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.
For those of you who reside in the NYSEG service area, we have been asked to share some important information with you. We recently received a communication from NYSEG that said, in part:
“You or your constituents might be experiencing higher than normal bills due to the significant uptick in supply prices that are not in NYSEG’s scope of control. I have attached a bill explainer that I recommend posting to social media or your website to help us get the word out (please see below). We will also be hosting one on one community connection events on February 17th at the Carmel Town Hall and February 24th at the Bedford Town Hall. If customers cannot attend these events, we encourage them to call us at 800-572-1121 or they can visit our walk-in center Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM at our Brewster office located at 35 Milan Road Brewster NY 10509.
Your energy use affects both your supply and delivery charges because your usage is combined with the rates to determine your total costs. While your delivery rate stays the same for longer periods and is set by the PSC, your supply rate varies regularly depending on market demand.
Supply prices have risen over the past year due to increasing consumption of electricity and natural gas. With the colder-than-normal weather we’re experiencing this winter, demand is climbing even higher and pushing supply prices up. If we purchase energy on your behalf (always with no markups!), you may have noticed that supply rates have increased. For example, on January 30, 2026, electricity supply rates were 44% higher than on the same day last year. This means that even if your electricity or natural gas use stayed the same, your total charge is likely higher this year.”
Additionally, here is the information about the upcoming Community Connection events taking place on February 17th in Mahopac and February 24th in Bedford Hills:
Finally, if you need individual attention, please do not hestitate to contact my office at (914) 244-4450 or by emailing me at burdickc@nyassembly.gov. We will provide your information to our NYSEG contact, who will work with customer service to provide assistance.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND HIS LEGACY TO AMERICAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Abraham Lincoln 1860. By Matthew Brady
Editor’s Note: Stephen R. Rolandi, a frequent contributor to WPCNR.com and White Plains Week published this article in a r American Society for Public Administration. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.Republished here with permission of the author. (c) 2021, Stephen R. Rolandi By Stephen R. Rolandi
If you are like me and historically inclined, you might also mark February 12th as the birthday of our 16th American President, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). I have had a long and continuous admiration for our 16th President.
I have travelled to Springfield, Illinois to see Lincoln’s law office and home. Many years ago, my late parents gave me a half dollar coin issued by the United States Mint in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Illinois’ admission to the Union.
This year marks the 217th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, and I believe it is a fitting time not only to examine his career as the nation’s Chief Executive during the bloodiest war in American history, but also his contributions to public service and impact on American public administration.
Lincoln was not popular in his time; indeed, he was elected in 1860 in a four way race with only 39% of the popular vote. He won re-election in 1864 with the Confederate states that had left the Union in 1861 not participating in that election; and with the support of Union soldiers who voted in overwhelming numbers for him. In addition to preserving the Federal Union during the Civil War, as well as his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln had many accomplishments:
During his administration, the Federal departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs were begun, in an effort to assist farmers (the United States in the mid-19th century was to a large extent, an agricultural nation), as well as the nation’s veterans starting to return from the Civil War;
Recognizing the importance of education (Lincoln, you recall, had only about one year of formal education, and was largely self-taught and worked as an apprentice before becoming an attorney), the Morrill-Land Grant Act was signed into law to permit the establishment of land grant colleges to teach engineering, military tactics, science and other subjects;
Lincoln recognized that the increasing level of government services would require different funding streams, and during his administration, the Revenue Act of 1862 became law which also established the Office of the Commission of Internal Revenue within the Treasury Department—in time this would lead to the establishment of the progressive income tax system in the United States;
The first steps towards a national banking system and currency in the United States saw fruition with the passage of the National Banking Act of 1863;
He recognized the need to reform the Federal government civil service, and took the first steps in that direction with the 1863 evaluation of the French customs service which recommended competitive examinations. This led ultimately in 1883 with the passage of the Pendleton Act and establishment of the U.S. Civil Service Commission—today known as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Taken together, along with other policy initiatives, many historians consider Lincoln’s Presidency to be the foundation of the modern administrative state. Indeed, it was Leonard D. White who said that, “Administrative history was primarily the record of war and military government.”
We can also see that many domestic and economic sector accomplishments occurred as an outgrowth of the war effort. Lincoln became a paradigm for future chief executives. Perhaps for me his most important contribution was preserving the principles of constitutional government during a period of one of the gravest crises in American history. Lincoln was cognizant of relating his actions to the spirit and meaning of the Constitution.
There are many, many works about Abraham Lincoln’s life, career and Presidency. More books about some aspect of him continue to be published. Some of my favorite books about the career and Presidency of Abraham Lincoln that I would recommend are the following:
Lewis E. Lehrman, “Lincoln at Peoria: The Turning Point” (2008)
Daniel Farber, “Lincoln’s Constitution” (2003)
Harold Holzer, “Lincoln As I Knew Him” (1999)
Ted Widmer, “Lincoln On the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington” (2020)
Doris Kearns Goodwin, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” (2005)
If I had to recommend a single book on Lincoln, it would probably be Doris Kearn’s work on Lincoln, how he won the Republican party Presidential nomination against more prominent contenders, and how he led his cabinet—consisting nearly of all the Presidential contenders he faced in 1860—during the Civil War.
I should mention that Kearn’s work reportedly influenced Barack Obama when he assumed the Presidency in 2009. Lincoln’s experience as a war time chief executive gives us many perspectives, not only on the role of the executive in decision-making as well as leadership, but also for his lasting contributions towards the institution of the American Presidency and constitutional government.
He is, in my opinion, more relevant than ever today as we as a nation face the perfect storm of crises—the Covid-19 pandemic, a weakened national economy and a distinct threat to our democratic institutions and the rule of law. Happy Birthday, Mr. President!
Author: Stephen R. Rolandi “retired” in 2015 after serving with the State and City of New York. He holds BA and MPA degrees from New York University, and studied law at Brooklyn Law School. He teaches public finance and management as an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and Pace University. Professor Rolandi is a Trustee of NECoPA; President-emeritus of ASPA’s New York Metropolitan Chapter and was Senior National Council Representative. He has also served on many other association boards in New York City, Westchester County (New York State) and Washington, DC. You can reach him at: srolandi@jjay.cuny.edu or srolandi@pace.eduor at 914.536.5942.
WPCNR PERSPECTIVES 2026. nEWS & COMMENT By John F. Bailey. February 10, 2026:
Reading the findings discovered in the American Jewish Committee report, State ofAntisemitism in America released Monday, is troubling.
What is motivating indivuduals to take persons they do not even know, single them out to haze or attack them, kill them with what only can be described as thrill attacks for the fun of it with as much reason as fraternity and sorority hazing which recently have killed persons being hazed in this this “movement,” a “fad”, a crusade, an inquisition (a religion-led motivated policy aimed at acquiring the wealth of citzens).
Whatever motivates these attacks, a President, a politician, self-promoting “influencers,” website-runners today using their platforms with the aim of raising one religion as superior to another and blame those “non-believers” for the failings of others and incite those to disqualify them as real Americans who must go or be deported, or made to feel unwanted, well it is so anti-American Way, it is a failure of conscience.
Whether it is directed at Jewish people, Latinos, immigrants here illegally or otherwise, refugees despised because of their race or origin, it is a hate crime.
When will the legal authorities wake up and smell the stench of the people promoting hatred to achieve personal power?
Attacks on persons because of who they are are crimes. They recall the lynchings, the murders of persons of color in the 1960s the 1920s, the Jim Crow era.
The attacks on Jewish people are attacks on us all. Ambushes. It takes no talent. Just the element of surprise. They are terrorism itself and should be prosecuted with heavy penalties.
This morning the American Jewish Committee report concludes “the rise of Antisemitism isn having a profound impact on how American Jews live.
I would like to amplify and expand that conclusion to remark flat-out that this “rise” has a profound impact on how ALL AMERICANS live.
To quote the American Jewish Committee report:
More than half (55%) changed their behavior in the past year out of fear of antisemitism, including what to wear, attending events and posting views about Jewish issues online.
About one in three (31%) say they were the target of antisemitic incidents. Of those, eight in 10 changed their behavior.
Some 73% saw or heard antisemitic content online or on social media or by being personally targeted.
More than nine in 10 (93%) believe antisemitism is a serious problem in the U.S., and 86% say it’s increased since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
The pain and destruction and death to a Jewish person, is the same pain,destruction and death inflicted on any victim.
The same irrevocable loss and message to the immigrant mother whose child is wrenched away to be deported; the same searing ripped-away-forever-reality pain a family anywhere in America has forever when when someone commits a mass shooting at a neighborhood school, or when a spouse shoots their husband or wife and kills their children, or law enforcement authorities kill a protestor or a someone’s child or wife because they can if “justified.”
