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)

A Parent on the Scarano Scenario.

Posted on September 30, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. From a WPHS Sports Parent. September 30, 2004: In response to a post placed by a coach at White Plains High School in support of dismissed Athletic Director, Mario Scarano, a parent posts a comment alleging that Mr. Scarano did not go far enough in addressing parent issues with coaches:

I need to reply to the coach who supports Scarano. The guy was a jerk. Last year he hired some 19 year old boy to coach the JV lacrosse team . . . not a bright idea. As my wife and I noticed the inappropriate behaviour of this boy and the younger girls, we brought this to his attention.

He poo pood us, and insisted that there could be no indiscretion (without even looking into it). It wasn’t until the end of the season that the boy mysteriously disappeared.

Did Scarano tell anyone? No, he just whitewashed it, and avoided all inquiries. Typical for a school burocrat. Did you hear about it? Of course not, because all of the dirt in White Plains Schools is effectively swept under a rug . . . as usual. I say, good riddence to bad rubbish.

Parent (Name Withheld on Request)

New York Presbyterian Hospital Responds on the Accelerator/Biotech Site Delay

Posted on September 30, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR East Ender. By John F. Bailey. September 30, 2004: Last week WPCNR posed a list of questions to Thompson & Bender, public affairs consultants to New York Presbyterian Hospital, regarding the two year delay in beginning the proton accelerator project in the center of their property in White Plains. Tuesday a meeting was held among New York Presbyterian Hospital executives and Mr. Thompson to discuss the answers to WPCNR’s queries.

Wednesday afternoon, WPCNR received the answers to those questions.

The written statements indicate the hospital blames the delay on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation when they changed standards in 2003, one year after the approval of the project (August, 2002).

The hospital maintains their proton accelerator is still state of the art, and will “upgrade as needed.”

The hospital states that funding will be finalized after the site renewal is granted, but do not say specifically when the money will come in, whether it will be all state money, partners’ money, or NYPH money, or private money. The hospital, in addition did not indicate who their partners were at the present time, saying they would be announced after the approval.

SITE OF PROTON ACCELRATOR/BIOTECH LAB: Street on right is Bryant Avenue. Street to bottom of map is Mamaroneck Avenue. The “X” on lower left is Bloomingdale’s. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Here is the text of Mr. Thompson’s answers, with WPCNR’s questions:

THE FORMER DRIVING RANGE on New York Presbyterian Hospital property. June, 2002. Site the two-building complex up for Site Plan Permit Renewal. Photo, WPCNR News Archive

TO: John Bailey, WP Citizen Net Reporter

FR: Geoff Thompson, spokesperson for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

John: Here are the answers to the questions that you had posed:

Q. (WPCNR): What comes next after all permits are in place?

A: The next step is site work. (outlined in Sequence 1)

Q (WPCNR): Going into the project, didn’t the Hospital and the City know the permits that would be needed and the time needed to process them all?

A: NYSDEC changed its regulations in 2003. The environmental review process DEC mandated meant meeting new higher standards. Once the DEC put its new regulations in place, the hospital then did the work and prepared the documents to meet them. This was a time intensive process.

Further, as has been explained by the Commissioner of Planning, (Susan Habel) the hospital was required to meet extensive, multi-step environmental conditions as outlined in the Special Permit issued by the city. Only after these conditions are met can the hospital proceed on foundation and other work.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has been asked to meet the most comprehensive environmental requirements ever imposed on a project undertaken in White Plains. Many of the requirements are unique to its specific project. The time needed to meet all of these requirements was an unknown at the time of the original approval and has only become known as the hospital did the required work.

Q. (WPCNR): Are there additional participants beyond IBM and GE?

A: The final list of participants is subject to obtaining the permit renewal.

Q (WPCNR): Is the project funding finalized?

A: Finalization of funding is subject to obtaining the permit renewal.

Q (WPCNR): What is the future of proton technology? Is it still relevant? Have the plans for the proton installation at NYPH changed?

A: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital continuously assesses all medical technology and any upgrades that become available. This is an on-going process for all medical equipment. The plans for the proton installation at White Plains have not changed technologically. Upgrades, when available, will be included.

Q (WPCNR): Have new development projects in White Plains, i.e., Fortunoff, City Center, been included in NYPH traffic studies for “no build” scenario?

A: Yes. This is the same question that came up two years ago and the answer is the same. Incidentally, the Renaissance Square project Cappelli plans to build at 221 Main St., included the NYPH development in its traffic studies.

Fort Lauderdale’s Gretsas Hires David Hebert, former Pirro Operative for P.R.

Posted on September 29, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR Gold Coast Tide. By John F. Bailey. September 29, 2004: Former White Plains Executive Officer George Gretsas continues to put together what is characterized by political observers as a very, strong, smart aggressive management team in Fort Lauderdale. Yesterday he announced the hiring of one of Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s most trusted loyal and efficient operatives, when he worked with her, David Hebert.

Hebert, an attorney, is described as being in his early 40s, was described as very close and fiercely loyal to the District Attorney, and handled media relations for Ms. Pirro. Gretsas has tapped Hebert to be the new Public Information Director for the City of Fort Lauderdale. When Mr. Hebert was employed by Ms. Pirro, he was her Executive Assistant and handled multiple media inquiries for the high profile District Attorney, a national figure. A cursory search on the worldwide web reveals dozens of articles with Hebert handling the media wrangling.

Hebert is described as being a team with Jeanine Pirro, very similar to the way Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains and Mr. Gretsas were a team. Hebert is characterized as young, very smart, hard-working, dedicated. With Hebert joining Kathleen Gunn as part of the Gretsas team, the observer said, he said Gretsas continues to build “a very aggressive, smart team” in his rebuilding of the Fort Lauderdale city government.

Hebert, a fixture in the District Attorney’s office, resigned abruptly in April of this year “for personal reasonsm” much to the shock of the District Attorney and had said he was moving to Florida. Hebert at the time of his leaving was paid more than the District Attorney herself, and also is described as acting as her “advisor.”

21 White Plains High Students Named Semi-Finalists for National Merit Scholarshi

Posted on September 29, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education. September 29, 2004: Twenty-one White Plains High School seniors have been recognized in the 2005 National Merit Scholarship Program. Semi-Finalists are: Danielle M. Cohn, Elizabeth A. Newman, Matt Oliveri, Michael D. Schwartz, Rachel L. Silverman and Naana C. Wrightman. They now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for Finalist status, on the basis of their SAT scores, academic records and principal recommendations.

Fifteen students were named National Merit Scholarship Commended Students on the basis of their outstanding performance on the qualifying test. They are: Andrea Busch, Amanda L. Culp, Zachary A. Glass, Robert C. Hollahan, Constance Hsiung, Aaron S. Jurist, Sarah A. Kellogg, Janice Kim, Brian B. Kirkpatrick, Daniel T. Pasternack, Timothy T. Pennucci, Michael K. Rahimi, Elizabeth J. Rie, Harry A. Waksberg and Shira Wrightman. They rank among the top five percent of more than one million students in the competition.