WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.
County Executive George Latimer Announces Special New Year’s Eve Bee-Line Bus Shuttle Service to Ensure Safe Celebrations in Westchester County
(White Plains, NY) – Westchester County Executive George Latimer is pleased to announce the implementation of a special New Year’s Eve Bee-Line bus shuttle service to facilitate safe and convenient transportation for residents and visitors during the festive celebrations on December 31, 2023.
The Bee-Line bus shuttle service will operate in three key areas – White Plains, Yonkers, and New Rochelle – providing reliable transportation options for individuals looking to enjoy the New Year’s Eve festivities responsibly. Latimer has already announced that Bee-Line buses will be running fare-free through January 1.
Latimer said: “As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s crucial that all in our community enjoy the New Year’s Eve celebrations responsibly. This special free Bee-Line bus shuttle service aims to make the festivities more accessible, allowing residents and visitors to travel conveniently and safely. A sincere thanks to our Bee-Line bus drivers and DPW/T workers for their efforts in advancing this initiative.”
The three shuttles lines are as follows:
White Plains Shuttle:
· Route: Start at White Plains Trans Center, R/T Lexington, L/T Main St., R/T Mamaroneck, L/T Maple Ave., L/T Bloomingdale Rd., L/T Westchester Ave, L/T Broadway, R/T Martine back to Trans Center.
· Service Hours: Buses will begin service at 7 PM and run approximately every 20 minutes.
· Last Bus: The last bus departing from White Plains Trans Center will be at 1 AM.
· Bus Stops: Buses will stop at all existing bus stops along the designated routes.
Yonkers Shuttle:
· Route: Start on Central Ave. opposite Raceway, L/T McLean Ave., L/T Bronx River Rd., L/T Yonkers Ave, L/T Central Ave to opposite Raceway.
· Service Hours: Buses will begin service at 7 PM and run approximately every 30 minutes.
· Last Bus: The final bus leaving Clark Street (Yonkers Casino) will be at 1 AM.
· Bus Stops: Buses will make stops at all existing bus stops along the specified routes.
New Rochelle Shuttle:
· Route: Start at New Rochelle Intermodal Center, R/T North Ave, R/T Huguenot St, L/T Pintard at monument onto Main St. L/T River Ave (Echo Avenue), L/T Huguenot St, R/T North Ave, L/T Into Intermodal Center.
· Service Hours: Buses will begin service at 7 PM and run approximately every 20 minutes.
· Last Bus: The last bus departing from New Rochelle Intermodal Center will be at 1 AM.
· Bus Stops: Buses will make stops at all existing bus stops along the designated routes.
With this effort, Latimer is emphasizing the importance of providing accessible transportation options for the community, ensuring that everyone can celebrate responsibly and safely as we welcome the New Year.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY RECORDS 6TH CONSECUTIVE WEEK OF RISING COVID CASES:
WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL REPORTS 71% OF ADMISSIONS TO BEDS FOUND WITH COVID.
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Statistics from New York State Health Department. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey. December 27, 2028:
The week before Christmas December 17 to December 23, 23,111 persons tested positive for covid, an average of 3,851 a day in the New York City Metropolitan area.
The statistics reflect that the Mid Hudson Region of Westchester, Orange, Rockland Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan and Putnam counties rolled up 4,107 new cases 684 a Day with Westchester County leading the county with an average of 263 a day. Westchester had more than half the Mid-Hudson cases last week.
Long Island reported 7,110 cases (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) Dec 17 to 23rd or 1,015 a day,
The two Long Island Counties Nassau and Suffolk County with 7,110 cases combined with the Mid Hudson 7 counties , 4,107, flooded the 9 counties surrounding New York Cith with 11, 217 new cases in 6 days, December 17-23. (Covid cases are reported with a 3 day lagl)
In fact the suburban counties have 11,217 cases almost equally the 11, 994 cases of the 5 boroughs of New York City. The Mid Hudson Region new cases in the week before Christmas were 94% of New York City total cases (all 5 boroughs).
This super spread of the Mid-Hudson counties and Long Island is striking, because the 7 Mid Hudson Region counties and the 2 Long Island counties only have 45% of New York City population.
The rate of spread during the socializing before even the Christmas weekend travel started has
Westchester County on target for a 7th consecutive week of sharply increased cases from December 1 through December 23, Westchester County was reported by the New York State Health Depart today. The 3-day lag in reporting makes the figures on new cases even worse. There are much more to come into January.
The Covid positives of the entertaining and mixing and mingling over Christmas Weekend have not even been recorded yet. Significantly the covid in the air is getting much higher reports Sunday through Friday especially last week.
Sunday Dec 17: 185
Mon. Dec 18: 330
Tues. Dec 19: 301
Wed. Dec 20: 336
Thurs. Dec 21: 327
Fri. Dec 22: 231
Saturday Dec. 23: 128
TOTAL IN 7TH WEEK: 4.,993 IN Westchester County
No one is talking about this trend. Not the Governor’s office. No State Senator or State Assembly, No County Executives. No Mayor or County Legislator.
Just because they are not talking about it does not mean you should not be aware of Covid in the air in the company you keep.
Rough estimates indicate we could December between 8,000 infections for the month in the county to as many as 12,000 or more if this rate of spread is not substantially reduced.
Locally, the White Plains Hospital saw its steady influx of new patients admitted being found with covid continuing.
From December 8 through December 22, The New York State Department of Health recorded White Plains Hospital admitting 150 patients to beds and of the 150 , 106 or 71% tested positive after admission.
WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. December 25, 2005: Today the Roving Photographer captures a tradition — Christmas Morning in America — more specifically — White Plains.
Christmas Morning, 2005.Photo by the WPCNR Roving Photographer
The Yule Log from White Plains Bake Shoppe.Photo, WPCNR Roving Photographer.
Christmas Treats. Photo by WPCNR Roving Photographer.
Kitten’s First Christmas. Bela The Christmas Kitten. Photo, WPCNR Roving Photographer.
WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY .By John F. Bailey. Originally published, December 12, 2021:
We need that Old Christmas Magic more than ever this year.
The Waitresses sang in the song back in the 1980s, and this is just part of “Christmas Magic”—it all has to do with you.
I admit I have not been looking forward to this Christmas Season, but Brenda Starr who lives with me, being a redhead, well Christmas is her favorite holiday and works very hard at creating Christmas magic.
She organizes! She bakes cookies, lots of them. She tosses salads. She cooks. The WPCNR Headquarters is filled with appetizing aromas.
The magic of the week starts December 12. She starts by pushing me to go out and get a Christmas Tree every year. This year she pushed me early out in the 30 degrees last weekend. Years ago I took my son and tried to get him to pick out the tree. I would tell him what to look for:
A tree which looks good on all sides no matter from which way you look at it. Know the height of tree that fits comfortably with scant inches of the ceiling of the room you’ll display it in.
The top of the tree shape is key: it needs a symmetrical ascension of branches extending higher and arched more to a single high trunk extension. This kind of top delivers the look to put small delicate bulbs, and decorations in ascending steps to the highest part of the tree where you place a star or spire on the top single trunk.
Well I set out to Amodio’s last week, and the courteous lads serving the Christma Tree selection showed me the six footers priced at $99. The first one was too wide at the bottom. The next too thin in a triangle with not good wide, slender shape.
Then the lad spun out THE TREE. In 50 years of selecting Christmas Trees, I know THE TREE I will get the moment I see it. It just introduces itself!
The process of tree selection starts the Christmas Magic
So I tote it home in the trunk of the car. And convey it to the porch. Put it in water and wait to the time when Brenda Starr says it is the day to put it up.
We use the same Christmas tree stand we have used for fifty years. Always trouble screwing in the bolts that hold our tree. I guide the tree into the stand while Brenda Starr ducks under the spread boughs of the tree to tighten or loosen the screws of the stand as need be and tells me from under the tree which direction to slant it to get it straight. She looks at the tree determines if it is straight then turns it to the best side.
Then the lights go on. The tree seems to wait expectantly.
This year, Ms. Starr in her only mistake of the year, could not find the Christmas Tree lights. So instead of criticizing her I said, “We must have thrown out the candle lights and the candy cane lights from last year, I’ll go to the True Value and get new ones. Let me call.”
I call and I drive on down to the store that has everything. I’ve been going there since 1976 when a big friendly man named Al ran the store. The new owner said we only have a few lights left. I drive on down, picked up two sets. Returned home and Ms. Starr affixed the lights with me holding the lights. As she strung them from top of the tree to about midway., we both realized there were not enough lights to cover the tree.
But there was another problem, Ms. Starr did not like the second set of lights because the colors were wrong, orange and piurple, “not Christmas colors.” I did something most uncharacteristic, “I said you’re right. I like them because they were flashing and but purple is not a Christmas color, let me go back and exchange them for another set of the ones on the tree.”
She was stunned. You see what I mean by Christmas Magic? The tree the atmosphere, the decorating was altering my behavior. So back to True Value, I make the exchange and even saved money.
When I returned, Ms. Starr, said “Look.”
She had opened a box of what she thought were decorations for the tree and found the electric lights from last year. “I’m sorry.”
I did something even rarer in the face of the discovery, I laughed, “I knew this would happen, but I can string those other lights on the pine trees off the porch.”
On with the new second set of lights she liked!
Together, we put decorated bulbs collected over 50 years ever since her days as a crack reporter on The Flash.
The pictures of my daughter the skater 27 years ago, reindeer, train bulbs, glass icicles, glass stars. The tree seemed to give off vibes of warmth even seemed to be preening and the fresh sap got on our fingers. After an hour the tree is filled.
I then went out and decorated the pine trees outside the house, not much but it just made the trees seem so much taller standing proud and seemed to enjoy the lights being looped on to the branches. When I plugged in the long extension chord the house did not catch fire or bulbs cause a short circuit.
The finding of the lights after I had gotten new ones, was I felt another mysterious arrival of that old Christmas Magic.
What is the Christmas Magic?
It is the magic we cast ourselves, continuing the same traditions and doing the things together that bring us close, when we decorated trees with our parents or helped Mom bake and the mellowness and teary sentimentality we feel towards family who have drifted apart, from each other frayed by the strains of any distant relationship.
Those Christmas visits at Grandma’s house on Sunnyside Avenue in Pleasantville, playing Christmas carols in high school in freezing temperatures at the Manville Road Circle in Old Pleasantville.
It all comes back. That’s Christmas Magic.
We need it more than ever this year.
Back in the 1980s, The Waitresses put out a perfect song that expresses Christmas Magic, called “Christmas Wrappings” that you can hear by doing a search on the internet. Here are the lyrics
Christmas Wrappings
Bah, humbug!” No, that’s too strong
‘Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year’s been a busy blur
Don’t think I have the energy
To add to my already mad rush
Just ’cause it’s ’tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from
Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of ’81 passed along those lines.
So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.
Calendar picture, frozen landscape,
Chilled this room for twenty-four days,
Evergreens, sparkling snow
Get this winter over with!
Flashback to springtime, saw him again,
Would’ve been good to go for lunch,
Couldn’t agree when we were both free,
We tried, we said we’d keep in touch.
Didn’t, of course, ’til summertime,
Out to the beach to his boat could I join him?
No, this time it was me,
Sunburn in the third degree.
Now the calendar’s just one page
And, of course, I am excited
Tonight’s the night, but I’ve set my mind
Not to do too much about it.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I’ll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I’ll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I’ll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I’ll miss this one this year.
Hardly dashing through the snow
Cause I bundled up too tight
Last minute have-to-do’s
A few cards a few calls
‘Cause it’s r-s-v-p
No thanks, no party lights
It’s Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites.
Last fall I had a night to myself,
Same guy called, halloween party,
Waited all night for him to show,
This time his car wouldn’t go,
Forget it, it’s cold, it’s getting late,
Trudge on home to celebrate
In a quiet way, unwind
Doing Christmas right this time.
A&P has provided me
With the world’s smallest turkey
Already in the oven, nice and hot
Oh damn! Guess what I forgot?
So on with the boots, back out in the snow
To the only all-night grocery,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
In the line is that guy I’ve been chasing all year!
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From White Plains Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca. December 20, 2023:
On behalf of the White Plains City School District Board of Education, and the entire school community, please accept my best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season and a joyous New Year!
We are amazed to be nearing the midpoint of the academic year so quickly! Thankfully, we do not have the challenges that we’ve experienced in past years regarding COVID-19. Still, we recognize that ‘cold and flu’ season remains a fact of life and we are committed to maintaining a healthy learning community. Our community continues to follow the preventive measures available to keep our schools safe, healthy, and secure. Once again, we are grateful to our wonderful staff for continuing to provide an outstanding educational experience for our children in a healthy and safe school environment.
As is usual in our school district, we have many reasons to be #WPProud. Among these, we honored 156 Scholar-Athletes from ten Fall Varsity Teams at the December Board of Education meeting. White Plains athletes had a successful fall season and five of our Girl Swimmers went to the State Championships. The High School INCubatoredu program received the WIN Champions Award from the Business Council of Westchester in November for connecting students to real world learning. We have seven High School seniors named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. And, most recently, representing our amazing staff, Coach Fred Singleton was inducted into the prestigious Armory Coaches Hall of Fame. A four-time Westchester Coach of the Year, Singleton has been coaching and supporting our Tigers for 48 years!
Also, last month, we saw eight athletes named to the Athletics Hall of Fame. In a ceremony on November 13th, inductees were Steve Casarella, Tomas Cobb, Kelsey Kulk, Jason McLaughlin, Mark Santa-Donato, Chuck Stogel and Mike and Quincy Summers. An overflow crowd was on hand in the High School Media Center to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment.
College letters are just starting to come in and we’re happy to report that WPHS seniors have received acceptances from schools such as Brown, Dartmouth, Tufts, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Penn State, Hartwick College, SUNY/Albany, Hampton University, and Culinary Institute of America, just to name a few. There will be many more to come!
Finally, we thought you would enjoy the photo below of Mr. May and our WPHS Tiger String Ensemble performing a holiday medley for the White Plains Rotary Club this week – it was a lovely opportunity to connect with an organization that both puts service above self and supports our Tigers through competitive scholarship opportunities annually!
Happy holidays! It’s been a busy and productive quarter for Sustainable Westchester, as we’ve continued to make vital contributions to the health, prosperity, and resilience of our entire region.
Over the past several months, we’ve supported our member municipalities in achieving their sustainability goals and safeguarding communities against the threats posed by climate change through a variety of impactful programs and initiatives.
At a glance, we’ve recently been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to lead New York’s portion of the $45 million Renew America’s Nonprofits program; unveiled a new “Sunshine to EV” electric vehicle fast charging station powered entirely by solar energy that is the first of its kind in New York State; stood with lawmakers enacting legislation advancing clean heating and cooling technologies; supported the installment of new and innovative Community Solar projects across the County; expanded our work delivering renewable energy and cutting carbon emissions through Westchester Power, the State’s first and largest Community Choice Aggregation program; conferenced with industry leaders and policymakers in Albany to discuss New York’s transition to clean energy; and helped scores of residents and businesses cut their electric bills and alleviate stress on our regional energy grid.
And we’re just getting started!
As Washington and Albany make unprecedented commitments to infrastructure, climate action, and clean power, Sustainable Westchester is ready to help our members understand and seize new and historic opportunities for progress.
In the weeks and months ahead, we are looking forward to welcoming our new Executive Director Noam Bramson – who led the City of New Rochelle for the last 18 years and is widely credited with advancing the City’s sustainability goals – and hosting our Annual Members Meeting in February.
Thank you for your ongoing support and readership.
WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From New York State IRC CHAIR KEN JENKINS. December 16, 2023:
STATEMENT OF NEW YORK INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION CHAIR JENKINS AND COMMISSIONERS COLLADO, CUEVAS-MOLINA, FLATEAU, AND FRAZIER ON COURT OF APPEALS DECISION
New York Independent Redistricting Commission (“IRC”) Chair Ken Jenkins, and Commissioners Yovan Collado, Ivelisse Cuevas-Molina, John Flateau, and Elaine Frazier, welcome the Court of Appeals’ decision holding that “the people of New York are entitled to the” IRC “process set out in the Constitution, for which they voted,” and are eager to re-commence the process to submit proposed congressional districts to the Legislature.
We heartily thank all members of the public who submitted comments and participated in the IRC process. In its December 12, 2023 ruling, the Court of Appeals stated that the IRC need not conduct any further solicitation of public commentary beyond what the IRC has done previously.
We are proud of the historic and robust public participation in the IRC process. The IRC engaged in nine public listening sessions between July and August 2021. After releasing its draft maps, the IRC then conducted the constitutionally required twelve public hearings in the cities of Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, and White Plains, as well as Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. The IRC also held three additional public listening sessions that sought input from the Southern Tier, the North Country, and the State as a whole.
In all, from July 2021 through January 2022, the IRC conducted not only the twelve constitutionally required public hearings, but also an additional twelve listening sessions throughout the State. During this time period, the IRC heard testimony from over 630 speakers, and received over 2,100 written submissions from New Yorkers concerned about their communities and how those communities would be represented.
Moreover, Chair Jenkins, and Commissioners Collado, Cuevas-Molina, Flateau, and Frazier, invited the public to submit any additional input on congressional districting while the Court of Appeals’ decision was pending.
Between October 2, 2023 and the issuance of the Court of Appeals’ decision on December 12, 2023, more than 2,700 written submissions were received.
We thank the members of the public for these additional comments.
As the process now turns to the IRC’s submission of proposed congressional districts to the Legislature, the submissions@nyirc.gov email address will no longer be actively monitored.
All submissions that were received on or before the Court of Appeals’ decision on December 12, 2023 have been made available to all Commissioners and staff. Thank you.
In case you missed it, I need your help. Please take a short, 5-minute survey by going HERE. Thanks to all 40,000 (!) of you who have already taken it!
It’s mid-December! Which means shopping, cooking, Santa, school performances, trying to keep sane andddd respiratory illnesses.
Here is your state of affairs.
Influenza-like illnesses: Increasing
The climate of respiratory health in the United States (coined “influenza-like illnesses” by CDC) continues to increase.
This is not surprising, given the holidays and colder weather. What is surprising is that it’s stubbornly creeping up instead of growing exponentially, as it typically does once we pass the epidemic threshold. This should change soon—although I’ve been saying this for weeks.
Source: CDC; Annotated by Katelyn Jetelina/YLE
There are certainly regional differences in respiratory health. Two Southern states have turned “purple,” but many others remain “green” for now. In other words, more people in the South are feeling crappy than in the North.
Our kiddos and older adults are feeling the brunt of severe illnesses.
Hospitalization Rates for Viral Respiratory Illness, by Age (Source: CDC; Annotated by Katelyn Jetelina/YLE)
Here’s a deeper dive into each virus.
Covid-19: High with potential to increase
On a national level, Covid-19 transmission is “very high.” After the post-Thanksgiving springboard upwards, wastewater levels have plateaued. But don’t get too excited. We have consistently seen this pattern in previous years.
National SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels (Source CDC/ Annotated by Katelyn Jetelina/YLE)
I expect transmission to continue increasing in the weeks to come. Two reasons:
Holidays. Our social networks expand as we travel and visit with people we don’t normally see. This allows the viruses to find more places to spread.
Subvariant JN.1 is coming onto the scene.Which one is JN.1 again? It’s the child of BA.2.86, which was discovered in summer. BA.2.86 was concerning because it came out of nowhere with 35 mutations on the spike protein. This is an insane amount of change at once; it’s as big of an evolutionary jump as Wuhan → Omicron. While BA.2.86 was a dud, it quickly mutated to gain one additional spike change (i.e., JN.1). This additional change greatly impacted the viruses’ properties— making it more immune evasive.
JN.1 has become the fastest-growing variant in the past two years.In the U.S., JN.1 is reaching dominance. But, in other countries where JN.1 is already dominant, like Europe, wastewater is uniformly and exponentially increasing, as shown below. This is even the case in Australia even though it is summer there.
Covid-19 wastewater trends across parts of the world, annotated by KKJ/YLE
The big question is if and how hospitalizations will follow wastewater trends, especially in places like the U.S., where vaccination rates are low.The U.K. and Singapore, which have high vaccination rates, are seeing a steep increase in hospitalizations now that JN.1 has taken over. Last week, CDC warned about the potential impact of low vaccination rates in the U.S.
Covid-19 hospitalizations by epi week (Singapore) or date (UK) (Source UK; Source Singapore)
There is considerable scientific debate about whether JN.1 should be given a new name (next in line would be “Pi”) or if it should still be considered “Omicron.” The Greek naming system was born during the pandemic to help with global scientific communication. However, I’ll be honest: The naming criteria are very unclear. If 35 changes to the spike, lab data showing immune evasion, and associated epidemiological increases don’t qualify for a name change, I’m not sure what will.
RSV: High and… peaking?
RSV decided to surprise many epidemiologists and continue to increase nationally. Hospitalizations have increased 60% over the past four weeks. For our kiddos’ sake, I hope this peaks soon.
RSV test positivity rate United States (Source: CDC)
Flu: Moderate and increasing
Hospitalizations among all age groups increased by 200% for influenza in the past four weeks but remain below Covid-19 and RSV hospitalizations. Flu hospitalizations also remain far below last season’s peak for now.
Hospitalization rate for Covid-19 and Flu, U.S. (Source CDC/ Annotated by KKJ/YLE)
Bottom line
There is a lot of sickness going around, and it will only increase in weeks to come. To improve your odds of staying healthy for the holidays, this is the time to tighten up— wear a mask indoors, get that air moving, and certainly get vaccinated if you haven’t already. And please keep the holiday shopping online if you’re sick.
We can minimize sickness in order to maximize family time coming up.
“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, data scientist, wife. During the day, she works at a nonpartisan health policy think tank and is a senior scientific consultant to a number of organizations. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:
