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 WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. November 30, 2010 UPDATED 5:20 P.M. E.S.T.:

 

Testimony concluded in Adam Bradley’s trial on charges of domestic abuse today at 3:45 P.M. with Judge Susan Capeci announcing she would hear summations from both sides at 9:30 A.M.

 

Adam Bradley faced 30 minutes more questioning from prosecutor Audrey Stone, in which Ms. Stone queried him on details of his earlier testimony, without getting Mr. Bradley into any misstatements. When Stone completed her cross-examination, Luis Penichet declined to question Mr. Bradley further “on redirect.”  Three character witnesses were called by the prosecution. Penichet in cross examination of two of the witnesses brought out that prior to February 28, (the date of the incident when the alleged domestic abuse of Fumiko Bradley allegedly took place), they had not had conversations regarding Mrs. Bradley’s honesty.

 

 

Earlier today, Adam Bradley, Mayor of White Plains mounted the stand again this morning at 11 A.M. and Luis Penichet, his defense lawyer, finished his questioning of Mr. Bradley, and turned him over to Audrey Stone, the prosecutor for cross examination.

 

Ms. Stone pursued a series of matters, attempting to paint Mr. Bradley as initiating marriage counseling in 2006 because of Fumiko Bradley’s behavior, but Bradley insisted it was counseling for the both of them. 

 

She established that he had been involved in getting orders of protection in the past from authorities in disputes with two former girl friends, and stated that Mr. Bradley had never sought orders of protection from Mrs. Bradley.  In each of those cases Bradley pointed out he remained friends with one, and was just trying to get one girl friend out of the house and with the other girl friend, the order of protection was for both him and Mrs. Bradley prohibiting the second girl friend from seeing them 

 

Stone attempted to establish that Mr. Bradley left the house after the alleged February 28 slaming-the-hand-in-the-bedroom door incident without determining the whereabouts of his children. Bradley pointed out to the prosecutor he kissed and hugged his children goodbye before seeing them later. Bradley testified that during he April 2 incident with Mrs. Bradley’s mother in the bedroom and Fumiko present that he said on advice of his attorneys he could not see Mrs. Bradley any more.

 

The most significant testimony  from Mr. Bradley occurred just before lunch break. The prosecutor asked Mr. Bradley if he was a “very close friend” of  John DiBlasi, the boyfriend of Alexandra Hofgaertner, who was a friend and a confident of Fumiko Bradley.  Hofgaertner and DiBlasi accompanied Mrs. Bradley to the police station the day of February 28 when she accoused Mr. Bradley of assault (for allegedly slamming her hand in the bedroom door).

 

Bradley, said answering the question about whether DiBlasi was a “very close friend,” said “not a very close friend,” but acknowledged they were friendly, and had worked on his campaign saying, “he wanted to be my Chief of Staff.” Bradley noted, “he was not happy with the people I was bringing into my administration.”

 

The statement Bradley made directly contradicted the testimony of Ms. Hofgaertner who had testified that DiBlasi did not have any interest in the chief of staff job in Mayor Bradley’s new administration because he (DiBlasi) was happy in his career as an arbitrator.

 

Audrey Stone changed the subject ending before the lunch break, turning to questions about Mrs. Bradley’ help during the campaign.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. November 29, 2010:

 

Mayor Adam Bradley testified in his own defense this afternoon in his trial on nine charges of domestic abuse, among them: third degree assault and witness tampering and harassment, saying he was pushing the bedroo door shut to keep his wife out of the bedroom and at no time did her hand get caught in the door.

 

Mr. Bradley’s sister testified that there was no yelling or shouting involving Fumiko Bradley and Mr. Bradley on the day of alleged witness tampering incident April 2 in contrast to what Fumiko Bradley’s mother had testifed previously.

 

Observers also learned from Mr. Bradley it is possible that Fumiko Bradley overheard him say to Peter Bodnar, (Mr. Bradley’s divorce lawyer), that Mr. Bradley was going to leave Fumiko Bradley, just after the February 28 door-slamming incident unfolded.

 

In his account of the February 28 incident where his wife Fumiko alleged he slammed her hand in the bedroom door twice, Bradley said that after his wife had come up the stairs, screaming at him for drinking lemonade on the previous day, he tried to calm her down.

 

He at first was saying “I’m sorry”  “several times,” then said he told her “It’s just lemonade,” at which point, Bradley testified Fumiko Bradley slapped him on the left side of his face.

 

He then said “I pleaded with her, I’m sorry please leave me alone.” He said she was still very angry and screaming at that point while he was “in a state of shock,”  and she left the bedroom, while he sat on the bed.

 

“I was still in shock when I heard her coming back to the bedroom, and I went to the door to prevent her from coming in (to the bedroom). I pushed the door shut.”

