Tag: New York

Confident Mike White says he ‘should have been a first-overall pick’

Oozing with confidence ahead of his third start, Jets quarterback Mike White said he “should have been a first-overall pick” on Thursday.

Mike White waited four years for the opportunity to show the world what he can do.

White was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Cowboys, but he spent just one season with Dallas and did not appear in a regular-season game. White then caught on with the Jets, bouncing on and off the practice squad until he earned the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Zach Wilson this summer.

White has since taken over for an injured Wilson, leading the Jets to a come-from-behind, upset win over the Bengals with over 400 passing yards and three touchdowns. He threw for another touchdown against the Colts on Thursday Night Football before injuring his right forearm.

White will be back under center for the Jets against the Bills this weekend. He’s oozing with confidence ahead of the matchup — even if he still can’t wrap his head around why he flew under the radar for so long.

“That’s the scouting departments across the league and what their interpretation of me is,” White said. “I have 100% confidence in myself. If you ask me, I should have been a first-overall pick, but that’s neither here nor there. That’s four years ago.

“I’m trying to get my mind off that and be in the here and now and execute what my job is right now. I’ll look back on that 40 years down the road with my buddies when we’re talking about the good old days.”

White has played just seven and a half quarters of football, but the moxie he has shown in his short time as the Jets’ starting quarterback isn’t anything new to his coaches or teammates. White is confident in his ability to sling it with the best of them and he has shown that he can in a small sample size.

How White fares against a Bills defense, which is one of the best in the league, will likely go a long way in revealing the kind of player the 26-year-old really is. Maybe he’s the real deal. Maybe he’ll wind up struggling after a shocking introduction to the NFL world. Either way, White’s approach has him prepared to face the challenge head-on.

“He’s confident in everything he does,” Jets OC Mike LaFleur said. “I know when he goes out there on the golf course during the offseason, he feels like he’s going to take everyone on. I think that’s how he feels about all the sports. Baseball, I know he was one of the better players in the country or something like that. Everything he’s done in his life to this point has been pretty successful, and he believes no matter where he’s at, he’s going to get it done.”

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An upstate New York town votes against selling a municipal golf course to a developer

The town’s supervisor said he believes any deal is off the table and blamed false fears of high-density housing for scaring off support.

STONY POINT, N.Y. – After voters narrowly rejected selling the town golf course to a local developer, Supervisor Jim Monaghan said this week he believes any deal is off the table and blamed false fears of high-density housing for scaring off support.

Residents voted down the town board-supported sale of Patriot Hills Golf Course and 26 former Letchworth Village acres on Tuesday by 118 votes — 2,265 to 2,147, according to unofficial Board of Elections results. Monaghan said the uncounted write-ins and absentee ballots are unlikely to change the outcome.

Monaghan said he spoke with the developer, Raja Amar, and Amar told him he and his partners are not interested at this point in renegotiating or leasing the property from the town.

“I believe we lost a great opportunity to revitalize the Letchworth property and golf course,” Monaghan said.

Monaghan said people believed the false claims the property could be used for high-density housing — linked to Hasidic Jewish builders. He said the property is not zoned for high-density housing and Amar had no intentions of reselling the land.

“How do you change that perception?” he said. “People didn’t vote against a new community center or other amenities and property improvements.”

Democrat supervisor candidate Michael Diederich, who opposed the sales conditions but lost to Monaghan Tuesday, said people “instinctively knew selling to Raj on his terms was a bad deal, thus the ‘no’ vote.”

Diederich argued the property could be flipped to developers seeking high-density housing, raising the specter of Hasidic Jewish builders controlling the land and potentially the town government. He’s been critical of Hasidic Jewish development.

Under the contract signed by the town board, Amar would spend up to $6.4 million to build a community center, $6 million to demolish or remove asbestos from eight buildings on the Letchworth property and pay $3 million to the town, the supervisor has said.

The town is paying off a $25 million bond in 2022 covering the 1999 purchase of the property from the state and the golf course and clubhouse.

The town bought the property three years after the state in 1996 closed Letchworth Village, a facility for the developmental disabled. Stony Point owns 10 asbestos-laden buildings, with five in use.

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Argument over sale

The proposed sale came after years of debate and a petition drive and failed court fight by advocates who wanted a public referendum on selling the 18-hole course.

Diederich and sale opponents pressed the issue that the property could be flipped to another developer who would seek to build multiple-family high-density housing. They said such a development would change the semi-rural nature of the community.

Diederich and other opponents argued the sale was a bad business deal for taxpayers, but a bounty for Raja and his partners. Diederich took the town to court to force a public vote on the sale of the golf course and Letchworth property.

Diederich offered his plan, which included seeking bids for operators of the golf course and clubhouse with a catering facility, and developing the Letchworth land. He also advocated for a task force of citizens and others to evaluate options.

“As to both parcels of land, the overarching concern must be potential future undesirable use (for example high-density housing and/or a tax-exempt religious college),” Diederich said.

Despite the golf course defeats, Monaghan and his town board running mates, Keith Williams and Todd Rose, won the election overwhelmingly.

Monaghan said he is moving on and plans on establishing a committee of local business people and residents to look into economic opportunities in town.

Monaghan said the town has developed a reputation of anti-development through opposition from local activist groups. He said he’s concerned the golf course sale defeat will have a ripple effect.

He said despite the golf course sale defeat, he and the board members were elected because voters know they have the best interests of the town at heart.

Diederich said Democrats overall did not have good messaging to overcome the general inclination to vote anti-President Joe Biden in the suburbs.

“Many Dems I spoke with are not happy with the Dem Party,” he said. “I had a great plan for approaching Patriot Hills, yet it seems too few voters were listening or cared.”

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal. 

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NY Giants fans loving former Georgia LB Azeez Ojulari

Azeez Ojulari had 2.5 sacks on Sunday and Giants fans are loving what they’re seeing from the former Georgia star.

The New York Giants’ defense is loaded with former Georgia Bulldogs.

Linebackers Tae Crowder, Azeez Ojulari and Lorenzo Carter all see significant time for the Giants each week and all have continued to produce this season for the New York defense.

On Sunday, the Giants hosted the Panthers and held Carolina to just 3 points in a 25-3 win.

Crowder led the team in tackles with six, Ojulari had a massive game with 2.5 sacks and Carter recorded four stops of his own.

Ojulari in particular got Giants fans talking with his big performance. The rookie linebacker was everywhere and now has 5.5 sacks on the season.

Giants fans on Twitter are loving what they’re seeing from the former Bulldog.

Ojulari came to UGA in 2018. That season he redshirted, seeing time against Middle Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Texas in the Sugar Bowl. In 2019, Ojulari made his name heard. He played in every game — starting 13 — and had 33 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, a team-best 5.5 sacks and a team-high 34 quarterback pressures. He was the co-winner of the Defensive Most Improved player at the team’s postseason awards gala.

In 2020 at UGA, he had the best season of his career. In 10 games, Ojulari had 31 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks (led SEC), 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 4 forced fumbles. That is one of the best defensive performances that Georgia has seen in one season.

Angler on private lake shatters New York crappie record

A New York angler has shattered the state record for white crappie by reeling a 4.42-pound crappie from the same lake that yielded the previous record 20 years ago.

A New York angler has shattered the state record for white crappie by reeling a 4-pound, 7-ounce crappie from the same lake that yielded the previous record 20 years ago.

Roy Isaac’s Aug. 21 catch at Sleepy Hollow Lake replaces a tie involving  3.13-pound crappies caught at Sleepy Hollow Lake in 2001 and Kinderhook Lake in 2013.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced the new record Wednesday afternoon, stating on Facebook that Isaac’s crappie measured 19 inches and was caught on a live minnow.

Sleepy Hollow Lake is within a private residential community and Isaac, who is from Albany, told Field & Stream that he fishes at the lake regularly, with his two sons, on the invitation of a friend who owns a home in the community.

Isaac, 62, had been catching large crappies from the same dock in recent weeks so he kept at it with the record in mind. The giant crappie struck as he slowly jigged at a depth of 25 feet.

