OCTOBER 15–COUNTY EXECUTIVE JENKINS INTRODUCES WESTCHESTER COUNTY 2026 BUDGET

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE KEN JENKINS RELEASES PROPOSED 2026 CAPITAL BUDGET

 

Watch the News Conference Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw7Odt8lgck

 

(White Plains, NY) – Acknowledging the fiscal pressures and uncertainty facing counties across New York State, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins released his proposed 2026 Capital Budget, a plan that balances financial discipline with the urgent need to invest in affordable housing, maintain and strengthen the County’s core infrastructure, environmental systems and quality of life.

Jenkins said: “This is not a year for wish lists — it’s a year for wisdom.  We are facing significant financial challenges, and that means we have to make every dollar count. Doing nothing, delaying maintenance, or deferring critical projects would ultimately cost taxpayers more. This plan focuses our limited resources on the investments that matter most — the ones that keep Westchester running, safe and strong.”

The 2026 Capital Budget zeroes in on executing already-appropriated projects, reducing inefficiencies, and bundling projects to maximize cost savings. More than 120 projects have been formally closed with cost savings in recent months, unlocking $13 million in available revenue for future needs.

Jenkins said: “Uncertainty doesn’t mean inaction, it means we have to be smarter, more selective, and more determined. This plan reflects that mindset.”

Deputy County Executive Richard Wishnie said: “Sound governance means looking beyond today’s numbers and planning for tomorrow’s needs. This Capital Budget does exactly that — it ensures we meet our current obligations while preparing for the future with foresight and responsibility. I applaud County Executive Jenkins by investing wisely in infrastructure, housing, and environmental resilience.  He is committed to safeguarding both the County’s assets and the quality of life that makes Westchester such a special place to live.”

County Director of Operations Joan McDonald said: “The Westchester County 2026 Capital Budget is a recognition that even with an uncertain fiscal climate, we must continue to invest in health and safety initiatives and critical infrastructure. Special thanks to the County Executive for his leadership as we continue to reduce the backlog, make improvements in our capital planning and implementation processes and advance these critical projects.”

County Budget Director Lawrence Soule said: “The 2026 Capital Budget has been developed with a strong commitment to fiscal discipline and strategic investment. Whenever possible, we have sought state and federal partnerships to maximize matching funds and reduce the local share of costs. By managing debt prudently and maintaining sound financial practices, we remain dedicated to preserving the County’s excellent bond rating and ensuring its long-term fiscal stability.”

Housing and Affordability

Recognizing the critical need for more affordable housing in Westchester, Jenkins has made expanding housing opportunities one of his top priorities. The Housing Implementation Fund and New Homes Land Acquisition Program together represent nearly $500 million in ongoing and future investments aimed at increasing and preserving affordable housing throughout the County. Since 2019, County funds have supported the creation or preservation of 3,383 affordable homes, helping ensure that more residents have access to safe, quality places to live.

The 2026 Capital Budget adds $25 million to each program, with continued annual funding planned through 2030, underscoring the County’s commitment to housing affordability and stability for all residents.

Department of Planning Commissioner Blanca Lopez said: “The County Executive’s commitment to affordable housing, both rental and homeownership, is commendable let alone during such fiscally challenging times. As Commissioner of Planning, I am acutely aware of the enormous need for affordable housing opportunities for our residents.  These opportunities translate into letting our residents improve their lives and that of their children, to live where they grew up and to not be priced out of their communities and lastly provides stability for our disabled and senior neighbors. The construction of affordable housing also creates economic development opportunities including construction jobs, adding stability to our County’s economy.”

Transportation and Sustainability

Jenkins remains deeply committed to protecting the environment and embracing innovation through sustainable technology. The 2026 Capital Budget includes $122.5 million to replace 94 aging hybrid buses, ensuring a more reliable fleet while significantly reducing emissions and improving air quality across Westchester.

In addition, the County is investing $35 million, with an additional $15 million in local matching funds, to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, adding more than 650 new chargers across 77 sites.

Department of Public Works and Transportation Commissioner Hugh Greechan said: “The County Executive’s 2026 Capital Budget proposal builds on this administration’s record of strengthening critical infrastructure to serve the County’s residents well into the future.  This budget proposal provides results that will be seen and felt in every corner of the County, creating jobs and supporting the local economy along the way.  The County’s capital plan includes everything from road and bridge projects, Parks improvements, and flood mitigation projects.  I am thankful to the County Executive and this administration for prioritizing infrastructure improvement projects that provide real benefit to the County’s taxpayers and look forward to working on these exciting projects.”

Director of Energy Conservation and Sustainability Pete McCartt said: “The electrification of our transit fleet and assisting our municipalities and residents to transition to electric vehicles is integral to reducing our carbon footprint and making our air cleaner for everyone.”

Complete Streets Program

In 2026, the County Executive also proposes continuing the $15 million Complete Streets Municipal Assistance Program that launched in 2025.  This program will again help local municipalities design and build safer, more accessible roads.  Bonds are expected to be issued early 2026.

Department of Planning Commissioner Blanca Lopez said: “The Complete Streets Municipal Assistance Program has generated great excitement among the County’s cities, towns and villages, with 27 applications submitted in response to the program’s official kick-off announcement in June. The Planning Department is eager to continue building this program and supporting the projects that are awarded funding through to completion.”

Protecting Environmental Infrastructure

The 2026 Capital Budget makes significant investments to strengthen Westchester’s environmental infrastructure and resilience. At the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Facility, the County will invest $150 million for major electrical upgrades and $35 million for solids handling improvements, modernizing one of Westchester’s most vital environmental facilities.

To address the growing threat of flooding, the budget includes $9 million in new funding for flood mitigation projects, including $4 million for improvements to the Lake Isle Dam in Eastchester.

An additional $21 million from the New York State Environmental Bond Act will support projects such as bridge and culvert replacements in Rye Brook and Rye, protecting communities and strengthening local infrastructure against future storms.

Department of Planning Commissioner Blanca Lopez said: “Investing in resilient infrastructure today means protecting our communities tomorrow. These projects will help safeguard our neighborhoods, strengthen our local infrastructure, and ensure Westchester is prepared for the challenges of a changing climate.”

Modernizing County Facilities

The 2026 Capital Budget includes major investments in County facilities to improve efficiency and support essential operations. The new Fleet and Road Maintenance Facility is estimated to cost $133.5 million, with $4.3 million in concept funds already appropriated to advance planning.

To manage costs and improve delivery, Jenkins has directed the bundling of projects by type and location to reduce administrative costs. Departments are also implementing technology-driven capital management systems for better oversight and streamlining environmental and contracting approvals to keep projects moving.

Jenkins said: “These aren’t flashy projects, and that is the point. These projects are foundational. This coming year will be about holding the line, cutting where we can and making strategic investments in safety, stability, and the County’s future fiscal health. If we fail to maintain what we have now, the costs down the road will multiply.”

The County continues to grapple with significant increases in costs across essential services:

  • Healthcare: County healthcare expenses are up roughly 8%, exceeding budgeted amounts by over $15 million. Catastrophic medical cases alone, such as premature births requiring lifesaving care, cost the County $14 million in 2024.
  • Early Intervention & Mental Health: Utilization of these services is increasing, reflecting growing community needs.
  • Daycare & Housing: Enrollment in County-run daycare programs has increased while some federal funding has been reduced. Housing costs are also rising, with the County investing $8 million through the Office of Housing Counsel to help families remain in their homes and prevent shelter overcrowding.

Westchester could face losses of up to $700 million in state and federal aid.  SNAP funding reductions, beginning in 2027, could reduce support by approximately $6 million and further strain homeless shelters.

To address the shortfall, the County has implemented significant cost-saving measures:

  • Overtime in the Department of Corrections has been cut by $4 million.
  • Only positions directly tied to health and safety are being filled; a hiring freeze applies to all other roles across the Executive branch, the Board of Legislators, the District Attorney’s Office, and the County Clerk.

Jenkins said: “Some may ask about using our reserve fund, but reserves are not a piggy bank. While the situation is challenging, it could become far worse. I will not leave this County without a financial cushion. After the Astorino administration, there was nothing in reserves—we will not repeat that mistake.”

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OCTOBER 15 — THREE CARS CRUSHED IN NEW YORK LIFE WESTCHESTER ONE PARKING GARAGE PARTIALLY COLLAPSES. 15 CARS INVOLVED IN IMMEDIATE AREA

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White Plains Police Photo shows damage  to three vehicles when portion of the New York Life Parking Garage adjacent to Westchester One partially collapsed this morning. No one was injured. The Department of Public Safety said they were “accessing” the situation. The Department put in a support column as a precautionary measure, the Westchester Business Journal reported.

The Westchester One complex was opened in 1976.

 

In a news conference Thursday, according to White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, the privately owned garage is a 785,000-square-foot structure that accommodates office tenants on South Broadway (also known as Westchester One). A roughly 1,200 square-foot concrete section of the fifth-floor parking deck collapsed onto the fourth-floor parking deck. “

That collapsed piece is a bit smaller than the size of a regulation court.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many vehicles were inside the garage at the time of the 9 a.m. collapse on Hale Avenue near South Broadway. Aerial views showed the center of the roof level having caved in. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. About 15 cars were in the immediate affected zone, officials said.

Currently no persons are allowed to enter the garage to claim their cars. The structure is being inspected. Cars will be removed by authorities and drivers will be notified when their cars have been retrieved from the garage.

 

(Editor’s Note: The collapse comes within two  weeks of a city decision to shore up the northeast corner of the city-owned City Center Garage.)

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OCTOBER 14– 3 MAMARONECK RESIDENTS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. –

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that three Mamaroneck village residents have been arrested and charged within the past week with offenses related to the possession and promotion of child sexual abuse material.

 

Brent Mickol, 39, a social studies teacher at the Collegiate Institute for Math & Science, in The Bronx, was arraigned Tuesday in Mamaroneck Village Court. Bail was set at $5,000 cash. He has been administratively reassigned by his employer pending further investigation.

William Persampieri, 32, a custodian for the Rye Neck middle and high schools, was arraigned Thursday in Mamaroneck Village Court. Bail was set at $1,500 cash, over the objection of the District Attorney. He was placed on administrative leave by his employer pending further investigation.

Francisco Hernandez, 41, was arraigned last Friday in Mamaroneck Village Court. Bail was set at $50,000 cash, against the District Attorney’s request for remand.

Each defendant was charged with one count each of Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, a class D felony, and Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, a class E felony.

 

DA Cacace said:

“Rarely are crimes as heinous as those involving the abuse and exploitation of children. As the longtime presiding judge of the County Court’s Sex Offense Part, I saw far too many of these cases cross my docket.

Now, as District Attorney, I am working with our law enforcement partners to bring abusers to justice.

Possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material compounds the harms of the initial abuse and retraumatizes victims. Under my administration, prosecuting these cases is a top priority.”

These cases represent the latest efforts by DA Cacace to protect children and hold offenders accountable.

Recently, the District Attorney obtained the guilty plea of a Peekskill man who raped an 11-year-old girl in 2024, and secured the extradition to Westchester of a foreign national who raped a young girl over a decade ago and then fled the country.

Additionally, the District Attorney’s Office engages in robust community education efforts, including with Westchester-area schools, to help children recognize potential threats and encourage them to report inappropriate behavior.

The investigation into the Mamaroneck incidents was conducted by investigators from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and detectives from the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Delohery.
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OCTOBER 14– THE CONGRESSMAN LATIMER LETTER

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Rep. George Latimer's header image

Dear Neighbor,

 

I hope this email finds you well. We are now more than a week into a government shutdown, with votes cancelled in DC this week. Before I get more into that, I wanted to recognize the two-year anniversary of the brutal October 7th attacks that we commemorated this week. As we remember the lives lost, we stand in solidarity with the families whose pain ensures. Like many of you, I am hopeful that the recently announced ceasefire and hostage exchange holds, and that the region can finally move towards peace.

 

Last weekend I attended a commemoration of the October 7th attacks by the UJA, WJC, AJC and The Jewish Agency for Israel and hosted by Temple Israel Center in White Plains. This ceremony brought together people throughout the district to hold these families in our prayers.

Shutdown Update

On October 1st, the federal government entered a “shutdown” caused by a lapse in appropriated funding. However, despite the federal government shutdown, my DC, White Plains and Bronx offices are open and able to continue assisting you.

