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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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office. May 10, 2016:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of a statewide heroin task force charged with ending the heroin and opioid crisis in New York. The group, comprised of a broad coalition of experts in healthcare, drug policy, advocacy, education, and parents and New Yorkers in recovery, will build on the state’s previous efforts and use their expertise and experience to develop a comprehensive action plan to combat the state’s opioid epidemic.

Members of the task force will hold public listening sessions across New York to inform their recommendations.

“Opioid addiction is a national epidemic that continues to plague families in communities across New York – and the state has been taking aggressive action to tackle this crisis head on,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Heroin Task Force will take these efforts to the next level with a comprehensive action plan developed by a diverse coalition of experts. We will use the task force’s recommendations to implement smart solutions that will protect public health, enhance safety in communities statewide and save the lives of vulnerable New Yorkers.”

“Heroin and opioid deaths in New York State have reached unconscionable levels,” Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Co-Chair of the Heroin Task Force said. “On behalf of the families all across New York whose lives have been shattered by this crisis, I’m honored to lead the fight against it. We will leave no stone unturned in our quest to find ways to not only prevent, but also break the cycle of addiction that has destroyed so many lives in our state.”

Since 2014, Governor Cuomo has implemented a series of aggressive reforms to combat heroin and opioid addiction, including signing the historic Combat Heroin Legislation; expanding insurance coverage for substance use disorder treatment; increasing access and enhancing treatment capacity across the state, including a major expansion of opioid treatment services; implementing new and expanded recovery services; and launching a public awareness and prevention campaign to inform New Yorkers about the dangers of opioid use.

In March, new regulations took effect that require all prescriptions to be transmitted electronically from the prescriber directly to the pharmacy. The measure is part of New York’s comprehensive I-STOP law, first implemented in 2012, designed to curb prescription drug abuse across the state.

Through I-STOP, New York requires prescribers to consult the Prescription Monitoring Program Registry when writing prescriptions for Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances. The Registry provides practitioners with direct, secure access to view dispensed controlled substance prescription histories for patients in real time. The data is further used to identify potential sources of prescription drug diversion or abuse, including prescription fraud. In April, the state began sharing Prescription Monitoring Program data with New Jersey to further prevent the stockpiling and resale of dangerous controlled substances.

As of 2015, I-STOP has led to a 90 percent decrease in the number of “doctor shoppers” or patients who visit multiple prescribers and pharmacies to obtain controlled substances within a three-month time period.

As overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in New York, the state has also led an aggressive effort to make naloxone available without a prescription at approved pharmacies.

In March, the state DOH, in collaboration with the Harm Reduction Coalition, issued standing medical orders to the more than 750 independent pharmacies outside New York City, allowing these pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a prescription. The action built on the Governor’s agreement with CVS and Walgreens/Duane Reade in January 2016, enabling more than 900 of these pharmacies to make naloxone available without a prescription statewide.

To date, New York has trained thousands of first responders and community members to recognize and respond to overdoses. Since 2006, the state’s community overdose prevention and naloxone distribution program has enrolled more than 225 registered programs, which have trained more than 112,000 individuals. As a result, more than 3,500 overdose reversals have been documented, with over 1,500 lives saved in 2015 alone. A total of 8,424 law enforcement officials have been trained to administer naloxone through these efforts, including 2,639 instructors.

Now, the Heroin Task Force will build upon the state’s previous efforts and develop a comprehensive statewide plan to break the cycle of opioid addiction in New York.

Specifically, the Task Force will identify ways to expand awareness of heroin and opioid addiction; enhance statewide prevention efforts; increase access to treatment; and improve support for those in recovery. For more information, please visit: http://combatheroin.ny.gov/.

Members of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Heroin Task Force include:

• Kathy Hochul, Lieutenant Governor, co-chair
• Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, NYS OASAS Commissioner, co-chair
• Maria Vullo, Acting NYS DFS Superintendent
• Dr. Howard Zucker, NYS DOH Commissioner
• Joshua Vinciguerra, NYS DOH, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement Director
• Michael Green, NYS DCJS Executive Commissioner
• Lt. Colonel Frank Kohler, Lead on Heroin/Opioids, NYS State Police
• Tino Hernandez, President, Samaritan Village
• Daniel Raymond, Policy Director, Harm Reduction Coalition
• Charles Brack, Peer/Family Support Specialist, United Healthcare
• Patrice Wallace-Moore, CEO of Arms Acres
• Michael McMahon, Richmond County District Attorney
• Adrienne Abbate, Executive Director, SI partnership for Community Wellness
• Kym Laube, Executive Director, Human Understanding & Growth Services
• Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, President and CEO of Family and Children’s Association
• Anne Constantino, CEO of Horizon Health Services
• Cortney Lovell, Director, Wrise Consulting
• Susan Salomone, Executive Director of Drug Crisis in Our Backyard
• Patrick Seche, Director of Services, Addiction Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center
• Jerald Woolfork, VP for Student Affairs at SUNY Oswego
• Tom O’Brien, Roxbury Schools Superintendent
• Terrence Murphy, NYS Senate
• Linda Rosenthal, NYS Assembly

Over the past decade, admissions for heroin and prescription opioid-abuse treatment in New York have increased 40 percent.

In Upstate New York and on Long Island, admissions for opioid and heroin addiction have increased 94 and 117 percent respectively. Moreover, heroin admissions to OASAS addiction treatment programs have risen 35 percent between 2006 and 2015.

Five percent of students in grades seven through twelve have reported using a prescription pain reliever non-medically.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the State’s HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). New Yorkers can find an OASAS-certified substance use disorder treatment provider any time by using the OASAS Bed Availability Dashboard. For help with accessing care and insurance coverage, visit the Access Treatment page on the OASAS website.

To find a naloxone overdose reversal medication training near you, visit the OASAS Addiction Treatment Center opioid overdose prevention trainings page. Visitwww.combatheroin.ny.gov for more information on addressing heroin and prescription opioid abuse, including a Kitchen Table Tool Kit to help start the conversation about the warning signs of addiction and where to get help. For additional tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing underage drinking or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.

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WHITE PLAINS WEEK

ON

THE TRUMP TRIUMPH

THE PLAYLAND DEAL

THE NEXT HOST OF A LATE NIGHT NETWORK COMEDY SHOW

THE MUSEUM WITH NOT MUCH IN IT

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CHURCH.

AND MORE…

ON www.whiteplainsweek.com

and on YOU TUBE AT

and on PEOPLE TO BE HEARD

An Allergy Expert Talks About Getting through a touch allergy season

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WPCNR YESTERDAY. News and Comment. May 5, 2016:

Tonight at 6, the White Plains Historical Society Centennial Ball, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of White Plains incorporation as a city in New York begains with a reception followed by a dinner. A 1910 Model T Ford will be parked out front as dignataries and citizens arrive at The C.V. Rich Mansion.

The Tuxedos and the gowns will be out in style. A Barber Shop Quartet will serenade from table to table, and Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks will entertain (those provacateurs who appeared in Cotton Club, Boardwalk Empire and The Aviator). Proceeds will go to support the White Plains Rural Cemetary, the last resting place of patriots and luminaries of White Plains past.

Perhaps there will be spotlights dazzling the gathering twilight as Lexuses, Teslas and Navigators replace the roadsters of the past. We expect a lot of feather boas and Cloche hats on the beauties of today. And Bennett cocktails, too. And speeches, yes there will be speechs and Mayor Thomas Roach will be given an award.

WPCNR reminisced with the help of Renoda Hoffman’s It Happened in Old White Plains about that historical evening of December 31 to January 1 1916 in this article, let’s go back in time, shall we?

At midnight Thursday evening, Mayor Tom Roach and several members of the Common Council sang “Happy Birthday to the City of White Plains,” from the stage set up for the New Year’s Eve Spectacular. Security checks took as little as five minutes  to clear White Plains Police security for the music and festivities starting at 10 P.M.

