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)

Corcoran Co-Endorsed by WCLA; County Pro Firefighters

Posted on September 28, 2001 by John Bailey

Candyce Canelstein Corcoran of White Plains was formally co-endorsed by the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion Thursday for County Legislator, along with her opponent for the seat, William Ryan, bringing to six the number of key organizations and individuals supporting her for the District 5 White Plains-Scarsdale seat. She also picked up strong support from the Westchester Coalition of Professional Fighters.

Catherine Lederer Plaskett, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion described Ms. Corcoran as “clearly pro-choice” in announcing the endorsement of Corcoran and incumbent William Ryan as WCLA preferred candidates. In an earlier edition of this story, WPCNR had been incorrectly informed that Ms. Corcoran had received the exclusive endorsement of the WCLA, but we have now been informed by the WCLA that the organization is co-endorsing both Corcoran and Ryan.

Ms. Corcoran is also the announced choice of the Scarsdale Police Benevolent Association, the United Construction Trades & Industrial Employees International Union, the Pro-Choice Coalition Political Action Committee, the County Legislator, Kay Carsky, and the former Mayor of Scarsdale, E. Mark Bench.

Westchester Coalition of Professional Firefighters Chief Backs Her, too.

WPCNR has also learned that Ms. Corcoran, though Republican, is receiving strong early support from the Westchester Coalition of Professional Fire Fighters. Their Chairman, Chris McCann, was critical of Ms. Corcoran’s opponent in District 5, William Ryan, in a document expressing his opinions two weeks ago, which was obtained by WPCNR.

McCann, in this document, encourages the White Plains Professional Firefighters to endorse Corcoran. McCann described his conversations with Corcoran this way:

“She has come out publicly 100% in favor of Paid Firefighters…in every conversation that I have had with Candyce she has been nothing but straightforward, honest and supportive of Career firefighters.”

McCann is not as enthusiastic about Ryan: “Bill Ryan, on the other hand, has fallen somewhat short in these categories to say the least. Bill’s answer when asked about his singing the praises of volunteer firefighters was that his position on the Public Safety committee forces him to play a balancing act. I answer there’s a difference between a balancing act and playing both sides for your own benefit.”

McCann reports the White Plains Professional Firefighters as undecided: “some confusion as to the intentions of the White Plains Firefighters in this matter due to conflicting information coming from within the union. I am under the opinion that given the facts and reviewing the incumbent’s past track record, the only candidate the (Westchester) Coalition (of Professional Firefighters) can move to endorse in this race is Candyce Canelstein Corcoran.”

Crooked Chimney Sweep Scams Target White Plains: Gismondi

Posted on September 26, 2001 by John Bailey

Building Commissioner Mike Gismondi cautions residents authorizing chimney, furnace exhaust repairs without acquiring a building permit.

Gismondi will be making a presentation to the North Broadway Civic Association at Red Cross Headquarters October 2 in which he will detail the modus operandi of typical chimney sweep fraud operators who step up their activity at this time of year.

City wins court case against sweep company

The problem came to the Commissioner’s attention in a recent court case the city brought against a chimney sweep performing an illegal repair on a resident’s furnace venting system.

Gismondi reports that the city took the sweep company to court for executing a negligent chimney repair without acquiring a permit from the Department of Building.

The resident had paid the chimney sweep what Gismondi terms “an enormous amount of money,” to execute the repair. Not only was the resident out the money, but the contractor had simply jammed a new pipe into the top of the chimney, actually cracking the tile within the chimney, creating a hazard. The city won the case.

Work repairing chimney other than cleaning requires a building permit.

Residents are not aware, Gismondi says, that to execute a chimney repair (not a cleaning), a resident must submit an engineer’s report and a photograph of the area to be repaired in order to obtain a permit from the Department of Building.

Though this may seem to be an inconvenience, it is to protect the consumer, who often has not idea whether his or her chimney is really in need of repair or not.

Anatomy of a sweep scam

Gismondi told WPCNR a building permit protects residents from suspect chimney sweep operations. The typical sweep scammer schedules an appointment to inspect your chimney and offers to do a routine cleaning. During the course of the “inspection,” the sweep tells the homeowner the chimney is cracked or the interior lining of the chimney is in need of repair.

“We can do it right now. We have the materials in the truck.”

Often, the sweep crew just happens to have the material to repair the chimney with them. They offer to do the repair on the spot, often for thousands of dollars. This is illegal. A permit from the Department of Building is required, Gismondi says, with an engineer’s specification of the problem and an interior scoping showing the damaged chimney to be repaired before you can legally do the work.

Your reporter a near victim!

