WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL PREVIEW. November 5, 2018:

The Common Council will is expected to hear Westchester Power’s suggested rate for green-sourced electric power to White Plains tonight at 55 Main Street as the monthly Common Council meeting.

Westchester Power is the organization that created the consortium of 24 cities and towns  including White Plains two years ago, which combined cities’ purchasing power to secure green energy rates that source electricity exclusively  from wind, solar, water technology supplied sources. Westchester Power rates for the green power were lower the last year and a half than Con Edison consumer rates.  The details of the new 2019 rate that White Plains customers may receive should White Plains renew the agreement, may be disclosed tonight.

On the Public Hearing lineup, the council will resume a hearing on the approval of two apartment complexes on Hale Avenue, adding  127 apartment units (rentals) and 170 parking spaces. The city will receive $393,500 in a payment that will be used for creating a park and recreational facilities and acquiring land for same, as part of an city decision to not require the legislated number of parking spances.  The complex is on the agenda for a vote on the approval of the project this evening.

440 HAMILTON PROJECT of 468 APARTMENTS SET TO MOVE AHEAD

On two other development fronts, the Common Council is set  to approve, on the consent agenda, sales and mortgage tax breaks for the development of the 440 Hamilton Avenue on North Broadway into apartments, the tax incentives were approved by the Westchester Industrial Development Agency two weeks ago. The city will be reimbursed by the IDA for a portion of the sales and mortgage payments.

The city will be reimbursed in part by the county 2-1/2% ($995,640)  of total sales tax abatements expected to be $40 Million. The city will be reimbursed for 1/2% of total mortgage taxes, $648,319 out of a total expected mortgage tax of $129 Million., according to the common council agenda details.

However, as part of this agreement the City of White Plains agrees to a 18-year Payment In Lieu of (property)Taxes program to go into effect in three years.

The PILOT equals the PILOT in duration on the City Center project that was built from 2001 to 2003. The City Center pilot is still in effect.

Over the eighteen years of the PILOT, the landowner  (American Equity Partners) will pay the city $31,300,000 in total property taxes.

The Common Council is also poised set to approve tax incentives the Westchester IDA approved for the Westmoreland Lofts project on Westmoreland Avenue.

The Lennar Corporation is being given a one year extension on the site plan for the Broadstone apartment project planned for behind the restaurant row at the corner of East Post Road and Mamaroneck Avenue, due, according to the details on the Common Council agenda due to a change in ownership. (The project was supposed to have started three months ago, but it has not, hence the need for the site plan extension.)

The city is also selling two pieces of city land at auction that have been foreclosed, 8 Rutherford and146 Orawaupum Street. Inquire, if interested to the City Finance Department. The minimum bid for 8 Rutherford Street property is $150,000. The Orawaupum property requires a $140,000 bid.

Targeting Bicyclist scofflaws

In a surprise on the agenda, the city is raising the fine for bicycle violations by bicyclists from $10 to $100.

Just a reminder, according to the city municipal code, bicyclists are required to

1. Obey all traffic control devices, signs and other control devices applicable to vehicles
2. Are subject to all of the duties, applicable to the driver of the vehicle
3. No bicyclist shall ride a bicycle upon any public sidewalk within White Plains.
4. Ride on the right On bike routes. Every person operating a bicycle upon the roadway of a public highway shall ride as near to the right-hand side of such roadway as practicable and shall not ride two (2) abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. If a usable path has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicyclists shall use such a path and shall not use the roadway.
5. No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions.
6. No person riding upon a bicycle shall attach the same or himself to any vehicle upon a roadway.
7. No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
8. Packages: No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the rider from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars.
9. A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than astride and seated upon a permanent seat attached onto.
10. NO PARKING except upon a roadway against the curb or upon a sidewalk in a rack to support the bicycle or against a buiding or at the curb, as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian traffic.

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WPCNR VIDEO ROVER MOMENTS TO REMEMBER. NOVEMBER 3, 2018:

At this time tomorrow, 5:15 PM it will be dark, because you should turn your clock back one hour to get back onto Eastern Standard Time.

Even though the winds were strong out of the Northwest turning up white caps on the might Hudson off Peekskill, New York USA, autumn was lavishing extraordinary shades and hues and memories. Just watch this video:

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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Town of Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. November 2, 2018:

Have you noticed that there are lots of roads in Greenburgh and the villages within Greenburgh that have steel plates on roads roads–covering up gas pipes they are working on? Have you seen Con Ed trucks digging up the roads and addressing their underground gas infrastructure?  Con Ed spent $8 million enhancing the gas infrastructure in Greenburgh this year and they will spend millions more next year– in Greenburgh and around the county.