When the White Plains “Ball” dropped at midnight, it was 100 Years to the moment when White Plains incorporated as a city, which officially took place January 1, 2016 at midnight. There is an interesting backstory as to why the first White Plains Common Council Meeting was held at midnight.

Drawing from Renoda Hoffman’s history of White Plains, It Happened In Old White Plains, I learned that the reason for the midnight meeting was interesting.

Ms. Hoffman noted that after Governor Charles S. Whitman signed the bill granting White Plains Charter as a city in April, 2015, elections were held in November, 1915 resulting in the election of Mayor Ffarrington M. Thompson with a 795 vote margin as Mayor of the city of 19,000. Councilmen elected were Joseph Allen, Charles H. Dewsnap. Frederick M. Garthwait ,Frederick  C. McLaughlin John T. Rehill, and William J. Weiss.

The last meeting of the White Plains Village Trustees was held New Years Eve December 31 at 7 PM. At that meeting, it was announced the first meeting of the Common Council would be held at 10 AM New Years Day.

However when Councilmen  Allen, Weiss, and McLaughlin arrived at 2 Grand Street, the law offices of Mayor Elect Thompson , Mr. McLaughlin was informed the first meeting had been held 10 hours before at midnight as the New Year started.

Councilmen  Allen  and Weiss said they had received notice of the change in time late New Years Eve moving the 10 A.M. meeting up 8 hours to midnight. McLaughlin said he had not been informed of the time change. Allen and Weiss complained that no reason had been given for the time change at the time they received the call from the person informing them the meeting was moved up from 10 A.M. to midnight.

City residents arriving for the 10 A.M. time, were “annoyed” when informed the meeting had already taken place.

Hoffman reports that Councilman McLaughlin “believed the time had been changed because of a statement that appeared in the Daily Argus falsely reporting that he (McLaughlin) was planning to attach appointees to city positions. McLaughlin pointed out that those men had left their previous positions to accept the appointments. He had merely suggested that council members should ‘come out in the open’ and make appointments by open balloting.”

McLaughlin is quoted as saying: “I think the meeting at midnight was stupid and undignified. They made themselves ridiculous. I shall do my duty as I see it.”

With Mayor Thompson’s vote creating a quorum commissioner appointments were approved, 4-0 at the very private midnight meeting.

The Water Commissioner Edward West reported a $24,054 surplus to the city, but warned if cows and livestock were not kept from reservoir property, the new city watersupply would become polluted. He recommended fencing the entire watershed. Then swearing in of Commissioners began.

Henry Sutherland was appointed first temporary City Clerk. Miguel Hauck, Public Works Commissioner was given office space on Court Street. Finance Commissioner  Charles Fuchs was given space  at the Tod Building, where the Michaelian Office Building stands now.  John W. Calhoun was appointed Commissioner of Public Safety and installed in offices at the Grand Street firehouse, that also housed police and firemen.

The schools at that time were under the management of the city. Two women were chosen to serve on the Board of Education, Harriet M. Griffin for 3 months and Eveline Dickenson for 1 year. Other members were Richard E. Dougherty, Ambrose F. McCable, Willam X. Weed and R. Emmett Digney. Terms ranged from 1 to 4 years.

Charles Dewsnap was voted President of the Common Council.

There were 16 meetings of the Common Council that January 1916.

The total City Budget in 1916, including the school budget was $653,944.45.

The 2015-16 White Plains CITY budget  with the school budget NOT INCLUDED is $179.2 Million, and if city budget  is raised 4% will increase to over $186 Million.  The White Plains City School budget for 2015-16 is $205.8 Million and if it is raised 4% will increase to $214 Million. The total cost of running the 2015-16 city and schools is $385 Million

What were the salaries of the 1916 Staff?:

Mayor–$1,000

Councilman–$1,800

Commissioner of Public Works–$4,000

Commissioner of Public Safety–$2,500

Commissioner of Finance–$3,500

City Clerk–$2,500

City Judge–$2,000

Page — $200

At midnight New Years Eve January 1, 2016, Mayor Tom Roach and several members of the Common Council sang “Happy Birthday to the City of White Plains,” from the stage set up for the New Year’s Eve Spectacular. Security checks took as little as five minutes  to clear White Plains Police security for the music and festivities starting at 10 P.M.

