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ON
TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS EXPOSES WESTCHESTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE
HALF OF WHITE PLAINS LOSES TELEPHONE, TV AND INTERNET AND NOBODY TELLS US
AMERICA WE HAVE A BIG COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEM
MASSIVE TELEPHONE, CABLE, INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGE IN THE NORTHEAST COUNTY AND CITY DO NOT PROVIDE DETAILS
THE USUAL UTILITY PERFORMANCE: “IT’S A BAD STORM.”
NO OFFICIALS SAY A WORD
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WPCNR MEDIA MAYHEM. By John F. Bailey. August 7, 2020:
ALTICE CABLEVISION restored internet, phone and cable programming by Saturday morning to the North Street corridor after marathon repair to a Optimum trunk line on Bryant Avenue yesterday after four days of the neighborhood having no phone, internet, or cable programming from the company, due to a tree falling during Tropical Storm Isaias Tuesday.
Bryant Avenue was the Optimum repair epicenter (between Mamaroneck Avenue and North Street), a utility-vulnerable area with a history of being taken out by trees falling on key wiring during every “bad storm” as utility companies call them.
Optimum repair crews and trucks an tree clearing experts were hard pressed to repair the latest “tree takeout” outages by tropical storm Isaias media and communication services lasting approximately 48 hours , affecting both sides of North Street from I 287 to the southern White Plains border with Harrison, and extending across into Gedney Farms, according to persons WPCNR has talked to.
The option for residents to communicate with city police and officials and relatives was cellphone, if you had one.
Oddly, electricity was not cut off to some residents along North Street by the Bryant Avenue damage. Sources say the Optimum “Out” extended into Gedney Farms and the Highlands.
Reference to the “media outage” was not mentioned by the City of White Plains in its phone report Wednesday evening. City officials did not respond to WPCNR cellphone calls inquiring about what areas of of the city were affected by the media “Optimum Out,” and what the cause of the blackout was. (Altice Cablevision Optimum is a City of White Plains cable franchise.Fios is also a franchisee, but Optimum has the largest number of subscribers, approximately 14,000. Fios has approximately 6,000.)
WPCNR calls to the Communications Department of Westchester County, asking where in the county Optimum was out of service and the cause of the outage were not responded to. Perhaps they will today after four days. The problem was, if you could not see tv, you could not see any news or news conferences, the county televised, on any channel.
Residents calling Optimum service call numbers were met with recorded prompts and waits for representatives that did not end (blamed on “high volume of calls”), WPCNR spent 45 minutes (twice) waiting for a customer representative. One recorded update by Optimum was heard Wednesday evening by WPCNR, but gave no details on when Optimum service might be restored.
Newspapers and media appeared to ignore reporting the widespread Optimum outage which covered New Jersey, NY, Connecticut.
Optimum blamed the service outage restoration delay on streets needing to be cleared in their lone recorded taped direct reference.
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Isiah Tropical storm conditions likely in White Plains and Westchester County today. . Becoming windy with thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be heavy at times. High 77F. SE winds at 10 to 20 mph, increasing to 25 to 40 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. WPCNR advises stowing lawn deck and balcony furniture in expectation of wind gusts towards evening.
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WPCNR REALTY REPORT. August 3, 2020:
The Westchester Business Journal in an article by reporter Peter Katz, announced this morning another proposed apartment project aimed for White Plains New York USA, joining a lineup of approximate 6 already approved but not built projects.
BRP Companies is about to submit a proposal for a 7 story 296 apartment complex to be built on a lot bordered by Haarlem Ave., Glenn St., and Holland Ave opposite the Metro North North White Plains Railroad Station The price of the property was shown as having been $10.5 million in county records.
Representatives of BRP plan to submit a site plan and begin construction in the spring of 2021.
The site was acquired for the price of $10.5 Million according to County records, the Business Journal said. The property was marketed by CB Richard Ellis.
BRP has 16 completed residential projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Philadelphia, West Baltimore and Newark in the Business Journal profile of the company, and is involved in 8 others, including two in New Rochelle.
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. August 2, 2020:
Many voters complained during the June primary that they did not receive absentee ballots in a timely manner after they submitted the requests. And, other voters worry that the postal service may lose the absentee ballots in the mail -depriving voters of their right to vote. Or, that the ballots arrive after the deadline passed. Our postal service is not very reliable – many letters are lost, sent to the wrong address.
Inasmuch as we can’t count on the Postal Service to send ballots to the right address in time and since voting by mail is important and we want to encourage maximum participation, I have a suggestion: The Board of Elections should place a secure and safe box (similar to a mail box) at each Town, Village and City Hall. If voters don’t trust the post office- voters could drop off their ballots at the municipal building. If people apply for a ballot and do not receive one before the primary each municipal building should have extra ballots that the voter can obtain and send in.
