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 VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen. September 30, 2009:  I’m sorry. I have to get this off my chest. I cannot wait for the weekend. It has to be said now.

 

Up here in the mythical upper deck, behind the mike, straw fedora hat perched on the back of my head,  at the WPIX mike, watching another hideous Metropolitan loss today. I can no longer sit around and listen to the excuses the  press makes for the Mets of 2009.

 

The New York Metropolitans lost again today, 7-4 on a grand slammer by Justin Maxwell with two-out in the ninth off Francisco Rodriguez. A 5-run ninth by the Nats whom the Mets made look like the Yankees the last three nights. It was the third straight loss the Mets have rolled over for in the Nation’s Capitol this week.

 

CitiField, this Spring.

 

This team has no heart. They are not playing for their manager. They are not playing for themselves. They are not playing for their fans. They are not being managed for the fans. This is the team that gave up in June when their General Manager Omar Minaya did not make a move with his two big hitters went on the D.L.

 

You gotta do that.

 

All summer long the Metropolitans have moaned and groaned about their injuries. Wait’ll next year, the Metropolitan fan is told.

 

Forget about it.

 

Next year the aging stars Beltran and Delgado will be another year older and another year creakier.

 

Next year the same inconsistent pitchers will be back. And Johan Santana may not be the Johan Santana of old.

 

The Wilpons have to be beside themselves with concern.

 

The new CitiField – the name which they stayed with despite the adverse publicity CitiBank received from the bailout farce last fall – has presided over the most unfun, disgraceful season in New York Mets history. The Mets are as bad as the bank their field was named after.

 

Call it the curse of CitiBank.

 

Why disgraceful?

 

This team quit in June. They played like barnstormers in August. They played in September like zombies. They pitched with no fire.  How many losing streaks did they have? I cannot remember. They seemed to be always losing. And they did not care.

 

When was the last time a Met pitcher brushed a batter back or got a big out in the clutch? They failed over and over again. 

 

When was the last time the Met manager got thrown out of a game? Could the Met management ban buffets in the clubhouse and not supply the bubble gum, at least, since Jerry Manuel never turns over a buffet. What’s a buffet for, anyway?

 

If you exumed Billy Martin  or Gil Hodges and put their coffins in the dugout the Mets would have played better by the vibes coming out of the coffins. There would be mystique.

 

But never fear Mets fans, Bobby Valentine is back in the U.S.A. and he’s unemployed. If I’m the Wilpons, I bring Bobby back for 2010 and bring in another G.M., pronto.

 

It is a tribute to the Met broadcasting team that they have stomached the terrible inept play of this team. Even Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner had better games to watch in 1962.

 

In the 1960s when the Met teams were bad, the fans loved them because you got the sense they always tried. They could do the impossible. They were valiant in defeat. In 2009, you get the impression these ballplayers do not care. That is a bad taste in your mouth.

 

The 2009 Mets are not gallant.

 

They are not valiant.

 

They are not smart.

 

They do not play heads-up ball.

 

They are woefully inept in fundamentals, throwing to the wrong base, failing in the field, failing on the mound, and when you see this consistently for three months it means they are not playing for their manager.

 

The Met mistakes this year were not lovable. They were not funny.

 

They are collecting checks—big ones.

 

There are no leaders.

 

 If you’re a 2009 Met you do not play through an injury, you hit the disabled list as soon as you can.

 

We are seeing vivid evidence the last two years why former manager Willie Randolph did not like this team. They have no pride. They don’t play hard. They play lazy – all of them.

 

They are not a team, either, it seems.

 

How is having a healthy Met team with the same roster next year (2010) going to change this culture of irresponsibility?

 

Will they suddenly remember not to throw ahead of the runner? Will they remember to back each other up? Will the manager put some plays on? Will a Met play hurt? Can Johann Santana lift the team spirit by himself? You could see many times this year that Santana was shocked by what was going on behind him. He was the Roger Craig of 2009. And will Johan come back strong as ever?

 

But losing all three games to the Nationals this week was the worst.

 

Minaya the General Manager gave up on this season in June.

 

He has a history of that. Ask the Montreal fans in the mid-1990s.

 

Minaya cannot pull trigger on trades down the stretch. He cost the Mets not one, but two pennants because of his inability to make a trade down the stretch the last two seasons. One pitcher either year would have won the pennant. One. Another hitter would have been nice, but a stud starter or reliever might have done the trick. They needed just a coupla more wins in 07 and 08 down the stretch to win.

 

Omar could not do it. Or the ownership would not let him.

 

This year though, he showed he could not retool when he lost two wheels, Delgado and Beltran. He said wait’ll next year.

 

(We are also treated to the ludicrus prospect of the New York Knickerbockers before the NBA season starts with bogus refs, already saying they are looking forward to the 2011 season when they will have Lebron James. But, I digress.)

 

Could the Mets have – with their $50 upper deck seats – gone out and swapped or paid the Blue Jays Cash up for Ray Halladay this season?  Halladay and Santana back to back in the rotation would have been an instant improvement – and Minaya could have done that in June! They might have played .500 ball.

 

Could Minaya have swapped with Washington for one of the Nationals’ sluggers —
Dunn or Zimmerman– (that inept Washington management will never be able to pay them when they become free agents)?  Mike Francesa of WFAN rightfully said  in June the Mets had to make a trade and he was right. 

 

Omar Minaya did not make that big trade or big acquisition to keep the Mets respectable.

 

Obviously the Wilpons did not want to spend the money on Halladay next year but they would have had him for a year!

 

I cannot think of one reason why any free agent would come to the Mets this winter when they see the team culture they are stepping into if they come here.

 

There is some real old dead wood on this club. Dead in the head and faint of heart. A bunch of designated hitters. No speed. Weak up the middle, and a hideous defensive outfield.

 

But the heart issue is fundamental.

 

This team could not even get up when they played contending teams like the Braves and the Phils.

 

But as a fan – one sin this team committed day-in, day-out the last three months was not playing with heart.

 

Fans can tell.

 

Remember those 1969 Mets of 40 years ago? They looked bad too, but they kept coming back at you. There was heart in that team. As a fan caught up in the 1969 Impossible Dream, that team built up hope.

 

With the 2009 Mets — hope is lost when they announce the starting lineups.

 

Meanwhile across town at “Money Stadium” in The Bronx, the Yankees are in a league of their own.

 

Why?  Because the Yankee general manager went out and signed Sabathia and Teixeira (incredibly the Red Sox did not grab him) and Swisher. Posada incredibly came back from shoulder injury while Andy Pettite amazingly returned to his form of five years ago. What is Andy’s secret? But this may be Pettite’s last hurrah. Of course, I said that last year. You never can tell. Pettite has heart or a pitch no one is talking about. I salute Brian Cashman, the Yankee G.M. for making those moves– but they really lucked out with Pettite and Posada. In fact Posada should be exposed in the post season, because he does have throwing problems. His hitting — unconcious — I have to salute him for having such a great year at the plate.

 

The Yankee success this year  positions them to buy anything they need in the free agent market for next year. They will win for years to come at the “House that New York State Built” in The Bronx.

 

Far be it from me to even think that major league baseball would like nothing better than a Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Yankees World Series to raise last year’s dreadful World Series ratings (lowest of all time) due to the Tampa Bay-Philadelphia Phillies match-up.  How does Manny wind up in L.A.? How does Mark windup in The Bronx? How do the Red Sox let C.C. escape?

 

But why should we even care about major league baseball where the teams love the fans so much they will play games in rain from beginning to end to keep their massive attendance, and keep moving $9 beers.

 

The game has a hold on us.

 

I was at a Yankee game two weeks ago, and the old magic and beauty of “the only game” was still there.

 

I made my peace with it.

 

There’s nothing like The Show.

 

Maybe that’s why it pains me so to see the Mets going through the motions day after day playing zombie ball.

 

They are letting the young fans down.

 

The fans do not deserve that.

 

Hustle. Heart. Desire. Pride – they could at least show that.

 

Mr. Met has a tear in his eye.

 

This is Bull Allen in the Upper Deck, saying so long everybody!

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2009. From the Astorino Campaign. September 30, 2009: Reform Westchester County Executive candidate Rob Astorino (R-I) today announced a multi-pronged plan to create a more open budget process in the County to eliminate waste and help save taxpayers money.  

The Westchester County budget has ballooned by a billion dollars over the past 12 years-from $800 million to $1.8 billion-making county taxpayers the highest taxed people in America.  Mr. Astorino says the budget process itself is partly to blame.

