Register for School Board Election this Saturday, May 1. One New Candidate.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education, and WPCNR. April 26, 2004: Registration for the White Plains Board of Education Annual Election and Budget Vote will take place on Saturday, May 1st, Noon to 5 P.M., at Mamaroneck Avenue School, Nosband Avenue.  A registrant must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or more, and a White Plains resident for at least 30 days prior to the election on May 18th.  If a resident has voted in a General Election in the past four years, he is automatically registered and need not re-register.


Voters who have moved within the City of White Plains since the last election may also re-register at this time.For further information contact the District Clerk at 422-2071.


WPCNR has also learned that there is one new candidate collecting signatures for the Board of Education seat to  run with Michelle Tratoros, (present member of the Board). Susan Kirkpatrick, presently a member of the Board of Education is not going to run for reelection. If no one else submits a petition, Ms. Tratoros and the new, as yet unidentified citizen, will automatically be assured of being elected to the Board of Education.


 


           

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White Plains Photographs of the Day: A Cherry Blossom Festival Portfolio

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. April 26, 2004, UPDATED WITH MORE PHOTOS 10:45 A.M. E.D.T.: Today’s POTDS are of the White Plains Cherry Blossom Festival, held yesterday in an overcast drizzle,  submitted by  frequent WPCNR contributor, the photographically insightful Terry Popiel. Here is a series of the sights of this annual Japanese ancient tradition.



CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME By Terri Popiel, The WPCNR Roving Photographer.



TIBBETTS PARK. By Terri Popiel



Ceremonial Rites. By Terri Popiel



Kimonos of Splendor  By Terri Popiel



TULIPS VS. CHERRY BLOSSOMS By Terri Popiel


 



Honorable Ritual. By Terri Popiel



Shogun Demonstration. By Terri Popiel



Glory Shot. By Terri Popiel



RITE OF SPRING. By Terri Popiel

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Tree Health Ignored Says Feiner.

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WPCNR’S FEINER REPORT. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. April 26, 2004: The recent tree  tragedy on the Saw Mill River Parkway highlights the need for the state, county and local governments to be more aggressive re: examining trees that are in danger of falling. It’s impossible for any government to guarantee that no tree will fall down  and it’s probably impossible for any government to inspect every tree within ones borders. However, government can be proactive- we can take proactive actions to reduce the risks. The Town of Greenburgh has appropriated funds in our budget for the removal of hazardous trees. And, we recently sent out a Request for Proposals for consulting services within unincorporated Greenburgh. The Town contains over 130 linear miles of roadway and public transportation corridors and over 400 acres of parkland. 19 square miles comprise the unincorporated area of Greenburgh.


  Please note over 20 companies received the Triage Tree Assessment RFP and only one submitted a proposal.  We were very specific and did not want fly by night companies responding.


 The Town of Greenburgh this spring, plans to retain professional services to compliment the existing work force who presently exam trees located in town parkland and along transportation corridors in the unincorporated areas of the Town of Greenburgh.  The consultant is to provide 60 days (480 hours) of inspection services that is to include:


 


*  Identify from visual observation potentially hazardous trees located in the Town of Greenburgh and within the land managed by the town.


¨      Conduct additional examinations of individual trees as deemed appropriate.


¨      Document the condition of each tree examined.


¨      Provide a Latitude and Longitude location for each tree requiring remedial work.


¨      Provide a durable tag affixed to each tree requiring work.


¨      Provide a written report at the termination of the fieldwork identifying the specific trees by number and condition and providing an index of severity of observed conditions.


¨      Provide a database of field data to the Town of Greenburgh at the termination of fieldwork.


¨      Provide a file of point data identifying each tree in a format compatible with AutoCAD Land Development Desktop software for incorporation within the Town of Greenburgh GIS.


The latitude and longitude will be collected via the Global Positioning System.  This will be utilized in collecting data in the field and processed for reports.


Note no tree survey or evaluation can answer all questions.  Trees are complex organisms living in complex environments.  Efforts by the consultant and town will be made to locate and identify trees within the designated areas that pose a recognizable threat.  Trees examined will be those that exceed 12 inches in diameter as measured at 4.5 feet above grade and that have visible external symptoms warranting additional investigation at the time of initial examination.


 



Tree inspection is ongoing and it will take years to thoroughly inspect all the trees.  It is my opinion that we have been taking positive steps the last few years and this is another positive step in removing or pruning hazardous trees. 


PAUL FEINER

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White Plains Man Rescues Driver from Flipped SUV.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. April 25, 2004:  White Plains man Rob Tamboia was chauffering a couple home through White Plains Friday night heading northbound on Mamaroneck Avenue at Gedney Way when a southbound SUV ahead of him went out of control and flipped over on its roof.


Ron pulled to a stop, raced to the hapless vehicle to see if he could help the driver who was conscious out of the car.Seeing the driver trapped inside, and not knowing if the vehichle would explode in flames any minute, Tamboia went to his own car, pulled out a jack. Tamboia said the van was on its roof, and because the door to the SUV curved up onto the roof, they could not be opened.


Ron used his jack to smash the front door window and help the injured driver out of the car. White Plains Police and a fire truck and ambulance arrived moments later.

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White Plains Photograph of the Day

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. By the White Plains Roving Photographer. April 25, 2004: The Sunday Photograph of the Day shows the action in the White Plains Little League Senior Girls Divison at White Plains High School where parents watched the Delfino’s Angels-sponsored Mets even their series with The Sports Authority’s Yankees, 5-2 in the second straight well-pitched game. Kate Smayda stares in to get the sign while Maraid McGovern leads from second. Meanwhile, an enterprising party enjoys a picnic with table cloth and buffet in the “Skybox” down the right field line.



FOLLOWING THE SOFTBALL SUN. By TheWPCNR Roving Photographer.


 

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Westchester’s Stars on Ice Skate in High Style.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. April 24, 2004: The City of Yonkers Department of Parks, Recre4ation and Conservation with the Yonkers Figure Skating Club “iced” their annual Figure Skating Show,  Broadway Show Stoppers Friday, Saturday and Sunday, entertaining an admiring audience at Murray’s Skating Rink with a well-paced and skillful series of solo performances and group numbers . The highlight was a spectacular staging of Tony and Tina’s Wedding on ice with Wedding Cake, bride, (the first time a wedding dress has been worn in a skating program) and every fabulous Italian love song. Solos of elegant complexity were interpreted divinely by  skaters from all over Westchester County, including Aly and Matty Salinger and Juliana Bailey of White Plains.  The rink runs quality programs, generates community spirit and it makes money. The Skating Center is perhaps the best run operation the City of Yonkers conducts, and it does not ask the state for $500 million on a monthly basis.



WESTCHESTER’S FINEST SOLOISTS appear for the final time Sunday at 3 at Yonkers E.J. Murray Ice Skating Center.  Left to Right are: Jessica Morgan, Patricia Gambardella, Mary Halling,  Mattie Salonger, Nicole Muccio, Juliana Bailey, Aly Salonger, Alexandra Kaplan,  Alyssa Budilius, Sarah Zanolli, and Melody Fernandez. Photo by WPCNR Sports


 



A Sylvia Muccio Spectacular: The Wedding Party in the Tony and Tina’s Wedding Extravaganza, produced and choreographed by Sylvia Muccio, the ice show’s producer, saying so long to the audience at Murray’s Skating Rink in Yonkers Friday night, after their bring down the house number. Photo by WPCNR Sports



ALL SMILES AFTER OPENING NIGHT: Solists celebrate after their glorious performances Friday night.  Left to right are White Plains’ Mattie and Aly Salonger, Tarrytown’s Nicole Muccio, Juliana Bailey of White Plains, Alexandra Kaplan of Riverdale  and Melody Fernandez of Yonkers. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

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Council Likes Payment in Lieu of Units for Condo Affordable Housing Share

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. April 22, 2004: After a long presentation by Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, outlining an Affordable Home Ownership program that would require developers of condominiums to kick in cash instead of actual living units for affordable housing, the council got into heated debate over whether the city should make available more units for affordable housing, or create supplemental subsidies to enable residents to purchase their own condominiums and coops, or even land.


As the meeting closed, the Council agreed that developers of condominiums should be required to make a cash payment, not make available units,  and conceded that they had to set a rate or fee per unit that future condo developers would have to pay.


Action would be delayed on the legislation until  City Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy wrote a legal memorandium outlining the legal pitfalls and limites involved in requiring  what Mr. Dunphy described to WPCNR as “Impact Payments.”


Louis Cappelli, who will be required on his 700 condominums to pay $1,050,000 for that cash payment noted that the city could turn that into $10,000,000 of mortgage leverage to help persons afford homes. Cappelli also said that if the city required payments of $150,000 a unit, that this was “a fantasy,” sayin no developer would consider that.


It was also reported by Susan Habel that the city is having more difficulty than expected in finding renters who are able to meet the credit requirements of owners on the affordable rental housing units being made available. Habel said that families of four making $74,400 (80% of median income) had more credit history problems than the city expected. Those that are being rejected by owners are being referred for credit counseling to aid them in presenting a more acceptable credit profile to owners. Habel said the city is working with those rejected for credit problems.


George Gretsas said that approximately 20% of affordable rental units have been rented so far. Susan Habel said she would get the exact number for WPCNR, but she did not have the numbers because they change daily.


Gretsas cautioned the Common Council not to get hung up and demanding too much payment for affordable housing of developers, pointing out that the city has built more affordable housing than any other community in Westchester County. Gretsas cautioned the Council “not to lose perspective.” He told WPCNR the city has built 200 affordable units of housing since 1997. Prior to that the city had built only one apartment building in 9 years and that was The Seasons, which was a luxury building.

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Trump-i-Tect Unveils Cappelli Hotel Design. Approval In June. No Hotel Signed.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. April 22, 2004: Costas Kondylis, the urban archectural legend, and Donald Trump’s high rise architect of choice, made a personal appearance Thursday evening to present the latest enchancements to the Cappelli Hotel Condoplex planned for Main Street. During the meeting, the Council saw Mr. Kondylis new “blue crystals,” as he called it, design for the Cappelli Three Towers on Main Street. The Council viewed Mr. Kondylis’ ground level solution for Main Street “open space,” that he said, provides a European open space ambience along Main Street showcasing Grace Church and the old Reporter Dispatch building.


At the conclusion of the evening, Councilperson Rita Malmud asked Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer, for a letter indicating he had a hotel concern under contract. Mr. Cappelli said he did not, but he was negotiating with two hotel chains at this time. Cappelli said the hotel was originally designed for a Westin. Asked who the two chains were by WPCNR,  if one of them could be the Super Boss,  Donald Trump, (who has toured Cappelli’s Main Street site has been known to build hotels and condominiums), Mr. Cappelli playfully said WPCNR has Trump on its mind, and that WPCNR had been “Trumpisized.”



THE TRUMP-I-TECT:  Costas Kondylis, designer of Trump Tower, talks of the white, light blue, and dark blue glass that will highlight the three “blue crystals” of the Cappelli Three Towers on Main Street. Photo by WPCNR News



MAIN STREET AMBIENCE: Grace Church and the Reporter Dispatch Building would be naturally showcased by a diagonal cutback revealing Grace Church in the detailed Main Street side design unvieled by Mr. Kondylis Thursday evening. A single column would support the corner of the hotel and condominium tower. Pedestrians walking along the curved setback would gradually see the Church and Dispatch building revealed as they walked East on Main Street (top rendering). Photo by WPCNR News.


Over the next month, Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel said, the Cappelli organization would tighten up and coordinate the site plans based on the comments the Commissioners and Department Heads and various city boards submitted on the plans. This would allow the council sufficient time to see coordinated site plans in anticipation of approval in June, not at the May 3 meeting as originally requested by Mr. Cappelli.


Cappelli said this was not a problem, because the Longhitanos whom Cappelli is puchasing the Bar Building annex from, are getting approval to subdivide their property at this time, having just submitted it, he said. “We’re o.k.,”  Cappelli said. Asked by WPCNR if he was negotiating on the Bar Building now, Cappelli said flatly there were no negotiations and that a “friendly silence” described the relationship between the two rival developers.


Design renderings for the Church Street side of the hotel (the main entrance) had not been completed yet and were forthcoming.


Kondylis said a landscape architect had been hired to create planting and open space design on the Church Street side. Bruce Berg, Louis Cappelli’s right hand man, said 23% of open space had been provided “on the ground” as requested by the Common Council.


Tom Roach chaired the meeting while Mayor Joseph Delfino was vacationing in Rumania, George Gretsas, the Mayor’s right hand man said.


 


 


 

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Sculpture Garden Planned to Encircle White Plains Public Library. Artists Donate

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS ART NEWS. April 22, 2004: Commissioner of Recreation and Parks Arne Abramowitz introduced a pilot program featuring works of contemporary sculptors that would introduce a Sculpture Garden encircling three sides of the White Plains Public Library at the Common Council Special Meeting Thursday night.



SURROUNDED BY ART: Abramowitz said the program would be piloted for one year beginning in September with 15 sculptures selected by the New York Sculptors Guild and provided by the artists at no cost to the city. Photo by WPCNR Art News


Abramowitz said a color catalog presenting the artists and describing the works would be prepared for the public.   The statues would be displayed on squares about the Library, would be underwritten by Eli Schonberger, and other arts organizations. The city, he said would undertake a liability policy which also would be underwritten by the arts groups sponsoring the program. Asked if the artists would give a commission on any works sold through the year’s display in White Plains, Mr. Abramowitz said they would not.



THUMBNAILS of Sculptures selected to bedisplayed in the squares surrounding the White Plains Library beginning September. Photo by WPCNR Art News.

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WHITE PLAINS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY

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WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. April 22, 2004: The Roving Photographer has not been roving of late, but could not resist this shot of Tibbetts Park on North Broadway where the Cherry Blossom Festival sponsored by the White Plains Beautification Society will take place this Sunday, featuring artists and atractions celebrating of course the coming out of the cherry trees on the tranquil median on White Plains broadest, most famous boulevard.



CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL By The WPCNR Roving Photographer


 

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