“GOOD MORNING FROM WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA WHERE IT IS 66 PARTLY SUNNY WPCNR DEGREES.
DENNIS “DION” NARDONE: THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES IS MOVING INTO THE FORTUNOFF SPACE, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
JOHN: I DO NOT THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA. I THINK THE TRAFFIC GOING INTO THAT MALL IS ONLY GOING TO BE AGGRAVATED EXPONENTIALLY BY THE DMV TRAFFIC GOING INTO THAT PAID PARKING GARAGE. THERE IS EXTENSIVE DROP OFF/ PICK UP TIE-UP TRAFFIC OUTSIDE WHOLE FOODS AND THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY ON BLOOMINGDALE ROAD THAT WILL HANG UP TRAFFIC.
I DO NOT THINK IT IS A GOOD LOCATION AT ALL. THE DMV DOES NOT ENHANCE THE GLAMOUR OF THE WESTCHESTER. IT IS NO LONGER CENTRAL TO THE DOWNTOWN OR A CONVENIENT BUS ROUTE. YOU HAVE TO DRIVE TO IT. THIS WAS ALL CAUSED BY A UNION PROTESTING THE PREVIOUS PROPOSED LOCATION ON WATER STREET BECAUSE THE NEW CLEANING CONTRACTOR FIRED UNION WORKERS AND THE DMV CHANGED ITS MIND TO MOVE THERE UNDER POLITICAL PRESSURE—THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BY SHORT-THINKING POLITICIANS AND OWNERS WENT INTO EFFECT AND THE DMV HAS STAYED IN THE WHITE PLAINS MALL DELAYING BY THREE YEARS I THINK NOW THE START OF JEWEL OF THE WHITE PLAINS MALL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TRANSIT DISTRICT.
DENNIS: WHAT ABOUT THE WHITE PLAINS HOTEL.
JOHN: YOU MEAN THE HOTEL REPLACING THE RITZ? THAT IS GOING TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS, THE NEW OWNERS HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED THE LOOK, IT IS UP SCALE, WELCOMING WITH GREAT ORIGINAL ART CONSIDERABLY BRIGHTENING UP THE BROWN ELEGANCE INTERIOR OF THE OLD RITZ AND THEY HAVE A COZY NEW COCKTAIL LOUNGE THAT IS SWANK, COSMOPOLOLITAN. IT SHOULD BE VERY POPULAR WITH THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELER AND THE DATING CROWD.
THIS WEEK, DENNIS I INTERVIEWED DR. JOSEPH RICCA WHITE PLAINS SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ON THE CLOSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FRIDAY. HE TOLD ME PARENTS ARE VOLUNTEERING THEIR CHILDREN TO ATTEND SUMMER SCHOOL IN ADDITION TO THOSE THE SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRING TO GO. HE SAID GRADUATION FOR WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2021 WILL BE HELD OUTDOORS AT LOUCKS FIELD WEDNESDAY JUNE 23RD AND THE HIGHLANDS GRADUATION TUESDAY OCT 22ND PARENTS HAVE TO HAVE PROOF OF VACCINATION TO ATTEND. THEY WILL BE SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
HE SAID THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL USE THEIR COVID AID TO MAKE HEAT AND VENTILATION IMPROVEMENTS AT ALL ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THE HIGH SCHOOL. THEY WILL AIR CONDITION ALL BUILDINGS INSTALL AIR FILTRATION AND AIR REPLENISHMENT SYSTEMS A FANTASTIC IMPROVEMENT. HE SAID THERE AT THIS TIME WILL BE NO REMOTE LEARNING IN THE FALL, AND IF THERE IS A NEW OUTBREAK OF COVID, THE DISTRICT WILL SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF REMOTE LEARNING WHICH WILL NOT BE AS IT WAS THIS YEAR WHEN A TEACHER HAD TO TEACH A CLASS IN FRONT OF HER AND OBSERVE STUDENTS AT HOME ON HIS OR HER COMPUTER. THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID THIS REMOTE LEARNING WAS NOT ADEQUATELY EFFECTIVE.
