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. | WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.

City Seeks to Bond a Cafe on Renaissance Plaza to Fund Open Space Acquisition.

Posted on July 18, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. July 18, 2003: The city will ask the Common Council to bond some $350,000 for the construction of a cafe’ on the Court Street side of the new Renaissance Plaza fountain being constructed at the intersection of Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenues, according to George Gretsas, the city’s Executive Officer, relating the events of the Mayor’s “Open Space Incubator” News Conference Thursday.

The cafe’ building is a new evolution of the refreshment kiosk originally planned for the Mamaroneck Avenue side of the Renaissance Plaza, Gretsas said.

The cafe structure is to be constructed adjacent to the Hudson Valley Bank branch on Court Street, in partnership with a cafe operator such as a Starbucks, Gretsas explained. He said it is the city’s intention to use the revenues generated from the cafe operation (estimated at about $50,000 a year) to build a fund to purchase open space within the city limits as open space becomes available on the market. Gretsas said the $50,000 a year could generate future bonding in the amounts of $500,000 or more to purchase and preserve open land within the city. The initiative was announced at a news conference Thursday at City Hall. Gretsas reported that Cappelli Enterprises now constructing the fountain plaza, will also build the cafe’ and has agreed to cap the cost of the cafe building at $550,000. The cafe building is anticipated to be completed in October, with the operator being selected after bidding, initiating service shortly thereafter.

Traffic Commissioner Announces Retirement

Posted on July 18, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. July 18, 2003: The Mayor’s Executive Officer, George Gretsas, confirmed Thursday evening that Commissioner of Traffic, Ted Gammon, of White Plains, has announced his retirement effective at the end of the month. Mr. Gretsas said Gammon’s retirement came as a complete surprise and that an official announcement detailing Mr. Gammon’s contributions to the city would be forthcoming. Gretsas declined any comment on a successor to Mr. Gammon, or whether or not Deputy Commissioner Tom Soyk would succeed Gammon.

Gammon is the eighth Commissioner in the last eighteen months to retire from the city. The five include Gammon, former Commissioner of Public Safety, John Dolce, previous Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Hickey, Commissioner of Planning Mike Graessle, Commissioner of Finance, John Powell, former Budget Director Eileen Earl, former Commissioner of Recreation and Parks Joe Davidson, and Human Rights Commissioner Harry Bright.

Hickey Foils Delfino, Cantatore Campaign Contributions Records

Posted on July 16, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR White Plains Street. Special to WPCNR. July 16, 2003: WPCNR has learned that the maverick candidate for the Common Council, former Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Dan Hickey, who is seeking to challenge the three nominated Republican candidates for Common Council in a September primary has filed a Freedom of Information request with the Board of Elections. Hickey’s son, David Hickey, requesting the campaign contributor filings for Mayor Joseph Delfino. Hickey has also requested the list of campaign contributors for the Republican nominee for County Legislator, Frank Cantatore. Mr. Cantatore is challenging incumbent Legislator, William Ryan.

The “FOILs” as they are known, come one week after Mr. Hickey filed a General Objection with the Board of Elections, asking that Jeffrey Binder, Rosa Munoz, and Tim Sheehan be removed from the ballot. Mr. Hickey has until Friday to detail the nature of his objections.

Republican establishment figures seethed over the FOILS, saying that Hickey should be sticking to the issues instead of looking for what one source described as “mud to sling.”

The commentator noted acidly, “Mayor Delfino is not even up for reelection in November, so why look up his contributions? it can only mean one thing, he is looking to dig up dirt.”

Mayor Creates The Street Ambassadors: Youth Bureau Appointees Welcome Visitors

Posted on July 16, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From The Mayor’s Office. July 15, 2003: White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino announced the start of a new program Tuesday which features a corps of uniformed Downtown Street Ambassadors to aid shoppers, residents, and office workers in finding their way around the City’s growing and busy business district.

The program, part of the Mayor’s Phase Three Economic Development Plan, is a unique public/private partnership between the City’s Youth Bureau and Public Safety Department, the Mayor’s Office, the White Plains Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and Nextel.

“We’re experiencing tremendous and rapid growth in our City and we’re seeing an increasing number of office workers, students and residents who are new to our City and our downtown. Soon, there will be even more new residents and hotel guests coming into downtown,” Mayor Delfino said at a news conference on Mamaroneck Avenue Tuesday announcing the initiative. “In order to make the downtown more accessible to these new visitors, the street ambassadors will be available to give directions, point out shoppin locations for those seeking specific items and provide a comfortaing presence on our downtown streets.”

The ambassadors for this pilot program were selected from the Youth Bureau’s Summer Employment Program and received training from the Youth Bureau and the City’s Public Safety Department. In addition, they were given an orientation of the downtown by representatives of the BID. The $8,000 cost for the pilot program is being paid for with $5,000 from Public Safety’s Drug Conviction Asset Forfeiture Fund, and $1,500 each from the Youth Bureau and the BID. In addition, Nextel has donated phones for use by the ambassadors.

The ambassadors will be equipped with lunch guides, maps and lists of stores that are available in the downtown. They have undergone training by the City’s Public Safety Department about what to do and who to contact in case of an emergency. The ambassadors will help keep the downtown streets clean by communicating with the BID when they observe a messy area or problem.

“Most importantly, the ambassadors will put an even friendlier face on our growing downtown for the increasing numbers of new residents, office workers and shoppers,” said Mayor Delfino.

The ambassadors will take the streets beginning Wednesday, July 16^th. The program will run through the summer and will be evaluated following that.

Reader Blasts News 12 Coverage of Hudson Hills

Posted on July 15, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. July 15, 2003. A Letter Addressed to News 12:

Dear Ms. Rose, (News Director, Channel 12)
I watched last night’s story about Hudson Hills. This ill-conceived project has cost more than double the original estimate. Several years ago I questioned why we would build a 6th golf course when we can’t maintain the other 5. I still question the thinking.

Our 5 existing courses are unworthy of Westchester County, home of some of the best golf courses in the world. Our county courses can’t compare to other nearby municipal course such as Richter Park, Spook Rock or E. Griffith Harris.

Your story claims there are only public and private golf courses available. This is untrue. Centennial, The Links at Unionvale, Country Club of Lake McGregor, Casperkill, and many others offer upscale daily fee golf in a price range competitive with the (as yet unannounced but assumed) green fee at Hudson Hills.

The county has passed numerous fee increases in the last few years. We were told none of that money was going to Hudson Hills. When all of the golf revenue,( which inlcudes approximately $250,000 for the abominable sale of tee-times for the season), goes into a general fund it’s hard to know where the money comes from. County courses ONLY ACCEPT CASH, which further confuses the issue.

Hudson Hills is a political boondoggle and should be sold to a private developer before another cent is wasted on it.

Ken Robins
23 Talcott Road
Rye Brook, NY 10573

Scandal of Hudson Hills Rages On

Posted on July 15, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. By Bob Petrucci. From The Fair Way. July 15, 2003: If you read the NY Times Westchester Section and watched News12, you will have noticed the Hudson Hills issue…well, only part of it. Also, in the News12 piece, Hudson Hills Manager Falcone said, “HOPEFULLY” it will be completed by December. And what if it is not?

There was, however, one commonality…and maybe it was picked up by those of you who have been concerned residents for some years.

If you’ll recall, Hudson Hills as a $7million (all-inclusive) project was passed to provide golf for the allegedly overcrowded MUNICIPAL county courses and respond to the 400,000 or so rounds of golf that were allegedly not being met in Westchester. And on that basis, it moved along with no threat to the referendum cap or anything else, even though many questioned the 400,000 (when not related to price).

Then, there was a change in administrations and so too a change in Hudson Hills’ direction, even though the new administration made the same “overcrowded, rounds unmet” claim. However, expenses/costs began escalating wildly. The words “premier” and “upscale” were introduced…and with it the threat to the $10 milllion referendum cap, which has since been violated.

Then, as existing-course fees had record increases and the courses had record deterioration (sacrificed for the Hills), they became a “poor product value” and resident golfers stayed away, resulting in a huge 15% plunge in playing rounds.

Now, in both the NY Times and on News12, the administration says its “reason” for Hudson Hills is to provide a place for select people to play golf who do not want to pay the $125 fees of Centennial and the like (and therefore will pay $70 for the Hills). And that is what most golfers have said all along…that Hudson Hills is financially-exclusionary.

And right there is the difference between what was originally passed by the legislators and what we have now. Clearly, these are TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS…by objective and by cost…and that’s another reason why the present one with its $17 million cost ($15 million in bond issues) should require a referendum. It is NOT the same PROJECT.

The really shameful part is that millions of dollars in revenue was/is being taken from existing courses in on-going increased fees to pay for Hudson Hills…and from the very people, the seniors, economically-challenged, etc. that won’t afford Hudson Hills’ $70 fees. Many have reduced their rounds and some have simply stopped playing.

All this so the county elite could have its select country club.

And that’s not what “municipal” is all about.

Bob and Jenny Petrucci

Newsmail Editors

County Residents Protection Alliance

Resident Golfers Protection Group

Yonkers Summer Stock: ”Portraits of Love” Opens July 19. Shakespeare at Unterm

Posted on July 14, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From The Yonkers Tribune, July 14, 2003: Piper Theatre Productions, the only summer stock theatre company based in Yonkers opens its third season of free, professional and accessible drama with production of GIANT a world premiere production directed by company member Thomas Piper at the Yonkers Riverfront Library July 19 and 20th at 8pm.

This is not the first original piece Piper has produced, earlier this year, Johnny Boy’s Graduation written and directed by Mark Nassar, co-creator of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, founder of the Downtown Theatre Club and the LA Drama Desk Nominee for playwrighting for his production of The Mayor’s Limo.

Shakespeare in the Park

Taming of the Shrew directed by Cecilia Rubino and A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by John P. McEneny round out the summer festival of romantic comedies, dubbed Portraits of Love. The company of 60 is made up of actors from Westchester and New York City.

Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeares most entertaining comedies. It is the tale of the bawdy battle of wits and wills between Katherine and Petruchio. In the 1960’s this couple was made famous by the real life steamy duo of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Now, it will be presented live in the classic setting of Untermyer Park.

Shrew Performance Dates: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday July16, 17, and 18th at 7:30 p.m., Untermyer Park.

The free outdoor performances will be held at Untermyer Park located at 945 North Broadway in Yonkers. Samuel Untermyer, the original owner of the estate, and his wife were patrons of the arts and would have lavish parties and shows which included Isadora Duncan dancing in their Grecian Gardens and fountains overlooking the Palisades and Hudson River. It is now owned and maintained by the City of Yonkers.

Following The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, perhaps Shakespeare’s best known comedy, is a dream within a dream filled with fairies, foibles and mistaken identities.

Midsummer Performance Dates: Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays – July 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, and August 1st, Untermyer Park. The Saturday, August 2nd 2 p.m. Performance is at the Riverfront Library.

And finally As You Like It rounds off our romantic comedy season with our Apprentice Company Production. All the actors are area students who have worked so very hard to present an afternoon of Shakespeare assessable to all. These two performances will be held in the beautiful new auditorium of the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

As You Like It, Apprentice Company Performances, are on July 26th and 27th at 2 p.m. the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

This will be the third season of free Summer Shakespeare in Untermyer Park. It was founded in 2001 by John and Rachel McEneny, in the past two seasons over 5,500 people throughout Westchester have attended and experienced Shakespeare in the Park in Yonkers. All are invited to come early, bring chairs or blankets, food, and family and enjoy and evening you thought only possible in New York City.

Local Westchester County Performers in Shrew include: Bruce Sabath* (Hortensio) of Katonah, Ashton Crosy (Gremio) of Bedford, Sean Moran (Luciento), Joe Lauriero (Pedant) and Robbie Hothan of Yonkers, Tal Aviezer (Baptista) of Dobbs Ferry, and Allison Friedland (Biondello) of Mount Vernon.

*Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association

Adam In Albany: Sign Up Now to Say Good-Bye to Telemarketers

Posted on July 14, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By New York State Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. July 14, 2003: A few years ago, New York’s state government created a law that helped to protect quiet family dinners and relaxing weekend afternoons. That law set up the state’s Do-Not-Call Registry, a list residents can sign up for to stop receiving calls from persistent and obnoxious telemarketers.

To sign up for the national do-not-call list, visit Get rid of all water holding containers, especially old tires, cans, buckets, drums, wheelbarrows and bottles.

· Cover all outdoor trash containers to keep rainwater from accumulating inside.

· Drill holes in the bottoms of all recycling containers that are left outdoors.

· Clean roof gutters and remove standing water from flat roofs.

· Drain the water in birdbaths, plant pots and drip trays twice weekly.

· Sweep driveways after it rains so that they are free of puddles.

For additional information on West Nile virus, call the Public Health Information Line at (914) 813-5609, or visit its website at www.westchestergov.com/health.