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 CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From Congressman Mondaire Jones. March 12, 2021: Friday afternoon, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY) hosted a press conference to highlight how the American Rescue Plan, which President Biden yesterday signed into law, will impact Westchester and Rockland Counties.

The American Rescue Plan will deliver more than $23 billion to New York State, including more than $400 million in funding to Westchester and Rockland Counties and the cities and municipalities within them. The bill also provides more than $560 million in funding for the counties’ school districts, including approximately $380 million for the East Ramapo Public Schools.

Rep. Jones’ full remarks are below as prepared and video of the event can be found here.

Good afternoon. I am thrilled to be with you all today to celebrate the passage of a transformative piece of legislation – the American Rescue Plan.

At the start of this pandemic, Westchester and Rockland Counties were hit the fastest and the hardest. And for nearly a year, COVID-19 has robbed our communities of lives and livelihoods. But after a hard year, today, our communities are finally getting the relief they deserve. 

The American Rescue Plan is the most transformative piece of economic legislation for working people and families in modern American history. I was proud to fight to get this bill passed in the United States Congress. Now that it’s been signed into law, we can finally crush the COVID-19 virus, deliver much-needed financial relief for working families and small businesses, and begin the process of Building Back Better from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

It will invest $71 billion in vaccinations and testing, separate and apart from $25 billion to address health disparities and protect vulnerable populations; $128B to safely reopening K-12 schools, including well over $400 million for K-12 schools in NY-17;  and getting direct cash relief to the American people, including $1,400 checks for 85% of American households and an expanded, refundable child tax credit that will literally cut child poverty in half. 

And that’s just the beginning, this bill also provides relief for restaurants and small businesses, expands health care coverage to as many as four and a half million more Americans, and strengthens protections for our essential workers.

Perhaps most importantly, the American Rescue Plan will deliver more than $23 billion in direct aid to New York State and municipalities like Westchester and Rockland. The Westchester County government, for example, will receive $187 million. The Rockland County government will receive $63 million. Right here in White Plains, the City of White Plains will receive $22 million in direct aid. In Rockland, the Town of Ramapo will receive $15 million in direct aid. You get the idea.

I said from the beginning that I would deliver results for the great people of Westchester and Rockland Counties, and that is exactly what I’m doing. I meant it when I said that help is on the way. The American Rescue Plan is transformative, and it gets us on the path to Build Back Better. And make no mistake, I’m going to continue fighting for a federal $15 minimum wage and student relief.

In the meantime, though, I am thrilled that relief is finally on its way to the American people. And now I’m excited to hear from leaders from across our district about what that relief will mean for them.

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Element 46 Seeking Applicants for Third Cohort

Startup incubator to focus on digital health, fintech, advanced manufacturing and clean energy ventures in 2021

White Plains, New York (March 11, 2021) – Element 46, Westchester County’s premiere incubator program, is recruiting scalable startups ready to take their venture to the next level this spring.

For the first time since launching, the program will focus on supporting businesses in key sectors, including digital health, fintech (financial technology), advanced manufacturing and clean energy in its next cohort.

“Westchester County has an established position of excellence in many of these industries and we are excited to grow this community through our next Element 46 cohort,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “We have the infrastructure and assets these startups rely on to succeed and look forward to the continued growth of these, and other, sectors.”

Through the Element 46 program, startups are matched with hand-picked mentors who are leaders in technology, finance, business strategy, venture capital, marketing or other key areas. Participants also gain access to a group of dedicated professional service providers, including accountants and IP attorneys, who provide pro bono services to cohort members. This spring, the program will also include its first ever “Pitch Day”, enabling participants to present their businesses to investors from across the tri-state region.

“The Element 46 experience is tailored to supporting scalable startups,” said Deborah Novick, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Westchester County Office of Economic Development. “We provide entrepreneurs with education, mentorship and the critical networking they need, to help them deepen their connections to the County and build a strong foundation upon which to grow their business.”

