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)

2nd Cleaning Fluid Contamination Found in City– at The Pinn. DEC Mulls Cleanup

Posted on November 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. November 28, 2006: The site of The Pinnacle on Main Street, the 171-unit condoplex planned by the Ginsburg Development Corporation is polluted with an undetermined amount of cleaning fluid, delaying the start of that complex indefinitely.

Ginsburg Development Corporation is negotiating with the Department of Environmental Conservation to determine the extent of the contamination and whether it has to be cleaned out before ground is broken, according to a story filed by Alex Philippidis in the Westchester County Business Journal Tuesday.

The White Plains Common Council should be intrigued. The Council gave The Pinnacle a stay of the date when Ginsburg Development has to post a guarantee to construct 52 units of affordable housing, 24 of which are to fulfill Louis Cappelli’s affordable housing unit requirement in exchange for approval to build the Ritz-Carlton Westchester down the street. The extension by the Common Council to provide GDC more time to cobble state and county financing together for the affordable housing piece.

The Westchester County Business Journal’s Alex Philippidis broke the pollution story today, in his report on the November 16 meeting of the Westchester County Board of Realtors. At the meeting, Andrew Maniglia, Vice President of Development for Ginsburg Development Corporation, revealed to the realtors that the land where The Pinnacle, the Main Street condoplex scheduled to go up this spring across from City Hall is contaminated with cleaning fluid dumped on the site in previous years.

Maniglia said Ginsburg Development is negotiating with the Department of Environmental Conservation to determine what the amount of the contamination perchloroethylene , a cleaning fluid, is and whether the company needs to remediate the deposit.

Maniglia reported Ginsburg Development has been in talks with the DEC to receive funding from the DEC “brown site cleanup fund” that has recently changed fund eligibility requirements so builders of condominums could use it to clean up their sites.

The pesky deposit of cleaning fluid creates a timing problem for Ginsburg Development Corporation.

The developer received an extension from the White Plains Common Council for it to get its financing together for the 52-unit affordable housing component of the project. That extension when The Pinnacle has to file a guarantee with the city that the affordable housing will be built expires in April, 2007.

Ginsburg Development Corporation agreed with Cappelli Enterprises to build the affordable housing units Cappelli Enterprises is charged with building as part of its 221 Main Ritz-Carlton Westchester project. The Common Council has staunchly maintained that unless the Ritz-Carlton affordable housing “share” is guaranteed to be built, the council would withhold a Certificate of Occupancy for the Ritz-Carlton, scheduled to open in ten months (September, 2007). With no ground broken, which the Pinnacle people had promised two months ago, it is virtually impossible to have any affordable housing units built by September 2007, let alone open.

Mr. Philippidis’ story may be read at http://www.westchestercbj.com/archive/112706/1127060003.php

To refresh your memory on the Council extension of the Guaranty Agreement, read the WPCNR report on this extenstion at http://wpcnr.com/article5145.html

The “Pinnacle Perch” is the second contamination of cleaning fluid revealed in the city this year, the other, a contamination of trichloroethylene (TECs) having been exposed by WPCNR to be harbored deep beneath the surface of the city dump for the last 35 years, apparently condoned by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Currently the City of White Plains is conducting sensitive talks and determining procedures with the DEC as to whether that TEC deposit in the dump needs to be remediated. New Wells have been drilled based on the determination of a DEC hydrologist and test results are being awaited to gauge the current state of TEC contamination under the dump. The city has committed $1 Million so far to clean up the compost area in hopes of keeping that operation going. The DEC awaits tests on that contamination.

Greenburgh Supervisor Warns of Hospital Closings.

Posted on November 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner (EDITED). November 28, 2006: More pressure will be placed on the White Plains Hospital Center Emergency Room if state plans for hospital closings are carried out. (The White Plains Emergency Room now has waits of hours for walk-in minimum trauma patients). Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner reports:

Residents of the river villages must work hard to save our health care facilities. Two major health care centers in Hastings and Dobbs Ferry are in danger of being closed. Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry and Andrus Retirement Nursing Home in Hastings could be forced out of business if a state commission charged with reorganizing NY’s health care system gets its way.

The Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry has served our community since 1893 when the first hospital at Dobbs Ferry was built. This hospital has provided outstanding personalized care to many residents of the River Villages. This hospital is loved by many patients – because of the individualized attention received. Unlike larger medical centers – patients are treated like family and neighbors by the staff and medical professionals. The hospital provides patients with high quality care.

The Greenburgh Police Department has used the hospital. In 1997 we expanded our area’s emergency ambulance program. A police office who is a trained paramedic is brought to the scene of every serious emergency ambulance call. Many patients who live in the River Villages are brought to the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry. Countless lives have been saved as a result of the outstanding medical attention given to the patients.

The State Panel is also recommending that Andrus on Hudson close down their nursing home and convert the nursing home into an independent living center. The nursing home provides important medical services to the frail elderly and meets an important community need.

If these two important medical centers are forced to close the quality of medical care in our community will be impacted. I have advised the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry and Andrus of my interest in working with them on an aggressive lobbying initiative to reverse the recommendations of the state panel.

It’s my hope that the entire Westchester delegation to the NY State Legislature will work hard to save the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry and Andrus on Hudson Nursing home.

County Leads State Counties in AIDS Cases. Offers Free HIV Testing at 85 Court S

Posted on November 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR PERSONAL. From County Legislator Judy Myers. (Edited) November 28, 2006: Dr. Joshua Lipsman, Commissioner of The County Department of Health informed the County Board Family, Health and Human Services Committee last week in a series of meetings that Westchester County has the highest number of AIDS cases among the state’s 57 counties, and the fourth highest HIV case rate out of all of the counties in New York, outside of New York City. In response, the County Board of Legislators passed a resolution urging all residents to be tested for AIDS without charge Friday in White Plains.

County Legislator Judy Myers (D,I,WF- Larchmont), Chair of the Family, Health and Human Services Committee, encourages county residents to get an HIV test — which will be offerred without charge at the County Office Building in White Plains at 85 Court Street 9:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Through testing, she said, research shows that risky behavior and the possible spread of the disease can be reduced by 50% if HIV infection is discovered, life saving medications can be administered early, when treatment is more effective and contagion can be lowered. WPCNR Photo Capture from Westchestergov.com

The free, confidential HIV tests will be available this Friday, December 1, World AIDS Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in front of the County Office Building at 85 Court Street in White Plains. This initiative is available free of charge to the public in an effort to raise awareness of the benefits of early detection of HIV. Given the high number of AIDS and HIV cases in Westchester County, the county wants to encourage our residents to act responsibly and get themselves tested to prevent the further spread of this incurable disease.

The free HIV tests will be provided by the mobile HIV testing unit from the Westchester Medical Center, in their 56 foot Winnebago. The tests are conducted with an oral swab, and the results are available in twenty minutes. Personal information and test results will be confidential. Due to this new form of oral testing there is no need to draw blood, making it easier for those who fear needles to get the test, and it allows for faster results.

Legislator Myers introduced the following resolution which was passed by the Board of Legislators Monday evening:

World AIDS Day Resolution

December 1, 2006

Whereas,

Of the 57 counties in New York State, excluding New York City, Westchester County has the 2^nd highest AIDS case rate, the 4^th highest HIV case rate and the most people living with HIV and AIDS in New York State; and

Whereas,

Nationwide, there are an estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV and AIDS, 25% of whom are unaware that they are HIV-infected and may be spreading the virus unknowingly; and

Whereas,

Testing for HIV is a life-saving action that individuals can take to learn about their HIV status, to increase awareness and to reduce the conduct of behaviors that are conducive to transmission of the virus, and to seek medical treatment that can help prolong and increase the quality of life among infected persons; and

Whereas,

HIV and AIDS continue to have devastating consequences for the health, well-being and quality of life of infected individuals and affected communities worldwide and in our communities in Westchester County; now therefore be it

Resolved,

That the Westchester County Board of Legislators recognizes this 1^st day of December 2006 as World AIDS Day in Westchester County in order to raise awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS in Westchester communities, in New York State and worldwide; and be it further

Resolved,

That the Board urges all residents of Westchester County to get the test for HIV to help stem the tide of the HIV epidemic in our communities.

