Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains

The Friday Night July 4 Telecast of

WHITE PLAINS WEEK

"Legacy of White Plains: Milton Hoffman"

ON THE AIR

Everywhere!

This week presenting a Special Keepsake Edition of

WHITE PLAINS WEEK

Another in WPW's Legacy of White Plains Interviews of People Who Have Helped Shape White Plains History

Going Out Worldwide

From Ann Arbor, Michigan to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue

Cape Sebastian, Oregon to Provincetown, Cape Cod

Cripple Creek to Samarkand

Quaker Hill to Katmandu

WPW

Presents

Milton Hoffman

Retired Senior Editor of The Reporter Dispatch and The Journal News Discussing White Plains Then and White Plains Now

Milton Hoffman Meets the Press:

The White Plains Week Newsteam

John Bailey, Peter Katz, and Jim Benerofe interviewing Mr. Hoffman on White Plains Week.

Pull up a Chair, pour a cup of java,open up your reporters' notebooks, future Jimmy Olsens and Brenda Starrs out there! Hear the wisdom of the veteran reporter who shares his impressions from 53 years of covering White Plains and Westchester County. Take Notes! 

The White Plains Week Legacy of White Plains: Milton Hoffman, program of July 4, 2008 can be viewed on the internet around the town and around the world at

www.whiteplainsweek.com

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WPCNR SOUTHEND LIFE. By The Grillin Gourmet. ReInternetted from The CitizeNetReporter Archives. July 5, 2008:  It's a gloomy holiday weekend in White Plains and the temperature is in the humid, cloudy, damp 70s,  but thanks to the chimney charcoal starter and its glowing orange coals, the backyard American barbeque DNA macho in the amateur chef is once again the equal of the overpriced steak cooked indoors at any restaurant. 

Steak was raised outside, it was born to be cooked outside, and the barbequed steak puts the Cartier- priced steakhouse in its place!  In this griller's opinion, ourdoor grilling proves once again to be the equal and superior to the overpriced artificial-tasting steak that sleek decor and atmosphere cannot duplicate backyard orgins. The economy may be tanking, your home price declining, but even the hobo can grill!

To do real steak right , you have to do it outside on charcoal.

Grillin in-the-not-so-great 2008: The instinct of generations of the American backyard barbeque tradition passed up from  the cave, enjoyed at Valley Forge, sunk into around chuck wagons on the prairie and up from the Southland  barbeque inbred and passed on from American father to American son – cutting across nationality and station – gives you real steak – not $100 technology  enhanced cuts. Flaming charcoal makes steak a living thing in your mouth!

Why pay $100 for a  steak dinner unless your company is paying for it, when you can tap your inner griller and say I can cook steak better?  The difference is the air, the smoke, the way marinade just drips down into the coals and gets into the meat. It's chemistry! 

 What is it about the American Grillman that's so special that his or hers backyard cuts beat the insider  professionals’ inflation-friendly ostentatious steaks?

It’s the unique chemistry of being American and charcoal flame. There’s just something about the searing intensity of glowing charcoal combining mystically with the testosterone and instinctual synergy between red meat and the dedicated outdoor griller --  it beats in taste, juiciness and texture the contrived technology of the most expensive restaurant equipment.

No matter how tasty the megabuck meat is in the swank sticker shock steak palaces, there’s always that articificialness packaged taste that marks the indoor steak. The butteryness. The soft crust of the black topped surface of the indoor steak just does not have the nubile grizzled roughhewn flamed yield of the outdoor one-on-one grilled steak.

Only one whose money is easily parted would pay $50 and up for a buttery indoor steak dinner when you can do it yourself in the backyard even in 20 degree weather – the steaks done to perfection with the juices sealed  in.

The chimney starter – the secret to the hot start. No more charcoal fluid needed. Take a copy of The Journal News and scrunch up the news section or the sports section in the bottom of the Chimney Starter. (Experience shows that copies of the Journal News -- any Gannett paper -- burn better than the New York Times which is very slow-starting)

Pour in a helping of those ultimate black beauties, Kingsford charcoal briquettes into the chimney top. Fifteen minutes before the wife has the sides ready, take a wooden match to the aperatures in the base of the starter and light up the edges of the newsprint. Within 10-15 minutes you’ve got coals a firey orange red. You’re ready to outcook the pros.

Eat Your Heart Out, Mr. or Ms. Professional Food Designer!  After the Griller's wife has marinated the meat –  these Stop and Shop trimmed New York Strips sizzling in the caressing deep searing heat of glowing orange briquettes – 3 minutes a side and deft turning and surgical rareness checks – the seasoned grillista simply has a feel for the meat – passed genetically down from generations of American grillers. The combination of cauldron, flavored steel grill rods and pefect flames creates the branded grillmarks that deliver the natural taste of the backyard steak – impossible to achieve for any price in the tehnologically nuanced, high tech steam tables of today.  No one can do a great cut like you can!

As any redblooded American Grillman will tell you when doing a steak – you can’t deliver a steak by manual or instructions. You have to feel the meat. Feel it cook. You just know its time.

 Every cut is not the same. The American Grilman becomes one with the meat. With eye and knowledge of the hue of red – you just  know  by instinct when she’s done. Cooking is slowed down by moving the meats to the side off the heat to keep the American beauties warm 

With the wife's deft presentation, sweet potato fries, corn pudding, fresh beans and mushrooms without the sog of infrared glare, the Grillman’s natural art relegates the indoor steak out of the taste sweepstakes.

So next time its cold -- keep that grill handy and ready to fire up to get that taste of summer you cannot get in any indoor steakhouse no matter how much you pay.

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. News & Commentary.  By John F. Bailey. July 4, 2008: Other than the shock of it, the stalling of the LCOR  55 Bank Street project for at least a year due to financial conditions raises long term policy questions. LCOR is usually dependable an has done much good for the city, so when they are telling you they cannot do something. It pays to pay attention. We have absolute faith that LCOR can pull this out. They always have in the past.

The process raises some fundamental questions about what the city should do next, and should be thinking about. What is the city role in development anyway?

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 4, 2008: Asbestos removal has begun and bids are being sought by the White Plains City School District for a complete new gymnasium floor at Post Road School due to flooding at the beginning of June. The flooding, Assistant Superintendent of Business Fred Seiler said, was  caused by the contractor (Unitek) building the new Post Road School failing to make adequate drainage provisions while putting in footings for the new school foundation.

Construction on the new Post Road School footings installation has been identified as the cause of the flooding of the Post Road School Gymnasium (to be incorporated into the new school under construction), requiring replacement of the gymnasium floor.

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WPCNR's THE REAL DEAL. By The Wedding Jeannie, Jeannie Uyanik of Cap and Gown Weddings. July 3, 2008: July fourth falling on a Friday more often than not guarantees the holiday festivities will begin on a Thursday, and continue well through the weekend.  So those guests who usually only drop by for the day of barbeque could be staying a while longer.  It seemed only appropriate that we assist you in whipping up a few extra, sure to wow (except maybe the Jello) dishes, that can be easily doubled or tripled to feed the masses while still looking unique. 

WPCNR THE BUILDING NEWS. From Cappelli Enterprises. July 3, 2008: Louis Cappelli has secured $700 Million in financing for the Concord Resort development approved last week by the State legislature.  

Geoff Thompson, spokesperson for Cappelli Enterprises, reported to WPCNR Wednesday afternoon that Louis Cappelli, “The Super Developer,”   creator of the White Plains Renaissance, through his building of the City Center and the Ritz-Carlton Westchester in White Plains has secured $1 Billion in financing to proceed with his casino-resort on the grounds of the former Concord Hotel in Sullivan County, in an effort with Empire Resorts to bring back that faded resort area back. 

The Concord Resort and Golf Club from Satellite Prior to Demolition, viewed from Space. 

The source(s) of the $700 Million in bank debt were not identified, pending closing on the financing. Demolition has begun on the  old Concord Hotel. The spokesperson said Mr. Cappelli is not looking at any other casino development sites in the state at this time.

In Cappelli activities in White Plains the representative reported  the opening of the second tower at the White Plains Ritz-Carlton, (center, looming above the Ritz Carlton Hotel) would be in November, and that Mr. Cappelli still planned to move his Valhalla headquarters to the first 14 floors of the Ritz Carlton second tower this summer.

WPCNR The Zoning Zone. From a WPCNR Correspondent. July 3, 2008: The Zoning Board of Appeals heard about twenty persons speaking out against the assisted living complex proposed to be built in Scarsdale by Renamba LLC, with access from White Plains (with White Plains water, sewer, and electricial connections),  through the driveway of the Westchester Ethical Culture Society. The project, if built, would destroy a vast area of the "woods" of Saxon Woods to the south of Saxon Woods Road.

 All but one of the residents were opposed to the project which had been denied by the White Plains Building Commissioner. The project was originally proposed in 2002. The developer now seeks a variance or Special Permit use from the ZBA. The Corporation Counsel, Edward Dunphy said not all comments had been turned in as yet from the various boards and commissioners in the city. The Zoning Board continued the  hearing until September 3, at which time it indicated it would take a vote on the project.

WPCNR THE BUILDING NEWS. Special to WPCNR from White Plains CitizeNetReporter Correspondents. July 2, 2008: LCOR, the developers of 55 Bank Street, the 536-Unit residential “showcase” affordable housing project approved in May, 2007 by the Common Council announced to the council Wednesday afternoon they could not raise the $300 Million in one lump sum to finance the project in today’s financial conditions. 

Peter Gilpatric, center of photo, of LCOR, Shown April 12, 2007 when the Common Council was considering a PILOT on the 55 Bank Street property. (WPCNR News Archive)

 of LCOR and LCOR attorneys William Null and Robert Feder of Cuddy & Feder proposed instead a substantial redesign of the project to keep it alive. Trading two slender pillars for one long 28-story building running the entire block of the property  fronted by a short 14-story building and a different configuration for the parking garage. The project is a complete redesign, which Gilpatric hopes to get underway by mid-summer, 2009, financing forthcoming.

LCOR also proposed a two month delay in paying the $5 Million installment it owes on the commuter parking lot the city sold LCOR last spring to build the project on. LCOR has Lehman Brothers lined up for that payment if the Common Council and Urban Renewal Agency approve this "save" of the project.

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008 UPDATED 6:30 PM EDT: City government may delay very important decisions, but they do not delay tax bills.  Like death, the city tax bill for the first half of 2008-2009 arrived suddenly, confirming what only WPCNR of all the media in the state reported to our readers last April.

This year's city and school tax for the median homeowner will be $10,342 compared to the 2007-2008 tax bill of $9, 634, a city and school tax combined increase of 7%.

 Albany legislators secretly cut the STAR Exemption, raising your assessment. In today’s tax bill the STAR Exemption was cut to $3,330, as WPCNR reported in April, from last year’s $3,700. This results in a $10,342 tax bill between city and school for the White Plains median home judged to be worth $700,000 on the market.  Inspecting your tax bill you will find your RES STAR Assessed Value to be $3,330.

Albany’s reducing the  STAR Exemption $370  costs the median homeowner about $186 more in school taxes, $7,618.09  under the $3,330 exemption as opposed to paying $7,431.97, under the $3,700 exemption  in effect in 2007.  

 It results in about $1 million more in taxes in the district – about 85% of the increase in state aid the city is getting, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business for the School District, Fred Seiler in a WPCNR report written in April

The County Tax, estimated by WPCNR to be $2,400, tagged on to the city and school tax bill brings the total tax on the White Plains median home to $12,742 – higher than WPCNR had originally estimated in the spring of this year, where our WPCNR Math Lab estimated $12,600.  Those of you opening your tax bills who own a home valued on the market over $700,000 will pay more, considerably more.

The city included a flier with the tax bill showing that the County collects 19% of your tax dollar and the school district, 61%, and the city 20%. It reminds the recipient payment is due by July 31 to avoid any interest charges.

WPCNR encourages the taxpayers to get their payments in early.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008: WPCNR has learned that White Plains teacher negotiations on a new contract have been suspended through the summer and will not resume until the fall. A source close to the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WPCNR there will be no agreement until teachers return to work in September because the teachers' contract specifically forbid any vote on a contract during the summer.

A vote on a teachers' contract can only occur while the contract is in effect from September 1 through June 30, the source said. The source said the current items under discussion are salary and medical benefits. The source said the teachers were particularly annoyed at the increases in the salaries of 42 full-time Coordinators, Directors and principals and assistants who received $444,553 in salary increases for 2008-2009, an average of 7.5%, and an average raise in pay of $10,584. Though no salary figures have emerged from the clandestine negtiations, the teacher salaries in last year's contract were held at 3.2% across all steps, substantially less than 7.5%. Some administrators received salary increases over 10%

Our contact said that the current contract for 2007-2008 would remain in effect until a new contract is negotiated and approved. The last time this happened, they recalled was in 1999-2000,

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. July 1, 2008:  John Silvanie, President of White Plains Bus Company told WPCNR today he saw no relief in sight for the 50% increase in diesel fuel prices his company is facing due to the runup in diesel fuel.  He told WPCNR his company is locked in to a transit contract with the White Plains  City School District that entitles his company to fee increases tied strictly to the state Consumer Price Index, which he said this year is 4%. 

 The district is presently protected against school bus transportation increases, however they face possible monthly increases in their cost of electricity from the New York Power Authority. (The authority has the right to increase the cost of electricity they sell the district, at one third less than consumers pay, a spokesperson told WPCNR last week.)

