Joe has an impassioned and essential non-partisan plea and plan on how things can get done, and it’s worth a read…

Joe Conte:

The Islanders are not done in Nassau County; in fact, the failure of the bond referendum has placed a new emphasis on privately developing the Hub. Our role as fans and supporters of development should now be to change the conversation on what should be done to revitalize the Hub and keep the Islanders in Nassau County. Some of the best and brightest minds are now developing plans for the Hub, so the question now becomes, how do we best utilize the land and keep the Islanders in Nassau County.

To do this, the four main players who will ultimately determine a) what becomes of the Hub and b) if the Islanders remain there, must work together and execute a well constructed plan.  Nassau County, Charles Wang, a yet to be determined developer, and our beloved Town of Hempstead have important roles to play; ones that if they truly embrace will allow them to come out on top and really get Nassau County back on the right foot.

The county has the most important role to play since it owns the land, the Coliseum and is the government entity that decides who gets to develop.  Despite their outsized role, there is really only one critical decision they have to make to ensure the project is done right; and that is to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ).  I repeat an RFQ, not a request for proposals (RFP), it is imperative and here’s why.

If the county were to issue an RFP, there would be limited flexibility to the project and to conform to the Town of Hempstead’s zoning regulations (see what happened to the Lighthouse project).  We have been down this road before, and to paraphrase Albert Einstein “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

An RFQ is a game changer.  RFQ’s allow for flexibility and for the final development to be created through an evolving process that gives a voice to all parties, which is essential for building political support.  As we learned from the Lighthouse project, all the public support in the world for a project does not mean it will be approved; support must come from all governmental and non-governmental entities in order for the project to truly be revolutionary.

The days of a developer cramming a project down a community’s throat are over.  The new and more successful development strategy involves the community from stage one of the planning process.  Using a crowd-sourcing platform, developers can now directly engage local communities. Residents can then give input into the design, feel and composition of the project.  By including the local residents in the planning phase it gives them a sense of ownership in the project.  Public ownership of the project increases those whole feel a vested interest in seeing the project completed, and; those people more likely to apply pressure on their representatives to make sure something gets done.

Once the county sets the stage with the RFQ, the onus falls on Wang to ensure the Islanders are a part of whatever plan is ultimately conceived from our RFQ process.  Working as a partner of a development team is something he must do.  It is the only way he keeps the Islanders on Long Island and cements his legacy through development of the Hub.

Wang should be done sticking his neck out when it comes to developing the Hub.  Twice politicians from both sides of the aisle have now burned him, so it stands to reason that he would not even want to be the lead on the new proposal (I have no idea if he does or not).  So what he should be doing is holding meetings with all parties who will be submitting qualifications to the RFQ.

All Wang needs is a seat at the table, which would allow him a level of influence; he needs to give up on the idea of complete control.  More importantly, it allows for a more experienced team to navigate the project from start to finish. Wang has not proven himself to be a successful developer. Despite his failures, it does not mean he is not the same successful businessman who put forward the most ambitious plan this Island has ever. Developing is hard because dealing with government is hard.  Politics is finicky; politicians are interested in their own survival.  It’s time for him to let professional, experience developers come in, and do all the hard work.  Then, he can take the credit for keeping the Islanders here and putting together the team that got it done.

The development team that ultimately wins the RFQ must be innovative, flexible and have experience in engaging in both the bottom up, community crowd sourcing approach, while at the same time have the experience in lining up political support from the elected officials.  This is no easy undertaking, but there are successful developers out there with the track record to get it done.  Wang must be open and willing to work with them.

I know every major developer and development team is circling the Hub like a pack of vultures, looking to sink their teeth into most valuable underdeveloped land in the county.  That’s fine and encouraged; no idea should be turned away.  But at the same time, we are only going to get one shot to revitalize the Hub, which means the project needs to be cutting edge.  If you narrow your qualifications to a developer who fits that profile, your options of which developer you want winning the RFQ become a lot more limited.  I do not need to stress how important development of the Hub is to Nassau County, you all already know this, so we must work to ensure we are having the right conversation about what we ultimately want to see done at the Hub; one that comes with the blessing of all the government localities.

Which brings us to the Town of Hempstead, who will determine whether the project maximizes its potential.  Moving forward we all must give the Town a clean slate, and I say this as one of the most vocal critics of their actions in the past. Let bygones be bygones and encourage everyone to work together.  Long Island’s future is too important to allow past grievances from standing in the way of progress.

The Town must take a proactive role in this process, something that they did not do last time.  This requires constant communications with the development team that wins the RFQ, so they can let their concerns and desires be known.  While it is easy to demonize them for their actions with the Lighthouse project, they did raise legitimate concerns, such as who would pay for the infrastructure upgrades.

The consciousness and conversation about development is changing on Long Island and our leaders in the Town are not too ignorant to realize that.  The Town just wants their say, which they had zero of last time.  As long as they are engaged from day one, are given a feeling of ownership in the project, they will come on board.  If this is done right, there will be too much pressure on them not to be.

Despite the doom and gloom forecasts for Long Island and the Islanders, there is no need to throw in the towel just yet.  There still remain four years on the lease and a hopefully the feeling of urgency gets the ball rolling.  Islander fans and residents of Nassau who support the type of development that would revitalize our local economy need to continue to stand together. The referendum was voted down not because of an anti-Islander or anti-development agenda.  In fact, we have a lot more allies in this fight then we may think.

Editors Note: B.D. Gallof has not been seen since Sunday am, when his pictures from his ipad were uploaded to his Facebook page of him smoking a cigar and drinking a bottle of Whiskey. Late tonight we received an email from him asking us to place this up on the site. It has not been edited or adjusted in any way. His whereabouts are unknown…

Is It Fear & Loathing on Long Island?
BD on the August 1^st Vote and Endorsement

Get In!

Long Island is a strange bird. Sometimes you can love its lazy obtuseness and almost neurotic aspects like some crazy uncle who visits your house each family event. Other times it is a constant barrage of morons and idiosyncrasy that hammers one head like a thousand woodpeckers on speed.

I used to hate Long Island and where I lived with unfettered revulsion. When I left for college, I could not wait to get out and get working in NYC as to escape its toothy maw. Having lived in a few places outside of LI, it would seem strange to that younger self to why I came back. Things change. There is a respect and understanding to why Long Island has been a thriving place and to why it remains still holding onto that (though tenuously at best). But there is also that crazy uncle not only still along for the ride, when he really goes loaded for bear; he no longer is just quirky or wacky. He instead becomes a stark raving beast with a submachine gun.

That crazy uncle and those unending chain of bullets are clear to many an Islander fan who have been belted in to this arduous tumult of partisan politics, a stained former Senator who took his octopus-like arms and oily ink to backrooms and lobby-groups, a backwards-facing suburban ideology of over-protectionism, oft-kilter business management, an oddball billionaire who keeps his two enabling yes-men along for the ride all the way back from Computer Associates, a backwards self-serving Republican stronghold who operates to the predilections of an affluent donor roll and benefactors  for just one town, a neophyte who is in way over his head in the County who won that role because he fermented a tax revolt and is now hamstrung by it in office, a conniving throng of political hacks trying to get back control having been toppled last voting cycle,  a league who is in the process of losing those teams that were expanded both South and West… and all during a very rocky economic recession that have everyone cash strapped and wallet conscious.

Add another 15 years of failed team strategy and ownership to those fans psyche, and you have a bewildered, paranoid, and just plain confused fanbase watching this unfold helplessly.

It is that helplessness that has stung so much as things have gotten so out of whack that it might have made many fans start to tune out to the goings on. How many of us where those who came out years ago to the LI Marriot, standing for the cause, only to watch it fade out in some long drawn death scene under the Town of Hempstead’s self-serving hands. Or as Charles Wang then imploded the entire Lighthouse Project, refusing to negotiate, and then when he finally did make overtures months and months later, the ToH were long gone and off focusing on something else.

How can one NOT tune out? The reality has blown so much hot air, black smoke and gritty detritus that it resembles one of the smoke stacks along the Meadowbrook Parkway.  How can one not be tired of it all? How many times have we gone to the well, asked to show up or listen to someone’s tale? How many times were we given no answer, instead things went dark or just got swallowed by the darkness that lies within the heart of Long Island? That same darkness, confusion and bevy of excuses that has left a large piece of Nassau County some sort of hollow hole that the team still has to skate in.

I have to wonder if that thousands years from now it will be Nassau Coliseum and the faint scrawls of VOTE YES or JUST BUILD IT that still are painted on the walls will be viewed as some quaint archaic ruin with cave paintings. Will the failure to renew a hub that was built over 40 years ago be due to people being more interested in that it retains some name of “Veterans” than actually being a place to go to and entertain the hardworking citizens of this fair land? A place where their kids and grand children want to congregate?

“Why don’t you ever want to visit us?” says grandma

“There’s nothing to do out there!” complains everyone else.

Well, one has to wonder if this will be the reality thanks to the latest poll touted in Newsday. Something else for the paranoid delusional to cite as conspiracy theory or conniving agenda of the Dolan’s to destroy one of their best rivalries. Instead it is just an off-target poll of 50% over 55 years of age, which ignores the 38 year-old median age of Nassau County. Furthermore it ignores the demographic of who will likely vote this special vote. No real poll can be accurate for a special election that requires a committed and staked voter with team fans, unions and other oddities added in.

If there is any conspiracy with Newsday, it is only one of dunces. Extremism is merely easy outlet for some due to the angst and anxiety that we are all likely feeling during self-serving political mechanics that seem dead-set on destroying hockey and alienating the entire younger generation. Giving too much credit to enemies is usually the hallmark of the paranoid, and it has been used flowing like a fire hose spewing dread and just plain ignorance all over the blogosphere comment sections and message boards.

Newsday has been more a shining example of causing cognitive dissonance. It has created readers conflicts due to an editorial ideal based on selling strife smacking against the cause and facts of what the writers are trying to get across. What has helped peel off their editorial curtain is the fact that independent bloggers seem to have more legwork and entrenchment in the muck of what is going on than the paper on many an Islander item. So every step Newsday has done, they more often than not, show off their sensationalism by creating some sort of slant or angle to provide conflict.

They have created a bouillabaisse of resentment from the Islanders fanbase. But to think that any of their almost ham-handed antics are some sort of conspiracy is just giving that motley crew, who are just trying to survive a quaking change of ideology thanks to a new ownership, far too much credit.

No, this conspiracy is misplaced. What needs to be installed here is one giant mirror. We need one giant unyielding mirror reflecting on this entire County. Each potential voter needs to take a long unflinching look at this mirror, and cut the bullshit and excuses. Cut away the old blame and history. Everyone needs to drown out the marketing and negative nonsense.

You all need to ask yourself what you want in your home. What will be the future of your hometown and county?

Will it be of the savage implode like the house of Poltergeist, with cries of recession until there is nothing left? Will it be the explosion of public relations material citing tag lines and singing along with the “Meet me at the Lighthouse” jingle as you stagger like robots? Or might it be just hiding heads in the sand, waiting for it all to end, much like the staff of the Town of Hempstead, with no opinion except one of passed responsibility?

Hopefully it will be none of the above. It will likely be, if you take a moment and a breath through all this nonsense, be a moment of clarity. Maybe you will have an epiphany. Maybe not, but there will be likely be a decision. My suggestion is to make a measured decision weighing things carefully and appropriately.

My own will be to Vote Yes.

There are so many reasons why. One large one for me is that my children deserve a better venue to see sports, concerts and anything else than that concrete nightmare that sits on Hempstead Turnpike. The building is dilapidated, in disrepair, ancient, and quite bluntly, a fucking embarrassment to what is supposed to be one of the most prestigious places to live in NY.

It is a fucking embarrassment to even sit there and come up with reasons why we should vote anything other than yes. A fucking embarrassment that the Democrats and Republicans have screwed the pooch so many times on this venue, that it got to a point where it now sits in our hands to bail it out just enough to fight another day.

That too is one fucking giant embarrassment.

Where is Nassau County’s citizen’s self respect? Where is their belief that they DESERVE this? That they SHOULD have a venue that is top notch or at least somewhat closer to mediocre that what lies there now?

It simply boggles the mind of the shortsightedness and excuses by opponents who seem hell bent on cutting off the nose to spite the face. Or to think that it isn’t important. Or to be against it because of the shear politics of trying to topple the foolish County Executive who put forth this referendum with barely any backup information or things laid out beforehand.

We have gone on and long on the issues I have had with the ToH, both hapless and ineffective County Execs, the self-serving Republicans & Democrats, and also of the Islanders and their quirky doof of an owner. I am probably not well liked by any of them, but that was never my intent. My intent at the start was to shear away the absolute piles of bullshit that seemed to be piling all over us throughout a process that was almost always at odds with our futures and with those of the hockey team we follow and cheer for,

When they are shoveled all away, it is simply what you want to come to on Long Island. A loss of the SOLE professional sports team for the County and Long Island, or for there to be an improvement of venue, new long-term lease of that team, and a place that is respectable to see a concert, show or sports event?

To me, there is simply no debate. The independent numbers came in and it cited a roughly a close to $14 cost to each taxpayer. A far cry to the absolute tripe of $48 or more that opponents touted like parrots. That is a movie ticket. Parking. A CD or book, for god’s sake.

Nobody but nobody till lately bothered to cite the cost of LOSING the Islanders, the Coliseum’s main tenant, and their generator of taxes to the County and what it will cost each taxpayer.  $16.

So all the buzz and noise around this referendum, despite the heaping loads of mistakes and miscues made, is the fact that it is not a loss, not taking anything from anybody’s pocket, and in the end, something to be proud of and respectable to a place that has been disrespected or at least abandoned when inconvenient by just about everyone who sits in office.

No, it is high time for a stand. To wake up. To get our proverbial head from out of asses and make a voice heard. We finally, FINALLY, have a day to make our own vote a clear exclamation point for the Islanders future, and in a large way, our own on Long Island. IF we cannot be up for that, after listening and reading everything else, you might as well just pack up and move out of town…

Because I don’t think I’d want you as a neighbor.

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I think the most annoying thing about the press conference yesterday was the media, who seemed to be present in higher numbers than the union, politicos, and fans. Many of them stopped by the handful of Isles fans telling them: “Congratulations, you got your arena!” Ummm, not quite.

Clearly most of the media is just plain ignorant of what is really going on here.

Even those who are a bit clearer on the roadblocks and speedbumps seem to be dismissal of potential problems. To me, this strikes me as foolish, naive, and just plain in denial to the realities of the political process on Long Island.

Soon after, in the afternoon, I received an email from my query to NIFA, the governor assigned watchdog to all of Nassau County’s fiscal process with a very clear warning that went against the talk of Ed Mangano, Kate Murray and Charles Wang. Nobody had bothered to loop in the watchdog who has the final say on permission for any bond or coliseum deal here.

NIFA’s Statement:

“NIFA is deeply concerned about the County Executive’s proposal and its fiscal implications for the County. There was no consultation with NIFA regarding this major proposal announced today. During the control period, greater coordination is warranted.NIFA’s approval is required for all County borrowing, including the $400 million in new debt proposed today, and for all major contracts.

As we await necessary information from the County regarding the 2011 and 2012 budgets, NIFA requires details of this new plan, which must be evaluated in the context of the County’s fiscal crisis, the wage freeze on County employees and the reductions in services to County residents

This is unsurprising to those who have followed the Ed Mangano dealings, which seem to fly on the seat of their pants and to be lacking any details. The problem with yesterday’s press conference and promises is the usual vague planning, murk, and just plain lack of details to what exactly is going to happen, and above all, a lack of knowledge on how to kickoff the process so that it actually goes through. It doesn’t give me a warm and fuzzy, and it shouldn’t for you, fellow Islander fans, either.

This is a huge gaffe by the Mangano camp and all involved. Here is your big day of PR, and already, within a few hours, a problem has already hit the mix and now leads the news.

I sat listening to yesterdays press conference with a heaping load of questions to their planning. One large one was mentioned by me on twitter yesterday:

“A big unmentioned player to all of this is “Nassau Interim Finance Authority” who must approve Nassau County deals and such”

“Democrats and NIFA are the roadblocks here IF either choose to throw themselves against the ire of sports fans”

On Mangano/Wang not getting approval from NIFA, a source says: “have to wait for the vote. And if it approves, you think NIFA would turn it down? Can you think of the anger they would get and the pressure the gov would feel?”

Well, I’m just not convinced here. Especially when some Democrats are already complaining about why are taxpayers having to float a bond when originally Charles Wang was offering to pay for the whole thing privately with the Lighthouse Project? It’s a question of course that is valid, but fails to note that the Town of Hempstead clearly killed that plan, and came up with their own tinier plan…to which Charles refused to compromise or even work out some sort of compromise process. So clearly, when both sides fail to meet, it is dead.

The problem is that the elections in November have a lot on the line, including an opponent to Kate Murray already using yesterdays press conference as a political point, calling the Coliseum deal a “poison pill”. The politicization of the Coliseum Referendum is a potential nightmare if it becomes a focal point to the power struggle between Long Island Democrats and Republicans. Democrats, who I might add, were onboard the Coliseum plans until Suozzi was toppled, and then faded into the woodwork. Democrats who once source said were told to stay away, as another source mentioned others were not invited, to yesterdays presser. Thus, Mangano’s group also now made it a Republican event between them and the ToH, as if purposely trying to exacerbate the issue into political drama.

Political drama will turn this process and Islander fans, who have sat being pulled along like a yo-yo to all sorts of antics, inside out. It isn’t fair, and there seems to be a lack of forethought, tact, and finesse by all parties when it counts most…. as we saw last time between Charles and the Lighthouse Project versus the ToH back two years ago.

A source on the Republican side of the aisle thinks that if referendum passes, NIFA will be unwilling to deepsix it due to jobs created. I still remain unconvinced when it is a Democrat Gov who really controls the NIFA group against a Republican run Long Island. To me, this is kids playing with matches in a room of TNT, with them assuring us, it’s ok. I’m not buying it.

Just as am not buying it is going to happen until all those involved get a clue and actually show some ability to finish what they started. I am still not even convinced that $350 million, that gets allocated to build a NEW venue, is enough in this day and age where labor and building materials are sky high in cost in one of the most expensive places to do business in the United States.

So, call me more than skeptical, concerned, and just plain unconvinced. I remain open to be swayed and hope it works out. But, anyone who thinks this is a done deal or a clear path is just plain fooling themselves.

For the Referendum itself, I think that vote will go YES. Fans, the Republican machine and unions will vote for it, and take advantage of what will be a minuscule vote turnout on August 1st. But that is not the issue. The referendum is useless if NIFA does not approve the bond.

If we look at Mangano’s track record so far as Exec, he has stated that he will balance the budget….and failed. He stated that he will win in a lawsuit against NIFA, and failed. He even said he was going to cut patronage positions…still waiting there. So I am not quite going to buy that this is a done deal by a longshot.