Startups can apply to the third cohort of Element 46 by visiting Element46.org/Apply before March 30, 2021. Priority will be given to applicants working in digital health, fintech (financial technology), advanced manufacturing and clean energy. Revenue-generating startups outside of these priority sectors are also welcome to apply.

“Westchester startups benefit from a strong and well-connected entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Westchester County Office of Economic Development Director Bridget Gibbons. “We look forward to welcoming a new group of startups into the Element 46 program and watching them grow and scale in the months and years to come.”

To learn more about Element 46 or apply to the next cohort, visit: Element46.org/Apply.

About Element 46

Element 46 incubator provides training, mentoring and free workspace, to enable startups to develop their businesses within a network of peers. Entrepreneurs are embedded in an existing start-up community within Westchester. To learn more, visit Element46.org.

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WPCNR THE POWER STORY. From the Mayor’s Office. March 11, 2021:

The City of White Plains and its selected developer, Distributed Solar Development (DSD), have broken ground on a nine-project, 6.8 megawatt community solar portfolio in the City that will triple the amount of solar energy produced in Westchester County. 

The nine solar projects include a mix of canopy, rooftop, and ground mount installations at four parking garages, the Ebersole Ice Rink, Gedney Way Recycling Facility, Gillie Park, Water Department, and the Sanitation Complex. Systems at the Recycling Facility and Shapham Place parking garage will also include energy storage as part of the installations.

“White Plains has been a leader in New York when it comes to renewable energy. We have wanted to undertake a large-scale solar project using a city-owned portfolio of sites for years, but the low price of energy produced by NYPA and purchased by the City made such a project difficult to justify economically. Now, with NYPA’s consultation, we have been able to achieve our goal. This project is a win – for our residents, the City, and the environment,” said White Plains Mayor Tom Roach.

“DSD’s ability to own and maintain the system enables White Plains institutions and residents to save money on energy and contribute to positive environmental outcomes. Over the 20-year term the City anticipates collecting more than $20 million in rent from hosting these installations.” 

“Our work in Westchester County is a great demonstration of how local municipalities can achieve greater sustainability, secure important budget relief during the pandemic and provide meaningful benefits to the local community,” said David Eisenbud, Senior Origination Director at DSD. “Our expertise in canopy installations was a perfect fit for this partnership, and the City of White Plains will continue to be a forerunner in solar adoption because of this transformational initiative.”

When complete, the White Plains community solar portfolio will be the largest municipal renewable energy deployment in the County, producing enough energy to power more than 700 homes annually, or equivalent to removing over 1,300 cars from the road. Construction on the portfolio is expected to conclude before the fall of this year.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA), with its administrative offices in White Plains, is acting as an energy advisor on the project to ensure it is well structured and provides White Plains with the greatest possible energy, environmental, and economic benefits.

The Department of Public Works, in conjunction with NYPA, prepared a Request for Proposals (RFP) for leasing municipal property for solar development at various city locations and solicited more than 100 qualified developers.

Eight competitive proposals were received.  After a thorough evaluation of the proposals and an interview process, the city chose Schenectady-based DSD and entered into a multi-year agreement to establish a Community Solar program in conjunction with Con Edison.

The projects also will help realize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s goal of installing 6,000 megawatts of solar by 2025 as called for in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

As Westchester County’s largest municipal project, the White Plains portfolio of projects also will serve as an example for other communities that may be interested in actively pursuing clean energy initiatives that allow all resident households to receive a benefit.

White Plains has a strong track record when it comes to renewable energy leadership.

In 2014, it was one of the first municipalities to adopt the New York State Unified Solar Permit, which expedited residential solar permitting.

In 2017, White Plains was designated a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA).

DSD has partnered with Community Solar Platform to manage registration for residential and commercial customers interested in taking advantage of the renewable energy produced.

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Today, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY), sent a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker reiterating a months-long request to open a state-run mass vaccination site in Rockland County, one of the counties hardest hit by COVID-19 in the state.

Since the pandemic began, Rockland has recorded more than 39,000 positive cases of COVID-19, and as of March 4, 2021, 689 Rocklanders have died due to the pandemic. Over 12% of county residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, the highest positivity rate of any county in all of New York State.

“As Governor Cuomo opens more mass vaccination sites across the state, it is unacceptable that Rockland County is being left behind,” said Congressman Mondaire Jones. “Rockland has had the highest per-capita rate of COVID-19 in the state, and it must be prioritized for vaccine distribution. We need to be making it easier, not harder, to get vaccinated, and that starts by opening a mass site in Rockland. If Governor Cuomo is to get serious about vaccinating every New Yorker, he will do so.”

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. News Comment by John F. Bailey

WPCNR has analyzed the four weeks of Corona positives reported in Westchester County, a total of 11,966 persons reported tested positive from February  9 through March 7, and I have found  the Westchester County hospitalization rate may be higher than the reported state average of 3.5%.

How high does it seem to be?

Of the 6,264 persons reported positive in the 14 days from February 9 to Feb. 22 (447 persons a day), WPCNR estimated at the time that at a 3.5% hospitalization rate, the county would show 15 hospitalizations a day or 210 hospitalizations within a 10 to 15 day period.

Monday County Executive George Latimer reported there were 270 hospitalizations in Westchester County .

Using dead reckoning, (acknowledging the ominous rise may be made up of spillover hospitalizations from positives from Feb 15 to Feb 22 falling ill enough from covid to hospitalized in the week of Feb 23 to March 8) this could mean the hospitalization rate is not the generally accepted  “3.5 TO 4%” (Even the Governor does not tell you specifically what the state hospitalization rate is on a regular basis.) but 4.3% , 269 of 6,264.

If “only 3.5%” of persons testing positive  (6,264)over two weeks (from Feb 9 to Feb 22) then the hospitalizations on February 23 would be 210. Instead they were 270 as of Saturday or 4.3% being hospitalized from the Feb 9 through Feb 22 period. (Again this may appear to be hospitalizations left from the Jan 26 to Feb 9 two weeks, but we do not  know.)

Yes, I know there is overlap with persons getting infected from February 15 to February 22 perhaps not taking as ill in that first week.

However this would mean the hospitalizations will perhaps be higher the third week in March than 4.3% in the February 9 to Feb 15 cohort

What can we expect in  hospitalizations the two weeks of the new positives from February 23 through March 8, a total of 5,702 ( 407 new positives a day in Westchester County) come into the hospitals?

Let’s take a look:

From February 23 through March 8 (yesterday) 5,702 tested positive. If that unfortunate group begins to get seriously ill with covid at a 3.5% rate the county could expect to see hospitalizations of 14 persons a day  perhaps beginning 5 days from infection or 126 persons a day for the 9 days beginning February 27

Another way of looking at it , if the 4.3% rate continues we may see hospitalizations from this second period of 17 persons a day beginning 5 days after the beginning of the February 23 two week interval) this would result in 153 new hospitalizations, that would compound the infection spillovers from the February 9 to February 22 two week period.

The question is what is the real infection rate. Is it 4.3%, or less? If it is approaching 4.5% why?

Are the new infections being seen more serious? Do they last longer or shorter as authorities are telling us, or not telling us.

We need more information than we are getting.

Saying hospitalizations are down 50% does not mean we are doing better if new infections are still averaging 400 new infections a day.

Does that mean the disease is being treated better? Or does it mean they are not getting as sick from Covid? Or does it mean more are getting infected because of over eagerness to get back to normal? (And politicians mad rush to revive the economy.)

If the hospitalization gets up to 5% that last figure of 150 persons could easily mean 200 a week in new hospitalizations which would not be good for overstressed doctors nurses and hospitals. The more people get the disease the more chronic their after recovery conditions may be.

I also believe Westchester should be getting much more vaccines than we are getting. We were only at 11% fully vaccinated as of Monday. We have a long way to go.

I would also mask up and not take chances of getting this disease.

This is not meant to frighten and make you feel badly.

It is to keep making you feel good.