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MAIL FOR YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT APLICATION NOW TO VOTE IN JUNE 23 PRIMARY FOR NY ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 97 AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 17
LETTER FROM MAYOR ROACH–WEAR MASKS VISITING STORES, BUSINESSES/
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. APRIL 15, 2020:
I have issued a new emergency declaration that requires individuals to wear a face covering when working at, visiting, or patronizing a business in the city of White Plains.
The face covering does not have to be a mask but must cover your nose and mouth. The use of face coverings does not change the social distancing requirements but rather is intended to augment them. Details are available on our website.
If you have recovered from the coronavirus, you are encouraged to donate your plasma. Please see the NY blood center’s website at: https://nybc.org to fill out the donor request form. The demand is high and you may save a life.
RideConnect of Family Services of Westchester has set up a shopping program for older adults to help keep them safely at home. Volunteers get a client’s grocery list, do the shopping and drop the groceries off at the client. If you need help shopping for groceries or medications, call them at (914) 242-7433.
Remember we are standing together by staying apart!
Letter from the Governor
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. April 15, 2020:
| April 14, 2020. Remember: Our actions determine our destiny. This virus spreads in ways we now understand via person-to-person transmission that can be airborne. We know that we can actively prevent its spread by staying home, by wearing face coverings when we are out of the house and by standing six feet away from others in public. New Yorkers should be proud that we have flattened the curve and we are continuing to do so every day. But this is far from over: The moment we become lax, the virus will take advantage. We must stay the course. Here’s what else you need to know tonight: 1. Some positive news — and some terrible news. For the first time since we began recording the data, the total number of hospitalizations has dipped down in New York State. We also saw a drop in the number of intubations for the second day in a row. That’s the good news; it shows that what we are doing is working. But the tragic news is that we lost 778 New Yorkers to this virus yesterday(Monday). The number of daily fatalities has been essentially flat — but at a horrifying rate. We mourn every New Yorker we’ve lost. 2. I am calling for a fair federal stimulus bill for New York. Congress must appropriate an additional $500 billion specifically for states and territories to meet the states’ budgetary shortfalls that have resulted from the unprecedented public health crisis. In the absence of this, states will have to confront the prospect of significant reductions to critical services, hampering public health and the economic recovery. 3. Due to Coronavirus, there is a shortage of blood and blood donations are desperately needed. New York State is working with blood banks to ensure safe social distancing protocols are being followed. Learn how and where you can donate at ny.gov/donateblood. 4. Other ways you can help. In addition to giving blood, there are many ways New Yorkers can help with the state’s coronavirus response, from donating goods and services to contributing to the state’s First Responders Fund to volunteering. And you can continue to help us just by social distancing and acting responsibly. Learn more here. Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: In order to liven up mundane chores, people around the world are finding some levity by dressing up while taking out the trash. From wearing unicorn costumes to wedding dresses, people are getting creative to make social distancing a bit more uplifting. If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here. Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo |
LAST NIGHT, THE RMS TITANIC STRUCK AN ICEBERG AT 11:40 PM. 2-1/2 HOURS LATER SHE SANK, DROWNING 1,500 PASSENGERS. 108 YEARS AGO
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WPCNR MILESTONES. By John F. Bailey. April 14-15, 2020.
She began her voyage, four days ago, 108 years ago, April 10, 1912.
She carried over 2,200 passengers and crew and was the largest ocean liner of her time ever built.
They were the rich and famous, the poor and hopeful.
She was guaranteed unsinkable.
Her owners, the White Star Line, wanted to set a new speed record for crossing the Atlantic.
Her captain had been warned their northerly course would take it through an iceberg field.
On April 13, a Saturday evening, 108 years ago, sailing under a crisp clear,calm starlit sky at 11:40 PM after an evening of partying aboard ship, prior to arrival in New York on Sunday, the ship sideswiped an iceberg.
She was the Titanic.
She was the ship of dreams.
Today, she is the ship of nightmares as her hundreds of passengers from all walks of life perished together in the ruthless sea. The cold fateful, unforgiving frigid indifferent eternity of the sea.
The Titanic’s fate was a lesson that changed maritime laws.
Two and a half hours after the iceberg collision the Titantic sank at 2:20 A.M., early the morning of April 15, (this morning) on that night to remember.
This is an excerpt from the testimony of a survivor, Emily Maria Borie Ryerson watching from a lifeboat desperately trying to row away from the suction of the sinking ship, at the 1912 U.S. Senate SubCommittee Hearing on the Titanic sinking:
“The order was given to pull away. Then they rowed off—the sailors, the women, anyone – but made little progress; there was a confusion of orders; we rowed toward the stern, someone shouted something about a gangway, and no one seemed to know what to do. Barrels and (deck) chairs were being thrown overboard.
