WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . 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. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.
THE PUBLIC HEARING ON 52 NORTH BROADWAY PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SHOWN ABOVE RESUMES TONIGHT IN PERSON SOCIALLY DISTANCED-MASKED OR ON ZOOM
The Public Hearing on the proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments relating to the property at 52 North Broadway will continue this coming Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, 11 City Place, White Plains at 7:30 p.m.
Please note the following with regard to the Public Hearing:
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
Please leave enough time to enter, as mandatory temperature screenings will be conducted prior to entering.
Facial coverings must be worn at all times.
Seating will be limited and will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.
The Public Hearing will continue via Zoom on Thursday, November 19, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. Any member of the public who did not speak at the November 18, 2020 Public Hearing will be given an opportunity to speak.
Any individual who wishes to speak on November 19 must register by noon on the 19th, by using the linkhereor by telephone at 914-422-1411 (during business hours).
Both Public Hearing sessions will be broadcast live on:
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. November 17, 2020:
Westchester County Executive George Latimer encourages residents to keep their Thanksgiving celebrations small and as safe as possible this year and to follow the Health Department’s tips for a healthier holiday.
Latimer said: “This is the year to make your Thanksgiving gathering more intimate, and to cherish your immediate family members and traditions. Consider setting time for a virtual visit with distant relatives and friends. If you do invite others to your holiday table, spend some time outdoors and keep the windows open when you’re inside.”
Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, offered some extra advice to reduce Covid-19 exposure:
Open the windows — the wider the better and as many as possible — to promote cross-ventilation.
Run your kitchen exhaust fan.
Keep guests out of the kitchen.
Wash or sanitize hands frequently.
Have your guests wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking.
Avoid passing platters from person to person.
Designate one person with gloved hands to serve buffet style from a central location.
Consider making side dishes in single-serve ramekins and using single service plates and utensils.
Ask your guests to reduce their contacts and potential exposures for the two weeks prior to their visit.
Remind your guests to stay home if they have any COVID symptoms or a fever, are awaiting COVID test results, or are under quarantine or isolation orders.
Have your returning college student limit his or her exposure to others and get tested this week, next week and a day or two before returning home, wear a mask throughout their travel home when around others, whether by plane, train or car, with windows open.
Invite your guests to wear masks and meet you for a walk, a turkey trot or a hike in a park.
Amler said: “It is especially important to keep uninvited germs out of your holiday meal, so wash your hands thoroughly when you arrive and before you take that first bite. Good hand hygiene can help reduce the risk of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.”
Restaurants have taken steps to increase safety, but outdoor dining remains preferable to indoors. When dining out, if you do not see a permit, contact the Health Department to assure the restaurant complies with State and County sanitary codes.
At home, when you remove your fresh or defrosted turkey from the refrigerator, do not wash it — this spreads pathogens onto kitchen surfaces. Fully cook the turkey to kill bacteria that causes foodborne illness. The Health Department recommends holiday hosts and their helpers follow these 10 food safety tips:
Wash hands and food-contact surfaces with hot water and soap thoroughly and often.
Thaw turkey in a pan in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds.
Keep raw meat, poultry and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
Use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils when handling raw turkey to avoid cross-contamination.
Wash items that have touched raw meat with hot water and soap, or place them in a dishwasher.
Rinse all fruits and vegetables in cool running water and remove surface dirt.
Cook turkey and stuffing to 165°F, as measured by a food thermometer. Check the turkey’s temperature by inserting the thermometer in three places: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing.
When preparing the meal, cut down on the amount of fat and sugar in recipes and boost flavor with fresh herbs instead of salt.
Refrigerate turkey, stuffing and sides within two hours.
Reheat leftovers to at least at least 165°F before serving. (Check the temperature with a metal probe thermometer.)
For more food preparation safety tips, go
to www.westchestergov.com/health. SDA Meat & Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) USDA-FSIS: Chat live with a food safety specialist in English or Spanish at AskKaren.gov (En Español), 10 a.m.—6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Web-based automated response system available 24/7.
