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 SCHOOL DAYS. From Melissa Lopez of The Mayor’s Office. March 22, 2006:  The City of White Plains and the White Plains School District will host a welcome breakfast for exchange students from  White Plains “sister city” of Mevasseret Zion, Israel,  Monday at 7:40 A.M. at White Plains High School in the College Career Center .

The goal of the “sister city” relationship between the City of White Plains and Mevasseret Zion is to create dialogue covering issues of economic development, strategic planning, and cultural exchange. The students from Mevasseret Zion will attend White Plains High School for two weeks, and will participate in events with various City of White Plains departments.

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WPCNR Common Council Chronicle-Examiner. By John F. Bailey. March 21, 2006: After Traffic Commissioner Tom Soyk delivered his findings after a year of video tape observation of valet parking at the City Center, finding that Valet Parking at that location did not cause any significant problems, Councilman Tom Roach called for the city to create Valet Parking Licensing in order that Mr. Soyk’s Department of Traffic could approve, monitor and set standards for all valet parking operations in the city. Mr. Roach did not indicate whether licensing fees would be part of the legislation.

Soyk said that presently the valet parking operations at Trotter’s and other locations where it is in effect in the city are not regulated in the city in any way, and that those operations are causing the problems, particularly Trotter’s. He did not elaborate on the problems Trotter’s was creating by their valet operation.

Soyk reported the primary problems at the City Center location are caused by motorists double-parking, leaving vehicles unattended in a traffic lane, and making right turns onto Main Street from the lefthand lane of Mamaroneck Avenue. He said those problems were as a result of the City Center movie attraction with persons dropping off movie goers and blocking traffic.

The licensing legislation called for by Mr. Roach, came over exasperated protest by Mayor Joseph Delfino, who claimed he drives the city every night and he has seen no particular problems with valet parking.

The council by consensus agreed Mr. Soyk should draft possible licensing registration that would be considered.

Councilman Glen Hockley, responding to the traffic dropoff problem suggested Mr. Soyk should consider installation bicycle racks to encourage non-motor vehicle transporation. Arnold Berstein, the Councilman, pointed out that the valet parking might aggravate the traffic when Wal-Mart opens in April. Rita Malmud, the Councilwoman, grumbled that the traffic about the Mamaroneck Avenue entrance at the City Center was dangerous citing persons hit by cars on that block. Mr. Soyk pointed out that the person struck he knew about was jaywalking. Nevertheless Malmud pointed out that the double-parking and backups were a problem at times. Soyk said the backups are sporadic and not consistent through the 6-hour period when the valet parking is set up outside the City Center.  Mr. Hockley and Mr. Boykin said many persons had said they liked the valet parking convenience.

Roach suggested licensing would require restaurants or establishments to outline a proposal to the city, which would then approve the operation.

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WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 21, 2006: WPCNR has learned from a resident of Samaritan House, and an official of that facility that Samaritan House has informed the residents of that shelter last Saturday morning they will have to move out of that shelter about the end of April for renovations of the facility, expected, according to our source to take 1 to 3 months.

Samaritan House on Church Street, White Plains. The facility Planst to Move its Homeless Women: Interim Housing Sought.  The Samaritan House Homeless Shelter for Women is located in the rear of Grace Church. Can you help? Photo by WPCNR News.

Presently, the Executive Director of Grace Church Community Center the organization that manages Samaritan House, Paul Anderson-Winchell,  is reported  by a homeless advocate as negotiating with a local church and a college as possible venues to house the approximately 14 homeless residents. Mr. Anderson-Winchell has not returned a WPCNR NewsCall for comment to clarify the situation.

Should an interim location not be found, residents are fearful they will be dispatched to the coeducational Grasslands homeless facility, which one resident WPCNR spoke with feels is an unsafe atmosphere for women.

 A resident there reported to WPCNR that Samaritan House, knowing renovations by Cappelli Enterprises were coming,  had thirteen months to find an alternative place to house the residents, other than the Grasslands shelter, but no interim residence has been found.

Cappelli Enterprises is expected to execute the renovations when Grace Community Services signs off on the work needed, which our resident living there, speculates may involve removal of asbestos, since the resident has seen asbestos testing done. “It’s been crawling with engineers,” they report.

Anonymous Donor Saved Day, December, 2004

Samaritan House was the focus of a major flap with the Department of Social Services over funding fourteen months ago when the organization threatened to close the homeless shelter for women, turning them out to the street, if they did not get an increase in rent from the county which questioned their justication for the request. 

The County Department of Social Services was very skeptical of the Samaritan House numbers and demanded accounting for the increase. After meetings with Larry Schwartz, the Deputy County Executive and Bill Ryan, the County Legislator and the DSS, Samaritan House agreed to keep the facility open, but accept $200,000 to $300,000 less in money from the DSS.

However, the $200-$300,000 shortfall was made up by an “anonymous donor,” widely assumed to be the Grace Church neighbor, Super Developer Louis Cappelli. 

Mr. Cappelli also agreed to contribute in “in-kind” services worth $1,000,000 to renovate the Samaritan House facility. Samaritan House and Cappelli Enterprises have been discussing the extent and requirements of those renovations for about fourteen months.