“Then suddenly, when we (in the lifeboat) still seemed very near, we saw the ship was sinking rapidly. I was still in the bow of the boat with my daughter and turned to see the great ship take a plunge toward the bow, the two forward funnels seemed to lean and then she seemed to break in half as if cut with a knife, and as the bow went under, the lights went out; the stern stood up for several minutes, black against the stars, and then that, too, plunged down and there was no sound for what seemed like hours, and then began the cries for help of people drowning all around us, which seemed to go on forever.”
Dorothy Gibson, the silent screen actress and survivor – from her testimony before the committee—observed from a lifeboat– in an excerpt from her testimony before the same committee, said:
“Suddenly there was a wild coming together of voices from the direction of the ship of the ship and we noticed an unusual commotion among the people huddled about the railing. Then the awful thing happened, the thing that will remain in my memory until the day I die.
The Titanic seemed to lurch slightly more to the side and then the fore. A minute, or probably two minutes, later she sank her nose into the ocean, swayed for a few minutes and disappeared, leaving nothing behind her on the face of the sea but a swirl of water, bobbing heads and lifeboats that were threatened by the suction of the waters.”
The Titanic’s fate was traced to the negligence and reckless disregard of the risk of sailing at 22 knots through an icefield, and 16 lifeboats for 2,200 persons, insufficient number of lifeboats.
And in recent years, analysis of the hull plates recovered from the wreck of the ship on the ocean floor indicated a faulty, economical brittle bolt selection in constructing the hull.
The White Star Line owner J. Bruce Ismay, onboard that night, callously saved his own life by slipping into a lifeboat.
Ismay in a statement, denied telling the Captain of the Titanic to set a new speed record and denied telling the Captain to increase the ship speed in the ice field region. Also said he just happened to be near a lifeboat about to be lowered and no more women and children around to board, and that was why he got into the lifeboat.
So much for corporate responsibility and guilt of any kind, even then.
Not much has changed in corporate world over the decades since this night and morning to remember.
2 County Police Officers Rescue Woman from Submerged Car in Macy Park
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Pulled from her vehicle after it entered the water
WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From Westchester County Police. April 14, 2020:
A Westchester County Police sergeant jumped into frigid waters today to rescue a woman whose car drove into Woodlands Lake at V.E. Macy Park in Irvington.
Sgt. Jeff Slotoroff swam out to the vehicle, reached in through a partially opened window to unlock the driver’s side door, and was able to force it open enough to remove the woman from the car.
As he swam back toward shore holding the woman, Captain James Luciano tied a rescue rope around his waist, entered the lake and was able to take over bringing the victim to safety as other officers on land held the rope to stabilize them.
The incident began about 9:30 a.m. when County Police received 911 calls reporting that a vehicle had driven into Woodlands Lake.
The woman, who remained conscious during the incident, was taken by ambulance to Westchester Medical Center for treatment. County Police are investigating what caused her car to go into the lake.
“Sgt. Slotoroff and Captain Luciano put themselves in harm’s way to rescue this driver. I commend them for their skillful and courageous actions,” Public Safety Commissioner Thomas A. Gleason said.
An Ardsley police officer and a woman who was riding her bike in the park also entered the water in the effort to rescue the woman. Gleason thanked them along with fire and EMS personnel that responded to the scene.
Woodlands Lake, which is fed by the Saw Mill River, is usually about 5 feet deep but was likely higher and more turbulent as a result of yesterday’s significant rainfall.
Members of the County Police Emergency Service Unit also responded, searched the vehicle to ensure no one else was inside it and secured it before it became fully submerged. The vehicle will be removed from the lake this afternoon
“I WILL NOT FIGHT WITH THE PRESIDENT. I WILL FIGHT TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK STATE. WE ARE AT THE APEX, ON THE PLATEAU.”
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BIDDING WAR OVER NEW TEST BUYING. URGES FEMA TO TAKE OVER.
WPCNR GOVERNOR CUOMO BRIEFING REPORT. By John F. Bailey. April 14, 2020:
Governor Andrew Cumo addressed the difference of opinion between him and President Donald Trump in the daily briefing this morning in Albany over presidential powers.
He said the matter of bringing back state economies is too big a matter to pick a fight over. He said four times in the conference “I will not fight with the President.”
Governor Cuomo also said, “I will fight to protect the citizens of New York State.
The governor announced 778 New York residents died yesterday from the corona virus bringing the state total to 10,884 since the epidemic began 44 days ago.
In discussing the plan for recovery for the New York metropolitan area, the Governor said the figures from yesterday continue to show the state has reached the apex and is continuing in a plateau of the progress of the disease.
Positive indicators, he said continued to hold up the state analysis. The net hospitalizans curve is down. The number of new corona virus hospitalizations yesterday was 1,649. The net hospitalizations yesterday were down. The new incubations(putting patients on ventilators) was at an all-time low.
In the news conference “Q & A,” the governor said he saw the same kind of bidding war developing in New York competing with other states to purchase tests, because only a handful of testing companies make tests, and the kind of tests New York State wants, (tests with 95% accuracy). The governor urged the government to step and purchase the tests and distribute.
“Don’t replicate the 50-state pandemonium in purchasing medical equipment in purchasing tests in an EBAY bidding war,” the governor warned. Governor Cuomo said in order to open up New York City and the metropolitan area there has to be a lot of tests done as people return to work, as just one of the problems in reopening that has to be addressed.
Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, Community Mental Health Commissioner Michael Orth host Facebook LIVE:”Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic” Today, 11:00 a.m. Link: https://www.facebook.com/westchestergov/
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HEARING ON COUNTY TAX LATE FILING LEGISLATION NOT REQUIRING LATE FEES THROUGH JULY 15 TONIGHT-ATTEND BY PHONE
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From County Board of Legislators. April 14, 2020:
Pursuant to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.15, the Board of Legislators has established a special phone-in procedure for the public hearing scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, on a proposed relief measure for property taxpayers.
The public may participate in the hearing by phone. Participants can register to speak by 3 p.m. by calling the Clerk of Board at 914-995-4604 or sending an email to BOLpublichearingcomments@westchestergov.com. Hearing participants will call 914-995-2800 after the public hearing is opened at 7:30 p.m. We expect public comments to be heard until 8 p.m.
The proposed measure would provide relief for Westchester property taxpayers this year because of the coronavirus epidemic.
The measure, whose details were suggested by a consortium of Town Supervisors, will give Towns the authority to reduce penalties for late payments of County and Town taxes and County district taxes, through July 15.
It is designed to provide relief to property taxpayers while giving Towns a tool they can fairly and uniformly apply, without requiring an application by taxpayers or an administrative process of evaluating individual hardship claims.
Town and County property taxes and assessments are due April 30.
Under the proposed measure, penalties for late payments from May 1-May 31 would be reduced from two percent to one-half percent. For taxes paid from June 1 through July 15, penalties would be reduced from five percent to one percent.
Towns will have the ability to opt out of the program if they choose.
The County law would not apply to Westchester’s cities which have their own authority to set rates and do not need a change in County law to adjust penalties.
The public may also submit written comment after the hearing is opened. Responses to the public hearing may be emailed toBOLpublichearingcomments@westchestergov.com or sent by mail ATTN: Clerk of the Board of Legislators, 148 Martine Ave., 8th Floor, White Plains, NY 10601. Written comments may be submitted up until by 5 p.m. Friday, April 17.
The hearing is on the matter of RES-2020-36: PH-Amending Westchester County Tax Law — A “LOCAL LAW amending Chapter 283 of the Laws of Westchester County relating to the Westchester County Tax Law.” Local Law Intro 12598- 2020.
For details see the agenda of the April 14 meeting at:https://westchestercountyny.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=5701
All Board meetings are streamed live on our website, Westchesterlegislators.com.
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WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE APRIL 13 PROGRAM UPDATED REFLECTING WEEKEND CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS at
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www.wpcommunitymedia.org (Scroll down the “Video Wall” to WHITE PLAINS WEEK
6 GOVERNORS NED LAMONT OF CT, JOHN CARNEY OF DE, PHILIP MURPHY,NJ, ANDREW CUOMO OF NY, TOM WOLF OF PA, GINA RAIMONDO OF R.I. AGREE TO CREATE STATE REOPENING PLANS IN A WEEK THEN COORDINATE. MASSACHUSETTS JOINS TASK FORCE.
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GOVERNORS ON SAME PAGE: HEALTH RECOVERY PRIORITY BEFORE ECONOMIC RESTART
WPCNR RECOVERY REPORT. By John F. Bailey. April 13, 2020:
Seven Governors of the northeastern states hardest hit by coronavirus infections agreed this afternoon to work together with three state experts from each of their states to develop a cohesive plan to reopen their states.
Late this afternoon, Governor Cumo’s office announced Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker had joined the group, commenting, “The Baker-Polito Administration looks forward to participating in discussions with neighboring states and experts regarding the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Massachusetts also remains focused on efforts to expand testing, ensure hospital capacity and provide the necessary PPE to those on the front lines to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
All agreed recovery would depend on the state of the health of their states the primary priority before they open businesses to resuscitate their state economies.
The first step will be for each Governor to appoint a three person task force of state Chief of Staff, Economic officer and state Health officer to develop an individual state plan within a week and then the plan requirements by state would be formulated into one plan taking into account the interaction of the five adjacent states.
Three governors already had their staffs selected: Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York.
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York hosted the teleconference. Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor John Carney of Delaware, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Tom Wolfe of Pennsylvania and Governor Gina Raimomdo of Rhode Island attended the news conference via telephone Each agreed that, since not all were at a point where their states were at plateau stage of the coronavirus spread, that public health was the primary factor.
The task force of 18 experts who will be formulating each individual state reopening plan sequence will compare plans and adjust them in discussion with the six governors, beginning within a week.
Governor Cuomo expressed that Pennsylvania’s Governor Wolf’s comment that the coordinated plan had another mission to restore the sense of hope that has been devastated the dreams and hopes of thousands as a secondary collective catastrophe of the coronavirus.