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Legislature Expected to Dissolve WPPA by End of Next Week. City in Money.
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WPCNR Parking Zone. By John F. Bailey. THE PARKING AUTHORITY’S LAST STAND: Tim Sheehan, at far head of the table leans into his agenda and convenes the apparently last meeting of the White Plains Parking Authority Monday night. Photo by WPCNR News.
Common Councilwoman Rita Malmud, observing the meeting, said Ted Peluso, Eileen Earl, architects of the city parking authority takeover, presented their case for why it made sense for the city to absorb the Parking Authority at this time.
She said Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy presented a 9-page document explaining his lreasons why the city was legally entitled to turn over Parking Authority funds and the fund balance regardless of whether the legislature dissolved the Parking Authority or not.
He also, Malmud said, was “optimistic” that legislation introduced in Albany dissolving the WPPA was expected to be passed by the end of next week, safely assuring the $7-1/2 Million Parking Authority fund balance would transfer into the city’s fund balance on the 2004-2005 books, shoring up the city’s financial position for the keen eye of the bond rating agencies.
Ms. Malmud also reported there were no details provided or timetable on how the city’s new Department of Parking would “transition” into effect as of July 1.
She also noted to WPCNR that the Parking Authority Fund balance would simply become part of the city’s fund balance, and according to her recollection this would add up to a total city fund balance of $24 Million (both designated and undesignated). She said it was explained that the $7.5 Million would not be dedicated to use only for the Department of Parking to meet its budget, that the Department of Parking would simply draw on the city fund balance.
She said it was unclear whether the White Plains Parking Authority Board would ever meet again.
Andy Spano Opens Kensico Dam Road in September
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (Edited) June 11, 2004: Westchester County Executive Andy Spano, supported by County Legislator Robert Astorino, Mount Pleasant Supervisor Robert Meehan and North Castle Supervisor Jack Lombardi, announced Monday that West Lake Drive will reopen starting Sept. 4 to accommodate morning and evening rush-hour traffic. Motorists will be subject to passing police checkpoints, the cost of which will be deducted from the county New York City water bill.
The road, which runs over the top of the Kensico Dam in Valhalla, will be open to passenger vehicles weekdays between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. It has been closed to traffic on and off since Sept. 11, 2001 and is currently closed at the request of New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which has raised security concerns about the dam and the Kensico Reservoir. The closing of the roadway has been a major inconvenience to Mount Pleasant and North Castle motorists and emergency responders and has been a point of contention between the Spano administration and NYC’s DEP.
“New York City DEP has failed to be responsive on a host of security issues and has failed to follow through on other things they said they would do to secure the dam,’’ said Spano. “We are very frustrated with DEP’s lack of responsiveness, and have decided to do what is best for our communities given that the DEP has not provided us with sufficient information to warrant keeping this roadway closed.’’
As an example of the DEP’s lack of follow through, Spano said that the DEP has ignored the county’s request to have a bomb blast effect study of the dam done by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to show whether the dam needs to remain closed. The decision to reopen the roadway during certain hours was made after a meeting June 11 that included Spano, County Legislators William Ryan, Richard Wishnie and Robert Astorino, Meehan, Lombardi and local police, fire and emergency services providers.
County Legislator Astorino, who represents the towns of North Castle and Mount Pleasant, said that reopening the road for limited times during the day will provide tremendous relief to residents in his district. More than 6,000 cars a day use the roadway a day, he said.
“Opening Westlake Drive is the right move. It will immediately alleviate the enormous traffic burden in Valhalla and North White Plains, as well as other arteries like Nannyhagen Road in Thornwood and Bear Ridge Road in Pleasantville,’’ said Astorino. “More importantly, police, fire, and ambulance personnel will be able to get to emergencies faster. We’re still demanding New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection provide better and more visible security at all locations of the dam, including the reservoir. I’m certain the road can be open and the dam can be safe and secure at the same time.”
Spano said that county police will set up a checkpoint at the dam to monitor vehicles during the hours that the roadway is open to traffic. Vehicles larger than passenger vans will not be allowed to use the road even during these hours. He estimated it would cost several hundred thousand dollars a year to provide this police protection, but said that the county planned to deduct the cost from money it paid the New York City DEP for water it provided to the Grassland Complex in Valhalla, which this year is expected to amount to about $486,000.
Spano said that the county would use the summer, when traffic flow was lighter due to school closings and vacations, to develop a plan for re-opening the road, which will include police patrols, a checkpoint and barriers. He estimated it would take about 60-75 days to prepare.
