When I first came to Lewes, friends from Philly would ask me, “What are the public schools like down there?” I would answer, “A reflection of the public the same as anywhere else.”
I know that unless you work in a public school you have no real idea of “the real public.” In fact, most people run their lives in selective exclusionary fashion and say it ain’t so, but you know you are kidding yourself. I move among the talented children in my job as a sports reporter, and the modern day reality is that the academic kids are also the athletic kids backed by parents who are looking for what they think is the best option for their child’s education and social maturation.
Early in the game families may decide on “The Academy” or religious education when they ain’t all that religious, or endure the hardship of tuition and travel time for private education to the north and south of us. I believe that most of this is avoidance rather than approach because these options for education sift out children who score below 3 on the DSTP or come from the lower economic strata, as the sociologists like to say.
But if you put on a uniform and come back to play Cape, get ready for your “beat down!” I’m kidding - my job is to raise the ire of those who can’t take it!
BAY BALL NO PAY BALL - The Bay Ball Classic traveling road show scheduled to open another version of its tournament in December 2008 must first get sanctioning from DIAA, which is unlikely unless bills are paid from the 2007 tournament. The big ticket holder is the Cape Henlopen School District, still owed $18,000 with a promise to pay by the end of the fiscal year, Monday, June 30.
According to Cape Superintendent George Stone, “The board is in no mood to forgive this debt,” and so far no repayment plan has been presented. The basketball officials owed in excess of $5,000 have not been paid nor have the Cape football boosters, who worked selling food for four days and nights and are owed $2,000 which they haven’t seen. They aren’t holding their hot dogs in anticipation of payment.
A recent email to my desktop: “The statisticians have not been paid. Duane Coverdale contacted myself [Susan Senner], Christine Irwin and Scott Selheimer regarding staffing the tournament for statistics. We were to be paid $400 per day for the input person and $300 per day for the caller. Scott Selheimer worked the first half day and is owed $150.
“Christine Irwin worked the remaining four days as the caller for a total of $1,200. I worked the entire tournament as the input person for a total of $1,800. As of today we have not been paid. The last contact we have had with anyone was on April 17. We have sent follow-up emails that have gone unanswered. In addition to giving up our time we incurred additional expenses on several days for food. We worked from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. without a break and had to try to find people to get us food on day two and three. Day one we went without anything and on days four and five we were provided with snacks after we requested something to eat when the hospitality room was opened.”
SNIPPETS - The YMCA summer soccer league is under way with games on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in Rehoboth. Contact Sweet Baby James Botti at the YMCA or on soccer location if you are looking for a team. This league as always is stocked with exceptional athletes and soccer players. A press release from the Botti Bongo: The YMCA Adult Summer Soccer League opened Monday night. It was Cape United taking on F.C. Valhalla! Local athlete Tom Grogan provided the offensive explosion for the Cape boys scoring four of the five goals en route to Cape United’s 5-1 win over F.C. Valhalla on opening night. Nat Gaffney added a goal for Cape United and Brian “The Mule” Sentman added the lone goal for F.C. Valhalla. The regular season ends Aug. 6. Playoffs start Monday, Aug. 18, concluding with the 2008 Character Cup Championship Monday, Aug. 21.” Cup of Characters is more like it!
The Greene Turtle West 5K wiil take place Sunday, June 29, with an 8:30 a.m start. In a story last Tuesday I wrote that Sunday was June 28, which prompted a flood of ‘Rainman’ emails that claimed if I wanted June 28 to be Sunday I would have to wait until 2009. Fear the Turtle!
The Jungle Jim’s 5K Splash will begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 28 at duh - Jungle Jim’s. The Clydesdale division should be renamed “Cannon Ball Run.”
Speaking of beef on the hoof, outstanding Clydesdale runner Lance Fargo has been missing this summer. “I have a case of plantar fascismitis that has limited my training and I am just not in racing shape,” Fargo explains. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.
Cape players Jacki Coveleski, Caroline Judge and Hannah Pepper were recently selected to the 2008 Junior Olympics! Big news that Carrie Lingo (see page 133) made the US Olympic Field hockey team - not really - the big news would have been if she didn’t.
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Sports Editor Emeritus
Email Fredman at fredman@capegazette.com
