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WPCNR COVID MONITOR. From the NY State Covid Tracker. Observations by John F. Bailey. December 2, 2021:
THE 4-DAY Thanksgiving holiday began a new surge of covid cases that appeared Tuesday November 30.
Today Thursday, the state Covid tracker routinely has the results of new cases the previous day. They are currently 48 hours behind in reporting., which this reporter never recalls happening before. Hopefully this will be corrected by Friday which should report Wednesday and Thursday results to see whether this 4-day holiday has caused a surge
The confluence of Thanksgiving and this holiday week of celebration, office parties and travel may be starting a trend of new cases in the county as it did last year at this time.
Last week, Westchester at this time in the Tuesday, November 23 through Tuesday November 30 averaged 164 new positive covid cases a day.
Tuesday, November 30, 9,872 persons were tested and 3.2% tested positive 311, 164 more than Monday when Westchester had 179, acompared to last week’s average 2.7% a day positive rate. The average tests daily last week were 6,078 a day for 9 days.
The 7 MidHudson region counties including Westchester totaled 1,079 Tuesday, compared to 638 on Monday, a 69% increase in 24 hours.
The numbers that chill me are the health disaster unfolding in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.
The two counties on Long Island had 1,969 positive cases virtually DOUBLE the cases the counties Monday. Nassau and Suffolk Counties reported 1,068 case Monday. That is 85% new positives in 24 hours. The hospitals on Long Island, according to WCBS radio Sunday announced they had no capacity problems and would not limit elective surgeries as Governor Hochul’s Emergency Executive Order said.
The 9 counties now have lead New York City in new cases for 15 of the last 20 days.
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THE FASNY BATTLE IS ALL OVER
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT’S AHEAD?
WHAT’S THE IMPACT?
WHAT SHOULD WHITE PLAINS DO NEXT?
WHAT DEVELOPERS SHOULD DO NEXT?
HOW DEVELOPERS CAN DEVELOP SUCCESSFULLY IN WHITE PLAINS
ZOOM WITH DAN SEIDEL WHO WITH CLAUDIA JAFFE SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT THE FASNY SCHOOL PROJECT FOR 11 YEARS AND WON –TALK INSIDE BASEBALL WITH MR. SEIDEL, INTERVIEWED BY JOHN BAILEY ON FIOS CHANEL 45 COUNTYWIDE AND OPTIMUM CH 76. FOR BEST VIDEO AND AUDIO PEOPLE TO BE HEARD SHOULD BE WATCHED ON WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG FOR THE DIRECT FEED
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. December 1, 2021:
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| December 1, 2021 Dear Neighbors, The long FASNY saga is finally over. We received news yesterday that FASNY has sold the entire property to Farrell Building Company, a residential developer from Long Island. It has been over 10 years since FASNY purchased the former country club and announced plans for a regional school complex. Locating such a facility in the middle of a residential neighborhood with limited accessibility to regional roads was always a bad idea. The effort to defend our neighborhood against this plan required significant financial costs and time-consuming hours. Numerous committees of neighborhood residents were formed to evaluate all aspects of the FASNY proposal. Countless public hearings were attended by vast numbers of the community as well as numerous e-mails and letters sent to our elected officials. I would like to thank the Gedney Association Board members during this period who gave their time so generously to this effort and the majority of White Plains neighborhood associations who supported our position, as well as the over 2,000 residents of the City who signed the petition rejecting the FASNY proposal. Lastly, I want to thank former Common Council Members Milagros Lecuona and Dennis Krolian who, despite enormous outside pressure, maintained their independence and supported preserving the integrity of the Gedney Farms neighborhood. We look forward to hearing from the Farrell Building Company. We expect that the property will be developed pursuant to the existing zoning which permits detached single-family homes on 30,000 square foot lots. Further, any development should be compatible with the existing historic character of the neighborhood while preserving as much open space and natural features for this designated environmentally sensitive site. Best Wishes for the Holiday Season. John E. Sheehan President |
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WPCNR FOLLOWUPPER. December 1, 2021.
When Green Mountain completed relining Havilands Lane with expanding vinyl lining, (the white material shown in the above photo), with absoultely minimal time (1 DAY) and ABSOLUTELY no inconvenience to the neighborhood, I figured it had to be saving millions of dollars.
I called the Mayor’s Office asking Karen Pasquali, Senior Advisor to Mayor Roach, to find out, in addition to consideration of residents and minimal inconvenience to neighborhoods and time saving, how much relining with vinyl saves the city.
Ms. Pasquali issued this statement:
“This info is from DPW in response to your message:Sewer lining costs about $75 per linear foot vs. about $665 per linear foot to replace the pipe.Over the last 3 years we’ve done about 50,000 linear feet.So since we lined instead of replacing, we saved approximately $29,500,000.”
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From White Plains Police. December 1, 2021 UPDATED 4:23 P.M. E.S.T.:
An abortion clinic in White Plains was the subject of a demonstration Saturday afternoon.
Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong in a statement described what happened.
” It was not an “attack” but a demonstration of around 20-25 people. Most of the demonstrators stayed on the sidewalk.
Three people made entry into the medical facilities and after 3 warnings were arrested for criminal trespass, they were issued Desk Appearance tickets because that’s what the law allows for trespass.
No injuries reported by police or demonstrators.This happened between 130 pm-330 pm.”
White Plains Police Chief Joseph Castelli identified those arrested in this statement this afternoon:
“Willaim Goodman and Christopher Moscinski charged with NYS Penal Code Section 140.10 Criminal Trespass 3rd- Subsection, a Matthew Connolly charged with NYS Penal Code Section 140.05 Trespass.
All other press inquiries are being deferred as this is an ongoing investigation.”
Demonstrations like this have occurred regularly at the clinic for sometime.
WPCNR was advised of this incident through a Choice Matters e-mail describing the incident.
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WPCNR SOUTHEND TIMES. November 30, 2021 UPDATED December 1, 2021:
The Westchester Business Journal reported Tuesday afternoon the French American School of New York owners of the former Ridgeway Country Club property on Ridgeway Avenue in White Plains have sold the property to Farrell Building Company of Bridgehampton, New York for a sum not disclosed . The entire property was sold. The new owner of the property is quoted by Business Journal reporter Peter Katz confirming the sale, saying:
“Given the limited inventory of new construction homes in Westchester County and the resurgence of demand for suburban housing following the pandemic, Ridgeway is the perfect opportunity for the Farrell brand to enter the market. We look forward to working with the City of White Plains on the project which will generate substantial tax revenue for the community.”
WPCNR has since learned from a reliable source with knowledge of the deal, that it was sold for $16.5 Million.
Pictured below from the Farrell Building Company website are typical custom home styles the company builds in the Hamptons, Florida and New York. Their website is www.FarrellBuilding.com
The sale was announced the very last day either party, the French American School or the City of White Plains to notify the Appellate Court in Brooklyn that either party was no longer interested in fighting the Gedney Association appeal of the Common Council decision to approve the development of a new French American School campus on the property.
The property could under the present 30,000 square lot zoning, could result in 40 homes being built on the property, if a zoning change is not sought by the new owner.
The dispute over the legal use of the property as an “institution” has lasted 11 years. Now a ruling by the Appellate Court will not be made on whether a condition issued decades in the past would continue to be enforceble will not be either upheld or denied at least in this classic case.
The FASNY-Gedney battle is a saga of summoning the expert legal strategist, Dan Seidel and his colleague Claudia Jaffe providing their services pro bouno to deliver an argument that induced the Appellate Court to agree to hear arguments in the case, growing out of Judge Joan Lefokowitz’s decision to throw out the Gedney Association original challenge.
An elated Seidel told WPCNR this morning a new proposal by the owner would most likely require a new environmental review of any new site plan. The alleged lack of a “thorough” environmental review was the second grounds on which the Gedney Association based its appeal.
After 11 years of neighborhood resistance, FASNY, (depending on what Farrell Realty pays them, said to be $16.5 Million), may be recouping their losses. The school paid $11 Million for the property in 2009 and a decade of legal fees.
Patch reports “A spokesperson for the school said, over the course of the last couple of years, the space requirements and planning needs of the school evolved, leading to the conclusion that selling the entire property was in the school’s best future interests.”
The Westchester Business Journal story can be read at https://westfaironline.com/143137/breaking-news-french-american-school-sells-white-plains-property/
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WPCNR COVID MONITOR. From NY Covid Tracker. Observations by John F. Bailey. November 30, 2021:
There is no doubt that the Fourth Wave of Covid misery is gaining momentum.
In Thanksgiving week between Sunday November 21 and Saturday, November 27, 1,086 Westchester residents tested positive for covid out of 45,729 tested, a positive infection rate of 2.4%
That percentage of spread is 2,000 persons less than the expected number of increased infections from two weeks ago ended November 13.
Those 751 persons tested positive in 50,248 tests ended November 13–1 person infected 5 persons during that week, when the average infection rate was 1.5. At the end of Saturday, November 27, 14 days later those 751 infections from November 13 had resulted in 1,086 new cases, indicating by dividing 1,086 by 751 an infection rate of 1 new infected person 2 weeks spreading the disease to 5 persons (1:446 additional infections.)
If you multiply 5 persons by 751, you get over 3,755 new infections. The new persons testing positive two weeks ago produced 1,086 new infections. This is solid confidence the vaccinations are working and limiting the spread.
However in two weeks, the 1086 infections this week if we continue at the 1 person infects 5 spread rate (based on how many new infections resulted from the infected two weeks), or if it increases (given that we have not seen all the infections of two weeks ago impact due to dates when they test positive), you would have possibly 3,000 infections last week if the vaccination effectiveness number of persons vaccinated and Under-12s vaccinated continues on the upswing it will definitely slow the the spread from one new infection to the other because less people will be infected.
The positive lower number of infections than expected, 1086, rather than 3,000 as the spread rate of two weeks ago would tell us, indicates Westchester is vaccinating at a rate that is limiting infections or those unvaccinated are being more careful.
Nevertheless, cases continue to multiply each week.
10 weeks ago at the end of the week of September 26, Westchester reported 695 cases. As of the week ended November 13, Saturday we had 751 new cases, a minor increase. As of November 20 8 weeks later, Westchester went back over 1,000 cases a week at 1,108 and on November 27 the county is again in at 1,086 cases.
The last time we were at 1,000 cases was the week of September 12 to 18 (2 weeks after Labor Day).
On Sunday, November 28, the increase in new positives started the new week with 167 testing positive of 3,995, a 4.2% infection rate, but this was a very small test quantity. Westchester is averaging 155 new infections a day last week, despite the lower number of expected infections.
Governor Hochul also reinstated statewide masking indoors which may, if observed and enforced, tamp down the surge back over 1,000 infections a week in Westchester County. The entire Mid-Hudson Region including Westchester is seeing more infections paticularly in all the counties surrounding Westchester, but Westchester leads all 7 counties in infections the latest numbers FOR THE DAY OF Sunday November 28:
MIDHUDSON REGION NOVEMBER 28 SUNDAY INFECTIONS
WESTCHESTER: 167 INFECTIONS IN 3,995 tests 4.2 Infection Rate
ORANGE 128 INFECTIONS IN 1,735 TESTS, 7.4%
DUTCHESS 77 INFECTIONS IN 1,243 TESTS 6.2%
ULSTER 51 INFECTIONS IN 754 TESTS 6.8%
ROCKLAND 48 INFECTIONS IN 974 TESTS 4.9%
SULLIVAN – 41 INFECTIONS IN 357 TESTS 11.5%
TOTAL MID-HUDSON INFECTIONS: 543
The counties surrounding New York City, including Nassau and Suffolk Counties have exceeded New York City infections for 14 of the last 19 days, with Nassau and Suffolk County averaging over 1,200 cases a day, DOUBLE the infections of all seven counties in the Mid-Hudson region.
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WPCNR GOVERNOR’S CORONA VIRUS REPORT. From Governor Hochul’s Press Office. November 30, 2021:
“With the arrival of winter when more people are traveling and gathering indoors, and the emergence of the Omicron variant, we are reminded that we cannot let our guard down in our fight to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Governor Hochul said. “We are not defenseless, vaccinations and testing are the best tools we have in preventing further spread of the virus and its variants. If you have yet to get your vaccine, go out and do so as soon as you can and if you’re due for your booster, doses are readily available across the state. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe as we head into the winter season.”
Monday’s data is summarized briefly below:
· Test Results Reported – 99,430
· Total Positive – 5,277
· Percent Positive – 5.31%
· 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 4.12%
· Patient Hospitalization – 2,829 (+73)
· Patients Newly Admitted – 335
· Patients in ICU – 556 (+18)
· Patients in ICU with Intubation – 304 (+6)
· Total Discharges – 215,237 (+237)
· New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 41
· Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 46,484
The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.
· Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC – 59,168
This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.
· Total vaccine doses administered – 29,683,176
· Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 56,924
· Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 533,203
· Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 85.8%
· Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 78.3%
· Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 90.3%
· Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 80.5%
· Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 74.1%
· Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 66.4%
· Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 77.5%
· Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 68.2%
Each region’s 7-day average of cases per 100K population is as follows:
| Region | Friday, November 26, 2021 | Saturday, November 27, 2021 | Sunday, November 28, 2021 |
| Capital Region | 51.37 | 50.46 | 49.60 |
| Central New York | 45.74 | 40.97 | 40.84 |
| Finger Lakes | 59.60 | 54.88 | 54.27 |
| Long Island | 31.21 | 33.31 | 34.30 |
| Mid-Hudson | 23.48 | 23.99 | 24.38 |
| Mohawk Valley | 59.34 | 56.55 | 56.40 |
| New York City | 16.01 | 16.48 | 16.43 |
| North Country | 53.53 | 52.71 | 53.53 |
| Southern Tier | 52.76 | 47.82 | 48.38 |
| Western New York | 72.51 | 68.15 | 65.25 |
| Statewide | 32.00 | 31.48 | 31.39 |
Each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:
| Region | Friday, November 26, 2021 | Saturday, November 27, 2021 | Sunday, November 28, 2021 |
| Capital Region | 7.08% | 7.62% | 7.75% |
| Central New York | 6.90% | 6.68% | 6.84% |
| Finger Lakes | 9.41% | 9.61% | 9.62% |
| Long Island | 4.43% | 4.62% | 4.78% |
| Mid-Hudson | 3.30% | 3.39% | 3.51% |
| Mohawk Valley | 9.25% | 9.30% | 9.51% |
| New York City | 1.69% | 1.81% | 1.85% |
| North Country | 8.33% | 8.92% | 9.08% |
| Southern Tier | 5.39% | 5.81% | 5.92% |
| Western New York | 10.15% | 10.30% | 10.24% |
| Statewide | 3.95% | 4.05% | 4.12% |
Each New York City borough’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:
| Borough in NYC | Friday, November 26, 2021 | Saturday, November 27, 2021 | Sunday, November 28, 2021 |
| Bronx | 1.60% | 1.73% | 1.82% |
| Kings | 1.60% | 1.70% | 1.70% |
| New York | 1.30% | 1.34% | 1.37% |
| Queens | 2.14% | 2.34% | 2.40% |
| Richmond | 2.74% | 2.98% | 3.02% |
Yesterday, 5,277 New Yorkers tested positive for COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 2,696,277. A geographic breakdown is as follows:
| County | Total Positive | New Positive | |
| Albany | 34,293 | 72 | |
| Allegany | 5,951 | 22 | |
| Broome | 28,142 | 86 | |
| Cattaraugus | 9,932 | 34 | |
| Cayuga | 9,680 | 27 | |
| Chautauqua | 14,898 | 61 | |
| Chemung | 12,781 | 41 | |
| Chenango | 5,527 | 19 | |
| Clinton | 8,063 | 46 | |
| Columbia | 5,681 | 17 | |
| Cortland | 6,073 | 20 | |
| Delaware | 4,366 | 22 | |
| Dutchess | 37,875 | 77 | |
| Erie | 124,141 | 340 | |
| Essex | 2,975 | 11 | |
| Franklin | 5,386 | 21 | |
| Fulton | 7,805 | 37 | |
| Genesee | 8,576 | 20 | |
| Greene | 4,917 | 6 | |
| Hamilton | 512 | 1 | |
| Herkimer | 8,273 | 45 | |
| Jefferson | 11,301 | 64 | |
| Lewis | 4,175 | 6 | |
| Livingston | 7,172 | 40 | |
| Madison | 7,321 | 36 | |
| Monroe | 97,295 | 314 | |
| Montgomery | 7,159 | 49 | |
| Nassau | 225,634 | 452 | |
| Niagara | 28,560 | 91 | |
| NYC | 1,131,941 | 1,283 | |
| Oneida | 33,056 | 106 | |
| Onondaga | 59,188 | 131 | |
| Ontario | 11,631 | 39 | |
| Orange | 62,042 | 128 | |
| Orleans | 5,457 | 23 | |
| Oswego | 14,083 | 36 | |
| Otsego | 5,342 | 21 | |
| Putnam | 13,122 | 31 | |
| Rensselaer | 17,336 | 76 | |
| Rockland | 55,405 | 48 | |
| Saratoga | 24,504 | 104 | |
| Schenectady | 19,284 | 55 | |
| Schoharie | 2,658 | 4 | |
| Schuyler | 1,923 | 4 | |
| Seneca | 3,223 | 23 | |
| St. Lawrence | 12,754 | 30 | |
| Steuben | 12,418 | 46 | |
| Suffolk | 254,886 | 552 | |
| Sullivan | 9,541 | 41 | |
| Tioga | 6,325 | 28 | |
| Tompkins | 7,372 | 13 | |
| Ulster | 19,008 | 51 | |
| Warren | 7,255 | 36 | |
| Washington | 6,643 | 37 | |
| Wayne | 10,172 | 57 | |
| Westchester | 147,988 | 167 | |
| Wyoming | 5,278 | 26 | |
| Yates | 1,978 | 4 |
Yesterday, 41 New Yorkers died due to COVID-19, bringing the total compiled through HERDS to 46,484. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:
| New Deaths by County of Residence | |
| Albany | 1 |
| Allegany | 2 |
| Broome | 1 |
| Chautauqua | 1 |
| Clinton | 1 |
| Dutchess | 2 |
| Erie | 6 |
| Fulton | 4 |
| Kings | 3 |
| Manhattan | 1 |
| Monroe | 3 |
| Nassau | 2 |
| Niagara | 1 |
| Oneida | 2 |
| Onondaga | 1 |
| Otsego | 1 |
| Queens | 2 |
| Saratoga | 1 |
| Steuben | 1 |
| Suffolk | 1 |
| Ulster | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 |
| Yates | 1 |
All New York State mass vaccination sites are open to eligible New Yorkers aged 12 years and older for walk-in vaccination on a first-come, first-serve basis, with 10 sites open to eligible New Yorkers aged 5 and older. People who would prefer to schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site can do so on the Am I Eligible App or by calling 1-833-NYS-4-VAX. People may also contact their local health department, pharmacy, doctor or hospital to schedule appointments where vaccines are available, or visit vaccines.gov to find information on vaccine appointments near them.
New Yorkers looking to schedule vaccine appointments for 5-11-year-old children are encouraged to contact their child’s pediatrician, family physician, county health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural health centers, or pharmacies that may be administering the vaccine for this age group. Parents and guardians can visit vaccines.gov, text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations. Make sure that the provider offers the Pfizer-BioNTechCOVID-19 vaccine, as the other COVID-19 vaccines are not yet authorized for this age group.
Visit our website for parents and guardians for new information, frequently asked questions and answers, and resources specifically designed for parents and guardians of this age group.
Yesterday, 10,803 New Yorkers received their first vaccine dose, and 11,346 completed their vaccine series. A geographic breakdown of New Yorkers who have been vaccinated by region is as follows:
| People with at least one vaccine dose | People with complete vaccine series | |||||
| Region | Cumulative Total | Increase over past 24 hours | Cumulative Total | Increase over past 24 hours | ||
| Capital Region | 798,899 | 556 | 717,343 | 438 | ||
| Central New York | 615,201 | 280 | 561,387 | 196 | ||
| Finger Lakes | 813,709 | 350 | 742,069 | 703 | ||
| Long Island | 2,008,272 | 1,247 | 1,779,616 | 1,589 | ||
| Mid-Hudson | 1,562,174 | 931 | 1,364,281 | 764 | ||
| Mohawk Valley | 308,856 | 146 | 283,557 | 140 | ||
| New York City | 7,191,846 | 6,571 | 6,390,337 | 6,464 | ||
| North Country | 286,797 | 105 | 255,866 | 82 | ||
| Southern Tier | 414,294 | 140 | 375,750 | 183 | ||
| Western New York | 893,545 | 477 | 806,559 | 787 | ||
| Statewide | 14,893,593 | 10,803 | 13,276,765 | 11,346 |