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.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the Office of the Westchester County District Attorney. June 12, 2021:

A former federal judge will assist the Westchester District Attorney’s Office (WDAO) in its review of two previous police-involved shootings in Westchester that led to the deaths of county residents Danroy Henry and Kenneth Chamberlain, as well as the subsequent handling of these matters by the WDAO, DA Miriam E. Rocah announced Thursday..

Danroy Henry, Jr., known as DJ, was killed on October 17, 2010 when officers shot at Henry’s moving vehicle. He was 20 years old and a student at Pace University.

Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68-year-old former U.S. Marine who suffered from mental illness, was shot and killed in his home on November 19, 2011, following a confrontation with White Plains police after they responded to an accidental medical alert. At points during the confrontation, Mr. Chamberlain possessed a knife.

In the months following these two incidents, the Henry and Chamberlain shootings were reviewed by WDAO prosecutors who ultimately presented evidence and witnesses to grand juries, whose role was to determine whether that evidence was sufficient to support the criminal charges that prosecutors presented. In both cases, no indictment was returned by the grand juries and the proceedings were automatically sealed by the court.

The current reviews will be conducted internally by designated Assistant District Attorneys and investigators who have been selected for this task by DA Rocah, with the assistance of a team of pro bono attorneys led by John Gleeson, a Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner who previously served as a U.S. District Judge in the Eastern District of New York and who was also a federal prosecutor.

The pro bono team includes Debevoise & Plimpton LLP counsel Douglas S. Zolkind, a former federal public corruption prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and associates from the firm. Judge Gleeson and Mr. Zolkind have been sworn in as Special Assistant District Attorneys for purposes of the review.

“For the families of Kenneth Chamberlain and DJ Henry, the pain of their loss has not gone away over the past 10 years, nor have the questions they have about why their loved ones were killed,” DA Rocah said. “The Chamberlain and Henry families and many members of the Westchester community have asked me to review the circumstances of the shootings, the investigation and charging decisions by the DA’s Office, and the grand juries’ decision not to return indictments in either case. Today, I am announcing that I will do exactly that.

“Some may ask, why look backwards? The reason is simple: Today, we have appropriately higher expectations have for scrutiny of police encounters with mentally ill and unarmed people and for prosecutors’ responses to such incidents,” DA Rocah added. “The Henry and Chamberlain families and our community have felt strongly that further independent review is needed to heal the open wounds from these shootings. It is in that spirit that this review will be undertaken.

“I want to be very clear: While I have chosen to conduct this review, I am in no way pre-judging the outcome. At this point, I cannot say whether any further action should be taken,” DA Rocah said. “I can say that further action beyond the review will only be taken if the facts and law warrant it. I will make the final determination on what, if any, additional steps are appropriate.”

“Because the District Attorney’s Office played a central role in the original investigation and presentation to the grand juries, I believe that having Judge Gleeson participate in the review and make recommendations to me is the best way to proceed,” DA Rocah said. “Judge Gleeson’s record as a federal judge has earned him widely-held respect and a reputation for fairness and integrity, which I saw firsthand when I served as a law clerk for him many years ago. I am so pleased that he agreed to take on this important task.”

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. Special to WPCNR from Berkeley College. (Edited) June 10, 2021:

Berkeley College, a leading provider of career-focused education since 1931, will consolidate its White Plains, NY campus with its New York City campus by the start of the Fall 2021 semester. Berkeley College has been educating students in New York City since 1936 and in Westchester County since 1945. 

Berkeley College is re-envisioning its New York City campus, with facilities in Midtown Manhattan at 3 East 43^rd Street and 12 East 41^st Street. Plans are underway to consolidate all classrooms, offices, and operations into the 41st Street building over the next 12 months.

The White Plains campus is currently running all classes online this semester as it has done the past three semesters and all of their fall classes are listed as online. Continuing students will be offered the option to complete their studies at the New York City campus, online, or at any of Berkeley College’s New Jersey campuses. Alternative arrangements will be made for the handful of students currently in campus housing.

“The challenges brought on by the pandemic and other factors were the impetus for the consolidation of the campus with our New York City campus,” said Michael J. Smith, President of Berkeley College. “We are grateful for the support so many of the governing officials, business leaders and community organizations have shown us over the years,” said Smith. “Berkeley College remains committed to serving the residents and businesses of Westchester County through our New York City campus.”

Smith said throughout the country, declining enrollments and an increasing reliance on changing instructional modalities, including remote and hybrid approaches, have reduced the need for physical classrooms and offices. “One centralized campus in Midtown Manhattan will best position the College to serve our students,” he said.

