WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,826,065 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—73,578 VISITS A WEEK BY 1,111,506 VISITORS

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By 89th District Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. February 23, 2003: On January 24, 2003, four teenage boys disappeared after their boat sank in Long Island Sound. One of the boys desperately dialed 911, but he was unable to describe their location to potential rescuers. Worse yet, the tragedy could have been avoided.

Since 1991, New York cell phone wpcnr_users have paid more than $200 million in surcharges – currently between $1.20 and $1.50 on top of their monthly bill. These surcharges specifically established for a statewide 911 emergency telephone communications system. Unfortunately, the money hasn’t been going to its intended purpose. In fact, a 2002 audit of the E911 fund by the state comptroller criticized the use of the fund, citing spending on expenses like dry cleaning, travel and lawn mowing.

That’s why I’m strongly supporting legislation to help localities make life-saving improvements to local 911 systems – enabling local emergency dispatch centers to pinpoint emergency calls from wireless phones (A.3911). It’s wrong that New Yorkers are paying for, but going without, life-saving technology that they have invested in.

The Wireless 911 Local Incentive Funding Enhancement – or LIFE – program will end years of inaction in upgrading 911 by providing funding directly to local emergency dispatch centers. The program builds on the Assembly’s measure last year – setting aside $20 million in surcharges to help localities fund the system’s implementation.

Many people bought their wireless phones in order to have then available in case of an emergency, and most assume that a 911 operator will be able to trace their location – just like the boys on Long Island Sound. We know the technology does exist. Now it’s time for the governor to implement New York’s local 911 systems so we can prevent another unnecessary, tragic incident.

We need to do everything possible to keep our families safe, and that means seeing to it that money set aside for enhancing New York’s 911 systems actually goes toward ensuring the safety of New York’s families – it’s a matter of saving precious lives.

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WPCNR SERGEANT JOE FRIDAY REPORTS. By John F. Bailey. February 22, 2003: There was an electrical failure at WPCNR in Havilands Manor at around 5:30 AM Saturday, the block was out and the electricity is on now. Here is what this no electricity situation showed about the circumstances around an electrical power failure that raise interesting questions:
This reporter notified the White Plains Police of the power failure and learned from the Desk Officer on duty that “Con Ed was working on it.” I also noted from the phone book that the 1-800-75-CON ED help number which is the way you notify Con Edison of a power failure.

However, what is interesting and cause for concern for this reporter is that when you call the police to report a power failure in White Plains, that is what the police do: The police call the automated 1-800-75-CON ED line, too, when you report a power failure to them.

The inadequacy of this system is that we had a momentary surge of power after about an hour an a half, and the juice then went off again. I called the police to note that though we had gotten a momentary “juicing,” that it was still off, and suggested they note to Con Ed that the block was still out, just in case they thought their crews had fixed it.

The desk officer at WPPD said he had no way of telling Con Edison that, because the 1-800-75-CON ED is what the police use to call Con Ed. I remarked, “Is that the truth?”

This raised some questions as to what happens in a widespread power failure. When you have a weather event, it is understandable what is causing an electric outage. But on a normal day, and the power goes on an entire block, you have to inform the police so when you call in you can be assured, “just a routine outage, Con Ed is working on it.” The police cannot do that if they just have automated contact with Con Edision as the electrical customer does.

Recipe for Panic

How Con Ed keeps track of outages, and how citizens are kept informed to prevent undo worry and alarm in this nervous age is a sensitive issue. If the police can’t contact Con Ed directly, and the ordinary citizen cannot, that’s another example of how poor communication is when systems break down in Westchester County.

If a cynical, intrepid fearless reporter can get a little concerned, I would say if what happened this morning a power failure for no apparent weather related or accident related reason), happened to a lot of people all at once there would be considerable panicky behavior developing.

Lesson Learned from a Simple Power Failure.

I instantly contacted The Bailey Associates to do a $1,000,000 survey of my home’s emergency preparedess plan, and this is what they found based on this simple power failure, and here are my recommendations to homeowners:

You need a cellphone fully charged to be able to report the outage. Your telephone will not work in an electrical failure.

You need flashlights ready to go where you can find them (I had those).

You need firewood (furnace does not work in an electrical failure), if temperature is below 50 degrees.

You need a lot of matches where you can find them.

You need candles set up around the house ready to light around the home or apartment. (Put candles in those manoras!)

You need to be able to light your gas stove with a match.

The food problem.

You need lots of dry food in the house. You need extra pet food. What do you feed your pet? when you run out of a week’s supply of cat food, for example…(the 21st century house cat is not equipped to hunt. In a prolonged power outage, your food will spoil in the refrigerator.

Tips from a Reporter in the Dark

Some suggestions…have a candalabra in each room or little candleholders set to go…with matches nearby this way you can light rooms without using up flashlight batteries when power is gone.

Lay in a store of spring water in bottles. Lay in a huge store of D batteries, C batteries.

this is key…a portable, battery-operated radio…with batteries in it with lots of backup batteries. However, in a testimony to the ineptitude of radio broadcast news, there was no mention of this minor power failure on Newsradio88, and the local radio stations, WFAS and WVOX do not appear to have a live newsperson on duty at 6 AM Saturday morning.

All-News, All-Speculation

However, what you hear on the radio may not be too useful in determining what is really going on.
The reporting of the barge fire in Staten Island by the radio media was really poor. It was not until reading news accounts this morning that it was learned by me that it was a gasoline barge that exploded. This would have immediately clarified the nature of the explosion for listeners if this specific information had been released. Gas is instantly flammable, and mentally we could have realized this was probably not a missile attack or sabotage situation.

The report I heard on WINS described this as a refinery fire, an oil fire, which was totally wrong. It was a gasoline barge fire. Specifics count. Broadcast news reports of unfolding events is simply terribly reported, so the value of what you hear on your emergency portable radio and what you hear may not be useful, except for determining that the world is still out there.

Return to Normalcy Checklist

Also when electricity goes back on…it usually blows your fuses…so go down and check the fuse box and check for off-switches…(I did, found three out…and get this…they now are installing fuses without red coloring on the switch plates in the off position…so you have to look carefully to spot the fuses in the “Off Position.”

If you have been cooking, when there is a power failure, be sure to turn off your gas jets, and when electricity comes back on, make sure they are off.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. February 21, 2003:At a full-to-the-brim work session Thursday evening the Common Council agreed in principle to committing $800,000 to opening Liberty Park in Silver Lake by July 4. They agreed to go ahead with creating a streetlevel, doubledeck parking lot behind Mamaroneck Avenue, providing overnight parking for residents of Old Mamaroneck Road, and they went along by consensus with hiring two top consultants on urban planning and mass transit (at developer Louis Cappelli’s expense) to evaluate and suggest ways to integrate the Cappelli-Bland Hotel & Office Plex on Main Street into the fabric of the city’s future. The income guidelines and tenant profiles were presented for the city’s “Moderate Income Apartment Lottery.”

LIBERTY PARK ON SILVER LAKE was presented by architect John Imbiano of Imbiano/Quigley, designer of the recently completed White Plains “streetscapes design.” Iambino presented a plan calling for the construction of a boat house one-third of the way North on the Western “White Plains” Shore of Silver Lake, and a fishing pier (at the top of the picture jutting out into the lake) . A launching area for kayaks and rowboats is also planned off the green oval, and trails leading to the county portion of the Silver Lake preserve at the top of this picture. The oval will appear this summer.
Photo by WPCNR News

Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, said the cost to proceed with design was $150,000, and an additional $650,000 would cover the cost of opening the park by July 4, which would not include the boathouse construction, or enhanced trails, but would enable the public to use the park this summer.

ADIRONDACKS STYLE COMES TO WHITE PLAINS: The design for the boathouse, top, and the fishing pier recall the tranquil architecture found shoreside on peaceful lakes deep in the wilderness of upstate.
Photo by WPCNR News

REFUGE FOR “THE SPACELESS” of Old Mamaroneck Road. The council is behind Doubledeck Parking from the Gulf gas station on Bryant and Mamaroneck to Dunkin Donuts on Mamaroneck Avenue at the Bloomindale Road Fork. Below is the photo of the strip now. At top is the conception of how the second decade would appear. (Look for the persimmon band…that is the elevation of the deck. It would also have an entrance from the deck to Bryant Avenue.
Photo by WPCNR News

The council agreed by consensus to buy Commissioner Nicoletti’s plan to create an additional 430 parking spaces behind the Rader’s, Post office, Francesco’s restaurant-Dunkin Donuts block extending from the corner of Bryant Avenue and Mamaroneck Avenue to the Bloomindale Road fork.

The cost is pegged by Mr. Nicoletti at $5.5 Million, and should take 10 months to construct. He plans to start it in August and complete it by spring 2004.

The Bryant double-decker debt service will be paid for out of White Plains Parking Authority funds.

Two of the Three Mesquiters Present 2003 Police Plan

Deputy Commissioners of Public Safety, David Chong and Dr. Charles Jennings presented the 2003 direction of the White Plains Department of Public Safety. Commissioner Frank Straub was on vacation. With Deputy Commissioner Chong handling the slide presentation in his animated, smooth and intense style, the council was given the department’s new take on priorities for 03.

Chong said that the department had been reorganized to recognize and contend with the growth of White Plains which is making the city an attractive target for terrorists. He said the department had increased police presence with heavily armed officers at strategic locations in the city, to patrol in the downtown with the bicycle patrol and the mounted division. He pointed out, as an example that the department reached out to all synagogues in the city, briefing each congregation last Friday on the current terrorist alert. Commissioner Jennings said he is briefed each morning at 6 A.M. by the New York City Terrorist Task Force on potential threats.

Confidential Intelligence Specialist to be hired.

In an effort to make sense of and evaluate the intelligence reports and what they mean to White Plains, Chong said the department is planning to hire a Confidential Intelligence Specialist whose responsibility will be to brief the Commissioner on intelligence, counter terrorism and threat assessments. The officer will also is seen as “advising on emerging technologies and methods in order to identify best practices in the areas of intelligence, policing and fire protection.”

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY DAVID CHONG takes a question from the Common Council on the new intelligence officer position.
Photo by WPCNR News

The new operative will also be in charge of internal departmental investigations involving complaints or allegations involving police personnel and he or she will report directly to Commissioner Frank Straub.

Chong said the officer, “in no way” will be conducting investigations of White Plains residents or gathering intelligence on city residents, when asked that question by a reporter. Chong said they hoped to pay between $50,000 to $60,000 a year for the position, and that it is being filled with money for a presently vacant position.

The council appeared to back the request, especially when Elizabeth Wallace, Personnel Director, said the union had given its blessing for the hire.

What to Do If

Councilman William King raised the issue of devising evacuation plans for the city, and “what to do if” scenarios. Chong said that was not the department’s plan at this time to do that, that their mission was to deter and be ready. He said the best course of action for residents, was “to stay in your house and give first responders the time to identify the threat.”

Help for Louis Cappelli

Michael Gerard of Arnold & Porter, the environmental lawyer who consulted for the city on the New York Presbyterian Hospital SEQRA review last year, reappeared for a new assignment from the city. Gerard has been retained to assist the city in reviewing the Cappelli-Bland Hotel & Officeplex presented last week and intended for the Main Street corridor from Church Street to Court Street.

Gerard recommended two heavyweight consultants to respond and conceptualize on behalf of the Common Council on both the design and integration of the Cappelli-Bland Hotel into the city fabric.

Heavyweight Consultants

One is Dr. Eugenie Birch, of the University of Pennsylvania, and urban planning specialist now on the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation, and inputting on the rebuilding of the former site of the World Trade Center.

The other is a transportation expert, John Zupan, whom Councilman William King had great respect for, and so did Mr. Gerard.

THE SULTAN OF SEQRA RETURNS: Michael Gerard of Arnold & Porter listing to the Council Thursday evening.
Photo by WPCNR News

Councilmembers expressed concern. Rita Malmud asked that Mr. Gerard and his two new consultants look into how the city will manage the new influx of people brought in by Cappelli’s new project; how the traffic could be handled. William King suggested transportation options be looked into. Robert Greer wanted to khow they see development advancing down Mamaroneck Avenue. Benjamin Boykin expressed the need to ask them how they saw open space fitting into the city central area.

