City to Bond $1 Million to Make City Dump Compost Pile DEC-Compliant

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WPCNR CITY DUMP DAILY. By John F. Bailey. September 3, 2006: The City of White Plains will issue $1,050,000 in Serial Bonds to comply with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation conditions for continuing to operate the city composting operation at the City Dump for the next ten years. The compost pile at the dump has been leaking TCE contaminants into the ground water for thirty years, according to DEC documents. The bonds will be quietly authorized at this Tuesday’s Common Council meeting. It is not known at this time whether the DEC will at a future date require decontamination of the existing contaminants at additional expense.



The City Dump Compost Pile. (Looking North to Gedney Way) The concrete in foreground has been removed by the city since this photograph was taken in June, 2006  Photo by Carl Albanese



The Compost Pile, Gedney City Dump. March 2006. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


The proceeds will be used to “conduct environmental, water, soil and air quality tests, and creating several impermeable surface locations at the facility (as mandated by DEC directives). The sourthernmost areas of the facility will be asphaltic concreate and other sections will be graded with topsoil and compacted fill. This project also includes the regrading and creation of stormwater drainage channels. In order to perform the aforementioned testing and Bitumin installation, logs and other wood waste will be removed from the site.”


 


The city will also contract with a Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities “wood waste disposal contractor”  to dispose of the trees and wood waste now on the site (left from July’s microburst damage).


The nature of the expenditure of the bond issue is described in the official Common Council agenda as “to pay part of the cost of site improvements at the Gedney Way Recycling Facility,” with no mention of what those improvements are. The explanation that the bonds are being issued to make the Gedney Dump comply with DEC regulations is only contained in the “backup” material.


The backup material does not mention whether the city will be required to remediate the TCE contamination in the ground beneath the dump that has been there for thirty years, according to DEC documents.


 


Two weeks ago, Wendy Rosenback, spokesperson for the DEC told WPCNR:

 


Rosenback would not comment on whether the DEC would require the city to remediate the contaminated water situation that the DEC confirmed in tests conducted in April, 1999, April 2003, and confirmed again this past April. The tests confirmed that “Groundwater and surface water contamination have been confirmed on site and may have moved off-site.”


 


The contamination consists of Trichloroethene (TCE) in the amount of 180 parts per billion as tested at one of the monitoring wells. The DEC standard for trichloroethene allowable is .005 parts per billion. Documents on file with the Department of Environmental Conservation show the contamination has been affecting the groundwater and the waters of the Mamaroneck River tributary which runs out of the dump for twenty years. The DEC has been scolding the city to remediate the contaminants for the last seven years. In a letter of May 4, 2004 to Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, the DEC wrote,


 


“The median total Volatile Organic Compounds value at Monitoring Well-3 is 215 ppb and the total VOCs during the most recent sampling round waste was 223 ppb. In 1999 the City removed several 55-gallon drums located downgradient of monitoring well MW-3. Otherwise, the City has not initiated and actively responded to the detected VOC contamination. Ground water quality at well MW-3 has no significantly improved and more aggressive action is necessary. The has identified a solvent disposal “hot spot” in the west-central portion of the landfill. The City should consider source removal of the waste solvents as part of site remediation facilities.”


 


This spring after two more years of city failure to respond to DEC suggestions, the DEC wrote the city saying their permit to run the composting operation had expired and that the landfill needed to be closed because of the groundwater contamination on the site. The city explained this saying they had just “forgotten” to file a permit, denying there was any contamination in the dump at the time.


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The long covered-up conditions of the dump are finally being acted on this Tuesday. From the best WPCNR has been able to determine Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti informed the Common Council of this possible settlement with the DEC at the work session of August 24, in Executive Session.


 


WPCNR first reported on the conditions in the dump this spring when the contamination of the dump was denied by City Hall.


 

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Another reader comments on City Center Security. More Police Please.

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WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. September 3, 2006: A reader of WPCNR shares his City Center experiences and calls for more police presence at the City Center and Renaissance Fountain in downtown:


I am writing in response to the article posted from a person feeling threatened at and near City Center. Let me begin by saying I love this city… I love living here… and I love the revitalization. I am constantly showing-off the downtown to visitors and family, but COMPLETELY understand what the author is speaking of.


