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 In The Clubhouse. By Bob and Jenny Petrucci, “Mr. and Mrs. Golf.” September 5, 2004:  It is time to clarify a word used by the county and certain legislators. More and more, we hear that county golf courses will be “privatized”, starting with Maple Moor in January 2005, just as they did with Hudson Hills this year.

I am reminded by an economist associate-friend that they are NOT being “privatized”, per say.

Are the courses being sold? NO. The county/parks dept still has final say on all things golf. The courses are being given, on concession, to a group to “run” them.

In other words, county courses are being “concessionized”.

Why is that important? Because that is the WORST possible scenario for all county golfers, resident voters, county employees, etc.

Fees (yet again) will go up, just as they already have at Hudson Hills whose weekend fees alone started at THREE times the fees of the other courses. There have already been more than 90 different fee increases on county courses in recent years. 

 County employees will be laid off, just as non-county employees are being used at Hudson Hills. This is a despicable form of union-busting.

The county said that Hudson Hills is to be “self-sufficient” or whatever term they use, meaning that it is not to lose money or require a tax levy increase. Well, that is an already in question since it is reported that they achieved only 25,000 rounds of golf (on a $15-17 million elite, financially-exclusionary MUNICIPAL golf course that is in violation of state law because it was done at that cost without voter approval-referendum).

What’s more, Hudson Hills was built primarily for non-residents (says so in Parks Board Minutes). And then when they didn’t show because they thought it a poor product value at $100 on weekend days, the county raised everyone’s fees there by $5. How convoluted.

Acting County Executive Schwartz, who is well-known to be calling the county golf shots (all worm-burners we say), has done absolutely none of those things which are proven successful, professional, marketing practices. He has lost money each and every year of his golf regime. He should be fired now.

It seems more and more apparent that he is out to union-bust the county employees’ union and to restrict access to county municipal courses (discriminate) to the “better, and well to do”.

And none of that is not what “municipal” was intended to be. So again, we urge a full investigation on county golf, including the Board of Legislators’ Parks Subcommittee.

Bob and Jenny Petrucci
County Residents Protection Alliance
Resident Golfers Protection Group  

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WPCNR North Ender. From White Plains Rural Cemetary. October 8, 2004: The historical White Plains Rural Cemetery, located at 167 North Broadway, announces the dedication of the new Columbarium on Saturday, October 9th, at 11:00 am.


The Columbarium, situated in a garden setting within our well-maintained, park-like cemetery, is the first of more units to be placed in various locations in the cemetery.

The Cemetery Board of Trustees, in response to more and more requests for the interment of “cremains,” have chosen to offer cremorial niches in a pastoral setting.

White Plains Rural Cemetery’s historic house, built in 1797 and rehabilitated in 2000, is included on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is the focal point of the cemetery, located at one of the Gateways of our City, where so much of our history is carved in stone.

We invite all to visit the dedication ceremony and partake of the refreshments.

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WPCNR Main Street Journal. By John F. Bailey. October 8, 2004: A professional archeologist working for the Westchester County Department of Recreation and Parks,  has identified and verified that two rock fragments retrieved by a White Plains amateur archeologist, activist, and barrister Dan Seidel as being genuine crafted artifacts from hundreds of years ago when Native Americans “developed”  White Plains.

Dan Seidel, Preserver of the Past: Dan holds up a suspected arrowhead in his right hand and the beginnings of a straight edge knife. Dan found them in the grooves of a Cappelli auger drill that was executing test borings on the Renaissance Square hotel site last Friday. He brought them to the Common Council meeting last Friday where this photograph was taken. Seidel has contended that an archaeological survey should be undertaken before the site is distrubed since the site has never been built on with the exception of the parking lot. Photo by WPCNR News

For months, at hearing after hearing, Mr. Seidel has urged the Common Council and Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer to do an artifact sift-through on the site of Mr. Cappelli’s Renaissance Square project before beginning construction to retrieve possible fragments of White Plains past.

Last week, when Mr. Seidel noted Cappelli crews drilling for bedrock on the parking lot that exists there now, he checked the auger of the drill being used on Saturday, having been asked to leave the site last Friday, and found two pieces of rock that looked in his eye to be an arrowhead and a knife edge. (Mr. Seidel is an artifact-hunter as a hobby.)

