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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We are continuing to see the number of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases rise.

The Governor today confirmed 37 additional cases in New York State, bringing the total to 142. 98 of those cases (16 new cases) are in Westchester County.

The City stepped up cleaning and disinfecting at all city buildings and facilities last week and continues to make this a priority.

White Plains Library Foundation 25th Anniversary Gala, which had been scheduled for March 14^th, has been POSTPONED. The Foundation made this decision out of an abundance of caution and concern about the evolving nature of this outbreak.

It bears repeating since we know that many residents are concerned about community spread of COVID-19, specifically in White Plains.

At this time, for privacy and safety reasons, NYS DOH is not providing either municipal or county governments with specific information about where those who have tested positive live. The city, along with the county, is advocating for the state to release additional information.

Residents who are concerned and/or have questions about coronavirus should call the NYS DOH hotline at: 1-888-364-3065. This hotline is staffed 24/7. We urge everyone to continue to practice common sense preventive measures. While there is currently no vaccine to prevent this virus, these simple steps can help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

In addition to general guidance provided to the public, NYS has been providing sector-specific guidance to groups such as health care workers and nursing homes. We expect more of this in the coming days. We continue to work with state, county, and local officials to ensure a coordinated response and will continue to update residents on a regular basis. For more information access these trustworthy resources:
NYS DOH:
https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/

CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

Westchester County DOH:
https://health.westchestergov.com/

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TOO COLD. TOO MANY PULLED MUSCLES . MORE DISABLED PLAYERS AHEAD. POSTPONEMENTS AND DAY-NIGHT DOUBLE HEADERS CERTAIN

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK By “Bull” Allen, March 16, 2020

Hello there, Everbody, this is “Bull” Allen greeting you from the gondola at legendary Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg Florida and I’m drinking hot coffee, instead of a Balentine Ale and puffing away on a White Owl Wallop with frozen fingers.

I have to wonder whatever happened to Florida Spring Training weather down here in the Grapefruit League. In Tampa last week, Suzyn Waldman was in her down parka broadcasting the Yankee game back to New YORK, and commenting on how the temperature was around 60 and how the wind was howling through the Pittsburgh spring training field.

What she was saying was how cold spring training has been in Florida this 2020 exhibition season.

Meanwhile, my heir apparent at the Yankee microphone, John Sterling was commenting on the number of injuries already New York players have experienced.

The cold weather in the Grapefruit League, with the exception of the Judge injury, may have something to do with that.

But, you have not seen anything yet. They are set to open the 2020 season on March 26.

Do you know where they are playing?

Here are the opening sites where games will be played from March 26: New York, Cleveland, Chicago. Milwaukee, Baltimore,  Toronto(Indoor stadium),  Oakland, San Diego, L.A, Seattle, Cincinnati, Tampa, Houston, Arizona.  That is 7 northern sites, subject to the vagaries of late March weather.

Temperatures for afternoon games will on the Opening Day weekend, and the second week of the season will be subject to 40 and 50 degree temperatures if the northern cities are fortunate, or inclimate weather, wind, snow flurries and of course the kind of cold weather that strains pitchers’ arms (hard to get loose), freezes fans, and makes today’s overly in-shape players pull muscles on swings and the assorted tweaks, twinges and pains that cold weather brings.

In New York, I remember a snow out on April 6 many years ago. I remember snow and wet grounds postponements in the middle west. I remember reschedules of day night double headers later in the season as baseball sought to play games rained out, snowed out or colded out in the first two weeks of last season. Does baseball learn? No. They keep moving back the start of the season earlier. The dumbest owners and management in sports.

In the 1950s the baseball season never started until April 15. There was a reason for that. You could not be assured of baseball weather until at least mid April, (and all baseball teams were located above the Mason-Dixon line). The farthest south city was St. Louis.  You could not be assured of baseball weather until mid-April.  Now with  teams in the south there is no reason to schedule games in northern cities.

If you want to start the season on March 26, in the middle of the NCAA basketball tournament hysteria, do it in the south, schedule games in Los Angeles and San Francisco (which have two teams one in each league), San Diego, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Houston, Dallas, maybe St. Louis), and have northern clubs play back to back series in the south and do a southern swing. Do not schedule any northern games. But, nooooooo. Major League baseball is stupid. They do not use the southern venues to put northern teams into climes where they can actually play the games.

