Baseball Legend, Yogi Berra, Turns 87

Yogi (Lawrence Peter) Berra

Baseball legend and Hall of Famer, Lawrence Peter Berra, known to the world as “Yogi”, has accoounted for some astonishing feats as a professional baseball career throughtout his 19-year career with the New York Yankees and as a manager for the Yankees and thir neighboring New York Mets rivals in the National League.

Yogi has put some awe-inspiring statistics into the record books with his bat, his catcher’s mitt and his managerial skills while gaining the further attention of the world of sports with his entertaining penchant for fracturing the English language.

As Yogi turned 87, looking back at this great athlete’s accomplishments suggest that it's “like déjà vu all over again”.  (I couldn’t resist, Yogi.

Seriously, this man, Yogi Berra is amazing. He played with ten World Series Championship teams; he’s a Baseball Hall of Famer, played and competed with some of the greats of the twentieth century.  Widely regarded as one of the best catchers in baseball history,  in 1999 Yogi was voted a member of the Team of the Century.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925, Lawrence Berra was given the nickname, “Yogi,”by a friend who found his habitual cross-legged sitting style to be similar to that of a yogi.  Some wrongly attributed his nickname to his catching squat.

Well into his ninth decade, his celebrity and the depth of affection of his fans is remarkable.  But noe, to help you start shaking your head and awakening your funny bone, here are a few of the best quotes attributed to this veritable American idol:

·       “We made too many wrong mistakes."
·       "You can observe a lot just by watching.
·       "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."
·       "He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious."
·       "If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be."
·       "If you don't know where you’re going you might end up some place else."
·       As to remarks attributed to him, he said,"I didn't say everything I said."
·       "The future ain't what it use to be."
·       "Little League is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house."
·       Ask why he hasn’t been seen lately at Ruggeri's Restaurant in St. Louis, “Nobody goes there no more; it's too crowded."
·      "I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."
·       "We have deep depth."
·       Giving directions to his home in New Jersey, accessible by two routes:
           "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
·     "Always go to other people's funerals,
          or they won't come to yours."
·       "Never answer anonymous letters."\
·       On being an honoree at an awards banquet:
          "Thank you for making this day necessary!"
·       "The towels were so thick there I could
            hardly close my suitcase."
·       "Half the lies they tell about me aren't true."
·       A comment on baseball:
              "Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
·       Asked if people running naked across the field were men or women, "I don't know. They had bags over their heads."
·       "It gets late early out there."
·       Yogi’s wife, Carmen, asked him:    "Yogi, you’re from  St. Louis, we live in New Jersey, and you played ball in New York. If you go before I do, where would you like to be buried?" Yogi replied,"Surprise me."
·       Last quote: "It ain't over till it's over."

Yogi Berra’s baseball career as a player, manager and coach, spanned a period of  43 years (1946 to 1989)  He batted left and threw right with a lifetime batting average of .285, while hitting 385 home runs and and accouting for 1,430 runs batted in. 

Yogi participated in 18 consecutive All Star Games, has played or managed in 13 World Series championships and played, managed or coached in 21 World Series and was one of only six managers to win a World Series in an American League and National League Team.  He was  named three times as American League Most Valuable Player (1951, 1954, 1955). A further honor of the New York Yankees was to retire his number (8). 


Hey Yogi,  
Best wishes on your birthday . . .
belated . . . (May 12th)

See ya' around, buddy!

Watch for a follow up story coming soon based on a personal experience when Ralph Branca introduced me to Yogi Berra at a Sportscasters Award banquet in New York about twenty years ago. 

Sources:  Wikipedia and various others on the Internet.  

Southington Town Manager Advisory - Heat Relief Stations

Local Cooling Stations

Southington, Town Manager, Garry Brumback, made the following announcenent on Tuseday morning, June 19, 2012:

Weather forecasts are indicating the possibly of some record setting heat in the next two or three days. Accordingly, the Southington Town staff is prepared at both the Southington Library Library and the Calendar House to assist residents who may need a place to get out of the heat.

