Mario Scarano Retirement Dinner Thursday.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. November 16, 2004: Mario Scarano, Athletic Director for White Plains Schools for the last six years, who was forced to retire this year by the Board of Education this year due to conflicts in philosophy with Board of Education members, will be honored at a Retirement Dinner Thursday evening, November 18 at the Davenport Club in his hometown of New Rochelle. For reservations call 632-7800.  Dr. Laura Boehlert, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, reports a new Athletic Director is expected to be appointed in December.



So Long, Mr. Scarano. Mario Scarano, in an old familiar scene. No longer the man who was always there in the White Plains High School Athletic Office. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


 


Mr. Scarano introduced Fall Winter and Spring Sports Dinners to honor White Plains Athletes, brought a full-time Trainer to the high school athletic program, installed a weight room and training facility, an obstacle course on campus, enhanced the softball, soccer and baseball fields at the high school,  pioneered women’s sports, and presided over an athletic program which won 87% of their competions last year.



Nick Panaro, Interim Athletic Director. Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.


Mr. Scarano has been replaced on an interim basis by Nick Panaro as Interim Athletic Director. Dr. Lenora  Boehlert, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the School District reports to WPCNR that six candidates  for the Athletic Director position and six candidates for the Coordinator of Health position will be presented to the full committee in charge of selecting Mr. Scarano’s successor, within the next two weeks. She said she expected to name a new Athletic Director, and a new Coordinator of Health by the beginning of December. 


Sad End to the Scarano Scenario


The “Scarano Scenario” resulting in Mr. Scanaro’s  untimely departure (just before the start of the athletic year) had its routes in Mr. Scarano’s desiring to split the position of Athletic Director and Coordinator of Health Programs, and was aggravated by a conflict with a member of the Board of Education involving their child. That member had pushed Mr. Scarano to restore their child to an athletic team when that child was cut. Mr. Scarano refused to do so, making an enemy.


That matter came to a head when Mr. Scarano suggested this year, for the second year in a row that the Board of Education split the position.


Mr. Scarano proposed last year and again in January to the Board of Education that his Athletic Director & Coordinator of Health position be split into two positions because he felt it was too much for one person to handle.


If the position had been split, Mr. Scarano, would have stayed on as Athletic Director. However, the Board of Education delayed the decision to divide the duties of the job, citing passing of the School Budget as an excuse (though White Plains passes the school budget every year by a better than 3 to 1 margin). This left Mr. Scarano no choice but to retire, he felt.


The Split Delayed.


Mr. Scarano advised Mr. Connors in early July he would retire and submitted his papers officially (Mr. Connors had held the papers for about six months, pending the Board of Education decision on splitting the position).


The day after Mr. Scarano officially told Mr. Connors to submit his papers, the Board of Education voted to split the position.


Sorry, You Can’t Come Back.


When Mr. Scarano told Mr. Connors he wanted to come back now that the Board had decided to plit away the Athletic Director position, the Board of Education declined to take action to reinstate him in the position as he wished. They denied taking a vote on his coming back, but by not allowing him to come back they were, in effect, firing him. As Mr. Scarano told WPCNR, “they decided to go in a different direction.” 


Persons familiar with the situation say Mr. Scarano had made enemies of certain members of the Board of Education and parents who were out to get him for not submitting to their requests involving the treatment of their children by certain team coaches.


 

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Reader Praises Italian Hospital Society Plan for St. Agnes Hospital Site

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. November 15, 2004: It was reported today that the auction for the St. Agnes Hospital property will be held by the New York State Dormitory Authority on December 14, 2004 at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains. A reader writes in support of the Italian Hospital Society plan for that property: (See Friday’s Story)

Dear Mr. Bailey,

Your coverage of the Italian Hospital Society’s initiative to use – purchase the St. Agnes property as a humantarian facilty for the aged and to rescue the now threatened Children’s Physical Rehabilitation Center is perhaps the best spoken plan to date.  Hopefully this cause will not fall on deaf ears and blinded political leaders.

The vision of Dr. Migone and the use of the St. Agnes property to serve the people of Westchester County is a vision and a dream we all share with the Italian Hospital Society.  A dream and a vision that will serve all of mankind through out New York State, not just Westchester County, if not the entire country: making the most effective positive use of the now defunct St. Agnes Property.  


White Plains, having only one local medical faciltiity to serve the public need (the White Plains Hospital) right now, leaves our public welfare in a precarious and dangerous situation in terms of caring for the ill and providing the necessary medical needs for all.

Dr, Migone’s project is one in which affordable care will be provided in many years to come serving our city, state and public welfare with the public interest as a priority! Affordable medical care for the ill and needy as the paramount humantarian objective bringing back the re-opening of the St. Agnes property to once again service the public as it was initially intended to do, help people and those in need.

The worst possible use of the St. Agnes property would be to remove it as a medical facilty and convert it into the use of private residents and homes. Profit being the motivating incentive to serve the needs of a few rather then the needs of all!

In my opinion the sale of the St. Agnes property by the Dormitory Authority who currently owns the property and apparently is placing it on the auction bid to the highest bidder is an embarrassment to the public interest, need  and integrity of the Dormitory Authority.  Converting a not for profit institutional property into a private profit entity disregarding the public need as a solution to resolve a debt is a most unfortuante solution.

It is my hope that our elected officals on all levels local and state will closely scrutinize this mistake of selling off the St. Agnes property. Work collectively and examine the plans and  initiative of the Italian Hospital Society, save the St. Agnes property and support this plan which is the best to date.  A win win situation with a postive out come and a bright future for the aging ill and children in need.

Westchester County and the City of White Plains finally has an opportunity to rescue the St. Agnes property and retain it for its true value and purpose, to serve us the people and those in need, especially our aging and the care of disabled children in need.

I encourage everyone to support this effort and ask our elected officials to support this wonderful much needed facilty and dream of the Italian Hospital Society.

Thank you Dr. Mignone for your great vision and concerns for humanity!

Carl Albanese
White Plains resident


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Councilman Emeritus John Martin Recalls Key Stop N Shop Agreement.

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WPCNR TALK OF WESTCHESTER AVENUE. November 15, 2004: Former Councilman John Martin writes WPCNR explaining the Stop N Shop responsibilities towards Weschester Avenue owners, noting that Stop N Shop is obligated to allow customers of north Westchester Avenue establisments to use their parking lot:

John,
Please note that the city “gave up” a very busy public lot to make the Stop N Shop project feasible. In exchange, the property is encumbered by an agreement, of public record in the county Clerk’s Office which grants parking to people who patronize the businesses on the northerly side of Westchester Avenue.


This, of course, does not apply to the Westchester!


Councilman Emeritus John Martin

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No Property Tax Increase in 2005 County Budget. Medicaid Costs Up $17 Million.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) November 15, 2004: There will be no increase in the Westchester County property tax levy for next year, under a proposed $1.47 billion spending plan for 2005 unveiled today by County Executive Andy Spano. The budget calls for no new taxes but provides for $17.5 Million increase in new increased Medicaid costs (for a total of $238 Million in 2005).


            “This is a fiscally sound budget that holds the line on property taxes and maintains all existing county services,” said Spano. “With this budget, we also hold the line on bus fares and make no cuts to our non-profit social service and cultural agencies that are so important to the quality of life in Westchester.



            “As I have repeatedly stated, I never wanted to propose the tax increases we have had over the last two years. The only reason that road was taken was because of state-mandated costs, not county spending. Although the cost to the county of state-mandated programs continues to soar, revenues from the county sales tax and continued government efficiencies will allow us to keep the county property tax levy at its 2004 level.”


            He added, “While the 2005 Medicaid increase is not as high as this year’s, it is still a whopping $17.5 million increase. If  the state had passed legislation (which was supported by counties throughout New York) to cap the increase at the 2004 level,  we could have reduced taxes by three percent. And if we were getting our fair share of state transit aid, similar to other counties, to help pay for our Bee-Line bus system, there could have been an additional tax reduction.”


            “I promise to continue to lobby the state for changes to offset the costs of these programs for Westchester’s property tax payers,” Spano said.


 



            Spano’s budget was presented to the Board of Legislators today, which has until Dec. 27 to adopt a final spending plan. Of this gross budget, 75 percent – or $1.11 billion – will go to fixed obligations and programs mandated by the state or federal government. The other 25 percent will go to finance discretionary programs. 


            Westchester County property taxes comprise 16-20 percent of a property owner’s tax bill. The remainder of the tax is levied by school districts, local governments and special districts, such as sewer, water, solid waste and fire. Every $5 million in levy spending is equal to approximately 1 percent on the county tax bill. This year there is no increase in the levy and therefore no tax increase.


            “This budget, along with earlier budgets that I submitted during my first term, further demonstrates that it is state mandates, not county spending, that has caused county property taxes to rise,” Spano said. “More important than reforming the dysfunctional process by which Albany operates is to reform Albany’s practice of  having local property taxpayers pay for state-mandated programs.”


 


FISCAL PRESSURES CONTINUE



  • The cost to the county of state and federally mandated programs continues to soar.  Of this, the greatest increase — $17.5 million — will be in Medicaid. Medicaid will cost Westchester  taxpayers $238 million in 2005. Budgeted Medicaid expenditures have increased 73 percent – or $100.7 million —  since 1998.

 



  • Other mandated programs include Social Service accounts, which will be up $5.4 million, and  Services for Children with Disabilities, which will be up $3.5 million.

 



  • Bee-line bus costs are up $9.2 million over 2004. In contrast, state transportation aid  is the same as it was in 1998. Despite this, the county is not raising bus fares or cutting bus service.

 


STREAMLINING OF GOVERNMENT CONTINUES


 



  • Spano’s budget would  abolish 37 vacant positions, bringing to 437 – or almost 9 percent of the workforce — the total number of positions abolished over the last seven years since Spano took office.  The reductions for 2005 will save an additional  $2,738,000  The cumulative  savings from these cuts since 1998 are $32.7 million. This takes into account an increase of 52 positions in Public Safety and Emergency Services as a result of September 11, as well as 4 new positions in Human Rights and 8 in Solid Waste.    

 



  • Overtime has been reduced further for the Department of Correction. For next year, the saving will be an additional $4 million, on top of the $6.2 million in savings implemented in previous years. This has been accomplished with the closing of the women’s jail and the creation of a new women’s unit as well as the a reduction of the number of correction officers who are on paid disability leave.

 



  • Westchester will save $3.8 million of what would have otherwise been a $9 million increase in the cost of health insurance for employees, thanks to new union contracts negotiated by the county.


  • The county outsourced the employment services for Social Service to the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce, at a savings of $1 million, while providing better services to our customers.

 



  • Dental clinics in the Department of Health that provided services to children have been closed, with services provided elsewhere. This has saved $264,000.

 



  • Westchester will save $212,000 because it implemented a credit card bail system at the jail, which has reduced by 1,325 the collective number of days prisoners are kept in custody.

 



  •  Administrative costs continue to be reduced, to $5.8 million for next year.  In 1999, $14.3 million was spent on these costs, associated with such departments as Budget, Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, Law, Planning.

 



  • The size of the county’s motor pool is further decreased by 20 vehicles, for a savings of $250,000 in addition to the previous reduction of 17, for a total savings of $465,000.

 



  • The budget continues  various policies that have been implemented over the last 7 years to eliminate duplication of services, to cut back on travel expenses and to implement new technologies that make government more efficient.

REVENUES



  • The county tax levy – the actual amount the county takes in in property taxes – will remain at $479.3 million.

 



  • New revenues enacted earlier this year (the increases in the sales tax,  auto use tax and mortgage tax) will add $15.9 million in revenue. Sales tax revenue for 2005 is projected at $330 million for next year.

 



  • State and federal government aid amounts to $378.9 million, or 27 .2 percent of all revenues for 2005. This is down from 30.3 percent 1998.

 



  •  Due to the improved financial condition of the Westchester Medical Center, the budget includes  the $10 million in revenue for services supplied by the county and paid for by the hospital. This revenue had been deferred for the past two years.

 


 

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Ginsburg to Challenge 6% “Affordable Housing” . Condo Policy in Chaos.

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WPCNR Common Council Chronicle-Examiner. By John F. Bailey. November 14, 2004: Martin Ginsburg, the principal of Ginsburg Development Corporation, broke media silence Saturday when he told The Journal News he would eliminate affordable housing units from his Pinnacle project if he was forced to lower the height of the building to 230 feet.  Bill Madden, a spokesperson for Ginbsburg Development Corporation, confirmed this new stance by the developer to WPCNR Saturday. It is the first time a developer has chosen to challenge the council 6% affordable housing resolution.


 



Frendly Gathering: Susan Habel, left, Louis Cappelli, center, Martin Ginsburg, right, facing camera, shmoozing at the Gala last Monday night. Mr. Cappelli’s deal for Mr. Ginsburg, is in abeyance, while Ginsburg lobbies the Common Council to eminent domain the Nook-Deli-Bookstore building to make way for The Pinnacle. Photo by WPCNR News.


In a development first reported by WPCNR last Tuesday, it was learned that Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer, owner of the City Center and partner inTrump Tower at City Center, had offered a compromise deal to Mr. Ginsburg which would allow Ginsburg to build the Pinnacle.


 


Mr. Cappelli told WPCNR at Monday evening’s White Plains Performing Arts Center Gala, that he was willing to transfer the Corner Nook/bookstore/deli building to Mr. Ginsburg, allowing Ginsburg to build Pinnacle, providing Mr. Ginsburg lowered the height of the Pinnacle condo-retail complex to 230 feet, instead of the planned 280 feet.


 



THE NOOK OF THE MATTER: The Corner Nook Cafe. Ginsburg needs it. Cappelli has it. Somethin’s gotta give. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.


 



 


The Pinnacle, on Main Street, Condominium atop restaurants and retail needs the Nook property to obtain an approval from the Common Council. Photo, WPCNR News.


 


WPCNR called Mr. Ginsburg’s offices for comment. Mr. Ginsburg, through a press spokesperson said he had no comment, was proceeding with his request that the city eminent domain the nook-deli-bookstore building, and that “they would not negotiate in the press.”


 


Yesterday, Mr. Ginsburg went a step farther in his relationship with “the press” by telling a reporter he would not incorporate affordable units in his condominium if he was forced to lower its height.


 


This is the first direct legal challenge to the Common Council 6% affordable housing rule that has been applied to all new projects built recently, including the two City Center apartment towers, Clayton Park, Bank Street Commons, and JPI’s The Jefferson.


 


Condo 6% Affordable Policy in Chaos.


 


Looming ahead is a policy decision that the Council has to make: how Louis Cappelli will meet the 6% affordable housing proviso on his condominium-hotelplex in progress at 221 Main Street. According to Bruce Berg, Cappelli Enterprises President, the site plan approval for 221 Main Street does not spell out how the hotel-condo-plex is to meet its obligation to make 6% of its units affordable housing. With demolition continuing, the annex to the Bar Building emptying, and foundation work beginning, the hotel-condo-plex is going up, with no decision on how the affordable housing requirement will be met.


 


Until last week, it appeared that Mr. Cappelli would pay a fee to fulfill this obligation, as outlined by Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel last spring, in a sketchy arrangement that the council never voted into official policy.


 


The fee Mr. Cappelli himself speculated might range as being as low as $500,000 to as high as $5,000,000, depending on pricing of Mr. Cappelli’s condominiums in the hotel-condo-plex, to satisfy the 6% requirement.


 


Physical Unit Stock Compromised In favor of Fiscal Units?


