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

WPNCR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2004, Updated 4:45 P.M. E.D.T.: The days of 50 cents an hour parking ended midnight, today, when the White Plains DOP (Department of Parking) was born, and the White Plains Parking Authority ceased to exist after 57 years. The DOP has advised the White Plains CitizeNetReporter that all streets in the city with parking meters will be converted to the new rate structure by the first of September, not two weeks as previously reported by the DOP.

The first three blocks of the downtown on-street meters and garages will be converted by Tuesday of next week, according to Al Moroni, Director of Parking, at which time the new rates will be enforced. Moroni noted that downtown on-street meters currently do charge 75 cents an hour but only until 6 P.M.. He said that by Tuesday these will be converted to accept 6 hours worth of quarters after 6 P.M, complete with “new signage,” at which time these meters will be enforced 6 to midnight.  The sequence in which the rest of the city’s streets ( where 25 cent an hour meters will be converted to 75 cents an hour meters)  will be converted appears at the end of this report. “You have to get a Cash Key,” Moroni said, “Because that is a lot of quarters.”

GOT CHANGE? The White Plains Department of Parking on-street meters will demand 3 quarters to park an hour instead of the usual two beginning today. Garage and Lot meters will be raised to 50 Cents an Hour. The rates and hours will be in effect 7 days a week, as well as the time you can spend at one meter, according to the DOP today. “We’ve already received calls about the time limitations on Sundays,” a DOP spokesperson said. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

Today,  the City of White Plains on-street parking meter rates go to 75 cents an hour throughout the city, and lots and off-street meter rates go up to 50 cents an hour.

 

18 Quarters Required to Park six hours After 6 P.M.

 

Parkers throughout the city should note meters will be enforced from 9 A.M.  until 12:00 midnight, whereas previously in White Plains, meters were only enforced from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Three new Public Safety Aids are being hired to enforce the new hours. The DOP also informs WPCNR that after 6 P.M. citizens will be able to buy 6 hours of parking at a time in the new meters to avoid having to “feed the meter.” However, to park for six hours will require 18 quarters.

 

 

Citizens in the downtown at restaurants, bistros, stores in the evenings will have to feed the meters and keep leaving their dinners to do so to an enjoy an evening out or face a $15 dollar summons when their meter runs out.

Parking Finance Planning Urged.

Shoppers and diners between 9 A.M. and 6 are urged by WPCNR  to calculate walking time and have quarters, dimes, nickels or Cash Key  with them to feed in the extra quarters and consider carefully how long it will take to walk to their retail destination pick up their item and return. Cash keys may be purchased for any amount at White Plains Department of Parking offices (located at 7-11 South Broadway and at WPDOT garages (The Galleria, City Hall).

 

The city will be phasing in the meters gradually street-by-street. Today July 1, the meters on Main Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Broadway and EJ Conroy Drive to South Broadway will have the new rates (75 cents an hour) in effect. Meters within city lots and garages move to 50 cents an hour (the present rate at the City Center Garage). 

 

A few days of warnings…and then the $15 summons.

 

The city will issue  “OOPS” warnings after 6 P.M. in the first few days of the new rates and will switch to real summonses (costing you $15, up from $10) at an undisclosed date in the very near future.

 

Overtime notices in city garages like The Galleria and the City Hall Garage,  go up to $2 for the first overtime hour (or part) (up from $1).

 

The city will be phasing-in the new rate increase and extended hours electronically on the city’s on-street meters in the following order:  Main Street West to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and East to Broadway, and EJ. Conroy Drive to South Broadway has been completed. Meters will then be converted to the 75 cent rate in the following order:

 

1. Mamaroneck Avenue North and South to Maple Avenue both sides.

2. Martine Avenue

3. Mitchell Place.

4. Quarropas.

5. Court Street.

6. Grand Street

7. Post Road (South Broadway to MLK)

8. Church Street.

9. Barker Avenue.

10.Cottage Place

11. Water Street

12. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (Main to Water Street)

13. Hamilton Avenue

14. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (Martine to Post) Fischer Court

15. Longview

16. S. Lexington Avenue

17. Cromwell

18 Chester Place

22. Waller Avenue (Post to Carhart).

 

The Outer Town Street meters and lots will be converted next in this order:

 

1. Mamaroneck Avenue (Maple to Bryant)

2. Carhart

3. Rutherford

4. Greenridge

5. Livingston

6. Edgewood

7.Bloomingdale

8. Doyer

9. Shapham Place

10. Hall Avenue

11. Bond Avenue

 

 

WPCNR PRESS BOX. Special to WPCNR from Leigh Greenfelder, Akron Racers, (EDITED). June 30, 2004: The New York/New Jersey Juggernaut won the the opener of Tuesday’s Twilight-Night Doubleheader in Akron, beating the Racers, 3-2 in the opener behind Kaci Clark who picked up her third win of the season, with Amanda Scott picking up the save.

