SEPT 18– NO WESTCHESTER DISTRICT ATTORNEY FORUM. SUSAN CACACE DECLINES TO PARTICIPATE
The League of Women Voters of Westchester announces that a proposed Candidates Forum for Westchester District Attorney will not be held.
Democratic Candidate Susan Cacace has declined the League’s invitation to participate in the proposed October 24, 2024 forum at the White Plains Public Library. However, Republican candidate, John Sarcone, has accepted the candidates forum invitation.
A candidates meeting with only one candidate present is an open or empty chair meeting, and is not permitted under League rules and its policy of nonpartisanship. The League regrets that this important educational event for voters has to be cancelled.
“This is a lost opportunity for the public to hear directly from candidates in person and to address their own questions to them,” stated Westchester County League President Kathy Meany. “We strive to run forums in a respectful, non-partisan environment that encourages civil discourse and allows candidates to communicate with the people they are seeking to represent. It is a disappointment that there will be no such opportunity for voters residing in Westchester County.
SEPT 17 –GOVERNOR HOCHUL: MORE KID PROTECTIONS FROM INTERNET INFLUENCES ON THE WAY
STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL AND ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES
Following the news today that Instagram will introduce new safety features for minors on its platform, Governor Hochul and Attorney General James jointly released the following statement:
“Our kids are facing a mental health crisis fueled by addictive social media feeds – and the changes announced today by Instagram are proof that New York’s nation-leading laws are already making a powerful impact to protect kids online.
“In June, we enacted the SAFE for Kids Act – our first-in-the-nation law to restrict addictive feeds and stop late-night notifications for minors in New York. Just three months later, Instagram said it will shut down late-night notifications for all minors nationwide, along with creating more supervision tools for parents. By taking strong and decisive action, New York has helped ensure that millions of kids across the nation will have greater protections.
“Let’s be clear – our fight to safeguard kids online is far from over, and Instagram’s announcement is just one step in the right direction. The SAFE for Kids Act will also combat addictive algorithms and our Child Data Protection Act will restrict online sites from collecting and selling our kids’ data. Every social media platform – including Instagram – will need to play by these rules in New York, just as they should across the nation. We’ll never stop fighting to protect our kids – and we look forward to continuing this vital work.”
SEPT 17–White Plains Library Announces New Director.
WPCNR MARTINE AVENUE JOURNAL. From the White Plains Public Library. September 17, 2024:
The White Plains Library announced today that Laura Eckley has accepted the position of Director of the White Plains Public Library effective October 28.
Ms. Eckley comes to White Plains from Larchmont Public Library where she has served as Director since 2012. While there, she supervised a major renovation of the Library. Prior to that, she was the Director of the Bronxville Public Library (2009-2012) and Head of Children’s Services there (2003-2009).
She received her MLIS from the Palmer School of Library and Information Science at Long Island University in 1999 and a certificate from the Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Executive Program on The Future of Library Design in 2014.
She holds professional memberships in the American Library Association, New York Library Association, Westchester Library Association and the Westchester County Public Library Director Association, She was honored with the New York Times Librarian Award in 2004.
Ms. Eckley resides in Bronxville, New York and in her spare time enjoys crossword puzzles, needlepoint and of course, reading. Join me us in welcoming her to the White Plains Public Library.
Ms. Eckley follows Brian Kenny who retired this summer.