Archive for August, 2007
Sgt. Eddie Shaffer was the first American soldier from Franklin County, who died in the war in Iraq. The field where he used to play Little League baseball every summer now bears his name. Before the Memorial Day dedication of Sgt. Edward W. “Buzz” Shaffer Memorial Field, Edward C. Shaffer, Eddie Shaffer’s father, said the following, “If he were still here today, he probably wouldn’t believe all of this … what everyone is doing for him.” On Memorial Day, when the United States paused to honor all those who have died in its wars, several hundred people
gathered along the field to pay homage to Eddie Shaffer, who died on December 27, 2006. The young sergeant died from wounds that he received from a roadside bomb on November 13 in one of the towns of Iraq. State Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin said that although his life was tragically cut short at the age of only twenty-three years old, “the shining legacy Sgt. Shaffer leaved behind as a devoted son, soldier” and the patriot will not be forgotten by his family, friends, and the community. Before the ceremony started, Harris stated that the small town would always remember its veterans. 4 streets were named for Mont Alto soldiers killed in World War II. The young sergeant’s legacy will also be remembered in other ways.
Donations in Eddie Shaffer’s name made it possible for the Mont Alto Fire Co. to buy a trailer to transport Ranger 5, which is an all-terrain vehicle used for rescues in areas hardly inaccessible by any other vehicle.
August 16th, 2007
Jim Palmer, legendary MLB Hall-of-Famer and former Baltimore Orioles pitcher, has teamed up for the second time with Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals and Minor League Baseball for a special program. Entitled Strike Out High Cholesterol, this national cholesterol-education program helps lower LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) levels. The program will tour ten Minor League baseball parks across the united States during the baseball season this summer in order to raise awareness about high cholesterol levels and its two major sources, food and family. Over
50 percent of all adults in the US have high cholesterol level, and Jim Palmer is no exception. High cholesterol can contribute to a higher risk of heart disease, if left untreated. It is the single leading cause of death in America. As a former athlete, Palmer has always done his best to lead a healthy lifestyle, but he is still struggling to control his high LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Many of us are still unaware of the fact that cholesterol comes from two main sources: our food and family. Virtually, about 75 percent of cholesterol is produced naturally in our bodies, generally
based our family health history. The remaining 25 percent of cholesterol comes from our diet. Jim Palmer confessed that he was thrilled to be a part of Strike Out High Cholesterol program. It allows him to educate people about the importance of understanding the major sources of high cholesterol level and knowing our family health history. He also said that the program hit very close to home for him as he was adopted and did not have the \
privilege of knowing his biological family’s health history.
August 16th, 2007
Their tandem started in little league together. First, they played together with the Diamondbacks and later with the Mariners. They were growing and developing on and off the baseball field together. Zac and Ryans days as teammates ended, when they reached high school, as Zac Castleberry went to Centennial, while Ryan Oesterle ended up at Sunrise Mountain. The two players will be reunited on the North squad in the Arizona Baseball Coaches
Associations Class 5A All-Star Game. It is scheduled for June 1 at the Surprise Sports Complex. Zac Castleberry confessed that he was really looking forward to playing with his friend again. They started out in baseball together and it will be a nice chance to play one more game together. Ryan, who hit .339 playing a solid second base, looks forward to the game because it will be one of the last chances to play at the high school level
together with his friend before moving on to Connie Mack this summer and then Scottsdale Community College in the fall. For Ryan it will be a chance to put on the uniform one more time. Two years ago, he played on the same Junior Olympic team with Zac. Other baseball players representing the area in the 5A game are TJ. Geith (4-0, 1.60 ERA) and Jacob Hummel. The 4A All-Star Game will be held on June 8 at Surprise. It will have local flavor with John Hemsley on the bench for the North squad with Kyle Huard and Pedro Zamora (.461, 4 HRs, 22 RBIs) on the roster.
August 16th, 2007
On this Mothers Day, youve probably seen many guys like Milton Bradley, Craig Biggio, Carlos Beltran, Ken Griffey Jr., and many more, who were swinging bright pink bats. They were also wearing pink wristbands and making a statement no one could miss: Breast cancer, we have powerful friendson our side. Their major goal was to make you stop for a moment and think about breast cancer. According to recent estimates, over 178 thousand new
cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among American women in 2007; and over forty thousand women will die from this disease this year.
The determination that baseball players showed this Mothers Day will continue. Many of those pink bats are going to be sold at the MLB.com Auction in the days and weeks ahead. All money will go to Komen, with those funds earmarked for cancer treatment, scientific research, and various public-awareness initiatives. Its not known yet, which of the bats will be auctioned. This has already become a good tradition: last year, MLB and its fans raised $350,000 in the unprecedented first usage of symbolic pink baseball bats on Mothers Day. This time, the goal is at least
one million. As all baseball players return to their normal bat models, all attention on the pink baseball bats will move to the MLB.com Auction. In fact, the use of pink bats was entirely voluntary. And we have to thank all players and coaches, who took part in the program to raise awareness
about breast cancer.
August 16th, 2007
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August 16th, 2007
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