When the White Plains “Ball” dropped at midnight, it was 100 Years to the moment when White Plains incorporated as a city, which officially took place January 1, 2016 at midnight. There is an interesting backstory as to why the first White Plains Common Council Meeting was held at midnight.

Drawing from Renoda Hoffman’s history of White Plains, It Happened In Old White Plains, I learned that the reason for the midnight meeting was interesting.

Ms. Hoffman noted that after Governor Charles E. Hughes signed the bill granting White Plains Charter as a city in April, 2015, elections were held in November, 1915 resulting in the election of Mayor Ffarrington M. Thompson with a 795 vote margin as Mayor of the city of 19,000. Councilmen elected were Joseph AllenCharles H. Dewsnap. Frederick M. Garthwait ,Frederick  C. McLaughlin John T. Rehill, and William J. Weiss.

The last meeting of the White Plains Village Trustees was held New Years Eve December 31 at 7 PM. At that meeting, it was announced the first meeting of the Common Council would be held at 10 AM New Years Day.

However when Councilmen  Allen, Weiss, and McLaughlin arrived at 2 Grand Street, the law offices of Mayor Elect Thompson , Mr. McLaughlin was informed the first meeting had been held 10 hours before at midnight as the New Year started.

Councilmen  Allen  and Weiss said they had received notice of the change in time late New Years Eve moving the 10 A.M. meeting up 8 hours to midnight. McLaughlin said he had not been informed of the time change. Allen and Weiss complained that no reason had been given for the time change at the time they received the call from the person informing them the meeting was moved up from 10 A.M. to midnight.

City residents arriving for the 10 A.M. time, were “annoyed” when informed the meeting had already taken place.

Hoffman reports that Councilman McLaughlin “believed the time had been changed because of a statement that appeared in the Daily Argus falsely reporting that he (McLaughlin) was planning to attach appointees to city positions. McLaughlin pointed out that those men had left their previous positions to accept the appointments. He had merely suggested that council members should ‘come out in the open’ and make appointments by open balloting.”

McLaughlin is quoted as saying: “I think the meeting at midnight was stupid and undignified. They made themselves ridiculous. I shall do my duty as I see it.”

With Mayor Thompson’s vote creating a quorum commissioner appointments were approved, 4-0 at the very private midnight meeting.

The Water Commissioner Edward West reported a $24,054 surplus to the city, but warned if cows and livestock were not kept from reservoir property, the new city watersupply would become polluted. He recommended fencing the entire watershed. Then swearing in of Commissioners began.

Henry Sutherland was appointed first temporary City Clerk. Miguel Hauck, Public Works Commissioner was given office space on Court Street. Finance Commissioner  Charles Fuchs was given space at the Tod Building, where the Michaelian Office Building stands now.  John W. Calhoun was appointed Commissioner of Public Safety and installed in offices at the Grand Street firehouse, that also housed police and firemen.

The schools at that time were under the management of the city. Two women were chosen to serve on the Board of Education, Harriet M. Griffin for 3 months and Eveline Dickenson for 1 year. Other members were Richard E. Dougherty, Ambrose F. McCable, Willam X. Weed and R. Emmett Digney. Terms ranged from 1 to 4 years.

Charles Dewsnap was voted President of the Common Council.

There were 16 meetings of the Common Council that January 1916.

The total City Budget in 1916, including the school budget was $653,944.45.

The 2015-16 White Plains CITY budget  with the school budget NOT INCLUDED is $179.2 Million, and if city budget  is raised 4% will increase to over $186 Million.  The White Plains City School budget for 2015-16 is $205.8 Million and if it is raised 4% will increase to $214 Million. The total cost of running the 2015-16 city and schools is $385 Million

What were the salaries of the 1916 Staff:

Mayor–$1,000

Councilman–$1,800

Commissioner of Public Works–$4,000

Commissioner of Public Safety–$2,500

Commissioner of Finance–$3,500

City Clerk–$2,500

City Judge–$2,000

Page — $200

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WPCNR HEALTH NEWS. From County Legislator Benjamin Boykin (5th District) May 4, 2016:

• Wednesday – Friday, May 4-6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday – Friday, May 19-20, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. SPECIAL TO WPCNR FROM County Legislator Benjamin Boykin, District 5, May 3, 2016:

On Monday, May 2, 2016, the Board of Legislators approved a revised agreement (“agreement”) between Westchester County (“the County”) and Standard Amusements, LLC. (“Standard”) by a vote of 13 to 4. In addition, the Board of Legislators approved spending $33.208 million in capital investments for Playland. I voted to approve the agreement and the capital spending.

Working with my Democratic colleagues, I restructured the agreement to save taxpayers millions of dollars by ensuring that Standard does not double count their management investment. I also had provisions included in the agreement to clarify that rides added to Playland by Standard could not be removed.  These changes will permit the County to begin to share in net profits sooner and will reduce the financial impact on our taxpayers.

The key points of the agreement include:

• Standard will manage Playland for a term of 30 years
• Standard will make payments to the County of $2.25 million by June 15, 2016 of which $500,000 is non-refundable and $1.5 million will be placed in a special reserve account by the County, of which a portion may revert to Standard if certain conditions are not met
• Standard will invest $5.0 million in Playland prior to June 1, 2017
• Standard will make a management investment of at least $27.75 million and up to $32.75 million within five years
• Standard will continue to make additional capital investments in Playland over the 30 year term
• The County will make capital investments of at least $33.208 million, which were approved on May 2
• Standard will continue to co-manage Playland with the County and will take over full management in either 2017 or 2018 depending upon when the County has made at least 50% of its required capital investments which were approved by the Board on May 2
• Standard will pay the County an annual Management Fee of $300,000 which will increase by at least 2% per year
• In addition to the annual Management Fee, the County will share in net profits (after Standard has recouped its management investment) starting at 8% and growing to 12% over the term of the agreement
• Standard will pay the County rent for various booths and other items at Playland

When Standard takes over full management of Playland, the County will be reimbursed for 100% of salaries and overtime costs plus 30% of salaries for fringe benefits for County employees that will continue to work at Playland for Standard.  After two years, Standard will reimburse the County for 100% of County employees’ costs for salaries and overtime and 100% of fringe benefits. County employees who will no longer work at Playland will be provided other jobs within the County at the same pay, pay grade and benefits. In addition, Standard will reimburse the County for police and park ranger services.

Playland will continue to provide summer employment opportunities for many youth in Westchester.

The Board of Legislators will decide to either replace or close the Playland pool by July 31, 2016. Standard will manage this area once the County has made its decision.

While not perfect, this agreement and Board approved capital spending will result in much needed investment in Playland by the County and Standard of at least $61 million. Taxpayers will not have to pay directly for $27.75 million of management investment that will be put up by Standard.  Instead, the operating cash flow from Playland will be used by Standard to recoup this investment.

The $33.208 million capital investment by the County will cost the taxpayers approximately $2.6 million per year in principal and interest payments on the new debt to finance the County’s capital expenditures. These are needed capital investments in Playland that have been deferred by the County and would have been required regardless of an agreement. This $2.6 million will be partially offset by payments from Standard to the County for the annual Management Fee and net profits share.

Under this public/private deal, the County will continue to own Playland and will have considerable leverage over Standard. Playland will receive new rides and upgrades to the Park’s infrastructure, resulting in an updated and revitalized park for Westchester. Over time, the County will reap financial benefits and at the end of the term of the agreement, the County will continue to own Playland.  Our historical Playland will be revitalized for us and future generations to enjoy.

Playland is opening on May 7 for the 2016 season. I am working to improve the customer experience for everyone with this agreement between Standard and the County. While neither party got all that they wanted, I believe that we negotiated a better situation for our taxpayers while enhancing this historical jewel.