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)

Tornado Rips Up Saw Mill River Road Area. Emergency Shelter Opened.

Posted on July 12, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From Westchester County Department of Communications. July 12, 2006: Westchester County Executive Andy Spano at 4:50 p.m. today opened Westchester County’s Emergency Operations Center to help respond to damage caused by a tornado that touched down on Saw Mill River Road in Mount Pleasant late this afternoon.

The severe storm caused the closing of the Saw Mill River Parkway, near county police headquarters, and caused major flooding throughout the area. Most of the damage appears to have been caused by a tornado that is reported to have touched down in the area of Saw Mill River Road at about 4:10 p.m. First responders, police and emergency services are responding to numerous calls of property damage, including a partial building collapse, trees down, flooding and other property damage.

Staff from Westchester County’s Department of Public Safety, Emergency Services, Public Works and other major county departments were called in to deal with the response.

Further reports will be released as information on the extent of the damage becomes available.

Tornado Warning Lifted. Sighted Twister moves into Connecticut. Tornado Watch ON

Posted on July 12, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. From National Weather Service. July 12, 2006: After passing to the North of White Plains the tornado reported by the National Weather Service has moved out of the White Plains area and the Tornado Warning has been cancelled. Readers should monitor radio, The Weather Channel, News 12, and of course, WPCNR for the latest conditions during these unstable weather conditions. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 8 P.M. E.D.T.

Council Accepts Plan Review in Surprise Move. Suit Contemplated.

Posted on July 12, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. July 12, 2006, UPDATED 11:07 A.M. E.D.T.: The Common Council, six hours before they were to convene the last public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee Report, issued an agenda indicating they were going to vote on accepting the Review that has been in process the last year.

After Mayor Joseph Delfino opened the hearing at 6:20 P.M, with some 8 citizens attendance, he asked if anyone wished to be heard. Candace Corcoran told WPCNR there were no comments from the floor. She said Delfino also asked if there were any questions. There were none. At this point the Common Council voted unanimously to accept the Review with minor adjustments. The process brings to a close the five year review of the 1997 Comprehensive Plan which has been in process for about one year. The meeting was adjourned approximately 6:40 P.M.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, the Council of Neighborhood Associations met to hear Dan Seidel discuss SEQRA regulations and alleged city violations of the SEQRA process in preparing the Comprehensive Plan Review.

During the course of the meeting individuals announced their willingness to employ Mr. Seidel to file an Article 78 suit to halt acceptance of the Comprehensive Plan Review approved scant hours ago. Seidel volunteered to prepare such an action. A series of individuals said they would be willing to be a party to the article 78 action, as signees to the suit and to contribute their money to financing the suit. The suit, should it be filed would be filed by individuals, not in the name of the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

Mr. Seidel explains to WPCNR the preliminary basis for the suit:

“No fee is being charged by me, reduced or otherwise. Community support will pay the costs of the litigation. It will be a community effort for costs, printing, copying, stapling, serving, filing, running around, etc.

Bottom line is that we feel there has been no legitimate SEQRA process involving the citizens in a meaningful way. A myriad of crucial issues pointed out on the record were never discussed and analyzed in SEQRA format with the requisite SEQRA “hard look”. The People feel disenfranchised and wonder who the Council people are working for – the citizens who pay their salaries or the developers who have their attorneys propose ad hoc zoning changes with no feel for what this city should be or become, no mitigation measures, no “hard look” discussions at the way these willy nilly changes will change our City, etc., ad nauseum.

The 6-0 decision of the Council last night is not surprising, it is disgusting. SHAME!

WPPAC RED INK INCREASED IN FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2005

Posted on July 12, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR Stage Door. July 12, 2006: The White Plains Performing Arts Center had a cumulative deficit of $330,689 as of June 30, 2005, according to a document released by the Internal Revenue Service. The document is the non-profit organization’s Form 990 return which was filed with the IRS in February, 2006. The WPPAC officer signing the report was Theodore Peluso, treasurer of the organization.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005, the WPPAC’s deficit grew by $133,078 on revenues of $868,413, according to the document. The $133,078 deficit exceeds by some $35,000 the estimate given the Common Council by Executive Producer Tony Stimac when Mr. Stimac reported on finances in November 2004. Only about 38% of the revenues came from ticket sales. The rest primarily came from contributions, government grants, and theater rentals. Total expenses for 2004-2005 were shown as having been $1,001,491.

According to the document, the Performing Arts Center owed developer Louis Cappelli $100,000 as of the end of the fiscal year. It began the year with loans from Cappelli in the amount of $40,000. By the end of the fiscal year, the loan amount had grown to $100,000. In addition, WPPAC had other loans and a line of credit totaling $171,565 at the end of the fiscal year. A loan from the City of White Plains was for $24,565.

The Form 990 shows that WPPAC spent $6,875 on conferences, conventions and meetings, and that Anthony Stimac, who is listed as being the “executive producer,” was paid $72,837.

WPPAC lost $850 when it conducted a fundraising activity in connection with Kathie Lee Gifford’s off-Broadway show “Under The Bridge.” However, it made $36,253 on its gala (a “Best of Broadway” fashion and performing extravaganza held in the Spring of 2005) and another $21,786 on a golf outing.

City contributes tax payer dollars.

Although the Form 990 does not provide a specific listing or details of the amounts contributed to WPPAC by the City of White Plains, it does report that the organization received $193,000 in donated services and use of facilities. If the $193,000 in services and use of facilities all came from the city, and you add the $100,000 cash payment appropriated by the Common Council towards WPPAC’s expenses, along with Community Development funds (if any), it is likely that the city would have provided between $300,000 and $400,000 for WPPAC during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005. Previously, officials of WPPAC have declined to provide line-by-line details of WPPAC’s expenses and revenues to WPCNR.

Tony Stimac in presenting to the Common Council in November 2005, requested the Common Council contribute an additional $100,000, and that Mr. Cappelli would match it with a like sum of $100,000, plus other pledges totaling $300,000, which Mr. Stimac said would have the WPPAC breaking even in 2005-2006.

Since no report on 2005-2006 has yet been filed, it cannot be determined at this time if the WPPAC is still carrying the $330,689 deficit it had accrued by the beginning of the 2005-2006 year.

Based on Mr. Stimac’s positive financial prognosis, the City of White Plains Common Council voted in November 27 of 2005 to contribute that $100,000, and on July 5 (last week), approved Mr. Stimac as Executive Producer for the theatre for one more year. Salary was not disclosed.

According to documents obtained by WPCNR the White Plains Performing Arts Center was burdened through the first 29 months of its existence by paying half the salaries of the managerial staff of the Helen Hayes Theatre Company.

Now that the WPPAC relationship with the Helen Hayes Theatre Company has been terminated (as of November, 2005), WPPAC is no longer paying approximately $500,000 in salaries and benefits for Helen Hayes employees.