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.

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WPCNR Main Street Journal. By John F. Bailey. December 16, 2003: Applebee’s the cozy, cordial, home of tasty, zesty treats opened Monday in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Joseph Delfino, Councilmen Tom Roach and Benjamin Boykin and Councilperson Rita Malmud presiding with Apple Metro Chief Executive Officer, Zane Tankel doing the honors. Matching checks of $2, 150 each, from proceeds of last Monday evening Applebee’s VIP party were presented by Mr. Tankel to Amy Kohn of the YWCA  and Robert Lapp, President of the YMCA of Central Westchester. Ms. Kohn and Mr. Lapp said the money would be primarily used to award scholarships to families in need of child care programs run by the two organizations.

APPLEBEE’S PIONEERING RESTAURANT IS OFFICIALLY OPENED, ZANARO’S TO COME IN MAY: Zane Tankel, Apple Metro Chief Executive Officer (third from left) wields The Big Scissors with Mayor Joseph Delfino in the Official Applebee’s Opening Ceremony Monday. To Mr. Tankel’s left are Councilman Benjamin Boykin, Restaurant Manager, Hedy Gannon, and Councilwoman Rita Malmud. Photo by WPCNR News.

JING FOR THE Y’S: Robert Lapp, President, YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, left, accepts $2,150 check from Zane Tankel, second from left. Any Kohn, President of the Y.W.C.A. (third from left) holds up her $2,150 check; Mayor Delfino, and Benjamin Boykin. The funds were raised by Applebee’s last week at the V.I.P. party for the opening of the new Applebee’s. Photo by WPCNR News.  

APPLEBEE’S PLEASED AT FIRST WEEK: Mr. Tankel said Applebee’s had a great first week, despite the handicap of not being accessible from the interior of the City Center. “We had a great week, in spite of it,” Tankel said. He said the main entrance to City Center to the left, was expected to be opened this week, allowing shoppers for Target, Circuit City and moviegoers to access the stores and the cinemas from Mamaroneck Avenue. Photo by WPCNR News.

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WPCNR MORNING RUSHES. By John F. Bailey. December 11, 2003 CINEMA DE LUX TOUR: The City Center 15 Cinema De Lux had its premiere for White Plains dignataries, divas, doyennes, dilletantes Thursday evening and drew 800 thumbs up. A crowd of some 400 persons  accepted National Amusements invitations to spend a night at a choice of 10 movies. They strolled the opulent, red, blue, and gold swank carpet in oriental fan pattern and entered the finest movie palaceplex this reporter has seen.  

The sophisticates gawked at the massive Egyptian columns, reminiscent of the Baths of Caracalla, strolled for what seemed like forever down the spacious foyer that rolls on like Route 66, from the East end of the Center Center on City Place to the West end fronting Mamaroneck Avenue, while giving you the consumer choice of every confection and movie you can want on your left, specialties on your right, while accompanied by the tinkling of the ivories from a grand piano.

“THE COLUMNS, THE LIGHTING, COMBINE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE SPECIAL, THE WOODWORK, THE LITTLE TOUCHES MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE SPECIAL, A LITTLE FINER, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD,” was Councilperson Rita Malmud’s first reaction on seeing the majestic Grand Hall of Cinema De Lux Thursday evening. The Councilperson recalled it restored the magnificence of theatres of the past that she remembered. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam. 

Recalling the luxury of theatres long torn down, with 21st century elegance, City Center 15 Cinema De Lux makes movies an experience once more, recalling the magic of “Paramounts,” “Palaces,” and “Majestics” gone by where kids from the Bronx, Brooklyn once entered a world of statuary, chandeliers, and grand staircases that took them into a world where dreams are born.

Ron Jackson, another resident told WPCNR “This is a great Christmas Present for the people of White Plains. I’m so glad the Mayor invited me. It’s wonderful that families now have a safe clean place to enjoy the movies.”

YOU’RE CROSSING THE BRIDGE AND INTO THE FIFTH FLOOR OF CITY CENTER, AND “THE LUX” WELCOMES YOU IN. White Plains Peforming Arts Center is slightly to the left. Movie Posters under glass are an ode to theatre marquees of the past. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam.

STEP RIGHT UP, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND TEENS OF ALL AGES: Just inside the specious swinging glass doored entrance on the left, White Plains movie buffs can purchase their choice of seats in advance by computer in 4 Director’s Halls theatres, and tickets for any of the 11 other theatres at the computer sceens here, which show seating arrangements for the Director’s Halls. The attractions will be shown with prices ranging slightly more than $10 a ticket, on computer screens (shown upper right of pic) with special prices in effect for performances before 6 P.M. Actually pricing was not available to the media last night. Neither were telephone numbers to arrange for amenities, rentals, parties. WPCNR will make the information available when they become available to us. The cinemascopic Grand Hall presents a tasteful “soft” inviting aura without the harsh jarring visual glare typical of virtually every other multiplex in Westchester County.  Seats for Friday’s performances may be purchased on the www.nationalamusements.com website. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

AFTER PURCHASING TICKETS, STROLL DOWN THE GRAND HALL BY THE SNACK MIDWAY:  In perhaps the most elegant concession stands ever designed, you and yours can pick from 50 varieties of loose candy  by the pound, or select packaged theatre favorites, on the right side of the hall,(below), that’s the Head of the Downtown Business Improvement District, (in the foreground) are a line up of Ben & Jerry’s, Nathans, Sbarro’s Pizza, and Pretzel Depot, and Starbucks Coffee for the discriminating indulger. The Gold “Oscar” was a special “living statue” for the evening. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam.

AFTER PURCHASING YOUR DUCATS, LADIES & GENTS CAN RELAX in this lounge awaiting the shows to begin. The complex is so spacious, it is more like the interior of an ocean liner. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

OR YOU CAN MEET YOUR BABY FOR DINNER AND A DRINK AT THE SUGGESTIVELY DIMLY LIT   CHATTER’S LOUNGE just off the lounge. Chatter’s serves appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches all priced under $8, and cooked to order. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

YOUR SEAT RIGHT THIS WAY: Just to the right of Chatter’s Lounge, previously pictured, is the cleverly designed Theatre Concourse, that is a combination of the Grand Central Terminal lower level and a cruise ship passageway, seducing you into the world of make-believe. The theatres, all 15 of them, are so cleverly concealed into the building that you cannot believe there are fifteen of them.  Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

THE DIRECTOR’S HALL: Here is one of the four Director’s Halls, featuring 24″ wide UltraLeather Seats, and Dolby Digital Surround EX. All the theatres feature the murals of the Bear Mountain Bridge, a very elegant design touch, that lends each theatre a touch of nostalgia when theatres had murals on the walls, a stepup to another level in multi-plex design. We cannot go back to the black box theatre ever again, thanks to the Cinema de Lux. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

WPCNR TOUR GUIDES demonstrate the Director’s Hall seating, with all the comfort of a La-Z-Boy.  Patricia Alsina is at right, and Quianne Heyward, left. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

PARTIES, ANYONE? Cinema de Lux will stage theatre parties for families and groups, providing the food and drinks in these specious rooms, just off the Theatre Concourse. Theatres may also be rented by corporations, schools, and community groups for meetings, presentations, and special showings. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam

NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW: Shari E. Redstone, President of National Amusements, and “Mr. Movies,” Mayor Joseph Delfino cut the silver ribbon, officially opening the City Center 15 Cinema de Lux. Ms. Redstone said she hoped to open her Cinema de Lux to local performing groups, businesses, and invite local artists to perform as entertainers in the complex, and promised National Amusements would be a contributing member of the White Plains community. The only faux pas was that Louis Cappelli, “The Visionary,” was not on the podium. He was briskly walking about supervising last minute repairs to theatre interiors calling in a welder here, a carpenter there, to fix the tiniest of imperfections. At the conclusion of the evening, he remarked to me, “I’m done. I can’t do this any more, I’m drained.”  Ms. Redstone praised Mr. Cappelli, saying she wanted to “thank Louis Cappelli for his vision and commitment to redevelop this area.” (at least until this morning.) Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam.

PROUD FATHERS: Mayor Delfino, the father of the new movies in White Plains, back to camera, and the entertainment titan, Summer Redstone, observe Mr. Redstone’s daughter, Shari’s remarks, who ended her talk, saying she loved her father. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam.

MR. MOVIES, Mayor Joseph Delfino, asked all “How does it Look?” and a “huzzah” came from the assembled multitude. The Mayor thank all involved in the project, and encouraged all to make this the best theatre in the region, and encouraged all “to go out and sell this city and sell this theatre” to all they know. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam.

“I NEED A WELDER RIGHT AWAY!” That’s the meticulous, intense, concerned Louis Cappelli in center showing two of his construction crew a rough spot on a railing, that he wants smoothed out. Throughout the evening leading to the movie shows, Mr. Cappelli, “The Super Developer,” described as “The Visionary” was looking into things, finding little nicks and imperfections and demanding they be fixed. His manner was cordial, inspiring, a leader’s way. Photo by WPCNR HollywoodCam.

If you want to take your own tour of City Center 15 Cinema de Lux, on Friday evening the shows will as follows: Bad Santa, 7:10; 9:25, and 11:40 P.M.; The Cat in the Hat,  6:50 P.M.; Elf 6:55, 9:15, and 11:20; Honey, 7:20, 9:40, 11:45 P.M.; The Last Samurai, 7:15, 8:00, 10:30, 11:15; The Last Samurai in Director’s Hall, 6:30 and 9:45 P.M.; Love Actually, 9 PM, midnight; Love Don’t Cost A Thing, 7:50, 10:20, 12:35 A.M.; Mystic River, 6:35, 9:35, 12:25 A.M.; Something’s Gotta Give, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:15 A.M.;  Something’s Gotta Give in Director’s Hall at 6, 7, 9, 10, 11:50, and 12:40 A.M.; Stuck on You, at 6:45, 9:50, 12:25 A.M. Tickets and Director’s Halls arrangements may now be available onthe website, www.nationalamusements.com.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) December 11, 2003: County Executive Andy Spano today announced an innovative program designed to give Westchester residents of all ages who lack adequate health insurance significant discounts on prescription drugs. Individuals will pay $15 a year for the program, Families, $26.

White Plains Pharmacies honoring the program, beginning today are: Duane Reade, both Stop N Shop Pharmacies, Post Pharmacy, Target Pharmacy, White Plains Pharmacy, FamilyMeds Pharmacy, Rosedale Pharmacy, K-Mart Pharmacy, and Value Pharmacy.

  The county program, dubbed “WestchesterRx,” will cost county taxpayers nothing, but can save consumers 10 to 50 percent on their medicines. The variations depend on the particular medicine and whether the consumers continue to purchase at a local pharmacy or use a mail order program. And the savings can be even greater if the customer uses an option that accesses pharmacies in Canada.

Westchester becomes the first county in the state and one of the first in the nation to use its clout to devise and implement a comprehensive, easy-to-use program to help residents pay for prescription drugs.

“Something is very wrong in this country where the people who can least afford to pay for medicines are paying the highest prices. This is not going to be true any longer in Westchester County,” said Spano. “Our program will provide real savings and provide these savings immediately. And unlike the recently enacted federal prescription drug plan, our program will help people and families regardless of their age.”

The county estimates that there are about 90,000 people in Westchester who are uninsured or underinsured. Ultimately, other value-added services such as vision care benefits and discount coupons will be incorporated.  

Participants receive a card that identifies them as members of the county’s new program. People will be able to enroll via the Internet or through an enrollment form. They will be able to buy their medicines at one of 114 participating local pharmacies, through a national network of participating pharmacies or by mail service. A toll-free phone number will be set up for enrollees to call to get names of participating pharmacies – in and out of Westchester – and get answers to other aspects of the program.

 “I believe this is the most important program that we have ever implemented in terms of how many people it will affect and its potential to save lives or at least give people access to drugs that can help them with their illnesses and improve their quality of life,” Spano said.

In creating the prescription drug plan, the County brought to the table industry leaders to administer the program.  Namely, POMCO, administrator of the county’s employee health plan; Arxcel, Inc., an independent prescription drug consulting firm; Inteq, a pharmacy benefit managers corporation responsible for claims processing and network management, which negotiated special group rates with the pharmacies; and finally, LibertyCareRx, a marketing organization that will provide the web site, customer service and handle sales for the discount card.  Together, with the county’s leadership, they have created  a model prescription drug benefit program.

The program also includes a Canadian pharmacy option that allows residents to access medicines produced in America but sold at significantly reduced rates in Canada.

“I am outraged that Americans have to pay up to three times as much as Canadians for the same drugs,” Spano said.

 The program will be operational Feb. 1, 2004  and is open to all Westchester residents. It will begin accepting enrollees in early January. More specific information including a website, brochures and a telephone line will be developed over the next few weeks. There will also be materials and a phone number set up for Spanish-speaking people.  

EXAMPLES OF PRICES

(Actual prices can vary from day to day, so these numbers are not precise) 

·        The average price in Westchester of Lipitor (10mg), taken for high cholesterol, is $81.90 for 30 pills, a month’s supply. Through the county’s program, the medicine at one of the participating pharmacies will be $67.26, a savings of 17.9 percent. If the member uses mail order, the

medication will cost $63.04 for a savings of 23 percent. If the Canadian option is used, the medicine is $54.91, for a total savings of 33 percent.

·        The average price in Westchester for Zoloft (50 mg), an anti-depressant, is $86.96 for 30 pills, a month’s supply.  Through the county’s program, the medicine at one of the participating pharmacies will be $73.83, a savings of 15.1 percent. If the member uses mail order, the medication will cost $69.38 for a savings of 20.2 percent. If the Canadian option is used, the medicine is $53.95, for a total savings of 38 percent.

·        The average price in Westchester for Celebrex (200 mg), for arthritis pain, is $98.12 for 30 pills, a month’s supply.  Through the county’s program, the medicine at one of the participating pharmacies will be $80.02, a savings of 18.4 percent. If the member uses mail order, the medication will cost $75.35 for a savings of 23.2 percent. If the Canadian option is used, the medicine is. $43.25, for a total savings of 55.9 percent

·        The average price in Westchester for Metformin (550 mg), for diabetes, is $23.16 for 30 pills, a month’s supply. Through the county’s program, the medicine at one of the participating pharmacies will be $21.25, a savings of 8.2 percent. If the member uses mail order, the medication will cost $13.11, for a savings of 43.4 percent. If the Canadian option is used, the medicine is. $5.19, for a total savings of 77.6 percent

HOW THE PROGRAM WILL WORK

·        LOCAL PHARMACY NETWORK: Currently, 114 pharmacies in Westchester are part of the extensive geographically diverse pharmacy network. People may bring their prescriptions to these pharmacies, along with their program ID card, to get discounts on their medicines. The local network is made up of chain stores as well as small pharmacies.  The network will have national coverage as well, so enrollees will be able to obtain their medicines outside the county. 

Prices can change depending on the wholesale price of a particular drug on a particular day. The pharmacies, via their contract with the WestchesterRx program, have agreed to a negotiated discount. In the instance where the pharmacy may be charging less for a particular drug on a particular day, the WestchesterRx member will get the lower price. In no case will a member pay more through the network than what the store might otherwise charge. 

·        MAIL ORDER OPTION: For larger discounts on maintenance medicines, members can use a mail service pharmacy.  The program will use drugstore.com. Prescriptions may be mailed, ordered via the Internet or faxed.  