As these consultants’ names were announced, two observers from the Cappelli empire were looking on impassively. Cappelli Enterprises as provided by the SEQRA process will pay for Mr. Gerard’s fee, and the fees charged by the two consultants, the fees not to exceed 2% of the development’s cost. The Cappelli-Bland Hotel & office plex is priced at roughly $360 Million.

Apartment Lottery

A Draft copy of the pecking order for 40 moderate income housing units in Bank Street Commons and Clayton Park coming on the market, as provided as part of the city approval of the developments was presented. Currently 100 persons have already signed up with the Planning Department to have a shot at these apartments.

According to Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, the persons who will be considered first for these apartments will be either employees of the city or the school district; next in line would be retirees from the city government or the city school district; next to be considered would be residents who worked lived and retired in White Plains, and finally persons who fit the income levels.

For singles, the income levels are: Median, $63,900; Moderate, $51,000.

For two persons, Median Income, (combined) $73,120; Moderate Income (combined), $58,500.

For a three-person household, the combined income for Median income is $82,000; Moderate, $73,000.

For information on how to apply, contact the Planning Department.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Health. February 19, 2003: A rabid wild cat found in Peekskill fed by residents along with other wild cats has been tested and found rabid, prompting a rabies warning to anyone who has fed this band of cats. The county strongly warns persons not to touch these cats or any wild cats for that matter. WPCNR on our own suggests not allowing your cats outside in the Peekskill area. The release follows giving particulars of where these cats were found.
The Westchester County Department of Health today issued a Rabies Alert to residents of Peekskill who may have had contact with an outdoor cat in the vicinity of Woodale Avenue in Peekskill. The cat tested positive for rabies and was euthanized on February 15. It is described as a male, longhaired, orange and white cat named, “Bella” and was part of a colony of stray cats in the neighborhood of Woodale Avenue that was fed by residents.

Other members of this colony may also be rabid. It is imperative that residents avoid contact with any of these animals.

“Anyone who believes that they, or their pet, may have had contact with this cat, or others in the neighborhood, should contact the Westchester County Department of Health immediately at (914) 813-5000 to assess their need for life saving rabies treatment,” stated Joshua Lipsman, M.D., M.P.H., Westchester County Commissioner of Health.

Dr. Lipsman warns that anyone bitten by a rabid animal or having contact with its saliva may need to receive immediate post-exposure rabies treatment.

“When administered early enough, before symptoms develop, the
treatment is 100% effective,” he said. “However, once symptoms occur, in humans or animals, the disease is fatal”, he added.

“It is imperative for pet owners to immunize their animals against rabies and to ensure that these vaccinations are kept up to date,” said Dr. Lipsman. “Previously vaccinated domestic animals such as dogs,
cats, and ferrets, that have experienced contact with this cat require a
booster vaccination within five days of exposure. Such incidents must be immediately reported to the health department,” he continued. “If residents have questions, they should call us at (914) 813-5000.

Dr. Lipsman added, “A change in an animal’s behavior is the
first sign of rabies. A rabid animal may become either abnormally
aggressive or unusually tame. It may lose fear of people and become excited and irritable, or, conversely appear particularly friendly and affectionate.

Staggering and frothing at the mouth are sometimes noted. Adults should encourage children to immediately tell an adult if they have been bitten or scratched by an animal and to refrain from touching unfamiliar animals.”

All animal bites or contacts with animals suspected of having
rabies must be reported to the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5000, 24 hours a day. For more information about rabies and its prevention, residents can also call the RABIES HOTLINE at (914) 813-5010 or visit the Health Department’s Website at
www.westchestergov.com/health.

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WPCNR ALBANY REPORT. From Assemblywoman Amy Paulin of the 88th Assembly District. February 19, 2003:Assemblywoman Amy Paulin announced today that she has secured $50,000 in State funding to assist the City of White Plains with sidewalk improvements around the development site currently under construction at the intersection of Bloomingdale Avenue, Maple Avenue and Paulding Street. The City has committed a total of $1,978,000 to this public/private partnership that will bring new retail, jobs and taxes to the City, County and the State.

“It is exciting to watch new retailers move into White Plains, and to anticipate the jobs and sales tax revenue that will follow,” said Assemblywoman Paulin. “I am pleased to be able to assist with the project’s progress.”