Also – could we eliminate night games in March, April and early May or at least start them at twilight (5 PM), to assure some warmth in Daylight Savings Time?

By far the most compelling reason to play the most games in the southern tiers is injuries due to cold weather.

I once worked it out with baseball expanding to 32 teams, (adding Las Vegas), so baseball could play the first two weeks of the season in cities in the southern part of the country, to eliminate the horrid weather situations that exist in the northern part of the country. You simply do interleague play so northern teams play in the southpart of the country, opening in the north on April 10. I suggested it to Bud Selig in the 1990s, then the commissioner, and got a letter back from him. My letter may have been the catalyst for interleague play but sadly the schedule makers have never gotten the obvious message that the weather severely affects the health and interest of fans in the northern climates. Once you sit through a 40 degree opener in Yankee Stadium with snow flurries and winds whipping in out of the northeast, in $100 seats.

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS UPDATE. From the Mayor’s Office. 5 PM EDT March 8, 2020:

As of today the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) is reporting 105 cases of coronavirus in the state, 82 of which are in Westchester County.

We know that many residents are concerned about community spread of COVID-19, specifically in White Plains.

At this time, for privacy and safety reasons, NYS DOH is not providing either municipal or county governments with specific information about where those who have tested positive live.

Residents who are concerned and/or have questions about coronavirus should call the NYS DOH hotline at: 1-888-364-3065. This hotline is staffed 24/7.  We urge everyone to continue to practice common sense preventive measures. While there is currently no vaccine to prevent this virus, these simple steps can help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

In addition to general guidance provided to the public, NYS has been providing sector-specific guidance to groups such as health care workers and nursing homes. We expect more of this in the coming days. We continue to work with state, county, and local officials to ensure a coordinated response and will continue to update residents on a regular basis. For more information access these trustworthy resources:
NYS DOH:
https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/

CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

Westchester County DOH:
https://health.westchestergov.com/

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. March 6, 2020:

uring a briefing on the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today confirmed 11 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 33 confirmed cases in New York State.

Of the new cases identified since yesterday, eight are located in Westchester County, two are located in Rockland County and one is located in New York City.

Of the 33 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

• Nassau County: 1
• Rockland County: 2
• New York City: 4
• Westchester County: 26

“While the overall risk level of the novel coronavirus in New York remains low, I want New Yorkers to know that I’m not urging calm. I’m urging reality. I’m urging a factual response as opposed to an emotional response,” Governor Cuomo said. “In New York we have the most sophisticated healthcare system on the globe, and we are continuing to prioritize testing, quarantine protocols and containment tracking to keep New Yorkers safe.”

Additionally, the Governor announced that a New York State interagency task force is continuing to coordinate with local governments and healthcare partners to monitor and respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Members of the task force include:

• Linda Lacewell, Department of Financial Services, Superintendent
• Dr. Howard Zucker, Department of Health, Commissioner
• Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor
• Beth Garvey, Special Counsel
• Gareth Rhodes, Department of Financial Services, Deputy Superintendent
• Simonida Subotic, Deputy Secretary for Economic Development
• Kelly Cummings, Director of State Operations and Infrastructure
• Michael Kopy, Director of Emergency Management
• Patrick Murphy, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Commissioner
• RoAnn Destito, Office of General Services, Commissioner
• Pat Foye, MTA, Chairman & CEO
• Rick Cotton, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Executive Director
• Dan Fuller, Deputy Secretary for Education
• Sandra Beattie, Division of Budget, Deputy Director

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. March 4, 2020:

In light of recent COVID-19 developments, Westchester County is taking steps to ensure all Bee-Line buses are sanitized daily.

For general inquiries from regarding COVID-19, the County is asking Westchester residents to dial 211.

Additionally, those in quarantine from Young Israel of New Rochelle should call 866- 588-0195 to talk to a health care professional or mental health professional, listen to recorded information/FAQ about symptoms, and information on what to do. Language translations are available.