·        CANADIAN OPTION: For even greater discounts, a participant may use the Canadian pharmacy option. WestchesterRx will be working with an intermediary that has relationships with various well-established and quality Canadian pharmacies.  

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 8, 2003: The Board of Education engaged in over an hour of spirited discussion Monday evening at White Plains High School with its Curriculum Coordinators who made a case for the Board postponing last year’s decision to upgrade the district passing standard for the English, Global History & Geography, and U.S. History and Government Regents Examinations to 65 for Class of 2004 seniors. A visibly troubled school board grappled with the issue. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors said the Board would be asked to vote on keeping the passing grade where it is (55)  for these three critical Regents on January 12.

CONCERNED CURRICULUM COORDINATOR “TAG TEAM” advised against raising Regents passing grades to 65 on three key Regents exams for the Class of 2004, Monday evening. The Board of Education looks on in concern at the united lineup of Larry Killian, Administrator of Research, Testing, Evaluation; Lisa Weber, Mathematics Coordinator; Joan Kass, Foreign Language Coordinator; Alan Walowitz (at podium), English Coordinator; Enrique Cafaro, Guidance Coordinator; Dr. Christine Robbins, Principal, White Plains High School; Lois Gordon, Coordinator, Social Studies; Margaret Doty, Curriculum Coordinator, Science. Photo by WPCNR News.

Connors said New York State Education Department had done a grave disservice to School Districts across the state for  failing to have the courage to declare they would keep the Regents tests across the state at the 55 “Passing Standard,” instead leaving it up to each individual school district to determine whether they would “keep it at 55.” Connors said that the School Districts of Harrison, Mahopac, Mamaroneck, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining, Port Chester and Valhalla were approving or planning to approve sticking to the “55 standard”

In the course of the hour or so debate, (the single most contentious issue since the Dr. Saul Yanofsky departure from the district), Board members were told by a tag team of Curriculum Coordinators that the Regents tests are a nightmare of indecision and inconsistency on the state level, producing a lack of confidence in their results. Right down the line, they also said the Regents did not cover the curriculum fairly. Dr. Joseph Casbarro, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, said New York State had reached the point were high stakes tests were counter-productive and turning children off to learning.

CAN YOU QUANTIFY? Board Member Terence McGuire raised the issure repeatedly of how many poorly achieving students were at risk of not graduating. He asked Coordinators if they could quantify how many seniors could be at risk of graduating if the passing level on the three verbal skills Regentses were raised to 65. The Coordinators said they could not make an estimate on that but said they would attempt to get a figure, but cited last year’s figures of all Regents results where 63% of Seniors passed all 5 Regentses (when passing grade was 55), with 88% of white students passing, 48% of Hispanics students passing their Regences and 38% of African-Americans passing, according to  Photo by WPCNR News.

Coordinators said clearly that the controversial Regents Math A, Physics and Chemistry tests of 2003 were not only confusing to grade, but at variance with curriculum taught, focusing on obscure “corners” of the syllabus. They pointed out that test scores did not indicate the percentage of questions answered correctly, so much so that as many as 50% of the poorer and non-English speaking White Plains students were clearly at risk of not receiving a Regents diploma as members of the Class of 2004.  This the group agreed could occur if White Plains raised the Regents testing grades to 65 on English, Global History & Geography, and U.S. History and Government tests.

However,  curriculum coordinators did cite the English, Global History and U.S. History exams as the best conceived Regents tests, better administered and fairly created coverage.

MOST TROUBLING ISSUE: A grim Terence McGuire (left) looks on in agreement as  School Board Member Bill Pollak said the 55 or 65 decision and the disturbing state of New York Regents testing, “the hit or miss curriculum”as described by the Curriculum Coordinators,  said, “I have a real problem making these (Regents) tests more high stakes than they are already.” Photo by WPCNR News.

As the evening wore on, Board members became more and more troubled and concerned. Coordinators put the pressure on the Board to postpone for a least a year or more the upgrade to 65, on the English, Global and U.S. History Regentses because they are currently preparing at-risk seniors for the Regents Competency Tests in addition to regular study for the January Regents, in anticipation of the new 65 standard on the English, Global and U.S. History “hurdles.” Narcita Medina, Assistant Principal for Special Programs and Services

A DISSAPPOINTED AND CONCERNED Maria Valentin, (center), noted  to the Coordinators, that raising the grade to 65, would primarily affect poor and Hispanic students. She was skeptical of the coordinator claims of success on student Regents results in English, saying that the Coordinators’ claims of greater success among Regents testing on English and Social Studies were simply because now all students, ESOL, and Special Needs students, (who previously took Regents Competency Tests instead), are required now to take the Regents, naturally inflating the numbers of students taking and passing the Regents. Photo by WPCNR News

BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESIDENT Donna McLaughlin, center, concluded the impassioned discussion saying she still supported the results that high stakes testing had achieved, pointing out how standards and achievement had been raised, the ESOL learning problem addressed. She defined the issue facing the district saying the content of the Regents tests needed to be addressed to be more consistent, productive and fair to students. Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, left, said it was important parents realize that the District was not lowering standards in any way if the Board voted in January not to go to 65 as a passing grade, just postponing it, noting that in 2002-03 the passing grade for all Regents Exams was 55. Board Member Peter Bassano said he was very angry at the state for putting the district in this position, “as angry as I can get.”
 Photo by WPCNR News.

Superintendent of Schools Connors and President of the Board of Education, Donna McLaughlin, urged parents to contact the school board members, the district, and the high schools to find out more about the issue.

The New York State Education Department, because of the poor and controversial Mathematics A, Physics and Chemistry tests in 2003, have backed off from their requirement that students entering Grade 9 in 2000 (the Class of 2004) would have to have passing grades of 65 or better on English, U.S. History and Government, and Global History and Geography. They plan to revisit this issue in 2005.

The complete debate on the subject will be televised on WPPS-TV, White Plains Public Schools Channel 77, on Thursday, December 18, at 7:30 P.M. Contact White Plains Public Schools-TV at 422-2073 for further information on when this important debate will be televised. Persons wishing a copy of this tape should contact Nancy Strauss at 422-2073 to make arrangements.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. December 8, 2003: White Plains Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti took time to say Monday morning, (two-way radio crackling in the background), that the men who kept White Plains open and functioning all weekend long with their round-the-clock snow smackdown, were, “A great bunch of guys with tremendous will power, going around the clock for 48 hours straight from Friday at 1 P.M. when we started,  until Sunday at 5 P.M., and worked well into Sunday night. We basically got two storms back-to-back with well over a foot of snow.”

Nicoletti said his crews worked two 16-hour shifts of straight overtime, with 8 hours off in between to keep the city’s  40 fast-moving yellow trucks rolling and taking out the snow. He said the city unloaded 2,000 tons of salt, and put down 200,000 gallons of deicer fluid, (consisting of  calcium chloride and magnesium chloride) on the city streets. Mr. Nicoletti said that he had a full compliment of 80 men working for 32 of the 48 hours with the 16 hours-on, 8 hours-off, sequence to keep a move on the storm.

The Commissioner put the cost to the city of the storm at $100,000 in labor, and $70,000 worth of de-icer chemicals, which works out to around $14,000 per foot of snow.

Nicoletti said this was a tough storm to be dealt with because it was relentless, “with changing conditions.”  He said it consisted of two storms with a lull early Saturday morning before the blizzard conditions hit Saturday afternoon. He said the temperatures never got above freezing, requiring de-icing measures to prevent melted snows from refreezing on plowed streets.

He is now looking to midweek when rain is expected, which will require, he says a major effort to clear snows from the sewer drains to prevent flooding before that possible precipitation hits.

The National Weather Service is raising the possibility of drizzle and freezing rain beginning Tuesday evening.