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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. OCTOBER 7, 2017:
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THE NEW GOVERNOR MARIO M. CUOMO BRIDGE IS NOW OPEN EAST-WEST. VIDEO FROM THE GOVERNOR
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Office. October 7, 2017:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday evening that all traffic is now traveling on the first span of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, weeks earlier than planned. The iconic twin-span cable-stayed crossing opened to Rockland-bound traffic in late August.
VIDEO of a time lapse is available CLICK: here.
The last cars crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge is available on YouTube(CLICK) here and in TV Quality (h264 format) (CLICK:) here.
All four lanes of Westchester-bound traffic have officially shifted to the first span this evening, just a few weeks after the Governor announced the opening of the first span for Rockland-bound drivers.
Traffic on the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) will consist of four lanes in each direction on the first span, separated by a concrete barrier.
This will allow design-builder Tappan Zee Constructors to demolish the landings of the old bridge, which occupy the same footprint of the second span, and connect the second span to land. When completed, drivers will reap the full benefits of the 3.1-mile twin-span, which will include:
- Eight general traffic lanes;
- Four breakdown and emergency lanes;
- Space for future bus rapid transit and commuter rail;
- A bicycle and walking path with six unique viewing areas; and
- Cashless tolling.
The original Tappan Zee Bridge, linking Rockland and Westchester, opened in December 1955 and there are now more than 140,000 vehicles crossing it daily.
WHITE PLAINS WEEK OCT 6 SHOW ON THE INTERNET NOW
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READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP?
PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY AND JIM BENEROFE –THE LOCAL LOWDOWN
ON
YOUTUBE AND WHITE PLAINS WEEK.COM
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COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAMPAIGN GETTING HOT AND PERSONAL
LAS VEGAS MASS MURDER IGNITES LOCAL GUN SHOW ISSUE AGAIN
HOW SECURE CAN HOTELS BE–NOT VERY SECURE–SHOULD THEY TIGHTEN UP THEIR “HOSPITALITY?”
THE AGONIZING PACE OF PUERTO RICO HURRICANE RECOVERY–A FIASCO OVERLOOKS THE 80 PHARMACEUTICAL PLANTS THAT ARE THE ONLY SOURCE OF KEY SUBSCRIPTION MEDICATIONS FOR STROKES, AIDS
BALLYHOOED HIGH SPEED INTERNET “BUNDLE” OF WHITE PLAINS, YONKERS, MOUNT VERNON AND NEW RO DOES NOT EXCITE INTERNET PROVIDERS YET AFTER A YEAR.
WHEN WE GO ALL-ELECTRIC CARS WILL WE HAVE ENOUGH OUTLETS?
COUNTY STARTS PLAYLAND NORTH BOARDWALK REPAIR FIVE YEARS AFTER HURRICANE SANDY
AND THE ONLY WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF ALL THINGS TRUMP.
Latimer Accuses County Executive of “Pay to Play” Contracting on County Projects.
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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2017. From the George Latimer Campaign (Edited). October 7, 2017:
State Senator George Latimer called on his County Executive Robert Astorino to disclose his campaign’s relationships and meetings with thirteen NYC-based firms that have received nearly $80 million in county contracts during the office’s existence.
According to the New York State Board of Elections and the Westchester County Government the list of donors includes notable contributors such as Arcadis, Harris Beach, HDR, LiRo, Tectonic, and Verde Electric Corporation.
An analysis by the Latimer camp shows that the firms have contributed over $200,000 to Astorino during his tenure as County Executive, further raising the question of pay-to-play for the controversial Republican lawmaker.
“This is a great deal for these companies and for Rob Astorino, but a terrible deal for Westchester taxpayers,” said George Latimer. “Since Astorino won’t disclose exactly what took place at 125 Park, (the Westchester County Manhattan-based economic development office), we can’t know if these donors were meeting there with him or what was being discussed. This raises serious questions about the integrity of our County Executive that Rob Astorino should answer immediately.”
