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)

Serial Bank Robber Captured by the FBI

Posted on March 30, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. March30, 2011:

The FBI, along with members of the NYPD, arrested Marat Mikhaylich for his alleged involvement in nine area bank robberies yesterday.

The arrest happened in Queens around 9:30 a.m. without incident.

The FBI was tipped off to his location this morning after a 2007 Gold Toyota Camry, which had been stolen by Mikhaylich yesterday, was found on 91st Avenue in Queens, New York. Mikhaylich had stolen the car after allegedly robbing a Cathay Bank in Edison, New Jersey on Monday, March 28.

“The Holiday Bandit’s three-month bank robbery spree has come to an end,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk. “This should serve as a stark reminder to anyone who wishes to brandish a weapon, rob a bank, and put the lives of innocent civilians at risk: we will find you and bring you to justice.”

City Letters to OLS Declare Baseball Field Uncontaminated

Posted on March 24, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. MARCH 23, 2011:

City Hall today, at request of WPCNR released its letters to Our Lady of Sorrows pastor, Reverend Phillip Quealy, assuring Quealy the field was safe.

Here, for the record, are the copies of those letters which Revered Quealy is sending to Our Lady of Sorrows parents:

Father Quealy to Notify OLS School Parents, City Says OLS Field is Safe.

Posted on March 24, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE DUMP NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 24, 2011:

Reverend Phillip Quealy, Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows has received written assurance from the City of White Plains that the OLS Baseball field, scheduled for remediation by direction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, has been found to have “no evidence of contamination…in the existing soil cover or underlying ash material.” The statement is in a letter signed by the Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti. The letter has also been sent to the DEC.

In the letter the city, says “there is nothing to prohibit its continued use.” Nicoletti goes on to write, “the NYS DEC has established that a two (2) foot thick soil cap should exist on the field over the subterranean ash.”

The letter commits the city to lay an additional foot of soil on the entire field to assure a two foot thick soil layer throughout the field; “installation of new, vinyl coated backstop and chain link fencing as part of our proposed project. Further, we will reconstruct the clay infield and professionally remove and reinstall the existing playground equipment as well,” and possible replacement of two trees before the beginning of the 2011-12 school year.

A second letter from the city consultant on the dump remediation program,AKRF, outlines the testing done on the field.

Reverend Quealy told WPCNR he would be mailing copies of the letters to all OLS school parents.

Yesterday, the city would not tell WPCNR directly if they had advised the school the field was safe to use. Commissioner Nicoletti speaking to WPCNR said he did not have an estimate at this time what the field remediation would cost.

Reverend Quealy told WPCNR the field is currently available for use by students.

5 Houses by Dump Checked for Air Quality. A-OK. $8-10M Clean-up Seen.Tell All in

Posted on March 22, 2011 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE DUMP NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 22, 2011. UPDATED MARCH 24, 2011 9:20 P.M.:

John Callahan, City Chief of Staff confirmed to WPCNR, that as reported to WPCNR by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Friday, three White Plains homes are being checked for air quality and possible air contamination from the Gedney landfill.

Wednesday, Mr. Callahan and Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti said the number of homes checked for contamination was actually five and they were on Railside Avenue and Commerce Streets. Mr. Nicoletti told WPCNR that the testing results showed negative.

The DEC in a separate communication to WPCNR from Wendy Rosenbach, Regional Citizen Participation Specialist for the DEC, wrote, “The supplemental investigation is ongoing. Indoor air samples were taken from 5 houses along Commerce Street and Railside Avenue in early March 2011; groundwater sampling from additional wells will be done in early April, 2011. A report with the results of this testing is expected in early summer.”

Callahan said two homes were occupied and one had not been sold. Callahan was checking on the location. Callahan said Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti did not believe at this time there was a serious air quality problem. Callahan said testing was still going on, but did not know whether the homes would be tested in warmer weather.

The Chief of Staff also confirmed the city was still “in discussions” with Our Lady of Sorrows on remediating the softball field. Callahan said that field would be fixed this summer. It is currently not supposed to be used by the school. The DEC, last June, reached an agreement with the city to remove contaminated landfill from the field according to an official letter dated June 29. The field was supposed to be fixed this spring, but costs were being negotiated with the school. Callahan on Wednesday told WPCNR the city was not negotiating price because the city was going to pay for the entire DEC-required fix of the field. Commissioner Nicoletti told WPCNR the ash was not a threat, and what was required was to bring the depth of soil above the ash-laden soil to a depth of two feet all about the field. Asked Wednesday,if the school had been told the field was safe by the city, Nicoletti did not answer the question.

Thursday afternoon the Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows told WPCNR the city had sent him a letter assuring him the baseball field was safe and free of contanimation, and a letter from the city consultant AKRF detailing test results of the field. The DEC has been asked to comment on why the DEC requires the field to be processed at the expense of the city, if the ash is “safe.” Mr. Nicoletti told WPCNR he does not have an estimate of the cost yet.

Callahan also confirmed to WPCNR the city has agreed with the DEC to conduct a public meeting for the neighborhood surrounding the landfill to outline the construction and remediation steps they plan to take and the costs to the city. At this time, Callahan said, Commissioner of Public Works Nicoletti is staying with his estimate of $8 Million to $10 Million for clean-up. Callahan said this would be taken up when budget discussions begin in April