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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. September 10, 2004: Greenburgh will sponsor our first annual 5k run on Saturday, September 11th beginning at the 9-11 Memorial Wall at Webb Field, Central Ave. Fini
Tour of Greenburgh Parks…The Town of Greenburgh will be holding a park and preserve tour on Sunday, September 12th from
DOG DAY OF SUMMER: The Town of Greenburgh is inviting all town of
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. September 10, 2004: White Plains public schools opened yesterday positively despite the early morning rains. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, complimented the White Plains Bus Company on completing their first runs despite the rains that marked the high school opening. He noted the rain had stopped by the time the Highlands and Eastview Middle Schools opened, and “the rest of the day continued to get better.”
“The principals, the secretarial and custodial staff did a great job of preparing for Opening Day,” Connors said. “I visited 8 schools today (Thursday), and found in every class (I visited) teachers were on task, glad to be back, and it was a very, very productive opening day according to our principals.”
Thursday marked the historic debut of Full Day Kindergarten across the board at all five White Plains elementary schools. Connors said, “I visited several of the schools and was at Church Street when the youngsters were going down to lunch, so I got to see them at lunch, and in their classes, and was over at Ridgeway towards the end of the day. The youngsters had had a nice day, still brighteyed and bushy tailed. They were still paying attention, and eager to be learning. So it worked out very nice.”
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F.Bailey. September 9, 2004: Three years ago after the Twin Towers mass murder, there was a great deal of controversy over closing Indian Point, and that it was a terrorist target for a similar jumbo jet attack. It was an election issue. At that time, WPCNR spoke with a nuclear engineer who discussed the threat. In view of recent articles in The Journal News promoting the HBO Special on Indian Point and Chernobyl airing this week, WPCNR reprints that interview:
A recent news report speculated about Indian Point melting down if its dome or domes were hit by a jumbo jet. WPCNR wanted to know Sunday, if this was a strong possibility. One man who has supervised construction of modern nuclear facilities says it is not.
Chernobyl and Indian Point cannot be compared.
A veteran consultant and professional builder of nuclear plants to current NRC standards, most recently in North Carolina, spoke to WPCNR Sunday evening. He was flabbergasted by the premise of the article. The WPCNR nuclear expert whom we will call “Bill,” said comparing the Chernobyl meltdown to Indian Point was not a fair comparison.
First, Bill said the Chernobyl meltdown disaster occurred when the controllers “lost control of the chain reaction, and literally ran out of the plant.” He said there were no remote back-up systems in place at the Chernobyl plant to shut off the reaction.
There are back-up systems at Indian Point and all United States plants. He attributed the Chernobyl accident to human error without a recourse, which caused the destructive meltdown and massive radiation cloud.
U.S. Plant Backup Systems Stop the Reactor.
“You simply cannot compare a Russian-built nuclear plant with a United States plant,” He said.
This is designed, he says, to prevent exactly what happened at Chernobyl. If Indian Point were to be hit by a plane, even two planes, the redundant system can shut down the reactor immediately. Yet, even in that case, release of radiation is highly unlikely.
Could a Plane Hit Cause a Meltdown?
WPCNR asked Bill if a plane penetrated a dome, whether this could cause radioactive steam to escape. Bill said that even after a dome hit, any resulting explosion would need to penetrate the reactor to release any radiation.
The reactor in the typical Westinghouse Plant (such as Indian Point 2 and 3) is encased in an additional 18 inches of stainless stee, Bill says. This steel would have to be penetrated by the plane wreckage and fire, to release any radiation. Bill feels this is extremely unlikely.
“You have to realize that the reactor casing is built to withstand rigid forces generated by major earthquakes by law. Should a plane penetrate the dome, it is unlikely it will generate enough impact or explosive force to penetrate the reactor. A plane is not an earthquake. What caused the WTC towers to collapse was driving a plane into a spider web of construction not a reinforced dome.”
(WPCNR advises readers the fire from the jet fuel released in the crashes could not be extinguished, causing the interior steel supports of the towers to melt after approximately one hour of uncontrolled burning and heat)
Bill indicated that U.S. nuclear plants have fire-extinguishing procedures to handle such a scenario.
Could a jumbo jet penetrate the dome?
Bill said the domes (of typical Westinghouse plants) are constructed of approximately 2 to 3 feet of concrete and are lined on the interior with 1” steel plate.
“The domes are designed to withstand a 2,700 pound projectile (the size of a Volkswagon), comparable to artillery shells that penetrate bunkers. The domes are calculated to withstand the impact of a 747. They have crashed smaller planes into them in tests and they have held.”
How about the radioactive fuel dumps?
We asked if a jet fuel fire might release radiation by penetrating the fuel and igniting it. (This scenario envisioned by the recent media article was depicted by a nuclear consultant in that article)
Bill said, “the radioactive spent fuel is in a protected building itself. It is housed in a concrete-and-steel-lined protected building and under several feet of water. The spent fuel is quite separate from the domes housing the four steam generators and one reactor (typical of Westinghouse plants, Bill reports). Should the plane penetrate the spent fuel storage dump, and jet fuel ignites, the jet fuel sits on top of the water. It cannot reach the spent radioactive fuel.”
He said the scenarios of fires of many kinds are covered in the Final Safety Analysis Report, which has to be signed off by the Nuclear Regulation Commission, and the plant operator before the plant is put online. They cannot go online without it, Bill says.
As to fuel fires, “You can put out fuel fires with foam, and water in these instances. The water uses up the oxygen. I’ve done it.”
Expert chides uninformed media article
Asked about the hypothesis generated by the article, Bill’s reaction was “The article comes within 3 degrees of yellow journalism. This person has done major damage with this. Why didn’t he call the utility?”
It should be noted that WPCNR has been unable to confirm Bill’s generalized comments about Westinghouse manufactured plants, and Bill believes Indian Point 2 and 3 are Westinghouse plants.
However, Bill has been responsible for the construction and commissioning of nuclear plants and should know his stuff. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission construction specifications are required in all American nuclear plants.
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. September 9, 2004: In remembrance of those who died
At the ceremony, Spano will also announce a $2,500 donation by the Rotary Club of White Plains, the first gift to a special fund set up by the Friends of Westchester County Parks Inc. to maintain the memorial.
The memorial will include the names of the 109
Family members unanimously selected “The Rising” from among 37 proposals received by the county.
The memorial, which will be unveiled on
Frederic Schwartz, an internationally-known
In addition to Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Westchester will remember those lost in the terrorist attacks by asking houses of worship in Westchester to ring their bells on Sat., Sept. 11 at
Spano first announced his idea for a 9-11 memorial in his April 2002 State of the County address. The county set aside $150,000 for the memorial and another $50,000 is from a state grant obtained by former Assemblywoman Naomi Matusow.
Requests for proposals went out to artists Sept. 2003 and by the Jan. 15 deadline the county had received 37 proposals from across the country and one from an artist in
Committee members involved in the selection process included family members Rosaleen and Mary O’Neill, Juliette Brisman, Helen Friedlander and Linda Pohlman. Consulting on the selection were Mona Chen, of the
Spano will be joined by the family members of 9-11 victims as well as Rep. Nita Lowey; Board of Legislators Chairman Bill Ryan, members of the Board of Legislators and Architect Frederic Schwartz, who designed The Rising, an 80-foot sculpture of 109 intertwining stainless steel strands that will serve as a memorial to the county’s 9-11 victims. Honor guards from the
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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley, 89th District. September 9, 2004: Today is the first day of school in White Plains when 6,972 public school students return to White Plains five elementary schools, two Middle Schools and High School. Assemblyman Bradley sent these observations about the State role in education:
There is nothing more important to Westchester’s future than educating young minds. I’ve worked in the Assembly to help children receive a quality education and to ensure that their parents can be actively involved in their education, I’ve fought to help students obtain a quality college education. I have consistently pushed for a strong investment in education without overburdening taxpayers, one that gives our children every advantage.
Since I took office, I worked hard to secure over $74 million to schools in the 89th Assembly District. The funding helps provide our schools with the tools they need to give our children a top-notch education. In order to keep our students active and safe after the final bell rings, I worked to secure $115,000 in funding so White Plains schools and community-based organizations can continue the Extended Day/School Violence Protection Program.
We as parents play one of the most crucial roles in keeping our children on the right track at school. To help parents stay involved in their child’s education, I sponsored the Parent-Teacher Communications Act, which would allow all parents or guardians to communicate with children’s teachers through an Internet program (A.6913). The program would help parents virtually meet with their child’s teacher in the comfort of their own homes. The meetings will help
parents better focus their energy to the areas of study that their children need the most help.
A strong investment in our children’s education should not be solely shouldered by property-taxpayers. That is why I fought against the governor’s repeated attempts to cut our school aid, which would have forced massive property tax increases. I rejected his plan to sacrifice the STAR program in order to pay for court ordered increases to school funding. I have not only fought to protect the STAR program, but also to expand eligibility so more property-taxpayers can benefit from the savings.
To stave off the governor’s cuts to higher education,
I also fought to restore funding to the Tuition
Assistance Program (TAP). TAP funding helps keep a
college education affordable for many Westchester
students. The Commission on Independent Colleges and
Universities (CICU) has praised the Legislature for
restoring the governor’s cuts to TAP along with those
to Higher Education Opportunity Programs and Direct
Institutional Aid. It is unfortunate that the governor
vetoed $8.75 million for necessary improvements at
SUNY Purchase’s Campus Central Plaza. The college is a
vital part of our economy and I’m going to continue my
efforts to invest in our higher education system.
From kindergarten through college, we must ensure our
children achieve academic excellence. We must keep the
dream of a college education within reach of all
families. We must also be mindful of not overburdening
taxpayers, as we provide all students with an
opportunity to receive a top-notch education, these
will be tools to help build a stronger economy and a
stronger Westchester.
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WPCNR Main Street Journal. By John F. Bailey.
GATORCAM IS LOWERED INTO MAIN STREET SEWER OPPOSITE VINTAGE RESTAURANT WDNESDAY NIGHT. The Video Scoping of the Sewer was the preparatory step prior to beginning the lining process prescribed by Department of Public Works Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti to enable the Main Street Sewer to handle all the new effluent from the City Center apartment and condominiums. Two weeks ago, Bruce Berg, Vice President of Cappelli Enterprises told WPCNR videoing the sewer would be the first step prior to going ahead with the lining procedure. Last night the video taping began. Photo by WPCNR News
SEWER PROPHYLAXSIS: Roller Vac Truck Hose is deployed in the last section of Main Street Sewer, “prepping” the underground path of the GatorCam. Loose debris from the pipe is weighed and monitored and will be disposed of at an environmentally approved location WPCNR was told. Photo by WPCNR News.
The process consisted of snaking a high velocity vacuum pipe into the sewer from a manhole opening to suck up floating solids and encrustations on the interior of the pipe. After each section of approximately 100 feet is cleaned, the Video Camera Probe was allowed to proceed in the pipe, examining the interior condition of the sewer main.
THE GATORCAM. Photo by WPCNR News
American Water Services personnel explained that the Video Camera Probe, (WPCNR dubs it the “GatorCam,”). It is a thin, slinky like, alligator shaped device with one big glassy eye on its snout, similar to the devices used to explore shipwrecks. It sinks to the bottom of the pipeline deploys, rolls down the pipe on flatbed railway-like wheels.
I was told by the “effluentologist, ” dispatching the “GatorCam” that the device sinks to the bottom of the pipe and is electronically instructed by cables connected to it to roll the length of the pipe.
Its one thick lensed Cyclops eye, operated by remote control line from the command truck affords the sewerologist in the truck control room to rotate the eye of the Probe to view some 360 degrees of the interior of the pipe on a closed circuit television monitor within the truck. A video tape records the images of the interior surfaces, and will be analyzed by technicians to chart the nuances of the sewer lining procedure to begin shortly.
As the device rolls through
The person we spoke to said that in addition to inspecting the interior of the pipe, the remote video taping mapped the feeder pipe connections to determine where temporary bypasses had to be connected during the lining procedure so as not to interrupt the essential evacuation service to sewer clients during the lining process.
DEPLOYING THE GATORCAM. The Gator is being inserted into the Main Street Line some 15 feet down out of sight of unsuspecting passersby. An underground technician is in the pipe loosing the Gator in White Plains subterranean depths. Photo by WPCNR News
The operation used two trucks, the control and command truck, which deploys the “GatorCam” and a massive “
THE AMERICAN WATER SERVICES TASK FORCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. 10: 30 P.M. The GatorCam Control Truck and Control Room is at the left. The Vacuum Truck is to the right as the GatorCam inspects in the interior of the Main Street Sewer. Photo by WPCNR News.
The operation began at the
Workers said that during the relining procedure there will be no interruption of sewer service along Main Street. They also observed that at 10:30 P.M. Wednesday evening the sewer pipe was running at 25% capacity (water level 1/4 up the pipe).
American Water Services has a website that explains the lining process, and is at www.americanwaterservices.com.
To comment on this story, write to John Bailey at wpcnr@aol.com.
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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey.
The Council also voted unanimously to permit the city budget and financial departments to delay until December submission of city financial reports.
The Council also expressed its interest in finding a mechanism to reserve a portion of the
Susan Habel explained the ordinance permitting assisted living facilities to be built in the downtown area. The Commissioner of Planning took pains to point out this was not approval of nursing homes, but homes where persons could take care of themselves, but simply could not live on their own. Habel also said that because different residents require different services it would be difficult to apply the city’s 6% affordable housing rule.
Rose Noonan, of the Westchester Housing Resources, spoke eloquently of the need for applying the city’s 6% set-aside affordable housing requirement to assisted living facilities. She pointed out that only 33% of the population in
Councilperson Rita Malmud called for a work session to explore what mechanism could be created to make a portion of the
Councilman Arnold Bernstein suggested the city might use some of its funds set aside for affordable housing assistance to purchase insurance policies for individuals so they might afford long term assisted care, if the legal department felt it was appropriate. Bernstein noted, though that if the city aided someone to afford a unit in the Sunrise facilitiy, he wondered out loud whether the city would be obligated to aid that person on their last stop…that of a subsequent nursing home or end-of-life care facility. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News
Councilman Larry Delgado supported the concept of exploring an aid package or structure where less fortunate persons could be given access to the Sunrise facility, as long as, he said, the costs were not passed on to residents paying full rates. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV by WPCNR News.
Councilman Roach and Councilman Robert Greer also expressed interest in discussing how a portion of
Susan Habel said she would work with the council and
Financial Reporting Moved Back.
At the outset of the council meeting the council held a public hearing on a new local law that gives the finance and budget departments an extra 30 days to prepare financial statements for regulatory agencies and rating services. Now as a result of passing this new local law, full financial reports are not required to be presented to the Common Council until the first meeting in December.
Commissioner of Finance, Gina Cuneo Harwood, made the case for the extra 30 days by saying the city simply needed more time to comply with the additional reporting required by the state, and enable the city to contend for a state accounting practices award.
Dan Seidel, the only person from the public to comment on the financial reporting law, said that by moving the reporting date from October 31 to December, the council would be “disenfranchising” the voter, by delaying key financial position reports to the public until after elections in perpetuity. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.
Mayor Joseph Delfino, back from vacation, scoffed at this notion, saying he did not recall the city ever not being on “sound” financial footing. The Mayor has a short memory, considering that bond ratings of the city were in danger of being lowered just six months ago.
Councilmembers were quick to point out that these were formal reports based on auditor-generated information that were required by the various agencies that rate, monitor, and oversee the city, that the law in no way would prevent citizens and the public from knowing the financial state of the city before elections.
Councilperson Robert Greer in a hurt tone, said, “There’s no lack of financial data that’s being put out there and available to the public throughout the course of the year.”
Mr. Greer is apparently unaware that there has not been a report made public by the Mayor’s Office on the ongoing state of the city’s shaky finances since last May.
And the Mayor’s Office refuses to do so when asked for it.
The CitizeNetReporter on being told by a person intimately familiar with city sales tax figures that the city made its projected sales tax revenue in real dollars at the end of the June, asked the Mayor’s office for a confirmation of that, and our phone call was never responded to. Why would the city not confirm good news?
In August of 2003, sales tax figures were made available in a council work session, however the city numbers since the middle of May, have not been issued by the city either in press release or news conference form.
“Nothing Hidden from the Public.”
Councilperson Rita Malmud downplayed the extension of the report preparation period, dismissing the reports as “simply a form of results documents” that it had nothing to do with the budget. “It’s not as though anything is going to be hidden from the public (before the election).”
Ms. Malmud apparently misremembers that the council itself was kept unaware of the bond rating problem raised by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s dim view of city financial management last spring that resulted in the city orchestrating a take over of Parking Authority assets within 60 days to patch up the fund balance deficit.
Simply put, the city has no mechanism and does not report financial results regularly to the public in a formal, open way on a regular basis. They have no mechanism to do so, and for the last 5 months at least have not divulged any financial intelligence.
The Council referred the
Allan Teck, President of Concerned Citizens for Open Space strode to the podium, and suggested that the site plan should not be renewed for a number of reasons, which he conjectured were that the hospital did not have the money to build it, that he did not believe the hospital had spent several million dollars on the property, and that the proton accelerator was obsolete technology. He also said he could not see the hospital building a nonprofit facility when they wanted the city to approve zoning for “profit” facilities at the North end of the hospital property. Photo Capture of WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News
The Mayor assued Mr. Teck, this was just a referral and the public would have plenty of time to comment when commissioners and boards had sent back their reports.
A radiant Elisabeth Wallace was nominated and approved for another six years as Personnel Officer until September 15, 2010. Photo Capture of WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.
Carl Bannister, Maintenance Mechanic at the White Plains Public Library for 30 years was named Employee of the Month. The Mayor noted Mr. Bannister’s pride and meticulous care of the library, remembering that Carl is the only employee left who worked in the former White Plains Library. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.
The Mayor bid a tearful farewell to Reverend William Hurst of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church who delivered the evening’s Invocation. The Mayor saluted Reverend Hurst for growing Trinity Lutheran the last nine years, and recognized him for his role in organizing the White Plains 9/11 Memorial to the persons murdered in the Twin Towers Attacks three years ago. Reverend Hurst is leaving to take a new “Call” in Southern California. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.
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WPNCR NEWS ANALYSIS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. September 7, 2004: Tuesday evening a letter included in the “backup” material published for the document-starved White Plains media, written by Robert Volland of New York Presbyterian Hospital, matter-of-factly routinely asks the Common Council to extend the Site Plan granted NYPH to build a proton accelerator/biotech research facility two years ago, as if they were refreshing an “E-Z Pass” account.
Volland claims the hospital has spent “several Million dollars” in plans for preparing an entrance road, storm water detention pools in preparation to begin construction on the facility in 2005.
However, two years have passed and the property looks the same as it has for fifty years. But White Plains has changed. That change raises legitimate questions about this project.
The council has seen no updated plans on the accelerator site, heard nothing from this organization, except a nebulous promise given Mayor Joseph Delfino that they would be willing to lease the city 55 acres in return for rezoning of the north end of their property as commercial medical.
The hospital should shed light on what it is exactly the hospital has spent “several million dollars” on, and when it was spent. If I were the Common Council, I’d demand cancelled checks.
Now if the hospital takes this long (TWO YEARS) to plan an access road, storm water detention pools and detention system which Volland’s letter says is planning to be built along with plantings demanded by the city to prevent damage to Cassaway Brook by the end of fall 2004, when can we even expect the facility to be started? The letter vaguely claims spring 2005. But, that is what they said last year!
If I were the city, I’d worry a lot more about other things than Cassaway Brook erosion.
Mr. Volland’s letter, which could be termed naïve and insulting in its lack of detail, at best, raises a lot of questions. As a public service to the Common Council by a dumb reporter, here are some of those questions:
What proof do we have that the proton accelerator as originally planned won’t dim
(Don’t look for an early answer on this one because Con Edison has not yet explained how these blackouts and winkouts through the city that continue nightly happened and what caused them.)
3. In view of the way White Plains Hospital Medical Center is growing, with the Sunrise Senior Citizen residence about to be approved this evening, what impact will those 700 cars streaming up Maple Avenue have?
4. What kind of research is going to be done in that research facility now? Originally it was supposed to be aging research. Has it been switched to stem cell research? Or some field more in vogue? A lot has happened in science in two years.
6. What partners have the hospital lined up for research and what do they do? And when will
It is obvious that you cannot spec out a project until you find out who your partner is. A partner was mentioned three years ago, are they still on board or have they changed? For that matter, this may be a whole different research mission project by now. Is it? Or is NYPH guilty of loosey-goosey planning? (It won’t be the first time.)
At the very least, the
7. Traffic has changed. As anyone who drives in
9. The hospital grounds may now have become a habitat for coyotes, an endangered species. Should there not be Department of Environmental analysis of the effect on the coyotes and other wild life of this project? Coyotes, fox, deer living in the hideously overgrown forest of the NYPH property (a little forestry, NYPH, please?) are even more effected by construction than the Bryant Gardens humans.
10. Can the Mamaroneck Avenue North Broadway sewer lines handle the proton accelerator/research facility effluent (I love sewer reporting)?
Four years ago the council blithely ignored or failed to read or understand Joseph Nicoletti’s warning of catastrophic consequences if the City Center was connected to the Main Street sewer that was in the City Center site plan. Now they have come around to Mr. Nicoletti’s lining solution for the sewer on
Mr. Volland’s letter says the Hospital has performed the required sewer flow monitoring and has submitted the results to the city’s Engineering Department in June. Well, when Mr. Cappelli submitted his results, Mr. Nicoletti did not believe Mr. Cappelli . How can the hospital submit flow results, without having Mr. Nicoletti by stick or flowmeter confirm what flow was measured? What does that mean? How much water is going to be pushed out? Does Mr. Nicoletti believe them?
12. When this project was approved the mammoth Cappelli HotelCondoplex was not even on the drawing boards. What is the impact of that project going to do in combination with the proton accelerator/bioresearch project to the city’s projections of traffic, electrical demand, sewer capacity, water use?
The entire site plan has to be relooked at hard from a power demand, traffic volume, and sewage flow perspective, at the very least before that site plan is renewed. And, if it is not, that’s simply negligent.
Those are just a few of the questions this absurd three-page, slip-it-through-quietly letter from Mr. Volland does not address that any Common Council should demand to be addressed, before they even think about renewing the site plan.
More to the point, any consideration of rezoning the northend of the property for more development has to be absurd until these 12 questions are answered.
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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Fastpitch Johnny. September 6, 2004: This afternoon there is a holiday doubleheader at the Big Ball Park. That’s Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays play two. There was a time when every national holiday during baseball season had scheduled doubleheaders — a simpler time when the games were shorter, “you could come on out and catch the rest of the first game and all of the second game,” and you did not have to take a mortgage out to buy a beer.
WRIGLEY FIELD, 1975. Photo by WPCNR Sports
Nowadays in major league baseball, the only doubleheaders are day night affairs, charging special admissions to each game so no gate receipts are lost.
But fifty years ago, the Sunday doubleheader was a tradition, as were Ladies Days on Saturdays at the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, and Ebbetts Field in New York.
What was great about the doubleheader was it was a true bargain: Two Games for the price of one. If your home team did not win the first game, known as “The Opener,” there was always the chance they could win “the Nightcap.”
Doubleheaders were made for beer.
When beer commercials were done live from the television booth or from the studio, the beer looked so good being poured on television. The bubbles ascending from the bottom of the glass, the creamy white head of a Ballantine beer being poured. The way condensation appeared on the beer bottle on television, made every preteen think that beer tasted great.
It did not of course, and when I got my first taste of the legendary Ballantine Ale (“Who is the Ale Man? Who Can he be?” was the slogan), I was literally and figuratively disappointed. THIS is Ballantine Ale, I thought?