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORTFrom Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. November 16, 2020:
Instead of having an in-person Thanksgiving dinner this year, consider a virtual alternative. To help facilitate virtual Thanksgiving celebrations during the pandemic, Zoom will lift its 40-minute meeting limit. The extended service will be available starting midnight on November 26th, Thanksgiving Day, through Friday, November 27th at 5 a.m. This Thanksgiving, spread thanks, not COVID.
Over the past six days, the United States recorded 1 million new COVID cases. The virus is spreading across the country and we see its impact in New York now too.
It’s not an Upstate or Downstate issue—cases are increasing throughout the state and all New Yorkers, regardless of where they live, must take action to protect themselves and each other. We continue to implement our comprehensive micro-cluster strategy and increase our testing capacity to new heights.
However, our success also depends on the vigilance and commitment of New Yorkers. Wash your hands, stay socially distanced, wear a mask and limit or avoid gatherings. We’re going to get through this pandemic, but only if we do it together and stay New York Tough.
Yesterday, I met over Zoom with fellow governors from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware to discuss policies as we enter the next state of the COVID crisis. Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
1. The statewide positivity rate is 2.80 percent. In the micro-cluster focus areas, the positivity rate was 4.19 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.50 percent. Of the 124,565 tests reported yesterday, 3,490, or 2.80 percent, were positive. Total hospitalizations rose to 1,968. Sadly, we lost 25 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. Monday, the State launched a new web application to help New Yorkers find state services and benefits. The “Find Services” web application was developed in partnership with Google.org, to assist New Yorkers in locating appropriate services with one streamlined web application. Due to the pandemic, unfortunately, we’re seeing an unprecedented demand for social services and this application provides an easy-to-use starting point for first-time program users.
3. Remember, indoor gatherings pose a serious risk for spreading COVID. Gatherings inside or outside of private homes are now limited to 10 people or fewer. If you are indoors with visitors, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of spread: Open windows to increase airflow, wear masks, keep distance and shorten the duration of the visit. If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT.Based on New York State Workbook -Corona Tracker By John F. Bailey. November 16, 2020 UPDATED WITH THE GEORGE LATIMER COVID UPDATE THIS AFTERNOON:
The number of persons tested positive for corona virus through Saturday from last Sunday continues to grow. of 53,065 tested, 2,127 tested positive, a 4.1% infection rate. The Westchester Infection Rate has continued to rise, since mid-September and the increase now pushing 4% on average a week.
The infection rates of last Thursday, Friday and Saturday testings were 4% Thursday, 4.6% Friday and 3.6% Saturday.
AT 2 PM, yesterday’s state testing reported 3.7% of 6,167 persons tested on Sunday revealed 230 more persons tested positive for a total of 2,357 for the 8 Days ended Sunday. (An average of 294 new cases each day for the last 8 days).
COUNTY EXECUTIVE LATIMER ON THE COVID WAVE TODAY (Click white > arrow to the left bottom of the picture near o:oo to view)
In his Covid Briefing at 2 PM, County Executive George Latimer said there was no doubt the second wave had arrived. He said he was reducing by 25% the number of county employees in Westchester Government required to come into offices to help limit the possibilities of infection, and all boards and commissions would meet virtually.
Mr. Latimer on the Doubling of Hospitalizations and Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins explains the plan to have 25% of county workers work from home. (Click white> arrow to the left of bottom of screen near 0:00 to view)
He said if masks were not worn more consistently, “stronger enforcement measures” would be considered, and said it depended on how people follow the face mask, crowding conditions and social distancing requirements.
Asked in the news conference if the county was keeping up with covid tracing protocols, the County Executive said tracing was “stressed” by inability to keep up with the numbers and hampered by persons refusing to cooperate for one reason or another, mainly because of being forced into being tested, testing positive, and having to go into quarantine.
Asked by Peter Katz of the Westchester Business Journal whether the county planned any direct intervention in business operations to prevent workplaces from spreading the covid virus, Mr. Latimer said the intent of the county was to suggest businesses look at things they could do to have less work force in offices and businesses, to urge them to be “proactive” in covid spread prevention, not force them to do it. Mr. Latimer said Governor Cuomo could however demand working place environment changes.
Latimer also told Mr. Katz the county had not heard from the Westchester congressional delegation in Washington of any movement on a new stimulous aid package. Mr. Latimer said “No.” He also said that failure to do so would result in loss of personnel in county and city departments hampering delivery of county and local services
Latimer announced, because of the steady increase in cases, he would now give 2 Covid briefings each week, the next being Thursday at 2 PM.
He supported the hybrid learning model now being employed by most of the 44 school districts, and said it is not possible at this time to have all students return to schools.
The infection rate of persons tested for coronavirus over the last 7 days from Sunday November 8 through Saturday, November 14 before the Sunday numbers were in averaged 4.07%of those tested due to fluctuations in the number of persons tested.
ELIZABETH LAMBERT, KC-135 PILOT WITH THE AIR FORCE–FIRST WOMAN VETERAN HONORED ON VETERANS DAY IN WHITE PLAINS NY USACorona virus infections in County up 850 in a week
THE CREEPING CORONA VIRUS DOUBLES INFECTIONS IN A WEEK
COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER BALANCES THE BUDGET MAYOR ROACH SAYS NEW MASTER PLAN FOR CITY GETTNG TO SET UP PROCESSBAILEY AND BENEROFE REPORTING ON WHITE PLAINS USA FOR 20 YEARS ON
THE HOLE IN THE GROUND CONSTRUCTION STARTS
THE COVID SPREAD IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY
OR
www.wpcommunitymedia.org
SCROLL DOWN THE VIDEO WALL TO WHITE PLAINS WEEK TO VIEW THE NOVEMBER 13,2020 PROGRAM
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. By Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. November 12, 2020:
Unfortunately, COVID is raging nationally, setting record numbers of cases and hospitalizations each day.
Yesterday, there were 148,302 new COVID cases in the United States—nearly doubling the number from November 1st. The fall surge is here.
1. The NY statewide positivity rate is just below 3 percent. In the micro-cluster focus areas, the positivity rate was 4.86 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.53 percent. Of the 162,627 tests reported yesterday, 4,797, or 2.95 percent, were positive. Total hospitalizations were at 1,677. Sadly, we lost 29 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. New York continues to take action to address the micro-cluster across the state. Based on data metrics, Port Chester’s yellow zone will transition to an orange warning zone. We also announced new yellow precautionary zones in Staten Island and Tioga County. The yellow precautionary zone in Steuben County has been removed.
Maps of the existing cluster zones are available here.
Yesterday, we announced new actions to slow the spread.
Starting tomorrow, Friday, November 13th, any establishment with a state liquor license, including bars and restaurants, must close in-person service daily from 10pm to 5am (this excludes takeout and delivery).
Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people, also starting tomorrow evening.
We have seen that small, indoor gatherings are a major source of spread. Once again, it’s up to what we do. What happens next is a pure consequence of our actions now.
I know it has been a long hard time, but these next weeks are going to be crucial and we need people to buckle down to fend off the worst. If there is a time to show that we are New York Tough, it’s now.
To honor our veterans, landmarks across the state, including Niagara Falls, were lit red, white and blue last night.
In just one week, New York has conducted an additional one million tests. To date, New York has conducted over 16 million tests and we continue to lead the nation in testing. Find a testing site near you.
4. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade announced the performers for its virtual celebration. The celebration will be broadcast nationwide this year on Thanksgiving morning but due to the pandemic, there will be no audience. The parade will also forgo the annual procession to avoid large crowds but will feature performances from Dolly Parton, the Muppets, the cast of Hamilton and more.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: Chris Nikic, 21, became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathlon. The Special Olympics athlete was recognized by the Guinness World Records upon completing the Ironman Florida race in 16 hours 46 minutes and 9 seconds. “Ironman. Goal set and achieve. Time to set a new and Bigger Goal for 2021,” said Nikic in an Instagram post. If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
WPCNR STARS AND STRIPES. By John F. Bailey. Originally published November 11, 2015:
It is the 11th day of the 11th month, and the 11th hour. It is 1918. Armistice Day the day when World War I “The Great War to end all Wars” officially ended. Sadly, the way “The Great War” ended and subsequent reparations penalties on Germany, began a century of war 1920 to 2020: the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Holocaust, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 6-Day War, the first Iraq War. The Second Iraq War, the Afghanistan War still going on.
White Plains will hold a virtual Veterans Day Ceremony in City Hall viewable on the city website and Channel 47 Fios and Channel 75 Altice-Optimum.It will be viewable throughout the day.
Five years ago, in the White Plains Rural Cemetary, White Plains held its annual remembrance.the event, organized by the Mayor’s Veterans Committee, featured recollections and insights by keynote speaker USMC Staff Sergeant Alex Guzman.
That year, the Mayor’s Veterans Committee honored Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran Kevin W. Fischer. WPCNR reprints the words and pictures from that ceremony. All residents and visitors are welcome to join us in tribute to our veterans who have sacrificed so greatly to preserve and protect our freedom.
It is cold rainy miserable in White Plains this morning vaguely reminiscent of the trenchs of the Somme in that “Great War.”
I wrote the piece that follows in 2013 that delivers some of the feelings of all Armistice Days
Wayne Bass, Commissioner of Recreation and Parks opens the Veterans Day Ceremonies Monday at the White Plains Rural Cemetary
WPCNR STARS AND STRIPES. By John F. Bailey. November 12, 2013:
I attended the Veterans Day Ceremony in White Plains Rural Cemetery Monday. I met Ross Marsico,(above) the 90 year old veteran of World War II who fought with the Third Army in France, Belgium and Germany. He was wounded by shrapnel, spent 45 days in a hospital THEN returned to active duty.
Mr. Marsico returned to the USA and spent 30 years as an active policeman in Harrison. He was honored as the 2013 Veteran’s Day Honoree
Mr. Marsico is a native of White Plains, just turned 90 yesterday, is an outstanding person to have the honor to meet. When he was asked questions how he felt about being honored, he said he just represented all the other veterans and every day people who had served, that it was not about him. Then he teared up.
Veterans day makes you tear up.
Chaplain Bob Donnelly of American Legion Post 135 in the invocation observed that the gathering was there to honor persons who had written a “blank check to the United States of America, good for everything including their life in service to their country.”
Adele Zucker(above , Past President of Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary, said Veterans day was to honor the veterans who came back and have contributed so much to their hometowns in addition to their military service.
Chaplain Bob Donnelly noted that when he returned from the Vietnam war he was spat upon by a woman in an airport and called a baby killer, and observed today’s veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are much more respected.
Then came brief inspiration remarks by the Mayor, Tom Roach, who proclaimed Monday Veteran’s Day in White Plains and U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jason Freeland(below)
Sergeant Freeland, in his most recent tour, was responsible for training Afghan army and police recruits. He is now head of recruiting for the Marines in White Plains. He mentioned how honored he was to be among the veterans attending, and how it was their and those like them who service that make it possible for him and today’s servicemen and women to perform and live up to the veterans’ example. This truth was echoed again how you serve matters and it is an inspiration to those who come after you.
Mayor Roach with Commandant Jack Collins of American Legion Post 135 places the Mayor’s Veteran’s Day Board Wreath at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
The Home Defense Wreathis placed by members of the White Plains Police and Fire Department
Dennis Jones, left, places the White Plains Historical Society Wreath. Joan Steere , Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed the final commemorative wreath.
The White Plains Middle School Band played Anchors Aweigh, The Caissons GoRolling Along, The Marines Hymn, SemperFidelis (Coast Guard), and Off We GoInto the Wild Blue Yonder (Air Force).
Crisp. Inspiring, evoking the rich traditions and pride and sacrifice of the American armed forces.
As the gathering left, the tent was folded, and the crowd drifted away, until another Memorial Day another Veterans Day.
I remained and watched the tombstones of the Revolutionary War Dead…names no longer readable on the stones, they still spoke as one.
Cemeteries like the White Plains Rural Cemetery inspire by the testimony of the simple stones, the tiny flags denoting veterans and the stones too of every day people of long ago who lived well. As I read their stones I wonder what their lives were like their thoughts, their actions in that long ago time.
Cemeteries are not places of regret, but, instead inspiration to ignite in us, with their memories, to continue to work on our own lives and live up to the examples of persons like the veterans still with us and those who have departed.
Rifle Salute to the Departed Veterans by American Legion Post #135, was followed by Taps, played by Bob Freis
The veterans are getting older.
James Dwyer of American Legion Post 135 was scheduled to read Flanders Field. He could not due to illness according to Commander Jack Collins. This is the touching poem penned in World War I, Mr. Dywer would have read. He could not, so I will publish it for him.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders field
Westchester County Health Department and Open Door Family Medical Center Offer Increased Testing in Port Chester
(White Plains, NY) – Westchester County Health Department and Open Door Family Medical Center will begin offering increased testing at Open Door Port Chester located at 5 Grace Church St, Port Chester, NY 10573 tomorrow until Saturday. The testing initiative was made in consultation with the New York State Department of Health.
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS UPDATE. From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. November 10, 2020:
Most of us are aware of the danger of large, indoor gatherings when it comes to COVID.
They are where super-spreading happens. But viral spread is not limited to large group settings. I want to stress that small, indoor gatherings also pose a very serious risk.
Small gatherings are a significant source of spread. As COVID cases rise, we recommend limiting the size of any indoor gatherings you host or attend.
Thanksgiving dinners can be celebrated most safely if you limit the group to only your immediate household. If you are going to spend time with people outside of your household, there are steps you can take to mitigate risk:
Be outside as much as possible.
If indoors, wear a mask at all times that it is possible to do so. Open windows to increase ventilation if you can.
Keep six feet or more of distance and limit the amount of time you spend at indoor gatherings.
COVID spreads among strangers but it also spreads among friends. As the numbers continue to rise we must all double down and take this surge very seriously.
Photo of the Day: A billboard outside the Javits Center in NYC reminding us to Mask Up (Photo by Nina Dudko) Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
1. The statewide positivity rate rose above three percent yesterday. In the micro-cluster focus areas, the positivity rate was 5.59 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.56 percent. Of the 128,036 tests reported yesterday, 3,965, or 3.09 percent, were positive. Total hospitalizations were at 1,548. Sadly, we lost 32 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. The State’s investment in New York-based medical suppliers is already yielding results. When the Trudeau Institute and Adirondack Health wanted to expand rapid testing in the North Country, they had trouble getting the supplies and equipment they needed.
So the State connected them with Rheonix, an Ithaca-based manufacturer that Empire State Development has invested in. Thanks to this collaboration, the Trudeau Institute and Adirondack Health opened a brand-new lab in Saranac Lake that will be able to process up to around 160 COVID tests per day and yield fast test results for residents. The State’s investment in Rheonix is part of a series of strategic investments in strengthening New York’s medical supply chain.
3. As we continue the fight against a surge in COVID-19 cases, we can’t let flu season make matters worse. New York has launched a Flu Tracker, which displays daily and weekly flu data and provides timely information about local, regional and statewide flu activity. Take a look—and please get a flu shot if you haven’t already.
4. In response to rising infection rates in the region, Syracuse and Albany Universities will switch to remote learning. The University of Albany switched to online learning today and Syracuse will switch next week. Yesterday, the State announced a Yellow Zone in Onondaga County, placing pandemic-related restrictions on the Syracuse area.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: On the eve of her 30th birthday, Ariel Cordova-Rojas came across an injured swan while biking through the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last week. With the ranger station closed, Ariel, a former employee of the Wild Bird Fund, took quick action to help the bird and used the New York City subway as her ambulance. Ariel and the swan rode the train up to Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn, where they met two Wild Bird Fund employees and brought the swan to the nonprofit’s clinic in the Upper West Side. The bird is now receiving care thanks to Ariel’s intervention.
