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)

Cty Legis Backs County Ex’s Request for Playland Ideas; $1 YR Lease for Kid Mus

Posted on August 18, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. August 18, 2010:

The Westchester County Board of Legislators leadership, Chairman Ken Jenkins and Democratic Majority Whip Legislator Judith Myers (Rye), said today they supported County Executive Rob Astorino’s initiative to see proposals for new ideas and usages for Playland Amusement Park in Rye.

Legislators announced plans to move forward on a lease agreement that would house the Westchester Childrens Museum at Playland. Slated for soft openings in mid 2011, the Museum would occupy the building formerly housing the Playland Bathhouse.

WPCNR observes that the alterations to the bathhouse section where the museum would go has been substantially changed in design of the museum portion in the recent reconstruction that has taken away, in this reporter’s opinion, the “art deco” style that made the Playland Boardwalk a landmark.

“At a time when budget cuts and the erosion of quality after-school youth programs are causing more people to seek out community-based alternative services within Westchester County, the Children’s Museum will be a vibrant, interactive, cultural institution for children and families, a dynamic resource for schools, a welcoming environment for special needs children, and a means to build tourism in the county,” said Chairman Jenkins.

The former Andy Spano Administration agreed to lease the newly repaired South Bathhouse at county expense for $1 a year, if the Museum could raise the money to build the interior and operate the museum. The Museum has raised $8 million so far and wants to raise $14 Million, and has spent $1.5 Million on building designs.

Legislator Myers, a staunch advocate for the Children’s Museum, supports the County Executive’s request for proposals for Playland because the time is right to make a change, however she won’t support anything that brings more traffic into the Rye residential neighborhood, nor any discussions that do not include Rye residents at the table, or anything that prohibits public access to the Long Island Sound.

“The Children’s Museum represents a community-wide investment in our children without spending any taxpayers money,” said Legislator Myers. “Over 870,000 children under 11 years of age live within a 15-mile driving radius of our future site at Playland Park in Rye. Yet, Westchester has relatively few cultural resources designed specifically for children. The Children’s Museum on the boardwalk would be a welcomed addition to the outdoor cafes that don’t interfere with boardwalk runners and walkers, to historic ‘Kiddyland’ for the very young, an Ice Casino for year-round skating, and a music tower for summer concerts.

The Museum has begun educational programs with community groups as part of its operations. The lease for the museum is being developed for presentation to the Board’s Committees on Budget and Appropriation and Public Works, Parks, Labor and Transportation, chaired by Legislator Bill Ryan (of White Plains).

Board of Ethics Investigating Mayor Over His Temporary Residence in the City

Posted on August 17, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. August 18,2010 UPDATED August 20,2010:

Mayor Bradley in a statement to the Common Council at a Special Meeting today, said The Board of Ethics has filed a complaint against him involving his “temporary residency (in White Plains) and the possibility that the owner of the property is doing business with the city.” WPCNR awaits the complete statement from the Mayor’s Office.

WPCNR has learned from a county source Wednesday that the Mayor is now living at one of the apartments at Hall Avenue (1-19 Hall Avenue) because “his car was spotted there.” A new spokesperson for the Mayor confirmed that to The Journal News Thursday.

The Journal News also reports that the owner of the apartment house is attempting to purchase a small piece of land from the city citing a letter to the Planning Department that the paper obtained on a Freedom of Information request.

The Special Meeting Tuesday was called at the request of Chief of Staff John Callahan for the purpose of the Common Council to appoint a Special Counsel to represent the Board of Ethics and investigate the Board complaint. The council declined to act today to appoint Steven Leventhal, the Callahan-suggested Special Counsel, pending further consideration of other possible attorneys, voting unanimously to table the appointment until August 26. Mr. Leventhal of Leventhal and Sliney, if the council approves him would be paid a fee not to exceed $20,000, and $5,000 for a court reporter.

Earlier, Mark Elliot, the Chairman of the City Board of Ethics confirmed to Ben Rubin of The Journal News that the Board brought the complaint July 20 and met August 13, finding probable cause for the complaint.

Bradley had been living at his parents’ home since placed on a restraining order from seeing his wife, and recently moved into another residence in the city. Mr. Rubin reported the Mayor declined to say where he is living.

View and Try the New Voting Machines at City Hall.

Posted on August 16, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From The Mayor’s Office. August 16, 2010:

The new ImageCast Voting Machine (first introduced to the public two weeks ago on WHITE PLAINS WEEK), will be available to the public for viewing and familiarizing in the City Hall Rotunda, 255 Main Street through August 26, 2010.

The ImageCast Voting Machine–see it, feel it, experience it at City Hall

The Westchester County Board of Elections has purchased these new machines to replace the mechanical voting machines used in the past. The mechanical voting machines will not used at all in the September 14 Democratic and Republicn Primaries, the November 2 General Election or in any future elections. Citizens can stop by city hall to familiarize themselves with White Plains — and the county’s new voting machine. A powerpoint presentation describing the voting process and the use of the machine will be available, as well as sample ballot and handouts.

City Hall is open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Friday and Saturday morning. The machine may also be viewed at the Westchester County Center on Thursday September 9 from 7 to 9 P.M. and Sunday October 3 from 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.

WP’s John Larson’s RENT opens Thursday at Westchester Broadway Theatre

Posted on August 16, 2010 by John Bailey

RENT, the gritty, life-affirming musical experience celebrates the power of love and friendship and community. Set in NYC’s East Village, RENT is a modern take on the classic Giacomo Puccini opera, “La Bohème”. The mustical that ran on Broadway for 12 years, written by White Plains High School graduate, the late John Larson, opens Thursday evening at the WBT, and will play through September 25.

Tonya Thompson and Andy Kelso (as Mark) on the set.

Photo, Courtesy,Westchester Broadway Theatre by Jennifer Edwards Kawa

This unforgettable story of a group of starving artists who, despite poverty and illness, learn to fall in love and find their voices, brings a universal message of hope for everyone. For information, go to www.broadwaytheatre.com or call 914-592-2222

When the National Tour of RENT played the Stamford (CT) Palace Theatre in 2008, John Bailey of WPCNR described RENT as

“powerful, exuberant, uplifting, gripping and downright everything theater is supposed to be. It is the work of a lifetime in the very short life of White Plains High Hall of Fame writer, Jonathan Larson, who wrote the book, the music and the lyrics. Recalling Jesus Christ Superstar in pace, message and listenability, the work is amazing. It is a roar of an express train of emotions that drives the audience with intricate, heavy, twangy rock-based tunes that deliver raw lyrics that carve your emotions with the cut of a switchblade knife, the skill of a surgeon’s scapel, and a the inspiration of a lover’s lips. “

The musical was first seen in a limited three-week workshop production at New York Theatre Workshop in 1994. RENT opened at the Nederlander Theatre on the 100th anniversary of the original “La Bohème”. Unfortunately, Jonathan Larson died unexpectedly the night of the show’s final preview. But his creation would go on to become one of the biggest Broadway success stories of the decade. Before Rent, Jonathan Larson had composed another musical called Superbia, a rock monologue; tick, tick … BOOM! and a variety of songs for children including songs for “Sesame Street.”

Over the course of its groundbreaking 12-year New York run, RENT transformed the definition of musical theater — and changed Broadway forever. RENT gained critical acclaim and garnered all the major theatre awards of 1996 including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Obie Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and three Drama Desk Awards.

The Show has left a powerful legacy in the theater community, which for many decades had seemed doomed to revivals of 1950s classic musicals. Many theater critics hold the show partly responsible for the restoration of the American musical. Since RENT premiered in 1996, the call for new Broadway shows has increased tremendously, and a new generation has been brought to the theater by the message and power of the show.