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.

Hits: 0

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. September 20, 2007: Ray Mitchell ground through the line on second and 1 on the Tiger 34 on the first play of the 4th quarter, carrying Maroon-clad Raiders on his back, shrugging them off, twisting, turning powering out of their grasp busting through twin safeties at the 45 into daylight! And the race was on, but they weren’t going to get him. Mitchell, lengthening his stride stepping into high outran his pursuers producing a deafening roar from the crowd of some 100 White Plains fans that it sounded like the Big House. Mitchell’s TD was the second run Ray made to set up a Tiger score, to make it 14-0 with eleven and a half minutes to go in the contest.

The Tigers held on to win 21-7 at Dunn Field in Scarsdale, in gathering darkness to move their record to 2-1 and upend Scarsdale in a game the Tigers thoroughly dominated. After Scarsdale, after a lengthy injury delay, scored to make it 14-7, with 4 minutes to play, their onside kick was recovered by White Plains, and the Tigers added another 27 yard long touchdown run by Mitchell to make  the final score 21-7.

Ray Mitchell, hanging slightly back, about to set up a TD (Center of action) following James Bryant about ready to throw a key block that would spring The Rayman  at 3rd and 10 from the 39 for a 24 yard run to the 15 yard line to set up the first Tiger Touchdown in the second quarter

Savaughn Green stopped at the 1 yard line on a 4th and 7 from the Scarsdale 13. after he took a Mike Howard snap pass to the sideline and tight-roped down the sidelinefor the key first down to set up the Tiger first score at the 10 minute mark of the Second Quarter. The Tigers had had a touch down called back due to a holding penalty, and Savaugn’s reception and run rescued the drive. William DoSantos scored on the next play on a “fullback blast” up the gut on first and goal from the 6 bulldozing into the endzone. 

Only personal foul penalties which stalled two drives and a false start that nullified an opportunity in the red zone kept the Tigers from scoring more. The Red Raiders just did not take care of the football today, or perhaps it was the Tiger hunger for the ball, as the Raider quarterback fumbled four times in the first half and the Raiders were unable to mount any sustained drives until the 4th quarter. By the second half the Tigers were moving the ball at will through the Raider line.

The Tigers chewed up six minutes of the third quarter with James Bryant  and Mitchell carrying steadily up the middle, defending a 7-0 lead at halftime. The quarter was highlighted by a beautiful back-to-ball interception of a Raider pass on third down at the Tiger 25 by defensive back John Briggs. The Tigers then stopped Scarsdale on downs when they got the ball back on the Tigers first play with Savaugn Green and Mike Howard making great stops on attempted sweeps. The Tigers then mounted a drive culminating in the Mitchell 66 yard cruise. 

The Tigers were penalized for over 100 yards in this contest, otherwise the offense would have scored more.

New Director of the White Plains High School Band, conducts the Best Pep Band in All the Land at halftime…

in Kung Foo Fighting!

Hits: 0

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. September 19, 2007: Louis Cappelli, President of Cappelli Enterprises has struck a deal with the Dimitrakakis family, owners of The Corner Nook Cafe, the 25-year diner institution across the street from City Hal . Peter Dimitrakakis will be compensated for his costs of leaving the Nook for 14 months, with Cappelli agreeing to build a brand-new Corner Nook restaurant into the 8-story 42-unit now luxury apartments he will build to satisfy his 24-unit obligation required under his 221 Main Ritz-Carlton development.

Super Developer Louis Cappelli with his new partners, Peter Dimitrakakis, his wife Antoinnette and daughter at City Hall last night. Mr. Cappelli will put Mr. Dimitrakakis in business at The Nook’s same old stand in  Cappelli’s glamorous affordable housing building shown below. Mr. Cappelli will start the building November 1

The new glass and granite 240 Main Street planned by Mr. Cappelli, new home of The Nook in 14 months –and 24 units of affordable housing to complete Cappelli’s obligation on the 221 Main Ritz Carlton project. View is from City Hall, Trump Tower is in the background.

Cappelli and Dimitrakakis arrived at an understanding where the Nook owners could return to their present location after Cappelli’s glass and granite building is completed by December 31 of next year. In return the council indicated to Mr. Cappelli they would grant him a 4-month extension tacked on to the August 8, 2008 deadline when his 24 units have to be turned over to the city, in order for him to get a Certificate of Occupancy for the second office/residential tower in the Ritz-Carlton complex. Details of the financial arrangement were not disclosed.

Cappelli and the owners were present as the Super Developer explained to the Common Council that he and Dimitrakakis were thrown into a circumstance where Cappelli’s obligation to build the affordables lapsed back to him after Martin Ginsburg’s Pinnacle project expired. Ginsburg was to have built the units for Cappelli.

Council PresidentRita Malmud having listened to Mr. Cappelli’s announcement of the deal and the shortened 4-month extension request, gave her blessing to the deal that will enable Cappelli 14 months to execute the 8-story building.

The Super Developer has redesigned the exterior into a granite and glass upscale building perhaps the ritzy-est affordable housing building ever.  He said the building would be luxury on the interior,too with granite countertops and upscale kitchens and appointments. Malmud said the exterior was an improvement and she saw no objection to granting the extension. Cappelli had originally wanted a one year extension. No reason was given why he cut the time he had originally said he needed. 

Councilmen Power and Boykin, who were cool to any extension last night, did not comment on the extension. The matter will come before the council in October, and the plans were referred out to the various departments. Cappelli said he’d be demolitioning the present building November 1, and that he already had building permits and demolition permits, and the paper work.

The Super Developer told WPCNR last week  he was moved by a crusading column by Journal News columnist Phil Reisman, pointing out the Dimitrakakis’ plight, and decided he would attempt to find a way he could build his affordable housing commitment to the city, and save the Nook and keep it in business. He said he had suffered much bad press lately over the subject and he did not want to be perceived as the bad guy.

Hits: 0

COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. September 19, 2007: Councilmembers Benjamin Boykin and Dennis Power turned a cold shoulder to Super Developer Louis Cappelli’s e-mail circulated offer to Council President Rita Malmud last week. Cappelli offered to keep everybody’s favorite diner, The Corner Nook in business and find them a new location, if the council would extend his deadline to provide affordable housing units at the Nook site, which he needs to build and finish to open the second tower of his Ritz-Carlton Westchester complex

Will the Council put The Nook First? Cappelli’s Extension Plea to Keep the Nook in business needs 4 Councilpersons for approva.

Cappelli has pointed out that the only reason The Nook must go is because he has to demolish it starting November 1  to build the Affordable Housing he owes by August 8, 2008 to open his second residential/office tower. Cappelli is planning on moving his Valhalla headquarters to that tower.

In discussing Mr. Boykin’s new philosophy of White Plains having “the right development at the right time,” WPCNR queried Boykin as to whether the Council would consider Louis Cappelli’s request for an extension of the time Cappelli had to complete his affordable housing of 41 units at 240 Main Street, so Mr. Cappelli could keep The Corner Nook in business and find the sentimental diner a new place in White Plains.

Boykin hedged, saying, “We are looking forward to the affordable housing that is owed to us by the owner of 221.”

WPCNR gently suggested that Cappelli had made an offer through an e-mail to Rita Malmud, and would the Council consider the extension to Cappelli to save the Dimitrakakis’ family’s livelihood. Boykin was steadfast, “I’ve seen the e-mail, I’ll have no response to that other than to say the developer owes us 41 units of housing and we look forward to getting that getting the housing in the very near future.”

WPCNR persisted for an answer, “So you don’t know whether you’ll entertain it or not?”

Boykin repeated “We look forward to getting the housing in the very near future.”

“That’s a no? ” I asked striving for clarification.

“He owes us 41 units of housing, there’s been no change to that,” Boykin said.

 CNR politely noted there was an offer on the table, “Whether or not you extend him (Cappelli) or not, that’s his offer.”

Boykin said, “We do not entertain anything (meaning Cappelli’s offer) unless it comes through the legislative process.”

I asked what Mr. Cappelli has to do.

“Does he (Mr. Cappelli) have to file an amendment , legislation or something (before you’ll — the council will consider it)?”

Boykin: “That’s part of what the process would be.”

WPCNR followed up, “So you expect a formal declaration from his…?”

Boykin thundered, “I will not entertain any extension of Cappelli. We’re looking for the 41 units of housing, period. End of story.”

4 for  the Nook

Now that Councilman Arnold Bernstein is a lame duck Councilman until December 31 the Mayor, Bernstein and Councilman Glen Hockley could conceivably vote the extension, and it would take either Ms. Malmud, Mr. Boykin, Mr. Roach or Mr. Power to be the compassionate swingman to keep The Nook in business, without a break while Cappelli, as he said he would, worked with the Nook to find him another place.

Hits: 0

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. Post Election Reaction. Gathered by The CitizeNetReporter.  September 19, 2007: Post triumph interviews at Dunne’s Pub , Democrat Headquarters, by WPCNR with Nominees-elect Milagros Lecuona and Dennis Power yielded promises that the council was going to be slowing down and taking a closer look at development and would reassert control over the direction the city takes in the future. When pressed for what their vision of the city is, Power said citizens would be involved extensively in the formulation of that vision and the council would, he hoped, not be building White Plains from now on based on outsider’s desires to build what they want in White Plains. 

 Milagros Lecuona  and Dennis Power, victors in the Democrat Primary in White Plains last night,  together voiced  the hope that the Democrats’ “Vision for White Plains” and that the concept of “Balanced Development” would evolve. Lecuona said she was going focus hard on development with her professional expertise in architure and planning.

I asked Milagros Lecuona what she hoped to do to prepare for the Common Council, (assuming she’s elected in November):

Milagros Lecuona: “Thank you very much for those encouraging words, I hope so.  I don’t think I’m going to be anything different than I have been until now, which is being a professional and working and listening to the people and what they’re needs are, and I am part of it so I am very aware of it all the years I am living in White Plains.  I am going to try and use my professional experience and my involvement in the community for the best of everybody.”

I asked what she felt this vote for her means for the people of White Plains, she added,

ML:  “This vote means a lot for the people of White Plains, this is kind of a referendum on the way the development and the concern for the development of the city is going, and it is the type of work that I am going to be focusing on.”

Asked if she was going to be asking sharp questions of developers touting projects, Lecuona said, “Whatever.”

Dennis Power right on Boykin just 36 votes behind him, with 1,602 votes said, “The people have spoken.”

WPCNR asked him if he thought the election (in November) was in the bag for the trio. ( Power, Lecuona, Boykin, Robert Stackpole, Robert Levine, Anthony Pilla,Cass Cibelli, Augie Zicca and Candyce Corcoran will be contending in the November general city election for the three council seats.)

“Oh no,” Power said, “November 6 is when it’s over, not before. There are a lot of issues to be addressed in the city ofWhite Plains. I think we’ve begun addressing them tonight. The people have spoken in terms of the direction we should be going.”

Power Interprets Direction

CNR encouraged Mr. Power to explain what that direction is: “It’s careful deliberation, responsible consideration of issues, whether it’s development, whether it’s affordable housing, sales tax all those kind of things you have to look at things and make sure we do our due diligence before we just kind of blow it out.”

Power expanded: “ I’m just pleased the people have made a  — or at least the Democrats (about 1,650 of 13,500 registered Democrats) have decided they want to have considerations of the residents come first as opposed to having developers and others design the future ofWhite Plains.  I think this is one of the biggest issues in White Plains this year in that people said you know what we’ve got this conflict, this future of suburbia and urban development. I think we’ve got a thriving downtown. People have said let’s craft a balance between the two, because if not, decisions are going to be made for us and the suburbia that we know will be forever gone. ”

WPCNR asked what does balance mean?

