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.
THE COUNTY NEEDS WATER OCTOBER WAS THE DRIEST MONTH ON RECORD AND NOVEMBER CONTINUES 100% OF THE COUNTY IN DROUGHT
WESTCHESTER COUNTY URGES RESIDENTS TO CONSERVE WATER AS DROUGHT WATCH CONTINUES
NEW YORK CITY ISSUED A DROUGHT WATCH THAT AFFECTS WESTCHESTER COUNTY WATER SUPPLIES. AS PART OF THE DROUGHT WATCH, WESTCHESTER COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE ASKED BY THE COUNTY’S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITIES TO PRACTICE WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES. EMERGENCY.
TO SUPPORT WATER CONSERVATION, THE COUNTY RECOMMENDS THAT RESIDENTS:
LIMIT LAWN AND GARDEN WATERING TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING HOURS TO MINIMIZE EVAPORATION
CHECK AND FIX LEAKS IN PLUMBING, FAUCETS, AND HOSES
RUN DISHWASHERS AND LAUNDRY MACHINES ONLY WITH FULL LOADS
AVOID WASHING VEHICLES OR HOSING DOWN SIDEWALKS
RESIDENTS CAN VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITES FOR DROUGHT CONSERVATION MEASURES:
WPCNR BIG APPLE NEWS. From The Gothomist. November 13, 2024:
Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to relaunch the MTA’s congestion pricing program with a $9 base toll for passenger cars — marking a 40% price reduction from the price previously approved by the MTA — according to four sources briefed on the governor’s plan.
The sources, who were not authorized to speak on the matter on Wednesday, said Hochul plans to eventually increase the base toll.
A separate source with direct knowledge of Hochul’s plan who was also not authorized to speak on the topic said the MTA board plans to approve the new tolls during its next meeting on Nov. 20 — and that Hochul plans to launch the program at midnight on Dec. 29.
The governor’s move comes just over a week after the election, and more than five months after she abruptly paused congestion pricing. New York state lawmakers first approved the program in 2019, with the goal of charging drivers a fee for entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. The revenue from the program is legally required to fund $15 billion worth of essential repairs to the MTA’s transit systems.
Representatives from the governor’s office and the MTA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In pausing the program, Hochul claimed the new charges would be too costly for drivers who are already wrestling with inflation. Two sources said the governor was asked by congressional Democratic leaders to hold off on launching the tolls until after the election in hopes of winning competitive House races in the city’s suburbs.
The lower toll would save a motorist who drives into Manhattan five days a week $1,500 over the course of a year compared to the prior plan. But Hochul is expected to face questions as to whether the lower toll will discourage motorists from entering the city to reduce congestion in the same way a $15 toll would have, which was a key goal of congestion pricing
The tolls require the Federal Highway Administration’s signoff.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to kill the tolling program once he takes office, but transit advocates have said in recent weeks that Trump would have a harder time dismantling the tolling program if it were to launch by the time he takes office.
As we continue our review process for the 2025 Westchester County budget, I wanted to inform you that the Board of Legislators will be hosting two public input sessions and one public hearing on the budget in the coming weeks. These sessions offer the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed budget and let us, as Board members, understand your priorities. How should government revenues be used to best serve the public? What have your experiences with County agencies been, and how can the County continue to deliver top-notch services in a cost-effective manner?
Westchester County residents are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposed budget. The details are as follows:
Public Input Sessions:
Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 7 PM
Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 5:30 PM
Greenburgh Library, 300 Tarrytown Rd, Elmsford, NY 10523
Public Hearing:
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 7 PM
Board of Legislators Chambers, 148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor, White Plains
Doors will open one hour prior, and numbered speaker cards will be distributed, limited to one per person. Each speaker will have a maximum of three (3) minutes to speak. Written comments may also be submitted in advance and will be included in the record.
Information regarding the FY2025 budget deliberations can be viewed on the Budget Dashboard section of the BOL website. The dashboard includes relevant details such as the budget meeting schedule and links to view the proposed operating, capital, and special districts budgets.
WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey, November 12, 2024:
White Plains citizens, veterans and a new generation to respect and honor White Plains veterans, those who fought and died and returned from wars America has fought.
