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. | WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.

County Exec Makes White Plains Hospital Eligible for $108 Million in Tax Exempt Financing

Posted on September 9, 2013 by John Bailey

Photo left to right: Local Development Corporation Chairman Stephen J. Hunt, White Plains Hospital President and Chief Executive officer Jon B. Schandler, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino, and White Plains Hospital Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Edward F. Leonard stand in front of a rendering that depicts the future White Plains Hospital after the $108 million expansion and renovation project is complete.

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Ned McCormack, the Westchester County Department of Communications. (Edited) September 9, 2013:

.County Executive Robert P. Astorino today announced the county’s Local Development Corporation (LDC) approved a resolution that will give White Plains Hospital access to $108 million in tax-exempt bond financing to construct a six-story patient care building, five new operating rooms and an expanded outpatient radiology center.

View of Expansion of White Plains Hospital looking East with Maple Avenue on right hand corner of picture and West Post Road on the left.

“The responsiveness and accessibility of Astorino’s team and the dramatic savings we will realize from financing through the LDC is what closed the deal and got this project rolling.” said Jon B. Schandler, White Plains Hospital president and chief executive officer. “We are saving nearly $3 million over the next 30 years by going with the LDC instead of other options. That savings will instead be invested in patient support, life-saving technology and clinical training.”

The expansion and renovation plan is the LDC’s largest transaction since it was established by Astorino in January 2012.

“The investment that White Plains Hospital is making today, thanks to the Local Development Corporation, will deliver state-of-the-art essential healthcare services to Westchester residents for generations to come,” said Astorino. “This project will also produce a variety of high-wage jobs both during and after construction. This will add to the long-term vitality of White Plains, Westchester and the region.”

About 75 full-time, high-wage union construction jobs will be created as a result of a signed project labor agreement between the contractor, Gilbane Building Company, and Edward Doyle, Sr., Teamsters president, representing 34 local trade unions.

With the White Plains Hospital project, the LDC will have issued $246,425,000 in tax-exempt bonds to Westchester non-profits. There is no financial risk to county taxpayers.

Site preparation will begin immediately and construction will commence in November. It will take approximately 24 months to complete the project.

“The responsiveness and accessibility of Astorino’s team and the dramatic savings we will realize from financing through the LDC is what closed the deal and got this project rolling.” said Jon B. Schandler, White Plains Hospital president and chief executive officer. “We are saving nearly $3 million over the next 30 years ($100,000 a year) by going with the LDC instead of other options. That savings will instead be invested in patient support, life-saving technology and clinical training.”

Before the LDC board voted to approve this landmark project, Schandler and Edward F. Leonard, White Plains Hospital’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, presented their project to the LDC board and shared the details of the plan.

The project will add 51,000 square feet of space and renovate 14,000 square feet. The upgrades will include:

A six-story patient care building that will house two medical/surgical floors, family waiting rooms, and 24 new private patient rooms. With a total of 114 private patient rooms, the percentage of private rooms will double. Private rooms address infection and privacy issues and are more convenient for family members.
Five new modern operating room suites, along with new pre-op and recovery areas. Featuring state-of-the-art lighting, operating tables, ceiling-mounted equipment, and minimally invasive technology, these new operating rooms will maximize space and minimize turnaround time between procedures.
An expanded outpatient radiology center will feature new waiting rooms for patients and family members, ensuring patient comfort and privacy.
A new covered front entrance and lobby, with a glass atrium and a new café, will improve traffic flow and provide patients and visitors with greater comfort and convenience during arrivals and departures.
Energy conservation strategies and sustainable technology that will reduce costs while being socially responsible.

“I applaud County Executive Astorino’s efforts to create jobs for our tradesman. The White Plains Hospital project is going to create over 75 good paying jobs for our fellow tradesmen for the next two years,” said Doyle. “This wouldn’t have happened without Rob Astorino’s commitment to working families.”

Astorino established the county LDC to fill a void that had existed since January 2008, when the state’s Industrial Development Agencies, including Westchester’s, lost the authority to issue bonds.

Worker in City Challenges Robert Astorino to Fix White Plains. Cites WP Pavilion Security Problem. Trouble Spots in City

Posted on September 9, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR LETTER TICKER.

