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)

All Bengal Tiger Block to Be Demolished. Review of Inspection Process Promised

Posted on July 15, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. July 14, 2010:

John Callahan, City Hall Chief of Staff, told WPCNR Wednesday that entire block of East Post Road from the Bengal Tiger to Court Street will be demolished before an investigation into the cause of last week’s fire will begin. Callahan said the building was unstable. He also said that the owners of the property, Boston Post Properties, would be handling the demolition, but would be closely monitored by police.

Callahan said the insurance companies, the owner, and city officials had come to agreement to demolish the property today. Callahan said the upper portions of the building were unstable and in danger of collapsing.

Callahan said after the cause or causes of the fire were determined, t”in a couple of weeks,” the city would also conduct a review of fire inspection procedures with the police and the fire bureaus in how older buildings, “grand-fathered” in to out of date less safe fire codes, and therefore not subject to the improved White Plains building and fire codes over the years are handled to prevent such possible conditions in the future.

Callahan said demolition would begin in earnest Thursday morning.

Discussing the future of the Post Road block, Callahan said the block would be returned to being a lot at grade, then the city and the owner, Bost Post Properties would consider how the property might be redeveloped.

Con Ed:Transformer Explosion During Bengal Tiger Fire Caused by Carpet Covering

Posted on July 13, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. July 13, 2010:

While White Plains fire investigators delve into the fire wreckage of The Bengal Tiger trying to find the cause of last Wednesday’s historic blaze, WPCNR has learned that the cause of the transformer explosion that took place between 7:30 and 8 P.M. requiring for precaution, the clearing of Mamaroneck Avenue was man-made, according to Con Edison, and was not the result of any Con Edison equipment malfunction or malfeasance.

Mamaroneck Avenue Sidewalk Cafes cleared between Post Road and Maple Avenue after an small explosion and fire involving a transformer in front of 149 Mamaroneck Avenue last Wednesday. The transformer fire was caused by covering the transformer vault vent with carpeting.

According to Allan Drury, Con Edison spokesperson, the transformer explosion last Wednesday evening was caused because someone or somebody had covered the grating covering the Con Edison transformer vault in its subterranean chamber below the sidewalk in front of 149 Mamaroneck Avenue, shown above.

Drury told WPCNR that the grate was in front of 149 Mamaroneck Avenue, (the location of the Haiku Restaurant), which WPCNR observed at the time of the fire was running a sidewalk café operation. WPCNR observed patrons of the cafe were watching the unfolding drama up Post Road of fire trucks and thick smoke a block away.

Drury said that the transformer vault below street level had a grating to vent the vault.“Carpeting had been placed on the grate and that caused heat to collect and the transformer overheated.”

Mayor Adam Bradley in explaining the transformer fire last week as not being part of the Post Road fire said only that the transformer had been covered.

The statement by Con Edison clarifies that neither the Bengal Tiger incident nor Con Edison caused the transformer explosion that caused police to clear all sidewalk cafes on the block between Post Road and Martine last Wednesday.

City Meets Sales $$ Projection.Finish: $3.8 Million Deficit. Off County Surplus

Posted on July 12, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey with the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance. July 12, 2010 UPDATED JULY 12, 2010 3:45 P.M. E.D.T.UPDATED JULY 14, 2010:

Westchester County-wide sales receipts (which include White Plains figures, of course) were up 25% year to year in the June period, reports Susan Burns of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and has experienced a 6.7% increase in sales tax receipts the first six months of its fiscal year.

White Plains did not keep pace with the county. City June tax receipts are up 5%, nearly 4% of that comes from the 1/4% tax rate increase that went into effect in June. The sales tax was raised proportionately 12%, resulting in only 5% more revenue.

The county sales tax dollar handle, though rose approximately $10 Million in June alone, generating $48,046,635.36 in June ’10 compared to $38,386,277 in June 09.

Based on comparison of year to year records supplied by the Department of Taxation and Finance,the county has generated $219,830,772 in Sales Tax Receipts compared to $206 Million (rounded off to nearest million) in the first six months of 2009, a year to year gain in 2010 over 2009 of 6.7% over the first six months of the current fiscal year.

If Westchester County (on a January to December fiscal year) maintains last year’s sales tax pace the last six months of their fiscal year (in which it received $209 Million from July to December, the county will get $429 Million in sales tax receipts.

The county has budgeted for $432,600,000 in sales tax.

A sustained 7% growth rate in sales tax receipts could generate an $11 Million surplus in County Sales Tax Receipts over budget, if June is a bellwether that the county economy is turning around.

If the county continues to keep this 6.7% gain the rest of the year, the county would realize $444 Million in sales tax receipts easily making the county budget with a surplus of $12 Million.

According to Susan Burns of the Department of Taxation and finance, “Westchester showed many sectors with growth, including but not limited to: Auto dealers, Telephone and Utilities, Finance and Insurance, and Retail.”

The city of White Plains, by contrast, with a 1/4% sales tax increase going into effect June 1, generated $4,073,768 and 47 cents in sales tax in June, finishing the 2009-10 Fiscal Year ending June 30 with $43,533,908 in sales tax receipts, approximately $200,000 over Commissioner of Finance Michael Genito’s projection.

Nevertheless, this is $3,8 Million in the red below what the Delfino administration had projected for 09-10.

The $4.1 Million city June handle is up only 5% (4.89%) in sales tax receipts over last June’s take of $3.9 Million.

The rebound in Westchester sales tax receipts in June, and the White Plains slight rebound is good news going into the Budget and Management Committee meeting at City Hall July 19.

This trend, if I were in charge of the city would concern me because if White Plains, the leading retail and entertainment center in the county (and easiest place to travel to), is up only 5% in sales tax receipts in a month while the county is up 25%, then people are going elsewhere in the county to shop, instead of White Plains.

White Plains 14Under Little Leaguers Win District Championship.

Posted on July 12, 2010 by John Bailey

WPCNR SPORTSWIRE. July 12, 2010: White Plains District 20 14-and-under All-Stars defeated Eastchester, 7-5 in 8 innings to win the city’s first District Championship since 1998 this weekend. After losing game one, White Plains took two in a row to win the Championship. They now go on to the State tournament.