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 PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny  with reports from Shannon Logan (EDITED) June 16, 2005: The New York Juggernaut, New York’s first place ball team,  overpowered the New England Riptide last Friday and Saturday nights to maintain a tie with the streaking Akron Racers atop the National Pro Fastpitch standings at 7-1. Tonight the Nauts face their stiffest test yet in a series against John Stratton’s fastpitch legends for 50 years, the “Yankees of Fastpitch,” the Stratford Brakettes down  to the island for a 4-game set from Connecticut. Gametime at Hofstra University Softball Stadium in Hempstead is 7 P.M. 

 

 

Jodie Cox fired a 6-2 Juggernaut series closing win against New England in Middletown NY before 550 fans at Turfler Park. A power lefty reminiscent of the Detroit Tigers Mickey Lolich, Cox is 4-0. Finding new life, coming to the Nauts from Sacramento, Cox has assumed the Amanda Scott Dominator role on the Naut staff. Photo,  Courtesy, NY Juggernaut.

 

In Saturday night’s upstate fastpitch ambassador game played to hundreds of fastpitch players in Middletown for the Speed Demons Fastpitch Tournament , the Juggernaut staked Cox to a fast lead in the second inning.

 

 Slim Kim Ogee, the Nauts’ new feared clutch hitter with 5 RBIS with her 4 hits, doubled to drive in catcher Ryan Realmuto for a 1-0 lead. Alicia Smith the Katonah-Hofstra-European League import, singled to right to plate Chelsea Spencer and Trena Peel for a 3-0 Juggernaut lead. Photo, Courtesy, New York Juggernaut.

 

Carri “Lightning” Leto, the “The Leto of the Pack,” singled Ogee to make it 4-0 and the Juggernauts continued their mastery over the Riptide.

 

 

Peaches Swings to the Windmill: Last Friday evening at Hofstra, Peaches James the explosive righthander rescued from the Texas Thunder, notched her third win of the season holding New England off until the Naut bats caught up with Jocelyn Forest, the palomino-maned hardluck Riptide pitcher. Photo, Courtesy, NY Juggernaut.

 

Forest was handcuffing the Nauts 1-0 with two out in the sixth frame, when “The Leto of the Pack” lashed a single to right.  Jackie Pasquerella then laced a double DOWN the right field line. The rightfielder’s throw attempting to nail Leto at the plate was wild, allowing Pasquerella to score and the Nauts had the lead 2-1. Jodie Cox then doubled off The Jocelyn to make it 3-1. Forest deserved a better fate.

 

In the sixth, Ryan Realmuto ( the best catcher playing in any ballpark on Long Island, including Shea Stadium), homered, and the Nauts added 2 unearned runs to card Peaches James third win.

 

Awesome Hitting. Speed. Raw Hustle on Hofstra Turf.

 

After two weeks of play, the new Naut roster put together by General Manager and Coach Julie Smith hits even better than last year’s NPF Champions. They are faster, they hit with more power, and the pitching, dominated last year by Amanda “The Great” Scott now has two dominators just like her: Cox and James who are being mentoretted by Scott as their pitching coach. This is not a good thing for hitters.

 

On the batting side, the ultimate good-hitting pitcher, Jodie Cox is the “Juggernaut Jacker” – putting up Maddy Coon numbers against fastpitch’s best, hitting a wild .476 on 10 for 21, with 3 doubles and 6 runs scored. Laura Taylor is second on the club in hitting at .474 with a team-leading 10 RBIs, Alicia Smith, the fastpitch “Mickey Mantle” in center checks in with a .300 average, 5 for 20 with 6 Ribbies, and Jaclyn Pasquerella, “The Spiderwoman” at third is off to a great start hitting 50 points more than her average last year at .292 at 7 for 24.

 

Ryan Realmuto, replacing Courtney Scott behind the plate, has two homers, is hitting .250, and is a one-woman clinic in how to catch in the big leagues. Manager Smith has a lot of role players of pesky, speedy whackers that she interplays to torture the opposition: Trena Peel, Chelsea Spencer, the shortstop when Natasha Watley is not with the team, Kim Ogee, and of course, the CitizeNetReporter’s crush, Carri Leto who is clipping along at .259 with a .310 OBA. Realmuto leads in OBA with .381.

