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WPCNR DOWNTOWN DAILY. July 21, 2006: Taste of Downtown White Plains Food Festival and Car Show has been postponed due to rain and scattered thunderstorms predicted for Saturday, July 22. A Taste of Downtown White Plains has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 9th, 2006. For more information, please contact the White Plains Downtown BID at 914-328-5166
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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. July 21, 2006: Alphonso of Con Edison Media Relations reports to WPCNR just a few moments ago that Con Edison has restored power to over 1,000 homes in White Plains since midnight. As of 9 A.M., the spokesperson reports only 1,100 homes remain without power. With Keyspan crews on the job today, White Plains power sufferers should have their electricity restored sooner than expected. Mayor Delfino reported yesterday Con Edison had promised him White Plains would be powered up by Sunday. Thunderstorms, one lurking over the County Seat as of this hour may slow the recovery. WCBS Radio reported 6,700 homes remain without power in Westchester (including the 1,100 in WP and 2,400 in Scarsdale).
Con Edison and crews from Orange Rockland, Mid Hudson Power and now Keyspan have cut White Plains powerless from 3,700 to 1,100 in 19 hours. (3,700 were without power at 2 PM and 1,100 remain as of 9 A.M.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 21, 2006: Triton Construction Corporation presented new numbers based on their review of the projected costs of the School District proposed $66.7 Million Infrastructure and Capital Improvement program Thursday evening to the Capital Projects Committee at the White Plains High School Library because Education House was without power for the second straight day.
Chris Pearson of Triton Construction Corporation, the city’s construction manager on the as-yet-to-be-approved project, presented costs of the projects as approaching $69,366,748, up 3% from the previous $66.7 Million figure.
Pearson attributed the rising costs to a 3% increase in the cost of construction of the new Post Road School from $36 million to $39,359,008. He also warned that costs would escalate due to construction inflation at 2% a quarter. At that rat, considering construction could not start before July 2007, WPCNR estimates the bond amount may eventually have to be floated for $75 Million in either October or December. It is unlikely the Board of Education would put the bond referendum up for vote in November when there would be a high turnout of electorate. Russ Davidson of Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, who said he had not seen Mr. Pearson’s figures before the evening, said he was pleased Triton’s figures on the project were only 3% higher than what KG & D had estimated.
The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors stated that the school was expected a gift towards the Loucks Field construction from the Super Developer, Louis Cappelli, but that the amount and form of Mr. Cappelli’s generosity has yet to be announced by the city or Mr. Cappelli. Last week, WPCNR was told by Mr. Cappelli’s spokesperson, Geoffrey Thompson the terms and nature of the gift were being negotiated. (The cost of the renovation of Loucks Field at White Plains High School was estimated by Mr. Pearson last night as being $5,777,742.)
Mike Graessle, Chair of the committee set August 2, Wednesday, for the committee to reconvene and discuss its recommendations to the Board of Education.
The Committee dismissed accountant Richard Hecht’s recommendations to bond the infrastructure improvements separately, based on Assistant Superintendent of Business Terence Schruers bond projections showing no significant savings in tax payments if the district did that. Schruers noted that the cost of the bond in a tax increase would be an additonal $66 to $70 a year in taxes for the average assessed home in White Plains ($15,000) . For a home worth $700,000 in White Plains assessed at $18,000, that cost would be an additional $85 a year in additional to any increases in the school budget any given year.
Peter Bassano speaking to WPCNR after the meeting said that Kaeyer Garment & Davidson’s contract with the district for supervising the project was still being negotiated and the percentage the architectural firm would receive based on the costs of the infrastructure was being vigorously negotiated. KG & D according to the initial contract considered was to receive 8% of infrastructure costs under $5 Million, and 7% of new construction costs over $5 Million. Their contract was cost based.
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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. July 20, 2006. 11:45 P.M. E.D.T.: WPCNR has just received the lastest figures from Con Edison on the slow turn back on of power to White Plains afflicted, powerless Southend of town. As of 11:45 P.M, Elizabeth Clark of Con Edison Media Relations reports there were 2,500 White Plains customers still without power at this hour. Since 2 P.M. this afternoon when Con Ed was reporting 3,700 homes, 1,200 customers have been restored.
