THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 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)

AMTRACKING AUTUMN: THE MONTREAL TO NEW YORK “ADIRONDACK” HIGH BALLING THROUGH THE HEIGHT OF AUTUMN ON THE HUDSON

Posted on November 5, 2023 by John Bailey

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU…”

Posted on November 5, 2023 by John Bailey

THE MAN WHO TURNED SCAMS INTO HAPPY ENDINGS–ARNOLD DIAZ

HE JUST WANTED TO HELP. HE DID!

WPCNR ON THE BEAT. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. November 5, 2023:

The WCBS2 Shame on You started when I was just of college.

They had cinema verite’ reality, before we knew that’s what we were seeing.

There was the dashing mustashed reporter with microphone with the CBS2Eye on the end, knocki, knock knocking on the office door of a corporate cheat or a boiler room scammer, with a video cameraman on his heels behind him, camera jiggling portraying tense, anything-can-happen action.

I would watch him ambush a business owner, or an executive who had done a person wrong, with this intrepid young man with the black moustache (looking like Boston Blackie) all business knocking on the door like the police would do in tv dramas a few years later.

“Channel 2 News, we want to talk to…”

No response. The video camera behind Diaz would come in closer, jiggling for drama. It was like nothing on TV that had ever been seen. A reporter getting into a story with passion, intensity. Relentless.

Mr. Diaz would knock louder, camera showing him up close knocking incessantly

“Sir, this is Arnold Diaz, of Channel 2 Shame on You can you explain these undelivered products people are complaining to us.”

‘Go away you (BEEP BIPITY BEEP) We’re not talking.”

“We want you to explain these complaints. Otherwise we talk about it tonight on Shame on You Channel 2 News.”

On the segment if there was no explanation, or the target ducked ducked, ducked–Mr. Diaz would interview complaining victims, many of whom got their money back or got their bureaucratic problem straightened out.

Inevitably the corporate baron or bungling goverment offical, would open the posh door or shabby hole in the wall some hiding their faces and Mr. Diaz, gaining entry with video tape rolling following the action, and viewers saw the cheater, conman, or fraud artist squirm or not answer questions. Other times Diaz would chase the target down the street.

I do not know the news director of CBS2 who had the courage to introduce the Diaz reports. Diaz came to The Big Apple, joining WCBS 2 in 1973. His first job was at WPLG Miami and moved to CBS in 1973.

Arnold Diaz, this young intrepid fearless reporter who knew not awaited him behind the door if it was opened, and a lot did….being spitted upon, shoved and threatened with gun in a gold seller’s office, as The Times relates, as he told Richard Sandomir in Mr. Sandomir’s obituary of the intrepid Mr. Diaz.

His reports inspired many young people to become reporters showed them why reporting was needed and more reporters – including me.

When I graduated college I got a job delivering papers for the Long Islander in Huntington NY, and the editor there, Gerald Lyons, gave me a chance to do reporting. Six months later I started at WMAL ABC in Washington in an intern program, preparing news film, but left the program due to the realization that the traininf was going nowhere. Trainees were not regularly hired there so I returned to New York, and wrote myself into a copywriting job at Prentice-Hall and stayed in advertising for 33 years.

But I remembered the excitement of news. Mr. Diaz reports that made a difference in people’s lives because of his dogged reporting and research.

I also remember my first editor, the white-haired Gerald Lyons in his rumpled wool sweater white shirt and loose tie saying to me when I informed I’d be going to Washington to the television news job, he congratulated me and, said, “Well, don’t go too far away from news writing.”

He knew me better than I knew myself. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to know thyself.

It is the people who stay with the story, follow up, don’t quit, and editors that don’t quit pushing the reporters for more, and of course great performers like Arnold Diaz, who always set things right and as Mr. Diaz said in Mr. Sandomir’s obituary, “I’ve been lucky to have had a dream job, standing up for the little guy, sticking it to the bad guys.”

I believe he started investigative consumer reporting.

But there was nobody better than Arnold Diaz

He won 48 Emmy Awards.

When I departed freelance copywriting, I noticed that the national media was not covering the protests at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, in 1999, (the anniversary of which is coming up November 30).

The networks were ignoring the protests outside the arena it was held at in Seattle. But the internet was showing the protests forcing the networks to finally cover the violence.

I got to wondering why there was not more news coverage of White Plains in the chain paper that put out one edition for all cities in the county.

The newsman long buried in my underused mind emerged and I started the White Plains CitizeNetReporter 23 years ago.

So thank you Arnold Diaz and Gerald Lyons for your inspiration. Mr. Diaz for his reports that made a difference every time he did them, and Mr. Lyons who told me to stay with news 55 years ago.

Congressman Bowman of the 16th District Gives update on the Israeli-Gaza War

Posted on November 4, 2023 by John Bailey

Dear Neighbor,

As my team and I continue to monitor the unfolding events in Israel and Palestine as well as the rise in antisemitism and hate here, I wanted to share some updates with you on Congress’ response – and to reaffirm my belief in centering compassion and our shared humanity as we consider policies to address the tragic loss of precious lives and do everything in our power to bring peace and de-escalation to violence.

First of all, I want to offer my profound thanks to the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for meeting with me today. I am in awe of their strength and courage and their willingness to share their stories with me. I will continue to push for the safe return of the hostages and make sure their stories are heard.

The profound fear and trauma from the events of October 7th in Israel are deep and shocking. I hear daily from our Jewish neighbors about the enormous impact it has made. Our office is hosting a series of roundtables for those impacted and to process the events and work together toward solutions, even if we all cannot agree. Please register here if you’d like to attend a Healing Breakfast specifically discussing antisemitism and protecting our Jewish neighbors that we are hosting on Monday November 6th at 11AM. Location will be provided upon registration. Please be on the lookout for more events that will bring our communities together in the face of extreme violence and hate.

I recognize that the attacks by Israel on Gaza did not occur in a vacuum. They were triggered by the atrocities of Oct 7: the murder by Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, of 1400 civilians and the kidnapping of over 240 people including children and the elderly. I believe that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas and to do everything in its power to ensure the safe return of all the hostages that have been taken into Gaza. I further understand that a military response by Israel is made more difficult by the fact that Hamas, in violation of international law, places its military infrastructure in civilian locations including hospitals and schools.

The deaths of Palestinian children and other innocent civilians in Gaza is now numbering in the thousands and is continuing at a horrific rate. As a result, I have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza because every life is precious. This must also include a release of the hostages.

Still, Israel does not have the right to respond to Hamas’ war crimes with war crimes of its own: by cutting off food, water and energy to civilians or by disproportionately killing non combatants. That is what I believe is happening now and why a cease fire is imperative.

But a ceasefire is needed for an additional reason: to face the root causes of the conflict. As horrific as Oct 7 was, those events also did not occur in vacuum. Palestinians have for decades suffered under a brutal stifling military occupation in the West Bank that have deprived Palestinians of civil rights and under policies that have allowed for the systematic annexation of Palestinian land. The blockade of Gaza has ensured a life of massive unemployment and poverty for Gazans for decades. It is these conditions that have allowed Hamas to maintain its authoritarian grip on Gazans and ultimately commit the heinous crimes of Oct 7. The cycle of violence will not end until these unjust realities are addressed and Palestinians have their own state. It is imperative that we cease the fighting now so that the root causes of the conflict can be addressed in a real and meaningful way.

With that said, we must do everything in our power to return to peacekeeping and commitment to creating a two state solution. This is the way that both Israeli and Palestinians can have true safety, security, and self determination.

Votes taken this week:

The House voted on H.R. 6126, providing military funding to Israel while undoing the IRS program intended to catch tax cheats. 194 of my Democratic colleagues voted against this legislation and I submitted an amendment to the bill that would require a detailed assessment of the Israeli government’s compliance with international law, and a certification that none of our support or training is being used to commit human rights violations, in accordance with U.S. law. As always, we have a responsibility to support our constituents, uphold human rights, and protect innocent civilians.

Republicans also brought a resolution to the floor, H. Res. 798, related to student conversations and protests on the ongoing conflict. While I agree with the thrust of the resolution that antisemitism is a major issue on college campuses, we are unable to support this resolution. As it is currently written, the resolution falsely implies that certain instances of antisemitism have gone unchallenged by university administrations, and its attack on Brandeis students is inaccurate and will be harmful to a number of Jewish students. I was pleased to see Senator Rosen and Blackburn’s resolution condemning antisemitism on college campuses last week, and we wish the drafters of H. Res. 798 had followed their example. Let me be very clear: I strongly condemn hatred, antisemitism and I will continue to do everything I can to combat hatred and harassment at schools across the country.

Lastly, earlier this week we voted on H.R. 340, which puts restrictions on funding sent to the Middle East. I absolutely support robust efforts to cut off financing from Hamas. They must be defeated through counter terrorist methods while keeping civilians safe. However, Republicans removed a humanitarian aid exemption from the bill that would have protected innocent Palestinian civilians’ access to food, water, and medicine. To make it worse, on the floor of the House, the bill’s lead sponsor Brian Mast cruelly compared all Palestianans to Nazis on the House floor, further revealing the bad intentions behind the bill. Along with dozens of other Democrats, I could not support a bill intended to hurt children and withhold life saving aid.

I understand that we are all feeling the weight of the collective trauma and grief that these events have impressed upon us. I will continue to call for a de-escalation of violence, the immediate release of hostages, and measures that move us toward lasting security and ensure everyone can thrive. I hope you will join me in our ongoing fight for peace.