HE SAID GLASS BARRIERS WOULD BE COMNG DOWN IN SCHOOLS, STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO WEAR MASKS IN THE SCHOOLS AT THIS TIME AND NEXT FALL UNLESS LATER EVENTS AND DECISIONS ALLOW THE MASKING RULE TO BE RELAXED.
DR. RICCA SAID IN THE FUTURE THE DISTRICT IS GOING TO ADD MORE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS TO THE DISTRICT.
TECHNOLOGY OF WHITE BOARDS WILL BE PHASED OUT IN FAVOR OF TELEVISION SCREENS.
HE REPORTS EVERY STUDENT IN THE WHITE PLAINS SCHOOLS IS EQUIPPED WITH AN I-PAD AND BROADBAND…HE SAID THAT IF A FAMILY DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO BROADBAND, THE DISTRICT WILL PAY THE COST TO EQUIP THAT FAMILY’S HOME WITH BROADBAND.
THE DISTRICT WILL ALSO DO A LEARNING LOSS SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE ACADEMIC PROGRESS LOST DURING THE PANDEMIC. HE SAID ENROLLMENT WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN AND EMPHASIS IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE REPAIR OF EXISTING WHITE PLAINS SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL DISTRICT DEBT IS PAID DOWN BUT NO NEW SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION IS IN SIGHT.
YOU CAN HEAR THAT COMPLETE INTERVIEW THURSDAY NIGHT ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” ON CH 45 FIOS AND CH 76 OPTIMUM.
(SCRIPT PLANNED TO BE BROADCAST THAT WAS NOT AIRED:)
THERE IS A STORM BREWING OVER 701 WESTHESTER OFFICE CAMPUS OFFICE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED. THE COUNCIL OF NEIGHBRHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WANTS A MEETING WITH THE COMMON COUNCIL BUT SO FAR THE MAYOR AND THE COMMON COUNCIL HAVE NOT AGREED TO IT. THAT MATTER WAS MOVED TO JULY FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
THE CITY IS GOING TO REVISE ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BUT IT WILL TAKE 5 YEARS TO DO IT UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A CONSULTANT MAINLY THROUGH ELECTRONIC INTERFACING AS OUR TRANSIT DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WAS CONDUCTED. PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THAT.
THERE WAS A MOVIE PREMIER LAST NIGHT IN WHITE PLAINS AT THE WOLF AND WARRIOR RESTAURANT OF TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE ONLY MOVIE SHOT IN WHITE PLAINS DURING THE PANDEMIC. IT IS THE DEMITASSE PLAYERS PRODUCTION OF “AN EXISTENTIAL DATE” WRITTEN BY FORMER ECONOMICS PROFESSOR RICHARD CIRULLI
THE FILM WAS WELL RECEIVED BY W & W FIRST NIGHTERS LAST NIGHT. IT STARRED LOCAL ACTORS DONNA L. WHITE AND ROBERT ANSBRO WHO NAILED AN INTRIGUING EXISTENTIAL COMEDY PROVIDING SOME INTELLECTUAL HUMOR IN A TIME WHEN EXISTENCE DAY TO DAY IS BEING REEVALUATED AND REVALUED EVERY DAY. THE ENDS WITH A TWIST WORTHY OF ALFRED HITCHCOCK.
IT IS FUNNY WITH HANG-ON-EVERY-WORD CHARM CREATING STIMULATING, SOPHISTICATED INTIMACY – SENDING UP PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENTIALISM THROUGH VERBAL VOLLIES OF MS. WHITE AND MR. ANSBRO MENTALLY TOPPING ONE ANOTHER WITH BRAINY BANTER , SCINTILLATING ZINGERS EXPOSING REAL EMOTIONS THEY PUT OUT THERE AND EMBRACE THEIR “EXISTENCE.”
MS. WHITE AFTER APPEARING IN THE ONLY MOVIE PRODUCTION DURING THE PANDEMIC IN WHITE PLAINS MOVES INTO “THE BIG DREAM” BY ROLLIN JEWETT NEXT WEEK AT THE NEW YORK URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL SHE’LL FIT SMOOTHLY PLAYING A THERAPIST—GIRL FRIEND OF A SHOW BIZ PERSONALITY .