Clark said now that the damage assessment has been completed, Con Ed can begin restoring power. “We had to make the areas safe before we could begin restoring power,” she told WPCNR moments ago.
Peter Katz, President of the Saxon Woods Neighborhood Association, told WPCNR tonight he spoke with a Con Edison crew supervisor handling repairs on Saxon Woods Road. Katz reports that the supervisor told him Con Edison expected to beat Sunday’s announced target for complete restoration of White Plains power. Katz said the supervisor told him 23 Keyspan utility crews would be joining Con Ed and Orange Rockland crews in a big push Friday. Katz also reported that power has been restored to Saxon Woods at this time, saying the supervisor he talked with said work had to be executed in Scarsdale first before Saxon Woods could be powered up because the line into Saxon Woods comes from Scarsdale.
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WPCNR Common Council Chronicle-Examiner. Special to The CitizeNetReporter. July 20, 2006: At a Special Meeting of the Common Council this evening, the Council approved a site plan amendment allowing Louis Cappelli to add 56,000 square feet to his Ritz-Carlton 221 Main project, including 15 feet to the hotel podium portion, and in the process approved adding a restaurant, pool and health club to the mechanical level of the first tower now rising on Main Street, according to Suburbanstreet.com’s Jim Benerofe who attended the meeting and briefed WPCNR on what transpired.
He said the Council also nominated Dennis Power to serve in the Common Council seat that has been left vacant by the death of Councilman Robert Greer June 27.
Mr. Power, never returned WPCNR’s call Tuesday to answer the question of whether he would recuse himself from council votes involving issues before the Common Council that Westchester County has a stake in, and how he would not have a conflict of interest between county development ideas for White Plains and the city’s best interest.
(Mr. Power works for the Office of Economic Development, reporting to Sal Carrera, and serves at the pleasure of Andy Spano, the County Executive. )
Power’s appointment became certain Tuesday when Alexis Greer, Mr. Greer’s daughter, withdrew her name from consideration for the interim seat.
Power is now a member of the Common Council through December 31, and should attend his first monthly meeting August 7.
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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. July 20, 2006, 5:30 P.M.: Chris Olert, spokesperson for Con Edison said he could not break out the number of actual Con Ed and affiliated repair crews actually working in White Plains today and this evening. Olert said Con Edison would have 156 crews working in Westchester County overnight this evening. He said this was a force of 250 people, representing Con Edison, Orange and Rockland Power (a Con Ed affiliate), and Central Hudson.
White Plains DPW crews were attacking the Haviland Manor neighborhood, picking up debris as of late afternoon.
The Mayor’s Office earlier this afternoon said Con Edison was distributing ice at the Bloomingdale’s parking lot and that Soundview Avenue was open its entire length.
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WPCNR BUMPER TO BUMPER. July 20, 2006: Note to Motorists: Harrison Police continue to ignore the non-functioning traffic signals at the Bryant Avenue crossing over I-287. Motorists are forced in crossing over I-287 North and South bound to “see and avoid” motorists coming eastbound on the eastbound Westchester Avenue service road, and additionally to “see and avoid” Westbound traffic (often traveling at 40 miles per hour) as they turn to take I-684 northbound or proceed on Westchester Avenue west bound. WPCNR reported this dangerous situation three hours ago to Harrison Police, who have chosen not to station an officer there. The White Plains Department of Public Safety, to their credit, manned most intersections in White Plains where traffic lights were not working on Wednesday.
Harrison Police manned the Westchester Avenue site Wednesday morning when the eastbound Westchester Avenue route was closed due to a fallen tree. Since that was cleared yesterday, Harrison Police have ignored the non-working traffic light hazard. Motorists exiting White Plains via Bryant Avenue, crossing I-287 should use extreme caution in turning onto Westchester Avenue westbound when diverting to I-684 from Westchester Avenue eastbound, and from Bryant Avenue.
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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. July 20, 2006, 2 P.M.E.D.T. UPDATED 2:56 P.M. E.D.T.: A spokesperson for Con Edison reports to WPCNR moments ago that since this morning, 100 more White Plains consumers have been restored, leaving 3,700 consumers without power. The spokesperson said Con Edison will repair cables in areas and that residents did not have to be home to have to have their service restored. “We will repair cables along the streets,” the spokesman said.
A convoy of Orange and Rockland power company trucks were sited making their way into White Plains within the last hour to apparently aid in the White Plains recovery and utility polls had been delivered to the dark Saxon Woods neighborhood.
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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. By John F. Bailey. July 20, 2006: The Mystery Storm that hit White Plains Tuesday evening, as well as Scarsdale, Harrison, Eastchester, New Rochelle, and other central Westchester communities was not an isolated event in Westchester County as previously reported, having begun virtually simultaneously in Montclair New Jersey and White Plains, and a short time later hitting eastern Long Island with the same intense winds and tree-trashing effects.
WPCNR has also learned that the “Mystery Storm” was not confined to the central Westchester corridor as previously reported by Westchester County officials, citing the National Weather Service in a county news release yesterday.
The City of Montclair, New Jersey experienced an almost identical weather event virtually simultaneously Tuesday evening, meaning that the “Mystery Storm,” with the devastating destructive powers hit across about a 60 mile wide area…and appears not to be confined to the narrow 3 mile diameter of White Plains as previously reported by Westchester County’s Department of Communications. WCBS Radio 880 in a report just prior to noon broadcast that the City of Montclair, New Jersey has suffered virtually the same weather disaster as White Plains, Scarsdale and Harrison — with scores of trees down and thousands without power.
WPCNR has learned the storm effects in Montclair eerily match the devastation in White Plains.
An eyewitness to the weather horror in Montclair, Marilyn Shapiro of Glen Ridge Parkway, New Jersey speaking to WPCNR noted that the tops of trees were sheared off just as trees in White Plains. She reports over sixty trees downed in a Montclair park and devastating road closures and tree downings. She also reports receiving no advance warning of the storm on media. She reports the storm in Montclair began its lightning show at 10 P.M. Tuesday evening….about the time she was arriving home from being out to dinner, when WPCNR noted tymphany rolls of thunder in the distance advancing on White Plains.
The New York Times reported today that Long Island also experienced similar effects.
The mystery deepens as to what this Mystery Storm really was.
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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. From the Mayor’s Office. July 20, 2006, 1:20 P.M. E.D.T.: Mayor Joseph Delfino announced to today from City Hall that it will be Sunday before all power in the city is restored according to Con Edison.
Mayor Joseph Delfino Addressing the Department of Public Safety, April, 2006. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.
The Mayor has been telephoning Presidents of city neighborhood associations in White Plains, urging them to report to city hall special conditions. He has told association presidents the city is “pressuring” Con Ed to work harder to restore the city, stopping short of saying the Con Ed effort in White Plains has been inadequate. The Mayor issued this official statement from the Mayor’s office:
“The storm that hit on Tuesday 7/18 has done tremendous damage within
White Plains, particularly in the Southern end of the city. For the past
two days we have had not only Public Works crews, but we have also
brought in outside contractors to assist in the clean up efforts. We are
working very closely with Con Ed to clear the affected areas, which will
allow them to begin the process of restoring power. Unfortunately, this
storm has done tremendous damage to the utility infrastructure. Despite
the damage, Con Ed has assured us that they are confident that all power
will be restored no later than Sunday July 23rd. As always, we will do
our best to keep you informed. In case of emergency, please contact our
Public Safety Department at 422-6000. For non-emergency related
inquiries please call 422-6111. Also, feel free to contact my office
directly at 422-1411.”
Attached are some contact phone numbers you may use to take further
action to get your power reinstated, or to register formal complaints
about service:
1. Con Edison reminds customers who may find a downed power line to
treat it as if it is live; stay away from it and call the company at 1
800-75 CONED. That number also may be used to report power outages.
2. Con Edison Corporate office: 4 Irving Place, NY, NY 10003,
212-460-2386 (chairman – Kevin Burke)
3. Public Service Commission complaint department 1-800-342-3377 (write
a letter to make a formal complaint) see website at www.dps.state.ny.us
4. Westchester County Consumer Protection: 914-995-2155 – Elaine
Price