Donators of Apts for N.O Families Get Tax Dedctn. Effect on Benefits Not Known.

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. September 12, 2005: Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, clarified the city’s effort to help house victims of the New Orleans hurricane strike, saying that the city was open to other donations of apartments from landlords and homeowners. He said any White Plains  residents or other rental or condominium owners who wished to step up and offer housing for the disenfranchised homeless of New Orleans should contact Melisa Lopez in the Mayor’s Office. Other White Plains citizens wishing to donate clothing, furnishings, and other services should also contact the Mayor’s Office


Wood said Dionne Lewin, the city Section VIII officer is in Houston attempting to locate six families to come to White Plains and live in the 6 – two-bedroom apartments, two located in Bank Street Commons, two in Clayton Park (Eastview), and two in One City Place at the City Center. Asked if  the corporations owning those six apartments were entitled to tax deductions for the donactions, Wood said, “I think so.”


Asked how the donation of the apartments might effect the benefits the families receive from the Federal Government, Wood said the city had spoken to FEMA, which told them that benefits would be balanced against donations and other aid, “on a case-by-case basis,” according to Wood.


Melisa Lopez may be reached at 422-1411.

Posted in Uncategorized

Ryan Says Study on Kensico Dam Dangers Was Done. Dam Regularly Patrolled.

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2005. By John F. Bailey. September 12, 2005: County Legislator Bill Ryan exposed a recent claim by Cass Cibelli, his opponent for the District 5 Legislative Seat, that Ryan has ignored safety and planning for a terrorist attack on the Kensico Dam as being untrue and unfounded and purely political, suggesting that Mr. Cistelli should have checked the facts.


 


Ryan, in response to Cibelli’s charge that a study had not been done, told WPCNR that after 9/11, the county entered into discussions with the FBI and the state of “a number of hard targets” including the Kensico Dam. “We interacted with North Castle, White Plains and the Town of Mount Pleasant, closed the road over the dam, which still remains closed,” Ryan said, and he noted the dam is patrolled by a variety of  security forces, including the County Police, DEP police and State Police.


 


Ryan said that contrary to his opponent’s news release, a study had been conducted on the vulnerability and effects of an attack, at the suggestion of County Legislator Rob Astorino in 2002. The study also analyzed the extent of subsequent flood resulting from a dam malfunction in the first six months of 2003. He said the study was not made public for security reasons.

Posted in Uncategorized

Tigers Claw Up Mount Vernon, 21-12. Conor Connects. Hewitt Unstoppable.

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. September 10, 2005, UPDATED 12:35 P.M.September 11, with MORE PIX : The Tigers marched on down the field the first time they had the ball on this sweltering Saturday afternoon at Mount Vernon’s picturesque Memorial Field, held Mount Vernon to no first downs in the First Half, and used the double running threat of Mickey Morrello and Jamaine “Do It” Hewitt mixed with Conor Gilmartin-Donohue’s short-medium-long passing game to win their 2005 season debut, 21-12, presenting new football coach Mike “Skip” Stevens his first win as a Head Coach. Offensive play was innovative, contained a lot of surprises and was successful overland and in the air. Defense was top drawer.



Mickey Morrello sets up Tigers First TD of the season in the First Quarter, dragging Mount Vernon tacklers with him to the 8 yard line. on a 29 yard bull-em, drag ’em, dodge ’em on a third and 8 from the MV 37. Morrello was first stopped at the 30, dodged and dumped four or five would be Tiger-Stoppers in the 20’s broke to the 15 and dragged his way to the 8. It set the tone.  Morrello, obscured is carrying two Knights on his back. Photo by WPCNR Sports.



TouchDOWN! TouchDOWN! Via Conor-Airlines. It’s Third Down and Goal after Morello’s run, and Conor Gilmartin-Donohue hits “Mr. Lee,” Thomas Lee Number 21 A-LONE Far left of your picture, under the left upright for the first touchdown of the season. Lee caught it untouched in the belly facing Conor, who threaded the needle. Gilmartin-Donohue is at far right second from the left on the right side of your picture. Ian Jackson booted the first of three powerful Extra Points to give the Tigers a 7-0 Lead. Photo by WPCNR Sports.



Do-It Hewitt kept doing it all day long: Jamaine Hewitt, far right, takes a pitch from QB Conor Gilmartin-Donhoue (17), on the way to a sweep. Hewitt rushed for 147 yards officially, clipping off about 10 yards a carry  and scoring two touchdowns, as the Tiger line consistently blew off the Knights, engineering thruways through the Knights secondary.  Hewitt’s explosive running starts consistently got him deep into the Knights secondary in seconds.  Hewitt said the defensive play of the Tigers was the key to the game. The Knights never got going offensively due to the posse pursuit of the speedy defensive line. Photo by WPCNR Sports


White Plains pushed, punished and pummeled  Mount Vernon around all afternoon in this Opening Day Game. The score fails to reflect how dominant the Tigers were from the opening series. Knight scores came in virtual second half garbage time, when the Tigers, like any big cats were playing with their food, bouncing the Knights from paw to paw.


 



 


Coach Stevens Drilling the Offense in Pregame Warmups for the First Time as Head Coach:  It was the debut game any first-time Head Coach dreams of. Coach Mike Stevens said as much, “I’m just so happy they played so well. That they were so focused. I’ll never forget it.” Photo by WPCNR Sports


 


After stopping Mount Vernon cold on the first four plays of the game, with quick, fast pursuit and gang-tackles, White Plains took over at their own 37 and marched 63 yards in 9 plays.


 


An offside penalty by Mount Vernon after an incomplete pass gave the Tigers a second and five on their own 42 and Conor Gilmartin-Donohue handed off to fullback Mickey Morello who broke into sunlight, rambling up the middle, brushing Mount Vernons aside to the Vernon 42 for a first down.


 


 Conor threw a swing pass to  Ed Oliva on the sideline who scampered to the 38. Jermaine Hewitt found little or no yardage and it was 3rd and 5 on the Knights 38. On a delay, possibly a draw play, Gilmartin-Donohue carried off the deception flawlessly giving the ball to Mickey Morrello in full rumble. Picking his way with finesse, whirling and bonking, and boinking off defenders, Morello cruised and created havoc in the secondary, exploding down the middle. The Mick was finally dragged down by the last two Knights at the 8 yard line, a 30 yard ramble.


 


On first and goal, Jamaine Hewitt picked his way to the 5. Conor swung a swing pass into the endzone to a wideopen Morello, but Mickey could not hang on, and it was 3rd and goal at the 5. Conor stepped back, rolling slight to his left and throw a strike to “Mr. Lee,” ( Thomas Lee)  under the left goal post in a traffic square out between two Knight defenders for his first touchdown pass of the season. Ian Jackson, the Tiger kicker this season, drilled the PAT and the Tigers lead 7-0 midway through the First Quarter.


 


Unrelenting Aggression.


 


On Mount Vernon’s next possession, with second and 5 from the Knight 36 Matt Robles picked off a hideous pass in the right flat and returned it to the Mount Vernon 48.  White Plains converted a 4th and 2 on the Vernon 41 when a fake punt with Tom Lee taking the snap, but gave it back on an interception on first down, when Conor, in the grasp threw the ball up for a pick.


 


Still the Knights went four and out, with Thomas Lee knocking down a 3rd and 17 pass attempt, barely missing a interception. White Plains took over from their 40 after a punt and moved to the Mount Vernon 23 where the Knights held. Again the gangtackling and swift pursuit of the Tiger line contained the Knights. I tell you, the White Plains linebackers and defensive line can move and are quick.


 


“The Hewitt-zer Takes Over.”


 


White Plains took over on their own 42, midway in the second quarter after an outstanding punt of 35 yards from scrimmage aided by the parched Memorial Field gridiron (hard as concrete).


 


Now Jamaine Hewitt took over the game. The Mount Vernon line was consistently pushed aside as if White Plains was playing the Junior Varsity, opening up huge holes for the swiftly accelerating Hewitt, who has that “scatback” quality to get loose, but, the strength to challenge tacklers, according to Coach Stevens.


 


On 1st from the Tiger 42, Hewitt burst 16 yards up the middle to the Knights 44, scorching the already-parched earth. It was Hewitt again on the next play to the 37. On 3rd and 2, Hewitt swept behind a convoy of blockers around left end to the Knight 27.


 



 


THE HEWITT-ZER SETS UP TD 2:  Conor took a direct snap and pitched the ball to Jamine running to the right, the opposite direction and the entire Mount Vernon club watched Hewitt ramble to the 5 yard line on the slant-run to the red zone. Hewitt (28) Center is at the center of the picture at the 10 on his 22-yard jaunt. Then he lugged the ball up the gut to the 1 then reamed it in for his first touchdown of the season. Jackson converted and it was 14-0 with 4 minutes to go in the half. The Tigers had gone 58 yards in 6 plays for a 14-0 lead. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


 


Mount Vernon did not have a first down in the first half. The Tigers had a 14-0 lead at the half.


 


Second Half – Long Reliefers  Hold The Lead


 


In the third quarter, White Plains continued to move the ball on the opening series from their  32 yard line, until Conor underthrew a pass to the deep right sideline and it was picked off by  Eugene Cooper who returned the ball to the Knight 23. No harm was done, because the Tigers pushed the Knights back to their 5 yard line on three plays. A punt set the Tigers up in business on the Mount Vernon 48. They promptly cruised to the Knight 28 on a 19 yard run by Hewitt, but a fumble on a handoff was picked up by Vernon’s Steve Sandoval, a 270 pound lineman  (according to the program), with nothing but daylight.


 


Joseph Henry of White Plains caught up with Sandoval and saved a touchdown, tackling him from behind at the Tiger 45.


 


With 3rd and 7 on the Tiger 37 Mike Connelly caught Tyree Stevenson behind the secondary at the 15 yard line who turned, caught the pass and rolled to coffin corner and was tackled at the 1 by Jeffy Charles. It was the second first down the Knights had made all afternoon. They had made one before the first half ended.


 


 Connelly scored a touchdown on a sneak on the next play to make it 14-6. Next the Mount Vernon coach made an odd decision. After the conversion was made after an offside penalty, the Tigers were called for roughing the kicker. Rick Wright, the MV coach elected to take the PAT already made off the board and try a two-point conversion.  The Tigers sniffed it out and turned Connelly aside in the backfield. It meant the best the Knights could do on a second score was tie, and needed two touchdowns to win. Very odd decision. Basically it sealed the game right then and there.


 


After the Tigers were held on downs for the first time all day, Mount Vernon got the ball back on their on 23 at the start of the 4th quarter.


 


On second and 6 from the 31, Mount Vernon almost got a 5th down, but as Coach Stevens explained it, a play did not count in the sequence.


 


Pop Up Punt Equals Insurance Runs.


 


On that fateful 4th down at the Knight 31, the Knight punter who had calmly punted out of trouble the whole day, shanked it high in the air and White Plains took over on the Knight 41. A 10 yard punt. Not what you wanted there.


 


“The Hewitt-zer” took over again. Conor handed off to Jamaine Hewitt for 11 yards around end to the Knight 28. On 3rd and 7 from the 25, Conor hit on a key 3rd down conversion, connecting with the graceful Ed Oliva again in the right flat who rambled inside the 9 for a 1st and goal.


 


Hewitt plowed ahead to the 1 on the next play then went off tackle to score his second touchdown. Jackson drilled the PAT and it was 21-6, White Plains with half the quarter left.


