ShopRite: food dates not the most recent.

Message just sent about:

ShopRite of White Plains
13 City Place
White Plains, New York 10601

(914) 539 - 4500

through the ShopRite online form at http://www.shoprite.com/contact-us-form-email/

Needs adult supervision. Lots of checkout stations but never even half with an employee, half of whom are always standing around.

Persistent problem: food dates not the most recent. No, it's not simply that product has not been rotated. It's an obvious corporate policy to buy food with a borderline date, probably because it's less expensive. Since food companies are increasingly dating their stuff WAY in advance, the problem is not always obvious. Most recent example:

Last night I bought nasoya ORGANIC extra firm tofu with a "use by" March 30 date. I had bought the exact same a couple of days before and was pretty sure it had an April date. So I checked many other packages in ShopRite and all had March 30, so I figured that I was mistaken. Nope. April 3 at home. You had put out OLDER stuff, lot's of it.
__________________________

This is NOT an isolated case. For many months I've noticed this with other foods, including milk and breakfast cereal. How do you like buying milk and when you get home it's older than what you had already bought there? Yes, the same brand and type.

So, check the dates and use your common sense. Write to corporate entities about specific examples. The super high rent shell games in White Plains are bad enough but that type of stuff shouldn't be tolerated in supermarkets, especially the one that is downtown and most accessible to people without cars ... and more choices.

Galleria parking garage sidewalk not cleared of snow.

And it's right across the street from the Public Safety building. Some workers in that building park in the Galleria parking garage and then jaywalk across Martine Avenue into their office. They must see that snow was ignored on the Galleria parking garage sidewalk well after the snow had been cleared from the sidewalks of the municipal buildings along Martine across the street. And the Public Safety building has windows.

Photos taken at 11:40 AM, Wednesday, February 7, 2018:

Notice in the second photo that the snow was cleared half way down the block on South Lexington but snow was left on the sidewalk adjacent to the Galleria parking garage. It couldn't be more obvious that whatever entity is responsible for snow removal of the Galleria parking garage sidewalk is negligent. But enforcement people directly across the street are oblivious.

You would think that whoever cleared the snow from the Galleria retail sidewalk along Main Street might be responsible enough to continue and do it along Martine Avenue. But no common sense there either.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Snow removal: does the city ever enforce sidewalk clearing without complaints?

Apparently not. White Plains is a one horse town. Always was. Always will be.

Camp fair: another event NOT downtown.

You can't make up stuff like this. Saturday January 3 there's this event about summer camp for kids. You'd think it would be held downtown so that it would be accessible to the most people, including those without cars. Instead, it's at the campus like high school. Maybe that's to have outdoor activities, except that it's the dead of winter.

So why is it at the high school? Probably for the same reason that the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA) holds its meetings far from downtown: those who run the city do not live downtown. Downtown to them is a place for their amusement and convenience, a place to which they will only go by car. This accounts for the dozen or so pseudo interstate highway roads that slash through downtown.

Bike lanes are not used because they are not safe.

Message sent today to Common Council members:

from: Ken
to: Downtown White Plains Transit District <transitdistrict@whiteplainsny.gov>
cc: "Thomas M. Roach" <troach@whiteplainsny.gov>,
John Kirkpatrick <jkirkpatrick@whiteplainsny.gov>,
Nadine Hunt-Robinson <nhrobinson@whiteplainsny.gov>,
"John M. Martin" <jmartin@whiteplainsny.gov>,
"Dennis E. Krolian" <dkrolian@whiteplainsny.gov>,
City of White Plains <commoncouncil@whiteplainsny.gov>,
jBrasch@whiteplainsny.gov
date: Thu, Jan 18, 2018 at 8:25 AM
subject: NYTimes: After Cyclists Died, Safer Crosstown Bike Lanes Are Planned for Midtown Manhattan

After Cyclists Died, Safer Crosstown Bike Lanes Are Planned for Midtown Manhattan https://nyti.ms/2ERr9Oj

Now after a spate of fatal cycling crashes in the past year, (New York) city transportation officials are moving to install protected crosstown bike lanes that would be flanked by a sidewalk curb on one side, and a row of parked cars on the other.
______________

I'm not sure this is such a great idea but at least safety is being addressed. It would seem that the bike lane would constantly have pedestrians, including people moving stuff, getting in the way but at least it wouldn't be a vehicle.

