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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. June 4, 2020:
COVID-19 has not only resulted in the death of 100,000+ Americans. The business shutdowns will probably be fatal for many small businesses and restaurants around the nation and around Greenburgh. The town is determined to help our business district stay vibrant and to help our struggling businesses on East Hartsdale Ave, Route 119, Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown Road survive.
We have re-issued a request for qualifications for economic development services. And, today, at 6 PM, the Greenburgh Town Board will meet with United States Senator Charles Schumer’s office to discuss our efforts and to find out what the federal government can do to help local governments assist our business community. Our meetings are televised and streamed live on the town website.
On March 3, 2020, the Town of Greenburgh issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for specialized economic development services focused on challenges (declining retail market as a result of on-line competition, telecommuting impacts on office space viability, etc.) and economic development initiatives (promoting existing businesses, strategic business sector outreach- as example supermarket needs within Fairview portion of the Town, etc.). Since the issuance of the RFQ and deadline of responses (March 27, 2020), economic conditions in the Town, region and country have taken an unprecedented downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As such, the Town of Greenburgh seeks to reissue the original RFQ with a supplement adding a component for services related to economic recovery. Consultants that responded to the initial RFQ, need only provide the supplemental information identified in the next section. Consultants interested that did not respond to the initial RFQ shall provide electronic (PDF) materials responsive to the March 3rd RFQ as well as the supplemental information that follows. Respondents are required to submit an electronic copy (PDF or flashdrive) to planning@greenburghny.com no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2020
If you have any questions, please call (914) 989-1538 or email planning@greenburghny.com
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WPCNR WEDNESDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. From the Governor’s Press Office. June 3, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced outdoor dining at restaurants will be permitted in phase two of reopening.
Restaurants in the seven regions that have already entered phase two – the Capital Region, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country, the Southern Tier and Western New York – can reopen for outdoor dining beginning tomorrow, June 4th.
Outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart, all staff must wear face coverings and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.
Governor Cuomo also announced that Erie County is now eligible to resume elective surgeries and ambulatory care. The Governor previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in counties and hospitals without significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term, and a total of 52 counties can now resume elective surgeries (4 counties do not have hospitals).
“COVID-19 is still a real threat and we’re still battling it. I know it’s not on the front pages today, but it is still in people and in society,” Governor Cuomo said. “But thanks to the people of New York and the nurses, doctors and essential workers, today we have the lowest number of hospitalizations ever and we have the lowest death toll ever. We are continuously evaluating activities that can be safely reopened, and today we are adding outdoor seating at restaurants to phase two.”
The Governor also confirmed 1,045 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 374,085 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 374,085 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
| County | Total Positive | New Positive |
| Albany | 1,920 | 20 |
| Allegany | 49 | 1 |
| Broome | 589 | 11 |
| Cattaraugus | 90 | 1 |
| Cayuga | 96 | 3 |
| Chautauqua | 89 | 3 |
| Chemung | 137 | 0 |
| Chenango | 133 | 0 |
| Clinton | 97 | 0 |
| Columbia | 399 | 8 |
| Cortland | 41 | 0 |
| Delaware | 82 | 0 |
| Dutchess | 3,951 | 15 |
| Erie | 6,234 | 61 |
| Essex | 38 | 0 |
| Franklin | 23 | 0 |
| Fulton | 213 | 1 |
| Genesee | 202 | 0 |
| Greene | 241 | 0 |
| Hamilton | 5 | 0 |
| Herkimer | 113 | 2 |
| Jefferson | 74 | 0 |
| Lewis | 20 | 0 |
| Livingston | 120 | 1 |
| Madison | 319 | 2 |
| Monroe | 3,048 | 59 |
| Montgomery | 94 | 1 |
| Nassau | 40,644 | 72 |
| Niagara | 1,067 | 19 |
| NYC | 204,872 | 495 |
| Oneida | 1,058 | 9 |
| Onondaga | 2,256 | 28 |
| Ontario | 215 | 6 |
| Orange | 10,460 | 11 |
| Orleans | 246 | 5 |
| Oswego | 112 | 2 |
| Otsego | 73 | 0 |
| Putnam | 1,264 | 2 |
| Rensselaer | 495 | 2 |
| Rockland | 13,259 | 36 |
| Saratoga | 489 | 5 |
| Schenectady | 701 | 5 |
| Schoharie | 51 | 0 |
| Schuyler | 12 | 0 |
| Seneca | 60 | 1 |
| St. Lawrence | 206 | 1 |
| Steuben | 243 | 1 |
| Suffolk | 40,062 | 82 |
| Sullivan | 1,393 | 1 |
| Tioga | 133 | 2 |
| Tompkins | 165 | 1 |
| Ulster | 1,701 | 5 |
| Warren | 256 | 1 |
| Washington | 238 | 1 |
| Wayne | 120 | 4 |
| Westchester | 33,691 | 58 |
| Wyoming | 87 | 1 |
| Yates | 39 | 0 |
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. June 2, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced Western New York is entering phase two of reopening today. The Capital Region is still on track to enter phase two of reopening tomorrow, June 3rd, and New York City is still on track to enter phase one of reopening on June 8th.
