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WPCNR MAIN STREET LINE. By John F. Bailey, August 17, 2004: Hanging out at Zanaro’s Monday at his TNT Ceremony, Louis Cappelli added information about his upcoming housecleaning project: rehabbing White Plains’ infrastructure by relining the Main Street sewer, according to White Plains Department of Public Works specifications.  Cappelli told WPCNR that he has hired a contractor to reline the sewer at a cost of $130,000, and that work would begin “in 3 to 4 weeks.”

“The sewer doesn’t really affect anything right now. We made an agreement with DPW (White Plains Department of Public Works), and Commissioner (Joseph) Nicoletti. The Commissioner of the DPW actually wrote the spec for us so we know we got it right. We got it about two weeks ago from the city, forwarded it to our contractor who’s going to be doing the work, so he knows exactly what he’s going to be doing.”

City Selected Firm to Do the Work. Mr. Cappelli Pays.

Cappelli said the firm is going to be Entech, who has done work for the city Department of Public Works previously. “Public Works is familiar with them, Cappelli said. “They’re going to be doing the work, probably in 3 to four weeks.”

Cappelli said, “There’s no rush on it because 221 hasn’t started yet, and the North Tower’s just filling, there’s only a hundred people in there. I don’t think it’s going to take more than a month to do.”

The SuperDevoloper allowed that there would be minor traffic disruptions on Main Street. “We’re going to have to have some traffic signalization, some redirection with public safety. I don’t think it’s going to cause too much of a disruption because they’re going to do it under the ground.”

Well, You Place a Piece of Plastic in the Pipe, and it Runs Smoother. Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti  on the night of January 16, 2004, introducing the sewer lining solution for the Main Street Sewer to the Common Council. It was at this meeting that Commissioner Nicoletti proposed  “The Nicoletti Bypass” for 221 Main Street to handle what he foresaw as effluent overload in the city Main Street Sewer, if both projects, City Center and Renaissance Square tied in to the Main Street Sewer. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Encountered in the Zanaro’s  crowd, Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti said he did not yet have a security clearance from the Mayor’s Office to discuss the details of the relining procedure with WPCNR, though WPCNR has requested an interview on the relining procedure.

Las Vegas Believes in Lining.

Procedures of sewer lining in Las Vegas conducted by Barnard Construction of Bozeman, Montana, consisted of a placing what officials described as putting a sock in a pipe, according to the Las Vegas Sun. A year long city project to replace the 2-mile long deteriorated Charleston Boulevard sewer in that city, was executed in just 4 weeks at a savings of $8 to 10 Million, costing $5 Million.

In 2002, Las Vegas lined a mile-long section pipe under its Ogden Street in just two weeks at a cost of $500,000.

Las Vegas believes so much in sewer lining as an alternative to pipe replacement they are planning a 4-mile lining project for their Sahara Avenue sewer that runs from Las Vegas Boulevard to Arden Street at a cost of $2.6 Million.

Las Vegas is using the relining technique to rehab its aging sewers (most of which are about 50 years old), to avoid a repeat of the Caesars Palace sewage mess that occurred in February of this year when an unlined concrete sewer pipe collapsed, and spilled 2 million gallons of raw sewage, a portion of it in the Caesars Palace parking lot.

A Las Vegas engineer said that when concrete pipes were first used in the 1950s, it was not known that sewage tended to deteriorate concrete pipes.

The Main Street Sewer line is a distance of 2 blocks, about a quarter of a mile and, Mr. Cappelli says will cost $130,000, which he will pay.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. August 17, 2004: The USA Softball Team shutout China this morning, 4-0, in Athens to remain undefeated in Preliminary Round play in the Olympics. Lovie Jung singled with the bases loaded in the first inning to give Lori Harrigan all the runs she needed. Harriigan showed a killer riseball and simply overpowered the Chinese hitters on way to her shutout win. The U.S. has yet to allow a run in the Olympic Softball Tournament and is 4-0. They play Canada at 10 A.M. Wednesday morning in their next game.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. August 16, 2004: “SuperDealer” Donald Trump rolled into White Plains in his black limousine in a downpour Monday morning, to appear with his Superpal “SuperDeveloper” Louis Cappelli to celebrate the “Topping Off” of Mr. Trump’s  35-story, 221-residence Trump Tower at City Center. A giant flag was unfurled at the top of the tower and red, white, and blue streamers were launched by paper cannons into the rain from the summit.

TRUMP TOWER AT CITY CENTER TOPPING OFF TODAY: 35 Stories, 212 luxury condominiums. Mr. Cappelli saluted the building trades who Cappelli said put up the Trump Tower at a rate of three floors a week. Mr. Cappelli said this would enable to close in the building by November with occupancy expected in the summer of 2005. Photo by WPCNR News

GOIN UP: Renaissance Square on Main Street, hotel-condominum-office complex will rise on this site. It will include a 6-story, 175-room luxury hotel with two residential towers with 290 luxury apartments. The towers will soar 350 feet skyward. A 28-story Office Building is planned on the Hamilton Avenue side. Mr. Cappelli has not named a hotelier yet. Photo by WPCNR News.

Next, the two titans of triumph joined for a symbolic beginning of demolition of 221 Main Street where Mayor Joseph Delfino, County Executive Andy Spano and Charles Gargano of the Empire State Development Corporation launched a wrecking ball  that collided with facade of the vacant storefronts on Main Street.

Mr. Cappelli also announced he had completed financing of $250 Million for the first phase of the hotel-condoplex on Main Street graced with the name, Renaissance Square.

MOB SCENE AT ZANARO’S: Afterwards SuperDealer and SuperDeveloper trooped into Zanaro’s where observers said Mr. Trump was “mobbed.” A who’s who of city, county and state officials milled about Zanaro’s for a Topping off and Tearing Down party, where Mr. Cappelli told WPCNR he has secured financing for Phase 1 of the 221 Cappeli Hotel, with financing for the office building portion of the project to come later. Photo by WPCNR News

DONALD TRUMP PLACES SOME OF HIS CHIPS IN WHITE PLAINS: (WPCNR was not able to be present for the media crush that encircled the celebrity developer, who brought participants in his television show, The Apprentice, with him),  is quoted in the release as saying,  “The opportunity to create a luxurious, beautifully appointed, cutting edge residential tower i the center of Westchester’s leading city is genuinely exciting. I have long seen Westchester County as offering among the finest residential housing opportunities in the nation, and now Trump Tower will deliver a completely new dimension in suburban living. Trump Tower at City Center will offer the finest in luxury living within a downtown that has come alive with new activity and excitement. Downtown White Plains and City Center have quickly emerged as among the hottest destinations in the Metropolitan area to work, play and shop — now with Trump Tower at City Center people will have the opportunity to live in the center of the action.” Photo by Photorazzi.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny. August 16, 2004: It was just a little pop foul off third in the eighth inning hit by Lovie Jung of Team USA with the lead run on third in the international tiebreaker. But the Japan thirdbaser was not wearing sunglasses. Looking up into the high sky, she lost it. It fell. Prolonging Jung’s at-bat. Error. A big error.

Then Jung walked and Kelly Kretschmann, former Stratford Brakette and Florida Atlantic star lofted a short fly to center that the Japanese centerfielder got off a weak throw to the plate on, and the U.S. broke on top in the 8th, 1-0. Ann Topping, pinchhitting, ripped one into right to score a second run, where the Japan rightfielder might have had a play at the plate had she had an arm.

Natasha Whately beat out a Baltimore Chop to score the third run. Meanwhile Cat Osterman, another Brakette and University of Texas windmiller masterfully handled the Japan lineup, fanning eleven hitters of the 24 outs. Team USA goes 3-0 in Preliminary Round play in the Olympics.

The real “Catwoman,” Catherine Osterman, whom tri-state softball fans remember from her championship perfornces with the Stratford Brakettes mystified the Japanese hitters with her assortment of Warren Spahn curves, drop off the table drops and terrorizing riseballs. 

She was hitting the corners and the Japanese hitters simply could not even catch up with her curves. To this reporter’s eye she never threw a changeup all day. All were swinging late and looking overmatched. WPCNR has seen Osterman pitch in person and this is the best performance we have seen her deliver. She came back on deep counts. She pitched with supreme confidence and made no mistakes. It was a money performance.

Meanwhile her Japanese counterpart, Tarayama, in the circle mowed down the Team USA hitters by pitching inside, taking advantage of the 25-30 knot wind blowing out to right. Time after time, USA hitters pulled the ball foul, and were not patient at the plate. Jung’s amazing 15-pitch at-bat in the eighth wore Tarayama down, but Lovie should have been retired on the foul pop. The foul pop simply has to be caught by the Japan third baseman in the eighth and it was not. That prolonged Jung’s at-bat, and allowed Kretschmann’s fly to like, real shallow center to score a run on a sacrifice fly.

But, the amazing thing to me was that after completing losing the fly ball, the Japan Thirdbaser did not go to the bench and get sunglasses! You young players out there should not forget those shades when you’re playing in a high sky situation.

Another key thing about this game was the importance of good arms in the outfield. Japan had weak arms in centerfield and right. I know players who play for White Plains that could have got the ball to the plate on a line to at least make it close on Amanda Freed at the plate. The centerfielder’s throw from like way shallow center was 10 feet off line. The rightfielder’s throw was incredibly weak on Topping’s hit. Two instances that prove the addage that infielders save outs, but outfielders win or lose games.

The outfield play in the first three games of this Olympic preliminary round against the U.S.A. has been awful against the USA. Dropped balls. Misjudgments. Poor throws. Throwing to the wrong base. As has been the pitching. We’ve seen better outfield arms in 14-and-under ball.

At least Japan delivered quality pitching today, after two dreadful performances in the circle the last two days.

And, can the Sports Section of the New York Times, please give us some softball coverage of Team U.S.A.? The demolition of Australia Sunday was given about 15 lines with no pictures in The Times this morning. The way softball is being dissed by The Times in favor of gymnastics, swimming, and what have you, indicates that The Times determination to ignore softball is all too real.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. August 14, 2004: The Juggernaut won their second straight shutout over the California Sunbirds before 478 fans in Stockton, California Friday evening as Gina Oaks (11-8) regained her form whitewashing the Birds on 3 hits. The Nauts plated 4 runs in the first three innings off  Cindy Ball(1-3), taking advantage of 4 Sunbird miscues and moved to 34-21 on the season, with five games to play. Kellie Wilkerson sparked the Nauts at the plate. The Juggernaut close out the three-game set this evening in Stockton, and head to Tucson, Arizona Sunday to complete the National Pro Fastpitch regular season, and return home to prepare for the playoffs. 

Who they will face in the first round of NPF Playoffs is in doubt because the New England Riptide snapped the Thunder’s four game winning streak last night while the Akron Racers won, moving the Racers within one game of the first place Thunder, with both teams having six games left.

NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH STANDINGS  August 14, 2004

                                                                          W     L    Pct.   GB   Home  Away

Friday Results

NY-NJ Juggernaut 5 California 0

New England 2, Texas 1

Akron 3 Arizona 2