Saturday, March 27, 2010

“Special games for special kids (The Ocala Star-Banner)” plus 2 more

“Special games for special kids (The Ocala Star-Banner)” plus 2 more

Special games for special kids (The Ocala Star-Banner)

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:45 AM PDT

The physically impaired preteen rose from his bed, grabbed his rolling walker and zipped into his mother's bedroom shortly before 4:30 a.m. Friday.

"He said: 'It's time to ride the bus [to school],' " Doris Autry said as she was awakened nearly two hours early by her excited 12-year-old.

Deion, who was diagnosed with brain tumors that left him physically impaired, was just one of about 50 students who competed in the annual event.

The event was originally launched by a group of teachers wanting to create something special for those impaired children unable to attend Special Olympics.

The first event, which was for students in a five-county area, was held in Gainesville in 1978. It then moved to Wyomina Park Elementary a year later and another site the year after that.

"It moved around for the first few years," said Liz Crussell, a retired Wyomina Park teacher of the physically impaired who helped start the event.

Maplewood Elementary has been the permanent home for the event since about 1981.

Susie Collings, a Forest High teacher back when the event first started, said the children were unable to compete in the Special Olmypics, which is aimed at the mentally impaired.

"We wanted to create something for them," Crussell said.

As in the Olympics opening ceremony, the students from across Marion County streamed onto the recreation field, led by Forest High torch carrier Jacob Lewald.

About 300 proud parents, grandparents, family and friends lined the basketball court for the opening ceremony.

Three Forest High physically impaired students participated in the opening ceremony: Alex Perez, who led the Pledge of Allegiance; Nathan Williams, flag holder; and Hunter Turner, who led the Our Own Games pledge.

Lisa Brooks, a teacher, said it best over a microphone: "Let the games begin!"

It was a perfect day for the event: rain had passed and the sun lit up the fields for the joyous students to begin competing in their favorite events.

Maplewood principal Barbara Dobbins, who is in her first year at the school, was thrilled by the turnout. "I don't know who is more excited — me or the kids," said Dobbins moments after the event kicked off.

Scurrying around the campus, teacher aide Cindy Cheuvront — who has organized the event for 20 years — smiled as she ordered volunteers to their stations.

Many of the volunteers were Forest High students.

She said the 50 students is about half the number from year's past. That's because more children are in inclusion classrooms and didn't want to be singled-out.

For those wanting to participate, Cheuvront said the event is very special because the students need something to look forward to.

"They didn't have a way to shine," she said. "We want to give them a way to succeed."

The opening ceremony featured a time for Marion County employees and support staff to shine, as well.

Nan Manning, an orthopedic specialist, one the Shining Star Award named for Matthew Stoltz, a physically impaired student who died in January 1993.

The Charlie Dixon Memorial Award recipient was Sydney Birr, a speech language pathologist. Dixon was instrumental in helping jump start the games.

Dixon was a member of the Optimist Club of Ocala, which has been sponsoring the games for decades, club members Orlando and Bonnie Moreno said.

At the ceremony, six hours after he had rose from his bed to get his mother up for the games, Deion was honored with the student Shining Star Award.

Nearby, family friend Anthony Jones held Deion's trophy, talking to his brother on the phone. He was proud of Deion's award.

"All of them look forward to this every year," Doris Autry said, adding it is her fifth year attending the event. "It is their day."

Joe Callahan can be reached at 352-867-4113 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com.

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The Fizz Kids could never recapture 1950 (Philadelphia Daily News)

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 06:42 AM PDT

THE 1950 SEASON didn't have a fairy-tale ending for the Whiz Kids. They were swept by the Yankees in the World Series, losing each of the first three games by a single run.

Still, the disappointment was tempered by a sense that this was just the start of something good.

"I just thought that the owner, [Bob] Carpenter at the time, was really enthused about being up there for a long time," outfielder Jackie Mayo said. "I know many times he said, 'You don't want to go anywhere.' In case I wanted to be [traded] or anything. 'You don't want to go anywhere. We're going to have a looong time when we have a great team.' "

It didn't work out that way, of course. The Phillies wouldn't finish higher than third again until 1964, the year of the infamous collapse, and wouldn't appear in the postseason until 1976.

Robin Roberts also thought he would have more opportunities to win a championship ring.

"I remember, years after we were in the World Series, my wife said, 'You know, I thought we'd be in there every year.' And that was the only year we were in there," he said. "A lot of the guys that had good years [didn't repeat]. We had a couple of injuries. We were just never in the running that next year. I mean, you couldn't believe how we'd gone from a real organized group that was making it work to all of a sudden we were just ordinary again. It was a real disappointment."

That doesn't lessen the impact of that scrappy young team, though.