A throng of 150 by my rough estimate of the throng in the Memorial Garden in the cityhall courtyard to reflect on veterans’ contributions and sacrifices and reflect on the future. Here is how it opened:
Mayor Roach spoke saying how happy he was to see such a large turnout to honor the veterans and reminisced about his family’s experience when he was growing up. He introduced the veteran honoree of the day Colonel Staci N. Coleman.
Colonel Staci N. Coleman, a 1988 graduate of White Plains High School, joined the Air Force as an enlisted Weather Forecaster in November 1992. She was later selected for Officer Training School and graduated as the valedictorian of her class in 2003 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Colonel Colemanbecame the Director of the Commander’s
Action Group for the Commander of United States Air Forces in
Europe and United States Air Forces in Africa.
Throughout her career, she has taken on various roles supporting the Air Force,
Army, and joint, coalition and interagency operations. She has
commanded both deployed and base-level units and has
completed eleven deployments in support of multiple
operations.
Colonel Coleman currently serves as the Chief of Foundation
Geospatial Intelligence and Meteorological and Oceanographic
Operations at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in
Springfield, Virginia.
In her role, Colonel Coleman advises the agency on policy, strategy, and operational issues, ensuring the delivery of top-tier geospatial intelligence that gives policymakers, military personnel, intelligence professionals, and first responders a significant advantage. Here are her remarks:
An inspiring addition to the ceremony were students from White Plains Schools reading tributes to each branch of the armed services.
Commissioner of Recreation and Parks Wayne Bass closed the Remembrance and introduced the White Plains High School Marching Band which played the anthems of the 5 armed forces in their traditional medley.
The band played the most inspiring anthems in the world splendidly in unique new arrangements that were made powerfu by the players’ paced beat, crisp roll-offs by the drum corps that segued into each anthem building letting you know something was coming started slowly, majectic, and swelled in majesty. The audience was rapt!
The close featuring the White Plains High School Marching Band
Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin
Flu season looks fine so far in the Northeast, with all states reporting low or minimal levels of activity.
New York City is one exception, with outpatient ILI at 4.3%. This is nearly unchanged from last week’s 4.4%. However, wastewater concentration looks fine, and NYC often has a baseline level of ILI than surrounding states.
New Jersey is also on the high side with 3.8% ILI visits (a slight decrease from 4.2% the previous week), alongside a modest uptick in wastewater signals—but still in the minimal category.
The rest of New York State shows lower activity than NYC, with ILI visits decreasing slightly from 2.2% to 1.9%, while maintaining low wastewater concentration.
Connecticut has seen a slight dip in clinical visits from 2.4% to 2.3% ILI.
A cluster of states including Massachusetts (holding steady at 1.8% ILI), Maine (up from 1.6% to 1.7%), and Rhode Island (1.4% both weeks) all have low levels of activity,
Similarly, Vermont and New Hampshire continue to report the region’s lowest clinical activity (both around 1.0% ILI).
Pennsylvania has seen a modest increase from 1.5% to 1.6% ILI visits, while maintaining minimal but steady wastewater signals.
COVID-19
Covid-19 is quiet: wastewater activity is minimal and stable, ED visits are minimal, and hospitalizations are fairly low and declining.
Wastewater activity is minimal in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. It is low in Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania (limited data), and New Hampshire (limited data). However, activity is moderate in Massachusetts and high and in Maine, and both states reported increases this past week.
ED visits are minimal (<1.5%) and decreasing or stable across the region, ranging from 0.4% in New Jersey to 0.8% in Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont.
Hospitalizations are fairly low and declining in the two states in the region that are reporting: New York (3.2 hospitalizations per 100,000) and Connecticut (2.3).
Not too much happening yet, but that may change soon.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are showing early warning signs through wastewater surveillance, though hospitalization rates remain very low at 0.7 and 0.0 per 100,000.
Connecticut is also seeing activity begin to stir as measured by wastewater concentration, though hospitalizations remain very low. Neighboring New York shows declining wastewater activity and low hospitalizations (0.6 per 100,000).
The rest of the states in the region look fine.
Other Bugs
Several causes of colds and flu-like symptoms are showing signs of increased activity:
Parainfluenza continues to rise, though the rate of increase is slowing, suggesting we may be nearing a peak.
Both adenoviruses and human coronaviruses are showing small but steady week-over-week increases.
Rhinoviruses/enteroviruses are holding steady at a high ~28% test positivity.
