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 DEVELOPER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. April 22,2009: LCOR presented the new design for their now 582-unit rental housing project  (previously it had been 535 units), Tuesday evening at the Planning Board. Peter Gilpatric, the LCOR executive, said  that financing for the project was currently not forthcoming due to frozen credit markets, but the newly designed project was of interest to potential funding sponsors. He advised the Planning Board that Phase One would be built first which would include the southern 28-story building with seven-story parking garage.

New 28 story Buildings on Bank. Parking Facility behind proposed for 55 Bank Street.

The project will be presented to the Common Council next who would then refer it out to departments, Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel said.  In the new design, the garage portion of the retail-residential complex will be built to the rear of the two-building complex, which fronts on Bank Street.

The new Buildings approaching from Fisher Avenue.

In commenting on a question about the possibility of a hotel being built, Mr. Gilpatric said he did not know when that would happen and there were no immediate prospects due to the present decline in the hotel industry. He also described the present White Plains rental  housingmarkets as in decline with rents being lowered and incentives being offered by landlords to lure and  keep tenants. He said it was a good time to rent an apartment because the rates are lowering.

The View from Battle Hill of the new complex, looking East.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS -THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. APRIL 25, 2009, UPDATED WITH COUNTY EXECUTIVE STATEMENT. April 21, 2009UPDATED 11:40 P.M. E.D.T.: The New York State Public Service Commission approved a 14.3% increase in the Consolidated Edison Delivery Charge portion of consumer electric bills Tuesday in Albany by a 4 to 1 vote.

Friday, Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano reacted to Tuesday’s increase, first reported by WPCNR two weeks ago, with this statement:

The 14.3% increase in Con Ed “infrastructure” charges, when combined with the $198 Million increase in Consolidated Edison assessment decreed by the state legislature to increase revenues in the general fund, will increase the typical Westchester area bill 6.1% according to PSC official testifying today at the approval hearing in Albany. The full increase approved this afternoon is $721.4 Million.

The Public Service Commission Cut Con Edison’s request by $60 Million, requiring them to find an immediate $30 Million in savings to help pay the reduction, and come back for “relief” from Commission if they could not save another $30 Million.

Bob McGee, spokesperson for Con Edision issued this statement to WPCNR late Tuesday evening:

Since most of a customer’s bill is used to pay supply costs and government taxes, it is troubling that the only costs being slashed in today’s PSC decision are the funds used to maintain the system and provide reliable service. 

We will analyze the PSC order when it is issued, but the imposition of further “austerity” in light of the substantial efficiency measures we continue to take strikes us as counter-productive to our efforts to maintain our electric delivery system. 

We are disappointed in the PSC action.  We will continue to seek operational savings wherever it makes sense and to serve our customers.

The effect: For example on April 2, a White Plains electric customer paid $132.67 for 648 kilowatt hours. On May 1, when the new charges will be in effect that bill will rise $9.02 to $140.76, providing Supply Charges stay the same.  On May 2, the rate increase goes into affect. The $9 PSC estimate is line with WPCNR estimates reported two weeks ago.

The 6.1%  overall affect of the decision was said by a PSC analyst, speaking in testimony today in Albany, was the expected affect on the overall customer bill, when the $234 Million Con Edison Assessment charge is added to customers’ bills. The PSC said that 1/3 of half the 2% increase in assessments would be borne by the utility companies and the balance of the increase would be passed along to consumers.

The increased assessment was introduced by Governor David Paterson’s office to create more revenue for the General Fund. The assessment increases Con Ed’s Assessment to $283 Million, up 857% in 2009-10, up from $33 Million this year.  It will raise Westchester and NYC area residents utility bills an as-yet-unspecified amount in a few scant months. The assessment must be paid this year.

Legislature Clandestine Assessment Hike Blindside:857%

PSC Extracts Savings from Con Edision

The PSC decided, from observations of the hearing by WPCNR, to limit the amount of the Delivery Charge rate increase from the $585Million asked for by Consolidated Edison to authorizing only $523.4 Million, requiring that Con Ed execute $60 Million in savings, to make up the difference, rather than by guaranteed the entire rate request. From the hearing observation, it appears Con Edison is required to save $30 Million, and will,if they cannot create $30 more in savings three quarters into the year, have to petition the Commission for “relief,” i.e. an additional surcharge, or rate relief.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VARIETY. From White Plains Public Access Television. April 21, 2009:  Due to system rewiring and design this week, there will be no programming on the public (Verizon 45, Cablevision 76) and government channels (Verizon 47, Cablevision 75) until the evening of Friday, April 23. 

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey April 20, 2009 UPDATED 3:45 P.M. E.D.T:  Four days  after announcing  Hello, Dolly would be postponed exclusively to The New York Times, the news appearing in Saturday’s Times Westchester Section,  and in the paper’s  website, after telling WPCNR nothing had changed with the show or the theatre to WPCNR Friday afternoon, the White Plains Performing Arts Center issued a news release Monday announcing all performances of Hello, Dolly (April 29 to May 17)are cancelled due to financial reasons, without explaining what those financial reasons are, and announced a gala fundraiser for the theatre to be held June 1.

Persons who hold tickets to Hello, Dolly may receive full refund of their tickets or put their purchase of tickets as credit to the fall season, according to the news release,  which the former Executive Producer, apparently without a contract will be putting together. No resigning of Jack W. Batman, the Executive Producer has been announced. The release does not explain how a refund may be obtained.

Calling the theater at 914-328-1600 and pressing Extension10, gets you the general manager of the Theater, Kathy Davison, who is heard in a taped message, telling  the caller that “all ticketholders”  will be receiving a letter “perhaps as soon as today (Monday) explaining the reasons for the postponement, where the White Plains Performing Arts Center goes from here,  and what to do with your Hello, Dolly tickets. ” You are not told on the tape what to do with them.

Calling the box office, the caller receives a message making no reference to the Dolly situation.

WPCNR had learned through sources over a month ago that the show had been cancelled (musicians who had been released from the show), yet the White Plains Performing Arts Center Foundation would not confirm the show was in trouble and was supposedly still going on as of last Friday. Ticketholders were not notified, so imagine their surprise reading about the postponement in The Times Westchester Section Saturday.

In making the announcement, Mr. Batman said, “With the economy faltering and in my effort to be fiscally prudent, it is necessary to step back and re-evaluate our plans so that we may continue to produce the high-quality shows that our audiences have told me they want. We’ve built a lot of momentum over the last two seasons – a very short time by anyone’s reasoning. In order to keep on an upward course, while all around us the ground is shaking, we think it best to re-schedule our production of Hello, Dolly!  I don’t want to cut corners and give our audiences a production that is less than it deserves to be or what they’ve come to expect. New playing dates for Hello, Dolly! will be announced at a later time.”            

The not-for-profit White Plains Performing Arts Center will announce its 2009-2010 season in late May, or early June. Subscriptions go on sale at that time.

Refunds Offered — Plea to Apply to New Season

 “Hello, Dolly! ticket holders will receive full value and may request a refund or apply the unused amount to a new or renewal subscription,” said Mr. Batman, “but it will certainly help our cash flow more if ticket holders apply the amount owed them to a subscription for the new season of Broadway Classics, which we intend to make more affordable than ever as part of our own economic stimulus package.”

      Mr. Batman continued, “Over the past two seasons the White Plains Performing Arts Center has enjoyed extraordinary critical acclaim and audience support, with subscriptions growing with every show and our seven major musical productions on budget and selling well.  But the wobbly economy has recently stepped into a leading role here and we find that our contributed income is not where it should be. As I tell our audiences before nearly every performance, ticket sales only cover 30-35% of our annual operating expenses. Every other dollar needs to be contributed.

 To help us over this little bump in the road, we will be hosting a fundraising event, One Enchanted Evening, on Monday, June 1, 2009 as a benefit for the theatre. Part of the evening’s activities, which also features cocktails, dinner and a silent auction, will be an entertainment featuring some of the stars of the musicals that we’ve produced over the last two years, plus other celebrity appearances. Benefit tickets are on sale now at the box office.”

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Michael Sereda. April 19, 2009:  I just came back from two games at CitiField. I was so furious about the prices and the locations of my seats, I went online to look for criticism of the park. I came across your archived story about the park’s dimensions and seating.

Too late for me, though.

CitiField Catbird Seat. Night Owl’s Eyeview.

(WPCNR wrote:)  However, if you’re in the decks, you are set way back starting well back of the field box level. Not good. This is done to accommodate sky boxes on the mezzaniene levels. If you compare the new ballparks ROK has built, the aim is to create more field level boxes (expensive seats) while stacking the upper decks high, slanted and back away from the foul lines.

When I bought my tickets (Caesar’s Club Gold) and (Promenade Club Gold) I truly believed I would be on top of the action. How wrong I was!! Unfortunately, I did not see your story until the day after my trip, but now am much wiser. I was quite angry when I arrived at the park.

 I drank the Kool-Aid the park’s idolaters have been spouting for months. I thought I was going to Ebbets Field, too. Ha Ha…(I was there once when I was a sprout).

Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field from the Upper Deck.

Just thought I’d pass along a good word. I was the victim of the baseball equivalent of three-card monte.

John, I believe at Shea (Stadium), I was closer at a steeper angle. At Shea, I would sit in the loge reserve. I usually only purchased a single seat. (I go to the games buy myself – from Massachussetts , keep score in a real scorebook. (The programs are expensive and they don’t have enough room to write down all the necessary game data.) At Shea, because I was sitting by myself I usually got great seats. There is always a single seat in most sections.

Anyway, I was reading all the stories about how “intimate” CitiField was. I truly believe this characterization is nonsense. Maybe the price I paid for the tickets got me furious. You’re right. I am paying more for less. At Shea, for $38, I would sit in the loge reserved right near the plate. The CitiField equivalent is no longer affordable at any level.

At CitiField for Wednesday’s game I sat in Level 300 (Caesar’s Club) Section 311, Row 10 and Seat 20. Perhaps not a “bad” seat in an absolute sense, but I paid $150, including “fees” buying directly from Mets online. Photo By Mike Sereda

For  $150 I should be next to the dugout. My view of the scoreboard that has the lineups was cut off. To view the scoreboard completely, I had to leave my seat and walk down the rows. Based on my assumption, those fans, those fans seating farther down the line in the SAME level wouldn’t be able to see it at all. Photo by Mike Sereda

Thursday’s game, I had a seat in the first row of the Upper Deck. Level 400 Section 418, Row 1, Seat 8. $100, including “fees.” I was close to the plate, but high up. Again, the price did not seem fair. Photo by Mike Sereda

View out to Right,  Section 418 Upper Deck. Photo by Mike Sereda

I bought two regular hot dogs, a knish and a small soda, $16.00. Ouch. No one had any salt packets for the knish. There is no way on God’s Green Earth that I’m going to buy any of the designer food. I can’t even imagine those prices.

Parking: I am not cheap, just frugal. I don’t park at Shea/Citi. I drive from my Queens motel and park in the 12-hour municipal lot in Flushing for $4 then hop on the subway. There are all some sort of tricks in this. You can’t do it on a Saturday or a weekday game because all the commuters and shoppers take up the spots. It works great for night games. If I have to go to a Saturday game, I’ll take a NYC Transit bus to Main Street/7 Train (IRT).

The ballpark itself was OK. Good circulation, rest rooms large, enough toilets, clean.

The ads on ballpark sufaces were overwhelming. They are senses’ battering. The owners in the 50s and 60s and 70smade a conscious decision to get rid of ads because they were tacky. Fenway’s green monster had no ads. Now it’s plastered with them. The curren owners, forced by the economies caused by free agency, have put everything up for sale.

From my view on Wednesday and Thursday, there were a fair number of empty seats in those super expensive seats behind the plate on the field. Maybe rich folks don’t want to endure the cold of an April night.

In summary, I feel that I am already paying a premium to see my favorite team (live and in person) because I have to travel down from Massachusetts: four hours of driving one way, gas, tolls, motel room, food not at the ballpark like breakfast and lunch.

As I said to a friend, I’m changing the fan’s chant of “Let’s Go Mets” to the more appropriate “Stick ‘em Up.”

Furiously yours,

Michael  Sereda

Natick MA