Print Edition Highlights - June 27, 2013
Many voices benefit fight against cancer
By Erica Smithson
Photos by Curt Werner
Lead walkers begin the first of many laps around the track at Bostic Stadium Friday afternoon during the Relay for Life celebration held this past weekend.
____On May 22 of this year, the American Cancer Society (ACS) celebrated its 100th anniversary. Such a tremendous milestone gives the opportunity to reflect on how far the society has come in cancer research and advocacy, and most importantly, bringing the topic of cancer into mainstream conversation.
____At the June 21 opening ceremony of the ninth annual Dillsburg Relay for Life, event chairperson Tracy Veres gave a brief history of the ACS’s beginnings. She recounted that 100 years ago, the word “cancer” was an almost certain death sentence and so feared that it was rarely spoken about by healthcare professionals or the general public.
____Not speaking about cancer would not make it go away; rather, the only way to lessen fears and make progress against fighting the disease would be to open a dialogue about it and increase public awareness. Beginning in 1913, a group of 15 prominent businessmen and physicians in New York City began writing articles for popular magazines and professional journals, published a monthly bulletin of cancer information and recruited physicians throughout the county to help educate the public.
____Today, the ACS has greatly expanded the way in which they relay information about cancer. They sponsor support groups, online communities, mentoring sessions, cancer education classes and public speaking events such as the Voice of Hope program, which organizes ways for cancer survivors to tell their stories.
Teammates of Wilm’s Walkers take time for a photo during this year’s Relay for Life.
See the June 27, 2013 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.
By Peggie Williams
____Disputes between neighbors dominated the June Franklin Township supervisors meeting.
____Several South Mountain Road neighbors asked for the township’s help in forcing Roger Davis at 963 S. Mountain Road to remove a pony and some chickens from his residentially zoned property. ____
____Davis told supervisors that in spite of neighbors complaints turned into York County Conservation District about his chicken manure and the SPCA about the animals, he has not been found in violation of anything.
____But supervisors declined making a decision, stating this was under the jurisdiction of the zoning hearing board. Supervisors did point out there were no conditions in the zoning ordinance restricting the number or kind of animals in the residential zone and this might be something to discuss at the supervisors next workshop meeting, but this would not affect the present situation, which would be grandfathered even if there were changes made.
See the June 27, 2013 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.
Photo by Curt Werner
A vehicle lost control and hit the guard rail along Route 15 North, Franklin Township, near Glenwood Road on Thursday evening, June 20, at approx. 7:27 p.m. One person was taken to an area hospital. Dillsburg and Franklintown fire companies and fire police, Dillsburg and West Shore ambulances and Northern Regional Police were on the scene. Damage to the vehicle can be seen in the photo above. In photo below is the damage to the guardrail.
See the June 27, 2013 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.
Also in the June 27, 2013 edition
____\
___ -Community events
___ -Obituaries
___ -Births
___ -20 years ago
By Andy Sandrik
Photos by Curt Werner
The Diamondback team sings the national anthem before the start of opening play.
____ The fundamentals of baseball -- fielding, throwing and hitting -- are just a little bit more challenging for these athletes.
____ But unlike most of the county, and state for that matter, these special players have the opportunity to give their all on a baseball field.
____ In a time where special-needs athletics programs are few and far between, baseball players with varying physical and mental disabilities have one place to call home: Dillsburg.
____ The Dillsburg Diamondbacks, members of the Dillsburg Youth Baseball league's Challenger Division, recently finished their eighth season with a roster of more than 40 players.
____ The Diamondbacks, with athletes ranging from 6 to 26 years old, have helped bring the Dillsburg community together. Players, parents, coaches and volunteers have all helped the cause. Many of those involved speak of the team as one big family.
At bat on home plate, Nicholas Shaffer, takes a swing at the ball.
See the June 27, 2013 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.
By Joe Guty
Photo by Tim O'David
Bob Smutsky perfects his form for a personal best and national record.
____With a national title on the line, Dillsburg's Bob Smutsky threw a personal best 226-8 (69.08 meters) on his sixth and last attempt to win the USAT&F Junior National Championship Javelin Throw last Saturday. Smutsky, who just completed his freshman year at William and Mary, had a lock on second place before hitting the winner in Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
____The former Northern H.S. track and field MVP also earned a trip to represent the United States Junior Track and Field Team (19-and under) at the Pan American Games in Medellin, Columbia in late August. In qualifying for nationals, Smutsky arrived in Iowa seeded fourth among the best junior javelin throwers in the country (comprised of high school seniors and college freshmen).