“We will use this time to prepare a plan for securing the roadway during the hours it will be open,’’ he said. “Given the DEP’s lack of action, we really have no choice but to move ahead on our own. We cannot allow this situation to go on indefinitely as it continues to be a real hardship to so many of our residents.’’
Gretsas Start Date in Fort Lauderdale Not Confirmed. No WP Transition Process.
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WPCNR City Hall Spin. June 14, 2004: Speculation in White Plains on when the Mayor’s Executive Officer would leave to begin his new assignment with Fort Lauderdale as City Manager continues, since the City of Fort Lauderdale does not have a start date for him yet. Mr. Gretsas appears to have vanished around city hall and has not been seen around City Hall. Rick Ammirato, a press aid said Mr. Gretsas would be leaving in “three weeks,” but did not have a definite date. Leslie Backus, the Public Information Officer for the City of Fort Lauderdale reported this to WPCNR today, when asked for a copy of Mr. Gretsas’ contract with Fort Lauderdale:
“I’m copying Harry Stewart, (Fort Lauderdale) City Attorney, for his reply regarding your request for Mr. Gretsas’ contract. Mr. Stewart can forward the document to you. (Harry, please copy me on your response.)
As far as I know, Mr. Gretsas’ starting date has not been established. I do not know the level of Mr. Gretsas’ involvement with transition plans.” (From an e-mail from Ms. Backus)
Meanwhile in the big house at 255 Main Street, the Mayor’s office, after a week has not announced the date of Mr. Gretsas’ departure, even though there have been two news conferences at which the Mayor could do so. The Mayor has not announced his successor, or whether a national search is going to be conducted for a Gretsas successor, or whether the position will remain unfilled. Speculation on potential heirs to the Gretsas power position include Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel, City Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy, and Gretsas aide, Paul Wood.
White Plains School Board Rewards Connors with New 3 Year Contract Through 2008.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 14, 2004: The White Plains Board of Education, calling Timothy Connors “a great ambassador for the White Plains School District,” voted 7-0 to renew Mr. Connors’ contract through July 14, 2008. Donna McLaughlin, President of the Board of Education said it hardly seemed like two years since Connors had joined the district, and she described him as “decisive, determined and knowledgeable. He is a great ambassadore for the School District, and makes everyone feel a part of the White Plains School District.” Maria Valentin of the Board said she admired “the respect you have for all of us (Board members) even when we disagree.”
YOU’RE REHIRED! Donna McLaughlin, President of the White Plains Board of Education announcing the retention of Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors for another three years Monday night. Photo by WPCNR News.
Mr. Connors thanked the Board, and sheepishly told the Board he did not think his job was that hard, and said his immediate goal was to close the Achievement Gap between white and minority students and to continue the White Plains education legacy. Connors told WPCNR, his immediate goal was to “implement full day kindergarten, and continue to close the achievement gap.” He said, “I’m honored to be here and that the Board asked me to stay.”
H.S. Principal Search, Negotiations, WPHS Cafeteria
On immediate matters, Connors told WPCNR some 40 candidates for high school principal had applied for the position at WPHS, and 5 had been singled out for second interviews. He said some were from Connecticut and did not recall where the other candidates were from.
He said negotiations with the White Plains Teachers Union on a contract were ongoing and expected an agreement by the end of the school year. Jerry Gorski, President of the Teachers Union said he expected a fair offer from the School District, and appeared confident of a settlement shortly. Neither Connors nor Gorski revealed areas of “give and take.”
Terry Scheuers, Assistant Superintendent for Business told WPCNR that Edward Marra, head of Food Services for the district and the Nutrition Committee had agred on establishing a new serving station in the high school cafeteria in September to alleviate the chronic White Plains High School cafeteria food service delays that prevent children from eating a decent lunch in the 35 minute high school lunch period.
Nauts Kaci In the Circle Slams Door on Sunbirds, 3-0.
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WPCNR PRESS BOX. Special to WPCNR From Kristin Zimmerman. June 14, 2004: A two-run fourth inning and a three-hit shutout by Juggernaut starter Kaci Clark, powered the NY-NJ Nauts to a 3-0 win over the California Sunbirds in the second game of the National Pro Fastpitch series.
CSEA Reaches Accord with Westchester County, Ends 29 Months Without Contract
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WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. Special to WPCNR From CSEA. June 14, 2004: CSEA Westchester County Unit President Jack McPhillips told WPCNR this afternoon that the union has negotated a new contract with the county expiring at the end of 2005, ending 35 months of negotiations.