Every American of all ages across this nation now lives with this daily possibility in parking lots at big supermarkets, in restaurants, in bars, at sport events, and on highways when irresponsible drivers play NASCAR ace on the Sprain, I-684, the Taconic, and on college campus demonstrations.
We are all nervous, We watch for a person to pull a gun. We scan the interior of a restaurant.
I hate attending a performance on Broadway because the theatres are firetraps especially most of the 40 theatres built decades ago.
Who is responsible for this fear?
The persons mostly in offices who feel the phrase “Our hearts and prayers go out to them for their loss,” They just mocks the victims’ sorrows.
This phrase which has become a cliché of the rich and powerful and leaderless actually is saying something completely different.
What does it really mean when people say that?
It means: “Get over it. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It couldn’t be helped. You shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If you had not protested, you would not be dead. We need to move on.
Most of all it means coming from politicians that
“This is too bad, but we are not going to anything to stop it (so get over it)
I would like to hear one politician (wherever the next hate act against Jews, Latinos, African Americans, poor people, homeless people, illegal immigrants, asylum seekers, muslims, Somolis happens do something like this:
Introduce legislation to make a hate crime, an killing, a shooting, a hate speech, resulting in deaths (like January 6) resulting in injury illegal with an automatic jail sentence without parole in effect throughout the town or city where it was committed.
Please, Free Speech that incites and results in violence is a crime by the person who calls for action against another group or party is not allowed.
This is always defended by those who use the “I didn’t mean anyone to do that. I was just supporting the policy….blah blah”
I have been hearing preposterous apologies from politicos saying this “I didn’t mean that.”
This shows the rather low intellectual caliber of those who say things like that.
But you see politicians, when you say a threat, You do mean it. You say what you want to do when you say that.
It also deserves a companion report, from the American Jewish Committee, which they are very qualified to do.
The State of Acceptance of Equality of People in America:
I applaud the American Jewish Committee for their eye-opening report and hope they will expand it to document other groups in the crosshairs of hate in this country and I mean politicians, businesses, Captains of Industry, political groups, activist organizations and what they are saying ripped from the headlines, teir policies they are quoted on by the dutiful media.
The State of Acceptance of Equality of People in America — A dossier of documentation of what the sowers of hate say, what groups and policies they attack and what they are advocating on their attitudes on equality.
WHITE PLAINS SIDEWALKS, WALKS PATHS TO HOMES, APARTMENTS HAVE A COVER OF THIN SOLID ICE THIS MORNING
A LIGHT RAIN OVERNIGHT COATED PATHWAYS WITH ICE THAT YOU CANNOT SEE BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR FOOTING.
CITY SPREAD ICE MELT TREATMENTS ON ROADS OVERNIGHT.
BE CAREFUL GOING OUT TO DRIVEWAYS, CAR AND WALKING!
BLACK ICE MIDDLE OF PICTURE INDICATES THE DRIVEWAY IS A GLADE OF ICE. THE HAZARD: YOU CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE YOU GO FLYING WHEN YOU SLIP AND LOSE YOUR FOOTING.
FEBRUARY 8– 7:45 AM JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TEMPERATURE WAS DOWN TO ZER0
THE STRONG WINDS SUNDAY STUNG THE FACE IF YOU WENT OUT, DRIED OUT THE SKING AND PENETRATED GLOVES AND BOOTS SWIFTLY NUMBING FINGERS AND TOES NO MATTER HOW THICK YOUR GLOVES OR SHOES WERE. LANDS END JACKETS STOOD UP TO THE WIND AND SCARFS WERE A MUST FOR PROTECTING THE FACE.
SNOW FALL FROM LAST 3 WEEKS’ 2 SNOW STORMS HAS SOLIDIFIED INTO A FROZEN TUNDRA. (Somewhere on the other side of this 15 inch frozen snowfield is a road.
THE RECORD SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES MIXED WITH SALT SPREADING HAVE CRACKED SIDEROADS ALREADY. POTHOLES ELSEWHERE ON NORTH STREET FOR EXAMPLE HAVE CREATED DANGEROUS “TIRE HAZARDS”. THE BIG CHILL 2026 IS SEVERELY COMPROMISING THE CITY’S ROADS. THE DPW WORK IS NOT OVER YET WITH THIS WINTER. IT IS JUST BEGINNING. (Photos WPCNR)
Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook. It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, click the Subscribe now button below.
Influenza continues to spread widely across the Northeast. However, there were region-wide decreases in trips to the doctor for influenza-like illness (ILI) and also trips to the emergency department (ED) for flu.
Northeast: ED visits for influenza (%)
% of emergency department visits that are for influenza
Moderate-to-high activity
In Maine, activity is still high, but both outpatient ILI (3.5%) and ED visits (2.5%), dropped about a point this past week, which is encouraging. Similarly, in New Hampshire, outpatient ILI remains on the high side at 3.4%, but both ILI and ED visits (2.8%) are dropping.
In New Jersey, outpatient ILI is down to 4.8% (which is categorized as moderate for the state), and ED visits at 1.7%. In Massachusetts, outpatient ILI is down to 3.2%, and ED visits are down to 1.6%.
Northeast: Outpatient influenza like illness (%)
% of visits to the doctor that are for fever and cough or sore throat
Low activity
The biggest states in the region (New York and Pennsylvania) are finally down to low levels of activity. In New York, outpatient ILI is down to 2.9%, and ED visits for flu are at just 0.8%. In New York City, flu continues to decrease, dropping to just 0.5% of ED visits and 0.4% of hospitalizations.
In Pennsylvania, outpatient ILI is 2.3%, the lowest in the region, and ED visits have decreased to 2.1%. In addition, ED visits in Vermont dropped from 5% down to 3% in the past week, and outpatient ILI declined to 2.4%. Rhode Island is also down to low levels, with outpatient ILI at 2.4% and ED visits at 1.2%.
COVID-19
Wastewater activity is moderate but bouncing around in the region. ED visits for Covid-19 are fairly low and improving, so on the whole I think the picture is quite good.
Where rates are a bit higher
Maine is turning the corner. Wastewater activity is high, but dipped a bit, and ED visits dropped slightly to 1.1%.
In Massachusetts, wastewater activity is high and rising, but ED visits are at 0.8% and have been decreasing for the past few weeks. Similarly, in Connecticut, wastewater activity is also high and rising. However, ED visits held steady at 0.9% and hospitalizations decreased to a fairly low 2.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 people.
Northeast: ED visits for Covid-19 (%)
% of emergency department visits for Covid-19
Where rates are more moderate
In Pennsylvania, wastewater activity is moderate and rising, and ED visits remain a bit more elevated, despite improvements this past week (to 0.8%).
In Vermont, ED visits fell substantially this past week, from nearly 1.2 down to 0.7%. However, wastewater activity in the state is moderate and rising again.
New Hampshire has dropped from high down to moderate wastewater activity levels. ED visits remain a bit elevated at 1.0%, but are also moving in the right direction.
In New York, ED visits held steady at 0.4% and hospitalizations ticked up slightly to 2.8 per 100,000. Wastewater data jumped to high levels in the state, but data was incomplete this week, so I am not convinced this represents what is happening in the state as a whole. This seems particularly likely because ED visits in New York City held steady at a low 0.2%, as did hospitalizations at 0.2%, so I doubt the state is resurging.
Rhode Island is also in good shape. Wastewater activity is low, and ED visits decreased down to 0.5% this past week.
RSV
RSV is elevated, with about half the Northeast still seeing increases in ED visits and the other half declining. This pattern often marks peak season.
ED visits for RSV are elevated and increasing in New Hampshire (0.8%). The only other state to see a notable increase was Connecticut, where ED visits rose to 0.5% and hospitalizations increased to 3.0, which is higher than hospitalizations for flu or Covid-19.
Rates held roughly steady at moderate levels in Pennsylvania (0.5%) and New York (0.4%). Hospitalizations in New York remain moderately elevated as well, but decreased slightly, to 2.1. In New York City, ED visits for RSV remain flat at 0.4%, as do hospitalizations at 0.4%.
RSV remains elevated, but decreased this past week in Massachusetts (0.7%) and New Jersey (0.7%). Both Rhode Island and Vermont saw large declines in ED visits, dropping by more than half to ~0.3%. Trips to the ED are lowest in Maine, at just 0.2%.
Northeast: ED visits for RSV (%)
% of emergency department visits that are for RSV
Other Bugs
Lots of respiratory bugs are circulating right now.
Human coronaviruses are on a rapid ascent right now, and have nearly reached last season’s peak (which was in late February).
Human metapneumovirus spread is climbing as well, and adenovirus remains elevated.
Rhinoviruses/enteroviruses are low but have been slowly increasing for the past few weeks.
Norovirus
Norovirus loves February. Activity is high and climbing across the country. While rates are not stratospheric like last season, we are at typical (high) levels for this time of year. Test positivity was 13.5% this past week at the national level.
Rates have spiked in the Northeast, climbing to 15.8% test positivity this past week, up from 8.6% in mid-January. This is the highest rates have been so far this season.
Food recalls
The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:
IKM cookware products (primarily sold in California grocery stores) due to potential lead contamination (more info)
Organic chia seeds sold by Navitas Organics (more info)
Live it Up Super Greens powders and packets in Original and Wild Berry flavors (more info)
Canned yellowfin tuna in olive oil under the Genova brand name (more info)
In other news
‘Outbreak’ of rashes in a daycare in Massachusetts.11 children between 1 and 5 years old were sent to the hospital when they appeared to develop similar rashes. The “outbreak” was found not to be infectious, but was instead traced back to soap used at the daycare. It appears that commercial-grade dish cleaner was in the hand soap dispensers. The children are reported to have fairly minor, superficial rashes.
Avian flu outbreak in poultry in Pennsylvania. This past week, more than 700,000 poultry on a commercial egg layer farm were affected by an avian flu outbreak in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There were two additional detections this week in the county, affecting more than 70,000 additional birds.
FOI Clinical launches Wednesday. It’s a weekly outbreak intelligence briefing for clinicians, covering reportable diseases, emerging outbreaks, and policy changes that affect patient care plus real-time health alerts for fast-moving events. Medscape and NPR have both covered FOI Clinical. Pre-launch pricing ($10/month) is still available. If you’re a clinician, or you would find this useful, now is the time: foiclinical.com.
We have heard about efforts to add wine in grocery stores in New York for years.
A newweffort is currently circulating in the state legislature and via social media, includling a petition asking consumers to support it. Among the arguments is convenience and one-stop shopping.
However, the whole story is not being told. And consumers will suffer.
As a small independent wine and spirits retailer, I own and run my store. I personally interact with my customers who are also my neighbors. I strive to find unique small production wines and spirits you don’t see everywhere. I also offer tasting events for my customers and charitable fundraisers for our schools and organizations.
A big box store or grocery chains with 100,000 square feet will buy large brands that produce enough to supply all their stores. That great wine you get from me that only makes 300 cases a year, will be lost, and you will be stuck with only the large mass produced items. Go to Florida to a Publix and you will see what I mean.
The fact is independent retailers are struggling more than ever. Post-COVID, there has been a huge drop nationwide in alcohol consumption.
The NY State Liquor Authority has such tight restrictions on us as to what we can sell that simply offering other items is not an option. Nor do we have the square footage to even consider any other products to sell. Allowing grocery stores to sell wine will be a nail in the coffin for many small retailers—many of whom are located next to or near supermarkets.
We will simply not be able to handle the additional loss of sales and be forced to close. This will put thousands out of work, including many in the wholesale business selling smaller production items. And customers will lose their neighborhood wine and liquor shops, forcing them to go to a large grocery store for a mediocre selection of wine.
And forget about buying hard alcohol, like vodka, tequila, bourbon, etc. This proposed bill is only for wine. Where will consumers be able to buy spirits once we are out of business? Suddenly the convenience factor is lost and the consumer suffers.
We ask that you contact your state representatives and tell them you do not want to lose your neighbors to big grocery stores, who are already doing tens of million dollars in business, and support your local independent, family-owned wine and spirits retailers.
WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER By John F. Bailey February 5, 2026 UPDATED 9:45 P.M.:
Councilman Richard Payne has resigned from the Common Council WPCNR has confirmed.
The resignation was announced January 20, effective February 2 at the Monday monthly Common Council.
This means that another replacement Councilmember must be named and appointed to the Common Council to replace Mr. Payne.
Valarie Simmons was appointed Councilmember Monday evening and confirmed. Ms. Simmons is required to run in a Special Election in November and win that election to complete the term she began Monday night after being sworn in.
The interim councilmember (whomever they may be) who is appointed to replace Mr. Payne, would also have to face official reelection in that same Special Election Councilwoman Simmons will be in.
This means there may be a four-person contest for the Simmons and Payne replacement (to be named) in November.
Mr. Payne’s seat on the council was empty at the start of Monday Common Council meeting and no name plate was there.
Mayor Brasch announced Mr. Payne’s resignation in the last two minutes of the meeting.
The March Common Council meeting will be held on Wednesday March 4
