Category Archives: Public News

An outstanding group of nine living inductees and one deceased that will be inducted into the West Branch Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. They will be inducted during the annual Hall of Fame banquet at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, on Sunday night, Nov. 8. Seats for the induction banquet are available for $25 from Vice-President Tom Aber by calling 570-713-9093 or by mailing a check made payable to the West Branch Valley Sports Hall of Fame mailed to Tom Aber, 358 Vine Street, Milton, PA 17847.

2015 West Branch Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Living Inductees

Steve Bazarnic – Baseball – Milton HS/Penn State
A 1963 Milton Area High School grad that went on to play at Penn State, where he earned the Outstanding Baseball Player Award as a senior at both schools … head coach at Allegany Junior College of Maryland … his teams have won 21 Maryland College Championships, 13 Region XX Championships, 9 District Championships and made 9 appearances in the NCAA World Series … named Region XX Coach of the Year 13 times … Inducted into three Halls of Fame – NJCAA, Region XX and Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches … winningest active junior college coach with 1,398 wins.

Bill Blacksmith – Wrestling – Lock Haven University
One of six NCAA Division I wrestling champions from Lock Haven University … a four-time PSAC champion (1963, ’64, ’65, ’66) … qualified for the NCAA Championships in both 1965 and 1966, winning the national title at 145 pounds in 1966 … a two-time NAIA National Champion, taking the title at 145 pounds in 1965 before winning at 152 pounds the next year … finished collegiate career with an overall record of 74-7-2 … inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1977 and PWCA Hall of Fame in 1979 … coached Indiana (Pa.) from 1968-85, posting a 124-72-2 record.

 Jack Day – Wrestling – Bald Eagle-Nittany HS/Lock Haven University
Posted career record of 104-16 at Bald Eagle-Nittany HS and Lock Haven University … a 2-time PSAC Champion (1961, ’62) and NAIA Champion at 137 pounds in 1962 … co-captain with Gray Simons as a senior … team had longest winning streak in the East and won the PSAC and NAIA National title in 1961 … coached 26 Maryland State Champions and 9 AAU Champions in 35 years … inducted into four Halls of Fame: Bald Eagle-Nittany (1990),  Lock Haven University Wrestling (1993), Clinton County (2003) and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for Lifetime Service to Wrestling (2010).

Steve Kline – Baseball – Lewisburg HS
Served as a Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher for 11 seasons from 1997-2007 … appeared in 796 career games with Cleveland, Montreal, St. Louis, Baltimore and San Francisco … finished career 34-39 with a 3.51 ERA, 39 saves and 158 holds … led National League in pitching appearances three times (1999-2001) … drafted in 8th round of 1993 MLB draft by Cleveland … 1993 Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year at West Virginia University … helped Allegany CC to 1991 NJCAA World Series … helped 1989 Mifflinburg American Legion team to the state finals.

Jeff Knarr – Football, Baseball, Wrestling – Lock Haven HS/Lock Haven University
One of the most versatile athletes in the area, starring in football, baseball and wrestling and coaching all three  … a three-year letterman in football at fullback at Lock Haven HS … rushing leader of Coach Malinak’s 1968 team and selected to the Central Counties All-Star Team … outstanding catcher in baseball, starting for three years at Lock Haven HS, batting .383 … a District and Regional Wrestling Champion … also a three-sport star at Lock Haven State College … late Lock Haven Express news writer Ross Nevel called Knarr “one of the best all-round athletes he had ever seen.”

Morgan Mantle – Softball – Jersey Shore HS/Lycoming College
Holds 23rd-best career ERA in NCAA Division III history (1.18) … Holds at least eight Lycoming College school records, including 501 strikeouts and 436.1 innings pitched … A four-time first-team all-conference selection and a third-team all-region selection as a freshman … 2006 Freedom Conference Pitcher of the Year … Pitcher and third baseman for 1999 Jersey Shore Junior League State Champions and 2000 Big League State Champions … Pitcher for 2000 District 4 champions and 2001 District 2/4 Champions … helped Bulldogs to four league championships … 2012 Lycoming Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.

Bruce Parkhill – Basketball/Soccer – State College HS/Lock Haven University
Lock Haven University grad … three-time First Team All-East Region and two-time All-American soccer goalie … all-conference and all-district in basketball … conference champion in javelin throw … charter member LHU Hall of Fame (2015) … William & Mary head basketball coach (1977-83) … earned first postseason berth (NIT, 1983) … ECAC South and NABC South Region Coach of the Year (1983) … W&M Hall of Fame (2005) … Penn State head basketball coach (1983-95) … won only conference championship in program history (1991), NCAA second round, 2 NIT final fours (1990, 1995), five 20-plus win seasons … Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (1990).

Jason Phillips – Baseball – Hughesville HS
Played 15 seasons of professional baseball (1992-2006), reaching the Major Leagues for parts of three seasons with Pittsburgh and Cleveland …  Also pitched two seasons with Orix in Japanese League … Drafted in 14th Round of 1992 MLB draft by Pittsburgh … Pitcher on Team USA in the 2001 and 2005 Baseball World Cup, starting Gold Medal game against Cuba in 2001 … Won first major league game in 2002 … 1991 TOPPS Pennsylvania State Player of the Year and US Olympic Festival Participant … Also a District 4 All-Star in basketball at Hughesville HS.

Alan Probst – Baseball – Jersey Shore HS/Mansfield University
Outstanding baseball player at Jersey Shore HS, graduated in 1988 … played college baseball at Mansfield University … a three-time All-PSAC, two-time All-Atlantic Region and First Team All-American (1992) catcher for the Mounties … helped team to DII World Series finals (1992) … drafted in 17th round of 1992 MLB draft by Houston … played professional baseball for 10 years with Houston, Toronto and New York Mets organizations (1992-01) … a two-time Minor League All-Star catcher … invited to four MLB Spring Training camps … spent parts of six seasons in AAA … host of Wild Pennsylvania Outdoors TV show.

Deceased Inductee

Robert Roach – PIAA Official – Lock Haven HS
Award to be accepted by Beryl Roach
Wrestled at Lock Haven HS … Awarded the trophy for scoring the most team points … a District champion in 1942 … best known as an outstanding wrestling official … officiated wrestling for 30 years at both high school and collegiate level … officiated district championships in districts 4, 5, 6, 9 and 11 as well as many regional and state championships … officiated collegiately at Lock Haven, Maryland, Penn State, Millersville, Clarion, Wilkes as well as the EIWA … received the Chuck Goldthorpe Chapter award for 30 years’ service to PIAA Wrestling in 1980.

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) has named a Senior Managing Director of the United States Golf Association the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Schroeder Award.  Dr. Randon (Rand) Jerris will be formally recognized during ISHA’s “An Evening of Champions” on October 22, 2015, as part of ISHA’s annual conference, hosted this year by the World of Little League Museum, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Presented periodically, the W.R. “Bill” Schroeder Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor presented by the International Sports Heritage Association and is given to individuals for meritorious service of lasting nature in the sports heritage industry and their communities.

“Dr. Jerris has distinguished himself as a leader of the USGA museum and as a golf historian,” said ISHA President Marjorie Snyder. “His passion, dedication, and expertise transformed the USGA Museum and has positioned it as model we can all aspire to. I can think of no one who is more deserving of this honor.”

Dr. Randon Jerris: Dr. Jerris holds a B.A. in Geology (1991) and an M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies (1994) from Williams College, and an M.A. in Art and Archaeology (1996) and a Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology (1999) from Princeton University.  He has authored three books: Golf’s Golden Age: Robert T. Jones Jr. and the Legendary Players of the ‘10s, ‘20s, and ‘30s; The Game of Golf and the Printed Word: 1566-2005, with co-author Richard E. Donovan; and The Historical Dictionary of Golf, with co-author Bill Mallon. For his work with Donovan, Jerris was awarded the Murdoch Medal by the British Golf Collectors Society in recognition of outstanding contributions to the game’s history.

