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 ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review By John F. Bailey. October 2, 2009: So I’ve got my fedora back on the back of my head, a Lucky lit up, and a gimlet on the rocks by the trusty Smith Corona Zephyr portable typewriter rapping this out and the tapping from Westchester Broadway Theatre’s 42^nd Street just keeps my fingers flying over the keyboard.

Shannon O’Bryan as Peggy, with Todd Lattimore as Billie Lawlor :

Sheer, Unadulterated Brilliance!

Photos, Courtesy WBT, John Vecchiola.

Coming at you — The Kids in the Line– in spectacular opening number Audition

All you “Little Nifties from the 50s” and “Sexy Ladies from the 80s” who want to meet the elite, should take the I-287 to see Westchester Broadway Theatre’s greatest production of 42^nd Street which won over the skeptical Opening Night audience turning it into a thunderous appreciative crowd whose bellows of bravos, whistles and non-stop applause brought back the company for a dancing encore with its effervescent bubbly — what’s-there-not-to-like leading lady —  Shannon O’Bryan, the ingénue Peggy Sawyer romping back on stage for one last fling with the audience.

From the wail of the overture from the octette orchestra bringing  this fabulous old score to life with that old humdinger,  Lullaby of Broadway, and jazz age classic,  In the Money melodies with their toe-tapping blues to swelling ballads all the way  to 2-1/2 hours later to the 15-minute all-stops-out thunderous driving, gaudy, ditzy, glitzy dazzling finale of the title song that brings the crowd to its feet, WBT’s 42^nd Street is definitely “the elite.”

It features  the greatest dancing “ensemble” with the best looking “Little Nifties from the 50s” WBT has ever put on the old boards. The toe-tapping rhythms and spectacular costumes say “show biz”and create the Broadway dream everybody loves to believe.

When the ensemble shouts out the news “Julian Marsh is doing a show,” one of the top 10 musicals of them all turns onto the Express Line and never slows down, as this all-star lineup of 42^nd Street veteran hoofers perform Audition, all thanks to Director and Choreographer Randy Skinner, who assisted Gower Champion on the Broadway production of 42^nd Street. Skinner was nominated for Tony,Drama Desk,Outer Critics, and Astaires for that production. The lighting by Andrew Gmoser makes this “42^nd” WBT’s most visually dazzling production in years and that’s before the talent struts its stuff and embellishes this broadway jewel.

Tom Galantich as Julian Marsh, a characature of legendary Broadway producers, stops the show when he convinces Peggy  (Shannon O’Bryan)to step in for the star of the show by singing to her of the Lullaby of Old Broadway in Act II. The set, Broad Street Station with its evocative old train station signs gives you the feel of the clickety-clack.

Ms. O’Bryan  lives in the Sawyer role, having done the 42^nd Street national tour all over the country, on Broadway and in Russia, has the perky, believable moxy this role demands, the energy, and show biz presence that makes you root for her.You like her. She’s cute. Desirable and innocent all at the same time, truly a “little nifty fifty.” She’s got it:  the voice, just clear as a bell and belts ‘em better than Merman, pal – and she can dance.

For those would-be Broadway Babies who don’t know the timeless story. Here it goes in one  Broadway sentence: Sawyer arrives from Allentown late for an audition, lands the last slot in a  chorus line for Julian Marsh’s new show, and in tryouts she runs into the aging star of the show, Dorothy Brock breaks Ms. Brock’s leg – and the producer Marsh talks her into taking over the star role – the stuff Broadway dreams are made of. You know she’s going to make it—but 42^nd Street makes the story of the build-up to opening night non-stop entertainment. Every girl who dreams of Broadway stardom loves this show.

Highlights—every scene is a highlight and WBT has spared no expense on this production and it shows: Todd Lattimore as Billy Lawlor — back row center, the male lead in the musical heading to Broadway, Pretty Lady, cavorts in one great costume after another. This is fabulous chorus line doing In the Money

Dorothy Stanley as Dorothy Brock and Michael Scott (Pat Denning).

Dorothy Stanley, portraying the ill-fated star Dorothy Brock has the diva mystique down perfectly – even to using her own pet dog in the show. Her plaintive “I OnlyHave Eyes for You” pining for boyfriend Pat Denning (Michael Scott) is striking. She brings her throaty, haughty contralto to focus on heart break quite believably.

Ms. Stanley,singing 42^nd Street at the end of the First Act is just getting under way with this classic with a unique styling, when the accident with Ms. O’Bryan happens and boom Dorothy Brock is out of the show. The accident  is well choreographed and  even  foreshadowed in the script and still you don’t see it coming because Ms. Stanley and Ms. O’Bryan  pull it off so well. It’s too bad the accident does not happen at the end of the song because I’d love to see her full treatment of this song.

Then there are the throw-away numbers that seem in the show just because they are so much fun: Shuffle Off to Buffalo (simulating Pullman Cars, cleverly done), You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me, Young and Healthy with Lattimore and Ms. O’Bryan getting to know each other; Go Into Your Dance.

This is great entertainment first staged in 1980 – another era of bad economic times (remember 20% inflation, gang) – is great escapist entertainment and you’ll be tapping your toes from the first beat to the last.

I doff my fedora to that slick, good-looking, high stepping chorus line, pastry-perfect cuties and sharp-dressed-men all:

Jenna Edison, Andrew Black, Jennifer Cameron, Andrew Charter, Justine Clark, Andrew Eckert, Meghan Garstang, Jordan Grubb, Andrew Hodge, Chris LeBeau, Ashley Peacock(a real stunner),  Matthew Schneider, Kelly Skidmore, Katy Wood (yes!) – never have so many costume changes been made so fast in such cramped space, so many hair irons coiffed so many 30s hairdos flawlessly fluffed and so many taps been tapped so breathlessly entertainingly.

The orchestra backed them up with the tireless nonstop play of a 30s dance-a-thon – those of you who were blowing and playing, we salute you —  Jeff Tanski, Musical Director and keyboards, Adam Laird, keyboards, Ken Ross, drums, Lewis Wyatt and Ron Kozak, reeds, John Reid on that fabulous blues trumpet, Jason Ingram on the bone, Arnold Gottlieb on bass. They delivered a bigtime Broadway sound in the little bigtime Broadway Theatre.

Sets – minimalist but serviceable.  I like the Broad Street Station set with the light big station windows particularly, and the big dimes in the In the Money Number. I also liked the interplay of lighting and fabulous costume colors in the over the top 42^nd Street final number.It’s all good.

The show will take a break December 7, and return December 30  running to February – you could run this musical forever. It’s educational, it’s entertaining, it’s the show that says “show biz.”

To paraphrase Julian Marsh, “Don’t see this show for yourself, see it for the kids in the line.”

It’s Broadway that won’t make you feel bad. Broadway that lifts your soul and stirs those dreams of stardom you never give up.

It’s sheer, unadulterated brilliance! You won’t want to say good night til early in the morning when the milkman’s on his way.

BETWEEN THE ACTS

For tickets to 42^nd Street and the rest of the WBT exciting playbill – contact 914-592-2222, or hit their website, www.broadwaytheatre.com.

WBT’s genial host, Steve Calleran also announced the WBT’s dynamite 2010 lineup: the blockbuster productions are Nine, (coming in February)  Sugar (based on the movie Some Like It Hot),  the Tony-winning Rent by the White Plains playwright, John Larson and Jekyll & Hyde.

I forgot to say that for the $70 for this show, WBT throws in your dinner too.

So go already1

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey.OCTOBER 1, 2009. : Westchester County Attorney Linda Trentacoste reported to WPCNR today that a brief appealing New York Supreme Court Judge Francis Nicolai’s ruling that Councilman Glen Hockley should be allowed to remain on the November ballot for Mayor was filed yesterday with the Second Department of the New York Appellate Court in Brooklyn. No date has been set yet for a hearing on the matter.

Councilman Glen Hockley, right, with City Executive Officer Paul Wood, left, Tuesday evening. Mr.Hockley’s ability to run for Mayor is being challenged anew by the County Board of Elections with an appeal filed Tuesday.

The Board of Elections is appealing the ruling by Judge Nicolai that Mr. Hockley’s gathering of some 2,000 signatures half of them himself indicated he indeed intended to accept the nomination and that filing a Certificate of Acceptance was not primarily for the purpose of accepting a nomimination,but rather to decline a nomination.

The Appellate Court usually attends election matters promptly.

As of noon Thursday, Glen Hockley told WPCNR he had not been “served” with the notice of the appeal.

He told WPCNR, “They’re (the Board of Elections) are very much afraid, that’s why. To disrespect the opinion of one of the top judges. They don’t respect independent nominees. They’re afraid  (because) I’m not being part of this insider community. They hide behind trivial issues and not concerned with the issues they should be concerned with — that is to be sure people have a choice.”

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WPCNR KITTY NEWS NETWORK. By Tiger the Anchorcat on KNN, The Kitty News Network. October 1, 2009: From KNN WorldNews Headquarters in White Plains, New York Here is Tiger the Anchorcat:

TIGER THE ANCHOR CAT.

This is Tiger, the Anchorcat on KNN Kitty News Network, The World’s Most Feline Network –All Cats All the Time on “Kitty Today.” My guests today are the 2009  poster cats for National Black Cat Month,  Midnight on the left, and Bela on the right of White Plains, New York

Tiger’s Guests: Midnight and Bela. Spokescats for National Black Cat Month.

Tiger, The Anchorcat: Midnight, suppose you start, National Black Cat Month grew out of the Halloween image of Black cats, right?

Midnight: Thank you, Tiger, but I am shy like all black cats. I’d prefer Bela answer that.

Tiger: Very well, Bela, what is the story?

Bela, (paws folded): Thank you for having us Tiger, National Black Cat Month grew out of a movement started by Salem, the black cat on Sabrina the Teen Age Witch. Salem was the first black cat to upgrade the sinister image the black cat has long been painted by movies, media, and the author Edgar Allen Poe. Salem’s humor showed that black cats are not wild and unapproachable. Salem is in retirement now and he lent his royalties (paid in cat food) to the cause. Salem realized that persons have the images of black cats, you know that come out on Halloween.

Midnight (licking paw): We are bad luck. We are familiars. We are evil. All the old stories. You’ve heard them, Tiger, I’m sure. We have been given a bad image in media, literature, for 2,000 years.

Tiger: Well I am a domestic tigercat myself, and I know – it has made you black cats very reclusive.

Bela (Meows excitedly): Exactly Tiger, we stay longer in shelters. We try not to show ourselves. Though black cats were worshipped as Gods in ancient Egypt, we suffered greatly due to bad public relations images in the middle ages, in old Salem, and the association with witches. Prosecution of all cats, including black cats lead to proliferation of rats and the spread of bubonic plague in the 14^th century. More cats mean less rodents. If your home has a cat it does not have rodents. National Black Cat Month is an attempt to recognize that just because cats are black does not mean they are bad luck, or evil in any way.

Tiger (harumphing): Midnight has that been your experience?

Midnight: Exactly. When I was a kitten I had this natural fear of people due to centuries of persecution by humans. I wanted to like them but I had this innate fear of them instilled by the experiences of millions of  generations of black cats.

Tiger: Bela, how can KNN help?

Bela (holding out left paw): We would like persons to consider that black cats have great inner beauty and dignity. Just because the black cat kitten does not tap dance and roll around and be silly like the typical kitten, it is not because the black cat kitten does not like people. He or she is trying to overcome years of fear.

Persons should go to cat shelters and attempt to adopt the black cats, too. We were adopted at a fastpitch softball tournament out of a box. And one of the humans even returned Midnight, saying they didn’t want him. It was very traumatic for him. Humans have to commit to their cats. Fortunately those that adopted me took in Midnight as well.

Tiger: But Midnight, aren’t all cats notorious for lack of commitment to their humans?

