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WPCNR MILESTONES. June 6, 2018: 

It is 74 years today since allied troops died and lived on Normandy’s beaches in France 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 did?

I thought in preparing my simple news program yesterday, 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 sobering lineups of  corpses in the sand? The overhead awe-inspiring photographs of the landing?

I chose this: thousands of crosses to remember who died together fighting tyranny and evil because you must always fight tyranny and evil and hate together. You cannot negotiate with it. There is no excuse for it.

The crosses are all the same. There are thousands of them in graveyards like the one shown here. The legacy of spent humanity, all the same in death, united in death no matter their nationality, creed, religion.  Next time you hear the speeches of hate and prejudice and superiority, please remember this picture and this day.

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.

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. However, the veterans have.

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.

Few of them are left now. But today their sacrifices should be remembered.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From City of White Plains. June 5, 2018:

The Common Council adopted a dockless bike share ordinance in March. The ordinance creates a one-year pilot program and authorizes the City to establish a permit process through which dockless bike share operators can operate within the city.

The ordinance includes detailed operating standards as well as standards for the bikes themselves. Permitted operators will be able to deploy up to 150 bikes in the first 30 days of operation. Additional bikes would need the approval of the City.

The operators will be responsible for maintaining their fleet of bikes and for “rebalancing” the bikes around the city on a regular basis. Because these bikes are “dockless” they do not need to be parked in a docking station at the end of a ride (think CitiBike in NYC).

The dockless bikes can be parked in any bike rack, painted bike parking area, or any other legal and appropriate place for a bike to park (For ex, Just like regular bikes, bikeshare bikes cannot block pedestrian access to the sidewalk, accessibility ramps, or entrances to public or private property. Neither can they block vehicular access to the street.).

“We applaud Mayor Roach for building on his record of supporting transportation on two wheels by introducing dockless bike share to the city. Under his leadership, White Plains has also expanded its bike lane network and installed bicycle racks in key areas, such as near the Metro North Station. We are thrilled to begin serving this community with our affordable, accessible and sustainable mode of transportation,” said Anna Wan Christie, ofo’s General Manager for New York.

Gil Kazimirov, Lime New York General Manager said, “We’re excited to bring Lime’s subsidyfree bikesharing solution to a city that is already heavily invested in the safety and mobility of their residents. Our bikes will help the entire White Plains community take advantage of the City’s expanding bike lane infrastructure by offering a sustainable, healthy, and affordable way for people to get around.”

Dockless bike share is easy to use and is an affordable transportation option. Watch for Lime and ofo at upcoming community events. Representatives will be on hand to help introduce the bikes to residents and workers alike.

About ofo: Founded in 2014, ofo is the world’s original and largest station-free bicycle-sharing platform. ofo was created for sharing and aims to unlock every corner of the world by making bikes accessible to everyone. To date, ofo has connected users to more than 15 million bikes in over 300 cities across 22 countries, generated more than 32 million daily transactions and has provided over 250 million global users with 7 billion efficient, convenient and green rides. To learn more, visit www.ofo.com.

About Lime: Lime is revolutionizing mobility in cities and campuses by empowering residents with a greener, more convenient, and affordable transportation option that also improves urban sustainability. By partnering with local key stakeholders and systematically deploying a fleet of smart-bikes that are enabled with GPS, wireless technology, and self-activating locks, Lime is improving how residents move around their communities by making the first and last mile faster, cheaper, and healthier for riders. Learn more at www.limebike.com.

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The opening of the May 29  Public Hearing of the State Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Tuesday at 10 A.M  on the subject of storm response by utilities. It was not streamed on the internet on either the State Assembly website which gave NO instructions on their website on how to see the live stream or streamed live the Westchester Government website. This morning the complete video of the hearing was posted on the Assembly website, 48 hours after it happened, with again NO INSTRUCTION on the Assembly Main Page where to see the video, not even a photo and headline.

WPCNR THE POWER STORY. By John F. Bailey. May 31, 2018 UPDATED 3:35 PM EDT:

The public hearing that lasted 7-1/2 hours Tuesday held to ascertain the extent of the failure of area power companies to restore power across Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, and Putnam counties and points north for two weeks is now available for viewing on the New York State Assembly website.

Since this morning, WPCNR has learned  through an informed source who was watching it that the Assembly did stream it live, but there was no instruction Tuesday morning on the  NY Assembly Site Homepage, the source said. They also noted that less than 100 persons were viewing the stream at the time.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer addressing the Public Hearing Tuesday.

It me be of interest to Westchester residents and across the state, since this hearing was not streamed live by Westchester County government existing streaming technology, which they do for proceedings in that Michaelian Building Legislative chamber on virtually a daily basis.

To compound this inexplicable failure to communicate of how to see coverage  an important hearing on the Westchester.gov website, the hearing was not streamed live on the New York State Assembly website.

I know that because I looked for it at 10:30 AM on the Assembly website and it was not there. It was not there. If it was being streamed, there is no way you could discover how to find it. When I punched  the “Watch Live” button on the Assembly Home Page, I got a bunch of pictures with no promo of the current stream whatsoever. So either the assembly team had started it late. The Assembly Press Office has not responded to WPCNR for an explanation of this communications gaffe.

The hearing, also I am told by a responsible media person who was there was not covered by the local press or the New York metropolitan area outlets while it was live. No cameras were observed by the media expert contacted by WPCNR

There was also no coverage yesterday in the news outlets, paper or electronic. Where was the New York Times? The most crucial local story in the last month ignored by all the news fit to print.

Inquiries to Westchester County Board of Legislators Chair Benjamin Boykin, and the county press office as to whether the New York State Assembly denied Westchester County the live televising of the hearing have not been responded to.

The Assembly press officer contacted yesterday afternoon by WPCNR did not respond when asked when the Assembly would be finished posting the 7-1/2 hour hearing. I do note however it is up this morning. Good work, Assembly!  It only took 48 hours.

The media source WPCNR spoke with yesterday said the State Assembly had brought in their own streaming equipment and crew to record the meeting.

So to catch you up on this hearing, here is where you can find it on the New York Assembly website.

The link to the public hearing is not splashed on the front  Assembly Homepage, as if they almost don’t want you to look at it.

I mean if used taxpayer dollars to record something for 7 and a half hours I would think you would ballyhoo that. Splash it on the front page of the website. I would if I wanted you to see your state assembly at work.

The Assembly press office also did not respond to the WPCNR question asking if the assembly denied Westchester government the right to stream live from their own chamber.

Finding the video on the New York State Assembly is difficult. so here is how to find it, step-by-step:

1. Paste this in your browser:

http://nyassembly.gov/av/hearings/

2. In upper right hand corner of the website page, Click on

Video Camera Icon  with the words “Watch Live” near the Facebook icon in the upper right.

You will be presented with the “Assembly Proceedings” Page, and in the center you will see a pic entitled “Committee Hearings”.

Click on that Committee Hearings  photo and you will be taken to the video list, the hearing you want is this one entitled, and click on MP4 Video. It has all 7-1/2 hours of this marathon hearing.

In the first 20 Minutes you will hear Amy Paulin of the 88th Assembly District, Chair of the County Board of Legislators, Benjamin Boykin, David Buchwald, Assemblyman.

County Executive George Latimer repeats his demand that the Public Service Commission examine and evaluate the mutual disaster aid plan the utilities now use (sending for convoys of equipment and crews from out of state) and that has failed repeatedly to restore Westchester County in a timely manner in storm after storm the last 18 years.

Also of note is the  Public Service concerns in which their representative seems to be indicating according to a person who caught the testimony that their jurisdiction may not enable them to demand changes of the utility procedures that it is a matter of the state legislature to consider.

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WPCNR SECURITY NEWS. From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. May 31, 2018:

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. May 30, 2018:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the State Board of Elections—in concert with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—will host a first-of-its-kind series of tabletop exercises focused on protecting the integrity of New York’s electoral systems against cyber-attacks. Partnering with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, State Police, and State Intelligence Center, the tabletop exercises will identify areas for improvement in cyber incident planning, preparedness, and response through simulation of realistic scenarios attempting to undermine voter confidence, interfere with voting operations, and affect the integrity of elections.

“We have witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences a compromised election has had on our nation and New York will not stand idle and allow our democracy to be infiltrated once again,” Governor Cuomo said. “The people of New York deserve an open, transparent election process they can trust, and these exercises are an integral part of restoring voter confidence and the integrity of our election infrastructure.

State and local officials, led by the State Board of Elections and new DHSES Cyber Incident Response Team, will utilize information gleaned from six regional tabletop exercises with state, local, and federal stakeholders to identify risks and develop necessary steps to safeguard the election process against a cyber-attack. Exercise dates and locations are below:

• May 31: Albany County – Times Union Center
• June 6: Monroe County – Board of Elections
• June 7: Onondaga County – Syracuse University, Dineen Hall
• June 11: Nassau County – Morrelly Homeland Security Center
• June 12: Orange County – County Department of Emergency Services
• June 18: Broome County – Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena

The regional tabletop exercises will cover all of New York’s county election jurisdictions. The exercises will be substantively similar, with several scenarios contoured for each region. The scenarios will be based on a combination of real world events and potential risks facing our election infrastructure. This includes possible social media manipulation, disruption of voter registration information systems and processes, voting machines, and the exploitation of board of elections business networks.

These tabletop exercises are part of the Board’s cybersecurity plan that was approved on May 3, 2018, to further strengthen cyber protections for New York’s elections infrastructure through the Board’s Secure Elections Center. The plan, dubbed ARMOR has four elements:

• Assess the risk to State and County Elections Systems;
• Remediate the vulnerabilities;
• Monitor ongoing Operations; and
• Respond to incidents.