There is also another issue… how does a team that loses anywhere from $20 to 40 million annually expect to suddenly cut a profit and pay the County their share of that $350 million dollars???? Hey, I’m not just going to be the one guy asking this question. Others are already wondering the same.

Follow me on twitter: BDGallof

(will give my own take on things later tonight)

Plans for new arena announced

Tough to be an Isles fan these days, huh? Everyone is feeling the pain it seems.

My own belief is we are in the middle of a media pile-on, and some facts and realities have gotten a bit lost. Just my take, and fine if nobody agrees. I think the pile-on has upset the fanbase even further
who really thought, like the team did, that a corner would be turned. Instead the opposite…leaving a bitter taste in many mouths.

Blame can go around, but always best to really give an objective take and stance. How? I invited some highly respected Isles and non-Isles blokes to join us for a blogger roundtable of sorts to gauge particulars about the season, situation and the bigger picture.

Our esteemed group (thus far…more might be added later):

Russ Cohen, Founder and Owner, Sportsology Network, Co-Author, 100 Ranger Greats. He is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and a frequent guest on XM Home Ice radio. Russ Cohen spent over two decades growing up on Long Island and he now has a few books on sale this holiday season. Check them out!

Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey. One of the better Isles blogs out there and even-keeled fellows. Dom doesn’t need access or to go toe-to-toe with others (what i probably do too often) in order to provide great Isles coverage.

Nick Giglia, LetThereBeLighthouse Blog and author of the original Lighthouse Project petition. Also one of the first victims of Isles LHP blowback before myself, Botta or others got the high hat from the Isles organization.

Jess Rubenstein, The Prospect Park blog. Since 2004 he’s been covering the prospects of the New York Rangers and now also covering the prospects of the New York Islanders.

“Trottier”, one of HFboards Islanders section best, wisest and most respected posters.

Matthew Rappaport, Isles Prospect blogger and a well-respected HFBoards poster

Chris TMC, Islanders GM at TheNHLArena. Runs their Isles section and is a educated fan.

Plus our own…

Tony Stabile, Isles Blog Box member (aka…they didn’t throw him out yet), as well as featured blogger here on HI.

Andre Garabedian, Isles blogger on HockeyIndependent who debuted this year. Also knows as HyeDray on the boards.

And for comedy relief, Scott Gallof 1/2 half of Sibling Rivalry and NY Rangers blogger currently convalescing from his blogging injury this season (aka: The Clap). That’s right, he hasn’t blogged since March of last year. Someone get a petition for this coach potato to get off his ass.

Blogger Roundtable Rules Given were….

Feel free to expand where you feel the need to. Try not to go more than a paragraph each, if possible. You can do a sum up of your own take on things at the end. Some here are Isles fans, bloggers, Isles blog boxers, former announcers, board moderators, and some not even Isles fans.

1) If you predicted the Isles standings this season publicly or personally, where do Isles the current standings compare to your expectation?

RUSS:
I’d say it fell under expectations but I didn’t pick them to make the playoffs. Injuries are a part of it but I think when you are that far under the cap they could have prepared themselves with a better blue line and I think that’s a big part of their problems.

DOMINIK:
A little bit lower, though not quite as much once I learned of the long-term injuries to Okposo and Streit. After the Wisniewski addition, I figured a better powerplay and more stable defense would make this team similar to but better than last year’s: Staying in the playoff bubble until late, but ultimately falling short. Once those injuries happened, I feared much worse.

NICK:
Like most people, I’d thought and hoped the Islanders would take a big step forward this year. Sadly, after the promise of the first 7 games the team plummeted back to earth. Hard. I wondered at the time of the Streit and Okposo injuries if the Isles would be artificially bad this year, like the 08-09 Avs, and therefore be poised for a huge improvement next year. However, I wonder if that’s a cop-out on my part and an excuse for often listless play.

TROTS:
I fully expected NYI to be at the bottom of their division and a non-playoff team. I did not expect abject failure as we are seeing. It is exceedingly hard for a team to play itself out of “contention” prior to January/February, given the bastardized Nu NHL point system. NYI has somehow managed to do so.

CHRIS TMC:
I didn’t’ have really high hopes for this season to begin with- but I thought that, with a healthy roster and some progress from the kids, they could surprise everyone, be a bit ahead of the rebuild schedule, and fight for a playoff spot. That idea unfortunately went down the tubes in preseason as far as I was concerned. Now my expectations mainly deal with the Isles figuring out which players are worth betting on and which ones aren’t.

MATTY:
I publicly predicted that this was the first year the Isles would begin contending for a playoff position.  I thought that even after the Okposo and Streit injuries, the Isles would be out of the bottom five in the NHL.  The team stood to improve in a ton of ways.  They showed synergy and fight in the second half of last year.  It seemed like Gordon’s system was setting in, and players’ actions were much more natural.  The young kids showed signs of improvement.  You figured things would actually move forward.

TONY:
I try not to predict before the season starts as injuries and other factors can change so quickly (as we’ve seen with the missing Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit). But I don’t think anyone could have could have predicted this mess.

ANDRE:

Interestingly, I did not do an “official prediction” post, though I did write up a preview. Based on the belief that there were improvements to the defense, and the anticipated growth of the young core of players, I felt the team would compete. The playoffs were a nice thought, and with anything possible over an 82 game season, I did not rule it out, but it was far from assured. The team is clearly not meeting my own expectations. Many of the young players have not produced, the injuries — not only to Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo, but the game-in, game-out constant announcement that another player has gone down with an injury has not helped. In the 25 games played, there have only been a few where a player has not been lost to at least some time.

SCOTT:
Par for the course.

2) How much do you think losing Kyle Okposo, who is a first liner and Marc Streit, their top dman and PP QB, affected this team? How does that effect fall into your expectations for the season and this season’s current reality?

RUSS:

Every team has to be able to succeed despite injuries. When a team loses a power play quarterback and their top defenseman that’s a huge loss. With all of that said there should have been somebody else who could step into that job without missing a beat.

DOMINIK:

Simply, no other team in the league has taken an injury impact that large. People can gloss over “just two players” etc., but it happened to be two of the best three on an already thin team. Few teams survive that; thin teams never do. This is a league of many very good players and a few exceptional players per team who reliably make a difference. Take two of the latter away and…here we are.

NICK:

See above (#1 answer). I wondered if injuries to 2 of their top players would make the Isles artificially bad this year, and it’s definitely affected them. Guys are playing above their pay grade and skill level in most roles right now.

TROTS:
Losing KO and Striet have obviously hurt, the later moreso, as NYI’s defense is impotent in all three zones. That said, their loses should not be exaggerated, as it points to how painfully shallow this team’s depth is.
It is not unreasonable to state that a mere “respectable” team would at least tread water (.500) with these types of loses.

CHRIS TMC:

I miss Kyle Okposo so much I cant frickin stand it. And its not because I thought he was going to suddenly look like a 27yo vet star out there, but because it seems to me like he is a kid who others really rally around. The Isles really need him.

MATTY:
In retrospect, both those injuries were equally crippling.  Let’s forget for a second that they’re both great players.  Streit and Okposo were clearly the heart and soul of the team.  Even if their play couldn’t have changed the losing streak, their leadership might have stopped the bleeding and saved Scott Gordon his job.  After they went down, there were no true leaders left.  In the meantime, the Isles sorely missed their speed and defensive responsibility more than anything.  The power play was fine until the injuries really started piling on, and they brought in enough rough-and-tumble physical players.

TONY:
The loss of Streit has been tremendous, he is a leader on the bench and on the ice. He should be the Captain of this team as Doug Weight has proved unable to stay healthy and leaves a tremendous void on the bench. Okposo is a big loss as well as Tavares lost his top wing and has been forced to play with career minor leaguer PA Parenteau. Please remember that Okposo has not scored 30 goals in his career yet so he can be counted on as help….not as the answer.

ANDRE:

As stated above, the injuries in general have not helped. Losing two key players before the season even starts is a huge blow. Still, there was enough depth to have the team be productive in my opinion. They would certainly be weaker, but never could I have imagined this poor. I wrote a piece that many Islander fans were in full blown panic the day it was announced that Striet was lost for the majority of the year. Most fans — perhaps correctly — were all over the net suggesting the season was over. I have a different approach. I wanted to see how the team played before consigning them to a lost season. It turned out, the team was capable of some success as we saw early in the season, which makes the current situation with certain players all the more frustrating.

SCOTT:

A bag of dung is still a bag of dung even if it has some sprinkles in it.

3) Who do you blame for the “the streak” also known as the 14 game losing streak, or more aptly….Gordo’s canning? Was the coach to blame?

JESS:

The road to Gordon’s canning started when the injuries happened as they (the injuries) first exposed the lack of real depth in the system then became the excuses for everything from not carrying De Haan and Nino to the eventual termination. Gordon never had a chance once the key players went down.

RUSS:
It was a combination of everything. I think the team might have been tuning out the coach but we’re not seeing any real Improvement under Jack Capuano so they have to go back to the drawing board and make some roster changes.

DOMINIK:
If I could peg blame for a streak, I’d be in Vegas right now. Every game is different. They played better in a few of those losses than they did in some of their early season wins. That’s the nature of sports and luck. If I’d blame anything specific, it would be that a young team wasn’t as equipped to handle that, and some of them lost their way. That streak is rare, but far more likely once you’ve lost two of your best players.

NICK:
Scott Gordon, like most coaches, was a convenient scapegoat for the poor play. I wonder if a lack of veteran presence in the room affected the Isles in their ability to bounce back from the first few losses rather than letting it fester into the awful thing it became. At the end of the day, accountability has to come from in the room and not from the executive level, and while they make the right noises I wonder if some of the young guys have learned how to be pros yet.

TROTS:

Charles Wang. If the owner i$ commited, the GM ha$ resources and subsequently, the coach has assets with which to work.

CHRIS TMC:

I can’t blame Gordon. The blame game is such a slippery slope- as soon as you point to one thing it starts a downhill domino effect that gains momentum as it takes us nowhere. Without getting into that, if I had to blame one main reason for it I’d blame the Islanders not having even a single vet winger in the top 6. They dont even have a guy like Richard Park anymore- not like I think he is a savior but, as we can all see, even having a guy like Parkie (Richard Park) was better than watching a bunch of kids not being able to figure out WTH they are doing wrong and not knowing how to change it. A coach doesnt build the team, he only works with what he is given… and whoever is not on IR.

MATTY:

It depends on how far back you want to go.  Approximately, the blame lies with the players.  Ultimately, the blame lies with ownership.  I thought Wang might have known what he was doing when he installed Snow and had them actually rebuild the program from the ground up.  I’m pretty sure I thought wrong.

TONY:
The streak can be blamed on a bunch of things, injuries, poor play, a coach’s unwillingness to make changes, lack of talent, lack of scoring….etc. I was never a huge fan of Scott Gordon’s and I always felt he waited too long to make necessary changes. His firing in my opinion was just a matter of time.

ANDRE:
Pointing a finger of blame on one or two people is to easy. Mistakes are made in game that are compounded by other mistakes. Errors in judgement about personnel by Snow and Gordon, poor choices of line combinations, bad decision on the playing system, and mostly, bad execution of play. That covers just about everyone from the GM, right through to the last man on the bench. Perhaps the GM put too much faith in young players like Comeau, Bailey, Tavares, Neilsen and Schremp to produce offensive stats. The coach many have decided to play a system that he was comfortable playing, but did so without having the personnel to execute the system properly. His was a high speed skating system — and most of our players are not exactly blazing fast skaters. The players — for a reason we may not be aware of, were making very poor choices with and without the puck. The goaltending in a few games was disastrous. It is a collective problem that can’t be put on one person.

SCOTT:

How can any player truly feel motivated playing in a festering cesspool like the Coliseum or having a purple dinosaur that belongs to the indoor football league team dancing around the rink?  Even as a Rangers’ fan, I am embarrassed watching a game in that arena, just as fellow New Yorker. It’s painful. I can only imagine how it is for a player.Was a coaching change needed, probably. But it’s just a reactive solution to a much deeper issue. There seems to be a distinct lack of team identity and pride since the Pierre Turgeon days.  The only time it seems this team is remotely motivated is when they play the Rangers.

4) The following, courtesy of the HockeyDB.com, is the NY Islandersdraft history. Describe your thoughts on the Isles drafts since Milbury and his group were kicked out of control of them back in 2006. Do you think that those drafted are better or worse than those picked during the previous tenure? Is the farm in better shape or worse shape since 2006 in your opinion?

RUSS:

I like to give drafts five years before I really analyze them but I can give you a midterm report card on them so far.

2006 – Anytime you can get two everyday players out of a draft you’re doing well. In this draft they had 13 picks so I think hoping for three is fair. I’m pretty sure Rhett Rakhshani will make it as well so I would give them a B­-. Jess Joensuu and Kyle Okposo will be NHLers for a while.

2007 – The jury is out on this year but I’d have to say I think Blake Kessel will eventually make it to the NHL after a few seasons in the AHL after he finishes his college career.  Jason Gregoire has a good chance as well.  They had five picks and no first rounders and still might get two players out of this draft. I’d give them a B- for this one.

2008 – The Islanders had 13 picks in this draft and they got Josh Bailey right out of the box.  Travis Hamonic should stick in the NHL now that he’s getting a chance and Kirill Petrov is a real talent who will soon turn 21. If they can sign and bring him over he will have to spend some time in the AHL but could play in the NHL someday.  Matt Martin is playing now, and I like David Toews, he could make it in a few years. I have to give them an A+ .

2009- John Tavares and Calvin de Haan will soon be playing together at the NHL level.  They might get a third player from this one so right now I’d give them a B+ for this one so far.

2010 – I really liked their 2010 draft. I’d say it’s too early to give them a grade for it but I would expect them to get at least two players from this one as well.

DOMINIK:
It’s better, without question. While I try to exorcise Milbury’s damage from daily thoughts, it’s myopic to consider the condition of this team without recognizing that there are zero major players left from his draft years. Milbury’s biggest draft contribution to the current team is a quality defenseman, Radek Martinek, who was an 8th round pick in 1999. Give me another NHL franchise so developmentally bankrupt for such a stretch. That’s a wound that takes more than four drafts to heal

JESS:
The 07 draft was a waste as other Jason Gregoire and the longshot Blake Kessel there is no kind of help out of this draft for themThe 08 draft shows promise as besides Bailey and Hammonic, I see a goalie in Poulin, Toews is showing promise.09 is where I see the upswing besides Tavares and De Haan, Cizikas is a gritty true heart and soul player works hard at both ends, and Anders Lee (6th) might be the steal of that draft as this is a power forward with linebacker size but small man skills and soft hands.

10 offers Nino and an underrated Brock Nelson, Kabanov is the gamble worth taking and Tony DeHart a depth defender.

The better question is have those drafted been developed to the best of their potential? You can draft all the great talents but if you fail to invest time and well as effort into helping these prospects reach their potential then they will fail to become contributors. The Islanders need to decide either develop everyone or rush them as the mixture is just not working.

NICK:
I don’t see how anyone can doubt the dramatically improved nature of the Isles drafting during the Snow years. There are always picks that are questionable in hindsight, but overall the drafts are very strong. Look at. 08: the Isles have 4 players in that draft who’ve made the NHL when some teams don’t even have 1! At this point Blake Comeau and DP are the only Milbury draft picks who may have a role moving forward. It’s Garth Snow’s team now.

TROTS:

I honestly do not know how to assess the drafts, 2006 forward. The verdict is still out. There was a major case of “premature fanjaculation” with it came to expectations among some NYI fans when it came to the recent drafts, that much is certain.

CHRIS TMC:
Even before the current era, there have been a number of times over the years in which the Isles drafted great and it got them nowhere… because they traded them all away. It looks to me like the Isles are now pretty much going to the other extreme- prospects and draft picks are practically like crack to Garth Snow. I do think the Isles have a great group of prospects though- a good sign of drafting well is when guys move up significantly in the eyes of the hockey world after they are drafted: Poulin, Lee, Cizikas, Hamonic, etc.

MATTY:

The selections have undoubtedly been markedly better.  Milbury couldn’t have screwed up worse.  I still think the 2008 draft will come up aces.  Bailey and Hamonic will be awesome if they’re developed correctly.  Petrov is a beast, but they have to bring him over.  Donovan is phenomenal.  Martin has been rushed, but he has it in him to be a valuable asset.

As for the rest of the drafts since ’06, I still think you have to give it time.  ’07 yielded players like Gregoire and Kessel, who have hope of becoming NHL players.  De Haan looks very good and should be another piece to the puzzle.  Anders Lee is tearing it up.  So there’s some hope there if the Isles can keep the talent together.

TONY:
For every Roberto Luongo and Todd Bertuzzi there was a Robert Nilsson. Milbury’s drafting techniques were both solid and unpredictable. I like that Snow has tried to build a team of character players as well as talented players (swinging for the fences on a player like Kabanov was uncharacteristic of him but a smart idea nonetheless). The problem isn’t the Islanders’ prospects; it’s the veteran talent (or lack thereof) that is their biggest problem.

ANDRE:
The draft is a funny thing. It is very much “hit or miss.” The early Milbury years were not all that terrible. What was terrible was Milbury’s psychotic nature and lack of patients. He drafted well in 1996, top heavy but good in 1997 and good in 1999. From that point on — in coincidence with when Charles Wang came into the mix, the wheels came off the wagon. Milbury, hog-tied by a lack of financial support was inclined to keep his picks and allow them to grow. But as soon as he was given carté blanch, he went nuts, and traded away most of the young talent that are now stars/super stars for “established” players that locked the team into mediocrity, and sapped any and all skill from the minors. His drafts in 2000 is a legendary disaster, and his drafts in 01, 02, 03, 04 and 05 were either equally terrible or weak, despite finding some reasonable skill.

In comparison, it is far to early to grade the drafts by Snow, and the one under Neil Smith. The 2006 draft looks like it has yielded 2 regulars with very good potential in Okposo and MacDonald. Joensuu, Rakhshani also show some promise. 2007 was a bust with only 5 picks, although Mark Katic and Blake Kessel have some ability. The 2008 draft looks promising but it is far to early to determine if Snow hit a home run or a single. Bailey though struggling, could still mature into a solid #2 center, Hamonic is a blue chip gem, Petrov could be a star if we can get him to Long Island, Matt Donovan David Ulstrom, Kevin Poulin, Matt Martin and Justin DiBenedetto are all at varying degrees of development and all showing real potential. The 2009 draft yield Tavares, and De Haan is a blue chip prospect. Cizikas looks promising, and the two big goalies have potential. This final draft has 3 players — Niederreiter, Nelson and Kabanov all with good potential. Though not NHL ready, the players from Snow’s drafts have restocked the farm superbly. Certainly, the farm is in far better shape then it was prior to 2006.