 

If you have questions about this shutdown and what it means for you and your family, we have put together an FAQ page on my website to explain a bit more about what services might be impacted: https://latimer.house.gov/shutdown

 

I am hopeful Speaker Johnson will bring us back to DC and allow for bipartisan negotiations to take place. It is imperative that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Starting on November 1st, millions of Americans will sign up for next year’s health insurance during “Open Enrollment” and that is when they will be faced with increased premiums. Premiums will increase by an average of $2,890 for 8,000 of our Bronx and Westchester neighbors (according to Joint Economic Committee Democrats). We can take action now and extend them but time is running out.

I have recently done some interviews about the shutdown and what Democrats are fighting for you. You can read or watch them at the links below.

 

Up Close with Bill Ritter

NewsNation

Rivertowns Dispatch

Westfair Business Journal

WGCH with Tony Savino

At Home: Westchester and the Bronx

In Co-op City, I attended the Bartow JASA Older Adult Center’s “The Color of Me, Myself and I” play and spoke about the importance of funding arts and humanities programs for all ages. I also stopped by the James Payne Street Co-Naming Ceremony.

I also recently attended the street renaming in Rye for Paul and Orial Redd. The Redds lived in Rye for over 50 years and were civil rights activists who won a landmark housing discrimination case.

Casework Corner

Mobile office hours

My constituent services team were recently at the New Rochelle Public Library and the Yonkers Public Library – Riverfront for mobile offices hours. They are able to assist with issues related to federal agencies and benefits. If you can’t make it to one of these mobile office hours events, you can call one of my offices and set up an appointment.

Texting sign up

In addition to promoting upcoming Mobile Office Hours via this newsletter and on our social media, my office has started sending out text messages to residents in the surrounding towns. We hope this is another way to keep you informed of what I am working on in DC and at home. If you would like to join our texting list, you can sign up here: https://latimer.house.gov/services/subscribe-texting

Social Post of the Week

Stay in Touch

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter/X and YouTube to stay up-to-date on what I am working on. If this newsletter was sent to you by someone else, you can sign up for it here: https://latimer.house.gov/contact/newsletter-subscribe

 

As always, reach out to my offices with concerns or questions. We are here to serve you!

 

More soon.

Sincerely,
Rep. George Latimer's signature image

Rep. George Latimer

Member of Congress
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OCTOBER 14–MGM RESORTS WITHDRAWS BID TO RUN YONKERS EMPIRE CITY CASINO

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County Executive Ken Jenkins Statement on MGM Resorts’ Withdrawal of Casino License Application

 

“I am both shocked, disappointed, and deeply dismayed by MGM Resorts’ decision to withdraw its commercial casino license application for Empire City Casino from consideration by the New York Gaming Commission and the Gaming Facility Location Board. Frankly, this decision makes little sense — especially after MGM had just been celebrating its advancement through the first round of the process.

“I share Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano’s concern that there appears to be more to this story.”

“For decades, so many of us have supported this effort, believing in the promise of good-paying jobs, new investment, and long-term economic stability for Yonkers and Westchester County. While this was not the outcome we hoped for, we remain committed to supporting MGM and Yonkers and to ensuring that our community continues to thrive.”

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OCTOBER 14–YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST INFECTIOUS DISEASE REPORT

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Weekend chaos at the CDC

And bird flu is back, patching together the disease “weather” report, measles continues to burn through, teen depression rates are falling, and more! The Dose (October 14).

This weekend was one for the books—though by now, it’s starting to feel like business as usual.

Late-night firings. Mass confusion. Then a partial reversal.

CDC has become a real-time experiment in how quickly a public health system can be dismantled before anyone realizes what’s been lost.

Spoiler: the administration noticed. Sort of.

Meanwhile, bird flu is back, and with federal data updates frozen by the shutdown, we’re piecing together a disease “weather report” from Google Trends and good intentions.

We conclude with a poll and a glimmer of hope: depression rates among young people are falling, and public health scientists have just been awarded a few “genius grants” to advance the field.

This is The Dose. Let’s go!

Weekend at CDC: What we know, what we don’t know, and the real danger

On Friday, about 1,300 CDC employees received a surprising email: they were fired.

No warning. No time to plan. Their badges were immediately deactivated. The justification was a “reduction in force”—a bureaucratic term now being used as a political pawn in the broader Congressional shutdown fight.

This wasn’t the first wave.

For months, CDC employees have endured mass layoffs, political interference, the firing of top scientific leaders, a lack of transparency, and fear and uncertainty.

But this round struck at the agency’s core. Senior leaders, including the incident manager for the national measles response, were let go.

The entire MMWR team—the scientific backbone that translates CDC data into outbreak reports and public guidance—gone.

So were epidemic intelligence service officers, the nation’s “disease detectives” who detect and track emerging threats before they spread.

It didn’t stop there. Cuts hit every corner of CDC’s operations:

  • Data office: the infrastructure that collects, connects, and analyzes data nationwide.
  • CFA INFORM: the “weather service” for infectious diseases.
  • CDC Washington Office: the bridge between science and policy.
  • Global Health Center: the front line that stops diseases abroad before they reach U.S. shores.
  • Chronic Disease Policy and Comms: connecting science to action on diabetes and heart disease.
  • Injury Prevention Policy and Comms: addressing gun violence, opioid overdoses, and suicide.
  • Ethics teams, human resources, the CDC library (it’s hard to do science without access to scientific literature), and more.

Then came the whiplash.

Within 24 hours, 700 employees were reinstated. The administration called it a “coding error.” Maybe. Or maybe it was a scramble to reverse a catastrophic mistake.

It’s hard to know precisely who remains fired, but it seems to include staff from ethics, congressional outreach, health statistics, nutrition surveys, and all of human resources.

Oh, also, the scientists who work on biodefense, such as weaponized pathogens, remain fired.

For those keeping track, this now accounts for 1 in 3 CDC employees lost over the past few months.

This doesn’t account for the 50% additional budget cuts coming in 2026.

What we’re testing in real time

The U.S. is conducting an uncontrolled experiment to see what happens when a public health agency is gutted with immense speed and without a vision beyond destruction.

We are getting increasingly close to system collapse. As often attributed to Amit Kalantri:

“Systems fail when people with ability don’t have authority and people with authority don’t have ability.”

The questions we’re testing are:

  1. How much trauma can the workforce absorb? Scientists have been holding the ship together after surviving mass layoffs, working under political interference, getting 500 bullets aimed at them, and mourning colleagues who lost jobs overnight. Public health employees are there for the mission (certainly not the pay), and it’s unclear how much longer that trumps trauma. Of course, cruelty is the point.
  2. In February, the OMB said, “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down… We want to put them in trauma.”
  3. How thin can CDC be stretched? One in three employees has now been lost—either fired or quit—within months. And this is before the 2026 budget, which will cut CDC by an additional 50%.
  4. How political will CDC become? The fewer career scientists who remain, the more political appointees fill the void. Each round of cuts makes the agency less independent and more beholden to politicians.
  5. What breaks first, and how will it be felt in American lives? The ultimate question haunting many in public health, including me.

Many of you have asked how MAHA (the movement I’ve been talking with for months) is reacting.

It’s complicated.

Some are cheering the cuts, seeing them as long-overdue accountability for institutions that failed them.

Many have been harmed or dismissed by these very systems. They feel unseen, unheard, and hungry for change.

Others, though, are uneasy and recognize that the pendulum has swung too far. And many simply don’t know this is happening, because echochambers continue to drive our information ecosystems.

This shouldn’t be too big a surprise, given that MAHA isn’t a monolith.

The real danger

I welcome radical transformation of our systems. They need it. But the danger here isn’t just in what’s being dismantled and how cruelly it’s being done, but in what’s not being built to take its place.

There’s no plan.

No rebuilding strategy.

No vision grounded in American values of innovation, imagination, and hope, nor the kind of long-term vision that could deliver the health ecosystem Americans deserve.

If we don’t fill this vacuum with credible leadership, imagination, and execution, it will be filled with noise, chaos, and ideology.

What this means for you: 

You won’t feel these latest cuts on the ground tomorrow or the next day, especially since some cores (like the measles lead) were reinstated.

But this will continue to be a slow bleed. Eventually it will be measured in American lives.

Welcome back to bird flu season

Fall doesn’t just bring respiratory viruses for humans; it also brings them for animals. After a relatively quiet spring and summer, our old friend H5N1 (bird flu) is back. USDA has seen an uptick in H5N1 detections in backyard flocks, commercial flocks, and wild birds. More than 4.4 million birds have been sick in the past month. This isn’t enough to impact egg prices yet, but it may soon.

What this means for you: Overall, the health risk to the general public—and the risk of a pandemic—remains low. However, risk increases for anyone in close contact with infected or sick birds. Disease can be severe, as we saw in a few rare hospitalizations and deaths last year. So, as we move into this season:

  • If you have a backyard flock, you should take precautions to reduce the risk of spreading disease. For tips on how to do this, check YLE’s deep dive.
  • Bird feeders: Birds that gather at feeders (like cardinals, sparrows, and bluebirds) do not typically carry H5N1. The USDA does not recommend removing backyard bird feeders for H5N1 prevention unless you also care for poultry. The less contact between wild birds and poultry (by removing sources of food, water, and shelter), the better.
  • Hunters are at high risk for H5N1, especially if they don’t use PPE while handling dead birds. A Washington study showed that 2% (4/194) of hunting dogs tested positive for H5N1.
  • Domestic animals—cats and dogs—can get H5N1 if they contact (usually eat) a dead or sick bird or even its droppings. H5N1 can survive in bird droppings for up to 18 hours. Domestic animals can also get it from raw food, unpasteurized milk, and their humans. It’s very deadly to cats. (It doesn’t seem to be as dangerous to dogs.)

Infectious disease “weather report”

The government shutdown continues to stall federal data updates, including national flu, Covid-19, and RSV surveillance. So today we have a very fragmented picture. Still, we can piece together some insights by looking at alternative sources—like PopHIVE, which pulls from Google Trends and healthcare records—or by reviewing state-level data directly, as fellow epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Rivers has been doing.

The rough picture shows this:

  • Covid-19 is still trending down

Trends in COVID-19 activity in United States. Source: PopHIVE

  • Flu activity remains low, though it’s increased slightly in Texas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
  • RSV in Southern states is growing, especially in Louisiana, South Carolina, Virginia, and Texas.

What this means for you: We’re still in a pre-flu season lull. This is expected in early October, but will change in the coming weeks. Now is a great time to get your vaccinations. Check out YLE’s Updated Fall 2025 Vaccine Guide for more information.

Measles cases now stand at 1,575, with a few outbreaks.

  • Utah/Arizona: More than 100 confirmed cases linked to this outbreak (59 in Arizona and 44 in Utah), and cases continue to increase.
  • South Carolina: Eighth confirmed case since mid-September. One hundred fifty-three unvaccinated schoolchildren are now under a 21-day quarantine.
  • Minnesota: More than 10 cases in the past few weeks.

What this means for you: If you’re vaccinated, you’re very well protected. If you’re in these areas with a child under 12 months, consider getting MMR early.

Good news!

This is becoming my favorite section now, given *waves hands in the air* everything. Two pieces of great news this past week:

1. Several MacArthur Fellowships go to public health researchers. The “genius” grants are typically given to diverse and eclectic fellows, which I love, but this year, public health was well represented:

  • Jason McLellan studies viral proteins with an eye toward vaccine development. He’s characterizing viral fusion proteins, which viruses use to bind to human cells (think of the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2).
  • Nabarun Dasgupta is an epidemiologist and harm reduction specialist who is creating practical programs to mitigate harms from opioid overdose deaths.

The MacArthur Fellowship will provide the funding, time, and space to continue work freely.

2. Mental health among teens and young adults is improving. After an alarming increasing trend over the years, the rate of depression among Americans aged 12-17 and 18-25 is falling quickly. We still have a long way to go in understanding causal effects, holding social media companies accountable, and improving the mental health of millions of teens. Still, this change is something to celebrate. (Shout-out to epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Farley for pointing out this fantastic news last week.)

Graph from Healthscaping

Poll

Bottom line

This week showed us both the fragility and the resilience of public health in America. Our nation’s disease watchdog is being dismantled, data pipelines are going dark, and yet the work continues—from scientists holding the line to supporting teens’ mental health.

Have a wonderful week!

Love, YLE

Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is founded and operated by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist. YLE is a public health newsletter that reaches over 400,000 people in more than 132 countries, with one goal: to translate the ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below:

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OCTOBER 13– TRIBUTE TO COLUMBUS AND THOSE INTREPID ADVENTURERS WHO CAME AFTER HIM WHO BECKONED US FORWARD BY SAYING “FOLLOW ME!’

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WPCNR COLUMN FROM THE PAST IN HONOR OF  CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

This column originally appeared on WPCNR on February 1, 2003, and celebrates the Dreamers, the Achievers, the High and the Mighty, of whom Columbus was one–the man who kept a frightened crew together and a mission of three ships the Nina, the Pinta and the  Santa Marie, across unchartered waters to open the other half the world, and create this one.

I wrote it about the Apollo 11 Crew, but the sentiments expressed aptly fit Columbus the man and the achievers who risked the unknown, the terrifying, the oceans the frontiers, vagaries of fate:

The Space Blazers:

 The Apollo 11 Crew: Nail Armstrong, Michael Collins,  Buzz Aldrin, Jr. Mr. Armstrong set foot on the moon 56 years ago July 20, 1969(NASA Photo)

The exact hour  was  20:11 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). That was the culmination of the last great American achievement  – the personal computer and the internet were to come as the next great American achievement conquering space — when Apollo 11 with Armstrong in command, with astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. blasted off to the stars  for real becoming the Flash Gordons, Buck Rogerses, Tom Corbetts and Captain Videos for all-time.

Their mission was a success.

But there have been the tragedies associated with striving for the stars and being the best, achieving the best, working for the good. Those are the persons who keep the dreams alive by their deaths and personal sacrifice. I wrote the following after the explosion of the Columbia Space Shuttle upon reentry after 19 days in space in January 2003.

The fatal Columbia Space Shuttle accident killing all 7 astronauts aboard when the historic spacecraft broke up over East Texas at daybreak on a Saturday morning began a period of national mourning. 


The expected media speculations have started, guessing at the cause of the reentry that went bizarrely, awfully wrong.


The truth is the civilized world takes absolute scientific miracles for granted. We do not appreciate the courage and skills of the men and women creating the future.


Those of us with cell phones, internet connections, high-speed trains, satellite communications and entertainment (all products made possible by the space program), do not realize the magnitude of daring achievements that you and I have come to accept to be executed like clockwork.


I first learned of Columbia’s fate late that Saturday afternoon when my wife mentioned that instead of sports programming being videotaped on our television, there was coverage of a live NASA event on ABC.


(Incredibly, the radio station I had been listening to on the way from a sports clinic had not reported any hint of the accident. That station was Z-100, then the most listened-to station in the New York metropolitan area. America Online also on their first up page did not mention the missing craft as of midday. That kind of communications misjudgment is sad.)


As I watched the close of Mr. Jennings’ coverage at about 3 PM, he signed off with no recap, no names of astronauts, and some parting words about what he thought was the cause of the disaster.


I’ll say what he should have said.


Columbia’s seven astronauts who died — we know their names: they were

Columbus, Magellan, Cook, Lewis, Clark, the Wrights, Lindbergh, De Laroche, Earhart, Markham, Gruber, Chaffee, Grissom, White, Gagarin, Komarov, the Challenger Crew, the crew of Soyuz 11. They are a handful of the hundreds of brave men and women who went into the unknown.

Appollo 11′s Crew turned the dreams of children like me in  the 1950s visualized in television shows like Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (above, Astro, Roger and Tom) and Captain Video, “The Master of Science” below  into reality.

America’s Spacemen and Spacewomen and the explorers before them are the people who trust in their ability and their vessel to expand the world’s horizons, to know the unknown, whose legacies build a better world. Whose deeds inspire and achievements are the catalysts for achievement to come. Who take responsibility!


From Captain Cook’s fragile vessel which sailed the Pacific, to the marvel that was the Columbia, the captains courageous who sailed the Roaring 40s, blazed the Oregon Trail, discovered how to fly, and flew the oceans, journeyed to the stars, knew the risks they were taking. They lived for it.


The media  trivializes their courage, their skills, and the difficulty of what they did and wanted to do, to concentrate on the causes of their failure, as if knowing the cause will make their loss acceptable.

The Magnificent Seven


I do not know Columbia’s Magnificent Seven. I just see their smiling faces in their photograph, and I regret the loss of every one. They had achievement on their faces, pride in their demeanor. Their eyes shown with the glow of being alive and striving to do the great things they set out to do. Unafraid. Faith in their abilities. A team.


Civilization has been created because of people like the crew of the Columbia’s Magnificent Seven, not the incompetence we see demonstrated daily today, the frauds, the irresponsibility where technology is concerned. the selfishness.


The Columbia itself had flown 26 missions since launching in 1981. It was guided and outfitted with the best 2003 communications and equipment had to offer.

Not like Captain James Cook’s bark, Endeavour, a 100-foot ship powered by sail that conquered the “space” of his time, the Pacific Ocean.

It was the Columbia’s Magnificent Seven’s Endeavour. They were tracked, they were backed up, but they perhaps more than anyone here on the ground knew the high dangers of the shuttle mission.

Liftoff, as their predecessors, The Challenger crew fell victim to, is fraught with risk. Reentry, which needs to be negotiated at precisely the right angle of attack, is equally risky. Soyuz 11’s space crew of Dobrovolsky, Volkov, and Patsayev died in 1971 on reentry, when the Russian cosmonauts took too long to descend.


No guarantees in real life. Machines sometimes run out of miracles. But sometimes machines save us inexplicably. Created by men and women, our machines retain some of our humanity and talent in them and we expect miracles of them.


The magnificence of the explorers’ sacrifice and dedication, is that they accept the risk of “the Endeavor.”


They accept the challenge, bear it alone, seizing challenge with an indomitable spirit and confidence, facing death when it comes with the satisfaction that they made the effort, and I suspect analyzing, coping, trying to fix it until the end, the very end.

They never give up.

Columbia’s Magnificent Seven, after 16 days in space, are gone now.

My sorrow is with their families who will miss these Magnificent Seven, and who know in their hearts that they died trying to reach the pinnacle of their aspirations.


They are only human.


They tried their best, achieved their best, and experienced what they longed to experience. They dared to live the great adventure.

They did it for us.


Not all of us have the courage to follow our longed-for adventures and make them real. You can watch movies that attempt to give that experience by transference.

That’s why, I believe, you and I take it so personally when we lose heroic personalities of our time. We wonder what they are like. We glorify them, rightly so.


“Follow Me! ” They Say.


I wonder how those Magnificent Seven felt, how satisfying it must have been, to be at your best, doing what you love, coping with the risks.I envy them that.

To the very end they are saying to each other, “I got this!”


The Columbia Crew is the Miracle.


In reality it is not machines that conquer, it is the intrepid personalities, each unique, each contributing, who perform the miracles with God’s helpnd their spirit!

That they fall short is an example to us, not to take ourselves, our fates, or our existences for granted.


This is true of the everyday people we take for granted: the firefighter, the policeman, the train engineer, the airline pilot, the construction worker. All are highly trained disciplined workers, executing precise tasks for which the non-expert has no feel or understanding .

What makes for the desire to achieve? What is out there or up there that leads them on?

The Feel  the thrill of the Unknown


I took Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s biographical adventure diary, Listen! The Wind down from the bookshelf.

She was the young bride of the aviator-pioneer, Charles Lindbergh. She navigated for him in his aircraft, and ran his radio communications on his many exploratory flights around the world.

In a passage she describes a night flight over the ocean, in which she was operating the radio for her husband Charles, who was at the controls.

Mrs. Lindbergh is describing the feelings she has as she tries to tune in the South American coast at sea in the dark of night in 1933, 92  years ago.

The feeling, the courage of the adventurer, the explorer has not changed. Ann Morrow Lindberg describes the fear the confidence, her discipline and her husband’s trust in her ability.  This is great:

“Night was the hardest. It would be all right once it was day. I kept saying…We began to hit clouds. I could tell without looking up, for the plane bumped slightly from time to time, first one wing down and then the other. And the moon blackened out for short periods.

Then for longer periods. I could not see to write my messages. I stiffened, dimly sensing fear – the old fear of bad weather – and looked out. We were flying under clouds. I could still find a kind of horizon, a difference in shading where the water met the clouds. That was all. But it seemed to be getting darker.

Storms?

Were those clouds or was it the sky? We had lost the water (surface).

We were flying blind.

I turned off the light quickly (to give my husband a little more vision), and sat waiting, tense, peering through the night. Now we were out again. There were holes through which one could see the dark sky. It was all right, I felt, as long as there were holes.


More blind flying.

This is it, I thought is what people forget.

This is what it means to fly across the ocean, blind and at night.

But day is coming.

It ought to be day before long… Daybreak!

What a miracle. I didn’t see any sign of day and yet it must be lighter. The clouds were distinguishing themselves more and more from water and sea.


Daybreak—thank God—as if we had been living in eternal night—as if this were the first sun that ever rose out of the sea.

Note: This column originally appeared February 1, 2003 on WPCNR

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OCTOBER 13– NO FLOODING IN GREENBURGH: PREPARING IS THE REASON

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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From Paul Feiner, Town of Greenburgh Supervisor October 13, 2025:

 

No flooding reported from storm. We were prepared to address flooding in Fulton Park by testing out a pump…

On Saturday, the town of Greenburgh public works department distributed over 1,000 sandbags to residents who were worried about the anticipated Nor’Easter.

I spoke with the Commissioner of Public Works, Rich Fon and the police department and was advised that there were no reports of flooding around the town.

Although the Nor’Easter was not as bad as anticipated we have been preparing  as best as we can.

One initiative: we had placed a pump in the Fulton Park neighborhood. We have been doing extensive work removing obstructions around Manhattan Brook.

Hopefully, the work we did will help reduce flooding the next time there is a major storm.

As part of our ongoing efforts to address chronic flooding issues in the Town of Greenburgh, the Town has recently purchased two large emergency pumps to assist in areas that experience excessive stormwater accumulation during major weather events.

Unlike the Fire Department, which may pump water out of homes in certain emergencies, the purpose of these pumps is to move stormwater from flood-prone areas and discharge it beyond the point of restriction—essentially bypassing the bottleneck that causes localized flooding.

In the case of Fulton Park, the flooding challenges are compounded by a 48-inch gravity-fed aqueduct that runs through the backyards of several homes off Old Kensico Road. The berms in these backyards, originally placed to contain the water aqueduct, now act as a barrier preventing water from flowing freely and essentially creating a pooling effect during heavy storms.

The culvert under the bridge in this area is actually the channel for this aqueduct. During an emergency, we will be prepared to deploy one of the new pumps at a strategic location in the neighborhood. The goal will be to pump water from the flooded area into the adjacent Westchester County parkland, helping to alleviate rising water levels within Fulton Park itself.

We are hopeful that this equipment in some situations will make a measurable difference in our flood response, especially during future storm events.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

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OCTOBER 12–THE UMPIRES HALL OF FAME MEMBERS FROM THE COOPERSTOWN HALL OF FAME

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HANK O’DAY (Elected 2010)

A player, manager, umpire and scout for more than 40 years in the National League, Hank O’Day remains the only person to serve the league in so many capacities. I thank Cliff Blau, the Sabermatician for reminding me of Hank’s election.

But it was as an umpire where O’Day made his greatest mark on history in some of baseball’s greatest games.

And it’s as an umpire that O’Day earned election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, just the 10th arbiter to be inducted.

Born on July 8, 1862 in Chicago, O’Day made his major league baseball debut in 1884 as a pitcher for the Toledo Blue Stockings. In his seven-year career, O’Day went 73-110 with clubs like the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Washington Nationals and New York Giants.

In 1889, O’Day won two games with a 1.17 ERA in the World Series to help the Giants to a 6-3 win over Brooklyn of the American Association. Coming off that successful postseason, O’Day had his best season in 1890, going 22-13. But en route to throwing more than 300 innings, he began to have arm trouble. That was the last season he would play in the big leagues, and O’Day ended his playing career in 1893 in the minors.

He wasn’t gone for long. O’Day returned to the National League as an umpire in 1895 and spent 30 years calling games.

O’Day was chosen to umpire the first modern World Series in 1903 as the only NL ump. He worked in nine other World Series, second-most in baseball history.

In 1908, O’Day was involved in one of the most controversial plays in history. As the plate umpire during a Cubs vs. Giants game, O’Day watched as Al Bridwell of New York appeared to hit a walk-off single to win the game. Fred Merkle, the Giants’ 19-year-old first baseman, was on first base at the time and never advanced from first to second when Moose McCormick – the runner on third base – scored, a common practice of the era. Cubs players produced a ball, and Chicago second baseman Johnny Evers tagged second base, claiming Merkle was out and that the run didn’t count because of the force out. O’Day ruled in favor of the Cubs – and Chicago later won a makeup game to win the National League pennant.

O’Day was the home plate umpire for no-hitters in four decades and also umpired the game in 1920 that featured the only unassisted triple play in World Series history – one of 10 World Series appearances.

In 1912, O’Day took a break from umpiring to manage the Cincinnati Reds. They finished 75-78 and in fourth place. He returned to umpiring in 1913, only to manage again in 1914, taking over the Cubs from Evers. After another fourth place finish at 78-76, O’Day returned to umpiring for good.

O’Day retired following the 1927 season and remained active in the National League as a scout for new umpires.

O’Day passed away on July 2, 1935. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2013.

The Basics

Did you know that Hank O’Day during his 35-year career as an umpire in the major leagues, made 246 ejections during his career?

 

The first player he threw out was Connie Mack on September 6, 1895

He threw out John Mcgraw 5 times.

He threw out the legends, Cap Anson in 1897 on September 22 on an argued non interference call.

 

The first time he threw out  John Mcgraw  was also on a interference he did not call on June 30  1897

He also threw out Rabbit Maranville 3 times, twice for fighting.

 

Joe Tinker, Honus Wagner, Frank Chance, Roger Bresnahan who invented the face mask.

 

Hughie Jennings, Miller Huggins (for arguing balls and strikes) and Clark Griffith the catcher on a home plate call.

 

246 ejections over 35 seasons is an average of only 7 a year. An indication that Mr. O’Day whose nickname was “The Reverend” had a cool demeanor not like the hot heads umpiring in the major leagues today.

 

WILLIAM J. KLEM

(BILL)

 

Elected to the Hall in 1953 was born in 1874 in Rochester, NY.

Bill was know as “The Old Arbitrator,” He umpired in the National League for 37 years and retired in 1941. He worked only behind the plate because of his excellent consistency of the strike zone. He is know as the “Father of Modern Day Umpire

 

 

 

 

THOMAS SENRY CONNOLY

 

 

(TOM)

 

 

Elected to the Hall in 1953 was born in 1870 in Manchester, England.

Tom was one of the first two umpires inducted into the Hall. Umpired in the National league for two years then to the American league and retired in 1931. He worked the American Leagues first game on April 24, 1901. Connolly was appointed the leagues first umpire-in-chief and served in that capacity until 1954.

 

 

 

WILLIAM GEORGE EVANS

(BILLY)

Elected to the Hall in 1973 was born 1884 in Chicago, IL.

 

 

Billy was at the time the youngest umpire in league history in  1906 at the age of 22. His career lasted until 1927 and after retiring he became an executive for many MLB Teams.

 

 

JOHN BERTRAND CONLAN

(JOCKO)

Elected to the hall in 1974 was born in       1899 in Scottsdale, Az.

Jocko became an umpire by accident as umpire Red Ormsby was over taken with heat exhaustion during a White Sox – Browns game in 1935. He was asked to fill in for Red and the next year became an umpire. He became a National League umpire in 1941 and retired in 1964

 

 

ROBERT CALVIN HUBBARD

(CAL)

Elected to the hall in 1976 was born in 1900 in Keytesville, Mo.

Cal became an American League umpire in 1936. He worked the minor leagues for eight seasons. A hunting accident cut his umpiring career short he retired in 1951. He was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the College Hall. He owns that distinction as being first.

 

 

ALBERT JOSEPH BARLICK

(AL)

Elected to the Hall in 1989 was born in 1915 in Springfield, Il.

Al worked in the National League for 27 seasons. His five decades as an umpire are remarkable. He began his umpire career in 1940 at age 25. He retired in 1971.

 

 

WILLIAM ALOYSIUS McGOWAN

(BILL)

Elected to the Hall in 1992 was born in 1896 in Wilmington, De.

Bill had a thirty year career as an umpire in the American League starting in 1925. He had a colorful style and never changed throughout his career. He umpired 2,541 consecutive games. Bill was known as the “iron man” among umpires.

 

 

NESTOR L. CHYLAK JR

Elected to the Hall in 1999 was born in 1922 in Dunmore, Pa.

Nestor fought in the Battle of the Bulge and received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart and was seriously wounded in battle.

He umpired for 25 years in the American League beginning his career as an umpire in 1954. He suffered a mild stroke and was forced to retire in 1978. He was stationed at first base when Bill Mazeroski hit his homerun in the 1960 World Series to win the seventh game.

 

 

HAROLD DOUGLAS HARVEY

(DOUG)

Elected to the Hall in 2010 was born in 1930 in South Gate, Ca.

Doug was a National League umpire crew chief for 18 years. He worked 31 seasons and a total of 4,673 games. He mentored many young umpires and his main emphasis was on timing. He was well know as an umpire who controlled the game. He worked the plate in Game One of the World Series in 1988 when Kirk Gibson hit his famous pinch hit homerun.

THERE ONLY NINE ON THE LIST OF HALL OF FAME UMPIRES

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OCTOBER 11–BASEBALL SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS AFTER 15 INNING TIGERS MARINERS DONNYBROOK RULES UNANIMOUSLY REJECTS GHOST RUNNER ON SECOND TO SHORTEN GAMES

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“FANS SAW WHAT THEY WERE MISSING FRIDAY NIGHT WITHOUT REAL EXTRA INNINGS,” Chief Justice Kenesaw Mountain Landis RULES

 

WPCNR’S VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK By “Bull” Allen  FROM BOSTON’S BRAVES FIELD in the HEAVENLY LEAGUE October  11:

The heavenly court of appeals arbiters in unanimous decision rule  extra innings best post season game ever.

HELLO THERE EVERYBODY, THIS IS BULL ALLEN FROM THE JURY BOX BLEACHER IN OLD BRAVES FIELD IN THE HEAVENLY BASEBALL LEAGUE.

“FANS SAW WHAT THEY WERE MISSING FRIDAY NIGHT WITHOUT REAL EXTRA INNINGS to the end,” Kenesaw Mountain Landis  Chief Justice of  Heaven’s Baseball Supreme Court of Appeals,  read the unanimous decision 8:30 PM PACIFIC TIME after the court  watching from the famous “Jury Box” Bleacher (upper left in rendering above) in Old Braves Field in the Heavenly Baseball League where the greatest players play again on Elysian Fields of the past.

The Justices viewed the Tigers Mariners 15 inning game on HBLS NETWORK (Heavenly Baseball League Sports, GOD, COMMISSIONER)

The Supreme Baseball Court consists of Judge Landis and the  9 members of the Umpire’s Hall off Fame:  Bill Klem, Bruce Froemmng Billy Evans, Hank O’Day, Jocko Conlan, Al Barlick, Bill McGowan, Nestor Chylack and  Dough Harvey. (Some of the great arbitrators are still living today and serve by invitation of Judge Landis.

The Judges of Judges of 10 ruled unanimously in the third game of this season to be decided in “Natural Extra Innings” without starting the 10th inning with a runner a second . The appeal from prayers of baseball fans across the land convinced the greatest arbitrators of all time to review the merits of baseball today eliminating “natural extra innings,” and its benefits to the fan.

The judgement from the Supreme Court of Baseball was swift and devastating.

They smote  baseball’s tinkerage of the last 30 years of commissioners’ and owners’ changes to  traditional rules.

As the Seattle players jumped up and down like kids as the winning run was singled in in the 15th inning, fans roaring up into the night. The stoic Tigers bearing their crushing defeat, the decision by the umpires stunned media as Landis and the court appeared in the  Seattle dressing room, champagne flying

Landis read the decision:

“This body of my colleagues in the Umpire’s Hall of Fame after watching this evening’s extraordinary baseball game more tense than a movie, more emotional that frayed the nerves every inning with neither team  relenting effort or reaching back for that little something extra and flawlessly executing plays that had to be made under the greatest of pressure. From pitchers using superb poise and execution to get great Tiger stars and relentless Mariners keeping the magic the showcase of what baseball at its highest level. Where no clock saves you and fans can watch forever until the winning run is scored in innings where every pitch counts. Heads up plays and situational baseball strategy knowledge and deployment  and extraordinary effort win games like this.

We were asked by the fans of this game, told the games are too long. They do not retain attention they have to be shorter. Fans do not want games lasting three hours. My colleagues watched this game tonight and though we are old this Detroit-Seattle game was baseball showing why it is the greatest game of all.

Was the stadium emptying out after two hours. No.

Were the players tired you bet. But they were playing at the top of their game.

Were  the Extra Innings boring?

(Mr. Landis chuckled at this.)

On into the night the fierce game  pitch clock and batter timings included, did not bore in the least.

Time after time pitchers and fielders using guile, savvy and must-make plays saved the game for their teams with of course every pitch hit high and  far might end it in an instant.

Frankly  the end was  sad a game  ended, not on a penalty not on a walk, not on an error, but the flawless joyous ripped single all runners wheeling madly as the winning run scored.

Seattle fans and oldtime fans of the game stoic and reverent about the epic they had just seen 5 hours and 30 minutes of baseball that moved. Suspense mounting. It was nervous to watch.

As an old time player once said. ”Baseball is a worrying game.”

What gems these Extra innings showcased. That gleamed in baseball’s crown!

 Loyal Detroit fans  in their sadness that will never be a day they do not think of will remember as long as baseball is played the longest  in time playoff game ever!

Seattle remember the horror at Tiger pitchers inducing snappy crisp double plays to snap bases loaded 1 out threats from its best hitters.

The Tiger fans will question not pinch running for the catcher in the 11th when he reached base to  1st and 2nd 1 out, and then watching in horror as a bunt moved the runners up. Seattle drew the infield in to cut off the run at the plate. Sharply hit ground is speared and the fielder goes to the plate for the out.  Still a runner a second Detroit cannot score.

The pitching in the clutch spots. Well, watching it was like each pitcher was disarming a time bomb. And the poise on close pitches causing walks.

This happened in extra innings. Unlike what happens with the runner on second starting the inning.

My panel of judges for these reasons rules that baseball has by invoking “natural extra innings” has made an extreme tactical error in selling their shorter games theory which my colleagues agree is a decision to make more gate receipts, get more television and network and streaming services money at the expense of the perfect game.

These 6 extra innings had it all. Tension. Shocking extraordinary execution. Detroit was held scoreless for 9 consecutive innings Seattle for 11.

As far as the other changes of the game, they have speeded up the game.

The denial of field shifts by the major league rules team, has not hurt the game. It has made the fielding better.

In the matter of “Natural Extra Innings” this court finds that Extra innings provides more enjoyment for the fan, more entertainment then starting  the 10th inning with a runner on second. Detroit’s last threat was a double so they had a runner on second, but they still had to hit it in. If you hit with runners in scoring position you win.

Also the visiting team wins most games in 10th innings with runner on second starts. This is anticlimactic.

Our decision: Extra Innings Every game all the time when score is tied after nine.”

I was not able to track this game I relied on the pitch by pitch internet service provided by ESPN and Yahoo.

They tell you who is batting and who is pitching. Score, count. Pitcher. And tell each play with a suspense that is compelling. It reminded me of the old Western Union Sports Ticker. Also of the Les Leiter recreations of San Francisco Giant games on I think WHN. He’d play crowd noise and invent what was happening a pitch by pitch terse description of Western Union.

I found watching the ESPN and Yahoo internet version of the old big billboards newspapers put up in hotels in Miami when the World Series was playing.

I felt the tension of the Detroit Seattle classic game without the tedious commentary of sports casters over analyzing and the commercials. I got thinking about the game more.

And most of all like the Judges saw  watching the game from their Jury Box Bleacher, the is the winner with Extra Innings….they can always leave.

And unless an umpire is tired and wants to go home and squeezes pitchers in the bottom of Extra Innings, you see all the ironies and miracles and great plays and highs and lows.

Extra innings teach how to live with disappointments, bad breaks, and as they used to say in Brooklyn, “Wait’ll Next Year!”

Watching Extra innings prepare you to weather crisis.

And they are fair.

This is Bull Allen, “So long, Everybody!”

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