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 RINGSIDE. From Team Saccurato. October 23, 2006:  Ann Marie Saccurato (11-1-2) of White Plains, New York, will replace the injured Eliza Olson and face Jelena Mrdjenovich (18-1-0) for the WBC lightweight title on November 4 at the Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton, Alberta. 

 

This fight is the main event of “A Ring of Their Own’s” “Border War” which also features two other world title bouts and will be telecast on iNDemand Pay per view beginning November 17th.  This fight will be promoting breast cancer awareness.

 

Ann-Marie, at her County Center debut in 2005,  was born in Eastchester, NY and trains out of New York Boxing gym in White Plains and Gleason’s in Brooklyn.  Her senior trainer is the legendary Hector Rocca, and her other trainers include New Rochelle police sergeant Luigi Olsece.

Ann-Marie has overcome tremendous odds just to be walking today.  In 1995 she was a passenger in a devastating car wreck returning from a volleyball competition at the Empire State Games.  The driver of the vehicle was killed and Ann-Marie suffered a punctured lung, broken pelvis, hip, 2 broken legs, a shattered arm, broken ribs, and severe nerve damage.  She was not expected to live the night, let alone ever walk again.  Being ever the determined athlete, she proved everyone wrong and immediately took up an aggressive rehabilitation program knowing in her heart she would play sports again.  In 1999 she entered her first boxing gym stronger than ever.

 

Ann-Marie is known for her boxing skill, athleticism, footwork and knockout power.  This is the first time she will fight for a world title.  She has fought many times in the Westchester County Center and in New York.  

 

Hurricane Saccurato tearing Tanya Gallegos apart in her last fight at “The Centa.” Ann-Marie is 11-1-2, and is getting her “shot.” Photo, WPCNR Sports.

In a previous interview with WPCNR last year, Ann-Marie told how she got into “the sweet science,”:

 

“I’ve been a competitor all my life. I’ve been an athlete, and I’ve always been looking for more, to push myself harder, and I  found more of that edge in boxing. I actually started in martial arts, and TKD (Tae Kwan Do) for about a year or so. A friend sent me a flyer for the New York Golden Gloves, and I ignorantly, and very naively entered. I did a crash course on boxing and ended up getting a bye into the finals. Lost in the finals, but that ended up propelling my boxing career. I fell in love with the sport. It’s pushed me harder more than anything I’ve done in my life.”

 

For all the information on the November “Border War” and other news about “A Ring of Their Own”, visit the website, www.aringoftheirown.com. For the tale of the tape on Ann-Marie go to the boxer’s website, www.teamsaccurato.com

 

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WPCNR Photograph of the Day. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. October 23, 2006: Today’s photograph highlights a seldom seen minority group seen along the Playland Parkway in Westchester County on a Sunday stroll, sauntering about, giving proof that the County is home to many a clandestine visitor. The group: wild turkeys who are clandestine, very hard to hunt, and from the appearances of these confident birds: upwardly mobile and well-fed. It could not be determined whether they were Rye turkeys, Larchmont turkeys or White Plains turkeys on a tour.

Westchester Turkeys. Playland Parkway. Photo by The WPCNR Roving Photographer.

 

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 21, 2006 UPDATED WITH PIX-DETAIL: White Plains contained Lincoln High School in the 4th Quarter bleeding off 5-and a half minutes of 4th quarter time to deny a Lancer comeback for their second win of the season Saturday afternoon.

The key defensive stop of the game happened with 9 Minutes to go in the football game with Lincoln fired up driving for a 4th and 1 on  the way for  the go-ahead touchdown.

After Bobby Thompson slowed the Lancers’ No 8, Ryan Marshall down in the backfield, Marshall was about to turn up field at the corner for the first when Matt Robles came out of nowhere to open-field tackle him on the 45 and let all the air out of the Lancer comeback.

