Sp By CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Correspondent Back Mountain Baseball officials’hopes to have their own Little League field appear to be dashed, at least for the present. Until recently, representatives of Back - Mountain Baseball, Inc. hoped to obtain lease rights to an undeveloped area of land owned by the Dallas School District and situated behind the senior high school. The land, which was cleared several years ago by a service organization, is large enough for a regulation baseball field and three other fields for softball and minor league teams. However, it needs a lot of work done to make it usable including drainage, fill and grading. In addition there are numerous legal details to be resolved in order that the land be used by any group other than the district. In October, 1983, Frank Joyce, John Tinner and Jay May of the Back Mountain Baseball, Inc. organization met with members of the Dallas School Board, School Superintendent Dr. Richard Shipe, Kingston Township, Dallas Township, and Dallas Borough officials at the ‘Dallas Township Municipal Building to discuss the possibility of the baseball organization leasing and renovating the land behind the high school. Thomas Doughton, Jr. explained the Dreis Project and the draining necessary on the ground behind the school as well as federal funds available for the project. Kingston Township officials explained that they would have no funds available until 1985 at which time they would make them available to Dallas Township who would then turn the money over to the school district to complete the project. The township and school district solicitors were to resolve the details -necessary to resolve the entire matter. To date, according to Dr. Shipe, district superintend- ent, the project is still unresolved. “The men are discouraged with the property,” said John Tinner, vice president of Back Mountain Base- ball. “Use of that area is two to three years in the future. The legal details have to be worked out, the land is rough, drainage has to be completed and who knows what else? We would have to invest a large sum of money and, for what, we don’t know. ‘“We’re content with the area we’re using now. With the school’s permission we can put up a new score- board, grade the fields along the side and in back of the township elementary school and extend the fence.” Frank Joyce, president of the baseball organization, said the group would still like to have its own field. “We'd like to buy land or have it donated but it would have to be something centrally located, either in Dallas or Kingston Township,” Joyce said. “We don’t want it at one end or the other end of our Back Mountain communities. “The field behind the high school would have been ideal. It is a large area and could be used by our organization and the school’s softball team. It would be a big help to the girls because their showers are right there in the school building.” ° Jay May of Dallas, an official with the Back Mountain Baseball, who has been in charge of negotiations with the municipalities and the district, explained that obtaining use of the field can be a very slow process because of the legalities involved “The entire project involves the Back Mountain municipalities, the school district and the baseball organization so there are many technicalities to be resolved. Everyone has been very cooperative but it is something that can’t be hurried. “Of course we're getting discouraged because the fields we are using need a lot of work on them. If we are not going to get the other land then we are interested in knowing that, so we can invest money in renovating the fields we are now using. We are a non- profit organization so we don’t have the money to spend two ways,” said May. : Wilkes-Barre Fats By LEE L. RICHARDS Sports Columnist I just returned from Florida where I managed to get a couple of days of vacation time after taking care of some immediate business. My family and 1 planned to visit my parents in the Sunshine State, take in some’: of “thel / sights and visit | -my pal John Brunner with the Tampa Bay Bucs. However, 1 received an urgent call from my Mother informing me my Father had suffered a heart attack. So we completed our packing and left early. Needless to say, we had to scratch some of our plans, but Dad fought his way back and we brought him back to his Vero Beach home. On top of that, I encountered car problems. Thanks to former Back Mountain resident, Frank Wilding, we motored over to Sarasota to have the repairs done. Then we managed to make a brief visit with Coach Brunner in Tampa: It was the highlight of some football and get a good look at the Buccaneers’ overall opera- tion. When we arrived, the Bucs were preparing for thier annual minicamp. Coach Brunner gave us a tour of thefacilities. My son Doug immediately took a gander at the weight room and wanted to work out. The Bucs’ new strength coach is Joe Diange, former strength coach at Penn State. Joe was a factor in builkding up the Nittany Lions’ wrestling team. He put Doug through a three hour workout. One of the first players we met was, All-Pro LeRoy Selmon. He was doing some testing. he’s a real personal young man and helped Doug with some of his workout. Coach Brunner took us next door to the Hall of Fame Inn for some lunch. We checked in and found a surprise when we got into our room. Two huge pictures of Coach Bear Bryant and Knute Rockne hung over the beds. My wife Kate noticed them right away. i | She didn’t mind John and I talking football over dinner that night either. I guess she’s just accepted the fact after 20 years that it’s part of my life. Coach Brunner and I go back to the early 1960s when he was head coach. at Middletown High School and I was the sports editor at Port Jervis. Despite the two towns being rivals, John and I became close friends. I recog- nized then he was an excellent football coach. He’s coached on the college level with Villanova and Temple. He was at Princeton for a couple of years, too. Then he joined the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Last year he was with the Packers. When Bart Starr was dis- missed last December, John wass in the market for another job. He received offers from a couple of teams. His visit to Tampa and Coach John McKay sold him on the Bucs. “Coach McKay didn’t dwell on the Xs and Os. He discussed philosophy, but most of the day- long interview was on different topics. I was surprised when he came right out and told me he wanted me to head up the offense,” Brunner said. So he was named ‘Offensive Moderator’ which is a new description for Offensive Coordi- nator. The Bucs didn’t perform up to their capabilities last season. LeRoy Selmon made that point early in our conversation. » NEARER RRRRRERERRERY * * » Safe or not? The Pirates came up with a win early in the week when they defeated the Indians, 8-4. Keith Kozel got the win on the mound by. mowing down six batters to even his record at 2-2. Big Pirate bats were Wade Post coming through with a double and two singles while Derik Petrini and Eric Paczewski banged out two hits each. Paczewski drove in four runs while Chris Ruth scored twice after a single and a walk. The Astros stayed on top in the standings coming through with two wins ‘on: thei'week., Keith Shultz pitched and patted his team to a 4-1! win over the Yankees: when: he struck out 14 batters and ripped a grand slam homerun in the first inning, driving in all the runs th Astros would need. The second win came with a 4-3 win over the Orioles in what has been tabbed as the best game of the year. An eight-inning barnburner saw the pitchers of both clubs striking out a total of 37 batters. Keith Shultz mowed down 11 batters while mate Rich James struck out 10. The Orioles Scott Brody and Eric Zimmerman racked up 16 k’s between them. The only two hits in the contest came from the bat of Rich James while Jeff Malak made two super catches in left to stop the Orioles from scoring. MAJORS SCORES Astros 4, Yankees 1; Phillies 6, Red Sox 4; Orioles 7, Yankees 1; Dodgers 6, Giants 4; Pirates 8, Indians 4; Astros 4, Orioles 3; Indi- ans 25, Phillies 7; Dodgers 5, Red Sox 3; Giants 8, Phillies 3; Tigers 14, Pirates 4; Indians 10, Reds 5; Dodgers 7, Orioles 5; Yankees 5, Red Sox 3. STANDINGS Astros 7-1 Dodgers 7-2 Giants 5-2. Yankees 7:3 a Orioles ro S— Indians 6-5 ene 3 Phillies 4-5 Bn Pirates 2-6 Reds 2-6 Tigers 2-6 Red Sox 1-9 MINORS SCORES Yankees 14, Phillies 6; Cardinals 13, Reds 12; Orioles 5, Indians 3; Giants 17, Tigers 2; Dodgers 13, Phillies 2; Giants 4, Reds 3; Pirates 17, Tigers 6; Yankees 18, Cardinals 16. STANDINGS Orioles 4-0 Dodgers 3-0 Pirates 3-0 Giants 4-1 Yankees 4-1 Cardinals 2-3 Reds 1-4 Astros 0-3 Indians 0-3 Phillies 0-3 Tigers 0-3 SENIOR SOFTBALL SCORES Braves 13, Indians 11; Braves 14, Orioles 4; Braves 9, Indians 4. STANDINGS Braves 7-0 Phillies 4-2 = Yankees 3-2 Indians 3-4 Orioles 3-4 Northwest 2-3 Dodgers 2-5 Cardinals 1-5 GIRLS SOFTBALL SCORES Expos 19, A’s 12; Expos 18, Reds 15; White Sox 10, Cardinals 5; Pirates 9, A’s 8; Pirates 9, Dodgers 8. STANDINGS Dodgers 6-1 Pirates 6-1 Expos 5-2 White Sox 2-3 A’s 1-5 Reds 1-5 Cards 0-4 Due to a legislative hangup, the Pennsylvania Fish Commission was forced to cancel its Fish-For-Free Day scheduled for June 2, 1984. House Bill 1887, which was intro- duced by Representative Russell P. Letterman on January 31, would have provided the authority for the Commission to designate a Fish- For-Free-Day. It passed the House by a unanimous, vote on March 20, and also passed the Senate unani- mously on May 2. Unfortunately, a last minute amendment by Senator John J. Shumaker that would have provided for free fishing licenses for BZ) 20 inch Scamp™ Push Manual Restart with dedicated rear bag table arm action Low profile rear bagger engines efficiently starting, especially when the engine is hot . engine cranking Manual starter has a longer and 33% wider recoil spring and modular construction to answer the increased starting Short or Long Sleeves In A Variety Of Colors Aim; Cli. Back Mt. Shopping Center Shavertown Daily 'Til 5 — Mon., Thurs., Fri. 'Til 8 — 675-1130 / . Nv ’ ICS requirements from blade control creases air flow to improve bagging Four square 14-gauge steel deck Spring loaded discharge chute door ‘ FREE LOCAL . DALLAS lM DELIVERY certain disabled veterans was inserted into the bill. The bill, along with the amendment which could have had an economic impact to the Commission of over $200,000 per year, then had to be returned to the House for concurrence. The House refused to accept the amendment and the bill was referred to a Conference Committee. Throughout the legislative process the Commission was assured by the leadership of both the House and the Senate that the legislation would be in effect in ample time for the June 2 Fish-For-Free Day. But according to Ralph W. Abele, executive direc- tor of the Commission, “Time has run out on House Bill 1887. Ther are just not enough legislative: days remaining before June 2 for the bill to receive approval by both thg House and the Senate and be signe by the Governor.” : The no license requirement provi- sion was a big part of the June 2 celebration, but there were many other activities planned as well. Michael Bickler, Director of the Commission’s Office of Information, said that all plans for the day including the 44 fishing seminars that were scheduled to be held statewide are on hold until the legislation is passed an a new date can be set. The Colonel Soccer Day Camp will be held August 13-17 at the From 4 790° Electric Start No Shifting ® Economical Full Year Warranty HONDA NORTHEAST Rt. #6, Scranton 347-9436 Wilkes College Ralston Field Com- plex next to Kirby Park. The camp is open te boys and girls ages 8 to 15. A morning session from 8:30-12 noon will be for youth players ages 8-10 followed by an afternoon session, 1-4:30 p.m. for the older players. Wilkes head soccer coach Phil Wingert will direct the camp. Further information and registry; tion forms are available by conta ing Phil Wingert, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 or by calling Wilkes Sports Information, 824-4651, ext. 444. FRESH ~ LIQUID CHLORINE Introductory Offer 50% or fi Gallons QUALITY DISCOUNT POOL STORE _ (Next To RAVES) Chinchilla 586-9686 wx Bovnnn
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers