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 RINKSIDE. By John F. Bailey. December 9, 2007: December in addition to holiday festivities, brings us the Ebersole Rink Holiday Ice Skating Show which skates this coming Saturday  the 15th at 1:15 PM at Ebersole Rink. The ever popular tots and Ebersole Figure Skating Solists will perform holiday numbers, skating their way into your hearts and ushering in the holiday spirit.

The Ebersole Figure Skating School  managed by Kristen Fuerst, the White Plains Figure Skating Club and the Ebersole Advanced Figure Skating Club   for the last decade have created a camaraderie and a skating ethic that its graduates take with them everywhere they skate. Here is last year’s Holiday Ice Show finale. Another ice show is coming up this Saturday Afternoon at 1: 15PM. (Not 2 as previously reported)

White Plains’ Amy Reinthaler, Ebersole Rink Alumna Takes time out to say hello at The Porter Synchronized Skating Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan last week“

Three recent White Plains graduates are skating for their collegiate synchronized skating teams and got the synchro season off to a sensational high level last weekend at the Dr. Porter Synchronized Skating Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are Amy Reinthaler (above) who synchro-skates for Notre Dame University;  Aly Salonger who anchors down a key slot on the University of Delaware Synchro Team and Juliana Bailey who synchros on both the Collegiate and Senior Teams of the University of Michigan.

Here’s a look at the White Plains “Stars on Ice” as they competed at the Porter last week – where 179 synchronized  skating teams from Canada and across the United States attracted some 5,000 plus into “College Town USA” in the most impressive Porter in the three years this reporter has been covering the Classic

Aly Salonger (Center of Picture, second from left, foreground) is shown skating the incredibly creative University of Delaware Collegiate Program that, instead of skating to theme of music, told a story in a variety of musical cuts, superbly transitioned. It may, like the “Van Helsing” program of three years ago – also created by the U of D – usher in a new dimension in creating a synchro program. In this reporter’s opinion, it was the most involving, audience-pleasing program of the weekend. The Judges, using the International Scoring System thought so, too. The University of Delaware finished second to Miami University of Ohio, who skated to “Grindhouse

Amy Reinthaler, the Angel of the Ice just a few years ago at Ebersole is skating (second from left, front row above)  for the University of Notre Dame.  Here are the Irish skating their best appearance ever in the Porter Classic last weekend.

Ms. Reinthaler has helped to organize and lead the Irish Synchronized Skating team the last two years. She told WPCNR that when she was recruiting skaters, she was told “nobody goes to Notre Dame to skate.” Thanks to Ms. Reinthaler, they do now.  She is seen skating in the Notre Dame Collegeiate program “Haunted.”

Juliana Bailey, “cross-skates” for both University of Michigan Senior and Collegiate Teams, having to learn three different skating programs. Ms. Bailey is shown first skating the Senior Short program above , (the skater on the far right, leading the second line farthest)  as the two lines of Wolverinettes go into the  scary spread eagle splice — one of only two senior teams to attempt the splice-clean-or-die maneuver.  They made it. They skated to That’s Life in their Senior Short program.

Ms. Bailey is seen on far left, front row, skating for the Universithy of Michigan Collegiate team showing great edges. They finished 6th of 12 teams, just 5 points out of 3rd place and a field of terrific skating teams.

The Senior and Collegiate divisions showed terrific competitive balance for this time in the synchro season.The  University of Michigan Senior team placed 8^th of 10 teams in the Short Senior Competion in a very strong field of teams—but only 5 points out of fourth place.  The Michigan Collegiate Team placed 6^th of 12 teams in their first competitive skate of the year, the last to skate, and vaulted six teams to place sixth only 5 points out of 3^rd place.

Skate hard, pass your USFSA moves and dance tests, work on those SAT scores– and you, too can skate synchro and see the USA and the  world and get the best looking warmup jackets. Ms. Bailey models the U of M. Synchro Skating warmup jacket. No teams are better outfitted than synchronized skating teams folks.

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WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. From the Mayor’s Office. December 7, 2007:  The Mayor’s Office of the City of White Plains tonight issued a statement saying the Mayor would not ask the White Plains clergy to open a warming shelter for drifting White Plains homeless persons on an interim basis, pending the County Executive’s commitment to funding the operation.  It said the Common Council would take up the issue of the drifting homeless again Monday evening at 6 PM.

The Mayor’s Office instead said the Common Council is the body responsible for approving the opening of such a shelter. The announcement came after the Mayor’s Office was asked in light of the County Executive’s inability to meet with  the Common Council, the Mayor, and the clergy and church organizations to hammer out the arrangements this week, would the Mayor ask the clergy to open the warming shelter or some kind of shelter of the city’s own. (Currently, police finding homeless sleeping on the streets take them in to the Department of Public Safety. However, many homeless sleep in areas surrounding the city exposed to the elements. )The Mayor’s Statement:

This is not a Mayoral decision.  It’s a policy decision that needs to be made by the Common Council.  The Mayor had hoped that the County Executive would have attended a meeting on December 5th to discuss policy decisions but he turned the city down on the offer.  On December 10th at 6pm, the Common Council will meet to further discuss the issue.  No vote is expected to take place on the 10th.  This is in the hands of the policy makers. 

As of 6 PM in White Plains, it is 32 degrees. It is snowing wet heavy bonechilling snowflakes. The President of the White Plains Common Council could not be reached for comment as to whether the Council will act to get the shelter open.