SCOTT:
I thought the islanders have done pretty decent in their drafting in the post-Milbury era. Better than Sather, sad to say.

5) In looking  at those drafted since, if some make the NHL, do you think the Isles will be a better team with those drafted as opposed to the current state?

RUSS:
The players that make it will help the Islanders but it takes time for all of these young players to gel as a unit. Right now the Islanders are a team that is clearly rebuilding, and they have been, and now you have to wait and see how the team develops.

DOMINIK:
Certainly. Looking at Hamonic, probably de Haan, plus a pool of Ullstrom, Anders Lee, Cizikas, Poulin, Donovan, Nelson — no clear stars but a lot of shrewd picks (de Haan may have been a reach for his slot, but should still be a legit player). A good pool of potential NHLers including several I didn’t mention. Some of those guys should hit.

JESS:
Yes I see potential and I see talent among the Islander prospects but what I am not seeing is them being pointed in a single direction. If Tavares is the building block then start putting other pieces around him.

NICK:
I think the Isles have a very solid stable of prospects, some of whom are being pressed into service now (see Joensuu and Hamonic) and others on the horizon (Niederreiter, de Haan, Poulin, Petrov, Kabanov, Rakhshani, Gregoire, Nelson, Cizikas). I believe they can either help form complementary pieces or be used in trades to fill in the gaps with established players.

TROTS:
Depends. Will those “making” the NHL with NYI be NHL worthy? Or simply inexpensive cheap thrills that Wang is throwing as a bone to the fanbase, regardless of their readiness. (Yes, I’m cynical.)

CHRIS TMC:
I certainly hope so. If they aren’t, the Islanders do not deserve to even BE an NHL team. I mean, you HAVE to be better than, well, horrible, once the kids you’ve been drafting and counting on for years are all playing. I know I would like to see at least one productive vet winger there somewhere in the top 6 to help these kids get to that point, but that is a different rant altogether.

MATTY:

Sure they will, but they need to surround the kids with actual players.  Hamonic shouldn’t have been in the NHL this year.  Neither, for that matter, should Martin.  They actually ended up making the wrong decision with Niederreiter and sent him down when they badly needed him.  He proved he was ready and they rewarded him by sending him on a plane to the other side of the country.  The subsequent tailspin probably wasn’t a coincidence, either.

TONY:
Without some veteran talent, the Islanders will continue to flounder. Edmonton has a very young team, with veterans like Kurtis Foster, Ryan Whitney, Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky. The Islanders do not have a veteran player of that stature on this team.

ANDRE:
Tough question because there is making the NHL, being good in the NHL and then excelling in the NHL. Then there is still the question of which of these players will make it to the NHL, and which will make it as an Islander. Though Garth Snow has shown patients in letting his picks develop, he still has the option to trade away some of these players. Should these players reach their potential with the Islanders— yes, the team will be better. But, that does not mean that some of them shouldn’t be considered in trades to add to the core of the team as a whole if the deal make long term sense.

SCOTT:

Having a team of drunk, inbred paraplegics may be better than their current state, so yeah sure.Seriously, it’s time to cut your losses with DP, the only thing more impressive than the 14 game losing streak is DP’s years on the DL list.

6) Name three to five key things outside the team playing that have affected your judgment of the rebuild, the future, or just your
opinion of the Islanders. Order them from 1 (most important) to 5 (least important)

RUSS:
1)      Player development is a huge part of the equation for young players and I don’t think the Islanders have some missing pieces in that area.
2)      You have to spend money to make money and they are too far under the cap to field a quality team. I think a quality; competitive team would bring in a lot more fans.
3)       Bad luck. They’ve had their share. Rick DiPietro may never be the same and that could hurt their rebuild.
4)      The arena. Players want to play in a first class building and the Nassau Coliseum hasn’t been that for over a decade.
5)      I still don’t know what the team stands for. I don’t know what the “Islander Way” is. I used to know but I think that message is now lost and needs to be redefined.

DOMINIK:
1) Ticket pricing: I don’t know why you raise ticket prices in this economy, with this on-ice product, while also asking fans to be patient with a rebuild — and after the lease revision created more outside revenue opportunities. It seems a slap to your most loyal customers and prone to backfire. The inevitable single-game discounts that follow upset current STH. The Blues ownership who bought that club from Wal-Mart-in-law Bill Laurie made the same mistake. The next year they made amends, people came back, and the environment is better now.

2) Attendance and media coverage: Given the above, low attendance is not surprising. But the combo of that and media coverage makes this the most challenging part of the rebuild: The will to stick with the plan despite tough stretches and avoid short-sighted moves (panic trades, budget-busting deals to the wrong free agents with baggage) requires thick skin, but it’s exactly where they must avoid mistakes of the past.

3) Wang communication: Given this setting, fans are pretty depressed. They don’t know what’s happening after 2015. Even if Wang doesn’t either, he should go Leonsis on the fanbase and communicate as often and as openly as possible. Engage the followers who are eager to follow, and they will keep an open mind. Throw them a bone, and do it often.

JESS:
1- Lack of Scouting and Development head
2- Lack of direction as to how the franchise should move forward
3- The “circle the wagons” mentality that has taken over the franchise.
4- I wonder about Islander fans themselves as I am seeing firsthand why the media pulls away from daily team coverage. I have been covering the Islander prospects since training camp and have seen less than a 1% response from any Islander fans. The Islanders have some great prospects who deserve coverage but the lack of interest might force me to pull the plug on the Islander prospects.

NICK:
In order:

Their attitude toward writers and other personnel whom they don’t feel row the party line.

Radio silence on the Lighthouse and all future plans.

Increase in ticket prices.

Size of scouting staff.

TROTS:
None of these stand alone; they are intertwined:

Wang’s Lighthouse charade

His early signs (summer, 2002) of not being willing to invest the resource$ to improve the team. On the heels of a solid 90+ point season, that summer he did…nothing. That has been the continual pattern moving forward: doing just enough to keep fan interest alive. We see that today in the drafting of a(n) overhyped “savior” and surroundng him with AHLers.

His ability to turn off, or fire, quality people: Janks, Trottier, Lafontaine, Lavy, and Nolan.

CHRIS TMC:
1. The New York Islanders need at least one productive vet winger there somewhere in the top 6 to help these kids. The biggest argument I get whenever I say that is how the Isles cant afford to give up draft picks or prospects. Well, they are going to have no choice. You cannot ice a team of all kids with a cap floor, and you cannot give all these kids contracts. It is impossible. I am not advocating trading JT and Okposo and the Isles 1st rounders for the next 3 years for some big star or a long term contract, I am advocating getting an average top 6 NHL winger for a couple of years. That’s all. Yes the Isles have to give up something to get him… but IMO they are giving up a lot more by NOT getting him.

2. The New York Islanders made a rather large mistake in raising ticket prices as much as they did. I understand that it correlated with the Islanders (finally!) gaining some revenues from other shows at NVMC, but I think the raised prices (bettered by only the Caps and Hawks, mind you!) are both unfair to current season ticket holders and ultimately a disincentive to potential STHs. I also think that the last-minute online “deals” that the Isles keep putting out there are not successfully reaching the people they need to reach and are ticking off the STHs even more. If your $40 tickets are now $17 because of some deal, will you be a STH next season? Under-publicized last-minute promotional ticket sales that not enough people ever even hear about make season ticket holders feel cheated for buying season tickets at inflated prices in the first place. In todays struggling economy, with a rebuilding team, maybe someone needs to sit down with the Isles organization and do that old guns and butter exercise.

3. The New York Islanders have made absolutely baffling PR moves in recent times. Raising ticket prices & parking before the on-ice production of the team improved, praising Jankowski then dumping him without explanation, saying nothing (and letting MSG speak for the organization) regarding dumping the extremely popular Billy Jaffe, jerking Trottier around saying they would give him a new position that has yet to be offered, an unprecedented loyalty to intern-turned-beatwriter Katie Strang and ONLY Katie Strang, even though she is behind a Dolan paywall, the list goes on and on. I do not understand these moves and what frustrates me about them is that handling these things in a better manner would not cost money, they do not depend on the Lighthouse or the teams W/L record or anything like that. They could handle these things better if they saw them as a priority- but for some reason, they don’t seem to be. Even the great things they did- spending millions on renovating the players areas, revamping the ice machines, etc barely got mentioned. Why they wouldn’t choose to make a huge deal out of things like this is beyond me.

MATTY:

#1: Incorrect development of players.  By far the biggest issue.  Yo-yoing Bailey was the last straw.

#2: Lack of organizational continuity.  They now canned another coach.  Capuano was great where he was, and now they’ve overmatched him in the NHL.  Trottier was VP of PD, now he’s gone.  There’s no system in place anymore to really develop the valuable youngsters into competent pros.  That’s alarming, to say the least.

#3: Lack of commitment from ownership.  Doesn’t really encourage anyone to stay motivated and think long-term.

TONY:
1. The fact the team has gone silent. The year the Islanders let go Ted Nolan and they planned to start the “rebuild”, Snow and the team held open houses, Q&A sessions and town halls at the Coliseum. Ever since the downfall of the Lighthouse project, the team has gone silent, and quite frankly, it’s pissing the fans off. There is no one talking about direction, (either of the team’s play or where they might be playing in 2016). Someone needs to step up and talk to the fans as they are tired of being isolated.

ANDRE:

1) General Apathy: We can discuss ticket prices, the PR issues, and personnel decisions, but I find those all fall specifically under a very bad owner and under its own category. The general apathy of the fan base — the customers for Charles Wang — is most troubling. The franchise is on life support as it is, and with the current state of affairs on its last legs. If Mr. Wang thinks it is bad losing $10 million a year, he is poised to lose much more. If the fans decide to stay away — as they have been the past month, Wang’s financial losses will mount. Even with a new owner, even with a new building deal in place, and let assume a new GM and coach — do the fans come back? I suppose only winning will bring them in, but none of that is a guarantee even with new ownership or management.

2) The Owner: Charles Wang failed in his one key job — getting the Lighthouse approved. How that happened is a long story, but his failure to get the Town of Hempstead on Board, and then compounding that failure with countless other PR nightmares, and the deafening silence shakes my belief the team can succeed with a hockey ignorant but meddling owner. I seriously doubt the team can manage any success with this owner — at all.

3) The GM: Snow has, on paper drafted reasonably well. Other then Tavares, there has not been the Crosby or Ovechkin like generational talent waiting for him. There have not been any big “gaffs” like when Milbury left Heatley or Gaborik, or Parise sitting on the board. But I wonder if Snow might be relying far to much on young players. I was disquieted by the lack of the use of the cap space the Islanders have in acquiring players from teams like the Blackhawks, Bruins, Flames and Flyers. He pulled off the deal for Wisniewski, but what about players like Versteeg and Byfuglin.

SCOTT:
1: Stigma (From Spano to the Gorden’s Fisherman Jerseys to now all this Lighthouse brouhaha; the Islanders have had a plethora of negative attention since their last respectable run back in 93′)

2: Facility (No explanation needed. I’d rather watch a game in Bridgeport)

3: Marketing (seems to me the Islanders media department have always been vastly out of touch, much like the NHL marketing, in general)

7) Should have Garth Snow gone with a NHL coach right away or before this season’s end or continue with Jack Capauno?

RUSS:
I think Garth Snow made the right decision here. See what Capauno can do, and if they still have a bad season they can get another coach next year but you have to give a chance to coaches from within the organization and the Islanders did that.

DOMINIK:
I’d answer that the same as I do with free agents: Sure, the right free agent would be great, but would he come to Long Island? I don’t think Ken Hitchcock is the right guy, but even if he was, would he come or would he do a Quenneville? The hot junior/minor head coaches may take convincing to walk into this mess mid-season. So the right NHL coach would be preferred, but I don’t see the right NHL coach who is available right now. The Isles just need the right coach, period — and it remains to be seen whether Capuano can be that guy short- or long-term.

JESS:
Some would argue that Snow did not have a NHL coach when he fired Gordon, promoting Capauno IMO was a mistake when you stuck him with the “interim” tag. Want an “interim” then you promote one of the assistants. You either believe in Capauno and make him the coach or you don’t.

What happens if when you finally get most of your injured back and you are still not winning? Going to fire Capauno? Keeping Gordon as a “Special Advisor” is also a sign of a franchise that does not have direction.

NICK:
Jack Capuano seems like a nice person but he was not the answer in this case. I’m of the belief that if you’re going to make a change you need to get it done as quickly as possible to help the team coalesce around its new identity. Scott Gordon had issues with the media and seemed a broken man toward the end, but I disagreed with the decision to fire him when an experienced NHL coach wasn’t ready to step in.

TROTS:
He should have kept the NHL coach he had. Just another easy diversion, the latest whipping boy for Wang’s failures. I believe that Snow is just a pawn in the game.

CHRIS TMC:

It’s tough for me to answer this question because I think he should have stuck with Gordon. Its unbelievable how unlucky this guy was- he never once had a healthy team- ever! He signed on for a long-term rebuild, was given a rebuild roster sans vet assistance anywhere in the top 6, and then takes the fall for that. It’s really a shame. But if they (Snow? Charles?) wanted to get rid of Gordon, I think they should have taken their time and found someone permanent. Its not like I dislike Capuano (I don’t) but that’s just how I feel. When I see how Gordon was ultimately treated, I think back to Ted Nolan NOT wanting to coach through a full rebuild… and I can at least understand a bit more why he felt that way.

MATTY:
I would’ve kept Capuano in Bridgeport, where he was doing just fine, and promoted an assistant like Allen or Chynoweth.

TONY:
I understand why he brought up Capuano, but he needs to bring in his new permanent coach before season’s end. I wrote that Bob Hartley would be the perfect guy considering he and Snow have a relationship already and he can kick some ass in the locker room. If it is indeed Hartley, he’ll need to evaluate what he has, before the season is over to know before training camp and it’s too late to make roster changes.

ANDRE:
This is another tough one. The competitive side of me wants to see an NHL coach brought in immediately. But there is a side of me that does want that first overall draft choice again. The prospect of drafting Sean Couturier, a play-making Left Wing for John Tavares is very juicy! This is a guy that fits every single need the Islanders are desperate for. He is big at 6’4″, he plays left wing (that is how he is listed) scores goals, gets tons of assists and plays a two-way game. Despite this, I have to wonder how the constant losing effects the players I already have. In the end – no matter how much I would love to see Couturier in blue and orange, I bring in a new coach right now. Capuano is a good guy, but he is not an NHL coach. We need to get the line combos right, get healthy, and bring in new systems as soon as possible. A culture shock is required and Capuano is the old regime. Bob Hartley would be my choice.

SCOTT:

Is Sparky the Dragon available?

8) How much has the current slew of Islanders stories affected your perception of the team as compared to the start of the season. Do you see the Isles more negatively or positively due to those pieces? Did those pieces present anything that you or others might not have known?

RUSS:
I have to say that it hasn’t helped. I think they have been too reactive.

DOMINIK:
It’s made me more aware of the pent-up frustration among even patient fans. It’s made me see how a really bad month can sour people on a 3-5 year process. Sadly, I can’t say the stories presented anything I didn’t know: It’s all simplified rehash of the same stuff for the same general audience who doesn’t care for context. Worse, the Times piece presented things I knew to be wrong or completely devoid of context.

NICK:
The season of partially accurate hit pieces on the Isles to cheaply fill up media space happened sooner than I thought. It’s become such a tired act for me; we should make Mad Libs or some kind of flow chart detailing these hit pieces because they all follow the same formula and dredge up the same exact things. I’m tired of it and if makes me lose respect for the outlet.

TROTS:
The recent Isles news affect my opinion not one bit (and it should not be exaggerated). The news simply validates my long-held perception of how the franchise is run, and the abject fraudulence of the person at the top.

CHRIS TMC:

There has been a lot of crap published lately when it comes to this team. But its not like it all been lies, its about HOW things are presented. I think the Isles are an easy target to begin with- and with their horrible record this season it’s made it that much easier to churn out articles shooting down the team in every way imaginable. But aside from that, there are two things that bothers me about them: One, pretty much everything in these articles is rehashed- no new insights, ideas, just churning out the same things again and again. Two, I think that a number of these stories have been blatantly agenda driven in both their timing and their content- and are not the objective, independently researched articles they are presented as being. That is really unfortunate.

MATTY:

It’s all been tremendously disheartening.  My entire faith in any coherence and commitment from ownership has been totally shattered.  I’m still shell-shocked.  I now begrudgingly have to side with the curmudgeons, naysayers, and lunatics who decried what seemed like a pretty good plan given the circumstances when Snow took over.  Everything they said about Wang– and, apparently, Snow– was right.

TONY:
The Islanders problem is they refuse to defend themselves in the media. Therefore everything they do looks like they don’t know what they are doing. I do believe that Charles care’s about this team and is adamant about keeping it in Nassau County, but has to keep his mouth shut since they continually string him along promising a new building (the same one he’s waiting for the last 10 years). Charles needs to get himself in front of the cameras and the fans and explain what the hell is going on and where he intends to go from here.

ANDRE:
There is no question the losing is going to affect everything about my perception of the team. But the poor decisions by the owner, paranoia about bad press are compounded with more bad decisions and followed with a lack of PR. It surprises me that Charles Wang ran Computer Associates. Perhaps he should have stuck with that venture. This is not a tech firm. I see the franchise as more of a punch line today then ever before.

SCOTT:

I know that Chris Botta was forced out, yet I couldn’t tell you who is the Islanders’ third line. Islanders marketing needs to uproot their collective heads from their own hindquarters.

9) What do you think is the largest contributing factor to why fans aren’t coming out to games this season?

A) Higher ticket prices
B) Scott Gordon fired
C) Standings
D) Lighthouse Project limbo
E) Ryan Jankowski not re-upped
F) Isles Cupcakes
G) Write in your own ___________________________

RUSS:
I think the ticket prices are a big part of it. Long Island fans will pay higher prices if the team was really good. That’s the way it is. I had a friend go recently and he lost out on a chance to get $40 dollar tickets and had to pay $50. I think that’s too much based on the product on the ice.

DOMINIK:
A and C, but mostly C. People don’t support basement teams. When teams rebound, fans eventually return.

NICK:
Cupcake Gourmet is amazing so it’d better not be the damn cupcakes!

In all seriousness, higher ticket prices are to blame. With no marquee acquisition and the economy in the dumps, it seemed very bad business to do that. It’s alienated the season ticket holders, who know have no incentive to buy packages given the deep discounts. This in turn depresses ticket sales on certain days.

TROTS:
“C” followed closely by “A”. Haven’t tried the cupcakes.