Dr. Jerris joined the USGA’s staff in a part-time capacity from 1988 through 1996, became the Association’s librarian and historian in 1999 and was named director of the Museum in 2002.  He led the efforts for the design and new construction of the 33,000 square foot Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History and oversaw the renovation of the original Museum structure.  Today as the United States Golf Association’s senior managing director for public services, Rand Jerris oversees a variety of functions, including facilities management, Green Section, philanthropy and grants, strategic and operational planning, and the USGA Museum. He remains active in researching and promoting the history of the game, focused on golf course architecture, golf art and the history of golf in the Alps.

 

 

 

 

 

ISHA September Silent AuctionISHA is still looking for silent auction items to hep raise money for the Founder’s Fund, which supports our ISHA members to attend the annual conference and for special projects.

Click on the image to the right for more information.

And don’t forget to participate in the reverse raffle at the 2015 Conference, which also raises money for the Founder’s Fund. Click here for more information. 

musgraveDr. Story Musgrave, member of the World of Little League(r) Hall of Excellence and NASA astronaut, performed three of the five space walks to repair Hubble Space Telescope during an 11-day flight that traveled 4,443,772 miles in 163 orbits of the Earth. Dr. Musgrave is the keynote speaker during the Evening of Champions dinner on Thursday, Oct. 22.

His talk will be out of this world.

Retiring after 30 years as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut, Dr. Musgrave was inducted in 1994 to the Hall of Excellence in the World of Little® League Museum. Each Hall of Excellence member played Little League.

Perhaps the greatest Renaissance man of our time, Dr. Musgrave made three of the five space walks to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. He flew on six space flights, performing the first spacewalk on Challenger’s first flight. He suffered frostbite on his fingers from a spacewalk.

Dr. Musgrave was born on a farm in 1935 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. His early years of exploration are what sparked his interest in space. He recalls being alone at night in the forest at age three, riding a homebuilt raft on a river at age five, and driving trucks and tractors by age 10. When he was 13, he repaired them.

Dr. Musgrave did not finish high school. Instead, he ran off to Korea with the U.S. Marines where he began his formal experience with aircraft. Throughout the next 55 years, Dr. Musgrave accumulated 18,000 hours in more than 160 aircraft, according to his biography. He has seven graduate degrees in math, computers, chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature and psychology. He has received 20 honorary doctorate degrees and was a part-time trauma surgeon during this 30-year astronaut career.

Now, however, he no longer identifies himself primarily as an astronaut, although he has plenty of space stories to share. One of his favorites involves Halloween. “Mission Control was working very hard and I wanted to lighten their day by dressing as a witch and riding a broom … but, there are no brooms in space, so I rode a vacuum cleaner. It sucked in air in one end and pushed it out the other just like a jet engine.”

He is the father of seven children. He and his wife Amanda have a daughter, also named Story, who is eight. A child of the digital age, dad and daughter often spend time fishing or riding a tractor. It is critical for children to feel as comfortable with trees and soil as they are with the world they can bring up on a screen, the father explains.

Playing Little League as a youngster gave him a social life and camaraderie with others. “It helped me be a team player,” he said. Mental illness and alcoholism remained at home when at the ballfield: “Little League played a very important role in my early life.

“My huge celebration with Little League was with my own children,” Dr. Musgrave said, adding that the six oldest played in the Clear Lake area outside of Houston, Texas. At his ranch in Kissimmee, Florida, he and his daughter are playing catch. “She has a heck of an arm – she can throw right or left.”

In addition to enjoying his family now that he is “retired,” Dr. Musgrave spends time at his palm farm in Florida, a production company in Sydney, Australia, and a sculpture company in Burbank, California.  Plus, he is a landscape architect, professor of design, a concept artist with Walt Disney Imagineering, an innovator with Applied Minds Inc. and performs multi-media presentations.

 

 

Williamsport: Once the Lumber Capital of the World, Most Millionaires

Before it was known as the “Home of Little League,” Williamsport, nestled in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River Valley surrounded by mountains filled with Hemlocks and White Pine, was the Lumber Capital of the World.

It has been said Williamsport had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world! As a result, beautiful houses can be found along Millionaires Row along West Fourth Street. It starts just west of the Genetti Hotel where the International Sports Heritage Association’s 45th annual Conference will be held in October.

