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 COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. April 10, 2003: A confident and matter-of-fact County Executive Andy Spano delivered a one-hour State-of-the-County Address to the County Legislature at the Michaelian Office Building Thursday evening in White Plains.

MR. COUNTY EXECUTIVE defended his policy of bonding against the cigarette companies future payments and noted that credit raters specifically made note that state mandates and the state legislature were to blame for the county fiscal problems.
Photo of News12 Telecast by WPCNR NewsLab

He announced a new county diet and fitness program for the county’s youth to compliment his Campaign Against Teen Age Drinking.

Takes Tappan Zee Transit Stand.

He went on record as being opposed to widening the Cross Westchester Expressway in any Tappan Zee Bridge traffic solution, and said a mass transit or rail solution was what he favored. He recommended using Westchester’s railroad depot staging areas to construct self-contained apartment and retail centers, “transit villages” to alleviate the need for automobiles as an alternative planning solution to the county commuting problem.

CALLS FOR PLANS TO REPLACE IP JUICE: Mr. Spano said he remained committed to decommissioning Indian Point and said he would call for proposals next month for plans and procedures from companies to replace the electricity generated by the Indian Point so he could justify the county condemning the plant.
Photo of News12 Telecast by WPCNR NewsLab

Spano said he will work more closely with companies who have a means for bringing to Westchester County the replacement power the county needs without building a new power plant in Westchester.

(One such company, not mentioned by Executive Spano in his speech is Conjunction, LLC, of Washington, D.C., which is seeking $750 Million in capital to construct an underground power transmission line along the Hudson River Conrail railroad tracks from Albany down to Yonkers, capable of transmitting the 2,000 megawatts per day Indian Point produces now from the Northeast power grid in Albany. Currently transmission line capacity to deliver electricity is only 1,600 megawatts according to the New York Independent Systems Operator.)

Triple A Bond rating Preserved. Tobacco Bonding Vindicated.

Executive Spano said that in view of news reports that Philip Morris, the tobacco company, would not have the money to meet its future tobacco settlement obligations, his policy of bonding for the monies due Westchester from the tobacco settlement now looks very good, since it has guaranteed Westchester will have received all it was entitled to from the settlement.
Spano said credit reports on Westchester’s credit rating had praised the county’s financial management, its financial controls and that state mandates had put pressure on Westchester’s budget.

The County Executive continued his mantra against the mandates, warning of more property tax increases in the year ahead: “Unless the State Government reduces the costs of these mandates, county programs and services, in Westchester and throughout the state, will continue to be cut and county taxpayers will continue to see property taxes increase. This must not happen. It is unfair and unjust for state government to make county taxpayers pay for its programs. Simply put, the system of mandated programs is broken, we must all work together to repair it.”

$20 Million in Security Upgrades.

The County Executive noted how the county has upgraded its airport and reservoir security, and told residents that the county has in place a radio communications system where all fire departments and police departments and agencies can talk to each other in an emergency. He noted steps he has taken to monitor hospitals for biological threats, and communications procedures he has instilled to put in place improved ability to communicate with the county’s schools and care centers, public and private.

Mentioning Indian Point again, he said he has called for Federalization of security at the nuclear power facility.

Cuts Have Taken Place.

Executive Spano aggressively defended his management of the budget, noting that he has cut services. He noted particularly that the Department of Social Services has had its staff cut by 236 persons, or 16% since 1998, but has processed 6,000 persons and gotten them back into society.

In a related matter, he bitterly complained that the state legislature granted sales tax increases to a number of counties but refused to grant such an increase to Westchester County.

SHAKIN HANDS ALL AROUND: County Executive Andy Spano shakes hands with Bill Ryan, White Plains County Legislator from District 5, and George Latimer left, Chairman of the Westchester Democratic Party after completion of his speech.
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Spano concluded with these words:“After a harsh winter, there is always a welcome spring. We have spent the past five years building a solid economy, preserving land for generations to come, investing in technology and protecting the health and safety of our people. These policies provide a solid foundation for the future. Working together, our government and our people will continue to make the county great.”

Spano began his speech recognizing several police officers and noting the death of Marine Bernard Gooden of Mount Vernon in the AmerIraqui War, and expressed his support for the American troops.

REPUBLICAN RESPONSE: Legislator Jim Maisano Response Attacks Spano on His Cuts.
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In the Republican Response, aired a full 30-minutes after County Executive Spano had finished, County Legislator James Maisano began with a heartfelt message supporting the American troops.

Maisano took Mr. Spano to task, criticizing him for cutting funds to the County District Attorney’s office, resulting in cuts to anti-crime programs and various social programs. He said bonding for the tobacco money was wrong, and accused Mr. Spano of doing that so he could raise the level of County Services while decreasing taxes.

Maisano said County Executive Spano has failed to display leadership by not cutting the budget more so a property tax increase was not necessary, and said his policy of blaming the state for his budget problems had poisoned the atmosphere with the state and the Westchester delegation.

Maisano concluded his response by saying he and the other Republican Legislators would work to bring about a balanced budget and restore cuts to social programs and county security. He did not say where they felt the budget could be cut.

Mr. Maisano’s response was aired 30 minutes after the live telecast of Mr. Spano’s speech on News 12, and viewers were not advised after Mr. Spano’s speech that a Republican Response was coming up.

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WPCNR ADVENTURER’S LOG. From Cynthia Goss. April 10, 2003,/ 24°21’S 66°07’E / Indian Ocean — :The intrepid trimaran, Great American II, attempting to set a new sailing record from Hong Kong to New York today fell off the pace set by the current record holder, the clipper ship Sea Witch 154 years ago.

Reporting today from the Indian Ocean, 1,000 miles south of the US military base in Diego Garcia, sailors Rich Wilson (Rockport, Mass.) and “Captain Larchmont,” Westchester’s own Rich du Moulin (Larchmont, N.Y.) said the ghost of the square-rigged clipper ship
Sea Witch had passed them overnight on their 15,000-mile voyage to New York City.
A week ago the 53-foot trimaran from Marblehead, MA, was clear of Sunda Strait at the south end of the China Sea and had broken into steady tradewinds after trailing Sea Witch by up to three days. Driven by the trades, the duo spurted a day and a half’s sailing ahead of the record set by Sea Witch skipper Captain “Bully” Waterman, who raced his cargo of tea to New York’s waiting markets in record time a century and a half ago. But Sea Witch’s performance in the trades has proved stronger.

The Report from Captain Larchmont

“As of noon yesterday Sea Witch’s comparable position was just 10 miles behind us,” Rich du Moulin reported by satellite email. “We estimate she passed us in the night and our chart now shows her out in the lead by 70 miles! We could imagine her silhouette moving past us on the horizon.”

After logging a 300-mile day, Captain Waterman, in his log, preserved in the Peabody Museum in Salem, MA, reported his ship was carrying every stitch of canvas it could.

“Strong trades all through (the day),” he noted. “Royal, studding sails and topgallant staysails set.”

From their position about 1,000 miles east of Madagascar, skipper Rich
Wilson reported that Great American II was treating the strong winds and big seas of the tradewinds with caution. However, with two reefs in the mainsail and carrying only a staysail, his vessel was making miles towards the Cape of Good Hope at a 10-knot average.

“At 180 feet in length, Sea Witch could span several waves; at 53-feet,
Great American II is affected by every one,” Wilson said. “We are forced to be conservative and relatively slow, while the hard-charging Sea Witch had a great day’s run in ideal conditions for her.

“Last night I could imagine her on the horizon. A sliver of moon barely lit the sky behind the heavy overcast, but there she was, where you wouldn’t see a star, right on the horizon. It had to be her! Sea Witch all sails set and reflecting the glimmer of moonlight, charging hard in the SE trades.

“These were her conditions. She had been coming on strong for the last several days. Captain Waterman was surely on the windward deck, inspecting the set of every sail, and feeling every puff on his cheek. He was advising the helmsman nearly wave by wave. He would stand there for hours, making sure his ship was driving hard toward the Cape of Good Hope, making sure that these trades would not be wasted.

“GAII is gamely hanging on, but we are saving ourselves for the lighter
breezes in which we excel. This is a race of strategy more than machismo, to go hard when you can make the easy miles, and to back off, when the sea state gets up and rattles her three hulls. Captain Waterman, hard driver that he was, also knew when to back off.

“Like a basketball team trying to stay close when the opponents make a run, we are trying to keep a good average speed so that when our chances in smoother seas come, we can make our own run.

“What a horse race! In marathon racing they talk of the rubber band, that a runner may sag back behind the leader, but always stay close enough to surge back. If the rubber band breaks, it is over; the trailer will just keep falling back further and further.

Into the Trades They Made Time

“Coming out of Sunda Strait, our rubber band was stretched to the max. If we had been another day and a half behind, perhaps we could not have pulled even; it would have been too much to make up, but fortunately it didn’t and here we are, passed again, but still in a horse race.

“A huge high pressure system lies to the south of us and has just passed to the east. The winds are wrapping around it, and a frontal system lies several days ahead. As we exit the trades, we will come into more weather related decision-making, and our current direct course to Cape of Good Hope will not be so obvious.

Beware the Westerlies, Matey, and Aye, Those Freighters!

“We must not get so far south that we encounter the strong westerlies
coming off the South Atlantic, and we must not turn too early toward the
west coast of Africa where we could fall into the light winds now forecast to be south of Madagascar in this new weather system.

“In the murk yesterday afternoon, I thought I saw a structure, and I wasn’t even looking. Lo, a big automobile transport, but they wouldn’t respond on VHF. Another ship, out of sight over the horizon did. She was a sugar carrier, from Sydney bound for Durban. We’ll have to keep a very sharp lookout as we approach Cape of Good Hope with its heavy maritime commercial traffic.”

While working watch and watch, around the clock, to get to New York as quickly as possible, Wilson and du Moulin have been busy corresponding with schoolchildren who are following their live adventure in a unique educational program called sitesALIVE! Children have emailed questions about sailing, life at sea, leaving port, and wildlife; both sailors have written back with answers to help make this voyage a vivid learning experience for some 360,000 children.

Halfway to Africa

Great American II is roughly half way across the Indian Ocean with 2,600 miles to go before reaching the southern tip of Africa, where they will turn north into the Atlantic Ocean. To beat Sea Witch’s record of 74 days 14 hours, the two sailors must arrive in New York the week of May 26.

* * * Hardalees

HOW THE PUBLIC CAN FOLLOW GREAT AMERICAN II: The website tracking the voyage of Great American II is http://www.sitesalive.com. Daily position reports and a Captain’s Log are posted on the site so classrooms, students, and families who purchase licenses can follow the progress of the boat. For information, go to http://www.sitesalive.com/oceanchallengelive/.

The saga of GAII will also be published in a number of daily papers, in the Newspaper In Education supplements, and tracked on the AOL@SCHOOL program (keyword: sitesalive).

Great American II’s Newspaper In Education participation in seven national daily papers is supported by the sitesALIVE Foundation. Established in 2002, the Foundation addresses teacher training in computer technology and funding for budget-constrained schools. The mission of the foundation is to enhance K-12 education by promoting the use of technology with real-world, real-time content from around the globe.

Some 360,000 students are expected to follow the voyage of Great American II. For a chart showing the relative positions of Great American II and Sea Witch, go to:
http://www.sitesalive.com/ocl/private/03s/pos/ocl3position.html

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Rich Masseroni, White Plains Little League. April 9, 2003: One of the bright spots that occurred last Saturday morning (when Frank Rose and I had to make the decision to cancel the Little League Parade) was the fact that Mr. Rose and I presented Mr. Joe Wray (WP Maintenance Supervisor) with a beautiful plaque (on behalf of White Plains Little League) congratulating him on his retirement after 30 years of service to the WP community. FYI, Saturday, April 5, was Joe’s last official day on the job. We had planned to recognize Joe during the Parade Ceremonies.
Joe indicated although he is officially retired, he is being retained by the City of White Plains as a contractor from now through June. Joe’s replacement is a gentlemen by the name of Frank “Cheech” Piacente.

