New Castle News

New Board Members Ziporah Janowski and Debby Ziering Join the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center

April 14, 2021 by Inside Press

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) of White Plains, NY has announced their Board of Directors has elected Ziporah Janowski and Debby Ziering to join their board. Janowski and Ziering will serve three-year terms effective January 1, 2021.

“We are very pleased that Ziporah and Debby will be joining our board,” said Millie Jasper, Executive Director at the HHREC. “They have each been very supportive and engaged with HHREC over the years as speakers in our community, and we look forward to working with them to promote and support key initiatives we have planned for 2021 and beyond.”

Ziporah Janowski is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors and is a member of the HHREC Generation Forward Speakers Bureau, a group of second and third generation individuals sponsored by the HHREC. Her speeches have described what life was like as the American child of Polish Holocaust survivors and the lasting imprint being Holocaust survivors left upon her parents. She works with her husband David as Co-Owner and Director of Shane Fit Camps, a group of weight loss and wellness camps that operate throughout the United States. Previously she was a litigation attorney and worked with Marsh & McLennan Inc. and with Mercer Consulting, and she is a board member of Teatown Lake Reservation.

Debby Ziering is also the daughter of two Holocaust survivors and member of the HHREC Generation Forward Speakers Bureau. Her speeches recount her father’s story from the perspective of a young teen and discusses how her father’s story has impacted her life. The Ziering family story is recounted in the Herman and Lea Ziering Archive Center at the Manhattan College Genocide and Multicultural Center in Riverdale, New York. Ziering co-teaches 8th grader at SAR Academy in the Names Not Numbers© Program, an oral history film project which enables students to interview Holocaust survivors to learn about World War II and create a documentary.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Ziporah Janowski and Debby Ziering to our board at HHREC” said Michael Gyory, HHREC Board Chairperson. “They already play a very important role in our mission, and we are very excited to have them join our board to help us develop our plans to grow awareness of the important work we are doing, here in Westchester County, and, increasingly, across the country and around the world.”

About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center is a not-for-profit organization based in White Plains New York that serves Westchester, Fairfield and neighboring counties. Their Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. We encourage students to speak up and act against all forms of bigotry and prejudice. Their work with students and teachers helps schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, they have brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights crimes to over 1,500 teachers, and through them to thousands of middle and high school students. Through their volunteer Educators Program Committee, the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center gives teachers the unique opportunity to develop programs for themselves and others. These programs not only enrich teachers’ knowledge about the Holocaust and related issues, but they also provide the lens through which to view all other human rights violations. For more information call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org .

Local Westchester Gymnasts Take Home NINE Gold Medals at State Championship

March 17, 2021 by Inside Press

World Cup Gymnastics boys’ team competed this past weekend at the New York State Championship held at World Class Gymnastics Academy on March 14, 2021. Over 500 gymnasts competed at this exciting event.

To support a safe competition during Covid-19, the championship was divided into three sites throughout the state. At the completion of the competitions, scores were merged to determine individual rankings by level. World Cup Gymnastics proudly reported that their masked champions took home nine gold medals!

A definite standout at the event was Level 6 (Ages 10-11) gymnast, Dylan Davenport from Stamford, CT. Dylan received three gold medals on Floor (11.1), Pommel Horse (11.2) and High Bar (10.4) and earned a silver medal on Parallel Bar (10.4) making him the All Around Champion with a score of 61.600. His teammate Sawyer Robertson from Mt. Kisco took the silver medal on High Bar with a score of 10.1 and Gabriel Zybert of Pleasantville earned a silver medal on Floor (10.5). Congratulations to Kavi Manchanda of Tarrytown and Victor Dyakin of Scarsdale who had events that scored in the top 6

The Level 8 (ages 13-14) boys took home three gold medals. Stamford, CT native Michael Davenport earned a gold medal on Pommel Horse (12.8) and a silver medal on Floor (12.5) earning the 2nd spot All Around. His teammate Noah Rock from Chappaqua took home two gold medals on Rings (12.1) and High Bar (12.1) and a Bronze medal on Vault (11.3). Scarsdale native, Alex Dyakin was close behind Noah earning the silver medal on High Bar (12.1) and the Bronze medal on Floor (12.4). Congratulations to Carmel resident Andrew Sinnot who had two events in the top 5.

