WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES. | 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.

SATURDAY COVID UPDATE FROM GOVERNOR HOCHUL

Posted on September 4, 2021 by John Bailey

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress combating COVID-19.

“We continue to keep a close eye on the numbers, and while we know we’ve come a long way in beating back the virus and getting a good number of New Yorkers vaccinated, our work is not yet done, my friends,” Governor Hochul said. “COVID is still out there, and we cannot get complacent because we all know what it’s capable of. If you still need to get vaccinated, it’s imperative that you do so as soon as possible because your safety and the safety of others is on the line.”

Today’s data is summarized briefly below:

Test Results Reported – 157,302
Total Positive – 5,030
Percent Positive – 3.20%
7-Day Average Percent Positive – 3.28%
Patient Hospitalization – 2,359 (+5)
Patients Newly Admitted – 298
Patients in ICU – 532 (+8)
Patients in ICU with Intubation – 260 (+0)
Total Discharges – 193,930 (+252)
New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 28
Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 43,697

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 – 55,654

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 – 23,921,319
Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 67,962
Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 388,164
Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 77.8%
Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 70.4%
Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 80.3%
Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 72.1%
Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 65.6%
Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 59.1%
Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 67.9%
Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 60.6%

Each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

Region	Wednesday, September 1, 2021	Thursday, September 2, 2021	Friday, September 3, 2021
Capital Region	4.80%	4.53%	4.78%
Central New York	4.73%	4.49%	4.57%
Finger Lakes	4.47%	4.37%	4.50%
Long Island	4.27%	4.28%	4.23%
Mid-Hudson	3.61%	3.53%	3.61%
Mohawk Valley	4.54%	4.50%	4.67%
New York City	2.43%	2.42%	2.39%
North Country	4.84%	5.17%	5.11%
Southern Tier	3.61%	3.38%	3.29%
Western New York	4.13%	4.08%	4.25%
Statewide	3.31%	3.26%	3.28%

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	Wednesday, September 1, 2021	Thursday, September 2, 2021	Friday, September 3, 2021
Bronx	2.86%	2.88%	2.83%
Kings	2.48%	2.45%	2.43%
New York	1.88%	1.89%	1.82%
Queens	2.38%	2.34%	2.31%
Richmond	3.46%	3.50%	3.63%

Yesterday, 5,030 New Yorkers tested positive for COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 2,281,283. A geographic breakdown is as follows:

County	Total Positive	New Positive
Albany	27,200	91
Allegany	3,768	19
Broome	20,406	94
Cattaraugus	6,258	34
Cayuga	7,293	35
Chautauqua	9,850	41
Chemung	8,390	36
Chenango	3,956	18
Clinton	5,150	19
Columbia	4,397	17
Cortland	4,432	21
Delaware	2,716	12
Dutchess	32,349	100
Erie	95,380	232
Essex	1,809	10
Franklin	3,022	36
Fulton	4,963	19
Genesee	5,764	10
Greene	3,732	11
Hamilton	368	4
Herkimer	5,667	22
Jefferson	6,793	32
Lewis	3,002	14
Livingston	4,897	18
Madison	5,018	22
Monroe	74,987	192
Montgomery	4,757	17
Nassau	200,062	362
Niagara	21,240	65
NYC	1,024,797	1,656
Oneida	24,365	81
Onondaga	43,076	162
Ontario	8,059	22
Orange	52,607	121
Orleans	3,390	10
Oswego	8,709	63
Otsego	3,892	18
Putnam	11,442	27
Rensselaer	12,570	58
Rockland	49,503	74
Saratoga	17,498	76
Schenectady	14,626	58
Schoharie	1,926	14
Schuyler	1,166	9
Seneca	2,236	19
St. Lawrence	7,788	78
Steuben	7,602	42
Suffolk	218,840	442
Sullivan	7,423	26
Tioga	4,149	16
Tompkins	5,376	45
Ulster	15,503	47
Warren	4,292	21
Washington	3,527	15
Wayne	6,415	17
Westchester	137,873	188
Wyoming	3,741	16
Yates	1,266	6

Yesterday, 28 New Yorkers died due to COVID-19, bringing the total to 43,697. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:

County	New Deaths
Bronx	2
Broome	1
Dutchess	2
Erie	2
Kings	4
Manhattan	3
Nassau	2
Orange	1
Putnam	1
Queens	2
Richmond	1
Rockland	1
St. Lawrence	1
Suffolk	2
Ulster	1
Westchester	2

All New York State mass vaccination sites are now open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first-come, first-serve basis. 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.

Yesterday, 40,278 New Yorkers received their first vaccine dose, and 29,262 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	728,129	1,119	668,978	794
Central New York	569,515	776	528,998	645
Finger Lakes	736,412	1,148	687,321	804
Long Island	1,766,394	4,381	1,568,164	3,644
Mid-Hudson	1,392,195	2,578	1,233,952	2,272
Mohawk Valley	283,414	354	262,019	291
New York City	6,223,027	27,893	5,524,118	19,391
North Country	263,148	497	238,104	292
Southern Tier	377,381	611	348,686	444
Western New York	801,546	921	737,440	685
Statewide	13,141,161	40,278	11,797,780	29,262

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state’s vaccination effort. New York State Department of Health-reported data from NYSIIS and CIR differs slightly from federally-reported data, which is inclusive of federally-administered doses and

LABOR DAY WEEKEND: A REMEMBRANCE OF STRIKERS WHO DIED

Posted on September 4, 2021 by John Bailey

WPCNR NEWS AND COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. SEPTEMBER 4, 2021. Reprinted from the CitizeNetReporter Archives:

It is Labor Day Weekend 2021.

Look back at the history of the labor movement, workers have always had to fight and die to make progress.

Because management is not fair, equitable, or humane. They don’t care about you as a person. They use you up. Use you. And when you get hurt. Too bad. And now our feckless Supreme Court has taken away the class action suit.

Business and government “internships” today are a nice word for slavery without whips.

Labor Day first made its appearance when low wages and long hours were protested against in the mid-nineteenth century during the American Industrial Revolution.

Management works for themselves, always.

Oregon instituted the first Labor Day in the 1870s, and New York in the 1880s.

The National Labor Day Holiday came about because of national outrage over two violent strikes that were ended by armed intervention by the military and private detectives, the notorious “Pinkertons.”

Let’s go back to the 1890s and learn what Labor Day is all about. It’s not about a day off. It is a memorial day. It’s not about “good job.”

The gay 90s were not so gay if you were a worker.

They were a time when the so-called robber barons thought nothing of bringing out private security forces to shoot strikers. They lowered wages with no mercy. It was all about them, their mansions, their fortunes, their tax-free profits. (No income tax before 1913, folks).

In the Homestead, Pennsylvania steel factory strike in 1892, Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron, wanted to lower wages to make the Homestead factory more profitable. (Instead of pulling down statues, they should change the name of the Carnegie Institute. Mr. Carnegie was no saint.)

Steelworkers in Homestead Pennsylvania, made $10 a week, working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, as much as 84 hours a week.

Carnegie’s Deputy Chairman Henry Frick wanted to pay them less, and attempted to bring in non-union laborers to replace them.

Two thousand union workers barricaded the plant.

Frick hired Pinkerton Detectives to disperse them. On June 29, 1892, “Pinkertons” killed 7 union workers with gunfire, and injured “countless” others and three Pinkertons were killed.

The Governor called in the National Guard to restore order. The armed intervention broke the Amalgamated Association union.

After this, according to “Steelworkers in America” by David Brody, wages of steelworkers at Homestead declined 20% from 1892 to 1907 and workshifts went up from 8 hours to 12 hours (96 hours a week).

What a great fellow, Carnegie. What a humanitarian! That’s your robber baron. He’d fit right in with today’s Wolves of Wall Street, and our national leadership wouldn’t he? He’d be in the Trump cabinet.

This union-killing in Pennysylvania was followed by the 1894 Pullman Strike in Pullman Illinois.

George M. Pullman, the creator of the sleeper car, housed his workers in Pullman City, Illinois, and charged them rent.

In the depression of the early 1890s, in 1893 wages at the Pullman Palace Factory fell 25%, but Pullman did not lower his rents to his workers.

The rent, if not met, was deducted from worker pay.

Pullman was a garbage person.

A nice guy, George Pullman. He could run a bank today, couldn’t he? He could run an airline and an airliner manufacturing company.

On May 11, 1894 workers with the American Railroad Union under the leadership of the great Eugene V. Debs, started a wildcat (unauthorized) strike in protest of Pullman’s policies.

On June 26, 1894, union members refused to service trains with Pullman Cars in their consist, to leave Chicago, delaying the U.S. Mail.

Twenty-four railroads in an organization called the General Managers Association announced that any switchman who refused to move rail cars would be fired.

Mr. Debs and his union stood their ground.

Debs said if any switchman was fired for not moving Pullman Cars, the union would walk off their jobs. On June 29, 50,000 union men quit.

Union supporters stopped trains on rails West of Chicago.

President Grover Cleveland was asked by the railroads to use federal troops to stop the strike.

(Does all this sound familiar? Right out of today’s political rhetoric.)

When Debs went to Blue Island to ask railroad workers there to support the strike, rioting broke out, tracks were torn up. Railroad cars were burned.

The Attorney General of the United States Richard Olney, at the urging of the railroad owners, obtained an injunction July 2 that declared the strike illegal.

When Debs’ union members did not return to work, when they did not return to work—-

President Cleveland sent federal troops into Chicago.

Troops opened fire on strikers attempting to stop a train traveling through downtown Chicago.

Debs and his union leaders were arrested for disrupting the delivery of mail.

Twenty-six civilians were killed for disrupting the mail.

Because the mail could not be delivered. Because the mail could not be delivered…how pathetic.

Debs, the union leader, stopped the strike.

Debs was sentenced to six months in jail and the union was disbanded. To my knowledge no federal troops who killed civilians were prosecuted.

A number of railroad workers were black listed and could not get a job on a railroad in the United States.

It was the first time federal troops were used to break up a strike.

Pullman workers were forced to sign a pledge they would never strike again.

The threat of the federal government stopping strikes lead to an end of strikes for at least 8 years.

President Cleveland, though, was facing reelection in 1894.

And, here’s how Labor Day became a national holiday.

Union leaders and citizens were alarmed at his handling of the strike.

As PBS put it in a documentary in 2001:

“But now, protests against President Cleveland’s harsh methods made the appeasement (italics WPCNR) of the nation’s workers a top political priority. In the immediate wake of the strike, legislation was rushed unanimously through both houses of Congress, and the bill arrived on President Cleveland’s desk just six days after his troops had broken the Pullman strike.

1894 was an election year.

President Cleveland seized the chance at conciliation, and Labor Day was born. William Jennings Bryant ran for the Democratic Party and the Populist Party in 1896, losing to Republican William McKinley.

Then came a sea change in the great coal strike of 1902, when another “exemplary” capitalist J. P. Morgan fought the coal workers.

It happened in the coal fields of Easton, Pennsylvania, when the United Mine Workers headed by John Mitchell struck the coal operators pushing for an 8-hour day.

The coal operators employed private police and the Pennsylvania National Guard to protect non-union workers.

President Theodore Roosevelt summoned the parties to the White House to bring settlement of the dispute by arbitration. After 6 months, the coal miners won a 9-hour day and a 10% increase in wages.

T.R.’s personal intervention lead to Selig Perlman, economist and labor historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, saying “this was perhaps the first time in history a labor organization tied up for months a strategic industry without being condemned as a revolutionary menace.’

The 1902 leadership of the great Teddy Roosevelt resulted in elimination of private police forces long used by management to combat workers.

When Governor Samuel Pennypacker became Governor of Pennsylvania, Pennypacker created the Pennsylvania State Police in 1903, the first in the nation to supplant the independent organizations hired by management that were little more than strong-arm boys.

The lesson of Labor Day is to remember the bravery of the union leaders who put their members first, did not make deals, did not sell out their members,(and I might add, succomb to politicians’ whining) and held out for the good against managements that were neither kind, humane, fair, or appreciative of their workers’ contribution to their corporate success.

Management never is. They talk a good game but it’s all talk. Look at the Covid firings. Look at the owners of Purdue Pharma, killing 500,000 with their hideous painkillers and not being jailed for it. Just this week a judge in White Plains accepted the settlement with the owners.

So American workers should remember the struggles and the leadership of Debs and Mitchell. And the strikers and civilians who were shot down in the street for stopping delivery of mail, for God’s sake!

They introduced a new era of workers’ rights at the costs of their lives.

The battle against worker exploitation never ends. It’s still happening today.

Let’s stop it. Let’s fight it. Let’s boycott the robber barons, and vote out the scalywags in Washington, D.C. All of them. And while it is in mind, could congress pass the infrastructure relief and the Voting Rights Bill. Do something to reverse the feckless prejudice of the sophist Supreme Court and the gutless, heartless support of landlords and refusal to throwout the Texas abortion vigilante legislation. The Supreme Court now aligns itself with the pre Civil War Dred Scott decision which ruled slaves were property, not people.

This week the Supreme Court failed again just as it did on Dred Scott.

Now women are property.

Thanks to the Supreme Court Pontious Pilot attitude of not striking down the Texas “Vigilante ” Abortion Law.

When you have self-important judges on the Supreme Court embracing laws that take away freedom and condone violence, you have a kangaroo court, not “Supreme” in any way, but a “Superior” Court-ideology-driven, not “Guardians” of the people in any way.

Pass the legislation, congress.

Do something.

No more talk.

Action!

What would Socrates say?

What would Jesus do?

Judge Francis Nicolai said in court during the Hockley-Delgado legal proceedings, the Judge pointed to his black judge’s sleave and said ” I wear these robes to right wrongs.”

The Supreme Court of today obviously does not think this way. I mean, do they think?

The judges of the Supreme Court (because they act on mass) wear their robes to enable unfairness in the name of fairness, wrongs that deny rights, and practices that take away freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

Welcome back robber barons, we know who you are, what you do, and your perpetual whining about how bad it is for you. You’re not strong you’re weak. You’re not fair you are unfair. You want aid and privileges and amnesty, but are reluctant to give aid, extend privileges or forgive when you are asked to sacrifice.

WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE SEP 3 REPORT AT www.wpcommunitymedia.org

Posted on September 3, 2021 by John Bailey

IS COVID BEING TURNED BACK? GEORGE LATIMER SEES LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

***GOVERNOR HOCKUL TO THE RESCUE! GOVERNOR HOCKUL TO THE RESCUE***

THE END OF AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN 20 YEARS AFTER 9/11/01

FRESTA’S RESCUE FROM KABUL

WESTCHESTER’S OWN AFGHANISTAN RESCUE —

JOHN BAILEY’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HER COUSIN SOPHIA ABOVE

ON HOW FRESTA IS DOING AFTER BEING FLOWN TO GERMANY AND THE SITUATION IN KABUL TODAY AFTER AMERICA HAS LEFT

SATURDAY AT 7: “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” ON CH 76 OPTIMUM & CH 45 FIOS: YOU’VE GOT DR. JOSEPH RICCA SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ON : “THE BACK TO SCHOOL PREVIEW” AND ON WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

Posted on September 2, 2021 by John Bailey

**JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS DR. RICCA**
*ON SCHOOL PROTOCOLS, COVID TESTING, VACCINATION POLICIES, SUCCESS OF SPRING REOPENING, SUMMER SCHOOL FINDINGS WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE 20-21 SCHOOL REOPENING COMEBACK WHEN ALL SCHOOLS OPEN SEPTEMBER 9*

LEGISLATURE PASSES EXTENSION OF NY MORATORIUM ON COVID-RELATED EVICTIONS TO COMPLY WITH SUPREME COURT”DUE PROCESS” DECISION. GOVERNOR HOCKUL SIGNS IT:

Posted on September 2, 2021 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor Katherine Hockul Press Office. September 2, 202(EDITED)1:

Early this morning, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a new moratorium on COVID-related residential and commercial evictions for New York State which is in effect until January 15, 2022.

Under the new law, all protections of the Tenant Safe Harbor Act for residential tenants who are suffering financial hardship as a result of the pandemic will remain in place, along with new protections on commercial evictions.

The law establishes a new $250 million Supplemental Emergency Rental Assistance program to serve additional households and to better support landlords. Through this program, $125 million will be made available to provide assistance to households with income that exceeds 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), and up to 120% of AMI.

Additionally, $125 million will be made available for assistance to landlords whose tenants refuse to participate or have vacated the residence with arrears.

Under New York’s enacted moratorium, tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent an eviction proceeding from moving forward.

Landlords who believe that their tenant has not suffered a financial hardship will now be permitted to request a hearing in court.

Landlords can also evict tenants that are creating safety or health hazards for other tenants, intentionally damaging property, and where a tenant did not submit a hardship declaration.

The legislation places a moratorium on residential foreclosure proceedings so that homeowners and small landlords who own 10 or fewer residential dwellings can file hardship declarations with their mortgage lender, other foreclosing party, or a court that would prevent a foreclosure.

“The pandemic has created unimaginable anxiety for families and business owners who have lost income and are struggling to pay the rent every month,” Governor Hochul said. “To help remedy the Supreme Court’s heartless decisions striking down the New York and the Biden administration’s moratoriums on evictions, we are enacting a new moratorium on residential and commercial evictions and extending the protections of New York’s Safe Harbor Act to January 15. These steps will alleviate the crisis facing vulnerable New Yorkers who are suffering through no fault of their own.”

Governor Hochul urges New Yorkers who are struggling to pay their rent to apply for assistance through the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP. Applicants to this program are automatically protected from eviction while their application is pending and will receive a year of eviction protections if they qualify for assistance. The application is available here.

The legislation’s moratorium on commercial evictions and commercial foreclosure proceedings apply to small businesses with 100 or fewer employees that demonstrate a financial hardship. Tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent evictions.

As of August 31, more than $1.2 billion in funding has either been obligated or distributed through ERAP, including more than $300 million in direct payments to more than 23,000 landlords.

Senator Brian Kavanagh said, “From the very beginning of the pandemic, we have been committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers — including renters and homeowners — are protected from losing their homes because of the hardships wrought by COVID-19. We’ve also worked hard to ensure that the financial burden on tenants and landlords is lifted, through generously funded, effective relief programs, and to protect small businesses. Today, as COVID-19 continues to be a threat to the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers throughout the state, we are taking decisive, comprehensive steps to extend and strengthen the pillars of our legislative strategy to keep all New Yorkers safe. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly bill sponsor Jeffrey Dinowitz for their partnership in getting this critical legislation enacted.”

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “This legislation is as much health policy as it is economic policy, and we must do everything we possibly can to keep New Yorkers safe amidst a surge in the Delta variant. This law will help thousands of families keep a roof over their heads and doors open for small businesses as the state works to improve and streamline the ERAP program and we all work together on a recovery from this deadly pandemic. I thank Speaker Carl Heastie for his steadfast support of tenants and Governor Hochul for hitting the ground running on this crucial issue, as well as Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and State Senate sponsor Brian Kavanagh for their leadership.”

The new law will permit anyone who resides in a locality that opted out of the state’s program to administer their own rental assistance program, to apply to the state program when local funds are exhausted. People applying directly to their local programs will now also automatically benefit from the state’s more expansive eviction protections.

THE GREENBURGH “IDA” AFTERMATH: STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED

Posted on September 2, 2021 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT From Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. September 2, 2021 9:45 A.M. EDT:

I have declared a State of Emergency for the Town of Greenburgh.

These powers enable me to issue 1) executive orders; 2)implement public protective measures; 3) suspend local laws and 4) request supplemental assistance. I am taking these actions at the urging of Police Chief Chris McNerney.

Garbage to be collected today according to Commissioner Rich Fon…

PARKING REGULATIONS SUSPENDED East Hartsdale AVe (Rockledge to Central and Columbia).. The back parking lot at 100 E Hartsdale AVe had some problems last night. The back parking lot flooded and water reached the hoods of the cars that were left in the back. The back wall in one of the garages broke and cars were totalled. Water reached the roof of some cars. Parking ticketing will be waived for today and tomorrow in the residential area of E Hartsdale Ave (not the merchant section).

Pool info –We are unable to get enough staff to work today due to the storm. POOL CLOSED today.

FROM FAIRVIEW FIRE CHIEF Howard Reiss: The Fire Chief in Fairview has advised that his department is helping residents unflood their basements in the Fairview section of town which they serve. There are many requests and they are working as quickly as we can.

Due to last night’s storm the Greenburgh Parks and Recreation nutrition program, registration office and scheduled programming at the AFV Park Multipurpose Center are closed today, according to Commissioner Gerry Byrne. The basketball court and playgrounds at Old Tarrytown Road Park were flooded for the second time in three weeks and will be temporarily closed until storm cleanup can be completed.

1,275 Greenburgh residents out of power. According to the Con Ed municipal liaison Luigi Vingo our town was hit hard with outages. Con Ed is aware of the outages and working hard to restore customers.

Building department inspecting 100, 90 Manhattan Ave and 33 Oak Street. There was flooding in the lobby and residents were nervous. No structural issues. The boiler room at 90 Manhattan was flooded and the building does not have hot water. They have a team of contractors who will respond according to Building Inspector Steve Fraietta.

Will continue to provide updates. Significant flooding all over town. Many streets are closed. Getting numerous complaints about flooding in their basements, other problems. Please be patient. Everyone is trying as hard as possible to address problems impacting the entire northeast corridor of our nation.

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh Town Supervisor

GOVERNOR HOCHUL: STATE OF EMERGENCY STATEMENT 2 AM AFTER “TORRENTIAL RAINFALL” BRONX DUTCHESS KINGS NASSAU MANHATTAN ORANGE PUTNAM QUEENS RICHMOND ROCKLAND SUFFOLK SULLIVAN ULSTER WESTCHESTER INUNDATED

Posted on September 2, 2021 by John Bailey

“Earlier tonight I declared a State of Emergency in New York State within the counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester in response to major flooding due to Tropical Depression Ida.

“Torrential rainfall has resulted in flash flooding, power outages, travel disruptions and damage in impacted areas posing a threat to public health and safety. I am directing State agencies, including the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority, and others to take appropriate and immediate action to help respond and recover from this disaster.

“This State of Emergency eliminates potential hurdles for local response activities and provides the necessary tools to make sure New Yorkers can quickly and safely recover. I encourage New Yorkers in these affected areas to please pay attention to local weather reports, stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel during this time.”

Westchester County Executive George Latimer declared a State of Emergency in Westchester County. Beeline Bus service is suspended due to major county roads being flooded. Metro North Service is suspended. Subways in New York City are flooded.

National Weather Service report 7.1 inches of rain fell in 6 hours. An all time New York City record.

Official rainfall in White Plains: 6.15 inches according to Accuweather.

There is severe flooding in Queens, Brooklyn.

New Jersey received 8 inches of rain.

Just observing television reports this morning on channels 2, 4, 7 I have to say this is the most weather damage and loss of property I have seen in the New York Metropolitan area. The television coverage is chilling. Westchester, New Jersey, Queens, the water has turned streets into rivers. Eight persons are dead in New York from the flooding. Water was turning entrances and exits from the subways into waterfalls.

New York television media has stepped up professionally showing in minutes why citizens need to stay inside.

I was fortunate. I kept my basement from flooding. But thousands have lost homes, belongings, This is a major disaster.

NEW MEASURES TO STOP COVID DELTA VARIANT FROM GOVERNOR HOCHUL: MANDATORY TESTING FOR UNVACCINATED PUBLIC/CHARTER SCHOOL EMPLOYEES/ MANDATORY MASK WEARING IN EDUCATION FACILITIES/

Posted on August 31, 2021 by John Bailey

Speaking at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, the Governor announced she will be working with localities, the state health department and the Public Health and Health Planning Council in the days ahead to put in place mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated public and charter school employees, and to establish a vaccination requirement for all staff at state-regulated facilities and congregate settings.

The governor announced $65 million will be available to local health departments across the state to support the quick and reliable distribution of booster shots.

“Last year every community across the state came together in a profound way to say, ‘we can do this’,” Governor Hochul said. “This war is not over and the Delta variant is a serious threat, especially for people who are still unvaccinated. We all need to remain vigilant to protect each other – and that means coming in to get your shot and booster shot, wearing masks in indoor spaces, and exercising basic safety measures that we are all familiar with by now.”

Getting children back to school where they can learn most effectively and protecting the students, teachers and staff are top priorities for Governor Hochul.

Building on the state department of health’s directive requiring universal masking for anyone entering schools, the governor will be working with localities, the department of health and the Public Health and Health Planning Council in the days ahead to implement a mandatory weekly COVID testing for school staff who are not vaccinated.

Following the department of health’s announcement last week that all staff in health care facilities need to be vaccinated, the state is exploring how to expand this requirement to include staff at all state-regulated facilities.

Local health departments will be supporting the distribution of booster shots in New York, enabling them to use their knowledge and workforce to quickly deliver booster shots to their communities. The governor is making $65 million available to local health departments to build the infrastructure for these efforts.

COVID-19 Numbers for New York as of August 30:
• Test Results Reported – 95,579
• Total Positive – 3,789
• Percent Positive – 3.96%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 3.35%
• Patient Hospitalization – 2,234 (+48)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 232
• Patients in ICU – 484 (+16)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation – 247 (+18)
• Total Discharges – 192,839 (+185)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 22
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 43,573
• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC – 55,602

COVID-19 Vaccination Data for New York as of August 31, 11 a.m.:
• Total vaccine doses administered – 23,665,694
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 46,143
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 367,128
• Ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 77.0%
• Ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 69.9%
• Ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 79.7%
• Ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 71.6%
• New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 64.9%
• New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 58.5%
• New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 67.3%
• New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 60.0%

COVID-19 Numbers for Western New York as of August 30:
• Test Results Reported – 4,320
• Total Positive – 244
• Percent Positive – 5.6%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 4.11%
• Patient Hospitalization – 135 (+8)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 15 (+1)
• Patients in ICU – 39 (+2)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation – 33 (+1)
• Total Discharges – 9,233 (+6)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 2
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 2,586
• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC – N/A

COVID-19 Vaccination Data for Western New York as of August 29:
• Total vaccine doses administered – 1,548,815
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 1,636
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 15,439
• Ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 72.3%
• Ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 67.7%
• New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 61.3%
• New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 57.1%

Note that the CDC does not provide Western New York or other region’s numbers for the following fields: ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose; ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series; New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose; New Yorkers with completed vaccine series.

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JOHN BAILEY’S WHITE PLAINS REPORT ON WVOX 1460 THIS MORNING ON DENNIS AND TONNY’S GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER. TRANSCRIPT

Posted on August 31, 2021 by John Bailey

JOHN BAILEY THE CITIZENETREPORTER
APPEARS WEEKLY ON THE DENNIS & TONNY GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER PROGRAM AT 7:50 A.M. TUESDAYS FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.

” GOOD MORNING DENNIS AND TONNY FROM WHITE PLAINS NY USA WHERE ITS 72 CLOUDY WPCNR DEGREES.

“WHITE PLAINS IS READY, POISED FOR OPENING OUR SCHOOLS SEPTEMBER 9,.

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS DR. JOSEPH RICCA TOLD ME THIS WILL BE A FULL TILT OPENING WITH MASK WEARING REQUIRED BY ALL STUDENTS IN GRADES K THROUGH 12 WITH CAREFUL ACCESS TO SCHOOLS BY NON STUDENTS AND STAFF.

IF YOU’RE A PARENT OR PERSON WANTING TO VISIT THE SCHOOLS YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE AND OF COURSE MASK-UP. SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE OBSERVED IN THE SCHOOLS AND THERE WILL BE EXTENSIVE TESTING AS NEEDED.

STUDENTS WILL NOT BE TESTED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. HE REPORTED THAT PARENTS ARE (WITHOUT BEING ASKED) ADVISING THEIR SCHOOLS THAT THEIR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN VACCINATED. THIS, (RICCA SAID IS A GREAT ADVANTAGE TO THE SCHOOL BECAUSE SHOULD A STUDENT BE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID IN A CLASS THE SCHOOLS WOULD KNOW WHICH STUDENTS (UNVACCINATED) TO TEST FOR COVID FIRST SHOULD AN INFECTION DEVELOP.

HE SAID THE TESTING THE SCHOOLS WOULD USE IS THE SALIVA TEST WHICH IS A FAST READ TEST AND NON-EVASIVE

. HE SAID INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS WOULD BE PLAYED WITH MASKING. HE SAID THE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF PARENTS SENT STUDENTS TO SUMMER SCHOOL FOR REMEDIAL WORK WHO WERE NOT REQUIRED TO GO. RICCA SAID IT IS POSSIBLE WHITE PLAINS WOULD CONTINUE THIS VOLUNTARY SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM NEXT YEAR.

WHITE PLAINS WILL RUN ATHLETICS THIS FALL AS USUAL WITH MASKING FOR THE CONTACT SPORTS OUTSIDE. HE SAID A FEW ATHLETES COMPETING LAST YEAR DID TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID BUT VERY FEW IN NUMBER.

DRAMATICS. PERFORMING ARTS AND AUDIENCE ACTIVITY PROTOCOLS FOR SEATING ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT.

HE COMPLIMENTED THE ENTIRE TEACHING, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND THE PARENTS OF WHITE PLAINS FOR MAKING THE REOPENING PROGRAM OF LAST SPRING SUCCESSFUL. LAST YEAR 439 STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF CAUGHT COVID, 4-1/2% OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL POPULATION OF STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF OF APPROXIMATELY 8,400 .

HE SAID STUDENTS WERE VERY COOPERATIVE IN WEARING MASKS ALL YEAR LONG, AND SAID THE MAJORITY OF POSITIVE COVID CASES WERE ENCOUNTERED IN SOCIAL GATHERINGS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.

HE SAID THERE WOULD BE MORE TESTING OF STAFF AND FACULTY THIS YEAR THAN LAST. HE SAID 80% OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF WERE VACCINATED BY THE SPRING REOPENING LAST YEAR FOR ALL STUDENTS AND SAID THERE ARE MORE THAN THAT VACCINATED NOW GOING INTO THE OPENING.

TOMORROW ON SEPTEMBER 1 THERE WILL BE A PANEL WITH DOCTOR RICCA AND DR. RACHEL GOLDMAN AND DR. PETER RICHEL ON ISSUES AND QUESTIONS VIA ZOOM SPONSORED BY THE NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL AT 7 PM. FOR THE LINK GO TO THE WHITE PLAINS LIBRARY WEBSITE.

THERE WERE 1,517 NEW CASES FOR THE LAST 7 DAYS SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY IN WESTCHESTER 217 NEW PERSONS A DAY TESTED POSITIVE OF 48,454 TESTED AN INFECTION RATE FOR THE 7 DAYS OF 3.5%.

HOSPITALIZATIONS SATURDAY ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER IN HIS COVID BRIEFING, WERE UP TO 108 COMPARED TO 84 LAST WEEK. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES WERE EVEN LAST WEEK. HE SAID VACCINATIONS LAST WEEK WERE 1,100 AT THE COUNTY CENTER WHICH MR. LATIMER EXPECTS WILL BE GOING UP. HE ENCOURAGED VACCINATIONS. WITH THE GREAT WEATHER JUST FORECAST FOR THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND.

WE ENCOURAGE TO SOCIALIZE AND BEACH RESPONSIBLY. COVID’S OUT THERE BUT THE BIG POSITIVE OF THE TALE COVID STATS TELL THIS WEEK IS THE WESTCHESTER SPREAD RATE HAS RETURNED BELOW 1 PERSON INFECTED FOR EVERY 1 PERSON INFECTED TWO WEEKS AGO. JUST ABOUT 1:1 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. IT WAS A TIE WITH COVID LAST WEEK. NOT GROWING NOT DECREASING IN CASES WHICH IS A GOOD THING BUT IT’S UP TO YOU MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WESTCHESTER.”

“DON’T FORGET THE JAZZ FESTIVAL IN ITS 10TH YEAR BEGINS WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8 WITH BRAZILIAN JAZZ DURING THE FARMERS MARKET. TO SEE THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE GO TO WESTCHESTERARTS.ORG

FLASH! SHE’S SAFE! “GOD GAVE ME A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE:” KABUL COUSIN OF WESTCHESTER RESIDENT AIRLIFTED TO GERMANY IN AMERICAN REACH OUT, FEINER REPORTS.

Posted on August 28, 2021 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From Paul Feiner, Greenburgh Town Supervisor. August 28, 2021:

We’re all overwhelmed with excitement and happiness. The Afghanistan woman we’ve been trying to help escape from the Taliban is now in Germany.

Professor Sheldon Malev, a Greenburgh resident, had reached out to me earlier this week asking me to try to help.

Senator Charles Schumer’s office, Congressman Mondaire Jones, the media all helped give Freshta a second chance at life.

A true team effort to save an amazing woman’s life.

Freshta is recovering from a road side bomb in Afghanistan. When I spoke with Sofia Boto during the week she told me how her cousin (who graduated law school and is a woman’s rights activist) escaped the Taliban.

Her landlord evicted her this week – mentioning that if she did not leave she would be reported to the Taliban. Before being thrown out of her house the Taliban knocked on her door repeatedly and she had to make sure they couldn’t hear her. She was beaten on the way to the Kabul airport with metal whips. And injured. She’s a brave and amazing woman.

If she chooses to move to Westchester we’re going to make sure that she has the support she needs. Her cousin, Sophia, lives in Westchester. Already – volunteers are expressing interest in helping her adjust to live in the United States. We need to ‘unofficially adopt her’ –help her find happiness, employment, housing here. Her suffering needs to end. She is a real inspiration.

Although we’re happy that Freshta is about to get a second chance, there are many other brave, smart women in Afghanistan who are still suffering and trying to escape. Let’s hope that they have successful futures.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

Ms. Bato’s MESSAGE:

Good Morning all, I just received a call from my cousin Freshta. She is in a US Air Base in Germany. I’m so relieved to know she is safe as we had lost contact with her when she was at Kabul airport. We could not talk much as she was using someone else’s phone.

She said “God gave me a second chance in life”. She told me to please reach out to everyone and on her behalf. She wants to give her most sincere and humble thank you to all of you for saving her life.

She mentioned that they will keep her in Germany for a few days. She received medical attention for her wounds that she got from the Taliban. She is going to try to charge and fix her phone and will be in touch with me very soon. I want to thank you everyone for all your support. I hope Freshta will be in the United States very soon.

Thank You Sofia