THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Cable Commission Behind WP TV Move to Libe,1st FL 2nd FL. OKs Hire of Designer. Wilson Resigns

Posted on June 12, 2013 by John Bailey

White Plains Cable Commission Committing to Historic Move to Library Wednesday Night. From Clockwise, lower left, Bice Wilson, Jim Kenny, Executive Director, Reverend Everett Parker, Kelli Higgs, Chairman Bill Brown, Chris Marothy and John Vorperian.

WPCNR MEDIA MONITOR. By John F. Bailey. June 12, 2013:

America’s first state-of-the-art community public access station is officially moving to the White Plains Public Library, effective possibly by mid-2014.

The White Plains Cable Television Commission voted 7-0 Wednesday evening to authorize up to $75,000 to hire a design/architect consultant or firm to design new studios in the White Plains Public Library. The action amended the budget to add the $75,000 commitment to the consultant budget line to enable the hiring of a design professional.

The commission after a year of discussion has, for the first time, officially committed to move the 1993-vintage studios from the Four Seasons Condominium underground studios, where they currently pay $40,000 in condo carrying charges.

The $75,000 was approved as part of the Capital Projects budget in the 2013-14 city budget passed May 27. The $75,000 will be drawn down from the Cable Television Commission capital fund balance.

Bill Brown, Chairman of the Cable Commission after a long and critical discussion of the need to get busy planning what the studios will actually require, decided to submit the Memorandum of Understanding between the Library Foundation and the Cable Commission on August 1.

He said that an Operations Plan that the commission would be meeting to flesh out on a Saturday morning later this month. Details of equipment purchases, rough design and functions of the space would be discussed and roughly suggested at that meeting. At this time, it is unclear whether Brian Kenny, Library Director will be included at that meeting

Brown told WPCNR the television stations, Government Access 75, Public Access 76, and White Plains Schools Channel 77 would not go dark at any time during the move. A target date for the move would most likely be in the spring of 2014 when Phase II of the Library first floor plan is expected to start covering the area where the first floor television studio is planned.

Bice Wilson, member of the Commission and the nationally known studio design/architect was asked by Reverend Everett Parker, cable commission member to take the lead with Cable TV Executive Director Jim Kenny in designing the Operations Plan.

Mr. Wilson hesitated, and said he was honored but that he could not because he had decided to resign from the Commission. After a long stunned silence, Wilson explained he felt his extensive suggestions of what the commission needed to do with the studios and consider in executing an effective move had been ignored by the commission and not acted upon. He said the move to the library could result in a great studio or a very banal one and at this point he saw banal as being likely due the lack of a detailed plan from the commission or the library. In a further development Thursday morning, Mr. Wilson has e-mailed his resignation to the Mayor’s Office and the Cable Commission Thursday morning.

Wilson has for months warned that the cost of building a modern studio(s) in the library would cost from $1.5 Million to $1.8 Million.

Currently the Cable Commission only has $300,000 in capital fund balance. In a clarification sent WPCNR. Thursday, Kenny, the Executive Director said existing rent comes out of current operating budget. Kenny, at the meeting, said any rent increase should it occur, would have to come out of commission fund balance, which would require a transfer.

Mr. Brown said he was dissappointed in Wilson’s resignation (which is not effective until Wilson writes a letter of resignation to the Mayor). Three members of the commission, Mr. Vorperian, Ms. Higgs and Mr. Marothy asked Mr. Wilson to reconsider. His departure leaves only Executive Director Jim Kenny as the technical expert the Commission has to rely on for formulating the Operating Plan.

Brown speculated to WPCNR, he expected to put out an RFP for a design/architect in the next two months, having the firm or individual in place in the fall.

Status

1ST STATE OF ART AUTISM TREATMENT RESEARCH CENTER IN USA DEBUTS IN WHITE PLAINS

1ST CENTER FOR TREATMENT/RESEARCH OF AUTISM TOGETHER IN USA DEBUTS IN WHITE PLAINS

The New York Presbyterian Hospital Center for Autism and the Developing Brain in White Plains as it was dedicated today (ABOVE).

Dr. Catherine Lord, Director of the new Center for Autism and Dr. Steven Corwin, CEO of NYPH, and Laura Slatkin, Co-Founder of New York Collaborates for Autism cut the ribbon dedicating the $11 Million facility this morning

Dr. Lord, in an exclusive interview with WPCNR said, ” I think there are other facilities that do parts of this: There are other facilities that are more reseach-oriented and other facilities that do the clinical part. What we represent is this blend of clinical research so our research is really about what treatments work and how can we describe kids and how we can identify strengths and weaknesses. We are affiliated with a number of neuro-biological researchers but we don’t do that here. Many of the centers around the country are really more focused on the neuro-biological. We really hope we’ll be a resource center, sort of a hub both to develop other kinds of programs in Westchester and the New York area and we’re very involved in the national and international research.”

Lord said “The treatment of the individual is the key; the research is really important to us , but we’re going to start with how can we do the best service we can.”

