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. | WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.

New 2-Year Teachers Contract Memorandum of Agreement Approved by Board, Now It’s Up to the Teachers Union to Accept it.

Posted on June 13, 2017 by John Bailey

Acting Superintendent of Schools for the White Plains City School District, Dr. Howard Smith confirmed the Board of Education Acceptance of the Memorandum of Agreement on a new two year contract with the White Plains Teachers Association at the School Board last night. WPCNR File Photo

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 12, 2017:

Dr. Howard Smith, Acting Superintendent of Schools for White Plains, in an exclusive statement to WPCNR announced a tentative Memorandum of Agreement for a new 2-year contract with the White Plains Teachers Association, if the Teachers vote to approve the new contract. Smith’s statement:

“The Board approved the contract contingent upon approval by vote of the full Teachers Association membership. So it would be inappropriate for me to comment until we have received confirmation of ratification by the Association. “

The White Plains Teachers Association on their website set the vote on the new contract for June 20

The Memorandum of Agreement is a 2-year contract beginning in 18 days, July 1, 2017. It increases all Step Salary levels 1% and in addition elevates all present teaching staff to the next step level, in their next year.

New teachers beginning July 1st will receive the 1% increase applied across all 20 Step levels. This raises the salary of a 1st year teacher with a Bachelor of Arts to $56,161 (from $55,605,currently).

Teachers already on staff today will receive 3 to 5% more salary next year, because their status will be raised one step above what they would be eligible for in the previous contract. They get a year’s increase in step pay which they would not have gotten until next year under the previous contract.

The Memorandum of Agreement also increases teachers’ payments of their health insurance portion .75% the next two years from 13.5% this year to 14% beginning July 1, and 14.25%, July 1, 2018.

Asked if pensions were affected by the advancement in the step status of present staff, Dr. Smith explained to WPCNR they were:

“Pensions are determined by a formula based on years of service at the time of retirement in a position covered by the State Retirement System and an average of highest salaries earned by the retiring teacher during their service. So a teacher’s future pension will increase as a result of step movement on the salary schedule in 2017-18 representing both another year of service and a higher salary.”

The Memorandum of Agreement also increases teachers’ payments of their health insurance portion .75% from 13.5% this year to 14% beginning July 1, and 14.25%, July 1, 2018.

The cost for the portion of payment a family health plan the teachers are responsible for is $3,458 , s single plan is $1,544, beginning July 1. On July 1, 2018, those costs go up to $3,672 and $1,639. These shares of currently on staff teachers paying the cost of their health insurance are partially and sometimes completely covered by the effects of the automatic step to the next increased step level they will be receiving, a level of salary they would not have been eligible for until July 1, 2018.

The Memorandum of Agreement if the teacher union members agree to it in their vote next Tuesday, gives them better compensation than if they choose to continue to work under the Triborough Agreement (in lieu of a contract in place).

One example: if you have a Master of Arts and are eligible for Step 2 salary, under the new Memorandum of agreement you receive $69,702 beginning July 1. If the Triborough plan is opted for (by rejection of the contract proposal), that M.A. would only receive $69,012. On July 1, 2018, that MA now at Step 2, would be more ahead, because they would receive $73,111 compared to $71,671 under the Triborough agreement.

The MA now who would reach Step 4 as July1, 2018 is $2,130 ahead of what they would receive if the Teachers Union votes to turn down the Memorandum of Agreement The presently on-staff teachers receive approximately the salary increase equivalent of one year more of service under the former contract.

SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERS NEW TEACHERS CONTRACT MONDAY.

Posted on June 10, 2017 by John Bailey

CURRENT STAFF REWARDED WITH RAISES OF 3 TO 5% A YEAR.

TEACHERS MUST PAY 14% of HEALTH INSURANCE, THEN 14.25% THE NEXT YEAR.

FUTURE 1^ST YEAR TEACHERS ACROSS ALL STEP LEVELS HIRING SALARY INCREASE: 1%.

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT APPROVED BY BOARD OF EDUCATION

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. BULLETIN By John F. Bailey. June 9, 2017 UPDATED JUNE 14,2017:

The White Plains City School District and the White Plains Teachers Association have come to a Memorandum of Agreement rewarding current members of teaching staff with approximate raises of 3 to 5% over the next two years, and raising new teacher hires salaries 1%.

