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)

Plane That Bailed Out Over Danbury Ran Out of Fuel: NTSB

Posted on January 31, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR AVIATION NATION. From Peter Katz, Publisher of NTSB Reporter. January 31, 2013:

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a preliminary report on their investigation of the apparent cause of the controlled crash of a Cirrus S20 plane short of Danbury airport at 7:30 in the evening January 22.

The pilot and two passengers avoided injury because the pilot deployed the parachute device that slowed the plane’s descent and allowed the plane to land safely in trees north of the airport.

The Official NTSB Preliminary Report finds:

On January 22, 2013, about 1925 eastern standard time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR20, operated by Epic Blue was substantially damaged after it deployed its Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS), while on approach to the Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR), Danbury, Connecticut.

The flight instructor, a private pilot, and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that last departed Groton-New London Airport (GON), Groton, Connecticut. The familiarization flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the flight instructor and two occupants originally departed from DXR, landed at GON, and were returning to DXR at the time of the accident. The airplane was on approach to runway 26 at DXR, when it experienced a total loss of engine power and the pilot reported that the airplane was “out of fuel” to air traffic control. The pilot elected to deploy the CAPS and the airplane subsequently descended via parachute into trees, about 3 miles northeast of the airport. The airplane’s empennage separated and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.

Initial examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector did not reveal any visible fuel in the airplane’s fuel tanks, nor were there any indications of a fuel spill at the accident site. After the airplane was recovered, approximately 26 ounces of fuel was drained from the airplane’s fuel system.

Local Attorney Pleads Guilty.

Posted on January 30, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From the Westchester County Office of the District Attorney. January 30, 2013:

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced today that Kevin Hymes (DOB 01/30/73) of 3 Evergreen Road, North Castle, New York, pled guilty to:

· two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, class “C” Felonies,

· two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, class “D” Felonies,

· one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class “E” Felony,

relating to the theft of approximately $2,000,000.

Over a five and one half year period, between January 1, 2007, and June 27, 2012, the defendant, who was a real estate attorney with an office in White Plains, defrauded several individuals and entities by making false representations in connection with real estate closings.

In March 2010, the defendant while acting in his capacity as attorney for two clients in connection with the sale of real property, stole $318,453.33 by concealing the date and time of the real estate closing and by failing to forward the monies.

Between May 20, 2010, and June 22, 2010, acting in his capacity as attorney for the seller of property, the defendant stole a $33,000 deposit from a prospective purchaser.

Between November 8, 2010, and November 9, 2010, the defendant acting in his capacity as attorney for the seller of property, stole a $10,000 deposit from a prospective purchaser.

Between March 21, 2011, and April 13, 2011, the defendant, acting in his capacity as an attorney for the seller of property, stole $123,500 by failing to forward the deposit and by personally using the money.

Additionally, the defendant also stole approximately $1.4 million dollars in his capacity as a closing agent for several banks.

On June 27^th, 2012, the defendant was arrested by investigators from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

Following the guilty plea, District Attorney Janet DiFiore said, “Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for fraudulent conduct that caused serious financial damage to his victims, who entrusted him with their personal affairs and bank accounts. He defrauded numerous clients regarding sales and purchases of multiple real estate properties throughout the metropolitan area. The public must have confidence that their sales and purchases are being honestly and ethically transacted, or as we have witnessed in the housing crisis that we are only now beginning to recover, the whole system will collapse.”

The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison when sentenced on April 23, 2013.

The defendant was convicted in the Southern District of New York for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud charges in connection with a $58 million mortgage fraud scheme and was sentenced on January 28, 2013.

His federal sentence will run concurrent to his state sentence.

The defendant has been disbarred from the practice of law.

Assistant District Attorney Shara Abraham of the Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.

Roston Appointed Chief of Medical, Dental Staffs of White Plains Hospital

Posted on January 30, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR HEALTH LETTER. From White Plains Hospital. January 30, 2013:

Alfred Roston, M.D., a respected board-certified gastroenterologist, has assumed the role of President of the Medical and Dental Staff at White Plains Hospital, a two-year position which he will hold until the end of 2014.

Dr. Roston is on staff with the Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center of Westchester, a GI practice located on Gannet Drive in White Plains, where he specializes in the treatment of all digestive diseases including colon cancer, polyps, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Crohn’s disease, as well as nutritional diseases such as malnutrition, overweight, and obesity. He completed an advanced therapeutic endoscopy fellowship at Harvard Medical School, following his residency in internal medicine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Dr. Roston received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been on staff at White Plains Hospital since 1995.

As Medical and Dental Staff President, he succeeds Roger V. Cappucci, M.D., a cardiologist with the Scarsdale Medical Group who completed his two-year term at the end of 2012.

Dr. Robert Small, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement, assumes the role of Vice President of the Medical and Dental staff. Dr. Small is affiliated with the White Plains Hospital Physician Associates Orthopaedic Specialists in White Plains.

Dr. Benjamin Marano, a board-certified gastroenterologist, assumed the position of Secretary and Treasurer of the Medical and Dental staff. Dr. Marano is affiliated with the Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center of Westchester in White Plains.

Dr. Claudia Feldgerg and Dr. Joanne Tamburri assumed roles of delegates-at-large. Dr. Feldberg is on staff with the Scarsdale Medical Group and is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine. Dr. Tamburri is a board-certified internal medicine physician with the Maple Medical Group in White Plains.

Dr. Kaare Weber of Scarsdale, an endocrine surgeon with White Plains Hospital Physician Associates Surgical Specialists, was appointed the Hospital’s Director of Surgery. Dr. Weber specializes in open and minimally invasive surgery for thyroid cancer and has been on staff with the Hospital since 2004. He is board-certified in general surgery.

Dr. Bonnie Greenwald, a board-certified endocrinologist with the Maple Medical Group in White Plains, was appointed Chief of Endocrinology.

Dr. Joshua Greenwald, a board-certified Plastic Surgeon with Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Associates of Westchester, was appointed Chief of Plastic Surgery.

“I’m so pleased that these talented physicians will be expanding their roles into the leadership of the Hospital,” said Michael Palumbo, M.D., Executive Vice President and Medical Director at White Plains Hospital. “Their knowledge and expertise in clinical and administrative functions will continue to be a great asset to us over the next few years.”

Board of Legislators Approves $12.5M Bonds for Repairs to Sandy-ravaged Playland

Posted on January 28, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. January 28, 2013:

The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL), as promised last week, unanimously approved two bond acts tonight to fund $12.5 Million of critical repairs at Playland, the County’s amusement park and recreation facility, for infrastructure damaged during Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012.

The two separate repair projects, which were added by the BOL to County’s 2013 Capital Projects Budget, were categorized by the Administration as necessary for emergency contracts, which is why the BOL’s Government Operations Committee, chaired by Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), moved quickly on the items.

Both bond acts were then taken up in the BOL’s Budget & Appropriations Committee, chaired by Legislator Judy Myers (D-Larchmont), where they gained similar approval before tonight’s vote at the BOL’s regular meeting.

The first approved bond act, totaling $7,575,000, will go toward repairing the boardwalk at Playland, which was damaged extensively from Sandy’s high winds and storm surge, causing parts of the structure to heave, buckle or completely wash away. Since the storm, the boardwalk, which is normally open to county residents during the off-season, has been closed to the public for safety reasons.

The second bond act is in the amount of $4,925,000 to fund the cost of design and construction of roofing, boilers and structural work at the Playland Ice Casino. The County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation has reported that the Ice Casino, used by thousands of residents annually, suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy. The roof structure, which showed significant cracking in a February 2012 inspection, now requires major repairs before the facility can be re-opened. Also, high winds blew off two doors on the Ice Casino facing the Long Island Sound, and a fifteen foot storm surge flooded the basement and damaged the boilers.

“I am pleased that my colleagues on the Board of Legislators wholeheartedly agreed that these two bond acts deserved close attention and a quick approval so these repairs can be completed and Playland can be opened on time for the 2013 season, with the Ice Casino be made available to residents as soon as possible,” said Myers.

A number of the BOL members are expected to visit Playland this week and see the storm damage.

“Playland is a major attraction in Westchester, and it is also provides substantial revenue for the county and jobs for our youth,” said Borgia. “Getting things back to normal the park needs to be a priority, and I’m looking forward to regular progress reports on the repairs being done there.”