Latest / OneLegUpAlex Media / ONELEGUPALEX MEDIA CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF THE GAMES FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED WITH BERNADETTE CASTRO, Fmr. NYS Paris Commissioner

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ONELEGUPALEX MEDIA CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF THE GAMES FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED WITH BERNADETTE CASTRO, Fmr. NYS Paris Commissioner · OneLegUpAlex Media

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well on my line right now. One look of Alex Media,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: someone very special to my family and I because she
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: was always so nice to my dad and I at
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the Games for Physically Challenged now the Nassau County Victory
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Challenge and Bernet Cashro, the former commissioner for the New
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: York State Parks. I mean we connected through the Games,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: then we just reconnected through Governor Pataki and his gal.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: How small a world is that.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: You know? That was such a small world. PATACKI center
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: George Fataki. I think we'll go as one of the
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: great New York governors. But he had a passion for
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: the Games for the Physically Challenged, which was a really
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: important part of the Empire State Games, which Governor Pataki
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: renamed the Hugh Carrey Empire State Games. And why they
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: went away is just, you know, an unbelievable shock, you
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: know when it first happened. How can they go away?
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: But I'm so glad that Nasau County carries on the
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: Games for the Physically Challenged. I mean, you know, I
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: have to give Bruce Blakeman and everybody involved in that
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: huge credit for not letting this go. It's it's very
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: very important, not just to inspire the disabled, but also
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: to inspire the able bodied to understand that. You know,
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: people with physical challenges can be just as exciting to watch,
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: if not more so. They are capable of so much
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: more than many of the public understand, and they have
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: this competitive spirit. I mean, it's all positives. You know.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: It's interesting you say that because I feel like when
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: people go who are sort of outsiders, if you will, right,
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: that don't really know the community, right, They're like, oh,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: look at these kids are you know they made a basket?
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: How cool is that?
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: Mean?
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: What?
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: We're competitive as hell? And you know that Burnett right,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: funny when you look at it from the inside. How
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: we don't want it for like the pity. We want
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: to compete and win and win gold.
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: Right right, And I think that's what so great. And
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: you know, one of my favorite sayings is life is
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: only ten percent what happens to you in ninety percent
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: how you deal with it. So when you're talking about
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: a person, a child or an adult's physically challenged and
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: they're dealing with this in a very positive way, they're saying,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: I still want to play my sports, I still want
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: to be involved, I still want to compete. You know,
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: I want the thrill of victory, and yeah, if I lose,
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: I lose, but I lose fair and square. So you know,
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: it's just the games for the physically challenge to me,
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: should draw the hugest spectators.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: But I've always thought, because I did college baseball, college basketball,
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: and even these stars that want all these contracts, I'm
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: always like, come to the games to physically challenged, they
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: will humble you when you want that million dollars, you
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: know what I mean.
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: Right, That's how it is, right, Yeah, absolutely, But you know,
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: go ahead, But Alex, I want you to tell me
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: You're involvement over the years has been incredible, you and
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: your dad, but you know you're still there.
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: I mean, how many years have you been doing? This
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: is what I want to So this is.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Gonna be about my We got toured around when I
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: was four years old, and so it's about thirty years
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: now that I've been involved with the games, and then
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: finally competed when I turned five, and then all throughout
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: elementary school, high school, and even college. I mean I
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: went through all the way to twenty one and I'm
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: going back today as a volunteer. But this is why
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: I'm having you on. It's forty years of it, and
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: there's somebody to say about the longevity of a program
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: like this to continue forty years later, isn't it.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: It's amazing And you know it also, you know, warms
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: the heart when you see the parental involvement, you know, family, friends,
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: the support team, everybody cheering on, and I think it's
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: really a beautiful thing. I mean, if it doesn't touch
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: her heart, I don't know what does.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: And all the kids from the schools that support their
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: fellow disabled.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, you know. So you know, I just hope
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: that a lot of people show up for the games
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: and continue to support it. Nasau County. Good for them.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: I hope they stick with this forever. And I hope
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: the State of New York gets on board. I really do.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: And you know, people don't realize the state took it,
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: had all the empires of games. So what made this
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: so distinct from the other games, aside from the disabled world?
