THE SMART NEWS YOU HAVE TO KNOW EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW! METROPOLITAN AREA FACT PACK ON WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU. THE FACTPACK! LAST WEEK 6,831 VISITORS MADE 21,763 VISITS (4 TIMES A DAY) . FEB 20 TO MAR 20, 27,342 VISITORS LOGGED 79,569 VISITS, (4 A DAY PER VISITOR EVERY DAY). FROM AROUND THE WORLD! THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE AND LOYALTY TO WPCNR. I AM HONORED BY YOUR SUPPORT OF WPCNR THE LOCAL AND WORLD WIDE AUTHORITY! THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEADFAST FAITH IN WPCNR. .I AM STUNNED. THE LAST 365 DAYS THANKS TO THE 714,072 VISITORS WHO CAME BACK 2,238,339 TIMES WHITE PLAINS READERS AND INTERNATIONAL READERS. TOTAL VISITS AN ASTOUNDNG 2,2,238,339 VISITS THANK YOU MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS NY USA . HUNGRY FOR REAL NEWS? THEY COME BACK 3 TIMES A DAY. IN 2023, THEY'RE COMING BACK MORE EVERY DAY BECAUSE THEY WANT THE TRUTH EVERY DAY.. White Plains Daily News Service Since 2000 A.D. "23 years Day by Day" John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EST FRI, 7 EST MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EST THURS, 7 PM EST SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 76 "Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way." EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! CHOICE OF WHITE PLAINS, WESTCHESTER AND THE WORLD FOR 23 YEARS. AND YOU CAN READ THE TYPE! ADVERTISE WHERE THE EYES AND THINKERS ARE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD! (RATINGS SOURCE WORDPRESS)
WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE.Statistics from NYS Covid Tracker. Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey. March 20, 2023:
In Governor Kathy Hochul’s Friday Covid Update, (pictured above) the state announced it is cutting back on its daily covid reports of new covid cases and other statistics by county across the state to once a week on Fridays.
The reports that have been used by reporters throughout the state to monitor the rise and now 12-week decline in cases in Westchester County, will no longer be available to note trends.
This anticipated suspension of the detailed reports, first announced by the national Center for Disease Control a month ago when the covid emergency was declared over officially on May 11 by President Biden, will now hamper the public and the press abilities to tell what is going on with the pandemic.
The official notice issued Friday from the Governor’s Office reads:
“Starting today, March 17, and ahead of the federal government’s planned expiration for the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11,
New York State’s COVID-19/vaccine news release will be issued weekly on Fridays until further notice.
The latest COVID-19 and vaccine data will continue to be available 24/7 on the New York State Department of Health’s online tracker.
Additionally, the State Department of Health is assessing changes to COVID data collection and reporting in collaboration with local health departments and health care providers, in order to alleviate the burden on providers and leverage other data sources to maintain its ability to monitor the state of the disease and health care delivery system capacity.
The agency remains committed to responding to the COVID-19 threat and continues to encourage New Yorkers to use the tools to protect against and treat COVID-19: Vaccines, boosters, testing and treatment. “
BALL IS BACK! The White Plains Varsity Softball team practicing for the first time outside Friday. The arms were firing rocket throws to first. The outfielders were ranging into the gaps on the run. Nothing like seeing a soaring blast backended on the line, a smash handled in the hole and bangout to first. Nothing gets the heart beat faster than ball up close. The Varsity working out outside arrived with the Robins this week.METRO NORTH ROLLING UP THE HUDSON RIVER LINE PEEKSKILL NY THE BEST PLACE TO TRAIN WATCH–FREIGHTS, AMTRACKING, STILL ROLLING AND NO CANCELLATIONS.AMTRACK’S MONTREALER ROLLING ROCKING THE HIGH IRON NONSTOP WITH THE BEST WHISTLE IN RAILROADING HIGH BALLING TO GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD SATURDAY.
The NEW Multi-media Showcase Exposes Attitudes, Shatters Hate, Connects Students, Shows All Ages What Hate Reaps. Public views Monday at 3 PM. Eastview and Highlands Schools Host Next
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 18, 2023:
Four hundred White Plains High School Students have seen it and come back for more.
The public gets its chance to see the exhibition Monday at 3 PM. It will move to Eastview Middle School and Highlands Middle School later in the spring. It is a meaningful hit with the students school officials related Friday afternoon at the official opening.
Mayor Thomas Roach of White Plains said that Ellen Berger had approached him with participating in the photo shoot and the idea for the exhibit to White Plains, and Dr. Joseph Ricca was enthusiastic, feeling the high school being the best place to make “We Are White Plains” message educate the children of White Plains on the consequences of hate, and the history of the Holocaust,.
Beyete’ Ross Smith, the photographer of the pictures of local personalities displayed in the venture explained how he learned appearances can send a negative or a positive image was in college when he and his fellow classmates dressed up for a business conference they were invited to and spoke and dressed in “business talk,” and how differently they were perceived by the executives who ran the conference.
I asked him why all the photos he took were not smiling (to show a different impression of those photographs).
Mr. Ross Smith said people do not usually smile as they see you, but the appearance of how they look leaves the impression upon which impressions are based, on which initial first impressions (fear, suspicion, coldness) are formed. He is shown with the founders of Close Circles standing in the background.
Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado,in his opening address noted that Governor Kathy Hochul has made the Holocaust history mandated in curriculum for schools in New York State. He noted that the pictures of White Plains personalities on display in various outfits with stern faces, recalled his own youth of the rise of Hip Hop that gave expression to his generation, and observed the “traveling museum” as founders of Common Circles who custom created the show for White Plains using school and city officials, teachers, hoped to make it a traveling museum to go across the country in the future. A previous custom show was created for the Omaha Nebraska schools.
Lieutenant Governor Delgado said it would be a great traveling museum.
Dr. Joseph Ricca in his introduction to the exhibit emphasized that we all must be vigilant and fight against hate each time it rises in the community, “otherwise they win.” Ricca said the exhibit shows “where White Plains is going.”
The founders of Common Circles introduced the ceremony before a crowd of well-wishers of approximately 75 people, Marla Felton, Founder,(left) and Sue Spiegel, Creative Director, explained how the concept came about. (This picture is shown in black and white to emphasize the visual point of Mr. Ross Smith’s photographs).
Ms. Felton said her uncle was a Holocaust survivor who was liberated from the Buchenwald death camp by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. “We Are White Plains is a tool for a model for schools across the nation Four hundred students have gone through the exhibit since last Wedsneday, and they want to come back.”
WPHS Principal Emerly Martinez told me the students are thrilled with the interactive nature of the show and it is very attractive to them. He said students use their free time during the school day to come back and learn from the past in an interactive little theatre in the White Plains Library, where they can listen and ask questions of
Anita Lasker-Wallfish and Alan Moskin, survivors of the Holocaust(below)
“I was honored to attend the grand opening of “We are White Plains,” a traveling, interactive exhibit that teaches about the Holocaust and focuses on identity, bridging, belonging, and building community.
I am also humbled and honored to have been featured in the exhibit, alongside other members of the Westchester community.
Students of White Plains High School have interacted with this exhibit throughout this past week, and each student has left learning more about history, empathy, and shared connections.
I applaud and thank Common Circles, the Non Profit that led this initiative, with their Founder Marla Felton and Creative Director Sue Spiegel; along with the Photographer, Bayetè Ross Smith. I also applaud the White Plains School District, the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony,and Ellen Berger for their unwavering support of this remarkable exhibit.
State Senator Shelley Mayer issued this comment on the exhibit:
I was honored to attend the grand opening of “We are White Plains,” a traveling, interactive exhibit that teaches about the Holocaust and focuses on identity, bridging, belonging, and building community.
I am also humbled and honored to have been featured in the exhibit, alongside other members of the Westchester community.
Students of White Plains High School have interacted with this exhibit throughout this past week, and each student has left learning more about history, empathy, and shared connections.
I applaud and thank Common Circles, the Non Profit that led this initiative, with their Founder Marla Felton and Creative Director Sue Spiegel; along with the Photographer, Bayetè Ross Smith. I also applaud the White Plains School District, the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony,and Ellen Berger for their unwavering support of this remarkable exhibit.
THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESENTS THEIR 23-24 PROPOSED BUDGETGEORGE LATIMER SAYS TOWNS, CITIES SHOULD CREATE THEIR OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANS.SNOWY COLD WINDY MARCH. 1.9% TAX INCREASE IN WHITE PLAINS SCHOOL TAXES. JOHN BAILEY TAKES YOU THROUGH ITMID-HUDSON REGION COVID CASES ARE TRACKING FOR 3,000 NEW CASES IN MARCH. JOHN BAILEY SORTS IT OUTHOSPITALIZATIONS IN WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL WITH COVID CASES EXPLAINEDWOMEN’S SUMMIT IN WHITE PLAINS COVERAGE WITH VIDEO OF APRIL RYAN’S ADDRESS
20% DOWN PAYMENTS ON MORTGAGES MAKE FIRST TIME BUYERS UNABLE TO BUY WITHOUT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE RENTALS, CONDOS, CO-OPS, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
WPCNR COUNTY-CLARION LEDGER.By John F. Bailey. March 16, 2023:
The Westchester County Executive proposed an alternative to Governor Kathy Hochul’s Housing Compact proposal that would override local zoning power of communities.
The County Executive said local control of zoning is the right of every hamlet and metropolis. He felt you could still set quotas per community for affordable “workforce housing,” that would preserve town, village and city control of their own zoning, that the Governor has said is preventing New York State from meeting housing needs.
Currently the legislature responding to suburban community leaders’ outcries at the overriding of zoning codes by the Governor’s proposal, has pronounced the plan dead on arrival, rejecting overriding of local zoning to build affordable housing stock, and the requiring a 3% percentage of affordable housing building in communities lagging behind the percentage.
Dan Murphy of Westchester Rising asked County Executive George Latimer in the Q. A. portion that usually ends Mr. Latimer’s Monday News conferences, asked him to “comment” on Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed Housing Compact bill and the County Executive gave a solution:
The County Executive introduced something completely new.See his complete remarks on the Governor Hochul Housing Compact and how he thinks the zoning issue can be resolved Click the red box and watch.
He said he is aware that many families are upset their children cannot afford housing in the towns they grew up in.
He said the Governor’s goals could be achieved without overriding zoning. He suggested the governor turn it over to the communities to come up with deciding how the communities could add affordable housing in their communities and where they would be built without compromising the character of the communities.
The effect: turning over the decisions on how affordable housing goals could be met (in keeping with the character, land availability and infrastructures of each town) by challenging the communities that lag in affordable housing to come up with their plans. How much time would they be given? How does the governor feel about this? How do the “anti-Hochuls” in her own party feel about that?
He is right.
The current state of the “recovery” where financial conditions change day to-day, where advisories are changed 100% from the day before, and stats are pumped out every week, up one day, down the next from Washington affects people trying to improve their lives and build a living profoundly.
The bank mortgages have risen dramatically by the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. Let’s take a look.
Professionals such as teachers, police, firefighters and young workers starting their careers (burdened additionally by student loan debt) do not have the incomes to save the money to afford the Westchester housing market.
The down payment on a 30 year mortgage is 20% in the metropolitan area according to Mortgage lenders statistics. What do you need to buy a 2-4 family home, condo, co-op and single family home on s 30 year mortgage?
Can you save a year’s salary to get a downpayment?
The average price of a 2-4 Family home at the end of the third quarter of 2022 Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors statistics was $735,000, requiring a down payment of $147,000 upfront.
The average cost of a single family home, at a median price of $872,000 at the end of the third quarter, (meaning half of single family homes sold below the median price of $872,000 in the July-August-September third quarter 2022) can be as much as a couple’s two salaries combined.
Say you want to get a 30 year mortgage at 6% for a single home priced at $500,000 that’s a down payment of $100,000.
A $650,000 home requires a $130,000 down payment.
An $872,000 (middle market price!) the down payment of 20% is $174,000.
The condominium average selling price was $546,861, requiring a down payment of $109,372. However the median sales price of condos was $460,000 showing there are more in-range condos available on the market than half-million dollar condos. Nevertheless, the down payment on a $400,000 condo mortgage of 6% would be still be $92,000.
Co-ops were the best buy in the third quarter, averaging $239,000, but as with all of these ballpark quotes on down payments banks could be making better down payment terms or worse depending on how sound the banks feel about the property. Still raising $40,000 for a down payment on a Co-op is less a burden to raise for a couple than the condo, the mult-family or the coveted single family.
Affordability of the mortage depends on whether you can swing over $2,000 a month ($25,000 a year out of a $100,000 income, with the burden of property taxes, living expenses, loan debt, car ownership and food.
That first foray in home ownership is a nightmare of financial worry for the twenty and even 30-somethings.
You are at the mercy of the banks, the sellers.
Even if you rent, locally you are paying $2,000 and up studios, $3,000 and up for two-bedrooms. That is still $25,000 in rent…equivalent to a mortgage payment.
You are forced to share apartments if you are single.
To handle a rental of up to $2,000 a month for a studio or $3,500 a month for a two-bedroom apartment (in White Plains), or purchase a median single home even by the time they hit their early 30s, plus commuting costs, car payment, rent payment it requires a great deal of discipline to save for a down payment today.
They need about a 25% down payment to take out a mortgage for a median price home and $400 3 to 4 family homes just burdens them with a massive $300,000 mortage. The banks are reaping the market.
The very lack of homes on the market keeps prices going up or not coming down.
The Home Compact bill is the Governor’s plan to jumpstart funding and building affordable housing construction and setting mandates and quotas for New York State towns villages and cities which the state finds to be short in the availability of housing for young persons, professionals starting out, professionals such as teachers, police, firefighters “work force” housing.
The County Executive said that he felt Westchester has “moved beyond” the time 50 years ago when community zoning prevented housing in the county. He said he would vigorously defend the Westchester record still ongoing of providing housing for persons who could not afford current prices of homes.
“We are White Plains: Bridging, Belonging, & Building Community,” a groundbreaking interactive educational traveling museum exhibit Friday will debut at White Plains High School Friday afternoon, March 17.
It is produced by nonprofit Common Circles in partnership with the White Plains School District, featuring Dimensions in Testimony from USC Shoah Foundation and renowned artist Bayeté Ross Smith’s photo series Our Kind of People.
Nonprofit Common Circles’ groundbreaking traveling educational museum exhibit uses the arts, conversation, technology and storytelling to increase empathy, reduce bias, build communities of belonging, and help people get to know one another better. It is designed to meet New York State’s new mandated Holocaust education requirements by transforming the hallways and classrooms into a world-class museum.
This exhibit customized for the White Plains School District will help the students and the broader community explore identity, the Holocaust and Genocide – with the goal of building bridges – bridges between who we are and who we want to become, between the community we have and the community we want to shape, and between historical lessons of the past and actions we can take in the future.
The exhibit is a creative antidote to the rising tide of antisemitism; it also features some local survivors’ stories.
Two highlights of the exhibit include Dimensions in Testimony from USC Shoah Foundation and world-renowned artist, Bayeté Ross Smith’s series entitled “Our Kind of People”.
