I hope you will allow me a quick indulgence, because today is an important day, and we need to figure out where to go from here.
I'd never been much of a blogger, but I finally decided to take the plunge and start Let There Be Light(house) last year.
In fact, one year ago today.
That's right, Let There Be Light(house) is 1 year old today. I had no idea what to expect when I started this blog....I didn't know if people would read it, I didn't know if it would perform the service I wanted, I didn't know if I'd be able to stick with it, and I especially didn't know how long this would take.
Like all of you, I hoped for final closure on the Lighthouse issue by now, but political gamesmanship on both sides has prevented that from happening. Groundbreaking in 2009 is a distant fantasy, and a 2010 groundbreaking is, given the timelines, a remote possibility (even though Stan Fischler - with the impeccable source of "a Coliseum employee" - reported otherwise on TV a few days ago. It's very possible that they aren't scheduling any events for the summer HOPING for a ground-breaking, but that does not mean anything has been authorized). Therefore, this blog will continue going for the foreseeable future.
My goal has always been to stop this blog as soon as we reached final closure on the Lighthouse Project, either way. As we move into the second year of this blog, I really need to hear from you, in the comments space:
Where would you like this blog to go? Should I solicit guest posts? Should I bring on more writers to keep posting fresh? Should I be doing something I haven't even thought of?
As always, thank you for your kind support - it has been an honor.
Expect a "Best of" post tomorrow, as well as a Year in Pictures. As always, I'll be on any breaking news.
wait.. what did Stan Fischler say?
ReplyDeleteStan Fischler reported on NHL on the Fly that Charles Wang authorized arena renovations to start in the summer. However, his source was an arena employee, someone who by definition would not be privy to those kind of negotiations. An employee told me last spring that there were no events planned because they were hoping to get approval to start building by the summer, and I suspect that's what happened here, too.
ReplyDeleteIt's not out of the question that they would be thinking optimistically and holding all events out of the Coliseum to facilitate a summer renovation. However, it's not a solid rumor, and there's a reason nobody seriously picked it up after Stan said it.
This blog is great. I have been a loyal reader since day one. I don't think a guest writer would add much to the overall quality. Is a followup interview with Mangano or anybody possible? Maybe a TOH politician? Where has Denenberg gone? He seemed ready to lead the charge a few months ago. Any new details about the agreement with SMG now? Do the isles get all of the money or 50% or 90%? Who fixes the prices? Can they offer free parking if they wanted to? How does this all work? I'm sure Wang is in hiding, but is anybody from Rechler's camp approachable? Does the light house group still employ people? Is there anybody in their offices anymore? If yes, what do they do? Theyre obviously not out campaigning or maintaining a website anymore.
ReplyDeleteNick, are you talking about what Stan said in the NHL Live last week ? Like the link below :
ReplyDeletehttp://islanders.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=616&id=57543
About the 30 minute mark Stan says that he has 'no first hand information', but one guy that he ran into the other day who does not work for the Islanders but is at the Coliseum THINKS that the Isles will start renovations in the Coliseum next summer.
In Newsday today, there's an article about the plug being pulled on the Grumman development that Mangano spoke of in his interview with you. Any thoughts on how this affects the LHP?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/edwardmangano
ReplyDeleteYo Nick,
Check out what Mangano just said on his Facebook page.
-Big Van Vader
BVV,
ReplyDeleteCan you summarize for those of us who have face book blocked at work?
I'm all over it, guys:
ReplyDeleteFrom Ed Mangano's Facebook page this morning: "The Lighthouse Project is a top priority of our administration and something we are working diligently on." They seem to have chosen to work in silence - though I for one hope to see some kind of public discussion about it soon.
Jae, thank you for the confirmation. I wasn't home when someone texted me about it, and that was what I was able to put together. It seems that they're holding events out for the summer in the hope it happens, just like last year.
mrlbem, I did see that. I don't know what effect, if any, this would have on the Lighthouse. It seems like a problem specific to that developer, but I can check it out.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteJust do what you've been doing. No news, fine, maybe just a weekly check in, saying that nothing's going on.
Again, basically, do what you've been doing, it's worked so far.