"It was the first time in 35 years that the Phillies had even . . . I mean, in those 35 years they never had a ballclub as far as coming close to winning anything," Roberts said. "The A's had been the big team when I came to Philadelphia, Connie Mack and that group. In fact, they were a decent team in '48 and '49. Then we were good and we were winning and we won the pennant. We kind of took over Philadelphia.

"But there's no doubt that when I came, the A's were the team and Connie Mack was the guy."

The A's ended up moving to Kansas City after the 1954 season.

The handful of Whiz Kids survivors are scattered now. Roberts lives in Florida, Mayo in Ohio, Bob Miller in Michigan, Putsy Caballero in Louisiana, Stan Lopata in Arizona. Curt Simmons is the only one who still lives in the Philadelphia area.

They still share a special bond, even though distance and age make it difficult to see each other often.

"Everybody spreads out, you know?" Simmons said. "Two years ago when they honored Robbie, I saw the guys then. Bob Miller came to a couple of autograph shows the A's [Historical] Society had. And I'd see him in Florida. I'd go down to see Robbie. But since my wife has been sick, we haven't traveled.

"Lopata, I see him occasionally. He was in this past summer and we got to see him and his wife. Jack Mayo, I didn't even recognize him. Until he started laughing. When I knew him, he had a crew cut. Now he's baldheaded. They've changed quite a bit. Putsy Caballero, I knew from his talk."

The easy comfort remains. Miller poked fun at Simmons' girth. "That baby will be due pretty soon. He's been carrying that around for years. We used to kid him about that," Miller said with a laugh.

For most of them, it remains the best time of their baseball lives, the joy still keenly felt 60 years later.

"That was the thing, the camaraderie," Miller said. "I remember the wonderful guys I played with. I just wish they were still around and I could go have a Coke or something with Russ Meyer and some of the guys. We really had a great, great something . . . I don't know what the hell you'd call it. It was a winning attitude. It was beautiful."

Added Lopata: "It was a mixture, a nice combination of older and younger fellas. We all experienced success and we really enjoyed it. We had a bunch of guys who were real nice guys. We got along real well and enjoyed playing the game and were ready to go out to the ballpark every day."

Not a bad epitaph. Not bad at all.

 

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Consensus not reached on amusement games ordinance in Braintree (Braintree Forum)

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:13 PM PDT

What would be the first Dave & Buster's location in Massachusetts would require an ordinance change to be approved by the town council so that the proposed 35,000-square-foot restaurant at the South Shore Plaza could have a large number of amusement games for adults and kids.

At the conclusion of a packed March 24 public hearing about the merits of such a change, the council's three-member committee on ordinances and rules could not reach a consensus about the advice it will offer to the council on Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m. in the Cahill Auditorium of town hall.

Councilor John Mullaney of District 2 voted to support the change, while Chairman Leland Dingee, a councilor at large, voted no and Vice Chairman Henry Joyce, Jr. of District 4 abstained.

"What you see at this table are three good friends who couldn't get two votes either way," Mullaney told the audience.

He explained the reason for his vote.

"While other towns are failing, we're growing," Mullaney said. "One thing I have heard is that the Plaza has a problem. I'm getting calls about crime in the Granite Street area. People say we've got a problem with crime, and they're concerned that this will bring in more crime. I just don't think it will."

"My concern is that this ordinance will allow others to come into town with the same operation," Dingee said. "I am concerned about the quality of life."

Dingee, who recently completed a two-year term as the council's first president, acknowledged that his decision was "extremely hard" after listening to statements from members of labor unions who support Dave & Buster's coming to Braintree because this will mean jobs in a dismal economy.

"I have always supported the men and women of labor, but as a councilor, my duty goes even further," he said. "My duty is to the community. I personally don't believe that game rooms will benefit the town of Braintree. That's the one thing I can't go against. I have to vote no. I really don't think that this is good for the town."

"I came here tonight hoping to make up my mind, but I am abstaining, which means that this will be forwarded to the council with no recommendation at all," Joyce said. "My decision to abstain will give me a chance to get my questions answered."

Dave & Buster's, a 27-year-old national chain based in Dallas that operates 55 locations in 22 states, is prepared to spend approximately $12 million to renovate the 250 Granite St. site of the former Circuit City store.

The nearest Dave & Buster's opened a decade ago at the Providence Place mall in Rhode Island.

The Braintree restaurant, if approved, would have about 150 full-time employees, with hiring preference given to town residents.

During a Dec. 22 hearing, the board of license commissioners unanimously approved the transfer of an all-alcoholic liquor license from the former Ridge Racquet Club on West Street, which closed in 2003, to Dave & Buster's, which features arcade games as part of its family-oriented philosophy of reasonably priced dining.

 

More to follow.

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