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 MILESTONES. August 6, 2013:

Sixty-seven years ago, the Enola Gay, a single American bomber dropped an Atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The terrible effects of that single bomb are a horror that has never been repeated

A second bomber, Bock’s Car on August 9, dropped a similar bomb on Nagasaki. Unknown thousands of Japanese citizens’ lives were vaporized, burned,  and maimed and two cities leveled to the ground in an instant in both bombings.

To grasp what one atomic bomb did to Nagasaki. Readers may see the photographs Japanese photographer Yosuki Yamato took of the aftermath of Nagasaki the day it happened at http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki/photos.html#journey/63.jpg

The decision to drop the bombs was made after the United States, Great Britain and the Republic of China demanded Japan  surrender in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26 or face  “prompt and utter destruction”. The Japanese government did not.

The United States deployed two nuclear weapons  dropping one on Hiroshimi today, 68 years ago and one on Nagasaki on August 9.

Over four months the bombs resulted in the deaths of   90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 in Nagasaki, half dying the day the bombs fell.

The Hiroshima prefecture health department estimated that, of the people who died on the day of the explosion, 60% died from flash or flame burns, 30% from falling debris and 10% from other causes. During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness. In a US estimate of the total immediate and short term cause of death, 15–20% died from radiation sickness, 20–30% from burns, and 50–60% from other injuries, compounded by illness. In both cities, most of the dead were civilians, although Hiroshima had a sizeable garrison.

The horror of those two bombings and the aftermath, the injuries have created  an effort and reluctance on the part of nuclear-armed powers to avoid any nuclear attacks since that date.

Within a few days of those bombings, Japan surrendered unconditionally, officially ending World War II.

The decision to use the bombs by the United States has long been debated. A dialogue on what the bombs did, why the decision was made was collected in 1995, the fiftieth year since the bombings. It is available at http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki/commentary/decision.html

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey  August 5, 2013 UPDATED AUGUST 6, 2013:

Unless a law firm and traffic engineering firm can complete their analysis of the French American School of New York consolidated campus plan for the defunct Ridgeway Country  Club property with weeks, it appears the Common Council will not make a decision on the FASNY project, or even take up the FASNY proposal for the Gedney Farms neightbor property until after the November city elections.

At the Common Council monthly meeting Monday evening, the council voted to extend the contracts the city has with Silverberg Zalantis and TRC Engineering to continue to review the project this fiscal year.

The contract with Silverberg Zalantis  is being being  extended to a maximum cost of $85,000 for the purpose of reviewing the FASNY Draft and Final Environmental Impact statements.

The Council will also extended the contract of  TRC Engineers, Inc., to continue to review traffic and transportation, noise and air quality issues that may be raised by the Final Environmental Impact Statement the school presented last April. TRC Engineer extended contract will be to a maximum of $90,000.

The French American School will pay the cost of both contracts.

Silverberg and Zalantis is the law firm that devised the proposed Recreation District Ordinance restricting setbacks on recreation properties (Westchester Hills Country Club, the Ridgeway property, Fenway Golf Club and areas adjacent the Hutchison River Parkway) in the city last year. The Recreation Ordinance has not been reintroduced after the draft ordinance was presented last fall. There has been no comment from the city whether or not a revised such ordinance will be reintroduced,  just that it was being “tweaked.” That recreation ordinance received strong objections from Westchester Hills Country Club which threatened to take the city to  court over the ordinance because the club felt it compromised the future value of their property.

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 WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013. From Cass Cibelli, Candidate for Mayor of White Plains. August 4, 2013:

Renaissance Plaza needs to improve its image. What could be the jewel of our downtown seems drab and stuck in time, seemingly tired and uninviting. Particularly now, on Wednesday nights, the fountains are jammed with people listening to loud, contemporary music while a chalkboard chronicles the scribbles of a sentence stem begging, “Before I die”.

We Propose:  “As I live…” displayed electronically, and erected high so as citizens watch the fountain waters rise, their eyes take in positive and refreshing messages. These messages may be texted from all over the world, or right from our very own town such as announcements, words of encouragement welcoming home soldiers and congratulations to graduates, local teams and civic groups; it all can be managed from a lap top computer.

In terms of Public Safety, the band shell needs to go. That it sits in a full lane of traffic just raises the probability that if for any reason, the City needs that space at a moment’s notice; it just doesn’t have it, at great peril to pedestrians and automobiles; save to mention bicyclists. A city-owned light truck sits idle with no emergency vehicle in sight. Perhaps it was inconspicuous?

Save the electricity, down size the unnecessary overhead, and transform the arts.  Change the experience from a top down, passive performance venue like cover bands, to a more appropriately amplified musical performance such as string quartets and light jazz ensembles; moreover, Doo Wop artists and the many tribute artists currently on the circuit.

It appears that from the sound and volume of the cover bands, the fact that the bands tower over the crowds, losing the natural buffer all those bodies provide, restaurant patrons within ear’s shot while dining alfresco obviously strain their conversations.

Economically speaking, the City spends taxpayer dollars to produce this venue and fails to leverage its clout to raise revenues by utilizing a space like Renaissance Plaza Fountains effectively.

We see in Renaissance Plaza a chance for real culture.

A venue whose ambiance deserves what is pleasing to the eyes, palate and particularly to the ears so citizens can choose where to spend their dollars and hear themselves think.  In Frascati, Italy, there are merchants with fresh fruits, gelato and Panini, jewelry; both costume and fine, literature, paintings and prints, and as you shop or browse, you remain engaged and free to be you.

Here at home we will generate fees from Participating Merchants so residents, visitors and future investors alike experience the real 21st Century White Plains. We can replicate world class experiences in White Plains.  We propose to promote local and world-renowned artists, musicians and retailers. That they be celebrated in White Plains doesn’t come free. It’s a win-win situation, particularly for tax payers. We do not believe for a second that owners of the Residences at the Ritz Carlton expected their investments to include a regularly scheduled Block Party outside their windows?

This November, we have a real chance to change the direction of White Plains by focusing now on what seniors, young families and their children deserve: A quality of life supported and paid for by raising revenues and relieving us of the current outrageous tax burden. The lack of vision at Renaissance Plaza is endemic of the lack of vision for the entire 10 square miles that makes up White Plains.

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PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY BAND JIM BENEROFE REPORTING

PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY AND JIM BENEROFE

ON

 THE TAPPAN ZEE ACCIDENT

 THE CITY DRAGS FEET ON REVEALING THE REAL POLICE OVERTIME FIGURES SAYS POLICE JUST WANT A 3-DAY WORK WEEK. POLICE SAY $50,000 EXPENDED IN OT IN JULY ALONE.

MAIN STREET HOTEL BRINGS IN THE CRANES

CITY AUDITS CABLEVISION AND VERIZON.

PETER KATZ ON THE TELEVISION OF THE FUTURE.

ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE CITY NEWS ROUNDUP SHOW

 ON THE INTERNET

AT

www.whiteplainsweek.com

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From New York City Police Department. August 2, 2013:

The NYPD is asking the public to advise them if they know of the whereabouts of former Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt paralegal, Dana Lauren Bonanno, reported missing from her Greenpoint, Brooklyn apartment since July 22. The official information: