A ‘Million’ to one… Last Saturday I went to see my friend Andrew Samaha and his incredibly talented band, A Million Years, on the main stage at the Knitting Factory. The band, Andrew on bass, Keith Madden, vocals and lead guitar, Andrew Vanette on drums and Nick Werber on guitar and vocals, was great. You can check out their music on their website at
www.myspace.com/amillionyearsmusic

Memorial Day Parade and Concert… The oldest continually running Memorial Day Parade in the country marched through our own Third Avenue on Monday. To me, it was the best and largest parade in a long time. The ceremony at John Paul Jones Park (aka Cannonball Park) was a beautiful affair. Next, at around 2:30 p.m. in Greenwood Cemetery, the talented InterSchool Orchestra of New York (ISO) under the direction of equally talented Brian Worsdale performed a marvelous musical tribute to Brooklyn and war veterans alike. Maestro Marty Markowitz led the musical celebration by conducting The Liberty Bell by John Phillip Sousa to thunderous applause.

Poly Heads into Championship Game Wednesday

For the Poly Prep Blue Devils, who ended their season with an overall 18-2 record and a 14-0 Ivy League record claiming the number one seed in the NYSAISAA Tournament, their first playoff game was in the quarterfinals against Columbia Prep on Saturday, May 16. Freshman Matt Caposio took the mound against a tough Lion team, which they beat, 6-4. “We didn’t play our best game of the year, but we got the job done.” said junior first baseman/left-handed pitcher Richie Carbone. The win enabled Poly to take on Rye Country Day in Sunday’s semi-final game. “Now,” exclaimed Carbone, “this one was a thriller.” Taking the hill for Poly on this oh so important contest, was none other than the junior shortstop/right-handed pitching phenom, J. J. Franco. “This kid pitched a gem,” said senior starting leftfielder, Max Warner, “he was unstoppable today.” This was a classic pitching duel, where it all came down to base running. Franco pitched a two-hit complete game shutout striking out nine, and won 1-0 thanks to the deft base running of first baseman Carbone. “A lot of things needed to fall into place,” said Warner, “the best thing about our season so far has been the way we as a team have stepped up.” This 22-player squad, to a man, has played a part in the success of this baseball season. Starters, like senior catcher Francis Torres, one of the team leaders along with Warner, lead by example, day in and day out. Players, like fellow seniors Tom Laurendi and Pete Sciolto, are taking advantage of their opportunities and stepping up. Juniors Zack Marciano and Chesley Ratliff and sophomores Marley Randazzo and Joe Calabrese are more examples. These kids just play hard, and never seem to “push the panic button” too early. Warner told me once, after a particular come-from-behind victory, “No reason to panic, we’ve been down before. We had one bad inning that we needed to get out of our system.” So they did. They now find themselves back where they belong, in another championship game. The team will play Berkely Carroll in the championship game on Wednesday at Columbia University with Richie Carbone scheduled to pitch.

On May 2 the Cobblestones Girls Softball team, who had their ‘day in the sun’ during the 1980s, had a reunion of sorts in New Jersey. The girls were always referred to by the umpires as the ‘Kings Cuties’ because of their relationship to Kings Tavern on Ft. Hamilton Pkwy prior to the Cobblestones sponsorship. The Girls are (top) Joanne Pensebene/Scollo, Jeannie Tepedino/Ford, Nicole Lanigan/Muccigrosso, Paula Dileo, Margaret Monahan, Mary Ann Reilly/Nemeth, Kerry Kane/Borst, Trisa Pensabene/Glynn (bottom) Michelle Lanigan/Menken, Jamie Checkett/McLaughlin, Linda Jensen/Olsen and Janice Nersten/Ward.

The Telecommunication Girls Varsity Softball Team is 14-0 in PSAL and have captured this year’s division championship crown. Manager Justin Mendes said their last game against Brooklyn Studios was won by a score of 8-7 in the last inning of play due to an error. Their last regular season game is tonight, Thursday, on their home field at 97th Street and Shore Road against another 14-0 squad, Boys and Girls, at 4 p.m. The team consists of two freshmen, Tyiana Catalino, Magaly Chabran; two sophomores, Vianca Ramirez, Sasha Trejo; four juniors, Stacy Aquino, Jennifer Clavell, Idalia Herrera, Elizabeth Vargas, and eight seniors, Samantha Castro, Bianca Diaz, Tayla Johnson, Stephanie Martino, Giselle Martucci, Samantha Perez, Amy Polanco, Joanna Rodriguez, and Head Coach Glenn McCartney.

A Playwright Grows in Brooklyn

BrooklynOne Theater Has a New Hit

Last Friday and Saturday at St. John’s Church in Bay Ridge, BrooklynOne Theater, under the direction of Artistic Director Anthony Marino, hosted their first young playwriting event and it was a smash. The kids were between the ages of 10-16 years old, both authors and actors. The winning wordsmiths are pictured here with Councilman Vincent Gentile. Pictured with director Marino and stage manager Dylan Kaye are Alexandra Capellini, Nicholas Bravata, Alexandria Ferrantelli, Margot Cole, America Casallas. Joe Barone, Daniel Petric, Ed Rodriguez, Michael Borst. Krista Borst, Rosanna Corrado, Edel Gannon, Jimmy Alexander and band members Florgent Agolli, Will Fisher and Arian Selmani.
For more information on BrooklynOne see www.brooklynone.org

Save Our Libraries

I don’t know about you, but I have a library card and am a proud user of it. My branch, the Fort Hamilton Branch has been closed for some time and doesn’t plan on reopening until spring of 2010, so I am forced to use the 72nd Street Branch. It’s a longer walk, which will do me some good health-wise, but that’s not why I am writing. It seems our Mayor feels we need to cut funds to our library system here in NYC that would eliminate both employees and hours (and possibly days) of service. That is not acceptable. Councilman Vincent Gentile has remarked “The newest rounds of proposed cuts, in addition to the cuts already endured during the last year and a half, if they all come to fruition, then we’re looking at the absolute end to six-day service and we would probably be looking at something in the realm of four to five-day service at our libraries and that would be a shame.”
Councilman Gentile has set up an electronic petition on his website so everyone has the opportunity to show their concerns over these proposed cuts and support our libraries. His website is www.vincentgentile.blogspot.com
Over at the Dyker Beach Branch on Tuesday, Carlo Scissura, community leader whose official day job is Chief of Staff to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Christina Tettonis organized a fundraiser through the Support Our Shelves campaign. Scissura and Tettonis are both trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library and had “adopted” the branch and led, along with members of the Brooklyn Public Library like Dionne Mack-Harvin and City of New York Counselor Anthony Crowell who is the chairman of the board for the BPL, the fundraising event which brought in half of their proposed $8000 goal. They have until the end of May to achieve that goal. “Thank you all for coming tonight,” Scissura told the standing-room only crowd, “this shows your concern for a vital community institution. Where children come to study, seniors come to read, immigrants come to learn our language. It’s so important for our community.”
To make your voice heard and pledge a donation you can contact Aron Bukspan, a director of BPL, at 718-230-2718 or at a.bukspan@brooklynpubliclibrary.org

Xaverian Honors Reggie and Neil…

The Xaverian Joe DiMaggio Awards Night Gala was held on Tuesday, May 5th at the Sheraton Towers in Manhattan and the honorees were Reggie Jackson and Neil Young. To a full house of alumni, students, families and friends of the prestigious Bay Ridge high school, MC Jim Ryan announced the honorees. Neil was a ‘no-show’. Former Yankee slugger, Reggie Jackson, stands with Senator Marty Golden at the Xaverian Joe DiMaggio Awards Night where Mr. October (Jackson) was an honoree. Reggie also posed with the Xaverian Student Government who were in attendance

Two reviews for the price of one… This past weekend I saw P.S./I.S. 180’s Guys and Dolls and Leon M. Goldstein High School’s The Wizard of Oz and enjoyed them both. Joe Barone (Sky Masterson), America Casallas (Sarah Brown), Jimmy Alexander (Nathan Detroit) and Nicole Albanese (Miss Adelaide) were splendid in their title roles, and Eddie Rodriguez (Benny Southstreet) and Daniel Petric (Rusty Charlie) brought comic relief to the Damon Runyon story. Haley-Jo Kenny was a delight to watch and listen to as Dorothy in a quite unusual rendition of The Wizard of Oz. The evening was fun-filled and interesting, with all of my favorite songs from the original movie done to perfection. This production also included some songs from the Broadway play The Wiz. Kudos to D’Anna McAuliffe (Scarecrow), Ian Petersen (Tinman), Jessica Cartusciello (Lion), and a very humorous Chase Meyerson (Toto and the Wizard) for their wonderful portrayals. Mr. Meyerson’s post-production Q&A on Saturday with the audience and cast members was brilliant. Kudos also to both directors, Anthony Marino and Stephen Ryan, both faculty members, and their staffs. Ryan had a hilarious cameo as a tree in a scene he penned himself. All in all, and even with the wizard looking very much like SpongeBob Squarepants in a scene or two, it was two nights of wonderful and interesting theater.

3 on 3 Tourney… Xaverian High School held their 8th Annual Three on Three Basketball Tournament on Saturday… this tournament benefits the Richard Caggiano ’94, Jude Safi ’94 and Robert Tipaldi ’94 9/11 Memorial Scholarship Funds at Xaverian. Eight teams played, the Green Team (Kevin Cochrane, Joseph Izzo '01 and John Larsen '01) and the Red Team (Mike Norris, Alan Fredricksen and Brian Bernardi '12) are pictured here. Basketball started early at 10 a.m followed by a barbeque in the lot. Organized by Ed Mayrose ’79, it was special event once again. My favorites are the ‘Grill Boys’ who man the BBQ pit, Robert Oliva Jr., Tommy Turito, Hiram Pirot and Anthony DiBenedetto.

Tournament Today...

Heading over to Xaverian High School’s 8th Annual Three on Three Basketball Tournament today for a little hoop action… this tournament benefits the Richard Caggiano ’94, Jude Safi ’94 and Robert Tipaldi ’94 9/11 Memorial Scholarship Funds at Xaverian.  As you may or may not know, Richard, Jude and Robert were best friends, members of the Class of 1994 and worked together at Cantor Fitzgerald. I’ll have photos later in the day…