Architectural styles include Italian Villa, Queen Anne, Victorian Romanesque, Second Empire, Gothic, and Colonial Revival, among others, according to local historian Dr. John F. Piper Jr. Many of the homes and churches along Millionaires Row are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Piper writes that the “rich and varied architectural gems along West Fourth Street” were erected by the great lumber barons to flaunt their wealth and impress their neighbors. “They spent as freely on the interiors as they did on the exteriors, filling their homes with grand staircases, polished wood, intricate mantelpieces and works of art.”

One of the structures, a remarkable Queen Anne Victorian, was restored by Preservation Williamsport to its original splendor – the Rowley House Museum, 707 West Fourth Street.  It was designed and built in 1888 for Edwin A. and Emma Rowley. Mr. Rowley was a prominent industrialist who amassed his wealth as part of Rowley and Hermance Co., which manufactured wood working machinery for furniture, sash and door companies worldwide. Architect Eber Culver considered it one of his best designs.

The Rowley House is open by appointment and conference attendees will receive a discount by mentioning the ISHA conference. Appointments are coordinated by (570) 546-9562.

Helping to promote the economy was the Susquehanna Boom,  a six-mile system of cribs that held the timber until it could be processed at one of the nearly 60 sawmills along the river and Loyalsock and Lycoming creeks. The boom consisted of a chain of floating logs that contained other floating logs. It was severely damaged by a flood in 1889 and its use declined thereafter. In recent years virgin timber that sank along the riverbanks has been excavated and used to make violins, for example.

For the adventurous, the Golden Eagle Trail in Lycoming County takes hikers by a remaining virgin stand of Eastern Hemlock in a primeval forest, small waterfalls and remarkable vistas, according to an article in 1979 about Penn’s Woods that appeared in Backpacker Magazine.

Those who are not planning a mountainous hike, may take a walking tour of Millionaires Row. Information is available at here.

 

October Synonymous With Leaf Peeping Season

leaf peepingWhen fall arrives in Pennsylvania, shades of orange, gold, and red in endless variations blanket the state’s leafy forests, reward the senses and provoke thoughts of crisp air, warm sweaters, and hot cocoa. The state is in one of three regions in the world that support deciduous forests that display fall autumn color.

Typically, the peak time for optimum color in Williamsport is mid-October, Oct. 13-25. (In time for the International Sports Heritage Association Conference!) This zone includes the west portion of the state (Pittsburgh, Erie) and the center of the state (along Interstate 80).

The Southern Zone of the state, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Gettysburg and Pennsylvania Dutch areas, typically is coming into the height of its fall glory near the end of October.

The Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, north of Williamsport, usually has its peak color in early October.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources operates a Website that tracks the foliage season. It can be found at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/fallfoliage/.

Ways to experience the season’s vibrant colors include: Scenic Drives, Hiking and Biking Trails, Train Rides and Bird Watching. See more at: http://www.visitpa.com/articles/pennsylvania-fall-foliage.

 

Accredited Lycoming County Historical Society Offers Art, Culture, Re-creations

Taber -Tiffany windowA stroll through the galleries at the Lycoming County Historical Society in Williamsport, Pa., features works by 19th century still life painter Severin Roesen, magazine illustrator Frances Tipton Hunter, and a member of the Ashcan School of American Art, John Sloan.

Visitors will be swept back in time by viewing a re-created frontier cabin, a Greek Revival Parlor, and the Ralston General Store, as well as the recently-installed canal exhibit and the recently-refurbished Logging and Lumbering Gallery. In addition, they may explore the dynamic history of the region’s Native American culture, the military heritage of the county and the industry of house and home.

It possesses the most comprehensive collection of artifacts relating to the pre-history, history and culture of Northcentral Pennsylvania and recently received many artifacts from noted local archaeologist James Bressler.

taber Fire Engine (2)A visit to the museum would not be complete without viewing the LaRue Shempp Toy Train Collection! Williamsport native LaRue Shempp began collecting model trains as a child and at the time of his death had amassed a collection of more than 300, many of them one-of-a-kind or extremely rare. The bulk of his collection resides permanently at the Lycoming County Historical Society. Visitors have the opportunity to operate some of the trains.

Executive Director is Gary Parks, who will be among presenters for the International Sports Heritage Association’s Conference. His expertise is in Session 3: “Destination, Community Center … Both?”

Established in 1907, the Society is located in the heart of Williamsport’s Millionaires’ Row, 858 West Fourth St.

It has the distinction of accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, a designation reserved for very few museums throughout the United States (One of 34 in Pennsylvania).

In 2001, during a capital campaign, philanthropist Thomas T. Taber III came forward with a check for $1 million dollars, thus prompting the building to be named the Thomas T. Taber Museum of the Lycoming County Historical Society.

The Community Room of the Historical Society is the site of many activities throughout the year including its very successful Bottles & Brews event with craft beer tastings, its Lecture Series (which draws hundreds of people to participate in lectures on a variety of historical topics), and temporary exhibits.

In October, it will be alive with a display of work by members of one of the clubs that meets regularly at the Society – the Susquehanna Valley Shutterbugs. The North Central Chapter No. 8 of the Society of Pennsylvania Archaeology, the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, and the Bald Eagle Art League.

That’s not all that is available. Click here for links to more great attractions. 

 

David Belisle, a Little League coach from Cumberland, R.I., who was nominated for the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, is among the speakers at the International Sports Heritage Association’s 45th annual Conference in October in Williamsport, Pa. He was named as a 2014 National Federation of State High School Associations’ Coach of the Year.

Mr. Belisle became a national sensation after his emotional speech to his team after elimination from the 2014 Little League Baseball World Series. ESPN cameras followed as Coach Belisle took his team to the outfield for “the talk.” His inspiring words were heard by millions and resonated at all levels of sport.

His post-game speech went viral and prompted his nomination as Sportsman of the Year. It is featured in a You Tube video link here.

Mr. Belisle’s unwavering sportsmanship and ability to inspire not only his New England Region Championship team, but also millions of people around the world, was captured in a nomination essay written by SI’s Seth Davis.

“If Belisle’s Little League coaching career really is over, then it is fitting that he should go out with a loss. His words would have had far less meaning had they been delivered in the wake of a victory. Belisle was right when he said his boys should feel proud of what they had done, but as it turns out, he was right about the rest of us, too. We like sportsmen,” wrote Davis.

He was among 20 individuals nominated for this honor, which Sports Illustrated has bestowed since 1954. The recipients are some of the biggest names in sports, including Little League graduates Drew Brees, Derek Jeter, Brett Favre, and Carl Yastrzemski. Fittingly, in 1957, Stan Musial was honored as Sportsman of the Year.

The early bird registration discount ends Tuesday, September 22, for the International Sports Heritage Association’s 45th annual conference, “Ahead of the Curve,” which will be hosted by the World of Little League® Museum and Official Store from October 21-23 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

There is a discount of $50 when registering early. Registration is open until October 6. The conference brochure and form can be found here.

Sessions include educational programming, growing your fan base (are you a destination or a community center or both), workplace violence, upgrading exhibits on a small budget and giving your museum store a makeover.  There will be a session about conservation (textiles, leather, paper, metals, etc.) and a workshop to practice. (Remember to bring a small piece of silver to polish and an old shirt or apron to protect your clothing!)

Attending the ISHA conference provides the opportunity to talk with other museum professionals about successes or issues they have experienced. In addition to the common networking opportunities, there will be a Speed Networking session modeled after one offered by the American Alliance of Museums. (Keep a look out for additional information).

Other activities include a visit to the World of Little League Museum and Official Store, an opportunity to “play” on the field where the Little League Baseball World Series is held, a riverboat cruise, tour of Penn State’s All-Sports Museum and Beaver Stadium, and meeting members of the World of Little League Museum’s Hall of Excellence and other Pennsylvania champions.

Register soon!

Any questions? Contact Jan at [email protected]

 

 

 

 

While traveling the Road to Williamsport via Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania, Hershey, known as “the sweetest place on earth,” or Lancaster, attendees to the 45th International Sports Heritage Association Conference (Oct. 21-23) may want to consider some side trips. There are a variety of options from museums to amusement parks, to hiking to horse racing and a casino, to the oldest settlement of Amish in the United States, to a wine quest, among others.

Additional information may be found at the following links: