garage for 24 hours for $9.75. Two Days, $19.50, three days $29.25, four days, $39, and so on. You receive a receipt from the machine, which you can display on the dash of your windshield.

The Galleria Garage is an overnight option for sojourns of a week or more.

According to information obtained from the Galleria Parking Garage, if you cannot find space at the

The TransCenter, and you wish to use AIR LINK to get to the airport – say for a one week vacation or two weeks, you may purchase a monthly 24-hour a day permit to park anywhere in The Galleria Garage for $110. If you plan your trip away in the first two weeks of the month, you can turn in your monthly permit by the 15^th of the monty and receive about a $50 dollar refund .

County Airport Garage Charge: $158 a week. Galleria Permit Saves you $50 and up.

The County Airport Garage charges $22.60 per day which amounts to $158.20 a week. At that rate, The Galleria Garage monthly permit strategy can make sense, if you can stroll the train station to pick up AIR LINK.

If you take AIR LINK, and park a week in the Galleria Garage, it costs you $27.50 for 7 days $19.65 for 5 days, compared to $133 to park for 5 days at Westchester County Airport , $158.20 for 7 days . The County Airport Parking Office told WPCNR the $22.60 a day is a set rate. At present there is no discount for longterm parking at the County Airport.

You save $110 (the cost of the monthly permit), if you can coordinate with the AIR LINK Schedule. Since you can get a refund on the $110 before the 15th, you save about $50 over the cost of parking at the County Airport facility. You cannot park overnight in the Galleria with a weekly permit. You are only allowed to park with a weekly permit from 6 AM to Midnight.

Luggage a Problem

The drawback to The Galleria ploy is of course – luggage. Now if the AIRLINK picked up at The Galleria this option would become even more attractive. However, it’s really a good option for the business traveler who travels light and makes a flight a week out of Westchester County.

However, you are not even guaranteed a parking space should you drive to Westchester County Airport.

AIR LINK makes good sense if you have a significant other who can drop you off at AIR LINK – if you knew where to find the AIR LINK stop, since the stops are not clearly marked.

Democrats Challenge Levine-Stackpole Petition

Posted on August 21, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey. August 21, 2007. UPDATED AUGUST 22, 12:40 A.M.: Elizabeth Schollenberger, Tim James and Steve Wallfish (leaders of the Democratic City Committee in White Plains) have filed “General Objections” to the petitions filed by Robert Levine and Robert Stackpole in their efforts to secure a slot on the November city election ballot for Common Council, the Board of Elections reported this morning.

Commissioner Reginald LaFayette’s office reported that Schollenberger , James, and Wallfish have until August 27 to file specific objections. Stackpole was a candidate for the Democrat nomination for Common Council who was rejected by the City Committee, which instead nominated Benjamin Boykin, Dennis Power, and Milagros Lecuona. Stackpole with his running mate Robert Levine are attempting to secure an independent position on the ballot in November.

Robert Levine, of the Levine Stackpole Common Council Independent Candidacy issued this statement to the media late Tuesday on the Democrat Challenge: “Our petitioning effort was undertaken with the care and respect we expect to accord the people of White Plains when we are elected to the Common Council. Those who are leading the city Democratic organization’s challenge will be seen to be on a fool’s errand– business as usual– proving again that it’s time for a change.”

Eyewitness: Taking His Cuts: Offerman Over the Top at Harbor Yard

Posted on August 20, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. Special to WPCNR by John Vorperian, Host of WPPA-TV’s Channel 76 BEYOND THE GAME. August 20, 2007: What a boxscore! 26 runs, 34 hits, 3 ejections, 2 ambulances, and one arrest. Ex-MLB All-Star and Long Island Duck lead-off hitter Jose Offerman jacked Bridgeport Bluefish Matt Beech’s first pitch. In the next frame he did a rendition of the homicide squeeze play and created a fracas bringing to Harbor Yard, Bridgeport’s finest and placing his big league comeback on ice.