____Taking second place was Robert Entwistle of Coastal Carolina (216-2 / 65.89) with Tom Carr of the Shore AC in third (213-8 / 65.13m) and Jay Stell of the U.S. Naval Academy placing fourth (211-3 / 64.40 m). Out of the top four, Stell made the A qualifying standard for the Pan Am Games and will join Smutsky wearing the Team U.S.A. uniform.
See the June 27, 2013 edition of the Dillsburg Banner for details.
By Andy Sandrik
Bill Bruce is one of 16 umpires selected from a pool of thousands for the upcoming Senior Little League World Series, to be held in Bangor, Maine from Aug. 11-17.
____ They say the best recognition an umpire can get is no recognition at all.
____ Bill Bruce has strived to live by that adage for nearly 20 years as a Little League umpire in the Dillsburg Youth Baseball league and has steadily climbed his way up the postseason ladder, working district, sectional, state and regional tournaments.
Now, Bruce is going to a Little League World Series.
____ Bruce was one of 16 umpires selected from a pool of thousands for the upcoming Senior Little League World Series, to be held in Bangor, Maine from Aug. 11-17.
____ “It's kind of hard to put in words at times,” Bruce said. “It could be a once-in-a-lifetime deal. The higher you go in the process, the harder it is to go to the next level.”
It takes hard work
____ Bruce's success didn't come overnight. It's taken him nearly half of his life to get to this point.
____ Bruce has gone to the clinics and umpiring schools and has umpired hundreds of games in his long career.
____ If there's one piece of advice Bruce can offer fellow umpires dreaming of making it to the World Series, it's this: You get what you put in.
____ “Obviously, the better you want to be, the more practice you have to put into it,” Bruce said. “The more schooling you get and the more games you do make you better. ... You don't take someone in their first year and throw them into a state tournament. The more they put in, the better their chances are.”
____ Bruce's interest in umpiring began at a young age in the state of Indiana. He would work the games for the youngest of the young players to earn the smallest of small payments -- a 25-cent snow cone.
____ Bruce took an extended break from umpiring, playing high school sports and serving his country for more than a decade in the Marine Corps. But the desire to be an umpire always remained.
____ When Bruce was eventually discharged from the Marines, he moved to Dillsburg and continued his passion.
____ “I moved to Pennsylvania, got settled down and then started exploring the thriving metropolis of Dillsburg,” Bruce said with a laugh. “I found the fields and started asking questions. It kind of grew from there.”
____ After just a year of umpiring for the Dillsburg Youth Baseball league, Bruce was named the league's Umpire in Chief.
____ Bruce's umpiring career just kept evolving. Soon he was training other umpires at district clinics and working bigger events.
____ Through everything, there has been one constant for Bruce -- he's never stopped working to improve his craft.
____ Even though he was already working Little League state tournaments by 2004, he was still getting training to become better. In 2004 and 2005, Bruce went to the Williamsport Umpire School and in 2007, he got lessons from the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring.
____ By 2009, Bruce was umpiring some of the biggest games of his life.
Under bright lights
____ Everytime Bruce takes the field, he strives for transparency.
____ His goal for every game is to leave the field without anyone even knowing he was there.
____ “That's the best game you can have,” Bruce said. “If you can walk off the field and the fans are wondering who the umpires were that night, that means you've done your job.”
____ But transparency was not an option for Bruce in 2009. He was working the East Region Little League Baseball tournament as the home plate umpire for the New England Regional finals.
____ Bruce was wearing a microphone for ESPN and his work was on display for all of the world to see.
“At first, your nerves mess with you a little bit,” Bruce said. “But after the first couple of pitches, you need to realize it's still a baseball game. Your training and instincts take over and you don't really think about any more.”
____ But the game still had its share of pressure.
____ The game was tied in the final inning and soon thoughts began to race through Bruce's head.
____ “I remember walking to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with the game tied 7-7,” Bruce said. “I just looked up and said, 'Don't let it be because of me.'
____ “It wasn't. A kid hit a walk-off grand slam to put a capper on the day.
The ultimate goal
____ Bruce continued his string of big assignments with a selection to the Senior Little League Regional in 2011.
Now he gets to work a World Series.
____ If all works out well at that event, Bruce will be eligible to apply for the Holy Grail of Little League events -- the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
____ The odds are highly stacked against Bruce.
____ “Would I like to work in Williamsport? Shoot, yeah I would do it in a heartbeat,” Bruce said. “But in reality, do I realize how small my chances are? Yes, I do. The teams are coming from all over the world and so are the umpires. The pool of umpires gets much larger.
____ “As long as things go smooth at this tournament and my evaluation comes back in a positive light, I'll mail out my resume and see what they say.”
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