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 STAGE DOOR. First Rushes Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. February 1, 2020 UPDATED February 4, 2020:

Pull out that sequined dress hiding in the back of your closet, Brenda Starr, get your carrottop  done up nice, slip on those seamed silk stockings,paint your nails, bring your elblow-length white gloves cigarette holder, and order up that Gibson before dinner, we’re taking a yellow cab uptown tonight  to see the new Toasts  of Westchester Broadway Theatre, Five Guys Named Moe who charmed, chortled, hoofered and flew across the stage at last night injecting more “happy” into  the opening night audience as I’ve never seen.

I’m telling you, Broadway Baby, this show was meant for you and me.

The Five Guys Named Moe opened Friday, shocking the usual hipsters, and got them up, moving , shifting shoulders, to the high energy boogies, swings, and syncopated rhythms, sashaying their hips in their seats to the unbelievably hot and involving performance  of  5 Fred Astaires with attitude.

They are Quentin Avery Brown as Eat Moe, Tyler Johnson Campion as No Moe, Douglas Lyons the Four-Eyed Moe(he wears glasses), Tony Perry as Big Moe and Isaiah Reynolds the fantastic Tap-Dancing Man that roused a sponteous cascade of clapping as he set the old WBT Boards on fire in the spectacular Club FB Finale.

I tell you my redheaded baby, they dance and sing the roof off the old Elmsford Palace turning back the hands of time when stepping out meant elegance, feeling good about yourself, feeling good about the music you were hearing sung and played by musicians and singing, strutting elegant men who put the glide back in your stride and brings your swagger back into the men and the swing and sway back to a woman’s hips –sure as you’ll lose your blues in Chicago you’ll get happy and take that frown off your face, smiling ear-to-ear as you exit the WBT canopy into the night.

(The previous one- sentence lasting eight lines gives you an idea of the extended song-and-dance numbers this show delivers–one payload of joy after another by a new fab five song-and-dance team — look for the elegant white jackets –and they never break a sweat.)

And kudos to Napolean M. Douglas as the broken hearted No Max for his silky baritone on the wonderful Early In the Morning blues. Man, I know just how he feels.

The Club Sextet — 5 guys are brought back from a once and distant time, start with just the right blues notes from Trumpetman Brian Uhl; the sophisticated Dorsey sound of Steve Bleifuss on “The Bone”; John Daniels Musical Director/Ivories man who makes every key he touches talk to you. Jim Briggs seduces you on mellow saxophone Dave Dunaway Bass and Jay Mack on skins pump the beats and tender the melancholy (of which there is not much) that make these extremely human songs of Louis Jordan and composers of the cafe society era get into you an make you feel –the joy and the emotions in every aspect.

Howl at their dead-on imitation of chickens in Nobody Here But Us Chickens. sing along with them on the calypso number Push Ka Pi Shi Pie. Ride a train with their excellent choreographed Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie. You get to sing with the Moes on the husband wife song, Caledonia. (How Come Your Hard Head’s So Big)

Oh, what a night, we’re going to have, my Broadway Baby.  

It’s the hottest show you will see north of Broadway South. How do these master performers from a once and distant time come back. How they come back is a shocking only-in-the-theatre moment of suspended disbelieve. They come back as five splendidly dressed genis to help No Max get over a woman.

They give him advice on every number. Audience — take their advice they teach every man about a woman, and every woman about a man. The titles of the songs say it all: Beware, Brother, Beware, Look Out Sister, Safe, Sane and Single, What’s the Use of Getting Sober, when I’ll Only Get Drunk Again.

The crowd rose to their feet and delivered a standing to the hardest working men in showbusiness.

It’s great Valentine’s Day gift and yours truly would not steer you wrong. Just had to get this hot tip out. The only thing that’s missing are souvenir matches to take home at this spectacular timely show.

Thank you Moes, and Bill Stutler and Bob funking the impresarios for giving us the show we needed, the country needs at just the right time.

Thanks we needed that!

The place is going to be mobbed, or “Moe-d” to be precise, because it only runs for one month call the maitre d’ and he will try to get you a top table with. Call 914-592-2222 or go to the secret website, www.BroadwayTheatre.com and reserve early.

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WPCNR HEALTH ADVISORY. From Westchester County Department of Health. January 31, 2020:

Responding to questions from the public and media, the Westchester County Department of Health wants to reassure residents that there are no known cases of the novel coronavirus in Westchester and the risk to the general public remains low.

There are seven types of coronaviruses. Most cause respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold, with mild to moderate illness, such as coronaviruses 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1. These four types of coronavirus are quite common and not worrisome. Only SARS, MERS and novel coronavirus frequently cause severe illness.

It is important to know that if there were a case, residents would hear about it from the County Health Department. Testing for this new type of coronavirus cannot be performed without the cooperation of both the County and State Department of Health, and both departments would be involved in notifying the public and limiting the spread of the illness.