WPCNR was involved in this kind of swindle. I was contacted by a sweep “doing work in the White Plains area.” Since I had not had the chimney cleaned in a long time, I agreed to an “inspection visit.” A chimney sweep company arranged for an inspection.

“Inspector” waves loose brick!

One of the workers climbed atop my home and peered into my chimney. Waving a loose brick at me from the rooftop, he reported that my chimney bricks were loose and the interior of the chimney was cracked. The crew offered to line the chimney with new pipe extending down to my furnace.

“We’ve got the lining right here.”

By coincidence, they had enough pipes in the truck to do the job. The cost: $2,500. By check. On the spot.

They had started the work, when I had second thoughts. I stopped work and told them I wanted to get another estimate. Under much protest, they left. After checking with several sweep firms in the area, I was advised I should have it checked out before proceeding. This bait and switch fraud appears each fall and spring on unsuspecting homeowners.

Contact Building Department before authorizing extensive chimney repair.

Homeowners advised by chimney sweep companies that their chimneys need extensive repair should contact the building department for advice on how to proceed before authorizing the work, particularly if the sweep wants to execute the work as soon as possible. The Building Department may be reached at 422-1269.

Martine Avenue Merchants File Notice of Claim Against City

Posted on September 26, 2001 by John Bailey

On September 20, 5 merchants formerly of Martine Avenue, whose establishments were bought out by Louis Cappelli, served the city and its Urban Renewal Agency, paving way for a future claim for damages.
The lawsuit is filed against the City of White Plains and the White Plains Urban Renewal Agency as an “action for the recovery of damages due to injuries sustained by the claimant solely by the condemnation and acquisition by the White Plains Urban Renewal Agency of 205-211 Martine Avenue.

The suit filed by attorney John Savage of Bozeman & Trout, Mount Vernon, alleges that his clients, all of whom maintained businesses at the addresses noted, “suffered great harm as a direct result of the condemnation in that claimant was forced to relocate or consider relocating its business,” and that the suit was serving notice that his client “intends to commence an action against the City of White Plains and the URA to recover their damages with interest and charges.”

The suit was filed on behalf of Expressions Hair Design at 205-A Martine Avenue; Bridgitte Wayou and Bertine Djedje of Root African Hair Braiding of 207 Martine Avenue; Dary-Grant Minaya of 205 Martine Avenue, and Soon-Duck Hong of 205-B Martine Avenue.

George Gretsas, Executive Officer for the Mayor, remarked to WPCNR that the Notice of Claim appeared not to be aimed at stopping the City Center project, but at protecting the plaintiffs’ interests if Mr. Cappelli does not provide them with a settlement for their business losses they feel is equitable.

Mr. Cappelli has issued $4,000 checks to each of the business owners affected by the accidental cave-in of the Martine Avenue building roof, and has promised to help them relocate on Mamaroneck Avenue. He has, in addition, promised to outfit their new locations with fixtures and facilities.

Police Union Seeks to Renegotiate Contract.

Posted on September 26, 2001 by John Bailey

WPCNR has learned that the White Plains Police Benevolent Association has requested to renegotiate their current contract with new workrules changes to ease the “badge drain,” with a novel new proposal. Pay is not an issue.
The surprise negotiating maneuver was presented to the Common Council in Executive Session Monday evening, and the council has not had a reaction to it as of this report.

The police do not want any increase in pay at this time, according to two sources who attended the Executive Session of the Common Council Monday evening. The rationale behind renegotiating the contract is a fresh WPPBA proposal placed on the table aimed at addressing what the White Plains Police Benevolent Association calls the White Plains “Badge Drain.” The WPPBA did not return several calls for explanations by WPCNR about what they want to change in their current contract.

The police proposal was addressed in some detail in a slide show presented to the Common Council and was discussed in depth afterwards, the meeting lasting from 8 until 11:00 PM.

Previously police union suggestions for eliminating the badge drain have consisted of increasing vacation time to bring White Plains in line with other departments in the county, providing more educational benefits, (which the city did do last fall), and operating the department at full strength of 200 men, which they have contended in the past is deliberately understaffed.

The council was also briefed on the current status of negotiations with the firefighters union by the city’s negotiator. The White Plains Firefighters have been serving without a contract since June 30. The firefighter leadership did not return WPCNR’s requests for comment on their demands.

The Common Council is reported by WPCNR sources who were there to have had lively comment, a lot of questions on the police proposal, but the members of the council not advise the Mayor to take any direction for or against with regard to the WPPBA suggestions. Sources said direction from the council could come at any time.

The Mayor’s office refused to comment on the Mayor’s official position towards the proposal, because of the Executive Session nature of the briefing, and because any comment would compromise future negotiations.