Teachers at the highest paid levels receive 1% increases plus longevity increases.

The Board of Education approved the memorandum of agreement Monday evening, June 12. The teachers will on whether or not to accept the contract June 20.

It is an interesting new contract, according to the memorandum of agreement— based on White Plains Teachers Association documents:

“Effective July 1, 2017, Teachers will move up one step and 1% will be placed on the salary schedule. Effective July 1, 2018, Teachers will move up one step and 1% will be placed on the salary schedule.”

A Step is the level of salary taking into consideration a teacher’s present educational degree and number of years served in the district.

For example, if you were hired by the White Plains Schools this year (2016-17) and hold a Masters of Arts degree and it’s your first year with the White Plains School District, your salary is $63,672.

However, if you have MA and have been with the school district 10 years through this year (2016-17), your salary this year was $89,476.

Under the proposed new contract that first year salary (Step 1) for a new teacher with an MA hired by the district for the 2017-18 academic year would increase 1% to $64,630.

Each of the 20 Step pay levels are increased across all degree levels and years with the district. Each Step Level would increase 1%.

The effect — this allows the district going ahead to hire replacement teachers new in their first year to the district at only 1% salary increases going forward at all academic degree levels. This is a significant saving.

For teachers on staff already, it is a different story:

Under the new Memorandum of Agreement all current teachers are automatically increased one Step effective July 1, and another Step on July 1, 2018. This automatically adds two more years of service (and its commensurate step pay) when you have only worked for the district one more year.

In the 2nd year of the contract present staff automatically get a raise to their next step in sequence. The effect: Present teachers gain two years in longevity and degree pay for their next two years.

Here’s how this works to the staff teacher’s advantage: If you are completing your 2^nd year this month as an MA teacher with the district, you will automatically move to Step 3 reflecting 3 years experience instead of the two you have just completed, but you are not actually skipping a level, but you are moving to a higher level of pay than you would have gotten under the old contract that increases your pay more than 1% because you are at a higher level of pay presently than a new teacher in their first year with the district:

You move from $66,454 which you made in 2016-17 (just completing your 2^nd year) to $69,702 (new Step 3 pay), which is a 5% raise in pay. You get a higher pay in your third year of the district.

In the second year of the proposed contract, starting July 1, 2018, the beginning of our MA 2 year hire, entering his or her fourth year he or she automatically is raised to Step 4 (4 year pay) with three years experience. They then get automatically jumped to Step 4 pay of $73,111 – a 4.9% increase from $69,702, the salary in 2017-18.

(WPCNR would like to clarify that teachers on staff are not skipping a step to a higher level, but rather moving up to a new higher step in sequence.)

The increases in pay are partially reduced by the proposed increases in teachers’ health insurance premiums.

The insurance premiums proposed in the Memorandum of Agreement go up ½ % to $3,672 for a family plan to $1,544 for a single person in the first year of the contract and another ¼% to 14.25% in 2018-19 to $3,672 for a Family to $1,639 for a single person plan.

The contract salary increases generated by the automatic increase to the next Step level should the teachers approve the contract (if the Board approves it at Monday’s meeting) guarantee the White Plains new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joseph Ricca, at least a year and a half of labor peace with his teachers as he settles into the school district.

The contract negotiations with the district began March 28 and after 5 subsequent meetings, agreement was reached May 30.

There are changes in work schedules also included in the new contract.

These are the proposed new pay schedules with the last year of the old Step Schedule so you can figure out the pay increases generated by the increased 1% in the Step levels and the automatic advancement to the next step for onstaff teachers the next two years:

Current Step Levels

New July 1 2017-2018 STEP LEVELS

NEW JULY 1 2018-19 STEP LEVELS

These charts may be viewed at www.wptaonline.org

WHITE PLAINS WEEK ON THE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS OF THE CROSS WESTCHESTER EXPRESSWAY TO HANDLE THE NEW NY BRIDGE TRAFFIC DEMAND. NOW ON YOUTUBE AND THE WHITE PLAINS WEEK WEBSITE

Posted on June 9, 2017 by John Bailey

THE LOCAL NEWS BREAKERS BUSTING BIG STUFF

EVERY WEEK FOR 16 YEARS–BAILEY, BENEROFE AND KATZ

THE TRANSIT LINK CHANGES TO THE CROSS WESTCHESTER EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCE AND EXIT RAMPS.

THE NEW BUS STATION LOCATIONS IN WHITE PLAINS, NY USA–THE TIMETABLE!

EXCLUSIVE WHITE PLAINS WEEK VIDEO OF THURSDAY NIGHT TRANSIT LINK PRESENTATION IN WHITE PLAINS WITH KEY EXECUTIVES.

THE EXPERIENCE WITH RAMP METERING IN L.A., S.F., CHICAGO

TOM ROACH ROBOCALLS DEMOCRATS AS PETITION SIGNATURES FOR PRIMARY SOUGHT

MILAGROS LECUONA “DISGUSTED” WITH CITY DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER “ANTI-IMMIGRANT” STANCE

WHITE PLAINS SCHOOLS APPROVED FOR K-SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATIONS AT TWO SCHOOLS.

GOVERNOR CUOMO ON FIGHTING THE GLOBAL WARMING FIGHT.

TRUMP THE PRESIDENT: TONIGHT’S EPISODE “DONNIE AND THE FEDS”

AND MORE!

WORLDWIDE INSTANTLY

ON YOUTUBE AT

https://youtu.be/v-2Sy3nyD4k

the link to whiteplainsweek.com is

http://www.whiteplainsweek.com/

on the internet at

www.wpcommunitymedia.org

PETITION SIGNING BEGINS IN WHITE PLAINS WITH MAYOR’S ROBO CALL CALLING ON DEMOCRATS NOT TO SIGN PETITIONS FOR ANY CANDIDATE BUT HIM AND HIS SLATE OF MARTIN, KIRKPATRICK AND BRASH. LECOUNA TELLS MAYOR HE DOES NOT WALK THE WALK FOR IMMIGRANTS

Posted on June 8, 2017 by John Bailey

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2017. June 8, 2017:

The gathering of signatures for contenders for Mayor and the Common Council began last weekend with the leader of the Democratic City Committee sending a letter to registered Democrats (who are eligible to vote in the September primary where incumbent Mayor Tom Roach, incumbent Councilmen John Martin and James Kirkpatrick and nominated Justin Brasch are being contested by Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona and democratic challengers Michael Kraver, Alan Goldman, and Saad Sidicci.

The Democratic City Committee Chair letter urged Democrats to stick together and accused Mr. Goldman of being anti-immigrant, and criticised his Republican background.

Milagros Lecuona responded to the Chairman’s letter, calling on Mayor Roach to ask the Chairman to resign for his alleging Mr. Goldman was against immigrants.

Last night in the early evening, Mayor Roach contacted Democrats with a 45 second, recorded RoboCall message from what appeared to be a private company number (888-414-7752–not the city number 422 exchange)

The Mayor’s message said this:

“Hello, this is Tom Roach with a message about the petitioning process in my election campaign. This message is paid for by Friends of Tom Roach.

I’m pleased to have been endorsed by the White Plains City Democratic Committee, but I do have an opponent. So, I’m asking my supporters to be careful and only sign the petitions for Mayor and City Council that include me and my running mates.

We’re headed in the right direction. Let’s keep White Plains a progressive leader in our region. Thank you for your support.”

This morning in response to the Mayor’s apparent lack of response to her call for the Chairman’s resignation, Ms. Lecuona circulated a news release accusing the Mayor of “talking the talk” on immigration support, but not “walking the walk.”

Here is a copy of that news release:

“On Thursday, June 1, 2017, Common Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona issued a statement condemning the White Plains Democratic City Committee Chairman Tim James for an email he sent to the City Committee entitled “Sticking Together”. In the email, the Democratic chairman Tim James falsely claimed that Common Council Candidate Alan Goldman was anti-immigrant. In her previous statement, Councilwoman Lecuona called on Mayor Roach to put politics aside and to stand with her in calling Tim James to resign from his position as Chairman of the White Plains Democratic City Committee. Mayor Roach has not responded.

“I asked the Mayor to put politics aside, and to stand with me in asking Tim James to resign,” said Lecuona. “What Tim said was callous, offensive, and completely out of line. Mayor Roach has not responded. In his silence, Mayor Roach has sent a loud and clear message that he will talk the talk on standing with immigrants, but clearly he won’t walk the walk.”

Lecuona continued, “I am an immigrant who had to watch the heartbreak of her own child go through the deportation process. What Tim said goes far past politics, and it is time that the Mayor stops doing the political thing and does the right thing.”