The Robles Stop turned the momentum around and preserved a 24-21 White Plains lead built on a 200 yard rushing — 3 touchdown day by “Sugar Ray” Mitchell, so dubbed because he poured through the Lincoln defenders like sugar.

And he’s Gone! Joe Petit, (Center of Picture) turning the corner at the Lincoln 10 and down the sideline for a 36 yard touchdown run and a 6-0 lead capping Tigers 70 yard drive in 9 plays to begin the game.Photo by WPCNR Sports

The Robles “redirection” preserved a lead that had been built by “Sugar Ray” Mitchell’s third and last touchdown burst into the end zone in the third quarter to give the Tigers a 24-13 lead. With 5:30 to go, the Tigers Paul Labarbera, back at the helm executed a time-eating drive handing the ball off to Sugar Ray six straight times (eating up 5 yards a carry  to run out the time to the 1:09 mark).

Ray had his best day ever as a Tiger rushing for unofficially 200 yards on about 25 carries. Joe Petit ran around right end 36 yards for the Tigers’ first touchdown of the game. Mitchell burst through the middle for a 63 yard touchdown run in the first half and and a 5 yard TD in the second quarter to put White Plains ahead 18-13 at the half.

This game was reminiscent of the old American Football League touchdown a minute  Dallas Texans-New York Titans shoot-outs, with the Tigers scoring the first three times they had the ball, and Lincoln scoring on their first two possessions. There were no “stops” until 4 minutes remained in the first half.

Shifty Pulls in Key 3rd Down Pass on First Drive. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

The Tigers received the opening kickoff at their 30 and went 70 yards in 9 plays. After a 5 yard penalty,  Robles carried 10 yards for a first down on the 47. Mitchell on second down carried 5 yards for a first down on the Lincoln 42. A hold pushed the Tigers back to midfield. But, Paul Labarbera back at the helm at quarterback connected with Savaughn Greene for a 19 yard cross field strike for a first down on the Lincoln 31. “Shifty” was perefectly positioned for that reception — just over the yardage needed for the first down.

 

After a penalty cost 5 yards Labarbera pitched back to Joe Petit on the JetSweep and angling to the far sideline, Petit swept past the Lancer secondary in pursuit and tightroped into the endzone for a 6-0 Tiger strike at 6:34.

 

Oops!

 

On the Tiger kickoff, Darius Ramsey muffed the kick on the nearside at the 20 and the ball squirted to the near sideline as the kickoff coverage shifted to the farside. Ramsey had his blockers to his left while the coverage swept to Ramsey’s left and behind him and he was gone 80 yards for the tying touchdown. It was 6-6 at 6:23. A kick made it 7-6, Lincoln.

 

Take That!

“Sugar Ray” Mitchell Cruises 63 Yards for 6. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

 

The Tigers started from their own 20, and Ray Mitchell’s big day began. He ran for 5 yards. He ran for another 5 yards. A false start pushed the Tigers back to their 25. Mitchell got that back with a 10 yard off-tackle burst. On third and 2, the Tiger offensive line tore a huge hole in the Lancer line and Mitchell battered on through, broke into the clear, split the linebackers, the corners were caught split and Mitchell went all the way – 63 yards for an electrifying 6!  The Tiger attempt for PAT failed and it was 12-7 with 2:55 to go in the first quarter.

 

Kickoff Squib

 

The Tigers,  (with the wind howling on this brisk fall day at a good 20 knots at them), tried a low kick, but it did not travel 10 yards. Lincoln recovered in good field position at their 44. Matt Robles saved a touchdown by stopping Ramsey cold with nothing but daylight at the Tiger 48. On 4^th and 1 at the Tiger 48, Lincoln’s Ryan Marshall burst off tackle for 27 yards with Joe Petit saving a touchdown at the Tiger 21.  Marshal put a spin move on the Tiger linebackers for 8 yards and a first down on the Tiger 11. Angelo Devita plunged in for a 1 yard TD dive at the  10:33 mark of the second quarter to make it 13-12, Lincoln. The 2-point conversion failed. The Lancers drive had gone 56 yards in 11 plays.