Mangano may consider Lighthouse to be a top priority, but may very well consider scaling the project down much like Kate Murray. Given the fact that Mangano was upset that the sublease between the Islanders and SMG was reached, there is a fair chance that he wants the Islanders to pay a price on "screwing" the Republicans out of the bribe money that SMG used to give them from the revenues in NVMC events such as parking, concessions and ticket proceeds from all of the events in NVMC. Why hasn't he sang a different tune from Murray if he thought what Murray was doing in attacking the Lighthouse was out of line?
ReplyDelete"Why hasn't he sang a different tune from Murray if he thought what Murray was doing in attacking the Lighthouse was out of line?"
ReplyDeleteYou'll never get Mangano calling out Murray for ANYthing. He fears the Republican machine just the like the rest of them.
Until we hear from his lips that we have an agreement (and even then I'd be skeptical)I'll remain in the "believe it when I see it" club.
How many more years will we have to wait for resolution? Until 2015 when the lease expires?
Nick, the more and more I hear from Long Island politicians, the more and more I believe the video you previously posted showing Long Island dying.
Enough is enough and it's time for a change.
-Big Van Vader
I went to Manganos Facebook page and I didnt see that post...Where is it??http://www.facebook.com/edwardmangano?v=wall&ref=search
ReplyDeleteForget that, I found it in comments....If he was working dekigently on the LHP Im sure he wouldve talked about it in his speeches or at least once since hes been in office...I'm sure he hasn't done jack s***....
ReplyDeleteRegarding this site...If you could get an interview with Mangano, you can hold him accountable...
In Nick's interview with Mangano and the recent facebook reply, it appears that he is in favor of the project. But one thing he [i]did[/i] say on the process was that he was not going to interfere with the Town of Hempstead, which basically means that the talks a good game but will not get involved.
ReplyDeletebest piece i've seen:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.examiner.com/x-3926-Business-of-Sports-Examiner~y2010m1d3-The-politics-of-the-New-York-Islanders
Day1 - isn't that ridiculous that the best article about this in the mainstream press is from a Chicago paper?
ReplyDeleteAbout the Mangano issue - I had the same belief that many of you have. He wants the project but he's not going to interfere with or cajole the TOH. I don't agree with that, because I think it would give the Town the cover it needs to do nothing. However, I understand Mangano is in a tough position, since Suozzi beat Kate Murray over the head with the Lighthouse for almost 2 years and it didn't get us anywhere.
Republicans have ruined everything.
ReplyDelete'Nick said...
ReplyDeleteDay1 - isn't that ridiculous that the best article about this in the mainstream press is from a Chicago paper?'
the piece was in 'examiner.com'- which is a array of online news/entertainment sites geared to individual cities. i wasn't real familiar with it until i found this piece, but it looks like they do great job. it's run by clarity digital, based in denver, which is owned by philip anschutz, the big time investor from kansas. the guy owns some or all of everything, including pieces of multiple teams and multiple arenas in multiple sports in multiple places. the writer of that piece is from the NY area and has written a lot about sports business issues. i guess for brevity's sake the piece doesn't delve too deeply into the REAL issues driving the LH (and now AY) intrigues (the issues i've been nagging about), but they're all in there, for the first time in print that i have seen. that it appears in this media outlet is not surprising. where else, newsday? the lack of honest and credible coverge, reporting, investigating by the local "press" is in itself, an insight into the "real" goings on. if anyone wants to know how and why the LH project is where it is, READ THIS PIECE.
Thanks for the context. When I first read that article it had "Chicago" where New York is now, so I assumed it was a local thing doing a sports business story. Either way it's amazing how the same old names keep popping up in new places.
ReplyDeleteNick, congratulations on your 1 year Anniversary, Did CW take you out for the occasion? :)!!!
ReplyDeleteYou should call and suggest that.
ReplyDeleteNick, congratulations on the anniversary -- and sincere thanks for all you've done here in a year. An essential resource on a confusing issue.
ReplyDeleteWith my hobby, I hear a lot of teeth-gnashing about the whole MSM v. blogger debate and the pursuit of credibility for writers not backed by established media. (For me, a hobbyist, this does not keep me up at night -- and in any case, for me the content, not the medium, is the message.)
But I'm struck by how fair, persistent and diligent you've been with this site (and before you launched it, when you'd patiently explain the real story to online commenters who jump the gun or resort to simplified generalization). It really is a shining example of what an independent blog can accomplish: Combining professional experience, local knowledge and probing insight that's free from any financial interests.
Wish I had suggestions for where to go with the blog from here other than: More of this, please!