The letter from the White Plains Democratic City Committee Chair that began the petitioning campaign, distributed June 1:

Dear Fellow City Committee Members and Friends:

First, a reminder that we will be handing out petitions (and sharing pizza) next Monday evening, June 5. (But no taking signatures until the following day — the first legal day of petitioning!) See the attached flyer for details.

Second, I want to stress the importance of unity, and of getting behind the candidates who won the support of the City Committee via our fair and democratic endorsement process.

The Nominating Committee interviewed all candidates, accommodating the candidates’ schedules as needed, and extended the process to allow for new candidates for Common Council after Beth Smayda announced her decision not to seek re-election. Per our party rules, anyone who was not recommended by the Nominating Committee was entitled to contest the endorsement on the floor at the endorsement meeting if nominated by a single District Leader. By that method, Milagros and all three of her running mates had their names placed in nomination. By the time of the endorsement meetings in March and April, however, it was so clear to them that they lacked sufficient support among the members of the City Committee that Milagros and two of her running mates withdrew in advance of the voting, and in advance of the discussion among City Committee members that was to precede the voting.

One of the reasons we have been a highly successful local party is because we have enjoyed a high degree of unity. One aspect of that has been respect by our members for the decision of the majority after contested votes on endorsements and other important matters. Without that kind of ethic, no party organization can be effective. It is what gives real meaning to our endorsements and other major votes.

So, I want to urge all District Leaders to support and work for our endorsed candidates, regardless of your initial preferences. A couple of months ago, one District Leader, in telling me that he might work against our endorsed candidates — or at least some of them — in a primary, stressed what he called “conscience.” I certainly do not want to denigrate the importance of conscience in politics. We would be better off if we saw more of that in our politics. But not every disagreement of difference of preference rises to the level of a matter of “conscience.” (Or the term would have no meaning.) From my perspective, neither Milagros nor her running mates have articulated — in public or in private — the kinds of major differences on policy or principle that rise to that level and warrant a departure from the normal custom among City Committee members of respect for the decision of the majority — in this case, overwhelming majorities.

Indeed, it is hard to tell what they — as a slate — stand for. Milagros and two of her running mates are fellow Democratic District Leaders, whose views, to the best of my knowledge, are well within the mainstream of the City Committee and of White Plains Democrats generally — which is equally true of our endorsed candidates for City office: Tom Roach , John Martin, John Kirkpatrick and Justin Brasch. But the fourth member of Milagros’s slate, Alan Goldman, is a very different story. By his own admission when he spoke to the Nominating Committee, Mr. Goldman was a lifelong (now age 69) Republican until he changed his party registration to “Democratic” on October 11, 2016 — just in time, legally, to be able to run for office as a Democrat this year. And Mr. Goldman did not even claim that his change of party enrollment was based on any change in his lifelong political views. On the contrary, he told us flatly that he had changed his party enrollment because “There is no Republican party in this town” and that it was what he had to do “[I]f I wanted to run for office.”

And not for nothing was Mr. Goldman a Republican. When he was asked during his Nominating Committee interview for his thoughts on how the City should deal with the problem of illegal occupancies in certain neighborhoods, he told us: “We gotta get the INS involved,” referring to the former name of the Federal agency now known as “Immigration and Customs Enforcement” (ICE). Can you imagine any of our endorsed candidates giving that answer?

Mr. Goldman’s presence on Milagros’s slate makes clear the incoherence of that slate.

(End)

The same day the Chairman sent out the above letter, Ms. Lecuona distributed this news release protesting the Chairman’s comments is as follows:

“On Thursday, June 1, 2017, White Plains Democratic City Committee Chairman sent an email to all Committee People with the subject line “Sticking Together,” calling for “unity” against Democratic City Councilwoman and Mayoral Candidate Milagros Lecuona, and her slate for White Plains Common Council. Committee Chairman Tim James callously described local businessman Alan Goldman as opportunistic and anti-immigrant.

“As an immigrant and a member of the Hispanic community, I found this email disturbing. Tim James has never had to live through the heartbreak of watching his own child suffer through the deportation process. I have.”

“I am absolutely disgusted that Tim James would ever insinuate that a close friend of mine is anti-immigrant, much less that I would run with someone who harbors any anti-immigrant sentiments,” said Lecuona. “Alan Goldman is an exceptional human being and is running because he wants to see bold change in our City. The fact that the Chairman would ever stoop this low and attack a Democratic candidate just speaks to the need for change.”

Councilwoman Lecuona continued, “I’m calling on Mayor Roach to put politics aside and to stand with me in asking Tim James to resign. What he said was callous, offensive and unacceptable.”

Lecuona is an immigrant from Spain who moved her family to White Plains in 1987 to pursue their American dream. A trained architect and urban planner for the last 35 years she has served on the White Plains Common Council for the past 9 years. During her time in office Lecuona has taken on powerful interests on behalf of the people of White Plains. Entering public service was a natural progression given her lifelong community involvement. She has been the recipient of multiple recognitions and awards.

JUNETEENTH PARADE SATURDAY

Posted on June 8, 2017 by John Bailey

County Executive Robert Astorino Declares War on Opioids After 200% Increase in County Opioid Deaths in 5 years.

Posted on June 8, 2017 by John Bailey

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. June 7, 2017:

Joined by leaders in health, mental health, law enforcement, business and community organizations, County Executive Robert P. Astorino Wednesday kicked-off a new program that mobilizes an array of available resources and expertise to combat the growing opioid and heroin epidemic that affects communities, large-and-small, throughout Westchester.

The county has experienced a 200 percent increase in opioid fatalities from 2010 – 2015.

Project WORTHY — Westchester Opioid Response Teams Helping You is the latest extension of the county’s Safer Communities initiative, whose hallmark is to build comprehensive and practical solutions to difficult problems by integrating expertise and resources from across the county.

Project WORTHY’s response teams are made up of health and mental health experts and providers, law enforcement professionals, parents, teachers, coaches, clergy, business executives and youth. Their role is to provide expertise in their respective fields in response to specific calls for help, and to conduct informational forums at schools, churches, temples, mosques, municipal meetings, civic associations, businesses and other groups.

“Westchester County, like communities all across the country, is facing a lethal enemy that grows deadlier by the day,” said Astorino. “Whether you live in a city, town, village or hamlet, in the northernmost stretches of the county, the Sound Shore or along the Hudson River, the opioid epidemic affects all of us. The work ahead will be tough, because the enemy is strong. But working together, we can and will make a difference. Opioid addiction can be stopped. We will continue to fight, and Project WORTHY can make us more effective.”

Leadership for Project WORTHY is provided by Dr. Mark Herceg, Commissioner of the Westchester Department of Community Mental Health, Dr. Sherlita Amler, Commissioner of the Westchester Department of Health, and George Longworth, Commissioner of the Westchester Department of Public Safety – all of whom spoke about their experiences with the epidemic in their given fields. The program operates from four foundational blocks: education, integration, prevention and action – and marshals the resources necessary for each of those areas.

The County Executive first announced the program in his 2017 State of the County Address in April, and formally kicked-off the program at the Westchester County Center in White Plains today where he was joined by hundreds of stakeholders, Project WORTHY’s leadership team and keynote speaker Dennis Romero, regional administrator with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The kick-off event included an overview of the issue, insight into how each area is attacking the problem, and discussions on how best to bring together working solutions. The County Executive also aired a seven minute video with testimonials from people whose lives have been devastated or severely impacted by opioids and prescription painkillers.

Barbara, a 47-year-old housepainter from Montrose, shared her story of getting hooked on drugs because of chronic back pain. She discussed how it nearly took her life, and how it was only after getting arrested and going through a court diversion program that she was able to get the proper treatment.

“It was the court-system that put the thumb down on me so that I could be accountable,” she said.

Watch the video here.

Romero, the keynote, spoke of the changing face of addiction and the most common ways that people start using – and eventually get addicted – to opioids, painkillers and heroin. Usage among women is up 100 percent, he said, and addicts are typically young working white men who are “hiding in plain sight.”

The best ways to attack the problem is locally with integrated efforts, he noted, praising Project WORTHY as a model on how best to approach this epidemic.

“The face of addiction is indeed changing in the United States,” Romero said. “What was once viewed as an urban problem now stretches across communities large and small, rich and poor; this crisis does not discriminate. What we’re also seeing, however, is the importance integration plays in prevention and treatment programs. Westchester County’s Project WORTHY understands that it is necessary to bring together expertise across various disciplines. There is no other way to beat this epidemic than by working together.”

Police Commissioner Longworth shared law enforcement’s efforts to crack down on the crisis, notably the county’s participation in joint federal and local task forces to take down organized gangs and drugs rings; its stepped up investigations into doctors and people purporting to be doctors who knowingly overprescribe opioids; and working with local police to increase arrests of those supplying the drugs.

“This is an issue of significant size and scope for law enforcement,” said Longworth. “It is not just an urban issue, nor is it limited to any one age group or socio-economic group. This problem hits home everywhere, whether home is a larger city or a small town, whether it’s a working-class community or a wealthy community. No one is immune. What is obvious, though, to law enforcement is that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem. The integration across disciplines that we are speaking about today is critical to our success. It will take all of us — government, health care professionals, mental health professionals, community groups, clergy and other organizations — to fight this battle together if we are to prevail.”

Dr. Amler, Westchester County’s Health Commissioner, explained a multi-layered approach that includes training first responders and family members to administer Narcan to overdose victims; providing more prescription medication drop-boxes for old and unneeded medicines; and educating physicians on the need to consider alternatives to prescribing opioids to alleviate the pain of surgery, sports injuries and more.

“Underlying prevention, integration, and education is action,” Amler said. “There is no room on the sidelines in the fight against opiate addiction. That’s why we’re all here today. We need your help. It isn’t enough to save a life. We need the help of our partners to change the lives of the mothers and fathers, sons and daughters with opiate addictions.”

Community Mental Health Commissioner Herceg addressed the role that common mental health problems and psychological issues play in addiction.

“The reality is that many people who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction are dealing with other psychological issues,” he said. “Depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are all common mental health problems among people with addictions. If we don’t address the entire picture and work to address the underlying cause and ensure that the person is fully treated, along with their family, then we will never fix this in a comprehensive manner. This is why I am grateful for the leadership of our County Executive for bringing us together, to make sure we work as a unit to get it right: For every one of every demographic and age.”

During breakout sessions, professionals from education, public safety, corrections, health care community groups, non-profits and related service providers discussed challenges they each face, and potential solutions to those problems. View the Project Worthy booklet here.

The Project WORTHY team is available to visit local schools, houses of worship and community organizations. To learn more, contact 914-995-5220 or email projectWORTHY@westchestergov.com.

Somers Middle School Presents New Rooftop Solar Energy Installation–1st such school project Opened in State. White Plains Schools Approved for Panels at Post Road and the High School

Posted on June 7, 2017 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From the New York Power Authority and WPCNR’s John Bailey. June 7, 2017:

The Somers Middle School in Westchester County today unveiled its new rooftop solar system to become New York State’s first school to receive a portion of its electricity through Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s innovative K-Solar clean energy initiative.

The K-Solar program helps schools statewide save money on energy and lower their carbon footprints, while also inspiring the next generation of energy leaders.

The Somers district paid no upfront costs for the solar project and will pay a fixed rate for the energy produced by the solar array.

The White Plains City School District has been approved for installing two such installations in the Governor’s program at the new Post Road School and White Plains High School, according school district Administrator of Facilities and Operations, Frank Stefanelli. Stefanelle told WPCNR it is a Planned Purchase Agreement of 18 years, and the details of the contract are currently being negotiated. He confirmed there is no charge for the two projects, that would be installed by Solar City.

Jill Anderson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at the New York Power Authority (NYPA), Dr. Raymond H. Blanch, Superintendent of Schools for the Somers Central School District, and Somers Middle School Principal Jeff Getman kicked off a “turning on the panels” ceremony today at the school, along with 50 8^th grade science class students, teachers and staff.

“The Somers district is leading the way in showing its community the importance of using renewable energy by going solar,” said Jill Anderson, NYPA executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “The K-Solar program provides the expertise to integrate a new power source into a district’s infrastructure while also incorporating lessons on sustainability and clean energy technology into a school’s curriculum.”

K-Solar is a core component of Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. The program aims to make solar energy an affordable and accessible option for schools in New York State that are interested in reducing their energy bills and carbon footprint. K-Solar also supports New York State’s goal to supply 50 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030; the Governor’s “50 by 30” renewables goal.