During the recent primary contest the Board of Elections assumed the cost of the postage. The cost of my suggestion would be offset by reduced postage costs. In addition, most municipal buildings have video camera’s for security purposes so these boxes would be placed at safe locations- unlikely to be tampered with.
This recommendation, if followed, will increase voter participation and help make sure that everyone who wants to vote actually does vote. In June – in one legislative district in Brooklyn, about 20% of the ballots cast by absentee ballot were thrown out. Other states that have mail in ballots also don’t count ballots that arrive too late.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. August 1, 2020:
The White Plains School District filed its proposed 91-page reopening of schools plan Friday with the Governor’s Office as required, ontime, comprehensive and staggering in its breadth and detail. The plan was based on a complex 80 question survey of parents and stakeholders, and was hammered out in a month of intensive meetings of staff administration and community stake holders, in a decision making process that is unprecedented. As in the School District response to the Governor’s requirement to conduct classes on line when the schools were closed at the outset of the Covid-19 epidemic, when the district devised an online learning process in 48 hours, the district has once again come through with an efficiency and team effort that is evident in the report.
The plan was posted on the school district website, and you may review it here:
The plan as previously described to WPCNR last week by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Ricca follows the plan ourline Dr. Ricca described in this interview:
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WESTCHESTER’S NUMBER ONE NEWS FOR CONTENT, CONCERN, RUDE AND RELEVANT–ALWAYS
20TH YEAR OF BROADCASTING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST ON WESTCHESTER’S NUMBER 1 PUBLIC ACCESS STATION Founded 1992
www.wpcommunitymedia.org
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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State and Northwell Health will deploy at least 30 healthcare personnel to Utah to support Intermountain Healthcare – the state’s largest healthcare provider. Intermountain Healthcare previously sent dozens of healthcare workers to New York to support Northwell and other hospitals. New York State will provide PPE and equipment as needed, and the first group of healthcare workers will travel to Utah this Sunday.
“We’re taking new steps in New York State’s continuing effort to repay the gratitude that we’ve been shown by people all across the country, and also on a practical level to keep us safe–an outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere,” Governor Cuomo said. “We will be sending health staff to Utah to the Intermountain Healthcare Hospital System, Utah’s largest hospital system. Utah and that hospital system were very generous to New York when we needed help, sending dozens of staff to the Northwell Hospital System which was a major provider for us during COVID. So, we are going to be sending primarily Northwell personnel and Department of Health personnel, about 30 people, as well as any PPE, and equipment that is needed. I thank Governor Herbert and all the people of Utah, and as I’ve said on behalf of New Yorkers, we won’t forget and we will do for them what they did for us, because that’s the American way.”
“During the height of the pandemic here in New York, we were grateful for the extraordinary support provided by the Intermountain Health System who sent us over 60 front-line staff including physicians and nurses,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, New York’s largest health care provider which treated the most coronavirus patients in the US. “We are now delighted to be able to reciprocate by sending staff to assist them in their current battle against this disease.”
New York’s Commitment to Helping Cities and States Fight COVID-19
During the fight against COVID-19, New York State has provided PPE and equipment to Florida, Georgia and Texas. In addition, the state has provided the following resources:
he governor also announced that the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force yesterday visited and observed 835 establishments across New York City and Long Island, and found violations at 41 establishments, or 5 percent.
