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)

Your Stimulus At Work!

Posted on March 19, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. March 19, 2009: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the federal stimulus, has arrived in Westchester.

Today, Westchester County’s Board of Acquisition and Contract approved a $2.8 million contract to rebuild a bridge running over Odell Avenue in Yonkers. It is one of the first projects funded by stimulus money in the state.

“The effects of the stimulus plan are beginning to be felt in Westchester,’’ said County Executive Andy Spano. “This project is the first of five that we hope to start work on before the summer. These projects are expected to create 230 jobs and stimulate the local economy so they will benefit all county residents, regardless of where they are located in the county.’’

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the federal stimulus, has arrived in Westchester.

Bulldozers are expected to break ground on the Odell Avenue project by April. Four other projects – including the installation of new street lighting for the Bronx River Parkway, upgrading 60 traffic signals, and replacing guard rails on county roads – will follow this spring.
The county has requested funding for dozens of other projects from the $787 billion federal stimulus package including money for upgrading county sewage treatment plants in New Rochelle and Mamaroneck.

“There are dozens of other projects waiting in the wings that we hope to receive funding for from the construction of a food storage and distribution warehouse in Valhalla to replacing windows at the County Office Building in White Plains,’’ said Spano. All of these projects will create jobs and help stimulate the local economy.’’

The following are a list of construction projects which the county is expected to start this spring with stimulus money:

· Replacement of the Odell Avenue Bridge over the South County Trail Way in Yonkers – This $2.8 million project will replace a structurally deficient bridge that carries Odell Avenue, a local street, over the South County Trail Way. Construction is anticipated to start in April.

Bronx River Parkway Street Lighting – This $300,000 project will install 21 street lights on the Bronx River Parkway at four intersections: Virginia Road, Parkway Homes Road, Fisher Lane, Old Tarrytown/Cemetery Road, and add 1 additional street light pole at Strathmore Road.

Traffic Signal Controller Replacements – This $400,000 project will replace traffic signal controllers and upgrade various communications equipment items to interface with the new controllers. This upgrade will be carried out at all county maintained traffic signals in locations throughout Southern and Central Westchester.

Traffic Data Sensors – This $500,000 project will install wireless traffic data sensors on the Bronx River Parkway to provide real time volume, speed and travel time data at eight locations

· Guide Railing Replacement – This $1.1 million project will replace approximately 30,000 feet of guide railing, on five county roads. The rail will be replaced on Central Westchester Parkway in White Plains, Playland Parkway in Rye, Polly Park Road in Harrison, Long Ridge Road in Bedford and Midland Avenue in Tuckahoe.

New Ritz Rooms Buildable Under Original Site Plan. Formal Planning Blessing Tues

Posted on March 19, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. March 19, 2009: The building of 24 additional hotel rooms to expand the Ritz Carlton Westchester hotel to 156 rooms is consistent with the conditions of the original 221 Main Street site plan, White Plains Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel told WPCNR Wednesday evening. The conversion of office space to hotel space in the Hamilton Avenue-side spire at the Ritz complex, therefore, did not have to come before the Common Council. The originally approved site plan allows for 196 hotel rooms, and to date 118 rooms had been built.

The Ritz White Plains — New Rooms Allowed for by previous site plan.

Habel said that Cappelli Enterprises will come before the Planning Board next Tuesday evening to formalize movement of a lot line to reflect the new arrangement. The new hotel rooms recently completed on Floors 4,5,6, and 7 of the Hamilton Avenue building are scheduled to open April 1, according to a Cappelli Enterprise spokesperson.

In the original site plan, approved June 7, 2004, the council approved an office allocation of 292,750 square feet, a hotel “component” of 172 rooms, 131,270 square feet, and a residential component of 290 units. Habel said the hotel rooms had been built larger (to Ritz Carlton specifications) so the 172 room capacity was not reached. She said the additional rooms built were allowed in the amount of square footage remaining for hotel use, and still slipped in under the allowable hotel component.

High School Used Handwritten Memo to Inform Students in Power Out

Posted on March 18, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. News and Comment By John F. Bailey. March 18, 2009 UPDATED 4:34 P.M.: When the power failed at White Plains High School Tuesday morning, Principal Ivan Toper, without electricity, no public address systems and 2,000 students in the building, had a memorandum typed up and distributed to all class rooms, to advise students and staff of what was happening.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR parents of high school students were notified by the school district call-out system of the decision to go to early dismissal. Buses were arranged to transport high school students who had signed up for bus transportation. The school, Connors said, was notified of the reason, but did not know what authority advised the school of the power outage cause (an short circuit caused by a construction crew working on the former St. Agnes Hospital property), and that was communicated to the students. Connors described the students as very cooperative, orderly, and that the early dismissal went off smoothly. He said electronic media had been notified (but not WPCNR), and the information was placed on the school’s website.

White Plains Principal Ivan Toper told WPCNR that when the powerout occurred, the White Plains Police Officer stationed at the high school, contacted police headquarters which confirmed that what had occurred was a blackout. Toper said a handwritten message was circulated to classrooms explaining the power problem and the procedure for early dismissal. After bus pickup was coordinated, he said, classes were dismissed one at a time, and teachers and administrative personnel were at various pick up areas to coordinate and help speed the flow of the staggered dismissal.

Toper reports that 65% of parents were contacted directly, and the balance of parents answering machine messages were left. He noted that students today have cellphones so had other means of contacting parents should they not have gotten the message.

Toper praised White Plains high students for being “orderly, cooperative and respectful. I’ve never been prouder of my students (for the way they cooperated)” he said.

White Plains Police could not give immediate information on the cause or what was happening at the high school based on WPCNR inquiries, but Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson, reached “in the field” via Blackberry confirmed the cause of the power outage.

WPCNR over nine years of covering White Plains has frequently found the police ability to inform the public promptly about developing situations needs review of how to effectiveness in distribute vital information when persons call the police department. The school district has a call-out system, but the police do not even have a call-in system or tape-loop situation line — a very simple and easy thing to create that persons could call for current info. It is not a matter of the media not getting information, it is a matter of getting a situation clarified to the people.

Cappelli Enterprises Creates 24 Rooms for Ritz in 2nd Tower.Valhalla Move Delay

Posted on March 18, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. March 18, 2009. UPDATED 4:17 P.M. EDT: The Ritz Carlton Westchester and Cappelli Enterprises will soon expand the capacity of the Ritz luxury hotel on Main Street from 118 rooms to 146, beginning in two weeks. The additional Ritz accommodations have been built in the glass spire overlooking Hamilton Avenue, which previously was going to be occupied by Cappelli Enterprises.

Bruce Berg, Vice President of Cappelli Enterprises confirmed to WPCNR Wednesday that the Ritz will be expanding its capacity by 24 new luxury units which have been built for them by Cappelli Enterprises in the second Ritz complex building overlooking Hamilton Avenue. (seen in background beyond the entrance of the Ritz-Carlton)

Berg told WPCNR it is not a site plan or zoning change, but simply “moving the lot line, within the rights of the approved site plan.” Berg said the 24 additional rooms have already been built, He said they have received “Temporary Certificates of Occupancy” from the City of White Plains, but have not yet been turned over for the Ritz to manage.

In a statement issued to WPCNR moments ago, Geoffrey Thompson spokesperson for Cappelli Enterprises issued this statement:

The item before the Planning Board pertains to a lot line adjustment that results from the previously approved conversion of 20,000 square feet of office space on floors 4, 5, 6 and 7 in Tower 2 to create 24 additional hotel rooms (six per floor) for The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester. The additional rooms will be available beginning April 1. It will give the hotel 146 rooms. The added rooms will broaden the hotel’s market appeal and facilitate the booking of larger groups.

The move of the Cappelli Enterprises headquarters to Tower 2 has been put on hold to allow the company to stay focused on its largest project to date, The Concord in the Catskills.

Asked if this indicated the Ritz was operating at capacity, Berg said that Cappelli Enterprises and the Ritz agreed that adding the 24 rooms would give the hotel, currently at 200 rooms, “more flexibility in attracting the (corporate) meetings market.”

Cappelli Enterprises had previously indicated the firm, presently based in Valhalla , would be moving its headquarters to the Ritz complex second complex on Hamilton two years ago. Berg said this was not currently being planned.