 


Mount Vernon added a meaningless touchdown in the waning moments of the game.


 


Strong Defense. Secondary on Point.


 


White Plains showed very disciplined play today. They were penalized for approximately 50 yards, but no penalities hurt drives, and there were no motion penalties and only one offside on a PAT. 


 



 


Coach Stevens with Quarterback Conor Gilmartin-Donohue  (center) and his TD receiver, Thomas Lee, left. Conor,  quarterbacking in his first start ever was a poised leader. He handed off flawlessly, knew the plays, never demonstrated any confusion and completed three key 3rd down conversion passes in traffic to Tommie Lee for a Touchdown, Ian Jackson and Ed Oliva to keep drives alive.  Photo by WPCNR Sports


 


Coach Stevens told WPCNR that it is White Plains plan to throw the ball more because it opens up the running game. Today they did not need it. The Tigers showed more weapons than just Mr. Hewitt. Mickey Morrello has that Mel Triplett feel at fullback, and was he hard to bring down today! Hewitt carried the ball for 147 yards officially, and combines speed with toughness. (No such thing as a Tiger who is not tough.)


 


In a group interview, Joseph Henry, Justin Lee, and Mr. Hewitt all speaking at once and not even out of breath said the defense was awesome, the secondary “on point.” They said they were not tired at all through the game, while Mount Vernon was. They said they were angry about the lack of respect for the team coming into the season by the football prognosticators who have picked Mount Vernon, Gorton and New Rochelle as the cream of the conference this season.


 


The team was strong. That is  a testimony to the three-a-day practices in 95 degree heat the Tigers have been laboring through the last three weeks. A game day must seem like a fun day for them, considering what they go through to prepare for it.


 


A final word, the Tigers were very well prepared for this game. Routes were crisp. Blocking was overpowering, swift and sure. The poise when mistakes were made was on display.


 


It was a great debut for the Tigers who play Roosevelt next Saturday at Parker Stadium.


 


 



WHITE PLAINS CHEERLEADERS at the game. Photo, WPCNR Sports


 


 



Gridiron Closing Handshakes. Photo, WPCNR Sports.


 

Posted in Uncategorized

Raw Human Sewage from Harrison Source of Silver Lake Contamination. Water OK Now

WPCNR WATER REPORT. By John F. Bailey. September 10, 2005, Updated 11:42 P.M.E.D.T.: Leakage of raw human sewage from the Harrison sewer on July 18, from a deluge of rain which backed up the sanitary sewers on the northeast shore of Silver Lake has contaminated the lake for five weeks, according to White Plains Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti.  The human sewage bacteria content is just clearing up within the last week, the Commissioner reported to WPCNR Friday afternoon. Presence of E.Coli bacteria in the water trace the pollution directly to human waste.


 



Joseph Nicoletti,


 Commissioner of Public Works,White Plains.


Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


 


Speaking to WPCNR Friday afternoon with permission of The Mayor’s Office, Nicoletti said his department August 30 samples of Silver Lake passed water standards by a comfortable margin, allowing Liberty Park on the lake to be reopened for Sunday’s 9-11 Memorial Ceremonies.



An Undisclosed Volume of Raw Sewage Runoff First Formed Algae in Northeast corner of Silver Lake which is adjacent to a Harrision Sanitary Sewer Line. The presence of the sewage in the lake was not announced to the public by the city, the County Department of Health, or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo,WPCNR News.


 


Nicoletti said two water test results by the White Plains dock taken August 30 on the lake’s West White Plains shore showed water quality at very low bacteria levels, while two test samples taken at the lake “outfall” into the Mamaroneck River  were, Nicoletti said,  “under the threshold,” for  fecal coliform and E.coli levels at which the lake front area would have been closed if it were a swimming beach. These were the first tests, Nicoletti said, in a month that showed the contamination level was declining. 


 


As of August 30, a test analysis performed by the Westchester County Department of Labs and Research, showed  on a sample taken from the North end of the lake, Coliform was reported to be 170 per 100ml, Fecal Coliform and E.Coli bacteria as less than 20 closing levels, (200 to 300 MPN).


 


On  a sample taken from the Silver Lake Dock area, about mid-lake, bacteria contamination was almost the same with Coliform Most Probable Number to be 170, Fecal Coliform contamination to be 20 and E.Coli at 20.


 


Human Waste In the Lake.


 


The test results provided to WPCNR by the city appear to prove the souce of contamination was human waste due to the nature of E. Coli bacteria being found in the Silver Lake test samples taken August 30. Levels were far higher for 5 weeks (1,600 MPN) approaching five times the level at which the lake would have been closed by the County Department of Health if it were a bathing beach.


 


 Coliform is bacteria only found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, of which human beings are a member, which appears to proove the contamination was raw human sewage. Fecal Coliform is bacteria found in warm blooded animals (including geese), however, E.Coli bacteria is only found in the human intestinal tract.


 


Mr. Nicoletti dismissed the geese droppings as a cause, espoused by the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, because the geese would not contribute to the readings he found, or the tell-tale stench of the Silver Lake contamination. The geese also arrived at the lake only after the contamination had already occurred — according to White Plains Executive Officer Paul Wood.


 


At the “outfall,” of Silver Lake into the Mamaroneck River on Lake Street, the August 30 readings of the two samples taken were higher, and closer to the bacteria levels at which the County Department of Health would close the lake if it were a bathing beach.


 


Nudging Threshold at Mamaroneck River Outfall Still.


 


The readings, taken August 30, with results coming back Thursday, September 8, the first location near the Mamaroneck River outfall,  south of the Liberty Park Dock showed the Coliform Most Probable Number to be 1300 per 100ml (five times the level at which it would be closed), the Fecal Coliform’s Most Probable Number of 140 per 100ml (200 being the “closing threshold,” and the E.Coli Most Propable Number, 140 per 100ml (200, the “closing threshold). 


 


The second location near the outfall into the Mamaroneck River off the Liberty Park Dock, was: Coliform, 1100, Fecal Coliform, 230, and E. Coli, 230.  Beaches are closed by the County Health Department at from 200 to 300 bacteria levels, according to the White Plains DPW. Based on these results, Nicoletti has decided it is safe to reopen the area.


 



The “Outfall” of Silver Lake to the Mamaroneck River Monday, Labor Day, six days after the latest samples were taken August 30. Photo by WPCNR News.


 


Nicoletti said the algae would be dying off naturally as the nights got cooler. He said his department had removed some of the algae manually. He said adding fish to the lake would have taken more time in getting permits from the Department of Environmental Conservation than if the contamination was allowed to run its course, which it seems to be doing, he said, based on the latest readings.


 


The Tell-Tale Clue: Ammonia.


 


Mr. Nicoletti said he recognized the unmistakable stench of raw sewage, distinguished by its distinctive ammonia odor, (“I’ve smelled it enough to know it,” Nicoletti said) when it was first reported the day after the apocalyptic one hour cloudburst that drenched White Plains July 18.


 


Nicoletti said White Plains received 2.9 inches of rain in an hour. He is convinced, as the County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conversation have told WPCNR,  that the human sewage leakage came from a stormwater runoff from the Harrison sanitary sewer line on the northeast shore. He said that was where the algae blooms first appeared with a week of July 18.


 


Repairs Since Undertaken by Harrison.


 


Nicoletti revealed that Bob Wasp, Commissioner of Public Works, had told Nicoletti that Harrison has since conducted repairs to the manholes and portions of  the Harrison sewer line. Neither the Mayor of Harrison, Steve Malfitano, nor the Harrision Department of Public Works would comment on this situation last week.


 


The Probable Source.


 


Nicoletti attributed the human waste runoff to the Harrison sewer line being filled to capacity very quickly by the July 18 deluge, and under such pressure that raw sanitary sewer water overflowed the manholes and forced its way through bricks lining the sewer. Nicoletti said since the algae bloom first appeared on the Northeast shore and White Plains sanitary sewer lines are south of the lake, the Harrison sewer line was the only logical source. Nicoletti said White Plains sewer lines were tested and found secure.


 


The County Health Department conducted dye tests on the county sewer line, the Harrison sewer line, and the White Plains sewer lines, and they all turned up negative, showing no leakage from the sewer lines (under normal circumstances).  It could not be determined if the County Health Department dye tests were tested under pressure comparable to the pressures exerted on the sewer lines July 18.


 


1600 Levels July 28.


 


. Nevertheless, the samples Mr. Nicoletti’s department took July 28, analyzed by the County Department of Labs, showed e.coli, coliform and fecal coliform levels five times in excess of the level (1,600 Most Probable Number) where a swimming beach is closed. Nicoletti closed the White Plains side of the lake  July 19 after he detected what for him was the unmistakable smell of raw sewage in the lake, that had been reported by residents. The level did not go down until last week (August 30), so the sewage has been contaminating the lake and the Mamaroneck River for approximately six weeks.


 


Remedies. 


 


Nicoletti said he considered putting copper sulphate in the lake to purify the waters, but decided against it, because of the possibility of a fish kill or worse.


 


He said the six week heat wave of consistent high temperatures and very little rain encouraged the algae bloom, which by WPCNR estimate covers about 40% of the lake surface. Nicoletti said the lake contamination levels had existed on a consistent high level, over 1600 Mean Probable Number for about 5 weeks, before their test of August 30, showed acceptable bacteria levels. Only one area of the lake still tests high and that is at the outfall.


 


Asked how much sewage went into the lake, July 18, Nicoletti said, “I don’t know if I can quantify it, but it was a large volume of (contaminated) water, there was a significant amount getting in there.”


 


Nicoletti said the algae was a direct result of the raw sewage contamination. He also said there was “rooted algae” growing up from the lake bottom. He said he had never seen algae contamination to this extent in the lake in the past. No baseline bacteria counts were taken when the city leased the Liberty Park area and the lake from the county in fall 2002.


 


Communication Lines.


 


Nicoletti explained the city would not notify the New York Department of Environmental Protection, that it was the County Health Department’s job to keep DEC in the loop.


 


Asked if the city felt the pond was a West Nile mosquito breeding ground, Nicoletti said he did not think so, because the lake was flowing water. He said the county could test for mosquitos as a precaution, but he was not going to request it.


 


He said he did not see the algae would be a recurring problem next year.


 


The Legal Issue Will Not Go Away. Ryan to Press.


 


 


City Executive Officer Paul Wood denied Thursday that County Legislator Bill Ryan had ever contacted the city on the Silver Lake contamination, and repeated the city contention that the city is not responsible for the water quality of the lake.


 


Westchester County Executive Bill Ryan clarified the County’s legal position Friday to WPCNR, saying White Plains was still responsible for the quality of the lake. Asked if Ryan had reviewed the lease with the Westchester County Attorney, Ryan said, “pretty much – I spoke personally with the county attorney (on the terms of the lease).”


 


Ryan said White Plains peformance on the lake water contamination was still “totally unsatisfactory and I will be following up on this next week with the city.”


 


 


This week the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Westchester County Department of Health said they had no idea whether the contamination consisted of human sewage, but attributed the algae bloom to runoff from the sewers. Neither agency expressed knowledge of the nature of the contamination, the E. Coli bacteria, the fecal coliform. The DEC attributed it to geese droppings. However, the geese arrived at the Liberty Park after the contamination of algae had developed, according to the White Plains Department of Public Works.


 


 

Posted in Uncategorized