WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. March 14, 2010 UPDATED 8:30 A.M. E.D.T.: The storm with no name continues to raise havoc in Westchester County as  the number of Con Edison reported outages affecting 70,525  of the 346,452 Con Ed customer base as of 8 A.M.

In White Plains,  6,158 customers are without power with trees blocking driveways...and debris scattered through the streets.

Yonkers is hardest hit with 10,936 reporting no power. Greenburgh reports 8,585 outages, and New Rochelle, 7,399.

Though the powerful winds of the Saturday storm have subsided, the rain has not.  Light posts are down, branches and debris are on roads, and bear in mind that the 70,525 customers mean many more thousands in people are affected.

WPCNR has received no word from the county or the City of White Plains on conditions. Only Con Edison is supplying any information through their website. The true extent of the damage the storm continues to inflict will be visible in daylight. Motorists should exercise extreme caution. Tree roots are saturated and subject to uprooting as their moorings are made less firm by the wet earth.

WPCNR SATURDAY NIGHT. March 13, 2010: White Plains ran its St. Patrick’s Day Parade this noon despite the windy, stormy weather that pelted marchers and the high winds swirled through the county seat. Observers  midway through the parade said there sparse crowds of spectators watching the marchers from the sidewalks, but very large crowds in the restaurants and bars lining Mamaroneck Avenue. "They were packed, you couldn't get in." Mayor Adam Bradley attended the parade.

At  the Friendly Gathering at Good Counsel Saturday night, a crowd braved the stormy night,  despite power being out to over 4,000 White Plains residents. The annual gathering honored Lorraine Buonocunto, of the Ecumenical Food Pantry of White Plains.

The Friendly Gathering was highlighted by an appearance by White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley, his wife, and their two children who attended the festivities and were greeted by many well-wishers coming up to their table.

At Ebersole Rink the ice show was scheduled to go on at the roofed facility which is protected from the elements.

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. March 13,2010: Con Edison reports Westchester County, has over 51,000 customers who have lost power due to the high winds and driving rain storm that has been scouring the county for over 15 hours.

The amount of customers exceeds the 35,000 outages experienced by the county in the snowstorm of February 27 by 15,000 and the number is growing. Yonkers, Greenburgh, White Plains, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, and Mount Pleasant are very hard hit.

In White Plains, Peter Katz reports that vast banks of homes down Mamaroneck Avenue south of the downtown appear to have lost power. He also reports that the area of Parkview Court and Church Street are without power at this time. Con Edison reports 4,390 White Plains customers are experiencing power failure as of 9 P.M. and they hope to restore power to those White Plainsians by 11 P.M. tonight.

Katz tells WPCNR that Westchester County Airport is closed because of a power outage, and the airport reports winds of 25 knots, gusting to 45 knots, and it is raining in White Plains.

Katz said Con Edison crews appeared be assembling on Mamaroneck Avenue as of 9 P.M. to deal with the darkout.

Elsewhere around the county, outages have grown since nightfall. Con Edison Storm Center reports Yonkers has 8,069 without power; Rye City, 2,308; Port Chester, 172; Peekskill, 144; North Tarrytown, 312; North Castle, 1,692; New Rochelle, 6,484; Mount Vernon, 2,775; Mt. Pleasant, 2,591; Mamaroneck, 696; Larchmont, 1,048; Irvington, 1,194; Hastings, 280; Greenburgh, 6,830; Elmsford, 527; Eastchester,1,659;Dobbs Ferry, 245; Briarcliff, 504; Bronxville, 1,216; and Ardsley, 578.

To find out Con Edison's estimated time when they will have power restored go to the online Con Edison Storm Center at http://apps.coned.com/weboutageinfo/stormcenter/default.aspx

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. March 13, 2010:  As night fell across the city, howling east winds of gale force sounding like a fast freight train, blew limbs off trees, sent power wires singing, opened garbage storage bins and shredded branches, even blew  nailed-down shutters off homes.

The close to the surface winds bent trees over as if they were palmtrees and have devasted Westchester communities with power outages and dangerous road conditions.

The outages are amazing: Con Edison Storm Center reports 1,101 customers powerless in White Plains;  1,803in Yonkers; 1,949 in Scarsdale; a staggering 4,329 without electricity in New Rochelle; 1,171 in North Castle (Chappaqua); 479 in Port Chester; 2,416 in Mount Vernon; 964 in Mt. Pleasant; 593 in Ardsley; 158 in Briarcliff; 959 in Bronxville; 119 in Dobbs Ferry; 1,588 in Harrison;  154 in Hastings; 534 in Irvington; 585 in Mamaroneck (where 10% of Con Ed customers are without power).

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. Special to the CitizeNetReporter from Paula Piekos with WPCNR and Con Edison Sources. March 13, 2010:

As of 3:45 P.M. E.D.T. North Street (Route 127) was closed in BOTH DIRECTIONS due to a fallen tree on live wires. Utility vehicles were on the scene. Live wires are on the roadway. Motorists should avoid the area.

Police Department is very busy at this time, persons knowing of any other road closures in the city, please advise the CitizeNetReporter,914-997-1607

CON EDISON REPORTS 786 WHITE PLAINS CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER IN THE CITY AS OF 4 P.M. DUE TO THE TROPICAL STORM WITH GALE FORCE WINDS CLOCKED IN THE 40 TO 50 MILE AN HOUR RANGE. GREENBURGH IS REPORTED BY CON EDISON TO HAVE 802 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER.

ACROSS WESTCHESTER COUNTY 5,048 CON EDISON CUSTOMERS ARE REPORTING POWER OUTAGES.

CON EDISON AS OF 4:07 P.M. IS ESTIMATING POWER WILL BE RESTORED BY 10 P.M. SATURDAY EVENING.

TREE FALLS ON NORTH STREET, FELLING LIVE WIRES CLOSING NORTH STREET IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AS OF 4 P.M.

LIVE WIRES SMOULDER ON STONE WALL AT RIDGEWAY AND NORTH STREET

BULLETIN:

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. Special to WPCNR from Peter KATZ. March 5, 2010: After appearances of Mayor Adam Bradley and his wife, in the Westchester County Court Domestic Violence Part this morning, the presiding judge set April 1 as the next date when Mayor Adam Bradley and his wife, Fumiko would appear for a Trial conference.

The Assault in the Third Degree (misdemeanor) charge against Mr. Bradley will be taken up on that date. The matter of whether the domestic violence charge will be dropped is now up to the discretion of the Westchester County District Attorney's Office. It is not known whether the Domestic Violence unit will conduct their own investigation of Mr. and Mrs. Bradley in the interim.

The attorney for Mrs. Bradley, Neal  Comer,  told Peter Katz this morning after the  appearance in the Domestic Violence court that both parties, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley want to repair their marriage. The attorney repeated  that Mrs. Bradley wanted the charge dropped and would not testify in support of the charge,  if the District Attorney proceeded with the case.

Mrs. Bradley's attorney said there would be "no discovery procedure" in the case.

Mr. Bradley's attorneys indicated Mr. Bradley did not plan to move back into his home immediately.

The Order of Protection in effect against Mr. Bradley (since last Sunday) was modified to allow Mr. Bradley to see his wife. He has not seen his wife except in court since Sunday when Mrs. Bradley filed a charge that he intentionally held her arm and slammed her finger in a door, according to the police report. Mr. Bradley has seen his two children in the interim.

WPCNR  FOR THE RECORD. From The Mayor's Office. March 1, 2010: The following is the text of the statement read by Mayor Adam Bradley to the media Sunday evening in the rotunda at City Hall, commenting on his being charged with Third Degree Assault for allegedly injuring his wife in an incident reported by police to have occurred "on or about" 9:30 A.M. Sunday morning:

STATEMENT


EARLIER TODAY I WAS ARRAIGNED IN WHITE PLAINS CITY COURT BASED ON A COMPLAINT MY WIFE FILED AGAINST ME.

I FEEL COMPELLED TO COME OUT HERE TONIGHT TO LET THE CITIZENS OF WHITE PLAINS KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST 12 HOURS.

THIS IS A DEEPLY PERSONAL MATTER, AND SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WITHIN MY FAMILY.

I AM NOT GOING TO DISCUSS THESE CHARGES IN DETAIL, OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT I AM INNOCENT AND THAT I WILL CONTEST THE CHARGES.

BUT I HAVE TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, I DID NOT IN ANY WAY MISTREAT MY WIFE

THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS IN MY MARRIAGE FOR SOME TIME AND I HAVE MADE MANY EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THEM.

AT THIS TIME, MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH MY FAMILY AND OUR TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS.

I WILL NOT TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICALLY ARGUE WITH MY WIFE IN A MANNER THAT WOULD EXPOSE OUR CHILDREN TO IT.

THIS UNFORTUNATE MATTER WILL IN NO WAY AFFECT MY COMMITMENT AND THE IMPORTANT WORK I AM DOING FOR THIS GREAT CITY

AS AN ATTORNEY WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A LAW GUARDIAN REPRESENTING CHILDREN I DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN IS MY FIRST AND PARAMOUNT OBLIGATION.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND I HOPE YOU WILL ALL RESPECT MY FAMILY’S PRIVACY AT THIS TIME

THANK YOU

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From The Mayor's Office. March 1,2010: Mayor Adam Bradley issued a written statement to the media Monday morning clarifying stories appearing in the press about his past in relation to his being charged with Assault in the Third Degree Sunday in an incident involving his wife.

Mr.Bradley's statement:

" I want to address a couple of issues being raised in the media.

First, there have been no prior allegations of spousal abuse made against me.

Second, questions have been raised about an incident that occurred 10 years ago, prior to my marriage. In that instance, Fumiko (his present wife) and I were harassed by a former girlfriend of mine.

It resulted in an order of protection being issued, barring the woman from contacting me."

The surprise Bradley statement was issued after a news conference that reported the city, school and community organizations has raised $32,000 for Haitian Earthquake Relief which was being donated to Doctors Without Borders. Mayor Bradley did not chair the news conference. Antoinette Biordi, City Communications Director, said Mr. Bradley would not be handling the news conference because he "was dealing with personal issues." Councilman Dennis Power represented the City.

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. February 28, 2010: White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley, 49, was arraigned in City Court Sunday morning and charged with Assault in the Third Degree (a misdemeanor) in connection with a complaint filed by his wife, Fumiko, in connection with alleged injuries she suffered in a domestic dispute with Mr. Bradley sometime Sunday.

According to the complaint distributed to the media, and signed by a White Plains Police Officer identified as B. Robbins,

 "at about 9:30 A.M. on the above date, time (February 28), and place the above defendent (Mr. Bradley) did cause physical injury to his wife by grabbing her left arm and placing her hand against a door frame and with his other hand closed the door on his wife's hand causing pain and bruising to her left middle finger."

Mr. Bradley was released in his own recognizance without bail being set, and is due back in City Court Friday, March 5 before Judge J. Brian Hansbury to answer the charge. Bradley's attorney, speaking to the press said a temporary restraining order of protection was issued  forbidding Mr. Bradley to see his wife.  The lawyer also said Mr. Bradley is living at  the home of his parents, while Mrs. Bradley continues to live in the residence where the alleged assault took place Sunday morning. Mr. Bradley's attorney said the Mayor "turned himself in," after he learned there was a complaint against him.

Mr. Bradley informed News 12, WCBS-TV Reporters, PIX News, WNBC News and other media in a prepared statement he delivered at a news conference at 7 P.M. at City Hall that "he did not mistreat his wife," and that he was "innocent." He admitted in the statement that he and his wife were having "marital problems" and said he would not elaborate. He said the incident would in no way distract him from handling the important matters the city now faces. He took no questions. 

Previously, White Plains police did not answer WPCNR request for the details of the incident, which had been relayed to WPCNR at 2 P.M. The news of the rumored incident spread by word of mouth and phone call around the city. The news conference at 7 P.M. was the first official statement that an incident had taken place, and first notice that a charge had been filed. News 12 reported the existence of the rumors in the late afternoon and was informed of the news conference.

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. February 27, 2010: Con Edison's army of power restoration teams cut the number of County outages caused by the14 to 25 inch snowfall that ended Friday evening, in half  in the last twelve hours.

As of 10:45 P.M.  15,627 Westchester Customers still remain without electricity, down from  over 29,000 twelve hours ago.

Con Edison swooped down on Greenburgh, the county's hardest hit and restored approximately 5,000 customers to service, as of this hour, 1,030 Greenburghers are without power.

In White Plains, 61 customers are without power as of 10:45 P.M. E.S.T.

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. February 27, 2010: Con Edison continues repairing power outages across Westchester County Saturday morning. In White Plains 268 customers remain without power this morning. Full restoration to the entire county has now been targeted for Wednesday March 3, according to the Con Edison website.

Across Westchester County, the misery of the 2010 "Snownomi" that delivered 14 inches of heavy wet snow to White Plains and amounts over 20 inches to the western and northern parts of the county, Putnam and Orange Counties, 29,937 are without power as of 11 A.M. Saturday. Families are leaving thousands of unheated homes to stay with relatives. Homes perhaps face damage from freezing pipes should temperatures dip lower though in Westchester County temperatures remain above freezing.

