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

Transcript

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

• 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.
• 4:42
  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,
• 5:05
  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,
• 5:33
  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
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: so much, so you know, that was an important part
• 8:15
  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
• 9:07
  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.
• 9:38
  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.