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.

Hits: 228

District 92 | News You Can Use   Fighting PCB Pollution in the Hudson River This week, I joined my colleagues in the Legislature and the Friends of a Clean Hudson coalition in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce full remediation of PCBs in the Hudson River. From 1947 to 1977, General Electric dumped more than a million pounds this “forever” chemical into the Upper Hudson River, and dangerous levels have been found all the way down to New York Harbor — accumulating in the river’s sediment, fish, and plant life. The EPA must recommit to eradicating PCBs in the Hudson, for the public health and safety of all our communities. Read my full statement here:  Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky Calls on the EPA  to Enforce PCB Cleanup in the Hudson River     Legislation to Prohibit Use of Carbon Dioxide  to Drill and Extract Natural Gas and Oil Both houses of the Legislature recently passed legislation that would prohibit the use of carbon dioxide to extract natural gas and oil resources, a process often referred to as “fracking” (A.8866/S.08357). In 2021, after an extensive investigation that studied the environmental impacts of fracking, New York banned high-volume hydraulic fracking, which uses a mixture of water and harmful chemicals. This bill expands the existing prohibition to include the use of carbon dioxide.     Edgemont-Greenburgh Update On Wednesday night, the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) presented their draft assessment of the potential impacts of Edgemont incorporation. CGR’s study has provided much useful information to consider, but also raised more questions than it answered.  Undertaken quickly and limited in scope, the study projects just one year post-incorporation, relies upon a number of questionable assumptions, and omits potentially significant contingency costs. I raised concerns at the meeting over the lack of projections for major capital projects in Edgemont — such as water infrastructure, climate resilience, and new municipal facilities — as well as for the loss of revenue in the Town of Greenburgh’s commercial tax base. The complete report is due April 1, and will be available to the public on their Edgemont Impact Study website. In the meantime, the video recording of their presentation can be viewed here. To date, no petitions have been submitted in what would be a third attempt by incorporation advocates to qualify for a referendum vote on Edgemont.  Last year, I co-sponsored two bills to modernize and strengthen the process for village incorporation in New York State (A.7754 and A.7761). Among other provisions, they created the requirement for current fiscal and operational impact studies of pending incorporation — similar to the study CGR is currently preparing for Edgemont and Greenburgh — and established a new State commission to determine the viability of incorporation.  When chapter amendments were proposed exempting Edgemont and Greenburgh through 2040 (A.8572 and A.8573), I opposed them, and I voted against them when they came back to the Assembly in January. We should all want the safeguards that our new village incorporations laws provide, both to make sure that existing towns are protected and to provide voters with current information on which to base their decisions. Read my press release here: Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky Responds to CGR Study  of Potential Edgemont Incorporation Impacts     A New Appointment I am pleased to share that Speak Heastie has appointed me to the 2024-25 Joint Budget Subcommittee on General Government and Local Assistance. It was an honor to be selected, and I look forward to contributing to these joint sessions. You can find updates on the budget process here on the Assembly website.     Westchester County  Community Needs Assessment  The Westchester County Department of Planning is crafting its Consolidated Plan, a five-year plan to assess affordable housing needs and development goals in the 31 municipalities that make up the Urban County Consortium. The Plan defines strategies to address housing, community development needs, and current market conditions for all of the municipalities in the Urban County Consortium. Once completed, the plan helps to inform the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on how federal funding should be allocated through the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs over the next five years. To ensure the success of the next Consolidated Plan, the Westchester County Planning Department is seeking community input from residents, business owners, nonprofits, and public housing authorities through online surveys. The communities that make up the Westchester Urban County Consortium are: Ardsley, Bedford, Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Greenburgh, Hasting-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Lewisboro, Mamaroneck Town, Mamaroneck Village, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining Town, Ossining Village, Peekskill, Pelham Village, Pleasantville, Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye Town, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, and Yorktown. Complete a survey as a community resident Complete a survey as a stakeholder  (nonprofit organization, business owner or public housing authority)     Presidential Primary Election Early voting in the 2024 Presidential Primary begins today, March 23, and will run through Saturday, March 30. Westchester County residents can cast their ballots at any of 24 early voting centers. For a schedule, list of locations, and other information, visit Early Voting 2024 at the Westchester County Board of Elections. Presidential Primary Day is Tuesday, April 2. The polls will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM. Voters can confirm their polling place here. Please note that, in New York State, only registered Democratic and Republican voters are eligible to vote in their respective party’s presidential primary. For registration, mail-in ballots, and all other voting information, visit the Westchester County Board of Elections.

Hits: 224

WESTCHESTER COUNTY OBSERVES WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY – MARCH 24

(White Plains, NY) – To commemorate the discovery in 1882 of the bacteria that causes Tuberculosis, the Westchester County Department of Health will partner with Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College to present a symposium for healthcare providers and medical students, “TB in the Hudson Valley,” on Monday, March 25 at New York Medical College.

To heighten awareness that Tuberculosis remains a concern, the Westchester County Department of Health encourages residents to ask their medical provider if Tuberculosis (TB) screening is right for them.

An estimated 1.7 billion people worldwide are infected with TB. In the United states, 13 million people of all ages have latent TB. If the disease is left untreated, they may develop active TB in the future, spread the disease and feel quite ill. However, they do not have any TB symptoms and cannot spread TB now.

In 2023, 35 Westchester County residents, ranging in age from 10 to 92 years old, were confirmed to have active TB. TB also touched the lives of many who were exposed to someone with infectious TB at work, school or home, in a social setting or a healthcare facility. This included 67 children under age 12, who underwent evaluations in Westchester County Department of Health Clinics and 11 children younger than five years old, who required medication to prevent illness following prolonged household exposures.

Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, said: “Screening by a medical provider is important because this disease can affect anyone, and those who don’t know they have early disease can spread TB to people around them, even when they have no symptoms. The right treatment can stop TB.”

TB germs are spread through the air when a person with active TB disease coughs or sneezes. Tuberculosis disease begins with an infection without symptoms that later develops into disease in five to 15 percent of people. For every case of active TB, there are at least 1,500 people with latent infection. Nearly all new cases of active TB come from people with latent disease who develop symptoms and then spread infection.

The best way to stop the spread of TB is to identify people with latent infection via a simple TB skin or blood test and follow-up with antibiotic treatment. Most people are unaware they are at risk to develop TB disease and it is only through testing that they can be identified and treated. Young children, people who are pregnant or those with a weakened immune system due to diabetes, cancer or HIV are at greatest risk to develop active disease. If untreated, TB can lead to permanent disability or death.

To protect the public, the health department provides care and medication with no out-of-pocket cost to people diagnosed with active TB.  Last year, 36 people in Westchester County were newly identified with active TB.  To decrease the likelihood that TB will spread to others, the Health Department also:

·         Works collaboratively with healthcare providers who manage the care of Westchester residents with active TB to assure the best possible treatment and outcome

·         Verifies that people with active TB do not attend school, work and other places where they could spread TB until treatment makes them non-contagious

·         Manages complex cases of multi-drug resistant TB.

The Health Department evaluates and potentially treats inactive (latent) TB in:

·         Children 12-19 years old and adults who are candidates for a shortened treatment,

·         Children under 5 years old, who are at increased risk for developing active TB, and

·         Pregnant and post-partum women.

Amler said: “Early detection and treatment is so important and preventive TB treatment is much more convenient than it once was. A smartphone app and a new four-month treatment regimen help us reduce the number of active cases of TB in Westchester. And for those without symptoms, a three or four month course of oral medication, rather than the old regimen of six months or more, makes it easier for adults and children who do not have symptoms to compete their therapy and limit the spread of TB.”

For more information, call the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5000 or visit the Health Department website at www.westchestergov.com/health.

Hits: 201

(Photo by Steve Morton, Morton Pictures)

JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS

THIS WEEK EVERY WEEK

ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK

THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW NO ONE ELSE TELLS YOU

THIS WEEK:

GOVERNOR HOCHUL ON  GETTING CONTRACEPTIVES AT PHARMACIES WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION

THE FORMS YOU AND YOUR PHARMACIST FILL OUT

PLANNING BOARD CANCELLED! ONEWHITEPLAINS PLAN, FARRELL ESTATES, GALLERIA ZONING TAKEN UP TUESDAY

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS DR. JOSEPH RICCA ON THE “HOLD-IN-PLACE” INCIDENT ON WEDNESDAY 

WESTCHESTER D.A. CHARGES WESTCHESTER HEALTH DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

WHITE PLAINS MAN ARRESTED ON GHOST GUN MATTER

COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS CALL ON GOVERNOR TO RESTORE

SCHOOL FOUNDATION AID AND PASSAGE OF 3.2 COST OF LIVING 

DIRECT SUPPORT SALARY ENHANCEMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES WHO CARE FOR THE DISABLED

COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER ON THE COUNTY SALES TAXES

GIVEN TO TOWNS AND VILLAGES THIS YEAR

SPECIAL GUEST: JANET LANGSAM CEO OF ARTS WESTCHESTER ON WHY ART IS GOOD FOR YOU

 

WHITE PLAINS WEEK WHERE THE NEWS JUST KEEPS ON COMING

Hits: 225

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public notice is hereby given that the Planning Board of the City of White Plains, New York will hold a meeting on March 26, 2024 at 7:00pm at White Plains City Hall Common Council Chambers at 255 Main Street, White Plains, New York.

This meeting is the rescheduled March 19, 2024 meeting. The public hearing will be re-opened on the application of Robert Knapp for approval of an in-ground swimming pool located at 20 Paddock Road (SBL: 138.09-23-1.14).

Hits: 167

 

Watch the News Conference Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS56BsE0bsg

(White Plains, NY) – Under the leadership of Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a wave of transformative infrastructure initiatives has swept through municipalities across Westchester County totaling $893,533,000.

Joined by Bedford Town Supervisor Ellen Calves, North Castle Supervisor Joe Rende, Rye Brook Mayor Jason Klein, Rye City Councilman Josh Nathan, White Plains Mayor Tom Roach and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Latimer highlighted many local projects funded by Westchester County Government including roads, bridges, parks, flooding mitigation and housing issues. 

Latimer said: “Unlike some who merely claim success, we have delivered tangible results for the people of Westchester County. Through strategic planning and relentless dedication, our administration has transformed municipalities across the region. Actions speak louder than words, and our record of accomplishment speaks volumes.”

North Castle Town Supervisor Joe Rende said: “Westchester County has done great work supporting the Town of North Castle and its residents. Westchester put forward over $3 million to build a new nature center at the Cranberry Lake Preserve, a 190-acre park operated by the County since 1967. This new nature center provides educational opportunities and a variety of new outdoor programming for our residents. As Supervisor of North Castle, it’s refreshing to know that we have a County Executive that is willing to support us and help move projects of local importance forward. His partnership with local government is not only important but vital to our future.”

 

Rye City Councilman Josh Nathan said: “Westchester County has been an invaluable partner to the City of Rye. Whether it’s road improvements or storm water management, we know we have a ‘good neighbor’ in County Executive George Latimer’s administration.”

 

Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said: “The City of Mount Vernon is appreciative of the County Executive’s partnership and collaborative efforts on our city’s most pressing infrastructure issues, including Memorial Field and Willson Woods. Together, we are moving our city forward and creating a brighter future for our community.”

 

New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert said: “Westchester County’s investments in New Rochelle’s infrastructure are vitally needed. We are grateful for the County’s support. The new Glen Island Bridge will facilitate easy and convenient use of one of our most treasured parks.”

White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said: “The City of White Plains is proud to have a strong partnership with Westchester County. We appreciate the County’s continued investment in its infrastructure and facilities located in the City of White Plains; most recently, much-needed resurfacing work on Old Mamaroneck Road and extensive renovations to the Westchester County Center. These critical investments enhance the quality of life for all White Plains and Westchester County residents. Thank you to County Executive George Latimer and his team for their diligence and commitment to building strong partnerships with the villages, towns and cities.”

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said: “County Executive Latimer continues to deliver for Yonkers, especially when it comes to our quality of life by investing millions into our roadways and recreational spaces. Infrastructure improvements in Westchester’s largest city and economy are smart and lasting investments. I applaud the County Executive for his vision and commitment to the County’s residents and businesses.”

 

Capital Budget Investments

 

2019-2024 Totals

$434,153,000.00         −          Recreation Capital

$168,430,000.00         −          Roads & Bridges Capital

$92,900,000.00           −          Housing Implementation Fund Capital

$45,000,000.00           −          EV Chargers Capital

$27,250,000.00           −          Flooding Mitigation Funds Capital

$106,800,000.00         −          New Homes Land Acquisitions Capital

$19,000,000.00           −          Housing Authority Improvements Capital

$893,533,000.00         −          Sum of Above Capital

2019-2023, Noted Projects

 

·         N/S County Trailway – Multiple Municipalities: $5,600,000

·         Willson Woods Site Work – Mt. Vernon: $10,400,000

·         Midland Avenue – Rye City: $310,000

·         Main Street – Eastchester: $725,000

·         Hillside Bridge Replacement – Mamaroneck: $1,000,000

·         Hutchinson River Study – New Rochelle, Eastchester, Scarsdale: $249,784

·         Tarrytown Lighthouse Restoration – Sleepy Hollow: $3,200,000

·         Commerce Street – Mt. Pleasant: $2,000,000

·         Union Avenue – Harrison: $2,400,000

·         Westchester Avenue – Rye Town: $3,900,000

·         E/W Main Street – Peekskill: $2,500,000

·         Grassy Sprain Dam Rehabilitation – Yonkers: $250,000

·         Memorial Field Restoration – Mt. Vernon: $40,000,000

·         Croton Gorge Park – Cortlandt: 2,000,000

·         Tuckahoe Road Bridge – Yonkers & Eastchester: $1,125,000

·         Pietro Place and Virginia Avenue – Greenburgh: $135,250

·         VE Macy Park – Greenburgh: $250,000

·         Cranberry Lake – Harrison, North Castle: $3,300,000

·         Austin Avenue Bridge Over 1-87 – Yonkers: $8,500,000

·         Heathcote Bypass – Scarsdale: $600,000

·         Waverly Avenue Bridge Replacement – Mamaroneck: $4,200,000

 

2024, Noted Projects

 

·         Bronx River Pathway Reconstruction – Multiple: $6,900,000

·         Tibetts Brook Park Infrastructure – Yonkers: $400,000

·         County Center Improvements – White Plains: $25,000,000

·         Mountain Lakes Park Infrastructure Project – North Salem: $5,000,000

·         Glen Island Bridge – New Rochelle: $52,000,000

·         Hilltop Hannover – Yorktown: $15,000,000

·         Murray Avenue – Mamaroneck: $1,485,000

·         McLean Avenue – Yonkers: $575,000

·         Old Mamaroneck Road – White Plains: $4,000,000

·         Ardsley Road and Edgemont Road Safety Studies – Greenburgh: $1,000,000

·         Tuckahoe Road Bridge over Bronx River Parkway – Yonkers: $3,500,000

·         Seven Bridges Road – New Castle: $2,660,000