WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. December 19, 2006: Amodio’s the nursery the Saxon Woods neighborhood and the City of White Plains have been feuding with for years over soil reclamation projects on Amodio’s property and hours of work was denied inclusion in the County Agricultural District Monday. Chairman of the Board of Legislators Bill Ryan announced the rejection to WPCNR today, by a vote of 13-0.
School Board Reports.
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education. December 19, 2006: Eighty-eight students from six Fall Varsity Teams which averaged grades of 90 or better were recognized as Scholar-Athletes. Members of the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Field Hockey, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Swimming & Diving and Women’s Tennis teams were introduced by coaches. In addition, three members of the Cheerleading Squad were recognized, along with six students with 90+ averages from teams which did not qualify.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
January 8: Regular Meeting, Education House, 7:30 P.M. Overview of Strategic Planning
January 17 Special Meeting, Education House, 7:30 P.M.
Executive Session — Collective Bargaining
January 24: World Café,
Strategic Planning
January 29: Special Meeting, Education House, 7:30 P.M.
2007-08 Budget Planning
February 12: Regular Meeting, Education House, 7:30 P.M.
Other noteworthy events:
As reported first in White Plains last week by The CitizeNetReporter, Dual Language instruction in Spanish and English is coming to White Plains next year at George Washington School. It is an opt-in program on a pilot basis.
NEW PROGRAM: The Board approved a Dual Language pilot program at
SUZANNE LASSER of The Newcomers Center. Photos, WPCNR News
DONATIONS:The Board accepted the following donations: $10,000 from the
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: Superintendent Timothy Connors introduced several reports to the Board and community:
Vicki Hertlein provided an overview of the Margaret’s Place program in which she serves as Counselor. Funded by the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation, it provides students with a nonthreatening setting in which to discuss issues concerning violence in the home and community. Megan Flynn represented Westchester Jewish Community Services, which partners with the Foundation to implement the program.
Ms. Hertlein (shown in her office at the high school, she is always open to see students who want to discuss relationship issues) related the story of one student who was referred to her whom Ms. Hertlein said turned out to have been beaten by her boyfriend, and is currently working with her through that issue. She also has determined through a survey of Hispanic children of certain controlling attitudes of boys towards young women that she is attempting to work through with the Hispanic population.
Regents Scores at High School averaging 80% Passing.
High School Principal Ivan Toper presented a report he gave before the Rotary Club recently, on initiatives for instructional improvement and results over the past three years. Trends are positive, in terms of both test scores and in closing the achievement gap.
Toper reported about 85%of students were passing on the ELA and Math Regents in 2004, 2005 and 2006, with 90% on the sciences social studies while African-American and Hispanic students lagged about 20% behind performance of white students in scores, though that margin is narrowing. ( On chart above–grade range colors are indicated in small box.)
Math Regents results: Math improving slightly with 84% Passing the 2006 Math Regents.
Blacks and Hispanics Continue to Lag Behind whites by 22% in Passing Scores, But have shown improvement.
Hispanics are Outperforming Blacks on the English Language Regents on passing grades, averaging 84% to Blacks’ 70% BUT still lag 10% Behind Whites. However the Hispanic passing students are outperforming Blacks by 14 points.
Where the Seniors Went.
China visits
Teacher Susan Altman updated the Board on visitors from the
Strategic Planning Starts
Finally, on Strategic Planning, Mr. Connors said the Board will meet on January 8th with Stephen Barone, who is facilitating this process, and there will be a public forum on January 24th, called a “World Café,” to discuss future directions for the school district.
TENURE: Two teachers were awarded tenure: Patricia Wahl, (Above– with Principal Joseph Cloherty of Eastview School — Joan Kass is at the podium) Foreign Language Teacher at the
Tara Walsh, an Elementary Education Teacher at the
What Role Models? Knick-Knack Thugs Get Virtually Nothing in NBA Fight Rulings.
WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen, “The Voice of Old All-American Sports”. December 19, 2006: The millionaire playground runners and gunners and “Ole’” defenders who pull down millions to play go-through-the-motions dirty basketball in The World’s Most Infamous Arena — home of the worst basketball team ever assembled, got a ringing endorsement for their brand of thug ball from NBA Commissioner David Stern Monday.
New NBA Sign to Come?
The insane inequity of the worst decision by a sports commissioner since the 1994 baseball strike, sent a message to every young hockey, basketball, softball, baseball, and football player that if you’re getting your feelings hurt, it’s OK to throw an opponent to the floor, throw a pitch at their head or stomach, spike them, kick them or cross-check them from behind just because you’re getting your little egos beat because you aren’t as good as they are.
It was time to send a message. Stern said, “boys, boys!”
Stern suspended league-leading scorer Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony for 15 games primarily for a sucker punch. In a decision that leaves this sportscaster aghast, the head of the NBA Player Union questions the severity.
Meanwhile, Stern lets the instigator, Mardy Collins and the alleged mastermind, the Knick Coach off lightly. Stern suspends the instigator in the Saturday night garden gang fight – the Knickerbockers’ Mardy Collins for 6 Games. Collins threw the Nugs’ J.R. Smith to the floor to prevent a layup in the closing minutes.
Where’s the logic here, Mr. Stern? Are you endorsing a flagrant foul that could have torn J.R. Smith’s A.C.L. and ruined his career?
Third Man In Rule?
Oh – Carmelo threw a sucker punch, Stern says – is this a hockey ruling, Mr. Stern? I say 15 games each for all of those millionaires with third grade boy mentalities. We used to see fights like this in the halls of
Then how about this for David Stern wisdom?
But not many are coming now either the basketball is so bad. The White Plains Tigers and the Mount Vernon Knights could show the Knicks and the Nuggets a thing or two about poise under pressure and probably reacting to adversity, too.
Interesting, the Associated Press account does not ask Commissioner Stern why no fine for the Knickerbocker coach who – (unlike Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy who each left benches to prevent their players from fighting – remember Van Gundy holding onto Alonzo Mourning’s leg?) – the Knick “coach” simply watched and rationalized that the Knicks were justified in the flagrant foul because they were being shown up. Poor babies!
Well, perhaps Mr. Stern does not want
However why are Knick fans going anyway? Any Knick fan who goes to see another game should boo the coach roundly and demand his departure.
No Knickerbocker fan should show up at the garden for any more Knick games until their coach and these immature, untalented, no effort “ballplayers” are shipped out of town. The G-M, now coach who put together these gang of no talents, all bluster-no heart babies into town can leave with them. Who coached these guys before they were brought into town by this slick clown in the ill-fitting Pat Riley-wanna-be suits?
College coaching has sure gone downhill to turn out players with this little heart, effort and game savvy that play on the Knicks today.
The Knick Coach has not inspired them to the effort needed to win – like playing defense for 48 minutes – not the last two when they are down by 20 points. More to the point he blames other teams for playing hard and not taking it easy on his team. Poor babies.
How this man was ever considered a leader on the Detroit Piston Champs of the 90s is puzzling. It’s becoming more clear that Joe Dumars was the real man in the Motor City. Maybe our babyfaced coach was then – but he is not now. Leaders take responsibility. They don’t make excuses and they manage a game. He is in over his head. And no one calls him on it.
Knickerbocker season ticket fans cannot give their tickets away this Knick team is so bad. Why they are bad is obvious.
I loved the not-so-good-Knick teams of the 50s with Harry Gallatin, Kennie Sears, Willie Nauls and Carl Braun and Dick McGuire with Nat Sweetwater Clifton. They could never beat the Celtics, but they’d never throw Bob Cousy or Bill Sharmon or Tommie Heinsohn to the floor because they were being outplayed. That’s just dirty play. We loved them because they tried for us.
The present Knicks have not been taught how to play the game by their coaches of the past, let alone try. They shame their coaches of the past by the way they play. From the “twin gunners” at guard who play defense when they feel like it, and cannot breakdown a defense in the half-court. To the failure to get back. Ahh, the Knicks are drek.
Now the Knick Coach and G.M. has to be given full credit for proving once and for all: He does not know talent. He can’t coach. He can’t lead. He can’t make players better. He has no class. He does not know how to act in a crisis.
The Knickerbockers used to have class. They do not even have that after Saturday night. They have nothing any more. Why? Because they lost their humility and poise and were instigated into it by their own coach.
Saturday night was the sports equivalent of a gang member not liking the way someone was acting towards them and pulling out a knife/gun and shooting them or stabbing them. It was gang behavior.
Apologies don’t cut it.
Stern has got to get real. 15 Games Each for Everybody.
These children cannot play this game.
He is running a league that is out of control. The players play playground ball that shames playground ball – where there is respect for one another.
Stern is fining the franchises — the Nugs and the Knick-Knacks $500,000 each. That is chicken feed. That is only ¼ of the average Garden basketball crowd for one night. How about a $10 Million fine, that’s what they pay some of their players?
Stern should have handed out even suspensions all around 15 games for everybody. And he should have suspended the Knick Coach for the rest of the season. No commissioner can condone a leader of a team for condoning a player to take down another player.
The younger players will think this behavior is O.K.
The Knick-Knack fiasco Saturday night is more the troubling because there have been two fights in high school hockey games in the last month, one of which I have seen, the other I read about between John Jay and Mahopac in which this macho mentality of respect has brought on big fights.
Coaches at the high school levels have to go back to teaching respect for opponents and playing hard – not dirty – not retaliating – retaining your poise – while protecting yourself at all times. And not playing players who think hurting the opponent is o.k.
I believe if players fight in high school sports or break the team rules they should be thrown off the team. Of course, the parents will never condone that. Maybe if that happened once or twice to the hapless youngsters Saturday night in the past – they would not have snapped.
Fighting solves nothing. It forever diminishes the fightees.
I am always reminded of Lou Fontinato, the old New York Ranger – the first “policeman” of hockey. In 1957-1958, Bad Boy Louie Fontinato created a sensation in the
False toughness and bravado are no substitute for skill, effort, and hard work. Something that the Knickerbockers and their “smooth” coach for all their money and contracts, muscles and bruised egos, and jive talk know nothing about.
Neither do the Media
Perhaps the worst thing about this fight is that the media has decided to nostalgize about old fights in sports! This is incredulous to me. It is not part of the entertainment. Fighting is what it is: it has nothing to do with skills or playing the game — it is all about me-myself-and I — excused by the “I need to defend my teammate philosophy.”
Well, here’s what you do. I as manager or coach of that team pull my team off the ice or the court after a dirty play. That might get some attention on TNT or NBC — I mean who watches the NBA or the NHL anyway?
Or how about the NFL owner or coach, next time one of their “heroes” is arrested for felony involvement — why not suspend that player without pay for the rest of the season? Gee — that might send a message.
But running pix and video of famous fights of the past in sports — the media love them.
Well glorifying fights is not good for the youth growing up playing sports today — and the media should not do that.
Neither do the owners.
But it is the owners’ league. Stern has to eliminate the drafting out of high school and leaving early for the NBA draft – even if his league is sued.Just as the NFL has to do the same. Children are coming into the NBA who do not know how to behave, channel emotion and dedicate themselves to improving. They have way too much money. Surround themselves with unsavory influences. It is way sad.
At least the NBA does not have illegal guns and knives on the bench — yet.
Caution: Read Those Parking Meter Bags To Make Sure On Street Space is Free
WPCNR WHITE PLAINS CONFIDENTIAL. Special From a White Plains CitizeNetReporter. December 18, 2006: In an earlier story today, WPCNR broke the glorious news that the Scrooges of the White Plains Department of Parking have declared a Holiday Truce in their never-ending vigilance that White Plains “parkers” do not exceed their time limits at on street parking meters. The city had declared “Free Parking through Christmas” on certain on-street parking meters along Mamaroneck Avenue and East Post Road, using red bags saying “Happy Holidays from the City of White Plains.”
The Free Spaces are denoted by Red meter bags, however, a WPCNR “street reporter” says there are other “bagged meters” which say “No Parking” — such as on Martine Avenue adjacent the City Center.
The sudden jump in traffic in downtown today after 2 P.M. was very noticeable thanks to the CitizeNetReporter’s breaking of the “Free Parking Story” . WPCNR advises our worldwide and tri-state readers to be careful to read the “Bagged” meter space they park at to make sure it is indeed “Free Parking!”