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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Governor Kathy Hochul today signed an executive order to create the state’s first-ever Master Plan for Aging to ensure older New Yorkers can live healthy, fulfilling lives while aging with dignity and independence.

Signed on Older New Yorkers’ Day, the Executive Order directs the Commissioner of the State Department of Health and the Director of the State Office for the Aging to head a Master Plan for Aging Council, which will then gather input from relevant stakeholders to draft guidance for building healthy, livable communities that offer opportunities for older adults.     

“As the first age-friendly state in the nation, we continue to take important steps to empower and support older New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “This Master Plan for Aging will provide us with tools to ensure our aging New Yorkers have access to quality long term care in healthy, livable communities where they can thrive.”

Governor Hochul’s executive order is the first step toward building a comprehensive roadmap for meeting the socioeconomic needs of all generations of New Yorkers as they age.

Building on New York State’s status as the first state in the nation to officially receive AARP’s age-friendly designation, the Master Plan for Aging will help to coordinate existing and new state policy and programs for older adults and their families, while also addressing challenges related to communication, coordination, caregiving, long-term care financing, and innovative care models with the overarching aim of furthering the ability for more to age with dignity and independence.  

The executive order was signed in advance of the New York State Office for the Aging annual Older New Yorkers’ Day celebration, which honors volunteerism among older adults statewide. Starting at 1 p.m. today, this year’s virtual celebration will honor 94 older adults across the state for their unique contributions through civic organizations, charities, in schools or libraries, on behalf of health and human services organizations or other non-profits, and through acts of kindness.   

Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett or her designee will chair the Master Plan for Aging Council, Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen will serve as vice-chair, and relevant state agency commissioners and directors will serve as its membership. The council will then assemble a stakeholder committee, including members from health care and support service providers; consumers; informal caregivers; older adults – particularly those in communities experiencing disparities; health plan companies, labor and community-based organizations, employers, experts on aging, and academic researchers, among others.         

Earlier this year, the State Department of Health established the Office of Aging and Long-Term Care to develop policies and programs to meet the needs of older New Yorkers and people with disabilities who require long-term care services and support. Created in July, this new office is working closely with the Office of Health Insurance Programs, the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management, and the state Office for the Aging to coordinate Department of Health activities related to aging New Yorkers.       

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Proposed 2023County Operating BudgetPresentation and Member Consensus Meeting Tuesday, November 15 White Plains Library Auditorium 2:00 – 4:00pm

Join us for the LWVW Annual Review and Member Consensus Meeting of the proposed 2023 Westchester County Operating Budget.County Budget Director, Larry Soule, will present the proposed 2023 Westchester County Operating Budget and address all your questions. The Proposed County Operating Budget will be posted by November 10 at Westchester County Budget Department.The Public is invited to attend the Operating Budget presentation.After the presentation, League members will convene to formulate a consensus statement that will be read at a public hearing prior to legislative adoption.

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Defendants Conspired to Traffic Women, Including a Minor

WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. November 3. 2022

An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging Narendarakuma Dadarwala, his wife Shardaben Dadarwala, their son Jigar Dadarwala, Ashokbhai Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. d/b/a Sayville Motor Lodge with sex trafficking conspiracy.  The Dadarwalas, Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. are also charged with managing a drug premises, and Narendarakuma Dadarwala is charged with distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses. 

Patel was arrested yesterday in Nebraska and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.  The other defendants were arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst. A fifth co-conspirator remains at large.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the indictment and arrests.

“As alleged, the defendants made the Sayville Motor Lodge a money-making refuge for prostitution and narcotics trafficking, and a blight on the surrounding community,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “With these arrests, we send a clear message that our Office will prosecute those who use motels or any other venue as their base of operations for trafficking human beings and drugs.”

Mr. Peace also thanked the United States Marshal Service, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, United States Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance.

“We allege the owner and employees of the Sayville Motor Lodge looked the other way when pimps trafficked human beings in their hotel. More egregiously, we allege they took money from those pimps and drug dealers, who beat and abused the women involved in front of them. Other hotel owners who operate in a similar fashion should take heed, we will hold them accountable for their actions in allowing sex trafficking to take place in their establishments.

We’re asking anyone who is a victim of human trafficking, or believes they know of someone who is, to call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

 “From the outside, the Sayville Motor Lodge appeared to be a typical roadside motel, but in reality, there was far more than just overnight stays occurring there,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison.  “The owners and employees facilitated sex trafficking and drug sales for financial gain at the expense of women, including a minor. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop those who exploit victims of human trafficking and will continue to help these victims receive the services they need to get their lives back on track.”

“These defendants are alleged to have not only knowingly allowed criminal behavior to run rampant at the Motor Inn for years, they also financially benefited from these same illegal activities directly through kickbacks,” stated District Attorney Tierney. “Thanks to our partnership with U.S. Attorney Breon Peace and the Suffolk County Police Department, this blight on the community will no longer be open for illicit business.”

As set forth in court filings, the Dadarwalas have owned and operated the Sayville Motor Lodge since approximately 1984.  They reside and work at the motel.  From 2017 to 2019, Ashokai Patel was employed and also lived there.  T

he Dadarwalas and Patel facilitated the criminal activity at the Sayville Motor Lodge and profited from the prostitution and narcotics activity that routinely took place there.  Specifically, the Dadarwalas and Patel conspired with traffickers. 

They exercised control over room rentals and booked dates and set room rates for commercial sex. 

They were aware that women engaged in prostitution, including at least one minor trafficking victim. 

They warned traffickers and women engaged in prostitution when law enforcement was on the premises and observed traffickers inflict physical violence on their victims and customers.

They also financially benefited from the commercial sex activity at the Sayville Motor Lodge.  The traffickers, sex workers, and drug dealers at the Sayville Motor Lodge frequently interacted with the staff and called Narendarakuma Dadarwala “Dad” and “Pa” and Shardaben Dadarwala “Mom” and “Ma.”

From approximately 2014 until 2018, an unapprehended co-conspirator allegedly operated his sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge, in coordination with the Dadarwalas and Patel.  The co-conspirator trafficked several women out of the motel, including a minor, and routinely subjected the women who worked for him to physical violence. 

In furtherance of his operation, the co-conspirator kept the women who worked for him addicted to drugs and introduced them to prostitution in exchange for drugs, posted ads on the internet and set rates for commercial sex acts, confiscated proceeds from prostitution, and mentally and physically abused the women and minors who worked for him.

In addition, from 2014 to the present, the Dadarwalas, Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. profited from the narcotics trafficking that was conducted openly on Sayville Motor Lodge property.  The defendants allowed customers to freely use drugs, including heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, in plain view and in motel rooms. 

Much like the traffickers, drug dealers paid the Sayville defendants for the privilege of selling drugs at the Sayville Motor Lodge.  Narendarakuma Dadarwala wired funds from the rental of rooms for prostitution and narcotics trafficking to his son and Patel.

Further, as set forth in the indictment, the government is seeking to forfeit the Sayville Motor Lodge.  To ensure the property is preserved for forfeiture, the United States has obtained an order restraining the defendants from transferring, encumbering or operating the Sayville Motor Lodge in violation of law.

If convicted, the defendants each face a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment on the sex trafficking charge.  Jigar Dadarwala, Narendarakuma Dadarwala, Shardaben Dadarwala and Ashokai Patel face up to 20 years for the managing a drug premises charge; and Narendarakuma Dadarwala faces up to 5 years on distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses charge.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

If you were a victim, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section and Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile, Samantha S. Alessi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa McEvoy are in charge of the prosecution.  Assistant United States Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.

The Defendants:

JIGAR DADARWALA (also known as “Cobra”)
Age: 44 
Sayville, New York

NARENDARAKUMA DADARWALA (also known as “Naren,” “Pa” and “Dad”)
Age: 76
Sayville, New York

SHARDABEN DADARWALA (also known as “Sharda,” “Ma” and “Mom”)
Age: 69
Sayville, New York

ASHOKBHAI PATEL, also known as “BG”
Age: 58
Omaha, Nebraska

HIMANSHU, INC. d/b/a Sayville Motor Lodge

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It’s been a while since I’ve shared my own chronicles of navigating this pandemic. But it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the questions as we navigate the “choose your own adventure” phase of the pandemic. We are all just trying to figure this out as we go. And, unfortunately, the “normal” viruses are back, too.

This is what my little family is doing this holiday season to stay healthy and enjoy time with our loved ones. I hope it’s useful.

Goal 1: Protect the vulnerable

There are still ~2,600 Americans dying each week from COVID-19. The vast majority are older and vaccinated (but not up to date). As an epidemiologist, I refuse to accept this as the “new normal.”

So my professional bias influences my priorities: Ensure the vulnerable around us (like grandparents) do not end up in the hospital with COVID-19 (or flu or RSV). This means we are going to do everything in our power to break transmission chains before gathering for the holidays. This includes…

At least three weeks before event:

• Ensure everyone is up-to-date on their flu shot and fall booster (especially the older adults). The fall booster rate is currently 7.3% (20% for those aged 65+).

One week prior to the event:

• Wear an N95 mask. In public. Everywhere I go. This will help ensure we don’t bring COVID-19 (or flu) to Thanksgiving dinner. It will also help make sure I don’t miss the event because I’m sick. Don’t rely on case levels to influence masking decisions; at this point, they don’t accurately reflect transmission.
• Cadence testing. Use COVID19 at-home antigen tests two days before seeing grandparents and the morning of. Test everyone. Including my toddlers who scream when I approach their nose.
  • For people who have the virus and are asymptomatic, the average antigen test will catch 44% to 70% of cases. This isn’t perfect, so we don’t rely solely on this layer. But it sometimes works.
  • If I’m positive a few days before the event. We see strong evidence (here, here) that an Omicron infection lasts, on average, 8-10 days. Some people will be infectious for less, and some will be infectious for more. You won’t know unless you test. Antigen tests are very good at telling us when we’re not infectious anymore (very few false positives).
  • If I get a negative after a positive, then I would trust that I’m not contagious anymore and go to the event.
  • With Paxlovid, we are seeing rebounding. So for anyone who tests negative after Paxlovid, I would continue to test for another couple of days. If you turn positive again, assume you’re infectious until you turn negative again.

Day of the event:

• Ventilation and filtration are powerful tools. This is especially important in the middle of winter when people head indoors. You can use a CO2 monitor if you want to take safety at your family event to the next level.
• If we have symptoms, stay home. This is lonely during the holidays, but the best thing to do. When symptoms are present, COVID-19 antigen tests are great at detecting highly infectious people: the average antigen test will catch 78% to 97% of cases in the first week of symptoms.
• False negatives are more common at the beginning of infection, especially with Omicron. If you have symptoms and test negative, it’s a good idea to re-test in 24-48 hours. But, because flu and RSV levels are high right now, there’s a good chance it could be something other than COVID-19, too. Just stay home.

After the event:

• If an older adult gets infected, make sure they know about Paxlovid and get it within 5 days of symptoms, even just the sniffles.

Goal 2: Limit disruptions

We are trying as much as possible to prevent disruptions in our lives due to sickness. We want to go on our trip. We want to go to holiday parties. We want to help the crowded and broken healthcare systems right now.

This means we are all up to date on vaccines.

This also means wearing masks. (Yes, still.)

I wear one probably 40% of the time when I go to Target, but if there’s an event we’re really looking forward to, I wear it religiously (I usually dial up about four days before the event). This also means wearing a mask while traveling for work so I can come home, not get sick, and spend time with my girls.

Having two little ones and avoiding sickness gets harder and harder because they are in childcare. This is just a reality that I have to accept: they may bring something home.

I’m going to do all I can to not bring it home. I know parents of older kids struggle what to do because there are competing realities: masks help reduce the odds of disruption (including missed school). But peer pressure is real, and they probably don’t wear them when you’re not around, anyways.

We are booking our holiday travel. With boosters, there is very little SARS-CoV-2 could do in the next couple months to cancel our trip. (A severe mutations may be an exception.) I know people travel with COVID-19 and sickness. Staying home is the least I can do to help someone else’s grandparents. We are prepared to cancel flights if we get sick. Make this an expectation with travel this winter.

Other considerations

I’m a healthy young adult who has been incredibly lucky. I recognize not everyone has similar situations. If you…

• Are the vulnerable person, like an older grandparent: The pandemic is not over for you. And I’m sorry. I would consider wearing a mask throughout winter. This will help with COVID, the flu, and (we think) RSV. If everyone who attends Thanksgiving dinner embraces Goal #1 above, the risk to you is very low.
• Have a child under 6 months: The pandemic is not over for you either. And RSV and flu should be concerning, too. The biggest advice I have for you is not to let people kiss or hold your baby. They’ll live.
• Have limited means: One tragic reality is that tools are being stripped away from people who can’t afford to pay for them. Free antigen tests are gone. Free masks are gone. Vaccines are still free, but many places are asking for proof of insurance. Cancelling flights can be super expensive. I recognize taking all of the steps above involves privilege. Instead, choose one or two precautions. It will help.

Bottom line

Yes, we are still in a pandemic. Yes, the “normal viruses” are back. We can enjoy the holidays this year while staying healthy: get vaccinated, mask (at least leading up to the event), ventilate, test and stay home when you’re sick. This seems like a lot— especially when it looks like the greater public isn’t doing anything— but it really isn’t. It’s still worth navigating this petri dish to ensure our loved ones are protected.

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Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller has released a report – that breaks down the counties and boroughs that have seen the most drug overdoses in 2020 by increase since 2010 (figure 5) here: https://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/continuing-crisis-drug-overdose-deaths-new-york.

Video from the event announcing the findings on Tuesday, which can be embedded is here: https://fb.watch/gx0i3fZD01/.

The Comptroller was at THRIVE in Westbury, a community and outreach center for people in recovery on Long Island. There is very good sound from the fourth speaker- a young woman named Samantha Morales, who survived a drug overdose after receiving Narcan 3 times. Her title is Program Manager, THRIVE East End.

Key Takeaways from report:

• Drug overdose fatalities surged during the pandemic.
• Opioid-related deaths increased by 68% between 2019 – 2021, claiming the lives of nearly 5,000 New Yorkers in 2021 alone.
• The surge was largely due to a significant increase in deaths from opioids with illicit fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids.
• Overdose deaths statewide from opioids and all drugs in 2021 surpassed the previous 2017 high by more than 1,700 fatalities and are nearly 3,900 greater than in 2010.
• 85% of drug overdose deaths involved opioids in 2021. The rise in fentanyl-related deaths has been shocking, growing from 11% of all drug overdose deaths in 2010 to 78% in 2021.
• Fatalities grew across all racial and ethnic groups. Death rates for all drug overdoses increased five-fold for Black New Yorkers, quadrupled for Hispanic or Latino New Yorkers, and nearly tripled for White New Yorkers.

• In 2020, ten counties or boroughs exceeded the statewide average of 25.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
• (Figure 5) They include all five boroughs — The Bronx, Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Recommendations

• Improve efforts to track funding, as current financial reporting doesn’t clearly identify total state, federal and local resources dedicated to addressing opioid crisis. 
• Establish clear performance targets and regular reporting on program outcomes.
• Ensure direct funding and support for communities facing the greatest challenges.

WHO’S DYING OF OVER DOSES? KEY EXCERPTS FROM COMPTROLLER’S REPORT