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WPCNR PICTURES IN TIME. December 29, 2003: The White Plains CitizeNetReporter continues its review of the big stories of the year in White Plains during the year 2003 for the months of March and April.

THE COMMON COUNCIL WAS HELD SPELL BOUND at the first March Work Session when Duncan Webb, the city theatre consultant present the Request for Proposal and operating plan for the White Plains Performing Arts Center.

MACK CARTER, (second from right), Executive Director of the White Plains Housing Authority, using shuttle diplomacy, worked out a plan with Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, and the tenants association of Winbrook to solve the dispute over where to put build a new headquarters for the White Plains Housing Authority.

FORT HILL PLAYERS staged “The Real Thing” at Rochambeau School.

THE SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

NITA LOWEY HELD HEARING ON COUNTY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, exposing government footdragging on funds and supplies to county police and fire departments.

 

WHITE PLAINS HIGH SOFTBALL TEAM continued its winning tradition.

“MR. NUMBERS,” Richard Lasselle, Assistant Superintendent for Business, of the White Plains City School District sold White Plains on his last school budget, convincing the electorate to approve a $134.6 Million School Budget for 2003-04, up from $126.9 Million in 2002-03. Lasselle retired at the end of July after eight years with the school district. Lasselle was succeeded by Terrance Schruers in August.

TARA POLLARD THREW A PERFECT GAME for the White Plains Tigers, shutting out Yorktown, 2-0 at White Plains, retiring 21 hitters in a row. Carrie Abbott saved the perfect-0 with a backhand stab in the 7th. Ted O’Donnell’s fastpitch team had a very good year with a new cast of characters.

A CONDOMINIUM was proposed and approved for Windsor Terrace, to be built by Frank Cantatore’s construction company, continuing the gentrification of the Eastview neighborhood. Cantatore agreed to contribute a sum for an affordable housing downpayment fund in lieu of setting aside units for affordable housing.

AN ATTEMPT BY THE TOWN OF GREENBURGH TO CO-OPT THE 10603 ZIP CODE WAS BLOCKED BY AN ANGRY Mayor Delfino.

EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS POSED FOR PHOTO OP WITH MAYOR DELFINO AS THEY WERE ALL HONORED AS EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH FOR THEIR SNOW REMOVAL PERFORMANCE IN THE CITY DURING THE 02-03 WINTER.

COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DR. FRANK STRAUB announced a Safe Streets Campaign to enforce speeding, seatbelt, cellphone laws, and curb reckless driving within the city limits. Within 2 months the city police had issued 2,400 Speeding tickets and approximately 6,000 citations. The police issued 600 speeding tickets in the first 14 days, at some stretches, violations were running at 25 violations an hour.

WORK BEGAN ON DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER FOUNTAIN PLAZA to create Renaissance Plaza at Mamaroneck and Main.

WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER space began to take shape at City Center Construction.

EBERSOLE RINK held its annual Ice Show. Ally Solinger is in the spotlight.

GROUNDBREAKING FOR RENAISSANCE PLAZA. The genial Louis Cappelli announced the beginning of Renaissance Plaza construction in late April.

 

 

WPCNR PICTURES IN TIME. By John F. Bailey. December 26, 2003: Over the next week, WPCNR will be reviewing the big stories of 2003, as told in pictures on WPCNR week-by-week. In today’s first installment, WPCNR presents January and February of 2003:

AT MIDNIGHT, THE MAYOR’S NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY FEATURED A BALL DROP AT MAIN & Mamaroneck Avenues, complete with GALA at the Westcester Arts Council at Martine & Main.

ADAM BRADLEY began his political career, being sworn in by Judge Jo Ann Friia  as Assemblyman for the New York 89th Assembly District, after primarying and beating Naomi Matusow in a primary in September, 2002 by 23 votes. He easily won the General Election. Now, Mr. Bradley is touted by many as a candidate for Mayor of White Plains in 2005, or as a future State Senator.

IN JANUARY, 03, CITY BUDGET DIRECTOR EILEEN EARL noted the declining state of White Plains Budget finances, and raised a question of whether the state is returning to White Plains all the sales tax revenue it is entitled to receive. WPCNR found that according to finance directors in New Rochelle and Yonkers,  the state does not audit its collection and distribution of sales tax revenues. Earl also warned White Plains it was cutting too deeply into its fund balance that was project at $4.2 Million at the conclusion of 02/03. A scant one month later, Ms. Earl abruptly resigned.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANDY SPANO blamed Westchester County’s budget deficit on state mandated medicaid increases, called for a capping of medicaid payments. The situation was not addressed by the state legislature and one year later, Mr. Spano is asking for another 1% sales tax increase to balance his budget. 

HEAVY SNOWS AND COLD on January 16-17 froze over Silver Lake.

IN FEBRUARY, Louis Cappelli after puchasing the Halpern-owned 221 Main Street parcel in late 2002, proposed his Cappelli Hotel-Office complex to the Common Coucil, preserving the Bar Building. It was received with open arms by the Common Council, with only one Councilman, Benjamin Boykin, worried about height. The two new proposed buildings are shown in white. Bar Building is in gray just to the left of the hotel in the foreground. City Center is at right of center with its two apartment spires.

ORIGINAL LOUIS CAPPELLI HOTEL DESIGN seen looking North across Main Street. Bar Building is at lower left.

IN FEBRUARY, LARRY GOTTLIEB OF ENTERGY defended James Lee Witt’s criticisms of Indian Point and pointed out serious factual errors in Witt’s report. Subsequent revelations by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, published by WPCNR, cited over 136 errors in the Witt Report.

TWO FEET OF SNOW LANDLOCKED WHITE PLAINS Over February 16-17, but the Department of Public Works had White Plains up and running within 24 hours in a job of snow removal that was incredibly efficient.

ON FEBRUARY 20, Department of Public Works Commissioner unvieled design for his double-deck parking garage on Bryant and Mamaroneck behind Rader’s and the U.S. Post Office, fronting Mamaroneck Avenue. The plan was in response to solving the overnight parking needs of the Highlands, Old Mamaroneck Road area. The $2.7 Million project was approved in December, 2003.

THE COMMON COUNCIL’S ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER MICHAEL GERARD SUGGESTED BRINGING IN JEFF ZUPAN AND EUGENIE BIRCH as consultants on the Cappelli Hotel Project to assist the Council in determining appropriate development design. Birch and Zupan delivered their report personally on December 19. (See last week’s story.)

ON THE FIRST OF MARCH, ANN REASONER, DEPUTY BUDGET DIRECTOR, was appointed to succeed Eileen Earl as Budget Director.