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: I mean, was there a distinction as well? Like emotionally, like,
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: all right, it's great to see the other guys compete
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: in Brockport, but but that was not as intense or emotional,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: I would say, right.
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  Speaker 2: No exactly, And I mean, if you're going to have
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: to save a budget and don't don't cut the budget
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: for the disabled games. And I think that's what became clear,
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: But the games that sort of floated to the top
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: as this is something important, this is something that we
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: all need to do to support, to rally behind, to
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: cheer for the games for the physically challenged. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: it's an unbelievable experience to watch the competition in all
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: ages and the sports. So you know, I just encourage
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: everyone that here's your show, to get on board with
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: this and stay on board. And if there's any hint
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: that there's funding cutbacks, write letters. You know, letters are
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: very important. I know when I was Parks commissioner, letters
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: that come from the public are very important and they're read,
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  Speaker 2: so you know, I would say, you do have a
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: voice and you should use it. I also remember that
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: when I got a letter and it had like thirty
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: forty signatures, got my attention. So if there's ever an
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: effort to fund cut you know, to cut funds, I
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: suggest there'd be sort of a petition campaign and get
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: as many signatures send it to the governor. That means
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: a lot, so don't just.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: About Sue Gordon Ryan. She's on my mind too, because
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: she's really the person that spirited all this, and I'm
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: sure you work with her closely in Sue Maxwell over
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: those years as well.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, Susan Gordon Ryan talk about an inspiration. That woman.
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: She gets better looking every year.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: She really talked to her.
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: I say, Susan, what's the deal. Because you're in a wheelchair,
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: you get more beautiful every year. I don't get this.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: She is a beautiful woman. She is a mother of
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: several children. She has been active all her life, working
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: in many times for the government and encouraging helping the
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: physically challenged. Now, she's a great lady, she really is.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: You've obviously had a lot of duties as the commissioner
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: for State Park, so I mean, where does this rank
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: in all of the obligations to state park submission? Where
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: does this rank for you?
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: The Empire State Games program, all of it, including the
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: games for the physically challenged, was one of the highlights
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: of the year. We were the agency charged with recreation
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: around the state. The title of the agency is Commissioner
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. So when you're talking
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: recreation you know, nobody should be left behind. Okay, so
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: the Empire State Games without the Games to the Physically
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: Challenge wouldn't have made sense at all. That would have
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: been like really bad dues. But I'm still appalled that
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: the Games program was acts from the budget. And that's
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: why I go back again to Nassau County and saluting them,
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: because competitors come from all over the state for that,
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: do they not.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Well, remember we used to have people from Ireland compete
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: in that as well, the physically challenged Irish American Youth
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: team Pat Jordan and if I'm not mistaken, you used
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: to deliver opening remarks on opening night, if I'm not mistaken.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes, that was the highlight for me. That was
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: one of the highlights on my calendar every year, was
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: the opening ceremony of the Games. And yes, I definitely
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: was present. The Games to the Physically Challenged and the
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: other games well, very important program because we all love
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: our kids in sports. It's it's a great distraction. It's
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: a way to keep everyone busy. Competition, teamwork, it teaches
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  Speaker 2: so much, so you know, that was an important part
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  Speaker 2: and Governor Pataki was a huge fan.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: And I love hearing that now in the in the
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: traditional phase when when you were leaving, I mean, how
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: did you make sure the games were in good hands?
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: Because it didn't take for a while. Uh, it didn't
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: take I guess it took a low while, but it
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: didn't take for you know, what I'm trying to say
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: is it wasn't a fast cut, you know what I mean.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: So when you left it to the next person, how
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: did you iterate them, Hey, look, this is important. You
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: got to keep it going.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: You know. I wish there would have been more of that,
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: you know, handing the torch, so to speak. But when
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: administrations change, especially at the state level, there isn't that
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: much dialogue between me and the new coneer on specific programs.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: But we had no idea that we were looking at
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  Speaker 2: absolutely no games, especially for the physically challenged, but all
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: the other sports. That was a real setback. And I
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: think you know, I was a big believer in public
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: private partnerships. If my governor here come to me for that,
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: which I know he wouldn't, but if he did, you
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: know what I would ask, Let me go raise the
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: money with the public sector, the private sector, not government.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: Let me go to the banks, Let me go to
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: the businesses. They'll come up with the funding for this.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: They would have loved it. They would have loved it.