In addition to transferring students and personnel, the College will be working with federal and state regulators, along with its accrediting agencies, during this transition.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From White Plains City School District Superintendent of Schools, Joseph Ricca. June 8, 2021:

At this morning’s Special White Plains City School District (WPCSD) Reopening Committee Meeting, the Committee approved the following modification of the WPCSD’s Reopening Plan to include the modifications promulgated by the New York State Department of Health (Master Guidance attached), in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations for outdoor mask/facial covering requirements:

• Beginning Thursday, June 10, 2021, while strongly encouraged, masks/facial coverings will no longer be required outdoors on WPCSD grounds for all members of the WPCSD community (children & adults) (this modification covers ALL outdoor activities as described in the NYSDoH guidelines).

This modification does not change any other aspect/requirement of the health/safety standards in the WPCSD Reopening Plan.

The full WPCSD Reopening Committee meeting is available for review here: https://youtu.be/1g6L2X28Rvs

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From White Plains Schools Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Ricca. June 7, 2021:

Dr, Joseph Ricca informed the White Plains School District this morning that students should continue to wear masks to school “for now” saying that in a news conference today the Center for Diseas Control was to announce a ruling that because the vast majority of students under age 16 to 12 had not been vaccinated yet, the masks in schools protocol would remain in effect.

AT 1:45 PM, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued this statement:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. This change aligns New York State’s guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors.

“The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they’re not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we’re going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It’s very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they’re rational and based on the science and the data. We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it’s important to rectify it because if people don’t think the rules are logical, then they’re not going to want to follow the rules.”

On May 24, Governor Cuomo announced that based on the current COVID trajectory, all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September. 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. This change aligns New York State’s guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors.

“The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they’re not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we’re going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children,” Governor Cuomo said.

“We’ll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It’s very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they’re rational and based on the science and the data.

We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it’s important to rectify it because if people don’t think the rules are logical, then they’re not going to want to follow the rules.”

On May 24, Governor Cuomo announced that based on the current COVID trajectory, all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September. 

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Posted on June 6, 2021 by John Bailey

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WPCNR MILESTONES. June 6, 2021: 

It is 77 years today since allied troops died and lived on Normandy beaches in the largest military operation in history to turn the tide against Nazi Germany, the ultimate evil Third Reich.

It is a day to remember, reflect. Examine ourselves.

Would we have the courage those men and women did?

Do we have their believe in truth, justice and the American Way?

I thought in preparing my simple news program, what kind of a visual should I put up to remember those brave who faced massive, withering fire hitting them and killing them instantly on those beaches? Should it be the sobering pictures of the wounded? The shock of the lineups of  corpses in the sand? An empty soldier’s helmet upside down on the beach? The overhead awe-inspiring photographs of the landing?

I chose this: thousands of crosses to remember who died together fighting tyranny and evil because you must always fight tyranny and evil and hate together. You cannot negotiate with it. There is no excuse for it then and certainly not today.

The crosses are all the same.

There are thousands of them in graveyards like the one shown here. The horror of sacrificed humanity, all the same in death, united in death, whether black, latino, Brit, American, Canadian, Australian,  no matter their nationality, creed, religion.  They were all equal in death comrades in death. All the same equal in every way.

Next time you hear the speeches of hate and prejudice and superiority, please remember this picture and this day.

Seventy-Seven years ago this morning, thousands of troops stormed the beaches in Normandy, France in the largest invasion in history. The bloody assault against a heavily defended coastline requiring incredible courage and sacrifice (certain deaths) of allied troops, landing craft, paratroops, signaled the beginning of the end of the Third Reich and the evil regime of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. The quiet beaches of Normandy today. The hundreds of rows of white crosses in cemeteries around the little town bear silent eternal testimony and tribute to the sacrifice of those brave men and women who fought, died, and triumphed this day 77 years ago today.

We can in no way, or through any motion picture know what any veteran experienced that day. The veterans who still are with us do not like to talk about their combat experiences. And they do not.

One veteran of D-Day, asked what he thought of Saving Private Ryan, the movie of a few years ago depicting the landing and the realism of it, said the real D-Day was worse. However, veterans we have interviewed remark that they think of their combat experience every day. It is always with them.

The great battle was at its height this morning. Horror. Hell. Suffering beyond imagination.

It is inconceivable to me that I could ever be able to do what these men and women did. I would like to hope I could have.

The veterans did.

They had it.

They left ordinary lives as teenagers office workers, factory workers, farmers, accountants, and what have you and were able to go to war and “rise to the occasion,” or as they say today, “step it up to the next level.” The highest level.

Rising to the occasion is hard. Stepping it up to the next level is hard. Giving all in vain is heartbreaking.

Today their sacrifices should be remembered.