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)

Mayor on Main Street Sewer Lining Timing: No Schedule, No Answer

Posted on January 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CORRESPONDENT. January 23, 2004: Mayor Joseph Delfino at city hall told WPCNR late Friday afternoon, when asked about his written statement, issued earlier Friday, said he did not have a schedule on when the Main Street sewer was to be “lined” by Louis Cappelli Enterprises (“I don’t have a schedule on that,” he said.) Asked if the controversial 16-incher pipe that carries the effluent from City Center was going to be lined even if 221 Main, (the Cappelli Hotel project), was not approved, the Mayor told WPCNR earnestly, “I don’t have an answer on that,” and proceeded into his office suite without pausing to answer any further questions.

Moments prior to this chance encounter with His Honor, WPCNR had asked Rick Ammirato, spokesperson for the Mayor’s office, the same question, Ammirato, said the Mayor stands on his statement, which you can read on WPCNR below.

MAYOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE NICOLETTI MEMO- MAIN STREET SEWER CONDITION

Posted on January 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CORRESPONDENT. By Mayor Joseph M. Delfino. January 22, 2004: Mayor Joseph Delfino has given WPCNR the following statement discussing the origins of the Joseph Nicolletti Memorandium disclosed in recent news reports (see previous stories), and it says the Main Street sewer line is functioning efficiently and is adequate to handle the Cappelli Hotel development provided the new 16 inch “Nicoletti Bypass” Sewer line is installed on William Street to supplement the 16 inch Main Street sewer pipe and provided that the Main Street sewer pipe is lined with teflon on its interior from City Center to the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Main Street, (where it connects to the 27″ trunk line). Here is the text of that statement:

Mayor Joseph Delfino, seated, Joseph Nicoletti, standing, as they appeared during Mr. Nicoletti’s disclosure of the Nicoletti Bypass Agreement 8 Days Ago at the Common Council Work Session on the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement that night of January 15. At right is Paul Wood, looking on. Photo by WPCNR News.

January 22, 2004

It has come to my attention, through recent articles in the Journal News and other news organizations that there is a great deal of confusion and inaccuracies in the reporting of the current and future capacity of the City’s downtown sewer system. It is time to set the record straight and dispel all the rumor and suspicion that continues to follow this issue.

The memo in question was drawn up more than 3 ½ years ago in response to a request made by my administration for the Commissioner of Public Works to sum up all the concerns his department may have had concerning the sanitary sewer capacity regarding the City Center project.

Though Commissioner Nicoletti expressed concerns regarding the sewage capacity based on the results of manual tests conducted by members of his department using a stick ruler, those results were disputed by the developer. The memo was requested as an attempt to clarify the situation in preparation of the approval resolution and to prepare a remedy for that resolution protecting the City’s interests.

Subsequently, the developer, using an electronic flow meter, a technological device that basically “swims” through the length of pipe recording flow levels throughout extended time periods, reported results dramatically different from those done manually by the Public Works Department. In fact, the results of the flow meter tests indicated that the current sewer infrastructure could easily accommodate the City Center project. The Public Works Department obtained its own flow meter machine at my request so that we could obtain a third, independent source of data and conducted tests with similar results.

Despite the belief that the initial stick/ruler testing done by the Public Works Department was inaccurate, and Commissioner Nicoletti’s concerns unfounded, I included in the Resolution approving the City Center project explicit language which recognized the Commissioner of Public Works as the final authority on the sewage capacity matter and which obligated the developer to pay for any upgrades or improvements to the system necessitated by the project in the future. Quoting directly from the resolution which was disseminated to and voted on by the entire Common Council on September 20, 2001:

It is likely that the City’s sanitary system will not have sufficient excess capacity to cope with loads from the entire project site. Flow tests and architectural building load projections will need to be conducted by the Applicant and such data subsequently analyzed by the Commissioner of Public Works. Per the City’s standard practice, the cost of the system upgrades are to be paid by the Applicant, and for any subsequent Developments benefiting directly from these system upgrades, it is the intent of the City to seek a contribution from the subsequent Developer for a share of the costs.

Even though the City currently has more than eight months of testing data showing the system to be operating well below capacity, the City nevertheless has a double layer of protection which gives the City the legal right to require the developer to pay for any upgrades should they be required.

Clearly, it should be obvious from this provision in the approval legislation that the City has taken all the necessary steps to insure that sewage system capacity will continue to be monitored and upgraded if necessary in the future. Any inference to the contrary is unconscionable and irresponsible.

Time has proven that the sewer system continues to function efficiently. In addition, the system has been deemed sufficient to handle an additional project proposal for a hotel and office complex at 221 Main Street with only minor upgrades (paid for by the developer) to be necessary.

Sincerely,

Joseph M. Delfino

Mayor, City of White Plains

Watch Committee Meets Mulls Door-to-door Subscription Drive

Posted on January 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR Chatterton Chatter. By John F. Bailey & CitizeNetReporters January 23, 2004. Updated January 24, 2004, 12:30 A.M.: An ad hoc committee of approximately 25 persons gathered at the Jacob Purdy House Thursday evening at 8 with Susan Chang, the former editor and publisher of the White Plains Watch. According toWPCNR correspondents in attendance, the meeting was co-lead by Dr. Saul Yanofsky, former Superintendent of Schools, and Jack Harrington, President of the White Plains Historical Society. Also in attendance were Barbara Benjamin, Michael Seymour, Marc Pollitzer, and a number of persons described as staff of The Watch, or persons who wrote for them.

Ms. Chang disclosed to her audience that she now has enrolled 1,400 subscribers, including all her former “volunteer subscribers,” and that she said she needed 3,000 subscribers to continue the paper. Saul Yanofsky, according to our correspondent said that there were 50,000 people in White Plains and that it was a shame that more had not subscribed. Chang informed the meeting, observers said, that she did not intend to change the paper format, and our correspondent was lead to believe she would not publish again until she reached the 3,000 subscriber level. No prospective advertisers or former advertisers attended, our observer said. A door-to-door subscription campaign was one of the ideas contemplated.

In a further report, our correspondents said there was no statement from Ms. Chang if there would be a February issue.

WHITE PLAINS ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER

Posted on January 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. January 23, 2004: Presenting the White Plains Photograph of the Day. Presenting the cornerstones of old White Plains, Grace Church, and the former Reporter Dispatch Building.

“Grace & Dignity at Dawn” Photo By The White Plains Roving Photographer