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 ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. January 15, 2013:

Governor Andrew Cuomo issued this statement today, pleading with the U.S. Congress to pass the long-awaited aid bill for New York to move ahead with Hurricane Sandy recovery:

“It has been 78 days since New York State suffered the worst natural disaster in its history. Sandy destroyed or severely damaged almost 19,000 homes and apartments. Over 42,000 impacted businesses are still waiting for financial assistance.

And nearly three months later, over 15,000 New Yorkers still cannot return to the places they call home; every day of delay makes it harder for them to believe they ever will. Our residents have been trying to rebuild their lives and they have been waiting for Washington D.C. to act.

“New Yorkers have suffered through a disaster unlike any our nation has ever seen, and it has been regrettably matched by the most disappointing response by Congress that any state has ever seen. This has now been taken to a new level of dysfunction. In ten short days, victims of Hurricane Katrina received nearly $52 billion of much-needed aid. After Hurricane Gustav, it took 17 days for residents in the impacted region to get $20 billion of relief.

These states and their residents didn’t have to wait nearly this long for the help they deserved, and neither should New Yorkers. If Congress wants to show us that they will live up to the commitments they made when they saw how we were suffering, they need to pass this bill today.”

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WPCNR FLU NEWS. From Caren Halbfinger. Westchester County Health Department. January 14, 2013:

The health department is actively monitoring the availability of flu vaccine at area pharmacies and medical practices and has provided resources on our website for residents to find a flu shot and for doctors to order more flu vaccine. Residents should always call ahead to the pharmacy to be sure they have flu vaccine in stock, since supplies can fluctuate.

The governor’s declaration of a flu emergency on Saturday cleared the way for an executive order by the Governor that allows pharmacists to give vaccines to children under age 18 for the next 30 days (starting Jan 13). Residents should call ahead and check with their local pharmacy to be sure the pharmacy has vaccine in stock and is prepared to give vaccines to children.

While the number of confirmed flu cases is close to 1,000, as of the week before last, the number of hospitalized patients is low.

Most people will recover on their own from the flu with bed rest and fluids and do not need to see their doctor or go to an emergency room. Residents who believe they have the flu should call their doctor first before going to the office, where they can infect others.

Here’s our flu information for the public:

(Editor’s Note: This URL immediately following lists locations with flu vaccine, however, some locations are out of the vaccine at present time. Call ahead to make sure vaccine is on hand.)

http://health.westchestergov.com/flu-information

Here’s a link for MDs/etc to order more vaccine:

http://health.westchestergov.com/emerging-topics

Here’s our most recent news release on this topic:

http://health.westchestergov.com/images/stories/PressReleases/2013_Jan10_Flu.pdf

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WPCNR FLU NEWS. January 14, 2013:

Flu shots are being given at CVS Pharmacies in downtown White Plains.

The CVS pharmacies in WP  are located at 24 Mamaroneck Avenue (949-0961; 325 Mamaroneck Avenue (287-7650); 452 Mamaroneck Avenue (686-0226); 601 North Broadway (328-4925); and 253 North Central Park Avenue in Hartsdale (681-0618).

The pharmacy at 325 Mamaroneck Avenue told WPCNR at 2 P.M. they had just run out. The shot costs $31.99 and CVS accepts all insurances. No appointment is necessary.

It is advised you call the CVS to check on availability of the vaccine, which WPCNR was told may be administered at any time you walk in, if the vaccine is not out of stock.

To locate a CVS pharmacy outside of White Plains go to the CVS website at http://www.cvs.com/stores/store-locator-landing.jsp?_requestid=947122 and do a search on your community.

The Westchester Medical Group, a primary care group in White Plains is only giving flu shots by appointment with your doctor registered with the group, and not through its Emergency Treatment Center.

Any pharmacies in and around White Plains with flu vaccine are encouraged to e-mail wpcnr at wpcnr@aol.com and tell us. WPCNR will add you to this limited list.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. January 14, 2013:

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Raymond W. Kelly, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD),  announced charges against 10 members of a criminal organization based on Wyatt Street in the Bronx, New York.

Nine of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. The crew’s alleged ringleader, Anibal Ramos, and one of its members, Anibal Soto, were charged in the original, July 2012 indictment with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and the brandishing of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the kidnapping.

Ramos and Soto are alleged to have kidnapped and tortured an individual, including by burning the victim with an iron. The superseding indictment adds narcotics charges against Ramos and also charges him and three of the new defendants with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.

All eight of the new defendants charged were taken into custody today as part of a coordinated operation involving federal and local law enforcement officers. Ramos, who was arrested in August 2012, and Soto, who was arrested in July 2012, remain detained. All the defendants arrested today will be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, for far too long, these defendants were a bloody blight on a Bronx community, contaminating it with poisonous and highly addictive drugs and the guns and brutal violence that are part and parcel of the drug trade. This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in this conduct and to expand cases previously charged when we develop new evidence. With the charges we bring today in two separate cases against 19 defendants, the Bronx neighborhoods in which they ran amok are safer places for their residents.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos, “This case highlights once again the dual threat posed to our communities by the illegal drug trade. The drugs themselves are poison, with life-altering and lethal consequences. And violence almost always comes with the territory. We remain committed to restoring our communities to their law-abiding residents.”

NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “The depraved acts of torture described in the indictment need no further characterization, other than to observe that the nexus between drug trafficking and violence is well-established, and the commitment among police and prosecutors to bring its practitioners to justice is unyielding.”

As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court:

From at least 2000 through August 31, 2012, Ramos was the leader of a drug crew that operated on Wyatt Street in the Bronx and sold significant street level quantities of crack cocaine and heroin. In addition, members of the drug trafficking organization used firearms, threats of violence, and violence to secure and enforce their drug territory, including the kidnapping and brutal torture committed by Ramos and Soto.

Ramos, Joel Cabrera, William Zacchi, Christopher Hernandez, Michael Aviles, Latrell Riddles, Charitza Quintana, Yasmine, Zelayandia, and Jacqueline Hernandez are charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, crack cocaine and heroin.

Ramos, Aviles, Riddles, and Zelayandia are also charged with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.

A chart containing the ages, residency information, and charges against the defendants, as well as the maximum penalties they face is at the conclusion of this release.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. He added that the investigation is continuing

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WPCNR Mamaroneck Avenue Ambler. From Howard Properties, White Plains. (Edited) January 10, 2013:

Moderating  the annual Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) Westchester’s “State of the Market” panel at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, White Plains, Howard Greenberg of Howard Properties, White Plains said the Westchester market is changing in various and significant ways.

He cited the flurry of mid to large-size transactions in the fourth quarter that led to an almost break-even net absorption of negative 21,600 square feet.  “The fact that we were almost break-even—something that has not occurred for most of the last decade—was pretty amazing.”

He reported that the market was very slow in the first nine months when a total of 831,000 square feet was leased through September. But in the fourth quarter, 651,000 square feet were leased, led by PepsiCo’s 234,000 square-foot commitment at 1111 Westchester Avenue, bringing the year’s total to 1,482,000 square feet. In 2011, 1,600,000 square feet were leased with negative absorption of 600,000 square feet. In 2010, 1,800,000 square feet were leased but 220,000 square feet returned to the market.

He noted that the availability rate in 2012 was 17.4%, almost 1 percent less than the end of 2011 though the county still has more than 5,000,000 square feet of space available.

Of a total of 235 lease transactions, 73% were for office spaces less than 5,000 square feet, accounting for 25% of the total space leased. There were 60 leases for between 5,000 and 50,000 square feet, representing 43% of the space leased. Four transactions, each in excess of 50,000 square feet, accounted for more than 32% of the space leased.

He added: “There were lots of lease renewals as tenants are still reluctant to make major capital expenditures. This is a student driver recovery, he said: Step on the gas, step on the brake.”

He characterized PepsiCo’s commitment to Westchester as “huge” with its decision to renovate and expand the corporate headquarters in Purchase and to lease an additional 234,000 SF of office space during the construction period.

Another positive market development he cited was progress in the repurposing of older office buildings along 287 with the 200,000 square-foot Life Time Fitness project at 1 Gannett Drive and the bio tech firm, Histogenetics, at 102 and 104 Corporate Park, together taking a total of more than 400,000 square feet of space.

Another positive development in 2012 was the continuing growth of the healthcare sector as evidenced by WestMed’s increased presence in the county, occupying more than 400,000 square feet of space to date.

He voiced some concerns “The last new multi-tenant office buildings in Westchester were built in the mid-80s, making the county’s ‘newest’ product almost than 30 years old and many buildings closer to 40 years old. Developers cannot afford to build new office buildings today, as they cannot make a profit at current rental rates. How will Westchester be able to attract new tenants in the future with an aging office space inventory?”

Another problematic issue he addressed was one that the Westchester County Association’s Young Professionals group has been very vocal about—the need for affordable housing. “This is critically important in order to assure that the county retains our next generation of business leaders.”

Other key developments in 2012 that Greenberg reviewed were:

1) Reckson Associates Realty’s announcement seeking approval from Rye Brook to construct indoor hockey rinks on the land at Reckson Executive Park that was approved for 315,000 square feet of space. “This is a notable event. Not only is a traditional REIT getting into the sports and recreation business but the ice rinks will generate a revenue stream from land that has long been vacant and awaiting development,” Greenberg remarked.

2) The construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge will drive leasing of new space on the west side of the county for New York State agencies, contractors and engineering firms.

3) Hurricane Sandy is forcing owners and tenants to take a harder look at damage and destruction clauses in their leases. Many more companies and building owners will implement or review their disaster preparedness plans in the wake of this storm.

The panelists included David Friedman, Director of Real Estate, Montefiore Medical Center; Justin Krebs, Principal-Region Head, Normandy Real Estate Partners; John Barnes, Senior Vice President and Senior Director, Reckson, division of SL Green, and Al Gutierrez, Vice President of CB Richard Ellis.