So all you teens out there — beer is a habit — because it really does not taste that good — unless of course it’s 88 degrees in Yankee Stadium and you’re in the upper deck. Man, the best slogan ever created was “Baseball and Ballantine, Baseball and Ballantine, what a combination, all across the nation, it’s Baseball and Ballantine.”
Baseball Forever on a Sunday
The ballpark upper deck had a great aroma to it on a steamy Sunday twin bill — the manly allure of beer being poured, the sharp patina of cigar and cigarette smoke that hung in the upper deck under the Yankee Stadium roof, the nutty tang of peanuts being snapped up. The beefy siren of boiled hotdogs — none of this sissy sausage stuff –and the bellow of the concession man yelling, “Beah hea” “Hot Dog hea..”
Of course you cannot eat and drink like that today at the Stadium you would go bankrupt. However, there is more drinking in the stands today than there ever was when I was a kid in the upper deck. Fans came to watch the games then. And we’d watch two.
Premier Matchups and Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Pitchers
The openers of these affairs which started at 2 PM, always featured the premier starters, Whitey for the Yankees against Frank Lary of the Tigers, or Tom Sturdivant for the Bombers against Camilio Pasqual of the Senators. Or over in Brooklyn, Eoisk or Newk against Spahnie or Robin. We knew the starters of every team 50 years ago.
In the second games, somehow you got the long, long games, the donnybrooks, because you saw the soft underbelly of pitching. You’d see the Gene Brabenders, the Joe Nuxhalls, the Warren Hackers of baseball. Sometimes you’d see a rookie pitch. I still remember Luis Tiant’s shutout of the Yankees, 1-0, in the second game of a twin bill in 1958, when Luis was thin and young. I wasn’t there, but I saw it on PIX.
Long Shadows
You also if you were watching at home or in the ballpark delighted in the way the shadows would cover the pitching mound along about 5 P.M., and every fly ball became a touch chance as sun dipped low on the rim of the old Stadium.
On particularly sloppy doubleheaders, papers and programs would be torn and scattered on the field as fans expressed their boredom. I recall one particular 5-4, 5-4 split the Yankees had with Minnesota in the 70s, when I was there, where the fans really got into this.
Another punctuated phenomena during elongated “Nightcaps” were the “K-Pock” of soda cups being stomped by fans that punctuated the game being played in the shadows below.
Bench Favorites
Another feature of second games of holiday twin bills was the appearance of backup bench players in the Yankee lineup, the Jerry Lumpes, Hector Lopezes, Bob Cervs, who lent a bizarre flavor of the unexpected hero into the Bombers’ lineup.
Long Games
Openers were usually crisp, efficient 3-2, or 2-1 affairs because the better pitchers were throwing, and they went 9 innings 50 years ago, friends. None of this crap that 6 innings was a quality start. If you did not go 9 50 years ago, you were not a pitcher.
In the second game — that’s when you often got those guys doomed to drift between Triple A and a cup of coffee — and often shadows being what they were, and the fatigue of the players you’d get locked into extra inning games. The Mets 23-inning affair with the Giants in 1965, I believe was a second game of a doubleheader.
I miss the holiday doubleheader. So fans at the Stadium this afternoon should savor the experience. Though I daresay, you’re not going to see Whitey Ford, Bob Turley on the mound.
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Hezi Aris, The Yonkers Tribune. September 5, 2004: Ralph Martinelli, publisher of the Westchester Crusader, the weekly tabloid that has relentlessly attempted to expose the collusions, foibles, and questionable, juicy actions of Westchester politicians died this weekend after being hospitalized for 23 days. The cause of death, according to The Yonkers Tribune, was heart trouble. Mr. Martinelli was said to be in his 70s. His death was confirmed to The Tribune by a Crusader reporter.
Martinelli’s newspaper, the Westchester Crusader, specialized in muckraking and exposed story after story of county corruption, personal malfeasance, and backroom dealings by county politicos. It is unclear at this time whether his stable of publications, especially The Crusader, will continue.