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.
WPCNR REALTY REALITY. From County Chairman of the Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin. December 15, 2021:
New York State is the first state in the nation to receive U.S. Department of the Treasury’s approval to launch its Homeowner Assistance Fund, a program that will provide up to $539 million to help eligible homeowners avert mortgage delinquency, default, foreclosure, and displacement. Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
Also announced is the launch of the NYS HAF program website, an information call center, and a multi-lingual marketing campaign that will help educate homeowners about the program and ensure all New Yorkers, especially those in non-English speaking households, are ready to apply when the application window opens on Jan. 3, 2022.
In addition to the website, residents can contact the NYS Homeowners Assistance Fund Call Center at 1-844-77-NYHAF.
Designed and administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), NYS HAF will target low- to moderate-income homeowners who are behind on mortgage payments, property taxes, water or sewer bills, as well as owners of cooperative or condo units behind on maintenance fees, and manufactured homeowners behind on chattel loans or retail installment contracts.
Eligible applicants may receive financial assistance to catch up on missed housing payments, to reduce mortgage debt to make monthly mortgage payments more affordable, and for homeowners who are unemployed, assistance with up to six months of future housing payments.
Eligible applicants must have household incomes at or below 100 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and must be at least 30 days delinquent on monthly housing payments for their primary residence. Awards will be capped at $50,000 per household.
Assistance will be structured as a five-year, non-interest, non-amortizing forgivable loan.
If the homeowner remains in the home for a period of five years, the loan will be fully forgiven.
In addition, the NYS HAF program is working in partnership with the Office of the New York State Attorney General to advocate with mortgage lenders and mortgage servicers to ensure homeowners are receiving all available relief under federal and state rules. This includes extended mortgage terms, deferment of missed payments or forbearance amounts, and lower interest rates to reduce monthly payments.
The program will be managed by Sustainable Neighborhoods LLC, a non-profit community development financial institution selected through a competitive Request for Proposals. Sustainable Neighborhoods has extensive experience administering foreclosure prevention and loss mitigation programs across the state.
The website, supporting materials, and call center are available to homeowners in 10 languages – Arabic, Bengali, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish.
In addition, HCR has formed a partnership with more than 70 non-profit housing counseling and legal service providers, members of the NY Homeowner Protection Program, who will have direct access to the on-line application portal and who will be able to submit multiple applications on behalf of their clients. The HOPP network will also serve as an outgoing referral network for applicants who request assistance with the application process, or who need urgent legal assistance.
WPCNR COUNTY CHRONICLE EXAMINER. December 14, 2021:
In his signing of the 2022 Westchester County Budget yesterday after via virtual transmission, County Executive George Latimer in a frank opening statement told how he believed he got Covid and how he feels.
After his opening remarks, he continued for approximately 15 minutes, only coughing a few times. Here is Mr. Latimer from early yesterday afternoon on his covid situation:
WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER TUESDAY ON HIS SITUATION SINCE TESTING POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS MONDAY. (Click > arrow above to see his 6 minutes on Covid.)
Mr. Latimer said the county would enforce Governor Hochul’s Masking mandate the governor issued Friday, but he was not going to ticket individuals violating the mask mandate in businesses, that the Governor required. He said as long as persons complied and put on a mask that would be sufficient.
“We’re not going to ticket you,” he said. He acknowledged he declared the State of Emergency last week to make steps if necessary.
You can see Mr. Latimers 35 minute address including the advantages of the budget on the Westchester County Facebook page. 1.100 saw it.
Thank you for sharing your concerns about the treatment of Haitian migrants at the southern border. Like you, I am appalled by the actions of the U.S. Border Patrol, and I condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms. Haitians, like all people seeking refuge in the United States, deserve to be welcomed and protected. And the people of Haiti deserve to know peace.
In September, the American people were confronted with images of unfathomable cruelty: men on horseback, in the uniforms of the Border Patrol, whipping Black people for fleeing a humanitarian disaster and simply seeking refuge here in the United States. The violence that Border Patrol officers inflicted on people attempting to exercise their legal rights to seek asylum is horrifying. Violence towards people seeking asylum betrays our values as Americans.
I am grateful that the White House disavowed this cruelty and announced an investigation into the incident.
However, we must make no mistake: these horrific images simply illustrate the implementation of policies the Administration has embraced.
Most significantly, this Administrationextended the Trump Administration’s policy of expelling asylum seekers at the southern border and resumed deportations to Haiti.
As the proud representative of one of the largest Haitian-American communities in the nation, I will continue to fight for the rights of Haitian people.
In April, I joined a letter to Secretary of State Blinken urging him to send a special representative to Haiti to reform and refocus U.S. policy there, as well as freeze deportations. I also joined members of the House Haiti Caucus, of which I am a member, in calling on the Administration to reinstate the Haitian Family Reunification Program and extend the TPS designation deadline for Haitian nationals. In July, I led a letter with many of my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, urging the Department of Homeland Security to review and reverse unjust deportations, which have disparately affected Black immigrants, including Haitians. Recently, I joined more than 50 colleagues in once again calling on the Administration to halt all deportations to Haiti.
Congressman Mondaire Jones, 37th Congressional District
WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. Special to WPCNR From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. December 14, 2021:
The Greenburgh Town Board voted 4-1 to allow cannabis dispensaries to be located in Greenburgh.
I voted no.
The Board also agreed not to allow Cannabis lounges in the town (we all agreed).
We directed the Commissioner of Planning to draft a local law regulating time, place and manner associated with adult-use recreational cannabis dispensaries, utilizing the following guiding principles:
1. Dispensaries shall not be permitted in any residential zones or mixed-use corridors (East Hartsdale Avenue, Rt. 119, Central Avenue, etc.) immediately and/or significantly abutting residential zoning districts
2. Minimum linear separation distances be required from schools, playgrounds, public parks, etc.
The 2nd resolution requiring the Commissioner of Planning to draft a local law was approved unanimously.
On December 8th members of the Town Board received a letter from the Greenburgh Council of Civic Associations . The organization, representing civic associations in Greenburgh polled their membership and recommended “opting out, at least for the present time.
Several representatives suggested awaiting regulations from the Cannabis Control Board and then adopting the necessary Greenburgh Zoning legislation regarding the time, place and manner of locating such establishments in unincorporated Greenburgh before a decision is made to “Opt In at a later date.”
I agree with the Council And that is why I voted no. Municipalities that opt out can later opt in.
NYS is moving cautiously with the roll out of guidelines for marijuana dispensaries for what clearly are myriad social, fiscal and regulatory reasons.
I believe there is inadequate information available for the Town Board to make a prudent decision regarding allowing dispensaries to operate.
I suggested that until adequate info is available we should opt out. If in the future the obstacles and issues regarding such dispensaries are addressed Greenburgh could have comfortably revisited the matter and with the input of our community organizations and their leadership the Town Board could more intelligently decide if we should participate.
TARRYTOWN, HASTINGS HAVE OPTED TO ALLOW DISPENSARIES – ARDSLEY, ELMSFORD< DOBBS FERRY AND IRVINGTON HAVE NOT
Officials in towns and villages around the state have until December 31st to decide whether to allow cannabis dispensaries and lounges. Most of the cities have opted to allow dispensaries/lounges. In Greenburgh some of the villages have opted in. Others have opted out.
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER.By John F. Bailey. December 14, 2021:
County Executive George Latimer, isolated in his home because he tested positive for the coronavirus Monday sounded firm and confident Tuesday morning, phoning in his regularly scheduled WVOX 1460 Radio appearance on the “Dennis and Tonny Good Morning Westchester” program.
His voice was firm and measured, a little slower in delivery but did not sound seriously sick or breathing labored from covid to this reporter.
He told hosts Dennis Nardone and Tonny he was “feeling a little better”, talking a little more slowly than he usually does with a sharp edge, modulating his voice well. He sounded very good, spirited.
Commenting on covid in the county, The County Executive noted how fast the covid disease had grown in the last month. On November 1, he said, the County had 1,259 cases of covid with an infection rate of 1.8 (1 infected person infecting 1 other person). But by December 1, one month later the county had 4,858 cases of covid a with 4.8% of persons testing positive (2 days ago on Saturday).
He reported there were now 126 hospitalizations in Westchester County ( related to the new persons testing positive two weeks ago. WPCNR observes the 126 positives come from the 907 persons testing positive the week of November 20-27. That figure is up 41 hospitalizations since the 84 the County Executive reported at last week’s briefing.
The number of hospitalizations of the universe of 907 covid positive victims, means the current hospitalization rate of positive testing persons is 14%, up sharply from the 9.3% last week (had the hospitalizations not gone up in the last week).
Mr. Latimer asked about the criticism he had received for declaring a state of emergency last week, said that the increase in numbers last week dictated that “you want to do all you can to prevent it.My decision was based on numbers, not on fantasy. The numbers are up dramatically. That’s why you have a state of emergency.”
Host Mr. Nardone asked what Mr. Latimer thought about county executives in Rockland and other northern counties saying they would not enforce Governor Hochul’s mask mandate issued Friday. He noted those County Executives are Republicans “who will not enforce a mandate under any circumstances. We (Democrats) put on mandates when the numbers demand it. It’s hard not to, unless you’re playing politics.”
He said he would be signing the County Budget this afternoon “virtually,” and ran over the steps the new budget
(Editor’s note: The new budget is 2.2 Billion, up 9.5% in spending, a $19 Million dollar increase in spending and a property tax cut. It restores the reserve, by using covid relief money to replace the hole in the reserve fund created by filling the 2021 budget shortfall due to losses from sales tax revenues in 2021 and 2020, and adding needed programs, detailed County Chairman of the Board of Legislator Benjamin Boykin’s statement yesterday which you can find scrolling down the WPCNR Newsfeed below.
Mr. Latimer mentioned how much tax relief White Plains taxpayers receive from the property tax cut: 8% of county property taxes in the new budget.
WPCNR CORONA VIRUS REPORT.By John F. Bailey. December 13, 2021 UPDATED 10:45 P.M. E.S.T.:
New covid positive persons from TWO weeks back reveal covid in Westchester is tripling in new infections every two weeks.
Persons tested positive two weeks ago ( November 20 to 27) spread the disease to 3 others for every new positive that week.
The daily total in two weeks time will equal or surpass horridly by far the 1,300 new cases a day the county experienced in the first weeks of covid March 31, 2020, before the first lockdown
Tuesday evening, the New York State covid tracker reported Saturday the 11th covid numbers, finishing off this week with 350 new persons testing positive, 4.8% of 7,306 tested.
This new number brings the December 5 through 11 week total to 2,788, an average of 398 new cases a day last week, ending two days ago.
Two weeks ago there were 907 new infections, and here, two weeks later we have 2,788, spiking the new infection rate from covid-infected persons two weeks ago to a level where each newly infected person infected 3 others.
The daily total in two weeks will equal or surpass horridly by far the 1,300 new cases a day the county experienced in the first weeks of covid March 25, 2020.
Last week from December 6 through Friday, December 10, IN 6 DAYS new covid infections approached 3,000 cases at 2,548, with Saturday’s infections expected tonight.395 on December 6, 366 on Pearl Harbor Day; then the shocker, 444 on December 8, and then, 497 on December 9 and 459 on December 10.
The 2,548 new cases hit highs not seen since last March 28, 2021 when Westchester hit 459; and early we Westchester recorded 584 on March 31, when vaccines were starting to stop the 2nd wave in April.
Westchester now is on track for over 6,582, based on the 2,438 new infections sufferers in 6 days last week. Those 2,438 were infected by most of the 907 newly infected Westchesterites two weeks prior during the week of November 20 to 27, the first victims of the Thanksgiving three day holiday dividing the 2,438 figure by 907 produces an infection rate of 2.8 showing every person infected two weeks ago spread the disease to close to 3 persons.
Not all persons get sick immediately the infections occur over 10 to 14 days. If you multiply 907 by three persons this shows the infections grew to the figure of last week, 2,438.
If the 2,438 spread the disease at the same rate this produces 6,582 new infections by Christmas. Tonight the Saturday total of 350, raising the new infections last week to 2,788 means at 3 infected for every person, that total could rise to 8,364, unless more people get vaccinated fast and protect themselves with masks, social distancing and not exposing mouth and nose to breathe in the pestilence, the Red Plague.
The most covids Westchester saw was on March 25, 2020: 1,300.
In two weeks this chilling spread rate of the last two weeks fueled by new socialization since Thanksgiving, and community events, and socializing without masks, and positive thinking that the recovery is here and we are safe and can be normal again
The infection rate is on projection to increase infections 7 times more than the worst covid infection day ever in two weeks.
The effect on hospitalizations cannot be known until we get a handle on what this week’s hospitalization rate in Westchester County. Last week the County Executive said there were 84 hospitalizations on track to 100 and called it a state of emergency.
A week ago Westchester had 84 hospitalizations, the county declared a prestate of emergency, not making any moves to mask or close anything, but threatening it was coming if we hit 100 hospitalizations.
The 907 new infections two weeks ago resulted in 84 or 9.3% of new covid sufferers in Westchester being hospitalized. Officials were optimistic the county was controlling the disease better and hospitalizations going up but not at a rapid rate.
The possibly 6, 582 infections if the number needing hospitalized stays at 9.3%, those infected two weeks ago would have had 100 hospitalizations if the hospitalization goes up 11%; 125, if the hospitalizing rate hits 14%; 150 hospitalizations if 16% of the 907 needed hospitalization and 200 hospitalizations if the hospitalized are just 22% of the 907 total.
The total 6,582 new covid cases by Christmas at the current low 9.3% rate of hospitalization would produce 612 hosptializations by January 7 around the county.
It is imperative this spread rate be stopped and infections go down dramatically person to person and people get vaccinated now who are not vaccinated.
Currently Westchester County has 708,909 persons of its 1.4 million population fully vaccinated and 93% of the population over 18 with one dose. Those 224,811 who only have one dose need to get those shots and parents of children under 12 but not under 5 need to get your children vaccinated to keep the schools open.
Now.
The current spread is about to explode in new infections numbers never seen.
Unless we get vaccinated, hospitals will not be able to treat even mild cases at this rate of spread.
I hope my math is wrong; I do truly hope I am wrong.But it’s not.
I am going to very careful.
This is no magic formula, just baseball statistics and vaccine.
Please get yours for your sake. Call for your shot or shots and bring the under-12s for theirs.
Nothing is worse than watching your child suffer, and hearing them cry,”Make it better, Mommie”
And you can’t.
Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin reminded all of
Westchester that beginning today there is a new indoor mask requirement in New York State.On December 10, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement.
In all public spaces that do not have vaccine requirements, any person, past their second birthday and medically able to tolerate a face covering, must wear an appropriate mask while in any indoor place, regardless of vaccination status.
This action is designed to address the winter surge comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise statewide and is in alignment with the CDC’s recommendations for communities with substantial and high transmission.
The measure will remain in effect through January 15, 2022 at which time the State will evaluate next steps.The requirement applies to all non-private residences, including office spaces.
If the office does not require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry, everyone must wear masks at all times regardless of vaccination status except when eating, drinking, or alone in an enclosed room.
Patrons of eating and drinking establishments can remove their masks only while they are actively eating or drinking, at which time appropriatesocial distancing measures, proper air ventilation, and filtration methods are highly recommended.
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. December 11, 2021. (Edited):
On Monday, the Board of Legislators voted unanimously to approve operating, capital and special district budgets for 2022 of $2,200,000 that strengthen the County’s finances, provide historic levels of support for human services in Westchester County, and expand the County’s investment in infrastructure improvements for the 21st century. The new budget is 190 Million dollars more than the $2,009,999,999 budget this year.
Among the highlights are:
· $7 million cut in County property tax levy
· No one-shot revenues for continuing operations
· No borrowing to fund pension obligations or operating expenses
· No use of reserve funds,( using covid aid to replace funds taken from the reserve to make up 2021 budget shortfall.)
· $10.2 million increase in funding for childcare
· $10 million from American Rescue Plan funds for Small Landlord Rehabilitation Assistance Program
· More than $1 million to address food insecurity
· Increases of as much as 16% for not-for-profit service partners
· $600K in new funding for Youth Bureaus
· Addition of Health Department personnel
· Funding to support new telemedicine programs
· Funding for new public safety initiatives
· $50 million for land acquisition and infrastructure improvements to support affordable housing, largest single-year commitment in County history
· Funding for flood mitigation, including $11 million added by Board of Legislators for flooding along Mamaroneck Avenue from the Sheldrake and Mamaroneck Rivers
· $35 million to continue process of converting bus fleet from fossil fuel to hybrid and electric vehicles and install EV charging capacity at County’s bus garages
· More than $57 million to modernize waste water treatment facilities including more than $22 million in additional odor control at the Yonkers facility
Board Chair Ben Boykin (D-White Plains, Scarsdale, West Harrison), said, “We have brought this County a long way from where it was four years ago. Then we faced low and dwindling general reserve funds, a string of budgets that relied on unsustainable one-shot revenues, decaying infrastructure whose repair had been deferred, a County government whose ability to respond to residents’ needs had been crippled by cuts, and that was before the challenges of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we’ve restored the County’s financial health and we are expanding our investment in Westchester’s future — not just by investing in our roads, bridges, parks, and transportation, but most importantly by investing in our people. These budgets put people first.”
WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY .By John F. Bailey. December 12, 2021:
On the week when the “Winter Surge” or “The Fourth Wave” hit the New York Metropolitan area we all 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.
The magic 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 one of her few mistakes this 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 mew 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 bif friendly man I believe his name was 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 bulbs collected over 50 years. The pictures of my daughter the skater 25 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 pinetrees 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, for each other frayed by the strains of any relationship.
Those Christmas visits at Grandma’s house on Sunnyside Avenue, playing in freezing temperations 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 FBI WIRE. From The Federal Bureau of Investigation. December 11, 2021:
Richard “Rob” Walker, the former Chief Deputy County Executive under former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 18 months in prison for obstruction of justice December 7. The Court also ordered Walker to pay $5,000 in forfeiture, imposed a $5,500 fine and perform 2,000 hours of community service as part of his sentence. Walker pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2019.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“While occupying an important position of public trust, Walker accepted illicit payments from a contractor, encouraged the contractor to commit perjury before a federal grand jury, and lied to the FBI to cover up his crimes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will prosecute corrupt officials like Walker who seek to obstruct justice and abuse the public trust.” Mr. Peace also expressed his thanks to Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for its help during the investigation.
“Public officials have a great responsibility to uphold the public’s trust and make legal and ethical decisions that serve to benefit their communities. Rob Walker did just the opposite when he accepted illicit payments from a contractor working for Nassau County and later attempted to cover his tracks and change his story once he realized the FBI was onto him. As we’ve said in the past, there’s no way to undo what’s already been done—a lesson that’s surely been reinforced today,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
In 2014, Walker, who was then the Chief Deputy Nassau County Executive, accepted a $5,000 cash payment from a contractor who was performing work pursuant to a contract for Nassau County. In 2017, Walker learned that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI had opened a grand jury investigation of potential corruption in Nassau County government, including the circumstances surrounding the $5,000 payment made by the contractor to the defendant.
Walker spoke to the contractor on several occasions and attempted to persuade him to conceal the existence of the $5,000 payment from the grand jury, or to provide a false explanation to the grand jury concerning the transaction, for example, saying it was repayment of a loan.
Walker arranged to meet the contractor in a park in Hicksville, New York, and at that meeting, gave the contractor an envelope containing $5,000 in an effort to make it appear as if the payment Walker accepted “never happened.” Later, when he was interviewed by the FBI concerning the payment, Walker denied ever having received any cash payments from the contractor.
As recounted in consensually recorded conversations, Walker repeatedly claimed that the payment did not have to be disclosed to the grand jury if he returned it to the contractor. On one occasion, Walker said, “you [the contractor] only borrowed it and I gave it back to you…there was never a quid pro quo,” and if he returned the money, “it doesn’t exist…wouldn’t you rather it not existing?”
In another recorded conversation, Walker untruthfully stated, “[j]ust be honest. I borrowed the money from you. I gave it back to you…My mother-in-law was sick…it’s over.” During the exchange, which was recorded by law enforcement, Walker stated, “it [the money] doesn’t exist. That’s it.” When the contractor asked if he is “not saying a word [to the grand jury]?” Walker confirmed, “[n]ope, doesn’t exist.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell and Catherine M. Mirabile are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RICHARD WALKER (also known as “Rob Walker”) Age: 43 Hicksville, New York