 

The team is patient working 26 walks in 8 games.

 

Who Needs Enemies When You’re Partners with USA Softball?

 

 Natasha Watley, who was supposed to be the Naut drawing card,  has only played three Naut games, having been stolen from the Nauts by USA Softball, to “try out” for the 2005 National Team. What a joke that is.

 

The worst thing the USA Softball exploiters  could do to the NPF was to steal their name players, and steal them they have. They have invited 9 NPF “name players” that WPCNR has identified to tryout in Chula Vista, California this week, including  Jennie Finch and Gina Oaks (of the Bandits), Jocelyn Forest (Riptide), Lovieanne Jung, Jessica Mendoza of the Heat, Heather Scaglione and Natasha Watley (of the Nauts), Kelly Kretschman (Racers), Kellie Wilkerson (of the Riptide).

 

This does not help the NPF maintain credibility of rosters or sell tickets.

 

Brakettes Roll In Tonight.

 

Tonight, the Old Perfessor of Fastpitch, John Stratton, the supreme evaluator of fastpitch talent, mastermind of the nation’s best softball team, the 2004 ASA National Champions, brings the Stratford Brakettes in to test the Nauts with their talented 1-2 punch of Leslie Malerich and 6 foot 3 Sara Pauly in the circle after a 6-0 roadtrip through Pennsylvania. Kaci Clark, the former Naut is on the Brakette Roster as a pitcher, but WPCNR has been unable to learn if “K.C.” will pitch this weekend.

 

Old Reliable K.C. Clark, member of Champ Nauts last season is back with the Stratford Brakettes this weekend. Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.

 

 

The Brakettes feature a Connecticut high school phenom, Kim Ovittore of Bethel Connecticut, and a hot new shortstop, Lovena Chaput who Stratton says did a great job at shortstop and has blazing speed.

 

The statuesque Stratfords feature the incomparable Germaine Fairchild behind the plate, who is, as Marv Alpert would say, “on fire.” Fairchild was 12 for 22 over the weekend with 11 RBIs. They also feature veteran Brakettes, Donna McLean, Erica Sobel at second, with fresh sprouts of young college talent playing on the Brakettes for the first time, including Ms. Chaput, Heather Wright, Linda Secka, Jioll Cimminello, Amanda Jensen, Kim Ovittore, Jen Owens and Julie Brooks. Every year Stratton is able to put together the right mix of talent to field a team that just wins. The Yankees should hire him.

 

Nauticals:

 

The Nauts have signed Leah Nelson of Stanford University to their roster. She’s a catcher firstbaseman, who according to a Nauts spokesperson, can “hit a ton.”

 

Tonight’s Brakette-Nauts action can be heard on www.wrhu.org, by clicking on sports. Better yet, come on down to the ballpark and see some real ball, where pitchers can throw more than 5 innings, snuff rallies, and the players hustle all the time. For ticket info and how to get to Hofstra, go to www.nynjjuggernaut.com. You can also find complete Juggernaut stats, schedule, and upcoming clinics and events. First pitch is at 7 PM.

 

This weekend features two terrific family events sponsored by the Juggernaut. Friday evening the Special Olympics at Hofstra University will be honored with disabled athletes participating in pregame ceremonies, and on Sunday at 1, the Nauts feature Father Daughter Day against the Brakettes.

 

National Pro Fast Pitch Standings June 16, 2005

                                    W    L     Pct,     GB

Akron Racers               7     1    .875     —

 

New York Juggernaut  7     1  .875    —

 

Chicago Bandits           6     2   .750     1

 

Arizona Heat                6     5    .545     2-1/2

 

New England Riptide   3     3    ,500     2

 

Texas Thunder              2     2    .500      4

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WPCNR THE PLANNING NEWS. June 15, 2005: The Citizens Plan Committee has announced the postponement of their June 21 community meeting to allow citizens to comment on the review of the City Comprehensive Plan. The release sent by e-mail to WPCNR:

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Coach Mark Santa-Donato. June 15, 2005: Monday evening it was announced that the White Plains football coach for the last twelve years, Mark Santa-Donato would be assuming an Assistant Coach’s role this coming season with Skip Stevens taking over the helm. Coach Santa-Donato has written  this WPCNR exclusive on his decision, the future of White Plains football, and his feelings about the program:

A Tiger Legacy: White Plains own Mark Santa-Donato. August, 2004. Photo, WPCNR Sports Archive.

Dear John, 

Thanks for the kind words you said about me in your article on Michael “Skip” Stevens becoming the new head football coach at White Plains.  He is an excellent coach, a great friend and a wonderful person and I know he will do a fine job here.  He has been more than just an excellent coach as an assistant.  He has gone the extra mile for our players in so many ways.  I can’t tell you how many times he has taken kids out for dinner, driven them for college visits, and been there for them for just about anything they needed.

For me, It was a tough decision stepping down, but once my daughter Marlee’ decided on college (University of Maryland), I realized I needed to step back and make more time for my family.  I thought about it long and hard over the winter and early spring.  It seems as the girls (Marlee-17, Christa-15, & Brianne-13) are getting big so fast!  It also seems that as they get older they need you around even more.  When they were small it was easier, just bundle them up and take them with you.  Now, they are all involved with so many activities and sports (Their schoolwork – #1, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Softball, Field Hockey) that you have to find time to get to see them.  I read in your article that Mr. Panaro said I may not be able to put 7 days a week into football.  I hope to keep on a 7 day schedule, but just have a little more time to get to see the family. 

 As you know, I am staying on as an assistant.  I will be coaching the offensive and defensive backs (which is what I did as head coach) and also continue to help our players get into college, which is a big job in itself and a passion with me.  Getting our players into college has always been my #1 priority as Head Football Coach.  Hopefully by me staying on and helping Skip with the recruiting it will give him more time to spend on all the other things involved with being a head coach.  I will continue to manage our computerized player data base, our web page, and also continue to help get kids interested in playing football at Highlands MS where I teach.   So basically, I am going to stay pretty busy. 

I want to thank everyone here in the school system and community who have been so supportive over my 13 years as head coach for giving me the opportunity to stay on as an assistant.  I would also like to thank you, John, for all the great coverage and nice things you have always said about our program and our kids.  As I take my leave as Head Coach I guess the thing I am most proud of is that since 1992 close to 90% of our football graduates have gone on to higher education receiving almost $5 million in athletic and academic scholarship, financial aid and grant monies in that time.  To me, that is the most important thing I have ever been a part of as a coach.  Take care and hope to see you soon.

Most sincerely,

 Coach Santa-Donato

 

 

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WPCNR BROWNOUT REPORT. June 14, 2005: The considerably unreliable state of electric power in White Plains, though no brownouts were reported today  by police, and the reluctance apparently of Con Ed to report the cause of the Sunday-Monday fades and outs, prompts this request.

The CitizeNetReporter enourage our readers to drop us an e-mail reporting any brownouts and electrical power outages and the areas where you’re experiencing them. You do not have to necessarily live in White Plains. We want to hear where the hamsters are letting us down. How long you were out, and what Con Ed tells you about it when you ask the work crews on the scene. Let us know by e-mail, and we’ll get the news out.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-JOURNAL. From Westchester County Department of Communications. June 14, 2005: Westchester County will aggressively pursue a two-pronged policy, including voluntary retirement, to see that the Indian Point plants are not relicensed, County Executive Andy Spano said today as he released a year-long study of the options for closing the plants and replacing their energy.

At a community meeting where Levitan & Associates presented its report, Spano said that the potential costs to taxpayers and ratepayers of condemning the plants made that option unrealistic and unwise.

Instead, he said, the county would expand its effort to see that the two nuclear reactors are not relicensed —  a “carrot and stick” approach where Entergy, the plants’ owner, would be offered incentives to build replacement power on-site instead of applying for license extensions, and where simultaneously the county would press the federal government to deny Entergy’s relicensing application.