To read the original WPCNR report go to http://www.whiteplainscnr.com/article3163.html

An official of Samaritan House speaking on a WPCNR NewsCall confirmed the planned move out but they did not know what arrangements or timetable was being followed, they said “everything is up in the air right now.”

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. March 20, 2006: A WPCNR observer of “Masquerade,” the kickoff Gala for the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Tuesday evening, reports a crowd of 175 persons attended the $150/a ticket minimum fundraiser for the Arts Center as it raises capital for its coming 2006-2007 season.

As of 7 PM about 70 persons had crowded the fourth floor balcony outside the theatre entrance for the hors d’oeuvres and wine portion of the evening, and attendees were continuing to come in, as glasses clinked, scrumptious canapes were served from silver trays, and White Plains patrons of the arts mingled, schmoozed, munched and sipped awaiting The Three Phantoms. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

A member of  the audience reports Tony Stimac, Artistic Director of the WPPAC acted as Master of Ceremonies, introducing the four honorees, Councilman Robert Greer ( the Arterial Lateral Sclerosis victim attended seated in his wheelchair in the audience); Robert Feder of Cuddy & Feder, Mr. Harumitsu Inouye of The Shinnyo-En Foundation, Dan Tearno of Heineken USA, and Bishop Iaso Ito, of the White Plains Bridge of Friendship Foundation, Inc. (who was unable to attend, being in Japan).

The Foundation, our observer said, was honored for its generous contributions to the White Plains schools.  Dan Tearno of Heineken gave a history of what has happened at the WPPAC for its two years and four months of existence and said how it important it was for all to continue to support the theatre. 

Mayor Delfino gave a short talk about Mr. Greer’s contributions to the city. Mrs. Helen Greer, speaking for her husband, spoke extensively about her husband’s disease and the need to support stem cell research. A short video of highlights from the WPPAC’s 28 months was shown.

No Announcements of Theatre Future

Our correspondent reports there were no announcements made by any speakers about WPPAC programming plans for the 2006-2007, and no statements made about the future management plans of the theatre. When spotted arriving for the evening by WPCNR, Jeffrey Rosenstock, former Executive Director of the WPPAC who told WPCNR he is now back working for the theatre. Rosenstock shared with WPCNR that Mr. Stimac, his colleague, was programming next year’s WPPAC schedule at the present time. Asked if this meant Mr. Stimac had signed a new contract to guide the theatre into the future, Rosenstock said he did not know.  

The Three Phantoms, (Cris Groenendaal, Ted Keegan, and Craig Schulman, all have performed the famous role in Phantom of the Opera)  then took the stage, accompanied on piano by the spouse of one of the “Phantoms.” Our correspondent reports “the show was great.”

Among many luminaries observed arriving were Mayor Joseph Delfino, Councilman Glen Hockley, John Corretti of Pretty Petals Plus whose firm donated the flowers, Bill Null, WPPAC Board of Directors Head Chauncey Walker, the noted local actor Jeffrey Schlotman, Nick Wolfe, Jon Shandler of White Plains Hospital Center, Janet Langsum of the Westchester Arts Council,  later, Bruce Berg of Cappelli Enterprises arrived (though Louis Cappelli was not observed in attendance).

Helen Hayes Directors Attend Second WPPAC Event in Week.

An entourage of Directors from the presently defunct Helen Hayes Theatre Company of Nyack, former “partner” of the White Plains Performing Arts Center,  attended their second WPPAC event in a week. They were lead in by the Chairman of the Helen Hayes Theatre Company Board, Joseph Lagana. Mr. Lagana also attended the production of Julius Caesar with two other HHTCO Board members at the WPPAC March 11.

Food for the evening was donated by Coughlin’s American Bistro, Mulino’s of Westchester and Zanaro’s Resutaurant. Tony Russo and wife Andrea Kish, of Aries Wine & Spirts West Post Road provided the wine. Vino 100 was also credited with wine contribution.

Our observer surveying the house said it was “a small crowd, nowhere near a full house. Half empty.” However, that is not a measure of how much tonight’s event might have raised.

Fundraising galas are having a hard time lately. The White Plains Juneteenth Gala concert at Purchase scheduled for last Friday evening was cancelled due to low ticket sales.

Invitation to Mingle. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. March 20, 2006, UPDATED 2:11 P.M. E.S.T.: Inspector Daniel Jackson of the White Plains Department of Public Safety reported to WPCNR today that the White Plains Police were not involved in any way in the questioning of a local photographer, Ben Hider, at the Westchester County Courthouse Friday, as the photographer mistakenly reported. Inspector Jackson released this statement to WPCNR:

Mr. Bailey,
As I explained to the complainant when I spoke to him the day of the incident, the courthouse incident that your anonymous writer complains about in no way involved the City of White Plains Department of Public Safety. I instructed him as to where he could address his concerns. We were not involved in the incident at any time.
Thank You,
Inspector Daniel Jackson 
The City of White Plains
Department of Public Safety