Silvanie said that the State School Bus Contractors Association and other school districts across the state are mobilizing an effort to get the state legislature to provide more school aid to offset the doubling of transportation fuel costs.  A bill has been introduced in the Assembly by Assemblyman Peter Rivera to roll back fuel taxes for school bus operations (the state gets 70 cents a gallon for every gallon of diesel fuel), and also force school districts into a 4-day school week to conserve fuel costs. Presently the legislature is on vacation, and expects to be on vacation the rest of the year, pending the governor’s calling them back into session.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. July 1, 2008 UPDATED 3:15 P.M. EDT: An announcement of a possible new contract with the White Plains Teachers union which expired at midnight last night, will not be announced tonight at the Reorganization an the first meeting of the 2008-2009 Board of Education. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors and White Plains Teachers Association President Kerry Broderick have not returned calls as of noon today from WPCNR asking whether  a new tentative contract has been reached.

A member of the Board of Education has informed the CitizeNetReporter  moments ago that an agreement has not been reached yet, noting that  "There is no settlement yet and discussions are progressing.  There is no impasse.  It just hasnt happened yet."

New member of the School Board Randy Stein, left, and re-elected member Rosemarie Eller right will be sworn in this evening and a new Board of Education President appointed.

The School District will hold its Reorganization Meeting for the coming school year this evening, followed by a regular school board meeting of the newly constituted Board The new Board is expected to approve a series of consultant spending contracts totaling $822,404.

The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors will discuss test scores and the capital improvement project, and the Board expects to approve the purchase of Infinite Campus a new “student information system” that is expected to provide at last, longitudinal Kindergarten through high school individual and collective student performance by grade and class,on in-district academics and state achievement tests, vastly improving the district ability to gauge the effectiveness of their curriculum and teacher performances.

In spending approvals, the Board is expected to approve contracts for a Hearing Officer for $60,000; Donna Klein & Associates for Occupational Therapy Evaluations and Services for $300,000; Blythedale Children’s Hospital for Occupational and Physical Therapy Evaluations and Services for $150,000; MBF Investigative Services for residency investigations/surveillance and special assignments to verify legal residency of students for $60,000; and to the Children’s Literacy Initiative for 2008-2009 for $252,374.

The agenda:

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. July 1, 2008: Filene's Basement, an original City Center tenant that  opened for business in April, 2004, confirmed what Filene employees had been saying last week, that the City Center store would be closing August 31.

Pat Boudrot, a spokespersons for Filene's released a statement to WPCNR late Monday afternoon, saying "Filene's regrets that dut to material violations of the lease, Filene's will be closing August 31, 2008." Asked what specifically those material violations were, Ms. Boudrot declined.

Neither the owner of City Center, nor Filene's would confirm the rumors of the closing when asked about the closing by WPCNR Friday. 

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2008. June 30, 2008: White Plains resident and New Rochelle native Anthony Pilla was introduced by County Republican Chair Douglas Colety in downtown White Plains this morning as the challenger for Amy Paulin’s Assembly Seat in the 88^th New York Assembly District. Pilla wasted no time in announcing his main theme that Ms. Paulin in eight years had done nothing to stop the rise in property taxes affecting the middle class. A property tax cap, Pilla said, was his number one issue. He said he scheduled his announcement for 10:30 this morning to symbolize that he would be out working for constituents early every day instead of taking vacation when the state was in serious financial trouble, referring to the Albany legislature announcement  they would not meet again until January.

Anthony Pilla (left) was introduced as a man who roots in not only White Plains, but in New Rochelle, where he grew up, and in Pelham, where he has family. Colety, (right) the party chair called him a fresh face  who would bring a new perspective in Albany. Colety charged Paulin with a record of voting for 8 years for more taxes on Westchester families and that Pilla is someone new who can “clean up the mess of Amy Paulin and Sheldon Silver.”

 A real estate associate, Pilla (shown with his three children),  said he had strong financial support from New Rochelle, and would be campaigning hard in all areas of the 88th. The 88^th Assembly District encompasses the northwest corner of White Plains (Battle Hill),  Eastchester, Scarsdale, New Rochelle and Pelham. Pilla poked fun at Paulin’s record of sponsoring bills that dealt with personal issues – such as a hotline to report dog fights -- and her record of not attacking problems that face the majority of voters today. He promised to fight the soaring taxes he said that Paulin had gone along with the last eight years, and promised full-time representation: “I will not be sleeping in, or deciding to take a vacation when people need me in Albany.”