About 380 districts – more than half the number in the state – have registered for the K-Solar program, which is also part of Cuomo’s $1 billion NY-Sun effort to expand the growth of a sustainable solar industry statewide. A partnership between NYPA and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in collaboration with competitively selected solar developers, the K-Solar program aims to bring solar power to more public districts and non-public K-12 schools throughout the state.

As announced by Governor Cuomo last week as part of his Climate Jobs initiative, NYPA will double annual investments in energy efficiency and solar deployments from $150 million to $300 million to get more clean, renewable energy into local governments, public facilities, and schools.

As part of this investment, NYPA will conduct 1,000 energy efficiency and solar audits for municipalities and school districts by 2020 to help support prudent investments. NYPA also will install more than 125 megawatts of solar capacity on schools and other public buildings by 2020, through its K-Solar and BuildSmartNY initiatives, achieving a 300 percent increase in distributed solar projects at public facilities statewide.

The 390-panel 120-kilowatt system, located on the roof of the Somers Middle School, is expected to generate more than 136,000 kilowatt hours of solar electricity a year to offset the building’s electric load.

Overall, the project is expected to save the school more than $27,000 in energy costs. It is also estimated to offset more than 170,000 pounds of CO2 each year, which is equivalent to removing more than 280 cars from the road.

The middle school will be able to monitor the panel’s energy production live-time on a monitor in their lobby that shows the kilowatt hours of energy produced each day, how much was consumed and the percent of energy that is offset by solar.

The school, which already includes clean energy and climate change lessons in its STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes, will incorporate the real-time monitor and the solar panels into their electricity lessons. The K-Solar program offers training workshops for teachers at participating schools to train them on incorporating clean energy lessons into their STEM curriculums.

The Somers Central School District was already familiar with solar as it had a 50-kilowatt solar installation added to the roof of its high school in 2011 with the help of a NYSERDA grant.

To date, 25 districts throughout the state have signed 48 individual power purchase agreements and are developing solar panel installations.For more information or to register your school for an energy evaluation visit the K-Solar section of the NYPA website.

WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL HONORS ITS 200 CANCER SURVIVORS AT ANNUAL CANCER SURVIVORS DAY BRUNCH

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Bailey

White Plains Hospital cancer survivors reunite with Sandy Aurfiero, NP (far left) and Sara Sadan, MD, Director, Breast and Women’s Medical Oncology (center) during the White Plains Hospital Cancer Survivors celebration on June 4th at the Crowne Plaza hotel below.
All Photos, Courtesy White Plains Hospital, by John Vecchiolla with exception of the photo below.

The crowd of well-wishers, doctors and 200 White Plains Hospital- treated cancer survivors were in attendance. Photo by an attendee.

WPCNR HEALTH NEWS. From White Plains Hospital. June 6, 2017:

White Plains Hospital honored cancer survivors treated in the Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care at its annual Cancer Survivors Day brunch on Sunday June 4^th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Now in its 30^th year, the event celebrates the courage and determination displayed by cancer survivors throughout the community. It also acknowledges the fight for the cure that doctors and the entire multidisciplinary team engage in every day.

Susan Fox, White Plains Hospital President & CEO; Nicholas Signorelli, Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker; Una Hopkins, DNP, Administrative Director, Cancer Program at White Plains Hospital

The 2017 guest of honor and keynote speaker was Nicholas Signorelli of Mount Vernon who was acknowledged for his strength and courage throughout his cancer experience, as well as his longtime support of the White Plains Hospital Cancer Program.

Mr. Signorelli was joined by approximately 300 fellow cancer survivors, caregivers, physicians, nurses and other clinicians in the Hospital’s Cancer Program, which treats thousands of patients every year.

Oncologic Surgeon and Chairman of the Hospital’s Cancer Committee, Dr. Mark Gordon; Chairman of the Board of Directors Larry Smith; the Hospital’s President and C.E.O. Susan Fox; and Mayor of White Plains Tom Roach addressed the group and joined in the celebration, along with dozens of members of the Hospital’s interdisciplinary cancer care team.