At Calendar House (the senior center facility at the corner of Pleasant and Hobart Streets) the hours of operation will be 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

At the Southington Public Library (located at the corner of Main Street and Meriden Avenue) the hours are  9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday.

This information has been distributed to the media and the staff is also posting it on both the Southington Town website and our community access cable TV network to reach as many residents of Southington as possible.

Stay Cool!

Dedication of STEPS Tree- June 26, 2012

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 5:30 pm at Recreation Park of Southington
Rain Date: June 28, 2012.

The whole town is invited to join a landmark event in Southington as the growing STEPS coalition and the Youth Council of Southington celebrate a uniquely symbolic tree at Recreation Park of Southington.

“STEPS” is a clever acronym for Southington’s Town-wide Efforts to Promote Success, a community coalition aimed at developing healthy and successful youth.

STEPS has grown vigorously mainly because the concept is so simple and so right and because it has the proactive support of many who voluntarily support and represent virtually every sector of the town.

The idea took life  several years ago in response to a tragic series of teen suicides in Southington.

But, much work had to be done to develop the idea, get strong local support and available public funding for the drug prevention aspect of the major paradigm shift that is STEPS.  

Today, across the town, there ares a growing number of organizations, businesses and professional groups, parents, students, schools, faith congregations, law enforcement and safety groups who have come part of the STEPS coalition as Asset Building Communities (ABCs).

Last year, a group of high school and middle school students who form the STEPS Marketing and Public Relations subcommittee, (MAPS), embarked on a project aimed at planting trees throughout the town as lasting and living symbols of the mission of STEPS: "growing great kids."

With a gift from Ali’s Nursery: a Japanese Syringa Reticulata Ivory Silk Lilac tree and the help of the Town Parks & Recreation Department, the MAPS group planted its first STEPS tree last fall.
This year, MAPS approached Mathieu Memorial Monuments who donated a beautiful polished granite marker which is being engraved for STEPS, marking the first STEPS tree growing "in step" with our kids towards a healthy, successful and purposeful future.

Susan Saucier, Director of Southington Youth Services, commented:
“I hope the community will come out to the tree dedication to support STEPS and the work of our young people who made this project a reality.  It was led by our youth, start to finish.  We all need to show our pride for our children who are making Southington a better place.”

Kelly Leppard, Southington Youth Prevention Coordinator, said: "For a coalition that is only in the fourth year of its existence and year three of our Drug Free Communities Grant, we’re starting to see real changes in our community, from making kids a priority, to working together as a community to make Southington a great place to grow great kids. The tree is a symbol of our dedication and determination to continue our efforts into the future."

Among the invited are Town and Board of Education officials, business and professional groups, faith congregations, charity, civic, fraternal and community service organizations who will honor the STEPS mission along with parents and students who will gather at 5:30 pm opposite the tennis courts at Rec Park, off South End Road.  Admission & Parking is Free.

After a brief dedication, the Southington Youth Council invites all who wish to join in the fun to bring their own.

Mark June 26th on your calendar. Join STEPS. No RSVP required.

Are you In?  “I’M IN!”

Contact STEPS Liaison, Kelly Leppard, at 860-276-6285 for more information.

A Photo That Tells a Story Without Words

Words, crafted with carefully practiced skill, can tell a story with eloquent simplicity.  Words can be shaped to communicate ideas, feelings and the deepest meaning of life. Conversely, one picture with no words can tell a thousand different stories to the mind's eye of as many persons.   

What story do you see in this photo?

You are welcome to share your story behind this picture in the space for comments below.  

A Stark Contrast: Memorial Day and the Day After

It was Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day. I had posted my commentary to this blog. My senses were still keenly focused on all that the day had meant to me and others whom I had observed.

What a great day it had been for remembrance of our heroes of past battles who had left their families, homes and loved ones, never to return!

They left, giving us their tacitly understood word that they would protect the God-given freedom and way of life we, in America, cherish.