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  Speaker 2: It's so positive. Rather than just say, oh, we have
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: to cut the budget, that's an easy cut, get rid
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: of the games. No, that was the wrong thing to do.
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: And it really was. And you know what's funny is
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: I was going to stop competing after high school because
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, it's the kid's game. I'm not
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: going to really keep going. But when they cut it,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: and when Nasau County brought it back, I said, Okay,
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: now I've an urgency to keep going as an athlete.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: But it is interesting because I was about to not
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: compete anymore because I thought, well, this is for the
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: kids now, you know.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, I'm so glad you didn't stop competing, and
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: I'm so glad that you're volunteering. And I think I
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: think you should be part of the opening ceremony. You
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: should give remarks. I mean, you could inspire these young people.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: I mean, you've been amazing. Never held you back, Alex.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: Do you remember Dana Bowman. I don't I remember that,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: but he used to fly in every opening ceremony. The
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: double amputee. I don't if you remember him, but i'd
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: him on the show talk about it and just him
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: and you bring me back to those memories of those
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: early years of competing because we went, I mean, that's
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: the other journey, we went from Eisenhower Park to Mitchellfield.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: Tell us about that process.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: Wow. Well, you know the man that really could talk
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: more about the games on Long Island is Chip Gorman.
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: He is still running the Long Island Region and those
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: logistics would have been his supporter by the state, but
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: the Long Island Region and is a very powerful region
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: of the New York State Park system, a big revenue
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: generator for the state. This will be interesting for your listeners.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: The way that state parks makes revenue profit is only
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: three ways parking, golf, camping. Okay, now think about parking
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: golf on Long Island. When we're filling and getting two
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: hundred thousand people for the fireworks, which by the way,
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: never existed before Pataki two hundred thousand people from Memorial Day.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: This year it's moved to the big two hundred and
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: fiftieth celebration. But the air show incredible. Another two hundred
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: and fifty thousand people. Jones Beach, Robert Moses Bethpage State
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: Park five, the largest public golf complex in the country.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Long Island region is powerful. And Chip Gorman, you know,
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: I'd love for you to have him on the show
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: because he can give you the logistical movements that he
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: went through to try to hang on to the games.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: Well, and and we'll have to reach out and you know,
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: maybe I'll ask Susan, Susan and Maxwell about that as well.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: And Sue Maxwell, I gotta give her credit. I mean,
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: she works her tail off every year to make sure
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: we have the dorms, we have the games, we have
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Mitchell Field.
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: It's great, it's it's just special. Well, good for her,
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: you know, there's there's you know, there's good such good
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: work in that. You know, it's volunteers.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: I would always show up every year, almost forty years straight.
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: Those people deserve a hand as well. And I'm sure
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: he got to talk with them over the years.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: Also absolutely absolutely, you.
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: Remember Dominic because that was one of the guys that
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: brought me in. Dominic and his wife always volunteering every
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: year and they be yeah, so and Jackie Carroll, I mean,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: all of them over the years.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: Well, I think that maybe one day we have to
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: have a big reunion. We have our own celebration, a
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: big picture or something. We got to think about that.
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: I want to ask you though, because I mean, we'll
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: talk before them. But obviously we had to rebuild after
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: nine to eleven, and you were still commissioner then were you?
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Were you still commissioner at nine to eleven.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, we were in the heart of it. We
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: were just getting started with our administration almost. Yes, definitely.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: And so while I have you for a second, I
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: mean to be commission during that.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: Well, let me let me just backtrack. We took off
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: us in nineteen ninety five, and of course we were
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: in I believe the second term when nine to eleven hit,
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: but Long Island was impacted. I mean we could smell
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: the smoke on Long Island from the World Trade Center
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: and it was George Kataki actually rebuilt the World Trade Center,
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: created the Freedom Tower, Idea, did the museum downtown. But
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Long Islanders, you know, we lost so many people. We
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: lost firefighters, police, civilians that were trapped nine to eleven,
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: and you know, the Empire State Games was one of
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: the bright spots people could look forward to, you know,
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: following nine to eleven.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: Well, because I believe they had the Fall Games that
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: year as well.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: Right, And we had the US Open at beth Page
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: nine months after nine to eleven. On Father's Day, nine
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: months later, when I was commissioner, I authorized a sniper
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: unit for the top of the roofs at Death Page.
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: We authorized K nine units to sweep all the trucks
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: that would bring the food and the drinks in. I mean,
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: we were still on high alert, but we didn't know
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: if it was over, So we were taking a conservative
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: stance that we wanted nothing to interfere with the greatest
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: One of the greatest sporting events of the year is
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: the US Open. It's globally transmitted. But you know, there's
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: a lot more to government than I think people understand.
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: But one of the things that we do love to
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: talk about are the positive events, the events that really
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: bring people together. You don't worry about color, you don't
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: worry about background, they don't worry about money. You know,
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: it's just let's all get together, let's support the games
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: for physically challenged. You know. It's it's a beautiful thing.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: It really is. And just as you say, they came
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: in from all over the country and a bit from
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: the world, so that was special. So Burnett, wella have
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: you your fondest memory? I mean watching these games and
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: watching these kids compete. Also, do you ever get a
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: chance to watch wheelchair basketball during those times?
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: You know, I think I did see that. That's fun
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: to watch. And also the younger children are just amazing
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: to watch, right And I'll tell you that, Yeah, they're
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: beautiful kids and their parents are so happy that they're
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: there and they're competing in their own little way, the
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: young ones, and then you do have them more advanced
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: and really superb athletes, whether it's the wheelchair basketball or
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: other sports. I mean, it's amazing, it's amazing to watch,
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: and it shows a different kind of skill entirely. You know.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: I do feel like politics played a role in what
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: happened with the games from a state level, and how
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: do we make sure that, you know, politicians truly stand
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: by their words just for people with disabilities and not
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: just every July when they do the Ada moneth thing.
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: I mean, there's a year round support that has to
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: go on for people with disabilities.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: Bernadette Oh, I agree, totally. I agree totally. Old Westberry Gardens,
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: I was just an honoree. I was thrilled, but we
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: raised money for a special golf cart that has a
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: wheelchair ramp so that we can continue to have people
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: with disabilities enjoy the parks that they own. You know,
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: whenever I would was a commissioner, I would say, you know,
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: you own these parks. I take care of them for you.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: You need to enjoy them, regardless if you're able bodied,
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: if you're disabled. We need to find a way for
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: you to enjoy these assets that you own. And I
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: think politicians need to understand that the parks and the
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: programs within the parks are owned by all of the
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: people of the state of New York, not just the
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: able bodied. And I think when you can get someone
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: to have access, which is so key a word to
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: these various parks, it's wonderful.
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: Bernett. I also want to say that you and I
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: are connected with John Katzmatias. He's an awesome man. And
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: when I first heard of an interview on Katrin Tevil,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: I said, oh my god, Bernadette Bernet, it's so funny.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: John Katsimatidis is an unusual man. He is so great,
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: so generous, so smart, functions on such little sleep every night.
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: I don't know how he does it. He's at his
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: station w ABC, he's doing the news, he's doing everything.
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: He's so generous. I mean, I'm sorry he didn't win
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: that mayor's race, but he's not going to run again.
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: He would make such an outstanding mayor for the City
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: of New York. He would have been a very good
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: governor too.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: And he's great to work with. I work with him
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: at the radio station on nine to seventy sides, So
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: he just I want to mention him and how he
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: inspired me to connect with you, because, oh my god, Bernadet,
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: I heard him. I heard you on KADS round Table.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: You know, I know.
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: I got to ask you this though. Do you follow
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: the Park's department administration to administration or have you kind
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: of disconnected from it?