Midnight: This is the myth we want to dispel. I am very grateful to the master who took me and Bela into their home. We have gradually overcome our fear of humans due to centuries when our black ancestors and other breeds were distrusted by humans.

Tiger: So your message is – we have 30 seconds.

Bela: Consider the black cat as sensitive, eager to reach out, but his or her commitment has to be won by mutual trust. The black cat is not evil. We no longer are familiars. And this Halloween treat black cats with respect and love and consider adopting a black cat or any cat from a reputable veterinarian or shelter. They will become a part of your life.

Tiger: I understand you’ve authored a book on the black cat experience. Ghosted by The CitizeNetReporter?

Midnight (holds up book in his paws): Yes, that’s right  Tiger, it’s called “Aristocat of Cats: The Black Cat  From the Pharoahs to the Witches to the Curbs to the Burbs”

Tiger: and it tells,

Bela: What we’ve been facing over the centuries and how black cats are coming out of the shadows, being affectionate with children and adults, and learning to love people when people show respect for our history and contributions to agriculture, controlling threats to mankind, and providing companionship to the lonely unselfishly, in return for Friskies once a day.

Tiger: What is the best phenomena about black cats?

Midnight: Our eyes. They are green and they mirror the soul and when you look into them you look into the past and see your future.

Tiger the Anchorcat: Thank you Midnight and Bela, This year’s spokescats for National Black Cat Month. Bela and Midnight remind you to check with your local animal shelters and veterinarians for cats, black, or any breed who will be loyal comforting and undemanding – if just a bit independent.

Tiger: Now to Storm the Weather Cat for today’s weather — indoors and out.

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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS SURVEY. September 30, 2009: With estimates of the city deficit from sales tax, mortgage tax, parking revenues down, it is estimated that the city faces a deficit ranging from $3.8 Million to $25 Million. If the worst case scenario comes to pass, a $20 Million deficit could be restored by a one-time 60% increase in city taxes, otherwise expenses would have to be cut $10 million to chop the amount of tax increase to 30%, and $15 Million to cut the city tax increase to 15% — if other revenues are not found or created by the incoming city government in January.

A 60% tax increase which would replenish most of the dire predictions and restore the alleged missing fund balance of $27 Million. Faced with such a one-shot 60% tax increase, the  median-priced home in White Plains,  marketable at $650,000, would present the median homeowner with an additional $1,741 in the 2010-2011 budget year and a total tax bill of $4,642.In future years as the economy improves, tax cuts could be induced.

If the deficit holds at the City Commissioner of Finance (Gina Cuneo-Harwood) estimate of $3.8 Million — plus a $4 Million across the board union increase (based on a probable 4% settlement in the voluntary arbitration that commenced last week according to the city negotiating lawyer last month) that’s about an $8 Million deficit requiring a 24% increase in city income taxes to balance the 2010-11 budget at the present level of services — the median home property owner would face only a $696 increase in city taxes bringing their city tax to $3,597 a year in 2010-11.

Now, this is just the effect of the city income tax based on the deficit numbers that are appearing now.

WPCNR was wandering if Mr. and Mrs. White Plains would opt for taking care of the looming deficit with one tax stimulus of 60% which should keep the city functioning the way it is, without cuts in services, or whether they would choose a more modest increase of 24% and not restore fund balance, just take care of current level spending.

Make your choice at the right.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. September 29, 2009: The Common Council reached a consensus Tuesday evening to reinstate curbside leaf pickup of loose, free-standing piles of leaves  on the edge of the owner’s property but not in the street,  once every two weeks. The reinstated much-loved curbside pickup will begin October 13 and end December 1.

Mayor Joseph Delfino asking the Council for a consensus to reinstate curbside pickup.

Residents who choose to bag their leaves will have their bags of leaves picked up beginning October 13, and enjoy that pickup once or twice a week through December 10. The cost the council agreed to spend to bring back both services to the residents: $275,000.

Responding to over 200 phone calls to city hall today alone (according to the Mayor) and hundreds of e-mails and phonecalls on the issue, all seven of the council agreed they had made a mistake requiring residents to bag leaves as the only way leaves could be collected by the city. 

Councilman Tom Roach exhibiting how The Town of North Castle (Chappaqua and Vicinity) announced its leaf-bagging policy via postcard. Roach and Councilperson Malmud called a prompt mailing to explain the new policy adopted Tuesday night to White Plains residents.

Common Councilpersons Tom Roach, Rita Malmud and Dennis Power all admitted  the bagging leaves policy announced in August via the city’s annual garbage collection pickup calendar,  was poorly communicated to the population of the city. Consequently,  they would return to the traditional curbside pickup this fall, in addition to the leaf bag method. It was not indicated that a curbside pickup of leaves would be continued next year at this time.

A mix of residents and media made for a better-attended-than-usual work session.

After the council had agreed verbally to go with the Leaf Bagging/curbside pickup mix, the Mayor said that Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti could begin the process of hiring the 17 part-time workers needed (at $10.85 an hour, according to Nicoletti) to implement the double-barreled leaf policy.

Councilman Tom Roach explained to the CitizeNetReporter  after the meeting that the leafing pickup could not be privatized unless all persons doing a particular task were fired, and since union personnel used for leaf pickup also execute other sanitation tasks other than leaf pickup, this was the reason why the leaf operation could not be immediately privatized.

With Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti at the podium answering the council questions, they learned that a sum of $275,000 would enable a mixture of curbside pickup and leaf bagging pickup to be executed using 17 part-time workers.

Edward Dunphy, the city Corporation Counsel said that the city was allowed by state law to hire part-time workers without having to include medical benefits, but that the city had to pay the required share of unemployment when the 17 were let go after leaf season.

Nicoletti announced that persons on file looking for full-time positions with the DPW were not interested in coming back for the part-time jobs. Nicoletti  said  he had some concerns about the quality of the part-time workers he was looking at hiring, saying “They’re not the same as having full-time city workers doing the work that we are accustomed to.”  He was concerned about absenteeism and part-timers sometimes starting, but not returning to the job. He said he would be attempting to hire former DPW retirees back for the part-time positions. Persons interested in working to pick up leaves partime should contact the White Plains Personnel Office at 914-422-1257.

 Asked if he would look at hiring incarcerated persons for the part-time work, Nicoletti said “no,” (though WPCNR would like to point out, the county uses prisoners in the county jail to cut medians on county highways, most notably on North Street outside White Plains High School, while school is in session.)

Asked if he was confident he could “staff up” in time for leaf pickup “opening day” on October 13, Nicoletti said, “We will give it our best shot.”

Nicoletti said the new part-time staff would have to be trained, and supervised by veteran DPW personnel on their “leaf runs.”

Nicoletti advised the council that bagged leaves (using biodegradable city leaf bags, available at the price of 10 for $5 at the city dump) would be collected at least once a week and possibly twice beginning October 13. Vacuuming of leaves would take place about four times (over the 8 weeks), since, Nicoletti said it takes two weeks for the entire city to be vacuumed by the traditional curbside pickup method.

Vacuuming would cease as of December 1, in order that trucks used for leaf pickup could be converted to handle the threat  of early December snowstorms, while leaves in bags would be picked up through December 10.

The legislation approving the new leaf policy, including expenditure of $275,000 from some source, will be on the agenda October 5.

Councilman Glen Hockley pointing out he had been for keeping the curbside pickup and bagging service in place from the start, said the main issue here was where the money was going to come from.

Councilman Benjamin Boykin suggested to the Mayor that the $275,000 could come from the Reserve for Financing.

That will be written in to the legislation restoring the $275,000 to the budget to pay for the additional curbside service.

 WPCNR notes that the cost of the previous full-time curb pickup service and bagging was $875,000 according to Mr. Nicoletti. The cost of the present reduced service using part-timers is $275,000. Had the city supplemented with part-time persons alone for the last 12 years the Delfino Administration has been in office, the city would have saved $7,200,000, or $600,000 a year, the equivalent of 1/4% in the sales tax.