LETTER TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. Sent to the County Executive by Lisa Andrade, a person who works in White Plains, but resides in Putnam County:

Lisa M. Andrade Lincolndale, NY 10540

September 9, 2013

To Whom It May Concern,

Please consider the following letter to Mr. Robert Astorino, Westchester County Executive, a desperate plea for help for the city of White Plains, NY. I am taking it upon myself to beg, plead and cry for a grant for this city in great turmoil.

ANY help is greatly appreciated.

Feel free to forward this to anyone who may be of assistance for this city in need.

Sincerely,

Lisa M. Andrade

Dear Mr. Robert Astorino,

We the People who work and reside in the city of White Plains, NY, request that necessary changes be made to this city in order to preserve what little beauty and dignity is left of it.

In case you haven’t heard, I’ll gladly lend my voice on behalf of myself and many others living, working, or visiting the White Plains area in order to fill you in on what’s going down on the streets of your city… and it’s not pretty.

Every morning and every evening I am greeted with the same old thing, day in and day out… (including, but not limited to)… the putrid stench of what smells like day-old vomit (sometimes actual vomit on the sidewalk just sitting there roasting in the hot summer sun), freshly minced crap, 2 day-old road kill, and dirty, filthy garbage.

Add to that the borage of homeless people hitting me up for anything and everything spanning from a quarter, two dollars, to a three-course meal, despite the fact that I am always being asked for a dollar here and a dollar there for every single organization and fundraising event under the sun. Next thing you’ll know, they’ll be asking for a dinner cruise, a brand new car, and a houseboat.

Not only am I asked for this on the streets of White Plains, but everywhere I go including supermarkets, pharmacies, and grocery stores. Aw heck, even politicians are hitting me up for donations. (Insert smiley face here).

(And let’s not get started on the “Tip Jars” that line the counters of most delis, pizzerias, and self-serve mini-marts and bodegas. Heck, I wish I could have a tip jar sitting on my office desk, too!)

Enough is Enough.

The only thing I donate now is BLOOD, the most rewarding gift ever.

I am not a resident of White Plains but have worked here for 14+ years and have seen the deterioration of your beloved city. My office is located inside the Westchester Pavilion on South Broadway, yes the almost vacant building in which still stands because the city doesn’t know what to do with it. Well, I’ll give you a hint… refurbish it or tear it down!

Lately this empty building (which used to be home to Daffy’s, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Sports Authority) has become a haven for the homeless people of your city. From 8 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock at night, you’ll find many of them asking for money at the front entrance or sleeping on the benches inside the Pavilion.

And you’d better be careful walking up or down the dark, isolated stairwell because there are some strange people lurking inside. In fact, they party in there on the weekends, the proof is in seeing the empty (cheap) wine bottles and beer cans scattered throughout the stairwell. What a disgrace.

I tell my fellow female coworkers over and over again: DO NOT USE THE STAIRS. And I will keep reminding them until I am blue in the face. It is SCARY and it is DANGEROUS. One suggestion I have is to keep the shelters open ALL DAY so that you don’t have people roaming the streets in a fog and a daze, or have them occupy what is supposed to be a “professional” atmosphere.

What upsets me the most is how agitated people get when you kindly decline handing money over. Some are very nice about it, but others get very hostile which leads to a very uncomfortable, intimidating experience.

But let the lion roar and let it be known:

I am a woman of the 21^st century and I absolutely REFUSE to be intimidated … especially by a man… on the corners of Martine Avenue, E. Post Road, South Broadway, and Mamaroneck Avenue… or ANYWHERE for that matter!

No Way. No How.

The sketchiest areas of White Plains are

Points A-Point D: (Point A= South Broadway, Point B= E. Post Road, Point C= Mamaroneck Avenue, Point D= Martine Avenue).

Just walking either to or from South Broadway to Martine Avenue, I get hit up for money at least three times a day by three different individuals. One time I even saw a woman posing with her 7 or 8-year old daughter asking me if I could buy her daughter a donut from Dunkin Donuts. I just stared at her in disbelief and then she laughed, “Oh well, I thought I would try to get a free donut!”