: Laurence Smith, Chairman, White Plains Hospital Board of Directors; Susan Fox, President & CEO of White Plains Hospital; White Plains Hospital Physician Anthony Loiacano, MD; White Plains Mayor Tom Roach; Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker, Nicholas Signorelli;White Plains Hospital Physician Carol Lederman, MD; Una Hopkins, DNP, Administrative Director, Cancer Program at White Plains Hospital; Mark Gordon, MD, Surgical Director of the Cancer Program at White Plains Hospital

“This is a day when we can step away from our professional roles and simply enjoy the company of our survivors,” said Dr. Gordon. “It gives us the opportunity to celebrate special milestones with survivors and their loved ones. It also inspires us to further our efforts in finding increasingly effective treatments so that the number of survivors can grow even larger.”

Former White Plains Hospital patients and cancer survivors join White Plains Mayor Tom Roach (also a White Plains Hospital cancer survivor) at the hospital’s annual Cancer Survivors Celebration Sunday.

In addition to a festive brunch, the survivors and their caregivers were offered the opportunity to experience massage therapy and healing touch by trained members of the Hospital’s holistic care team. They also learned about the scope of complementary care programs and services provided by the Cancer Program.

In 2016, the Hospital opened its new Center for Cancer Care, an expanded facility that provides comprehensive and coordinated cancer care in partnership with the Montefiore Health System.

You can view the WHITE PLAINS TV “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” VIDEO TOUR OF THE CENTER FOR CANCER, WITH DR. UNA HOPKINS and PEOPLE TO BE HEARD’S JOHN BAILEY, VIDEO-TAPED IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR ON YOUTUBE AT

The new Center is double the square footage of the original Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center, which opened in 1999. It encompasses the renovated Dickstein pavilion, an additional six-story outpatient physician oncology pavilion, two infusion centers, and ample space for complementary therapies and amenities designed for optimal patient comfort and an enhanced patient and family experience. The Center for Cancer Care also offers a multitude of clinical trials and groundbreaking research opportunities for patients, many in collaboration with the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care.

According to the NYS Cancer Registry, more than 100,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with cancer every year. The American Cancer Society estimates that there were nearly 14.5 million cancer survivors in the United States in 2014, up from 9.8 million in 2001 and 3 million in 1971.

Today, 73 Years Ago, The Thousands, The Brave, The Strong, The Everyday Men, The Good Died and Lived to Defeat Tyranny and Evil: D-Day, 1944

Posted on June 5, 2017 by John Bailey

WPCNR MILESTONES. June 5, 2017:

It is 73 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 dying 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.

The crosses are all the same. And 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.

Seventy three years ago this morning, thousands of troops stormed the beaches in Normandy, France in the largest invasion in history.The bloody assault against a heavily defended coastline, requiring incredible courage and sacrifice by allied troops, landing craft, paratroops, signalled the beginning of the end of the Third Reich and the regime of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.The quiet beaches of Normandy today. The hundreds of rows of white crosses in cemeteries around the little town bear silent eternal vigil to the sacrifice of those brave men and women who fought, died, and triumphed this day 73 years ago tomorrow.

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.

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.

New City Court Judge Elizabeth Shollenberger Caseload Reassigned. Will Not Get New Cases Until She is Able to Return to the Bench. No Return Date Set.

Posted on June 3, 2017 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. June 3, 2017:

City Court Judge Elizabeth Shollenberger

The Chief of Administrative Judge of the Courts for New York State, has reassigned all cases previously assigned to new White Plains City Court Judge in an Administrative Order issued May 2. The order appears below:

“Pursuant to the authority vested in me, effective immediately, I hereby direct that 1) all judicial matters currently pending before the Hon. Elizabeth Shollenberger, City Court Judge of the City of White Plains, shall be reassigned to such other judge or judges as the Hon. Michael V. Coccoma, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts Outside the City of New York, or his designee shall direct; and (2) no additional judicial matters shall be assigned to Judge Shollenberger until further order of the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge.”

Leonard K. Marks

Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts

Lucien Chalfen, spokesperson for Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, Janet DiFiore, confirmed Ms. Shollenberger’s removal from the cases to WPCNR Thursday, telling WPCNR, Ms. Shollenberger has been told to remain at home until she is able to return to her duties. Chalfen said she has not been removed from the court and is still a judge on the City Court. He said no date has been set for her return. It is WPCNR’s information that the reason for the order concerns a personal health issue.

Shollenberger was appointed Judge to fill the vacancy left by the Barbara Leek retirement by the White Plains Common Council in December. A long time Chair of the White Plains City Democratic Committee and Treasurer for Mayor Thomas Roach’s Campaign, Shollenberger joined the court in January.