According to a review of Westchester County public records and state campaign finance reports, thirteen firms either headquartered in New York City or with a significant presence there received $79.2 million in taxpayer-funded contracts between 2015 and 2017. This coincides with the existence of the county’s Economic Development satellite office at 125 Park Avenue in Midtown, which Astorino opened to great fanfare but which the county cannot point to any specific benefit to taxpayers having come out of the exclusive commercial space. Last month, the county announced that it would be closing the space once its current lease expires.
These thirteen firms, which provide a range of services including engineering, architecture and legal, have at the same time been major donors to Astorino’s high-profile political campaigns over the years. In total, they contributed over $213,000 in contributions to Astorino’s war chest both before and after many of the contracts were issued to them by the county.
For Latimer, this raises serious ethical questions about Astorino’s use of the Manhattan space, which the State Senator and others contend provides the Republican with a base of operations for building his donor network ahead of a rumored 2018 rematch against Governor Andrew Cuomo. As a result, Latimer is calling on his opponent in the County Executive race to release all information pertaining to his relationship with the firms in question, as well as details on any meetings that the donors may have had with Astorino and county officials at the Park Avenue office.
“Rob Astorino in his past races for County Executive and Governor made a point of criticizing his opponents for the practices that he seems to have mastered,” Latimer said.
Latimer’s request comes one week after he and fellow county lawmakers held a press conference and rally outside county offices in White Plains to call for the full disclosure of all meetings at the office. Astorino’s office has stated in the press that no meetings logs were kept and no such details are available for the taxpayer-funded space.
Bronx Man Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Sex Trafficking of Minors
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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. October 5, 2017:
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”),announced Thuradsy that–
ADRIAN BROOKS, a/k/a “Abee,” was arrested for his alleged role as the leader of a sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise that exploited and abused women and minor girls.
BROOKS was charged in an Indictment with sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. BROOKS was also charged with the use of interstate facilities and interstate travel to promote a prostitution enterprise.
BROOKS was arrested Thursday morning and was to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gorenstein in Manhattan federal court Thursday afternoon. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:
“As alleged, Adrian Brooks used threats and violence to coerce underaged girls into performing sex acts for money, and then kept most of the money for himself. For his reprehensible alleged crimes, Brooks will now face federal sex trafficking charges. This Office remains committed to protecting vulnerable children from the sick world of commercial sex trafficking.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment[1] filed in Manhattan federal court:
Since at least 2014, BROOKS directed and conducted a criminal sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise (the “Sex Trafficking Enterprise”) that recruited and exploited minor girls, and then forced them to engage in commercial sex acts for his own profit by, among other things, using an online classifieds website called Backpage.com (“Backpage”).
BROOKS operated the Sex Trafficking Enterprise out of motels in the Bronx, New York, and Yonkers, New York, as well as on the streets of the Bronx.
To evade detection by law enforcement, the Sex Trafficking Enterprise’s advertisements often purported to be offering escorts. However, such advertisements often signaled that they were, in fact, offering individuals for commercial sex acts through a variety of cues, including pictures of partially-clothed women in sexually suggestive poses, and coded language indicating that the people being offered would perform sex acts in exchange for money.
The victims of BROOKS’s Sex Trafficking Enterprise were typically forced to engage in commercial sex acts with multiple customers in a single day. Customers typically paid for such commercial sex acts in cash. BROOKS kept most or all of the profits from his Sex Trafficking Enterprise.
BROOKS forced certain of his victims to take prescription pain relievers, to which they became addicted. In addition, BROOKS set rules for his victims, controlled their actions, and punished violations of his rules and disobedience through physical violence, among other things.
BROOKS is charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud, or coercion, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of use of interstate facilities and interstate travel to promote a prostitution enterprise, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Any individuals who believe they have information concerning ADRIAN BROOKS, a/k/a “Abee,” that may be relevant to the investigation, or information regarding other sex trafficking crimes, should contact the FBI at (212) 384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/, or the New York City Police Department at (646) 610-7272.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Brooks’s alleged acts are horrendous, preying on and exploiting minors. Cases like this are disgraceful examples of the worst in our society. Sadly, too often these types of crimes are unknown or ignored in our communities. The FBI simply won’t tolerate this behavior. Our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will be relentless in pursuing those who target our youth. I encourage anyone with knowledge of trafficking activity to step forward to help us make a difference”
The investigation was conducted through the New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, a joint task force between the FBI and NYPD to combat human trafficking. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. Mr. Kim also thanked the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – Youth Services Unit and the New York City Administration for Children’s Services for their assistance during the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Hanft, Sagar K. Ravi, and Alexandra N. Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
NOW ON THE INTERNET ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD: PREVIEW OF “GHOST” AND THE WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FALL SEASON
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RIGHT NOW ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org
YOU’VE GOT
JOE WALSH, DIRECTOR OF GHOST
AND
STEPHEN FERRI, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
ON “GHOST” OPENING NEXT WEEK WITH NATALIE WEISS
AND A PREVIEW OF
THE WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FALL SEASON
JOE WALSH DIRECTING NATALIE WEISS AS MOLLY and STEVEN DOUGLAS as SAM in the Musical Ghost that opens the season next week at White Plains Performing Arts Center
Letter from Latimer Follows Up With County Gun Policy Reforms Challenges to County Executive
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From State Senator George Latimer, Candidate for County Executive. October 5, 2017:
October 4, 2017
Honorable Robert P. Astorino
County Executive
Westchester County
148 Martine Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
Dear County Executive Astorino:
In light of the terrible events earlier this week in Las Vegas, a great deal of concern has been raised regarding items that can be used to turn a legal semi-automatic rifle into a rapid fire weapon – commonly known as “Bump Stocks”. Adding a bump stock to a weapon such as an AR-15, a modification that is in fact specifically designed for that weapon, uses the recoil of the rifle, when fired, to greatly increase the number of rounds that can be consecutively fired.
Currently, Bump Stocks are not illegal in New York, but adding them to a weapon in our state would render that gun not compliant with the NY SAFE Act. Thus, the purchase of a Bump Stock in New York serves no other purpose than to make a legal gun an illegal one. This form of weapon modification allegedly permitted the perpetrator of the Las Vegas attacks to shoot as many as 400 rounds per minute, causing the unfathomable death toll our nation now mourns.
In response to these attacks and to my own efforts to address the issue of gun sales in our community, your office has issued conflicting statements on the future of the controversial gun shows at the Westchester County Center and the items sold there.
Promotional materials indicate that the next Westchester Gun Show is slated for January 20 and 21, 2018. However, a spokesperson for your office was reported as indicating that “no dates [have been] agreed upon.” Likewise, your office has dismissed very real and disturbing reports of Nazi and Confederate paraphernalia having been sold at last year’s show, an action that ignores the pain that this imagery inflicts upon countless Westchester families.
As such, it is critical that you share the following information with us regarding the 2017 Westchester gun show, as well as the upcoming 2018 gun show.
1) Does the County gather information regarding history of compliance with state and federal law for the vendors and the items they sell at Westchester gun shows?
2) What does the County do to ensure that only items legally compliant with state and federal law are sold at gun shows?
3) Are Bump Stocks sold at Westchester Gun Shows? Please provide the names of the vendors selling Bump Stocks.
4) Does the County have a policy banning the sale of Bump Stocks at the Westchester Gun Shows? If not, would you consider implementing one immediately?
5) To ensure the safety of the residents of Westchester County, please provide a list of all vendors that participated in the 2017 gun show, and the current list of the anticipated vendors for the 2018 gun show.
6) Will you commit to prohibiting the sale of hate materials, such as Nazi and Confederate Paraphernalia at county events.
7) Will you, in light of the Las Vegas attacks, commit to the ban on the sale of guns on county property, restoring the practice put in place following the massacres of Columbine and Sandy Hook.
Far too often, we have seen our fellow Americans fall victim to instruments of war that have no place in civilian hands. The true test of leadership is to ensure the safety and security of all Westchester residents at such a difficult and trying time.
I implore you, as a fellow Westchester resident, to stand not on the side of powerful gun lobbies, but on the side of decency and safety. In answering these questions for every Westchester family, you can help bring about positive change in our community.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in addressing this request.
Sincerely,
George Latimer
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In The Garden of Remembrance
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Latimer Says He Would Support Banning Gun Shows on County Property in Aftermath of Las Vegas Killings.
