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)

Paulin Lauded on Administering Children’s Medications Legal Solution

Posted on September 9, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. From Lottie Harris of Child Care Council of Westchester. September 9, 2002: Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s office shares these comments about the Assemblywoman’s role in recent legislation affecting medication of children.
August 30, 2002

To The Editor:

This letter is to express appreciation for Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s efforts, which resulted in an amendment to the Nurse Practitioners Act. For three years, child care directors, advocates, and representatives of the Bureau of Early Childhood Services tried to find a solution to issues raised about a practice that had been in place for many years. The regulations of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services governing the provision of medication and treatment of children in child care permitted a very necessary practice for many children. However, within the past three years, child care programs suddenly became legally vulnerable for doing what they were permitted to do by regulation for many years.

It was only when Assemblywoman Paulin took on this issue that all the State agencies involved were brought together and a solution was agreed upon, even though it is temporary. Child care representatives and parents are very grateful for her interest, persistence, and success.

Thank you, Assemblywoman Paulin, for being so supportive of child care issues.

Sincerely,

Lottie Harris

Executive Director, Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc.

King Komments: Calls for New Fountain Cost Breakdown

Posted on September 9, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S KING KOMMENTS. By Councilman William King. September 9, 2002: The councilman takes a look at the White Plains downtown fountain and raises some concerns about the $3 Million fountain project described to the Common Council last week.

MAKEOVER FOR DOWNTOWN FOUNTAIN PLAZA: The White Plains Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue fountain on Monday, September 9, 2002.

Photo by WPCNR

How sure are you of the general $#’s for the Main-Mamaroneck Fountain Plaza work? Do you know what the annual costs of operation and maintenance will be? Can you give a breakdown of the construction costs? i.e., how much to remove the 15-20 trees, how much for regrading and resurfacing, how much for demolishing the existing fountain (will the new proposed fountain utilize any of the existing underground pumps, etc.?), how much for the new fountains themselves?

SHADE TREES TO BE REMOVED: The Main and Mamaroneck Fountain as it appears in bright sunlight Monday. As part of the city’s second phase of Revitalization, the city proposes removing the present plaza and trees for a new fountain/lightshow/ plaza (See last week’s story), at a projected cost of approximately $3 Million. The fountain has been criticised by the city administration as in poor repair, dark and uninviting, and an encouragement to loiterers.
Photo by WPCNR

I went to the plaza yesterday to give it a good look, to see what actually has to be dealt with and to size it up and picture what it would look like with the new design. It struck me how many trees are there now (all of the same variety which I could not identify), how well they are actually doing in an otherwise paved-over, shady space with a lot of traffic going by, and how many pigeons actually sit up in the branches (a lot).

It struck me when I heard the church bells sounding from Grace Church that there was no way to actually see Grace Church from the Court Street side of the plaza, so thick are the trees. I wondered if it was actually necessary to cut down and uproot the trees nearest the buildings, in order to plant new trees that the landscape architect is proposing (I forgot the variety Sasaki said would do well there).

PROPOSED DESIGN, as seen from Macy’s looking back towards the City Center. The three green squares to the right are “greens,” the four blue areas are proposed fountains that would stage a “choreography of waters” at various times throughout the day and evening to recorded music.
Photo by WPCNR

In essence, I would just like to know how much would it cost to “open up” the plaza by removing most of the trees, demolishing the existing fountain, removing the earthen barrier on the Main Street side, and replanting the whole area with grass or grass and new sidewalks and how much will it cost just for the new fountains proposed? How much for regular fountains versus the high-tech, software-dependent ones?

I would like to be assured that the high-tech sound and light shows don’t cost an arm and a leg over and above everything else (would that be what Cappelli would be paying for?).

I am concerned that the City, and specifically the Downtown, also has other needs where we have to spend money, including the Community Theater at the City Center, fixing up Tibbits Park more and doing the Court Street extension. But, believe me, I would like that ugly fountain out of there quickly and the plaza area fixed up.

Councilman William King

Super Lawyers File for White Plains. Move to 360 Ham

Posted on September 7, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From Reckson Associates. September 7, 2002: Reckson Associates Realty Corporation and the Mayor’s Office jointly announced that the nation’s largest law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom will park their attache cases at Reckson Metro Center, 360 Hamilton Avenue, leasing 48,842 square feet at the Center.
Skadden Arps ranks first in the dollar value of merger and acquisition agreements in the United States in 2002. The firm serves a clientele of leading corporations. They will occupy the space vacated by Metromedia Fiber.

Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains, in a statement, welcomed the “Super Lawyers” to Westchester’s fastest growing city and business center: “I want to take this opportunity to welcome Skadden, Arps to the White Plains Central Business District. I also want to commend the Reckson Metro Center on its ability to attract firms like Skadden, Arps to White Plains and contributing to a flourishing Central Business District.”

Skadden Arps joins a roster of bluechip tenants at Reckson’s gleaming 360 Hamilton venue which Merrill Lynch, Prudential Insurance and Heineken USA, Inc.

Bradley Campaign Irked by Spano’s “Dial-A-Democrat” Calls.

Posted on September 7, 2002 by John Bailey

WPCNR NEWSREEL. By John F. Bailey September 7,9 2002 UPDATED MONDAY 3:30 PM EDT: The Bradley campaign contacted WPCNR Friday to register an official protest of what some District 89 Democrats described as “heavy-handed” tactics by County Executive Andy Spano in the September 10 Democratic Primary race.

In a “Dial-A-Democrat” Campaign of their own, a prerecorded phone message from White Plains Councilperson Rita Malmud was being automatedly sent out to Democrats Monday. In it, Malmud urged Democrats to vote “for our own Adam Bradley.”
Mr. Bradley’s Campaign Manager reported Friday and the Westchester County Department of Communications office confirmed, that District 89 Democrats were telephoned Thursday evening and received a pre-recorded message from County Executive Spano urging them to vote for the Spano-endorsed District Leaders, rather than the Bradley candidates because “he needed their support.”

Maureen Keating-Tsuchiya, Co-Chair of the New Castle Democratic Party said a number of Democratic voters registered to vote in the Tuesday primary had contacted her protesting the pressure tactic. She said this was “unprecedented” in a primary campaign, “disturbing” and “heavy handed.”

Asked if such calls were made, the Westchester County Department of Communications responded, “Yes.” No other comment was made.

Speculation in the Bradley camp was rampant Saturday evening as to what organization paid for the pep talk, and where Mr. Spano’s pep talk calls were made from, since no political action committees exist for the Spano-endorsed delegates, according to B. J. Marcus, a District Leader candidate running with Adam Bradley, targeted by the calls.