WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. November 10, 2007: The dream of playing under the lights at White Plains Gedney Field, the Official Home of the White Plains Little League came true Saturday night when the city's Nick DiFore threw the switch on the newly city-installed light towers at Gedney Field for the first time. At 5:55 PM, the first glows appeared at the tops of the towers and night slowly turned into fluorescent day. The ballpark grass turned emerald Irish green, the infield dirt a rich brown, and you wanted to play two!
Bob Eifler, (left), Tom Hauser,Co-President of White Plains Little League and Todd Oronzio testing the newly installed lights at Gedney Field in the Official first throw of the switch by DPW Crew Chief, Nick DiFiore.
Members of the White Plains Plainsmen Try Out the Mound under the Arcs!
Robert Eifler was the operations liaison on the City Recreation Committee, between the Little League and the city over the last three years bringing the lights to Gedney. Rich Maseroni, past Little League President who was instrumental in negotiating the arrangement where the Little League purchased the lights and the city installed them. The Little League's Phil McGovern was key in getting research started to cost out and put together a feasibility study of the lights. While the Little League's other Co-President, Mike Leone worked out the financial plan by which the Little League funded the purchase of the light system.
The lights start to take effect at exactly 6 PM!
The Official White Plains Little League Operations Team Arrives for the Test Saturday night:Left to right, the Little League's Todd Oronzio, Nick DiFiore from the City of White Plains Department of Public Works, Bob Eifler, Little League representative on the City Recreation Committee, and far right, Tom Hauser, Co-President of the Little League. Mr. DiFiore supervised the flawless installation for the city. And the system worked the first time once the switch was placed into the "On" position!
Mr. Oronzio said the lights at Gedney will help the league deal with field issues this Spring caused by losing two fields at Post Road School due to the construction of the new Post Road School. He said the lights would allow shifting games off of Ridgeway Field which was going to carry a lot of games. Mr. Oronzio said "Seldom has an incoming administration reaped the benefits of so many others' hard work," which broke up the testing team into laughter.
Oronzio praised past Little League President, Rich Maseroni for spearheading the effort to put in lights, install restrooms at the field and a snack bar, and Mike Leone's astute financial management to pay for the Little League share with the city, and Mr. Maseroni's, Billy Ward's and Mr. Leone's fundraising efforts, and Mr. McGovern's jumpstarting the project with the right information on lights affordability early.
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Lights at Full Radiance 6:10 PM. The Testing Team checks for light coverage as part of their check procedure.
The Testing Team after the field was lit up brighter than midday, and under better light coverage than a lot of minor league professional ballparks, stalked the outfield determining possible light placement issues. This reporter observed, that with this project it proved Mayor Joseph Delfino's often voiced observation that there is nothing we cannot accomplish if we all work together.
