The King James Version of the Bible contains the phrase “Faith, Hope and Charity.” As she has proven throughout her high school career, culminating in helping to achieve the first team sport championship in Montgomery High School history, senior pitcher Faith Persing has given a new meaning to the biblical phrase. With Faith in the
READ MOREAs reported in a previous column, Little League Baseball convened its International Congress in Williamsport earlier this month. The event is held every four years and is attended by more than a thousand volunteers from around the world to chart the course of the world’s largest organized youth baseball and softball program. During their four
READ MOREOne of the great pleasures that comes to our area from the Little League World Series is the enthusiasm that is expressed by the small towns whose teams that are representing their region. The fans are easily spotted clumped together on Fourth Street in Williamsport at the Grand Slam Parade. They all have matching t-shirts
READ MOREEarlier this month, as the area school’s doors closed for the summer, hundreds of senior graduates stoically marched into their ceremonies to the familiar strains of Pomp and Circumstance. Then they sat, listened to speeches, heard their name called, received their long-awaited diploma, and happily tossed their mortar-board tasseled caps into the air and departed, officially ending
READ MOREWilliamsport Crosscutters Media Day is truly a groundhog-day-like experience. The venue is the same, the uniforms are sparkling white, the smiles and the anxiety on the player’s faces as they step out to meet the press has the same familiarity, and the freshness of a new season creates some positive energy. The second season of
READ MOREA Webb Weekly tip of the hat and congratulations to all our recent high school graduates. What a special time in a young person’s life when they take that walk with their fellow classmates and celebrate an achievement that began with their very first days of school. I always enjoy looking at the pictures that
READ MOREWith the welcomed announcement that the Little League Baseball World Series, with all its trappings, will be returning to our area this August, the annual proclamation of “Williamsport Welcomes the World” will once again ring true. What may not be as well-known this week, from June 10-13, is that an even broader representation of Little
READ MOREI have always said, if you think there is nothing to do in our area, that you aren’t even trying. There is almost always something happening, somewhere to go, or something to do in our area. Adult, kid and family activities are easy to find, because there are plenty of them to do. Don’t believe
READ MOREOn Thursday, that welcomed familiar cry of “play ball” will once again echo across the scenic acreage of Williamsport’s Historic Bowman Field as the nation’s second-oldest baseball park will usher in another season of baseball when the Crosscutters begin year two as members of the MLB Draft League hosting the State College Spikes. Now known
READ MOREThere are times that even the best of writers are at a loss for words. The incredible tragedy that took place at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which took the lives of nineteen children and two adult teachers, is simply unfathomable to comprehend. What causes an individual to not only want to take
READ MOREThere are several local events honoring Memorial Day in our area. If you would like to honor those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country this Memorial Day, please join one of these events. The Nippenose Valley Memorial Day Services will be held, Sunday, May 29, at the Oval Cemetery beginning at
READ MORENext Monday is Memorial Day! Established following the Civil War in 1868, the day was declared a federal holiday to mourn United States military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. For 100 years, until 1968, the day was always observed on May 30. Then for the purpose of creating another three-day
READ MORESmiles, handshakes, and the din of conversation filled the room at the Genetti Hotel as, for the first time in two years, the Lycoming County Brotherhood Alliance gathered for their 65th annual banquet. The yearly occasion provides the opportunity for the organization to celebrate and reflect upon individuals and groups who exemplify the lives and
READ MOREWilliamsport has been long regarded as a “baseball town,” and rightfully so, because of its place as the “Home and Birthplace of Little League Baseball” and its more than 130-year involvement with minor league baseball, but another sport is charging hard to take its place in Williamsport’s sports universe — and that is soccer. Two
READ MOREYears ago, as baseball fans entered the stadiums, a familiar refrain from the program vendors greeted them; “get your scorecard; you can’t tell the players without a scorecard.” Today, if you look hard enough, fans can still purchase a scorecard, but that wonderful part of the Major League ballpark experience has largely gone by the
READ MOREAcross West Fourth Street, just a long foul ball away from the Original Little League field sits the once-controversial site of former Williamsport Mayor Gabe Campana’s 2014 Memorial Park Pickleball Court installation. Somewhat unpopular at the time, that action could be credited as the forerunner of what has become one of the fastest-growing sports in
READ MOREThe financial toll that our society must pick up due to children that suffer from neglect, abuse, or abandonment from their parents is staggering. Out of the $100 million budget for Lycoming County government operations, $10 million of that goes toward Children and Youth Services. As staggering as that sum is, another need is even
READ MOREAs I watched my nephew play baseball on a beautiful sun-drenched Spring Day that turned into an amazing evening, all seemed right in the world. There was a doubleheader of baseball with his game finishing under the lights. Kids were playing, practicing, and enjoying every kid’s activity possible as there was no school the next
READ MOREIt was near midnight on April 10; while watching a west coast baseball game, the dreaded news crawled across the bottom of the TV screen. Gary Brown had passed away. In the days since, tributes to the man Gary was and the successful football life he had lived have come from near and far. His
READ MORE‘Remote learning’ has been the buzz words of educational institutions in recent years as educators, parents, and students alike wrestle with the complications of achieving their ABC objectives outside the traditional bricks & mortar classroom setting. At South Williamsport, Mountaineers softball coach Tom O’Malley reasoned the best remote learning possible for his developing program could
READ MOREWhile the 99 argumentative days between MLB and the MLB Players Association cast serious doubt on if or when the 2022 Major League Baseball season might begin, that anticipated day for baseball fans commences this Thursday, April 7. Although never officially a holiday, there have been many school days and workdays skipped over the years
READ MOREPiper Minier’s shot bounced tantalizingly on the rim two or three times before it dropped through the netting as a large South Williamsport rooting contingent let out a roar of approval. In what has been a miraculous season for the Lady Mountaineers basketball team, it seemed a moment when good fortunes would once again shine
READ MOREIt is no secret to anyone who takes the time to peruse this weekly column or knows me personally; I have had a lifelong affinity with baseball. The times I’ve spent playing, coaching, watching, broadcasting, and writing about the game have filled my life with great joy, friendships, and wonderful memories. In recent years we
READ MOREHey y’all! Guess what?! Daylight Savings time begins on Sunday! You know what that means right? Well, first, it means you need to check your smoke alarms/CO detectors and make sure they are all in working order. Oh and see if you can finally figure out how to change that clock on your microwave, or
READ MOREFebruary’s last Saturday was overflowing with basketball competitions throughout the area. From elementary school through the collegiate level, various teams were participating in meaningful games and tournaments. From our spot on the sidelines of a seventh-grade tournament, our task was devising a plan to stop the Shamokin point guard’s penetration of our defense. Hours later,
READ MORE“You can’t tell the players without a scorecard” has long been the traditional cry of scorecard vendors inside the entrance of baseball stadiums. In recent years that same rationale could be applied to college football fans in understanding the membership of various conferences around the country. Last year’s announced move by Texas and Oklahoma to
READ MORETrust us when we tell you that the decision made by the former Newberry Little League Board of Directors to give up our charter was not an easy one. 76 years. One of the oldest charters in the world. The history, the teams, the past, present, and future players… they all factored into our decision.
READ MOREIf you happened to pass by the Curtin Middle School last Saturday, you might have heard a familiar sound from the past emanating from that old familiar educational landmark. If you thought you were hearing things or might want to experience it for yourself, stop by again this Saturday. At a time when some are
READ MORETis the season folks. It is certainly a busy time of year. The St. John Neumann Golden Knights are playing lots of games. COVID concerns and snow days makes it rather difficult. Our schedule seems to change on a daily basis. We aren’t the only ones in the gym three or four nights a week.
READ MOREHistory is generally not great, earth-shattering events, or milestones, though it often is. It can also be made up of the stories of individuals, their individual achievements, and their struggle to make those achievements possible. The Dunston family is not generally a well-known local family. Still, they are an African American family who managed to
READ MORE“Say it ain’t so, Joe,” proclaimed a newspaper headline referencing baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson’s admission that he had helped fix the 1919 World Series between his Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati. One hundred three years later, I had a similar reaction when learning of the news that the Newberry Little League had severed its
READ MORE“I am not a role model.” Spoken 29 years ago by then NBA basketball star and now a TV hoops commentator, Charles Barkley, that famous quote has long been remembered and often referenced. Those six words were the opening line of a 1993 Nike TV commercial during which Barkley went on to say, “I’m not
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