As advocated previously, Common Council members should at least walk some of the bike lanes here to get a sense of just how ridiculous they are. Almost no bike riders use them.

I recently got rid of my car and could use safe bike lanes but wouldn't consider those currently in use or planned.

CNA January 2018 Comprehensive Plan meeting far from downtown, where else? Better to keep downtown pedestrians away.

Email:

from: WPCNA via mail214.atl171.mcdlv.net
reply-to: WPCNA
to: ken
date: Sat, Jan 6, 2018 at 7:59 AM
subject: January Meeting: Roundtable on the City's Comprehensive Plan

January Meeting: Roundtable on the City's Comprehensive Plan

The January Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 7:30 pm at Education House, 5 Homeside Lane, White Plains, NY. [Please note: The meeting will be canceled if White Plains School facilities and activities are canceled and/or closed.] The Meeting will be a Roundtable on the City's Comprehensive Plan.

Almost everyone agrees an overhaul of the City's Comprehensive Plan is long overdue. It was a much-discussed topic during the 2017 campaigns for Mayor and Common Council seats. When to update the Plan? Costs of an update? What should be the focus of an update?Comprehensive Plan Important topics might include downtown development, development in and around our neighborhoods, infrastructure, traffic, parking, affordable housing, and that's just for starters.

This meeting will be a Neighborhood Roundtable for WPCNA delegates, residents and the public. We hope to facilitate a healthy dialogue to better understand the issues, opinions, and ideas coming out of our neighborhoods. We all look forward to your input.

This is sure to be a lively evening, so please come early to get a good seat and allow time for audience participation and networking.
_____________________________

Chateau condo on North Broadway did not remove a flake of snow.

81, 83, 85, 87 North Broadway. You know, that vaguely charming walk up (no elevators) condominium with laundry in the cellar. Yes, that one.

Yesterday, the day after the big snow storm, starting about noon I walked down Barker Avenue to the train station and back up to North Broadway, then north almost to Interstate 287. That's a small sample of downtown sidewalks that should have had the snow cleared. Many had done so. Here are some that did not:

- Cadillac car dealership (15 Water Street): an long time offender, now even after an exchange of email messages last winter with the manager, who obviously, is oblivious. And why not? There is no indication that the City of White Plains enforces its own regulations.

- Presbyterian Church at the corner of Barker and North Broadway. Some snow removed but a significant layer always remains along its significantly long sidewalk.

YWCA: corner left a mess.

- Chateau condo North Broadway: ZERO snow flakes removed. WORST OFFENDER. Its half circle of a driveway had much of the snow removed but the sidewalk, not a flake was disturbed.

- Pinehollow condo: adjacent to the Chateau: bad job.

- 89 North Broadway condo: hardly touched.

- Vibes (Delaurentis Management) new modular rental: weirdest. One side of the center driveway not cleared at all but the other side cleared completely.

Co-ops Village Green and Longacre Gardens left most of the snow intact.

There were other offenders but I cannot recall all. As asked in previous posts: does the city ever enforce its own regulations? The question is rhetorical. The answer obvious: Common Council members do not live downtown in apartments and therefor do not give a damn. They only care about snow being removed from the streets, so that they and their natural constituents can drive downtown, which exists for their convenience and amusement.

Snow removal "laws" in White Plains. But are they enforced?

Stumbled onto these:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/HAPPY-NEW-YEAR-----White-Plains-News-You-Can-Use---JANUARY-2018-NEWSLETTER.html?soid=1109296406078&aid=UYd48gvixko

The City & You: Partners in Snow Removal
____________________

http://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/index.aspx?nid=503
Sidewalks and crosswalks are to be kept clear of snow and ice.

Sidewalks should be shoveled the entire width of the sidewalk as prescribed by the said ordinance Section 160 of the Municipal Code. Curb cuts must be kept clear of snow and ice.
When a storm ends at night
Businesses and multi family residences must clear sidewalks by 10 a.m.
Single family residences must clear sidewalks within 10 hours.
When a storm ends during the day
Businesses and multi family residences must clear sidewalks within 2 hours.
Single family residences must clear sidewalks within 10 hours.
Private contractors - guidelines
If you have a private contractor who plows your private driveway or parking lot, please be advised that snow may NOT be pushed into or across public streets. Snow should be plowed to the rear of your property.

City Charter: Snow Removal Section 7-2-1
Call 422-1202 with any questions or concerns regarding snow removal.
We take great pride in our snow removal efforts. Please help us to help you!

___________________

Pride? Say what?

https://library.municode.com/ny/white_plains/codes/code_of_ordinances?searchRequest=%7B%22searchText%22:%22Section%20160%22,%22pageNum%22:1,%22resultsPerPage%22:25,%22booleanSearch%22:false,%22stemming%22:true,%22fuzzy%22:false,%22synonym%22:false,%22contentTypes%22:%5B%22CODES%22%5D,%22productIds%22:%5B%5D%7D&nodeId=CH_ARTVIIDEPUWOCOPUWOSTSISEPAWA_S160CLSNICWA

Sec. 160. - Cleaning snow and ice from walks.
____________________

So what's the enforcement record?

Senior building at 41 Barker Avenue, again, did not have its snow removed.

41 Barker Avenue is the tall building on the left. It's the only one on that side of the street that did not have its snow removed. The church on the corner of North Broadway, of course, did not remove snow either. If you can't tell from the distant photo, go the heck out there and check in person.

Previous post:

Snow removal: does the city ever enforce sidewalk clearing without complaints? Saturday, December 16, 2017

The sidewalk at 41 Barker Avenue still has its snow. That's a Westchester County apartment building for seniors.
______________________

The message above was sent, as is this one, to Common Council members, all of whom do backflips to display their credentials as humanitarians on all sorts of junk but not on meat and potatoes stuff like this. Why? It doesn't impact them or their natural constituents, who like them, live in houses away from downtown.

Snow removal: does the city ever enforce sidewalk clearing without complaints?

Corner of Barker Avenue and Church Street:

The public sidewalk diagonally across has been closed for weeks for the new construction. Basic common sense should have led city officials to ensure that the sidewalks near there were properly cleared of snow as required by city ordinances. Obviously, the white Cottage Place condo responsible for that snow covered sidewalk has not done so. A worker was just observed spreading salt on the sidewalk. Salt is no substitute for removing the snow.

The sidewalk at 41 Barker Avenue still has its snow. That's a Westchester County apartment building for seniors. Along Church Street just north of the intersection owners of some private homes have not cleared the snow.

Why does this seem like an eternal problem in White Plains? It's a simple municipal responsibility and yet one administration after another has proven incapable of even grasping the concept.

What the heck?

If the property owner does not do it, the city should promptly remove the snow and then bill and fine the property owner. If city ordinances do not provide for all that, create some that do. Most importantly, responsible city officials should be held accountable for fundamental things like this.

Improve at least ONE downtown street. ONE.

Come on. Do something. Even a little something. White Plains is still stuck with the same problems that Mayor Roach described two years ago. Now that the election is over, how about making at least one substantive improvement to offset all the new problems that ridiculously increased bus traffic has exacerbated?

Learn from New York City. White Plains does not have to re-invent the wheel.

No Longer New York City’s ‘Boulevard of Death’

By WINNIE HUDEC. 3, 2017  nytimes.com

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

• Share
• Tweet
• Email
• More
• Save

The biggest changes are still to come to Queens Boulevard. In 2019, the city expects to begin a $255-million project that will add wide, tree-lined medians, benches and a continuous bike and walking path. Ms. Doherty said that she envisioned a “linear park” that could be enjoyed by all users of the boulevard.

______________________________