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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WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY. By John F. Bailey. February 20, 2,022:

My most memorable date with Brenda Starr was at the old Half Note in Greenwich Village. In 1970.

I worked at Hudson Street for Standard & Poor’s at the time and passed the Half Note when I walked from the subway to work,

  I asked the always-editing redhead of The Flash whom I had just met if she liked jazz. I had noted the celebrated sax man, Zoot Sims was playing. She accepted and since I knew nothing about Greenwich Village let alone where to park, in pre-Garman days, it promised to be an adventure.

Well we got there, parked in a garage because I was reluctant to park my car on the street (no parking place), no park signs all around). And made our way to the Half Note at  289 Hudson Street & Spring Street down the block from the S & P building. (WCBS Radio is there today).

The casuality of the Half Note fulfilled all expectations, Ms. Starr was impressed. We had scotch and sodas. Mr. Sims’ side men came in, set up casually, tuned and warmed us up. Ms. Starr, who smoked Marlboros at the time,  took one out and and flawlessly, I lit her cigarette with a one match strike as she held her cigarette in her mouth like Lauren Bacall. I’d never done that beforel. She had me at first light.

As Mr. Sims’ accompanists continued with their low key “jazz overture.” The man himself strolled in with his tenor saxophone, listening and carrying his own scotch in his right hand. He set the drink with plenty ice, on top of the piano. What a move.

What an entrance. He was slowly nodding his head to the build up of jazz mood.

He raised his mouthpiece to his lips. He began to play. Ms. Starr held her cigarette,  lifted in the air by two fingers of her right hand resting on her elbow on the little table, and the blue smoke drifted aloft on his first notes.

We were seated maybe 10 feet away. The music created with each instrument creating a uniqueness of experience that lasts in indelible memory. 

Saturday night Ms. Starr and I attended the Jazz Forum, Onne Dixon Street in Tarrytown  Westchester County’s own intimate jazz mecca and the only one.

Jazz musician and owner  Mark Marinelli, founder with his wife of the Forum in June 2017 presented the famous clarinetist and tenor saxophone jazz impresario, Ken Peplowski and his Quartet.

Mr. Peplowski launched into his tenor sax opening upbeat number and the heads in the audience were slowly nodding then bobbing up and down.

Guitarist Pasqualie Grasso picked up Mr. Peplowski’s  rollicking bopping riff with Mr. Grasso’s nuanced  flow of twang.

Bassist Mike Kam’s   “ strong Bass with intricate authority ”  fulfilled the “get your attention” opener. The elegance with elan percussionist Phil Stewart dressed the out-of-the-gate gambit with intricacies of precise intensities that said forget your troubles, jazz is here!

Then down to the mellow and deep feeling melancholy followup with a deeeeeeeeep standard ballad  that Mr. Peplowsli’s deep tenorizing gently took possession of the full house drinking their cocktails but forgetting all about their drinks, as the uplifting bluesiness of love’s uniqueness held them spellbound. Guitar, Bass and drums each sketching new interpretaions to the memories always in your heart. The diversity of the beats, moods and flights of mesmerizing solos by the 4 went though the hour and a half set.

Weathering the pandemic, the Jazz Forum has come back with a full schedule of always unique and enthralling jazz practitioners on Friday and Saturday nights with Brazilian emphasis on Sundays.

This is a great night out. The cocktails are terrific, the light menu fare sets your appetite for the attention the performers command, and command they will.

Mr. Morganelli’s Jazz Forum is always glad to see you. Mr. PPeplowski and his artists were genuinely seemed to be impressed with the audience.

What I get out of this performance was how recorded music can capture the intimacy and feelings a live performance delivers to you. This is no revelation I know. I loved the Rosemary and Thyme jazz venue in Port Chester a few years ago and the private intimate club atmosphere that created.

Jazz Forum is the jazz destination now.

You’ll also hear Mr. Morganelli play his trumpet sliding inwith the performers for guest solos. It is improvisational. Inspirational.

The Half Note lives again. See the Jazz Forum website at www.jazzforumarts.org

The only thing missing is the blue haze of two cigarettes in the dark.

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WPCNR COVID-19 MONITOR. From The New York State Covid Tracker. Observations by John F. Bailey February 19, 2022 UPDATED WITH WEDNESDAY NUMBERS 4:20 PM EST::

The number of new covid positives reported Tuesday by New York State in Westchester County doubled.

Wednesday February 16 positives just released descended to 140 half of the Tuesday total. The county numbers Wednesday showed Westchester with 140 new infections of 8.014 tested, Westchester through the first 4 days of the week has reported 677 new persons coming down with covid, an average of 170 a day.

I should note that 140 positives is the lowest Westchester County positives since November 26 ,2021, the Saturday after Thanksgiving when the county reported 93 positives. Ironically the day before that 93 total, Westchester on “Black Friday”, 179 tested positive. November 27 started the Fourth Wave of Covid with a week of 1,969 positives beginning 7 weeks of record infections.

On Tuesday, February 15, 280 Westchester residents showed positive for covid. The state Covid Tracker is 48 hours behind in reporting results. Testing results for Wednesda descended to 140.

After a weekend of Super Bowl parties and romantic reunions, Tuesday showed a doubling of positives bouncing back up to approaching 300 a day which was the average number infections the week the Fourth Wave of Covid started November 28.

Since Omicron Covid infects faster than the 10 to 14 days previously believed to be the incubation period for corona virus to develop full blown symptoms, the doubling of cases from 140 after Super Bowl Party-Valentines Day to 280 on Tuesday may be a cause for exercising more caution in gatherings over the President’s Day Vacation Week that started today

The 280 figure of positives per day approaches the spread potential that fueled the rise to 36.000 cases from the week before Christmas to mid-January.

In the November 28-December 4, when there were 280 average new positives a day resulting in 1,960 new covid infections, the number of infections grew to 2,791 the week of December 5 to 11 (406 new positives a day in Westchester)

From December 12 to 18 that 400 positives a day rate grew to 5,397 new cases in the county December 12 to 18.

The week before Christmas new persons covid positive averaged 1,635 a day a total of 11,450 doubling in a week.

The week of December 26 to January 2 showed 26,002 persons testing positive in one week, doubling the infections the week before Christmas. Persons showing positive a day averaged 3,714 a day.

There is one week left in February.

That is public school Presidents Week vacation, an opportunity for families vacation out of the area, socializing in the area followed by the beginning of the March Madness NCAA tournament, always calling for parties to watch the games, increased sports bars attendance; followed by the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in White Plains and of course the conviviality of St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations.

To this social longing, add five full 5-day weeks of school in March and you have socialization of children perhaps without masks, if Governor Kathy Hochul and the Department of Health relax the school mask mandate.

The February 15 doubling of infections so soon after a big social weekend may be a just a number now, it might be a just an aberration of one day numbers, but we’ll watch it for you. If it continues to double day by day it is strong reason to be cautious, socially distanced and masked up .

Doubling of infections every day or every week has produced the greatest national epidemic in New York State history the last two years, and coast to coast. Crippled the economy. Divided the country. Enabled the selfish. Killed robust adults Hurt the young. Compromised health care. Eliminated “Normal” from our existence.

Covid should not be given a Fifth Tsunami Wave to delver yet another setback.

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WPCNR County Clarion Ledger. From County Legislator Catherine Parker. February 17, 2022:

With surging energy costs walloping rate payers this winter, Legislators met with local utilities Tuesday to seek answers and find solutions for local residents and businesses.

On Tuesday, the Board of Legislators’ Committee on Energy, Environment and Climate grilled representatives of Con Edison and New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) about their customer service response to spiking natural gas prices that have left many ratepayers gasping at unexpectedly large bills.

The stories we are hearing are gut-wrenching — seniors on fixed budgets, young families or lower income families for whom every penny counts, hit with enormous bills. Some of the worst stories involve customers using auto pay, who found their bank accounts overdrawn.

It is incumbent on the utilities, which have statutory monopolies for the delivery of power, to do more to better inform customers of looming increases, and to help customers in need such as:

• using paid advertising and other means of warning customers
• expanding consumer enrollment in level billing programs
• doing more to protect against energy price volatility in an era of climate change

While it was gratifying to hear a pledge from the utilities to allow customers to spread out the payments for their unexpectedly large bills up over several months, we also suggested a range of follow up items for the utilities to consider including:

• identifying individuals to act as customer service contacts for our residents in distress
• revisions to their auto pay process
• considering delaying roll outs of any rate increases during this period

We at the Board will be reaching out to the New York State Public Service Commission, which regulates the utilities, with these and other suggestions in the coming weeks on these matters.

You can watch a video of the committee meeting at: https://bit.ly/3LA7vK2 

en Español

LEGISLADORES CONFRENTAN A UTILIDADES SOBRE PRECIO DE ENERGÍA

La Junta busca respuestas y soluciones de Con Ed y NYSEG sobre el aumento de las facturas de calefacción

Con los crecientes costos de la energía golpeando a los contribuyentes este invierno, los Legisladores se reunieron con las empresas de servicios públicos locales esta semana para buscar respuestas y encontrar soluciones para los residentes y las empresas locales.

El martes, el Comité de Energía, Medio Ambiente y Clima (Committee on Energy, Environment and Climate) de la Junta de Legisladores interrogó a los representantes de Con Edison y New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) sobre la respuesta de su servicio al cliente ante el aumento de los precios del gas natural que ha dejado a muchos contribuyentes boquiabiertos ante facturas inesperadamente elevadas.

Las historias que escuchamos son desgarradoras: personas mayores con presupuestos fijos, familias jóvenes o familias de bajos ingresos para quienes cada centavo cuenta, golpeados con facturas enormes. Algunas de las peores historias involucran a clientes que utilizan el pago automático y que descubrieron que sus cuentas bancarias estaban sobregiradas.

Corresponde a las empresas de servicios públicos, que tienen monopolios legales para el suministro de energía, hacer más para informar mejor a los clientes sobre los aumentos inminentes y ayudar a los clientes que lo necesitan, como:

• usar publicidad pagada y otros medios para advertir a los clientes
• ampliar la inscripción de consumidores en programas de facturación nivelada
• hacer más para protegerse contra la volatilidad de los precios de la energía en una era de cambio climático

Si bien fue gratificante escuchar el compromiso de las empresas de servicios públicos de permitir que los clientes distribuyan los pagos de sus facturas inesperadamente altas durante varios meses, también sugerimos una variedad de elementos de seguimiento para que las empresas de servicios públicos consideren, entre ellos:

• identificar a las personas para que actúen como contactos de servicio al cliente para nuestros residentes que se encuentren afligidos
• revisiones a su proceso de pago automático
• considerando retrasar la implementación de cualquier aumento de tarifas durante este período

En la Junta nos pondremos en contacto con la Comisión de Servicios Públicos del Estado de Nueva York (New York State Public Service Commission), que regula los servicios públicos, con estas y otras sugerencias en las próximas semanas sobre estos asuntos.

Puede ver un video de la reunión del comité en: https://bit.ly/3LA7vK2

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) February 17, 2022 UPDATED WITH VIDEO CLIPS 11:40 A.M. :

In response to a rise in overdose deaths in Westchester County during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Westchester County Departments of Community Mental Health, Health, Social Services, Public Safety, the Medical Examiner’s Office and the County Executive’s Office have partnered with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and local and federal law enforcement to launch the Opioid Response and Overdose Prevention Initiative (ORI). The ORI brings together key stakeholders from across Westchester County who work collaboratively to prevent overdose deaths, and save lives.

Westchester County has experienced an increase in overdoses at the local level, recording 119 overdose deaths in 2020, an increase of 28 over the previous year (2019). In addition, there have been many nonfatal overdoses in the County, which can cause serious physical and emotional impact on the individual and their loved ones.

According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, accounting for the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a single year. Seventy-five percent of those overdose deaths were opioid-related, primarily involving fentanyl.

ORI partners meet regularly to address the following:

·         Collaborate on public health and law enforcement data sharing.

·         Identify which communities are most in need of overdose support services.

·         Execute more effective education, training and distribution of Naloxone or “Narcan,” a vital tool for preventing fatalities in people at a high risk for drug overdoses.

·         Conduct more thorough data collection, analysis and transparency relating to overdoses.

·         Increase community education, outreach and support services to populations in need.

·         Increase access to addiction, mental health, and co-occurring treatment, harm reduction and family support services, including substance use prevention services.

·         Find and implement evidence-based treatment approaches for individuals with addiction who are also struggling with co-occurring mental health needs.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “ORI brings together the most important stakeholders, health professionals and community service providers to address a critical issue that we want to see come to a stop in Westchester County. We want every resident to know that if they are struggling, there are real support services in place to help them overcome their addiction. It is our hope that by working together, we will see fewer of these tragic, preventable deaths occurring in Westchester County.” The County Executive talked of a long-time friend whose son died of an opioid overdose, and the impact such a loss had on his friend’s family and any parent suffering such a shattering loss.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah, describing the opioid crisis as an “All hands on deck situation,”  said: “Preventing and combatting overdoses is a top priority for me that requires action from those in government and community partners. This initiative will allow us to more effectively collaborate, to create meaningful solutions that address all components of this crisis, and to develop enforcement strategies that target emerging threat areas and individuals, including medical professionals, who perpetuate the opioid crisis by supplying those suffering from substance use disorders, including minors, with harmful substances.”

The efforts of the ORI have already led to positive results. Westchester County has increased naloxone education, and equipped local law enforcement departments, emergency medical services and the general community with the potentially life-saving drug. Medication Assisted Treatment has also expanded to facilitate increased access to substance use disorder treatment. The entities participating in the ORI have the data sharing abilities to identify which communities are most in need of overdose support, and assist them with the services they need.

Commissioner of the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) Michael Orth of White Plains said: “Under the leadership and vision of County Executive Latimer and District Attorney Rocah, and the strong collaboration between County Departments, Westchester County has created a multi-faceted approach in responding to the Opioid and overdoes epidemic.  Westchester’s ORI efforts have strengthened our ability to expand community education, outreach and support, and use of evidence-based substance use, mental health, and co-occurring treatment for individuals struggling with addition and their families.”

Commissioner of Health Dr. Sherlita Amler said: “Substance use disorder is a complex and often multifaceted disease that requires an all hands on deck approach to address. The ORI brings together individuals across disciplines to provide their unique expertise around prevention, response and treatment. Collaboration between public health and mental health professionals, law enforcement, first responders, the medical community and people who use drugs, gives us the ability to transform the way we understand the problem, as well as how we prevent and treat it.”

Dr. Amler in the news conference said efforts were focusing on training officers to administer narcan, a treatment that can be administered in the nose proven to stop most opioid doses in seconds. She also detailed the effort to put the narcan dispensers in “lock boxes” at locations and to facilitate use of the narcan opioid treatment, train the public in how to use them and the introduction of fentanyl “Test Strips” that will “pick up” and tell a person if the substance, pill comtains fentanyl.

Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety Thomas A. Gleason said: “Investigators assigned to the Real Time Crime Center continue to coordinate with the District Attorney’s Office and local police departments to collect timely and accurate data regarding overdoes. This data helps to inform appropriate law enforcement investigations and community outreach efforts. In addition, our Patrol officers have been trained to administer Narcan to persons suffering an overdose and have saved numerous lives in recent years as a result.”