In the upcoming edition of the WP Watch Newspaper, there is a 1/2 page “Sponsor Thank You” annual advertisement that WPLL has taken out to recoginize all our sponsors, there is a notation at the bottom, which I placed in the advertisement, also recognizing Joe Wray for his efforts on behalf of White Plains Little League.

Outback Steakhouse and Little League Donate Parade Food to Local Charities.

The food that Outback Steakhouse had purchased, over $1,200 for the picnic at the conclusion of the cancelled parade is being donated to local charities as a donation from White Plains Little League and Outback Steakhouse.

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WPCNR INDIAN POINT INDEPENDENCE TIMES. From Kim Spahn of Riverkeeper. April 9, 2003: The Homeland Security Department and the Federal Aviation Administration refuse to declare a no-fly zone around the plant which is feared to be a terrorist target. Meanwhile the entertainment giant Disney successfully lobbied and received no-fly zones over its two U.S. theme parks Disney World and Disneyland from the feds.
“How can New Yorkers be expected to feel safe when our government does more to protect Mickey Mouse than the 20 million citizens who live next door to Indian Point,” Riverkeeper’s executive director Alex Matthiessen said in a written statement. “What additional evidence is required before the Homeland Security Department and FAA put appropriate measures in place to defend this obvious and vulnerable terrorist target?”

In the weeks following September 11, 2001, the FAA issued a no-fly zone over all the country’s nuclear plants. But now it’s legal for planes (both private and commercial) to fly over the plants, including the Indian Point facility, as long as the plane maintains an altitude of 2,000 feet.

In an investigation conducted by the New York Observer last year, it was discovered that no single entity – neither Entergy, Indian Point’s owner, nor any government agency including the Pentagon – claims responsibility for protecting Indian Point from an aerial attack.

Many industry experts and residents fear that a small private plane loaded with explosives could easily be used to attack targets at the plant such as the spent fuel rod pools which contain 1500 tons of high-level radioactive waste.

New York politicians, including Governor Pataki and U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, have requested the Homeland Security Department and FAA restrict the airspace over the nuclear plant.

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WPCNR ADVENTURER’S LOG. By Cynthia Goss. Special to WPCNR. April 8, 2003:John, all is going well on GAII. We moved last week’s report up to mark the boat’s passing into the Indian Ocean. We’ll have another update later this week…Once they got into the Indian Ocean, GAII left the light, frustrating winds of the S. China Sea behind and quickly got into the tradewind belt. They’ve been making good time and are now neck and neck with Sea Witch’s position.

Here is a report from Rich Wilson aboard the GAII received just this morning:
I got this from the boat this morning, from Rich Wilson, imagining what it must have been like to be sailing in 154 years ago, right next to the legendary clipper ship…

“Last night I could see her on the horizon, a sliver of moon barely lit the sky behind the heavy overcast, but there she was, where you wouldn’t see a star, right on the horizon, it had to be her, Sea Witch all sails set and reflecting the glimmer of moonlight, charging hard in the SE trades. These were her conditions, she had been coming on strong for the last several days, GAII’s lead captured immediately out of Sunda Strait had been evaporating in the last days, and now here she was.

Captain Waterman, (Sea Witch Captain). surely on the windward deck, inspecting the set of every sail, and feeling every puff on his cheek,advising the helmsman nearly wave by wave. He would stand there for hours, making sure his ship was driving hard toward the Cape of Good Hope, making sure that these trades would not be wasted.

GAII was gamely hanging on, but she was also saving herself for the lighter breezes in which she excelled. This was a race of strategy more than machismo, to go hard when you could make the easy miles, and to back off, when the sea state got up and rattled her three hulls.

Captain Waterman, hard driver that he was, also knew when to back off. Upon approaching Sunda Strait, he hove to for a night, saying it was “too dark” to proceed in the confined waters. We’re neck and neck now, at noon time, only miles apart after 23 days, isn’t it amazing!”