Stomach Bugs
Norovirus rates remain very low in the Northeast, with 2.4% test positivity. This is much, much lower than other areas of the country.
Food recalls
The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:
New:
Soft ripened cheeses, including brie, sold under multiple brand names, including Aldi, La Bonne Vie, and Glenview Farms (more info)
Prepackaged turkey sandwiches with spreadable brie sold under multiple brand names (more info)
Ready-to-eat poultry and meat products sold by Yu Shang Food, including pork belly, beef shank, and whole chicken (more info)
Previously reported:
Enoki mushrooms sold by HH Fresh Trading Corp (more info)
Gourmet Cafe Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls sold by Fresh Express (more info)
Waffles and pancakes – many flavors and styles – sold under a very large variety of brand names, including numerous store brands, including 365 Organic, Best Choice, Good & Gather, Harris Teeter, H-E-B, Nature’s Promise, Publix, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans.
Given the size of this recall, if you have any variety of frozen/toaster waffles, Belgian waffles or pancakes in your freezer that you bought in the US or Canada, check this list. (more info)
If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.
In other news
The Maine CDC reported the state’s first case of locally acquired Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a resident. The affected person is an adult in Penobscot County who fell severely ill in early October 2024 and remains hospitalized. EEE is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause severe symptoms including encephalitis and meningitis, potentially leading to death. We are nearing the end of mosquito season in the region, so the risk of EEE and related infections is decreasing.
Erie County, Pennsylvania, is experiencing a pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak, with 15 confirmed cases reported as of November 8, 2024. A majority of these cases are affiliated with a particular church. This surge is part of a broader trend across the country, which has recorded over 2,000 cases this year, marking a tenfold increase from the previous year.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of our New York State Parks employees while responding to a wildfire in Orange County yesterday.
My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time. I commend his dedication to serving and protecting his fellow New Yorkers, and his bravery on the front lines.
New York is battling multiple wildfires due to the dry conditions we are currently facing. Our State employees are working around the clock to protect our communities and we are keeping them close in our thoughts as they put their lives on the line to stop the spread of these wildfires.”
Armistice Day Veterans Day Passes the Torch of Memory and Regret and Responsibility
WPCNR News & CommentBy John F. Bailey November 10, 2024:
I am republishing this piece I wrote a number of years ago, commenting on the significance of Veterans Day:
Cominp up is the 11th day of the 11th month, and it is 1918. Armistice Day the day when World War I “The Great War to end all Wars” officially ended.
Sadly, the way “The Great War” ended and subsequent reparations penalties on Germany, set the stage for a century of war: World War II, the Holocaust, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 6-Day War, the first Iraq War, the Afghan War, and now the Israel Hamas war.
It was sunny on the steps of City Hall today in White Plains this morning , not at all like the trenchs of the Somme in that “Great War.” I wrote the piece that follows in 2013 that delivers some of the feelings of all Armistice Days
I attended the Veterans Day Ceremony in White Plains Rural Cemetery in 2013. I met Ross Marsico,(above) the 90 year old veteran of World War II who fought with the Third Army in France, Belgium and Germany. He was wounded by shrapnel, spent 45 days in a hospital THEN returned to active duty.
Mr. Marsico returned to the USA and spent 30 years as an active policeman in Harrison. He was honored as the 2013 Veteran’s Day Honoree
Mr. Marsico is a native of White Plains, just turned 90 in 2013, is an outstanding person to have the honor to meet. When he was asked questions how he felt about being honored, he said he just represented all the other veterans and every day people who had served, that it was not about him. Then he teared up.
Veterans day makes you tear up.
Chaplain Bob Donnelly of American Legion Post 135 in the invocation observed that the gathering was there to honor persons who had written a “blank check to the United States of America, good for everything including their life in service to their country.”
Adele Zucker(above) , Past President of Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary, said Veterans day was to honor the veterans who came back and have contributed so much to their hometowns in addition to their military service.
Chaplain Bob Donnelly noted that when he returned from the Vietnam war he was spat upon by a woman in an airport and called a baby killer, and observed today’s veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are much more respected.