Communities throughout the country expressed their everlasting gratitude and ongoing prayers for those, now at peace, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Thus, did we celebrate their patriotism and valor. And in return,  many of us felt a personally rewarding sense of pride in our prayer that God Bless America and protect our Troops who defend us this very day.

All this still alive in my mind, I opened my Tuesday morning email to a poetic message from a deeply spiritual, personal laureate and treasured friend.

I commend it to all hoping to more deeply penetrate the public consciousness to our responsibility as stewards of the gracious gifts of our creator: this world of elusive wonders and the love of one another. 

                                          ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~
Everlasting Beauty

By Henry C. Frascadore

The park after Memorial Day is a mess.
Plastic cups and soda cans float on the surface of the pond.
And potato chip bags and crushed napkins are left by the benches.

The day itself was beautiful.
The warm sunlight spread across the lawns,
and the sounds of fun were easily heard everywhere.

Why is it that ugliness and beauty often converge?
The temptation is to focus on the ugliness
and concede defeat.

To make the Styrofoam cups and crumbled napkins
the center of our attention is to pay homage
to the irreverent people who insulted the earth.

The better part would be to raise our eyes and contemplate
the architecture of the oak and elm trees
and know that beauty will endure despite everything.

Published in the Southington Citizen

Memorial Day Services Honor
American Heroes, Moving
Hearts, Minds and Emotions

A bright morning sun and blue skies warmed the hearts, minds and spirits of thousands along its route of the Memorial Day Parade in Southington and, following the parade, at the Town Green facing American Legion Hall of Kiltonic Post 72.

Old and young  and those of every age in between made up the large crowds who watched and listened with pride and joy.

"I think of when I was a boy and my parents took us to parades”, said Steve Pintarich, past commander of Kiltonic Post 72 and master of ceremonies at the Memorial Day service. “I’m glad they took us to those events. Today, it gives me a special sense of appreciation for the people of Southington who continue to make sure that their children learn, early on, the meaning of service to and love of country.”.

Acting Legion Commander, Bob Abbott, said, “I was overwhelmed by the response of the community, the huge crowds, the spirit of patriotism."

One lady in the crowd marveled at the awe-filling display of so many gathered for this one special purpose.

At the opening of the memorial ceremony, legionnaire Joe DellaPorta led a unit of nine veterans to lay memorial wreaths at each of the monuments on the Green facing Main Street. Including the cemeteries and other locations, a total of 21 wreaths were put in place. Town and state officials joined the American Legion, A.L. Auxiliary and Sons of A.L. place. Town and state officials joined the American Legion, A.L. Auxiliary and Sons of A.L. leaders in a stirring morning of presentations.

There was a shared sense of community respect for the Southington Police and Fire Departments, the Marine Corps League, the Knights of Columbus and their respective color guards, the Rifle Detail and  the retired Navy Chaplain’s opening and closing prayers. At the same time, the mood of the crowd was uplifting during the parade and service.

People were there because they wanted to be there … to experience the sights and colors and the sound and beat of marching music provided by the Southington H.S. Band, the Kennedy and DePaolo Bands. Few could miss feeling the exuberant spirit of a united community.

The American Legion brought honor and attention to numerous groups and individuals.  Among them were essays written by fifth grade students of St. Dominic School on "What Memorial Day means to me".

Angeline Dortenzio was asked to read her exceptional story, selected for its quality, content and deep meaning to her and her extended family when her cousin, Amry Sgt Steven J. Deluzio of Glastonbury, was killed in a raid on their camp in Afghanistan. In addition, the kids of St. Dominic School also raised $200.00 to help support the personal needs of our troops.

Benny Cammuso and Bill Lewandoski of the Knights of Columbus Color Guard were honored for their special service. Noticing the neglected condition of the flower beds in front of the legion building they decided to spruce it up to a place of great beauty.

Kennedy Middle School Builders club and peer advocates have been working for almost 2 years building and selling small yellow-ribbon wood stakes to earn money for the American Legion to buy web cameras and pay the cost of shipping laptop computers to troops serving in combat or recovering from wounds at Walter Reed Medical Center.  Students have received thank you letters from the troops and a flag flown in combat. The patriotism of these kids and the support of their families raised over $3,000.00 to date. The project continues at JFK School. Chris Palmieri and Zeke Zaleski presented certificates from the town and state for their work.  It gets better: Boy Scout Troop 45 at St. Paul’s Church is now starting on a similar project.

Fire Captain Peter Kurtz was named Firefighter of the Year and Sgt. Robert Wilson was named police officer of the year by Kiltonic Post.  Honored for his long military service and multiple deployments in combat, U.S. Army First Sgt Keith Egan spoke with passion and inspiration about how much his years of military service have come to mean to him and the appreciation he and his comrades in service appreciate the support of those back home.

With 6,,438 Americans who will never be coming home to family and friends, we need to continue our steadfast support, Egan pleaded, for the troops who are there today and leaving tomorrow to serve our country.

Bryan Davis of Southington Selected for Governor's Scholar Award

Southington High School Junior, Bryan Davis, Receives 2012 Governor's Scholar Award and Town Proclamation

Published in the Southington Citizen, June 1, 2012

L to R. Town Council Chair, Ed Pocock III
and Town Councilman, Chris Palmieri, present
Town Proclamation to Bryan Davis

The completion of the school year brings joy to Southington, a suburban community in Connecticut, as it celebrates graduations, academic accomplishments, achievement in sports, the commitment to diverse civic activities, and the progress of developing values of our young citizens and the new challenges and transitions many of them face as they move further into their future.

The media dedicates many pages to honoring its students, their scholarship awards and their memorable accomplishments because the community itself values the importance of our youth to our sustaining hope in the future.

As we whole-heartedly applaud those achievements of our young people from preschool through high school and college, we anticipate that you’ll agree with the public recognition of one of Southington’s exceptional students:

Our honoree of the day is a young man who is completing his junior year at Southington High School with a 109.15 GPA and ranks first in his class of 2013.  He was selected for Project Lead the Way at S.H.S. and is a member of the lacrosse team, Key Club, Math Team, SADD, Foreign Language Honor Society and the National Honor Society.

Bryan Davis is also working with confidence on his Eagle Scout project and will soon receive his second degree black belt in Martial Arts.

Bryan makes time to enjoy outdoor activities such as snowboarding with his friends, mountain hiking, skim-boarding along the beach, sailing on Long Island Sound, playing football and basketball, mountain biking and canoing. He is also a volunteer at the United Way and Southington Community Services.

Bryan Davis (l) with parents,
Kaye and Ken Davis at the 16th Annual
Governor's Scholars Luncheon at the Aqua Turf

The son of proud parents, Kaye and Ken Davis, Bryan is viewing the future with an eye on his interest in engineering, more specifically, after graduation next year, he plans to attend a competitive college likely in the field of electrical engineering.

Given his many accomplishments, it's no surprise that Bryan Davis is one of only thirty students in the State of Connecticut chosen for the elite circle of Governor’s Scholars.

Thirty colleges and universities throughout Connecticut are collaborating in providing each Governor’s Scholar an opportunity to further challenge their intellectual curiosity and special talents. They will be invited to take part in and educational enrichment experience at their schools. The subject of Bryan’s required timed essay was the dangers to society of using technology rather than personal interaction with people.

The many accomplishments of Bryan Davis were recognized by the Town Council of Southington in a proclamation designating May 14, 2012 to be Bryan Davis Day in the Town of Southington.  The recognition was sponsored as well by the Commissioner of Education, Connecticut Association of Schools, and Big Y World Class Markets.

The presenting Town Council member, Christopher Palmieri, who is also assistant principal at DePaolo Middle School, commented: "He (Davis) was a phenomenal student in middle school so I am not surprised that he was selected for such a prestigious award. I am honored to have Bryan represent Southington as a member of the Governor’s Scholars for 2012."

Congratulations to Bryan Davis and his family.