WPCNR CASTING CALL. From John Arco, Newman Theatre. August 10, 2003:The Herbert Mark Newman Theatre of the Richard G. Rosenthal JCC is pleased to announce auditions for it’s fall 2003 production of The Lion In Winter, by James Goldman. The production is under the direction of Thomas Kramer, with performance dates set for November 1, 2, 8, 9, 13, 15 and 16. Auditions are scheduled for September 3 and 4, both beginning at 7PM at 600 Bedford Road, Pleasantville. Candidates will be seen on a first-com-first-served basis, and no appointments are needed. Candidates should be prepared to read from the script.
Character breakdown for the piece is as follows:
Henry II, King of England, 50 years old, powerful energetic and a man
having his last moments of greatness before the beginning of the decline.
Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry’s estranged wife. She is his equal in every
way.
Richard Lionheart, the oldest son and Eleanor’s favorite. Strong; determined to be Henry’s successor.
Geoffrey, the middle son. The brightest of a very bright family. Generally overlooked when the question of succession arises.
John, the youngest son and Henry’s favorite. Unsure of how to attain the throne. Will follow whoever leads him.
Alais, beautiful. 25 years old. French princess betrothed to Richard for 18 years, and is currently sharing also Henry’s bed.
Philip, crowned King of France. Alais’ brother, determined to see Alais wed to Richard.
The play takes place at Christmas, 1183 AD, at Henry’s castle in Chignon, France. King Henry II has summoned his rather dysfunctional family for the holiday season and plans to guarantee his successor to the throne. His wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, whom he has imprisoned for the past 10 years, has her own thoughts on who should follow Henry, while the three Princes all scheme to be named heir. Into the family mix, Alais and Philip (along with the power they possess) add to the political and personal maneuvering, and make for a very volatile holiday celebration. This is a
family that makes the Ewings of DALLAS look like THE BRADY BUNCH.
For more information about The Newman Theatre, please visit our website at www.newmantheatre.org. For directions or specific questions, contact John Arco at 914-741-0333×626 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Girls Fastpitch Explodes in White Plains
WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Chris Kulk, Coach White Plains Explosion 14-Unders. August 7, 2003: The sport of girl’s fastpitch softball is one of the fastest growing sports in area. Interest in the sport has lead to the organization of the White Plains Girls Softball Association, which now sponsors three summer fastpitch teams. The White Plains Explosion. 14 & Under, 12 & Under and 10 & Under age groups.
2003 WHITE PLAINS EXPLOSION 14-U
Left to Right: Christine Portillo, Juliana Bailey, Jill Gordon, Tracy Avery, Jen Gilch, Molly Gottshal, Kailey Meccia, Lauren Kroutil, Lisa Tompkins, and Laura Cedrone. Madalyn Petralia, not pictured. The team won 12 out of 16 games this summer.
Photo by WPCNR Sports
The Explosion is a select travel fastpitch team playing other teams as far north as East Fishkill and south as Bronx. The players are selected from the best White Plains female athletes during tryouts in the fall. The selected girls each have a strong commitment to learning the game of fastpitch softball. They commit to playing approximately 18 games starting the last week of June and lasting until the end of July. The Fastpitch season is resumed again in the fall for an extra six weeks when the Explosion teams enter fall leagues. Fall fastpitch adds another 12 games as the teams compete in weekly Sunday double headers.
The Explosion teams, now in their second year have found their success in the philosophy of teaching fastpitch fundamentals in a positive atmosphere through competitive play. The teams limit the number of players accepted on the team in order to ensure a maximum amount of playing time for each of the girls.
The interest in the sport has driven demand for softball clinics. Ted O’Donnell White Plains High varsity softball coach has filled that demand over the years by offering both pitching and skills clinics to White Plains girls 4th grade and up. Ted O’Donnell’s White Plains Fastpitch also sponsors it own team. The White Plains Stix. The Stix are a 16 U tournament level travel team traveling weekends throughout the tri-state region The Stix end each season by traveling to a week long National tournament, this year held in North Carolina.
. The White Plains business community has reached out with financial support to make this a big success. Many thanks to Stephen Sules State Farm Insurance, Kent Plumbing Supply, Dooley Macs Pub, Smith Barney, Remodeling Consultants, Klhar Glass, Frank Gambelli of City Line Deli, White Plains Firefighters, Statewide Title Insurance, and Radel Corp. all off of which gave freely to support girls fastpitch softball in White Plains.
Girls interested in softball clinics or playing for the White Plains Explosion can contact the organization via email [email protected]
Adam In Albany: Indian Point Still Troubles Him Despite ” Assurances”
WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By 89th District Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. August 7, 2003: So much has changed in our lives since terrorists attacked New York and Washington. All of us have become acutely aware of how precarious our safety and that of our families can be. And it’s for that reason that I have been an outspoken critic of the Indian Point Evaluation Plan. I do not have any faith in the federal government’s assurances that all of us living in the shadow of the Indian Point nuclear plant are safe – and most importantly that we will be able to safely evacuate in case of an emergency at Indian Point.
This isn’t just my opinion, either. This past January, I attended a meeting in Greenburgh to discuss a 550-page report released by James Lee Witt Associates, a company founded by the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which conducted a five-month study of the plant’s evacuation plans for the state. Their conclusion was that the evacuation plan was wholly inadequate.
FEMA and the NRC have to, by law, sign off on the evacuation plans only when they are assured and can guarantee that the plans are adequate to ensure the safety of surrounding communities in the event of a nuclear catastrophe. That assurance cannot be made in the case of Indian Point. In the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster, it’s naïve to think that people will heed official instructions. Families will understandably want to make sure children and loved ones are all right. As a result, our already congested and overburdened roads will be completely choked with traffic, making it impossible to evacuate. And that’s just in Westchester. Indian Point is only 35 miles or so upwind from Times Square and the millions of people who live in New York City proper.
I remain concerned for the safety of our families and friends, and for the well-being of our communities. And as the terrorists have so effectively proven, we are vulnerable. It’s high time for the federal government to take our situation seriously. I urge FEMA in the strongest possible terms to rethink their horribly misguided certification of the evacuation plan and to protect the safety of our families instead of the interests of big energy corporate profits.
The greatest lesson we should have learned from September 11 is that the unthinkable can become a reality in a fraction of a second. Airliners can become missiles. Buildings once thought indestructible can be brought down – the lives of thousands of people can be lost. The Indian Point evacuation plan will not work, therefore Indian Point is no longer a risk worth taking in our communities. It’s time for the federal government to finally do something proactive to keep our families safe and secure. It’s time for the federal government to finally be honest and shut Indian Point down, and at a minimum, level with us in candid terms about the lack of any meaningful evacuation plan.
Mayor Announces and Confirms Performing Arts Center Brain Trust
WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VARIETY. From Rick Ammirato, The Mayor’s Office. August 6, 2003: Mayor Joseph Delfino today announced the appointment of the White Plains Performing Arts Center’s (WPPAC) Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is charged with getting the organization and operation of the Center up and running, and will be expanded to include more members in the future. The Mayor will also be appointing a Citizens Advisory Committee for the Center later this year.
Mayor Delfino, shown at a Common Council Meeting last spring, said, “The formation of this highly distinguished board is the true beginning of the City’s quest to make the WPPAC the pre-eminent cultural institution in the County,” Mayor Delfino said. “Each of our board members is extremely successful professionally and is very active in the community. They bring a wealth of skills and experiences to the Center.” File Photo by WPCNR News
The appointees are:
· Louis R. Cappelli, founder of Cappelli Enterprises and Summit Aviation, Chairman and CEO of George A. Fuller Construction Company. Mr. Cappelli is also a founding member of the Westchester Partnership for Economic Development, a past trustee of the Browning School, a Founding Director of the March of Dimes Real Estate Breakfast, and a sponsor of the Westchester County New York Philharmonic Concert. He also established the Louis R. Cappelli Foundation in 2000, which funds grants to organizations devoted to at risk children.
·
Louis Fortunoff, Executive Vice President of Fortunoff Fine Jewelry and a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Fortunoff serves on the Executive Committee of the National Retail Federations’ Board of Directors. He also serves as a board member of the Fifth Avenue Association and the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, the NYC Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Association for a Better Long Island, and the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association.
·
Peter Gisondi, Sr., founder of Peter Gisondi & Co., Inc. Mr. Gisondi is past President of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of Westchester County, past President of the Dry Wall, Painting and Taping Employers Association of Suburban New York. He is presently a member of the White Plains Chamber of Commerce, the Building Trade Employers Association of Westchester and Putnam Counties, the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America, and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Fairfield County, Inc.
·
Thomas Hales, Chairman, President and CEO of Union State Bank. Mr. Hales is also a board member of the New York State Banking Board, the Independent Community Bankers Association and past President of the Independent Community Bankers Association of New York State. Mr. Hales has been a major force in establishing the Children’s Hospital and Trauma Center, at Westchester Medical Center.
· Patricia Keegan, District Director for Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey. Ms. Keegan is a former Adjunct Professor of Journalism at Iona College and Pace University. Ms. Keegan was also the Director of Communications for the New York State Education Department.
·
Jeffrey Rosenstock, Executive Director of the WPPAC. Mr. Rosenstock is also the Executive Director of Queens Theatre in the Park, former Producing Director of Theatre by the Sea in Portsmouth, NH, former General Manager of Theatre By the Sea (summer stock theatre) in Matunuck, RI, partnered in the theatre management firm ITC and the former Director of the Charles Ives Center. Mr. Rosenstock currently serves as a panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts, a panelist for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and is a guest lecturer at NYU and Brooklyn College.
·
Eli Schonberger, former Vice President at PACE advertising. Mr. Schonberger is an extremely active member of the White Plains community. He has chaired various committees and is currently a member of the White Plains Recreation Advisory Committee.
·
Tony Stimac, Executive Producer of the WPPAC. Mr. Stimac is the founder, Executive Producer and Artistic Director of the Helen Hayes Theatre Company, founder and former Executive Director of Musical Theatre Works, and Managing Director of the John Drew Theatre East Hampton. Mr. Stimac is also a founding board member of the National Alliance for Musical Theater and served in the Challenge Panel for the Opera/Musical Theater Program at the National Endowment for the Arts.
·
Chauncey L. Walker, head of the Transactional Department at Cuddy, Feder & Worby LLP. Mr. Walker is also President of the White Plains Rotary, Vice President of the American Lung Associations of New York State and of the Hudson Valley, and serves on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of White Plains. Mr. Walker is an Adjunct Professor at Pace Law School.
MAYOR APPOINTS WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FOUNDING BOARD OF TRUSTEES