WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR ANIMAL ANCHOR. By Tagger the Anchor Cat. March 24, 2007: As the death toll of the nation’s pets reached into the hundreds yesterday and is expected to climb into the thousands, WPCNR’s Tagger the Anchor Cat supplies this list of Cat and Dog Foods manufactured by Menu Foods,  found to be allegedly contaminated with rat poisen according to the Associated Press. Tagger thanks White Plains activist, Candyce Corcoran for continuing to draw our attention to this sad story. The following lists contain the names of 42 canned cat foods  and 53 canned dog foods  all of which are being recalled by the manufacturer. For the latest information on this sad, sad situation, go to www.menufoods.com

Tagger the Anchor Cat draws your attention to things you need to know about the contaminated pet food situation in this report containing answers to questions supplied by Menu Foods — follows with the brand names of the pet foods involved.

1.      What exactly is covered by the Menu Foods Recall and for what timeframe?

 

The recall is limited to “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and foil pouches produced on specific dates and times between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007 in two of Menu’s plants.  The recall affects 42 brands of cat food and 53 brands of dog food.  In order to determine whether cat and dog food that your pet consumed is subject to recall, you should refer to the list of brand names

 

2.      What should I do if I think my pet may have consumed the recalled product?

 

If your pet is exhibiting any signs of kidney failure please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.  Symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, disorientation and changes in water consumption and urination.  If you suspect that you have fed the recalled pet food to your cat or dog, save any remaining pet food and the can or pouch.  Open cans or pouches may be double-bagged in sealable plastic and kept in the freezer. 

 

3.      Who is going to pay my vet bills for sickness and death?

 

If Menu Foods product is the cause of sickness or death, Menu Foods will take responsibility. Menu has engaged a professional firm to manage your concerns and is currently contacting concerned pet owners who have reached our call center. Specific direction will be received from these individuals.   Please keep copies of all your vet records and receipts for pet food purchases as well as vet bills.

 

4.      What do I do if I have pet food that has been recalled?

 

Please return it to the retailer for a refund.

 

5.      Will I be reimbursed for the food that I return to the retailer even if my pet did not get sick?

 

Yes, if it is a valid product that is subject to the recall.

 

6.      How do I know if the food I bought has been recalled?

 

The information is contained on this website.  Not all date codes are subject to recall so please fully check the information on your can or pouch.  The information on the website is organized by cat or dog then by brand and description.  None of the traditional “loaf” style products are subject to this recall.

 

7.      I can’t get through to the 1-866 numbers.  What is going on?

 

We apologize for the delay in answering every call; we were simply overwhelmed by the volume of calls.  Menu has retained a series of interconnected call centers throughout North America.  Even with many regional centers running simultaneously we have not been able to answer every call.  As we announced in a press release on March 19, 2007, we have taken steps to significantly upgrade our call centers to handle the volume and we have added this Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”) section to our website to provide more information.

 

8.      I feed my pet dry food.  Is dry pet food safe?

 

Menu Foods only manufactures wet pet food in cans and foil pouches.  Dry pet food is not part of the Menu Foods recall.

 

9.      I’m just not sure if my dog or cat had any of the food that is being recalled.  They act fine and don’t appear to have any symptoms.  Should I be worried?

 

As always, remain alert for any changes in your pet’s health.

 

10.  Are there other ways my pet might get sick and show similar symptoms?

 

Yes – antifreeze ingestion, certain rodenticides and some medications.  Certain lilies have been shown to cause kidney failure if consumed by cats.  Grapes have been reported to cause kidney failure in dogs and may affect cats.  Physical damage from trauma and cancerous conditions can also cause kidney damage.

 

The list of contaminated Cat Foods:

1. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
   
2. Authority
   
3. Best Choice
   
4. Companion
   
5. Compliments
   
6. Demoulas Market Basket
   
7. Eukanuba
   
8. Fine Feline Cat
   
9. Food Lion
   
10. Foodtown
    
11. Giant Companion
    
12. Hannaford
    
13. Hill Country Fare
    
14. Hy-Vee
    
15. Iams
    
16. Laura Lynn
    
17. Li’l Red
    
18. Loving Meals
    
19. Meijer’s Main Choice
    
20. Nutriplan
    
21. Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
    
22. Nutro Natural Choice
    
23. Paws
    
24. Pet Pride
    
25. Presidents Choice
    
26. Price Chopper
    
27. Priority US
    
28. Save-A-Lot Special Blend
    
29. Schnucks
    
30. Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
    
31. Sophistacat
    
32. Special Kitty Canada
    
33. Special Kitty US
    
34. Springfield Prize
    
35. Sprout
    
36. Stop & Shop Companion
    
37. Tops Companion
    
38. Wegmans
    
39. Weis Total Pet
    
40. Western Family US
    
41. White Rose
    
42. Winn Dixie

BRAND NAMES OF CONTAMINATED DOG FOOD:

 

 

 

1. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets Authority Award Best Choice Big Bet Big Red Bloom Cadillac Companion Demoulas Market Basket Eukanuba Food Lion Giant Companion Great Choice Hannaford Hill Country Fare Hy-Vee Iams Laura Lynn Loving Meals Meijers Main Choice Mighty Dog Pouch Mixables Nutriplan Nutro Max Nutro Natural Choice Nutro Ultra Nutro Ol’Roy Canada Ol’Roy US Paws Pet Essentials Pet Pride – Good n Meaty Presidents Choice Price Chopper Priority Canada Priority US Publix Roche Brothers Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels Schnucks Shep Dog Springsfield Prize Sprout Stater Brothers Stop & Shop Companion Tops Companion Wegmans Bruiser Weis Total Pet Western Family US White Rose Winn Dixie Your Pet

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. March 23, 2007 (EDITED):  Westchester County government is “responsible, compassionate, efficient and productive,”  County Executive Andy Spano said and the county is strong and well-prepared to meet the challenges ahead however complicated they may be.

“We’ve broken ground with decisions that have been heard nationwide,” Spano said in his 10^th annual State of the County Address, delivered to the Board of Legislators in White Plains Thursday evening. Praising the partnership with the legislature, as well as those forged with other local, state and federal officials,  Spano said, “Working together, I’m confident that we will stay on that track as we continue to chart a path others will want to follow.”

In his address, Spano said he would call a municipal Officers Association meeting to deal with the housing of the homeless — apparently in response to White Plains Mayor Delfino’s long campaign to get all the cities together to deal with the issue.

Some other initiatives stressed  concern affordable housing, global warming, health care  and public safety.   

Spano said, “While we continue to keep our own house in order, we do face challenges that are not of our own making—but that we have a huge stake in resolving.”  These include the future of the Tappan Zee Bridge, Indian Point relicensing, Con Edison power outages and housing the homeless street living in the street.

Spano used the occasion of his speech  – as he has done in previous years – to acknowledge the loss of  Westchester residents killed in the war. He offered condolences to the family of Army Staff Sergeant Kyu H. Chay from Chappaqua, who last October was killed in Afghanistan. 
           

He also criticized the military for withholding the names of veterans returning to Westchester from overseas, making it difficult for the county to provide these veterans with appropriate services. “Our returning Westchester veterans, who have put their lives on the line and made personal sacrifices for all of us, should get immediate assistance in whatever they need. Our Office of Veterans Affairs stands ready to help them in any way we can: for employment,   military benefits, housing opportunities, or simply recognizing them and welcoming them home. Unfortunately, we cannot reach out to these brave men and women, because the military is not giving us their names.”

In his multi-media address, the county executive applauded the special efforts of various residents who have made a difference in their communities. These included Ayana Davis of Peekskill, who created and started the STAJ dance troupe, which gives at-risk girls self-esteem and discipline;  and Eric Appel who, as part of his Bar Mitzvah project, volunteered to serve as a buddy to kids in the county’s Miracle League, a baseball league for young people with disabilities.

In a major initiative, Spano announced the creation of the first-ever Housing Land Trust in New York State, whose main purpose will be to ensure that housing units that are designated “affordable” based on government help with financing remain affordable permanently.

Affordable housing remains a serious problem in Westchester, and Spano expressed concern it could get worse as 4,000 so-called Mitchell-Lama units that had been designated “affordable” for 40 years (with rental or resale restrictions) are now reverting to “market rate.” Other units built within the last 15 years are also affected.  While the county is working with landlords to try to prevent this from happening, the decision is now up to landlords. By giving county land to the non-profit housing trust, future units can be made affordable permanently.

As part of his ongoing global warming initiative, Spano called on all households to switch to energy- efficient  light bulbs and said that as an incentive to change, the county will give away a free compact fluorescent light bulb to every family who attends the county’s Kids Fair on April 21 or Earth Day celebration at Tibbetts Brook Park on April 22.  “If all of our households replaced just 4 bulbs, we would reduce greenhouse emissions in Westchester by one million tons or 28 percent,” Spano said. “These bulbs last longer, use less energy and in the long run, will save money.” 

