LOOTED LITTLE LEAGUE

Little League baseball is back in Electchester, and league organizers are hoping that $100,000 in stolen funds could follow soon.
The stolen funds were one of the most despicable items that disgraced former State Assembly Brian McLaughlin pleaded guilty to stealing in March, which could land him in jail for eight to 10 years.
“It would be great if we could get that back,” said Peggy Hackett, who has been a volunteer with the Electchester Little League for the past 15 years. “It would go a long way to helping the kids.”
Hackett said that members of Local 3, the electrician’s union that McLaughlin served as the leader of and stole from, are currently working with the Electchester Athletic Association to help them fight for restitution.
Hackett and Lenny Waxman, known to the community as “Lenny from the Little League,” have been volunteering as coaches with the Electchester Little League for 15 and 28 years respectively, said that although the league did not shut down after the revelation that McLaughlin pilfered nearly $100,000, mostly from grant money, league enrollment definitely saw a decline.
“Unfortunately, it was the coaches that paid the price for one person’s actions,” Hackett said.
However, nearly a year and a half after the bombshell McLaughlin indictment and two months after his plea deal, league enrollment is starting to climb.
“Peggy, Lenny and Richie really put the league back together,” said Mary Gaskin, whose 11-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son both are involved in Electchester Little League teams.
This year the league has more than 100 kids on nine different teams ranging from 4 to 14, including a girls’ softball team for the first time in league history.
“We are trying to bring it back to the community so that the kids in the community can have the opportunity to play with us and have good time,” said Richard Newman, who is coaching the girls’ softball team.
After the first practice of the season on Sunday, April 20, players on the Raptors learned how to run the bases as well as throw and catch the ball, the coaches called the youngsters over to the side and explained to them what they would be doing during the next practice.
Sean Gaskin, 5, who is in his second year of playing in the instructional league, screamed out, “I love it.”
Other youngsters followed suit screaming the same words leading Waxman to say, “That’s what it’s all about.”