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: To be honest, officially, you know this disengaged. But Chip Gorman,
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: I'm more attached to the Long Island region because really,
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: so many of the people I worked with are still
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: there and they're still doing a great job. So I
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: love it. I love to be around Long Island State Parks.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: You know, the Long Island State Parks. You know police officers,
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: the park police are great they do a great job
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: on the island, So you know, I do stay involved,
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: But you know, do I go to Niagara Falls one
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: of the other beautiful assets. I don't get to the
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: Buffalo region anymore, you know. So you know, I guess
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: you would say that I'm more connected to the Long
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: Island State Park System because this is where I live.
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: But as far as Albany and the new commissioner, we
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: haven't really connected.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: I was a decrease in the parks, you know, maintenance,
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: I mean the administration to administration.
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: You know, I can't say that I haven't. I don't
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: want to sort of criticize that because I don't know
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: their budget. I don't know what Albany has funded. Without
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: knowing the budget variations from year to year, it's difficult
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: for me to say I don't see any deterioration in
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: the Long Island Park system. Again, Chip Gorman gets a
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: lot of credit, so I can't say that I see that.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: But programs are different than maintenance, Okay, so the program
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: end of things can be disappointing, like you know, like
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: the games, for example, there's no reason why the private
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: sector can't support the games. It can all come back.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: I mean, i'd bet you there are banks, insurance companies,
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: you name it would love to have their names attached,
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: like the fireworks at Jones Beach. That's you know, used
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: to be best paid Federal credit union. I think it
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: still might be. You know, Governor for TACKI was great
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: when I would come to who with an idea. He
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: would say, I love the idea, see who you can
• 20:21
  Speaker 2: find to sponsor it, so it wouldn't come out of taxpayer.
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: Mondy, you look at that. You look how many people
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: invest in the Long Island Ducks. I mean, that's a
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: great example of small of businesses investing in a smaller
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: project that means so much to everybody on Long Island.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: I mean the Ducks alone, twenty five years of that.
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: Bernadette, Yeah, I know, it's great. I can't believe it's
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: twenty five years. Seems like yesterday.
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: And I don't know what your role was, Parks, but
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: I mean just the idea that they were able to
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: build that stadium and build that team and Buddy Harrelson,
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: I mean, what a what a game change the Ducks
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: have been.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: No, it's a wonderful. It's wonderful for young families. I mean,
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: you know, the ticket prices of some of these professional
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: teams are so out of control, whereas the Ducks are
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: still accessible for families. It's wonderful.
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: Well, Burnette, I just want to have you on here
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: to say thank you for all your support for the
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: games and for your kindness. And when I saw you
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: at the galley and I gotta run over and see
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: her because.
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: I'm so glad you did.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: You've made an impact in my life for a long
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: time and forever.
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: Well, that is the nicest thing. I mean, you've made
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: my month, it's not year, because that's wonderful. Well, I'm
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: so happy about My dad.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: Would always say highly of you. I don't know if
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: you know that, but he would always talk highly of you.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: And and we we both miss him. I can't believe
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: he's been gone three years. And yeah, events, going to
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: these different events remind me of him, but also remind
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: me of those times of the good times we had.
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, And let me tell you something. You have such
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: a great broadcast voice, and you have such a great personality.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: You know, media is so good for you. I really
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: wish that you could somehow find a permanent role in
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: some type of broadcasting because you're really great.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Well, maybe we'll talk off air about those possibilities.
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: I'd love to brainstorm on that, but for now, Bernet Castro,
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: such an honor to bring you on on the fortieth Games.
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: You know, if it wasn't for COVID, it would have
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: been forty years. Officially last year, but it was the
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: game's thirty nine. Because of COVID, we had to cancel it.
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: But this year we're back on for forty years.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: Well that's great. Well, it's so wonderful talking with you,
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: and I know you'll have a great time and make
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: more great memories as a lead volunteer. And I thank
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: you so much for all your good work, and.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: Same to you, Bernet Cashro for most Commissioner of New
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: York City Parks and a very important part of the
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: Governor PATTACKI administration. Thank you for joining me at one
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: look Up Alex Media today.
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: Thanks Alex, you take care.