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)

Delfino to Spano: Join Us As Soon As Possible — to Warm Drifting Homeless

Posted on December 7, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. December 7, 2007 UPDATED 5:35 P.M. E.S.T.: County Executive Andrew Spano, according to the Mayor’s Office, could not attend a meeting with the Common Council and the Mayor and the White Plains clergy prepared to run a Warming Shelter in White Plains. The meeting was tentatively scheduled for Wednesday to settle the issue of where and who would operate and fund the proposed Warming Shelter for the drifting homeless outside the county Department of Social Services system who continue to sleep in doorways, in the woods, and around White Plains in sub freezing temperatures. The Mayor sent this urgent letter to Mr. Spano today. Donna Greene of the Westchester County Department of Communications said that the County Executive would be responding to the Mayor’s letter.

The Honorable Andrew J. Spano
Westchester County Executive
900 Michaelian Office Building
148 Martine Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601

Dear Mr. Spano:

I was disappointed that you could not attend an Open Public Meeting that I tentatively had scheduled for Wednesday, December 5th with the City of White Plains Common Council to address the issue of the non-conforming housing population that has been without shelter since the closing of the 85 Court Street facility in White Plains. As you are aware, this situation is of deep concern to me, the Council, many clergy and others in our community. The situation is obviously now exacerbated as temperatures continue to drop.

As the Council and I are anxious to address this situation as soon as possible in a public forum, in lieu of your attendance, would you be kind enough to respond expeditiously to advise what, if any plans the County has, or is considering implementing, to address this grave issue. It would be of tremendous help to us, as the policy makers of the City of White Plains, to have this information as soon as possible.

Thank you for your timely attention to this matter.

Very Truly Yours,

Joseph M. Delfino
Mayor, City of White Plains

Pearl Harbor Day: Out of the Sun

Posted on December 6, 2007 by John Bailey

Out of the Sun

The Arizona engulfed December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor

Out of the sun on the quiet Sunday they came

Steel birds of death blazened with red suns raining fiery havoc on Battleship Row.

One by one, ruthless planes dove, destroyed to their nation’s shame

Thunderous explosions scattered fiery death on Sunday dawn’s glow.

Flames belched from bowels of stricken Arizona, America’s pride,

On Hicham Field pilots raced to planes to defend

As their birds were crippled on ground by Zeros’ glide

Gunners in turrets on ships floundering filled skies with flack’s din.

In search of carriers the marauders could not find

They ruthlessly strafed and bombed leaving Pearl

In smoking ruin, ships sunk, burning as raiders flew into the Sun

The day of infamy had been ignited in the Zeros’ swirl.

The Attack Begins 8 AM December 7, 1941

As America listened a world away, a somber FDR

Spoke of December 7 as ever a day that will live in infamy.

America must never forget that Pearl Harbor Scar

When an unsuspecting America slept in complacency.

To the 2,403 who perished that day under merciless bombs

Hails of bullets, terror of torpedos out of nowhere

America must remember forces against our freedoms

Relentlessly work always to surprise us with deadly bombs’ glare.

Vigilence is the price of freedom that must always be defended

Against those who would destroy our republic from within

As well as the dark forces in far off places we have offended.

But the answer is not curtailing freedom at home rather it to champion.

The USS Arizona lies in Pearl’s waters, bleeding the lives

Of her men through the eerie eternal slick marking the rusting hulk.

Beneath Pearl’s waters, the blood of free people oozes from the shadowy bulk,

Bleeding forever, freedom’s spirit living forever in lost lives remembered.

She never rests.

Note: The Pearl Harbor attack which took place 65 years ago today and its aftermath is dramatically depicted at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm

Council Reverses Pre-Election RFQ Stand–To Review Proposals Mon Thurs.

Posted on December 6, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR DEVELOPERS DAILY. From a White Plains CitizeNetReporter. December 6, 2007: The Common Council which published a lengthy letter in the White Plains Times three months ago stating their unequivocal opposition to the Delfino Administration Request for Qualifications from developers issued last August in an effort to upgrade the White Plains Railroad station area has reversed itself. Today, WPCNR has learned the council will review Requests for Qualifications submissions from four developers next week, who responded to the RFQ. Prior to the election, the Council said they would not review any proposals or qualifications generated by the RFQ

NOW

RFQ Submissions to Be Considered by Common Council Anyway Despite Pre-Election Opposition. Above is the controversial Railroad station in White Plains seen from the Ritz Carlton Residence Tower. In right foreground is the White Plains Mall.

Then

On Monday, at 6 PM in the Mayor’s Conference Room the Council will hear a presentation from Archstone Smith/Tishman-Speyer and Reckson, a firm that (as WPCNR first reported last month) has developed a preliminary plan which Reckson had showed to three members of the Council of Neighborhood Associations in October. Those persons were Candyce Corcoran, Bob Myerson and Marc Politzer, who each greeted the plan with enthusiasm.

On Thursday, December 20 at 6 PM at the regular work session, the Council will hear from two other suitors, Rex Corporation and Albanese Development Corporation/Starwood Capital Group (the hotel organization).

In September, four members of the council had published a flat rejection of any interest in following through on any developers or development plans generated by the Delfino Administration Request for Qualifications. They rejected the Mayor’s vision for developing the station. Now they are willing to see visions. In September the four (Councilpersons Malmud, Boykin, Power and Roach) wrote:

“ We serve notice that we do not support the RFQ recently released by the mayor’s office through the commissioner of planning and will avail ourselves of all measures at our disposal to bring this ill-considered proposal to a quick end.” and that any proposals should have “input from our residents is what is required.”

County Confirms Vaughn Glanton Warm Center in Mt. Vernon Closing.

Posted on December 6, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By John F. Bailey. December 6, 2007. UPDATED December 7, 2007 UPDATED 5:24 PM EST DECEMBER 7, 2007: Donna Greene of the Westchester County Department of Communications confirmed this afternoon that the Vaughn Glanton shelter in Mount Vernon will be closing as of December 14.

Meanwhile the City of White Plains, the clergy, and Westchester County continue to consider opening a White Plains Warming Shelter.

Ms. Greene said in a statement today: “the Westhab shelter is closing because there is a separate 25-bed drop in in Mt Vernon that is still open and is in fact under-utilized. We have had success in Mount Vernon getting people into the regular shelter system, where they get services. So this accounts for the lack of use of the other shelters.”

The WestHab Warming Center (Vaughn Glanton at Vernon Plaza) which had been open previously, WPCNR was told by Karl Bertrand of the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless that the County has decided to close the Mount Vernon Westhab Warming Shelter in one week. This drops the number of Warming Centers for undomiciled persons in the county to four, where homeless can sleep in a warm place but only chairs are provided. Bertrand said “It seems as if the county is concentrating on removing the safety nets rather than providing them.”

Bertrand added this information Friday morning: “There will however still be a fourth safety net resource: the drop-in safety net shelters run in Yonkers by the Sharing Community, which fit together with their HUD-funded day-time drop-in center to make a coherent 24-hour safety net program.
Theirs is the only city with a comprehensive program that doesn’t leave homeless people out on the street with nowhere to go for hours every day.”

They are located in Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Peekskill:

Vaughn Glanton at Vernon Plaza, run by Westhab will no longer be available after December 14. Only Friendship Worship Center will be open in Mount Vernon.

Bertrand said that negotiations are continuing behind the scenes on the White Plains Warming Center plan where churches would alternate providing a warming center, with Grace Church Community Services providing the professional expertise. Bertrand added that the Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless is planning demonstrations to coincide with the opening of the Ritz Carlton Westchester in White Plains to dramatize the lack of a warming center in White Plains.