Last week’s column recounted the new developments at the Montgomery Athletic & Community Center and its plans to serve the community’s athletic and healthy lifestyle needs. While on a tour of the facility, athletic director Mike Snyder introduced me to Ryan Solomon, who was hired in July as coordinator of the building’s activities. Solomon was
READ MORETake a drive on Route 54 through Montgomery. You’ll not encounter a red traffic light to impede your journey. However, the lack of such operational hardware may cause you to miss one of the community’s crown jewels tucked away along the roadway, similar to a family heirloom that you know is valuable, but rarely trot
READ MOREI’ve been spending a great deal of time at my beloved alma mater of late. Yes. I find myself taking a stroll down memory lane every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning. A lot has changed in the past twenty-three years, but I still get goosebumps whenever I head to the Taj Mahal. It’s grand. We
READ MOREBreast Cancer is one of the biggest and perhaps scariest health threats that women face (though some men sometimes suffer it). October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the observation of it helps to shine a light on this serious health problem. Information and understanding of breast cancer is one of the most important goals
READ MOREThe National Football League will be playing their third weekend, college football their fourth, the local high school football season reaches its mid-point, the Major League Baseball season is entering its final weeks and fall will officially be recognized this Saturday. Indeed, a lot is going on to stir the emotions of sports fans. On
READ MOREA lot has changed since the very first Little League World Series. The national exposure these boys receive is off the charts nowadays. ESPN and their affiliates not only cover the entire tournament, but they are now televising many of the regional games. It’s insane. Don’t get me wrong folks. I’m loving every minute, and
READ MOREMy son and I had a great conversation here recently. The nine-year-old was proudly telling me all about the first few days of his basketball camp. Jensen was having a blast, and he explained everything that took place in that little gym. We talked free throws, hotshot competitions, full-court dribbling, and no-look passes for an
READ MORESoccer has been continually growing in popularity among young people, and one of the reasons may be people like Mike Sherman. A native of Watsontown, Mike played high school soccer at Warrior Run High School, and then went on to play for Penn State-Hazelton, where he made All-Conference as a forward. Going to main campus
READ MOREMy world was rocked over the past six months by having to say goodbye to two good “basketball friends” whose friendship was forged in and through the love of “the game.” I speak, very fondly, of Ron ‘Lefty’ Travis who passed in December of 2017 and more recently Ed ‘Eddie’ Lewellyn who passed in July.
READ MOREWe all had dreams growing up as kids. I wanted to be a professional basketball player at an early age. I often thought about balling at a major D1. Then, ultimately, finding a home in the NBA. I can’t tell you the number of times I was alone in the driveway with those intentions in
READ MOREBefore lines of teachers and presenters coming up to the stage to present awards for the future graduates of Montgomery, two men got ready to give away one that had a deeper meaning. For Mark and Glenn Crossley, the Glenn Crossley Memorial Award symbolizes years of dedication to the youth of Montgomery. The elder Glenn
READ MOREThe words every student up and down the Susquehanna Valley couldn’t wait to hear. I’ve been out of school longer than I care to admit, but that phrase still brings a smile to my face. I must also give Alice Cooper credit for the kickoff-to-summertime anthem of the same words. Although I don’t know if
READ MORECongratulations to all the graduates of the Class of 2018! Our area is blessed to have so many talented young people; I am amazed by what they accomplish in today’s world. Whether it is academically, musically or athletically there’s more being achieved than ever before. Take a moment to congratulate those special people in your
READ MOREMost of us take the proper working of our kidneys for granted, but there are those who can’t, they have damaged kidneys that no longer function properly and some of them are in need of a kidney transplant immediately. One of these is 24-year-old Tucker Gordner. Tucker lives in Montgomery with his mom and stepdad,
READ MORESimilar to those famous countdowns at Cape Canaveral, in numerous households across the region that ‘countdown’ is proceeding full speed until upcoming high school graduation days blast products of eighteen years of nurtured love into the ‘unknown’ stratosphere of ‘the real world.’ Those coming out parties will be launched with varying degrees of mixed emotions.