Well look who’s NOT laughing. Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if we could all ask complete and total strangers for money so that our credit cards, student loans, and car/house/mortgage payments could be completely paid off… TAX FREE and IN FULL!

DREAM ON.

Twice I’ve been followed into Dunkin Donuts by people asking for money to buy a donut. The first incident was from a well-known elderly homeless man who asked me for a dollar so that he could buy himself a donut. The softie that I am (was) gave him a dollar. Would you believe that the Son-of-a-gun took the dollar, turned around, and walked out of Dunkin Donuts and up the street presumably to buy a hit??

NEVER AGAIN. Never, ever, ever!

That is the last time I will ever give away my hard earned money. Lord knows I do not make the money of a Governor’s salary, no sir, not even the salary of a County Executive… (insert smiley face here). Next time all they’ll get is my free advice to straighten up.

On 2 separate occasions (during a one month time span) I had to drop off packages at the Post Office on Martine Avenue. Both times I arrived 15 minutes prior to the post office opening and both times I was greeted by homeless, newly released jail inmates wanting to wine and dine me and take me out for the time of my life. (Editor’s Note: this area is across the street from the County Office Building, where the County Executive works)

Politely I refused their offers. When pressured as to ‘why’ I wouldn’t accept their offers, I kindly informed them that I was a happily married woman. Period. End of Discussion. Or was it? Repeatedly they kept pressuring me for my phone number over and over. It got to the point where I wanted to deck them.

Hey, in the words of President Obama, there’s a red line that’s drawn, not by me, but by the world, and these two punks had crossed that line. They’re lucky they dealt with me instead of someone else who might have started a war with them.

Thankfully, people had started showing up and waiting in line with me for the post office to open. If it had been dark and isolated, who knows what might have happened. And the post office just so happens to be across the street from 7-Eleven, which is also the infamous local bus stop (including mine) that is notorious for being the “out-of-control” corner.

Yes, everybody knows that corner… the cops… the homeless people… the residents/workers/tourists of White Plains, NY. Here is where you’ll find them all. People talking to themselves, fighting with themselves, screaming at others, and threatening everyone in their paths. It is not a safe environment! They’re either heavily medicated or not medicated enough. There is no in-between.

Something needs to be done in order to curb this outrage. That is why I am reaching out to you, Mr. Astorino. Your city needs help and I know that you have the power to make the change that it so desperately needs in order for White Plains to flourish gracefully…

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you.

Sincerely,

Lisa M. Andrade

# I-May-Have-Issues-But-Your-City-Has-More-Issues-Than-I

(Editor’s Note: The Mayor’s Office has been asked for a response to this letter.)

7,167 Students Return to School in White Plains. Work Cut Out for Them

Posted on September 9, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. News and Comment by John F. Bailey. September 9, 2013:

An expected student body of 7,169 students returned to the 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and White Plains High School this morning as the 2013-14 school year began for public school students. The day will be officially capped by the first meeting of the Board of Education this evening at 5 Homeside Lane.

To date there has been no statement from the Board of Education on how the district will address the unprecedentedly low number of students who passed the state assessment tests last spring, which saw 37% of Eighth Graders (who are now entering high school) pass the English assessment and 34% of them pass the math assessment.. On the Grade 5 levels, 29% passed English and 28% passed the mathematics assessment. Official explanation for this drops of passing rates by 23% in English and 40% in Math is that the State Education Department did not get the new Core Curriculum standards to the district in a timely manner, though core standards were posted in on the SED website at the beginning of the school year.

After raising test scores respectably the last two years on previous assessment tests, the district now finds itself at a stage of identifiying exactly where students went wrong: comprehension of basic concepts, reasoning, basic skills, or lack of communication skills. and the sobering realization that two thirds of students entering high school today are considerably behind where the district thought they were, or the State Education Department has a near-sighted idea of what kind of comprehension skills in English and math a ninth grader should have.

White Plains parents have been remarkably silent on the test score shock at the decline in White Plains assessment scores. The demographic breakout of performance by ethnic groups in the White Plains district has not been addressed publicly. That is traditionally made available in the school district report card issued by the state in April. The predicition here is, that White Plains African-American and Hispanic students will be shown to be behind substantially their progress as recently as four years ago when the gap in performance between Hispanic and African-American students on assessments had been narrowed to approximately 10%. That has got to be significantly more this year.

