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 WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. December 18, 2002 10:00 E.S.T.: Joel Graber, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s right-hand man, handling the Delgado-Hockley quo warranto action, filed a Request for Judicial Intervention Monday with County Clerk Leonard Spano.

The action requests a “preliminary conference” that could result in the assigned judge declaring Larry Delgado the real winner in the disputed 2001 election, where the jammed voting machine in District 18 cost him the election, in the Attorney General’s finding. After the preliminary conference, it is expected there will be a court appearance for Mr. Hockley to make his case.

Mr. Graber, Assistant Attorney General, in his Request papers filed with the County Clerk, specifically asks for Judge Francis Nicolai to be assigned to the case. Justice Nicolai wrote the original decision calling for a special election in the 18th district, that started Mr. Delgado and Mr. Hockley on the way up to the Court of Appeals last March and on the road to today’s quo warranto situation.

In the first edition of this story, the supposition was made that the judge eventually assigned might have the option of decalring Mr. Delgado the winner, but WPNCR has been advised that there would have to be a court process to hear Mr. Hockley’s side.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. From Billy Wooters. Information Officer, WPLL. December 17, 2003: The White Plains Little League announces that online and in-person early registration was completed over the weekend with about 75% of expected players signed up by their parents. Billy Wooters of the Little League reports that parents can still register their children in for the 2003 season by registering online or by e-mail only without a late penalty. Here is his report:
Many thanks to those that helped out on Thursday night and Saturday. Now the real challenge begins. We currently have 756 players registered (562 in person and 194 on line).

I will be sending out a post card note to the 522 players that are eligible to return and play this year that have not registered.
Last Ups

Online registration is still available till December 31st at the regular registration price:

Tee-Ball (Pre-K) – Machine Pitch (2nd Grade) = $75.00

Minors (9 years old) – Seniors (15 year olds) = $90.00

After December 31st late registration begins. Anyone who signs up after December 31st will be added to a waiting list and that doesn’t guarantee you a spot in the line up.

Rates also increase significantly after December 31st.

Sign Up Today, by going to: www.eteamz.com/whiteplainslittleleague
or Email: whiteplainslittleleague@yahoo.com.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. December 14, 2003: City officials blitzed by the blindside immaculate acquisition of The Galleria this week anticipated by the Mills Corporation emphasized that the mall plans revealed on the Mills Coporation website were described to them as preliminary and conceptual.

Both the city’s economic development troubleshooter and its Commissioner of Planning said it was too early to have a reaction to the plans used to dazzle Wall Street analysts Tuesday. Reaction around the city though was upbeat.
Paul Wood, city Economic Development maestro, reiterated that Mills Corporation, the nationally prominent mall innovator, prospective new owners of The Galleria, told the city Wednesday the plans were purely conceptual, and that they would be coming in to talk extensively with the city in February, 2003, after they had closed on the property.

Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel told WPCNR Thursday she would withhold comment until she saw plans. She noted that based on what Mills Corporation was talking about, a theater on a new floor, that they already were proposing a piece that was out of compliance with zoning requirements for the property, but could not elaborate with no concrete plans. “They need to come in and talk to us,” she said.

Jacob Burns Film Center South?

David Douglas, spokesperson for Mills Corporation, told reporters that Mills was not planning a megaplex, describing the theater to be built on a new 5th level at The Galleria as an art theater, in keeping with the upgrade promised by his Chairman Laurence Siegel in the Webcast annoucing the purchase of The Galleria on Tuesday.

Douglas promised independent films and foreign films that would compliment rather than compete with the City Center National Amusements attraction now going up at Main and Mamaroneck a block away.

Man from Mills Makes Overtures to the City.

Douglas, in comments, appeared sensitive to the city’s being hurt over the way the project was sprung on them, noting that Mills Corporation fully recognizes and intends to dialogue with the city and the tenants they are inheriting at The Galleria.

A somewhat mollified Paul Wood said Thursday night, that Mills had apologized to the Mayor for the way the announcement had to be made due to confidentiality agreements with the seller, Cadillac Fairview.

Spotted at The Splendid.

The buzz at the Splendid Coffee Shop Friday held a lot of comment about the whirlwind Mills introduction to White Plains. White Plains Downtown Business Improvement District executives at a table next to WPCNR’s were glowing in comments about what it said about the future of the city with a firm like Mills coming to town. The proprietor of the Splendid, Gus Manassas said it was amazing, and he was very pleased for what the Mills presence would mean for his business down the road.

At the Official Pizza Place of The CitizeNetReporter, Magnotta’s over on Maple, “Mr. Pizza in White Plains,” Angelo Magnotta raved about the Sawgrass Mills mall run by Mills Corporation in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Magnotta is very familiar with the “Mills touch” and said they would make The Galleria sensational. “My wife loves that place,” he said.

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WPCNR White Plains Variety. By John F. Bailey. December 13, 2002 UPDATED 2:45 P.M. E.S.T.: There is something wrong with your TV Set, but it should be corrected tonight according to a Cablevision spokesman.

Cablevision has scrambled the city cable television channels, turning them into “mystery channels” where no one knows where to find them. But, Bill Powers, Director of Media Relations for Cablevision in Yonkers, says the correct line up of Government Access on 75, Public Access on Channel 76, and Educational Channel on 77, should be switched to, sometime today.

Cablevision, the service that carries the City of White Plains Public Access, Government, and Educational channels, spent thousands of dollars advertising a switch of Channels 71,72, and 73, to channels 76, 75 and 77 respectively only to play “3-card monte” with the channels when they went live on Thursday and Friday morning.

White Plains Cable Television Program Director, Fred Strauss, was attempting to get Cablevision to straighten out and confirm what the new city cable lineup would be Friday morning.

Cablevision reported and notified White Plains residents last Monday of their new television cable lineup, in which they are freeing up space for i/O Optimum Direct service by putting all municipal channels on the same station channels. Beginning Thursday, White Plains residents were told they would receive the City Government Channel on Channel 75, the Public Access Channel (Home of White Plains Week), on Channel 76, and the White Plains Public Schools Channel on 73.

Now You See Them Now You Don’t

Mr. Strauss said that on Thursday at midnight when the system went live with the change, Public Access appeared on 75, the government access city channel on 76, and the educational channel on 77.

On Friday morning, they changed places again, placing the Public Access Channel on Channel 76, the Government Access Channel on 77, and the School Channel on Channel 75. This is the present cablecast order of the channels as of noon.

Strauss told WPCNR he is working the telephones to Cablevision to straighten out whether this is the permanent line up, whether they will be switched back to the lineup originally advertised ( City Government on Channel 75, Public Access on 76, and School District Channel on 77), or return to what White Plains Cable Access Commission would prefer, Public access on 75, government on 76, and school district on 77.

Meantime, in tuning in tonight’s programs, be advised that you may have to do some channel surfing to find your favorites, and, of course, White Plains Week at 7:30 PM on Public Access Television, Channel 76.

Powers, speaking for Cablevision said the switching problems occurred because personnel making the switch could not distinguish between what was the government access channel, the educational channel, and the public access channel. “We’re working on the problem, and it should be corrected to the lineup as advertised sometime today,” he told WPCNR. He said in many communities the lineups are different and there were problems identifying which access channels were which.

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WPCNR Evening City Star Reporter. From The Mayor’s Office. December 12, 2003 UPDATED 7:15 A.M., December 13, 2003: Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains and Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and Chief Executive Officer of New York Presbyterian Hospital met Thursday morning in Manhattan. Present were representatives for the hospital in the first of a series of meetings coming out of the hospital’s threat of an Article 78 action last week, over terms of the August 5, 2002 Approval granted them by the White Plains Common Council.

The city and hospital agreed to continue talks, “a dialogue with the city on community issues,” according to the Mayor’s Executive Officer, George Gretsas.

THE GRETSAS REPORT: George Gretsas, Executive Officer, City of White Plains reported an “amicable meeting” took place Thursday morning at NYPH headquarters in New York. A decided change in attitude on the part of the hospital since last week’s Article 78 threat.
Photo by WPCNR News

Gretsas said the Mayor and he met with Pardes and his representatives for approximately two hours, and a tentative second meeting was being scheduled. Mr. Gretsas characterized the meeting as upbeat. He described the hospital’s attitude as friendly, decidedly different than the atmosphere last week when the hospital reserved its right to sue the city, indicating they might file an Article 78 action over the conditions of their August 5 approval of their biomedical research/proton accelerator center.

Hospital Changes Tone.

Gretsas said the parties had agreed to keep the details of what was discussed confidential. He said he was able to reveal that in Thursday’s “New York Summit,” the hospital team clarified its position of last week, reporting that what came out of Thursday’s meeting was “They are not asking the city for anything more than what was approved by the Common Council on August 5, 2002.”

That approval sets conditions on the hospital ability to conduct certain types of biomedical research; required the city monitor hospital safety procedures; and restricted research to nonprofit use in a very exacting 80-page Special Permit Findings Statement..

Not asking for clarification.

Gretsas also reports the hospital fully understands the terms of the agreement, saying “They are not asking for clarification (of the approval).”

Backing off V.P. of Real Estate’s Position?

WPCNR was told by a hospital spokesperson last week, that the Vice President for Real Estate for New York Presbyterian Hospital, Robert Volland had objected to the Journal News report the hospital was looking to change the terms of the approval.

The source said that Volland had said the hospital was looking for “clarification,” not loosening up the reins of control, contrary to what was reported in the Gannett outlet.

Hospital Willing to Address “city issues

The Mayor’s Executive Officer said the continuing discussions would be over “community issues only,” but said he could not say more.

Suit Threat Over? Not Really.

Gretsas, weighing his words carefully said, when asked if the hospital offered to withdraw the unusual threat of an Article 78 action on an approval, neither party “waived any rights.”

When Hospital Complained.

These talks came out of concerns the hospital first voiced to the city in early November, Gretsas reported to WPCNR last week. He had reported that New York Presbyterian Hospital had not indicated any problems with the approval to the city within the first two months after the approval, even though the city had liaisoned extensively with the hospital to be of service to them in going forward.

A hospital source told WPCNR last week the hospital had had discussions with the city before last week about the terms of the agreement. Gretsas said last week that the Notice of Claim the hospital filed last Thursday was a complete surprise to the city. He said that the hospital had talked with the city in November saying they wanted “clarification,” of the terms of the August approval. Gretsas said the city position was that what the hospital classified as “clarification,” was not a clarification at all, but a liberalization of the terms of the approval.

City Monitoring Process Not in Place.

WPCNR asked Gretsas Tuesday if the city had begun putting in place a system to monitor hospital safety procedures and review of the kinds of research the hospital might propose in attracting partners to the newly approved project. Gretsas said “It’s premature.”