He said annual raises (retroactive over the last 29 months), amount to a a compounded rate of 12.6% over the four years, an average of 3% increase per year, going back to 2001. The union will be going back to the table in July, 2005 to begin negotiations again, McPhillips said. Automatic “Step longevity increases” given every 5 years go up from $1,000 to $2,000 at the end of 25 years, McPhillips said, and there are lesser increases for the 5, 10, and 15-year levels.
The union also receives a $50,000 per year increase from the County in tuition reimbursement going from $300,000 to $350,000 a year. Union employees may receive up to a maximum of $4,000 tuition reimbursement or 67% of whatever they ask for, McPhillips explained to WPCNR.
“The Westchester County Employees Unit of CSEA has ratified a contract with the county that is fair and equitable,” CSEA Westchester County Unit President Jack McPhillips said. “The negotiations were long and often very tense, but our agreement with the county is fair. The contract will not only help our members better meet their needs, but will not harm our fellow Westchester County taxpayers.”
“The CSEA Work Force mobilized,” said Statewide President Danny Donohue “and our efforts resulted in a ratified contract that meets their needs.”
CSEA and Westchester County jointly reached the agreement in late May. Negotiations had been in fact-finding at that time, after the sides had reached impasse and attempts at mediation had been exhausted. The new agreement contains raises in every contract year and includes retroactive pay.
In addition to the pay and tuition and longevity pay levels, there have been improvements to the employees’ optical and dental care plans. While Westchester County will continue to pay the full cost of the workers’ health insurance premium, there have been other changes to the current health plan.
“I am proud of the CSEA negotiating team and the members of our Westchester County Unit for a job well done,” CSEA Southern Region President Diane Hewitt said. “They stood together to fight for a fair and equitable agreement, and I am heartened by their resolve to never back down. This contract will help all of our members employed by Westchester County better support themselves and their families.”
“I would like to congratulate the CSEA Westchester County Unit for winning their fight for a fair contract,” CSEA Westchester Local 860 President Gary Conley said. “Our members who are employed at the county have waited three years to reach an agreement that is acceptable to them, and it is encouraging to see that they will be able to move forward from this hard fight.”
Mayor Delfino to Introduce White Plains First Dog Park
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WPCNR CITY HALL SPIN. From The Mayor’s Office. June 14, 2004: White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino will announce his new initiative, Pet Awareness and Appreciation, on Tuesday, June 15 at 11:00. This initiative includes the creation of White Plains’ first ever Dog Park, the arrival of Best Friends Pet Care pet facility, as well as the creation of a new monthly cable access show featuring pets in need of adoption. Representatives from Best Friends Pet Care, Inc. as well as representatives from local animal shelters will be speaking. Pets in need of adoption will also be present.
The announcement will take place on the steps of City Hall, located at 255 Main Street in downtown White Plains. In case of rain, the event will be held in City Hall’s Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor.
Flag and Servicemen’s Sacrifices Respected on Flag Day
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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. June 14, 2004: The City of White Plains today celebrated Flag Day in a moving ceremony in which Mayor Joseph Delfino, a World War II veteran, was joined by various veterans’ groups thoughout the city to raise Old Glory in remembrance of the sacrifices of the servicemen and women who died in the service of that flag. The Marine Corps League dedicated a red mail box which will be installed at the White Plains main Post Office for citizens to drop off flags that are worn out, so that they may be “disposed of properly.” The solemn and moving ceremonies were held on Renaissance Plaza at 11 A.M.
Mayor Defino and Veterans salute as Old glory is lowered to half-mast in memory of veterans and prisoners of war of America’s past. Miniature American flags were handed out by the Marine Corps League to passersby. A crowd of some sixty persons gathered for the ceremonies. Mayor Delfino said “Americans are optimists,” and that “spirit of eternal optimism is what our flag represents.” Photo by WPCNR Special Events Staff
FLAGBOX INTRODUCED: Jim Mazzone, a Vietnam era Marine veteran at podium, with Mayor Delfino looking on (fifth from left on the dais), announced a League program to place Flagboxes, shown at left, at post offices throughout the County, where Americans may bring their flags and deposit them and the Marine Corps League will solemnly dispose of them in the proper manner, which is to burn the flag in a closed incinerator (not on an open fire). The first box will be installed at the White Plaisn Post Office. Photo by WPCNR Special Events Staff
A Gathering of Eagles: Three veterans spoke of the meaning of the American Flag. The most moving was the recitation by Dan Griffin (far left), of Senator John McCain’s reminiscence of Mike Christian, a POW held in North Vietnam. McCain’s narrative told how Christian knitted together an American Flag from scraps of cloth with a bamboo needle and each day he and his fellow prisoners salated the crude handsewn flag and repeated the Pledge of Allegiance. One day the North Vietnamese discovered Christian’s flag. The took it from him, and beat him for two hours in front of his fellow prisoners. Afterwards, Griffin continued, McCain said the other prisoners cleaned Mike up “as best they could,” and within hours, his eyes half shut from the beating administered him by the North Vietnamese guards, he sat in the corner attempting to knit another American flag. The next day he and his fellow prisoners again said the Pledge of Allegiance. After hearing this moving story, this reporter will never say the Pledge of Allegiance in quite the same way again. Photo by WPCNR Special Events Staff.
Nauts Fire Manager, Snap Loss Streak, 4-0, in NY TV Debut.
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WPCNR PRESS BOX By Fastpitch Johnny. June 14, 2004: The New York New Jersey Juggernaut owner, Paul S. Plemenos, 9 games into the National Pro Fastpitch season, his team having lost 4 games in a row, dismissed his Vice President of Softball Operations and Manager, Linda Derk Sunday, telling the YES Network during the telecast of the Nauts Sunday evening game with the Sacremento Sunbirds that it was over “philosophical differences.” The Nauts then went out Sunday night and shutout the Sunbirds, 4-0 before 1,200 fans at Montclair State University Stadium.
ROCKETED! Kellie Wilkerson blasts a laser shot off Sunbirds’ Amy Kyler in the third inning to give the Nauts the lead, 1-0. Kyler just got the glove up in time to avoid a facial. Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports from TheYES Network.
Paul Plemenos, Naut Owner, Managing in the dugout Sunday Night.
Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports from The YES Network.
Plemenos’ dismissal of Derk, emulated another famous baseball owner in New York, in not being reluctant to make moves when things are not working. However, Plemenos did something “The Boss of the Bronx” has never done: he took over as interim manager in the Naut dugout last night according to YES Network telecasters for Sunday evening’s game, who said that Derk’s staff was running the game. “The New Boss’s” action brought alive the Nauts’ bats. YES reported a “search” was being undertaken for Derk’s successor.
JAMMED AND BLOOPED: The quintessential lead-off hitter for the Juggernaut, Carri Leto with Lauren Bauer on third and Venus Taylor on second (via a Baltimore Chop and a walk respectively), was jammed on the first pitch by Jody Cox, and fisted it into shallow right in the fourth. It dropped, scoring Bauer and Taylor for a 3-0 lead and the ballgame. The rally was set up by Bauer’s “Montclair Mash” off the sun-baked Montclair State Stadium infield that the Birds’ thirdsacker could not handle. Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports from The YES Network.
HIT ‘EM WHERE THEY AIN’T: Leto’s hit drops between trio of Sunbirds in shallow right. Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports from The YES Network Telecast.
BUNT CLINIC: Carri Leto demonstrates the perfect sacrifice bunt. She’s squared, her stick is held still, eye on the point of contact, bunting the ball onthe head of the bat and deadening the ball. Leto’s sacrifice moved Taylor to second in the third inning, who would later move to third on a passed ball and score on Kellie Wilekerson’s rocket right off Kyler’s glove. Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports off The YES Network.
WINNING PITCHER: SCOTT. Amanda Scott is interviewed by Jen Royle of YES after her 2-hit shutout, in which a great fielding play by Kellie Wilkerson bailed her out of a none-out, two-on situation in the first. Scott said her curve was working the corners well. Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports from The YES Network.
SPEARED AND DOUBLED: Kellie Wilkerson, Naut First Sacker has just speared a rope off a Sunbird bat and is shown diving back into first to double the runner off first for a twin killing to bail Amanda Scott (now 3-2), out of mucho trouble in the first inning. Photo Capture by WPCNR Sports from The YES Network.
The YES Network premier of New York New Jersey Juggernaut games, (there are three more scheduled, the next one being next Sunday at 5 P.M.), had some sponsors, including AVIS and Toyota, interspersed with Yankee plugs and public service announcements, but there were no announcements or commercials for Nauts Tickets — a major blunder.
Come on. The purpose of telecasting is to move tickets. The Nauts needed to have some ticket sales information, and not only that but the telecasters did not mention the Nauts’ box office number. That is a bad job for YES, not giving the Nauts a plug.
The YES Network telecast of a Nauts game, the first ever lacked several staples of a professional sports telecast. This was the first telecast, and it was not even treated like a typical Yankee season game.
Where was the Pregame?
There was no pregame show. Instead we saw This Week in Baseball, the stupidist show in sports, as a lead-in. Do you think, maybe, just maybe, YES could have done fifteen minutes on the new league, the cities in the league and games coming up? Were they too lazy? No budget? Perhaps no talent is more likely. How about a show called This Week in Fastpitch?
Do you think YES might have done a show called Naut Night, in which the start of the season (the Nauts have played nine games) might have been highlighted, with some great first moments of the Naut season? Some info on who the Nauts are? No. We got nothing like that.
Do you think YES might have included on such a show an interview or two with players on what the league means to women’s athletics? Or an interview from Bud Selig, Commissioner of Baseball, on baseball’s “Marketing Partner” relationship with National Pro Fastpitch? No. Nothing. No message from Major League baseball once again shows this league is not being treated seriously by MLB.
The Women of Fastpitch Deserve More Than Intern Coverage.
YES is to be saluted for carrying Nauts’ games, and actually being the only broadcast or telecast or print media in New York other than I believe the Bergen Record, to carry Nauts’ scores.
However, they should not intrust such an historic telecast to a sports telecasting intern with no reporting instinct to produce it. I am being facetious here. A sports producing intern would have done a better job because they would know what ideally to do, and would kill to do it.
For starters:
Come on, where’s the pregame show from a network that will give us one hour of pre and post game of Yankee games where every Yankee adjustment of their batting glove is analyzed. Every angle of a Yankee tobacco spit or a Yankee sunflower seed chomp is covered.
And, how about more of a postgame show, while we’re at it?
The interview with Amanda Scott was at least done, but it only lasted what…maybe 30 seconds? Why not ask Amanda what the reception has been in cities on the Nauts’ roadtrip?
When Paul Plemenos, Naut owner, was interviewed “on the wire” by Jen Royle about the Derk ouster, during the game, how about asking him how his team drew on the road, how they are being accepted in the Montclair and Bergen County area. Report, guys, report. Or, ask him what he did in the dugout. They had a hell of a story and they did not use it to its full potential.
Please, YES Network, think about how you do the next Naut Telecast.
In fairness to the producer, whoever this genius may be, Plemenos may have said he did not want to comment to the reporter on these matters before the interviews. However, you have to ask the question anyway.
The telecast itself of the game was passable, but where were the interviews of fans in the stands asking how they liked National Pro Fastpitch ball and why they came to the game? How they liked the experience? There was no staying with the game once in between innings, so fans watching could see girls and boys from the stands participating in the entertaining in-between-innings contests the Nauts stage.
Those are natural questions!!! Hello!!!??!! Where was the thinking on this telecast?
More Beanballs
The interviews with Naut players were superficial. Asking Carri Leto who her favorite player was (Derek Jeter) and imparting sexy overtones to it, was not what I would have asked Ms. Leto (who I have interviewed). I would ask her how she liked the road trip, how the team was coping with the Texas Thunder sweep, how she found playing everyday, why the team could not hit in Texas, when was the last time players of their calibre had lost 4 games in a row, and how were they coping with it?
And, what happened to Naut ace, Kaci Clark in Texas, where she was relieved in the first inning? What’s up with that? YES should have told us all about this team and where it was and who was on it, and how they’d been playing. They did not do that.
Not exactly Mel Allen and Phillippa Rizzutto.
Bob Lorenz did a good job on play-by-play with Cheri Kempf, and appeared to be educating folks about fastpitch softball during the game. The Lorenz-Kemp team jury is out. But they do not decide what goes into a telecast, that is the producer’s job and he or she had an exclusive and bungled it for the reasons I have just outlined.
Lorenz and Kempf were hitting it off fairly well, but when he brings up Kempf’s history as a Brakette, there has to be some explanation of who the Brakettes are, and that there are former Brakettes on the Nauts today. There has to be some recap of the Naut season so far and who looks to be the class of the league and how the league is catching on in other cities. Puh–leeeze!!
Camera Work on Money.
Camera work was pretty good, considering the dim lights at the Montclair State University Stadium, and I am sure it will be perfected at the next telecast. Video replay of key plays was excellent. I think there could have been more analysis of what Amy Kyler and Amanda Scott were throwing, what drops and risers were.
But the trouble with the historic first YES telecast was that it was not unlike the first telecast of major league baseball years ago when Brooklyn announcer Red Barber had one camera. But, at least Red would have known what to do with this telecast tonight.
A Big “E” Lights Up on the Schaeffer Scoreboard for The YES producer
Red Barber got fired from Yankee games because he called for a camera shot of an empty Yankee Stadium in 1965, when the Bombers, down on the luck, were playing before 411 people. Red never did another Yankee game, because Red was a reporter. God forbid sportscasters should be reporters.
YES had the story in New York that no one, I mean no one else is covering, and they just did not hit the homer for the girls that they could have. They did not “repawt” as The Old Redhead would have said.
But YES has 3 more chances to do a better job.