Dr. Philip Wilner, Medical Director of Behavorial Health for the New York Presbyterian Hospital explained the Center for Autism difference: “It’s a clinical treatment center where we’ll be doing assessments for people across the life span. People could come when they are very small and first diagnosed with autism We will help establish a good treatment plan after a good diagnosis is achieved and help people take that treatment plan into their community. People will stay a part of our community so they’ll be able to come back when they need further consultation so if a child moves into school age years say, 6 or 7, they can come back for further assessment and development and advancement of their treatment plan. Teenage years they can come back, and we will take care of individuals through the adult years. That’s one of the very unique elements of the program to take care of individuals on autism spectrum across their entire life span. We’re committed to providing ongoing plans for adults as well. Over time as we develop more phases to the Center program we’ll do much more with vocational rehabilitation, independent living to allow people to achieve as many skills as possible, moving into adult years. Our goal is collaboration and partnership. We will look towards collaborating and partnering with other people (and organizations).”

Lord gave WPCNR insight on what’s ahead: ” We’ve been trying to visit as many places as we can both in Westchester and surrounding areas, some in Manhattan and to some extent even Brooklyn and the Bronx. We been trying to get acquainted with people that conduct other kinds of services. The NYPH has a resource and liaison center and are trying to deal with the same kinds of things on the state level.

In the next year, we should have programs that will be up and running and should have the main programs available to people, and have patients coming through on a regular basis. We hope we’ll sort out how much we can do through (people’s) insurance. We want to take as much insurance as we can. We can see families on Medicaid. The idea is really to see all payers.”

She said the Center expected to service 200 new kids this year.and continue to see them to the point where the center would be handling thousands.

The Center presently has a staff of 28 and a research staff of 20. Four more persons, she said are committed to coming to handle the preschool program, some social workers, and Occupational Therapy.

The donors for this building Center, Lord said raised the bulk of funds, and those donors are Laura Slatkin, founder of New York Collaborates for Autism, Marilyn and Jim Simons of the Simons Foundation, Autism Speaks and the Mortimer D. Sackler Foundation. Lord said the donors have committed to support the Center for 10 years. The cost (of operations) is split between the donors and New York Presbyterian Hospital The Center costs $2 Million a year to run, Lord said.

Lord told WPCNR what can be expected when the doors officially open in a matter of weeks: “We’ll begin services, see kids and adults for assessments. We’ll start various treatments, so we’ll have behavior management. We’ll have early intervention starting at some point in the next few months.We will have a Milestones and Transitions Program helping families think about what is coming up, families of kids of different ages, and we’ll also have groups with typical peers all the way down to young children and separate groups for adults.”

Autism has been growing at an exponential rate national. Currently according to the Center for Disease Control Prevention, 1 in every 88 children in 2012 was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, up 23% since 2009. The cause of this increase is not well understood.

Lord described what she views autism as: “What Autism happens is a combination of particular behavioral difficulties that happen to occur together and when they occur together, they really change the lives of a person who has these things together. So they are clearly caused by a variety of different things, whether there is a final common pathway where you could have various genetic conditions or environmental things and they all cause the same thing, and that yields to the same behavior, or it just happens to be different causes result in the same behavior, we don’t know. It is not a disease. It really isn’t one cause. It’s not infectious. It’s really probably something that happens really early in brain development.”

“We do have families who have already called (the Center), and we are ready as soon as we are open to contact them. We will see everybody. They should call, and someone will call and talk to them about what they want and we’ll have them come in and go through with them what exactly we do and how that fits with what they need.”

The number to call at the Center is (914) 997-5848 or go to www.nyp.org/autism.

HERE THEY COME! WHITE PLAINS BIKE RACES IN FULL SWING

Posted on June 8, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR DOWNTOWN IN ACTION. By John F. Bailey. JUNE 9, 2013:

The Second Annual KeyBank White Plains Downtown Criterium featuring hundreds of riders in different heats ZIPPING and racing around down town White Plains in a circular/square course,is in full pedal until about 1 PM OR 2 PM today.

Races start at Macy’s and the Michaelian Building and intrepid cyclists are racing down Martine, down Mamaroneck Avenue Up Quarropas St, down Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, and back to the Michaelian Building and around again. The “Crit” even has a pedal-by-pedal public address announcer, Bill Montgomery providing insider commentary, plus free coffee and giveaways from sponsors, including KeyBank sunglasses!

The Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong reported that motorists can expect traffic detours. Main Street will be open but Mamaroneck Avenue will be closed from Martine to Quarropus as will MLK.

WPCNR observed no traffic problems as of mid-morning, and the ultra professional White Plains Police are doing their low-key cordial, efficient traffic movement and spectator assistance. The course is well-monitored, pedestrians can cross in safety. All crossings are monitored by race officials. Races will continue past noon today, perhaps until 2 PM.

The “Crit” is a high-speed, action-packed bike race held on a race course closed to traffic. Racers in White Plains are cycling a 3/4 mile course about 32 times over hills, down hills, with wide courses and the races this reporter saw were highly competitive AND it is dangerous.

Several collisions with bikers walking off shaking it off were seen by WPCNR, and getting back in the race.Bikers and teams race around the course in a pack returning to the starting point every two minutes or so. Riders negotiate tight turns at daring speeds jockey for position, for the final race to the finish. Excess proceeds will benefit the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency.

Tom, a bicyclist observing said it was great for cyclists to race inside a real town with a wide course and not in the usual remote locations most bicycle races are held. He said it takes a lot of effort by a city to run one of these races and he commended the efforts of the city departments for their management of the course.