Hits: 64

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT By John F. Bailey. April 20, 2025:

First Baptist Church on the windy blustery heath looking East to the rising sun this morning celebrated the rising of the sun on Easter Sunday in their traditional Sunrise Service at 6:15 A.M.

The  most joyous service of the year (in this reporter’s opinion)  was highlighted by a hazy sun breaking stalwartly through the clouds into a brisk west wind.

The event on “Resurrection Sunday” as Reverend Frank Farley described it, I thought the sun rising today reflected times in Jerusalem on Golgotha  (The Place of the Skull) when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified in 33 A.D. 1,992 years ago. The mighty sun rose not as clear as it did last year, but still reassured us it was there in the high sky

Reverend Frank Farley  observed at the close of the service, the message this day brings us is it it fires up the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth and God is still within each of us that each one of us and took to, feel within us reach into us for help to become better, for strength, for endurance,  to bring light into the world, be better at what we do. Reverend Farley with his soaring words into the wind said, “God is always in us for us. He rises up within us.”

Easter Sunday , I think, more than any other Sunday reminds us of the message of the good, the strength, the values, the code of living brought by existence of Jesus of Nazareth endures.

It does not  disappear after Easter Sunday. With each sunrise, each day, the comfort of the great universe of stars at night assure us of the presence in us of the strength of the good that is there.

Every sunrise and sunset reaffirms these eternal truths are in us for guidance, strength, endurance, selfgrowth and doing what is right always.

The little band of worshippers  joined hands at close  and a glow grew in each face at the mystery of good feeling generated by the hymns in English and Spanish and  hope of the messages  brought on the wind and the sun’s promise, and the eloquence of the Reverend Fraley, Reverend Ever Magana and Mrs. Magana. Mrs. Magana read the Invocation of the ceremony loud clear and as moving as ever when the good news came 1,992 years ago:

MRS. MAGANA WITH REVERAND EVER MAGANA AND  REVEREND FRANK FRALEY THIS MORNING.

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Hits: 78

TONIGHT THE BIG PLANNING BOARD MEETING ON FARRELL ESTATES COMPLETE COVERAGE ANALYSIS

GOVERNOR HOCHUL WARNS OF MORE CUTS AHEAD TO STATE AID TO COUNTIES TOWNS CITIES

WHAT COUNTY EXECUTIVE KEN JENKINS SHOULS TALK ABOUT IN HIS STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS

GOVERNOR HOCHUL REVEALS HER STEPS TO CUT DOWN ON DISCLOSURE DELAYS, CASES DISMISSED ON TECHNICALITIES

THE LEGACY OF THE TITANIC: YOUR SAFETY IS IMPORTANT  BUT THE PROFIT

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE IN WHITE PLAINS NY USA

Hits: 120

APPELLATE DIVISION OF NEW YORK STATE SUPREME COURT RULES PLAYLAND PARK EXEMPT FROM TAX DURING STANDARD AMUSEMENTS CONTRACT IN MAJOR WIN FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY

(White Plains, NY) – The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court has ruled that Playland Park in the City of Rye was tax exempt during the period of time the Park was being operated by Standard Amusements, resulting in a $3.6 million tax bill.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Westchester County has always maintained that Playland Park should have never been removed from tax exempt status by the City of Rye. The unnecessary legal expenses, the consequences of the self-inflicted negative financial impact to both the City of Rye and the Rye School District on this ill-advised change of tax status cannot be understated.”

In a letter sent to the Westchester County Tax Commission dated May 2022, the City of Rye notified the County of the change in tax exempt status for Playland, and announced it would be sending Standard Amusements a tax bill of $3.6 million. At that time, the City of Rye argued that because Playland Park was being operated under contract and not for public use, the Park was taxable.

The Appellate Division of New York State Supreme Court rejected the City of Rye’s appeal this week, stating that because the County did not officially transfer ownership of the Park to Standard Amusements, and the Park was being operated under contract as a public park, the removal of the tax exemption for Playland Park by the City of Rye was not justified.

Hits: 77

GOVERNOR HOCHUL AND HUDSON VALLEY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS CALL FOR ESSENTIAL CHANGES TO NEW YORK’S DISCOVERY LAWS

Governor Hochul Is Fighting To Streamline Discovery Process To End Procedural Delays and Prevent Automatic Dismissals

Since 2019, Rate of Dismissal for Felony Cases More Than Doubled From 3.6% to 8.2% in Ulster County

Since Discovery Reform, Speedy Trial Dismissals Increased More Than 300%

Governor’s Plan Has Won Bipartisan Support From Elected Officials, District Attorneys and Advocates

Governor Kathy Hochul today stood with Hudson Valley law enforcement officials and elected leaders to call for essential changes to New York’s discovery laws. The Governor’s visit comes as she doubles down on her pledge not to approve a State Budget that fails to include key public safety measures. 

“I want New Yorkers to hear firsthand from the people on the frontlines about why these changes we are fighting for are so important,” Governor Hochul said. “No one understands the need for commonsense changes to our discovery laws better than victims of crime and our partners in law enforcement who see too many victims being denied justice and too many perpetrators reoffending thanks to loopholes in our laws. I made a promise to New Yorkers that their family would be my fight — that means standing strong to pass a State Budget that makes New York safer and more affordable for all.”

The proposed changes, which have received bipartisan support from elected officials, district attorneys, and victim advocate groups, would uphold the State’s discovery reforms that went into effect in 2020 while ensuring a fairer and more just legal system for New Yorkers. 

Since 2020, procedural delays and automatic dismissals, among other disruptions, have adversely affected victims and survivors of domestic violence and other serious crimes. Since 2019, when the discovery reform laws were passed, which essentially require perfect discovery compliance for a case to not be dismissed on speedy trial grounds, the number of cases dismissed for speedy trial violations went from 10,562 in 2019 to 49,974 in 2024 — a 373 percent increase. In Ulster County alone, dismissal rates for felony cases more than doubled from 3.6 percent to 8.2 percent between 2019 and 2023. At the same time, dismissal rates for misdemeanor cases doubled from 5.1 percent to 10.7 percent.

Without changing any of the essential features of the 2019 reforms, Governor Hochul’s proposed changes to New York State’s Discovery Law would ensure procedural fairness, shorten case processing times, reduce the length of pretrial incarceration and safeguard sensitive and personal information belonging to witnesses. These changes include:

• Expanding the scope of automatic redaction to include sensitive details, such as witnesses’ physical addresses and personal data unrelated to the case, eliminating the need to engage in lengthy litigation to redact such material.
• Removing the incentive to delay bringing a challenge in a manner that can result in technical dismissals unrelated to the merits of the case or the legality of the investigation.
• Ensuring that cases are not dismissed if discovery compliance falls short of perfection.
• Clarifying that prosecutors are not required to track down information that is by definition irrelevant.

Once passed, New York will still have the most open and transparent discovery laws in the nation, requiring prosecutors to proactively gather comprehensive material and disclose it quickly to individuals charged with a crime. Importantly, however, the law will prevent cases from being automatically dismissed based on inconsequential errors. Now, a court will have to assess whether an alleged error actually caused harm to the defense.

The Governor’s trip to the Hudson Valley follows the release of a new report by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) highlighting the importance of passing Governor Hochul’s proposal to streamline New York’s discovery laws to protect the rights of crime victims. The proposal aligns with Governor Hochul’s sustained investments in programs and initiatives that have allowed law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations to better address the causes and consequences of crime and drive gun violence to record lows.

New York State Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget includes a record-level investment in victim services, expands access to compensation, and funds evidence-based strategies to reduce violence and victimization. Common-sense changes to the discovery law will improve how our criminal justice system functions, build trust among survivors that the system can protect them and continue to ensure due process for those accused of crimes.”

Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji said, “Discovery has always been about fairness and justice, which are mutually compatible for defendants and victims alike. The Governor’s proposed amendments do not in any way interfere with or roll back the good intentions of the reform.”

Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa said, “Amending the discovery law allows a balance in criminal trials. The rights of the accused and the rights of Victims thus allowing discretion to our judges in pre-trial discovery matters.”

Columbia County District Attorney Chris Liberati-Conant said, “I stand with the Governor on her proposed discovery amendments. We need a system that is fair to all sides — defendants, the prosecution, and the victims of crime. These commonsense changes are not about rolling back reform — they’re about making the system work better for everyone. The Governor’s proposal strikes the right balance: it preserves transparency while restoring the ability to deliver justice swiftly and responsibly. It’s exactly what we need — and exactly what public safety needs.”

Hits: 90