Here & There Column 7-13-10

Summer Little League & Youth Traveling Baseball

The best time of the year for Little League, American Legion and various Youth Traveling baseball & softball leagues is the months of May through August.
Little League is played during the months of late June and July while various American Legion and Traveling Boys and Girls baseball and softball leagues compete through the end of August.
All of this great competition brings out the best in baseball and softball.
The learning process and the continued growth of area youth baseball and softball players is a great benefit to both our youth and the school districts these youth compete in during the school spring baseball and softball season.
It takes a great amount of commitment for both players, coaches and parents when they agree to participate in summer youth baseball and softball.
At times its difficult for both players and parents to learn what mandatory practice means but everyone learns quickly that if a practice or game is missed that player will not start the next game.....and this applies to each and every player.
Little League and traveling baseball and softball teams are taught using drills and practice game strategy, baseball fundamentals and the responsibility they have to become a team player.
Coaches of these Little League and traveling teams all agree that their players greatly improved their level of play by playing good competition and also developed lifetime friendships in the process.
This is a great experience for any of the youth to play. "The level of competition you play, the camaraderie between the parents and kids and just the overall traveling baseball/softball get together will benefit everyone involved," an area coach told us.
A sign we remember seeing at an area youth baseball complex really tells the story about summer youth baseball....it reads, "Remember They're Just Kids."
Little League explains their definition as "better than any other youth activity, baseball and softball have become the thread that has sewn together a patchwork of nations and cultures around the world."
We salute Little League, American Legion Baseball and the various boys and girls traveling Summer Leagues for the services they provide in our communities. We thank the many coaches, umpires and parents who commit to many hours of dedication to the betterment of our youth.

Golf Events

July 10--Cornell Co-Op Tournament, Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-5250.
July 11--Memorial Tournament & Dinner. Twin Village Golf Course. Information 607-498-5829.
July 11--Fallsburg Lions-Alan Steingart Memorial. Tarry Brae Golf Course. Information 845-434-2620.
July 16--Scotch Twosome Tournament. Twin Village Golf Course. Information 607-498-5829.
July 17--Liberty Elks Tournament. Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584.
July 18--Liberty Booster Club Tournament. Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-807-1996.
July 18--Catskill Cup. Villa Roma Country Club. Information 845-887-4880.
July 23-25-Sullivan County Democrat Two-Man, Better Ball Golf Tournament, Villa Roma Country Club. Information call 845-887-5200.
July 24--Black Bear Golf Tournament. Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584.
July 24--President's Club Tournament, Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584.
July 24--Swan Lake Fire Dept. Tournament. Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-789-4456.
July 30, Commissioners Cup, Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-0323.
Aug. 1--N.A.M.I. Golf Outing, Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-754-8742.
Aug. 7--Art Tursi Memorial Scholarship Tournament. Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584.
Aug. 8--St George's Church Tournament. Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-482-5625.
Aug. 8--Callicoon Kiwanis Club Tournament. Villa Roma Country Club. Information 845-887-4880.
Aug. 13--United Way Pro-Am Championship. Villa Roma Country Club. Information 845-887-4880.
Aug. 15--Billy Moran Memorial Tournament. Villa Roma Country Club. Information 845-887-5097.
Aug. 15--Rock Hill Ambulance Corp. Tournament. Tarry Brae Golf Course. Information 845-434-2620.
Aug. 21--EWGA Regional Golf Championship. Villa Roma Country Club. Information 845-887-4880.
Aug. 22--Mahwah Elks Tournament. Tarry Brae Golf Course. Information 845-434-2620.
Aug. 27--Holiday Mt. Ski Patrol Tournament. Lochmor Golf Course. Information 845-434-1257.
Aug. 28--Liberty Cup Tournament. Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584.
Aug. 30--Sullivan Correctional Facility Tournament. Lochmor Golf Course. Information 845-434-1257.
Sept. 11--Steak Bake Outing. Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584
Sept. 11--Trevor Simpson Memorial Tournament, Swan Lake Golf & Country Club. Information 845-439-5034.
Sept. 25--Hammer Golf Tournament. Sullivan County Golf & Country Club. Information 845-292-9584.

Golfing Highlights Column 7-9-10

Jean Knickerbocker, left, with Barbara Trask at a Roscoe Twin Village Golf Club Annual banquet.

Anne Gadziala at the Liberty Sullivan County Golf & Country Club par 3 thirteenth hole.

Ladies Score Aces

Local golf scoring honors this week go out to lady golfers Jean Knickerbocker of Roscoe and Anne Gadziala of Liberty for scoring hole-in-one aces on their respective golf courses.
Eighty seven year-old Jean Knickerbocker recorded her 5th career ace on June 27 while golfing with Barbara Trask and Dottie Quick in a friendly non-league Sunday afternoon golf outing at the Twin Village Golf Course in Roscoe.
Jean's hole-in-one came on the 168-yard par 3 sixth hole using her driver.
"I hit it well and saw it heading towards the pin, " Jean noted but the green is sloped down from the fairway and golfers cannot see the ball after it leaves the fairway and hits on the green.
A lifetime golfer who still plays golf everyday, Ms. Knickerbocker recorded her first ace 50 years ago in 1960 on the 133-yard par 3 fourth hole at Twin Village when she was playing with three of her children, Terry who was in seventh grade, Kim who was five-years old and Tom who was in the sixth grade.
Three of her other aces were recorded in Florida at the Tampa Golf & County Club, the University of South Florida Golf Course near Tampa and her winter home course at Summertree Golf Course at New Port Richie.
Jean golfs in the Twin Village Tuesday evening Ladies league and the Thursday Ladies Day golf outing and also plays in a ladies league at Summertree during the winter months.
Instead of the traditional buying of drinks for everyone after her fifth ace she provided a hot dog and beer for all the Monday Men's league golfers and Tuesday Ladies league golfers.
Forty nine-year-old Anne Gadziala scored her first career hole-in-one June 29 during the Tuesday Night Ladies league at the Sullivan County Golf & Country Club in Liberty.
Playing with her golf partner Denise Watson against Janet Warren and Nancy Collins, Anne used her rescue club on the 152-yard par 3 thirteenth (fourth hole on the front nine) hole and the four watched her Slazenger golf ball hit the edge of the green and roll into the cup.
Denise commented that after Anne hit the ball she said, "it going in and the other girls were like "yeah its going," and I said "its in" and Anne said "no way" and Denise said she "was just freaked out."
Anne started playing golf in 1983 and plays with a 20 handicap and she comments that "my handicap is myself."
She does not play in any other league and this is her first big golf achievement.
Golf has been popular in Anne's family as her late father, Matt Gadziala coached golf with Morris Gerber for many years at Liberty High School. Her brother, Matt, plays golf regularly at a golf club in Atlanta.

Junior Tourney
Winners Announced

The fourth annual Roscoe Twin Village Golf Club Junior Tournament held June 8 with youth from the age of 10 through high school participating.
Tournament director Sally Shea noted that the young golfers showed good interest in the game of golf and participated with good sportsmanship.
The handicap tournament resulted in a sudden death playoff between Ian Wilson who scored a 35 and Martin Rather with a score of 43. Rather won on the third hole. Wilson took second place and Jesse Huggins third place.
Closest to the pin awards on the fourth hole were Ian Wilson for the boys and Amanda Huggins for the girls. Longest drive on the 7th hole was Martin Rather for the boys and Katy Goodson for the girls. Low gross was shot by Ian Wilson with a 35 and Dan Shea with a 42.
The youth golfers all enjoyed pizza, soda and cake following the competition.

Golf Tip
By Robert Menges

Scoring is all about getting the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes.....and the short game is a key component to accomplishing this.
One of the ways to improve the short game is to work on distance control.
In this drill, I set up four targets...whether it's buckets or whatever visual object you can find.....with distance ranging from 10 to 40 yards.
After the targets are in place you then hit one ball at each target in sequence. By hitting at different targets in sequence, you once again will prevent yourself from locking in to one distance. In the long run, this will help you develop better feel for your distance control.
As far as club selection, I suggest you start with your 35 degree wedge for this drill and then experiment with your other wedges.
The key here is to develop your touch for the different distances.
Robert Menges is the head Golf Professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by phone at 845-292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a consultant to the amateur and professional sport of golf and to several golf writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league standings or tournament information, Ed can be reached at 845-439-8177, by email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 845-230-8674. For a much more expanded version of this golf column, please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com/ and we are now available on Facebook.