He reiterated his vow to “not allow any homeless person to freeze on Westchester streets,” announcing he has set up a meeting with the executive board of the Municipal Officials  Association to discuss the issue. “I m sure  no one  wants to see homeless  men and women wandering through our neighborhoods or sleeping in cardboard boxes in front of restaurants, theaters, or parking structures. Let’s get some ideas on the table so we can give the street people a bed at night and at the same time give our residents and merchants a feeling of safety,” he said.

Public Safety Initiatives

Responding to construction accidents and building collapses,  the county is creating, training and equipping a countywide Volunteer Technical Rescue Team to respond to such incidents.    

For quicker police dispatch, the Department of Public Safety is implementing a new GPS system to automatically locate the police vehicles nearest to the scene of an incident. The police department has also just completed an in-depth analysis of vehicle accidents on parkways the county patrols, and this information will be used to target enforcement at the most accident-prone locations.

Spano also highlighted new and expanded programs to protect children from abuse and to deter underage drinking. He said he is joining with District Attorney Janet DiFiore to create new programs to crack down on merchants that sell alcohol to minors and others who make fake IDs.

Health Initiatives

Continuing his aggressive program to fight childhood obesity, Spano urged school districts to participate with the county Health Department’s Body Mass Index (BMI) survey of students in a effort to determine the extent of childhood obesity in Westchester and target programs accordingly. To set an example, the county will serve only healthy snacks at county-sponsored events for children; has eliminated or greatly reduced soft drinks with sugar in vending machines at county parks; and continues to work with the Westchester Rockland Restaurant Association to encourage food establishments to cook in oils without trans fats.

As part of its ongoing effort to deal with the disparity of health care in the minority communities, the county has awarded contracts to six non-profit agencies which have begun pilot programs in their communities to improve minority health care and patient navigation. In addition, the county has begun a mentoring initiative to attract more Hispanics and African-Americans to health-related careers.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. March 23, 2007:  Robert P. Weisz, the developer who bought buildings and upgraded them  in White Plains “before it was cool,” as he said last night, with his purchase of 34 South Broadway, his revitalization of 75 South Broadway, 99 Church Street (now home to Berkeley College) and 120 Bloomingdale Road (the former Nestle building), hopes to trail blaze again by building a 4 story, 150-room luxury extended stay hotel with a restaurant on his 1133 Westchester Avenue site (located to the East North East of White Plains High School off the Havilands Manor neighborhood.

Weisz said he was also seeking, (as part of the Special Permit allowing the hotel), a day care center and fitness center in the 1133 Westchester Avenue complex. 

 He said that Ledgeworth hotels, owners of what he described as the highly successful Southfield Hotel on the north side of the Cross Westchester Expressway in Harrison was very much interested in running the property, but he had not selected a hotel operator as yet. Weisz told The CitizeNetReporter on departure that he expected it would take 18 months to construct the hotel.

Entry to the hotel would only be via Westchester Avenue, according to the Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel who showed that 1133 Westchester Avenue was the only area that had the amount of available square footage to fit in a hotel of that size.  Hotel is at bottom of picture, with entrance coming in from Westchester Avenue, lower right of picture. 1133 Westchester complex is at top.

She noted two other office parks along Westchester Avenue. In addition to 1133 Westchester being eligible for extended stay hotels, the properties of 95 to 1025 Westchester Avenue, 1111 to 1129 were eligible, Habel said, but those properties did not have buildable land for a hotel. Those office parks would have to remove buildings to put together space for the hotel, she said.  Habel said that the zoning legislation creating the Special Permit for Mr. Weise’s hotel would be on the April 4 agenda. Previously hotels have only been allowed in the central business district of White Plains. The new Special Permit would allow Weisz to create White Plains first extended stay hotel.  

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 22, 2007: At the Board of Education hearing on the budget Monday evening, the district was taken to task by several members of the audience for spending more money per student than the New Rochelle school district, which serves 4,000 more students.  The cost to educate one student in White Plains is approximately $25,000 a year compared to $17,000 a year to educate one student in New Rochelle. This prompted a look into the cost of transportation between the two districts by WPCNR

The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors pointed out that New Rochelle had a larger class size ratio, and White Plains offered more programs, and programs for the disabled, and White Plains paid more benefits that New Rochelle does.  Board of Education member Donna McLaughlin stated that New Rochelle used county buses to transport their students,  which White Plains does not do, as a reason why White Plains cost per student overall was higher than New Rochelle. This is not really the case.

In White Plains buses from White Plains Bus Company transport students to the five White Plains elementary schools and two Middle Schools, and private schools. Once a student advances to the high school, they are responsible for their own transportation, either by rides from parents, cabs, or by paying to ride the school bus to the high school each day.

Who Rides the Bee Line in New Ro? And They Are Reimbursed.

In New Rochelle, middle school students ride the Bee Line buses because the Middle Schools and New Rochelle High School are on a Main North South route through New Rochelle, Ms. Skau told The CitizeNetReporter. Skau said that New Ro’s Grade 6 bus riders are 100% subsidized by her school district, and the Grades 7 to 12 students are all subsidized at a lower reimbursement for the costs of riding the Bee Line buses to and from Middle School and  the high school.

Transportation to White Plains  High School is not subsidized in any way by the school district for the 2,000 students that attend there.

WP Pays $10.44 Cents a Bused Student Every School Day. $11.44 Next Year.

You could take a cab.

According to the most recent edition of Facts & Figures, published by the Westchester Putnam School Boards Association, based in Larchmont, White Plains reports it is busing 4,162 students in 2006-2007, (3,821 to public, 341 to non-public schools).

The Transportation Budget for 2006-2007 is $7,914,692. Based on 182 days of school, this has Mr. and Mrs. White Plains paying $1,901 per bused student – which computes to  $10.44 a day – slightly less than a round trip cab ride across White Plains to White Plains High School. (Splendid Taxi charges $5.80 to take you from Merritt Avenue on the White Plains West Side to White Plains High School.) 

In New Rochelle, Facts & Figures reports, New Ro is busing 6,203 students of its 11,000 population (5,500 to public schools, 703 to non-public schools). Their  Preliminary Transportation Budget for 2007-2008 is $11,673,527, New Ro’s Ms. Skau reports. Doing the basic math, WPCNR sees New Ro paying $1,882 per student for busing their 6,203 students next year which works out to $10.34 per student bused a day.

In the White Plains Preliminary Budget for 2007-2008 their Transportation Cost is budgeted to rise  $755,308 to $8.67 Million. That computes to Mr. and Mrs. White Plains paying $2,083 per bused student next year or  $11.44 a day per student a $1.10 more than New Rochelle. 

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WPCNR PAPARAZZI. By John F. Bailey. March 21, 2007: Alex Philippidis, White Plains original roving reporter and Westchester’s world class business reporter (there is no one close), former signature anchorman of White Plains Week, the City News Roundup Show, radio host on WVOX and previously a reporter for Gannett newspapers, is leaving his position as Editor-In-Chief of the Westchester County Business Journal to become the founding and launching editor of a new weekly newsletter dedicated to reporting on economic developments in the biotech industry.

Alex Philippidis, Editor-In-Chief for the last 13 years of the Westchester County Business Journal. Mr. Philippidis is seen in 2004 on an edition of the White Plains Week news show, which he helped found and originate in 2001. Mr. Business is leaving to edit a new biotech newsletter on economic trends in the biotech industries. Photo by WPPA-TV

Mr. Philippidis will begin his new position in New York with GenomeWeb, LLC Monday. GenomeWeb publishes BioArray, BioArrayNews, BioCommerceWeek, BiotechTransferWeek, BioInform, Cell-Based AssayNews, InSequence, PGxReporter, ProteoMonitor and RNAiNews, and makes these reports available on their website. 

Mr. Philippidis’s new publication is national in its coverage and his assignment will be to develop the style, name and editorial thrust of the publication. Alex brings a photographic memory for names places and businesses and deals to his new post and a prolific writing ability (10 to 15 stories a week) and intense detail-rich style which makes his reporting on business deals read like Ian Fleming novels.

His scoops on new developments in the making  in his weekly Business Journal  beat local dailies, and national publications,  consistently by months because of his keen appreciation for trends, business contacts, and ability to sort through records, court notices and their implications. Everybody who is anybody in Westchester County knows Alex Philippidis.

Philippidis leaves the Westchester County Business Journal after 13 years as editor. Prior to that he worked 5 years at Gannett Newspapers for the Reporter Dispatch.

Mr. Philippidis will be a guest of John Bailey, Jim Benerofe and Peter Katz Friday evening on White Plains Week at 7:30 PM on WPPA-TV, The Spirit of 76, Channel 76 on White Plains cable.