Previously, Grace Church Community Services, that it will take at least two weeks to begin the Warming Shelter service once an official decision is made from when the city, county and Common Council formalize the Warming Shelter.

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Out of the Sun

The Arizona engulfed December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor

Out of the sun on the quiet Sunday they came

Steel birds of death blazened with red suns raining fiery havoc on Battleship Row.

One by one, ruthless planes dove, destroyed to their nation’s shame

Thunderous explosions scattered fiery death on Sunday dawn’s glow.

Flames belched from bowels of stricken Arizona, America’s pride,

On Hicham Field pilots raced to planes to defend

As their birds were crippled on ground by Zeros’ glide

Gunners in turrets on ships floundering filled skies with flack’s din.

In search of carriers the marauders could not find

They ruthlessly strafed and bombed leaving Pearl

In smoking ruin, ships sunk, burning as raiders flew into the Sun

The day of infamy had been ignited in the Zeros’ swirl.

The Attack Begins 8 AM December 7, 1941

As America listened a world away, a somber FDR

Spoke of December 7 as ever a day that will live in infamy.

America must never forget that  Pearl Harbor Scar

When an unsuspecting America slept in complacency.

To the 2,403 who perished that day under merciless bombs

Hails of bullets,  terror of torpedos out of nowhere

America must remember forces against our freedoms

Relentlessly work always to surprise us with deadly bombs’ glare.

Vigilence is the price of freedom that must always be defended

Against those who would destroy our republic from within

As well as the dark forces in far off places we have offended.

But the answer is not curtailing freedom at home rather it to champion.

The USS Arizona lies in Pearl’s waters, bleeding the lives

Of her men through the eerie eternal slick marking the rusting hulk.

Beneath Pearl’s waters, the blood of free people oozes from the shadowy bulk,

Bleeding forever, freedom’s spirit living forever in lost lives remembered.

She never rests.

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WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By John F. Bailey. December 6, 2007. UPDATED December 7, 2007 UPDATED 5:24 PM EST DECEMBER 7, 2007: Donna Greene of the Westchester County Department of Communications confirmed this afternoon that the Vaughn Glanton shelter in Mount Vernon will be closing as of December 14.

Meanwhile the City of White Plains, the clergy, and Westchester County continue to consider opening a White Plains Warming Shelter.

Ms. Greene said in a statement today:  “the Westhab shelter is closing because there is a separate 25-bed drop in in Mt Vernon that is still open and is in fact under-utilized.  We have had success in Mount Vernon getting people into the regular shelter system, where they get services. So this accounts for the lack of use of the other shelters.”

The WestHab Warming Center (Vaughn Glanton at Vernon Plaza) which had been open previously, WPCNR was told by Karl Bertrand of the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless that the County has decided to close the Mount Vernon Westhab Warming Shelter in one week. This drops the number of Warming Centers for undomiciled persons in the county to four, where homeless can sleep in a warm place but only chairs are provided.  Bertrand said “It seems as if the county is concentrating on removing the safety nets rather than providing them.”

Bertrand added this information Friday morning: “There will however still be a fourth safety net resource: the drop-in  safety net shelters run in Yonkers by the Sharing Community, which fit together with their HUD-funded day-time drop-in center to make a coherent 24-hour safety net program.
Theirs is the only city with a comprehensive program that doesn’t leave homeless people out on the street with nowhere to go for hours  every day.”

They are located in Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Peekskill:

Vaughn Glanton at Vernon Plaza, run by Westhab will no longer be available after December 14. Only Friendship Worship Center will be open in Mount Vernon.

Bertrand said that negotiations are continuing behind the scenes on the White Plains Warming Center plan where churches would alternate providing a warming center, with Grace Church Community Services providing the professional expertise. Bertrand added that the Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless is planning demonstrations to coincide with the opening of the Ritz Carlton Westchester in White Plains to dramatize the lack of a warming center in White Plains.

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WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. By John F. Bailey. December 6, 2007: White Plains is no closer to establishing a Warming Shelter for undomiciled individuals roaming the streets, sleeping in doorways or in subfreezing shelters in the woods, culverts and rooftops of White Plains than it was a week ago when members of the concerned White Plains clergy presented their plan to the Common Council.

A spokesperson for Reverend Carter Via of the Presbyterian Chuch of White Plains said Reverend Via thought there might be “something today” on the issue.

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Reverend Carter Via had been expecting a call from Mayor Joseph Delfino yesterday but the call never came. Via’s assistant at The Presbyterian Church of White Plains said possibly there might be some movement today on the issue. Via and Rabbi Lester Bronstein said at last Wednesday’s presentation they would go to the County Executive, Andrew Spano, to seek a commitment for funding the White Plains Warming Shelter, since the council last Wednesday had indicated informally by a 4-2-1 consensus that it would accept a warming shelter at a church within the downtown area of White Plains.

The county press office could not confirm whether the clergy had arranged a meeting with Executive Spano, had scheduled a meeting, or had even contacted Spano.

Meanwhile, the overnight temperatures plunged into the low 20s, high teens last night. The clergy had settled on a plan by which homeless individuals, turned away from overnight stay at county shelters because of refusal to abide by county conditions of service, would stay at a White Plains church overnight from 10 PM to 6 AM with the location altering between two to four churches through April.

To date, the program has not been implemented because it requires county funding and county staffing (supplied by Grace Church Community Services).

The city on another homeless matter, the stream of refugees from last week’s 208 S. Lexington Avenue fire has been quick to arrange with Centro Hispano and local hotels for the placement of those individuals