Level 10 seniors had their last meet before they venture off to college. JT Basulto from Hartsdale walked off with a gold medal on High Bar (12.7), a silver medal on Floor (14.1) and Pommel Horse (13.1) and a bronze medal All Around. Ihor Tarasenko from Manhattan walked off with the gold medal on High Bar (13.9).

“Our boys’ team missed most of last year’s competitions when many gyms, including ours, closed because of the pandemic,” said Jason Hebert, Director of World Cup Gymnastics. “Fortunately, they continued to train by working out with their coaches on Zoom and conditioning on their own. They were able to quickly pick up where they left off when they were allowed to return to the gym. Their efforts paid off and they should be very proud of their accomplishments,” he added.

World Cup Gymnastics has been training State, Regional and National Champions for over 25 years. It is deemed one of the most revered recreational and competitive gymnastics programs in the state offering mommy and me classes for infants, pre-school gymnastics, school-age recreational gymnastics, tumbling for cheerleaders and competitive teams. For more information, please call 914-238-4967 or visit www.worldcupgymnastics.com.

News courtesy of World Cup Gymnastics

More than 6.5 Million COVID Vaccine Doses Administered Across New York State

March 14, 2021 by Inside Press

Governor Cuomo Announced 130,350 Doses Administered Across New York State in the Last 24 Hours

More than 1 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State’s Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state’s vaccination program. 130,350 doses have been administered across New York’s vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days. The week 13 allocation of 795,155 first and second doses is expected to finish arriving today. New York providers have now administered 89.7 percent of total doses and 94.3 percent of first doses delivered in weeks 1 to 13. Delivery of the week 14 allocation begins mid-week.

“Thanks to our robust distribution infrastructure across the state and the men and women who work tirelessly to get shots into people’s arms, we are quickly working through our weekly vaccine supply,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are still millions of shots away from critical mass, and as our weekly allocation from the federal government grows, we will ramp up our efforts to continue our outreach to underserved communities and the most vulnerable New Yorkers. I salute all New Yorkers for how far we have come in our fight against COVID, and in order to maintain and build on our remarkable progress, it is important that we continue to be vigilant as we proceed with getting more people vaccinated.”

New York’s vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

The ‘Am I Eligible’ screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

Doctor’s letter, or
Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
Signed certification

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state’s vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government’s Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows.

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

Total doses administered – 6,577,070

Total doses administered over past 24 hours – 130,350

Total doses administered over past 7 days – 1,059,488

Percent of New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 22.1%

Percent of New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 11.3%

	People with at least one vaccine dose		People with complete vaccine series
Region	Cumulative Total	Increase over past 24 hours	Cumulative Total	Increase over past 24 hours
Capital Region	271,866	3,832	136,911	2,396
Central New York	245,670	3,807	131,729	2,076
Finger Lakes	279,554	5,087	144,813	2,675
Long Island	504,146	7,616	279,976	5,820
Mid-Hudson	421,148	7,766	214,194	3,820
Mohawk Valley	120,622	1,964	64,787	1,546
New York City	1,995,286	47,552	977,121	27,764
North Country	140,785	1,101	77,794	1,142
Southern Tier	148,057	2,445	77,169	1,417
Western New York	289,025	4,944	160,269	1,995
Statewide	4,416,159	86,114	2,264,763	50,651

	1st doses fully delivered to New York Providers	2nd doses fully delivered to New York Providers	TOTAL	CUMULATIVE
Week 1 Doses arriving 12/14 – 12/20	163,650	0	163,650	163,650
Week 2 Doses arriving 12/21 – 12/27	452,125	0	452,125	615,775
Week 3 Doses arriving 12/28 – 01/03	227,395	0	227,395	843,170
Week 4 Doses arriving 01/04 – 01/10	239,025	165,150	404,175	1,247,345
Week 5 Doses arriving 01/11 – 01/17	221,315	119,925	341,240	1,588,585
Week 6 Doses arriving 01/18- 01/24	250,400	462,395	712,795	2,301,380
Week 7 Doses arriving 01/25 – 01/31	260,150	239,525	499,675	2,801,055
Week 8 Doses arriving 02/01 – 02/07	321,850	220,720	542,570	3,343,625
Week 9 Doses arriving 02/8 – 02/14	320,000	244,500	564,500	3,908,125
Week 10 Doses arriving 2/15 – 2/21	356,990	265,525	622,515	4,530,640
Week 11 Doses arriving 2/22 – 2/28	393,530	305,780	699,310	5,229,950
Week 12 Doses arriving 03/01 – 03/07*	1,020,660	290,500	1,311,160	6,541,110
Week 13 Doses arriving 03/08 – 03/14	455,365	339,790	795,155	7,336,265

Region	Total Doses Received	Total Doses Administered	% of Total Doses Administered/Received
Capital Region	449,300	405,422	90.2%
Central New York	417,835	363,971	87.1%
Finger Lakes	459,945	417,405	90.8%
Long Island	856,830	771,758	90.1%
Mid-Hudson	706,510	618,039	87.5%
Mohawk Valley	208,120	183,693	88.3%
New York City	3,258,485	2,935,856	90.1%
North Country	238,240	217,916	91.5%
Southern Tier	262,985	222,873	84.7%
Western New York	478,015	440,137	92.1%
Statewide	7,336,265	6,577,070	89.7%

New Yorkers seeking to determine eligibility and schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, can visit the ‘Am I Eligible’ website. New Yorkers may also call their local health department, pharmacy, doctor, or hospital for additional information and to schedule appointments where vaccines are available.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state’s vaccination effort.

New Yorkers who suspect fraud in the vaccine distribution process can now call 833-VAX-SCAM (833-829-7226) toll-free or email the state Department of Health at STOPVAXFRAUD@health.ny.gov. Hotline staff will route complaints to the appropriate investigative agencies to ensure New Yorkers are not being taken advantage of as the State works to vaccinate the entire eligible population.

The information in this post was via a news release from Governor Cuomo’s office.

County Offering Personalized Help with Health Insurance Enrollment

October 26, 2020 by Inside Press

Open Enrollment for NY State of Health

Official Health Plan Marketplace Starts November 1

(White Plains, NY) – Free enrollment assistance is available to help individuals and small businesses enroll or renew their health coverage with NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace. The Westchester County Department of Health Navigator Program offers telephone assistance in multiple languages at no charge.

The 2021 Open Enrollment period in a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) will begin Sunday, November 1 for all new applicants, and November 16 for all returning consumers. The deadline to enroll in QHP coverage with a January 1, 2021 start date is December 15. The Open Enrollment Period will end on January 31, 2021.

During these challenging times, NY State of Health remains committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality health insurance for all New Yorkers, so they can get the care they need. New York has extended the COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period (SEP) so consumers can enroll in a Qualified Health Plan now through the end of 2020. Consumers who enroll through this SEP will have the option to continue their enrollment in the same plan in 2021 without a break in coverage. In addition, many New Yorkers will qualify for Medicaid, Child Health Plus or the Essential Plan, and can enroll in these programs year-round.

Weekday, evening and weekend hours are available. For more information on navigator services, locations or to schedule a telephone appointment, call (914) 995-6350 or email hnav@westchestergov.com.

To learn more about health coverage, go to www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777. The NY State of Health customer service hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. through 8 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. For more health information, go to www.westchestergov.com/health.

This news is courtesy of the Westchester County Executive Office.

New ‘Community Build Back’ Program Aims “to Enable Families to Stay in their Homes”

September 17, 2020 by Inside Press

Program will Assist Westchester Residents Facing Homelessness Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic

In an effort to stabilize communities and families in the County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Westchester County Executive George Latimer is announcing the Community Build Back Program. The four pronged umbrella Program has four programs under it. Two utilize HUD money, the RED STOP Eviction Project and the RED Rent HELP Project, and two separate ones utilize $10 million dollars in CARES ACT money the Blue Priority Homeowners Initiative and the Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative.

Latimer said: “As a result of COVID-19 and the impact on the economy, both the federal government and New York State issued moratoriums on tenant evictions. Those moratoriums are coming to an end and unemployment benefits have been greatly diminished. The Community Build Back Program will enable families to stay in their homes as we head into the fall/winter season.”

The RED STOP Eviction Project utilizes federal HUD funds and will provide up to 4 months of rental or utility arrears for tenants facing eviction or shut off as long as they can demonstrate that their financial hardship is due to COVID. Tenants must be within 21 days of eviction, must demonstrate ability to pay their rent going forward, and must live in a Westchester Urban County Consortium municipality. Assistance is available through select non-profits including: Westchester Residential Opportunities, Community Housing Innovations, Washingtonville Housing Alliance and Choice of New Rochelle.

RED Rent HELP Project – “moving forward” also utilizes federal HUD funds and will provide up to 12 months of rental assistance for families impacted by COVID but focus on households where the tenants worked in industries closed until Phase 4, or who worked for a business that no longer exists. RED Rent HELP Project will be run by the County’s Planning Department.

The Blue Priority Homeowners Initiative, uses $2.5 million dollars and focuses on homeowners facing foreclosure. That part of the Program, which is estimated to help 325 households in the County, and assist them with up to 4 months of mortgage / cooperative arrears. Homeowners must show that COVID has negatively impacted their ability to pay their mortgage. The homeowner will also have to show that they were up to date on payments as of March 2020. This part of the Program also runs until the end of the year and will be administered through select nonprofits including: Westchester Residential Opportunities, Community Housing Innovations, Washingtonville Housing Alliance, HDSW (Human Development Services of Westchester) and the Bridge Fund.

Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc. Executive Director Marlene Zarfes said: “This eviction prevention program will be a lifesaver for so many County residents at risk of becoming homeless. Westchester Residential Opportunities is proud to partner with the County to help keep people safely in their homes and keep families together.”

For the Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative, $7.5 million dollars has been earmarked to assist approximately 2,400 households in the County by working directly with their landlords and bringing their rent up to date. The Program runs from now until the end of 2020, and can cover up to 75% of back rent for up to 4 months of rent for landlords who can show that their tenants were up to date in March, but have since not been able to pay their rent due to COVID. This program, to be done by lottery, will assist landlords who own between 4 and 20 units. Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative will be run by the County’s Planning Department.

Building & Realty Institute (BRI) of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region Executive Director Tim Foley said: “We’re thankful for the creative leadership shown by Westchester County’s Community Build Back Program, and the focus on supplying urgently-needed aid to struggling tenants, landlords, and property owners alike. The landlords and property owners of the Building & Realty Institute have been checking in on our at-risk tenants, offering flexibility and payment plans on their rent, and trying to be as accommodating as possible to good tenants who lost their jobs or lost income due to the COVID pandemic. But as the public health and economic emergency stretches on with no end-date in sight, we need government to step up to stabilize our housing situation. With this four-prong approach, Westchester County is clearly doing so.”

Latimer said: “Landlords, many times, are small business owners who depend on the rent from their properties to support their own families. We realize the chaos that nonpayment can put into their lives and their communities. The last thing we want to see is a landlord lose their property over nonpayment. That benefits no one.”

Board of Directors of the Apartment Owners Advisory Council Member Carol Danziger said: “I am thankful to Westchester County for setting up these programs aimed at helping tenants and landlords during this crisis. I’m a second-generation owner of a family-run small apartment building, like so many small business owners, COVID-19 took any financial problems we had and made them that much worse. After the financial hardships and unimaginable personal losses we’ve experienced, we are still here for our tenants if the needs arise, especially if anyone is struggling. But since we do basically everything ourselves and have no staff, there was no relief for us under the CARES Act previously, and we were quickly running out of options and flexibility. These subsidies and stabilization funds will help us remain steady while the public health emergency continues this fall.”

Fact Sheets and Applications (English and Spanish) for the programs are available on the County’s website at: www.westchestergov.com/HousingHelp.

News courtesy of the Westchester County Executive Office