WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. EXCLUSIVE! By John F. Bailey. March 15, 2005; Breaking NEWS UPDATE 12:20 P.M. E.S.T.:  It was a day like all days in the WPCNR News nerve center. I was working the School Board out of bunko division when the call came in from the highly reliable informed source: 

“Scoop of the Day: Mayor Del Vecchio’s Portrait is missing,”  the informant said.  This was big news.

The outrage was first noticed last Thursday, our observer said. The photographic portrait of Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio, (who served as Mayor from 1976 to 1993) was missing from his accostumed position in the hallowed City Hall Rotunda. His businesslike countenance viewed all ascending to the Common Council Chambers with his confident, upbeat and businesslike demeanor. The wall was not the same without his benevolent but challenging confidence looking down. It was as if a piece of City Hall was missing.

The Case of the Missing Mayor: Mayor Del Vecchio’s Portrait Vanishes. Mystery of the Missing Mayor Solved.  The space formerly occupied by the portrait of former Mayor Del Vecchio stares down blankly at City Hall today. Photo by WPCNR News

 

Sensing a story behind the story, the CNR News Team mobilized.

Would there be  evidence that the expensive city hall security monitors were not being watched to record comings and goings?  Perhaps a Del Vecchio stalker had purloined the portrait. Was this, perish the thought, a Mayor’s Office sensitive to criticism striking back?  

Speculation tore through the nonexistent media press lounge at City Hall, prompting discreet inquiries of the usual sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The CNR news team swung into action. Fox News was notified but did not have their spin team ready.

Confronting David Maloney, City Hall press spokesperson in the second official city Hall media callback of the year, WPCNR grilled “The Maloney” and got to the bottom of “The Missing Del Vecchio.”

The Department of Public Safety has not been called in.

Mr. Maloney told The CitizeNetReporter that the disappearance of the Del Vecchio Portraint involved no wrong doing or breach of security.

Mr. Maloney said that in cleaning the former Mayor’s photograph last week, the picture clasp used to suspend the portrait had broken. The portrait was sent to the City Clerk’s office for repair. Asked when the portrait would resume its right place in the Hall of Mayors, Mr. Maloney could not give a date, but said it was “being worked on.”

The Lion’s portrait is expected to be returned to its perch shortly. Calls to the City Clerks office on the progress of the repair and when the Del Vecchio image will be back “in the lineup,” have been placed.

The City Clerk’s office press spokesperson said the portrait is in the possession of Anne McPherson of the City Clerk’s office who is personally taking charge of the repair. Asked if Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti had been consulted on the selection, requisition and specifications of the new picture suspending technology selected, or whether the expertise of the Department of Public Works engineers was needed to supervise installation of the new picture suspension mechanism, and the official rehanging of Mayor Del Vecchio, the spokesperson declined comment and referred further questions to Mr. Maloney.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. March 14, 2005: At last night’s meeting of the Board of Education, the Board  on recommendation of its certiorari  counsel,  voted to accept a $1.378 Million certiorari settlement to Gateway One, One North Lexington Avenue  last night, bringing the total amount of certriorari refunds to prominent city commercial properties this year to $5.8 Million all to be paid out of a reserve for certioraris.  

 

Superintendent of School Timothy Connors noted that City Assessor Eyde McCarthy would be addressing the relationship between development, certioraris and residential property assessments in addition to the trend in future PILOT payments the City School District can expect at the public hearing on the Preliminary School Budget March 21.

 

Actual amount of the certiorari was not publicly stated in the televised meeting. The Business Office stated the refund to Gateway One’s owners was $1,377,626.26.   This is permanently lost revenue to the City School District.

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. March 15, 2005: Buying a home is a daunting task, everyone should try to get the best mortgage rate they can to help keep their monthly bills in check. But not everyone knows that shopping for the best mortgage can hurt your credit, making it more difficult to purchase your dream home.

 

To take the mystery out of mortgage shopping and to help protect homebuyers’ credit, this week I introduced two bipartisan bills in the Assembly. My first bill would prevent consumer reporting agencies from penalizing a person for requesting a rate quote when determining a credit score (A.6303). My second bill would require lenders to inform customers of the potentially negative effect mortgage rate shopping can have on their credit (A.6306).

 

Currently, when a consumer is shopping for the most competitive mortgage rate, their credit score could drop when they engage in comparison-shopping. Furthermore, the consumer is rarely notified that a credit check will lower their score because lenders are not required to provide the information.

 

When consumers do become aware of the situation, they are deterred from further comparison-shopping due to the threat of a lower credit score or a negative inference on their credit report, which could lead to higher interest rates or increased financing fees. It is simply unfair to the consumer, who could save thousands of dollars with the right mortgage rate.

 

Homebuyers should be able to shop for the lowest mortgage rates and fees available without fear of a lower credit score. My legislation corrects this inequity by preventing a negative inference on a person’s credit report for competitive mortgage shopping and ensures that a person will not have their credit score adversely affected when they seek to find the best mortgage rate.  In addition, it will make consumers more educated when dealing with their credit and lenders. I will work with my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate to provide homebuyers with the tools they need to make their dream of owning a home a reality.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education. March 14, 2005: A Public Hearing on the 2005-06 Preliminary Proposed Budget of the White Plains City School District will be held in the Assembly Room of Education House, 5 Homeside Lane, on Monday, March 21st, 2005, at 7:30 P.M.

        The public vote on the budget and the election of Board Members will take place on Tuesday, May 17, 2005, and the polls will be open from Noon to 9 P.M. P.M., at six locations. 

        Two Board seats will be up for election, each for a three-year term of office, beginning July 1, 2005.  Petitions are available from the District Clerk at 5 Homeside Lane.  They must be signed by100 qualified voters and returned by April 27^th. For further information, please call 422-2071.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Tim Sheehan. Exclusive Analysis of The Tiger Championship Game from Troy, NY. March 13, 2005: Tiger guard Kim Adam’s injured ankle scratched her from playing, but many other things were set up nicely for a potential upset win.  The upbeat crowd – twice as large as Nottingham’s – was in place, with orange and black displayed in abundance.  The school hierarchy – including Superintendent Connors, H.S. Principal Toper and Board Member McGuire – came back for a second night of excitement.   Mayor Joe Delfino came with Corporation Counsel Ed Dunphy – undoubtedly in case a legal challenge was needed – in tow. 

The Tigers Console Each Other After Saturday night’s buzzer beater. Photo by Tim Sheehan for WPCNR Sports

Nottingham had just survived a one point game in the semifinal against Massapequa — could WP’s David have a chance against Nottingham’s Goliath?   With 1.8 seconds to play in a tie game, one that many at halftime thought would not be this close, a freak play ended the Tiger’s magical season, and Nottingham prevailed 40 -38. 

Smothering D From the Opening Tip.

 

 

As advertised, Nottingham (Nott) was athletic and disciplined at both ends of the floor.  On defense, they employed a zone press at either the ¾ mark , a disguised half court trap on the wings or plain (but smothering) man to man coverage in the half court end that emphasized complete “in your shorts” spacing to disrupt WP’s regular driving and passing lanes. 

 

On offense, senior sensations Sophrenia Sallard at forward and point guard Cintia Johnson got the ball early and often, with senior forward Lilian Daniels always lurking around the basket for offensive rebounds and easy put backs.  The other Nott players were content to patiently swing the ball around and set up Sallard or Johnson for “can’t miss” looks that at first glance didn’t seem so easy, until the ball went into the hole.

 

Sallard demonstrated one facet of her college worthy repertoire on the game’s first hoop, as she glided down the wing, seemingly out of range, and coolly sank a Clyde Frazier style jumper.  Johnson started her own show as well, driving into and through WP’s 3-2 match up zone to score or dish.  Nott quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but WP – in a pattern to be repeated throughout the night – came back on a Bronzo jumper and a put back and the score was 6-4.  However, that was the bright spot for a rather bleak WP first quarter and half, as Johnson and Sallard scored on drives, Johnson 3 pointers and easy transition buckets.

 

All Over the Tigers. In Their Face.

 

On offense, WP was simply lost for most of the first half.  In the face of tenacious defensive pressure, WP players too often coughed up the ball off the dribble when driving and Nott defenders weren’t buying on Tiger pump fakes and forced a few travel calls and one 5 second violation.  The Tigers offered soft, tentative or telegraphed passes out on the wings — these were often intercepted or tipped away.  Nott had obviously scouted Rush Henrietta’s fronting tactics that worked well the previous evening on WP centers Covington and Bronzo.  WP’s attempted remedy – a lob pass over the front defender to the wheeling center – was anticipated and almost always batted aside or intercepted by Nott’s agile and astute help defenders. 

 

Adding insult to injury, with Adams out and Liz Flooks drawing extra scrutiny, White Plains outside perimeter game was completely shut down.  The Tigers couldn’t even take – much less make – any three point shots, as they were given no open looks. 

 

Flooks, who had saved her best “7-11” impersonation for the team’s playoff run (like the convenience store, she always seems to be open), could not shake free of her indefatigable defenders.  Moreover, WP could not send weak side crashers (like Flooks) to the offensive boards, as they were properly wary of allowing the speedy Sallard and Johnson from running on the break.  WP was often forced to settle for one shot, a problem that was exacerbated by a cold shooting percentage, to form a double whammy scoring block. 

 

Ultimately, WP was down 13-6 at the quarter and 20-11 at the half, and the game was not even as close as the score indicated.  Only 3 WP players had points at the half:  Bronzo, Covington and Osher.  Understandably down, the hometown crowd was hopeful for a comeback, but a few undoubtedly wondered (not out loud, of course) if the displayed talent level differential between the two teams was just too great.   But a comeback was indeed in the works, and the game will rightfully be remembered in HS hoop circles for years to come.

 

The Tigers’ Willis Reed.

 

This improbable comeback began at the end of the halftime break, while both teams were off the floor, and WP basketball aficionados in the stands were discussing appropriate offensive/defensive adjustments that they would make if they were in the locker room.  Out of nowhere,  the injured Kim Adams suddenly appeared on the court by herself and started taking 3 points shots.  Fed by her younger brother, Kyle Adams (an 8^th grade basketball diamond in the rough, no less), Kim stopped swishing 3’s and – what is she doing? – began to drive in for some lay-ups.   

 

The armchair quarterbacks in the WP audience stopped their miracle comeback planning efforts and became transfixed on the almost surreal half court scene, as the solitary Adams performed a bevy of cuts on either foot with little difficulty in front of her father’s (referee Bob’s) watchful eye, and Nott players began to file on the Court, more than a few looking back at Adams as they headed to the other end of the Court.  The WP boosters screamed loudly as Adams removed her sweats and jogged out on the floor – ala Willis Reed in ’69 – for the start of the third quarter.  Win or lose, no WP fan would disagree with the notion that the 2 ½ hour drive to Troy on consecutive nights was now officially worth it.

 

The Tigers Claw Their Way Back Into It in the Third Stanza

 

Undoubtedly feeding off the Adams lift, and some deft offensive adjustments by Coaches Adams and Flooks, the Tigers came out roaring in the third quarter.  To combat the overly tight “in the shorts” Nott’s defense, the Tigers started driving to the hoop and posting up taller guards Angelei Aguirre and Adams on their way-quick (but smaller) Nott counterparts.  Better coordinating their inbound passes to Bronzo (making sure that she got to her spot only just before she received her pass), Elise hit her patented turnaround jumper and Aguirre drove the lane for a lay-up and suddenly it is 20-16 and Nott calls a timeout.

 

In the start of a pattern that would become all too familiar for the balance of the game, Nott emerged from a huddle with a plan:  get the ball to Johnson and Sallard for some quick buckets and get some breathing room.  But WP was beginning to realize that they could take this kind of hit, and come back with some hooks of their own.

 

The Creeping Tigers

 

Nott reinstates the ¾ court press and forces a turnover before unleashing Johnson for yet another 3 pointer to get some scoring space.  But WP catches Nott flat footed on the press and rifles the ball down the floor in a volley of passes that ends with a Bronzo lay-up.  Adams and Aguirre continue to post up the smaller guards to create short shots, foul line trips or put back opportunities for Bronzo or Covington. 

 

Moreover, as the refs were calling a somewhat tighter game than the previous evening, the new “why pass when you can drive” WP offensive style was creating another dividend:  foul trouble for Nott stars Johnson and Sallard, who copped their 3^rd fouls and were relegated to the bench with 3 minutes left in the 3^rd quarter.  Additionally, Nott defender fatigue allowed WP hoop drivers to get the half step necessary to draw help defenders, freeing up heretofore smothered shooters for 3 point opportunities, as Liz Flooks finally got clean looks and launched 2 of them.  Although not converting, the silver lining was that the “inside/outside” offensive game that served the team well in its playoff run seemed to be reappearing.

 

Climbing within 1.

 

With the Nott superstars taking a breather, WP continued to hammer the ball down low to guards Adams and Aguirre, drawing fouls and collapsing the Nott defense.   A Bronzo foul shot closed the gap to 26-23, and when WP forward Nina Johnson crashed to the floor to grab a loose ball, one could sense that WP players felt that they deserved to be there and they were indeed back in the game to stay.  Adams drove again, got the foul call and calmly converted both ends of a 1:1 charity line appearance to make it 26-25 at the close of the third quarter. 

 

Ironically, a Bronzo put back a hair after the 3^rd quarter buzzer sounded was waived off by the refs – some WP fans later lamented the unlucky timing of that shot, as those 2 points could have staved off defeat.

 

Two Lightning Weights Slug It Out. Bumping and Bopping.

 

At the start of the 4^th quarter, both defenses remained intact, with WP sticking to its 3-2 match up zone, tweaked only by tighter coverage on Johnson in 3 point territory and dispatching a roving wing defender to doggedly follow Sallard as she traveled from one wing to the other via the baseline, ala Reggie Miller, to get free on the opposite wing. 

 

Sending the WP defender to shadow Sallard to the other side of the court nullified the   weak side advantage that Sallard enjoyed in the first half.  However, the chaser who followed Sallard along the baseline (largely Kim Adams) received a lesson in trench warfare, as she gamely absorbed body blows from the multiple (and not quite stationary) picks set by Nott forwards along her baseline journey. 

 

Nott started the 4^th quarter in their trusty man to man defense and unleashed their now reinserted main weapons – Sallard and Johnson – to again pad the lead.  Sallard glided toward the hoop and canned another Frazier style jumper and then followed up with a slashing drive that ended in a three point play – 31-25 with 6:08 to play.  But WP came right back on two transition buckets (at least one of them by Bronzo) and Nott’s lead was whittled to 31-29. An Adams drive led to a foul line trip – Adams swished both to tie the game at 31 with 5:46 left and Nott calls timeout.

 

Down the Stretch They Come.

 

Nott gets the ball and – what else is new – finds Cintia Johnson open for yet another clutch three pointer.  WP cannot immediately answer and then back on defense doesn’t chase Sallard as she does her all too familiar baseline waltz, grabs the pass on the weak side and calmly hits the open jumper.  It is 36 -31 with 3:54 left and WP fans are wondering if Sallard or Johnson are ever going to miss. 

 

 With 3:31 left, Liz Flooks re-enters the game and thereafter Angelei Aguirre posts up again for a short jumper to narrow the Nott lead to 3.  WP fans’ prayers were then – in the short run – answered as Cintia Johnson finally missed a 3 point shot with 2:22 to go, though it initially looked good but bounced “in and out” at the last second.  Danica Covington capitalized on that divine intervention – or just plain good Karma – by muscling in for post up lay up to close the Nott lead to 36-35 with 1:55 to go; Nott calls timeout.   Everyone in the gym knows what is coming next – either trouble (Johnson) or more trouble (Sallard). 

 

Crunch Time. All Even with a Minute to Play.

 

Out of the huddle, Nott chooses trouble, as Cintia Johnson jukes right, crossover dribbles left and flies into the lane for a highlight reel underhand scoop lay-up and gets fouled to boot!  But she misses the free throw and it is 38-35.  

 

With 1:07 left, Adams drove to the right block, was stymied but found Liz Flooks in her favorite place, the weak side offensive board.  Flooks converts the left lane lay-up to close the deficit to 1 – 38-37 – with 1:07 left.  I’m not quite sure how, but WP got the ball back again, and Elise Bronzo finds Flooks again in the weak side blocks for a shot attempt and a foul.  Flooks converts one of two free throws with 28.2 seconds left to tie the game for only the second time and Nott calls timeout.

 

Aguirre Foils the drive.

 

Call me crazy but I’m betting that it is time for Sallard to take her multiple pick protected baseline journey and grab the feed pass.  But I am dead wrong, as Johnson takes the ball and just dribbles the ball well outside the top of the three point mark, waiting for WP point defender Aguirre to come out and get her, and failing to secure some company, being content to dribble the clock away.  Nothing seems to open up for Sallard and with just 10 seconds left, Johnson moves in, jukes right, cross over dribbles left (isn’t this familiar?) and explodes into the lane toward the hoop. 

 

 But Angelei Aguirre thinks that she too has seen the move before and gets just few feet further to her right, forcing Johnson to ever so slightly move further away from the hoop before she hoisted up another scoop shot.  This forced the shot to hit the glass at an odd angle, it bounced off the backboard and the buzzer sounded.  Some players and a few fans thought that the 4^th quarter had expired, but the buzzer sounded because Nott had violated the 30 second shot clock; there was still 1.8 seconds left.

 

Key Inbound In the Tiger Backcourt Under the White Plains Basket.