There is a motto – “no pain, no gain”. Although the Con Ed gas infrastructure work is necessary, residents who live near the locations where the gas work has been taking place are inconvenienced. The roads are a mess during construction, it takes many weeks before the work is completed and the roads repaved.

At the last Town Board meeting – representatives of Con Ed summarized the work they are doing around town and answered questions. The link to the meeting is below:

https://youtu.be/bC4wVcfMGyA

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. October 29, 2018:

Whose facts are they anyway? Where and whom do they come from? Which facts do you choose when putting together a story?

Those are just some of the  “fact-ors”  in fascinating debate journalists, reporters, writers,  spokespersons and publicists need to consider.

The issues of fact and fake news is brought intellectually fascinatingly  to the lead column in the anguishing new play at the appropriately  antique Studio 54 Theater, in Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell’s  The Lifespan of a Fact.

Conflicts  on truth in reporting ensnare the imperial Cherry Jones (Emily the crusading publisher),  Daniel Radcliffe (Jim the nag of an idealistic fact-checker) and Bobby Cannavale (the egotistical writer who bends, distorts and leaves out facts to his purpose) explode over just the facts ma’am.

The researcher played brilliantly by Mr. Radcliffe is mocked for his inexperience by the writer played byCannavale and treated with annoyance by the publisher (Ms. Jones), but when Mr. Radcliffe points out what the writer did not do (to verify facts) the impact of truth shows the way twisting or ignoring the truth for impact on the reader distorts.

The arguments that Cannavalle uses to justify his way of writing the story brought a smile to my face as I recognized expressions I used to use to justify copy I had written for lawyers and copy chiefs in the past. I have to tell you the script captures the back-and-forth of editorial wrangles spot-on.

The argument that develops into rage and exasperation as to whether or not to publish the article at all is fascinating, all too funny for such a serious subject, but the truth of the play will trouble you for sometime.

The whole idea of writing up composite characters based on real life people you meet in articles that present a conceptualized version of the truth to make a point was pioneered by new journalists in the 1960s. It destroyed the concept of who, what, when, why and where of reporting. Created the pseudo-anonymous source. Made writer’s judgement and interpretation popular. The new journalism was entertaining and much more exciting and entertaining than the facts. It even created the happy talk news format of the 1970s.

The discussion in The Lifespan of a Fact addresses the question:  is truth being changed by enhancing the facts to make a better story, or even changing the facts.

The answer is yes.

Truth is being changed when you distort or leave out facts. Based on the essay and book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal, that came out of their experiences with an article they wrote for Harper’s it explores in entertaining and disturbing fashion how facts are manipulated.

The dogged researcher Jim argues that if you cannot support a fact mentioned in the story, you risk vilification on social media if it is ever found out, therefore subjecting the publishing house boss Emily (the imperious Ms. Jones) heads, for reputation destruction.

Writers make these decisions on facts all the time in what to put in an article and what to leave out. Or, worse, writers put their opinion into articles as to what certain facts mean and portend. This is so much a flaw in journalism today. It’s where fake news comes from.

Another tough call the reporter faces is what to leave out, such as questions politicians do not answer in a news conference. Reporting what is not said or answered is as much a part of a story as to what is said. And, of course there are the questions reporters do not ask.

The traits above are brought brilliantly, shockingly and hilariously to full glare in The Lifespan of a Fact.

The truth does not need interpretation.

The Lifespan of a Fact makes that perfectly clear through the three superb, chemical performances of three actors at the top of their game. The antiseptic imperious sets by Mimi Lien of the publishing house and the writer’s Las Vegas home will be very familiar.

The impersonal communication of the cellphone and the hell of dealing with issues that really do matter  face to face will make any writer or newspaper or network viewer think long after you see this play.

Not since The Front Page has a play explored the responsibility of reporters and writers and publishers with such insight. The truth is a harsh mistress betray her and you will regret it.

The instant on-your-feet standing ovation was testimony to the flawless performers mastery of timing, character, emotion — the stuff great acting is made of.

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WPCNR THE POWER STORY. From County Chairman of the Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin and Majority Leader Catherine Parker. October 26, 2018:

Con Ed is now offering customers the chance to enroll in a text messaging program that will send pre-storm weather alerts and storm preparation information.  In addition, customers who suffer outages and inform the company about them, will get system and safety updates, including an estimated time of restoration.

Customers who want to enroll can use their cell phones to text REG to OUTAGE (688243) and follow the prompts. Customers will need their account numbers and to confirm their zip codes.  Your account number can be retrieved online by logging on to your Con Ed account and navigating to the “My Account” section, or by checking a bill.

If you sign up but decide you don’t want the text messages, Con Ed assures us that you can opt out.

More information is available at coned.com/text.