COUNTY DEDICATES $10 MILLION FOR WATERFRONT PARK ON THE HUDSON AT YONKERS INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. AT CONCEPT STAGE. PERHAPS 2-1/2- 4 YEARS AWAY. YONKERS CONTRIBUTES $10 MILLION. WATERSPORTS, DOCK AMPHITHEATRE ENVISIONED.

VIEW OF SITE OF NEW WATERFRONT PARK OFF LUDLOW AVENUE IN DEEP DOWNTOWN YONKERS. (Google satellite)
ZOOMING IN FROM SPACE ON THE LUDLOW PARK SITE ANNOUNCED TODAY BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER(BELOW). PARK WILL BEGIN AT GREEN SPACE JUST ABOVE THE WESTCHESTER COOUNTY WASTEWATER PLANT, AND EXTEND NORTHWARD ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER SHORELINE, REPLACING THE COUNTY BUS SCHOOL BUS PROPERTY (at top of picture)AND ENDNG AT THE DOMINO SUGAR PLANT .
Hudson River access is estimated by WPCNR to be approximately 2,000 feet
based on the distance from Federal Street (gate of Domino Sugar) to the entrance to the Westchester County Wastewater plant ( 1 Fernbrook Street)
NOAA NAVIGATION CHART OF THE SHORES OF THE HUDSON INDICATE 5 FEET OF DEPTH AT LOW TIDE JUST AT THE SHORES OF THE PARK SITE INCREASING TO A DEPTH OF 35 FEET VERY QUICKLY INDICATING ROOM FOR BOATING FACILITIES, HOWEVER ACCESS TO THE WATER FROM IMMEDIATE SHORELINE WOULD MEAN BUILDING UP FILL FOR A BEACH ENTRY LEADING INTO THE WATER
https://youtu.be/aVLTE_MnmgE
WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER UNDER 82 DEGREES AND SUNNY SKIES THIS MORNING
ANNOUNCES THE NEW PARK, ENVISIONED TO TAKE UP 2,000 FEET OF WATERFRONT ON THE HUDSON
ADJACENT THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY WASTEWATER FACILITY
(VIDEO, WPCNR NEWS)
https://youtu.be/cVYfcJ6PejM
YONKERS MAYOR MIKE SPANO
ON HOW THE PARK CAME TO BE
https://youtu.be/WYlUPSjj9h4
COUNTY LEGISLATOR JOSE ALVARADO:
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CONSTRUCTING THE NEW WATERFRONT PARK
https://youtu.be/jKX09EbPdDw

YONKERS CITY COUNCIL MAJORITY LEADER CORAZON PINEDA ISAAC SPEAKS ON THE NEED FOR THE PROJECT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. June 9, 2021:

Plans for what could be a Westchester Riviera or a ” Playland West”were announced by County Executive George Latimer this morning, delaring Westchester County would fund $10 Million of a $20 Million Hudson-side park that would run about a 1/3 of a mile on a 9 acre stretch of Hudson River shoreline between overgrown county owned property just above the Yonkers Westchester Wastewater Treatment plant and run north to the Domino Sugar Plant from 1 Fernbrook Street where the wastewater plant is to 1 Federal Street (the entrance to Domino).

The park is to be created, Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers said by Yonkers acquiring the All County Bus complex that currently is adjacent the County-owned land shown in Mr. Alvarado’s video above. The extent of the bus mustering lot takes up a rough 90% of the planned site. Across the street from the park is a visual arts production studio and other industrial and office businesses. It is a heavily industrialized area, similar to Westmoreland Avenue in White Plains.

THE ALL COUNTY BUS property on Fernbrook Street.

If the park is turned into all waterfront, as County Legislator Jose Alvarado envisions in his segment, (previously above the 9 acre new water front would by 1/3 of a mile, compared to the “Bronx Riviera,” Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay which is 1.1 miles long or 28 acres long. The beach or waterfront, this reporter believes would match the Playland Beach, and the Mamaroneck Beach Harbor Park and the City of Rye Beach just south of Playland Beach, (but that is just my eyeball estimate).

Mayor Spano told WPCNR people swim in the Hudson now at this general location and the water was safe to swim. A person familiar with the plant operation said the discharge from the plant of treated wastewater is released in the middle of the Hudson River which makes the purity of the water at the shores less a threat from the discharged plant-treated water.

Mayor Spano said there is currently a concept design for the park, which WPCNR has requested. Mayor Spano said this would be a Yonkers-created project which would be created by the City of Yonker, but cautioned the concept is very fluent at this time and will be further developed by the city of Yonkers.

There was no timetable announced for when the project would acquire the property, the bus staging lot. The Majority Leader of the Yonkers City Council Corazon Pineda Isaac said the openair spacious recreation area would revitalize the single homes in the neighborhood surrounding the new park all of which would be in walking distance.

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MASKS NOT REQUIRED OUTDOORS ON WPCSD SCHOOL GROUNDS: THOUGH “STRONGLY RECOMMENDED” BY WP SCHOOLS REOPENING COMMITTEE

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From White Plains City School District Superintendent of Schools, Joseph Ricca. June 8, 2021:


At this morning’s Special White Plains City School District (WPCSD) Reopening Committee Meeting, the Committee approved the following modification of the WPCSD’s Reopening Plan to include the modifications promulgated by the New York State Department of Health (Master Guidance attached), in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations for outdoor mask/facial covering requirements:

  • Beginning Thursday, June 10, 2021, while strongly encouraged, masks/facial coverings will no longer be required outdoors on WPCSD grounds for all members of the WPCSD community (children & adults) (this modification covers ALL outdoor activities as described in the NYSDoH guidelines).

This modification does not change any other aspect/requirement of the health/safety standards in the WPCSD Reopening Plan.

The full WPCSD Reopening Committee meeting is available for review here: https://youtu.be/1g6L2X28Rvs

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JOHN BAILEY’S WHITE PLAINS REPORT TRANSCRIPT THIS MORNING ON THE “DENNIS & TONNY GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER” SHOW ON WVOX 1460

JOHN BAILEY THE CIIZENETREPORTER
IS HEARD TUESDAYS 7:50 AM WITH THE NICEST TWO PEOPLE ON THE RADIO “DENNIS AND TONNY ON GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER” ON WVOX AM 1460

“THE WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL TOOK UP THE 701 WESTCHESTER CAMPUS OFFICE SPECIAL PERMIT REQUEST LAST NIGHT AMIST A GROWING COMMUNITY CONCERN ABOUT BUILDING  350 APARTMENTS ON THE SITE OF THE 701 OFFICE BUILDING . CITIZENS SPOKE OUT AGAINST  IT FOR THE EXCESS TRAFFIC , ABOUT 1500 MORE CARS A DAY, THEY SAY. A HEARING THAT LASTED MORE THAN 2 HOURS.

THE WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL TOOK UP THE 701 WESTCHESTER CAMPUS OFFICE SPECIAL PERMIT REQUEST LAST NIGHT AMIST A GROWING COMMUNITY CONCERN ABOUT BUILDING  350 APARTMENTS ON THE SITE OF THE 701 OFFICE BUILDING . CITIZENS SPOKE OUT AGAINST  IT FOR THE EXCESS TRAFFIC , ABOUT 1500 MORE CARS A DAY, THEY SAY. A HEARING THAT LASTED MORE THAN 2 HOURS.

THE COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING PRESENTED HIS STRUCTURE FOR APPROACHING UPDATING THE WHITE PLAINS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AT 10:15 PM. DENNIS DOES HARRISON HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? THE WHITE PLAINS PLAN HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2011 DESPITE 10 MIXED USE APARTMENT PROJECTS BEING APPROVED. ONE OBSERVER WHO WAITED TO HEAR MR. GOMEZ COMMENTED THE PLAN WAS “A GOOD START,” THE NEXT STEP IS A POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND THREE COUNCIL PERSONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY RESIDENTS  GOING INTO THE MEETING ARE ENCROACHMENT ON THE OUTER NEIGHBORHOODS, EVER INCREASING TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE DOWNTOWN AND WHETHER THE ENVISIONED RETAIL SPACES BEING FILLED UP – WHICH DUE TO COVID ARE NOT BEING FILLED UP. CITIZENS WANT TO INFLUENCE THEIR VISION OF THE CITY WHICH HAS UNTIL NOW FOCUSED ON PRESERVING THE SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DONUT AROUND THE WHITE PLAINS DOWNTOWN AND NOT MUCH CONCERN ABOT ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN. THE OPEN SPACE ISSUES OF 20 YEARS AGO DOWNTOWN HAVE LONG BEEN FORGOTTEN AND CEASE TO BE AN ISSUE THAT GALVANIZES THE PUBLIC . THE HEARING WAS CONTINUED TO JULY 6.

THE WHITE PLAINS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY HAS BEEN FUNDED WITH $50,000 TO BRING IN A  TRAINED EXPLOSIVE SNIFFING CANINE OFFICER TO HAVE MORE IMMEDIATE TIMELY ACCESS TO ASCERTAINING WHETHER BUILDINGS MAY HAVE HIDDEN EXPLOSIVES IN THEM. PREVIOUSLY THE CITY HAD TO RELY ON COUNTY POLICE EXPLOSIVE-DETECTING CANINES.

THE COUNTY COVID INFECTION RATE CONTINUED AVERAGING A HALF PERCENT INFECTION RATE  FROM THE DAY BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY MAY30  THROUGH SUNDAY JUNE 6. DURING THE LAST WEEK 120 PERSONS TESTED POSITIVE  FOR COVID, JUST 17 AVERAGE NEW COVID POSITIVE  PERSONS A DAY OF A TOTAL OF 38,665 TESTED. THE INFECTION RATE FOR THE WEEK CONTINUES SLASHED DOWN FROM 400 INFECTIONS A DAY APRIL 1 TO 17 A DAY A DECLINE OF 94% IN INFECTIONS. THIS BY MY CALCULATIONS HAVE CUT HOSPITALIZATIONS DOWN TO 2% FROM THE 3.5% THE COUNTY HAD BEEN AVERAGING ACCOUNTING FOR JUST 37 HOSPITALIZATIONS LAST WEEK.WELL BELOW THE EXPECTED HOSPITALIZATION RATE BASED ON THE INFECTIONS TO WEEKS AGO.

WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL OPENED ITS CENTER FOR ADVANCED MEDICINE AND SURGERY ON LONGVIEW AVENUE AND MAPLE. SUSAN FOX WELCOMING WELL OVER A 100 INVITEES TO THE OPENING, PRAISED THE  MONTIFIORE- WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL STAFF FOR THEIR HANDLING THE HIGH NUMBER OF COVID CASES AT THIS TIME A YEAR AGO—AS OF LAST WEEK WHITE PLAINS HAD 9 PATIENTS WITH COVID AND A YEAR AGO, 88% OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL WAS FILLED WITH COVID PATIENTS . MONTIFIORE HOSPITAL PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THE MONTIFIORE CARDIAC SURGERY TEAM WOULD BE JOINING THE WHITE PLAINS CENTER TO TREAT PATIENTS SOMETIME LATER THIS YEAR

THE WHITE PLAINS OUTDOOR ARTS FESTIVAL ATTRACTED HUNDREDS TO TIBBETTS PARK ON NORTH BROADWAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH AT LEAST 200 TO 300 PEOPLE STROLLING THROUGH THE 80 VENDOR SHOW.

I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR TRAFFIC REPORT JUST BEFORE COMING ON THE AIR TALKING ABOUT THE BRUCKNER EXPRESSWAY AND THE MAJOR DEEGAN “SOLID” WITH TRAFFIC. THE REASON IS THE EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION ON THE BRUCKNER EXPRESSWAY AND THE DEEGAN WHICH HAS CREATED EXTENSIVE DELAYS DAILY. I DROVE INTO THE CITY ONE WEEK AGO LEAVING FOR  3RD STREET IN GREENWICH VILLAGE THE BRUCKNER AND THE TRIBORO BRIDGE AND FDR  FROM WHITE PLAINS. IT TOOK ME 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES—ONE HOUR LONGER THAN USUAL . IT IS LIKE RUSH HOUR ALL DAY DRIVING INTO NYC.TALK ABOUT CONGRESTION PRICING, THIS IS CONGESTED DRIVING. AND YOU KNOW WHAT—NO POLICE SUPERVISE THE LANE SQUEEZEDOWNS—ALLOW AT LEAST AN HOUR TO ANY DRIVE INTO THE CITY. RUSH HOUR IS ALL DAY NOW.

I WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! 7:50 AM TUESDAYS ON WVOX.ORG OR WVOX 1460 AM“

JOHN BAILEY THE CIIZENETREPORTER
IS HEARD TUESDAYS 7:50 AM WITH THE NICEST TWO PEOPLE ON THE RADIO “DENNIS AND TONNY ON GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER” ON WVOX AM 1460

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CDC: MASKS SHOULD STILL BE WORN IN SCHOOLS, CITING VAST NUMBERS OF CHILDREN UNDER 16 TO 12 HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED: SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. GOVERNOR CONFIRMS

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From White Plains Schools Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Ricca. June 7, 2021:

Dr, Joseph Ricca informed the White Plains School District this morning that students should continue to wear masks to school “for now” saying that in a news conference today the Center for Diseas Control was to announce a ruling that because the vast majority of students under age 16 to 12 had not been vaccinated yet, the masks in schools protocol would remain in effect.

AT 1:45 PM, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued this statement:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. This change aligns New York State’s guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors.

“The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they’re not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we’re going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It’s very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they’re rational and based on the science and the data. We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it’s important to rectify it because if people don’t think the rules are logical, then they’re not going to want to follow the rules.”

On May 24, Governor Cuomo announced that based on the current COVID trajectory, all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September. 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. This change aligns New York State’s guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors.

“The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they’re not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we’re going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children,” Governor Cuomo said.

“We’ll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It’s very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they’re rational and based on the science and the data.

We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it’s important to rectify it because if people don’t think the rules are logical, then they’re not going to want to follow the rules.”

On May 24, Governor Cuomo announced that based on the current COVID trajectory, all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September. 

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