(More)




I would like to invite the Mayor, Louis Cappelli and the members of the common council to accompany me on a trip to City Center on a Friday or Saturday night… we’ll start with a movie followed by dinner downstairs. Then some Ice Cream and a stroll by the fountains.

I can corroborate the story posted by the author as this has happened to me on NUMEROUS occasions lately. The stretch between Zanaro’s and Applebee’s is completely PACKED with teenagers… usually yelling, pushing each other or staring us down. I’m a 38 year old male so I’m not easily threatened but I’m losing my love for the downtown quickly and it pains me.

One night a couple of weeks ago, I took my mother-in-law downstairs after a movie to get some ice cream. We were pushed and shoved by a large group of loud teens.. shouting and cursing… and all wearing either a red scarf or red cap on their heads. A few were obviously drunk as they could barely walk. Three of these young men cut in line while another kept dipping his finger in other people’s ice cream… he thought that was funny apparently.

We looked EVERYWHERE for police and there were NONE to be found.

Even people at Zanaro’s were asking to be moved inside and at that point I had seen enough. We then walked to Starbucks and the fountain area was overrun with loud teens… again, all with red caps/scarves etc pushing eachother round… the worst part was that they were prying up the stones in the fountains (they’re glued down) and shoving them into the fountain nozzles or throwing them at eachother….and there was nobody there to complain to. 


In addition, I’m a male… I went to college… I was a teen once… but I NEVER heard language like this coming from kids’ mouths before.  It was a sad night, seriously… and my Mother-in-law and my friends just wanted to go home.  All of this, in the shadow of the Ritz-Carlton.

I just don’t understand why there are not cops on the beat.  There should be police officers strolling up/down that entire block… on Friday and Saturday AT LEAST.  Again, I’ve been a supporter of the development downtown… I’ve always supported the Mayor and the council… I love White Plains….


HOWEVER…. there’s something wrong when somebody like ME starts going to PORT CHESTER to see a movie and dine when I live LESS THAN A MILE FROM CITY CENTER. 


City Center is quickly being transformed into a hang-out and I don’t like it one bit. I wish the groups of people I chat with on the street down there at night (also getting disgusted) would write in to sites like this. This problem needs to be nipped in the bud before it’s too late. It’s a matter of time before something bad happens down there and once that happens, the city’s image… and City Center’s… will be tarnished for good.

White Plains has the best police force… hands-down. If they are understaffed… let’ hire more. How much could it possibly cost to have a couple/few police officers stroll up/down the street Friday and Saturday nights?  What about loitering laws? 


I understand that there isn’t ANYTHING for teens in White Plains to do at night… and that’s a problem in and of itself that needs to be addressed…… but they need to know City Center is a family establishment that is NOT a hang out.

NOTHING BEATS A COP ON THE BEAT….

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Con Edison Coping with 5,000 without power in City, 41,000 still Out in County.

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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. September 3, 2006: As sun breaks through the overcast, and Tropical Depression Ernesto heads to sea, White Plains is reeling with 5,000 customers without power, while another 36,000 are without power across Westchester County, the hardest hit areas being New Rochelle and Mount Vernon.


White Plains Police, the only source of information about city services are reporting all roads clear and passable in White Plains as of 11 A.M.


Chris Olert, spokesperson for Con Edison Media Relations reports there are 1,700 customers without power in the DeKalb and Carhart area; 1,300 powerless in the Overlook Road and Gedney area in Gedney Farms; 260 unplugged at Fairfield Avenue and Orawaupum Street, 160 homes out at Rose and Hubbard in the Rosedale neighborhood and sporadic outages all over the city totaling between 4 and 5,000.



White Plains South Lexington Avenue Saturday night 8:30 P.M. A large White Plains Fire truck, lights and flares coping with a power line down on the dark and stormy night. Photo by Aaron Woodin.


Olert said there are a lot of downed trees and Con Edison has been unable to get into the streets overnight. However power was restored in the Church Street area as of 11 last night. However, more outages occurred overnight due to the sustained winds at speeds of over 30 knots with gusts up to 40 knots.


Olert had no estimated time when he expected all of White Plains to be restored. Customers must report directly to Con Edison to report a power outage. The police will not report for you. To report a power loss, contact 1-800-75CONED.

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Dark and Stormy Night Continues: Sporadic Outages Cover City.

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. September 2, 2006: Tropical Depression Ernesto continues to lash White Plains causing “sporadic” power outages throughout the city. As of 9 P.M., Westchester County Airport was reporting sustained winds out of the south at 30 knots, gusts to 40-45 knots with lashing rain. NOAA Weather Radio predicts the storm will abate by morning.


Meanwhile, as of 6 P.M., Con Edison was reporting 1,200 White Plains customers out. White Plains Police reported as of 9:30 P.M. most roads were open in the city, but that portions of  Battle Hill, Gedney Farms, Rosedale were without power. As of 8:30 P.M. the Highlands Midchester Avenue was experiencing an outage. Police said that “not many” roads were closed within the White Plains city limits.


Elsewhere is another story. A CitizeNetReporter correspont driving in from Rye and Harrison reported those areas dark with traffic lights out along North Street. He reported a tree down on Bryant Avenue between North Street and Westchester Avenue in White Plains. Another WPCNR correspondent, making his way out for Chinese food in Scarsdale, reports that on Saxon Woods Road reported a downed tree had closed the road. Once making his way into Scarsdale through side streets, he said he encountered many downed trees.


Con Edison’s Media Relations department line to the media was busy, and could not be reached for an updated count of outages.

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Ernesto Winds Create Widespread Power Outages in City: Police 1200 OUT

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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. September 2, 2006. UPDATED 6 P.M. E.D.T.: For the third time this year White Plains and the Westchester County area are suffering power outages due to unsual high velocity winds, this time the culprit is the “tropical depression,” Ernesto. White Plains Police reported to WPCNR as of 4:30 there were “widespread power outages” across White Plains, but did not have a listing, directing WPCNR to contact Con Edison.


Dan Lyons of Con Edison Media Relations reports to WPCNR as of 6 P.M., 1,200 customers are without power in White Plains. Mr. Lyons says repair work has begun, but has no information as to when power would be restored.


The police spokespersons said trees were down on wires and wires down “all over the place.” Pedestrians, motorists should be cautious and wary of downed power lines.


Two weeks ago Mayor Joseph Delfino held a meeting with Sandra Miller, Director of Public Affairs with Con Edison, who promised better communications in the future. Power outages have to be reported to Con Edision via 1-800-75CONED.


Winds were reported up to 45 Knots at mid afternoon and trees have been swaying precariously. Weather reports say winds will die down by midnight with clearing by Sunday at midday. Winds were reported by NOAA Weather Radio as of 5 P.M. as being 25 to  35 knots with gusts to 45 knots.

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Algae Bloom Returns to Silver Lake. One Third of Surface Affected

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WPCNR East Side Story. By John F. Bailey. August 31, 2006. UPDATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2006, 9:45 P.M. E.D.T.: A sickly green stagnant algae bloom has returned to White Plains once pristine Silver Lake very similar to the algae bloom discovered in the lake 13 months ago.


WPCNR’s Mobile Unit was driving past Silver Lake Thursday afternoon when I noticed the massive green patch in the middle of the lake and a ring of green circling the lake at the shore for at least three quarters of the circumference. The White Plains end of Silver Lake where the West Harrison border commences was choked with green surface scum from where the lake empties into the Mamaroneck River North to the White Plains side dock. Water was still, had film on the surface in addition to the brilliant pea soup algae. On the Harrison side trash was observed floating on the scum, the surface was so thick with it.


The Mayor’s Executive Officer, Paul Wood, told WPCNR Friday evening this was the first time he had heard of the new algae slick, and said he had fired off an e-mail to the Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, to look into the problem Tuesday morning. Wood said the Town of Harrison had assured White Plains it would repair the leaks in the sanitary sewer line which caused a comingling of raw sewage with storm water drain overflow that ran into the lake last July to which last summer’s algae stagnation was attributed.


