2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)
It is 80 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 had?
Do we have their belief in truth, justice and the American Way? Democracy?
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 we died togetherfighting tyranny and evil because you must always fight tyranny and evil and hate together.
You cannot negotiate with it.
You cannot reason with it.
You cannot ask for mercy.
There is no excuse for malicious, hating, killing evil then and certainly not today.
You should note this:
The crosses are all the same.
No one had a more decorative grave monument.
There are thousands of these united crosses 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, French no matter their nationality, creed, religion.
They were all equal in death comrades in death.
All the same equal in every way.
Fighting the evil force in the world 80 years ago, and fighting for each other.
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 beaches of Normandy are quiet 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 80 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.
It should always be with us, too.
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 dead did.
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.
They did not just step it up.
They gave it all they had.
Rising to the occasion is hard.
Stepping it up to the next level is hard. Knowing you may give your all in vain is heartbreaking.
Today another struggle is underway the struggle to preserve peace, justice and the American Way: the battle against hate, injustice and doing the right thing.
Today the dead sacrifices should be remembered.
They gave the last full measure.
Are we all in today?
And to give our all in the fight for freedom, justice, truth and the American is much simpler than facing a beach with no cover in a hail of bullets.
All we Americans have to do is one thing.
Vote.
Use it against the evil, injustice, prejudice, hate so embraced by people who value power, greed,and wealth, hold it now and want nothing better to do more of it.
As you enter the two elections we have this year.
Vote with your head.
Vote with your heart.
Vote with your conscience.
Remember what the dead of Normandy yesterday are saying from their crosses in Normandy:
STATEMENT ON CONGESTION PRICING TAX HALT BY KEEP NYC CONGESTION TAX FREE FROM COREY BEARAK, ONE OF THE LEADING CRITICS OF CONGESTION PRICING:
“Governor Kathy Hochul would be one-hundred-percent right to halt the controversial congestion pricing tax fiasco.
She should then kill it and bury it deep in the ground.
This regressive and totally unnecessary tax would be terrible for New York’s struggling economy, and it would increase traffic and air pollution in some of New York’s most vulnerable communities…
This tax is not only unnecessary, it would be a permanent inflationary drag on New York’s economic future. It needs to go, root and branch.”
COREY BARACK OF KEEP NYC CONGESTION TAX FREE
ON WPTV’s “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” IN A PREVIOUS APPEARANCE.
CITY SEEKS PROJECTS UNDER $100,000 AND OVER $100,000 FOR “REVITALIZED DOWNTOWN”
WPCNR DOWNTOWN DAILY. ByJohn F. Bailey. June 5, 2024 UPDATED 11:50 A.M 12:10 EDT:
The City of White Plains launched its search for downtown business owners and persons of interest with ideas and projects for its Downtown Revitalization Initiative Tuesday afternoon in City Hall
Over 30 persons packed the Common Council Chamber to hear about the $10 Million grant the city Downtown Revitalization Initiative that seeks to find private owners of business and companies to suggest projects under $100,000 and larger projects over $100,000 to be built in the downtown.
You can see his remarks here:
Dr. Kevin Dwarka, Land Use & Economic Consultant of Nelson Pope Voorhis with offices in Suffern and Melville, the City of White Plains Consultant firm in the first public presentation of the program introduced the program to the overflow audience, consisting of mostly business owners in the White Plains Downtown.
He explained his consulting firm was available to aid business owners in formulating their proposals.
In the video above, Dr. Dwarka said exact specifications of the program were expected in July at which time specifics of what business owners or assuming possible developers needed to submit their possible projects would be available.
Dr. Dwarka said the City of White Plains at this time would decide what projects under $100,000 would be chosen to be submitted to the state for approval.
A Local Planning Committee has already been set up by the City to sort out and choose major projects contenders and presumably follow a policy for what they wanted to see in larger projects (after submission) for the larger projects over $100,000.
Dwarka at this stage of the meeting indicated the city would decide on the smaller (under $100,000) projects. A representative told me the Local Planning Committee would decide on what projects big and small would be selected.
The business owners and presumably urban builders would have to invest 25% of the cost of their plans, and finance the rest of the project with their own money, with the state reimbursing them after the project is completed.
This would indicate for business owners based in the downtown, if their project was say under $100,000 they would have to finance the project in its entirety with 100% reimbursement on completion.
All projects selected for the grants would need approval from the state before beginning.
The next meeting on the plan is Tuesday June 11, 6 to 8 PM at the White Plains Library, 100 Martine Avenue
The second half of the meeting had the business owners and downtown advocates list the “values” White Plains represented. Many of the owners had stayed for many years and advocated for its centrality, location. When it came to improvements, the audiences listed parking and more of it and less expensive was a major problem. Panhandling by beggars on the street was a major problem. Garbage collection from restaurants was another.
Danielle Dreyer, Planning Analyst for the consulting firm, Nelson Pope Voorhis recorded the audiences “values” of White Plains as they were brought up
What could be improved about White Plains downtown? Those items were listed, too:
Suggestions made including information kiosks to highlight promotions, sites to visit in the city, attractions such as restaurants; and a large, well-lit performing arts space. (The recent Rock the Block promotion was hugely successful, where business owners reported to the Downtown Business Improvement District increased their business 30%.) Distinctive architectural tweaks to fronts of existing buildings was suggested to make the buildings warmer and not imposing.
To read about the Downtown Revitalization Initiative go to the consulting firm website:
You can submit your opinions on what the “new” White Plains Downtown needs at that website.
He said exact specifications of the program were expected in July at which time specifics of what business owners or assuming possible developers needed to submit their possible projects would be available.
Dr. Dwarka said the City of White Plains at this time would decide what projects under $100,000 would be chosen to be submitted to the state for approval.
A Local Planning Committee has already been set up by the City to sort out and choose major projects contenders and presumably follow a policy for what they wanted to see in larger projects (after submission) for the larger projects over $100,000.
Dwarka at this stage indicated the city would decide on the smaller (under $100,000) projects. A representative told me the Local Planning Committee would decide on what projects big and small would be selected.
The business owners and presumably urban builders would have to invest 25% of the cost of their plans, and finance the rest of the project with their own money, with the state reimbursing them after the project is completed.
This would indicate for business owners based in the downtown, if their project was say under $100,000 they would have to finance the project in its entirety with 100% reimbursement on completion.
All projects selected for the grants would need approval from the state.
The next meeting on the plan is Tuesday June 11, 6 to 8 PM at the White Plains Library, 100 Martine Avenue
The second half of the meeting had the business owners and downtown advocates list the “values” White Plains represented. Many of the owners had stayed for many years and advocated for its centrality, location. When it came to improvements, the audiences listed parking and more of it and less expensive was a major problem. Panhandling by beggars on the street was a major problem. Garbage collection from restaurants was another.
Suggestions made including information kiosks to highlight promotions, sites to visit in the city, attractions such as restaurants; and a large, well-lit performing arts space. A new downtown hotel was suggested. (The recent Rock the Block promotion was hugely successful, where business owners reported to the Downtown Business Improvement District increased their business 30%.) Distinctive architectural tweaks to fronts of existing buildings was suggested to make the buildings warmer and not imposing.
To read about the Downtown Revitalization Initiative go to the consulting firm website:
ON TRACK FOR 8TH CONSECUTIVE WEEK OF INCREASED COVID CASES IN COUNTY
WPCNR CORONA VIRUS REPORT.From NY Covid Tracker. Observation & Analysis By John F. Bailey. June 4, 2024 UPDATED 1:30 PM EDT:
May 25 through May 31 was the third consecutive week of sharply increased new cases of covd all 5 days of the work week Monday through Friday indicating people are catching covid faster after exposure on the weekends.
Through Friday of last week, the Westchester Covid Tracker reported 324 new cases of covid.
From April 28 to May 4, there were 250 cases of covid, up 36% from April 21 to 27. The next two weeks May 5 to 11, cases declined to 233 but rose to 241 May 12-18; to 340 May 19 to 25; and 324 from May 26 to May 31.
Westchester is on track for its 8th consecutive week of rising covid infections after having had decreasing cases per week for 13 of 14 weeks. If we have 33 new covid cases reported for last Saturday we will hit 357 cases more than last week,340.
The average number of new covid cases Monday through Fridays the third week of May averaged 54 CASES A DAY
The fourth week of May, the new covid postives Monday-Fridays averaged 56 cases a day.
In the last week of May last week averaged 58 cases a day Monday through Friday.
The total for May with two days to go 1,388 new cases of covid.
The takeaway here is people are spreading the disease faster than last year when the entire month of May totaled 814 infections which resulted in 826 infections in June that after July 4 resulted in 10,298 new cases in June.
The 1,388 covid infections in May indicate that the lack of a completely vaccinated population in Westchester is contributing to people catching a disease and spreading it much faster than last year.
The spread of the disease of one infected person spreading it to another person varies. 241 infections from May 12 to 18 spread the disease in the County divided into 340 infections May 19 to 25, indicates 1 infected person spread the disease to 4 other persons..
The 340 infections through May 31 have spread it to 324 so the spread rate is about 1 person infecting 1 person. However the spreading Monday through Friday increase for three consecutive weeks may mean infections in June could remain steady at over 300 a week or more.
If the infection rate continues at a 1 person spreading the disease to 4 others rate, June could see 1,360 to 5,900 infections in June.
Those not up to date on vaccinations are most at risk for continuing this disturbing trend of fast spreading the disease Monday through Friday at 54 new infections per day.
