Kings tune up for nationals with metro-area title
The Port Chester Kings turned back Long Island Lightning-Howell 49-48 to take the 15-and-under championship of the Game Over Classic basketball tournament -not a bad way to tune up for their trip to Little Rock, Ark., for the AAU Nationals.
The Kings already had earned their berth into next week's nationals. This was for metro-area pride, and they showed plenty of it.
Anthony Ordonez of Port Chester High, named tournament MVP, led the team in scoring.
Matt Townsend of Horace Greeley led the Kings in rebounding. Laron Norman and Lamonte Norman of Port Chester played stifling defense. Brandon Goldson of Fordham Prep was steady at point guard, orchestrating the team with Matt Datin. Peter Carlino of Fordham Prep, Jon Diaz and Dawoyn Kind of Port Chester, and an injured and gutsy performance by Blind Brook's Brent Lavitt off the bench gave the Kings needed energy in all facets of the game.
The tournament had an elite field, composed only of teams that already had earned berths in next week's nationals.
The Kings, who went 4-0, got off on the right foot with a 43-42 win over Long Island Lightning-Dingle, winning the game when Laron Norman was fouled attempting a 3-pointer with one second left and made all three shots.
AND:
Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration Completes Exterior Renovation...
Seaboard Weatherproofing and Restoration Company recently finished its two-year exterior renovation of the legendary Plaza Hotel, located at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South in New York City. The Plaza's co-owners, Elad Properties and Kingdom Holdings, commissioned the exterior work from Seaboard as part of a lobby-to-roof renovation of the 101-year-old landmark.Working in conjunction with the Plaza's facade restoration architect, David V. Abramson of Newark, NJ, and construction manager Tishman Construction Corporation of New York City, Seaboard had the task of maintaining the integrity of the original architecture while restoring the building to its original pristine condition. Since the hotel was designated a New York City Landmark in 1969 the only New York City hotel ever to receive this distinction The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission oversaw the entire process.
The exterior restoration consisted of many different efforts. New white-glazed-brick, provided by Belden Brick in Canton Ohio, was installed to match the historic white- glazed-brick on the street facade, mainly at air conditioning vent locations. Loading bays at the hotel's southeast corner were rebuilt with limestone to match the original design. Also, the entire facade was washed with a chemical restoration cleaner to brighten its appearance.
The Plaza boasts four marquees, one on each side of the building. Seaboard rebuilt the southeast marquee, which was damaged by a truck many years ago, and restored the other marquees with new cast-iron pieces, adorned with ornamental birds and faces, using supplies from Allen Architectural metals of Talladega, Alabama. The base of The Plaza is constructed with limestone, and Old World Stone in Burlington, Ontario supplied Seaboard with the new limestone needed to replace the old.
The Plaza required replacement of its terra cotta stone exterior on the 16 th , 17 th , and 18 th floors. Seaboard is well known for their restoration of historic buildings with terra cotta facades. Some of these include The Woolworth Building, 55 Liberty Street, and their award-winning work at 90 West Street and at the Eldridge Street Synagogue all located in New York City.
'The terra cotta stone around the window sills, dormers, and lintels was very dirty,' said Michael Ahearn, president of Seaboard Weatherproofing and Restoration. 'We used cast stone to replace the old terra cotta and now it looks brand new.'
Ahearn went on to say that rigging the building for restoration was most challenging. 'We had a steep, sloping mansard roof with dormersit's the kind of roof that's a tricky thing to rig with cables that need to fall straight down,' Ahearn said. 'So, we had to erect 17 exterior masts from the ground up and then hang from a platform to move the scaffolding aroundIt was a very challenging job in that respect.'
The hotel's 282 guest rooms, which include 152 luxury suites, had been closed during its interior and exterior restoration and re-opened on March 1.
'It's great to seetaking something that is such a historic part of New York City and making it new again is an amazing thing to be a part ofthe final product is very rewarding to all of us,' Ahearn said.
History
The Plaza Hotel first opened its doors on October 1, 1907 and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh. Originally, The Plaza served primarily as a residence for wealthy New Yorkers. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt were the first to sign the register.
Since then, The Plaza has been a home to many heads of state; stars of stage, screen, and sports; and some very distinguished literary figures. The most notable being F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was known for his exploits at The Plaza during Prohibition. His friend Ernest Hemingway once advised the author to 'Give his liver to Princeton and his heart to The Plaza.'
In the early 20 th Century, legendary opera star Enrico 'The Great' Caruso 'attacked' his suite's electric clock with a knife, throwing nearly every other clock in the hotel into disarray. In 1959, director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Cary Grant assembled at The Plaza to film the classic 'North by Northwest.' This marked the first time a crew, director, and cast assembled on site to make a picture. Before then, movies were rarely shot on location. The Plaza has been the centerpiece of plays such as Neil Simon's 'Plaza Suite.' The 1971 movie of the same title was filmed on location at The Plaza as well.
About Seaboard Weatherproofing and Restoration Company:
Based in Port Chester, NY. Seaboard Weatherproofing and Restoration Company is one of the leading restoration and alteration construction firms in the New York City metropolitan area. The company has received several prestigious awards and numerous accolades for its work on high-profile projects, including The Elephant House....
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