Across Westchester, the power out numbers are staggering as of 11 A.M.: 6,683 are without power in Greenburgh.

Town Supervisor of Greenburgh, Paul Feiner issued this statement to media Saturday morning: 

638 in Elmsford; 402 in Harrison;565 in Irvington; 222 in Mount Kisco; 1,508 in Mount Pleasant;  New Castle, 4,872; North Castle, 2,501; North Pelham, 303; Ossining/Ossining Village,3,841; Peekskill, 371; Pleasantville, 1,780; Scarsdale,555; Tarrytown, 1,800; Yonkers, 2,423.

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. WPCNR News & Con Edison Media Relations.  February 26, 2010. UPDATED 10:50 P.M. E.S.T.: Hundreds of White Plains Con Edison customers without power have been reconnected as we approach 11 P.M. by Con Ed crews.

The number of Con Ed customers in White Plains’ reported without power due to “The Big White,” the continuing snowstorm that has left 14 inches of snow  and higher drifts across White Plains and the Westchester County region has shrunk to 317 as of 11 P.M. due to new reports of outages, Con Edison posted on its Storm Center moments ago.  Greenburgh still has 6,950 without power . Across Westchester County, 28,107 customers are without power as of 11 P.M.

A Con Edison spokesperson advised WPCNR the company is promising full restoration of power to the entire county by 11 P.M. Tuesday. The spokesperson said the number of White Plains customers without power grew this evening because more customers have reported outages while Con Edison has worked to restore earlier losses of power. She said more field crews have been dispatched. The growth in White Plains outages, she said,  was not due to the weather or sinking temperatures.

The White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley's Office issued the following statement this evening:"As of Friday at 5:30pm...The White Plains Department of Public Works and Public Safety have been working hard to meet the needs of the residents of White Plains during this snowstorm. The Department of Public Works is also working with Con Edison in the event of any electrical wires that may come down that would force road closures.

Any shelter issues or immediate problems, please co tact The American Red Cross."

Greenburgh Relief for those without Power:

Paul Feiner, Supervisor of the Town of Greenburgh announced a temporary shelter is available for anyone without heat in this statement:

The Town of Greenburgh outages totaling 7,985 as of 5 P.M. have been reduced to 6,950  as of 11 P.M, as more outages have been reported.

It appears, checking with persons living in Ossinning and northern New Jersey that the areas West of White Plains and North received a lot more of the storm's white wallop than the eastern part of Westchester County.

Tree Down, Resting on Power Wires, on Havilands Lane,  street closed off by White Plains Police.

The outages, according to a Con Edison spokesperson, have been caused by the heavy wet snow freezing and trees not being able to sustain the weight and falling onto Con Edison powerlines. A total of 35,755 customers in Westchester County were without power as of the 5 o’clock hour.

HEAVY SNOW AND ICE BASE WEIGHS DOWN BRANCHES OF SENIOR TREE .

Other communities devastated by falling trees taking customers offline are Hastings,  Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Briarcliff, New Castle,North Castle, and Mount Pleasant, and North Tarrytown.

To check Con Edison’s Westchester Outage Report as of 11 P.M, Saturday night and estimated times when they expect power to be restored got to http://apps.coned.com/weboutageinfo/stormcenter/default.aspx

WPCNR TRAFFIC ADVISORY. February 26, 2010: White Plains  Chief of Police James Bradley advised WPCNR as of8:30 A.M., White Plains is experiencing some localized power outages due to down wires.

He reports White Plains Roads are very slippery and people should stay home so DPW can do their job. No other major incidents.

WPCNR THE REALTY RECORDER. February 24, 2010: Rand Realty citing White Plains Multiple Listing Service statistics on White Plains sales in the October, November December 2009 quarter showed that 104 White Plains homes were on the market, and that the average sale price for the 48 homes sold  in that period continued to drop, off 24%.2 from the identical final quarter of 2008.

There were 13 more home sales in the final quarter of 2009 than there were in the final quarter of 2008. The Median Selling Price (meaning exactly half of the 48 homes sold sold for above the median price, and half below it), continued to fall…off 22.5%. That median price is $542,000, down from $700,000 in 2008.

The average selling price was $583,832 for the 48 homes sold in the last quarter, down from the $770,003 average sale price for the 35 homes sold in 2008.

The average time it takes to sell a home continues to be about five months  and 3 weeks. There were 104 homes on the market as of January 1.