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 Doral Arrowwood Resort has filed notice that it would be closing on January 12, reports WPDH Radio 101.5 on the Boris and Robin Show
The luxury resort features a golf course, pond, and plenty of extra amenities for their upscale guests. The Doral Arrowwood’s website also boasts a fine dining restaurant and English style pub.
All check-outs must be made by Monday, January 6.
The show reported on its website:
“According to a filing with the State of New York, the Doral Arrowwood is closing due to “loss of funding.” It’s unclear what the future of this sprawling property will be but for now, it’s expected to be shuttered later this month after all of the 275 employees are laid off.
WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT.By John F. Bailey. January 1, 2020:
The celebrations have ended. The trash and streamers being cleaned up. The innocuous adlibbed television specials mercifully over. The traditional dinner parties celebrating friendship and renewing bonds between us over the years over. The bowl games are about to begin to distract us from a year like few in recent memory, is fraught with anxiety for not just ourselves but for our way of life, our sanity. We have become a nation of fear. We never used to be that way.
It is a lot like 1940 when World War II began. America did not know what was ahead. We did not want to get involved. There was heavy sympathy by the press and prominent leaders not to get involved in the rapidly escalating conflict.
We are in another conflict now. A conflict for our attention. A conflict within ourselves in this country, A conflict with the world as we know it at stake.
At no point ever in my 75 years as an American citizen did I ever think our nation that has long been a beacon of hope for the oppressed of the world, a nation built by immigrants would ever lose its reputation in the world community, and worst yet forsake the proven principles of science, human decency, and compassion and ignore what it says to us at the peril of us all.
We are assaulted daily, if you watch the news with conflicting ideas. Opinion is treated as facts. Feelings interpreted as genuine and entitled and relevant. This is not fact, ladies and gentlemen. Actions are to be informed by research and facts and what is right. And we all know what is right.
I repeat: we all know what is right and when what is happening is wrong.
So since we as individuals have no direct ability to change our leaders in both houses of congress, in the cabinet, in the state legislatures to do our will, how are we to survive this new anxiety brought about by this new anxiety.?
I propose to make a resolution, a personal executive order to focus on the matters I and my family can control. We have to focus locally and not be swayed by the hatreds, and irrationality of congressmen, legislators on every level of government who say anything to influence us to like them, and promise to act in our best interests and that of our great country, but don’t.
We also must learn not to be afraid of them. For that matter, every person that controls you, you have to lose the fear of them that often inhibits your ability to grow.
Every year we fight the same battles personally: the bad habits we have had for years. The preconceived notions that prevent us from learning or wanting to learn. The self-preservation instinct that creates fear of the new, fear of change, and most of all the fear of losing what we have.
Organization, or lack of it, has been my problem all my life. I want to change that, but I succumb to the rationalization to procrastinate one matter I don’t want to do. So this year I will tackle that again and try to fight the procrastinatia. Prioritizing would be new for me.
I will spend more time in churches where the voice of God speaks in your head if you listen. And the more you listen, the more you are pointed to the right decision. It is weird but the church is much warmer and inspiring when it is empty. It seems to rise up around you and rise silently about you to listen to you. The Great Spirit as Indian leaders called it–spoke to them from the land around them.
Turning to your personal world, I need to PAY ATTENTION TO THINGS YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR TALENT.
I resolve to communicate better with my spouse because it is through not paying attention to her creates the discord that is always waiting to flare up when one person is disappointed with the other. So I have have decided to fix this. You know the behaviors that send your spouse off the handle. Well you can stop doing those, I know I do things that irritate the other but refuse to fix them in the past because I was inconsiderate. For the wonderfulness I bring to my relationship, the flaws: not doing things she asks on time, not listening carefully, forgetting things irritate her the most, because she feels it means I don’t care to please her. Well I am fixing that.
When irritations cause rancor in a relationship, the rancor wrecks intimacy, respect, love and caring. So I am going to fix that. And bring the relationship back. The same can be said for estranged relatives. They are only a phone call away. Of course, they could call me, is always my excuse. But see, that is fear and guilt on my part. Abolish that fear of rekindling a relationship or letting the feeling of not caring about extended family keep you apart.
My mother when she was alive would always call me on a Saturday, greeting me with “Don’t worry, it’s just your mother.” She would feel guilty about checking in with us, but she wanted to. If you feel guilty about reestablishing ties. You are just deciding to let them go. That’s the reality. You can always let them know you care about them at the very least.
The same is true of children. As my children grew up, I would always give them warnings, advise them of situations to be aware of, and I still do that in the hopes that some day when faced with the situation in question, they would remember your words and it would help them. Instilling your experience without giving commands is an art. You are investing your experience in them that they can draw on when they need to. They are long gone now out of my home. But we both have a great relationship. They like coming home. And we worry about them to this day.