READ MOREArbor Day, April 27th, came and went, and probably only one out of a hundred people knew of it, and probably only one out of that number celebrated the event. The idea of planting trees might not seem glamorous, but Williamsport built its reputation as the “Lumber Capital of the World,” and had not those
READ MOREAs the basketball season came to a close Loyalsock softball coach Tom O’Malley knew the majority of his team would need a break before heading to the diamond to start practice. Loyalsock’s historic run through the district and a portion of the PIAA state playoffs meant six players of the 14 listed on the softball
READ MORE“Just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts.” That famous line often used by Sgt. Joe Friday in the decade’s old “Dragnet” television show could be being used these days by officials of the PIAA in defending the makeup of this year’s State Basketball Championships. Seemingly, the PIAA continues to operate with their heads in the
READ MOREOn both sides, girls and boys, Lewisburg’s basketball players would say their season ended much too early as both failed to reach the PIAA Tournament. That’s not to say the seasons were entertaining and worthwhile. Both featured outstanding players, plays, and games that would have highlighted any high school team’s season. Most teams won’t be
READ MORELast week, twelve boys’ and twelve girls’ high school basketball teams converged on Hershey’s Giant Center with the same goal in mind — capturing a PIAA State Basketball Championship. It mattered little that Mother Nature’s snowy wrath had postponed the yearly hoop festival for several days causing the event to be played Monday-Wednesday, rather than
READ MOREBegrudgingly, we have to give Punxsutawney Phil his due. The furry varmint’s unwelcomed prediction of ‘six more weeks of winter’ certainly rang true. But now that spring has officially made its presence on the calendar; we can all turn our thoughts to the more pleasant days ahead. March’s ending brings with it a trio of
READ MOREWHO NEEDS ONE? I heard my teammate’s cry but chose to ignore him. My legs feel like Jello, but I decide to press on without a breather. I dazzle the crowd with another no-look pass that ends up in the rafters. My fifth turnover of the night. Just awful. Throw in my three air balls
READ MOREYoung people today are faced with so many more problems than when I was a student. Yes, we had the Cold War, and the fear of nuclear weapons, and Three Mile Island was another hot topic of the day, but what goes on around young folks today most of us never imagined. Please appreciate how
READ MORE33 & 66 The deluge of televised college basketball in recent weeks may verge on a bit of overkill. It almost seems that every college hoops game being played anywhere found itself on one television network or another. With the hysteria of March Madness now upon us, basketball junkies are in hoops heaven and office
READ MOREDon’t get me wrong folks. I enjoy spending a few hours in a local gym every weekend, but this has been a very hectic winter. Jensen and his extracurriculars certainly keep us busy. From baseball practices to basketball games. “Call of Duty” competitions and neighborhood Nerf Gun wars. We are always on the go, and
READ MOREGenerally speaking, the sports world is not a homogeneous spheroid. As the recently concluded Winter Olympic Games clearly demonstrated, some sports that excite a particular region of the globe are looked upon by others with a bit of curiosity or indifference. While the world of sports may differ, those who indulge in the same at
READ MOREWell, it’s great to see the month of March just on the horizon. Before you know it everybody will be migrating back outside. The baseball, softball, and soccer fields will come to life. Everybody will resume those warm weather activities we love in the West Branch Valley. We’re only a few days away from the
READ MOREEven if you don’t remember it, sports fans were treated to one of the best post-game press conference speeches of all time on November 25, 2001, by Jim Mora, the then coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Following his team’s dismal five-turnover performance in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Mora gave a blistering tirade
READ MORECongratulations to Loyalsock head basketball coach Ron Insinger on recording his 900th victory! C.I., as he is affectionately known, already holds the record for wins as a high school basketball coach in the state of Pennsylvania. He is sitting at 902 as I pen this article. I look forward to the day he cracks 1,000
READ MOREI’m not going to write much of a story this week. What can I say? For the 18th time this year, there has been another gun incident involving a school. This time 17 innocent people lost their lives. I am a proponent of the 2nd amendment. I believe that responsible, mentally stable adults have the
READ MORELoyalsock’s Ron “CI” Insinger Gymnasium is usually buzzing with activity, but it was unusually full last Saturday as the Lancers took on Athens in the middle of the afternoon. Balloons hung from the railing lining the top of the gym, and a larger than usual student section filled in the bleachers in the far corner.
READ MOREOK. I was a little hesitant at first. I mean if you’ve seen them once, there’s probably no need to see them again. I totally understand a performance can change, but they’ve been using the water and confetti in the bucket since I was a kid. I wanted to send Jensen with his friends instead,
READ MOREAs he took the podium to honor the members of the Lycoming College football team at their annual awards banquet, Mike Clark, Lycoming’s head football coach and athletic director, had reason to be proud. While the 2017 season was not favorable from a win/loss standpoint, the accomplishments of his players and the support of the
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