“Westchester has a budget process in dire need of reform,” Mr. Astorino said. “The more than doubling of our budget in the past dozen years has proved that it’s too easy to sneak through pork and waste under the current system. If we want to get serious about reducing the tax burden on Westchester residents, it starts with budget transparency.”

As county executive, Mr. Astorino will:

1. Release the county’s proposed budget by Oct 15-a full month earlier than is done now-to allow greater access to the public, county legislators, the news media, and good government organizations;
   
   
2. Post county invoices, contracts, travel expense forms, and other pertinent documents online for full public viewing; 
    
   
3.  Post external and internal audits online;
   
   
4. Ban campaign contributions from firm or firms auditing the County;
   
   
5. Hold regular Town Hall meetings so that people have better access to the County Executive, and
   
6. Release an annual accounting of County cars.

Mr. Astorino said his open-book policy would make government officials more careful about spending public dollars and far more accountable in their every-day duties. Several states and counties around the nation already are doing this successfully. An example of how it is done in Missouri is provided here: www.mapyourtaxes.mo.gov.

Mr. Astorino’s transparency policy would be in stark contrast to the current administration’s policy of demanding arduous Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests for virtually any document.

“Transparent government is accountable government,” Mr. Astorino said. “The days of secrecy and information road-blocks in Westchester County government end under my administration. ”

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. September29,2009 UPDATED  September 30, 2009 UPDATED WITH CAUSE OCTOBER 1, 2009: The White Plains Fire Department responded to what was reported as a kitchen fire at 14 McBride Avenue Tuesday morning. WPCNR is seeking details from the Department of Public Safety on the incident. WPCNR understands no one was hurt and that the fire began in the kitchen and spread.

Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson told WPCNR the fire was brought under control within 20 minutes.

Thursday morning, Commissioner Jackson reported the cause of the fire as follows: “The cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental caused by combustible material left too close to a light fixture. There was work being done on the house. It was not “under construction.” The accidental fire has not been attributed to the work being done at the residence. “

 

 

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. September 25, 2009: The Common Council tonight heard two suggestions from Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti which they will take up Tuesday afternoon at 6 PM to reinstate curbside leaf pickup that White Plains has enjoyed in the past. The plan under consideration will cut the leaf pick up season off at December 1, and rehire ten full-time workers on a part-time basis and reinstate 7 part-time hires at a cost of $275,000 to execute curbside pickup, as opposed to spending $850,000 to return to the service in place (full curbside leaf pickup by the city) for twenty five years.

 

The Council  learned from its Commissioner of Finance that the city was looking at a $3.8 Million shortfall in the current 2009-10 budget at this time, but that it was early in the year, and a rebound in the second quarter could tell a different story financially. The council.set a public hearing on the sale of 4 Cromwell Place; transferred $2,0000 to specific Police, Fire, CSEA and Teamsters, and Benefits accounts; entertained a request by the owner of 1133 Westchester Avenue for a 3 year site plan extension. It also had an executive sesson on a series of small property certiorari settlements, the amount of which was not disclosed.

 

Commissioner of Public Works Nicoletti told the CitzeNetReporter the full-time workers tentatively to be  hired back on a part-time basis would be paid Civil Service wages. The part-time hires would be hired at a regular hourly rate. He said if the Council agreed to the plan, he thought he could hire the full-time workers needed for a shortened 7-week pickup season, scheduled to begin October 13 and end December 1.The workers hired back to work full-time would be laid off at the end of the leaf season. Nicoletti said he needed Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy’s approval to do this.

 

The council all agreed it was a good idea to go to the bagging system eventually, but due to what Dennis Power said was the strongest reaction on any issue he had received in his twenty years memory as Council member in the early 90s and the last three years, and what Thomas Roach described as an issue where he has  taken some 40 calls, the council (Mr. Power, and Mr. Roach particularly) felt they needed to do a better job of educating the public over the next year to be ready for bagging next fall. Dennis Power and Tom Roach, the councilmen agreed this could be a solution to the public outcry, with a minimum expenditure. The council and the Mayor agreed to return to action Tuesday afternoon at 6 to make the leaf decision.

 

It was also made clear to WPCNR by Mr. Nicoletti that residents could not dump leaves in the roadways of White Plains because it violated the city’s ordinance against “blocking the road.” He did not know what the fine was. If the Council adapts the $275,000-cost, short leaf pickup season Tuesday, bagging would not be required.  About 500 bags have been sold to residents at the Department of Public Works Gedney dump. No refund policy was discussed.