Nevertheless, even the so-called high performing districts with a predominantly white population of students have experienced sobering drop offs in passing rates on the 2013 assessment tests, the first under the new Core Curriculum standards.

Chappaqua district saw the number of 8th Grade English students (entering high school this year) passing drop from 85% passing in 2012 down 14% to 71%. In 5th grade results the students fell 17% to to 72% (down from 89%).

Scarsdale dropped in 8th GradeEnglish scores, too, down from 88% of 8th graders passing in 2012 down to 70% passing in 2013. In Scarsdale’s 5th Grade last year, the students were down to 73% passing in 2013 compared to a lofty 89% in 2012. In Math in the Scarsdale district, the performance when down approximately a third. Only 61% of Scarsdale Eighth Graders entering high school this week passed the 2013 Assessment in Math.

The blame is being placed by educators on the content of the tests being too tough.

But what is the real reason? In the weeks ahead, every school district, not only White Plains has to address where their students are at and bring up up sharply, without banking on a watered down test.

The district has let its students down for a decade, especially Black and Hispanic students.

A great line comes to mind that is so true that ran in a public service commercials in the 1950s:for I believe the United Negro College Fund:

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

Sustainable Playland Delivers Playland Improvement Plan to County Executive

Posted on September 6, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR PLAYLAND NEWS. From Sustainable Playland, Inc. September 6, 2013:

Sustainable Playland Inc., selected as the future manager of Westchester’s best known public park, today submitted its Playland Improvement Plan (PIP) to County Executive Rob Astorino. The plan outlines SPI’s public-private partnership approach to revitalize and restore the iconic 85-year-old park on the Long Island Sound shore in Rye and provide year-round activities and attractions.

The submission of the PIP is an important step in converting the park to a public-private partnership with the County. The County will continue to own the property, SPI will manage it. SPI is a not-for-profit, community-based organization formed to develop and submit a restoration and revitalization plan for Playland.

SPI’s plan was selected among the dozen respondents to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for revitalizing the park issued by the County Executive. Subsequently, an Asset Management Agreement (AMA) was developed by SPI and signed by Astorino in late July. The next step in the process was submission of the PIP. This 80-page document will now be reviewed by the County Executive and his staff and commissioners.

Once the County Executive completes his review, he will formally submit the PIP to the County Board of Legislators for its review and approval. The Board must approve any plan for material improvements and modifications to the park. SPI hopes to begin implementing the plan as soon as possible so that its multi-year phase-in of improvements and upgrades can begin in 2014.

(Editor’s Note: If the Board does not approve the plan by January 1, Sustainable Playland has the right to abandon the project.

Earlier this week, members of the Board of Legislators turned Luna Park in Coney Island, to observe how CAI Amusements, Sustainable Playland choice to run the amusement section of the new Playland Sustainable evisions.

In a news release this week, Kenneth Jenkins, Chair of the Board of Legislators has said if CAI were hired to run Playland, there would not be a need for Sustainable Playland. To wit, ” bringing Central Amusements on board raises questiona about the value of Sustainable Playland’s involvement.”)

The PIP is consistent with recommendations included in the 2006 Playland Master Plan that was commissioned by the County, including converting management of the park to a public-private partnership model. SPI’s approach is modeled after the highly successful Central Park Conservancy in Manhattan that oversees the nation’s most prominent urban park.

The PIP adheres closely to the concept plan for restoring the park that was put forth in SPI’s RFP response. The plan seeks a balance of seasonal and year-round uses which will create a more reliable and predictable income flow. Playland is currently heavily dependent on revenues generated by its historic summer-only, weather-dependent amusement park. Under SPI’s plan, the Amusement Zone will continue to be the signature area of the park and its largest single financial element.

However, additional new uses at the park including a field house for indoor sports activities, year-round restaurants, the Westchester Children’s Museum, improved and expanded ice skating opportunities, as well as the restoration and enhancement of the park’s classic architectural and landscape features will broaden the appeal of the park and draw visitors year-round.

The Amusement Zone, as well as the new Aqua/Beach Zone, will be operated by Central
Amusements International, the U.S. subsidiary of the internationally renowned Zamperla company, a manufacturer of amusement park rides and an operator of amusement parks including Coney Island. The PIP includes details of the new rides and improvements to existing rides that Central Amusements will phase in over five years.

The PIP will be posted later on the SPI website: www.sustainableplayland.org

Michael Solomon, 1945-2013

Posted on September 5, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR MILESTONES. From the Ballard-Durand Funeral Home. September 5, 2013:

Michael Abraham Solomon died tragically while on duty in the White Plains YMCA on August 31, 2013. He was 68 years old.

Michael was born in Asmara, Eritrea on August 22, 1945. He is a beloved family man who is survived by his wife Meklite Ayele, son Dawit Solomon, sisters Mizan, Abebech, Menia and brothers Goithiom and Mekonen. His beloved niece Hanna and numerous family members also survive him.

We lost a man with high integrity, principal and humanity. Michael is not only a loss to his families but also to his community. Michael will be missed by his family and his friends. Visiting hours are Friday from 5-9pm at the Ballard-Durand Funeral Home, 2 Maple Avenue at South Broadway, White Plains.

Funeral mass will be at 10:30AM at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Elmsford. Interment will follow in the Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Michael Solomon please visit our Sympathy Store.

Medical Examiner Identifies YMCA Murder Suspect, as YMCAResident–Eddie Diop– also Set Fire Killing Himself. Not looking for any other suspects. Funeral Arrangements for Victim

Posted on September 4, 2013 by John Bailey

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong on the scene of the YMCA murder suicide last Saturday morning.

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. September 4, 2013 UPDATED SEPTEMBER 7,2013:

Six days, after the murder of Michael Solomon, 68, a night watchman on duty at the YMCA front desk last Saturday morning, the 15-year resident of the White Plains YMCA who police stabbed Mr. Solomon to death was identified Friday by the Westchester County Medical Examiner as Eddie Diop, as residents of the Y had originally told WPCNR the morning of the murder, followed by Diop’s suicide.

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong announced the definitive identification Friday.

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong gave a statement to WPCNR Tuesday afternoon on the status of the YMCA murder-suicide investigation. Asked about details on what substance ignited the fire the suspect, tentatively identified as Eddie, used to set himself on fire, the Commissioner said the police are awaiting results from the crime lab. He also detailed the extent of damage to the two rooms the suspect set aflame, but declined to release police pictures and the police report is not available as yet. The Commissioner’s written statement:

“We are 95 percent sure that the suspect is the resident of the room that was set
on fire and that he committed suicide. His remains are being studied at the
medical examiners office. We are not actively looking for anyone else as we have
conclusive evidence on who committed the homicide.

The room was set on fire with some sort of flammable material yet to be determined by the crime lab.

The major damage is to two rooms on the third floor with a wall collapse between
the rooms most likely due to the intense heat.

We will not release any name until we are 100 percent clear on the identity. This may take some time.

The displaced residents are back at the YMCA and the City is working with the YMCA to get them back into their private rooms as expeditiously and as safely as possible. ”

Incidentally, Richard Liebson of The Journal News notes that 11 Chinese, Vietnamese and South Korean students visiting White Plains to attend Archbishop Stepinanc High School this year who were being housed at the YMCA Saturday were also displaced and have been staying at Good Counsel Academy and Berkeley College in White Plains since. Liebson reports they and the rest of the students will be back in the Y tomorrow.

Funeral Arrangements Announced by YWCA

Michael was a loved member of our YMCA family for 25 years. We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and YMCA community.

We wante…d to share the funeral arrangements information as well as provide you with a link to Michael’s obituary:

http://www.ballarddurand.com/obituaries/Michael-Solomon2/

Visiting hours are Friday from 5-9PM at the Ballard-Durand Funeral Home, 2 Maple Avenue at South Broadway, White Plains. The funeral mass will be held at 10:30AM Saturday at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Elmsford.

LLOYD TASCH SIGNED BY CITY TO LONG TERM CONTRACT. AFFABLE, EFFECTIVE, ASSESSOR CONTRACTED FOR 6 YEARS

Posted on September 4, 2013 by John Bailey

Lloyd Tasch, at the Common Council meeting last evening where he was approved for a second six-year term as City Assessor.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. SEPTEMBER 4, 2013:

The White Plains Common Council by unanimous vote retained City Assessor Lloyd Tasch for another six years through 2019 Monday evening.

With Mr. Tasch’s entire department looking on last night, Mayor Tom Roach lauded Lloyd for running his department efficiently and conducting a very difficult job with an unusual sense of humor. Mayor Roach Mr. Tasch joined the city in 2002 as an assistant Assessor, and was chosen Assessor in 2006 (after the departure of Eydie McCarthy to the Town of Greenburgh).

Councilman John Martin, a member of the City Assessment Review Committee commended Mr Tasch for being effective, professional and poised and earning the respect of his colleagues throughout the region.

Mr. Tasch has guided White Plains through a period of all-time record requests for assessment reductions and bleeding assessment rolls and through his efforts at limiting settlements, the White Plains assessment roll increased significantly for the first time in ten years in 2013.

Common Council Will Meet to Consider FASNY-RIDGEWAY FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT State of Completeness September16

Posted on September 1, 2013 by John Bailey

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. SEPTEMBER 1, 2013:

The White Plains website reported today the scheduling of a Common Council meeting for September 16 at 7 PM at which time they will take up the matter of whether the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement for the French American School of New York proposed campus on the property they own which was the former Ridgeway Country Club, which the city staff and the Council have been evaluating the last five months, is complete.

The Gedney Association that represents the neighborhood where the school proposes to build a 7-building campus consolidating their separate metropolitan locations onto one campus, requested last week the Common Council open new hearings for public comment on the proposed alternate entrances to the possible campus on Bryant Avenue and North Street, that were evaluated as requested in previous environmental impact statement scoping comment.

The current White Plains Week television show, the city news roundup program with John Bailey, Peter Katz and Jim Benerofe analyzes the possible new entrances submitted in the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement with pictures of the proposed areas to be affected. You may see that show anytime at

www.whiteplainsweek.com

and see it on television at 7 PM Monday evening on White Plains Public TV on channels 45 (FIOS) and 76(CABLEVISION).

Mike Solomon,Desk Night “Guard” 1 of 2 Dead in YMCA–1 Behind Front Desk. 1 in Room. Murder-Suicide Police Conclude

Posted on August 31, 2013 by John Bailey

Medcal Examiner van leaving YMCA at 12:15 P.M.

Approximate area where 3 rooms were engulfed in flame early Saturday morning.

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. AUGUST 31, 2013 UPDATED 8:45 A.M. E.DT UPDATED 1:30 PM EDT.:UPDATED 6 P.M. E.D.T.

UPDATED 9:30 A.M. E.D.T., SEPTEMBER 1.

UPDATED 10:30 A.M. E.D.T., SEPTEMBER 1

A fire “of suspicious origin” broke out at the YMCA on Mamaroneck Avenue early Saturday morning has been determined by White Plains Police to be the result of a murder suicide involving a resident who stabbed the night front desk guard to death, then went to his room on the third floor and set himself on fire. How the suspect set himself on fire has not been explained, though media have reported the method was “incendiary devices.”

Police are expected to turn over the building to the YMCA Sunday afternoon. A spokesperson for the Y in an e-mail, said the Y is expected to reopen September 3, but had not been able to analyze the damage yet (see statement later in this report.)

The YMCA has issued a statement (SEE BELOW) on the incident and will update status of the Y reopening on their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/WhitePlainsYMCA

The self-immolation by the suspected resident started the blaze that resulted in an explosion that observers said blew out an interior wall of the resident’s room. Some 60 persons fled the building at approximately 4 in the morning. Six firefighters were injured and treated at White Plains Medical Center and released.

Comissioner of Public Safety David Chong announced to media that Micharel Solomon, 68 of Elmsford was stabbed to death by the as yet, unidentified resident of the YMCA, who has not yet been conclusively identified. Dental records are being used for positive identification. Solomon had been a longtime, well-liked employee at the YMCA.

Chong said the as-yet-unidentified resident whom two residents identified to WPCNR as a man named Eddie, was found dead in his fire-damaged room after setting himself on fire.

Solomon, Chong said yesterday was found dead of multiple stab wounds behind the YMCA front-desk.

A spokesperson for the Y contacted WPCNR this morning and gave this statement by e-mail on when the Y will resume operations:

Hi John, initial thoughts are potentially by Tuesday morning, but we won’t know for sure until we can examine the extent of damage to the facility when the police turn over the building to us this afternoon. A mass email blast will go out to members informing you, and I’ve been updating our Facebook Page which will announce it as soon as I know.

Late Saturday, a Red Cross spokesperson said they expected to house at least 20 persons in some way.

At a news conference Saturday, Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong said names of the deceased would be released by the department via press release. No more details on the cause of the fire and what caused the deaths of the two and the sequence of events that started the fire on the third floor (characterized as an explosion according to a second resident interviewed by WPCNR), were provided at the news conference.

Commissioner Chong was reported by News 12 AS OF 4 P.M., as saying one body was found behind the reception desk on the first floor, and the other body was found in one of the burned rooms,

This is consistent with what a resident of the Y interviewed by WPCNR earlier this morning, who said the incident began around 4 A.M. Saturday morning. The resident told me that another resident of the Y entered the building shot the clerk at the front desk in the reception area of the Y, then the shooter went up to his room and “blew himself up.”

The resident told WPCNR, “I heard a loud bang, smelled smoke then heard the alarms, and got out.”

Asked by WPCNR if they had seen the front desk clerk deceased behind the reception desk, the resident said they had not, but they were concentrating on leaving the building because of the fire. (The resident assumed Solomon was shot.)

The fire occurred in the older part of the YMCA, third floor.

A police and fire crime scene investigation unfolded all day Saturday, with City Corporation Counsel John Callahan and Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong on the scene. Mayor Thomas Roach was not on the scene the times WPCNR was covering, though the Mayor made an appearance late in the afternoon on television. Former Mayor Joseph Delfino was at the scene early around 9 A.M. checking to see if firefighters were ok, he said.

Commissioner Chong confirmed to WPCNR Saturday morning that the Department of Public Safety responded at 4 A.M. to an alarm at the YMCA. The fire involved 2 rooms on the third floor. He said two people are dead, but could not release their names at this time pending notification of kin, and he could not say the cause of death at that time. He did not say Saturday morning one of the dead was the clerk at the front desk. “It is a fire of suspicious origin investigation at this time.”

Saturday morning, Chong told WPCNR the fire was contained within 20 to 30 minutes and six firefighters were treated, but not injured seriously. The investigation was continuing he said.

Approximately 60 residents of the YMCA were on the sidewalk across Mamaroneck Avenue from the Y, They were evacuated. At this time the Y is closed. The resident WPCNR spoke to said they had no idea when they were going to be allowed to go back into the building.

As of noon, a Red Cross spokesperson told WPCNR she expected about 20 persons would have to be housed elsewhere. That was her expectation at the time

At mid-morning Saturday, Deputy Chief Anne FitzSimmons was telling persons evacuated to give the American Red Cross, which was on the scene, requests for medicine, and the Red Cross would inform the police, who would go into the building and retrieve the medications for those requesting them.

Carolyn Sherwin of the American Red Cross said St. Matthews Church had opened their community room to give a temporary place for the evacuated residents. Sherwin told WPCNR they were in “a holding pattern” as of 9:30 A.M. “We’re working closely with the WPPD. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

She said health specialists, psychiatric and crisis team counselors were on the scene and food was being provided.

Further details as they are made available.

The YMCA has issued this statement Sunday morning on the crime:

At the White Plains YMCA, the safety and well-being of our members, residents and staff is a top priority. We are shocked and deeply saddened by what took place at our residence yesterday morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these two men. We are grateful that our other residents were evacuated safely and that no one else associated with the YMCA was injured.

We are fully supporting the investigations being conducted by the White Plains police and fire departments. We will work closely with them to determine when our residents can return to the residence and members to the facility. Questions about the investigations should be directed to representatives of the police and fire departments.

The YMCA is working to gather facts about this situation. We will be unable to comment further until we know more. We wish to express our sincerest gratitude to the White Plains Fire Department and White Plains Police Department, both of which responded quickly and expertly.

We will post an update regarding the status of when members can return to the facility and we will be re-opening as soon as possible.