County Center scheduled trimmed to two days
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- November
- 21
As has been rumored the last couple of days, Championship Week at the County Center has been trimmed from seven days to two, with only the championship games for both the boys and girls scheduled to be played at the White Plains mecca.
The decision was made by new Section 1 executive director Jennifer Simmons, who was encouraged to cut costs by superintendents. The school districts have had to tighten their belts because of the country’s current financial situation, which, in turn, has an impact on Section 1’s budget.
We’ll have a story in tomorrow’s paper on the decision, which was confirmed yesterday by Simmons and Joe Stout, the Westchester County Parks commissioner. The story says Section 1 lost $12,000 last year during the course of Championship Week. The county donates the building for the week, but the section is responsible for the various employees
who work that week as well as operating costs.
I had been told this was a possibility in the spring by outgoing executive director Greg Ransom, but he had told me all semifinals and finals would still be held in the building. That plan, which was also intended to cut the budget, called for two long days of basketball on Saturday and Sunday, followed by four or five nights of championship games during the week. (The normal schedule started on a Monday and ran through Sunday.) It would cut one or two days, but still keep all semis and finals at the County Center.
Obviously, this is a huge disappointment for players and coaches in the section. We’ll have comments from a few of them, who were all crushed.
At the same time, if the section really is losing money, it’s difficult for it to continue to lose $12,000 a year, assuming that was normal losses for an average year.
My favorite part about Championship Week was the opportunity to watch 24-30 games over seven days. It gave me — and thousands of others — the chance to see players on a big stage. But it was more than a showcase. It was the week Section 1 boys and girls basketball came together as a community. The County Center was part basketball tournament, part town square. The scarcity of games will make the finals a hotter ticket, but the semis will have lost a lot of luster. They will likely be held opposite one another, at the higher seed, so crowds will be drastically reduced. That’s a shame, too.
As always, your thoughts on this decision are appreciated. Fire away…
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 8:40 pm by Josh Thomson. 
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Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of 2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting, Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University, where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in history.
Did i miss the rule where it was mandated that H.S. sports are required to be self-financing ? If it’s about the money $12k divided by around 80 Sec.1 schools comes to about $150.00 per school.Big deal. That’s probably less than most teams spend on bagels each year for their Saturday morning practices.
Sometimes it’s got to be more about the experience than about the money.
who ever told you that the Section lost $12,000, is not being truthful. I have heard from more than one reliable source that the section made in the neighborhod of $40,000, for the week at the County Center. The section is passing the cost onto the schools, the schools will have to host the semifinal games and definitly not break even. Some have said that Ms. Simmons holds a grudge against the County. It goes back to last year when the section refused to sanction the Slam Dunk Tournament. The county turned around and let the Section know that they would have to then in turn charge the section for use of the County Center, well the Section quickly sanctioned the Slam Dunk. Ms. Simmons is also a Dutchess county resident , I don’t think she realizes tha backlash that she is going to recieve because of her decision.I hope her voice mail box at her office is over flowing with disgruntled students parents and coaches on Monday morning. Bottom line, Do what is best for the kids
I think…According to our story, the section received $40,000 from the County after the County covered its costs. The section then had to pay its costs, and afterward had lost $12,000. So obviously the section’s costs (according to the people involved) were $52,000.
Is it true that the county police that are in the building during the section one basketball are being paid on a overtime rate? having attende the H.S. playoffs every year since going back to 1957, and recently attending the Slam dunk event I can tell you that there are many more police in the building for the section games than there are for the Slam Dunk games, why is that? The county employees recently had their saleries posted on the lohud web site how many police officers made a nice junk of change for getting to watch basketball games ? Does the County mandate how many officers are to be in the building for the basketball games?
ALL I CAN SAY IS ITS ALWAYS THE KIDS WHO GET SHORTED…..ITS A CRYING SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ISNT THIS WHAT OFICIALS CALL A”CORRECTABLE ERROR”?????
In 2000 Girls Semis were at neutral sites, saw Mahopac play North Rockland at St Thomas Aquinas College in ffront of a packed house. Great environment
Dominican College should step up and host the semis in the girls brackets.
sounds very sad..considering we live in the richest county..we dont have money to pay for a gym for a week? what a mess.
What will Bergy do?
Wait to the spring schedule comes out. ha ha what a joke!
Could someone shed some light on what is really driving Jen Simmons here? She apparently has aquired a lot of power in her new role as thehead of BOCES. But, as they say “Power Corrupts”. We don’t know her very well down here….....What type of Athletic Director was she up there in Wappingers? How did she treat the coaches who worked in her district? I understand her children played sports. Did they get any special treatment or did they get treated just like the other kids? What would drive her to make such a radical decision against an institution so dear to many of us….....Is she capable of being as vindictive as some have suggested on this blog?
Spano asks for 3.5% raises for his executive staff but now denies the Section of the County Center? The experience of playing in the County Center was a goal for all hoopsters even though the facility is second rate for a county like ours. Not only are the players getting hosed so are the fans and all residents of Westchester.
The county has every salary of every employee made public including overtime pay, the County Exec. wants raises for “his” commisioners, while the young men and women that dream of playing in the county center are told that the hight costs of operating the games in the building are too high. Let the kids suffer as long as the “commisoners” get their raises.
This means that 20 teams, or roughly 250 kids who dream of playing at the County Center will be denied the opportunity this year. It’s a disgrace that this happens in highest taxed county in the country.
Is there a place to voice our outrage other than venting here?
Josh,
I agree with BUCKETBOY. We must find a way to reverse this action. Please find the correct person / agency that made this decission, provide email or mailing addresses for them, and all of us must write or email the appropriate parties. Is it Simmons, Spano, other county executives, section 1 officals, AD’s? Please let us know where to go.
I agree with Rich Harrington, each team in Section 1 can easily fund raise and make 150 dollars or more. Making the county center is a goal that kids dream of since they were in elementary school, there has to be a way to get it back. Josh, who can we contact to try to negotiate?
I don’t know if the decision is reversible, and I would guess not. But as the story said, Section 1 athletics made the decision at the behest of the schools.
R E L A X
Its not a big deal, semis were not ALWAYS held at THE COUNTY CENTER.
If this is the worst thing that happens to our precious WESTCHESTER Children they should count themselves lucky.
Its not that serious everybody, relax
Andy Spano wants to give about a $5,000 raise to each of the execs – who already average about $160,000 a year – while the kids of the taxpayers get the shaft. I suggest we vote him out of office next year.
If the County Police could find it in their hearts to work at a regular rate and not an overtime rate, then maybe Section One would not be in the hole for $12K. Don’t get me wrong the cops are great guts and their presence in the building is appreciated, but come on guys wht do we have to pay them at their overtime rate. Spano has a lot of nerve asking for raises, when something like this is going on.
*guys
I agree that this is certainly not the end of the world and I don’t believe that the Section 1 official who made this call did it with any ill intention.
However, given the number of HS athletes who will be shut out of the experience of playing at the County Center—the mecca of Section 1 basketball—and the relatively modest savings per school that this move generates, the decision is clearly not a good one and should be reconsidered.
Josh…........the article claims that Ms.Simmons got a directive from the Superintendents….......which ones? what schools? how much do they make per year? are they willing to take any salary cuts like most workers in this country have had to do in the past year? did similar drastic cuts/measures take place in other sports (like football, which is very costly)? I’m sorry but, Ms. Simmons has to be held accountable for all her actions when the public’s money is being misappropriated here. Did she also cut out the cheerleading competition at the county center? There are a lot of questions here…....I certainly hope that you can investigate these questions and get back to us….......Make them all open up their public accounting books, and this way everyone can see how much money each school district spends on all their sports….......I’m sure basketball is relatively cheap in comparison to Football. Why does basketball always seem to get the short end of the stick?
the superintendents tha make 6 figure salaries doante $100 each to help cut the costs
I may be wrong but I believe they have already booked the next insatallment of “Circus of the Stars” during championship week. The line-up is impressive too. Jamie Farr is going to tame a lion. Linda Blair is going to walk the tightrope. But the big event will come when Ed Asner swallows 10 swords…that are on fire! The Bandit won’t be missing bball when that happens I assure you of that!
The problem here is Westchester County. They have been ripping off the Section for years. Someone in authority should ask to see their books. Also, are the Superintendents who asked Jenn Simmons to cut costs the same ones who authorized her to be paid $100,000 last year simply to sit around and watch the retiring director do his job?? I would like to hear the answer to that one. The Journal News should do some REAL journalism for a change and investigate some of this stuff…
When talking about the County ripping off Section One. People should know that the County has never charged the section for rental of the County Center. The section has to pay for the ushers and the County police. Maybe if the county charged the section rent at a reduced rate the county would have to cover the huge cost of paying the police at an overtime rate. Something the Section should look into.
You should all ask yourself if you would work extra time with out getting overtime, I think not!!! maybe if the schools were run the right way we would not be talking about this. This is all for the Supers to look good and that they are saving the taxpayers money. Look at all the teachers who get paid for every little thing and everything else that we pay our high taxes for to the schools and start there.If you want to vent start with your local Superintendents office or school board and ask them to have there teachers not to get paid for overtime and you have enough cash and then some !!!!
JENN SIMMONS IS HATED IN DUTCHESS COUNTY.HER CHILDREN MADE TEAMS THEY HAD NO BUSINESS BEING ON.ALL THE COACHES KISSED HER ASS AND TALKED BEHIND HER FAT ASS.IT WONT BE LONG UNTIL SHE IS HATED IN WESTCHESTER.
Thank you Beacon Fan for being so open with all of us. Folks in Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland don’t seem to know Jenn Simmons very well. How does an individual so hated up there in Dutchess get through the ranks of AD’s and into a post as powerful as hers? Did anyone know,before hand, that Ms. Simmons was like this? Is she dictating her own philosophy on us or is she really being dictated to by all the school superintendents? We were all afraid this would happen some day….......and here we are, on the outside looking in once more. No more County Center…....except for the 8 or so elite basketball teams in the section (both boys and girls).
One question, however, how do we know she is really that kind of person? Is Beacon Fan the only one that feels that way about the new head of Section 1 Athletics? If we don’t like what she’s doing to our sports programs, do we have any other options? What do Roman Catalino and Bill Glassman have to say about what Jenn Simmons is doing to our children’s dream of playing at the County Center?
I look forward to reading other related stories on this.
I have heard that there are a group of AD’s that are actively seeking sponsorship for so the games can be played at the County Center. Bill Glassman is no longer the girls chairman, the AD from Greeley is. There has to be some athletically inclined Supt’s. that must have strong opinions on the situation. I would hope they would speak up.