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WPCNR EYE ON THE FUTURE. From NewsandExperts.com July17, 2017:

Millennials: Plan For Retirement Now
Or Pay The Price Later

Millennials are a stressed out generation.

A study by the American Psychological Association reported that the group of Americans in their early 20s to late 30s came in at a 5.4 stress level on a scale of 1-10, higher than the American average of 4.9.

Among the things keeping them up at night are predictions of being the first generation that will be less well off than their parents – and that includes retirements that potentially will be less secure.

No longer do millennials have the pensions to look forward to in retirement like their parents and grandparents before them, and no longer do they have the confidence that Social Security will help at least supplement some of their retirement income.

“Every generation has had its own set of trials and adversaries to conquer,” says David Rosell, financial professional and author of Keep Climbing: A Millennial’s Guide to Financial Planning (www.DavidRosell.com).

“However, today’s generation of young adults faces a uniquely challenging environment. And saving money for retirement is a luxury that many just can’t afford.”

Rosell goes on to say that sometimes millennials have to struggle for a while in order to acquire a sound financial foundation for the future.

He offers some tips to millennials for improving the odds their retirements will be a little more stress free:

• Start saving and investing early. If it’s true that the early bird catches the worm, it’s certainly true that the early investor catches a sound retirement.

If you start investing $2,000 a year for seven years in an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) at the age of 19, you could be a millionaire by age 65. While it might not be practical for most 19 year olds to invest $2,000 a year, Rosell says, the point is that making sacrifices and saving or investing money early makes life much easier down the road.
• Be patient, it’s a long road ahead. Patience isn’t always the word that comes to mind when we think about millennials. However, if you are working your first or second full-time job, and beginning to put money into investment accounts, you need to remember that retirement is a long way down the road.

“The current stock market volatility can be a very emotional time for investors,” Rosell says. “But the worst move one can make in the middle of such turbulence is to bail. Many investors abandon long-term strategies for the presumed safety of cash. But Millennials have time on their side to be patient with their investments.
• Don’t be your own worst enemy. Obtaining guidance from a financial advisor can help millennials live the life they imagined during their working years and once they retire. The economy will go through ups and downs during your lifetime, but having a financial professional to guide you can improve your financial future and keep you from making some common, costly mistakes.

“There is no greater value than peace of mind when it comes to your investments,” Rosell says. “The time for millennials to start thinking long term is now before they get too far along in their career and realize they are going to have to start playing catch-up.”

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PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON DRAFT MASTER PLAN

FOR THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT 

A public hearing on the Westchester County Airport’s draft master plan will be held on Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater at the Westchester County Center.

The public hearing will include a presentation of the draft master plan and an opportunity for attendees to comment on the draft plan.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and there will be free parking at the County Center parking lot.

WHERE:       Westchester County Center

Little Theater

198 Central Ave, White Plains

WHEN:          Thursday, July 27

                        7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2017. From the Office of State Senator George Latimer. July 14, 2017:

After former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s corruption conviction was overturned yesterday, Senator George Latimer (D-Rye) demanded that Albany take up the ethics reform package that he has been sponsoring in Albany during his tenure in the State Senate.

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WPCNR REALTY REALITY. From the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service. (Edited) July 11, 2017:

Prospective homebuyers were operating in a market that has seen tremendous reductions in the supply of for-sale housing over the past four years.

At the end of 2014 there were 12,153 active listings posted with HGMLS in all its service territory and among all of its property types – single-family houses, condominiums, cooperatives, and 2-4 multi-family units.
By the close of the second quarter of 2017 that number has plunged by more than 3,440 units to 8,713 or 28.3% fewer active listings. The double-digit percentage rate of shrinking inventory is continuing as new listings barely make up for high rates of sale.

There appear to be no obstacles to a continuation of a healthy Hudson Valley real estate market except for the shortage of inventory which may inevitably drive prices higher or may diminish the volume of sales, or both.

The constricting supply of housing in the lower Hudson region has brought about some long-expected price increases in most areas and in most property types.

In Westchester, the second quarter median* sale price of a single-family house was $670,000, an increase of $20,000 or 3.1% over last year`s level.

The mean* sale price of $900,000 was 7.0% more than last year, indicating that the high-end sector may be reinserting itself into the sales mix.

Westchester condominiums and cooperatives also enjoyed median price increases of 5.3% and 3.9% respectively.

Orange County, long characterized by high sales volumes but flat prices, posted a second quarter single-family median price of $235,000, an increase of 5.6% from last year.

Rockland County’s median price at $441,387 represented a 2.6% increase, and Putnam County’s median price at $345,000 was a significant 9.9% increase over last year.
Prospective homebuyers were operating in a market that has seen tremendous reductions in the supply of for-sale housing over the past four years.

Realtors participating in HGMLS, a subsidiary of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc., reported a grand total of 4,726 closed residential transactions during the second quarter of 2017, an increase of 4.4% from last year.

These sales largely reflect market activity during the winter and early spring months of this year.

Westchester, the most populous of the serviced counties, posted 2,642 sales for an increase of just 1.0% over last year.

Orange County posted an impressive 1,098 sales an increase of 13.8%, almost all of that in its single-family house sector.

While Rockland County had a fair 3.8% increase in single family sales, its best second quarter achievement was in its condominium sector where it posted a 33.6% increase in sales. Putnam County was the only county to report a decrease in single family residential sales (-5.4%) but an increase in residential sales price.

We do not have negative external factors right now that are threatening. Some external factors in good standing with real estate include low mortgage interest rates, low unemployment, good job growth, and reasonable and well-paced increases in the Federal Reserve rates.

Some negative factors include possible changes to the tax code affecting real estate, and chaotic governance that causes consumers, i.e., prospective homebuyers, to lose confidence in executing their homebuying intentions.

Overall this report points to a thriving four-county housing market.