White Plains Public Access TV’s John Vorperian, host of Beyond the Game, Tuesdays at 10, Friday at 9 on Channel 76 — “The Spirit of 76” in White Plains was at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, last week when Jose Offerman lost it and started swinging wildy. Mr. Vorperian had the view from the Press Box. This is his review of the incident.

In Tuesday night’s August 14th independent minor league game the Bridgeport Bluefish lost to the
Atlantic League’s North Division leading Long Island Ducks by a score of 13-12. The incident in the top of the second inning left the ‘Fish without their starting pitcher and catcher, as well as their field
manager, Yankee Legend, Tommy John.

Jose Offerman, a former Bluefish led off the game with a home run on the first pitch. He was later enraged in the second inning when Bridgeport starting pitcher and once Phillie, Beech’s pitch hit him in the leg on a zero ball, one strike count. Offerman, bat in hand took several steps towards the Southpaw, stopped and then charged the mound. The former Met swung his bat at Beech who was struck in both his hands.

Catcher John Nathans, past Red Sox property, in an attempt to help his teammate, was also struck by the bat in the head and was forced to leave the game with a concussion.

A bench clearing brawl delayed the game for nearly twenty minutes. Umpires yanked Offerman, Beech, and John from the contest. Down in the visitors’ clubhouse, Police allowed Offerman to change into civies and booked him for second degree assault. Cuffed and taken to the station he was released upon posting of bail.

Up in the pressbox (and later at the Beyond The Game research center) sport scribes were rattling off ‘bats as weapons’ scenarios. Here are just a few. 1965 SF Giant Juan Marichal uses LA Dodger John Roseboro’s head for batting practice. 1966 Pacific Coast League Seattle catcher Merritt Ranew gets clubbed by Vancouver’s Santiago Rosario. 1972 Oakland A’s Campy Campaneris launches his bat at Detroit Tiger LerrinLaGrow. 2000 Bomber Roger Clemens javelins lumber at Metropolitan Mike Piazza in game 2 of the Fall Classic.

My question, had the weapon been secured? In the scrum LI Duck #8 Carl Everett got the bat and tossed it into his team’s dugout. There’s no video as well there are some universal laws and circumstances, camerapeople have no control over. But The Connecticut Post was on top of things. Go to their web site: http://www.extras.connpost.com/offerman/ and you’ll see Duck #29 former Expo/Angel and yes Greenburgh’s own Norm Hutchins running towards the fight. As the mess progresses #8 ex-BoSox/Met/Astro Carl Everett gets control of the evidence.

Offerman, currently suspended, is to appear in Connecticut court on August 23rd, The real question is not what the judicial system will do but rather whatwill the Atlantic League mete out as appropriate
discipline? Here’s a circuit that promotes Family fun at the ballpark not the crime of the week. It’s a
dicey situation because the league official in charge of such also has ties to this winning charter club.

Bears watching. My thoughts? Time to get the cons out of the pros.

White Plains’ John Vorperian, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, is a published contributor to two books celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the 1967 Impossible Dream Team, the Boston Red Sox of Lynn, Lonborg, Rice, Tony C, The Hawk, Rico, Reggie and The Yaz (The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox, from Rounder Books) and 75, The Red Sox Team That Saved Baseball, also from Rounder Books. Johnny wrote a profle of Don McMahon for the Impossible Dream Red Sox, and the profile of Deron Johnson in the ’75 tome. Books are available on the Rounder Books, 1 Camp Street, Cambridge MA. On his WPPA-TV sportstalk show, Beyond the Game, Johnny talks sports with celebrities from all sports, but his real love is “The Game.”

Rush Hour Horror at the Train Station and How to Solve It.

Posted on August 19, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY. News & Comment by John F. Bailey. August 19, 2007 UPDATED 1 :30 P.M. WITH PIX: At the “Council of Neighborhood Situations” monthly Kvetch Klatch Tuesday evening, (better known colloquially as the Council of Neighborhood Associations which wrings its hands monthly about deterioration of their quality of life in their neighborhoods), Joseph Apicella and Brian Cappelli of Cappelli Enterprises fielded questions and barbs from the mostly southend residents on the City Center, and the Ritz Carlton.