Then came brief inspiration remarks by the Mayor, Tom Roach, who proclaimed Monday Veteran’s Day in White Plains and U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jason Freeland(below)
Sergeant Freeland, in his most recent tour, was responsible for training Afghan army and police recruits. He is now head of recruiting for the Marines in White Plains. He mentioned how honored he was to be among the veterans attending, and how it was their and those like them whose service that make it possible for him and today’s servicemen and women to perform and live up to the veterans’ example.
This truth was echoed again how you serve matters and it is an inspiration to those who come after you.
Mayor Roach with Commandant Jack Collins of American Legion Post 135 places the Mayor’s Veteran’s Day Board Wreath at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
The Home Defense Wreath is placed by members of the White Plains Police and Fire Department
Dennis Jones, left, places the White Plains Historical Society Wreath. Joan Steere , Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed the final commemorative wreath.
The White Plains Middle School Band played Anchors Aweigh, The Caissons GoRolling Along, The Marines Hymn, SemperFidelis (Coast Guard), and Off We GoInto the Wild Blue Yonder (Air Force).
Crisp. Inspiring, evoking the rich traditions and pride and sacrifice of the American armed forces.
As the gathering left, the tent was folded, and the crowd drifted away, until another Memorial Day another Veterans Day.
I remained and read the tombstones of the Revolutionary War Dead…names no longer readable on the stones, they still spoke as one.
Cemeteries like the White Plains Rural Cemetery inspire by the testimony of the simple stones, the tiny flags denoting veterans and the stones too of every day people of long ago who lived well. As I read their stones I wonder what their lives were like their thoughts, their actions in that long ago time.
Cemeteries are not places of regret, but, instead inspiration to ignite in us, with their memories, to continue to work on our own lives and live up to the examples of persons like the veterans still with us and those who have departed.
Rifle Salute to the Departed Veterans by American Legion Post #135, was followed by Taps, played by Bob Freis
The veterans are getting older.
James Dwyer of American Legion Post 135 was scheduled to read Flanders Field. He could not due to illness according to Commander Jack Collins. This is the touching poem penned in World War I, Mr. Dywer would have read. He could not, so I will publish it for him.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field
This has been a reminiscence of a Veterans Day event of the past in 2013, that I wrote that year. It is not a report on today’s Veterans Day ceremony, but I am sure that many of the same sentiments will be said.
May we shake the hand active soldiers we meet in airports and railroad stations today to recognize their service and just thank them. You do not have to say a word. A handshake. A respectfiul nod of the head is all that is necessary to recognize what serving your country as a soldier means and that you acknowledge what they do for us.
I know that many New Yorkers are wondering what Tuesday’s election means for this state, their families, and our future.
For those that may have concerns, I want to remind you that New York has faced challenges before, and we have always emerged stronger than before. We’ve fought our way back from a global pandemic, created tens of thousands of jobs, brought back manufacturing from overseas, and driven down crime – and that’s just in the three years since I became governor.
I believe there are many opportunities for us to collaborate with the Trump administration: Restoring the State and Local tax deduction, supporting our transit projects, and protecting our critical economic development initiatives that were funded through the Chips and Science Act. But while we hope for the best, we must also prepare for the worst.
That’s why this week I announced the launch of the Empire State Freedom Initiative: A task force focused on key areas where New York State and New Yorkers are most likely to face threats from a Trump Administration, including reproductive rights, civil rights, immigration, gun safety, labor rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the environment.
The Empire State Freedom Initiative will drive proactive measures that New York State can take – before and after President-elect Trump is sworn in – through state legislation, partnerships with New York’s Congressional delegation and the Biden administration, and other actions to protect New Yorkers. We will coordinate these efforts with our strong partner in government, Attorney General James, to provide guidance and prepare for federal threats to New Yorkers’ rights and freedoms.
Engraved on the Statue of Liberty is an inscription many of us know: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” But far fewer know the final words engraved on that plaque: “I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
New York is the birthplace of the women’s rights movement, the environmental justice movement, the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the American labor movement. I’ll work with those who want to be a partner in achieving these goals, but I will not accept an agenda from Washington that rips New Yorkers’ rights away.
New York saw another significant victory in the long fight for freedom on Tuesday, when New Yorkers overwhelmingly voted in favor of Proposition One. With the passage of that Proposition, fundamental rights, including the right to an abortion, are now enshrined in our state’s constitution.
Over the next four years and beyond, New Yorkers will continue to ensure Lady Liberty’s warm light of opportunity continues to reach all those who dare to believe in it.