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Mind, Body & Spirit Brian Kenney, White Plains Library Director on White Plains TV  PEOPLE TO BE HEARD More and more, libraries are going beyond circulating books or offering information–although we continue to do both as much as ever–and offering other opportunities that address health and well being. This spring we hosted a Saturday yoga class, sponsored by White Plains Recreation & Parks, and also just finished a series of Seated Yoga workshops for older adults and those with disabilities. Add to this workshops on cooking, nutrition, health issues–and our Wednesday Lunchtime Meditation (12:15 pm)–and it’s safe to say that libraries today are about the whole you! Brian Kenney Library Director bkenney@whiteplainslibrary.org P.S. Don’t miss our popular International Film Festival, Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., July 11-August 22. What’s New in Book Publishing? BOOK EXPO! Last month, I saw Nelson DeMille talking to James Patterson while Al Franken joked nearby and John Grisham signed stacks of his new book, Camino Island.  Mike Tyson, Neil Patrick Harris, Gabrielle Union, Alan Alda, and Olivia the Pig were there, too, along with thousands of book lovers.  Where?  At the Book Expo, a trade show for publishers, booksellers, and librarians at the Javits Center.There may have been fewer publishers at the Expo this year than there were in the past, but the show was still massive. There were tons of exhibitors, author talks, and educational panels.  At the American Association of Publisher’s Adult Book Buzz, we learned which titles publishers are excited about for the forthcoming season.Here are some titles to look for in the coming months: Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo:  a searing examination of marriage and family set in Nigeria. My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent: Stephen King has called this debut novel about a 14 yr. old girl who roams the California coast “a masterpiece.” The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman: A prequel to Hoffman’s Practical Magic. See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt: A retelling of the Lizzie Borden story.  The publisher handed out small ax-shaped pins… Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss: A high-powered Manhattan lawyer gives away most of his possessions and moves to Israel, where he meets a fellow traveler on a quest for meaning. Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent:  What happens when a seemingly mild-mannered man commits a shocking act of violence?  A bestseller in the author’s native Ireland. Need to Know by Karen Cleveland:  A CIA analyst is hot on the trail of a Russian sleeper cell in the U.S. Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn:  An agoraphobe spends her days spying on her New York city neighbors in this riveting Hitchcockian thriller that’s already in development as a film. Karyn DeLuca is responsible for acquiring books and media for adults. Look Up: Historic Murals As the renovations continue and you rediscover the main floor of our library, we hope you look up and see three unique murals. These paintings were recently re-hung—with support from the White Plains Library Foundation—high over the east wing. Sit back in one of our new lounge chairs and enjoy them!White Plains History Mural by Stanley P. Klimley. The mural depicts five historical events in White Plains history. The upper left panel depicts the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the courthouse in White Plains on July 11, 1776 and the central panel depicts Washington addressing troops prior to the Battle of White Plains in October 1776. The inscription by Mayor Hendey reads: “White Plains, where American history, tradition and enlightened civic pride combine to make a worthy city in which to live and work for people of every race, color and religion.”Hudson Valley Legends by Edmund F. Ward. Hudson Valley Legends won the Bicentennial Award at the National Art Show of the Hudson Valley Art Association. Ward filled the painting with references to Washington Irving’s most famous works, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle.Battle of White Plains by Edmund F. Ward.  There are two versions of this–one large, one small. The smaller version was created first as a commemorative stamp. Ward completed the larger oil painting a few years later and the City of White Plains purchased and hung it in the Post Office on Grand Street. In 1979, the painting was rescued from the decommissioned post office building and in 1984 brought to the library through the efforts of “Re-Ward: The Committee to Save the Edmund F. Ward Mural.” Ben Himmelfarb is the librarian responsible for local history. For more about the murals and the artists, click here. The Edge Makerspace: a Place to Chill Recently, I had the opportunity to spend an hour doing Makerspace stuff, and—as the kids say—it was totally chill. The term Makerspace is all the rage in the public library world, but don’t let it intimidate you. At the Edge Media Lab, it’s just about making things, being creative, exploring new ideas, expressing yourself and a whole lot of conversation. It may be news that you don’t have to use technology to be in a Makerspace state-of-mind. On this past Witchcraft Wednesday in the Edge, I met a friendly 17-year-old who just moved here from Guatemala. She taught me a new stitch for crocheting beautiful baby hats that the Edge teens are donating. She practiced her English as her fingers flew. This spring we’ve made seed bead bracelets and a dozen high school boys could be found rolling tiny paper beads while chatting. Quite a sight! Don’t get me wrong, technology is a huge part of the Makerspace movement. Minecraft, for instance, is key to any self-respecting teen STEM Makerspace, and our Media Specialist, Austin Olney, regularly offers “Minecraft for Parents” to demystify the Minecraft craze. (Note to parents: Minecraft isn’t just mindless video gaming. It involves having a vision, planning, making several drafts, coding and math.) At WPPL we’ve got several librarians who are Makers and they look forward to introducing you, (or reintroducing you) to the Edge.  And this summer, with the support of Maker Corp and Argus, you can explore everything from video game design, to coding and 3D printing to hands-on sewing.  We’ll also be offering Sculpey bead making and Pop Art painting. The Edge is a great place to escape the heat and exploring making things. High tech and low tech, its all about creativity and collaboration. Tanya Nadas is a WPPL Trove Librarian who can be found moonlighting in the Edge on Witchcraft Wednesdays. Fall Gala to Honor Sloane Crosley Celebrated author and graduate of White Plains High School, Sloane Crosley, will be honored at the White Plains Library Foundation’s fall gala on the evening of October 21st. Crosley’s most recent publication is the bestselling novel The Clasp (“a highly comic, highly affecting novel”–NY Times Book Review, “A sad, hopeful, endlessly entertaining book,”–Time). Her previous books include I Was Told There’d Be Cake and How Did You Get This Number. Sloane is featured in The 50 Funniest American Writers: An Anthology of Humor from Mark Twain to The Onion and The Best American Nonrequired Reading (2011). Her work has appeared in Esquire, GQ, Playboy, Elle, New York Magazine, NPR and more. Her next book, Look Alive Out There, will be published in 2018. Mark your fall calendars and get ready to celebrate! The gala will take place in the Hub — the newly renovated first floor. Part incubator, part maker’s space, part traditional reference library, the Hub will be an exciting, new destination for residents and business people working in downtown White Plains. Check the library’s website later this summer for details about gala tickets and sponsorships. To learn more about the Campaign for the Hub, click here.