Governor Cuomo also announced that summer day camps statewide can open on June 29th. The state will make a decision on sleep-away camps in the coming weeks.
Governor Cuomo also issued an Executive Order allowing low-risk, outdoor recreational activities and businesses providing such activities to open in regions that have met the public health and safety metrics required for phase one.
“Today is day 94 of the COVID-19 pandemic and if you look at the progress we have made in New York, it’s breathtaking how far and how fast we’ve come,” Governor Cuomo said. “We have more good news today – the number of hospitalizations is down, the number of new COVID cases walking in the door is at an all-time low and the number of deaths is just about as low as we have seen it. As the numbers continue to decline, Western New York is now ready to begin phase two of reopening, and the Capital Region remains on track to open for phase two tomorrow.”
Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said, “As the next two regions in New York State have been given the green light to begin to move from phase 1 to phase 2 the State’s new early warning dashboard will help to mitigate any problems that arise. It is critical to continue to move forward based on data and New York State is doing just that.”
Dr. Samir Bhatt, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Geostatistics, The Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, said, “As the Western New York and Capital regions begin to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2, the State’s metrics provide a comprehensive view for tracking and controlling the disease. We will continue to monitor these data closely in order to make sure the next phase is implemented in a manner that balances public health and economic activity.”
The Governor also confirmed 1,329 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 373,040 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 373,040 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
| County | Total Positive | New Positive |
| Albany | 1,900 | 18 |
| Allegany | 48 | 0 |
| Broome | 578 | 4 |
| Cattaraugus | 89 | 0 |
| Cayuga | 93 | 1 |
| Chautauqua | 86 | 1 |
| Chemung | 137 | 0 |
| Chenango | 133 | 0 |
| Clinton | 97 | 1 |
| Columbia | 391 | 2 |
| Cortland | 41 | 0 |
| Delaware | 82 | 1 |
| Dutchess | 3,936 | 12 |
| Erie | 6,173 | 50 |
| Essex | 38 | 1 |
| Franklin | 23 | 0 |
| Fulton | 212 | 2 |
| Genesee | 202 | 0 |
| Greene | 241 | 2 |
| Hamilton | 5 | 0 |
| Herkimer | 111 | 2 |
| Jefferson | 74 | 0 |
| Lewis | 20 | 0 |
| Livingston | 119 | 0 |
| Madison | 317 | 1 |
| Monroe | 2,989 | 25 |
| Montgomery | 93 | 2 |
| Nassau | 40,572 | 93 |
| Niagara | 1,048 | 2 |
| NYC | 204,377 | 613 |
| Oneida | 1,049 | 13 |
| Onondaga | 2,228 | 31 |
| Ontario | 209 | 1 |
| Orange | 10,449 | 27 |
| Orleans | 241 | 5 |
| Oswego | 110 | 0 |
| Otsego | 73 | 1 |
| Putnam | 1,262 | 5 |
| Rensselaer | 493 | 1 |
| Rockland | 13,223 | 38 |
| Saratoga | 484 | 1 |
| Schenectady | 696 | 3 |
| Schoharie | 51 | 1 |
| Schuyler | 12 | 1 |
| Seneca | 59 | 0 |
| St. Lawrence | 205 | 0 |
| Steuben | 242 | 1 |
| Suffolk | 39,980 | 275 |
| Sullivan | 1,392 | 3 |
| Tioga | 131 | 1 |
| Tompkins | 164 | 0 |
| Ulster | 1,696 | 5 |
| Warren | 255 | 0 |
| Washington | 237 | 2 |
| Wayne | 116 | 0 |
| Westchester | 33,633 | 81 |
| Wyoming | 86 | 0 |
| Yates | 39 | 0 |
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. June 1, 2030:
Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced today the formation of the Westchester County Reopening Task Force – a group charged with working to find solutions to advance the interests of local businesses in a post-coronavirus economy.
Latimer said: “What we have here is a group of individuals who have served in a variety of capacities, to serve in this particular capacity, to help organize our efforts to reach out to the businesses of Westchester County and do everything we can to help them reopen as fast as possible and as successfully as possible.”