Mr. Apicella & company proceeded to reintroduce the Cappellis’ Station Square project which it occurred to me has virtually nothing much to do with impacting the persons living south of Post Road.

The Chaos Hour (6 to 7 PM) at the Little Station of Horrors.

Why should the residents of the southend and the Northend even care about whether the Station Plaza is built or not? Especially when, based on their questions they have not been paying attention. In all the years this reporter has attended CNA meetings, I cannot recall anyone ever complaining about the Metro North TransCenter. White Plains residents attending these meetings, other than complaining about the ragtag taxi squad, where cabs are shared – an unheard-of process—rarely complain about something they should complain about – the traffic pattern, the inadequate parking facilities, and the gridlock when arrivals and departures peak. Just try jockeying to drop off your spouse in a hurry when you’re slightly behind schedule in the 8 AM or figure out how to pick them up at the 6 PM Chaos hour.

What they should care about is the hour of chaos that takes place every morning and evening rush hour at the White Plains TransCenter (railroad station).

The Cappelli Empire though obviously focusing on the profit-motive in proposing a 4-building, modern transcenter-hotel-office complex there, is right. The station is antiquated, has no grandeur or cachet and does not serve the public it has now. Mr. Apicella pointed out that the MTA and MetroNorth do not think the station is inadequate.

Anyone who attempts to pick up or drop off passengers, or park a car to take the train knows that it is inadequate, inconvenient and dangerous. Impatient drivers waiting to pick up arriving or dropping off commuters, jockey for position to park for a pick up and drop-offers are jammed by shuttles and cabs stopping at the apex of the loop attempting to merge. The backup does a 360 backing out onto Ferris Avenue (top of this picture). It’s a nightmare of exhaust fumes, pedistrians dodging bumpers and persons with rides walking in front of departing taxis.

Part of that inadequacy is laid to the inept management of the facility by the City of White Plains – for years—extending back several administrations. The Delfinos cannot take the full hit on this mess, but the progressive Delfino Administration can once again fix it – if they planned beyond the next week.

Let’s take a look: the taxicabs. The taxi drivers want more fees from the city Taxi Commission and a gas price relief allowance added to their wretched fair structure. However, they give lousy service. The cabs are filthy. The drivers scruffy. They force passengers to share cabs, even though they are not supposed to, and the long line of cabs impedes private automobiles when motorists try to drop off or pick up customers. The cabline in place for years due to really inept thinking on the part of the city – exists mostly on tradition. There appears to be no rationality behind it.

Today, the cabline location makes no sense and is a major inconvenience.

Next let’s look at the plaza. Incredibly there are parking meters in a series of rows for transients to park for limited periods of time. That does not make sense because cars crawl between the rows of parked cars to await arriving passengers. The awaiting cars block parked cars from backing out of spaces. Does that make sense? No, Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains, it does not – despite what any bureaucrat will tell you. This is bureaucratic design! A Rube Goldberg operation.

Now – the Parking Structure. Depending on who you talk to, there is a 600 person waiting list for slots. This garage should long since been expanded by the city even before the Super Developer arrived to revitalize and save the city. The thing is Mr. Cappelli can only do so much: the city has to supplement his development with a comprehensive infrastructure that can handle the growth. Well, the city is too busy adding rolling stock, burning money on parks they let go into disrepair and repaving streets, and building parking garages to keep their ban on overnight parking rules in effect, provide parking for a hospital that could purchase the parking themselves, and a parking garage for the City Center that they negotiated into for fear of losing the City Center project.

Did they ever think of adding floors to the top of the train station parking garage that exists now at the train station – or the feasibility of same? Did they even look at putting up a parking garage annex spilling over to the fire station 7 – as Mr.Cappelli so astutely suggests? No. No thinking here—for years. When I was commuting to the city a decade ago, that train station garage was already overcrowded and spaces in demand. The 1997 Comprehensive Plan as I recall never even thought of that.

Now The Cappelli Organization has offered a solution – a station makeover, new parking facility, a glass transit center gateway, and the glass complex of new high rise office and hotel buildings to “hub up” the TransCenter area.

Well that is, despite the Cappelli Organization promise of getting the buildings built by 2009, a way off.

However, the city can redesign their station parking now if they had any negotiating skills with the transportation authorities.

There’s more things wrong with the station – you’ve got the Greyhound and Trailways buses picking up in the midst of the influx traffic motoring into the plaza. You’ve got the Bee Line county buses swinging into the bus center across the street. And, you’ve got that big empty Gateway II Lot that could have been built into a parking facility. Did anyone ever think of adding parking at the upper floors of the underused BEE LINE facility? (Just a thought.)

Last but not least are the shuttle buses. There are a lot of these little mini-buses which, because they stop and drop, block traffic, further aggravating the situation for passenger pickup and drop-offs. There are simply too many shuttle buses that contribute to the rush hour gridlock at the transit station.

Two Way Merge Creates Big Time Jam when “Departure Traffic) entering on right into exit to Ferris Avenue, jockeys with cab and pick-up traffic entering from left.

Abandoned former Greyhound Terminal on West Side of Station Not in Use is an obvious solution staring the city in the face for a decade. Why isn’t it used. You even have a functioning traffic light for no traffic (serving only Bronx River Parkway northbound traffic onto Main Street).

Has anyone ever noticed that all the activity at the train station takes place only on the East side of the station? This is ludicrous. I do not know who owns the former Greyhound-Trailways terminal and street on the West Side of the station – but it is not used, ladies and gentlemen.

Why not?

I can hear the excuse now: Not enough entrances up to the platform. So build one. All it takes is one stairway and overpass. Or open a fence right around the underpass going under Main Street.

The traffic powers that be in the city should think seriously about routing all shuttle and cab traffic to this unused Greyhound street and let the cabs kew up there and drop off there. It’s wide with a built-in terminal for AIR LINK, hotel and office complex shuttles — even dare we say it? A Starbucks. This would really allow exclusive private vehicle pick up and drop off on the east side of the station to use the outer loop in the existing plaza (where the cabs are now), which makes much more sense than the private vehicles waiting in the lanes among the cars parked in metered slots in the plaza, don’t you think?

Another possibility that should be looked at is making a continuous one way loop for pickups and drop offs, instead to the two directional loop that exists now.

Considering the concentration of vehicles in that area now at peak pickup and dropoff hours, this needs to be addressed.

Do you know what this Van Is? Signage, advertising of AIRLINK and other shuttles is non-existent at the Train Station. There should be a central shuttle staging area that could be set up on the West Side of the Station at the abandoned Greyhound Depot.

Now, about Air Link – the shuttle bus from the train station to the Airport.

Kenneth Jenkins, the County Legislator told me last week at a County Airport Press Conference that the county shuttle to the airport is taking 60 persons a day. That is about 5 to 6 an hour. He is pleased with that.

This tells me that if the County actually promoted this service intelligently (does the county do anything smart?), you’d get a lot more.

Come on, Uncle Andy – put White Plains Councilman Dennis Power on this one to give that local angle – put him in charge of promoting Air Link. (In fact, the entire White Plains Council should get off their collective hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil, ask no questions, offer no ideas, affordable housing schtick and take an interest in their city problems and the station situation — if they are evening thinking of thumbs-upping the Station Square project Cappelli is reintroducing.)

(Now, since Mr. Power has no expertise in advertising – but then he does not have professional expertise in Environmental Facilities where he now works for you now – he’s a Dennis of All Trades I’ll give him some pointers to start:)

1. Could we put up a highly visible AIR LINK sign at the Train Station? (More than 1)

2. Could we designate a spot permanently where the AIR LINK bus arrives and departs from the Train Station? (Andy, this is what they do in major transit hubs).

3. Could those great public service radio stations of Westchester – WVOX, WFAS, and The PEAK, and HUD, give you some public service spots (10 seconds) – to create awareness of service. Twist a few arms, Andy, you know how to do that.

4. Could we put up some signs at the County Airport about AIR LINK, and a designated pick up and drop off spot at the airport. I did not notice any signs at the terminal entrance – so if you have them – they are not very good signs. Throw the design to Thompson & Bender, they can get them up within a week. How long have you been running AIR LINK without decent signage? (Since it’s inception).