 


According to Benjamin Boykin, the Common Councilman, speaking to the Council of Neighborhood Associations last week, the council is going to take another look at this issue of how builders of new condominiums satisfy the 6% affordable housing policy of the city. The council has come under pressure from affordable housing advocates to force builders of new condominiums to provide actual condominium units in their buildings rather than pay a fee in lieu of providing units.


 


William Null, Martin Ginsburg’s attorney went over at length with the Common Council last month the reasons for requiring a fee to meet the requirement during his representation of condominiums planned for Maple Avenue. He emphasized that his clients wished to take the fee option created at the time when Mr. Cappelli’s  hotel-condoplex was seeking approval.


 


Not Official Policy Yet. Ginsburg Protesteth.


 


However, as Mr. Boykin pointed out last Tuesday, this fee arrangement is not official policy yet.


 


Mr. Ginsburg has the council, apparently in a legal quandary, based on how the Council approved the 221 Main Street Cappelli Condo-Plex.


 


 The Common Council  approved the Hotel-Condoplex without specifying how affordable unit policy was going to be satisfied, and approved a transfer of development rights to the Hotel Site to enable Mr. Cappelli to build 35 stories.


 


 The Council is being asked by Mr. Ginsburg to eminent domain a building to pave way for his project that the council refused to do for Mr. Cappelli, and Mr. Ginsburg is asked the Urban Renewal agency to provide square footage from the City Center Garage to complete the 100,000 square foot parcel to complete the project. Mr. Ginsburg, citing the transfer of development rights granted Mr. Cappelli, could say, “why can’t you do the same for me?”


 


Yet, the council expects Mr. Ginsburg to comply with the affordable housing statute, that they did not enforce as part of the approval of the Cappelli hotel-condoplex.  

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Photograph of the Day

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WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. November 13, 2004: Saturday’s Photograph of the Day captures the new skyline of White Plains, Trump Tower at City Center going up on the left, and the North Tower of City Center on Main Street looking West from Broadway. The Pinnacle, Ginsburg Development Corporation proposed building would sit in the middle of the two ziggurats.



WHITE PLAINS WEST. Photo by TheWPCNR Roving Photographer.

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Stop N Shop Reports Motorists Parking in their Lot Shopping Elsewhere.

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WPCNR East Ender. By John F. Bailey. November 12, 2004: The new Stop N Shop on Westchester Avenue confirmed to WPCNR today at they are monitoring occupants of their free parking structure on Westchester Avenue because a fair number of parkers have been using their lot to park and walking to The Westchester, Fortunoff and other retail and restaurant establishments in the vicinity.



A White Plains CitizeNetReporter advised WPCNR on Wednesday that Stop N Shop was issuing time slips to motorists parking in the lot. Friday, a spokesperson at the Stop N Shop Customer Service desk told WPCNR Stop N shop was issuing time receipts which customers had to have validated by the cashiers at checkout.  The Scene Friday afternoon. The Booth Sign says “Traffic Study.” It is manned. Photo by WPCNR News.


Asked why, the spokesperson said that Stop N Shop was taking a survey to see how many visitors were actually shopping in Stop N Shop. “We want our lot for our customers,” the spokesperson said. Asked if a number of persons had been parking at S N S and not shopping there, but pedestrianing it to other stores in the area, the spokesperson said “Yes.” WPCNR queried as to whether a parking fee was being contemplated. The spokesperson said, “no, we’d never charge for parking for our customers.” Asked if this was being done on a widespread basis, parking at Stop N Shop, and shopping elsewhere, the spokespersons said yes. “We want our parking to be for our customers,” she said.


The revelation that motorists are parking free at one establishment to shop at others, raises the issue of whether Wal-Mart, which traditionally offers free parking will do so at their new headquarters on Main Street.


The free parking lot at The Container Store is another scene of free parking abuse, according to frequent Container Store devotees. Motorists park at the Container Store and stroll over to The Westchester, Fortunoff, or other points.


WPCNR’s correspondent notes that White Plains parking is becoming too expensive for the average citizen, saying her husband drops her off at Whole Foods Market when she only has to pick up a few items, does some errands himself, then swings by and picks her up.

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Italian Hospital Society Organizes Support for Home for Aged on St. Agnes Site –

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WPCNR East Ender. By John F. Bailey. November 12, 2004: The Italian Hospital Society, the organized labor-supported health organization responsible for building the first Italian Hospital in Manhattan, catering to New York’s immigrant population in the late 1930s,  held an organization meeting at Antonio Meucci Lodge Thursday evening to acquire community support throughout Westchester County for creation of an Italian Home for the Aged in White Plains on the St.Agnes Hospital property off North Street.


 



How Italian Home for the Aged would be placed on the St. Agnes Hospital Site: Architect’s rendering of facility is in left center of sketch. Existing hospital buildings at right would be renovated for various stages of aged care. (View is looking West.) Thomas Carvel Children’s Rehabilitation Unit would stay in service in the foreground (arrow bottom of picture). Under present Dormitory “Auction Package”, the Children’s Rehab Center built with a multi-million dollar gift  from Tom Carvel, the Carvel soft ice cream founder, could be razed by real estate speculators, the Carvel Center  perpetuity is not guaranteed by the Dormitory Authority auction arrangement, according to the Italian Hospital Society organizers, one of the advantages, they say of the Society acquiring the property.  The Home for the Aged would be built on the site of the abandoned convent  behind the Carvel building. (North Street runs along the bottom of the photo.) Photo by WPCNR News.


 



The group sees the assisted living facility as being an excellent use of the abandoned convent site on the St. Agnes Hospital property on North Street. It also plans to renovate the existing idle hospital buildings there, to serve progressive tiers of aged care, assisted, and tertiary and end-of-life care.


 


Carvel Children’s Unit Could be Torn Down, Not Protected by Dorm Authority.


 


Another benefit to their acquiring the St. Agnes site, would be to continue the existence of the Thomas Carvel Children’s Rehabilitation Center. Contrary to what the public has been lead to believe by the State Dormitory Authority,  the Carvel Center would have to negotiate its right to continue operating from any future high bidder who would acquire the St. Agnes property, according Dr. Domenico Mignone.


 


Mignone said a real estate developer acquiring the property for housing, for example, could simply tear down the Carvel center if they wished, because it is part and parcel of the Dormitory Authority offering of the property.


 


Grassroots Movement Begins Tentatively November 22


 


A group of fourteen persons met with Dr. Mignone, former Director of Juvenile Patient Services at St. Agnes Hospital, and Ernesto Mattace, Jr., Vice President and Political Director of the Local 338, Retail Wholesale & Chain Store Food Employees Union, who are joint-chairing the effort for the Italian Hospital Society.


 



Italian Hospital Society and members of the Antonio Meucci Lodge meeting Thursday evening at the Lodge on Maple Avenue in White Plains. Photo by WPCNR News


 


Mattace said there would be widespread labor support for the home which he felt would also supply funds to build the project. Mignone said the facility would cost $100 Million to construct, including acquisition of the property from the Dormitory Authority, and construction of the residential facility, and renovation of existing hospital buildings for end-of-life care.


 


The committee organizing the effort decided to call a meeting with other Presidents of  the Sons of Italy Chapters throughout the County tentatively scheduled for November 22 at the Meucci Lodge in White Plains.  Committee members will also reach out to other labor and civic associations to gather their support for the project.


 


Will Not Get $38 Million for it.


 


Dr. Mignone said the St. Agnes property, currently scheduled to be auctioned off to the highest bidder by the State Dormitory Authority, which foreclosed on it six months ago, taking the property back from the Catholic Church, its former operators,  is not worth the $38 Million the Dormitory is asking for it.


 



Dr. Domenico Mignone, Spearheading the Italian Home for the Aged last night. Photo by WPCNR News.


 


 He said the Italian Hospital Society hoped to acquire it for actual real property value, (estimated at $10 Million, as presently zoned), and have it rezoned for hospital use. The special permit allowing St. Agnes Hosptial to operate as a hospital there expired when the hospital was foreclosed upon by the Dormitory, he said.


 


Mignone said Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains was supportive of the project, as was State Senator Nick Spano, and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky.


 


Request to Put Off Auction.


 


Mignone said the Society is hopeful after generating grassroots support in the next two weeks, of convincing the Governor, and the Dormitory Authority, and state senators and assemblypersons  to throw the site open for Requests for Proposals for use of the property, and postpone the auction, so the Society could acquire the property without getting into a competitive bidding war with other organizations. That failing, Mignone said the Society would attempt the bidding if necessary.


 


Dr. Mignone said there was not a date set for the auction of the property as yet, expecting the Society had about two months in which to gather state administration support for the project.


 


A Need for an Italian Heritage-sensitive home, open to all.


 


Mignone noted that a home catering to the special needs of aging Italians is needed, because as the Italian population ages, the earlier memories become more vivid to the elderly, who tend to lapse back into their native language, customs and traditions, which Mignone said would be incorporated into the home’s atmosphere, cuisine, and care.


 


 



Artist’s Rendering of the Home. Photo by WPCNR News.


 


Mignone and Mattace said that whether or not the Society was able to obtain the St. Agnes site, would not matter, that another site was already under consideration, should the St. Agnes property not be possible to obtain.


 


A dinner is being held this Sunday at the V.I.P. Country Club in New Rochelle to kick off fundraising for the project, which will honor John Ahern, Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30; Stuart Applebaum, President, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union; and Giannandrea Falchi, Bank of Italy representative in the United States. For information on the dinner, contact Dr. Mignone at 1-914-776-2778. The Italian Hospital Society website is at www.italianhospitalsociety.com.

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Hail to the Veterans Who Made It All Possible.

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WPCNR STARS AND STRIPES. November 11, 2004: The traditional Veterans Day ceremony at the White Plains Rural Cemetery were held this morning in the traditional somber gray skies poignantly swept by the bitter Northeast wind.


Adele Zucker set the tone of the day when she noted, “It is the veteran, not the politician, who guarantees our right to vote; It is the veteran, not the reporter, who guarantees freedom of the press, It is the veteran not the preacher, who guarantees freedom of religion.”


 Ron Tocci, the New York Assemblyman, retiring after twenty years in the Assembly, and 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, gave the address emphasizing that the veterans and their care and their contributions must never be forgotten.


Mayor Joseph Delfino reminisced with deep feeling recalling watching his brothers go off to fight World War II, saying goodbye to his mother and dad, saying they’d be o.k., not to worry, and asked those in attendance how parents must feel when they are sending their children of today off to war.



American Legion Post #135 Salutes and remembers the fallen, as Middle School Student Jacob Paul, 14, plays “Taps” Photo by WPCNR  News.

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Maddy Coon, Frozen Ropes Protege, Signs on with Stanford Today.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. November 11, 2004: Horace Greeley’s great Maddy Coon, the most recruited softball player in the country, scourge of fastpitch twirlers up and down the East Coast, recruited by 80 Division I schools, signed a letter of intent today to play with Stanford University on a four year, “Full-Ride” Scholarship. The ceremony took place with her parents, Randy and Jean Coon, and her coach since she was 12 years old, Rob Crews, at White Plains Frozen Ropes downtown.



PERSEVERENCE, PRACTICE, WORK ETHIC PAY OFF TODAY: Maddy Coon signs her Letter of Intent to play softball with Stanford University at Frozen Ropes, White Plains. Left to right, Frozen Ropes’ Rob Crews, Ms. Coon’s hitting instructor for seven years, Randy Coon, her Dad, and her Mom, Jean.  Maddy, legendary Hudson River Bandit, member of the feared Team New Jersey, and the Virginia Shamrocks is expected to start for Stanford on their infield next year.  Ms. Coon said she selected Stanford over UCLA, for its academics. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

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