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In light of the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada that killed 59 and injured scores more, a group of lawmakers and gun control advocates led by Democratic New York State Senator George Latimer (D – Mamaroneck) Tuesday rallied in front of the Westchester County Center in White Plains to call on County Executive Rob Astorino to pass legislation preventing gun shows from being held on county property.
(Editor’s Note: County Executive Robert Astorino’s campaign team issued a statement accusing Mr. Latimer of “playing politics” in the aftermath of the Las Vegas killings.
In a related campaign development, Mayor Michael Spano of Yonkers endorsed Mr. Latimer for County Executive.)
The Latimer move coincides with recent reports that a controversial gun show held last year at the Center will again come to the public facility in January 2018, provoking renewed condemnation of Astorino for supporting the event and for substantial campaign contributions the Republican has received from gun groups.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the first responders, but we’ve said that in Orlando, we’ve said that in San Bernadino, and we’ve said that going all the way back to the 1960s when Charles Whitman took lives at the University of Texas. Time and again, we’re expressing prayers and common sympathy and that’s not enough anymore. I believe that the Second Amendment allows you to own a weapon, but it certainly does not mean that every possible armament under the sun should be in private hands,” said George Latimer at the event.
Latimer’s strong rebuke of Astorino came during a press conference and rally outside the Westchester County Center, a 5,000-seat multipurpose arena located in downtown White Plains, N.Y. Latimer was joined by County Legislator Catherine Parker, County Legislature candidate Nancy Barr, New Castle Town Supervisor candidate Kirsten Browde, and County Legislature candidate Ruth Walter. Moms Demand Action head Nicole Lesser also attended the afternoon press conference.
The Westchester County Center was recently the site a controversial January 2017 gun show attended by some 8,000 and featuring an array of guns, knives and paraphernalia for sale, including “military style weapons.” Most notably, some vendors at the show also sold a range of Nazi and Confederate imagery and memorabilia. Last month, Latimer strongly criticized the sale after a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia turned deadly, sparking international outrage.
Prior to last year’s gun show, the County had effectively banned the shows in response to successive school shootings like Columbine and 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, which took place just 50 miles from White Plains. The Westchester County Legislature subsequently introduced legislation codifying the ban, which Astorino vetoed earlier this year.
Most recently, it was reported that the gun show may again return to the county center in January 2018. In light of this recent massacre in Las Vegas, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, Latimer and supporters renewed calls on Astorino to support the ban. Latimer also criticized Astorino’s well-established pro-gun stances, calling the County Executive out of step with the values of most Westchester residents. Astorino has received $5,000 from the National Rifle Association and has pledged to repeal the SAFE act, a law passed in the wake of Sandy Hook meant to regulate the use and availability of semi-automatic weapons.
“Putting an end to this carnage is a matter of leadership and in this way Rob Astorino failed us,” said Latimer. “We need leadership to stand up to the gun lobby and prevent military-grade weapons from being sold on county property. As our next County Executive, I will pass the gun show bill and make every Westchester resident’s safety my top priority.”
WHITE PLAINS WEEK, THE SEPT.29 SHOW-NOW ON INTERNET NOW
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PETER KATZ JOHN BAILEY JIM BENEROFE
ON YOUTUBE AND WHITEPLAINSWEEK.COM
AND WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
WPWeek for 9-29 has been posted
the YouTube link is
the link to WhitePlainsWeek.com is
ON
WESTCHESTER COUNTY WOOS AMAZON WITHOUT TALKING TO GOVERNOR CUOMO–VIDEO
LATIMER DEMANDS COUNTY EXECUTIVE ASTORINO SPEAK OUT FOR WESTCHESTER ON TRUMP TAX PLAN–VIDEO
STANDARD AMUSEMENTS HAS NOT COMMITTED TO PLAYLAND DEAL YET.
RED HOT SUMMER BUSINESS: WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX DOLLARS UP 21% IN ONE MONTH…JULY TO AUGUST
GOVERNOR CUOMO VIDEO OF PUERTO RICO DESTRUCTION–
REMEMBERING “HEF”
INTRODUCING THE LIBERTY APPLE
AT THOMPSON’S CIDER MILL