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 The White Plains Street. By John F. Bailey. September 28, 2003: A sports complex, children’s museum and street level retail development “sneak-previewed” to the Common Council Thursday evening  flabbergasted the merchants presently doing brisk business out of their Martine Avenue and Mamaroneck Avenue locations.

 

WPCNR has learned Minskoff-Grant Realty & Management Corporation, landlord of roughly half the satellite outlets fronting on Martine Avenue and Court Street is offering 10-year leases on their Court Street frontage to their present tenants fronting on Martine Avenue. This makes it unclear whether the Silverman  project will actually replace the entire city block with a one-piece seamless building on the Court, Martine and Mamaroneck Avenue as reported.

FIRST TIME WE KNEW: Irene Seitz, left and Bishop Purvis of the northeast comic collector’s headquarters, M & I Comic Book Heaven, hold up the news story that ruined their day Friday. Ms. Seitz has not had the opportunity to talk with her landlord yet, Minskoff Grant Realty & Management Corporation of Manhattan, about her lease at 25 Court Street, but understands from fellow owners that Minskoff-Grant is offering 10 year leases on locations in their portion of the Court Street side. Purvis said Sunday they are taking a wait and see stance. Photo by WPCNR News.

SON OF CITY CENTER, “Downtown Crossing” is a 4-story sports complex, a twin in design look to the City Center across the street. It would include an indoor sports facility on the top two floors, a  children’s museum and upscale retail on the street level. It was pitched as a family oriented attraction by Silverman Realty Group which owns the locations on the Mamaroneck side of the block (shown here). Leon Silverman presented designs to the Common Council Thursday evening.

Photo by WPCNR NEWS

 

Owners of The Bagel Emporium, Jenkris  Hardware (formerly Graessle Hardware), OK Jewelry, White Plains Leather, M and I Comic Heaven also told the CitizeNetReporter the Journal News article was the first time they had heard of Mr. Silverman’s plan.

 

 

The article contained a photograph of Mayor Joseph Delfino viewing plans of the project with its architect in front of the Mamaroneck Avenue location in a photo inexplicably taken in broad daylight by a Journal News photographer, (a “photo op” on the street to which WPCNR was not made aware of). The photo appeared to have been staged before the Common Council viewed the project Thursday evening in a 6 PM work session. The Work Session was first publicized at 10:45 A.M. Thursday morning by a city hall e-mail.

 

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLOCK: Brooklyn’s Famous Sub Shop is being created at the former “CD Warehouse location. The new tenant, Dan Weisse said he was told by Minskoff-Grant, they would not be part of the new Downtown Crossing.

Photo by WPCNR News

 

New Tenant signed on at Court Street Unaware of “Downtown Crossing”  

 

Dan Weisse, owner of the Brooklyn’s Famous Sub Shop which hopes to locate two doors down from the Bagel Emporium, told WPCNR Saturday he had heard rumors of a project, but had signed a 10-year lease with Minskoff-Grant Realty  & Management Corporation anyway, one store away from The Bagel Emporium (formerly that art deco mini-palace, The White House).  

 

Weisse who runs the original Brooklyn’s Famous Sub Shop (in Brooklyn, USA), said it is his understanding from Minskoff-Grant  that the firm would continue to operate their  properties on Court Street and did not plan to sell them. The establishments now on Court Street include M & I Comic Book Heaven, Chillemi Shoe Repair plus two other vacant sites, (plus the former Woolworth’s space which Silverman Realty Group owns).

1950S Malt Shop Revival, Now being renovated on Court Street

Photo by WPCNR News

 

Weisse said he had been told that the former Woolworth’s entrance opening on Court, midway on the Court Street. would be where parking entry would be for the Silverman project. He expressed puzzlement that major construction would be taking place, in between at least 3  operating establishments, his, the comic book store, and Chillemi Shoe Repair and two other store fronts he thought were being shopped by Minskoff-Grant.

