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WPCNR Rotunda Report. By John F. Bailey. October 29, 2003: While cooling my heels in the media holding tank at City Hall, better known as the Rotunda, during the la new WPHA headquarters to be built into 225 South Lexington Avenue, to the Design Review Board Monday evening, which he told me will hold a groundbreaking December 12.

 

HOUSING AUTHORITY IN ACTION: Mack Carter told WPCNR about the new atmosphere of tenant pride and purpose blooming in the Authority’s buildings thanks to Housing Authority “building makeovers”, and the installation of a Tenant Watch program in cooperation with the White Plains Department of Public Safety. Photo by WPCNR Newstest Common Council “secret” Executive Session Monday night, I had the pleasure of chatting with Mack Carter, Executive Director of the White Plains Housing Authority. Carter was there to present designs of the

 

Mr. Carter, on board as Executive Director of the Authority for little more than a year, reported that the Housing Authority is reaching out to the buildings they manage throughout  the city to build new bridges of tenant cooperation. In the meetings he has held with tenants, he reports he has received a new spirit of interest and cooperation in bringing Housing Authority buildings  back.

 

He announced that the White Plains Department of Public Safety has agreed to work with a select tenant force creating “Tenant Watches” building-by-building to tighten up the wanderings of unauthorized nonresidents whom Mr. Carter said compromise the buildings’ security.

 

Physical Issues Finally Being Taken Care of if Tenants Take Responsibility.

 

Carter told us that he has held discussions with tenant representatives of  Buildings 11, 159, and 135, and has come to a meeting of the minds with the residents. He said he has taken the position that the Housing Authority will address their concerns about “fixing the infrastructure, the intercom systems, the doors, conducting extermination  requests, cleaning the floors, if, in return, the tenants have control of their building, and take responsibility for it.”

 

“We have established a Tenant Watch,” Carter said, at 11-159 and 135 in the Winbrook complex, “which will have select residents sitting in the lobbies of the buildings, simply to ask questions of persons going and coming  whom they do not recognize as persons who live in their buildings. A majority of the security problems at the complex are caused by persons who do not live there.”

 

Carter reported the White Plains Department of Public Safety is working with the Housing Authority to train residents to make up a Tenant Watch program. He said the members of Tenant Watch will wear yellow jackets with an “Eye” logo to identify themselves. He said Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, David Chong, is aiding in providing training for these persons in terms of legal issues, how to conduct themselves, and procedures in handling situations of concern.

 

Carter said his building at 86 DeKalb already has a Tenant Watch in place and he is very happy with the new atmosphere of security and pride in the building there.

 

“The residents need to be much more vigilant. If we don’t know about it (a dangerous, suspicious situation), we can’t do anything about it,” Carter said, indicating that the Tenant Watch program is an effort to discourage the non-resident influences that he feels create chronic unsafe situations and  in the complex.

 

2 Weeks in Place.

 

Carter reports that it has been two weeks since Building 159 has been participating in the program, and he is very pleased with the new protocols and atmosphere at that building.

 

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. “View from the Sunny Upper Deck” By John “Baseball” Bailey. October 28, 2003: Though Yankee fans are walking around in stunned disbelief at the Bombers’ demise over the weekend, I thought I’d get the perspective of Miami Jack, my brother-in-law, who is an avid Miami fan, and who attended Game Four and Five of the World Series at Pro Player Stadium in The Big Orange.

OPENING NIGHT OF THE 100TH WORLD SERIES Photo by WPCNR Sports

 

Miami Jack is a lifelong sportsfan, married, two children living in Miami Springs. He is a season ticketholder for the Heat, and one of the few Miamians who went to Marlins games before the recent run. Jack has played the game, he coaches his son and daughter quite successfully, and follows the team. He is a passionate and demanding fan. Anyway, we asked MJ what the he felt was the difference between the Marlins and the Yankees on the field.

 

 

Jack said in observing the Bombers-Marlins Games 4 and 5 that the Yankees Lineup seemed “Top Heavy” and “Bottom Light,” without “Good Middle Players,” consisting of “A couple of studs” and then lesser players.

 

He laid the blame on a very light pitching staff. “They’ve got starting pitchers who are way old, no middle relief pitchers, and then Riviera. This was very apparent in Game Five, when Torre used Contreras for the second night in a row. Jack McKeon put two starters in the bullpen for the Cubs series, and that’s why they won. Carl Pavano relieved and was a major factor. The Yankees did not have the quality in middle relief.”

 

Unlike Yankee fans, who are assured that “The Boss” will do whatever it takes to win, regardless of how much it costs, the Marlin Fans are not so secure. They were betrayed once in 1997 by Mr. Video Megabucks, H. Wayne Huizenga, who broke up the ’97 Marlins Championship team on the excuse he could not afford them, and still prosecutes the Marlins with a draconian hold on the Marlins’ lease.

 

 

As Miami Jack explains, however, Mr. Huizinga, still is bleeding the Marlins red. As the man who owns Pro Player Stadium, he retains all concession revenue, all parking revenue, and all skybox revenues, and charges the Marlins rent to boot. This is why the Marlins are running a $20 Million deficit, according to MJ.

 

The answer Jack says is a new ball park for the Marlins that will get them out from under Huizenga’s greedy fingers. Jack says the chances are 50-50 that Miami will spring for a new ballpark, because Miami’s schools are overcrowded, and there are other  priorities crying for attention. Jack reports two sites are under consideration, near the Orange Bowl or along the Miami River downtown.

 

I asked him how Jeffrey Loria, the present Chairman, CEO and Managing General Partner of the Marlins was going to keep the new Champions together, in light of his gutting of the Montreal Expos franchise, which he did prior to purchasing the Marlins with H. Bud Selig’s blessing.

 

Would we see a repeat of the Loria Comanchero ownership in Miami?

 

Miami Jack says that Loria could sign half his free agents who are now eligible.

 

Luis Castillo, Ivan Rodriguez, and Ugueth Urbina, the closer, are free agents.

 

Mike Lowell, the third sacker’ Derrek Lee, the first baseman, and Brad Penny are eligible for artbitration, meaning that if Loria does not sign them, he might trade them to unload any arbitration-enforced salary he deems is too high. It does not look good.

  

The way Miami Jack analyzes it, GM Larry Beinfest, Senior VP and GM, can sign three of them and let three go.

 

Jack suggests Urbina is gone, (“He was a hired gun, anyway, and he makes me nervous.”).

 

“They can let Castillo go, and move Miguel Cabrera back to shortstop or second. They sign Pudge (Rodriguez), Encarnacion  and Lowell, and maybe let Derek Lee go, because they have Conine to take over at first.“

 

The question is will Loria do that? Or will he cry poverty as he did in Montreal?

 

A Yankee fan perspective, mine:

 

Overall, the Marlins caught the Yankees at the end of a run. The Bomber pitching was good enough to win in this Series, but an old pitcher gave out (Wells), and cost them the fifth game, and the hitting was not as patient or selective as the hitters were in the glory years of the 90s.

 

The big boppers did not bop. The gloves were a little slow to the holes, and the Marlins played flawless defense in the infield and outpitched the Yankee hitters. A terrific scouting job by the Marlins.

 

In my opinion, Joe Torre’s going with Jeff Weaver in the Fifth Game with the game on the line, and not running in Manuel Riviera was the turning point of the series, in combination with Aaron Boone’s inability to put the ball in play with the winning run on third with less than 2 out in the 11^th Inning.

 

Then, the decision to bench Alfonso Soriano in Game 5 is unforgivable. Perhaps he isn’t hitting but he has better range than Enrique Wilson who threw the ball away when Jeter did not cover third, and where was the backup at third? Did Dressen bench Gil Hodges in the 50s when he wasn’t hitting in the Series. No. You do not weaken your defense.

 

The 4th Game sticks in any serious fans’ craw: You have to put Riviera in. You have to win that game. It was the “swing” game.

 

By going with Weaver,  based on righty-lefty matchup managerial correctness, Torre made the wrong call. Weaver had not pitched in a month. It was only a matter of time before he missed location. The idea of saving Riviera is ridiculous. Torre did not do that against Boston in the identical situation in Game 7, so why did he depart? He’ll have the rest of his life to secondguess that one.

 

Never mind that the Yankee lineup all season has been inconsistent, showing the slowfooted, plodding 2 bloops and a blast offense of the 1950s Yankees.

 

 Never mind that Aaron Boone has hit worse than Robin Ventura, and played like a statue at third base. (Can we dive for a ball once, Aaron? He has the cleanest thirdbaseman’s uniform at the end of a game than any thirdbaseman in the major leagues.)

 

Never mind that Roger “It’s All About Me” Clemens is being accoladed by the know-nothing sports press as having a good last start.

 

Are you kidding me, Mr. Genious Big Time Sports Writers? A good start?

 

It was a lousy start. It was the kind of start we expected from Brad Penny in Game One, and did not get, thanks to Brad Penny’s heart. Roger Clemens has no heart for the heat, and never has. Remember, he got thrown out of a playoff game for arguing a strike call in the first inning in 1989.

 

Clemens warmed up in perfect steamy weather. He pitched like a rookie in his first series start in the fourth game. Walking guys, not locating. He Coughed up singles with fastballs with nothing on them over the plate, and put the Bombers in a hole before “settling down.” Too late, Roger. It was a lousy start.

 

Good riddance. Clemens is easily the “softest” 300-game winner in the 300-win club in the same class as Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry. Clemens could not hold Warren Spahn’s glove.

 

Spahnie pitched 10 innings in the 1958 Series against the Yankees in Game 6, leaving with the score 3-2 in the 10^th inning. That’s what a real money pitcher does.

 

Meanwhile, let us salute the Marlins, another Wild Card Team, who given a second chance to get in the dance, made the most of it. But they did it and the Giants, Cubs and Yankees did not. That’s what can happen in a short series in baseball because of the law of inconsistant performance.

 

To be fair the Marlins had the best record in the Major Leagues since they started 19-29. But, that’s the problem I have with the Wild Card. I cannot abide by it.

 

Has anyone cared to look at what the so-called World Champion Wild Card teams did in their next year? Florida in 1998 finished way out of the money. Arizona did not repeat. And is Anaheim still in the league? Wild Card status is a gimmick, undeserved, which creates unwarranted respect for mediocre managements unwilling to invest in an organization’s infrastructure (minor league operations and scouting) to make it a winner consistently.

 

 

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE. By John F. Bailey. October 27, 2003: The Common Council was briefed by the Mayor Monday evening at a 45-minute Special Meeting on the land offer he had announced  last Thursday between himself and New York Presbyterian Hospital CEO, Dr. Herbert Pardes.

 

THE PARDES-DELFINO PLAN: The council learned that the city, in return for rezoning the northern tier of the New York Presbyterian Hospital property “commercial medical,” for 720,000 square feet of building (about 3 six-story buildings, or one 20-story building),  the city would receive 55 acres of land on a 99 year lease at no cost to the city, receiving the land involving the “Bloomingdale’s Pond,” the southwest and southeast  wooded slopes and meadows along Bryant Avenue. In return, the hospital would have the certain segments ofland on the “Northern Tier” of their campus rezoned “commercial medical. Shown discussing the sketchy details of the plan are, clockwise from right of map: Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, Council President, Benjamin Boykin, George Gretsas, Rita Malmud, Mayor Joseph Delfino, and Economic Development Officer, Paul Wood. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

THE PARDES-DELFINO PLAN: City-generated chart indicates the division of parkland from proposed “Commerical Medical” in the “Northern Tier” of the New York Presbyterian Hospital property. The “Bloomingdale Pond is in upper left. The Cassaway Brook valley bed is at lower left, and the meadows along Bryant Avenue are included in the 55-Acre “Park Package.” The “Central Tier” would remain designated “Hospital Use Only” Zoning. That Central Tier includes the Proton Acclerator/Biomedical Complex scheduled to begin construction within six months. That complex is shown in turquoise slightly above the “Southern/Western Tier: City park.” New “Commercial Medical” is envisioned for the northern and northeast portions of the property. Photo by WPCNR News. 

The Mayor said New York Presbyterian Hospital CEO Herbert Pardes has gotten his Board of Trustees to sign on informally to the agreement, because Pardes wanted the hospital to proceed with its mission of securing disease and the city to succeed it its mission of providing a park for the people.