Today’s data is summarized briefly below:
Of the 73,546 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 777, or 1.06 percent, were positive. Each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:
| REGION | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY |
| Capital Region | 1.2% | 1.8% | 2.1% |
| Central New York | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Finger Lakes | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Long Island | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Mid-Hudson | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Mohawk Valley | 2.0% | 1.8% | 0.9% |
| New York City | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| North Country | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Southern Tier | 0.6% | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| Western New York | 0.9% | 1.6% | 0.5% |
The Governor also confirmed 777 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 414,370 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 414,370 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
| County | Total Positive | New Positive |
| Albany | 2,493 | 13 |
| Allegany | 74 | 0 |
| Broome | 1,029 | 14 |
| Cattaraugus | 157 | 0 |
| Cayuga | 141 | 0 |
| Chautauqua | 224 | 1 |
| Chemung | 162 | 1 |
| Chenango | 206 | 1 |
| Clinton | 125 | 2 |
| Columbia | 513 | 3 |
| Cortland | 90 | 0 |
| Delaware | 101 | 0 |
| Dutchess | 4,468 | 15 |
| Erie | 8,434 | 24 |
| Essex | 55 | 0 |
| Franklin | 48 | 0 |
| Fulton | 275 | 5 |
| Genesee | 270 | 3 |
| Greene | 287 | 2 |
| Hamilton | 7 | 0 |
| Herkimer | 239 | 3 |
| Jefferson | 128 | 0 |
| Lewis | 34 | 0 |
| Livingston | 164 | 1 |
| Madison | 396 | 3 |
| Monroe | 4,677 | 21 |
| Montgomery | 152 | 0 |
| Nassau | 43,158 | 58 |
| Niagara | 1,434 | 4 |
| NYC | 224,863 | 312 |
| Oneida | 2,062 | 9 |
| Onondaga | 3,459 | 22 |
| Ontario | 349 | 2 |
| Orange | 11,072 | 38 |
| Orleans | 291 | 0 |
| Oswego | 240 | 1 |
| Otsego | 107 | 0 |
| Putnam | 1,418 | 2 |
| Rensselaer | 718 | 24 |
| Rockland | 13,860 | 8 |
| Saratoga | 709 | 8 |
| Schenectady | 1,018 | 8 |
| Schoharie | 68 | 0 |
| Schuyler | 20 | 0 |
| Seneca | 84 | 0 |
| St. Lawrence | 260 | 1 |
| Steuben | 290 | 0 |
| Suffolk | 43,170 | 86 |
| Sullivan | 1,479 | 3 |
| Tioga | 184 | 1 |
| Tompkins | 227 | 2 |
| Ulster | 2,010 | 37 |
| Warren | 298 | 0 |
| Washington | 254 | 0 |
| Wayne | 243 | 0 |
| Westchester | 35,913 | 39 |
| Wyoming | 111 | 0 |
| Yates | 52 | 0 |
Yesterday, there were 13 deaths due to COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 25,145. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:
| Deaths by County of Residence | |
| County | New Deaths |
| Albany | 1 |
| Bronx | 2 |
| Broome | 1 |
| Erie | 1 |
| Herkimer | 1 |
| Kings | 1 |
| Manhattan | 1 |
| Queens | 2 |
| Tioga | 1 |
| Westchester | 2 |
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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. Based on Statistics From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. July 29, 2020:
The Covid-19 virus dealt a blow to the White Plains economy in June, as expected.
Sales tax revenues were down $3 Million to $2,381,120 compared to the $5, 047,352 in June 2019. The $2,666,232 decline meant the economy in White Plains declined 52%.
The Sales tax revenues for 2019-20 fiscal year for the City of White Plains was $47,714,688, down from $50,115,543 last year. The $2,400,855 decline is 4.8%. The city budgeted that decline into their adopted 2020-21 budget, cutting their expected sales tax revenue $2,700,00 in the new budget just begun, thanks to their policy of never budgeting more than they collect the previous year in sales tax revenues,
The worry that the city faces is how fast sales tax revenues will rebound to the averaged $4 Million plus a month to put the city back up to the $50 Million a year number and more. Will July bounce back? Will August boom with back to school sales (if we go back to school) ? Will internet sales be fully accounted for by the state by municipality?
The city also faces the disasterous renovation of the Ritz Carlton, which means a big slump in hotel tax. The city budget for 2020-2021 predicts a $600,000 slump in hotel taxes. Hopefully the “ever booming” real estate market, if you believe realtor news releases, may save further deficits.
If you are budgeting for next year, the city may have to consider at least a 6% property tax increase to make up the 4.8% (at present rate) Covid-19 related decline to maintain city services and anticipate furture wage increases. Ironically, the approximate 5% decline is exactly the amount the city transfers into the Taxpayers Relief Fund, which funds annual payroll increases. That $5 Million or so has to come from somewhere if the White Plains economy fails to recover quickly the next three months.
White Plains because it does not wildly expand its budgets on wishing and hoping, always appears ready to whether the interim financial challenges that come along, instead of anticipating financial futures that may never happen. The delay in starting a half dozen apartment complexes in the downtown in White Plains due mainly to financing problems developers are facing as well as delay in developing the city parcels adjacent the Metro North Station upgrade is an example of how conservative planning in White Plains budgets spares White Plains the pain that cities, towns and villages in Westchester face in the months ahead.
The city does not have to make cuts in this new budget yet, but they may want to consider using their fund balance to correct the sales tax covid-related shortfalls if the recover such as it already is continues as it is. Capital projects also could be delayed. But with a new round of labor negotiations coming up, the city development has got to get rolling. Those apartments cannot open soon enough.