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 John Bailey. May 26, 2003: The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, better known as ESPN was advertising the Women’s Fast Pitch NCAA Softball Championship Game to be telecast at 4:30 PM Monday, Memorial Day, however, the network for some reason yet to be determined is televising it on Tape Delay. The Telecast according to a recorded message on the ESPN Programming Information Number will be cablecast at 8 PM on Monday.
In the hunt for the Women’s Championship Monday afternoon, my daughter watched two hours of a meaningless ESPN News segment hoping the game would come on. My wife yelled at me to call ESPN, or call someone in town to see when the championship was on.

Meanwhile the talking heads on ESPN News went on and on about Roger Clemens’ meaningless 300th victory; Larry Brown’s latest contract jumping, and the French “Who Cares?” Open. On the annoying ESPN “crawl” the network was advertising “Women’s NCAA Softball, ESPN, 4:30 to 6 PM.” This was an outrage to softball fans, because at no time did the “talking sports idoits” say, the NCAA Softball Championship was going to be shown at 8 PM.

Change-up!

When I called ESPN’s Programming info at 1-860-766-2236 approximately 4:45 PM, the line did not mention anything either, and when I punched up the “blackout” option on hunch they might not be showing it in the New York area, I just heard a long taped message about blackout policy.

Game Being Played!!!

My wife exasperated at the domestic violence ensuing in front of the television set downstairs between father and daughter about where the game was on the gazillion channels ESPN has, went on the NCAA website where to her horror the game between California and UCLA was being recounted via box score and pitch-by-pitch action.

Softball Fans and Girls. Women Everywhere Jobbed by the Geniuses at ESPN

At 5:30 PM I called back the ESPN Information Line, and suddenly a hastily recorded message was heard, explaining that the softball championship was being televised at 8 PM.

Bozos in Bristol Pull Another Heidi

Obviously an overload of calls to Bristol prompted by the absence of the game at 4:30 across the country, had made it necessary for the “Bozos in Bristol” to add the hasily record message.

What a bad job.

On the station’s own live ESPNews program, they were still running the crawl about softball on at 4:30, while their infoline was saying the game was on at 8 PM.

The utter disregard for live telecasting of the championship is another example of the disrespect towards women’s sports. Not only was there no report on ESPNews for TWO HOURS about this being the day of the softball championship, not even a preview, but they never explained when it was going to be on.

For the NCAA to allow the women’s softball championship to be disrespected by ESPN in this manner, is inexcusable.

This is reminiscent of the NBC “Heidi” game back in 1968, when NBC cut out of the last two minutes of the Jets – Raiders game to start “Heidi” on time.

California Prime Time Is No Excuse

The decision to show the championship on tape to, in theory capture the California audience on a holiday, which can be the only possible reason for the tape delay telecast is inexcusable. It is a holiday. It should have been televised live when they said it would be televised.

ESPN has three channels, why not use one to televise the softball championship live?

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WPCNR ADVENTURER’S LOG. By Cynthia Goss. May 22, 2003 / 22°13’N 60°38’W / Atlantic Ocean: – It’s a down-to-the-wire race for the trimaran Great American II and her two crew members as they prepare to finish their Hong Kong to New York sailing record attempt at the Statue of Liberty early next week. The kids at Hommocks School, Larchmont, have been a major inspiration Rich Du Moulin reports.

Thursday, the 53-foot trimaran was south of Bermuda and 1,230 miles from New York as Rich Wilson (Rockport, Mass.) and “Captain Larchmont,” Rich du Moulin (Larchmont, N.Y.) plotted their route through three storm systems blocking their path. The two have been at sea 66 days in their attempt to eclipse the record of 74 days, 14 hours set by the extreme clipper ship Sea Witch in the China tea trade a century-and-a-half ago.

142 Mile Lead, 156 years apart. A 1 Day Sail Lead.

Steering and navigating their boat on alternate four-hour watches, the
two adventurers are matching their progress against the log of the
196-foot square-rigged Sea Witch, renowned in history as one of the
fastest clipper ships ever launched. The modern-day sailors currently
hold a narrow lead over the ghost of the clipper, after trailing several
times during the long, arduous voyage down the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope and up the Atlantic Ocean.

“We’re very, very close in the challenge for the record,” said du
Moulin, in an email from the boat Thursday, transmitted via satellite.

“Yesterday’s analysis showed Great American only 142 miles closer to New York than Sea Witch. That’s less than a day’s sailing, or only 11 hours difference when each of us is at maximum speed – two great sailing vessels, 154 years and 142 miles apart!”

Looking for a Northeast Reach

Skipper Rich Wilson reported that Wednesday night a blade blew off one of the windcharger turbines they use for generating electrical power for navigation and the ship’s autopilots. “We shut it down and pressed ahead, trying to reach favorable northeasterly winds on the north side of an approaching cold front,” he said.

Theading the Wind Needle

The tactical puzzle facing the two sailors requires them to ride the
favorable currents of the Gulf Stream while avoiding any counter current or back-eddies that could bring them to a standstill if the wind goes light. At the same time they must pick their way through the storm
fronts marching up the coast.