CHRIS TMC:
My gut says that it is C… that’s why things are as bad as they are now. But even in the first 8 games of the season (when things looked pretty good) the attendance was not outstanding by any means… so I think A is a HUGE factor in this as well. I am going to far fewer games myself… my reason is A, and I know I am not alone. I guess I have to say its is both of them more than anything else.

MATTY:

Out of the ones you listed, it’s the arena.  Why?  It reflects that ownership does not care about the fans.  You read my letter to Isles management before the season started.  I stick by every word of it.

TONY:

3 things….ticket prices, lack of communication and finally, the fans are tired of coming out and watching a bunch of minor league players try to keep up with the likes of the Washington’s and Pittsburgh’s or the league. Sim, Hunter, Parenteau, Comeau, Gervais and Hillen isn’t going to be able to keep up with Washington’s OV, Semin, Backstrom, Green and Knuble, and might I add that if Michael Grabner (who might I add may be our best player at this point) hadn’t been gifted to us by Florida’s Dale Tallon, Andy Hilbert would have been on the opening night roster.

ANDRE:

I think it is all of the above. Losing is the biggest reason. No one wants to spend $200-$300 to watch the team lose again! Jankowski, Trottier, Jaffe, firing the coach, the injuries, the Lighthouse….all of it!

SCOTT:

C) Standings

10) Do you see Charles Wang selling the team or moving this team coming 2015?

RUSS:
I think they will be moved. As I said many times last season I feel like Queens is now their best option.

DOMINIK:
I’ve never been good at predicting Wang’s actions. Don’t even know how much the man is really worth. The best thing I can say is that I still wouldn’t bet on this team leaving the metro area.

NICK:
I hate to be a consultant here, but it depends. I don’t think Charles Wang is inclined to sell, and despite some fans whining I don’t think he doesn’t care about the Islanders. However, his patience is not infinite, and the cold hard truth is that the team currently doesn’t have a home after 2015.

CHRIS TMC:
No to the selling, and there are a few significant reasons why- Neulion for one (which makes Charles Wang and his wife more significant to the NHL than most people realize) and the fact that I think the guy genuinely does care about this team. If he didn’t, why spend millions on the players areas and ice surface quality and not even tell everyone about it? It just doesn’t make sense. As for moving the team, that is definitely possible. But when you consider the teams cable contract, which goes on for decades more, it stands to reason that the Isles would not be moving out of their current cable area.

MATTY:

I see him selling or moving earlier than that, personally.  But he’s a horrible businessman, so who knows?

TONY:

I do not see him selling now since the franchise is worth a fraction of what he paid for it (not to mention the $250 million he’s lost on the team). I can see the concerts and parking helping a little bit but as I said, it would make no sense for him to sell now. He’ll probably wait out this Shinnecock Casino talk, though I highly doubt that’ll happen (like the Lighthouse it makes too much sense).

ANDRE:

No. I think Wang is going to be here at least until 2015. The team will remain in Uniondale until 2015, but that could be the final season in Uniondale. He may finally do what he should be doing — looking at another venue outside of the Town of Hempstead for an arena.

SCOTT:

Hard to say, but I can’t see things continuing as they are.

11) Does it bother you that bloggers big and small are removed, or do you think that teams should have that right?  Does it bother you that stories about the Isles are now being written by the Media department and listed as “News”? What is the ultimate effect does this have on blogs and fan?. Do teams have a responsibility to provide independent news or is does it not matter?

(BD note: Katrina used to work for Newsday and is a good writer. Kimber was an amazing writer when he worked at Bridgeport. So it’s not about skill, but what role they play when they also wear the Media/PR hats)

RUSS:
Listen, the team can do whatever they want but I’m not in favor of removing writers because they are reporting to the fans to keep them updated on their favorite team. Other teams have writers who get paid by the team so that’s not shocking to me.

DOMINIK:
Teams do have that right — to me this isn’t a “team vs. blogger” issue but rather a “team vs. media” issue. They’re clearly open to bloggers. However, the merits of removal I can’t say without knowing the dirty details of what transpired. I argued that credential-removal would be my absolute last resort if I were in control, and would be preceded by behind-closed-doors shouting matches. (Again, I don’t know whether or not that transpired, as only one side is addressing the matter.) When I was in PR, we always went that route before freezing an unreasonable scribe out. The backlash from media when one of their own was tossed is predictable and, I hope, anticipated.

As for team-produced news, sadly it’s unavoidable in this dispersed multi-channel age. The club simply can’t count on a single entity outside of Newsday (cough) to show up and report thoroughly on every game. I would say teams should do what the Kings did with Hammond, but the reality is that’s always going to create a conflict, even with someone as great as Hammond (e.g. What happens when things go poorly, or a new management comes in?). That’s why I’ve called for several years for the NHL to do what MLB did: Create a separate entity with independent beatwriters whose coverage is solely for the MLB team sites. Unfortunately, even if the league were that imaginative, I fear the huge disparity between U.S. and Canadian markets may be an obstacle to that. U.S. teams desperately need it, whereas Canadian teams may say they’ve got plenty to deal with already, thanks.

JESS:
Guess being independent of any team, gives me more freedom since I really do not have to answer to any NHL team and other than the NHL draft the NHL itself. The problem of course remains largely with the PHWA as while they came to the aid of Chris Botta (and I admit I am no fan of his work) but they have been stalling on a national policy for bloggers. How can the NHL address bloggers when the supposed MSM media (PHWA) can not come up with a working solution after 10 years or in several cases allows their membership to trash on bloggers.

I may not like it but a team should have some say in who they grant access to their press box and players as long as the PHWA does not have a policy in place that addresses bloggers.

Still the bigger question should be whether news on a team website should be viewed as actual “news”. Like it or not, the goal of the team website is to sell the Islander product and hockey as a whole. What they pass off as news could seriously be considered like an ‘infomercial” since at the end of each “article” is a sales pitch. Still if a team employee is producing a “news” article they should ID themselves as a team employee.

Other NHL teams have been doing it for years so it is really nothing new that the Islanders have become like the rest of the NHL in controlling the content on their own website.

It should have no effect at all as long as both bloggers and fans accept that NewYorkIslanders.com’ number one goal is to sell you on the team and it’s related products. Fans will know which blogger to take seriously and who to not based on the blogger’s own actions/reports.

Teams should not be expected to provide independent news since the goal is to sell the fan on their product. Give the fans credit as they will now a shill job from a real news report.

NICK:

I believe the high profile blogger in question who started this kerfuffle actively manipulated his readers and is a major contributor to the current state of the fan base.That having been said, I believe the team’s actions are wrong. They did if to me, they did it to you, BD, they did it to Billy Jaffe, and we won’t be the last. It’s one thing to say you want independence, but they seem to not like it when we actually act independent. Regardless of their reasons in the recent case, which at least should’ve been a warning first, the Islanders stepped in it here. It reinforces the Mickey Mouse image that in many cases doesnt apply but in many more does.

TROTS:
Yes and yes. It speaks volumes to the amaturism of the franchise and, moreover, a pathetic case of insecurity.

If a public business has any integrity, it absolutely does have a responsbility to encourage independent and critical thought. But if you can control criticism, as NYI is trying to do, you can lessen (eliminate) any pressure to change. That is Wang’s M.O., make no mistake.

CHRIS TMC:

I do not believe that the Islanders are in a position to turn away anyone who wants to dedicate their time and effort to covering this team. I will come right out and say it- IMO they have definitely handled this Chris Botta situation in the wrong way. If they decided they do not want him to be the primary pro blogger for this team, they are certainly allowed to come to that decision. But they should first accept that he IS a source of news for a large number of Islanders fans. Their decision to cut him off without offering ANY equivalent alternative was an error on their part. If that was how they felt, they could have hired another pro team blogger. I thought that they might move that way when they were first doing “Islanders Authorized” on the official site, but they unfortunately seem to have abandoned that instead of expanding on it. If they had hired another paid professional blogger, sure people who prefer Chris would be upset- and they would certainly have the right to say to- but at least fans in general would not feel so cut off from the team they love. Part of being a professional organization is letting the media roll off your back. Its seems like the Islanders want to control the media to an extent that no other professional organization would even be able to imagine.

I don’t think the Islanders have a responsibility or an obligation to do much of anything media-wise, other than to be accessible to those electing to cover the team. However, I think that it would be a wise move for them to make an effort to be more accessible- rather than respond with continued silence and both proverbial and literal closed doors. Its never easy to face the media when there are as many things going wrong as there are right now… but I think the alternative is ultimately far more difficult to deal with.

MATTY:

It’s highly, highly disturbing that they can even get away with it.  It’s awful.  I blame Bettman for that one, because he’s supposed to step in and cease these types of practices.  The civil libertarian analog of this deplorable situation– the idea that there should be some sort of freedom of the press when the team is governed by an umbrella organization that’s supposed to be dedicated to its customers– is dead-on from where I’m sitting.  What’s to stop every NHL team from deciding that bloggers can only gain access if they’ll sugar-coat everything? Does fan uproar not matter at all?It speaks to a larger issue: that commissioners in all sports are slowly losing sight of the idea that they exist for the pleasure and entertainment of their fans.  Money did a ton of negative things to all of the major North American professional sports, but perhaps the worst was the introduction of a serious disconnect between the people on the inside and the people on the outside.  Many of the players, even in a famously down-to-earth sport like hockey, entirely lose touch with the concept that the fans are responsible for their paycheck.  But I guess that’s a different discussion entirely.

TONY:

I believe the team does have the right to make decision’s about who they allow coverage to. For bloggers, (at this point in time) it’s a privilege to be granted access not a requirement. I do believe the team needs to be responsible about how it goes about choosing who it does or doesn’t allow access to (as not to punish someone for telling the truth, whether it’s pleasant or not). As for team’s media department publishing stories about the team, if your looking for an objective story on a team….chances are you’re not going to be looking on that team’s website for it.

ANDRE:

Part of the 1st amendment of the country is freedom of press. Mr. Wang and Mr. Snow are experiencing some kind of paranoia to pull credentials of a reporter or blogger. Despite that, the New York Islanders are a privately owned business that serves a customer base. Under that premise — the team has some rights. It is bothersome, petty of the franchise and small-minded. It is one more of those things mentioned above. I read nothing of the “news” off the team website. It is going to be skewed and one sided. Ultimately, the management of the franchise needs to get a grip on reality — the team is performing badly, and there are several issues off the ice. A proper decision-making structure, and professional administrative behavior would solve most of the off ice issues. The lack of good “politicking” is sinking the team further and further into indifference. Pulling the creds of a blogger/report is just one more thing!

SCOTT:

Anyone who believes anything from a teams’ own media department deserves to be misinformed. Politics, private agendas and news have always been intertwined since the William Randolph Hearst days, nothing new there.the Islanders Media Department should be more worried about ticket sales and winning a game or two than what bloggers are saying.

12) Do you see any hope with the Lighthouse Project? Who is to blame for it’s current status?

RUSS:
I was told the Lighthouse was dead last year and reported it on XM radio. Can it be revived? I guess anything is possible but I don’t expect that to happen. I think Mr. Wang should have revised the project and made it less costly considering the bad economy.

DOMINIK:
Not a chance as I understand it, but it’s far from my expertise. I guess Murray is villain #1 because it’s unclear to me if she would have stood for any version, and her lack of imagination is simply breath-taking. But I also don’t know how willing Wang was to compromise and which of his misreads of Murray were fatal, nor which other sympathetic politicians might have been culpable in its failure. No one looks good in that situation, though it’s played out as those who know L.I. politics best always told me it would.

NICK:

The Lighthouse Project needs a miracle. Kate Murray and her visionless sheep in the Town of Hempstead started us down this road by never taking the proposal seriously, but there is enough blame to go around. Right now, Charles Wang is the most responsible for the current state because his silence has led him to lose control of the conversation. Opponents and misinformed people with an agenda are allowed to speak unchecked, and the support base, always too reliant on Isles fans, has fractured and gone to infighting.

We could do something amazing here. I want to believe, even though I see little reason right now.

TROTS:

I’m sure there are mulitple culprits. The point is, Wang has used the LHP as the excuse behind everything the franchise has and has not done over the last decade+ to improve the product on the ice. Increasingly, more people are wising up to this point.

CHRIS TMC:

The Lighthouse Project. I still believe it is exactly what Long Island needs. But the Town of Hempstead is simply too enthralled with the status quo… and the notion of someone essentially donating a few hundred million dollars to fix up part of their jurisdiction without giving him any way to make that money back. Incidentally, do not fault Charles Wang for wanting to make money- there will not be a team owner who doesnt. If I had to pick who to blame for its current status it would have to be the politicians who are pulling the strings behind people like Kate Murray and Anthony Santino. Ultimately that area WILL be built up, and it will be more like the Lighthouse Project than it will be unlike it. The only thing that is holding it up now is that there are powerful people who do not want someone like Charles Wang to be the one who makes the money from doing it.

MATTY:

I see no hope or future for it, and I primarily blame Charles Wang.  It’s easy to take potshots at Kate Murray, but these politicians are corrupt to the core.  Wang didn’t play the game properly.  That’s on him. While my family did not have the privilege of growing up fabulously wealthy and powerful, we did get glimpses into that world because some of them were clients of our business.  I can confirm the obvious: the right amount of money and favors can get you anything on Long Island if you know what you’re doing.  Wang came into this with billions of dollars and crucial alliances.  He had to know he was responsible for greasing the palms of both political parties and several other grassroots organizations.If Wang was a visionary and a problem-solver like he claimed he was, then he would’ve found a way to get this thing done.  Somehow, with overwhelming popular support, the backing of a rabidly insane cult of a fan base, unlimited funds, an alliance with one of Long Island’s most powerful real estate honchos, tremendous goodwill from monster hospital contributions and community efforts, a foothold in the region (especially in the Town of Oyster Bay), and (recently) an economy that begged for an infusion of private investment this large, he still managed to screw it up.

If you’ve done your research, you know how Charles Wang got to where he is, and that’s because two hackneyed mantras held true.  First and foremost, behind every great fortune is a great crime.  Second, shoot first and ask questions last.  When Wang was faced with the choice of (a) making a mess to save his own skin or (b) exhibiting some semblance of personal responsibility, he always chose (a).  It rocketed him to the top and eventually precipitated the steady downfall he’s now experiencing.  It’s just a shame that the Isles have to be a part of it.

TONY:

No hope whatsoever. The Nassau County policitians are solely to blame for this mess. There was never a chance the Town had any intention to let this project happen. Corruption has been a staple of Long Island politics for decades…..nothing has changed.

ANDRE:

No, the project is dead in the way it was conceived. I put a big chunk of the blame on Charles Wang. He came to the dance without a clue about the proper political landscape. He “played” the County for support when he should have been making the backroom deal with Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead. County support was important, but you must know how to play the small minded politics of Long Island. The other blame has to fall on the management in the Town of Hempstead. Their small minded, protect their own political turf values were a big reason the plan would never go through. The silence currently employed by Charles Wang compounds the errors made during the entire “negotiating” process. Charles Wang can give the fans — his customers — a real shot in the arm if he just makes a decision and makes it known to the populous. To me, he has three choices. 1) Either he lets the proverbial “shit” roll off his back and accepts the Hempstead “plan” and ends up with a new arena and 1/3 of his desired plan. 2) He cuts a deal with Queens and works with the Wilpons for a new “Lighthouse” in Willits Point 3) He sells the team and makes it someone else’s problem.  Ultimately, I would like to see Charles Wang out of the New York Islanders picture — even if that means the franchise moves. What good are the Islanders if they will never succeed with this owner?

SCOTT:

Nope, and I think it’s a shame.Charles Wang, LI politics and the Town of Garden City.

13) PARTING THOUGHTS…

((this will be added to as they come in…))

NICK:

This battered fan woe is me bullshit is getting old. The “fans” talk about how passionate they are, yet they seem to go out of their way to find excuses to not go to games or dwell on the negative. I’m also frustrated by the need to tie the current owner and GM to previous owners and GM’s.At some point we need to show real support, because you start to wonder if a fan base like this deserves an NHL team.

CHRIS TMC:

The Islanders are my team, they are our team. I wish that there was more intelligent discussion regarding the Islanders- I can only hope that winning will lead to that. I think that we will have a wait for that to happen, but IMO having hope for the future and what this team will accomplish is what makes one bleed blue and orange.

ANDRE:
Thanks to BD and Hockey Indy for doing this round table. Lots of diverse and compelling insight from a number of sources.  I am a fan of the New York Islanders, and will remain so even with this owner — who deserves a large bulk of the blame for the teams current troubles. Regardless that I would like to see the team in different hands, there is little doubt I would continue to follow the team. I’ll go to games when I can — but it is not like I can go as a season ticket holder, or even a few times a week — not at these prices. I am one of those guys being priced out. I still can’t imagine that this owner ran a successful business. There is little doubt I consider that he is treating his customer (us) poorly. This does not absolve others. From the Town of Hempstead right through to the GM, coaches and players themselves. Ultimately, things have to change, and I am sure most fans hope they do. This is a viable hockey market. But with a team this poor, you could be in Quebec, or Winnipeg, Hartford or Oakland — all cities that had teams — and it would not make one shred of difference. Fans are going to stay away because watching your team lose on any given night is a bad way to spend your hard earned money.

Take that gut-reaction and push it off, the casino is still a conundrum, as it seems a more Hail Mary notion. Mangano’s group have very little except for an Excel spreadsheet with dreams for profit to fill the debt gap. They hope that somehow that will close the huge debt gap, despite many thinking it might take years for the county to even sniff a dime.

The biggest question that comes out of all of this is why Mangano was not aboard the Lighthouse Project earlier this year, choosing to get huffy with Wang. Wouldn’t have those plans been an economic revenue engine? It is a stunning question where one has to wonder of the internal political mechanics. As stated on this blog, it is very questionable where gambling proponent Alphonse D’Amato, is Mangano’s largest post- election donor. Leaves a lot of questions to why this is being pushed with little to no research and studies.

Add now that Al D’Amato’s own daughter works for the Nasssau Exec administration and the questions just keep on coming. Add to all this, Mangano’s deputy Pat Foye is a big casino proponent, having his hands on some upstate casino notions before his new role.

Per one ToH source, D’Amato’s hands are all over this casino pivoting. Since Al is in charge of the Poker Players Alliance, he has had his hands deep into the casino issues here and elsewhere.

But, meanwhile the ToH shortsightedness and own placating of the small minority who came out against the LHP (Reston Associates) is what has left the door open to the Nassau Exec to tout his own project to appease his gambling masters. The TOH could have played ball with the LHP by informing them YEARS before about how the size and scope would not work, but they also remained completely inflexible and now have a casino possibly forced down their gullet. At some level, you have to wonder if it serves these yutzes right. Lack of vision leads to losing control of a situation. ToH has lost control of things.

A vacuum of abyss-like proportions has developed between the Town and the economic realities for Long Island. The ToH’s clinging to placating the vocal wallets, yet clear minority, of NIMBY Garden City and Mondello, their cartoon-like Republican master, is very clear here in the ToH Development Failure Fallout.

The zoning they will allow has come under fire from all sides.  In fact, the ToH assumption that if Wang won’t so someone else will build there is false. Wang and Rechler will sit in the drivers seat since they own property all around the Coliseum. That property cannot be just taken away nor can it be pushed to another developer without their say so. This fact tends to be lost on many a bright idea or notion that comes out of the town board thinktank, which might be even smaller than their zoning plan for the LHP. Some of that land actually is part of the Coliseum site. This is something that the ToH, developers or others will not be able to get around, no matter the twist of words, ideas or retaining suburbia myth.

Reality, economic especially, seems lost on a town that has been reticent to communicate, negotiate or even look at the bigger picture for years. The ToH plan smacks far too much of the oldest, most basic, and yet most pathetic reasoning on the planet….keeping themselves in power and not letting LHP or anyone else, business or idea, ruin their power stew. This is about party lines, voting areas, and keeping control of that area to be Republican over Democratic, no matter how you slice the bullshit.

What comes clear is Long Island small-minded political games have once again come into to destroy progress. Per sources, D’Amato’s money has also moved to Democrats, some are saying that it is to silence them over the casino and venue issues. Serious questions now need to be asked, as many big name Democrats who touted themselves in front of the Coliseum have been basically MIA. Not to mention, perhaps there needs to be a closer look at the lobby and PAC money trails to both Republican and Democrats.

Meanwhile we must also thrust blame also on Charles Wang who has stifled the LHP voice that still leaks to the digital ether, conveniently. They also failed to work out differences, instead playing political ball and piping up smoke to Queens and sometimes Brooklyn through some supple channels.

How much has a billionaires impatience and disorganized organization had apart to play in this unfolding the way it did?

Constantly in this process it was others who had to commandeer the handshake. The LHP was constantly reacting, instead of dictating the conversation. All the money the spent on the development and reach-out, yet their own development organization was a small group of very committed people who might have not had the right topflight talent to make it all happen. Now the conversation is back to others….Mangano, ToH, all people who are not invested. Who still controls the playing board? The Republican GOP with former Senator D’Amato and the Long Island grand poobah, Joseph Mondello all with their own notions and aims.

So once again we will be stuck between an impatient billionaire owner, a small-minded shortsighted town board and system, and an executive that looks to be in muck far above his head. Meanwhile the puppet strings still trail to the game-players of power, wealth and affluence whose only interest is their own.

Long Islanders, sport fans, and the young generation who hasn’t left this lost, miserable, blind, Infighting County are the ones short changed and abused here.

In capable hands a casino could be well organized, studied with savvy and smart assurances and guarantees that Long Island could carry it off without the well-documented negatives that come along with it. What is missing from some blogs, papers and other avenues is that there is a long trail of studies, issues and research in regards to gambling venues. Those reports aren’t pretty. Mangano and his think-tank, another shortbus missing a few tires, have not bothered to address this or provide materials to offset the reams of materials that opponents have at their beck and call.

Meanwhile, opponents are here, there and everywhere. A group that is clearly is just looking out for CT’s own nest egg is already protesting the Shinnecock recognition. This could lead to months to years in delay thanks to the all-mighty dollar…the one thing that is clearly affecting every avenue in this giant wreck of a situation.

Can you imagine how it will get when Hofstra, firmly against the casino, steps up, or many others who stand behind them?

The mess never quite goes away. Just more and more questions.

Of course, sports fans and Long Islanders, once again are stuck between the rock and the hard place thanks to the puppets-at-large who are more interested in bottom-lines, cronyism and playing political maneuvers than solving problems nor reaching a consensus. At the hearing, the ToH, and even Nassau County heard the political will of Long Islanders, sports fans or not, and this has been roundly ignored with heaping loads of self-serving denial. The majority is being denied by political games, lobby-power, small town vision, lobby dollars and just plain old hubris…

That is the true crime. Long Island and sports fans suffer for it.

What Charles Wang can possibly build as per the ToH plan

The following is the Press Release from the Town of Hempstead. No text has been changed.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, along with Council Members Anthony Santino, Angie Cullin, Gary Hudes and James Darcy, Town Clerk Mark Bonilla and Receiver of Taxes Don Clavin, released details of a new development zone for the 77 acres of property surrounding the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The new zoning district crafted by the town will be presented as an alternative to the Lighthouse Project in an environmental report (Final Environmental Impact Statement [FEIS]). The alternate zone would be considered by the town board at a public hearing. The new zone facilitates a vibrant mixed-use development that is sustainable and would complement the suburban character of surrounding communities.

“We are taking proactive steps that can bring about meaningful development, along with all of the associated benefits, to the hub of Nassau County,” stated Murray. “Creating a zone that encourages reasonable development is key to supporting our tax base, offering construction and long term jobs, stimulating the region’s economy and facilitating a renovated Coliseum which would help keep the Islanders hockey team here where they belong.”

“Developing an alternative zone which will allow development that fits on the property surrounding the Coliseum was a priority for the town,” said Goosby. “This zone meets that objective and can be supported by local upgraded roadways as well as other infrastructure components.”

The proposed alternative zone provides for 5.4 million square feet of construction (includes all buildings and parking structures) comprised of many of the same types of development that were sought by the Lighthouse Group. At the same time, the zone scales back the density contemplated under the Lighthouse plan. Among the many types of development that will be permitted in the newly created zone are convention facilities, hotels, retail, restaurants, offices, residential units, entertainment uses and a refurbished Coliseum.

Additionally, the town-crafted alternative zone embraces smart growth principles such as mixed-use structures, roadways and pedestrian areas that encourage walking and bicycling, as well as “green technologies” in building construction. Mixed-use development accommodated under the new zone could include retail and/or office structures with homes above those facilities, all within the same buildings. Roadways that incorporate bicycle lanes, street furniture along pedestrian walkways, as well as street side cutouts for parallel parking, will all combine to create a walkable community and a genuine destination for people who are looking for an exciting location to live, work and enjoy recreational activities. Other smart growth elements considered in the zone include “shared parking” that helps optimize the level of development and integrated parking facilities that combine the parking structures and retail/offices.

The new zone alternative provides for up to 500 new homes to be developed. Those housing units will be required to include affordable and next generation/workforce homes.

The density and building heights accommodated in the town’s zoning alternative are substantial and sustainable. In fact, the density proposed would be the most intense zoning in the township. The Floor Area Ratio (FAR [the ratio of total square footage of construction as it relates to the square footage of land upon which it is built]) for the proposed zone is 1.6. By contrast, the FAR for the RXR Towers is 0.89 and the Omni Building totals 0.56. The Marriott Hotel has an FAR of 0.92. Moreover, the new zone’s development total of 5.4 million square feet contrasts with an estimated 10-13.5 million square feet of development under the Lighthouse proposal.

The maximum building height contemplated under the town’s zone is 100 feet or nine stories and applies to hotels. Mixed use, office and most other structures would be capped at four stories. Exclusively residential buildings would be restricted to three stories.

Town officials emphasized that the alternate zone is flexible in that it does not dictate which specific types of development prescribed in the zone must be sited on the individual parcels that make up the 77 acres around the Coliseum. The zone only requires that two of the permitted uses, other than the Coliseum, be included in the developer’s proposal for each parcel.

Hempstead Town’s zoning alternative also provides for traffic mitigation. The mitigation includes roadways within the Coliseum area which would redistribute traffic, addressing the burdens that would otherwise be created by a development of this significance. The plan also contemplates “smart” traffic signals and a reconfigured interchange at the intersection of Meadowbrook Parkway and Hempstead Turnpike.

“The Town of Hempstead has been working hard to facilitate reasonable development at the site surrounding the Nassau Coliseum,” concluded Murray. “We committed to ‘jump starting’ a stalled development process, promised to provide for reasonable development that is progressive, and we have been clear that we would only permit a zone that can be sustained by the environment and local infrastructure. We’ve produced a zone that is true to those goals. What’s more, making sure that the zone would be consistent with the suburban character of our area, support our tax base, stimulate the economy, facilitate the renovation of the Coliseum and help keep the Islanders hockey team here have also been key determinants in producing this alternative.”

Welcome to the new chapter in the battle!

Mangano is pushing a casino, despite his group not having any studies, research nor solid footing besides just trying to attract Shinnecock attention. Ed has been staring at an almost $300 million gap which his TAX REVOLT strategy seems to put him in a corner on now that he won. He has put eggs in a basket of a casino to fill that huge shortfall.

Charles Wang’s Lighthouse Project went dark in November, with a lot of hot air about Queens. Per a source, nothing is solid in Queens at all despite the stories, blogs and statements. That comes from Queens government folks.

Town of Hempstead has FP Clark continue the development plans, and made a 59-61% reduction of size and scope to the Lighthouse Project plans. These plans HAVE NOT been seen by Charles Wang. He has ignored repeated calls and even offers of a meeting, but reportedly has already sent back word that it is not “economically viable”. ToH sources cite that despite the size scale, mixed use remains, just on a more feasible scale.

Mangano has tried to halt these plans, for fears it will hurt his chances to land the Shinnecock Nation at the area. This is despite that, per ToH sources, that many residents of Uniondale and Hempstead have called to complain about the casino (this sourced info predates this new battle by almost a month). Hofstra, per a source, “is very against the casino. They are furious”.

Per Botta’s new blog, Mangano and Wang have tied themselves together. However, this is a new face-turn, where Wang and Mangano have only met recently. Before these plans were coming out, word was Wang was not quite onboard the casino. Now that rumors of those ToH plans are a large reduction, yet still sight unseen, now suddendly they are a team? Don’t buy this team on solid footing.

This framework of a battle will hit the wires just past midnight tonight. Tomorrow it will be in all discussion, sadly will bury all the NY Islander prospect game story and further free agency capitulations. What is lacking to all these battlelines is that Mangano wants one thing, Wang wasn’t his plans, and ToH wants their plans. My own take is that NY Islander fans likely just want this all ended with solid plans, and the further political mechinations here only create more agita for fans.

The political mechanics in play here are not so clear cut nor white vs black. These are all shades of mud to a bog called Nassau Coliseum that seems to suck down Long Islanders spirit.

Per one source, D’Amato’s hands are all over this, including lots of money that have gone to Democrats lately, causing a lot of silence on the casino. D’Amato’s money is even buried on the main state Democrats and the upcoming battle there. So don’t expect a Democratic bailout of this Republican splintering mess on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Shinnecock Nation has stipulated that they will not come to where they are not welcome. So Wang tying himself to Mangano seems like a possible stepping on a mine as the Nassau Exec tries to push us all into a minefield of not so clear hopes, dreams or answers.

Meanwhile, one has to wonder how the NHL feels at a casino venue tied to one of their hockey teams.

Wait, don’t get me wrong, I do think Snow’s interest, talk and the chasing is legit. I just don’t buy it. I don’t buy it as a solution, option or a good move. But let’s start at the beginning….

Let’s take a moment to climb inside the structure of Long Island’s rebuild. It has been a slow process that happened when Garth took over the organization and all sense of the ill-notion Committee faded away. It was when Ted Nolan was tossed for not going along with the plan, and Garth ran the show. It was 2 years ago, and we are about to go into our third season since. Since then, the farm was completely overhauled, the AHL and NHL teams play the same Scott Gordon system, and now of this past draft, the prospect pool is the best it’s been in years. Years.

 The behavior has been careful, meticulous, secretive, silent, guarded and systematic. It was never leaked to press. Nor was it texted to Pierre LeBrun. It was never telegraphed all over the press, blogosphere and twittersphere,

So now you tell me that the NY Islanders are chasing Ilya Kovalchuk with their panties waving in the wind?

Sorry. Don’t buy it. Bullshit. If it is Charles Wang pushing, he better shut up and sit down before he buries this organization under his hodgepodge of compulsive and destructive moves.

 No player will suddenly make the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County look up and say: “Oh yeah, we better listen now”. Both have been waiting for Charles and the Lighthouse Project to say a word since November.

 No player will suddenly heal all the Isles fans wounds and make it sunshine and lollipops forever more. Well, none available. But if the Caps want to deal Ovie, I’m all ears.

 Everyone wants a star, and when they don’t have one, they are willing to take one with flaws. Let me be very clear…Kovalchuk is no Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin or anyone of that top dynamics. He is a flawed offensive star.

 And, let me add this one for you…he’s not coming here. No way. No how. If he does at the insane 10 year fortune that is reported, then you might as well kick this rebuild right into the toilet.

 This team’s payroll is paying for past mistakes. So, what, it’s time to add another one?

 Talk about insanity. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. And here we are, with a grand crowd of apologists following the rabble over the cliff, like lemmings. Sorry, not buying it. Not one bit.

Ilya is 27 years old, and despite some morons attempt to tie him to Yashin, he isn’t. That I will give him. Hell, he’s a dynamic forward to boot and he’ll do fine on an established team that doesn’t need to play that 2 way game.At a reasonable cost, he’d be not a bad fit, offsetting the scoring pressures of the kids. I mean, seriously, our rookie John Tavares led the team.

He needs support in the worst way.But, so could Frolov. So could any other modest scorer.

What the Isles are pushing to do here is add a top guy for all the wrong reasons. Ilya does not make the Isles relevant. It does not make them a playoff contender. He does not help them get a new venue. He might put a few more butt in the seats, until the bottom falls out. And when you try skipping steps, most assuredly, the bottom WILL fall out.

What Kovalchuk does is destroy the pay structures. It skews expectations. It will backfire like every other dunderheaded move pushed by the owner. His best move was to let Garth do his thing.

Scott Gordon, in his third year as coach, has not shown his team can play consistent defense. Despite some slight alteration and upgrades to the defense, they are not any better where we can say this is a playoff team.

I get how Isles fans want all things solved. They want a new venue. They want to respect and love this team again. Well, I get it, but you need to stop buying the snake oil. This is nothing but snake oil, which will pollute the process and the futures like a BP deep sea pipe.

I can only hope that this all is some public feint for them to pull off a signing or trade that is more economical, realistic and fits their schema. But if you ask me, this whole thing is just plain rotten and the smell is foul. Lots of people are sucking down the sugar pop and not realizing that it came from Milbury’s closet 10 years ago.

Wise up.

(or)

In a news vacuum, nobody can hear Isles fans scream

There is a scene in M*A*S*H, and when I say MASH, I mean the original movie, not the TV show, where “Painless” the dentist is given a fake funeral as the doctors give him sleeping pills instead of what he thinks is poison. When the Lighthouse shut out the lights back in October, it was no different than this scene. The lights were shut off, but the hopes that things would change had not.  So since then has been this silent shell game on one side…and this vocal “oh, we’ll save the day” by the ToH.

The ToH and Wang’s group had meeting back in October. Wang denied this back when they shut off the lights, and was denied again when he had that questionable interview with Howie Rose. In that, he was caught in a bald-faced lie. He had met with the ToH, and so had some of his LHP staff.

In November, however, the Lighthouse group stopped paying FP Clark. Can’t pay bills if you are dead, folks. The Kabuki show continued as later on, the Mangano’s group was wondering if Charles was going to call them back. Then all LHP staff was reassigned. Their PR staff now works for Isles team.

Chris Botta yesterday, in a NHL Fanhouse scoop, connected the Isles/Wilpon/Queens and a large real estate firm. This follows the Ken Campbell blog from THN last month that tied it to the Wilpons.

Newsday, who has been constantly scooped by the blogosphere on the Lighthouse Project, was caught snoozing once again. They snapped into action, pressing their Isles blogger to find a source denying this.

Botta turns around and cites that Newsday is owned by the Dolans, who happen to run the Rangers. Well, of course that a reason…umm…. to what exactly, Chris?

Then Katie Strang’s story disappears from the site for a while this morning but now it is back. Meanwhile, Botta stands behind his story. So just who is blinking here? Will Newsday suddenly have some sort of “scoop” on all this, ignoring that they have been last to the well throughout this entire process for well over a year?

MEANWHILE:

Back at the Town of Hempstead: all quiet of the western front. They have not met their Memorial Day weekend deadline date for any announcement and sources have been silent. That is simply unacceptable. 


The problem is, like most things on all the blogs…all are things off the record. I cannot recall the last time someone said something on record. Maybe the hearing back last year? Even Wilpon’s words about exploratory talk was about as solid as goose feathers. Until things are quoted from the horses mouth and we know the actual horse, take everything with many grains of salt.

Meanwhile, don’t think that some people are in-the-know or have an answer from the hockey groups or even the NHL. Nobody outside the LHP brainstrust has a clue. I had journalists, bloggers and even the NHL people coming to me asking what is going on with the Lighthouse Project.

There is still a battle brewing because despite that the Lighthouse Project is dead, Wang still holds out hope that the Town of Hempstead will come to their senses and work out something. As broken here, he has been in touch with the ToH as little as two months ago. So don’t buy the Queens train tickets just yet. 

We all just sit and wait, meantime for the ToH to fulfill their development promise. …

Many objective people and politicos are fearful that the ToH plan is some sort of farce with an insane reduction of everything to almost minuscule proportions (below 50 to 60% the size of LHP). This would not be reasonable, smart, helpful, or workable. It would be just another slap in the face by the Town of Hempstead…and ultimately to the NY Islanders fans as well. It would be the topper to the multitude of mistakes, miscommunication, miscues and misinformation by the Town of Hempstead in regard to the Lighthouse Project.

If there is any afterlife to raise the dead; the ToH plan must be a substantial workable answer that does not merely sate their donors. Sating donors seems the new framework on how things get done now that Edward Mangano, the new Nassau Exec, proposed a casino, taking up the flag of his own biggest donor, Alphonse D’Amato, who is an enemy of the Lighthouse Project and Charles Wang, besides gambling supporter who represents the Poker Players Alliance.

In fact, it gets even more interesting with the casino, Mangano and D’Amato:

BREAKING NEWS - The Shinnecock nation, the one Mangano was cheerleading to get a casino in Uniondale received national recognition today. This means they can actively seek a casino. Oh, also today, Al D’Amato’s daughter JOINS Mangano. That’s right, Mangano’s biggest donor now has his daughter working for our Nassau Executive. Talk about conflicts of interest. I don’t even know where to begin.

This is all enough to make an Isles fan sick with disgust. Politics as usual has left things in the lurch once again. The true death might be Nassau County’s future as people leave it left and right for better places who aren’t bent on some suicidal self-interested glut.

So we can all say goodbye to Painless, who lies in the coffin. It is getting bleak. Even a bit dark. But don’t cry just yet. There is much more to this. Someone call a nurse.

A Chinese Fire Drill is a pejorative expression usually referring to a prank, or perhaps an expression of high spirits, that was popular in the United States during the 1960s. It is performed when a car is stopped at a traffic light, at which point all of the car’s occupants get out, run around the car, and return to the car (not necessarily their original seat).

