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)

BEYOND THE GAME Talks NFL Draft with 2 Hopefuls — What They Do to Prepare.

Posted on April 20, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR BEYOND THE GAME NEWS. April 20,2009: Johnny Vorperian, White Plains own Voice of Sportson the public access program, BEYOND THE GAME, interviews two NFL prospects about what they have done to prepare themselves to “make” the NFL Draft list Friday night at 10 P.M. on Cablevision Channel 76 and Verizon FIOS Channel 45. The NFL Draft is coming up Saturday, April 25.

TO BE DRAFTED INTO THE NFL — You have to prepare. Johnny Vorperian, White Plains Public Access Sportscaster, host of BEYOND THE GAME interviews Frantz Joseph, second from right, and Jervonte Jackson, far right players from Florida Atlantic University and their mentor Brian Martin founder of TEST Sports Performance. The program explores how TEST has prepared Mr. Joseph and Mr.Jackson to the performance levels that they hope will attract NFL teams’ interest. The program will be cable cast Friday April 24, 9:00PM. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Shea Stadium Regular Views CitiField for the First Time.

Posted on April 19, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Michael Sereda. April 19, 2009: I just came back from two games at CitiField. I was so furious about the prices and the locations of my seats, I went online to look for criticism of the park. I came across your archived story about the park’s dimensions and seating.

Too late for me, though.

CitiField Catbird Seat. Night Owl’s Eyeview.

(WPCNR wrote:) However, if you’re in the decks, you are set way back starting well back of the field box level. Not good. This is done to accommodate sky boxes on the mezzaniene levels. If you compare the new ballparks ROK has built, the aim is to create more field level boxes (expensive seats) while stacking the upper decks high, slanted and back away from the foul lines.

When I bought my tickets (Caesar’s Club Gold) and (Promenade Club Gold) I truly believed I would be on top of the action. How wrong I was!! Unfortunately, I did not see your story until the day after my trip, but now am much wiser. I was quite angry when I arrived at the park.

I drank the Kool-Aid the park’s idolaters have been spouting for months. I thought I was going to Ebbets Field, too. Ha Ha…(I was there once when I was a sprout).

Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field from the Upper Deck.

Just thought I’d pass along a good word. I was the victim of the baseball equivalent of three-card monte.

John, I believe at Shea (Stadium), I was closer at a steeper angle. At Shea, I would sit in the loge reserve. I usually only purchased a single seat. (I go to the games buy myself – from Massachussetts , keep score in a real scorebook. (The programs are expensive and they don’t have enough room to write down all the necessary game data.) At Shea, because I was sitting by myself I usually got great seats. There is always a single seat in most sections.

Anyway, I was reading all the stories about how “intimate” CitiField was. I truly believe this characterization is nonsense. Maybe the price I paid for the tickets got me furious. You’re right. I am paying more for less. At Shea, for $38, I would sit in the loge reserved right near the plate. The CitiField equivalent is no longer affordable at any level.

At CitiField for Wednesday’s game I sat in Level 300 (Caesar’s Club) Section 311, Row 10 and Seat 20. Perhaps not a “bad” seat in an absolute sense, but I paid $150, including “fees” buying directly from Mets online. Photo By Mike Sereda

For $150 I should be next to the dugout. My view of the scoreboard that has the lineups was cut off. To view the scoreboard completely, I had to leave my seat and walk down the rows. Based on my assumption, those fans, those fans seating farther down the line in the SAME level wouldn’t be able to see it at all. Photo by Mike Sereda

Thursday’s game, I had a seat in the first row of the Upper Deck. Level 400 Section 418, Row 1, Seat 8. $100, including “fees.” I was close to the plate, but high up. Again, the price did not seem fair. Photo by Mike Sereda

View out to Right, Section 418 Upper Deck. Photo by Mike Sereda

I bought two regular hot dogs, a knish and a small soda, $16.00. Ouch. No one had any salt packets for the knish. There is no way on God’s Green Earth that I’m going to buy any of the designer food. I can’t even imagine those prices.

Parking: I am not cheap, just frugal. I don’t park at Shea/Citi. I drive from my Queens motel and park in the 12-hour municipal lot in Flushing for $4 then hop on the subway. There are all some sort of tricks in this. You can’t do it on a Saturday or a weekday game because all the commuters and shoppers take up the spots. It works great for night games. If I have to go to a Saturday game, I’ll take a NYC Transit bus to Main Street/7 Train (IRT).

The ballpark itself was OK. Good circulation, rest rooms large, enough toilets, clean.

The ads on ballpark sufaces were overwhelming. They are senses’ battering. The owners in the 50s and 60s and 70smade a conscious decision to get rid of ads because they were tacky. Fenway’s green monster had no ads. Now it’s plastered with them. The curren owners, forced by the economies caused by free agency, have put everything up for sale.

From my view on Wednesday and Thursday, there were a fair number of empty seats in those super expensive seats behind the plate on the field. Maybe rich folks don’t want to endure the cold of an April night.

In summary, I feel that I am already paying a premium to see my favorite team (live and in person) because I have to travel down from Massachusetts: four hours of driving one way, gas, tolls, motel room, food not at the ballpark like breakfast and lunch.

As I said to a friend, I’m changing the fan’s chant of “Let’s Go Mets” to the more appropriate “Stick ‘em Up.”

Furiously yours,

Michael Sereda

Natick MA

Hello Dolly Ticket Sales Halted on Line. Refund Policy Not Disclosed. Financing?

Posted on April 18, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. April 18, 2009. UPDATED 1:30 P.M. E.DT.: The last scheduled big show of the 2009 season of the White Plains Performing Arts Center scheduled to open April 30 is no longer selling tickets on the White Plains Performing Arts Center website.

Geoffrey Thompson, spokesperson for Cappelli Enterprises, told WPCNR today that Cappelli Enterprises, the major sponsor, supporter and angel of the White Plains Performing Arts will not fund the theater if the City of White Plains withdraws its financial support, now budgeted for $142,000 in the new 2009-2010 city budget released last week.

WPCNR has asked whether Cappelli Enterprises would purchase back the theatre space, and have asked Mr. Thompson if Cappelli Enterprises would match whatever funds the city eventually decides to use to support the theater.

John Ioris, the head of the White Plains Performing Arts Center Foundation has not responded to a query on how theatregoers could obtain refunds or will be accommodated now that Hello, Dolly production appears off the WPPAC Schedule.

Ticket sales for Hello Dolly have stopped online, just one day after the White Plains Performing Arts Center Foundation head advised WPCNR Friday afternoon by e-mail whether any decisions had been reached on the future of the Performing Arts Center, saying,”Nothing has changed since our last communication. We’ll let you know if anything new occurs. Many thanks.”

WPCNR learned a month ago the show had been cancelled but for the last month, the WPPAC management has insisted the show would go on in some form, perhaps with a substitute show, and has continued to sell tickets. The website Saturday morning has no mention of any upcoming Hello Dolly show, and there is no mention of how subscribers and ticketholders compensating options.

WPCNR has contacted the White Plains Performing Arts Center Foundation Chair, John Ioris, to confirm the official “cancellation” of Hello, Dolly, and for clarification of the refund policy. Previous WPCNR inquiries asking if the Foundation was attempting to purchase the theatre from the city have not been answered, and the status of Executive Producer Jack Batman (whose contract expired at the end of March, have not been clarified.

The New York Times Westchester Section reports this morning that Entergy funding for the theater may be reduced and that Cappelli Enterprises — the major supporter of the theater since its inception six years ago– will not support the theater unless the City of White Plains does. The Times reports in error that the city had cut all funding for the theater ($142,000 still remains in the2009-10 proposed budget at this time).

The Times reports Mr. Batman as confident he (Batman)would be able to mount a fall season.

Unemployment Rises in Hud Valley. Education Jobs Grow the Most.

Posted on April 16, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From New York State Department of Labor. April 16, 2009: Private sector employment in the Hudson Valley decreased 13,500, or 1.8 percent, to 730,700 for the 12-month period ending March 2009. Employment gains were limited to educational and health services (+4,900). The largest declines occurred in trade, transportation and utilities (-6,500), manufacturing (-3,000), professional and business services (-2,700), natural resources, mining and construction (-2,600), financial activities (-1,200), information (-1,200), and leisure and hospitality (-900). The government sector added 500 jobs over the year.

Labor market analyst observations:

The Hudson Valley has long enjoyed lower unemployment rates than other parts of the state. However, the region’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed to record-high levels in recent months. With companies anticipating deeper and longer deterioration of market conditions, more layoff announcements are on the horizon. This will put upward pressure on the unemployment rate.

The recession has affected every local industry sector, with the exception of educational and health services. The latter, an industry that is less sensitive to economic conditions but more to demographic trends, has performed remarkably well. For the 12-month period ending in March 2009, the sector recorded a gain of 4,900 jobs, which is the largest March over the year increase since 1999.