With this new coronavirus now declared a public health emergency of international concern, it is understandable that residents may be wary. However, there is no reason for people without symptoms to stay home from work or school, or to cancel events.

As always, the best way to avoid viruses during cold and flu season is:

o   Avoid exposure – Avoid close contact with people who are sick with fever and cough.

o   Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

o   Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

o   Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.

o   If someone in your home is sick, clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces such as door knobs and faucet handles with a bleach solution. This is especially helpful during flu season, and any time.

o   And of course, get a flu shot if you have not already done so.

o   Stay home when you are ill to avoid exposing others.

For more information about novel coronavirus, go towww.westchestergov.com/health.

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1.   Why he is running

 Do you think New York State is heading in the right direction? Is Westchester County and the 93^rd Assembly District heading in the right direction?

SHOULD state Medicaid budget should be cut?

 Should state audit hospitals to discover abuses of Medicaid billing and possible price fixing?

  Should state fund county infrastructure repairs to roads and bridges the counties?

 Should School Aid be shifted to poor performing districts from althy better performing districts?

What is your position on the new bail law?

Should marijuana be made legal

Should we support continued cooperative energy purchases where towns and cities

 Should Energy price increases be limited to the consumer price index,

How should we lure business into Westchester?

What should be the priorities for the 93rd District?

How should New York State Government reorder its priorities?

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey January 27, 2020 UPDATED JANUARY 28, 2020:

Mayor Thomas Roach, the solar pioneer in Westchester County, announced to the Common Council at their work session Monday evening an agreement with Distributed Solar Projects LLC, a spinoff company of General Electric Solar for installation of solar panels on 8 city-owned buildings and facilities.

The city released details on the agreement Tuesday morning. The agreement, pending Common Council approval is for 26 years with payments to the city of $960,000 per year, a total of $25 Million over the life of the agreement. The panels are installed by Distributed Solar Projects at no cost to the city. All eight installations are expected to be completed in March, 2021. The annual fee paid to the city will be used to “advance additional sustainability initiatives, facilities and infrastructure in the city.” Distributed Solar Projects pays for all maintenance of the facility.

WPCNR believes this is the first such municipal solar panel site lease of city-owned property in the county. The Mayor introduced the historic deal, completed in about one year this way:

The Mayor introduced Commissioner of Public Works Richard Hart who explained the process by which the properties were selected:

Mayor Roach added that the city has another program that is reaching out to commercial property owners who might wish to include solar panels on the roofs of their properties.

In a news release from the Mayor’s office, the city reported

“The community solar model produces solar energy that goes back to the grid and allows residents who enroll in the program to receive a credit on their bill every month. This program is expected to generate approximately 6 megawatts of power annually which is enough energy to power 4,800 homes per year. This equates to a reduction of 46,400 tons of carbon dioxide which is equivalent to removing 8,900 passenger cars from the road.”

Mayor Roach issued this statement: “As most people have come to recognize, we are in a climate crisis. It is incumbent on all of us to do what we can to reduce our reliance on carbon-based fuels. I am pleased to see the solar program move forward. It is the culmination of hard work on the part of our staff and a commitment on the part of our administration to institute a program that is not only environmentally beneficial, provides a community benefit to the taxpayers as well.”

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. January 27, 2020 UPDATED JANUARY 28, 2019 :

At Common Council Work Session Monday evening, WP Development NB LLC owners of the 52 North Broadway (the former Good Counsel property) announced the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has according to the White Plains City Consultants stated the controversial landfill on the property posed no threat to residents based on DEC rulings on the landfill conditions.

This finding clears the way for further consideration of the development by the Common Council of a zoning change for mixed use of the property reducing the scope of the original proposal, presented by WP Development NB Development Monday.

WPCNR notes that should the Common Council of White Plains eventually approve the new proposed site plan and any subsequent variations, the final Council- approved site plan would be subject to final review by the DEC.

The developer’s new plan significantly lowers the heights of the proposed buildings; extends the bucolic ambiance of the property fronting North Broadway; introduces 28 town houses split between the Ross Street southern border of the property and the northern border of the property; lowers the heights of what will now be workforce housing at the rear of the property;proposes an assisted living facility on the southeast section of the property, site of the previously controversial landfill

Traffic flow has been rerouted to be primarily circular through the properly eliminating entrances from Ross Street.

The proposal will now go to the Common Council for further consideration.

Councilman Justin Brash suggested that though capacities of the proposed buildings and heights were lowered there would still be almost the same number of residents in habiting the new design as the original plan proposed.

Spokesperson for the developer, William Null, noted that assisted living units were not counted the same in resident impact in state calculations.

Council President Nadine Hunt-Robinson cautioned that though the major residential component was workforce housing, She said that the city regulation of 50% affordable housing for any new residential rental development should be a consideration.

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