Thus the expression “Chinese Fire Drill” is the act of a group of individuals accomplishing nothing. The term is also used as a figure of speech to mean any large, ineffective, and chaotic exercise.

This blogger is on record calling the China trip, despite intentions, a stupid idea. It was logistically a nightmare. It also was very curious when the Isles venue and futures on Long Island were in flux to make such a trip. Largest of all was the the players, mostly young, all trying to jell and step forward next season….and then you add in a trip to the other side of the world.

What made it even more curious was that some have doubted that the China work was even viable more than some sort of showpiece. Criticism came last season when speaking over it to a source, who called the China work a folly and something not quite being utilized in anyway more than some sort of superficial image thing.

In hearing of the Newday piece that said it was cancelled, many were unsurprised. Speaking of Newsday, we should no longer call anything exclusive to Newsday a scoop. It was given to them. For now on, we should note what Newsday now is under the Dolan regime and sports section….an extension of a PR firm.

Meanwhile, not much insight is available into why it was cancelled. Was it Wang’s anger over NHLPA meddling even though it is standard procedure? Or is it ToH/Nassau Coliseum related, to make more steps to remove himself from ownership and not lock him into a China trip which is costly?

Or is it something deeper….whereas the NHLPA entering China would see something they did not like or that the Isles might not wanted them to be privy to?

“Wow…I wish this wasn’t so surprising to me.” came a note from last year’s China source to me today.

“I definitely think he’s territorial about China hockey, but I have a feeling it’s for the wrong reasons.  There is definitely something more going on, something he’s paranoid about, to scrap the whole idea.  If Project Hope (or hockey development in China at large) is his goal, there’s no reason why he couldn’t utilize Goals and Dreams to add support and leverage.  That was the issue a few years ago, and apparently it hasn’t changed.”

His term is what everyone else has also walked away with…

“Very peculiar”

My question: Is it possible that he NHLPA being there would have uncovered some issues with Wang’s work there, or lack thereof?

“maybe….but it shouldn’t matter to the NHLPA in my opinion.  What the Islanders do for business or for youth development doesn’t involve the players.  That’s what I find so peculiar.”

Now, if the Isles merely want to extract themselves out of longterm issues, there is no longer term than the lease that runs till 2015.

Meanwhile, people still cling to the Wilpon show-pony of just hot air on Queens and exploring conversations. Good to talk, but that is all there is. Meantime, the Russian Billionaire takes over the Nets and could Wang talk to him next? Could Brooklyn hit the feeders once again before this week is out? The Town of Hempstead report is forthcoming as they finished paying the bill to FP Clark. In fact, last month there had been overtures from Wang to the ToH about….get this….a meeting. But it never happened. Then came NY Mets talk.

So we won’t really get an answer to all this confusion…oh unless the Isles trickle it to the Newsday route.

In the end, the question has always been what did the China trip even set to accomplish by it’s initial inception? Meanwhile, the cancellation seems foible and folly as the NY Islanders seem to blunder into miscues that don’t wash the circus-like bitter tastes from fans mouths. Is it possible for this organization to do anything with some modicum of aplomb and tact that doesn’t lead to continual snicker from others who just figure it is more of the same?

One possible thing here to the change of heart is that Chris Dey is no longer part of the organization. So as new blood comes in….many of those who worked on the Lighthouse Project, perhaps someone convinced Charles that this could be a good way to extricate himself from something not precisely a good idea to begin with?

Could be. But we are left guessing, and meanwhile the antics don’t exactly make the Isles look gangbusters.

Guess this blogger picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue

Early-morning on a bathroom jaunt, I checked my phone messages, and there is was…Newsday was spoon-fed that Charles Wang has indeed been talking to Wilpon.

Of course, you get the obligatory commentor on the site acting like any Isles blogger has this in their side pocket, and did not run errant for days/weeks/months…me questioning THN’s Ken Campbell on his validity, the myriad of pro-Brooklyn pieces elsewhere, or the ToH-centric pieces that were in Newsday itself till now.

I’ll happily be wrong if Queens comes to fruition. Queens, not Brooklyn, was even conjectured here and on Nick’s blog as being the more believable venue option. Lines in the water shot out back in November curiously coinciding with the Isles “going dark”.

It also comes interesting enough as response to the inaccurate information coming from Canadian outlets about loans, payouts and the NHL possibly being called in to run the team…all also shown as false as the league’s Bill Daley denied this to inquires finally made by Newsday and the Post.

It wasn’t until someone within the Isles finally blinked and Wilpon was touted-out to Newsday to finally have some straight dope here. Ken Campbell was the only hockey bloke who had this, and even the Mets media did not seem to know about it. So a big boon there for THN’s dapper blogger. Sorry for doubting you, old bean.

Of course, despite the story, nothing is solved or done. Per Wilpon, it has been “exploratory”. This would make sense since Wang has also still been in touch with the Town of Hempstead recently. He is also waiting for their own plans for the area.

The problem now with Nassau and ToH is that they have considered themselves in control of the Isles and hockey fate. However, as the Wilpon and Queens line in the water has shown, that is not quite the case.

They now can stare as a professional sports team gaping hole if the ToH plans go too far to their own self-serving ends…and the chances of that are pretty high, no guesswork needed here.

As County Exect Edward Mangano now touts casinos, which will never fly in that space thanks to the colleges next door, nor the fact casinos decimate and slummify the surrounding areas, Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead have now a problem…

They might lose the only professional team they had over partisan and suburban pandering.

So the end game is now fully in gear, and the Isles have been holding Wilpon as an ace card. It remains to be seen on how this play out, but you can be asssured that Isles bloggers and even Newsday were taken by surprise by all of this, until the Isles decided to finally show their hand.

Kudos to THN’s Campbell, and my apologies for doubting the story. It smacked at first of the same silliness Brooklyn projections had, and it is a nice surprise that there is something to all this after all. I’d like to also add that Ken has pretty handsome gray hair. He will also likely kick my ass in LA next month.

As for the Town of Hempstead, who have been waiting for Charles to come to them, it is more likely that to save any face here they might need to come to Wang if the truly want to hold on to the Isles which they once cited was oh-so-important when they blew wads of tax payer cash on those mailers.

Next chapter to all this should be a hoot. Let’s hope this new avenue in Queens turns into something tangible than just exploratory.

On the LI Herald page is the face of Joe Pesci Alphonse D’Amato, the fierce specter that has been connected to the political frictions of the Lighthouse due to a falling out between he and Charles Wang years ago. Newsday, in their one fair and well-done piece, alluded that the falling out stemmed from Wang’s refusal to hire Al’s brother. D’Amato these days heads a powerful lobby group and is very active in the Republican party. His lobby group is one of Edward Mangano’s main donors post-win, meaning they are likely vying for political grease and influence now that Suozzi has been toppled.

So, one can wonder and muse as he finally has come out to criticize the Lighthouse Project, with a long-winded piece on how we all should consider a casino.

“In my opinion, in today’s economy, it makes a lot more sense than the previously proposed Lighthouse project. For six years, real estate developer Charles Wang, the majority owner of the New York Islanders, has been pressuring elected officials from the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County to authorize this $3.7 billion project.”

Almost hilariously, he brings up the colleges next door…but not in concern for students or their primarily concerned parents, but brings up traffic…

“With Hofstra University and Nassau Community College in close proximity, traffic and safety are major concerns and must be addressed. It’s not enough to build more roads. A casino is not sustainable without mass transportation; the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road have to be involved.”

Most interesting is D’Amato’s allusion that Wang can’t get it paid for, even though it is universally known that Wang has investors behind him that are not beholden to the US Economic wreck…

“Six years ago our economy was in much better shape. It might have been possible to finance the project and fill 36 stories of office space. Now, regardless of the developer, it’s impossible.”

These are words that are from ToH agent’s mouths as well, and when facts of foreign money was brought up, there were sour looks and of disdain. At one hearing, it was commented on.

If Charles Wang could not do it, along with Scott Rechler, then they would not be waiting for the ToH plan come Memorial Day weekend. They wouldn’t be uber pissed by Mangano’s political moves, using Newsday as a cattle call for ideas to see if they float.

If the ToH, D’Amato and Nassau County Republicans are so convinced it can’t be paid for, then they should call him out on it by voting YES to begin with instead of this giant Kabuki show.

Don’t get me wrong, I can cite a laundry list of Wang, Lighthouse and Islanders missteps. But here in this, the Republicans nor D’Amato’s self-serving opinion piece, are just plain full of bologna.

We have seen the liquified divisive drivel that has come from Mondello, the LI Republican GOP party boss, about Wang and the Islanders firsthand this past summer. Spittle of venom landed on microphones at Kate Murray’s kick-off rally as he accused the small protest of Isles fans as being paid by Wang (untrue), and told them to: “blow it out their duffel bag”. Something he has still not apologized for.

The ghost of D’Amato’s tactics are far more insidious, concerning, and the fact his lobby group has taken a prime interest make one wonder on what D’Amato’s connection to the Shinnecock Nation and casino is besides just his high-faluting opinion on a LI local community paper. Al has huge connections to the gambling industry and has been actively fighting and lobbying issues for them for years.

Perhaps he stands to gain here in more ways than just being an oh-so-concerned citizen who just happens to use this to finally hit the project he was once fully behind…

until they left him behind.

Then all hell broke loose…a hell that LI fans are still waiting for the end of.

Meanwhile, Gary Bettman and the NHL keep repeating the same mantra of stall tactics, when it was the Lighthouse Project themselves who stopped paying FP Clark. It is the Lighthouse Project who would not return the Mangano group’s calls. It has been Wang who fibbed on-air during an Isles game saying he had no contact with the ToH, when in fact he did and there were back-channel meeting that went on in mid-October.

So, where will this endgame all go as everyone seems to have their own vested interest…yet nobody seems to really be putting the NY Islanders fan as #1. Not Charles Wang who had his LHP go dark with no word to the many fans they asked for help from. Not the ToH who cited traffic and is trying to come up with their own version to appease the many vested groups outside the area (Garden City). Certainly not one Edward Mangano who has not only suggested a casino, has even floated the idea of Long Island being it’s own state…

Because as we know….Long Islanders are filled with poltical doers and we would be so better off that way.

Just like they handled the Coliseum.

No thanks.

I tracked down a ToH source who would give me a straight answer about yesterday’s Nassau County bombshell which ended up on the front page of Newsday.

Source: “No conspiracy here, BD. She found out same as you did. She was caught off-guard.”

Was she pissed? After all, the Town of Hempstead put a lot out there that they are “taking the reins” here, with a Memorial Day deadline for the results of the FP Clark study. Doesn’t this put that off?

Source: Kate really doesn’t get pissed. Let’s say SURPRISED. She was surprised by it. However, we are continuing with our plan here. She tactfully responded when asked about it in the news, but we are going forward with our plans.

With a casino possibly added to the mix, are you concerned about traffic? Traffic was a big issue at the hearing by the town board back in August. Wouldn’t there be more traffic with a casino.

Source: Yes. Issue of traffic will not change. It still is at issue and they would still need to address the traffic no matter who it was.

Where do you think Charles Wang and Scott Rechler stand in all of this? I have heard they are upset.

Source: The day after election day we never heard from Charles again. I mean, just because Suozzi is out of office doesn’t mean it all just ends, right? What kind of deal is that? Where have these guys been? They haven’t called Mangano back. They have taken down the website now. Charles has really caused his own problems with Mangano with his antics.

Mangano offering land to the Shinnecock nation, or even entertaining the idea seems very curious when Rechler/Wang had a lease deal with Suozzi. Is this the bigger message here?

Source: Listen, that sweetheart deal just isn’t happening. That deal helps nobody locally except Charles Wang. Mangano is sitting staring at a $300 million debt for the county.

So, for arguments sake, lets say you guys come out with your scaled down version, and Charles says: Hell, ok…I’ll build that. You mean…

Source: Mangano will be changing that lease deal. No way that happens

So, in the end will something be done for NY Islander fans?

Source: Yes. Kate isn’t going to let her legacy be nothing was done while on her watch. We are focusing on finishing with FP Clark and continuing on our path.

Do you think the casino will happen? My take on it was very negative.

Source: Well, it’s not very likely. We understand that Mangano is trying to make this a productive conversation and come up with ways to get the county out of debt. But, doesn’t seem likely

Click here to view the embedded video.

Back about a year ago, the Nassau County Young Republicans met using the conference space of the office area of Nassau Coliseum. One of the main issues that they discussed was how Long Island was losing tourism dollars to places like Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York City.

Addressing this group primarily was Michael Picker, head of the Lighthouse Development Group, who spoke eloquently and to many nods of the head by those there on how important and fruitful the Lighthouse Project would be in this regard. The LHP seemed an almost customized answer to the vision of needs: refurbished Coliseum for sports and concerts, convention center, hotels, etc.

Marc Ratner, of the UFC spoke next, as they were trying to get NY States Draconian laws about fighting overturned. He exclaimed how he and the UFC would love to come to the Lighthouse. That it was the type of destination that would boom as the UFC could generate over 30 million dollars per event to the surrounding area, hotels and venue.

More nods from the young politicians at the table.

Lastly, came a pro-Gambling group, who seemed to only get half attention as talk of game tables, slot machines and such seemed a tough sell unless placed strategically. Though they all new those speaking, there was far less affirmation and excitement between sessions as far more of this group seemed much more excited by the first former speakers.

Now, one year later, a Republican sits as Nassau County Executive. The legislature has also gone to the right. The UFC has made headway via NY State to get them in far better position.

Yet the Lighthouse Project sits on a thin heartbeat, it’s proponents choosing to go dark and stop paying the Town of Hempstead developer.

How did it get to this point? Perhaps tying them to the former Democrat, Tom Suozzi, as he fell from grace…so to seemed the status and respect between the opposite sides of the political aisle.

It seemed, with the Town of Hempstead taking the lead to finish that FP Clark study, that it would be a simple contest between the two. The TOH would come out with a smaller scaled project, Wang’s group would decide if they wanted to build it or come up with a changed plan. This was supposed to all come to a head in late May…

Instead, the County Exec, Edward Mangano, has slammed talk of a casino straight down the middle of this just yesterday. It seems a bizarre disrupting element that seems to ignore the ToH’s stated issues, as well as a smack in the face to the Lighthouse, Islanders and Charles Wang.

Back at Augusts’ hearing, the Town of Hempstead board is all on the record decrying, complaining and exclaiming about traffic issues. Kate Murray stood on a soapbox on her own election concerned about urban plight infiltrating the idyllic Long Island vision of suburbia.

Since then, it has been the crux of the issue between the ToH and the LHP, as they had backchannel meetings about size and scope and could not come to any middle ground.

Now comes a controversial lightning bolt slamming into the fray. Casinos in Connecticut had to be placed in special areas and zones, not in the middle of the suburban landscape, yet Mangano chooses to attempt to place one in hub between areas that seemed to have a lot to say about even shopping, traffic and apartments.

A casino explodes all of this.

The traffic to some sporting events and concerts is nothing compared to a venue that will bring in busloads from other areas and boroughs.

Far more of an issue is the responsibility by Mangano to consider a casino next two colleges, and within a 5-mile radius of several others. Sources from Gamblers Anonymous say that gambling between the youth on Long Island is at an all time high. It is considered an epidemic. They ask how can they even consider one in such a local suburban locale?

They are not the only ones concerned. Many locals that I have spoken to are perplexed and concerned on such a move by the Nassau Executive. From sports fans to just those that live nearby, everyone seems to scratch their head on why this has even been brought to the conversation.

The biggest concern left unsaid is how a new regime has taken control and looked for the easy way out answer to the complex problems of Long Island’s economic state. Only four months into Mangano’s reign, they seemed to have pushed the panic button to take on a highly controversial and fracturing issue that is better left for less populated venues as it was done in Connecticut

Much more is that Mangano doesn’t even have rights to the land to swap with the Shinnecock nation who is out east. His predecessor, Tom Suozzi, gave the lease deal and first dibs to Wang and Rechler.

Are right wing politics and favors being called in by the political party that helped place Mangano? Or is this merely a feint as to get a more reasonable locale for a casino accepted by opponents down the line? Or is this panic and looking for the easy way out in lieu of the hard work it will take to dig out Nassau County from its economic woes.

We are left with more questions than answers and note an interesting odor emanating from all this…whether it is pure politics, recession panic, or drinking their own Kool Aid. We are now privy to a huge chasm of disconnect to the Town of Hempstead, the new Nassau Executive, Long Islanders, sports fans, and the owner of the NY Islanders.

I will be speaking to some on the ToH via the backchannels later today. Kate Murray’s official stance is that she was surprised via Newsday’s report. If I was her and on the up-and-up…I’d be more than just surprised. I’d be pissed.

Meanwhile, as I reported earlier this year, there has been a falling out per one source between Mangano and Charles Wang. This stems from a myriad of issues including Charles Wang’s flat out denial that he’s not spoken to anyone in Mangano’s group when Mangano had not had responses by Wang having left two messages with them.

In the end, as a Long Islander, I have no issue with a casino…except, like any other area and responsible government, you choose a good location. This has not been done here.

So, who’s going to try to make this bad idea even shittier?

(This is not an April Fools)

April 1st, 2010

What began with a song and greeting: “Meet Me at the Lighthouse!”, which even blared from a holiday card they sent us at the end of 2008, has turned into a whimper. As the lights have gone dark from some shake-up, more is coming clear…

The Lighthouse Project’s status is in question.

Rumors are swirling over financials, an issue the Town of Hempstead has been pushing for the better part of a year, even though any developer in the same position would likely have the same issues they were trying to pin on Charles Wang.  Some sources have begun to whisper behind the scenes that, given the state of the economy and reportedly high vacancy rates in many properties, Scott Rechler may be having financial problems. Others have wondered aloud about Charles Wang’s financial viability since back in November. Another rumor being bounced around is that Charles Wang will be indicted for something.

Lots of rumors, yet nothing of substance. The rumors are allowed and take shape simply due to the fact the Lighthouse Project have had their mouths clamped shut since mid-October.

Other sources are going even further, suggesting something far grimmer.  Per these sources, Charles Wang and Scott Rechler may be taking steps to dissolve their partnership in the Lighthouse Development Group. This is an especially interesting situation, because Messrs. Wang and Rechler pooled their assets in and around Nassau Coliseum to form collateral for the Lighthouse group, making Mr. Rechler the de facto co-owner of the New York Islanders. If they are disengaging themselves, and while we have not heard either confirmation or denial from the Islanders or the Lighthouse despite attempts to reach out, the rumored “divorce” would explain many of the strange behavior over the past nearly six months.

This new rumor sadly coincides with what we’ve heard but not been able to get anything further on…where the project might be dead. Or Charles Wang will stare in the mirror and finally blink.

