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THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR I’M PUTTING TOGETHER MY STORIES OF THE YEAR REPORT ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK AND THERE WERE A LOT OF THEM. WHITE PLAINS AND EVERY TOWN AND CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CHANGED — IN ATTITUDES, WHAT WE DID. HOW WE LIVE TOGETHER IN THE TIME OF COVID

OUR LIFESTYLES CHANGED. WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO CHANGED. MANY OF US DID NOT WORK BECAUSE OF COVID. OUR PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE CHANGED.

IN WHITE PLAINS, MACY’S AND SEARS CLOSED THE RIDGEWAY COUNTRY CLUB WAS SOLD BY THE FRENCH AMERICAN SCHOOL TO A LUXURY HOUSING DEVELOPER  BRINGING THAT 11 YEAR BATTLE TO A CLOSE—BUT THERE IS A CONTINGENT OF GEDNEY ASSOCIATION THAT STILL WANTS THE APELLATE COURT TO DECIDE WHETHER A MANDATE SHOULD GO WITH A PROPERTY INTO PERPETUITY SO IT STILL GOES ON EVEN THOUGH THE PROJECT IS GONE. IT IS THE ISSUE THAT NEVER ENDS.

WHITE PLAINS HAS OPTED IN TO MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES AND CANNIBIS RECREATIONAL FACILITIES APPROVED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE  BY DEFAULT BY NOT TAKING UP THE ISSUE. WE AWAIT REGULATIONS ON HOW CANNIBIS FACILITIES WILL BE RUN. THERE ARE NONE YET.

LOUIS CAPPELLI TOOK OVER AND FINISHED 55 BANK STREET AND IS NOW FINISHING THE MITCHELL. THE CITY HAS YET TO ANNOUNCE WHAT IT IS GOING TO DO TO FINISH THE TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT ADJACENT THE RAILROAD STATION  RENOVATION.

THE CITY AWAITS START UP OF THE WP PAVILLION PROJECT AND CONTINUES TO  EXTEND SITE PLANS ON PROJECTS STALLED FOR LACK OF FINANCING.

THOSE WERE THE PHYSICAL CHANGES.

CITY GOVERNMENT REMAINS THE SAME. MAYOR TOM ROACH WAS ELECTED UNOPPOSED. RICHARD PAYNE WAS ELECTED TO HIS FIRST TERM ON THE COMMON COUNCIL. JOHN MARTIN WAS ELECTED TO HIS THIRD TERM ON THE COMMON COUNCIL AND JUSTIN BRASCH TO HIS SECOND.

PERSONAL CHANGES WERE MORE COMPLEX IT IS A CITY OF FEAR. OF REMOTE LEARNING AT HOME IN THE WHITE PLAINS SCHOOLS…WHICH REOPENED FULLY LAST MAY AND HAD A TERRIFIC COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS CHILDREN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO REOPEN LAST MAY. THE WHITE PLAINS SCHOOLS CONTINUE WITH AN UNDER 1% NEW POSITIVE RATE

MORE PROFOUND WERE THE PERSONAL CHANGES… I HAVE WATCHED MORE MOVIES ON NETFLIX GOTTEN INTO MORE ARGUMENTS WITH BRENDA STARR ON DELAYING STARTS OF MOVIES AND BEEN INFURIATED BY HORRIBLE TUNING IN INCONSISTENCIES ON THE STREAMING CHANNELS. I HAVE REALIZED HOW I MISS SOCIALIZING AND DO NOT LIKE THE FEAR OF BEING WITH PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR US MENTALLY HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED THE PERSONAL SIDE OF COVID DENNIS?

DENNIS NARDONE: I COME IN AND DO THE SHOW, TRY AND GIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE. I COME HERE 7 DAYS A WEEK.

JOHN: WE HAD TO STAY AT HOME. WE HAD TO WORK FROM HOME. CHILDREN HAD TO LEARN FROM HOME. WE HAD TO DEAL WITH WHETHER TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK. THERE WAS ANXIETY ABOUT WHETHER TO BE VACCINATED. INFORMATION CHANGED AND CHANGED AND CHANGED AGAIN. VACCINATIONS WERE ATTACKED BY IRRESPONSIBLE MEDIA. AFTER THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID THIS YEAR WAS STOPPED IN APRIL, RESTRICTIONS WERE LOOSENED. SOCIALIZING RETURNED AND BEGINNING IN JULY CASES GREW CREATING A SECOND WAVE WHICH AFTER LABOR DAY TURNED INTO A THIRD WAVE UNTIL NOW DECEMBER WE HAVE A SHARP SPIKE THAT HAS EXPLODED.

VACCINATION IS THE ANSWER. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.