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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“GOOD MORNING FROM WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA WHERE IT IS 40 FOGGY WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER DEGREES. TALK WAS THE STORY IN WHITE PLAINS THIS WEEK.

MAYOR TOM ROACH TALKED EXPANSIVELY TO WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE ABOUT THE NEW –WHAT AMOUNTS TO REBUILDING OF THE GALLERIA ON MAIN STREET BY PACIFIC RETAIL CAPITAL PARTNERS OF CALIFORNIA.

 THE MAYOR  HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE MALL WILL BE OPENED UP, INVITING PEDESTRIANS TO WALK THROUGH IT. THE MACY’S STORE THAT IS CLOSING IN JUNE, WILL BE TORN DOWN THE MAYOR SAID, EXPANDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE NARROW PLAZA ON COURT STREET JUST ACROSS FROM THE COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING—ESSENTIALLY EXTENDING THE RENAISSANCE PLAZA ALLOWING PERHAPS NEW USES.

“THE MALL ITSELF, THE CENTER BUILDING, WILL BE COMPLETELY REHABBED UNDER THE CONCEPTS THAT I’VE SEEN,” THE MAYOR SAID.

THE TUNNEL OVER MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD THAT RUNS THROUGH THE GALLERIA WILL BE BRIGHTENED AND MADE MORE APPEALING AS WELL.

ROACH HAS OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THE GALLERIA BEING ACTIVATED FROM MAIN STREET. In the beginning 2000s THERE WAS A LARGE SEAFOOD CAFETERIA OFF MAIN STREET AND AN ENTRANCE TO THE GROUND FLOOR INTERIOR LEVEL OFF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD AND THE STYLISH FLOOR OF THE MALL AND ALSO THROUGH THE MARTINE AVE GARAGE.

THE PROBLEM WAS THAT ACROSS MAIN STREET THERE WERE JUST OFFICE BUILDINGS AND STILL ARE.

WITH THE WHITE PLAINS MALL DEVELOPMENT STALLED WAITING FOR FINANCING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAIN STATION CITY PROPERTIES, YOU SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH ENTICEMENTS OR PEOPLE RIGHT FREQUENTING THE SIDEWALKS

BASED ON THE HIGH CLASS UPPER END RETAIL TENANTS PACIFIC RETAIL CAPITAL PARTNERS ATTRACTS TO THEIR MALLS ACROSS THE THE NORTHEAST IN HICKSVILLE AND ALBANY : CHICOS, WHITE HOUSE/BLACK MARKET,PINK, COACH, H & m SEPHORA, BEST BUY, OLD NAVY, REI, COST PLUS WORLD, ITALIA PIZZERIA, STARBUCKS, OLIVE GARDEN, PLAY LIVE NATION, TOTAL WINE, IKEA, ROUND 1 BOWLING,KAREOKE, BILLARDS, PING PONG THE NEW GALLERIA WILL RIVAL IN CLASS AND INVOLVEMENT SHOWPLACES, THE WESTCHESTER MALL WILL BE CHALLENGED FOR THE CARRIAGE TRADE.

LAST WEEK THE URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY MOVED AHEAD ON ONDISCLOSED PLANS FOR EAST POST ROAD ACROSS FROM WHITE PLANS HOSPITAL. 26-28 POST ROAD , 42 POST ROAD A STRIP OF  MEDICAL STORES AND 60 POST ROAD  WHICH IS THE FIRESTONE TIRE SURFACE CENTER.

TODAY THE COMMON COUNCIL WILL APPROVE CITY PURCHASE OF THOSE PROPERTIES FOR $9.8 MILLION OF CITY MONEY.

RUMOR HAS LONG HAD IT THAT THE BUILDINGS WILL BE RAISED AND WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL WILL BE GIVEN THE PROPERTY FOR OFFICES, HOUSING FOR STAFF AND EXPANSION. WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS TRUE. NOBODY IS COMFIRMNG THIS IT IS JUST A RUMOR BUT THE BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO BE ACQUIRED FOR A PURPOSE TO BE NAMED LATER.

THE GALLERIA THING IS AT LEAST 5 YEARS OFF THE RENEWAL PROJECT WE’LL LOOK AT THAT AS AT LEAST 7 YEARS AWAY.  MEANWHILE THE MITCHELL AT POST ROAD AND MAMARONECK CONTINUES TO GO UP.

IN ANOTHER TALK ISSUE, THE WHITE PLAINS LIBRARY FOUNDATION PRESENTED MARA GAY THE NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST AND MSNBC COMMENTATOR ON ZOOM INTERVIEWED BY BILL FALK OF “THE WEEK”.

MS GAY IS A GRADUATE OF WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL AND FORMER EDITOR OF THE ORANGE. MS. GAY COMMENTED ON THE CANCEL CULTURE WHICH HOLDS PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THINGS THEY HAVE DONE OR SAID IN THE PAST THAT ARE PUT OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

MS. GAY SAID THAT WHEN CONDE NAST PUT PRESSURE ON THE RECENTLY HIRED TEEN VOGUE EDITOR FOR REMARKS SHE HAD MADE IN THE PAST, SHE SUGGESTED CONDE NAST SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE PERSONS WORKING FOR TEEN VOGUE HOW THEY FELT ABOUT WORKING FOR HER. YOUR PAST IS NOT NECESSARILY THE PERSON YOU ARE NOW WAS HER POINT.

 SHE SHARED HOW SHE HAD NEVER HAD EXISTING HEALTH ISSUES AND SHE GOT VERY SICK FROM COVID AND STILL SUFFERS FROM A THROAT CONDITION RESULTING FROM THE COVID DISEASE.

  SHE ALSO SAID THAT NEWS PERSONNEL ON THE TIMES DO NOT INFLUENCE COMMENTARY OR SUGGEST WHAT COLUMNISTS LIKE SHE IS SHOULD WRITE.

SHE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE TIMES ENDORSEMENT FOR WHOM TO ENDORSE FOR MAYOR SHE IS INTERVIEWING ALL 12 CONDIDATES  RUNNING.

ASKED ABOUT WHETHER SHE RECEIVED THREATS, MS. GAY SAID SHE DID RECEIVE HATE MAIL AND TWEETS, BUT DOES NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE ” JUST RUSSIAN BOTS.”

SHE EXPRESSED DOUBT WHETHER THE NATIONAL MEDIA CAN EVER REALLY REACH OR PERSUADE THE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS THAT MAJORITIES OF AMERICANS HAVE OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA. 

SHE SAID AS A JOURNALIST, “OUR JOB IS TO TELL THE TRUTH.” 

I MIGHT ADD IT TAKES A LOT OF GUTS TO DO THAT.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, DENNIS AND TONNY, I APPRECIATE IT“

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https://youtu.be/i6ofgs4biGo

WPCNR COUNTY EXECUTIVE COVID-19 UPDATE By John F. Bailey. March 22, 2021 UPDATED WITH COVID NUMBERS FOR THE WEEK:

Here is today’s “Take-Away,” from Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s regular Monday Covid briefing ended moments ago:

The number of new active Covid cases in the county continues to go down but at a slower rate, the County Executive said.

The state did not update the Covid tracker until about 3:30 PM this afternoon and the 7 days of covid infections reflect the County Executive’s uneasy attitude that cases of new positives are sustaining the rate infection.

In the 7 days since last Monday, 73,547 Westchesterites were tested. Of those tested, 2,731 tested positive. That is a positive infection rate of 3.7%. This results in 390 new positive cases in a week. The number of new positives for the last month now have averaged close to 400 a day.

Since the hospitalization rate of infections has not been provided by the county since Mr. Latimer said the hospitalization was at 4.3% of all cases testing positive it may have lowered. But if it is the same, it has a balloon effect.

But, as WPCNR has pointed, at that average rate of 3.7% of persons testing positive, 390 to 400 new covid cases continue to sustain the number coming into the hospitals for covid care over 15 days from infection,, with covid, stressing medical personnel.

Should residents loosen up their covid precautions the infections may continue drift inexorably up. Positives hitting 3.5 % on a large testing sampling say 12,000 tests gives you 420 positives, over two weeks. If two hundred are discharged from covid hospitalizations in two weeks, you 420 more coming in.

You cannot count the number hospitalized lowering as a positive you have to deduct those discharged from the hospitalized and project who is bound to be hospitalized in the next two weeks. If it is even you are not going down. It is not clear whether we are curing more hospitalized patients faster or learning more how to treat the disease for a quicker treatment or whether the cases coming in are more serious and demanding more attention.

The next two weeks are going to be very social.

Vacations from the schools, spring break travel, (already swamping Miami Beach, causing a curfew), and more and more eating out at restaurants, and movie house attendance, religious observances, the next few weeks will be a test. Make those vaccination appointments tomorrow.

Mr. Latimer said that persons from age 50 to 65, may begin to call for appointments for their first vaccine shots beginning tomorrow at 8 AM at County facilities at the Westchester County Center, the Grasslands site, the Yonkers armory facility and the County Health Department on Court Street in White Plains. The County Executive also announced pharmacies are now able to vaccinate 50 and over county residents, too.

He said 150,000 Westchester residents have received both shots of the vaccine, with another 289,000 (going up daily) expected to receive their second shots by the end of the month, meaning the county is on target to have 20% of the county population vaccinated by the end of March. He said he expected 40% of the population to be fully vaccinated by the end of April.

Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins emphasized it was important to keep testing before persons get their first vaccine shot and announced that Westchester Medical Center is continuing to provide mobile testing units visiting Westchester’s smaller communities. Westchester has 12 testing sites covered by the Mobile Testing Units provided by the Westchester Medical Center: In Elmsford, Port Chester, Peekskill, Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown, Mount Kisco, Mamaroneck, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and West Harrison. Testing is also available at Glen Island.

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Dear Friends,

In last week’s newsletter (which you can view here), I explained the basic process for adoption of the NYS budget. On Monday, March 14, the Assembly passed the “Assembly One House Budget”, which is the Assembly’s response to the Governor’s budget proposal. The State Senate also adopted its “Senate One House Budget”. While there are not gaping differences between the two proposals, the two chambers are now coming together in budget conferences to develop a single budget response to the Governor’s proposal. As a new member, I was honored to be appointed to one of the conference committees. 

The Assembly One House Budget makes historic investments in health care, housing, education, higher education and local governments, and includes funding for critical transportation projects, small businesses, environmental protection, people with disabilities, veterans and more.

The Assembly also passed important legislation this week to modify the practice of solitary confinement in our prison system, as well as to expand the number and accessibility of Veterans Treatment Courts.

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2021-2022 Budget Update

The recently-adopted American Rescue Plan provides significant pandemic relief funding to New York, at all levels of government (we are very grateful to New York’s Democratic Congressional Delegation – most especially Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – for fighting to make this happen). At the same time, economists have revised upward the state’s revenue projections, due in large part to New York’s economy pulling out of the recession faster than anticipated (although we still have a ways to go).

These two critical developments explain, at least in part, why the NYS legislature feels it is prudent and responsible to propose higher spending levels than the Governor proposed. And it is also for these reasons that the Assembly and State Senate proposals do not include most of the funding cuts sought by the Governor in his budget.  
 

Highlights of the Assembly One House budget:

• $208.3 billion spending plan, which is $15.6 billion or 8.1% over the 2020-21 budget adopted during the onset of the pandemic-induced recession. The higher budget levels are critical to helping our communities recover and restart New York’s economy.
   
• The proposal would increase the top personal income tax rate from 8.82% to 9.85% for single filers earning more than $1 million and couples earning more than $2 million. It would also establish two new brackets: 10.85% for taxpayers between $5 million and $25 million and 11.85% for taxpayers over $25 million. 
   
• Continuing the phase-in of the ongoing middle-class tax cuts, which the Governor had proposed discontinuing. Under these reforms, when fully phased-in, these rates will be the State’s lowest middle-class tax rates in more than 70 years.

• Significant investments in our schools, including a $1.4 billion increase in Foundation Aid (the largest unrestricted aid category supporting public school district expenditures). The budget also includes $10 million for homeless students and $10 million to support mental health in schools.
   
• $18.6 billion in higher education, including increased funding for opportunity programs. The budget also rejects proposed tuition increases for SUNY and CUNY. 
   
• $3.125 billion in combined federal and state dollars for programs that provide rent relief, as well as $200 million to reduce homelessness. 

• $1 billion for a new Small Business Reopening and Relief Grant Program, to aid small businesses (including farms).
   
• $11.3 billion for the state’s transportation network. This includes significant funding for local road repairs.
   
• Significant investments in environmental protection, including$400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (which includes $100 million in anticipated federal funding) and $500 million for clean water infrastructure projects.
   