Mr. Seidel holds what he believed to be a “worked” hand-held knife device on the left, and an arrowhead on the right. Thursday an expert confirmed he was correct. Photo by WPCNR News

Today, Mr. Seidel showed the rocks to Susann Dublin, County Archaeologist at the Croton Point Park Nature Center and she confirmed his analysis.

Mr. Seidel filed this report with CNR:

“Well, they are the real deal!! I was at the Croton Point Park Nature Ctr. Materials Lab this afternoon, met with Susann Dublin, County Archaeologist. She confirmed there’s no doubt, these pieces have been “worked” and they are real.

She can not date them, being out of site and all, but she stated there should be nothing done at that site until the “1B” is done and the shoveling testing done.”

Boring for bedrock was a violation.

“The boring for bedrock was a violation of law and this action should not have been taken at this time. The fact that the action of boring should not have been taken has been confirmed by other people as well (unofficially – the guy doing the work!!).”

Arrowhead? The smooth, “choclately” looking artifact is heated treated chert, a mudlike like stone which gains greater strength and flexibility after being heat treated, Seidel wrote. Photo by WPCNR News

Hand-Knife Edge? The other, Seidel writes is a stone artifact, but was indeed worked and made to fit in one’s hand. Photo by WPCNR News 

“She (Susann Dublin)  is calling Cynthia Blackmore (from Parks, Preservation,Historical Dept of New York State) and also will call Susan Hartgen as well. She was a bit “surprised” that Hartgen did not pick up on the site of limited disturbance. She said Hartgen usually is pretty good. “

Mr. Seidel explained more in a post to the CitizeNetReporter this morning: “The chert piece was found in the center drilling hole debris of the outlined area (outlined in orange dashes to indicate the area of limited disturbance) in the parking lot. It is not natural to this area. The stone “hand knife”  is typical of tools used. There was no way to tell how far down these pieces came from but there was one from each of two piles of “pebble/rock” debris.”

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. October 7, 2004: An internal memorandum ciculated at city hall today from Mayor Joseph Delfino to Civil Service Employee Association members announced that Friday’s pay checks will be fattened up with the 4% increase recently negotiated by the Mayor and approved last Monday for the fiscal 2004-05 pay year by the Common Council.

OPENING THE VAULT AT CITY HALL: CSEA checks will soon be in CSEA workers hands. Photo by WPCNR NEWS

The memorandum also set the schedule for  lump sum payments reflecting the raises of fiscal 2002-03 and 03-04 will be paid over the next two months. The lump sum 3.5% increase over their 02-03 salary, will be paid October 15, next week. The additional 3.5% in crease for the 2003-04 fiscal year will be paid November 12, and the lump sum increase (of 4%) for 2004 on November 26.

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WPCNR SCREEN GEMS. From National Amusements. October 7, 2004: Hilary Duff’s new movie, Raise Your Voice premiers nationwide at the City Center Friday, along with Queen Latifah as a wisecracking New York cabbie in Taxi. The high school football movie, Friday Night Lights will also kick off its run at the posh theatres in City Center Friday. The showtimes for the week ahead:
 

TAXI — This non-stop action comedy stars Queen Latifah as New York’s fastest cabbie whose skills and patience are supremely tested as she assists an undercover cop (Jimmy Fallon) tracking down a gang of female bank robbers. PG-13

OPENING NATIONWIDE ON FRIDAY, October 8, 2004

RAISE YOUR VOICE — Hillary Duff stars as a small town girl with a big city voice who leaves home to attend a performing arts academy in L.A. Despite many challenges she eventually makes new friends, refines her talent and finds first love. PG

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS — Billy Bob Thornton stars in this drama about a small town high school football team in Texas which must overcome many obstacles to achieve a winning season. PG-13

BABY PICTURES

At CITY CENTER 15 Cinema de Lux The October 14th feature is “SHARK TALE”, Rated PG.

Thursday, October 07, 2004  
Ladder 49 **(PG-13) –12:45;3:45;7:00;9:55 pm. ;
Shark Tale (PG) –12:00;12:30;1:00;1:20;2:15;2:45;3:15;3:35;4:30;5:00;5:30;7:15;7:45;9:10;9:40 pm. ;
The Last Shot (R) –12:15;2:50;5:20;7:55;10:30 pm. ;
Ladder 49 (PG-13) –1:15;4:15;7:30;10:20 pm. ;
Mr. 3000 (PG-13) –12:10;2:40;5:10;7:40;10:15 pm. ;
Shaun of the Dead (R) –12:10;2:35;5:05;7:35;10:05 pm. ;
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (PG) –1:50;4:25;7:20;9:50 pm. ;
The Motorcycle Diaries (R) –1:25;4:20;7:10;10:00 pm. ;
Taxi (PG-13) –12:00;2:30;5:00;7:25;10:00 pm. ;
Wimbledon (PG-13) –1:30;4:00;6:30;9:00 pm. ;
The Forgotten (PG-13) –12:05;2:20;4:35;6:50;9:20;10:10 pm. ;
Cellular (PG-13) –5:50;8:10;10:25 pm. ;

Friday, October 08, 2004  
Cellular (PG-13) –6:00;8:15;10:25 pm;12:30 am. ;
The Forgotten (PG-13) –12:15;2:35;4:50;7:10;9:25;11:40 pm. ;
Ladder 49 **(PG-13) –12:45;3:35;6:20;9:10 pm;12:00 am. ;
Wimbledon (PG-13) –10:15 pm;12:25 am. ;
Taxi (PG-13) –12:00;2:25;4:55;7:25;9:50 pm;12:10 am. ;
Raise Your Voice (PG) –12:05;2:30;5:05;7:35;10:05 pm;12:30 am. ;
Shark Tale **(PG) –12:00;2:15;4:30;6:45;9:00;11:15 pm. ;
The Motorcycle Diaries (R) –1:00;3:50;6:40;9:50 pm;12:35 am. ;
Shaun of the Dead (R) –12:40;3:05;5:30;7:55;10:20 pm;12:40 am. ;
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (PG) –1:05;3:45;6:35;9:05;11:50 pm. ;
Friday Night Lights (PG-13) –1:20;4:10;7:00;9:55 pm;12:30 am. ;
Mr. 3000 (PG-13) –1:25;4:00 pm. ;
Shark Tale (PG) –12:30;1:10;1:40;2:45;3:25;3:55;5:00;5:40;7:15;8:00;9:30;11:45 pm. ;
Ladder 49 (PG-13) –1:15;4:05;6:50;9:40 pm;12:30 am. ;
Friday Night Lights **(PG-13) –6:30;9:25 pm;12:10 am. ;

Saturday, October 09, 2004  
Friday Night Lights **(PG-13) –6:30;9:25 pm;12:10 am. ;
Ladder 49 **(PG-13) –12:45;3:35;6:20;9:10 pm;12:00 am. ;
Team America: World Police (R) –7:10 pm. ;
Shark Tale **(PG) –12:00;2:15;4:30;6:45;9:00;11:15 pm. ;
Ladder 49 (PG-13) –1:15;4:05;6:50;9:40 pm;12:30 am. ;
Shark Tale (PG) –12:30;1:10;1:40;2:45;3:25;3:55;5:00;5:40;7:15;8:00;9:30;11:45 pm. ;
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (PG) –1:05;3:45;9:05;11:50 pm. ;
Mr. 3000 (PG-13) –1:25;4:00 pm. ;
Shaun of the Dead (R) –12:40;3:05;5:30;7:55;10:20 pm;12:40 am. ;
Friday Night Lights (PG-13) –1:20;4:10;7:00;9:55 pm;12:30 am. ;
Raise Your Voice (PG) –12:05;2:30;5:05;7:35;10:05 pm;12:30 am. ;
The Motorcycle Diaries (R) –1:00;3:50;6:40;9:50 pm;12:35 am. ;
Taxi (PG-13) –12:00;2:25;4:55;7:25;9:50 pm;12:10 am. ;
The Forgotten (PG-13) –12:15;