Power said “It (balance) is going to develop over a period of time. It means making careful decisions. It means not making snap decisions, just knee-jerk reactions. It means we have to consider things and that we have to be more in control of things, as opposed to instead of just being dealt and reacting to.”

WPCNR asked Power how is the council going to stay in control of things when you (the council) don’t know what you want to do to the rest of the town, do you agree with the West development for example?

Power fielded that one this way:  ‘What it takes, what it means is that you work listening to the people, involving people in decisions, involving planning groups and not just reacting to decisions about who else wants to develop the city of White Plains. So it’s going to be careful deliberations. It’s going to evolve over the course of time and it’s going to be a lot of good things coming together. It’s not going to be a knee-jerk reaction to what some people want for the City of White Plains. I think basically tonight the people have spoken and they’d like some careful deliberation as to where the vision of White Plains goes.”

 Candyce Corcoran, who gathered 694 votes, who will be on the Conservative Line in the November election vowed, “First I would like to thank the1300 White Plains residents who signed my petitions and those citizens who believed enough in me to come out to vote. As any sports fan knows, they do not call a game at halftime. We still have another half to play in the general election. I graduated from White Plains High School, and we are known as the Tigers. Tigers never give up and quit. The campaign still goes on.”

Arnold Bernstein, finished  fourth and has no line on the November ballot at this time. When WPCNR arrived at his headquarters for postmortem, he had already left the building.

Hits: 0

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey. September 19, 2007: In the giddy atmosphere at Dunne’s Pub after the victory of Benjamin Boykin, Melagros Lecuona and Dennis Power in yesterday’s primary, the Democratic City Committee Chair, Liz Shollenberger, who lead the Democratic City Committee Candidates to prevail over incumbent Councilman Arnold Bernstein and challenger Candyce Corcoran, attributed the  nominees’ across-the-board win to having presented “better candidates with better issues, that’s why we won.”

Benjamin Boykin, leading vote-getter said it was a great victory, and promised a vision for White Plains. Shown, April, 2007.

Shollenberger said her Democratic nominees won “pretty much across the board. ” Bernstein only carried Battle Hill, according to a poll-watcher in that neighborhood. WPCNR asked what these results said to her, she commented, “The result shows we have a strong Democratic people and we’re going to win in November. This is a mandate on these three candidates.” 

Asked if  the party had done anything different to get out the vote,  “No, not really. We did what we could. Everybody worked hard. Everybody got behind our candidates. I hope all Democrats will come behind our Democratic candidates in November.”

Benjamin Boykin the leading vote-getter with 1,638 votes, said, “It was a great victory for the Real Democrats of the City of White Plains. It was a great victory for the people of White Plains, for the future of White Plains.”

Asked what he thought the result said, Boykin noted, “The result says that we have a strong field of outstanding candidates that won a strong race.”

I asked Boykin why he thought the  money barrage of mailings and attacks by the Bernstein camp the last few days leading up to Tuesday’s primary did not work, Boykin said, “It was sleaze money that had no impact because it was untruths and it was too little, too late and we are continuing to focus on the vision of the city of White Plains, and we’re not running a negative campaign but we’re talking about the great things that lie for the future of this city.”

WPCNR encouraged Mr. Boykin to elaborate on what he saw as a “vision of White Plains:”

Boykin said, “The vision for White Plains is smart growth, balanced development,  it’s for open space, including green space downtown. It’s for keeping property taxes low. It’s for having citizens’ input, which means we’re going to have open government.  It means we’ll have integrity in government. And that we’ll continue to keep our property taxes low.”

WPCNR  asked Mr. Boykin how he defined “balanced development:”

“Balanced development is smart growth,” Boykin warmed to the subject, “It means that you do due diligence, that you take your time , that you look at all angles, that you look at the needs of the citizens, and that you make sure development responds to and meets the needs of its citizenry.”

WPCNR queried as to whether balanced development meant one type of building in one section of the city, and another use or project in another part. Boykin said “no, balance has to do with planning, due diligence, and putting the right development in the right place at the right time.”