The Nauts lost the nightcap when pitcher Gina Oaks misplayed a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning that allowed Trena Peel to score the winning run from second, pinch-running for Dana Derek who had doubled to lead off the ninth. The Nauts take their 15-9 record to Sacremento to play the California Sunbirds Thursday night in the opener of a three-game set.

In the opener, The Nauts got things started in the opening frame when “Lightning Leto,” (Carri) walked, moved to second on Gina Oaks’ bunt and scored on Kellie Wilkerson’s single off Brandee McArthur. The Nauts notched two unearned tallies in the third when Jacki Pasquerella was safe on McArthur’s error. After Carri Leto popped up and Gina Oaks flied to right, Pasquerella stole second and McArthur lost her control walking Lauren Bauer and Kellie Wilkerson to fill the bases. Then Ms. Clutch, Lisa Iancin singled to left for 2 runs, 3-0, Nauts.

 The Racers applied some gas in the third getting 2 back, as Kaci Clark succombed to control difficulties, too. Heather Wright singled and Kaci walked Brandi Stuart and Anoinette Armstrong to load ’em up. Iyhia McMichael, who beat the Nauts Sunday afternoon, delivered a hard single to left field, plating Wright and Stuart, 3-2, Nauts after three. And that was the way she stayed as Clark pitched through the fifth, and Amanda Scott finished the Racers off with two innings of uneventful relief.

The nightcap was another classic Naut extra inning battle featuring former Stratford Brakette standout, Nikki Meyers in the circle who handcuffed the Nauts going all the way for a 2 to 1 win, outduelling Gina Oaks. Gina and Nikki matched each other for four innings before both teams scored in the 5th.

Lindsey Collins-Miller, Naut backstop, doubled home Lisa Iancin who had walked for a short-lived 1-0 Naut lead, and Lindsey was stranded. In the last of the fifth, the Racers’ Kristin Johnson tripled and scored on an errant relay to the plate. Johnson was awarded home anyway when third bassette, Jackie Pasquerella was called for interfering with Johnson. And that’s the way she stayed until Oaks’ fateful error in the ninth.

Grass Roots Support in Akron.

WPCNR checked with Paul Panegas, Sports Editor of the Akron Beacon-Journal told WPNCR by telephone, on how the Akron club has been drawing. Panegas said the Racers have been attracting a hard core of fans, averaging about 250 fans a game at Firestone Stadium, despite being plagued by bad weather. He said the team has drawn a couple of crowds in access of 1,000 fans. He said his paper has featured the minority members of the team, and done a number of stories on the team. Panegas said he relies on reports from the team for road results because the Associated Press wire does not carry the scores of the National Pro Fastpitch league.

Leigh Greenfelder, Akron Racers spokesperson, told WPCNR the Akron television station covered the doubleheader last night and did several interviews with the players. She said the local television station has done features on the players and gives the scores of Racer games. She added that the Cleveland stations have not caught on to the Racers yet, “but we’re working on them.”

Last night’s crowd in Akron was 315 fans and Greenfelder said she hoped to get the attendance up to 800 fans a game.

National Pro Fastpitch Standings  June 30, 2004

                                      W      L      PCT.    GB

Texas Thunder             14     7     .667       ____

Akron Racers               12    7    ,632           1

Juggernaut                    15    9    ,625          1

Arizona Heat                   9   14    .391          6

New England Riptide     9    15    .375         6-1/2

California Sunbirds        8     15    .348         7

Tuesday’s Results

New England 1, California 0, 15 innings.

Texas 5, Arizona 0.

New York-New Jersey 3, Akron 2, (1st)

Akron 2, New York-NJ 1, (2nd), 9 Innings.