As my wife’s mother said, “you are only as happy as your unhappiest child.”
Your community: You can pay more attention to what your town government is doing. It is in your self-interest to do so, and pay attention to the grandiose plans they have for growing your community and county. If you ignore what they are doing, only worry about your neighborhood or your particular house that is not what I mean. You should engage. Speak out at public hearings, if you are lucky enough to be able to have city government that tells you about the public hearings, and the projects more than 1 week before they vote on it.
I do this website that is my contribution to public service because twenty years ago I realized Gannett was only covering one story a week in White Plains. Now they rarely cover one a month. So I have been doing it for many years now. It is the best use I have put my writing talent to all my life. If you have a talent, try to expand it. Use it for others it will make you feel really good. Or, you can help. I have a friend who serves in a soup kitchen, and particpates in Red Cross training and service. An admirable participation in the community that brings him closer to those less fortunate and extends his sense of compassion and humanity.
This year, more than ever I think I need to do that and become more aware of the consequences of not caring. We have leaders of both parties who do not care for anyone, just as long as they are elected or do what they want. They always have. It is up to us to listen to the human side of us…the rule “do unto others what you would have them do onto you.” Our country used to do that. As individuals in our community we have have to work to rekindle that spirit.
I also have another resolution that works for me: stop watching the news. It just produces anxiety and worry and deflects you from your personal mission with your family, your community, your plan for your life. You cannot control events except locally. Remember that.
So this is how I intend to live through 2020. And for once make it really a better year and grow as a person. Grow each day. Enjoy the honesty and hope our children offer, and remember the good things about your past and carry their legacy to others.
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGERFrom the Westchester County Board of Legislators December 29, 2019:
Members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators deplore the attack Saturday night at the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in Monsey and offer strong support to the victims, their families and Congregation Netzach Yisroel.
Board Chairman Ben Boykin (D- White Plains, Scarsdale, Harrison) said, “While we wait for all the facts to be investigated, we do not hesitate to categorically condemn all acts of violence, hatred and bigotry wherever and whenever they occur.
“But we need to do more than offer our condemnation after the fact. We must work proactively and with vigilance to protect one another and to combat the rising tide of violence and intolerance plaguing our nation and the world.
“We thank County Executive George Latimer for directing the County Police to offer additional protection to the County’s synagogues and other Jewish facilities, and we will continue to work with the administration and the County’s Human Rights Commission to face the scourge of bias, discrimination and related violence during this holy time of year and always.”
Majority Leader Catherine Parker (D – Harrison, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rye) said, “The Board of Legislators is committed to seeing that our laws provide the highest level of protection to our residents. I have reached out to our Chair of Legislation to ensure that we will take up discussion to investigate strengthening our definitions of hate crimes and hate incidents as New York City has done, as soon as our new term begins.”
WPCNR SCAMSTOPPERS.From Abuse@Chase.com. December 28, 2019:
This morning WPCNR received a letter from “Chase” via e-mail about a transaction that was made by my defunct account on December 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I called up my local White Plains Chase bank where I used to have accounts, the key words are “used to.” The Chase person handling my call identified it as a scam and suggested I forward it to abuse@chase.com . I did that and received this warning in return from Chase:
Thank you for forwarding the suspicious communication you received.
If you need assistance or replied to a suspicious message, please visit chase.com/contactus.
You should continue to look out for email, calls, or texts that:
– Ask you to provide your credit or debit card number, any personal information, such as your Social Security number or taxpayer identification number, or your chase.com sign in information, – Threaten to close your account if you don’t send personal information immediately, or – Tell you that unauthorized charges are on your account and ask you to enter or confirm your account information.
These communications are designed to look like we sent them, so be careful
and report any that you receive. Chase will not ask you for personal
information by communication.
For more information and advice, visit chase.com/security.
If you have an account-specific question or are notifying us of a complaint, please visit the Secure Message Center or call us so we may address your concern.
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER.From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 28, 2019:
The Westchester County Health Department will receive an incentive grant that recognizes its partnership with healthcare providers and parents in protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“It is gratifying to me to see our staff acknowledged by the New York State Department of Health for their dedication to the important goal of increasing immunizations,” said Sherlita Amler, MD, Commissioner of Health. “We also owe our success to medical providers and parents, who partner with us to protect newborns and all children from vaccine-preventable diseases.”
The County Health Department will receive the maximum award of $87,095 for exceeding expectations in reporting by its Immunization Action Program and Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program.
Through outreach, follow-up and office visits with pediatric practices, the Immunization Action Program works to increase childhood immunization rates countywide, and to assure that healthcare providers administer the recommended vaccines in a timely fashion and record them in a state immunization registry. In pursuit of the program’s goals, a nurse visited more than 100 pediatric and family practitioners to share best practices during the year
The goal of the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program is to prevent the transmission of hepatitis B from an infected mother to her child during childbirth.
Efforts include outreach to healthcare providers and to pregnant women with Hepatitis B. The purpose is to assure that these newborns receive post-exposure treatment immediately after birth as well as two or more vaccines by the time they reach six months of age, to protect the child from hepatitis B.
After assessing the pregnancy status of about 700 women with Hepatitis B each year, the program tracks an average of 50 pregnant women and their newborns each year to prevent Hepatitis B transmission.
Newborns infected with hepatitis B have a 90 percent chance of developing lifelong infection. Currently, there is no cure for hepatitis B, but completing the hepatitis B vaccine series provides more than a 95 percent chance of lifelong protection.
Hepatitis B is a highly contagious and series viral infection of the liver. Hepatitis B can lead to premature death from liver damage, liver cancer or failure. It can be spread through contact with an infected person’s blood, bodily fluids or through sexual contact.
$21 Billion Toronto High Speed RailCHINA HIGH SPEED RAILONTARIO, California, HIGH SPEED TRAINS reach 250 km/h on dedicated tracks or at 200 km/h on existing tracks. RUSSIAN HIGH SPEED RAILAn advertisement for the first high speed NY train: The Empire State Express Today trains on New York track routes run at an average speed of 51 miles an hour. 127 years ago in 1893 the New York Central “999” Empire Express set a speed record of 112 miles an hour to Chicago. She covered NYC to Buffalo in 7 hours 6 minutes, during her career at an average speed of 82 miles an hour on her regular runs. Should we bring back steam?The Empire State Express in 1941. The Icon of its time
Went down to the station,Leaned against the door.Went down to the station,I…leaned against the door.I knew it was the Empire State,Can tell by the way she blows.
No. 999 preserved on static display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, photo from 2003.Asked the depot agent,“Please let me ride the blinds.”Asked the depot agent,“Please let me ride the blinds.”He said, “Son, I like to help you…you know,But the Empire State ain’t mine”.The Empire State…you know she,Rides on Eastern time.The Empire State,She rides on Eastern time,She’s the “rollingest” baby,On the New York Central line.
WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Office. December 27, 2019:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Thursday the 13th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda – convening outside experts to reexamine and rethink strategies to bring high-speed rail to New York.
The Governor will task a panel of engineers to reexamine past high-speed rail plans, question and rethink every assumption and method, and recommend a new plan for how to build faster, greener, more reliable high-speed rail in New York.
“High speed rail is transforming economies around the world. We’ve been told that bringing this technology to our state is too expensive, too difficult and would take too long – that’s not an acceptable attitude for New York,” Governor Cuomo said. “When we developed our plan to repair the L Train Tunnel, the team of experts we assembled questioned every assumption and brought new creativity to a seemingly intractable problem. We not only found a way to repair the tunnel without shutting down service, we are doing it ahead of schedule. This kind of outside-the-box thinking will help us determine how we could deliver high speed rail for New York.”
Most of the State’s population lives a short distance from the Empire Corridor, which connects the State through New York City, Albany, and Buffalo. However, these lines average 51 miles per hour, meaning it is often the slowest method available for New Yorkers.
Recommendations to implement high speed rail across the State, which have not changed much over the last two decades, have consistently estimated that projects would take decades and be unaffordable. This team of experts will review these past studies, and strategies that countries all over the world have used to build thousands of miles of high-speed rail, to ask every question and find the best way to build high-speed rail in New York.
No other state has demonstrated a stronger commitment to rebuilding its transportation infrastructure than New York under Governor Cuomo. The Governor’s latest five-year, $150 billion infrastructure plan builds upon his historic $100 billion infrastructure initiative that concluded last year.
The capital projects included in these plans rebuild transportation and mass transit systems, construct safe and secure affordable housing, drive economic and community development, build new and better school buildings for 21st century learning, create new environmental and park facilities, support our sustainable energy future, and generate 675,000 new jobs and expand opportunity for all New Yorkers.
New Yorkers are already benefiting from the capital assets funded through the initial $100 billion infrastructure plan, from the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, to the 2nd Avenue Subway, to rebuilding Upstate airports, to downtown revitalizations and water infrastructure projects all across the state.
These projects are supporting the creation of approximately 450,000 jobs and contribute to New York’s all-time high job count. Since the beginning of Governor Cuomo’s administration, New York State’s economy has experienced employment growth in 76 of the past 88 months.
