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)

Executive Spano Calls for Proposals for 9-11 Memorial

Posted on September 11, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. Coverage From Westchester County Department of Communications. September 11, 2003: County Executive Andy Spano today announced that Westchester County is seeking proposals from artists to design a memorial to the 111 Westchester County residents who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

Spano made the announcement at a memorial event at Webb Field in Greenburgh to commemorate the second anniversary of 9/11 and break ground on another memorial – a wall of more than 2,000 tiles designed by Westchester residents.

During his speech to those gathered at Webb Field, the County Executive said that a committee made up of emergency personnel, family members of 9-11 victims, planners and parks officials have been working to find a location for the memorial and to come up with criteria for a design. The memorial will be located at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.

“On Sept. 15 we will release a Request for Proposals asking artists nationwide to design a memorial to the 111 Westchester residents who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001,’’ said Spano. “It is important that the memorial reflect the sorrow at the loss of so many people from different walks of life, but at the same time the design must convey a sense of hope and renewal. It is a difficult task, but I am sure that we will find an artist or design team that is up to the challenge.’’

More than 1,000 post cards announcing the county’s search for a design are being sent to artists and local arts councils nationwide. Information about the project as well as copies of the RFP can be downloaded from the county’s website at www.Westchestergov.com

Artists must submit proposals to the committee by Jan. 15, 2004. The 27-member memorial committee will then select finalists who will be asked to make a formal presentation before the committee. The county hopes to announce a winner by April with construction to begin by July.

The memorial would be dedicated on Sept. 11, 2005. The total cost of the monument would be $200,000 with $150,000 coming from county funds and $50,000 from state funds.

While the RFP states that the committee expects that the memorial will be some type of sculpture, it is open to other ideas, as long as the proposal meets other criteria. The memorial should fit in with the landscape at Kensico and take into account that residents will be using the area for recreation as well.

Juliette Brisman, whose husband Mark died while working at the World Trade Center, said the committee had agreed that the Kensico Dam Plaza was the most fitting location for the memorial because of its central location in Westchester and the fact that it was visited by thousands of people each year. In 2002, more than 40,000 people visited the park.

Brisman said that the committee’s key concern was that the memorial reflect the individuals who died. One idea discussed was to have a friend or family member write a short line about each victim that could be inscribed on the monument.

“A name on the monument was not enough,’’ she said. “We wanted people to know who our loved ones really were,’’ she said.

She added, “We also wanted the memorial to be low enough to the ground for children and so people could touch or walk through it.”

Spano said it would be up to the artist to propose a monument that both reflected the loss to the nation as well as the individual.

“This was a large loss for us all,’’ said Spano. “But I think the family members would like the memorial to serve as a reminder of the individual and what their deaths meant to their families and communities as well as to the nation.’’

Board of Elections Reports Hickey Lead 12 Over Munoz. 90

Posted on September 11, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR PRIMARY REPORT. By John F. Bailey. UPDATED Friday, September 12, 2003, 10:30 P.M.: Official Board of Elections results for the White Plains Republican Primary Results have been posted showing all 30 Election Districts involved Tuesday night. The vote totals are lower than phoned in to Republican Headquarters. The spread between Rosa Munoz and Daniel Hickey has been almost cut in half, showing Timothy Sheehan the leader at 884, Jeffrey Binder second, 829, Daniel Hickey holding his lead for the third slot on the Republican Council slate with 790, by 12 votes over the Rosa Munoz’ 778.

The Absentee Ballot Desk reported to WPCNR that Absentee Ballots were opened and counted election night, and as of Thursday afternoon, 23 Absentee Ballots were left to be counted, and they can come in through next Tuesday. The Recanvass will take place Monday at 2 PM at the Board of Elections.

Jeffrey Binder relayed to WPCNR Friday afternoon, that the 23 votes are not the only votes to be counted. He notes that there are 61 Affidavit Ballots, and 6 Emergencies, in addition to the 23 Absentees to be evaluated and tallied. Affidavit Ballots are ballots filled out by persons arriving at the polling place, claiming they are Registered Republicans, but who are not listed as being Republicans on the official registration lists. “Emergencies” are filled in ballots that are completed when a voting machine is down.

Daniel Hickey according to the BOE results reported Thursday at midday, holds a 12-vote lead over Rosa Munoz with those 23 Absentee Ballots, the Affidavit Ballots, and Emergencies left to be opened and tallied. That reckoning will take place Wednesday, according to Co Chairman of the Board Elections, Carolee Sunderland’s office. The Official Recanvass will not be held Friday, but Monday afternoon at 2 PM, according to Ms. Sunderland’s Office. Asked why there was a delay in reporting officially the missing districts Tuesday, the spokesperson said they had to open the bags to get out the reporting sheets of the missing districts and enter them.

The discrepancy between what was phoned in to Republican Headquarters by their poll-watchers and the official results was unexplained, most likely a result of misreads by overeager Republican poll watchers due to election night excitement.

The Official Recanvass Monday will set the stage for the final certified result that will be declared after the 7 day wait for Absentee Ballots to roll in. As of 1 PM Thursday afternoon, there are 23 to be counted.

The Board of Elections counted some absentee ballots Tuesday night, at that time, 44 Republican Absentees were reported left to be counted, which apparently accounts for Hickey’s lead narrowing. FONT>

According to the Board of Elections Absentee Ballot Desk at 4 PM, 89 Absentee Ballots were counted by the BOE Election Night with Mr. Sheehan receiving 18, Mr. Binder, 22, Mr. Hickey 29 and Ms. Munoz 20.

The Board of Elections website reports, with all 30 districts counted, and 74% of Absentee Ballots counted the following tally:

Timothy Sheehan 884

Jeffrey Binder 829

Daniel Hickey 790

Rosa Munoz 778

Executive Spano Observes 9/11 Remembrance at Noon

Posted on September 11, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. September 11, 2003: Westchester County Executive Andy Spano will join representatives from the Rotary Club, Westchester Arts Council, the Town of Greenburgh and Project Liberty-Westchester at 12 noon to break ground on a memorial mural to victims of 9/11 at Webb Field in Greenburgh.

The memorial, composed of more than 2,000 hand-painted tiles created by county residents, was designed though the Westchester Arts Council and commissioned by Project Liberty-Westchester with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Town of Greenburgh donated the site and the Rotary Club’s International District 7230 is funding construction of the wall.

At the event, Spano will make an announcement about Westchester’s own 9/11 monument, which will be built by Westchester County at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. Westchester has been working for more than a year with a committee of families members of 9/11 victims to design and build a memorial to the 111 Westchester residents who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Spano will update residents on the latest developments in the construction of Westchester County’s memorial.

Webb Field is located on Central Avenue in Hartsdale.

In White Plains, Grace Church will present a Memorial Service also at noon. This evening Mayor Joseph Delfino will participate in a Memorial Service at the Church in the Highlands at 7:30 PM.

Westchester County Establishes Relations with Italy

Posted on September 11, 2003 by John Bailey

WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Lynn Bedell, Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) September 10, 2003: Tuesday in Milan, Italy, County Executive Andrew J. Spano opened up a “Westchester Desk” as part of an agreement with the Italian Center for Commercial Affairs-USA (ICCA) – a move which should pave the way for Westchester companies interested in doing business in Italy.

The Westchester Desk, which will operate out of ICCA’s offices at no charge to the county, will work with the county’s Office for Economic Development to promote trade, business opportunities, industrial cooperation, and cultural and technological exchange between key cities in Italy and Westchester County. Even small companies – which might otherwise never pursue overseas sales – will be able to get assistance entering a global market.

“This partnership will ensure that Westchester companies obtain a leading share of the ever-increasing growth in international trade,” Spano said. “Having a physical presence in a key region of

Italy

will let us better promote Westchester as a global center of excellence and open doors for local businesses.”

Spano noted that the inauguration was attended by high ranking officials in the Italian region, including the commercial attache from the US Dept. of Commerce and his Italian counterpart. An Italian manager, Salvatore Cicco, will staff the desk.

The creation of a Westchester Desk was the culmination of a week of economic and other meetings by a county delegation in the cities of Genoa, Turin, and Milan. Besides Spano, the delegation included Salvatore Carrera, director of Economic Development; Joseph Stout, parks commissioner; Marsha Gordon, executive director of the County Chamber of Commerce; White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino; Jerry Mulligan, planning commissioner; Margo Jones, director of tourism; and county CIO Norm Jacknis. The trip was paid for by the Italian cities being visited.

The delegation embarked on the week-long trip, which ended today, as part of a long-term strategy to promote international trade and help companies here in Westchester. A similar delegation, also led by Spano, visited China in August 2002 to scout out opportunities and cultivate new business relationships.

Italy’s Westchester Desk will be involved with public relations, promotion, exhibits and fairs, and the representation and distribution of Westchester products and services, as well as offer administrative support for the Italian business presence of these companies.

In Genoa, the delegation was welcomed as the first such group from America to come for trade discussions. Members met with several Italian companies whose interests ranged from wanting to learn about office space for American headquarters to seeking partners for innovative new technology projects. The county executive also met with the president of the Liguria Region (equivalent to governor of a state), mayor of Genoa, the leaders of the local business community and a group of technology companies that have organized a “virtual technology park” similar to Westchester’s Information Technology Cluster.

In Turin, Spano and the delegation met with leaders of the regional organization responsible for global trade and economic growth opportunities, who were enthusiastic about the possibilities of mutual economic growth. They felt their companies could help Westchester companies increase sales in the European market while Westchester companies could do the same in North America.

Other highlights included:

· Discussion with the leading European superconductivity firm, Ansaldo Superconduttori, about its role in the multinational demonstration project of plasma/fusion energy and the possibility of replacement of nuclear fission at Indian Point.

· Signing of a joint venture on park planning with six mayors in the Milan area.

· Briefings by the American consulate in Milan and discussions with both the Milan mayor and the head of the Italian national chamber of commerce.