RELATED: Watch as trout fall from the sky into Colorado’s mountain lakes

“All of a sudden I got a hit,” he told Field & Stream. “But then nothing really happened so I started bringing the bait up. As soon as I got it closer to the shore, the fish saw me and took off. It was a good thing I had my drag set right.”

Isaac was using an ultralight rig and a reel spooled with 4-pound-test line.

For the sake of comparison, the International Game Fish Assn. lists as the all-tackle world record a 5-pound, 3-ounce white crappie caught at Enid Dam in Mississippi in 1957.

–Image courtesy of Risa Getman

3 defensive ends Chiefs could trade to the Jets after Carl Lawson injury

One of these three #Chiefs defensive ends could be tempting for the #Jets in a trade after injury to star pass rusher Carl Lawson. | from @TheJohnDillon

As the second round of preseason cuts approaches, the Kansas City Chiefs have found themselves in an enviable position with their depth on the defensive line. Kansas City’s commitment to revamping their defense has left them with bodies to spare, especially at defensive end, and as unfortunate injuries have begun decimating some teams’ depth charts, trades could be in order to avoid tough decisions in building the 53-man roster.

Chris Jones was converted to play the end position in the offseason, and pass rush mainstay Frank Clark will play opposite him on the line this season. The Chiefs will definitely place a high value on rotational and backup linemen in case of injury. No matter what, they’ll still have too many cooks in the kitchen, and would be wise to maximize value on any of their surplus of talent before another suitor takes their chance.

The New York Jets were struck a devastating blow when star pass-rusher Carl Lawson was injured during practice last week, finding themselves in dire need of help at one of the Chiefs’ deepest positions. Though predicting trades is a fool’s errand, the tea leaves could point to a potential trade between the AFC counterparts.

With a limited timeline to put something together before the regular season, New York could be willing to pay a premium for a player that has proven solid in years past, or a developmental prospect in an attempt to pull a diamond in the rough. Here are three players Kansas City could look to trade to the Jets after Lawson’s injury:

Potential Hurricane Henri could threaten PGA Tour’s Northern Trust with landfall Sunday

Henri is predicted to grow to hurricane strength and make landfall Sunday east of Liberty National in New Jersey.

The PGA Tour’s first FedEx Cup Playoff event, the Northern Trust, is near the western edge of the projected cone for Tropical Storm Henri, which is predicted to become a hurricane before it reaches landfall Sunday morning.

The National Hurricane Center reported Friday morning that Henri was several hundred miles off the coast of Georgia and moving north with sustained winds of 55 mph and gusts reaching 65.

The forecasted track has the center of the storm reaching landfall Sunday afternoon. Tropical storm winds are predicted to arrive Saturday night. The projected cone stretches from Long Island to Maine and is likely to shift one way or another as the storm approaches land.

The Northern Trust is at Liberty National in New Jersey, sitting tight to the water just across the bay from New York and the Statue of Liberty. The PGA Tour has not yet announced any schedule change for the tournament.

A combination of storm surge, damaging winds and heavy rain could bring serious damage from Henri.

The surge along Long Island and up into Rhode Island could reach 2 to 4 feet, while the Jersey Shore could see 1 to 3 feet of surge, the National Hurricane Center said. Winds were up to 65 mph as it was spinning about 800 miles south-southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts, as of Friday morning.

Rainfall of 2 to 5 inches was expected in southern New England, with some isolated patches of up to 8 inches, possibly causing flash flooding.

Much of the eastern part of Long Island and coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island were under hurricane watches, while the coast closer to New York City was under a tropical storm watch.

“Everybody along the Long Island area and New York City needs to be watching,” said Da’Vel Johnson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in New York.

If Henri disrupts the tournament, it won’t be the first time. In 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall and forced the cancellation of the final round of the Barclays, as the tournament was then known. It was then played at Plainfield Country Club in N.J., and the event was abbreviated after 54 holes with Dustin Johnson the winner. Plainfield was flooded in that storm.

Henri follows on the heels of Tropical Storm Fred, which made landfall in Florida earlier this week before moving Northeast and drenching several states along its path to the northeast. USA TODAY reported that North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency after Fred caused flooding and left two people dead with 17 missing.