DOT Chimpanzees Strike Again! DOT Drills Exit 8W Ramp White Plains Tosses,Turns

Posted on November 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR BUMPER-TO-BUMPER. By Clark Kent. Special From The Daily Planet. November 28, 2006: So Lois Lane was tossing and turning last night in the Fortress of Solitude in the White Plains southend, “where all is quiet, the yards are big, and the children pass their state achievements,” turns and asks me, “Superman? What’s that drilling?” “With your superhearing, I can’t believe you don’t hear that.”

I opened the window and sure enough, there was a rat-a-tat-tat rumble, pound, scraping sound in the direction of I-287 North of the WPCNR headquarters. “Sounds like the DOT is at it again, Lois, this is a job for Superman.”

Why You Couldn’t Get to Sleep Last Night: “Concrete Compression” on the infamous I-287 Entrance Westbound entry ramp in White Plains. The giant dentist’s drill onthe backhoe was pounding the cavities out of the ramp at 12 midnight. The chimpanzees that plan the scheduling at the Department of Transportation have struck White Plains again. Photo, WPCNR News

Checking with White Plains Police Headquarters, the desk told me, “We know of no construction going on. I’ll give you the DOT.” The WPPD deskmate calls the the DOT which picks up in Albany and they ring the night supervisor, the phone just rings and rings. Finally I call back the White Plains Police to make an official complaint: “I want to make an official complaint about the noise coming from I-287.” The White Plains Police say that is the Westchester County Police jurisdiction. She gives me the Westchester County Police.

Their Westchester County Police desk man gives me the Westchester County Police Dispatcher. She checks it out while I am on hold. She reports: “The DOT has permission from the (DOT) engineers to do some concrete compression on I-287. They are scheduled to be doing it until 1:30 A.M. They have permission from the DOT Engineers. We’re getting a lot of other complaints”

This sounds like a job for Superman, I think, so I take to the night about 11 o’clock, and head for I-287 off Exit 8-A where the construction might be. Making several passes over I-287, I drive under the overpass right by The Westchester Mall (in White Plains). Note to the White Plains Police: Exit 8A is in White Plains.

Those Who Drill By Night — Don’t Have to Sleep at Night. The DOT Boys Pound away on the I-287 Overpass at midnight in White Plains, keep a good portion of the city awake. Photo, WPCNR News

As I drive under the underpass, I notice a backhoe on the ramp and suddenly see it’s menacing arm DRILL the overpass, creating a shuddering RAT-A-TAT-TAT creating sparks and a thundering, echoing catastrphic sound and shaking above my automobile. I had located the midnight driller that could be heard all over the southend of town. We thought it might be a Stepinac prank. But no, it was the good old DOT carrying out another well-thought out plan.

As of 12:30 the drilling has started again. It’s louder than blasting which they do during the day, which I have never heard.

Citizens inconvenienced by this night rumbling (that can be heard 2 miles away through closed windows), according to the Westchester County Police should contact the “Head of Traffic, Division of Traffic of the Department of Transportation” and tell them this is ridiculous and they should not schedule “concrete compression” from 10 P.M. to 1:30 A.M.

One again, those same chimpanzees in the DOT Engineering Department who gave you the stop sign entrance onto I287 for three months, where you had to make a full stop and enter 60 MPH traffic have created an avoidable inconvenience (the cacaphonous drilling) that is keeping not only Lois Lane up tonight, but every commuter who is a light sleeper in North White Plains, the White Plains Downtown and the White Plains Southend, not to mention Valhalla and Harrison.

I can hardly wait until they start working on the new Tappan Zee Bridge and giving us a new I-287, after they finish the I-287 they are working on now. Hey, Eliot, put all the Democrats who want jobs in the DOT on January 1 — they couldn’t do any worse — or could they? You’d be doing New York a favor.