Polar Express Rolls in for Sneak Preview of New White Plains IMAX THEATRE Sat

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WPCNR SCREEN GEMS. From National Amusements. November 4, 2004: The Polar Express will premier in a sneak preview Saturday night at National Amusements newly converted IMAX theater experience. White Plains will join New Rochelle as Westchester’s second IMAX theatre.  National Amusements will unveil its Directors Hall converted to IMAX theatre this weekend. Also rolling for the first time will be the  movies The Incredibles and a remake of Alfie. The Schedule and Previews:

THE INCREDIBLES The latest animated comedy from Disney and Pixar (FINDING NEMO, MONSTERS INC., TOY STORY) about a family of retired super-heroes who must summon their special powers once again to help save the world. With voices by Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Rated PG

ALFIE — A stylish re-make of the 1960’s classic, this film is a humorous, sexy and frequently touching tale of a philosophical womanizer (Jude Law) forced to question his seemingly care-free existence. Rated R

The train is waiting…you have the opportunity now to guarantee passage aboard THE POLAR EXPRESS for groups of all sizes — school, church or youth groups; private employee and client appreciation screenings, or any other group! Book The Journey Now – it’s the perfect destination for anyone from 3 to 93! CALL Debbie Heller at 1-866-581-9138 X 301 to book your group sale today. The Polar Express is Rated G and opens at theatres everywhere on Wednesday, November 10th.

BABY PICTURES At CITY CENTER 15 Cinema de Lux The November 11th feature is “THE INCREDIBLES”, Rated PG. There is no Baby Pictures program on Thursday, November 25th, Thanksgiving Day. The program will resume on December 9th.


Thursday, November 04, 2004  
Saw (R) –12:10; 2:35; 5:00; 7:35; 10:10 pm. ;
The Motorcycle Diaries (R) –12:15; 3:05; 6:15; 9:00 pm. ;
The Forgotten (PG-13) –2:15; 9:35 pm. ;
Surviving Christmas (PG-13) –12:25; 2:50; 5:05; 7:25; 9:55 pm. ;
The Grudge (PG-13) –1:00; 3:30; 5:45; 8:00; 10:30 pm. ;
Shall We Dance? (PG-13) –1:55; 4:25; 6:55; 9:30 pm. ;
Shark Tale (PG) –12:35; 2:55; 5:20; 7:45; 10:05 pm. ;
Taxi (PG-13) –12:00; 4:30; 7:05 pm. ;
Ray **(PG-13) –12:00; 3:15; 6:30; 9:45 pm. ;
The Grudge **(PG-13) –12:30; 3:00; 5:15; 7:30; 10:00 pm. ;
Team America: World Police (R) –12:10; 2:40; 5:10; 7:40; 10:20 pm. ;
Birth (R) –12:00; 2:20; 4:45; 7:10; 9:50 pm. ;
I Heart Huckabees (R) –1:10; 3:50; 6:25; 9:05 pm. ;
Ray (PG-13) –12:30; 3:45; 7:00; 10:15 pm. ;
Friday Night Lights (PG-13) –12:40; 3:40; 6:40; 9:40 pm. ;

Friday, November 05, 2004  
Saw (R) –1:30; 4:05; 6:50; 9:25 pm; 12:00 am. ;
Ray (PG-13) –12:20; 3:30; 6:45; 10:00 pm; 12:40 am. ;
Alfie (R) –1:50; 4:25; 7:10; 9:55 pm; 12:25 am. ;
Team America: World Police (R) –1:40; 4:10; 6:40 pm. ;
Birth (R) –12:10; 2:35; 5:00; 7:35; 10:10 pm; 12:30 am. ;
Fade to Black (R) –1:35; 4:35; 7:20; 10:05 pm; 12:35 am. ;
The Incredibles **(PG) –1:15; 4:00; 7:00; 9:50 pm. ;
Ray **(PG-13) –11:50 am; 3:00; 6:15; 9:30 pm. ;
Shark Tale (PG) –1:20; 4:15; 6:30; 9:00; 11:35 pm. ;
The Incredibles (PG) –12:30; 1:45; 3:20; 4:30; 6:20; 7:30; 9:20; 10:20 pm; 12:10; 12:30 am. ;
The Grudge **(PG-13) –9:10; 11:30 pm. ;
Shall We Dance? (PG-13) –1:55; 4:45; 7:15; 9:45 pm; 12:15 am. ;
The Grudge (PG-13) –12:05; 2:25; 5:10; 7:25; 9:40 pm; 12:00 am. ;
The Motorcycle Diaries (R) –12:00; 10:10 pm; 12:40 am. ;
Friday Night Lights (PG-13) –2:35; 5:05; 7:40 pm. ;

