THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Estimating Explained at Post Road Tour. Estimate will be Reworked Twice

Posted on October 16, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. October 16, 2006: In a free form answering period before the tour, Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, Erik Kaeyer, the architect and the construction manager, Triton Construction, which worked together recently on the improvements to the Somers School District and other districts fielded questions from citizens concerned about the accuracy of the total costs.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors introducing the briefing Saturday morning prior to the Post Road School tour. Photo, WPCNR News.

Nicholas Andreadis, the construction manager CEO, hired to evaluate the original Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson estimate, in response to one of the first questions said that when his firm went over the Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson original estimate, “We were relatively close to start with, within 1% or so. They were relatively accurate.”

Superintendent Connors addressed the needs of the district as a whole, explaining that the infrastructure improvements and design and construction on the four elementary schools, middle schools and high school were needed: “Just like your home, you can’t let it go. Even this building (Post Road School) and they are well-maintained. (Post Road) is considerably older. Renovating it is more expensive than replacing it. We’ve always invested in our schools and done it productively.”

Mr.Andreadis responding to a gentleman’s concern about contingencies and price escalations, said the costs of the work were based on the company knowledge of current market-based prices for similar projects, and 5% contingencies were built in.

Conners added that “we cannot do detailed design (and tight estimates) before (referendum) approval.”

He explained should the referendum be approved, detailed designs would be prepared by the architect, the Post Road and Mamaroneck Avenue school staffs consulted on finetuning the designs and then estimates would be prepared. Andreadis told WPCNR that after detailed designs were prepared, Triton would reestimate the project, based on the detailed construction designs (needed for contractors to make a tight budget call). and reestimate again before going out for bid. Mr. Kaeyer explained that it would take 4 months for the State Education Department to approve the construction. The Post Road new school would begin in the fall and be completed in the fall of 2009 according to Mr. Andreadis. Connors said if the cost of the project grew beyond the cost of the bond the district would have to consider eliminating certain elements. Though it was not explained whether the district could decide to finance any cost overruns separately itself.

Andreadis told WPCNR, in his experience the three things that could have the estimates already in to not match the market and that would be contractor availability, time to execute the project, and unforeseen conditions. It was not clear to this reporter whether the storm drain problems would be eliminated by building the new Post Road School higher up the hill where proposed.

Andreadis also told WPCNR his firm has a good track record on bringing in the estimated cost in line with contractor bids, because his firm bases it on a database of recent construction projects, and the latest established costs.

Mr. Kaeyer reiterated that it was not legal to do detailed construction designs delivering specific line-by-line estimates, in explaining why the line items were not detailed. However, the State Education Department Media Relations spokesperson, Tom Dunn, told WPCNR that the SED encourages school districts to get as detailed an estimate as possible to deterimine the monies needed before a referendum is put out. Dunn told WPCNR it is not illegal in any way to get detailed estimates.

Peter Bassano, a member of the Board Education took the floor and said, the members of the Board “had all these same questions,” and formed a committee (the Capital Projects Committee) to go over the project. “We even stacked the deck, putting persons on the committee who were very vocally against the bond and made one one (Mike Graessle) the Chairman of the committee.” ( The one critic most vocal was left off of the committee though, the lawyer, Charles Lederman, who raised issues about Dammon House and backflow valves when the estimates were released.)

“They went through the pages like you wouldn’t believe,” Bassano said, “in unbelievable detail and conclude it is in the best interest of the district to replace it (Post Road School) on site.” Bassano attributed the high costs cited by some critics for individual items to the conditions where one window meant actually three windows or was much larger than a regular window, and that the cost of one valve was actually the cost for 20 valves.

Bill Pollak, another school board member, and Acting President said critics of individual items on the estimates “were fundamentally misleading.” He said it was standard practice. “At the end of the day, we think this (the capital project) is very important to protect the incredible assets we have.”

WPCNR asked the Triton estimator if the estimates were essentially “ballpark” estimates. He said, “No, not ballpark. They are market-based.”

No questions were asked about how much the cost to taxpayers of the bond would decline after 2010. Others complained about the escalating cost to taxpayers.

The question of what the school district would do if the referendum did not pass tomorrow did not come up.

Drain Backups Flooding Post Rd School for Years-Classrooms, Libe, Lab Too Small

Posted on October 16, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR School Days. By John F. Bailey. October 16, 2006 UPDATED WITH TOUR PICTURES 11:53 A.M. E.D.T. More Pictures Added 12:15 P.M. E.D.T. UPDATED WITH ENROLLMENT GROWTH CHART 6:00 P.M. E.D.T.: Citizens attending a tour of Post Road School, hosted by the School District learned Saturday that flooding into the lowest level of the school below grade, was cited as a main reason why the school needs replacing, but when questioned, the Administrator of Facilities and Operations for the district, Mike Lynch said the flooding has been going on in Post Road School for at least 15 years. A spokesperson for Westchester County Department of Communications today said that neither the County Department of Public Works nor the Environmental offices had ever been notified of this problem by the School District. The City Department of Public Works Commissioner has not been made available to comment on the condition of the city storm drains.

Timothy Connors, Superintendent of Schools, leading a Post Road Autopsy Saturday morning. Mike Lynch, Administrator of Buildings and Facilities explains that city storm drains on Sterling and Soundview Avenues backup into the Post Road ground floor — five times in the last year. Photo, WPCNR News.

Visitors were shown the cramped computer lab, a library too small to house the student population, the cramped, boxy classrooms from the distant past whose layout no longer fits the open classroom style of today that “eats” space with computer installations and the break-away-into-groups teaching modes. The Principal of Post Road, Laura Havis noted that the classrooms no longer fit the state standard size requirements.

The City School District hosted a public briefing and tour Saturday morning at Post Road School to show the public how the 90 year old building has deteriorated, is obsolete and needs to be replaced with a new school built adjacent to it.

The Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors, the architect Erik Kaeyer of Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, and construction manager, Nicholas Andreadis of Triton Construction answered questions from less than 10 citizens on the condition of the school, the estimates of construction. Then attendees were taken on a tour of the building.

City, County Storm Drains Backup Flooding school for years.

The flooding Lynch told the group comes from the city storm water drains running down Sterling and Soundview Avenues, and from the County storm water drains on Post Road. Because the school is located at the foot of the hill, the overflow backs up and bubbles up into the boilerroom, first floor classrooms, and even through the water fountain drains.

Cracks and corrossion at base of wall and floor on Post Road first floor hall, adjacent boiler room. Photo, WPCNR News.

Room 7 — adjacent to the boiler room, wall on Sterling Avenue side leaks at base and at windows when storm drains cannot handle the flow. All storage, the instructor says is to the center of the room as a result. Photo, WPCNR News

Lynch told this reporter that nothing has been done by either the city or the county to fix the overflow problem in the fifteen years he has been in charge of buildings for the district. The school district has not undertaken any major fixes to relieve the flooding condition either. In the hour and a half briefing, questions were raised primarily about the estimating of the project.

Cramped Boilerroom makes repairs to pipes very difficult. Storm water backs up into the room out into the halls. Photo, WPCNR News.

Replacement of school Due to Rising Enrollment by 2010

The Superintendent said that the need to replace Post Road school comes from the addition of 280 students (based on 2005 birthrates), expected to join the district in the year 2010. The additional building of 6 extra classrooms in the new school will bring the capacity of Post Road School up to 600, (currently Post Road serves approximately 493 students) on a level of the other five district elementaries (in addition to 9 more classrooms which will be leased to BOCES), otherwise he said class sizes would increase. The physical layout of the school was also deemed inadequate and crowded.

Enrollment Chart Comparisons showing how Post Road School presently compares to the other White Plains schools in number students and project enrollment as of 2010. Chart was presented to the public prior to the tour. Photo by WPCNR News.

The Tour

As the tour began Superintendent Connors drew the crowd attention to the narrow hallways, the cramped staircases as being not wide enough to accommodate the elementary school children, and particularly disabled students, (no ramps). He showed the small classroom dimensions that have existed at Post Road School since 1914, that the architect and the school district agree are too small and no longer adequate.

A Fourth Grade Classroom at Post Road, choc-a-block to the brim. It is home to 20 students. Not all classrooms are this small, but it demonstrates how today’s classroom standards and teaching styles are not met by the Post Road layout. Photo, WPCNR News.

Connors Starts the Tour. Notes narrow hallways. Photo, WPCNR News

Narrow Stairs — Not Handicapped Accessible — are obsolete — causing crowded, unsafe conditions. Photo, WPCNR News

Narrow hallway with students expected to hang coats, backpacks on hooks in corridor, as there is no room for cubby space in the smaller classrooms. Waterfountains back up during heavy rains. Photo, WPCNR News.

The library was described as too small, and unnavigable for disabled students, it being split between two floors without an elevator, while lacking storage space. There was also a limited number of computer stations. The library does not provide the media center spaciousness that school libraries today need to accommodate the new information age adequately.

The Post Road Library, lower level. Superintendent Connors explains the limited space the library provides for book storage and media center layout. Photo, WPCNR News.

Library Reverse Angle from upstairs level, showing what the district feels is limited book space and areas for students. Note bucket for catching ceiling leaks directly above the genetleman in the red sweater. Photo, WPCNR News.

The Library Upstairs. A drawback, according to the superintendent is lack of workstation space as well as lack of handicapped access to the second floor. Photo, WPCNR News.

The computer lab had a lot of computers jam-packed into its claustrophobic “square” room. Computer terminals were touching one another and students, when seated would be elbow-to-elbow. The computer information teacher explained how the cramped computer staging, restricted his ability to move from computer station to computer station quickly due to the close configuration of the seating.

Jampacked Computer Lab, makes maneuvering of students and teachers difficult, according to Computer Lab Instructors shown at right. Room, based on WPCNR experience is claustrophobic. Photo, WPCNR News

The auditorium was another area that was pointed out as being too small to accommodate the entire school population of 493 students (as of September). It appeared to this reporter more of a setting than a performance center. The superintendent pointed out the coffin-like teacher workroom space that has to serve all the faculty.

Auditorium, inadequate for school population of close to 500 children, according to the Superindent of Schools (Center of Picture). Photo, WPCNR News

Christian Reyes, the head custodian at Post Road School was saluted by Superintendent of Schools Connors for keeping the school looking excellent despite his never-ending battle with flooding from the city and county sewers. Mr. Reyes has done a superb job because the school on Saturday morning looked bright a cheery despite its cracks on the joints of the ground floor. There were no odors and the classrooms I saw were brightly lit, but jam-packed with “stuff.”

Christian Reyes, Head Custodian of Post Road School, the man with the difficult job of keeping Post Road School looking as clean as it does, despite coping with floods, mildew, and collateral damage. Photo, WPCNR News.

The Chronic Flooding.

Mr. Connors upon entering the ground level of the school turned the tour of the subterranean depths of Post Road School to Michael Lynch, who said “The storm sewers hit us this building hard. The storm drains back up. Once last month and four times in the last year.” Because of the chronic funding, Lynch said the school custodial staff is routinely treating the ground floor for “cracks and mold.” Lynch said the storm water drain back up is so serious, the water fountain drains backup. The water fountains at Post Road School, according to the custodian, Mr. Reyes, the fountains drain into the city storm water drains. He also said that during a really heavy storm the sanitary sewers back up too into the toilets. “We have trouble with those, too,” he said.

A Post Road teacher, showing off her ground floor level classroom (Room 7), adjacent to the boiler room mentioned how her classroom floods at the windows and through the wall at the base of the class room where wall meets floor, from the storm drain backups. Lynch, showing the boiler room said the boiler room is very small, making pipe replacements difficult, causing repairmen to stand on existing pipes to make repairs in some cases. He showed a sump pump installed to take care of the chronic flooding with a trip switch that triggers the sump pump, when water reaches the tripper.

In courtyard, between Post Road main building and cafeteria/Gymnasium, storm drain backup freezes in winter perpetually creating ice conditions. Reyes said the school put in a drain to prevent the water collecting, but it has not worked. Photo, WPCNR News.

Flooding is more serious on the Sterling Avenue side, as opposed to the Soundview side, Lynch said. Asked afterwards how long the flooding condition had existed, Lynch said, the flooding was happening fifteen years ago when he joined the School district.

WPCNR has placed a call to the Mayor’s Office to get Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti’s reaction on the alleged storm drain situation affecting the Post Road School, and contacted the Westchester County Department of Communications to get the county reaction as to why the Post Road storm water sewers which the School District pointed out are the county responsibility, backup, and if the School District has ever asked for them to address the problem by increasing storm water drain capacities.

Donna Greene spokesperson for the Westchester County Department of Communications responded to WPCNR’s question this afternoon, writing,

“John, I checked with both (Westchester County) DPW and Environmental Facilities. Neither has any indication that it ever heard from the school district about this.”

Post Road School Saturday Morning. Photo, WPCNR News

Saunders Stops Tiger Comeback, 23-20. Howard, Robles Bring Tigers Almost Back!

Posted on October 14, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 14, 2006– Supplemental Coverage, October 15, 2006 10:30 P.M. With Pix.: Saunders defense batted away three Mike Howard passes from the Saunders 28 as time ran out this afternoon to halt a last ditch Tiger drive for the winning touchdown after a 38 yard touchdown run across the field broken field run by Ronnell Rock with 1:45 to go in the game took the lead, putting Saunders ahead 23-20.

OVER THE MIDDLE IN TRAFFIC-IT’S A FOOTRACE: With a minute and change, Mike Howard, starting his first game as quarterback nearly brought the Tigers back to win it. He hit Matt Robles (Number 26) in traffic (above) over the middle with a 40 yard pass and run on 3rd and 10 from the Tiger 20, and Matt bursting tackles got it down to the Saunders 41 before he was caught from behind. A Robles run got it to the Saunders 33, and Howard hit Savaughn Green on the far side line on 3rd down for a first down on the Saunders 28 with 43 seconds to go. A Pass to Jim Briggs on the far right sideline was batted away. A pass to Savaughn on the left side line was batted away. A pass back over the middle to Briggs was short, but Briggsie was pushed no call. On 4th from the 28, a pitch to Matt on the half back option did not connect and the Tiger comeback was stopped. Photo WPCNR Sports.

The Tigers had taken the lead midway in the 4th quarter, 20-17 on a 5 yard run by Mr. Robles, after Matt had taken the Jet Sweep to the left side for 27 yards, setting up the Tigers with a first and 10 on the Saunders 10. Matt lugged to the 5 then the Tigers parted the Saunders line for the go-ahead touchdown with Robles lugging it in for a 20-17 lead with the point at 9:20 to go in the game.

Mr. Robles being hauled down on the sideline after a 27 Yard Rumblin, Stumblin, Thumpin run to the Saunders 10 in the 4th Quarter to set up the Tiger lead TD. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Mr. Robles Stampedes In for the Go-Ahead TD after setting the Tigers up with his run to the 10. He is inbetween Number 77 and Paris Young (66) Photo, WPCNR Sports.

The Tigers Bobby Thompson and Savaungh Green stopped Saunders on the next series on third down at the Tiger 15 on a great defensive stop on the right side on Ronnell Rock as he tried to turn the corner. A field goal attempt from 35 yards just missed tying the game.

Just One More First Down…

On the ensuing Tiger possession, starting with 5:26 to go, the Tigers were called for two false starts (their first false starts since the first quarter), contributing to their having to punt it away. The punt by Howard from his own 15 gave Saunders the ball at the White Plains 40 with 2:40 or so to go. On their second play, Rock ran the option to the left slipped around left end and diagonaled it through the secondary with exeptional speed for the go-ahead touchdown. A desperation shoestring tackle on Rock at the 2, just missed.

White Plains lead 13-3 at halftime on a 1 yard touchdown run by Mike Howard and a Howard to Bobby Thompson pass in the left corner of the endzone. Saunders scored two touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to take the lead, 17-13 going to the 4th quarter on the passing of Arthur Muller.

Running Brilliance Early

Arthur Muller, the Blue Devil QB and Ron Rock the tailback gave notice on the Tigers they’d be trouble all day. With the Tigers electing to kick and defend the South goal, Saunders tool the ball first, and Muller blasted up the middle for 10 yards and a first down. James Bryant intercepted Muller on the Tiger 22 to end that drive, and the Tigers went 3 and out. Mike Howard punted 45 yards to the Saunders 29 and the Blue Devils drove from there 50 yards in 11 plays, aided by a pass interference call setting up a first down on the Tiger 28.

The Tigers held, culminating in an unusual (for high school) field goal attempt by Dan Pitturro, who kicked a 37 yard field goal, which just cleared the crossbar inside left upright for a 3-0 Saunders lead at 3:18 of the first quarter. (Someone should call the Jets and the Giants). Saunders recorded 4 first downs in the first half.

The Tigers take command the first half.

Taking over on their own 35 the Tigers went for 4th and inches on their own 45 and Mike Howard got the first down. From there, On 2nd and 5 from the 50 Ray Mitchell raced for 15 yards on the Jet Sweep around right end. Three plays found the Tigers facing another 4th down on the Saunders 35 and Howard stepped back into the button hook pocket got plenty time and lofted one on the money to Joe Petit for a first down on the Saunders 15.

Mile Howard Driving across for the Tigers first Touchdown for a 7-3 lead. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

On 4th down on the 15, Saunders was called for pass interference giving White Plains drive life at the Saunders 7. Mike Howard punched the ball in on 2nd and goal from the 1 foot line. He converted the PAT and the Tigers had taken the lead 7-3 at the 8:17 mark.

Tigers take 13-3 lead on turnover and drive.

With Saunders facing a 2nd and 1 at their 40 on the next series, Matt Robles stripped the ball from Muller and recovered giving White Plains the ball on the Saunders 38.

At 3rd and 7, Howard in his very first start hit another big play completing to Bobby Thompson on another pass in the left flat (in traffic) who took the ball to the Saunders 20. A QB draw by Howard put the ball on the 13, but it White Plains was called for a hold. Starting with 2nd and 28, Howard again drilled Bobby Thompson on the left sideline at the 13. After an illegal procedure penalty moved the Tigers back to the 18. Howard hit his third big clutch completion hitting Savaughn Green on the far left sideline with a perfectly leading pass over right shoulder at the 12 on the sideline, and Shifty took it for a first down to the 7.

On third down, Matt Howard using a little button hook drop back, found Bobby Thompson in the corner of the endzone on the leftside for a 5 yard touchdown pass, floating it high and over the defense, for a 13-3 halftime lead. The Tigers had 7 first downs to Saunders’ 4 in the first half, which seemed very long.

Blue Devils come back.

The Tigers started with the ball in the second half at their own 16. They could not move and on 4th down, Mike Howard punting, shanked the kick and Saunders covered it on the White Plains 25. However, Mike was flat on his back. It appeared he had been hit, kicking the football (which was not blocked). White Plains Athletic Director Nick Pinero told WPCNR after the game, the referee asked the other officials if they had seen contact with Mike after the kick (which would have resulted in a penalty and a first down), but the other officials said they had not.

Saunders then scored in two plays. Morrell ran to the Tiger 15, and Ron Rock took a pitchback on the halfback option and swooshed around left end for 15 yards and a touchdown as the Tiger defense was completely deked. The point made it 13-10 at the 9:51 mark.

Tigers try to answer. Blue Devils do.

Ray Mitchell delivered a terrific kickoff return to the Saunders 46. But The Tigers could not move it on three runs. With 4th and 2 on the Saunders 38, Mike Howard tried to sneak it but was turned aside and Saunders had held and had the ball back, and started to move.

A White Plains false start made it 1st and 5 on the Devil 43. Then the Devils began to tear the Tiger line asunder. Kish Newton ran for 13 yards to the Tiger 46, with Bobby Thompson saving a touchdown. On 3rd and 4 from the Tiger 40, Arthur Muller zipped a pass to Matt Johnson over the middle for 9 yards for another first at the Tiger 32.

The Tigers tried to make a stand for the lead. They almost did.

George Don Pierre sacked Muller in the backfield. Matt Robles knocked away a TD pass in the endzone. Another pass to the goalline was knocked away. It was 4th down. But this time it would be a 52 yard field goal for Pitutto and the Devils coach elected to pass instead.

Mike Howard (15) Tipping ball away on 3rd down at the Tiger 5 late in the third quarter to break up a first down bid. On 4th down Saunders converted to keep the drive alive for the go-ahead in the 3rd. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

On the 4th down play, Muller looked left from the shotgun formation, and slyly to his right and fired one to the near sideline in the flat to Frank Morrell in front of the Tiger defender for a first down at the 14. It was a huge play.

Ron Rock slipped around right end again on the halfback option on the next play and got to the 5 yard line. On third down at the 5, Morrell snuck for at first and goal on the 4. The Tigers stopped him on the next play but then Morrell swept around left end after swaying the Tiger Dee to the right, and Saunders took the lead with 1:19 to go in the 3rd quarter. Piturro added the point and the Tigers were behind 17-13.

Robles to the Rescue.

On the kickoff. White Plains started from their own 36. After securing a first down on the Saunders 47, Howard on 3rd and 3 at the Devil 40 passed to Savaungh Green on the sideline left for a first down on the Devils’ 37, for his 4th big conversion of the day. On the next play Matt Robles broke around left end on the Jet Sweep rumbling, breaking tackles and getting down to the Saunders 10.
Matt lugged it to the 8 to the 5 then the final 5 yards to give the Tigers the lead 19-17. Howard added the point and the Tigers had 9:20 to go to protect the win, leading 20-17.

They stopped the Devils on the next series when a 33 yard field goal attempt to tie by Pitturro went just wide left. It had the distance. Christian Arrango and Joe Freitas stopped Muller on 2nd and 5 at the 15. Bobby Thompson and Savaughn Green turned aside Ron Rock on 3rd and 5, forcing the 3-point attempt.

One First Down Away.

The Tigers took over with 5:46 to go and needed one first down. They could not get it thanks to an illegal procedure (motion) flag. The first one occurred on first down at the WP31, making it 1st and 15. Howard ran for 2. Another run did not gain anything. Then another illegal motion put the drive back further and a pass on 3rd and 13 on the WP 28 did not click. White Plains had to punt away. Howard’s kick off the side of his foot blooped out to the 40, another short punt. Giving Saunders the ball at the White Plains 40 with 2:38 to go.

Two plays was all it took. A run for 2 took it to the 38, then Ron Rock, running the option got the end to commit too soon and he scampered around left end into the secondary that was nowhere to be found. There seemed to be nothing but blue shirts and no tacklers. Rock blew past the Tigers and was to the 10 before you knew it. You sensed something very bad was about to happen. At the 10 eluded at least two tacklers and was flying down the sideline the final 10 yards. A desperate try at a shoestring tackle missed and Rock was over the goalline for the improbable. It was suddenly 23-20, Saunders with 1:44 to go.

But don’t turn your sets off there.

Mike Howard and Matt Robles game the Tigers a chance to win.

On 3rd and 10 from the White Plains 20, Mike hit Matt Robles in traffic over the middle and Matt took the ball up the seam between a posse of Devils all had the angle on him and in a horse race caught up to Matt at the Saunders 41 with a minute to go.

CAUGHT! With a Minute to go. Howard has just connected with “Shifty” Green at the Saunders 28 for a 3rd and 10 conversion to keep Tiger hopes alive. Savaungh is in a heap on the sideline after taking the ball over his shoulder. The Tigers could not move any farther. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

The Tigers ran two incomplete passes, and Howard connected with Savaughn Green on the left sideline on 3rd and 10 for a first down on the Saunders 28. There were 40 seconds to go. Three passes failed due to excellent pass coverage by the Blue Devils, including one push that was not called apparently the backjudge feeling the ball to Jimmie Briggs was uncatchable. The final play for the Tigers did not unfold as planned a pitch going array Saunders took over on downs and ran out the clock with 23 seconds to go.

Make no mistake, Saunders showed terrific heart in coming back in this game and making big plays. It was the first time Saunders had beaten White Plains since probably the 1920s.

White Plains had 6 first downs in the first half, Saunders, 4. In the second half White Plains rolled up another 7 first downs to 8 for Saunders, rolling up 14 first downs to 12.

This was a very long game. In the first half, unofficially I counted 50 plays over 24 minutes, an average of 2 per minute (including clock running between plays). The second half got in even more plays…64 (including Kickoffs) in 24 minutes, an average of 2 and a half plays a minute (including running clock time). There were passing plays that cut short the time expired, but the math does not compute. Over the whole game I count on my scoresheet 114 plays, that is 2.3 Plays a minute of playing time (48 minutes).

While I am at it. The football officiating this season has been the worst I have seen in six years of reporting Tiger football. They do not know the rules. They do not know where to position themselves to call the plays, and they throw too many flags for both sides. At this point of the season there are simply too many false starts being called. Pass interference calls are extremely judgmental. If high school football wants to emulate the NFL, where virtually every game turns on key penalities, they are certainly headed in that direction.

MikeHoward Debuts at the Helm. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Welcome Mr. Howard.

Mike Howard guided the Tigers to three sustained drive touchdowns and unofficially I have him for 6 huge 3rd down or 4th down conversions on passes. He ran the offense with poise, did not make any turnovers or interceptions. His handoffs were crisp, and he showed a lot stepping in for his first starting assignment. According to Nick Panero, White Plains Athletic Director, Paul LaBarbera the regular quarterback injured his shoulder last Sunday at home and could not play.

Howard stepped up big time, getting used to his receivers in a hurry and showing a nice touch on his passes. In fact on the last series a strong 15 knot wind that had not been there the entire game was blowing in his face, floating his passes and blowing them back short. Otherwise, he might very well have pulled off the comeback with the Tiger receiver crew. But the hit with Robles was a terrific bullet pass under pressure to give his team a chance. The Tigers (1-4), play Lincoln next week.

The Tigers never quit.

BOOM-TIDDY-BOOM! The White Plains High School Marching Band in support of the traveling Tigers. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Free Flu Shot for Seniors Oct. 17 at Sterling Glen

Posted on October 14, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR STAT. From Sterling Glen. October 14, 2006: Sterling Glen of Rye Brook, a distinctive independent living senior residence, is providing a flu shot clinic on Tues., Oct. 17 open to seniors age 65-years old and older. The clinic is open from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Sterling Glen of Rye Brook, 1200 King Street, Rye Brook. There is no charge for this service as the shots are covered by Medicare, although a Medicare card and insurance information are necessary. RSVP by Thurs., Oct. 12.

Sterling Glen of Rye Brook is dedicated to providing health information and services to their residents and the public. For more information about this clinic or to RSVP, please call (914) 939-2900.