Bowling Congress Hall of Fame
Bowling Writer Dick Evans Has Died

Professional Bowlers Association and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Dick Evans, an award winning writer for both The Miami Herald and Daytona Beach News-Journal, died Sunday, July 4th, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 78.


“Dick Evans was a wonderful writer and a tremendous friend of the PBA and the sport of bowling,” said PBA Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer. “From the time I joined the PBA in 2001, I was drawn to Dick’s professionalism and his passion for bowling. I knew Dick was always privately rooting for our success but I also recognized he would never compromise his integrity or journalistic standards in covering our sport. I know I speak for everyone connected to the PBA when I say Dick Evans will be greatly missed. Our prayers go out to his wife, Joan, and their family.”


Born on Sept. 20, 1931, Evans joined the Miami Herald in 1949 as a copy boy and started writing about bowling in 1957. He retired from the Herald in 1989 and moved to Daytona Beach, but he continued to cover bowling for the Herald for another 20 years while also writing for the Daytona Beach News-Journal.



The youngest of three brothers (older brothers Luther and Lee also wrote for the Miami Herald), Evans’ first association with the Herald was as a delivery boy in 1943, followed by providing football scores to the sports staff between 1945-47. At 14, he was hired by the Herald to take greyhound racing results and wrote headlines for short stories in the sports department before becoming a full-time employee at age 17.



After joining the Herald sports staff at age 20, Evans wrote about all high school sports, college football, boxing, bowling, golf, tennis, water skiing, wrestling, horse/dog/harness races, jai-alai and also spent 14 months serving as interim religious editor.


He once organized and ran a Dade County High school baseball tournament that featured North Miami High’s Steve Carlton (a Hall of Famer) and Fred Norman, a future star with the Chicago Cubs, in a taut pitchers’ duel at Miami Stadium before 3,000 fans. His most successful promotion drew 56,000 entries in asking South Floridians to pick the best horse ever to run at Gulfstream Race Track.

An avid tennis player, he also was recognized in 2002 as Florida’s top tennis writer. But his forte was bowling.


One of the most decorated bowling writers in history, Evans was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1986, the USBC Hall of Fame in 1992. He was the first daily newspaper writer to be honored by both halls. He was recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America’s Luby Hall of Fame Award in 1982; received both the World Bowling Writers’ Gosta Zellen Golden Quill Award and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America Chief Wapensky Award in 2007, and was honored in 1986 by the Billiard and Bowling Industry Association for his service to the sport.



Over a span of more than 50 years – not counting 10 when he voluntarily “retired” to serve as a contest judge – Evans won more than 60 Bowling Magazine/American Bowler/US Bowler Writing Contest awards – by far the most in the competition’s history. He also was the top winner in the PBA’s writing contest before it was discontinued in 2001.

In 1982, Evans was sent to St. Louis to receive the bowling industry’s media award on behalf of the Knight-Ridder chain during the Salute Dinner in 1992 – but that award really belonged to Evans himself. His weekly bowling stories as Knight-Ridder’s “official bowling writer” were distributed over the Knight-Ridder news wire to 144 daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of over 10 million papers.

After the Miami native “retired” to Daytona Beach, he was hired by the PBA in 1990 to serve as its PBA Senior Tour media director – a role he served for seven years before stepping down following a heart attack. Evans also was one of the BWAA most dedicated members, twice servicing as that organization’s president.

He continued to write tennis/bowling for the Daytona Beach News-Journal until his death. His bowling stories have appeared in every bowling magazine published and his features and opinion columns were published by a number of regional bowling publications.


Evans is survived by his wife of Joan Gano Evans; son Richard V. Evans, an attorney in Louisville, Ky.; and three grandchildren – Peyton, Carter and Walker.
Services are pending.

This Sunday’s GEICO PBA Team
Shootout Finals at a Glance

Sunday on ESPN – Final qualifying round and stepladder finals featuring teams of Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour stars sponsored by four bowling ball manufacturers will air Sunday, July 11 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

Action begins with qualifying round matches that will determine the qualifying order for the stepladder finals.