Last year at this time a similar bloom erupted in the lake necessitating the discreet, unannounced closing of the lake by the City. The cause was found to be raw human waste resulting from an overflow of the West Harrison sewer during a rain event of July 18, 2005. WPCNR was informed at the time by the White Plains Department of Public Works that Harrison was going to fix the sewer, which overflowed into the storm water drains that enter the lake.


WPCNR placed calls to the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Recreation and Parks to ascertain what the cause of the algae bloom could be, whether or not it is again overflow from the Harrison sewer,  from last weekend’s heavy rains, and whether the lake is now closed to visitors. WPCNR awaits the city explanation for the algae bloom and when it developed. The Silver Lake Liberty Park was created by the city at the cost of approximately $600,000, but was closed for half the summer last year, and now appears again to be in a condition not suitable for the public.

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6 White Plains Students Complete First White Plains Hospital Nurse Internship

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WPCNR MARCH OF TIME. From White Plains Hospital Center (Edited). August 30, 2006: Candace Foster and Katherine Palecio of the College of New Rochelle, and Nathalie Gonzalez, Anesha Hines, Katherine Palecio, Alexandra Sarmiento and Patty Swayne of White Plains High School have completed the first class of a summer nursing program with four other area high school and college students — the new White Plains Hospital Medical Center Nurse Apprentice Program.   The nurses-to-be received Certificates of Completion for the 9-week internship and each apprentice had the opportunity to share her experiences with those in attendance, and to hear some words of praise about her work at the Hospital.   Two students each received a $5,000 scholarship, to be used toward an education in nursing.


 



 Nurses of Tomorrow: (L to R), Anesha Hines, Nathalie Gonzalez, Candace Foster, Alexandra Sarmiento, Katherine Palacio and Patty Swayne, all of White Plains, are honored for completing their Nurse Apprentice Program internship as (L to R)  Mayor Joseph Delfino; Pat Keegan, District Director, Representative Nita M. Lowey’s office (D-NY 18); Timothy Connors, Superintendent of the White Plains School District; Deborah Correnti, RN, Student Liaison, Healthcare Careers, White Plains Hospital Center; Ivan Toper, Principal, White Plains High School; Annie Norris, Program Counselor, Healthcare Careers, White Plains High School; Henry Cafaro, Director of Guidance, White Plains School District, beam. Photo, Courtesy White Plains Hospital Center.


 

The White Plains young women completed four rotations during the summer, gaining experience in a number of clinical areas, including pediatrics, bariatrics, labor and delivery, stroke, oncology and neonatal intensive care. 

 


The 10 students who successfully completed the program are


      *   Jennifer Colon, Bronx, College of Mt. St. Vincent*



  • Samantha Farmer, Bronx, Binghamton University
  • Candace Foster, White Plains, College of New Rochelle
  • Yicele Garces, Brooklyn, SUNY Stony Brook*
  • Nathalie Gonzalez, White Plains, White Plains High School
  • Anesha Hines, White Plains, White Plains High School
  • Katherine Palacio, White Plains, College of New Rochelle
  • Alexandra Sarmiento, White Plains, White Plains High School
  • Jennifer Susana, Bronx, College of Mt. St. Vincent
  • Patty Swayne, White Plains, White Plains High School


 


“The Nurse Apprentice Program has had a huge impact on these 10 students and many others,” said Deborah Correnti, RN, Student Liaison, Healthcare Careers, White Plains Hospital Center, who, along with Annie Norris, Program Counselor, Healthcare Careers, White Plains High School, coordinated the program.  “The hands-on experience of dealing with patients helps to build confidence and enables these students to have more successful work experiences.  It is obvious that these apprentices not only learned about the nursing profession, they learned about the healthcare industry in general, and the ways it works today.”


 


The Nurse Apprentice Program was designed to actively address the shortage in the nursing profession by reaching out to area high school students and youth-oriented social services agencies, teaching interested students about pursuing a nursing career and shepherding them through the education process.


 


“We wanted to ensure that we have a steady stream of registered nurses at White Plains Hospital Center now and in the future,” said Jon B. Schandler, the Hospital’s President and CEO.  “The Nurse Apprentice Program was the most intensive of several elements of a comprehensive plan that we have instituted to address the nursing shortage.  It shows young people in our area that in order to get their help in the future, we want to help them now.  Hopefully, we’ll have a cadre of nurses whose first choice of practice will be White Plains Hospital Center.”


 


The Nurse Apprentice Program was made possible by a $343,723 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources and Services Administration, and $123,835 in program funding from WPHC.  Representative Nita M. Lowey (D-NY18) was instrumental in securing the grant, which expires in November.  WPHC will hold a fundraiser on September 18 to raise new financial support for the program.  


 



White Plains CitizeNetReporter especially salutes one of the White Plains graduates:  Nathalie Gonzalez, former Church Street Challenger reporter, (The Challenger is the Church Street Elementary School Newspaper). WPCNR Executive Editor John Bailey had the pleasure of working with her seven years ago when your editor had the privilege of having her as one of the Church Street Challenger “News Dogs.” Congratulations, Nathalie! Photo, Courtesy, White Plains Hospital Center.


 


 


* received $5,000 Nursing Educational Award scholarship


 


 


 


 




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School Board Votes Referendum to Invest $69.6M. Cappelli Pledges $1M

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. August 29, 2006: Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors reported today that the Board of Education voted to set the legal machinery in motion to place a referendum before the city voters October 17 (in a special election separate from the general election in November), to ask their approval to spend $69.6 million to build a new Post Road School, make additions to Mamaroneck Avenue School, construct a new Loucks Field and Parker Stadium, with synthetic turf; refurbish locker rooms at the high school, and conduct “Priority 1 and 2 Infrastructure” repairs to eleven other school district buildings.



Loucks Field, Spring 2006. Photo,WPCNR News Archive.



Model of The new $6 Million Loucks Field to be built on the Loucks present site at the high school displayed in November 2005 — part of  the Board of Education bond issue the Board approved a referendum for last night to ask the voters to approve Monday evening. The stadium would provide White Plains the capacity and facilities to host national and state Championship events Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.


 


The buildings which will be refurbished as part of the $69.6M  bond, should it be approved include Church Street School, Dammann House, Eastview School, Education House, George Washington School, the high school, Highlands Middle School, Mamaroneck Avenue School, Ridgeway School and Rochambeau School.


Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains made a rare appearance at the Board of Education meeting to present a letter from Super Developer Louis Cappelli’s organization stating that Mr. Cappelli would contribute $1 million over four years towards the construction of the new Loucks Stadium.The Cappelli gift was first reported by WPCNR in June.


The bond issue, should the voters approve it, would be, WPCNR believes,  the most money borrowed by either the City of White Plains or the School District for a construction program in the history of the city. Taxpayers would begin to feel the impact of the bond service debt in next year’s school budget (2007-2008), and would cost the owner of a $15,000 assessed home, approximately $70 per year more in additional school taxes, according to the School District.  


Work would begin on Post Road School construction in 2007 with completion target for September of 2010.


 


 

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JFo shuts Out Brakettes, 2-0, Leading New England to Pro Fastpitch Championship

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. August 28, 2006: Jocelyn Forest pitched the New England Riptide to its first National Pro Fastpitch Championship in a rain delayed game Monday night twirling her second straight shutout in Stratford Connecticut, to beat the Connecticut Brakettes, 2-0. Forest pitched a 5-hitter, with Lisa Iancin driving the first run in the 4th and Lyndsey Angus driving in the second in the 5th for the 2 Riptide runs, and “JFo” outduelling Sarah Pauly, the Brakette Pitcher of the Year. The game had been postponed due to Sunday’s rains.



2006 National Pro Fastpitch Champions: The New England Riptide. Photo from National Pro Fastpitch.



Riptide Champs: Jocelyn Forest, left and Lyndsey Angus after their 1-0 win over Chicago Saturday afternoon. “JFo” and Lyndsey teamed up again Monday night to takeout the Brakettes for the Cowles Cup, 2-0. Photo, WPCNR Sports.


It was a story book ending for the Riptide, which finished fourth during the regular season, but rode the strong rightarm of The Towheaded Tornado to two shutout wins over first place Chicago Saturday, 1-0 in 9 innings, and tonight came back to take the championship  away from the second place Connecticut Brakettes.


Lyndsey Angus singled and moved to second to start the game for New England, but was stranded. The Brakettes threatened in the second when Denise Denis walked and reached second on a Forest wild pitch, but Stephanie Hill flied out and Callie Piper fanned. New England’s Lindy Winkler doubled in the third but was stranded when Jackie Pasquerella struck out.


In the fourth, the Riptide got Jocelyn the only run she needed when KC Kelly singled and Tarra Beyster the cleanup batter was safe on an error by Jessica Merchant, the Brakette shortstop. Lisa Iancin then doubled to score the pinch runner and make it 1-0.


In the fifth, Sarah Pauly hit Lindy Winkler with a pitch and Jackie Pasquerella singled with Winkler holding at second. Lyndsey Angus came to the plate and ripped a single scoring Winkler from second to make it 2-0.


In the fifth the Brakettes mounted their most serious threat. Callie Piper singled with one away. Heather Wright singled and Kelly Kretschman singled to load the bases. Then the Towheaded Tornado in the circle kicked it up a notch. She retired the Brakettes big two, Kellie Wilkerson, striking her out, then induced the NPF homerun champion, Jessica Merchant to fly to left, stranding three Brakettes.


Forest retired the Brakettes in order in the last of the sixth. The Brakettes had trying run at the plate in their last at-bat, but Forest retired Piper, Wright, and Kelly Kretschman in order to bring joy to New England.


JFo shut out the Brakettes on 5 hits walking 2 and striking out 7, in one of the most commanding performances since Lou Burdette won three games for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1957 World Series.


The Riptide were at 7-7 at the end of June and won 18 of their last 28 to finish fourth. WPCNR asked owner Joe Adlman, Jackie Pasquerella and Manager Sharon Drysdale, the reasons behind the “turn-of the Tide” after Saturdays’ win:


Angus, interviewed by WPCNR Saturday night attributed the New England turnaround to “chemistry. We had a lot of young people, everything started clicking, everyone knew their roles, everything started clicking into place and we won almost all our games in July.”


Joe Adlman, owner of the New England Riptide for all three years they’ve been in the league, commenting on Forrest’s contribution to the team this year, said after her Saturday performance, “She’s done it all year. She’s the reason we made the playoffs. She’s the reason we’re in the finals.”


WPCNR asked Adlman going into the Championship game about the team’s Cinderella season: “I think we had a lot of young players. New players in the league. We just needed a month to kind of get acclimated to the league, to mold themselves and come together as a team. We had about six rainouts that didn’t help. Once they got playing together and got out on the field they were able to show what they could do. And they’ve been doing it.”


The Spiderwoman, Jackie Pasquerella, the old Juggernaut thirdbaser and member of that 2004 NPF Champion team, who anchors the hot corner for the Riptide told WPCNR Saturday, “We have better chemistry. We have a little bit more heart. We play together very well. Coach Sharon Drysdale and the owner, Joe Alderman, they  really spent a lot of time picking and choosing the girls. This year they picked great kids and we meshed well, and obviously it shows on the field.”


Manager Sharon Drysdale said of the team Saturday evening, “It’s been such a long climb for us as a team from where we started. It’s a new team. A week and a half before the start of the season we didn’t even know if we were going to have enough players. We lost some players who I don’t think our owner had  anticipated. We had a lot of spots to fill. We filled them with a lot of no-name players. A lot of undrafted players and they came in and started to believe in themselves. I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team that has come from behind in as many games as this team has. For walkoff games, I think we must have had 5 or 6 of them during one 19 game stretch. This team doesn’t quit and they battle and they believe in each other and they’re a fun group to coach so that all helps to get them where they are today.”


Well, they’re no-names no more! The 2006 National Pro Fastpitch Champs are: Tarra Beyster, Jamie Hass, Lisa Iancin, Mariangee Bogado, Kristin Vesely, Kristin Allain, Jocelyn Forest, KJ Kelly, Kristin Botto, Lyndsey Angus, Jen Scavone, Destiny Frankenstein, Tiffany Stewart, Lindy Winkler, Lisa Allen, Jackie Pasquerella, Danielle Henderson and Erica Beach.