Dimensions in Testimony is a collection of interactive survivor biographies from USC Shoah Foundation that enable people to have conversations with pre-recorded video images of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses to genocide.**
Common Circles enlisted world-renowned artist and photographer Bayeté Ross Smith to further develop his “Our Kind of People” series. Using members of the White Plains community (including U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman, Mayor Thomas Roach, State Senator Shelly Mayer, Superintendent of White Plains School District Joseph Ricca, Council Members, Legislators, Superintendent of Sanitation, and White Plains’ teachers, staff, and administrators.
“Our Kind of People” examines how perception about someone’s identity, value and character is affected by appearance such as clothing, race/ethnicity, gender, complexion, and class signifiers, and how this then informs our daily interactions and social systems.
The exhibit is meant to introduce, educate, and embrace the varied identities of the people of White Plains. WHEN: Friday, March 17, 2023. 3:00-4:30 (speeches start promptly at 3:30; please arrive early to go through security and make sure to bring a valid photo id
WESTCHESTER ACHIEVES 12TH CONSECUTIVE WEEK OF DECLINING COVID CASES AS OF SATURDAY
WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE. Statistics, NY STATE COVID TRACKER. NYS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Observations. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey. UPDATED 11:00 EDT March 13, 2023:
As of Friday Westchester County had recorded 322 lab-verified persons with covid.
Saturday cases should be reported Monday afternoon and should amount to 351 cases, making the 12th consecutive week of the New Year that the county had reduced total new cases of covid.
The first week in January, 1,896 county residents had tested positive for covid, and that has declined to last week ended Friday March 10 at 322.
Hospitalization admissions for treatment of covid are up the last 25 days at White Plains Hospital.
In the 2.3 Million people Mid-Hudson Valley region on Friday, 1,418 persons were reported hospitalized in the 7 counties: Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam and Sullivan counties.
The average 7-day Hospital admissions rate per 100,000 segment of population in the 7 counties (2,363,622 or 23.6 100,000 “segments” ) was 139 persons a day across the 7 Mid-Hudson Counties, which is 969 hospitalizations a week and in one month 3,878 hospitalizations over 7 counties.
These hospitalizations are going to hurt hospital staff morale and effectiveness, in my opinion, with the sheer number of patients coming in for covid symptoms serious enough to be admitted.
The sobering numbers computed with the state’s own average per 100,000 admissions, mean if you do not have covid now you are likely to come in contact with someone who does.
In the 31 days of January in Westchester County there were 5,973 new cases of covid or 193 a day. Last week in Westchester there were approximately 53 new covid cases a day.
Locally in White Plains, White Plains Hospital Medical Center shows hospitalizatons for treatment of covid accounting for 52% of all those officially admitted to the hospital for treatment of covid.
In the last 25 days since February 15 when 8 of 20 though persons suffering seriously enough from covid to be admitted, covid cases have accounted for 52% of patients admitted to the hospital, that does not included emergency room visits.
Of 298 persons admitted to White Plains Hospital in the 25 days (through Friday, March 10),156 or 52% were admitted for treatment of covid.
GEORGE LATIMER ON THE FUTURE OF COVID-3 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST CASE IN THE COUNTY–UPDATES END.NY DEC COMMISSIONER BASIL SEGGOS ON TACKLING CARBON EMMISSIONS AT THE BUSINESS COUNCIL “PLANNING FOR WESTCHESTER’S NEW ENERGY LANDSCAPE” ALL DAY ENERGY CONFERENCERECYCLING PAYS FOR ITSELF!THE BIG CHALLENGE OF CARBON EMISSIONS.
PLUS CON EDISON’S PLANS ON NATURAL GAS, CONSERVATION, CLEANING UP THEIR PLANTS. AND BATTERY STORAGE
District 92 | News You Can UseWestchester County Senior Law Day Westchester County is offering senior citizens the opportunity to have a private, 15-minute Zoom consultation with a lawyer or other professional, at no cost and no obligation. These sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. Sign-up opens at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15, at www.seniorlawday.info.