5. Have AIR LINK make well advertised pickups (by reservation) at offices in White Plains. (That could actually have the ancillary halo effect of creating another County Department or bureaucracy, too, Andy).

6. Have an Air Link Hotline so customers could find out about it. (Next one due in, it’s times of departure, etc.)

7. Advertise Air Link in the Yellow Pages.

8. Have Air Link Serve the south end of the city, too.

The Taxi Disgrace

I also have some suggestions for the City on the ongoing Taxi disgrace.

1. Privatize the city cab operation. Put out an RFP and award a franchise. The taxi drivers have been given decades to clean up their act and seem incapable of providing good service, clean service and legal service (obeying the rules). I’d provide limousine, sedan, van service on request, with a dispatch queue at the Train Station.

2. Failing that, inspect the present cabs monthly for cleanliness and order cabs that need an “outside and inside” to a car wash in lieu of a $25 Quality of Transit Ticket. It could be dubbed a “WILO.”

3. Do not allow shared cabs — at all. (This is also a safety issue.)

4. Allow only 6 cabs in the East Side Station plaza at any one time, with cabs parked in a staging area ( perhaps on the West Side of the Station.

5. Clear out a section of the parking meter area for the cabs to park, this would give you a clean, cab free outer loop, and allow persons needing cabs to go direct to the cab area, perhaps a short walk across the lane where the cabs park now.

6. Make all Taxi Drivers where a jacket and tie.

7. Supplement Taxis with Rickshaws for short jaunts to the downtown.

8. Install cab meters and do away with the fee system to areas of the city.

9. Install cab stations in outlying areas of city (at busstops) to encourage transit to the station.

10. In lieu of that Bring back Officer Bill Belosi from retirement and have him sort out the Plaza Mess in the Morning and the evening by his legendary traffic intersection management.

Anyway, that’s one reporter’s opinion on how the station rush hour madness and aggravation could be addressed until the Cappelli Station Plaza is built.

And folks, it is going to be built. Trust me on that one.

Can the Budget & ManagementCommittee Start Budgeting and Managing

Posted on August 18, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE DAILY BAILEY. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. August 18, 2007: Councilman Benjamin Boykin will be convening the Budget & Management Committee of the city Tuesday evening at 6 in the Mayor’s Conference room. The councilman, when WPCNR inquired what the agenda was, has not responded.

However, it should be no secret what the B & M Committee needs to do for the city: budget and manage. Because no one in the city administration is: the city policy since the Delfino Administration has been in power is spend and find the money to pay. (Quick, get me some money, please!)

Number one – the Administration’s answer to ever increasing expenses is to ask for a quick fix. This past year it was land sales (remember Railside Avenue and the LCOR Affordable Housing giveaway this spring?).

The quick fix floated out by the Mayor and his Chief Financial Officer this spring for 2008-2009 was a half percent increase in the sales tax and a hotel tax. The half percent, they said would bring in an extra $10 Million in sales tax into the city coffers, easily covering anticipated labor settlements of at maybe 4-1/2 percent across the board. (Currently the CSEA is working without a contract, but the police, fire, and teamster unions are coming up, I believe expiring June 2008.) If I were a union head I’d want 4-1/2% minimum since the city laid on 4% last time.

The Budget & Management Committee should question the Chief Financial Officer of the City on the status of labor negotiations and how they will impact the city over the next five years.

A 4.5% increase in salaries of $71 Million translates to a $3.2 Million increase in the $155 Million budget yearly.

Throw in a benefits increase of 10% (based on average rising fringe benefit costs), the estimated increase in benefits for those employees of $33.3 Million and you have another $2.6 Million a year cost – and that eats up your half of your $10 Million the half percent sales tax increase brings you. A 4% or more settlement will increase the budget automatically about $5 to 6 Million. That leaves another $4 Million plus possible hotel tax revenues for the other expenses – the new debt, the certioraris, the infrastructure improvements.

What that says to me is the city has to have that half percent sales tax they want Adam Bradley to carry to Albany this fall or next spring. What do we think? In the Budget year before going into a Mayoral election is the Common Council and the Mayor thinking negotiating hard with the unions and holding the increase below 4% — in line with the school district teachers settlement – a shocking 3.2%?

What do you think the odds are of that happening? I think the unions are going to negotiate hard with the city. We are talking the 08-09 budget.

Now there is another strategy here. The Council could call for restraint here and make a deal with the unions to dip under 4% say to 3.5%, but I would not think so. The Budget & Management Committee could push for that. At the very least the Chairman Mr. Boykin should raise the issue with the Chief Financial Officer, and what givebacks the unions might be prepared to do in the future for new hires.

However the Budget & Management Committee should not take the usual excuse that it is the Administration that negotiates for the city. Poppycock. They never go out with set goals that the Budget & Management Committee and ultimately the councilpersons on it have to set. The administration keeps it to themselves.

Well – the members of the Budget & Management Committee – who basically act as rubber stamps – even though they whine a lot about liability, certioraris and wages and expenses — have no power. The Budget & Management Committee supposedly is composed of financial experts – but those experts are never given the figures or budget plans until almost the eleventh hour. It was past the 11^th hour last spring – the latest ever the city presented them with a budget. The council got the budget before the Budget & Management committee did. And Chairman Boykin went along with that. Not a peep of protest.

So, just to be helpful – that is one issue the Budget & Management Committee could jump on right away – just to give the public the public relations impression that they are budgeting and managing.

Another item Mr. Boykin and Mr. Bernstein should introduce Tuesday evening is demand an employee survey of what positions could be cut going forward from the City Personnel Director. Personnel Management has to be reviewed department by department. In previous years, the Chief Financial Officer, whether it was the Budget Director, (the city no longer has one), the excuse was given that the city asks the departments for their projections in February, asking for them back in March. Well that leaves little room for maneuvering and spending change.

If the Budget & Management Committee really had any power they would tell the administration enough of this charade, have the departments do a personnel inventory now. Of course, the administration response will be we are underhired as it is. Well, you can’t afford what you have – and let me tell you Adam Bradley is not going to carry a request for an extra half per cent in sales tax every year.

While we’re at it, the Budget & Management Committee has to demand a projection from the assessor on expected property taxes to be collected from the new projects coming on: Avalon Bay, the Ritz, etc. Please. The assessor and the Chief Financial Officer should be able to project property tax revenues into the future to give a better view of the city financial situation. If they can’t, why?

The general policy is to lurch from year to year with no financial planning.

This brings me to another thing Mr. Boykin and his committee should demand and that has been repeatedly requested – three and five year financial projects on certioraris, revenues, etc., and expenses. The administration – whether it is because of general secrecy or inability to project has not done this though requested in previous years.

Now, the projections should also included population trends, service needs, infrastructure demands. The White Plains way the last 9 years has been to take this up piecemeal. Commissioners come in and request all kinds of goodies and the Council in their laissez faire way maybe whittles a little – but generally accepts most of the whole enchiladas being presented from rolling stock, to water mains.

What I’d like to see is for the Budget & Management Committee to budget and manage, because by not reexamining from zero base every year your budget just grows. That is why the White Plains City Budget and the School Budget too (this year being an exception) has grown at double the inflation rate the last nine years.

Gentlemen – a little budget management, please.

No more laissez faire, please. City taxpayers cannot afford it.

And, let us not let the big spenders at Education House off the hook, either. As a taxpayer I want to see a lot more cuts than they gave us last year. A lot more. They actually only raised the budget 6.9% this year. Just double the inflation rate. How about an exercise run through, cutting the budget so it only rises 3%? This is the start to fiscal sanity at Education House.

They should convene the Annual Budget Advisory Committee now, and get some new blood on it, and put the budget process out in the open, and tackle it area by area.

The city administration always sells their expense side by wringing hands and the Common Council and Budget & Management Committee goes along with it.

The school district is more diabolical. They convene the Annual Budget Committee, and present faux knockout items that the ABC Committee focuses on. Remember the idea of bringing services for disabled in house a few years ago? That was an excellent concept present by Tim Connors the Superintendent, but the ABC Committee balked in one of the dumber cuts. However it gave the impression the district was cutting. That’s how they work the ABC Committee.

It is crucial for them to do so, because the teachers only agreed to a one-year contract, (a 3.2% raise), and some givebacks. Next year, they are going to want to make that up big time.

School District secrecy — the shrouded strategic planning process going on behind closed doors — is all something that is going to have to change. But it will not if no one has the stomach to change it.

But meanwhile, the Budget & Management Committee will convene Tuesday.

Mr. Boykin, up for election, has the unique opportunity to position himself as the man who knows the money. But since he did not raise the issues of the Chief Financial Officer not providing budget information in an “in-time-to-discuss options” sequence last year when he had every opportunity to make a big protest about it, I am not expecting much.

They at least should ask — what’s being done with the one-shot revenues brought in last year for starters.

Accountability, planning, projecting, admitting to problems is how good management works.

In White Plains there is no accountability, no planning, no projecting, no problems.

But we keep having problems, don’t we?

At least the taxpayer does every April.

Best Actor in a Musical This Year Is a Plant – Audrey II – Dominates WBT’s Shop

Posted on August 17, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR In the Balcony. Review by John F. Bailey. August 17, 2007: Little Shop of Horrors is Westchester Broadway Theatre’s snappiest “ReHit” of 2007. It’s got a driving, toe-tapping rock and roll score. It’s got the most elaborate set WPCNR has ever seen WBT execute in my seven years of reviewing its shows; the hardest working, entertaining ensemble of actors delivering hilarious material, and it has that fascinating charmer, Audrey II, Westchester’s most glamorous and dominating diva.

Julie Connors as Audrey right, encounters the “Lips to Die In” as Audrey II, the plant with discriminating tastes, sees supper in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. Photo, by John Vecchiola

Audrey II is the creation of Bill Diamond who animates her and Terri White, whose nuanced, articulate delivery is a bizarre, creepy cross of Oliver J. Dragon, Barney The Purple Dinosaur, Mr. T, Eddie Murphy, Vincent Price and Jobba the Hut. Ms. White articulating Audrey II, sends chills up and down your spine. She sweettalks you. She demands. She fusses. And, like any leading lady Audrey II has “Lips to Die In.”

Isn’t she a cutie? Eric Santagata as Seymour pleads with Audrey II to grow. Photo by John Vecchiola

Audrey II, (for those of you who do not know), is a plant spawned under a full moon in Mr. Mushnik’s failing flower shop on Skid Row. She is raised to health by the inferiority complex-afflicted Seymour. Mushnik took Seymour in as an orphan, gave him a place to sleep under the counter and gave him every other Sunday off. Seymour cuts himself one day and drips some of his own into little Audrey II’s mouth. The cute little wee plant, laps it up, developing a taste for human blood. Sounds like a fun theme, right, man-eating plants? You bet!

It’s got teenage street girls, too!

Three streetcorner teen girls of those late 1950s, Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette (Talana Deshaies, Kimberly Hamby and Jalynn Steele) send up The Angels, The Supremes, and The Pointer Sisters musical styles throughout the upbeat horror musical. The ultimate doo-wop girls get things started upbeat with “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Skidrow Downtown” with all the moves of those girl groups you remember.

Seymour (Eric Santagata), Gary Lynch, as a William Morris Agent, (second from left), and Kimberly Hamby as Crysstal, Talana Deshaies as Chiffon and Jalynn Steele as Ronnette doing “The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth” in Act II. Photo by John Vecchiola

Ms. Deshaies, Ms. Hamby and Ms. Steele reappear throughout as the world’s best updated “Greek Chorus.” They deliver messages of how we’re supposed to be feeling – just in case we do not get it. Their highlight number,”Dentist” introduces the blonde shopgirl’s mean boyfriend, Dr. Orin Scrivello, (he needs to be addressed as “Dr.) who treats Seymour’s blonde hearthrob mean. This very funny song gives truth to something I’ve always believed myself.