 

Secret Identity

 

Irene Seitz, owner of M & I Comic Book Heaven said, in her conversations with other owners since the “sneak preview” was presented Friday, she understood that Minskoff-Grant was signing Jenkris Hardware and a beauty store to 10 year leases on the Court Street side, and was planning to continue to operate the Court Street block..

 

It could not be determined by WPCNR if the Bagel Emporium was going to remain and how far the Silverman project façade was going to extend along Martine Avenue. Initial presentation of the project as reported in the Journal News, implied the project would take the entire square block except for the Hudson Valley Bank and  Payless Shoe Store.

 

 

MEANWHILE ON THE MARTINE AVENUE SIDE: The owner of Jenkris Hardware (green sign) confirmed they were negotiating a new longterm lease with Minskoff-Grant to move to a Court Street side location. City Center can be seen looming in the background.

Photo by WPCNR News

 

 

Jenkris Hardware (located on Martine Avenue) is one of those Martine Avenue properties Minskoff-Grant is offering long term leases. The owner manning the counter Saturday confirmed to me that the article on the project was the first they had learned about the Silverman Realty project. He said that he was negotiating with Minskoff-Grant on a new lease on the Court Street side.

 

Minskoff-Grant’s rental agent represented to M & I  Comic Book Heaven that nothing was going to change with their Court Street location weeks before this when she had asked about it. Ms. Seitz felt better Saturday afternoon that M & I Comic Book Heaven was not going to have to move, when she heard about the lease negotiations from other owners.

DRAWING COLLECTORS FROM ALL OVER THE NORTHEAST:  M & I Comic Book Heaven, next to Chillemi Shoe Repair on Court and Hudson Valley Bank at extreme left. The location draws collectors from up and down the eastern seaboard for its extensive collections of memorabilia, comics, and fantasy products. It has been a tenant at the location for eight years.

Photo by WPCNR News

 

 This was a far cry from Ms. Seitz concern on Friday afternoon, when she and Bishop Purvis  were pouring over their current lease. They were worrying that an eminent domain clause in their current lease would be the legal device that would give Minskoff-Grant the ability to turn them out at will, which would be legal if  the city of White Plains took the premises through eminent domain for a project.

 

16 Operating Businesses on the Block Affected. Two More Unaffected.

 

By WPCNR observation, there are 16 operating businesses fronting on the Mamaroneck Avenue, Martine Avenue and Court Street block, and 4 untenanted storefronts (one of those was recently leased from Minskoff-Grant by Mr. Weisse the Broolyn’s Famous Sub Shop proprietor). When WPCNR did a spot check of the businesses most were doing good business at mid-Friday afternoon. Many have been there a long period of time.

 

The businesses on Mamaroneck Avenue affected are: Fleetwood Bank, Foot Locker, White Plains Leather, Sneaker Outlet, Gatsby’s (the last independent men’s haberdashery in the city at its Mamaroneck and Martine location for approximately a dozen years and also operates out of The Galleria). The Woolworth space and a former diner space are vacant.

 

 The establishments on Martine are O.K. Jewelry,  Coney Island (diner), A Nails Salon, Anthony’s Convenience Store,  Fashion Town (a clothier) Jenknis Hardware, Crown Beauty Supply, Freshies, and the Bagel Emporium. There is one vacant storefront on the Martine side.

 

Five Business Owners Say It’s News to Them.

 

WPCNR interviewed five business owners who said the project announcement took them by surprise. Irene Seitz and Bishop Purvis (of White Plains) of M & I Comic Book Heaven said so. A Bagel Emporium manager said their owner told her he was unaware of the Silverman Realty Group plans until the news story appeared. So did the owner of  Jenknis hardware store, the owner of OK Jewelry (a Silverman tenant), and the owner of White Plains Leather (a Silverman tenant) on the Mamaroneck Avenue side.

 

Minskoff-Grant Realty & Management Corporation and Silverman Realty Group could not be contacted over the weekend to clarify the extent of the project and how the new lessors on Court Street being offered the multi-year leases would be integrated into the Silverman 4-story edifice, or whether the façade of the project would proceed from corner to corner from the corner of  Court and Martine to Mamaroneck and down past Fleetbank.

 

BID to help?

 

WPCNR has a query into the Downtown Business Improvement District (the BID) as to whether the BID will consider organizing an effort  to facilitate relocation of the dozen or  possible businesses that will need new homes in town, should the project be eventually approved by the Common Council.

 

Based on previous Common Council approval speeds, the project could be approved within 7 to 8 months, and constructed within two years, opening in 2006, though a detailed application has not been submitted.

WHERE’S A SUPERHERO WHEN YOU NEED ONE? M & I Comic Book Heaven and the rest of the 16 businesses on the Court-Martine-Mamaroneck Block do not know where they stand in the Downtown Crossing plans.

Photo by WPCNR News

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By District 89 Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. September 26, 2003: A recent Court of Appeals decision allowing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority fare hikes to stand underscores the need for legislation to combat future incidents of public authority abuses.

 

After we learned that the authority had inappropriately failed to disclose a $500 million surplus, public faith in MTA officials was understandably shaken. State authority and public benefit corporation officials are not elected, yet operate with little outside control – obviously this system can, and did, lead to serious problems. The MTA’s controversial maneuvers have meant double-digit fare hikes for Westchester families. Subway and bus fares were raised from $1.50 to $2. Metro-North riders now pay 25 percent more, and bridge and tunnel tolls rose to 50 cents.

 

But the Appellate Division ultimately determined that no laws had been broken. And while I am disappointed the courts did not agree with the lawsuits to roll back the fares, the judges correctly pointed out that it’s up to the Legislature to strengthen laws to hold authorities more accountable to the public.

 

That’s why the Assembly recently passed legislation aimed at ending MTA abuses. The measure I supported would help increase public confidence in MTA operations, provide independent oversight of the MTA, improve the contracting process, and end unjustified fare increases (A.7998-D).

 

This legislation creates an oversight board and establishes an independent budget office. The MTA would be required to provide timely reports of operating plans to both bodies for review and comment. In addition, the legislation would:

 

·        Increase the independence of the MTA Inspector General (IG) by having the Attorney General appoint the IG;

·        Require more public hearings prior to major service changes;

·        Mandate a biennial report on the potential for a future rate increase; and

·        Require the MTA to produce annual reports on the safety and health of MTA passengers and employees.

 

I urge the Senate to join the Assembly in passing this legislation that will help ensure this does not happen again. I am committed to making sure that our public authorities act responsibly and represent public interests, not special interests. Our families were left in the dark for too long – and the MTA got away with unwarranted fare hikes as a result. Rest assured, I will continue working to make sure that the money our families work so hard for is not wasted by mismanagement again.

 

 

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. September 25, 2003: Spencer Ridenhour scored three touchdowns, Ike Nduka, Paul Scotman and Mike Lane one each in Thursday Twilight Football at Parker Stadium. White Plains scored on their first seven possessions against a very young, rebuilding Lincoln (Yonkers) team. 

Lincoln has only 21 players: 3 Seniors, 4  Juniors, and the other 14 sophomores or freshman as they rebuild their football program. They played gamely with good sportsmanship but could not contain the bigger, faster, experienced Orange and Black who won their fourth straight game without a loss setting up a showdown with Mount Vernon a week from Saturday.

 

SPLITTING THE SECONDARY: Ryan Smalls splits the twin safeties after  yanking down a laser  clothesline pass over the middle from Quarterback Mike Devere. Ryan snared it in full stride over his shoulder in the Tigers second possession Thursday. The race was on after “The Prosecutor” caught the ball and Ryan was tackled on the 10 to set up Spencer Ridenhour’s second touchdown run of 10 yards. That made the score 14-0 with 4 minutes to go in the first quarter. The Smalls play covered 42 yards.  Smalls made two catches to set up Tiger touchdowns on their first two possessions. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

For the second straight week, White Plains won the toss and elected to kickoff. The gamble for field position worked again.

 

Lincoln went four and out, punting to the White Plains 40. After an incomplete pass and run, Spencer Ridenhour lugged it 12 to the Lincoln 48. Devere passed to Ryan Smalls on a screen pass to the near side who shanked 4 tacklers and lit out to the Lancer 20 before he was stopped. Shocked, Lincoln’s line was cleared out by  John Corretti, Mike Della Posta, Jason Indelicato and Gabe Robles and Joe Vitanza opening up a corridor that Ike Nduka rumbled through for a 20 yard touchdown run. Pablo Siaba added the point and White Plains had a 7-0 lead within the first four minutes.

 

Like Clockwork

 

On their next series, Lincoln went four and out again and on first down at the White Plains 48, Mike Devere hit Ryan Smalls on a pass right down the middle that Ryan lugged all the way to the 10 yard line. Spencer Ridenhour then rushed for a yard, then ripped off 9 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-0 with the point.

 

The Grand Offensive Coordinators are getting spoiled with these 5 and 3-play touchdown drives. For a change of pace Lincoln punted from their goal line on the next series only to have  Keith Shaw race in to block the kick and recover it on the five. Next play on first and goal, Devere handed to Spencer  for his third touchdown run. Pablo’s perfect point made it 21-0 as the first quarter ended.

 

Onslaught continues.

 

The Lancers could not stop the Tigers. And they could  not move the ball, either. After again being stopped on downs,  Lincoln punted to the White Plains 35. On the second play from scrimmage, Ike Nduka lugged it up the middle, cut to his left getting the angle and down the far sideline he went all the way to the Lincoln 20. A Devere pass to Evan McGuire put the Tigers on the 5 and Paul Scotman got the call, lugging it through the line scoring standing. Siaba kicked the point and it was 28-0 with about 10 minutes left in the first half.

 

 

SCOTMAN LOPES INTO THE ENDZONE FOR TIGER TD # 4. The fullback is in black, second from the right, scoring standing up. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

 

On Lincoln’s next possession, Evan McGuire recovered a fumble on the Lancer 28. On the very first play from scrimmage, Spencer Ridenhour dashed 29 yards around end, got a key block from his quarterback Mike Devere at the 10 and romped into the endzone for his third TD of the day. Pablo pointed and it was 35-0 White Plains with 8 minutes left in the first half.

 

White Plains wrapped up their scoring when Mike Lane raced 40 yards for the Tigers sixth touchdown in 20 minutes, which with the point  made it 42-0. Coach Santa-Donato  played his understudies in the second half, who moved the ball well between the 20s. We got a glimpse of the runners of the future: Mike Grant carried well for several first downs. Eric Wong complimented him as a running threat and Kevin Avery choreographed the club in workmanlike fashion, making the handoffs efficiently. Jeff Bagley, Jr. so showed power in the backfield.

 

TIGER PEP BAND PEPPED UP THE AUTUMN AFTERNOON. Photo by WPCNR Sports

 

 

 

 

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WPCNR Health Herald. From Gina Faustner. September 25, 2003: The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive in White Plains on Friday, October 3rd at the American Red Cross in Westchester from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Red Cross headquarters, located at 106 North Broadway in White Plains.

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WPCNR STREETS OF WHITE PLAINS. September 23, 2003: A spokesman for White Plains Hospital Medical Center said Tuesday, that the WPHMC has geared up to handle the migration of patients who normally would be serviced by St. Agnes Hospital when that facility closes October 10. The White Plains hospital has been expecting it, he said, and expects no problem.

 

Geoffrey Thompson, speaking for White Plains Hospital Medical Center in a statement said, “They expect to get 5 to 7 additional inpatients per day, 7 to 10 additional emergency room patients per day. They’re very comfortable with those levels of increase, as a result of the St. Agnes closing, and don’t anticipate any problem in handling that. They’ve been anticipating something like this could happen and so that they’re really ready for it, and should be able to easily accommodate that increase in the number of patients.”