Sunday’s first qualifying round match will feature Ebonite International (Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Mike Scroggins, Jason Couch, Bill O’Neill and Mike Fagan) vs. Storm Products (Norm Duke, Pete Weber, Jason Belmonte, Rhino Page, Wes Malott and Brian Kretzer).

The final qualifying round match will feature 900 Global (Walter Ray Williams Jr., Brian Voss, Robert Smith, Michael Haugen Jr. and Steve Jaros) against Brunswick (Johnny Petraglia, Sean Rash, Brad Angelo, Parker Bohn III and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard) which already secured the top stepladder qualifying position after last Sunday’s competition.

In addition to the Manufacturers’ Cup the winning team earns $80,000.

Venue – The fourth annual summer special event was conducted outdoors on specially-constructed lanes at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J.

Format – Seedings in the stepladder championship round are determined by won-lost records after 12 rounds of round-robin Baker match play. In Baker team bowling, each member of a five-player team bowls two frames to complete a full game. The competition also features the “endless 10th frame” where teams will be allowed additional bonus frames as long as they keep striking.



GEICO TEAM SHOOTOUT RESULTS AFTER JULY 4 TELECAST
Match Seven – Ebonite International def. 900 Global, 189-139.
Match Eight – Brunswick def. Storm Products, 206-178.
Match Nine – Storm Products def. Ebonite International, 211-200.
Match 10 – 900 Global def. Brunswick, 207-166.



MANUFACTURERS’ CUP STANDINGS AFTER JULY 4
Brunswick, 4-1
Storm Products, 2-3
900 Global, 2-3
Ebonite International, 2-3

Here & There Column 7-6-10

Politicians Must Start Doing The Right Thing

Sullivan County Management is saying things are going to get financially difficult in the coming year and thrown in the mix is a proposed project for building a new county jail.....go ahead folks......figure this one out.
One just has to love when politicians start saying one thing and doing just the opposite.
But thrown in the middle of all the county's tough financial status is the totally evident mismanagement of our state's fiscal picture and there is no clear explanation of how they are going to get out of it.
One very evident factor is that this year's November elections are going to bring about massive changes as the folks are just plain fed up with incumbent politicians....and it doesn't matter if they are Republican or Democrats.
We are already seeing signs and hearing statements that read and say, "Lower Taxes", "Vote Out The Incumbent" , "Vote For Real Change".
Several years ago there was the formation locally of the Sullivan County Council of Governments which is an ad hoc group of county, town, village and school district officials, that would be responsible to taxpayers throughout the county.
The group brought up the subject on possibly consolidating services or if you will the merger of services.
Cutting costs and improving efficiency in services is a good thing and we suggested at the time that this movement should take it further then just justice courts, tax collection and public works as these moves would be just a drop in the bucket.
There were at that time floated suggestions of shelving a recommendation on the creation of the position of county executive and adding a 10th member to the county legislature.
Any movement on the 10th member suggestion apparently did not get much support and several members of the county legislature felt it might conflict with the full-time county manager's position and that fiscally Sullivan County could not afford something like this.
Any additional members to the county legislature would just be adding another layer of government...something taxpayers have had enough of.
We have said this many times that Sullivan County government must move in the direction of consolidating all the governments within the county instead of just the consolidation of services. This is tough because it could involve elimination of some of their jobs.....and well you know...... politicians really don't work too hard on this subject.
Ironically, while some talk about implementing programs to decentralize services, the impetus should be to merge governments so that we can see a leaner form of government that helps reduce taxes and improves the local economy.
Sullivan County, like many jurisdictions throughout New York State and the United States, struggle with serious fiscal stress as a combination of higher costs for existing services and reduced tax revenues, along with reduction of state aid produce budgetary shortfalls.
Politicians find this difficult to talk about and more so don't want to go up this ladder because it might mean the loss of their job, but, in the long run we cannot continue to face tax increases year in and year out.
New York State is one of the leaders in taxes and it's time voters put a stop to this and elect government representatives who will do something about this problem.
And this will happen in the upcoming November elections.

Golfing Highlights Column 7-2-10

Two distinct opposites on the proper golf attire are shown here with the top photo of Ellsworth "Bucky" Buck who when he was playing golf several years ago was considered one of the best dressed golfers in the area and the second photo of a golfer with dungaree shorts that are considered a no no on golf courses.

Golf With The Proper Attire

I've seen many styles of golf attire on the golf course.....some good and some not so good.
Most sports today request and require those in their particular activity to wear that sports proper attire and golf is no different.
To be sure you do not want to be approached by the golf pro or pro shop manager and told you will not be permitted to play golf because you are not wearing the correct attire.
Golf courses differ in many areas including their accepted dress code so make sure you are aware of this before you begin as it will help you enjoy your golfing experience.
As we previously noted some golf course's will actually stop a player from playing his round of golf if he or she is considered inappropriately attired.
This can prove to be highly frustrating and leave you very upset at the end of the day is you are stopped from playing golf simply because of a misunderstanding on appropriate clothing.
There are some golf courses that do not permit men and boys to wear shirts without collars or sleeves. Another area that get attention is the use of running pants and shores that have metal spikes.
Some golfers have fallen foul of the offensive clothing rule when they have an item of clothing that has an offensive logo on it.
Jeans and sandals , for both men and women are also discouraged.
Men's proper attire on the golf course includes collared shirts, the right pair of pants or shorts and golf or athletic shoes A pair of golf shoes when worn must only have the soft spike type and not metal spikes which cause damage to all parts of the golf course, partitularly the greens.
Shirts can eithr have long or short sleeves and there is no problem with turtlenecks or pullover sweaters. Socks can include the short style or regular length and preferably plain.
For the ladies playing golf, fitting shirts and skirts and even Capri's are allowed. Generally, women are barred from wearing pants of any type including jean shorts. The length of the skirt or shorts is important for women and they have to ensurethat it is not more than 5 inches above the knee.....each golf course is guided by its own specific rules and guidelines in this matter.
Women also should wear collared shirts unless they are sporting a pull over with a V-style neck.
The ladies are allowed sleeveless shorts with collars or shirts with either long or short sleeves. Socks for the ladies should be ankle length with proper golf shoes and if they wish a hat or visor is acceptable. Socks ought to be solid colored and should not have obljectionable logos or designs on them.
Golfers.....if you bring a guest along to play the same rules as noted above will apply.
It's always best to be sure of dress codes and club rules so before going to the golf course give them a call or check out their website before you go.

The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges

Prepare Our Mind For A Better Game
We all have different ways of doing things on the golf course, which is why one technique or strategy might work for one person but not another.
For example, some of us will visualize the shot we want to hit in our mind, because it helps us execute the shot. For others, they have to experience the shot.
With that said (or written, in this case) it never nurts to try something new. So here are several"pep talks" you can create to help build your confidence for the next round.
After each round of golf, take 60 seconds to sit quietly and replay three best shots of the round. Visualize them in slow motion and lock every detail into your memory. They'll come back to cheer you on in the future.
Tell someone about your best shot of the day, but never talk about your worst shots. Professionals can usually remember every shot during a tournament, but there is one shot they "just don't recall"--its their worst shot. Let the bad shots go, and never, ever talk about them.
After every shot, remember to say, "great shot" and mean it when you say it......the results may not be exactly what you wanted, but the ball went where you hit it. So go and do it again.
Breathe before every shot or put, remember to breathe deeply and softly. It will relax your whole body and allow you to focus on the task at hand.
Make it a part of your pre-shot routine to consciously expect a great shot. As you pull the club from your bag, smile. As you look down the fairway or line up your putt, smile. As you stand over the ball, smile. Expect the best.
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, have fun out there. Golf is a game. Yes, it can be very challenging and frustrating at times, but it is intended to be a form of enjoyment. Enjoy the day, the weather and the time with friends. Chances are, you'll enjoy the wonderful game of golf as well.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 845-292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of golf and to several golf writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league standings or tournament information, Ed can be reached at 845-439-8177, by email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 845-230-8674. For a much more expanded version of my columns, please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com/