THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 21, 2006: WPCNR has learned from a resident of Samaritan House, and an official of that facility that Samaritan House has informed the residents of that shelter last Saturday morning they will have to move out of that shelter about the end of April for renovations of the facility, expected, according to our source to take 1 to 3 months.

Samaritan House on Church Street, White Plains. The facility Planst to Move its Homeless Women: Interim Housing Sought.  The Samaritan House Homeless Shelter for Women is located in the rear of Grace Church. Can you help? Photo by WPCNR News.

Presently, the Executive Director of Grace Church Community Center the organization that manages Samaritan House, Paul Anderson-Winchell,  is reported  by a homeless advocate as negotiating with a local church and a college as possible venues to house the approximately 14 homeless residents. Mr. Anderson-Winchell has not returned a WPCNR NewsCall for comment to clarify the situation.

Should an interim location not be found, residents are fearful they will be dispatched to the coeducational Grasslands homeless facility, which one resident WPCNR spoke with feels is an unsafe atmosphere for women.

 A resident there reported to WPCNR that Samaritan House, knowing renovations by Cappelli Enterprises were coming,  had thirteen months to find an alternative place to house the residents, other than the Grasslands shelter, but no interim residence has been found.

Cappelli Enterprises is expected to execute the renovations when Grace Community Services signs off on the work needed, which our resident living there, speculates may involve removal of asbestos, since the resident has seen asbestos testing done. “It’s been crawling with engineers,” they report.

Anonymous Donor Saved Day, December, 2004

Samaritan House was the focus of a major flap with the Department of Social Services over funding fourteen months ago when the organization threatened to close the homeless shelter for women, turning them out to the street, if they did not get an increase in rent from the county which questioned their justication for the request. 

The County Department of Social Services was very skeptical of the Samaritan House numbers and demanded accounting for the increase. After meetings with Larry Schwartz, the Deputy County Executive and Bill Ryan, the County Legislator and the DSS, Samaritan House agreed to keep the facility open, but accept $200,000 to $300,000 less in money from the DSS.

However, the $200-$300,000 shortfall was made up by an “anonymous donor,” widely assumed to be the Grace Church neighbor, Super Developer Louis Cappelli. 

Mr. Cappelli also agreed to contribute in “in-kind” services worth $1,000,000 to renovate the Samaritan House facility. Samaritan House and Cappelli Enterprises have been discussing the extent and requirements of those renovations for about fourteen months.

To read the original WPCNR report go to http://www.whiteplainscnr.com/article3163.html

An official of Samaritan House speaking on a WPCNR NewsCall confirmed the planned move out but they did not know what arrangements or timetable was being followed, they said “everything is up in the air right now.”

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. March 20, 2006: A WPCNR observer of “Masquerade,” the kickoff Gala for the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Tuesday evening, reports a crowd of 175 persons attended the $150/a ticket minimum fundraiser for the Arts Center as it raises capital for its coming 2006-2007 season.

As of 7 PM about 70 persons had crowded the fourth floor balcony outside the theatre entrance for the hors d’oeuvres and wine portion of the evening, and attendees were continuing to come in, as glasses clinked, scrumptious canapes were served from silver trays, and White Plains patrons of the arts mingled, schmoozed, munched and sipped awaiting The Three Phantoms. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

A member of  the audience reports Tony Stimac, Artistic Director of the WPPAC acted as Master of Ceremonies, introducing the four honorees, Councilman Robert Greer ( the Arterial Lateral Sclerosis victim attended seated in his wheelchair in the audience); Robert Feder of Cuddy & Feder, Mr. Harumitsu Inouye of The Shinnyo-En Foundation, Dan Tearno of Heineken USA, and Bishop Iaso Ito, of the White Plains Bridge of Friendship Foundation, Inc. (who was unable to attend, being in Japan).

The Foundation, our observer said, was honored for its generous contributions to the White Plains schools.  Dan Tearno of Heineken gave a history of what has happened at the WPPAC for its two years and four months of existence and said how it important it was for all to continue to support the theatre. 

Mayor Delfino gave a short talk about Mr. Greer’s contributions to the city. Mrs. Helen Greer, speaking for her husband, spoke extensively about her husband’s disease and the need to support stem cell research. A short video of highlights from the WPPAC’s 28 months was shown.

No Announcements of Theatre Future

Our correspondent reports there were no announcements made by any speakers about WPPAC programming plans for the 2006-2007, and no statements made about the future management plans of the theatre. When spotted arriving for the evening by WPCNR, Jeffrey Rosenstock, former Executive Director of the WPPAC who told WPCNR he is now back working for the theatre. Rosenstock shared with WPCNR that Mr. Stimac, his colleague, was programming next year’s WPPAC schedule at the present time. Asked if this meant Mr. Stimac had signed a new contract to guide the theatre into the future, Rosenstock said he did not know.  

The Three Phantoms, (Cris Groenendaal, Ted Keegan, and Craig Schulman, all have performed the famous role in Phantom of the Opera)  then took the stage, accompanied on piano by the spouse of one of the “Phantoms.” Our correspondent reports “the show was great.”

Among many luminaries observed arriving were Mayor Joseph Delfino, Councilman Glen Hockley, John Corretti of Pretty Petals Plus whose firm donated the flowers, Bill Null, WPPAC Board of Directors Head Chauncey Walker, the noted local actor Jeffrey Schlotman, Nick Wolfe, Jon Shandler of White Plains Hospital Center, Janet Langsum of the Westchester Arts Council,  later, Bruce Berg of Cappelli Enterprises arrived (though Louis Cappelli was not observed in attendance).

Helen Hayes Directors Attend Second WPPAC Event in Week.

An entourage of Directors from the presently defunct Helen Hayes Theatre Company of Nyack, former “partner” of the White Plains Performing Arts Center,  attended their second WPPAC event in a week. They were lead in by the Chairman of the Helen Hayes Theatre Company Board, Joseph Lagana. Mr. Lagana also attended the production of Julius Caesar with two other HHTCO Board members at the WPPAC March 11.

Food for the evening was donated by Coughlin’s American Bistro, Mulino’s of Westchester and Zanaro’s Resutaurant. Tony Russo and wife Andrea Kish, of Aries Wine & Spirts West Post Road provided the wine. Vino 100 was also credited with wine contribution.

Our observer surveying the house said it was “a small crowd, nowhere near a full house. Half empty.” However, that is not a measure of how much tonight’s event might have raised.

Fundraising galas are having a hard time lately. The White Plains Juneteenth Gala concert at Purchase scheduled for last Friday evening was cancelled due to low ticket sales.

Invitation to Mingle. Photo, WPCNR StageCam