This task force will provide guidance to the County as it works through the four phases of reopening and help ensure that businesses in each phase have what they need to reopen safely and successfully.
The task force is co-chaired by Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, a former small business owner and past President, Rye Chamber of Commerce, and Louis Lanza, a restaurateur with businesses in Westchester County. Both bring deep expertise and broad connections which will enable the task force to maximize its impact.
Parker said: “I see this reopening task force as a unified voice for all different sectors of business in Westchester County with the ‘rock stars’ of those sectors. This will be a way to get Westchester back to where we were – and even better than before.”
Lanza said: “Restaurants are working ahead of the curve in getting ready everything they will need to do to open. We can do this safely. There are safe ways of running our businesses and once we get the go ahead, we can safely reopen and serve our customers.”
Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ben Boykin said: “This is an important challenge. We are in a place we have never been before and we must reopen in a more vibrant and smarter way so businesses can survive, grow and move to the next level.”
The task force will play a significant role in communicating out to the business and nonprofit communities, their colleagues and the organizations that they lead about guidelines and best practices as our region enters each stage of phased reopening. The task force will also establish working groups that will focus on each critical area such as health care, labor, hospitality, general business, etc. These working groups will allow for all Westchester business owners to have an opportunity to give input.
The first meeting of the Reopening Task Force will take place this Thursday at 10:00am via Webex and it anticipates meeting virtually going forward.
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New York State has established a temporary testing site for White Plains residents at Calvary Baptist Church. Parking is available in the church parking lot off of Post Road. Testing will be conducted this week only, Monday through Friday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and is free.
Both diagnostic and antibody testing are available, though not on the same day. You must make an appointment in order to be tested. Call 1-833-422-7369 to schedule an appointment and for any other questions you may have.
The most recent data provided by the county today indicates the cumulative number of people who have tested positive in White Plains since testing began is 1,743.
5 regions of the State (North Country, Finger Lakes, Central NY, Mohawk Valley, and Southern tier) have advanced to Phase 2 of reopening, with Western New York and the Capital District regions expected to follow on Wednesday.
We are scheduled to join them on June 8th as long as the Covid-19 data continues on the positive track we have established.
Phase 2, among other things, means haircuts and walk-in retail. Compliance levels in White Plains continue to be excellent overall, but I do want to remind everyone that masks are required inside public establishments and outside when it is likely you will be within 6 feet of others such as on the sidewalk or while on the running tracks.
The county estimates the number of active cases in White Plains to be 41. NYS makes additional statewide and county-by-county data available at covid19tracker.health.ny.gov.
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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. June 1. 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio today announced a citywide curfew in New York City will take effect beginning at 11 PM tonight and will be lifted at 5 AM tomorrow morning.
The Governor and the Mayor also announced that the New York City Police Department will double its police presence to help prevent violence and property damage. The additional officers will be deployed to areas where violence and property damage occurred during last night’s protests – specifically in lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.
The Governor and the Mayor also reminded New Yorkers participating in protests to take proper health precautions and wear face coverings while we continue to fight the COVID-19 virus.
“I stand behind the protestors and their message, but unfortunately there are people who are looking to distract and discredit this moment,” Governor Cuomo said.
“The violence and the looting has been bad for the city, the state and this entire national movement, undermining and distracting from this righteous cause. While we encourage people to protest peacefully and make their voices heard, the safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised.
Tonight the Mayor and I are implementing a citywide curfew starting at 11 PM and doubling the NYPD presence across the city.”
“I support and protect peaceful protest in this city. The demonstrations we’ve seen have been generally peaceful. We can’t let violence undermine the message of this moment. It is too important and the message must be heard. Tonight, to protect against violence and property damage, the Governor and I have decided to implement a citywide curfew,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“The Police Commissioner and I have spoken at length about the incidents we’ve all seen in recent days where officers didn’t uphold the values of this city or the NYPD. We agree on the need for swift action. He will speak later today on how officers will be held accountable.”
The Governor in a letter tonight said: ” Mayor de Blasio and I spoke today and agreed to implement the curfew. In addition, the NYPD will double its presence to help prevent violence and property damage. While we encourage people to protest peacefully, unfortunately, there are those who have exploited the protests as a cover for criminal activities. The safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised.
2. Be aware of the risk of COVID-19 at protests. The Health Commissioner and I are concerned that the large protests may increase the spread of COVID-19. While the right to protest peacefully is sacrosanct, I nevertheless urge all protesters to take precautions like wearing a mask or face covering if participating in a protest. It would be terrible for the progress we have made on this virus to be undone.
3. Two regions are expected to enter Phase 2 of reopening this week. Tomorrow Western New York is expected to enter Phase 2, followed by the Capital Region on Wednesday, June 3, pending a review of regional data by global public health experts.
4. We have the lowest rate of positive test results since the pandemic began. Yesterday the state performed 50,000 tests and only 941 people, or 2%, were positive. That is the lowest number yet of positive cases.
5. The total number of COVID hospitalizations is steadily declining. Total hospitalizations fell to 3,331, from 3,436 the day before. Yesterday, we had 183 new COVID hospitalizations. Sadly, 54 New Yorkers died of the virus — the lowest number since March.
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From Westchester County District Attorney June 1. 2020:
District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced Brandon Williams of White Plains was arraigned Saturday, May 30, 2020, and charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Deron Strange.
Specifically, Williams appeared in Westchester County Court Emergency Part via video conference before Judge Jo Ann Friia. The charge is Murder in the Second Degree, a class B violent felony. He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to return to court June 4, 2020.
Background:
On Wednesday night, 34-year-old Deron Strange, a man from White Plains, was shot shortly before midnight at a housing complex on Martin Luther King Boulevard, Jr. Blvd. in White Plains. He later died at White Plains Hospital. Following an intensive investigation to track down the defendant, with the aid of the FBI Violent Felony Task Force, White Plains Police arrested Brandon Williams Friday night at a hotel in Harrison. He was arraigned Saturday. The investigation continues.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez of the Superior Court Trial Division is prosecuting the homicide.
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| WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2020. From Catherine Parker Campaign. May 31, 2020: |
| Back in March, I put my campaign to represent New York’s 17th Congressional District on hold as the full breadth of the Covid-19 pandemic became apparent. The race is expensive, and I could just not justify asking donors for more money in the midst of a health and economic disaster. In the last 10 weeks I have been immersed in a crash course on how our world is changing. As a County Legislator in Westchester’s 7th District my days are consumed with a procession of new and unique problems, some dealing with county finances and services, others revolving around the day-to-day troubles of constituents whose lives and businesses have been upended. As we approach the final month of the New York Primary campaign I have decided to make the March “pause” permanent: I am officially suspending my campaign operation. I understand that my name is still on the ballot but I cannot justify the time and expense of this political fight at this moment in history. There is a lot of money already in this race and I simply will not run about hat-in-hand when I’ve discovered I have something to give instead. I am honored that County Executive George Latimer has offered me the opportunity to co-chair Westchester’s new Pandemic Reopening Task Force. This crisis has been an education for me and I am grateful for the opportunity to put the lessons to work immediately. |
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WPCNR SUNDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey May 31, 2020:
Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed what he called “a long and ugly night” of protests, demonstrations in New York and across the nation.
After reporting that Covid-19 deaths yesterday in New York State had dropped to 49 overnight and that 6 weeks ago the number of Covid new hospitalizations stood at 3,400 that day and now as of today there were just 191, he said,
“It was we the people we did it in just weeks. Use this moment. We controlled it.”
He urged New Yorkers and protesters to focus “on the change we want.”
He said going forward protesters, to honor the memory of George Floyd the first change must be that allegations against police cannot be investigated by local prosecutors, instead the charges must be investigated by an independent prosecutor.
Second priority, is to make it a law that past records of police officers must be made public in any investigation of officer conduct.
Third priority, the governor laid out was “there is no excuse for anyone to live in poverty.” He also argued every public school should provide the same level of funding for each child so there are not two education systems – one for the rich and one for the poor.
He encouraged protestors to keep working for these goals without violence to anyone or destruction of property.
He said the way they do that is by putting pressure on their representatives, “or vote them out.”
“That’s how this moment becomes a historic moment.”
He said, the follow through after the murder of Mr. Floyd, whom he described as not violent in any way in the Minneapolis arrest sequence resulting in his death which ignited the protests the last three days, he hoped would be recognized “as a time when we were different. It was a historic moment and we united in better things.”
“It takes political will, ” the Governor said. “Be specific in things you want.”
In the Question and Answer media interlude, the Governor said he was deploying national guard to Rochester and have state troopers on standby in other parts of the state. He said he expects more protest activity this evening.
The Governor deployed additional State Police officers to Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany in advance of planned protests in those cities. State Police are at the ready to help any other municipalities in need and the National Guard is on standby.
He said he advised Mayor William DeBlasio of New York City and the police Commissioner that if the state Attorney General investigation of police conduct in the demonstrations in Brooklyn the last three nights found the need for charges, the inviduals would be “held accountable.” The governor said he found some of the incidents he viewed of the demonstrations he found “inexplicable.”