New York State golfer slips while retrieving ball on course, drowns in water hazard

The man was retrieving his golf ball Thursday when he lost his balance and fell into a water hazard on the golf course, police said.

New York State Police are investigating the drowning of a 90-year-old Fayetteville man at the Rogue’s Roost Golf Course on Route 31 in the town of Sullivan in Madison County, near Syracuse.

The preliminary investigation determined that Alan J. Goldberg was retrieving his golf ball Thursday when he lost his balance and fell into a water hazard on the golf course, police said.

Goldberg drowned and was recovered in approximately 8 feet of deep, murky water, troopers said.

An autopsy is scheduled to determine an official cause of death.

This follows a similar report in March when Florida rescue teams recovered the body of a 74-year-old golfer, Milo Jazmines, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, at East Lake Woodlands Country Club just 20 miles from Tampa.

The man hit his tee shot on the third hole and was last seen “looking for his ball near the green,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement about Jazmines.

Jets’ Zach Wilson not quite up to speed with New Jersey driving

Zach Wilson thinks the biggest difference between New Jersey and Utah is the driving, adding that he doesn’t feel homesick.

Zach Wilson has lived in Utah all his life, but New Jersey doesn’t feel that much different for the young Jets quarterback.

Wilson spoke after the Jets held their first open OTA practice on Monday. The Jets’ No. 2 overall pick was asked about some of the differences between living in Utah and New Jersey. Wilson mentioned how the size and feel of New Jersey is similar to that of Utah. Wilson added that New Jersey doesn’t have a lot of traffic, is calm and greener than home.

However, Wilson has noticed that the drivers in the area are relentless behind the wheel.

“There’s definitely some aggressive drivers here, that’s for sure,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I’m getting used tot hat, getting cut off everywhere you go.”

Wilson will get accustomed to New York/New Jersey driving over time, but he’s certainly not alone in the way he feels about it.

Other than that, Wilson has enjoyed life in the metro area thus far despite living thousands of miles from Utah now. He’s been spotted on social media bonding with his fellow rookies and accompanied his offensive linemen when they attended the Islanders playoff game against the Penguins at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday.

“I feel like I’m at home,” Wilson said. “I don’t feel homesick. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I’m having a blast, and I think the coaches and the players just make it easy to fit in and get going with everything.”

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A New York municipality sold off its golf course — and got free play for first responders

A New York developer bought the course for an estimated $15.4 million package; it includes free golf for first responders in the community.

A New York developer has bought the Patriot Hills Golf Course and the adjoining 26 acres for an estimated $15.4 million package that includes free golf for first responders in the community less than an hour north of New York City.

Under the contract signed by the Stony Point town board, the developer will spend up to $6.4 million to build a community center, $6 million to demolish or remove asbestos from eight buildings on the Letchworth property and pay $3 million to the town.

The sale comes after years of debate, and a petition drive and failed court fight by advocates, who wanted a public referendum on selling the 18-hole course. The advocates are appealing to the state Appellate Division.

For Supervisor Jim Monaghan, the deal amounts to a hole-in-one after years of trying to sell off a financial loser for the town. The town bought the property in 1999, three years after the state closed Letchworth Village in 1996. Stony Point owns 10 buildings with five in use.

The developer, Patriot Hills Park LLC, intends to invest in the remediation and redevelopment of the site of the former state institution as well as upgrades to the golf course, clubhouse and catering facilities.

The course was designed by Rick Jacobson, whose group has designed Potomac Shores, Bowes Creek Country Club and others. It opened in 2003.

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“This is an exciting day and big win for Stony Point,” Monaghan said during a news conference on the golf course. “As far back as 2003, the town has actively worked to market the old Letchworth facility and today’s agreement will finally ensure both the revitalization of this property and the enhancement of this beautiful golf course for benefit of our taxpayers.”

Councilman Tom Basile said the deal with Patriot Hills Park LLC will strengthen the town’s long-term fiscal health and keep town taxes down.

“This contract will, at long last, allow this site to generate income rather than be a drain on resources and do it while maintaining the character of this community,” Basile said.

The Town Board approved a memorandum of understanding in 2018 giving exclusive rights on a sale to two local residents, Raja R. Amar and Brion Hayman, and Lawrence D. Melchionda. The trio formed the Patriot Hills Park LLC for this development deal.

One of the long boarded up, decrepit buildings on the campus of Letchworth Village in Stony Point Sept. 21, 2018. Stony Point Supervisor Jim Monaghan gave an update on the status of plans to develop the site. The plans would include knocking down several of the boarded up buildings.

Value of transaction disputed

Attorney Michael Diederich, a Democrat running for town supervisor, who represents residents appealing a court ruling denying a public vote, said the public should have had a say on the sale of the valuable asset, the golf course. The petition had more than 500 signatures.

“Many people in the town, including myself, believe the Town Board of Stony Point was deeply misguided in deciding to sell the town’s golf course,” he said, adding the public should decide the use of public land.

“The proposed sale will essentially leave the Town with nothing — no cash in hand — and only the promises of a first-time developer,” he said. “In the long run, allowing private ownership may result in the golf course eventually becoming high-density housing.”

Monaghan has maintained the course is a money-loser for the town and the property has no worth due to the cost of removing asbestos from the buildings. He said the golf course also will eventually produce property taxes for the town.

The town chose to take the construction of a 7,500-square-foot community center and the multimillion renovation or disposal of eight asbestos-laden rundown buildings. The $3 million goes into town coffers.

Monaghan said the community center may not cost $6.4 million but maybe $5 million.

Either way, the developers agreed to fund the design and construction of a community center to replace the building, which is in constant need of repair. The community center will provide facilities for senior citizen functions, official town meetings and a range of other uses for youths and residents, Monaghan said.

“I, along with my partners, look forward to the success of this project and the exciting possibilities and economic growth that it will bring to Stony Point,” Amar said. “As a resident of Stony Point, I have a personal interest in investing in our future for the benefit of our community and its residents.”

Amar and his partners have been in negotiations with town officials for more than three years.

Monaghan said key elements of the contract include:

• $6.4 million due at closing encompassing both cash payment and performance bond for the design and construction of a new Stony Point Community Center.

• $6 million estimated commitment from the developer to remediate and demolish buildings on the Letchworth site.

• Renovations to and the preservation of Kirkbride Hall for Town recreation purposes.

• Golf course will remain accessible to town residents and their guests. Residents will pay a reduced rate on the average cost per round across golf courses in Rockland. Right now, town residents pay $55, and non-resident pay $120.

• Stony Point active riding volunteer fire department and ambulance corps members will play for free.

Steve Lieberman is a reporter for Westchester Journal News, part of the USA Today Network. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal. 

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Fly angler lands giant goldfish in Central New York

A fly fisherman was casting a streamer for bass and carp Saturday at New York’s Onondaga Lake when he spotted two enormous goldfish.

A fly fisherman was casting a streamer for bass and carp Saturday at New York’s Onondaga Lake when he spotted two enormous goldfish.

“I tried catching them a few times, but with no luck. But just as I was getting ready to leave, I finally hooked one,” Joe Selover, of North Syracuse, told Syracuse.com.

Goldfish, members of the carp family, are native to East Asia and listed as an “uncommon species” in Onondaga Lake. They’ve gained a foothold in several New York waters thanks to an illegal practice called aquarium dumping.

RELATED: Video: Tarpon leaps over boat, narrowly missing captain’s head

In these larger water bodies they can attain much larger sizes than most aquariums allow. But catches by recreational fishermen are still considered rare.

Selover’s goldfish was a whopper, measuring 14.5 inches. He hooked the fish at the mouth of Bloody Brook, and it made a long run up the brook and beneath a parkway.

After about 10 minutes, Selover gained the upper hand. But he had left his net in his car, so he asked an onlooker to hold his rod while he fetched the net.

According to Syracuse.com, Selover released the goldfish after snapping a photo of his catch next to his fly rod.

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, goldfish have been documented in 15 state watersheds. The Adirondack Mountains is the only region where goldfish are not established.

The last known catch in Onondaga Lake occurred in 2019.

–Image courtesy of Joe Selover