 

WPCNR cautions readers this was a solution in flux, scheduled for further discussion and possible action Tuesday at 6

 

Deficit Budget Pegged at $3.8 Million at this time.

 

In other action, Commissioner of Finance, Gina Cuneo Harwood, said the city was facing $3.8 Million of red ink in the current 2009-2010 budget at this time. She said reports of a $6 Million deficit (based on the first two sales tax collection figures) were premature, saying it was too early to tell the trend. She said if the second quarter rebounded the 11.6% decline in sales tax collections could be reversed.

 

“It’s too early in the fiscal year to do much forecasting,” she said. “We won’t see trends until the second quarter.”

 

She attributed the fall-off to the loss of Filene’s (last August), Fortunoff (last spring), and Circuit City (also last spring).

 

 

 She said she felt sales tax would come in at $45 Million, $2.3 million shy of the 2009-10 forecast. ($47.3 Million was budgeted for 09-10 sales tax collections.)  “We don’t have real actuals (at this time) for the first quarter,”  that hard numbers would be in for Quarter 1 October 23. The Mayor observed the city has an opportunity to fill the vacant space before the end of the year.

 

Harwood  did reveal that county reports Septmenber Mortgage Tax down 56%  September to September,from $1.3 Million in September 08, to $626,000 this September leaving the city $1 Million off forecast there unless housing sales picked up. Building permits were off $600,000. Parking Department revenues were 10% off so far, and projecting at $18 Million instead of the budgeted $19 Million,

 

Hotel Tax was projected based on the number of hotels in the city which appeared larger than expected as bringing in $400,000 to $500,000.

 

 

Expenses she said were as budgeted, “no surprises.”

 

This adds up to about an $3.8 Million off the expected revenues:

 

-$2.3M Sales Tax

-$1   M Mortgage Tax

-$1   M  Parking

+ $500,000 Hotel Tax

_________________________

 

$3.8 Million Running Deficit

 

Harwood said there would be no increase in the pension contribution in the 09-10 budget year, but did say there would be one in 2010-11, as reported by WPCNR earlier this week. She did not project what that increase might be, though it should be 11.9% for New York State Employee Retirement System workers and 14% for Police and Fire employee wages.

 

The Council expressed no suggestions that the current budget must be cut at this time.

 

Kensington to begin construction first of year.

 

Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning brought good news on the Kensington assisted living project, as the council set a public hearing at the October 5 Common Council meeting to designate 4 Cromwell Place as desinated developer of that lot.

 

She said the last hurdles had been met, that Kensington LLC had the Department of Housing and Urban Development backing for insuring their loans, and had secured a Construction Manager and submitted a construction plan, with construction beginning in the new year coming up.

 

Benjamin Boykin told WPCNR that the buyers of 4 Cromwell Place paid the city $1.7 Million for the property, which the city had purchased from Westchester Legal Aid Society for $2.9 Million to facilitate building of the recently opened (2008) Longview Avenue garage to provide parking for White Plains Hospital Medical Center and the Kensington Assisted Living Project.

 

Robert Weisz Requests 3 Year Site Plain Extension

Because of Financial Market.,

 

Robert Weisz asked the Common Council for a 3 year site plan renewal of his planned hotel and office building addition to his 1133 Westchester Avenue property approved last year. Weisz said it would help him two ways: giving him enough time to obtain financing in a credit market he told the council was beginning to loosen but was still taking babysteps. Weisz said he had recently refinanced loans for $120,000.  He also said it would give him better negotiating ability with hotels and businesses be allowing him a three year window to allow for a company to analyze and approve any possible deal.

 

Rita Malmud worried that this might be precedent setting. Thomas Roach said that the council should preserve its right to be discretionary and explore longer term site plan windows depending on the client. Benjamin Boykin agreed that the council should look at granting longer than one year site plans in the future.

 

The Weisz request coincidentally comes three weeks after the Common Council gave White Plains Hospital Medical Center  a five year site plan approval to get the hospital campus makeover under way for similar financial reasons.

 

Surprising the Mayor

 

The council surprised the Mayor be introducing amendments to a resolution that specifies where $2 Million being transferred from the Reserve for  Financing was to go in the General Fund in the 2009-10 budget. The Mayor and Councilman Glen Hockley voted to table the amendments. The Mayor’s motion to table, because he had not studied the resolution or been informed of it by Mr. Boykin,  was defeated by  the votes Mr. Boykin, Mr. Roach, Mr. Power, Ms. Milagros Lecuona and Ms. Malamud. The Council then voted by the same 5-2 to transfer the $2 Million specifically to Police, Fire, CSEA, Teamster and Benefits accounts.  The reason for the transfer was not explained by Mr. Boykin.

 

Just be coincidence, if binding arbitration, currently underway with the police and fire unions results in a 4% wage settlement across the four city unions mentioned in the transfer, that would cost the city $2,340,502  in retroactive pay for 2009-2010. The transfer apparently would cover most of that.

 

The  Mayor was laughing in indignation saying, “for the last 12 years I’ve heard I need more time to study (from the Council).”

 

Surprising the Mayor II.

 

Mr. Boykin then introduced three more resolutions. The Mayor declined to accept them. (In order to introduce a resolution for the first time at a council meeting, it has to unanimous.) Mr. Boyking then called for a special meeting for 8:30 A.M. Friday morning to take up the resolutions

 

The Resolutions transferred $70,000 from the Library Fund Reserve to Retroactive Payments for Fiscal Year 2008-09 liabilities; $50,000 from the Water Fund Reserve to retroactive payments to the waterfund in Fiscal Year 2008-2009; and $5,000 from the Self Insurance Fund Reserve  to the Self Insurance Fund for retroactive payments to record accrued liabilities for Fiscal Year 2008-2009.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. September 23, 2009: The Common Council will meet in a special meeting Thursday night at 6 P.M.

Items of interest are a presentation by the Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti on how curbside pickup of unbagged leaves might be achieved, as well as “backyard pickup” that some homes enjoy but others do not; plus an Executive Session on a new round of certiorari settlements; discussion of the city financial position;  the status of the Kensington Assisted Living Facility on Longview and Maple and its pursuit of HUD insurance (now nine months late); and a matter involving 1133 Westchester Avenue.

The sale of 4 Cromwell Place to a medical organization is on the agenda, too. The complete agenda follows:

1.                  Communication from the Mayor in relation to an extension of benefits to employees who were called to duty as a result of Executive Order 13223.

 

2.                              Ordinance amending an ordinance entitled, “An ordinance granting compensatory benefits for up to six months to City Officers and Employees who are members of the Armed Forces Reserves and who are ordered to active military duty pursuant to Executive Order 13223 signed by the President of the United States on September 13, 2001, or other duty compelled by Federal or State Law related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001″.

 

RESOLUTION:

 

3.                  Communication from Acting Budget Director in relation to the transfer of funds from Reserve for Financing General Fund to various accounts to record accrued liabilities.

 

4.                              Resolution authorizing transfer of funds from Code No. A002-9.990, Reserve for Financing General Fund to various accounts to record accrued liabilities.

 

 

5.                  Communication from Executive Director, Urban Renewal Agency, in relation to the sponsor designation for acquisition and redevelopment of the reconfigured 4 Cromwell Place located in the East Post Road Phase II Urban Renewal Project, Project No. WPUR-9B.

 

6.                              Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains scheduling a public hearing for October 5, 2009 before the Common Council on the designation of 4 Cromwell Place, LLC, as qualified and eligible sponsor for the redevelopment of the reconfigured 4 Cromwell Place in the East Post Road Phase II Urban Renewal Project, Project No. WPUR-9B.

 

 

7.                  Communication from the City Clerk in relation to a request submitted by Candlewood Restaurant Group LLC, d/b/a Atlanta Bread Company Bakery-Café, located at 220 Main Street, for a waiver of the 30 day notification period required under New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law for the renewal of a liquor license.

 

8.                              Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains waiving the thirty (30) day notification requirement set forth in Section 64(2)(a) of the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law in regard to an application submitted by the Candlewood Restaurant Group, LLC, d/b/a Atlanta Bread Company Bakery-Café, located at 220Main Street for a renewal of its license to sell alcoholic Beverages. 

 

 

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:

 

9.                  White Plains Kensington LLC.

 

10.             1133 Westchester Avenue.

 

11.             Financial Status.

 

12.             Sanitation Schedule.

 

13.              Entertainment of a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing various tax certiorari.