Batting A 1,000 Watts

 Flynn Park, Kings Park

By Erica Jackson

As the sun starts to set over Flynn Park in Kings Park on Tuesday evening, the children’s league players finish up their last innings and clear the softball fields. Next up at bat is the 40 and over Men's league.  They’re stretched and ready to play. The only problem  — they can’t see the ball.

“At first I thought I was getting older and my eyes were going,” said Thomas Morissey, of Commack, but then he said he realized that the younger guys couldn’t see the ball either.  “We would just be looking at each other, trying to see where the ball went,” he said.

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Batting 1,000 Watts  

By Erica Jackson

As the sun starts to set over Flynn Park in Kings Park on Tuesday evening, the children’s league players finish up their last innings and clear the softball fields. Next up at bat is the 40 and over Men's league.  They’re stretched and ready to play. The only problem  — they can’t see the ball.

“At first I thought I was getting older and my eyes were going,” said Thomas Morissey, of Commack, but then he said he realized that the younger guys couldn’t see the ball either.  “We would just be looking at each other, trying to see where the ball went,” he said.

Pat Ahearn, of Commack, also thought his eyes were starting to go until he realized the problem wasn’t his eyes, but the field lights, which he says are too dim and angled incorrectly.

“The lights should be higher,” said John Telep of Ronkonkoma.  “I worry that someone can get hurt, if we can’t see the ball.”

And the problem isn’t just at Flynn Park, said Morissey, who has been playing softball in Smithtown for the past 28 years.  “It’s always been an issue at all the parks, but it’s becoming more dangerous.  We can’t see the ball.”

The players all understand that with games sometimes going on until 11:30 p.m. the lights could be a nuisance to neighboring homes, but Telep offered:  “Perhaps the town could put up some gates with screening that could block the lights.”

Morissey, Ahearn, and Telep all play for the Bombers, a Tuesday evening team that is part of the Smithtown Softball 40 and over Master’s League.  The league is run by Al Chandler in conjunction with the Town of Smithtown Recreation Department.

Chandler,who has overseen the softball program for the past 15 years, says the 40 and over league is the largest growing segment of the program.  “They’ve been playing for so long, that now they are just getting older,” said Chandler.  “We have more forty and over teams than ever before.”

In fact, Chandler said, this season, he had to create two leagues and 17 teams to accommodate all the 40 and over players.  There are 9 leagues and 70 teams all together in the program, which kicks off every April.

Morissey said the players have all spoken Chandler about the light problem. He said, “The people that run the league have gone to the town, but nothing has been done.”

Chandler confirmed that he has been to the town and struck out.  “We have been going through this since we’ve been running the league. The lights at all the parks are not high enough. They need to be at least fifteen feet higher.”

Chuck Barrett, assistant parks director for the Town of Smithtown, says that he has not been made aware of the problem with the lights.  He said, “We have not received any complaints to my knowledge.”

But despite “not receiving any complaints,” he said the town put new lamps in at Flynn park three years ago, which he says are more energy efficient.  “I believe they use the same wattage as the lamps at the other parks, which have been there for thirty years.”  He added that the1,000 watt bulbs on all the lamps are replaced frequently. 

Barrett offered to help work out a solution, possibly by repositioning the lights at Flynn Park.  “They should call the parks department and we could come down there one evening and make some readjustments.”

How is Andrew Cuomo like a Monarch Butterfly - A GOP Response

New Yorkers and the media, on the edge of their seats and waiting with bated breath to discover just who will be the Democrats' nominee for Governor, have finally had their curiosity quenched.  Much to everyone's surprise, Andrew Cuomo has emerged as the Democrats' nominee, just days ahead of the Democrats' convention.  New Yorkers must be grateful Prince Andrew has finally decided to let his intentions be known.

Clearly, the Democrats "royal line of succession" long ago determined the coronation of Prince Andrew would take place in Westchester this week.  Cuomo, much like the Monarch butterfly, is being forced to emerge from his cocoon of the Attorney General's office.   Cuomo has told New Yorkers very little about how he intends to govern or the policies upon which he plans to base his campaign.  Similarly, the elusive and clandestine Cuomo has given New Yorkers little information about how he will deal with the most pressing fiscal issues confronting state government: the budget deficit, and Medicaid and pension costs, which affect millions, are breaking the backs of taxpayers.

While Cuomo had promised to play the part of "Sheriff of Albany," his strategy has been to do the bare minimum and to avoid upsetting the leaders of his party.  While Cuomo calls the culture of corruption that has consumed Albany a "bi-partisan" phenomenon, that claim couldn't be farther from the truth. 

During Cuomo's time as Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, Alan Hevesi, David Paterson, Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate, Alan Hevesi, Malcom Smith and John Sampson - all high ranking Democratic officials and Cuomo's political associates, have been accused of corruption or obstruction of justice, several having been forced to resign in disgrace.  Cuomo's close association with these fellow democrats has precluded Cuomo, more often than not, from charging and rigorously investigating these corrupt officials, whose actions appear to warrant a far more aggressive approach.  If Andrew Cuomo wanted truly to lead and turn this state's government around, he could have started by rooting out corruption at the top of his own party. 

We look forward to more evasion tactics, more platitudes, and more thin rhetoric in the months ahead from the new head of New York's corrupt Democratic establishment

Hauppauge Middle School Students Earn 21 Million Steps

 Win Albany Challenge

Hauppauge Middle School students enjoy a visit to Muscoot Farm where they learned about agriculture and healthy foods.

 (L-r):  Hauppauge School District Athletic Director Joseph Tasman, First Lady of New York State Michelle Paterson and Hauppauge Middle School physical education teacher Diana Lopez.

Middle school students throughout the tri-state area were offered a challenge by the First Lady of New York State Michelle Paige Paterson -- could students make their health a top priority?  Seventh grade students in Diana Lopez’s sixth period physical education class answered with a resounding YES and took an impressive 21 million steps to prove it!

For six weeks, teams participated in the Healthy Steps to Albany: First Lady's Challenge, collectively earning “steps” for physical exercise and healthy eating.  Using the program’s activity conversion chart to convert their results into steps, the class earned the most steps and was named challenge winners.

As result of their win, the class visited Muscoot Farm County Park to learn about whole foods, and was treated to a healthy luncheon at the Executive Mansion with the First Lady and the Governor.

Oil Gushes into the Gulf of Mexico; More Drilling Planned

Written by John Dennehy

Last month President Obama approved a plan to increase offshore oil drilling; maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. 

As massive amounts of oil gush into the Gulf of Mexico and creep towards Louisiana it is becoming more and more difficult to defend additional oil drilling.  The energy giants such as British Petroleum and Halliburton have spent years trying to put a clean spin on dirty energy but perhaps the disaster in the Gulf can do more to change our mind than the industries advertising and lobbying campaigns.  British Petroleum, the same company responsible for one of the largest oil spills in recent memory, even went so far as to call itself Beyond Petroleum and tout its ambition towards a greener future.  And then their oil rig malfunctioned, their workers died and the Gulf of Mexico burned.  Is this the future they were talking about?  Are these the new technologies that will prevent significant environmental impact?

I know; the nation is still hurting from the recession and fossil fuels are the cheapest way to keep the lights on in the house.  I know; the energy infrastructure that has been built around fossil fuels can not be replaced overnight.  I know; alternative energies still have some ways to go before they can replace coal, oil and gas. 

Still, this latest disaster should at least give us pause enough to think; is it wise to drill more holes and spend any more money or effort on an energy infrastructure that not only is having serious environmental consequences but will almost certainly be replaced by cleaner and cheaper energies in half a generation. 

I’m not saying that we need to tear apart any existing oil rigs, but does it make any sense to continue to build news ones.