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)

The Robert Greer Legacy & Friends of Robert Greer

Posted on January 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR Common Council Chronicle-Examiner. From Don Hughes January 28, 2006: Robert Greer has been a member of the White Plains Common Council for 15 years. He has had Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) for two years.

Bob recently received an award form the city’s Human Rights Commission for his work with agencies that include Family Services of Westchester, Head Start, and the White Plains Public Library.

The disease began slowly in January 2004 with just a few muscle spasms and has progressed to where he is currently wheelchair bound and needs a full time aide. Still, he has no plans to give up his seat on the Common Council. “I’m fully engaged with City Hall and my colleagues. I was elected in 2003 to a four-year term, and I intend to complete as much of it as possible”, he said recently.

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Councilman Greer has been a White Plains District Leader since 1983. He was chairman of the local Democratic party, and he ran for Mayor in 2001. Some of the things that he lists as his accomplishments while on the Common Council include voting for the improvements leading to the Westchester Mall; supporting SHORE’s imaginative plan for combining housing for working families and formerly homeless families; working to save The Greenway; fighting for movies at Main and Mamaroneck; fighting for a Stop & Shop supermarket; sponsoring legislation establishing minimum fines for landlords violating occupancy codes; working to end the public safety badge drain; and generally trying to encourage White Plains to take advantage of 21st century technology. He is especially proud of working for the construction of the new children’s room at the White Plains Library and the opening of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.

ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease that causes degeneration of some of the largest of all nerve cells, called motor neurons. Motor neurons control the movement of voluntary muscles. Motor neurons extend from the brain to the spinal cord (the upper motor neuron) and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body (the lower motor neurons). The disease causes the motor neurons to degenerate and eventually die. As the motor neurons die, the muscles cells are paralyzed and also deteriorate. In the beginning of the disease, the person starts out with fatigue and becomes progressively weaker, eventually becoming paralyzed.

During a Common Council meeting early last year Mr. Greer said, “One area of the body that is not attacked by ALS is the mind. I will always be me. My life has been enriched by the opportunity to serve as your councilman for the past 14 years. I intend to remain your councilman and serve the White Plains community as long as I am able.”

Some of the things that Mr. Greer misses most are the Handel concerts at Lincoln Center and reading.

I have started a fund – Friends Of Councilman Bob Greer – where people can show their appreciation for the dedication that Councilman Greer has given to the residents of White Plains. But, far more important than the amount of money raised, will be the number of people participating. You can donate either on-line using the following link http://www.whiteplainspolitics.com/DonationsFCBG.html or by sending a check payable to FriendsOfCouncilmanGreer to PO Box 203; White Plains, NY 10602. Or, just send a note of appreciation without the donation. The donations will be used to buy recordings and Talking Books. I have started the fund with a $50 donation. All funds raised (less a bank fee for credit card donations) as well as a list of contributors will be forwarded to Councilman Greer.

Please feel free to forward this note.

Background information: http://www.rideforlife.com/archives/001284.html

Don Hughes

The Ruff Report to the Commissioner of Social Services. IV: Proposal & Opinion.

Posted on January 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By Geoffrey Ruff. © 2006, The CitizeNetReporter. All rights reserved. January 28, 2006: Today, Mr. Ruff, a homeless persons since 1994, and participant in the past in DSS programs, concludes his report that was presented to the Westchester County Department of Social Services Commissioner January 23 during a meeting a dialogue between Mr. Ruff and the Commissioner. In the final installment of this report, prepared at the Open Arms Shelter by Mr. Ruff, he makes some observations:

Proposal

Idea

The Department of Social Services is in dire need of additional, and/or change, targeting standards, and protocol in regards to the proposed.

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Eligible Resident Occupancy Support Services Program

And

Employment Support Services Program

These Programs could target the hard-to-accommodate, whether they are in the Shelter System, or in Private residence. Some of these men and women happen to be down on their luck without the need for Mental Health Service.

I propose an assistance program which provides for a very assertive, and aggressive identification of, and referral to secure permanent employment, and housing in the community sector, without special, but limited assistance – Thus creating a Reformed Homeless Intervention Program which conforms to, and is pursuant to NYS Law:

Article 2-A-Shelter and Supported Housing

Title 2 Single Room Occupancy Support

Sections 45-45g

Title 4 Homeless Intervention Program

Sections 48-52

Opinion

A majority of us at the Drop-In wish not to waste Taxpayer money utilizing the current program of Social Services. We want to work, live and exist just as all the rest of the Citizens, friends and family. The current program procedures mentioned, and the procedures unmentioned only hamper our opportunity to reintegrate back to being productive Human Beings, and Citizens.

A number of us have Criminal backgrounds which, that in itself, create and unmovable obstacle to proper employment, thus hampering our chances at securing adequate, and permanent housing, which also hampers becoming productive tax-paying citizens of Westchester County, where I was born and raised.

(Geoffrey Ruff has been homeless since 1994. He sleeps nightly at 85 Court Street in White Plains, the County’s new Drop-In Shelter.

This report was written by Mr. Ruff and presented to the Commissioner of Social Services of Westchester County January 23 during a meeting with Mr. Ruff with the Commissioner, which Mr. Ruff describes to the CitizeNetReporter as positive. Mr. Ruff also notes that Volunteers of America treatment of residents at 85 Court Street has improved. Mr. Ruff tells WPCNR that a cource within DSS told him it costs $850 per person per night to provide one Emergency Bed in shelters throughout the county, enough to purchase hotel rooms for several Homeless persons at local hotels on a nightly basis.

Mr. Ruff reports to WPCNR he spends his days looking for jobs outside the DSS program. He is looking for computer services work. He has a felony drug conviction which automatically finds most companies rejecting him on applications. He has been out of prison 12 years. He may be reached at the Open Arms Shelter, 948-9881, or by e-mail, [email protected] )

Office Max in City Center Plans March Closing.

Posted on January 27, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. January 27, 2006: WPCNR has learned from Office Max sources that the Office Max store in the City Center opposite Filene’s will close in March. The store previously had been in the Westchester Pavillion mall and had moved to City Center last spring to the third floor. The store said it was planning sales in March to clear inventory.

Fort Lauderdale Hires WP’s Ted Lawson as Head of Public Information Office

Posted on January 27, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. January 27, 2006: Sources in White Plains and Fort Lauderdale have reported to WPCNR that Ted Lawson, White Plains Director of Economic Development, wuth the Mayor’s Office for about 2-1/2 years, has been hired by the City of Fort Lauderdale to hear their Public Information Office. Mr. Lawson was reported on vacation by the Mayor’s Office, and could not be reached for comment on his new good fortune. Lawson was originally hired as the ciy’s grant writer and has been instrumentle in obtaining by WPCNR estimate about $200,000 in grants for the City of White Plains. Lawson is also on the Board of Directors of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.

Lawson is the second White Plains City Hall staffer to join the Fort Lauderdale city government in two years. Kathleen Gunn, left White Plains to be the Assistant City Manager of that south Florida City.