Julie Connors delivering “Suddenly Seymour” in Act II — a highlight of the show. Her Audrey is precisely right, and a comic delight with precise articulation of lyrics. Photo by John Vecchiola

The statuesque Julie Connors plays the original Audrey, the shopgirl whom Seymour names his little nasty plant after, is simply solid and spectacular in the role of the simple shop girl living on Skid Row, dreaming of living “Somewhere That ‘s Green,” her first big number.

Mr. Santagata and Ms.Connors dueting delightfully, realistically, believably. They also execute a great tour de force novelty phone duet, “Taking Orders” in Act II. Photo by John Vecchiola

Ms. Connors gets every number right with her clear contralto, and delivers her comic lines clear as a bell with perfect timing to cascade the laughs. She and Eric Santagata as Seymour (payed as a lovesick Woody Allen type), nurturer of the man-eating plant, brought whoops and cheers from the audience with their Suddenly Seymour duet – which for those of you who know what I am talking about is a sendup of teen movie love duets, recycling Tammy. The duo just nail this song!

As Audrey II grows, the shop’s business grows, but Audrey II is getting hungrier. When Orin the nasty biker dentist pushes the defenseless blonde around once too often. Audrey II, who now has taken to groaning and pleading, “Feed me Seymour, feed me,” suggests seductively to feed the dentist to her.

Needless to say, Audrey II grows , the shop grows, but so does Audrey II’s appetite for human delicacies.

NBC comes calling. Life Magazine wants Audrey II on its cover and Seymour, now a famous horticulturist, is tossed between the ghastly diet of his creation Audrey II, or to ….the hilarious denoument is reminiscent of a Night of the Living Dead played for laughs.

From the very believable little flower shop, located next to “Skid Row Koscher Meats” Little Shop takes you to the Lower East Side to a different time. Set Designers George Puello and Steven Loftus have spared no expense or creativity in recreating Skid Row. Meshed with Andrew Gmoser’s lighting effects, it is one of the more atmospheric and real sets they’ve ever done. Photo by WPCNR ShowCam

Little Shop is the also the most cohesive, hardest-working ensemble WBT has put together this year. All the actors and actresses blend well, throwing their energy full-tilt at his very fun show which delivers original lyrics to nostalgic rock n roll riffs with bounce, energy, and seamless byplay of the Skid Row Orchestra and the singers. Kudos to the Skid Row Orchestra: Robert Felstein and John Conway, Ken Ross, Arnold Gottlieb, Tom Goslin and Von Ann Stutler for laying the musical bed just right.

Gary Lynch is the Biker Dentist Fiend Who Loves Inflicting Pain. Photo by John Vecchiola

The ubiquitous Gary Lynch earns over-the-top laughs as the biker-dentist who torments Audrey the shopgirl. His scene in the nitrous oxide (laughing gas) helmet is horrifyingly funny as is the entire show. Lynch also plays a television executive, a William Morris talent agent, a Life editor with great Laugh-In and Saturday Night Live realism. We liked Bob Arnold’s Mr. Mushnik for his accent, his clever detective work – “I keep finding these drops of blood. What is this Seymour?” – and his lamenting which is over the top.

The Guilt of Success. Audrey II enjoys while Seymour ponders his protege’s appetite. Photo by John Vecchiola

Will Seymour and the fragile blonde Audrey find happiness where Audrey is living in a home where she is Donna Reed, and has a 12 inch television screen? Will Audrey the plant sway Seymour to get her the food she needs, or will he destroy her?

Bill Diamond who brings Audrey II to life with Terri White, the Voice of the creature. Photo by John Vecchiola

Dare to go down to Skid Row at the WBT and experience the “ReHit” of Little Shop of Horrors – the musical made based on Roger Corman’s 1960 movie.

The songs drive this show. There is little book, and the show motors along. Though it is an hour and 45 with a 30-minute intermission, it seems short, that’s just how smooth it is.

Little Shop is open for business at the WBT in Elmsford, Westchester’s most entertainingest theatre Tuesday through Sundays through September 29. For ducat information call 914-592-2222. Or, go to the WBT website, www.broadwaytheatre.com.

But, whatever you do, don’t feed the plants!