To make a very long story short: If Charles Wang and Scott Rechler are ending their business partnership; there might not be a Lighthouse Project.  Losing Rechler’s millions in collateral around the proposed Lighthouse site would cripple the ability to land financing.  Even the Designated Developer Agreement (DDA) signed with Nassau County could be invalid, since it would be signed with a company that no longer existed.

However, per a Town of Hempstead source that has also heard many of the rumors we cited: “If they divorce, it does not kill the deal unless they say the deal is dead.”

This might be due to the concept if Rechler steps out, the Lighthouse Project name and status could be saved or retained by one of them.

We agonized over whether to publish this report, given the lack of response from other sources to our inquiries. We’ve had this for days now.

We’ve received not one denial.

Instead…silence.

We feel strongly that fans should have a right to know the true state of the Islanders ownership. Moreover, after being rallied about, asked to show up and more to validate Mr. Wang and Mr. Rechler’s vision, shouldn’t we fans been given more than just the silent treatment?

Has the Lighthouse going dark just been public relations tact to let things peter out quietly instead of facing some well-earned questions?

Now word is starting to reach some people of a separation between Charles Wang and Scott Rechler. If true, is it the end of the Lighthouse Project, which fades into the murk without serious questions and attentions?  While we have not heard an official response from the Islanders or the Lighthouse Project at this hour, we believe the following questions need to be immediately addressed:

Question #1: What exactly happened when the Lighthouse first went dark after denying meetings between the ToH and themselves in their press release? They even denied that there were any meetings for the future, implying that anyone saying so would be lying. It was a lame attempt to try to undermine the blogosphere who have been providing far more information than the entity itself for quite a while.

Question #2: What was that train wreck of an interview between Howie Rose and Charles Wang where Rose was clearly looking for an announcement of some sort? Once again, denial became a bald-faced lie about meetings between them and the ToH.

Question #3: Coinciding with “going dark” seemed to also stop the Lighthouse Project’s paying of FP Clark. What kind of group that has, by its own admission, spent tens of millions in studies and proposals, just stops paying the consultant needed to go forward unless it is truly over?

Question #4: The reassignment of almost all LHP staff, most of whom now have visible roles within the Islanders organization. I mean, has the LHP development group done much of anything since November except now do team duties and events?

Question #5: Brooklyn, Queens and ToH Plans. Since the car crash of a re-zoning hearing back in September, and especially since the October 3 deadline came and went, we have heard more and more Brooklyn and Queens supposition. Meanwhile, since the LHP stopped paying FP Clark, the Town of Hempstead has picked up on it to put forward their own plans that doesn’t infringe on the donor and influence patrons in Garden City, the republican leadership and others, despite that they were the minority opinion.

This ToH effort to develop that land might be their attempt to save face since the ToH has been questioning Wang’s intent, inability to adjust size and scope, and questioning his fianaces since summer.  It is an interesting change from the Town, which steadfastly refused to meet with Mr. Wang or former County Executive Tom Suozzi to share their vision for the site since 2003, citing phony “conflict of interest” concerns.  Kate Murray has made many missteps, but she appears to realize full well that she will be blamed if the Nassau Coliseum site is not developed in a way that benefits the community.

Meanwhile, the only words from Queens and Brooklyn are from inconsequential mouthpieces in each district, such as Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and the Queens Chamber of Commerce President. Not one word has come from the horse’s mouths except when Bruce Ratner said that it was “unlikely” when citing the Isles to Brooklyn scenario. That could be a clear indication that Wang and company have no interest there and might have shutdown shop until Queens begins in earnest down the road.  However, even though Brooklyn has many natural disadvantages, it has one major advantage: the arena is financed and currently under construction.  After the painful Lighthouse process, with a better-funded opposition beginning to sharpen its knives in Queens, would Mr. Wang really like to go back to that well?

Question #6: Charles citing he hasn’t heard from anyone, when he never called back inquiries from Mangano’s group. Sources with Mangano have cited that Charles “has really backed off this thing”. Meanwhile, after the interview with Howie Rose with the fibbery,sources cited that Mangano people had tried to contact Wang twice…both leading to no response.

Per a source, Charles Wang and Ed Mangano current status might be one of friction. Evidently things have soured more between the two sides, even alluding to that there has been a falling out.

Question #7: What happens to the land around the Coliseum, much of which is owned by Rechler?

Question #8: Some have cited over a month or two ago that there would be a sit down telling “their side” of the story by Wang and Rechler. Since then there has been nothing of the sort. When will we hear something of substance, which Howie Rose clearly expected to hear on the Islanders broadcast last month?

We are at a critical juncture in the Lighthouse Project, and those who have asked so much of us over the years now owe us that most basic courtesy: honesty.

We deserve to know the true state of this project as citizens who supported it in record numbers.

We deserve to know the true health of our team ownership group as Islanders fans.

We deserve to be spoken to.

The ball is now in your court, Messrs. Wang and Rechler.  Please return the shot.

Sincerely,

B.D. Gallof and Nick Giglia

There seems to be some revisionist history going around post-trade deadline that Garth Snow stood pat due to DP’s injury, holding on to two starting goalies.

As with any public relations front, you don’t want to look bad nor seem ineffectual. However, bottom-line was the Islanders did not get what they wanted out of the deadline, especially zero value for Biron and extreme disappointment on what they could get for Roloson.

There is some talk that Snow and the Isles did not pull the trigger on a deal or have the chutzpah to utilize their cap space to get some sort of draft value in taking on a contract.

Words post-deadline that how could Snow trade away their season is the same words were heard back two seasons ago when Garth had his hands tied with Satan’s NTC and inability to move Fedotenko for Huselieus.

In other words, the said lines don’t wash. Its a bunch of malarkey to spin what was the Isles inability to grab some key draft picks when other teams would not meet their prices.

It’s not Garth’s fault. As the Flyers sit with Leighton out with a high ankle sprain and flutter, or Chicago rest their cup expectations on Neimi and Huet..decisons and market value were made.

I don’t fault Snow here. Just for the after-story that is just not true.

BROOKLYN VIBES? OR JUST SUBTERFUGE GOING ON…

Speaking of which, Brooklyn is again a rumor. As to when Ratner himself is quoted that Isles inclusion is “unlikely” that rumor should have ended then and there.

What is more interesting is perhaps a behind the scenes reconfiguration to work with the Queens plans as the ToH attempts to march to their own parade of a “jumpstart”.

Wouldn’t it be interesting that the “going dark” more has to do with Queens, letting the Town of Hempstead toot its own horn, create its own plans and then have no sports team at the Coliseum?

This might hurt the rumblings of Kate Murray as the party might tap her as Lt. Governor.

A big political move would make a lot of sense as Mangano since taking office has almost been deferential to the Town of Hempstead. For much is on the line for the Republican party nationally, and the NY governorship is up for grabs during what many feel will be a more right leaning swell. It is why Steve Levy, Democrat from Suffolk is looking to run on a republican ticket.

That means politics are to be played (again), where many of those are looking to be cast in leadership roles…which might be why all along games have been played as if the Lighthouse Project was an untouchable hot potato until they realized people actually wanted it. It might be why the ToH is being so grandiose on picking up where things were left off, because the going dark of the LHP meant Charles would leave the failure in their hands.

Could be a bunch of malarkey as well…

kind of like the NY Islanders playoff hopes which is still mathematically probable… Kind of like how you have a shot in winning Powerball.

Not very likely.

Meanwhile, Garth Snow’s idea of a bottom team tournament was basically laughed out of the GM meetings. It has to be some silly musing from Charles here, because nobody who has played this game would try to imagine some sort of loser competition. It would destroy the integrity and idea of only teams that are deserving get to carry forth post-season. No professional sport has this, so why even suggest it?

NY Teams Can Now Lose In Another Dimension!

MSG experimenting in 3D, when they can’t even get the Isles in HD consistently, seems ludicrous and ultimately why it is a non-story. Even if MSG had more things in 3D, when would Isles fans be able to get it?

In what is streeeeeeeeeetched to a feature in today’s Newsday is a riff off Gary Bettman’s comments from his radio show. Bettman hit on the “Town of Hempstead” with this blistering remark that must be why Newsday threw it in the front of the paper:

“I can’t see why the governing bodies on Long Island can’t get this together”

Ouchie.

Bettman also extrapolated that Willet’s Point was viable option since many Isles fans are from Queens. So, of course, naturally this “leaves door open for Queens” as Newsday bleats, and others will now repeat. He also gave doubt to the viability of Brooklyn. As in there is none.

Maybe this will finally end the Brooklyn trumpets and charade? Doubtful.

Of course, we will now be subject to a myriad of new Queens wonderment despite the very general news item, while ignoring that the Queens people who been piping in so much for the Isles inclusion have not received a call back from Charles Wang. Then again, the Chamber of Commerce of Queens and borough president are not the people who have any take on that decision process. In other words, those who really would be in the know or matter, have nothing to say.

As an extra note of silliness, Kansas City is again mentioned at the end of the article. Just for kicks.

Bettman does not wade into particulars…like why did not Charles Wang call back the new county exec, Ed Mangano. Nor address the fibbery over meetings between the two sides which Wang or the LHP have yet to address.

In pieces like these there really are no particulars. Anyone notice that lately in many pieces and blogs? People seem to just want to trumpet to get people and fans heated up. Like using the Olympic break to get something going.

Which means, besides a commish who wants the Isles situation settled, there was not much news or insight to give in that Newsday piece. Just a tweak on the vein over so general statement made by the commish on his radio show.

Meanwhile, Charles Wang seems happy to wait for the ToH’s plans. Per several sources throughout this process, he will not offer a new plan negotiating against himself. They have cited that the ToH had needed to provide clear plans of their own to have that process be serious in terms of scaling back.

Well, now it is with the ToH’s response of “taking the reins”, citing the lack of movement made since the Lighthouse Project went silent. Even a source from the new Nassau County Exec weighed in: “they really let their hands off this thing”, citing what many, including fans have even noticed since about late October…the Lighthouse Project Development Group silence has not helped one bit.

So, sadly, we still are left with major questions still answered no matter who does a news story these days: WHY?

Is this song and dance with the struggle between the LHP and TOH  really just a feint to get those onboard to a Willet’s Point option? With so many RFP’s received at willet’s Point, does the playing coy now help gain more eyeballs to perhaps get the mayor on-board with pushing the Isles as part of the planning?

Or, is the LHP simply, despite opening itself to multiple issues, satisfied to stand pat silently and wait for the ToH to put forth their own plans which will be merely  another sample of what was already stressed at meetings to a large reduction in size and scope?

Very little answers for a lot of text in today’s paper. I think there isn’t much worth reading until someone starts giving those answers.

Yesterday at Town Hall, before a “roll back the raises” protest began, the Town of Hempstead voted unanimously to authorize its environmental consultant, Frederick P. Clark Associates, to prepare an alternative zoning plan for the Nassau Coliseum property.

This represents a major reversal for the Town of Hempstead, which has since 2003 refused to meet with the Lighthouse Development Group or Nassau County to discuss their vision for the 77-acre county-owned property, even though they hold final zoning authority over whatever is built there.

The Town of Hempstead credited itself for taking this “unusual step” in an effort to “jump-start the zoning process,” which has stalled in previous months as the Lighthouse Projecthas gone dark and apparently ceased paying its bills to F.P. Clark, as it is required by law to do.

The Town of Hempstead, which appears to be financing this alternative zoning plan itself, outlined three main goals for the plan, which they expect will be finished in the summer of this year:

1. It has to be a mixed-use development.
2. A renovation plan for Nassau Coliseum, to keep the New York Islanders in the Town of Hempstead, must be included.
3. The plan must serve as a model for “responsible” development.

It is a volatile time for NY Islanders fans. We as fans have been asked a lot, and then left for dead by both the Town of Hempstead and the Lighthouse Project. The Town of Hempstead has a lot to answer for in the poor communication and handling of this large project and to working with developers at the start of this process. The Lighthouse Project has a lot to answer for in a “date of certainty” that both Nick Giglia and I both reported that could never be met almost a year ago. Then a self-implosion within, and then going dark, running seemingly adrift since that time.

As some seem to pull the melodramatic button in a moments notice, including the esteemed Chris Botta who had a great evenhanded piece  suddenly veered to this piece of panic & assumption , erroneously implying that he actually forecast something that other bloggers had already taken the lead on almost 12 hours before on Twitter and hours before in blog. Come on now. Time to read around a bit, don’t you think?

As I alluded on Twitter and as I pointed to long before that the Town of Hempstead is having a press conference this morning on what seems to be the next step (for them that is).

It is not a vote no. It is calling out Charles Wang for not paying the developer FP Clark, who stopped the environmental report. Now, we have bashed both the ToH and FP Clark over 6 months ago for failing to inform the Lighthouse Project of a payment discrepancy. However this is far different. After that, one would think the LHP, had they been serious about finishing this part of things would do their due diligence.

They did not, and there is no excuse.

In fact, it is made many, including, reportedly those around Scott Rechler’s group say that there is no long financing from the Lighthouse Project. That it is dead in the water, and has been since the lights went dark.

There is also the contradiction of meetings, meetings that did happen behind the scenes. That is reportedly where the schism lies. That Charles will not go below 10% reduction to something many people believe he can go far more to still be economically viable. The Town of Hempstead, reportedly, might want a 30-35% reduction of size.

Yet these two stubborn elements can not find a middleground? I would love to blame the Town of Hempstead here (and holy god there is so much to slam them for last year), but it is the Lighthouse who went dark and is doing the misinforming over the very fact they had meetings or even communication.

Very questionable actions that must have me scrutinize motives. 

Kate Murray spoke to NEWS 12 and NEWSDAY last week telegraphing this next move that will be announced. One of whom likely leaked to the Islanders causing the rush to put Charles Wang in front of the camera on Saturday in an attempt to save some face. Instead he dug a hole deeper.  

But it was the LI Herald that broke the news embargo yesterday with this report of what precisely they will announce today at 11am.  

Here is NEWS 12, also pushing forward with their piece. Notice the NEWS12 piece has precise talking points from the ToH, most interestingly.

This does not mean the lights go dark. This does not mean bloggers and fans run around like chickens without a head.

It means we now see where everyone stands.

It means that the Town of Hempstead is pushing forward with their version of the reduction of size and scope

This I do not agree with because it is likely the 30-35% (or more) reduction that they have been pushing. I feel if they really wanted to have things done with the project, they’d at least come to a 25%. For that, they are playing a hard line they better show some flexibility on IF Charles Wang and the Lighthouse Project swallow some hubris and start acting like a development group, and begins a negotiation process.

The problem is….I don’t think that will happen. I think that the Lighthouse Project have been waiting for an excuse to extricate themselves from this with as much saved face as possible. And the rest will be finger pointing by both sides and their advocates thereafter.

It is a sad state of affairs.

I will point to one place now that responsibility now lies. The new County Executive. This is where Mangano now MUST step in and find a common ground. We have heard empty words of Project support, including a ridiculous article on how Ed Mangano has Project supporters around him. A source cites: “Mangano really wants to get this moving”

Well, now it’s time Ed.

The County Executive must now step in…as long as the Lighthouse Project doesn’t further implode and use this as an escape hatch trying to blame the ToH…which is very possible here.  

The new SMG revised lease and the China training camp PR story might be just what Charles Wang wants to walk away with, removing himself trying to put blame on the town. Many have cited he has clearly backed away from the Lighthouse Project since the media blackout, using that to blanket it. If so, then there is a ton of blame here to go on them as well.

Mangano, if he is serious on getting things moving must step in and really tack both sides down. Press on the Lighthouse Project’s true commitment. Press on the Town of Hempstead to make sure they are flexible to some sort of negotiation.

Is this the end game, where everything washes away in anger and blame? All it does is leave Islanders fans high and dry.

Or is this where, when all goes bleak, some sense of responsibility, propriety, honesty and problem-solving step in to get these two sides together. ToH thinks that their plans has them heroes here. They are no heroes. They are an extremely flawed group who sees things through muddle small-town lenses. Lighthouse Project seems to keep playing the victim, which they are not. They have now made themselves the victim by being obstinate and in denial.

Lots to blame. Lots of emotion. Where are the solutions to this mess?

POST PRESS CONFERENCE NOTES:

Town of Hempstead is voting on retaining FP Clark to do a zoning review. There is a 150k cap on this cost.  The desire is to create a scaled down development of the area.

Kate Murray does not want NY Islanders to leave, and does not believe they will. Plans will include refurbished arena.

Newsday: If Wang doesn’t want to do it, they report it will be opened for other developers, who might be interested.

Wang called Kate Murray and was very “pleasant” on the phone about an hour before conference. Looks forward to seeing the plan.

Per Kate Murray, this plan will incorporate many of the things in Charles Wang’s vision

Source: Charles Wang still has not called new Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano. Mangano’s group has called him twice now.

Vote is tomorrow night on it.

Goosby cites that those things she and others have questioned at hearing are not in the report, as the LHP keeps repeating.

Source: If it was in the report, one would think they’d come in and show us the page, right?

She also cited that the Environmental Study is required by state law.

Yesterday, as I have been chasing down Lighthouse Project information that will be hitting the feeder sometime soon, I heard Howie Rose say that he’d be interviewing Charles Wang...about the Lighthouse.

Very timely, since there were rumblings that Lighthouse News was imminent, per sources.

“Ahh, Charlie is trying to head them off at the pass,” I thought to myself.

I was fascinated. This week was going to be a mess was a gut feeling in my pit. Charles Wang did not disappoint as he seem flustered, repetitive and even angry at Howie Rose for bringing it up.

Well, Charles, why else were you there?

All he did was reiterate points made back at October 3rd. Points thrown back at him from Town of Hempstead sources ever since.

The biggest fib that exited his mouth was the one I broke months ago as I found out about a morning meeting between Charles and Kate, and then subsequent meetings between both sides on lower channels to hash issues out. It has been denied by the Lighthouse Project who even put it in a press release before things got dark, and then parroted by the usual public advocates. 

It was even repeated again last night.

Charles to Howie: “There hasn’t been communication with Town, County or anyone else.”

Well…I guess it’s me versus them. Right?

In this morning’s Newsday:

“In response to Wang’s remarks, Town of Hempsteadspokesman Mike Deery said that Wang and the town supervisor, Kate Murray, met one-on-one together in late October, their staffs met once or twice around the same time, and that the parties have exchanged “correspondence” since then.”

Oh wait…really. So these kind of no meetings statements by Charles Wang and some others are NOT actually quite on the up and up?

You don’t say?

I’d look for more blogs and statements to rip on…but I’m tired of picking slop apart on the subject. Despite some personal and professional issues on how some operate or use people for their own ends, I am absolutely disgusted with the Lighthouse coverage specifically. Sorry if this bothers some people, but I am not a fawning reader. I can’t abide. This dude cannot abide.

There is just far too much abiding and not enough questioning. Too much acceptance and not enough discernment. Fans need to stop following and start thinking.

Per a source, this is not the first time there has been a contradiction. I was told that back when Charles Wang first got this public cry of complaint rolling back early last year, he had just met with Kate Murray in a one-on-one meeting. His statement back then was nobody was talking to him. Per that source, this is why the Town has been angry at Charles Wang, and nothing has changed since. This is why the words “bully” had been bandied around.

Well, that’s just your opinion man.

Indeed.

Another source has been telling me throughout the summer, and especially now, that Charles Wang no longer has the financing for this project. That this is all just a giant crazy bluster of saving face.

Just this weekend it was said again…

ToH source: “We believe Charles has no financing anymore for Project. We have heard this even from those connected to LHP”

Meanwhile, the Lighthouse Project, since going dark, had stopped paying FP Clark for their Environmental Review. Something they must have to go forward.

Don’t believe me. Let’s go to that same Newsday piece today…

“The ball’s in his court. They have an outstanding balance with the consultant, and there are unanswered questions that the Lighthouse group is aware of. Quite frankly, you can’t vote on a zoning until the environmentals are completed.”

So, is this all attempt for Charles to blame everyone else and now look for other places? If so, then the Nassau County Lighthouse Project is an abject failure…and not just by one side. There has been far too many missteps, contradictions, and just plain old chicanery here. I’ve had about my fill of it.

“I dropped off the money exactly as per… look, man, I’ve got certain information, all right? Certain things have come to light. And, you know, has it ever occurred to you, that, instead of, uh, you know, running around, uh, uh, blaming me, you know, given the nature of all this new shit, you know, I-I-I-I… this could be a-a-a-a lot more, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, complex, I mean, it’s not just, it might not be just such a simple… uh, you know? ”
- The Dude

 So we finally need to ask, why? Why all this silliness? Why the lies? Why the subterfuge?

One theory might be that the Islanders have made some sort of headway to be one of the main choices for Queens. This would be an amazing feat since over 29 entities are vying for the space at Willet’s Point. It would make Brooklyn rumors merely a feint, and the Nassau County dance just…as Nick Giglia once said aptly: A giant kabuki show.

Another is that Charles is serious about being just a tenant in Brooklyn in a place that would need to be retrofitting to fit hockey. I still find this very hard to believe unless he’s selling.

Meanwhile, with the SMG lease redone, perhaps this is what it was always about. Create a huge ruckus so that in the 11th hour, SMG who is fearful of losing a cash cow, might be able to work further with NY Islanders. After all, it was when all was bleak that Suozzi did this for them.

Who is to say. I am not sure we will ever know the truth of what is going on. To me that is the great crime here.

What needs to be understood here is that this is a situation that Charles himself put himself in. Going dark. Being reactive, not proactive. Stopping the environmental review. This is not actions of a man here for the long haul. They just maybe trying to make chaos so that they convince the NHL they need to move elsewhere. What else would this chaos produce besides more chaos?

Someone keeps peeing on my rug, and I really don’t like it. And stay tuned folks, because this is far from over this week.

Long ago, there was a day that Newsday was a paper that was honorable; that between those partisan lines, it strove for what was newsworthy and important. That this, informing Long Islanders, was its creed and nothing else. Sure, once upon a time it had a strong leftist editorial board. But, the news itself was pertinent, helpful, if not necessary for Long Islanders.

That day is long gone. A new black mark sits on its pages in how it has handled many a story. One proof positive of this papers absolute and total failure is the news that the Town of Hempstead beat writer, once a highly respected and award winning journalist that in the last year became either became disinterested in her job, out of touch, or at worst…. a lazy, slanted, ineffectual reporter, basically “mailing it in” until making a jump to an employer she was partially covering.

She even did a Mangano-focused piece ONE week before accepting a job to be Communication Director for the new Nassau County Executive.

If you are not privy to this story, please read my blog from yesterday about it.

The blemish, and slap of the face of Long Islanders, will be one that does not rub off for a long time. To NY Islander fans, it might be a stain forever. It certainly is a black mark on Ed Mangano. And the guy just started. Not good.

Newsday has fumbled Long Island hockey fans and concerned citizens through fat-buttered-fingers and gravy-grease for years. From lying to it’s advertisers on circulation numbers a few years back, to the shell of itself being sold to the Dolan’s Cablevision; the result seems to be journalism unraveling itself before our very eyes.

Forget the ill-thought out and looming failure of the Cablevision “bright idea” of a pay wall. Newsday needs to answer Long Islanders who went for to them as a source of information and only got a biased and half-stories as one of the beat reporters seemed to bang a drum to a different tune.

The tune is making a move to the body politic, and in doing so, the very fact people were questioning her work for months and months becomes a flaming torch scalding Newsday’s credibility.

Newsday’s editors must speak out. Newsday must say something here.

Then there is the credibility of Eden Laikin’s and Ed Mangano’s own decisions. The Nassau County Executive has just taken office and let of a series of head-scratchers. The decision to hire Laikin isn’t sour grapes or just “Isles-Centric” outrage. It brings forward many questions, and dips the paper she worked for into black pitch.

As an Islanders blogger who has caused both the Lighthouse Project and the Town of Hempstead to pull out their hair, I feel I am in a unique position to heap this criticism. You certainly see some soft hands handling Charles Wang and even Newsday over on some other sites.

None here. I owe nobody favors.

I could work for the NY Islanders, the Town of Hempstead or even Newsday tomorrow and still stand behind my body of work. My Lighthouse expert counterpart here and on his own site, LetTheBeLight(house), Nick Giglia, could say the same.

Laikin can not. Not even close.

And she was the journalist.

This simply boggles my mind.

Perhaps I’m just bitter. But in following this story over a year, putting heart, soul and effort into it, I am outraged, aghast, and just frustrated with the lack of anything cohesive from the one mainstream press paper  that does follow the Islanders and the Town of Hempstead. Not in that she is working for Mangano. I couldn’t care less. But that her body of work over the last year was factually incorrect, incomplete, slanted, missing information, skewed, lacking any depth… and I could go on and on.

A source disagrees with my (and many others assessment) on Eden Laikin:

“Good move with Eden Laikin.  She was a good investigative reporter and knew a lot of the b.s. that went on in the ToH.  Now someone with have to start from the ground up on the ToH beat.  It takes some of the pressure off the ToH administration with her gone.  We’ll see who the replacement is.  In my 10 years at the ToH, there have been about 4-5 different reporters.  Too much turnover.”

My guess on the disparity is my source is not an Isles fan. Nor are they ToH. So it does become a head-scratcher.

One theory is that Laikin didn’t quite with the Newsday corporate changeover. Per one source: there is virtually a battle going on there in the news room.

In one piece over the summer, upon complaints, she cited Newsday’s Editors as the issue. But for a paper that was calling out the ToH on it’s editorial pages, suddenly the editors were curtailing work in the other space? It does not equate unless Newsday internal structure was in complete disarray.

According to one Democratic source: Laikin has said that she did not believe that the Lighthouse Project would get done.

Is that just a hard-line from observation or a personal belief that had spilled over to her work (and lack thereof) over the course of the year?

Ok, so I am not making friends with the Mangano campaign. So what? I am certainly not a pal of Newsday, who wanted to talk to me about doing some hockey blogs on the site earlier this summer. I chose to make HockeyIndependent instead.

In doing so, I have chosen to glean truth and desiring to remove the innocuous, subtle spinning that other blogs or mainstream sites have done.

Whether it hurts or hinders me in the long run, I will not change who I am. Newsday and Eden Laikin, however, cannot say the same. Good luck with the new job, Eden. Hope it was worth it.

As for Newsday…they owe Long Islanders, besides NY Islanders fans and concerned parties, a huge apology.

The long litany of questionable work from Laikin and Newsday over 2009-2010:
Blogs on IslandersIndependent

Blogs on HockeyIndependent

Though we all are probably hopeful on the new Nassau County Executive, Ed Mangaro, as he now takes office, there are some reasons to be concerned,

Rhetoric, Firings & Censorship:
Once Mangano won, rhetoric heated up on the Town of Hempstead side of the aisle. Smelling blood like a UFC fighter, they started talking smack behind the scenes.

They began to even question the very lease deal worked out between Suozzi and the Lighthouse Project. Of course, Suozzi pulled one over on them.

As for censorship, reportedly all references to the Lighthouse have been deleted from County web sites. This, as Mangano takes office, is extremely concerning that some are trying to erase something from the conversation, perhaps? This is far worse than just some bloggers deleting comments.

Rhetoric, censorship and controlling the debate weigh the process down. It is one of the reasons the Lighthouse Project ‘going dark’ has been misguided and foolish. I believe it has not helped, but instead hurt and hindered the cause.

But what is truly concerning here is the firing of Ed Aulman, who was head of Nassau County Veteran Affairs. Ed was a supporter of the Lighthouse Project, and had been to hearings/meetings for it. Veterans are up in arms, and of course, many are outraged.  But, in lieu of the many moves here, seems to be more than just changing the guard, as the Mangano group as suggested. Sounds political.

Maybe Newsday can do another puff piece that Mangano is surrounding himself with Lighthouse Supporters.

Yeah right! Ok, terrific.

Money Trail:

Most interesting is the flood of cash that has entered Mangano’s coffers after he won. Thanks to Nick Giglia, we know that some developers and Al D’Amato’s PAC have made GENEROUS donations.

No comment has been made by Mangano’s campaign, but it is heavily concerning for a myriad of reasons. Developers stand to gain from a Lighthouse Project flame out. Meanwhile D’Amato is a fearsome specter thanks to the ONE good piece Newsday ran for the entire year on the Lighthouse, thanks to their investigative reporter. I guess one for 100 is, hmm…1%. Good job!

Mangano’s Team:

Speaking of reporters, Mangano has assembled an eye-opener of a team of just that. Mike Martino, former of the LI Press, becomes Press Secretary. Martino, interestingly enough, is the very person who wrote LIGHTS OUT?, citing that Charles Wang had pulled the plug.

Yes, a real eye-opener. Wait, it gets better…

Sit down.

Breathe deeply.

Eden Laikin, of Newsday, who tossed softballs at the Town of Hempstead IS HIS boss.

She is Communications Director for Ed Mangano.

I’d laugh if it wasn’t so damn sad.

She had a story on Mangano just last week. Jumped ship right after. Outrageous, irresponsible, unprofessional and just plain wrong. Will Newsday do something about their own questionable integrity now?

Assessment:

MEANWHILE, we’ll give Martino the benefit of the doubt. I have read some solid work from him , and I believe the other side of the aisles or Lighthouse/Isles source was the basis of the Light’s Out story. Though, also in his work it is clear he wasn’t a Suozzi fan, either. But I have been long concerned that writer and journalist’s personal vices and politics do skew the work and attentions they focus on. LI Press and Mike’s work had strong opinions and attentions. But, then again, FoxNews and MSNBC are fair and balanced, right? A bigger and more subtle issue that we won’t pin on Mikey.

HOWEVER, IF it was the Republican party or connected to the ToH or Mangano campaign, well it is a very dark contemplation. It would be a slimy dirty trick that might make all of us question what they all stand for.

Mike Martino is an honorable man in my estimation, and I’ll go with that, despite some questions in lieu of the plethora of other things I’ve cited here.

BUT, we don’t need to contemplate Laikin much. We just have to laugh at the sheer mockery that her reporting took as she basically was last to stories, soft on the ToH, and horrific on the Lighthouse Project. Was this really just Newsday Editors out-of-touch, or just not watching as Laikin making “balance” more like a listing galleon on Newsday pages and website?

Mangano, in my opinion, would have been better off with a Communications Director that could actually Communicate. Well, besides in embarrassing emails threatening lawsuits to bloggers who had the nerve to criticize her. Yes, a real piece of work.

Laikin’s inclusion is a black mark on journalism, Newsday, and the Mangano group. It is more than severely questionable, for her, Newsday and Mangano. It lends itself to many questions.

Eden is smart lady who was extremely perceptive in person, but in the course of the year, suddenly couldn’t write her way out of a paperbag. But DID write her way from her job and into the new Body Politic on Long Island. One has to wonder of deeper connections between the two, besides just the Newsday murk.

To say something is rotten is an understatement. Lots of questions are coming to the fray, instead.

Be wary. The stink is rather noxious.

Howdy, I’m pinch-hitting for the Florida bound bastard blogger, B.D. – hope everyone had a Happy Festivus.

Late last night, news broke (from behind a paywall) about a new lease agreement that could give the Islanders control over parking, concession, and other revenues from Nassau Coliseum.

B.D. and I got wind of this earlier in the night, and he pinged me, cryptically saying “Source says Suozzi is working on a new lease with SMG.”  We initially barked up the wrong tree, concerned the outgoing County Executive had gone insane and was attempting to extend the horrific lease agreement that has crippled the New York Islanders and the facility at which they play for decades.  The news has thrown many people off-guard, and Islanders Country is scrambling to figure out what this means for the Lighthouse Project in general, and the team specifically.

I have spoken to some people in the know, and this is what I have so far:

• This in no way shape or form means Charles Wang is abandoning the Lighthouse Project.  It is dangerously misguided to go down that road and assume “just an arena” is now suddenly acceptable.
• It shows, as I have said numerous times, that Mr. Wang is very serious about getting a deal done on Long Island.
• This is the big news: this is not a new lease agreement.  Tom Suozzi compelled a sub-lease between SMG and the New York Islanders/Lighthouse Development Group.

Last things first:

What Exactly Happened

There are 3 main parties involved with Nassau Coliseum: Nassau County, which owns the building, Spectator Management Group (SMG), which manages the facility, and the New York Islanders, who play their home games at the facility.  The lease agreement was originally signed in 1979, and it only covers the County and SMG.  The Islanders play their home games at the facility, and they are entitled to what amounts to financial crumbs.  It is by far the worst lease deal in sports, and it has resulted time and again in the Islanders losing money as a franchise.  It was widely known that SMG would either be bought out or not invited back once the agreement expired, something the Lighthouse confirmed to me in February, given their abysmal handling of the arena.

This move is a bit of political genius because it addresses the money issue without touching the initial contract.  This is a good plan because contracts in the United States are largely considered sacrosanct, and it is very difficult to break them.  In this case, the Islanders/Lighthouse Development Group entered into an agreement with SMG that complements the original document signed with Nassau County.  This allows SMG to relinquish its right to some of the revenue streams, an action that benefits the Islanders financially.  At the same time, it does not subject the agreement to County approval, because the County is not a party to the agreement.  The only issue is for the County Executive to sign off on the deal, which Mr. Suozzi has now done (while he still holds the office).

To make matters even more interesting, this move almost certainly prevents Ed Mangano from canceling the agreement once he takes office.  He would have to compel the Islanders to relinquish their financial right, a move I simply do not see happening.

After reviewing all the information, I think I’ve figured out why SMG signed the agreement: they were likely forced.  Mr. Suozzi probably confronted them with 3 options: condemnation of the lease, a lawsuit for breach of contract, or signing this new sub-lease.  If that happened, it would make sense that SMG would sign the agreement.

Lighthouse Implications

Some believe this bit of news means the Lighthouse Project is abandoned, and that is a misguided line of thinking.  This shows, as I have said all along, that Charles Wang’s first choice – by far – is to get something done on Long Island at the site of the proposed Lighthouse Project.  This agreement frees up revenue streams the New York Islanders never enjoyed, and it will at worst stop the constant bleeding of money the franchise has experienced since Mr. Wang bought the team almost a decade ago.

At the same time, it will likely eliminate a major obstacle to the Lighthouse Project being completed.  SMG, according to the lease agreement, retains the right to manage any new/renovated arena built on the property, and, given the state of the relationship, they were likely to be excluded from the new arena (and the money to be made) once the deal either expired or was bought out.  That could have created a legal headache, but this seems like a win-win.  The Islanders get an expanded revenue stream, and SMG likely retains the ability to participate in a bidding process for the renovated building.

On the other hand, this may – MAY – be clearing the way for a renegotiated project.  I have shown through calculations why there is a Lighthouse Project, and anything built on the site would have to make more money than that which is spent on the arena renovation.  Opening up new revenue streams could be a potential way of accomplishing this.  Since the deadline passed on October 3, this is by far the most substantive action the Lighthouse Development Group has taken to show its commitment to the area, and, given the issues surrounding the project, it could not have come at a better time.

Political Fallout

You can never accuse Tom Suozzi of being a passive politician.  In many instances – such as his election kick-off rally, which was held in front of Republican headquarters – the outgoing County Executive has enjoyed sticking it to his rivals, and this is no exception.  Much like Tom Gulotta rammed through an 11th-hour extension of the SMG lease through 2015 (aiding a company with close ties to Al D’Amato) before ceding his office to Suozzi, our outgoing County Executive had one last trick up his sleeve.  However, I do wonder if this could have been done earlier and was held back in the name of political expediency…

Naturally, Republicans in the Town of Hempstead and Mangano camps are livid, claiming this is an end-around by Suozzi and prevents the incoming administration from having a say in the issue.  While they may not like it, they do not seem to have any legal recourse.  This has occurred in American politics since John Adams‘ infamous appointment of the “Midnight Judges,” an action which led to the landmark Supreme Court Case Marbury v. Madison and the establishment of Judicial Review.  Ed Mangano won the election, and he will take the oath of office January 1, but until that happens Tom Suozzi is the County Executive, and he is entitled to all the duties and benefits of that office.

That isn’t to say that the issue could be completely out of the woods.  This move, and the Lighthouse Project’s past close alignment with Democrats, could harden the incoming and entrenched Republican policy-makers against the proposal.  We’ve also established that other developers have been heavily donating money to Ed Mangano in an apparent attempt to curry favor in case the Lighthouse Project fails.  This move makes it more likely the project will happen, and some operatives may be disappointed.

At the same time, reader Jimmy makes an excellent point: these actions could be part of a campaign to make sure the Lighthouse Project is a top priority for Ed Mangano, who endorsed the project in his interview with me, once he takes office on January 1, 2010.

A Town of Hempstead source had immediate reaction last night, telling B.D. that the move needles Ed Mangano and could possibly signal the death knell for the Lighthouse Project.  If the Lighthouse resumes payments to F.P. Clark, fulfills its legal requirements, and properly finishes the environmental review, we could see a very good end to this process.  At the end of the day, it will require something that has been too often missing from the process: communication.

Bottom Line

This is a bit of good news, but it remains to be seen how it will play out once the Mangano administration takes office.  We now see clearly that Charles Wang wants to make it work (despite those saying for certain that Brooklyn is all but done) right here, on Long Island.  The Lighthouse Project is now more likely to pass than it was as recently as last week.  If nothing else, from an Islanders perspective, this is a nice Christmas present.  Let’s enjoy it for now.

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