 

Questions were raised by Councilwoman Rita Malmud and Councilman Robert Greer on what exactly was meant by the terms “commercial medical.”

 

Councilman Hockley brought up the issue of where parking would be provided for the 55 acres of city park and was told by Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel the city has thought about that and had some ideas how parking could be incorporated into the park.

 

Mutually Protective Guarantees Protect Hospital

 

The land-zoning swap would, the Mayor said, reading from notes on the agreement which were not released to the media last night, have “mutually protective” guarantees that would protect both the hospital and the city if future Common Councils chose to pass legislation that would rescind or alter the agreement.  In that event the city might have to rescind some or all of the parkland.

 

Commissioner Habel explained that no Common Council could make legislation binding on future Common Councils, and this was the reason this caveat was included in the agreement in principle.

 

The agreement provides that the hospital, if building on the northern tier proved to be more expensive than if they would have built the project on the “parkland” deeded to the city, that the city would be obligated to allow them to build more building, or compensate in some way (not involving cash payment) on the northern tier to compensate for that increased cost.

 

Exactly what this “compensation” would consist  has yet to be determined. Executive Officer George Gretsas said this would not obligate the city to pay for any increased costs incurred by the hospital in future buildings constructed on any “commercial medical” –zoned sections.

 

City to work with Hospital on Developing Building Designs to Fit 

 

Commissioner of Planning Habel said that the city has identified sites and building configurations which could be built within the northern tier of the property which the city would designate “commercial medical,” and would work with the hospital within these configurations to bring mutually satisfactual building designs on the western and northern tier sites.

 

(During the extensive review of the New York Presbyterian Hospital proton accelerator-biomedical research complex, approved in 2002, prototype “building footprints” were developed by the Planning Department to show what could be built on the slender strips of buildable Northern Tier property.)

 

What is “Commerical Medical” Anyway?

 

Mr. Greer indicated he thought research would be the extent of what commercial medical would mean. Habel said “No, it could be something as simple as doctor’s offices.”

 

Rita Malmud said that she had to have a specific definition of  “commercial medical” before she could consider the swap of land for commercial medical rezoning. Mayor Delfino reminded Ms. Malmud that the council had been apprised of this plan in August prior to the vote on the extension of the proton accelerator-biomedical complex special permit, apparently leaving it unsaid that “commercial medical” as part of the “land swap” should not be a surprise.

 

New Access Road to Come in From Most Likely the Northeast.

 

 Habel also said new entry access to any new development on the northern tier (Westchester Avenue) could be from North Street north or just South of the now defunct St. Agnes Hospital, but under no circumstances would any new access road be cut in from Bryant Avenue.

 

SHPO to Play a Role on Historical District Encroachment

 

Habel remarked that hospital property currently within the historical district on the hospital grounds, as well as the proton accelerator-biomedical research project would remain zoned for hospital use, with roughly the northern half of the property rezoned “commercial medical.”

 

 She did say that the city and the hospital foresaw having to work with the State’s Historical Preservation Office to  design buildings to fit appropriately within the historic district guidelines, tweaking the designs a little, expanding SHPO’s guidelines. Habel discribed this process as finding “Working with New York SHPO to find acceptable modifications to the historic district to make development feasible.”

 

Ms. Habel, with a wave of her hand, indicated the golf course area on the northeast portion of the property might be an area of development that could be considered, once it was rezoned commercial medical under the new “Pardes-Delfino Plan.” At that site the State Historical Preservation Office would have to be consulted to effect appropriate development.

 

Land to be turned over “as is.”

 

Asked about how the city would receive the land, the Mayor said the city would receive it “as is.”

 

THE BLOOMINGDALE POND & PUMP HOUSE: Part of the land to be included in the 55 acres the hospital is willing to lease to the city for parkland is the pond site north of Bloomingdale’s on Bloomingdale Road. This pond appears to be stagnant, overgrown with rushes and may be in need of considerable reclamation. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

PRISTINE, WELL-KEPT MEADOWS ON BRYANT AVENUE would be preserved for ballfields, but no plans are in works at this time, according to the city. First comes “acquisition,” then planning. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

Cost of Cleanup, Park Design, Construction Maintenance Not Known.

 

Asked if Environmental Officer Rod Johnson had any idea of what the pond might require, Habel said no, because he has not evaluated it. Asked what cost to the city might be involved, she said she could not answer further questions about the pond.

 

Executive Officer George Gretsas, afterwards said the first step to the process was the acquisition of the parkland, then would come the process of planning to shape the park. He said it could be done in a step-by-step approach, in stages, (presumably as funding for amenities of the park was found). Mayor Delfino remarked during the Special Meeting, said “This is a dream. If you approve it. I’ll get the money.”

 

Think It Over

 

Mayor Delfino asked the Common Council to let him know the questions they have about the agreement by November 10. Allan Teck, President of Concerned Citizens for Open Space, said he would be drawing up questions he had about the agreement, but voiced no outright concerns about it to WPCNR.

 

Gut Check for CCOS

 

Concerned Citizens for Open Space is currently considering the advisement of whether or not to file an appeal of Judge Richard Molea’s  decision to dismiss the group’s suit to stop construction of the proton accelerator, biomedical research facility that was approved in July of 2002. They have a decision to make as to whether to appeal that decision in light of this New York Presbyterian Hospital “Pardes-Delfino Plan.”

 

Banter in the Mayor’s Office

 

After emerging from Executive Session regarding a new direction in litigation the city was pursuing,  the nature of which Executive Officer George Gretsas refused to disclose, Council President Benjamin Boykin confirmed that the council had learned of this proposed “land for rezoning swap” in August in Executive Session and have known about it for at least a month before they voted for the extension of the Hospital’s Special Permit to build the proton accelerator complex. WPCNR reported this swap was being offered by the hospital to the city in August.

 

In other news nuggets from City Hall…George Gretsas said the first performance of the Renaissance Plaza Fountain is tentatively scheduled for Thursday morning at 11, emphasizing the word “tentatively.”

 

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 03 TRAIL. From the Cantatore Press Office. October 27, 2003:

William Ryan’s Opponnent for the 5th District County Legislator seat representing White Plains and Scarsdale, Frank Cantatore,  called today for a halt on capital spending by the County next year.

 

“Given the very precarious state the county finances find themselves at the moment. With current capital projects such as the County Courthouse renovation and Hudson Hills golf course running at huge cost overruns. I am asking that the county defer capital spending programs that are not immediately necessary such as the renovation at the county’s laboratories. We must first look to address the out of control expenditures with current projects and focus on improving the financial situation,” said Cantatore.

 He added, “the last thing Westchester needs to do is spend money when we’re looking at two capital projects that combined will cost the taxpayers at this point $60 million and growing everyday. I’m very leery about adding another $80 million to an already out of control financial mess. A mess that my opponent as Vice Chairman contributed to by his gross negligence and his inability to grasp the finer points of a complex financial situation.”

 

The county recently announced that it wants to spend $80 million on capital projects ranging from rebuilding Tibbits Park in Yonkers, to $8.7 million to renovate the Office of Laboratories. Right now the county is looking to refinance up $186 million in county debt.  Capital projects are financed through borrowing and are paid off between 5 to 20 years.

 

“Right now it is time for us to take stock of what can be financed and what cannot. Surely we can defer such expenditures as the renovation of Tibbits Park to the following year. I am afraid that if we continue down this path we will only dig the county further into debt; who’s end result can only be higher taxes,” said Cantatore. 

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WPCNR Community Calendar. October 26, 2003: “War Without End? Seeking Peaceful Solutions,” the second in a series of seminars presented by the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action, will feature Charlene Mitchell discussing “The domestic Cost of the Iraqi War and Labor’s Fight Back at Reid Castle, Manhattanville College on Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 P.M. in Purchase, N.Y.

 

 

Charlene Mitchell is National Cochair of Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism; Labor organizer for SSEU Local 371, AFSCME; National Cochair of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the organization that grew out of the campaign to free Angela Davis; Leader in the Black Radical Congress.

She has been on the frontlines against racism and injustice for over 50 years.
 
 This seminar is open to the public and is free. For students, one credit   option is available for attending at least 5 of the 7 seminars.

 For information about the seminars, call the Center  (914)323-7156