 

Bobby Breaks It. Mitchell on Fire.

 

The offensive fireworks continued as the Tigers took back the lead. Bobby Thompson took the kickoff at his 20 and returned it 47 yards to the Lancer 33. On third an short at the Lincoln 24, Ray Mitchell burst to the 18. Then Mitchell for 6 to the 11. It was Mitchell for 10 more yards to the 5. Then Mitchell for 5 more for the Touch DOWN. The Tigers had retaken the lead at 18-13 with 6:29 to go.

 

 

The Mitchell Express to the Endzone. Ray Mitchell seconds after plunging into the endzone for a 5 yard touchdown run to retake the lead, 18-13 in the second quarter. Photo, WPCNR Sports.  

Can anyone here make a stop?

 

The Tigers restored normalcy to this wild offensive display, finally stopping Lincoln  at their 45 at the 3:52 mark. The last 4 minutes of the half were spent in a comedy of penalties, confusion  and discussion on the part of the officials with a series of marchoffs that frustrated a White Plains drive and the half mercifully closed with the Tigers with the lead 18-13.

 

LaBarbera to Thompson Sets Up Winner

 

Lincoln took the second half kickoff and the Tigers stopped them on 3 and out. A short punt set the Orange and Black up in business on the Lincoln 47. On second and 9 on the Lancer 46, LaBabera rolled slight to his right and threw cross field to coffin corner leading Bobby Thompson perfectly over Bobby’s right shoulder and he hauled it in just behind the defender for a first down on the Lancer 17.

 

Thompson gathering in a 30 yard pass from Paul LaBarbera at the 22 to set up the last Tiger Touchdown. Photo by WPCNR Sports. 

Labarbera called on the Mitchell Express. Ray took it for 5 to the 12, another Mitchell pitch and roll and rip set up first and goal on the 5. And again the call for Mr. Mitchell who ground it to the 1 and scampered in for the TD at 4:56. The time killing drive took 5 minutes off the clock. 47 yards, 8 plays. The kick failed and the Tigers had a 24-13 lead.

 

Oh those kickoffs!

 

Once again a Tiger squib kick due to the cross wind was fielded at the 50 by Omar Rivera who knocked it down like a third basemen and scampered past the momentum of the Tiger coverage, getting down to the Tiger 36.

 

On 4^th and 3 from the White Plains 28, Ryan Marshal rolled around left end for the first down on the 25. Two plays gained no yardage. Then the Tiger secondary got burned on a big play. Devita the quarterback threw over the corner hitting  Henry Bugos all A-LONE on the 5 and he loped into the endzone. An almost identical play converted a 2-point conversion. With 40 seconds to go in the Third Quarter, Lincoln could smell the lead, it was 24-21 White Plains.

 

Robles to the Rescue.

 

The Tigers were stopped 3 and 0ut to begin the fourth quarter, with the potential for instant disaster staring them down on 4^th and 20 on the Tiger 18. Punting with the wind, John Perez, standing on his own 5 yard line got off a 43-yard punt in the air. Lincoln took over at the 50.

 

Lincoln was fired up.  Marshal ran the ball to the 45. It was Marshal again to the 42. On 3^rd down, Marshal lost yardage. On 4^th and 4, Marshal spun away from Thompson, ran straight for the sideline and turned up field and BOOM! Matt Robles took him low and stopped him cold. The drive was stopped.

 

A key holding penalty stopped the next Tiger series and again it was 4^th down and 21 from the 50 yard stripe. Enter John Perez. Calmly he got his foot into the punt and boomed it to the Lincoln 20. Perez’s two punts were pressure kicks and contributed greatly to taking the spirit out of Lincoln’s comeback.

 

Two passes failed, then   Number 66 Paris Young sacked  quarterback Devita on the Lincoln 15 forcing a punt with 4:22 to go in the game.

 

Mitchell Express runs down the clock.

 

The coaching decisions were easy for Coach Skip Stevens. He put the ball on the Mitchell Express. Ray Mitchell ran to the 42. The 32. The 25, and by that time Lincoln was down to its last 1:50, and out of timeouts.

 

Grinding Out  the Sands of Time in the Long Shadows: Paul LaBarbera (12) has just handed off to Ray Mitchell (33) on route to the killer first down on the Lincoln 25 wit 3 minutes to. Mitchell had a career day and carried 3 times for 5 yards or more on the time-killing drive in the 4th quarter. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

Two desperation passes failed. Then the quarterback got confused and spiked the ball on 4^th down to kill the clock. The Tigers took over and had notched their second win of the season.

 

White Plains awaits a Section match-up football game next weekend.

 

The Tiger Line that Lubricated the Mitchell Express and had its best game of the season: Kneeling, Savaughn Greene(83), Bobby Thompson(13) and Alexaander Trataros(18). And The Beef: George Don Pierre (64), Matt Conveney(60), Conner Spellman(72), John Kornblit(51) and Mr. 66, Paris Young. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

The Go-To Guys: Bobby Thompson (13), Matt Robles (26), Quarterback Paul LaBarbera 912) and Ray Mitchell (33)  Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

And There’s That Band Again! The White Plains High School Traveling Band supplying pep. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. October 20, 2006 10:49 P.M. Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Daniel Jackson reports the wind advisory has been lifted and Main Street and Mamaroneck are now open for traffic this evening. They had previously been closed due to the 40 mile per hour winds and higher gusts.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. October 20, 2006 UPDATED 10:45 P.M. with PiX:  WPCNR has confirmed from White Plains Police that Main Street  and Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains are closed at this hour. Residents should be advised of the danger of flying debris in the sustained 30 Mile per hour winds, gusting to 40 Miles per hour.

LIKE OLD TIMES IN WHITE PLAINS; View from Corner of Martine and Mamaroneck Ave 9 P.M. Friday night: You could shoot a cannon off and not hit somebody again. Fountain Plaza deserted as White Plains Police cordon off area due to unsecured debris being blown off the “ghostly tower” of The Ritz-Carlton skeleton center of picture. Photo, WPCNR News

WPCNR observations of the City Center-Fountain Plaza area from 8:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. have discovered that Applebee’s, Legal Seafood and Zanaro’s are closed. Citizens are being prevented from walking Main Street West to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and East past City Hall to E. J. Conroy Drive. They are also not being allowed to walk past Martine Avenue. Police interviewed on the scene said they had no idea what debris fell. They also had no idea how long the area would be closed, or whether it would open Saturday morning if the winds subsided. The officer WPCNR spoke with said the area was closed between 5 and 6 P.M.  WPCNR was originally told glass had fallen to the street by a person reporting the incident, but this was denied by police.

The view down an empty Main Street, 9 P.M. Seen from corner across from City Hall. Bar Building is in center of picture. The “ghost” of The Ritz-Carlton (under construction) looms top center. Photo, WPCNR News

The City Center can be entered from the City Place Court yard at Martine Avenue. Movies, retail establishments are open for business.  

In a reported television interview moments ago, Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson told News 12 construction debris, including a piece of plywood had falled from the builing.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson reporting to WPCNR as of 7 P.M. E.D.T.:

Currently Main Street east of MLK ( Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard) and Mamaroneck Ave. North of Martine are closed. When the wind picked up this afternoon some debris started blowing off 221 Main Street (Ritz-Carlton Hotel). A construction worker suffered a back injury on the 32nd floor when he was blown into a stairwell. At that point the building department determined that it was unsafe for anyone to be on the construction until the wind dies down. 

No glass panels were blown out. We will have the roads closed until the wind subsides. The current wind advisory is in effect until 10 pm for the local area.