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

JOHN BAILEY

The Old CitizeNetReporter at the WVOX mircrophone

Appears weekly on WVOX at 7:50 AM with the White Plains Report a feature of the nicest people on the radio, Dennis Nardone and Tonny on Good Morning Westchester at WVOX 1460 AM AND WVOX.COM. Here is a transcript of today’s report.

“Good morning from White Plains NY USA.

February is fitness month through February 28, featuring special offers from 18 diverse fitness spas in White Plains. To learn all about the sweet 18  go to wpbid.com, to find a list of the great deals.

Take advantage of everything from virtual workouts, free trial classes, new member deals and workout bundles to get your body in beach shape.

Next month will be beauty month and all you ladies and hipsters of an interesting age will be eligible for special offers from White Plains beauty salons, nail artists, stylists and trainers and well we’ll keep you posted at wpbid.com

You know Dennis, Everybody says it is the internet sales causing us to be down combined with covid but the internet has been killing street retail in Westchester for three years.

Since 2018 Westchester  County internet sales  (Electronic and mail order businesses) have soared from $175 million to $475 million – that’s 270%, folks.

In the last 8 years internet electronic and mail order sales have gone  from $100 million just to  under $500 million, 500%.

What Westchester County Businesses are being affected most?

Department stores  and clothing stores lagged behind electronic shopping and mail order for 8 years not just the year 2020.

Department store growth has been stagnant. It is no wonder Sears and now Macy’s are leaving White Plains.  Department Stores have not grown their market share in 7 years. They have been at a steady $600 million for 7 of the last 8 years and the bottom dropped out in 2020.

Department Stores  dropped sharply to $200 milliion in 2020. Electronic sales and mail order business has devoured  the market going from $400 million in 2013-14  eight years ago to $1.3 billion through 2020 325% GROWTH in 8 years.

How about Westchester restaurants and bars? They were going great  in 2019  when Westchester restaurants peaked at $40 billion and starting in March 2020 they have plummeted 40% to $25 billion.

Grocery stores have remained steady.

Can the White Plains Common Council count on a big comeback in the spring sales tax receipts? what do you think? they need to start thinking of solutions for various deficits they have now.

Brittany Brandwein of the White Plains Bid told me yesterday that restaurants with safe social distancing, table spacing and cleaning procedures, gloved and masked servers are doing ok. Larger  restaurants in town need to do better.

The city ended the first six months of 20-21 fiscal year down $5,063,506 . It was the sixth consecutive month of declining sales tax revenues for white plains. 

We look forward to the January sales tax receipts coming out February 19. The city expressed concern at last week’s council meeting about our revenues. They have tough choices to make, bet the spring will come back as strong as last spring and they are still down $5 million. If sales tax dollars continue down is they will have a bigger deficit by June 30, requiring cuts and perhaps a tax increase.

So long for now.

WPCNR GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO MONDAY COVID REPORT. February 9, 2021:

 The state’s effort to vaccinate health care workers has been underway for the last eight weeks. So we are now starting to shift doses not used to date to prioritize New Yorkers with qualifying comorbidities and pre-existing conditions.

These New Yorkers will be able to make appointments at state-run mass vaccination sites beginning Sunday, February 14, with vaccinations beginning next Monday, February 15. Local health departments will determine how, where and when to schedule appointments in their jurisdictions, and those appointments will begin as early as February 15.

New Yorkers will have to provide documentation as required by the facility where they are getting vaccinated—the exact form of documentation will be up to local governments, but may be either a doctor’s letter, medical information evidencing comorbidity, or a certification.

 Federal supply of the vaccine remains extremely limited, and I urge all New Yorkers to be patient. We can only administer as many doses as we receive and we’re continuing to fight for more every day. 

Photo of the Day: Helen, pictured above, became the 10,000th person to be vaccinated at the Roc Dome Arena vaccination site in Henrietta, NY, this morning. Here’s what else you need to know tonight: 

1. COVID hospitalizations rose to 7,716. Of the 197,183 tests reported yesterday, 8,448, or 4.28 percent, were positive. There were 1,454 patients in the ICU yesterday, down 5 from the previous day. Of the, 961 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 114 New Yorkers to the virus.

 2. Monday we launched NY PopsUp, an initiative to accelerate the revival of culture and the arts: the creative soul of New York. As we approach 2 million New Yorkers vaccinated, we’re bringing back the arts with over 300+ arts events across the state. Arts industry workers have been devastated by the pandemic, with many out of work since March. This initiative will marshal the return of the arts with safe, in-person events and online shows—coming to your neighborhood soon! 

3. If you’ve gotten your first dose, make sure not to skip your second dose. Second doses are crucial to building full protection to the virus, as Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized yesterday. Remember: both currently authorized COVID vaccines require two doses. 

4. Indoor dining in New York State will reopen at reduced capacity Friday, February 12, two days before Valentine’s Day. Strict health guidelines are in place, including a 25 percent occupancy cap. We know the restaurant industry is struggling due to the pandemic, and we remind New Yorkers that takeout and delivery continue to be great ways to support your favorite dining establishments. 

Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo