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 MAIN & MAMARONECK. January 1, 2007: White Plains attracted a happy crowd of all ages and diversity New Year’s eve to a raucous street-animatingNew Year’s Eve celebration crowned by a rouser of a fireworks display at midnight as the White Plains Ball descended into Renaissance Square. The 40 degree evening attracted large lines at local bars and restaurants and citizens young and old dancing to music in the streets, and was still partying strong at 1 AM, according to witnesses when Times Square in Manhattan was left with nothing but litter.

Renaissance Square in White Plains 12:10 A.M., January 1, 2007! Happy New Year! News 12Video Capture by WPCNR News

 

Hits: 0

WPCNR PULSE. From White Plains Hospital Center. December 30, 2006 UPDATED 8:30 PM EST: Citizens holding Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield health care coverage will be accepted  at White Plains Hospital Center, Lawrence Hospital (Bronxville), Northern Westchester Hospital (Mount Kisco) and Phelps Memorial Hospital (Sleepy Hollow) Monday, ending their fears their Empire health coverage may not be accepted due to contract expiration.  Stellaris Hospital Network announced early Saturday afternoon they have reached agreement with Empire effective January 1.

In a statement, the Stellaris Network said, “We are pleased that the successful outcome (of Empire negotiations) is one which is in the best interest of all concerned. We thank you for your continued support and recognition of the value of Stellaris Hospitals to the citizens of Westchester that we take pride in serving.”

In a news release this evening, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield stated:

 

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement and we will continue to work closely with SHN to support their ongoing mission to provide important services to our members and to the Westchester community,” said Mark Wagar, President, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield.

 

“This agreement will provide Empire’s members with continued access to Westchester’s preeminent network of community hospitals. We look forward to our ongoing relationship with Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield,” said Arthur A. Nizza, President and CEO of Stellaris. 

 

No action is required by Empire members to continue services at any Stellaris Hospital Network hospital facility. Empire members who have additional questions should contact their member service representative at the number on their ID card.

 

Hits: 0

WPCNR COURTSIDE By “Hardwood Bailey” December 29, 2006 UPDATED 10:37 AM December 30, 2006: The White Plains Tigers took over the offensive boards in the third quarter, and Jamell Cromartie and Spencer Smith operated the thing of beauty that is the White Plains 2-3 zone defense, creating 5 key Xaverian turnovers to pace the Tigers to a 10-point lead after three quarters. The Tigers drained clock and never let the Clippers get close in the final 8 minutes, to nail the County Center Slam Dunk Championship, 61-55 over Xaverian High from Brooklyn tonight.  The Tigers strung together the eighth win without a loss against Xaverian, their toughest opponent to date.

THE TIGER “MO” ZONE–CAN’T GET INSIDE IT CAN’T GET OVER IT: Xaverian (DOWN BY 9!)has run down 21 seconds trying to penetrate the Tiger zone, with 2:23 to go in the third quarter. They passed it, threw it around and when Clipper guards tried to drive, Jamell Cromartie(top of key) and Spencer Smith top right of key) picked their pockets  for four easy baskets. The Tigers on the rear guard left to right are Rashad James, Jordan Griffith and Sean Kilpatrick who sealed off the paint. Photos, WPCNR Sports 

All Tournament Team: (L to R) Xaverian’s Brandon Romain and Reggie Davis, and White Plains Tigers, Jamell Cromartie and Rishawn Johnson (who took the boards back from Xaverian in the second and third quarters), and the Tournament Most Valuable Player, Sean Kilpatrick, who scored 27 Thursday evening and 20 tonight, keeping the Tigers in it to win it. 

Tiger Co-Captains, L to R, Jamell Cromartie (12 points, 3 steals, BIG BIG HOOPS), Rishawn “Roadblock” Johnson (13 Bounds, 8 Points, Caretaker of the Glass) and Spencer Smith whose steals highlighted the 15-4 third quarter Tiger TakeOver.  The “Stars of the Game” hold the Slam-Dunk Championship Trophy.

Sean Kilpatrick paced the Tigers with 16 points in the first half, then leant athleticism and muscle to help Rishawn Johnson, Smith and Griffith dominate the offensive boards in the 3rd quarter to stretch a 2-point lead at the half to 10.  Spencer Smith created two key steals in the third quarter, scored 15 overall, and scored the last 6 Tiger points.  Cromartie chipped in with 3 steals in the 3rd quarter and12 points — contributing his usual heartbreaker 2s.

 

Xaverian delivered a wakeup call to the Tigers the first fifteen minutes of the game. The rangy and speedy boys from Brooklyn penetrated and rebounded intensely, getting off strong.

 

Xaverian’s Reggie Smith, Jim Padgett and Brandon Romain dominated the offensive boards in the first quarter getting off to a 9-4 lead in the first 2 minutes of the game. The Tigers picked up 7 fouls in the first five minutes, until Rishawn Johnson rumbled down the lane was fouled and sank two foul shots to cut the deficit to 11-7. Padgett, dominating inside underneath scored five points to give the Clippers an 14-7 lead. Xaverian spread the floor and confused the Tigers with their long passes, but that did not last.

 

Sean Kilpatrick lead the Tigers back with an underhand baseline bucket to make it 14-9 and a backdoor layup to bring the score to 16-11 after one quarter.

 

Three Quarter Court Pressure Confuses.

 

The Tigers warmup jerseys have the word “DEFENSE” emblazoned on the backs. Defense at an other world intensity, brought the Tigers back in the second quarter.

 

Padgett, continuing to dominate underneath got the X-men an 18-11 lead in the first minute of Quarter 2. Tiger Coach Spencer Mayfield, pacing the sideline and exhorting his boys changed up to ¾ court pressure that Xaverian did not handle, while Rishawn, Kilpatrick and Cromartie pestered with finesse the Xaverian ball-handlers who did not handle it well. Kilpatrick penetrated for an 18-13 lead. Jamell Cromartie, unconfronted put up a bullseye 3-pointer from 20 feet with 5:42 to go in the half for a 18-16 deficit and the Tigers were in the X-men’s faces.

 

Rashad James disrupted a dribble by X guard got it to Kilpatrick who tied the score on a layup, 18-18. Xaverian went ahead on Romain’s  one-hander, 20-18 with 4:28 to go. The Tigers tied, a free throw gave Xaverian its last lead 21-20. Rishawn Johnson, the “Roadblock” tied the score on a free throw and at 2:11, Kilpatrick in an acrobatic, dipsey-doodle windmill-and-up layup across the base of the key gave the Tigers the lead 23-21. They were never headed again.

 

Rishawn Johnson, Kilpatrick and Jordan Griffith (The Sixth man) and Rashad James fearlessly and deftly took back the defensive boards and the Tigers took over control of the game going to the break. Rishawn Johnson’s free throw stretched the lead to 24-21.

 

The Killer Shot Specialist, Jamell Cromartie with three X-Men on top of him eclipsing his black uniform, in the paint somehow got up a shot that fell to make the score 26-23 Tigers with 1:35 to go. A long pass from Romain to Padgett cut the lead to 27-25 at the half, White Plains. But this was the last damage Padgett, the big 6-7 Clipper would do. Sean Kilpatrick, on fire, scored 16 in the first half  for White Plains while “The Crow,” Cromartie scored 7.

 

The Tiger Phalanx

 

In a highly entertaining first half where the Clippers were clearly bothered by the cat-like quickness of the Tiger defenders, and lost their poise in pressure, the question was could the Clippers penetrate as they had the first quarter. They could not.

 

Off the inbounds, Jamell Cromartie shot a terrific feed to Johnson to make it 29-25 within the first minute of the second half. The Clippers’ Reggie Davis short one-handed to make it 29-27 and Vince Council weaved his way coast-to-coast down court to tie the score on a layup at 29.

 

Momentum Stopper.

 

On the following sequence  Jamie Blanchard tangled his legs up with “The Roadblock,”  Rishawn Johnson, tripping him and was called for a Technical Foul. This clearly unhinged Xaverian mentally.  Jamell Cromartie made one of the two technicals and White Plains lead 30-29 for good.

 

The technical foul allowed the Tigers to retain possession and The Crow again applied his knack for the Kill Shot, putting in a one-hander from the foul line for a 32-29 lead.

 

X-Men enter The MO-ZONE.

 

The Tigers then set up their 2-3 zone defense and the X-Men could not handle it.  With guards Cromartie and Spencer blocking the passing lanes and the backline of James, Griffith and Kilpatrick guarding the bucket like Patrick Roy’s without pads, the Clipper Guards were intimidated, reluctant to throw passes to cutting big men Padgett and Davis.

 

Cromartie and Spencer Steal the Game.

 

 

A steal lead to an contested layup by Kilpatrick to make it 34-29 with 5 minutes to go in the third quarter.

 

A one-hander by Romain kept pace, but Cromartie pawed away a Clipper dribble and took it to the hoop for a 36-31 lead with 4:20 left in the third.

 

Cromartie again swatted away a tentative dribble to Spencer Smith who took it in for another uncontested layup and it was 38-31 with 3:12 to go.

 

The Clippers trailing now bigtime refused to put up threes or shoot from deep because of Cromartie, Spencer and Rashad James ability to come out and front them in an instant. The Clippers played catch at the perimeter of the zone to the frustration of their coach. A timeout did not improve matters.

 

Scrum: Tigers Dominated Boards in Second Half, getting position, easy layups off steals set up by Cromartie, Smith, Griffith and James.

 

 

Precious seconds ticked away as Xaverian played catch as the Tigers swung left, swung right and adjusted their zone and for some reason Xaverian guards did not attempt penetration.

 

Spencer Smith poked away the ball again to Jamell Cromartie who converted uncontested to extend the Tiger lead to 40-31 with 2:43 left.

 

Finally Padgett penetrated the lane putting up a flying one-hander to bring The X’s to 40-33 at the 2 minute mark. Sean Kilpatrick took another steal from Jordan Griffith and went in all alone for a 42-33 lead at 1:38.

 

Rishawn Johnson, and Rashad James congratulate Spencer Smith on the line, whose defensive intensity, ball-hawking and hustle keyed the big run.

 

Spencer Smith applied the killer steal slapping the ball loose again from a Clipper guard and taking it all the way to hoopsville for a 44-33 advantage White Plains with 1:24 to go. It was an amazing display of a zone that is alive and dangerous – a zone that thanks to the conditioning and superb reflexes of the Tiger guards – actually played like a man-to-man – without risking the foul pressure. At least it did tonight.

 

White Plains outscored Xaverian 17-9 in the third quarter to lead 44-34.

 

4^th Quarter Holds.

 

Rishawn Johnson scored with the first 30 seconds on a stunning move underneath for a 46-34 lead and Spencer Smith picked up another steal to extend the advantage to 48-34.  Joe Ecock canned a three, but Xaverian had no real outside shooting threats to take back the deficit fast. With six minutes to go, White Plains held a 48-39 lead. Rashadd James popped in a one-hander to extend to 50-39 with 5:50 to go. And still the Xaverians did not foul.  Xaverian hung around within 10 points until under the two minute mark. Spencer Smith’s two free throws stretched the lead to 55-45 with a minute to go, while the Tigers whittle down clock.

 

The Tigers (8-0)  play Scarsdale in their next game.

 

Jamie Blanchard  and Chris Doyle Accept Second Place Trophy for Xaverian — “Woithy Advasawies” from Brooklyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hits: 0

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By “Hardwood” Bailey. December 27, 2006: White Plains High survived the pinball rims of the County Center this afternoon, defeating Cardinal Hayes High of The Bronx, 55-46 in their opener of the 2006 Slam Dunk Tournament when nothing was falling except Jamal Cromartie’s free throws which iced the game.

 

“Mr. Elegance,” Sean Kilpatrick(23)  taking a baseline pass from Rashad James (1), has just put up an uncontested backdoor layup to make the score 39-34 in the opening minute of the 4th quarter to give the Tigers the backbreaker bucket. Photos, WPCNR Sports

 

“The Crow” Picks them off — Jamell Cromartie, fouled five times in the 4th quarter sunk 9 of 10 from the line for the final 55-46 margin.

 

The uneasy contest, which waited for someone- anyone to get hot all day turned on  three backdoor plays at the close of the third quarter by Spencer Smith,  Jamell Cromartie and Spencer again with seconds to go staked WP to a 37-34 lead at the three quarter mark. Sean Kilpatrick, missing in action through half the third due to 2 personals in the 1^st quarter, took a  cross court no-look pass from the left point  as he was flying unguarded down the right lane on the backdoor from Rashad James in the first 30 seconds of Quarter 4 to make the lead 39-34 with 7:30 to go in the game.

After two defensive stops creating turnovers by the come and-out-and-get you Tiger Zone, Jordan Griffith, replacing Kilpatrick who fouled out, took a backcourt pass from Cromartie in stride and  drove the lane with a windmill dipsy-doodle layup to make it 41-36, Rashaan Johnson, who was betrayed by the rims all afternoon, drove the paint to sink a layup to make it 43-36 with 5:15 to go, putting the Cardinals in a deep hole.

 

With the Cardinals over the 10-foul limit in a foul-pocked game (40 personals of the ticky-tack variety were called) , the Cardinals kept fouling the best free throw shooter on the planet, Jamel Cromartie who sank 9 of 10 free throws in the Bonus situation to put the contest out of reach.

 

The Cardinals’ three-point eyes were way off, shooting under 40% for the first half and unofficially matching that futility in the second half, putting in only 21 points in the second half.  The Tiger percentage was not better. The ball would not drop today for either team, consistently jouncing around on the livewire County Center rims that reverbed the shots like pinballs.

 

The Tigers allowed a series of uncontested three-pointers by Randy Garcia in the second half to bring Cardinal Hayes to a 25-25 tie at the half. Had the Cardinals’ eyes been on, the Tigers could easily have lost this one.

 

THE TIGERS ‘MOZONE” — Third Quarter Turnover City. Randy Garcia, Hayes long range bomber could not hit 3s and penetrations were collapsed.

 

The Tigers played a more “MOZONE”  coming out and challenging shots to hold Hayes to 9 points, and cause by unofficial count about 5 turnovers in the third alone setting up the late third quarter-early fourth quarter mini-breakout that eased the game out of reach at 43-36.

 

 

The Tigers record moves to 6-0 on the season and they will play Woodlands Thursday afternoon at 4:30 at the County Center as the 2006 Slam Dunk Tournament continues.

 

Woodlands defeated Uniondale of Long Island, 45-36; Xaverian defeated New Rochelle, 53-45 and Pelham downed Lakeland, 46-41. Stepinac defeated Peekskill 73-69.  Stepinac plays Xaverian at 8 PM Thursday, in the winners bracket. Uniondale plays Cardinal Hayes at 11:15 AM and New Ro plays Peekskill at 1 P.M.

Hits: 0

WPCNR WIRED WHITE PLAINS. By Don Hughes. December 27, 2006: White Plains does not have a 3-1-1 service.  That is why our Community  Policing representative – Lt. Kristopher – was so appreciated until he  was reassigned.  He was our entrance into the inner workings of the  city.  You could call him with any problem and he would direct you to the correct resource.  He was, in effect, the city´s 3-1-1 operator.

Obviously, a 3-1-1 service cannot be implemented without the city´s cooperation.  However, there is an ancillary function – service request  input and tracking – that can be implemented as a web site.

As you know, you can dial 9-1-1 to report an emergency.  This is just
one of a number of easy-to-remember three-digit `abbreviated dialing´
telephone numbers which allows access to special services.
Usage is generally assigned as follows:
o211: community services
o311: government services
o411: phone company directory assistance
o511: traffic information
o611: phone company customer service
o711: TDD relay for the deaf
o811: underground public utility location (or phone company
business office)
o911: emergency services
911 and 411 work from nearly every telephone in the U.S. and Canada,
while the others may vary from place to place.  Generally, only 411
calls incur a toll.  911 access is mandated by law, even on lines with
no service (a “soft” dial tone).  611 may also be accessible to
activate service on such lines.

2-1-1 is meant to provide quick information and referrals to health and
human services.  Other community services are provided through 211, but
only if a non-profit organization such as the United Way operates it
locally.

3-1-1 is meant to provide quick, easy-to-remember access to non-
emergency municipal services or a Citizen Service Center.  Dialing this
number allows city residents to obtain important non-emergency services
through a central, an all-purpose phone number quickly and effectively. 
3-1-1 is intended, in part, to divert routine inquiries and non-urgent
community concerns from the emergency 9-1-1 number.  A promotional
website for 3-1-1 in Los Angeles described the distinction as follows:
Burning building?  Call 9-1-1.
Burning Question?  Call 3-1-1.

In cities where 311 has been implemented it is very popular.  In NYC,
for example, their 311 operators handle almost 39,000 calls a day
covering things such as bus information, CFC and Freon removal,
landlord complaints, parking violations and towed vehicles.

The Citizen Service Center concept is so popular because it is
frequently difficult to determine the appropriate agency to contact,
and then to determine their phone number.  In White Plains, for
example, there are multiple departments responsible for paining street
lines.  Noisy construction site – Building Department or Public Safety? 
Tree across the sidewalk – Public Safety or DPW?  Parking ticket?

I have created an EXAMPLE site – 311.wpny.us – to demonstrate the
concept.  The site is limited by my lack of time and money, and is not
as polished as an official city site would be.  Any requests that you
submit will NOT be sent to any city department.  However, I would
really appreciate your help in testing how the concept would work in
White Plains.  Please access the site and enter any unresolved service
request that you may have.  Things such as buckled sidewalks, burnt out
streetlights, potholes, missing street signs, illegal parking,
whatever.  I have seeded the request types with a number of choices,
but if you do not see yours listed, just use the `not listed´ category. 
This will help me flesh out the choices.  If something is confusing, or
broken, or you have a suggestion, send me a note at comments@wpny.us.

So, fire up your browser and enter http://311.wpny.us