ACCORDING TO BROADWAY WORLD “THE BIG DREAM” IS ONE OF THE FIRST PLAYS TO BE STAGED IN NEW YORK CITY SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN AT THE URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL ONE NIGHT ONLY AT THE ABRONS ART CENTER 466 GRAND STREET ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE , NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 7 PM FREE. BROADWAY WORLD SAYS:
“STAGED IMMERSIVELY, WITH CHARACTERS TAKEN FROM AUDIENCE MEMBERS ITSELF, “THE BIG DREAM” TELLS THE TALE OF JACK, AN ARROGANT STAGE-PIG WHO RECOUNTS HIS JOURNEY OF HOW HE HOOFED AND WHORED HIS WAY ON STAGE AND ON FILM. WITH ONLY THE GOADING OF AN ENIGMATIC THERAPIST (PLAYED BY MS. WHITE) TO KEEP HIM ON TRACK, JACK GOES IN AND OUT OF REALITY TRYING TO FIND WHO HE REALLY IS … IF HE REALLY IS.” MS. WHITE WILL CERTAINLY FIT RIGHT INTO TO THE THERAPIST JARGON BASED ON HER TURN IN LAST NIGHT’S PREMIER OF “AN EXISTENTIAL DATE”
MR. ANSBRO AS JONATHAN , IS POMPOUS, PONTIFICATING PUNCTILIOUS, A SUPERIOR INTELLECTUALIST CONFIDENT OF HIS CODE OF EXISTENCE SEDUCED BY MS. WHITE’S SEEING THROUGH HIS CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED FAÇADES HE TRULY BELIEVES. SHE CHALLENGES HIM TO LIVE IN THEM .
MR. ANSBRO BRINGS OFF THE SUPERIORITY OF SELF-SATISFACTION AND MS. WHITE SHATTERS HIS SUPERCILIOUS OLYMPUS PERCH WITH HER DISARMING CANDOR. THE FILM IS RAPID-FIRE CONTEXTUALLY MEANDERING REPARTEE–AN EVER-INTENSE SEDUCTIVE REPOST-FILLED DENOUEMENT MOVED BY QUICK CUTS, CLOSEUPS, AND FLATTERING LINGERINGS CHOREOGRAPHED BY VIDEO EDITOR CHRIS CASABURI.
THE EDITING, AS SOCRATES WOULD SAY, MOVES THE DIALECTIC INTENSELY AS THE PRECISELY DELIVERED DIALOGUE IS PACED BY CUT-BY-CUT BY THE ACTORS—ORCHESTRATED WITH A TITILLATING “BED” OF ORIGINAL GUITAR BY DREW CAICO TO ITS IRONIC BLOCKBUSTER ENDING. INTENSELY EXISTENTIAL.
MR. ANSBRO IS A SHEET METAL WORKER WITH LOCAL 28 IN NEW YORK CITY BY DAY AND ACTOR BY NIGHT WILL NEXT BE SEEN IN “HEY DAD” BY CAROL MARKS AN ORIGINAL ONE ACT NEW WORK AT THE AERIE 20/20 FESTIVAL ABOUT A SON AND HIS FIREMAN DAD. SEPTEMBER 10, 17 AND 22ND IN GARRISON AT THE PHILIPSBURG DEPOT THEATRE. FOLLOW UP WITH THE AERIE 20/20 FESTIVAL FOR MORE. THIS IS JOHN BAILEY ON LOCATION SAYING SEE YOU AT THE WOLF & WARRIOR WHERE “AN ESSENTIAL DATE” WAS FILMED ON AN I-PHONE 11 IN TWO DAYS.
HE WROTE THE SCRIPT WITH JERRY MORANO A MEMBER OF THE DEMITASSE PLAYERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.THE GROUP IS SERIOUSLY SEEKING TO GROW THEIR REPERTOIRE, FILM AND PLAYS AND PUBLICATIONS WITH AID FROM COUNTY AND STATE SOURCES.