• $94.2 million for the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to create new service slots, including an expansion of certified housing supports, community habilitation, respite services, housing subsidies, self-direction of services and an expansion of day programs and employment options.

• $20.84 million for veterans programs, an increase of $1.19 million over the Governor’s proposal. This budget restores funding to critical programs that help veterans receive their benefits, smoothly transition into civilian life, and improve their mental health during these unprecedented times. 
   
• $1.8 billion in federal funds for expanded access to childcare. The plan also includes $500 million for additional state funds to support childcare providers and families, and expand eligibility and access to subsidies.
   
• $100 million in funding for an Arts Recovery and Revitalization Program.
   

Once the Conference Committees finish their work, and an updated budget is reported back to both chambers, additional negotiations will then take place with the Governor. A final budget must be voted on by March 31.

I will keep you posted on the progress of the budget. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the information above – or about any budget-related issues not mentioned above (as these were the highlights) – please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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WPCNR GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO CORONAVIRUS REPORT. MARCH 18, 2021:

New Yorkers loves to root for the home team, and it was especially difficult to see great professional sports teams close to fans in stands as we implemented restrictions necessary to protect public health.

Today I am pleased to announce that baseball is coming back to New York and fans will be able to attend games in-person. On April 1, the New York Mets and New York Yankees can resume playing with spectators in the stadiums.

Professional sports in large outdoor stadiums that hold 10,000 people or more will be allowed to reopen at 20 percent capacity.

Attendees must show proof of a recent negative test or completed vaccination series prior to entry and are subject to strict state guidance on face coverings, social distancing and health screenings. Vaccination efforts at both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field will still continue during the MLB season. 

Photo of the Day: New York baseball is coming back in April (Photos by Don Pollard) Here’s what else you need to know tonight: 

1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 4,536. Of the 271,463 tests reported yesterday, 7,796, or 2.87 percent, were positive. There were 934 patients in ICU yesterday, down 20 from the previous day. Of them, 590 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 57 New Yorkers to the virus.  

2. As of 1pm THURSDAY morning, 24.0 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 146,518 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 7,150,352 total doses with 12.4 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State’s Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker.  

3. Smaller, regional sports venues can also reopen beginning April 1. These are venues that hold 1,500 people indoors or 2,500 people outdoors and initial capacity will be limited to 10 percent indoors and 20 percent outdoors.

Attendees must show proof of a recent negative test or completed vaccination series prior to entry and are subject to strict state guidance on face coverings, social distancing and health screenings. 

4. Beginning March 29, statewide travel for sports and recreational activities will be permitted. Currently, travel for sports and recreation is limited to contiguous counties and regions in accordance with New York State Department of Health guidance.  

5. Large outdoor performing arts venues, including stadiums, that hold more than 2,500 people can reopen at 20 percent capacity beginning April 1. 

Venue capacity for concerts and other performing arts events will continue to increase as the public health situation improves with more New Yorkers receiving vaccinations and fewer COVID-19 cases in the community.

Attendees must show proof of a recent negative test or completed vaccination series prior to entry and are subject to strict state guidance on face coverings, social distancing and health screenings.   

 Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

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WPCNR URBAN RENEWAL REPORT. By John F. Bailey. March 18, 2021:

The Urban Renewal Agency approved the acquistion of 60 East Post road (the Firestone store) 42 East Post Road ( string of stores , and the former abandoned gas station, 26-28 East Post Road this morning, as discussed .in December, 2019.

The agency also approved $9,800,000 in Bond Anticipation notes to finance the three acquistions .

The other 10 properties spotlighted for possible development by the Urban Renewal Agency in December, 2019 were:

23-225 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard

1-3 East Post Road

2-4 East Post Road

34 East Post Road

22-24 East Post Road

18-20 East Post Road

14-16 East Post Road

12 East Poad Road

188-188 South Lexington Avenue

190-192 South Lexington Avenue

It is not determined at this time if all the remaining 10 properties named in 2019 are still under consideration.

In December of 2019, WPCNR wrote:

“The White Plains Urban Renewal Agency voted unanimously in city hall to consider eminent domain being used to acquire the 13 following properties on the North side of East Post Road from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to South Lexington Avenue for future unspecified projects yet to be determined. “

The future unspecified projects yet to be determined are still “undetermined.”