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)

County Studying Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility on Central Ave.

Posted on June 11, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. June 11, 2008: The Westchester County Department of Transportation is conducting a study to determine whether a high capacity rapid transit system could run along one of the county’s major commercial strips extending from White Plains at the north end to Yonkers and the New York City subway in the Bronx. BRT would offer many of the advantages of rail transit but at a lower cost.

“With gas well over $4 a gallon, improving transit service is critical to giving people more feasible travel options,” said County Executive Andy Spano. (Pictured above is a Bus Rapid Transit System station in Bogota, Columbia)

A public open house will be held that will consist of informal discussions and viewing of project presentation boards from 5:30 to 8 pm, and a formal project presentation at 6 pm at the Will Library in Yonkers Monday.

It is intended to show residents how BRT components can speed up bus service on Central Avenue. Some features of BRT that could be effective are a dedicated bus lane between Sadore Lane in Yonkers and the Yonkers/Greenburgh border, transit signal priority that would give buses an early green light or extended green light, fewer stops, more service and enhanced station amenities. An earlier public meeting to introduce the project was held in June last year to obtain initial feedback from the public.

“Enhancing the Bee-Line system to encourage more people to ride the bus will reduce the number of cars on the road and cut down on greenhouse gases – an important piece of the county’s Global Warming Action Plan,” said Transportation Commissioner Lawrence C. Salley.

From 2003 to 2007, the number of local bus riders on Central Avenue increased by more than 20 percent, mainly due to the introduction of MetroCard, opening of Empire City at Yonkers Raceway and the development of downtown White Plains. With over 10 percent of all Bee-Line customers riding buses on Central Avenue — on the local Route 20, limited stop Route 21 and the Westchester-Manhattan Express Route BxM4C — the corridor shows the potential for BRT.

The open house will be conducted at the Will Library, which is located at 1500 Central Park Avenue in Yonkers, at the corner of Tuckahoe Road. For more information, contact Naomi Klein, Principal Planner, [email protected] or (914) 813-7758.

WP and PC High Seniors Named for Sonny Katz Scholarships

Posted on June 10, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Westco Productions. June 10, 2008: Seniors from White Plains High School and Port Chester High School have been selected as this year’s recipients of “Sonny Katz Scholarship Fund” awards from Westco Productions, the White Plains-based non-profit professional theater company. The awards will be presented on Saturday, June 21, at 11:30 am, during the organization’s Awards Brunch at The North End restaurant, 577 North Broadway in White Plains.

Deborah Villalba , White Plains High School 2008

Michelle Altmann, Port Chester High School, 2008

The recipients, Deborah Villalba of White Plains and Michelle Altmann of Port Chester, both plan to pursue college-level studies in the performing arts. Each will receive $1,000 to use in order to further their studies. The award recipients were chosen through an application process which included talent auditions judged by performing arts professionals.

The scholarship fund is named in honor of the late Seymour “Sonny” Katz, who was a founding member of Westco’s Board of Directors. Sonny also was well-known throughout Westchester County for his 37-years of service as City Marshal for the City of White Plains. He was a graduate of Port Chester High School.

Members of the community are invited to attend the event. Tickets are $50, and can be obtained by contacting Westco Productions at (914) 761-7463. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Michelle Altmann is graduating from Port Chester High School and has been dancing since the age of five. She has worked with choreographers who danced with Jose Limon Dance and Paul Taylor Dance. She performed in “The Nutcracker” at SUNY Purchase, the Knicks pre-game show at Madison Square Garden, and has participated in the annual Dancers Respond to AIDS benefit show for four years. She is a member of the award-winning Westchester Dance Academy. She plans to major in dance performance in college.

Deborah Villalba is an honors student at White Plains High School. She is an experienced flautist. She is assistant director of the Youth Choir at St. Bernard’s Parish in White Plains, and a member of the Westchester Brassmen Drum and Bugle Corps in Harrison. Deborah has a fine lyrico-spinto soprano voice and plans to pursue opera and music. With the high school choir, she performed in an African-American Spiritual Concert at Penn State University.

Scholarship fund co-chairs are Westco Board of Directors members Sarina Russell and William Van Vlack.

The awards will be presented by last year’s winners, Kirsten Smayda and Helen Hess, both White Plains High School graduates.

District Nails Down 4.31% Interest Rate on 1st $50 Million of Capital Project.

Posted on June 10, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 10, 2008: Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business for the White Plains City School District announced last evening that the school district has locked in a 4.31% interest rate on the first $50 Million of construction bonds to pay for the new Post Road School, and the Mamaroneck Avenue School renovations.

Seiler told WPCNR the interest rate originally estimated was 5%, so the district will realize a modest savings on the debt service associated with the bonds in the 2008-2009 school budget ( estimated as $1,573,005 Million in January, 2008), but he has not figured out precisely the saving. (The district begins paying the principle and interest on the first $50 Million of the bond in the 2008-2009 year) Seiler said the interest rate is locked in with the bidders.

Seiler says that the district will offer the final $16 Million in bonds in the 2009-2010 year, where the district may be forced into higher interest rates. By putting the first $50 Million out for bids this spring, the school district appears to have had excellent timing and saved money. (The Federal Reserve Bank is reported today as announcing a higher prime rate to take effect in August). Seiler explained the delay in the $16 Million going out to market, by reporting that the state prohibits districts from financing projects that have not begun yet.

Seiler reported the new Post Road School project was having foundations poured at the present time, and was on schedule to open in the fall of 2009.

7 Lost Power in WP Monday Night. Power Back on in Hours.

Posted on June 10, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. June 10, 2008: A spokesperson for Con Edison today reported 7 White Plains residents were without power for a few hours Monday evening, but had power fully restored in a few hours. The spokesperson for Con Edison, Chris Olert, noted that the company ability to weather the relentless demand for power caused by the 95 degree heat Monday was helped in part due to the company’s investment in infrastructure last year and the installation of a new substation in Yonkers. As of this morning at 10:30 A.M., Olert reported no outages in White Plains. Currently as of 11:15 A.M. the temperature outside of WPCNR White Plains news studios, the temperature is 90 degrees in the shade.