Happy Birthday to the Webb Weekly. And special thanks to those who are fans of this page. I am truly humbled by all of your feedback and positive vibes. I want to give some love and congratulate a few — props to the boss man Jim and my lovely editor Steph for allowing me to partake. I am a part-time scribe for them, and these great folks allow me to improvise. Jim is the big brother I never had. I only hear from him when I do something great or something terribly bad. He has been a great mentor. I appreciate his friendship, encouragement, and trust. Although I only see her a few times a year, Steph and I are good buds. We correspond quite often, and she routinely keeps me up to par. Steph is the brains of the operation. Duh.

I have been with Webb since her beginning. Jim pitched an idea while I was working at White Deer Golf Course. I provided the copy and designed our advertisements. I would update the folks on some of our tournaments and throw in a few stories about some of the charismatic members. I did this every week for ten great seasons. The pages were called “Notes from the Greenside Bunker.” My proud mother actually made a scrapbook of many of these entries. I often look back at them and smile. This was the start of our relationship.

Jim and Steph asked me to go full-time several years back. It has been a lot of fun. They will occasionally ask me to do a cover story. These are special assignments on local sporting celebrities. Sometimes it’s a feature on a team or a youngster who claimed recent PIAA gold. There’s a lot more pressure associated with these projects. I always do the best I can. One of my favorite pieces was on the legendary Coach Frank Girardi’s enshrinement to the College Football Hall of Fame. That one won me an award. I am dead serious. It’s now in a frame.

My friends give me the freedom to write about whatever. My weekly write-ups vary, and sometimes, I turn a few heads. I have covered just about everything with sports. Professional to amateur. I have penciled many articles on local football and basketball. I also chimed in on high school wrestling and baseball. I even told a few tales on some throwers and pickleball too. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know many of the young athletes and coaches in the area. It keeps me in the loop. My article on a Brazilian foreign exchange student set all kinds of records. Our international online views went up 1450%.

I do get to scribe about fishing and my love for the great outdoors. Hiking with Jensen has been a popular topic. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area. My chums sometimes take me on their adventures after I promise to mention their names. J Britt introduced me to ice fishing, and Ian got me into trolling for walleyes. Austin took me bassing on the Susquehanna, and Kennedy saved the day. The Spanglers take great care of me. We fish tons. My Unbelievable Fishing Story also won me some hardware. Yes. There is never a dull moment. How many others watched the very first MLB Little League Classic from a kayak? Or caught a monster smallmouth under the lights? I did.

My three-week rant called “Setting the Record Str8” got me into trouble. I no longer push the envelope. Or I have to give a heads-up. Several folks applauded my perspective on the County’s decision to take over the golf course, but two guys got really mad. Time heals. We have since made up. My boy Alize Johnson has the most tallies. I believe there are eight articles on this extraordinary lad. I wrote about him while he was in high school and when he was with the Missouri State Bears. Alize became the first from the area to be drafted by the NBA. Major headlines. He routinely gives back to the community, and his new basketball courts earned a full-page spread. Alize continues to amaze. He has an annual Thanksgiving benefit to help the less fortunate and buys team shoes for local hoops squads. But his little brother is closing in. I think Davion now has six.

My favorite subject is my family. Jensen is thirteen, and he is acting more like his dad. Poor kid. Many articles I submit are about his sports. Teach doesn’t like the spotlight, so I refrain from using her name. I love sharing our stories. Whether it’s Xbox or Fortnite. Elf on the Shelf or Santa. Our trips to Yellowstone or Yosemite. Sometimes we just hang out and in the 17728. I have enjoyed the feedback from my recent tales. From Amish Relations to building a two-garage with my 70-year-old pops. They are all great. The Spencers make some interesting copy. Mom gets mad.

I do have a quick story from this past week. I was working with a customer, and he recognized me from this page. We hit it off immediately, and he gave me some praise. I was extremely humbled by his words, and it helped me get through the day. Thanks, Mr. Fox. I was never a fan of writing, and now I have fans. I owe a lot to my great team at the Webb Weekly. It has been a pleasure. Happy Birthday. Cheers.