Log By Log

Over the last 24 hours Great American covered 200 miles. From the pages of Sea Witch’s log, preserved in the Essex Peabody Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, Captain Robert “Bully” Waterman had a different story as his ship logged only 91 miles. “Blasted light winds from northeast to southeast,” he curtly noted.

Some 360,000 schoolchildren are following the adventure of Great
American II on a daily basis through the sitesALIVE! educational program at www.sitesALIVE.com, part of the sitesALIVE Foundation. Students have been schooled in math, meteorology, the hard lessons of life at sea, and a myriad of topics through the unique Internet-based programs Wilson has created around his record runs across the world’s oceans. Some of these students hope to be in New York when the vessel reaches its final destination early next week.

A Story Book Passage. Adventurer’s Dream Quest

“If you love geography, history and the outdoors, this voyage qualifies
as an adventure,” du Moulin said in his email.

“We have sailed the South China Sea, Java Sea, Indian Ocean, South Atlantic, and North Atlantic. We passed through the Sunda Strait and by Cape Aguhlas and Cape of Good Hope. We saw St. Helena volcano at night and have viewed the great constellations of both hemispheres. There were waterspouts, sea snakes, and a million birds and flying fish. We covered more than 180 degrees of longitude, and 140 degrees of latitude while crossing the equator twice.

Respect for the Ghost Crew

“As the voyage has progressed, my respect for the Sea Witch, Captain
Waterman, and his crew increases steadily. It is simply amazing what
they were able to accomplish with their old technology and lack of
external information about weather!

“The power of the Sea Witch in heavy seas and strong winds is still
awesome, and it was carrying cargo! For me it was essential to have the Sea Witch as a competitor. Without the competitive element, I am not sure I could have handled this long voyage. Every day I look forward to Rich Wilson’s noon position from which I derive a 24-hour comparison with Sea Witch.

Doing it for the Kids at Hommocks School, Larchmont.

“The sitesALIVE educational program is the other great daily incentive
that keeps me motivated. Both of us really enjoy the communications
with the kids through email and the phone calls. I took particular
enjoyment out of the satellite phone call to Hommocks, the local
hometown middle school my four kids attended, that has 240 students
following the Ocean Challenge Live program.”

* * *Tacks and Jibes

FINISH TIMES AND CEREMONIES: To find the latest update on Great American II’s Estimated Time of Arrival in New York, go to:
www.sitesalive.com/finishline

HOW THE PUBLIC CAN FOLLOW GREAT AMERICAN II: The website tracking the voyage of Great American II is http://www.sitesalive.com. Daily position reports and a Captain’s Log are posted on the site so classrooms, students, and families who purchase licenses can follow the progress of the boat. For information, go to
http://www.sitesalive.com/oceanchallengelive/

.
The saga of GAII isl also be published in a number of national,
regional, and local papers, in the Newspaper In Education supplements, and tracked on the AOL@SCHOOL program (keyword: sitesalive).

Great American II’s Newspaper In Education participation is supported by the sitesALIVE Foundation. Established in 2002, the Foundation addresses teacher training in computer technology and funding for
budget-constrained schools. The mission of the foundation is to enhance K-12 education by promoting the use of technology with real-world, real-time content from around the globe.

For a chart showing the relative positions of Great American II and Sea
Witch, go to
http://www.sitesalive.com/ocl/private/03s/pos/ocl3position.html

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. May 22, 2003: In their Nominating Convention at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in White Plains concluded within the hour, the Republican City Committee unanimously nominated Frank Cantatore to oppose County Legislator William Ryan in the 5th County Legislative District, representing White Plains and Scarsdale.

THE R TEAM: Mayor Joseph Delfino introduces the 2003 Republican Slate for White Plains. At far left is Frank Cantatore, candidate for County Legislator, The Mayor, and Rosa Munoz, Jeffrey Binder, and far right Tim Sheehan, candidates for Common Council.
Photo by WPCNR News

The Republicans named their city Common Council slate, tapping North Broadway residents, Tim Sheehan and Rosa Munoz, and Jeffrey Binder of the Highlands to contest the three seats up for election to the Common Council this fall.

Cantatore, a builder who was the first to take a chance on White Plains with his development, Clayton Park, said the County Legislature has mismanaged the county by failing to plan in good times, and failure to have “a contingency plan,” criticising Mr. Ryan specifically for failure to pay attention to issues specific to White Plains and Scarsdale, the principal areas in the 5th Legislative District.

Binder and Sheehan, both attorneys, in their nominating speeches called for responsible continued growth of the city, while Munoz, a 1980 immigrant from Peru, and a twenty year resident of White Plains, becomes the first Hispanic woman to be nominated to run for the Common Council. An information Resource Specialist with the Schott Corporation in Yonkers, Ms. Munoz lives in the North Broadway neighborhood and has an M.B.A. in finance. She said she has long wanted to run for the Common Council and will work to persuade more Latino citizens of the city to register to vote and participate in the political process.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey May 22, 2003: The City School District will not sacrifice any White Plains High School programs, according to Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, stating unequivocably that no courses, activities or “electives” would be trimmed from the high school schedule, as has been rumored across the high school.

Speaking to WPCNR at Wednesday evening’s School Budget Public Hearing, Connors said that the district will “work things out” with teachers and staff to assure no opportunities, subjects, activities will be cut as a result of the vote of the White Plains Teachers Association that defeated a proposal to return to a 9-period school day.

A majority of teachers had voted to expand the day to 9 periods, as the school day was previously before the current high school renovation begain in the year 2003. Now complete, the City School District had sought approval of the Teachers Union, as required by the teachers’ contract to expand to a nine period day. Though the majority favored the proposal, it did not reach 80%, the required percentage of approval required for a change in working conditions.

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WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey. May 21, 2003. UPDATED 3 P.M. E.D.T.: The cozy little Democratic “backroom” at 170 East Post Poad in White Plains will be the scene of another contentious fray involving ethnicity and qualifications this evening at 7:30 PM when the Democratic County Committee of District Leaders meets.

According to sources familiar with the agenda, supporters of Kathy Davidson, an African-American with reportedly no family court experience for County Family Court Judge, will attempt to pass petition rules designed to make it more difficult for miffed nominee, Susan Pollet, who is white and has practiced extensively in family court, to collect 2,000 signatures on petitions needed for her to primary Ms. Davidson, the Democratic County Committee nominee in September.

Primary Prevention Plan

Maureen Keating Tsuchiya, Campaign Manager for Ms. Pollet, (and former Co-Chair of the New Castle Democrats), told WPCNR that Arnold Klugman of New Rochelle and Reginald Lafayette of Mount Vernon, supporters of Ms. Davidson are spearheading a movement to present petition rules that will complicate Ms. Pollet’s primary attempt.

Discriminating Against Whites AND a Conflict of Interest?

Adding to the drama of this primary prevention maneuver, is the spectacle of Mr. Lafayette, who is African American, being a party to the newly proposed petition rules, when as Democrat Commissioner of the Board of Elections, he will rule on their admissibility and appropriateness, unless he recuses himself and lets his Deputy Commissioner make the decision. Mr. Lafayette in his position will also be able to rule on the admissability of signatures signed on Pollet’s petitions, which Ms. Tsuchiya alleges, is a conflict of interest.

Rules Seek to Limit Petition-Carriers, Who Can Sign.

According to Ms. Keating-Tsuchiya, the rules that Mr. Klugman and Mr. Lafayette are proposing would define the credentials of who could sign Ms. Pollet’s petitions, and also define who was allowed to carry petitions for Ms. Pollet.

Ms. Keating-Tsuchiya charged in addition that Mr. Klugman and Mr. Lafayette want Mr. Latimer to agree to prohibit any announcements of Ms. Pollet’s campaign activities from being announced in Mr. Latimer’s “News Splash” that is distributed to County Democrats. Klugman and Lafayette may feel that since rebel Pollet is not the nominated candidate that she does not deserve equal time in the official party publication.

Mr. Klugman, a strong Davidsion supporter, was furious at Ms. Davidson being challenged at the nominating convention, and precipated a mass walkout at that affair, when he told Democrats assembled, that he was tired of the issue of qualifications for office being raised when “a person of color” (Ms. Davidson) was involved. Ms. Pollet’s supporters said that Ms. Pollet with her extensive family court practice was more qualified for the position than Ms. Davidson.

Mr. Klugman’s blunt statement shocked many.

As Reported in WPCNR

The Pollet effort provoked controversy when she first contested the nomination of Ms. Davidson at the nominating convention of April 9.

On that evening of shock and awe, according to Ms. Tsuchiya, Jan Wells, speaking on behalf of Ms. Pollet, said Ms. Pollet was very qualified to be Family Court Judge, based on her long experience in court on family law cases as Senior Court Attorney in the Westchester County Family Court.

Mr. Klugman, who strongly supported Noam Bramson (the Andy Spano “pick”), in his primary against Ron Tocci last year, challenged Ms. Pollet’s experience, as opposed to Ms.Davidson’s lack of family court experience, as a reason to primary, saying,

“I’m sick and tired of this obsession with qualifications, why is it the only time people primary is when a person of color is running?”

This statement was described as shocking to the gathering. Chairman of the Bedford Democrats, Mitchell Weingarten and the Co-Chairs of the New Castle Democrats, Adrian Kramer and Melissa Zuckerman abruptly walked out of the meeting after this statement.

Chairman Above Fray. Washing Hands?

Keating-Tsuchiya reports to WPCNR that George Latimer, Chairman of the Westchester County Democratic Committee has said he would “let the committee vote its will,” indicating to her he would not attempt to prevent the rules being offered.

“I’m just sick over this,” Tsuchiya told the CitizeNetReporter.

Ms. Pollet supporters can begin collecting signatures June 3, and have until early July to get their petitions in.

It is just two weeks since White Plains City Democratic Leaders voted to deny Eridania Camacho-Quinn the third Common Council Candidacy, much to the anger and hurt of Hispanics and African-American District Leaders who supported her, and had been lead to believe by the Democratic City Nominating Committee that they would nominate her.