 

So the game is tied at 38 and a few greedy WP fans (like me) are wondering if the Tigers should chance a long, “Alley oop/Hail Mary” type pass to Bronzo down underneath the WP offensive goal for the win.   But then I remember what Coach Adams probably knew all along – the danger that if the pass was tipped out of bounds without either team obtaining possession, the ball would be returned to the spot deep in the WP defensive end from whence the throw emanated, giving Nott a chance to win. 

 

Better to play it safe, just inbound the ball, let the clock expire and hope that the second half advantage enjoyed by WP continued in the overtime period. 

 

Anatomy of a Heartbreaker

 

Interestingly, the inbounds pass was originally slated to take place in front of the Nott bench, along the sideline in Tiger defensive territory, but the ref at the other end quickly ran down the court, and directed that the inbound spot had to be underneath the Nottingham basket, further away from the WP offensive basket at the other end of the Court. 

 

However, since WP was not playing for a shot, but was just trying to hold on to the ball and force overtime, from an offensive standpoint, this position change for the inbound pass was irrelevant.  But the defensive consequences – Nott was closer to their offensive basket to score if they intercepted – of the switch were significant, and in this case, catastrophic.

 

Surprise Press.

 

Two differences from the usual inbounds routine may have hurt WP as well.  Up until that point, underneath Nott’s basket, Nott had never pressed on (or otherwise contested) the WP inbounds pass, preferring to set up their press at the ¾ mark – WP may have been caught off guard when Nott pressed at the end line.  The second anomaly is what appeared to be a  standard practice for a contested inbounds pass – two WP players to set a pick to free up one player to cut to the ball and safely grab the pass – was not followed. 

 

The Play.

 

Both WP players in the backcourt broke for the ball, were well covered, and perhaps to avoid a 5 second violation the in bounds pass was rushed, understandably slightly off the mark and the ball bounced off of a WP player.  Improbably, the loose ball bounced towards Sophrenia Sallard who snatched up the ball, whirled towards the basket and shot the 14 footer, just like Reggie Miller, in one swift motion. 

 

(Editor’s Note: Sallard’s shot was instinctive, she told the Syracuse Post Standard, “I was in the right place at the right time and the ball ended up an my hands,” Sallard said moments after the victory. “I didn’t even really know I had the ball. I couldn’t believe it. Go figure. But it went in, and it’s fantastic.” )

 

Swish! Tears and Ecstasy.

 

The buzzer sounded, the shot hit nothing but net, the ref signaled that the basket counted and the WP players and fans were stunned as they realized there would be no overtime and no chance for a championship.  Nottingham was the State champion and their celebration – though deserved – was tough medicine indeed for WP players to swallow.

 

NOTTINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES THE SOPHPRONIA SALLARD MIRACLE SHOT. Photo by Tim Sheehan for WPCNR Sports.

 

POLICE ESCORT WELCOMES THE TIGER CHAMPIONS BACK TO WHITE PLAINS SUNDAY: Class AA Section II Champions, State Runnersup. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

 

Kudos.

 

Danica Covington and Elise Bronzo deservedly made the tournament All Star team, as did Rush Henrietta’s Shenise Johnson and Nottingham’s Sophrenia Sallard and Cintia Johnson.

 

That Championship Season.

 

Fans milled about afterward to console the players, their parents, die hard supporters and the team coaches.  Seeing that some players were tremendously affected by the loss, some implored the Coaches to tell the players to hold their heads up for the fantastic game that they played, a game in which they lost by 2 points to the State champion without making one three point shot! 

 

One coaching veteran of many recreation teams over the years said sadly of the inbounds pass snafu: “You have to remember, they are just kids.  But they had a tremendous season and no one can take that away from them.” 

 

A GREAT DAY FOR THE WHITE PLAINS TIGERS TODAY as fans welcomed the Tigers back after they have played the best season in White Plains Women’s Basketball History.  Photo by WPCNR Sports

 

Everyone who journeyed up to Troy that night will not forget the tremendous playoff run and the fact that the team always played as a team and never quit in the final game against the most talented team they had ever faced, came back time after time after time, and was 1.8 seconds away from forcing Goliath into overtime, where team David knew the chances were good that they would get off a good shot from their sling.

PUT THEM ON THE WALL! The 2004-2005 White Plains Tigers. 24-4, Class AA Section II Champions. Number 2 in the State. Principal of White Plains High School Ivan Toper is in second row, left. Coach Sue Adams is at upper right. In front of Ms. Adams is Coach Deb Flooks. Photo by WPCNR Sports.