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)

Governor Challenges the Legislators on the Budget

Posted on November 18, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. November 17, 2008: Governor David A. Patterson challenged the state legislators convening in Albany today releasing this statement:

“The State’s 212 legislators will meet in Albany tomorrow to take up the difficult task of closing the $1.5 billion current-year State budget deficit. As I have said since I took office, balancing the State’s finances in a year that has stripped New York of a significant portion of its annual revenue will require sacrifice, compromise and leadership.

“On November 12th, I submitted a proposal for budget reductions totaling $2 billion for my colleagues to consider, a proposal I clearly outlined along with Budget Director Laura Anglin. Though we have provided the legislature with draft bill copy and detailed briefings, we have not filed the legislation because we expected to keep these proposals open for negotiation, correction, amplification or any other changes that might come in the course of collaboration with my legislative colleagues.

“I alone cannot address this mounting deficit. It is incumbent upon the members of the Senate and Assembly to join me at the table and work toward a solution that strengthens our State and serves the people we represent.

“It is essential that we take action tomorrow. Inaction will impede our ability to produce a fair and balanced budget next year. These difficult decisions cannot be put off any longer. If my colleagues disagree with elements of the budget reduction plan I have submitted, I ask them to respond by offering their own solutions.

“I hope we will convene tomorrow with a three-way agreement that puts the fiscal health and viability of the State above all else.”

OLIVER! Opens Friday at WPPAC

Posted on November 18, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From White Plains Performing Arts Center. November 18, 2008: The full cast has been announced for a new production of the Tony Award-winning musical Oliver! at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Westchester’s professional regional theatre located in White Plains, NY. The show opens November 20 – December 14, 2008 as the opening production of the theatre’s Bank of America Broadway Classics series.

Work House Boys Rehearsing for Friday’s Opening Night at the

WPPAC production of OLIVER!

Work H

Based on the classic tale of the orphan boy who asked for more, Lionel Bart’s musical masterpiece Oliver! features all the timeless Charles Dickens’ characters singing such popular songs as “Food, Glorious Food,” “I’d Do Anything,” “Consider Yourself,” and “As Long As He Needs Me.”

Starring in the production are Sidney J. Burgoyne as Fagin and Natalie Venetia Belcon as Nancy. Featured in the cast are Cyrilla Baer (Widow Corney), Jason Edward Cook (Artful Dodger), Alex Covington (Charlotte), John P. Geraghty (Workhouse Boy), Christopher Gray (Workhouse Boy), Steven Hauck (Mr. Brownlow), David Gabriel Lerner (Oliver),Geoff Lutz (Noah Claypole), Benjamin Milan-Polisar (Workhouse Boy), Jan Neuberger (Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedlow), Alex Pasieka (Workhouse Boy), Gabriel Rush (Workhouse Boy), Roland Rusinek (Mr. Bumble), William Ryall (Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig), Noah Silverman (Workhouse Boy), Rochelle Smith (Bet), Travis Taber (Knife Grinder), Christian Whelan (Bill Sykes).

Sidney J. Burgoyne appeared as The Padre in WPPAC’s inaugural production of Man of La Mancha, and was the director of the theatre’s highly acclaimed productions of Ragtime and Camelot. Natalie Venetia Belcon is known to audiences for her roles in the Broadway production of Avenue Q (as the original Gary Coleman) and for her starring role in Lincoln Center’s The Glorious Ones.

Oliver! is directed by Luke Yankee, with Choreography by Melissa Rae Mahon and Sean McKnight, Musical Direction by Christopher D. Littlefield, Scenic Design by Michael Hotopp, Costume Design by T. Michael Hall, Lighting Design by Thom Weaver and Sound Design by Wallace Flores. Janet Friedman is Production Stage Manager. The show is produced by Jack W. Batman for the White Plains Performing Arts Center.

Oliver!, winner of three 1963 Tony Awards, has Music, Lyrics and Book by Lionel Bart and is based on “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. This production of Oliver! is sponsored by Entergy.

Tickets are $60.00/$50.00. Season subscriptions and gift certificates are also available. Bank of America Broadway Classics series begins with Oliver! (November 20 – December 14, 2008), followed by A Little Night Music (March 5 – 22, 2009) and Hello, Dolly! (April 30 – May 17, 2009).

White Plains Performing Arts Center is located on the third level of City Center at the corner of Main and Mamaroneck in downtown White Plains, NY, just 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, and there is plenty of convenient parking. For tickets please call 914.328.1600 or buy them online at www.wppac.com.

White Plains Performing Arts Center brings innovative and eclectic entertainment and classic Broadway musicals to appreciative audiences who live throughout the county and beyond. It is Westchester’s only professional regional theatre and is now in its second season. Under the direction of Executive Producer Jack W. Batman, the 410-seat, $6 million theatre also hosts local, national and international performing artists whose work reflects Westchester’s diverse population. The 2008-2009 Season is sponsored by the City of White Plains, Bank of America, Entergy and other major corporations, government and private foundations and individual donors.

City Spreads Word:Foreclosure Help Meeting in Battle Hill Tues – Half Dozen Help

Posted on November 17, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. November 17, 2008: Westchester Residential Opportunities will hold a public meeting in the Battle Hill Community Room at the Battle Hill condominiums Tuesday evening at 7 PM to acquaint White Plains homeowners with their foreclosure counseling service.

The city awarded WRO $30,000 to pay for a foreclosure expert to counsel White Plains residents facing mortgage payment and possible foreclosure action as to how they can avoid foreclosure proceedings.

Within the last two weeks, notices of sale of auction of three residences foreclosed for prices ranging from $680,000 on Concord Avenue in Fisher Hill, and $1,000,000 on New York Avenue in Prospect Park and in Gedney Farms have been advertised.

Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel told WPCNR that in the last five months, the WRO foreclosure expert helped 6 to 7 homeowners in White Plains in foreclosure proceedings. Ms Hable said several homeowners were able with the counselor intervention, keep their homes by arranging less stressful payment schedules with their lenders. She said that a couple of homeowners were in such a poor financial situation that, with the counselor’s help they were to short-sale their homes for the amount of their outstanding mortgages, enabling the owners to preserve their credit ratings.

Habel said the city has sent out notices of tomorrow evening’s meeting and sent out notices of availability of the WRO’s counselingservice to all homeowners receiving notices of foreclosure proceedings.

Homeland Security Issues New Regs for Private Aircraft Departing U.S.

Posted on November 17, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR FLYWAYS. From Department of Homeland Security. November 17, 2008: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today additional measures to strengthen private aircraft security by requiring more detailed information about arriving and departing private aircraft and persons onboard, within a timeframe necessary for the department to assess the risks that certain international flights may pose to national security.

“We’re placing considerable emphasis on raising security in the general aviation sector,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “By getting basic electronic information in advance, like we do with commercial aircraft, we are able to substantially reduce a vulnerability.”

The final rule will require pilots of private aircraft to send U.S. Customs and Border Protection their electronic manifest data relative to all people traveling onboard. The following information must be sent one hour prior to departure for flights arriving into or departing from the United States by filing manifest data through the Electronic Advanced Passenger Information System or an approved alternate system:

· Advance notice of arrival information;

· Advance notice of departure information;

· Aircraft information to foster aircraft identification; and

· Complete passenger and crew manifest data

The final rule announced today results from more than 3,000 comments received from the Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States notice of proposed rulemaking published in September 2007. The final rule has been sent to the Federal Register for publication and is currently available at www.cbp.gov.