Saturday, November 06, 2004  
Friday Night Lights (PG-13) –1:10; 6:00 pm. ;
Saw (R) –10:45 am; 1:30; 4:05; 6:50; 9:25 pm;

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Yankees’ Flaw: Swinging In Reverse.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bob and Jenny Petrucci. November 4, 2004: How does a team that was just bombed 19-8, by the Yankees, for its third straight loss, so near to extinction, come back and win four straight games against the Yankees, making baseball history?

    

That is the question of the day, if not of the entire era of modern baseball.

 

     A main answer is simple, yet technical, and also relates to the golf swing. We noticed it a few years ago and notified the Yankees (fax)and Yankees’ contacts (email), receiving no response. 

 


VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. Photo by WPCNR Sports


     Apparently, after their 19-8 mauling in the third game, the Red Sox finally noticed that certain “something” too (likely confirmed it on video tape where it could be clearly seen) and, out of desperation, correctly made adjustments.  When their turn to adjust, the Yankees could not.

 

     So first, credit the Red Sox staff for outsmarting the long-time “Curse of the Bambino”.  It is no accident that a team suddenly stops the opposition, that was eating them alive, reverses that meal into a very low-calorie diet and maintains that for four straight games. Second, credit their pitchers who were able to do more of something than most Yankee pitchers…that most Yankee batters could not handle well…outside spot pitching with speed.

 

      What is said here basically applies from the fourth game on.

 

      So, let’s start with the Red Sox pitchers.  The Yankees handle well their straight pitches over, or pitches moving toward, the inside part of the plate. In fact, it is their easiest pitch to hit. However, should the pitch start toward the inside part of the plate and then curve inside more and down (or be a fastball that suddenly rises), not only does that success lessen, it also “widens the plate and sets up” outside pitches. And, in the fourth game, the Red Sox clearly threw more and more fastballs near the outside part of the plate

. 

       They did this, apparently, because they noticed that Yankee batters (with a couple of exceptions) can not hit, time or compress, with any consistency, if at all even reach, fastballs toward the outside part of the plate…especially those that move away, and, worst case, down. It is a swing flaw for major league batters; although one that can be readily improved. 

 

       What is it?

 

       Watch a videotape of virtually any Yankee batter.  In approaching the ball, and bringing the bat to it, the Yankees (and many other teams) do more and more of something that “opens” the front shoulder (and the entire body), hinders bat redirection (should the pitch move to either side and/or down), lessens bat reach, slows the bat down, weakens impact-compression-leverage,  pushes the bat back, hinders extension and thereby makes it even more difficult to hit (with any power, if at all) pitches near the outside part of the plate. (It can also be seen on a youth baseball instructional video advertised on television).

 

        We call it “swinging In reverse”.  On some swings, Yankee batters were actually turned toward third base or first base as their bats went through the hitting area and over the ball.        

 

        On the other hand, with reason, the Yankees doggedly adhered to their “Bust ’em inside” pitching tactic, even with its greater possibility for error. This ultimately did them in. However, they did so because their right-handed pitchers could not pitch consistently well outside, especially against left-landed batters. And the typical “lefty pitcher versus lefty batter” solution was not an option for the Yankees, having just one left-handed pitcher (who had not done well all year). To the Yankees credit, they made it to the play-offs in spite of it.

 

        Not only did the Red Sox have left-handed pitchers that could hit that spot, and this is the pitching key, their right-handers could throw fastballs over the outside part of the plate…and also make them move away and/or down. So it was vital that Yankee right-handed pitchers do the same. They could not, at least not nearly as well as the Red Sox.

 

        More importantly, the batting key is: The Yankees could not hit such spot speed pitching as well as the Red Sox could.  Said another way, in bringing the bat “to the ball”, most of the Yankees do something that results in the automatic, circular opening of the body which basically “locks” the bat on its initial “to the ball” path, with no correcting “Smart-Bomb Guidance System”.

 

       However, there is a fairly-simple swing adjustment for this “swinging in reverse” and all that it causes.  What is it?  Just ask.

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Wal-mart Coming to White Plains — To Take 2 Floors of former Sears Store.

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WPCNR Main Street Journal. November 3, 2004, Updated 6:00 A. M. E.S.T.: WPCNR has learned that Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer will take two floors of the former Sears property next to City Hall, and across the street from City Center. The Journal-News is confirming this report in a press report this morning.  Walmart is expected to set up a grocery and retail operation, leasing the space from Ivy Equities.


When Ivy Equities first leased the property they called it “The Shoppes on Main,” and promised a series of boutique upscale retail establishments in what was described as a mini-mall arrangement. Walmart is the first tenant to be signed.  The possibility of Walmart being among the final five parties interested in the property was first reported by WPCNR September 17.



THE WAL-MART WATCH: Target’s archrival has taken space (2 82,000 sq. foot floors) in the former Sears location across the street from City Center, home of Target. The rumors of Wal-Mart eyeballing the space first surfaced in August. Mayor Joseph Delfino went on record at the time as saying he preferred Wal-Mart, (an arch competitor of Target) not rent the space. Photo by WPCNR News. 










 


In our September 17 story, WPCNR detailed that “The Shoppes on Main,” the new stackmall  as envisioned at that time by John A. Saraceno, Jr., Ivy Equities Chief Investment Officer, to be “one of the county’s finest multi-tenant retail developments.”


 WPCNR’s source working with Ivy Equities said in September that finding tenants had taken longer than expected. When ground was broken symbolically last October, Stauback Retail Services expected tenant signings by the end of 2003, with tenants in by Spring, 2004.


Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market Planned for Opening Fall 2005.


Checking the Wal-Mart website, www.walmartstores.com , WPCNR notes that Wal-Mart plans to open 50 to 55 new discount stores and 220 to 230 new Supercenters in fiscal 04-05. They have introduced a new concept called Neighborhood Market, and their plan is to open 25 to 30 of those.


A ” Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market,” though appears to be just the right fit for one of the 82,000 square foot floors in “The Shoppes on Main Street,” and pending confirmation by Wal-Mart would appear to the direction Wal-Mart is heading according to a Journal-News report Thursday morning. 


There is no immediate food market within walking distance of the  North Tower apartments and planned Trump condominiums in the South Tower of City Center. A custom Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market will fill that need.


The Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market  is described on the Wal-Mart website as 42,000 to 55,000 square feet, and features fresh produce, deli foods, fresh meat and dairy items, health and beauty aids, one-hour photo and traditional photo developing services, drive-through pharmacies, stationary and paper goods, pet supplies and household chemicals.


The Journal-News confirmed what WPCNR had learned Thursday, reporting Thursday morning that a grocery outlet will be part of the Wal-Mart operation and will open in fall 2005


A Sophisticated Wal-Mart?


Andrea Rader, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, contacted by WPCNR Wednesday, was asked if the Shoppes on Main Wal-Mart would be a sophisticated chi-chi Wal-Mart, to fit in with Donald Trump’s 2-1/2 Million condominiums across the street at City Center.


Ms. Rhea said she was unable to get in touch with the public relations person who would know of further details on any Wal-Mart operation planned in White Plains.


Wood: City’s Hands Tied.


Paul Wood, the city Acting Executive Officer, quoted in this morning’s Journal-News today, said Wal-Mart needed only to apply for a building permit  to occupy the first two floors of the former Sears building.


Wood indicated no opposition by  Mayor Jospeh Delfino in the press report this morning to the coming Wal-Mart presence, though the Mayor said he was opposed to Wal-Mart coming when the possibility of Wal-Mart was first raised.


The interior of the first floor has already been painted the traditional Wal-Mart blue as of early fall, as part of the preliminary Ivy Equities renovation of the retail space. Wal-Mart has been negotiating with Ivy Equities for about 8 weeks.


Wood told the Journal News reporters that the space is already zoned for retail, which would indicate the Common Council has no jurisdiction over whom Ivy Equities leases its space. He also told Journal-News reporters,that sales tax revenues from Target would indicate that Wal-Mart would add $800,000 a year to city sales tax collections.


 


 

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Bradley Defeats Castelli. Wins Reelection to 89th Assembly District Seat.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2004. From Westchester County Board of Elections. November 2, 2004, Midnight E.S.T.: In the local Assembly Races of interest to White Plains, with 89% of Election Districts reporting, as of midnight, Assemblyman Adam Bradley has defeated Robert Castelli in the contest for the 89th Assembly District, leading Mr. Castelli 25,571 votes to 17,457, a plurality of about 8,000 votes. White Plains came out strongly for Mr. Bradley with many polling places in the county seat going over 60% turnout.  Amy Paulin is running unopposed for the 88th Assembly District. Suzi Oppenheimer is unopposed in the 37th Senate District. In the closest race of the evening, State Senator Nick Spano was leading challenger Andrea Stewart-Cousins by only 563 votes with 367 of 418 election districts reporting.


Adam Bradley Earns Second Term in Assembly District 89. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

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Did Trotters WPPAC Bash Border on the Margiotta 1% Case?

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. November 3, 2004: The invitations were engraved, they went out to Commissioners and department heads across the city, but within a few days, the hot White Plains Performing Arts Center party at Trotters was cancelled due to overwhelming response. There apparently was not room for everybody to attend. But, why wouldn’t you simply rent out Legal Seafoods across the street and have a strolling block party to handle the overflow? The cancellation was a mystery.





A lawyer not connected in any way with the city, but familiar with the conflicts of interest when fundraising mixes with city government, says that the party to be hosted on Monday, November 8, after the White Plains Performing Arts Center Broadway Salutes White Plains II Gala next Monday evening may have been cancelled for legal reasons, not because of not enough room for potential guests.


 


The lawyer, intimately involved in the famous Margiotta 1% case in Nassau County 25 years ago, speculates that the legal reason for the abrupt cancellation could be the appearance of double-tapping city commissioners and department key personnel for attendance inviting them to the  Undercover Gala at Trotters, for $500 a person  in addition to inviting them to the Gala Broadway Salutes White Plains II function for $150 a pop.


 


The legendary Republican boss of Nassau County, Joseph Margiotta lost his political empire when he required contributions from his town government personnel twenty-five years ago in a similar situation.


 


When Joseph Margiotta was running the Nassau County Republican Party in the 1970s, he used to require that government workers for the Town of Hempstead kick in 1% of their salaries to the Republican Party if they wanted jobs, promotions and overtime, according to the newspaper, Newsday. The Republican Party of Nassau County paid off a $1.3 Million settlement in 1991 on what has been dubbed “The 1% case.” The GOP of Nassau County had to pay pack Town of Hempstead workers who complained that they had to fork back 1% of their salaries to Mr. Margiotta’s party.


 


Margiotta was also convicted in 1981 by a federal jury on charges that he presided over an illegal insurance fee-splitting scheme that brought windfalls to his political associates in the Nassau County Republican Party.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY

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WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. November 2, 2004: Today POTD features the Hudson River at sunset in late autumn. Taken Sunday fifteen minitues before sunset, it shows autumn hues in their glory.



ORANGE SAILS IN THE SUNSET. Photo by the WPCNR Roving Photographer.

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Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On — Bar Building Moves to Cappelli Beat.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. November 2, 2004: Tenants in the Bar Building, 199 Main Street, the nationally recognized historical landmark in White Plains (on the State Register of Historic Places) are feeling the tremors of the beginning stages of construction of the 221 Main Cappelli Hotel & Condoplex this week. As one office holder said, “It’s about .8 on the Richter Scale.” The higher you are situated in the building the more you feel the thumps and bumps. Tenants WPCNR spoke with today said it was disconcerting, but they knew what it was. The effects have been felt for the last week and a half.



THE BAR BUILDING SHAKES AS 221 MAIN BEGINS. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


Bruce Berg, Vice President of Cappelli Enterprises, explained that this jolting and tremors were the beginning of a long process and said the tenants could expect to feel the bumps of the construction “for some time.” He explained that equipment was removing the concrete foundations of the former Main Street stores.


He said that the thumps and bumps the tenants of the Bar Building tower were experiencing should lesson somewhat once digging of the Hotel-Condoplex began. Berg said that demolition of the Main street buildings had been completed and the excavating of for the Hotel and Condominium complex had officially begun. Berg assured WPCNR that the walls of the Bar Building would be shored up and that this process would be all around the perimeter of the Bar Building site.


 

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Candidate Forums Need Reform

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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. November 2, 2004: The forums presenting candidates this election campaign on the local scene need vast improvement. Incumbents get to dodge the issues and challengers are not held up to scrutiny as to whether they are familiar with issues and procedures.  WPCNR attended two forums and these are my observations.



 



  1. Dispense with the candidate’s personal opening statements. Have the moderator read a one paragraph bio supplied by the candidate. It will take 20 seconds each.

 


2. Impanel a series of serious, hard-hitting news reporters to ask the questions, and run the forum. (At least the networks do this.)  The questions asked by the managers of these forums are just too general. The questions I heard this year showed a lack of understanding of the issues and what has taken place in government in recent months, and generally are too easy, enabling candidates in office to say, I did this this and this, and challengers to say, I think we need to do this — without saying how they would do that.


 



  1. Invite officials affected by lawmakers’ decisions to submit questions.

 


 



  1. Analyze the issues and break the forum up into sections on say, budget, health care, state mandates, education issues, aid to cities, sales tax, the future, etc.

 



  1. Uncivilize them. In the interest of decorum the opportunities for candidates to exchange positions and pick up on untruths voiced by the other candidate, have been lost. I’d like to see some good old-fashioned Lincoln-Douglas stuff. Let the candidates respond to each other in point counterpoint style

 



  1. Screen audience questions. Have an impartial panel screen out obvious personal vendetta type questions that draws attention to a questioner’s personal conflicts with government. One questioner in Mount Kisco brought up a beating they had received at the hands of police, for which they already had won a court judgment. The candidates on the panel had no jurisdiction over that kind of question.

 



  1. Eliminate judge forums. These are a waste of time. Since judges cannot advocate, all they do is recite their illustrious biographies, and everybody leaves anyway when the judges come on.

 



  1. Allow follow up questions by the opponent on topics. And a rebuttal to the follow-up. (As forums are formatted now, outrageous distortions go unchallenged, because of the format. The format protects incumbents at the expense of the challenger, and allows challengers to hide their lack of knowledge of the process.)

 



  1. Let them go all night. (How about a Forum Marathon – We talk til you drop.)  Limiting forums to an hour and a half, and trying to cover all offices, just because everyone wants to be done by bedtime, limits serious discussion.

 



  1. Give us a new format. Circle people around the candidates in a mixer format and have an informal give and take session like a cocktail party. Mix in media with citizens and let all go at it. Candidates have to meet the people on a more informal basis.

 



  1. Require candidates to divulge finances and where they get the funding for their campaigns, how many fundraisers they have had, and how much they have raised for their campaigns — could be communicated in a 20 second statement, too.

 



  1.  Do away with holding up signs to ask candidates to stop. Have gongs! It would add drama.

 



  1. Publicize them to a greater extent.

 



  1. Have more.

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Turnout Continues Strong Locally. 70% at Selected Polls by 8 PM

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2004. November 2, 2004: White Plains appears to be turning out very strong on election day. As of 10 A.M., 30% of registered voters had voted at the CitizeNetReporter’s polling place at White Plains High School, with 9 hours to go there is a chance of a turnout close to 100%.

As of 7:45 P.M., in the White Plains High Polling place 706 of 1,013 had voted, that is about 70%/. In Lewisboro, farther up in the 89th district, at 10 AM this morning there was a line of 10-deep…predictors up district are predicting a record turnout.

Another observer from Mount Kisco noted that he voted at 6 in the morning and there was a line, the first time he ever remembers a line at that hour. Jim Benerofe, SuburbanStreet editor, also noted that at his polling place there was a possibility of 100% turnout.

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The Other Gretzky A Guest on Johnny Vorperian’s BEYOND THE GAME on WPPA-TV

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. From WPPA-TV, White Plains Public Access. November 2, 2004: November will be a Hall of Fame Family Affair for White Plains Cable’s Beyond The Game  SPORTS TALK show as  host Johnny Vorperian interviews Brent Gretzky, Forward for the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League, (the only pro hockey in the tri-state area), and Dale Berra, son of Yogi, member of the 1979 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates (he played with the Bucs for 7 major league seasons), make Guest Appearances. Mr. Gretzky is interviewed Tuesday evening at 10 P.M. on WPPA-TV, White Plains Public Access Television, “The Spirit of ’76,” Channel 76.


Beyond The Game Host and Producer John Vorperian says, “Brent talks with cool composure about his playing in the National Hockey League, Austria, his current team, the Danbury Trashers and his after hockey plans of going into llaw enforcement. The one time I called him Mr. Gretzky, he cracked up laughing saying that’s not him, that’s his brother.”



BRENT GRETZKY, In TRASHER BLACK, Forward for the Danbury Trashers in Opening Puck Drop at Trashers-Adirondack Frostbite opener October 15. Brent is interviewed by Johnny Vorperian on Channel 76 tonight on White Plains longest running sportstalk show, (5 years)  BEYOND THE GAME at 10 P.M. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


 

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