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Brakettes, Riptide Ride Arms of Pauly and Forrest to 1-0 Wins.Play Sun for Title

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny. August 27, 2006 UPDATED: The 2nd Place Connecticut Brakettes in their first year as members of the National Pro Fastpitch softball big league ripped into the Championship game Saturday night, dethroning defending Champion third Place Akron on Germaine Fairchild’s humpback liner up the middle in extra innings.



Sarah Pauly strikes out Steph Pomes in the sixth with Iyhia McMichael on third with the score 0-0. McMichael had wheeled around second on a sacrifice bunt and beat the late throw by second baser Stephanie Best, to give the Racers a runner on third with less than 2 out. Paul reared back and fanned Kristen Butler and Pommes to prevent the go-aheader. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


“G’s” smash scored Kellie Wilkerson from second with the winner in the 8th inning Saturday night, after Jessica Merchant’s screamer down the first base line off reliefer Brandee McArthur moved Kellie to second backing up Sarah Pauly’s 2-hit, 13 fans, pitching that handcuffed the vaunted Akron Racer lineup. The Racers only had one serious threat in the 6th.  Long Tall Pauly, voted Pitcher of the Year in the NPF, showed why. She fanned 13 Racers, walked 1.



The Riptide’s Jocelyn Forrest pitching out of a jam in the fifth inning of the opening nailbiter with the Chicago Bandits. Chicago’s Amanda Williams is on second, MacKenzie Vandergeest is on first. On the next pitch, Riptide catcher KJ Kelly noticed Williams had broken too far off second picked her off, with The Spiderwoman, the Tide’s  and Bay Shore NY’s own Jackie Pasquerella making a diving parallel-to-the-ground  tagout of Williams to wrap up the rundown and kill the threat. Photo by WPCNR Sports.


In the opener of the day-night 2006 NPF Playoffs and Championship, the “Towheaded Tornado,” Jocelyn Forrest, know to her teammates as “JFo” threw 102 pitches with 7 Ks over 9 innings with One Walk to whitewash the First Place Chicago Bandits, 1-0 and beat the crafty cool righty, Gina Oaks whom the Riptide could not touch up. 


The Riptide winner came in the bottom of the ninth when Lyndsey Angus singled to the left of second base to lead off.  KJ Kelly bunted on Oaks’ first pitch, Bandit first baser Nicole Trimboli in on the bunt threw sidearm low and to the right of the frantically reaching Laura Harms at second and it went off Harms glove into centerfield.  Lyndsey Angus jumped up and started digging, flew freewheeling around third to beat centerfielder Amanda Williams’ throw.  Williams’ throw was up the third base line behind the runner for the Bandit Breaker. Catcher Selena Collins had to come up the line, took the throw standing up swiped at Angus who was already by her and got nothing but air, and the Bandits were beaten. Angus’ dash was reminiscent of Enos Slaughter’s dash from first on a single in the 1946 World Series. It seemed impossible, but it unfolded to New England’s delight.


Williams, the centerfielder appeared to be a little too deep and late on the backup of the sacrifice  at second and it cost the first place Bandits the winning run.  Racer defense on the sacrifice bunt had twice nabbed Riptide runners at second on the front end of a bunt, but the third time Angus was just a little faster and Trimboli perhaps was too greedy instead of going for the sure out at first. But that’s ball — it is easy to second guess.


Sharon Drysdale, Riptide coach told WPCNR she was sending Angus all the way, “never hesitated,” Drysdale said.


Fairchild misses two attempts to bunt in the nightcap, then wins it.


In the Brakette winning rally, the Racers had brought in Brandee McArthur in relief of the Redoubtabe Radara McHugh who had thrown 94 pitches. McArthur walked the first batter to face her, Kellie Wilkerson on 4 pitches. Then Brakette manager John Stratton had the league’s leading homerun leader, Michigan’s Jess Merchant bunt twice. Twice she missed McArthur on a 1-2 went for the outside corner and Merchant hit a frozen rope off the glove tip of first baser Trimboli down the rightfield line for a single. Runners on first and second, nobody out.


 



“G” delivers the winner on Saturday night. Photo, WPCNR Sports


Again Stratton had Germaine Fairchild up to bunt. G took a ball, then missed two attempts to bunt the runners over. On the 1-2, she extended her sweet swing  for the outside pitch and got it She told WPCNR, “I think she (McArthur) was trying to go up and out on me…it had a little curve spin, a little under it. I just said you know what,  make sure you stay on top of this and keep your hands high and it worked out.”



Sarah Pauly in the circle Saturday night. Asked how she and Callie Piper were handling Caitlin Benyi and Steph Pomes with Iyhia McMichael on third, Pauly told WPCNR, “We just made sure we stuck together and threw our game. Just had to have the mentality that no one could score, because we wanted to win.” Asked what she was trying to do with hitters in the McMichael squeeze situation, Pauly said, “Strike ’em out. Of course, try not to pitch anything close to the zone to where they could even touch it. Just throw strikes. Towards the end of the game we found out where the umpire’s zone was so we were working with that to our advantage.” She said her change up was working well. Photo, WPNCR Sports.


 



New England’s Saturday Heroines: “JFo”Jocelyn Forrest, left, the Little Riptide righty, the Bobby Schantz of softball,  and Lyndsey Angus who singled and scored all the way from first on a botched sacrifice bunt in the 9th, to beat the first place finishers, the Chicago Bandits in the NPF playoffs. Forest threw 102 pitches over the full nine and pitched out of three winning run on second situations with 1 out.  Who is Johnny Damain anyway? Photo, WPCNR Sports.


“JFo” told WPCNR, “Probably this is our best game all the way around. The whole team, top to bottom, this is the best game we’ve played all year. We knew coming in these games were going to be real tough battles between pitchers and we were just going to  have to shut them down long enough for us to score a run.”


WPCNR asked The Towheaded Tornado if she did anything different Saturday against Chicago:


“I  made sure to take a lot of time inbetween pitches and really, really take a deep breath and make every pitch count. Because that’s what’s so important. Every once in a while you get in a groove and you just kind of get comfortable and you start going too fast, and you’ll slip a pitch in there and that’s when it bites you in the butt.”


JFo’s most nervous moment came in the top of the eighth. Mackenzie Vandergeest had singled and stolen second. On a 3-2 pitch to Laura Harms she slipped a pitch over the outside corner and the plate umpire punched her out. Harms leaped in the air, threw her helmet to the bench. She could believe it. Then Ann Steffan a .400 hitter was up, who gets most of her hits on slaps over the thirdbase side. She attempted to slap JFo three times and three times she missed.


WPCNR asked what were her best pitches: “I think the thing that made me effective was I was able to go to everything. Obviously my bread-and-butter is the rise and the change, but I could rely on my drop ball when I needed to it was curving a lot and was able to go to my screwball when I needed to. That’s really important against a team that hits this well. You have to have a variety of things to go to, because if you go to the well, they’ll eventually catch on.”


She said she and her catcher KJ Kelly keep track of what pitches they get hitters out on, and do not go back to the same pitch that worked before. “We keep track of that,” she said.


Angus who singled to start the Bandit demise, described her dash to the plate as the throw was coming in from center: “The ball skipped. The catcher (Collins) tried to cut off the ball, so I went inside as soon as I saw the ball cross behind me, I just slid around. I was way safe. She never came close. That’s how it worked.”


Lyndsey said Oaks, who pitched a fabulous game, too, had plenty left at the end. “I got a good pitch to hit. It was a changeup she hadn’t really thrown me yet.”


Manager Drysdale, commenting on Angus’s dash said it appeared that centerfielder Amanda Williams made an off-balance throw, about as well as she could under the circumstances because the ball did not go straight into centerfield but was deflected. She thought it was a good throw under the circumstances.


The two crisp, good-as-it-gets-games set up a New England-Connecticut clash for the NPF Championship Sunday night at 6 at Frank DeLuca Field in Stratford. (Exit 30 off I-95 –not a bad seat in the house). For more, go to www.ctbrakettes.com


 

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