 

Bradley then said “Fumiko was on the other side, pushing on the other side.”

 

Bradley said there were several struggles with the door with his wife trying to get in,  where he tried to keep Mrs. Bradley out and she kept trying to get into the bedroom.

 

Mr. Penichet, his attorney, asked if  at any time he saw Fumiko Bradley’s hand in the door. Bradley said “No. I did not.”

 

Penichet asked Bradley what happened next, the Mayor said “I eventually let go (of the bedroom door).”

 

Bradley said the contest over the door resulted in the door injuring his toe.

 

Penichet introduced a police photograph showing the injury. Bradley asked if the (police) photo was a fair and accurate representation of his toe injury, said the color was off. Audrey Stone the prosecutor introduced another copy asking if the color was better. Bradley agreed.

 

Penichet moved Mr. Bradley into what happened next. Bradley said Fumiko Bradley came into the room, and he sat on the bed, saying, “Fumiko, please leave me alone.”

 

Asked to describe Mrs. Bradley’s appearance, he described her as “her face being very red, eyes large, hysterically angry.”

 

Bradley then testified he went into the bathroom with the telephone and called Peter Bodnar, his lawyer, with his wife standing outside the bathroom door, still screaming.

 

Penichet then asked what did Mr. Bradley say to Mr. Bogner.

 

Prosecutor Leaps to her feet.

Prosecutor Audrey Stone lept out of her chair to her feet and in her loudest “Objection!” of the trial –complained to Judge Capeci, that Penichet, “regularly slips prejudicial statements (into the proceedings) that influences witnesses while they are testifying.”

 

Penichet told Judge Capeci, Mr. Bradley’s answer would go “to the heart” of the case, speaking to “motive.”

 

With a heavy sigh, Judge Capeci said, “I’ll allow it.”

 

Bradley then answered the question saying, he told Mr. Bodnar, his divorce lawyer,  “I’d had enough. I was packing my bags and was moving out.”

 

Previously Mrs. Bradley when testifying as the plaintiff, admitted that when she saw Mr. Bradley take the phone into the bathroom, she went downstairs to the kitchen to listen in to the telephone conversation between Mr. Bradley and whoever was on the other end of the line. Mrs. Bradley testifying about that phone call did not say she had heard that said.

 

It was shortly after that phone call (within hours on that Februry 28) that Mrs. Bradley went to the police station accompanied by the Hofgaertners, her neighbors, and filed the original complaint against Mr. Bradley.

 

Mr. Bradley also testified that Mrs. Bradley punched him on election day as previously testified to by Yuko Watanabe, the au pair, earlier today. Bradley recounted that marital problems began in their marriage after their first child arrived in October, 2003, and they first began seeing a marriage counselor in 2006 once a week.

 

In testimony involving the alleged tea throwing incident on January 11, Bradley said his wife pushed him, spilling the tea on both of them. He said the incident started because his wife was angry at him because she had to take his parents to the airport that day because he was not home in time to do so.

 

Testimony will continue with Mr. Bradley on the stand Tuesday morning.

 

Earlier this afternoon, Joell Bradley, Mr. Bradley’s sister testified that on the day when Mrs. Bradley’s mother, Kane Machinaga testified that she (Mrs. Machinaga) heard yelling and screaming she (Machinaga) considered “dangerous,” and went to find her daughter in the bathroom shivering, with Mr. Bradley outside the bathroom – that there was no yelling and screaming. This was directly opposite of what Mrs. Machinaga had testified.

 

Prosecutor Stone said testimony was expected to wrap up Tuesday with summations expected Wednesday.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2010. From Bob Cohen, Candidate for the 37th New York State Senate  District. November 28, 2010  4 P.M. E.S.T.:

I wanted to provide you with an update on the progress we’ve made.

I am happy to report that we have been gaining steadily.  We started today down only 297 votes.  We have cut the lead in half since Tuesday! 

There are just under 3000 ballots left to be counted and it will still take several days to complete the process.  

They are opening ballots at the board of elections currently.  I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Board of Elections, both Republicans and Democrats, for all of the hard work and long hours that they have put in.  Many  have been working through the nights and weekends, spending time away from their family.  This is an arduous process and their work is appreciated.  

We are consistently gaining votes and this race is far from over.  While we are working to conclude the counting as swiftly as possible, it’s critical that the process is conducted thoroughly and accurately.  

I am truly grateful for your continued support.  Your hard work and words of encouragement have been invaluable to me throughout this campaign.

I will provide you with another update as soon as new information becomes available.

 

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. November 23, 2010:

 

GOOD FIRST QUARTER

 

Commissioner of Finance, Michael Genito, reported White Plains had a good first quarter with the sales tax up a net 5.7% when the ¼% sales tax receipts dedicated to the Finance Stabilization Fund were taken out of the overall 11.7% increase. $1.2 Million has been dedicated to the Finance Stabilization Fund in the first quarter, $1.6 Million is in the fund for the four months the 1/4% has been funneling into it. Genito said the rise in sales tax collections was across all applicable taxable sales and did not reflect adjustments from previous months.

 

 

Genito said hotel tax, and mortgage tax receipts were not reportable in the first quarter. Dity expenditures in departments were on target. Savings in job cuts amounting to $2 Million was used to pay for increased personnel expenses.He said he was worried about a possible $300,000 cut in state aid to the city, and possible increased mandates such as pension fund contribution increases.

 

It was not mentioned that new labor contracts with the police and fire unions have to be negotiated.  Genito said the second quarter (October, November, December) was critical for the city performance the rest of the fiscal year.

IN OTHER ACTION —————–

NEW WATER RATES

 

 

VETERANS PARK TAKES FIRST STEP

 

 

 

ONE MAN GARBAGE PICKUP PILOT PROGRAM

 

 

IN EXECUTIVE SESSION

 

In Executive Session, the Council discussed three separate matters, unconnected, WPCNR has learned from realiable sources. One item was purchase of  less than 10 acres of land; another was a personnel matter; and third was possible litigation. The possible reopening of a possible city bid on Ridgeway Country Club was not discussed. The Mayor’s ethics matter now before the City Board of Ethics was not discussed.

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WPCNR MEANWHILE BACK IN THE GULF. From National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Admininstration (Edited). November 24, 2010:

NOAA has closed 4,213 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters off Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama today to royal red shrimping. The precautionary measure was taken after a commercial shrimper, having hauled in his catch of the deep water shrimp, discovered tar balls in his net.

Fishing for royal red shrimp is conducted by pulling fishing nets across the bottom of the ocean floor.  The tar balls found in the catch may have been entrained in the net as it was dragged along the seafloor/

Other fishing at shallower depths in this area has not turned up any tar balls and is thus not impacted by this closure.   The fisherman who reported this catch had trawled for brown shrimp in shallow waters in a different portion of the area to be closed earlier in the day without seeing tar balls.

The finding comes several weeks after scientists from NOAA discovered coral beds coated with oil in the vicinity of the Deepwater Ocean rig. The two discoveries come  months after NOAA had determined that not much damage had been found because dispersants used by BP during the spill had apparently enabled the seas to assimilate the oil from the spill, and after the University of California at Berkeley had announced the finding of a new oil eating bacteria that had fed on the oil and elmininated a major portion of the oil from descending to the bottom.

Following the report of tar balls, NOAA was in contact with shrimpers involved in royal red shrimping in this area.  Only a handful of the approximately 250 permitted royal red shrimp fishermen are currently active in the fishery. The tar balls are being analyzed by the U.S. Coast Guard to determine if they are from the Deepwater Horizon/BP spill.

This decision was made in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The closure becomes effective at 6 p.m. EST and does not apply to any state waters.

“We are taking this situation seriously. This fishery is the only trawl fishery that operates at the deep depths where the tar balls were found and we have not received reports of any other gear or fishery interactions with tar balls,” said Roy Crabtree, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast region. “Our primary concerns are public safety and ensuring the integrity of the Gulf’s seafood supply. 

Royal red shrimp are caught in Gulf waters deeper than 600 feet and are the only species targeted with trawls at these depths. The more common Gulf shrimp species are brown, white and pink shrimp and are caught in waters less than 300 feet deep. The agency has received no reports of tar balls from fishermen that target other species in that area. Fishing for other shellfish and finfish species within this area is still allowed. 

These waters were closed to all commercial and recreational fishing earlier this summer because of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill and were reopened to all fishing on November 15 after hundreds of seafood specimens sampled from the area, including royal red shrimp, passed both sensory and chemical testing. Additionally, no oil was observed in the area for a period of 30 days prior to the reopening.

NOAA and FDA are continuing to work together to sample seafood from inside and outside the closure, and are continuing market-based sampling of seafood processing plants and dockside sampling. NOAA is also sending vessels to the area to re-sample for royal red shrimp. The agency will reopen this area after determining there is no seafood safety concern. NOAA will conduct extensive sampling in the area, subjecting specimens to sensory and chemical analysis, including the recently approved chemical test for dispersants, in accordance with the rigorous re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA and the Gulf states.

An area covering 1,041 square miles immediately surrounding the Deepwater Horizon wellhead still remains closed to all commercial and recreational fishing. The fishing area closure was first instituted on May 2, at which time it covered about 3 percent (6,817 square miles) of Gulf waters around the wellhead. As oil continued to spill from the wellhead, the area grew in size, peaking at 37 percent (88,522 square miles) of Gulf waters on June 2.

NOAA has a number of methods for the public to obtain information or be notified when there is a change to the closed area: