SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012
A league of th
Those with physical and mental disabilities find home, camaraderie in Victory Baseball By JOE HEALEY
jhealey@psdispatch.com
T
PAGE 28
he first pitch set the tone. Slam! Out-of-the-park home run over the left field wall. AJ Warakomski rounded the bases, grinning ear to ear. The round tripper on Wednesday night in Fred DeSanto Little League Stadium in Pittston Township started the opening game of Victory Sports baseball season. Victory is a sports organization for adults 21 and over with physical and mental disabilities, but the players and their families weren’t worried about any of that. They were there, clearly, to have fun. Gerard Wazeter never played baseball before. His mother, Sandy, of Trucksville, said her son plays other sports: basketball, bowling, is involved in swimming, even bocce, but he never swung a bat before
PHILLIES
YA N K E E S
❏ AJ Warakomski of Mountain Top ❏ Bobby Jones of Wilkes-Barre ❏ Chris Berry of Pringle ❏ Christie Warakomski of Mountain Top ❏ Elizabeth Berry of Pringle ❏ Eric Davis of Swoyersville ❏ James Bonchonsky of Exeter ❏ Joey Hoffman of Nanticoke ❏ Kasey Riley of Plains Township ❏ Marc Roan of Larksville ❏ Matthew Echalk of Duryea ❏ Michael Sabol of Plains Township ❏ Raymond Spallone of WilkesBarre ❏ Robert Flaherty of Hanover Township ❏ Robert Lynch of Pittston ❏ TJ Jump of Plains Township
❏ Brandon Harvey of Larksville ❏ Christine Wesley of Dupont ❏ Daniel Kumor of Duryea ❏ Darryl J. Herman Jr. of Dupont ❏ Edward Orlosky of Avoca ❏ Gerard Wazeter of Trucksville ❏ Gino Grataldo of Avoca ❏ Charles Hillard of Edwardsville ❏ Jared Bellas of Avoca ❏ Joey Bubblo of West Wyoming ❏ Joseph Chopyak Jr. of Pittston ❏ Shannon Bailey of Wilkes-Barre ❏ Stephen D. Jones of Shavertown ❏ Thomas Casey of Kingston ❏ Tiffany Moska of Jenkins Township ❏ Tony Russo of Yatesville
Wednesday. “He’s so excited,” she said. “We promised him he’ll have fun.” “It’s fun,” he said timidly, but his exhilaration was apparent. Bonnie Robbins and her daugh-
ter, Shannon Bailey, who is in a wheelchair, enjoyed the game for an inning. Robbins said Bailey loved to See VICTORY, Page 31
Victory Baseball organizer Fred DeSanto, left, watches his throw during pre-game warm-ups.
B
SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012
heir own Phillies' Bobby Jones, right, jokes around with Yankees' Charlie Hillard before the inaugural game of the Victory Baseball League.
Game umpires Jim Jones, left, Jody Gurnari, and Dave Katyl joke around with Phillies' T.J. Jump before the national anthem.
Above, from left, Eric Davis, left, Matthew Echalk and Marc Roan goof around in the outfield during warm-ups at their game against the Yankees. At left, members of the Yankees stand along the third base line for the national anthem. At right, Phillies' Michael Sabol prepares to swing at a pitch during the inaugural game. A.J. Warakomski hits a home run on the first pitch during the opening day of the Victory Baseball league in Pittston Township on Wednesday night.
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PHOTOS BY BILL TARUTIS
Continued from Page 28
watch her brother and three sisters play ball. “She’s delighted that she can now,” Robbins said. The game is set up like a typical baseball game. The Yankees and the Phillies. Red and blue uniforms. But that’s where the similarities end. There are no strikes and no outs. No foul balls. The teams play three innings and players bats until they get on base. The ball is softer than a normal baseball. The entire opposing team takes various spots around the infield. No score is kept and every player is considered a winner. “It’s all about the players,” said organizer Fred DeSanto. “We’re here for them. As long at they have fun, we did our job.” Before the big game, players, parents, coaches and friends were treated to a feast of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, potato salad, pasta salad, chips and soda. Even big packs of Big League Chew gum. Then, all the players were introduced by club vice president Bill O’Boyle. As Phillie Eric Davis of Swoyersville entered the field, he tossed his glove in the air and caught it. As Yankee Brandon Harvey was called, members of both teams chanted, “Harvey, Harvey, Harvey!” “He can dance, but can he hit? It’s Charlie Hillard,” O’Boyle announced. The Victory league is only in its second season. It is a continuation Challenger Baseball, which is open to play-
ers under 21. The league began in August 2011 and came about because of a 20th reunion of the original Pittston Township Challenger Little League Players. The original Challenger Little League began in 1991. At the reunion last year, many of the players wanted to keep playing. “They were chanting, ‘We want to play,” DeSanto said. “So
we said to ourselves, let’s start a league.” That was the birth of Victory. The teams first played in the afternoon from August to October, but many of the players wanted to play under the lights. So now they play at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday “until they don’t want to play any more,” DeSanto said. “We’re here as long as they
want to be here.” The Victory Basketball League began in November and met every Wednesday at the West Side Career and Technical Center Pringle. They had 20 players on roster. Next up: Victory Soccer. “We have a soccer coach and a field,” DeSanto said. “All have to do is work out the details.”
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Pledging their allegiance 35 volunteers from local military groups decorate Dupont graves with flags
SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
M E M O R I A L D AY
By JOE HEALEY
jhealey@psdispatch.com
T
hey were soldiers honoring soldiers. More than 500 American flags were placed on the graves of fallen comrades on Wednesday night in the two Dupont cemeteries – Our Lady of Sorrows and Sacred Heart of Jesus – by about 35 volunteers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4909, American Legion Post 657, AMVETS Post 189 and the newly created Sons of AMVETS post. The volunteers were preparing the cemetery for Memorial Day on Monday, the national holiday honoring veterans who died in war. The flags were donated by the Luzerne County Office of
See PLEDGE, Page 4
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Veteran Affairs. “Today, our fellow veterans and veteran supporters came to the cemeteries where great American veterans are laid to rest,” said Gerard Gurnari, past district commander AMVETS. “We placed the flags in the markers in preparation for the Memorial Day event.” Memorial Day festivities will begin with two memorial services beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Polish National Cemetery and at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery Chapel at 9:30 a.m. All veterans and veteran supBILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/THE SUNDAY DISPATCH porters planning to attend the me- AMVETS Post 189 Post Adjutant Jerry Gurnari places flags on grave markers at Sacred Heart morial services of Jesus Cemetery in Dupont on Wednesday evening. Below left, AMVETS Post 189 Commandwill meet at 8 a.m. er Bernie McDonald places a flag on a grave. at the Dupont V.F.W on Main Street. The Center, Scranton. Weinschenk posts will also pay trib- previously served as Deputy ute to fallen veterans Administrator/Institutional with a rifle salute at the Business Manager for the VetSacred Heart cemetery erans Center from 1993 until 2002 at which time he was apflag pole. “We’ll have a rifle sa- pointed to the position of comlute and sounding of taps in mandant. The parade will be held at remembrance of all those who made the supreme 10:30 a.m. “I’m honoring my fallen sacrifice in defense of our great nation and our comrades and my country,” fellow comrades in said Bernie McDonnell, who arms,” Gurnari was a combat engineer for the 82nd Airborne from 1979 to Veterans salute the flag at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery in said. 1983. “We’re paying respect.” Dupont. This Jon Vargo, who is a son of year’s prinAMVETS member Paul Vargo ship” cipal graves, a larger American Flag speaker is who recently died, said the David L. Burrier of Scranton and a black POW/MIA flag Colonel Carl Sons of AMVETS are looking is a member of the VFW Post. were raised on the large flagJ. Wein- for new members. “This is a yearly ritual of re- pole atop Sacred Heart Ceme“If you’re a son, a grandson, spect,” he said. “We’re deco- tery. The crew stood at attenschenk, Jr., retired com- a nephew, we’d like to have you rating the graves to honor the tion and saluted as the flag was mandant of the as a member,” Vargo said. fallen soldiers.” raised. Gino J. Merli “We’re a support group, but we “Our entire nation owes After the volunteers finneed to build up our member- ished placing flags on the Veterans’
SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Pledge Continued from Page 3
these fallen soldiers a debt a gratitude,” Gurnari said. Gurnari said the Dupont Boy Scouts will respectfully burn any of the faded flags left on the graves from last year. West Pittston/Exeter Parade
The West Pittston/Exeter parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the corner of Linden Street and Wyoming Avenue, march down Wyoming Avenue and conclude with a brief service in St. Cecilia’s Church parking lot. This year’s feature speaker will be Capt. James Cameron of the PA National Guard of West Pittston. Recently deceased members of the American Legion, Robert Coyne and Michael Vacula, will be honored for their service at the ceremony. Elmo Begliomini will also be presented with an award for his 50 years of service to the American Legion. Paci Band will be on hand to perform taps along with the Wyoming Area Band and the Ceol-Mor Bag Pipes. Residents are encouraged to display their American Flag throughout the borough to honor and show appreciation for our fallen veterans.
VFW Post 4909 Commander David L. Burrier places flags at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery in Dupont on Wednesday evening. Lower left, Joe O'Hara, VFW Post 3909, places flags in the cemetery.
Wyoming/ West Wyoming Parade
The Wyoming/West Wyoming Parade will gather at 8:45 a.m. on Monday at Dailey Memorial Park located on Shoemaker Avenue next to Hose Co. #1 in West Wyoming with the parade beginning at 9:15 a.m.
After the parade, there will be a Memorial Day ceremony at the Wyoming Cemetery. There will be a short program ending with a rifle salute by American Legion Post 904, West Wyoming and a flyover. The guest speaker will be Frank J. Parra of Wyoming Bor-
ough, a health and physical education teacher and the director of athletics for the Wyoming Area School District. A United States Army veteran, he served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Father Leo J McKernan from St. Monica’s will give the invocation. There also will be a ceremony
at the war monument in front of the VFW in Wyoming Post 396 at 8 a.m. Monday morning and at the War Monument at Eighth Street and Shoemaker Avenue in West Wyoming at 8:30 a.m. conducted by the American Legion, the VFW and Troop 366.
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Father and daughter team of Ben and Jennifer Gadomski stand in front of their street lining truck. Ben is very proud of his daughter's decision to join the family business.
Along family lines
Father/daughter form lasting bond working side by side By JOE HEALEY jhealey@psdispatch
You could say there’s paint in their blood. The father/daughter team of Ben and Jennifer Gadomski of Falls can be found most any day on the roadways and parking lots of Northeastern Pennsylvania painting lines. They operate M
Mayo Striping and their bond is strong, like the double yellow stripes they leave behind on a freshly paved roadway. Jennifer, now 22, has been working with her dad since she was 12 years old, helping him paint lines in parking lots. Her dad beams with pride telling the story of her first job on the road.
“We were in the middle of a job in Wyoming County when one of my employees quit,” he said. “Between the first and second application, he just quit.” Jennifer’s playing around on the equipment when she was young likely helped out. “She would always climb around the back of the paint truck when she was little,” Ben said.
And she got to know how everything worked. “So right after that guy quit, we just put her on the job and she’s been back there ever since.” Jennifer’s great grandfather, Forrest Mayo formed the company in 1958 with his wife, Margaret. And the company has been in See LINES, Page 24
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SUNDAY DISPATCH, SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012
Jennifer Gadomski carefully watches her mark while in constant contact with her father on the two-way radio.
Ben Gadomski has a steady hand while following his marks on the road. It's critical to maintain accuracy while striping lines of roadways all over the northeast.
Line
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Continued from Page 3
the family ever since – four generations now. “She was born into it,” he said. “My father did it and his father before him did it. For Jenn, it was just a natural fit.” On a job painting lines on streets, Ben drives the truck and Jennifer operates the airless painter on the back of the rig. Besides running the back of the paint truck, Jennifer’s role has expanded as she got older. Some of her current duties include taking the lead in presenting work bids and making estimates, keeping track of supplies, doing paperwork and computer work, talking with customers and working on the company’s drug testing and safety policies. “I do it all,” she said. “It’s my career now.” Jennifer is a 2008 graduate of Wyoming Area and recently received a degree from Penn State in administration of justice. “I’m very proud of her,” her dad said. “She can do anything she wants. She could have gone into the state police academy, but she stayed here and stayed in the
family business.” For Jennifer, going to work in the morning is a pleasure. “It’s not really work to me,” she said. “It’s just hanging out with me dad.” Dad and daughter will paint everything, including traffic lines and markings, basketball courts, tennis courts, signs, poles, guard rails, bollards. Yellow and white traffic paint are their primary colors, but they work in a rainbow of other hues. “We’ll paint the Penn State Nittany Lion on your tennis court if that’s what you want,”
TONY CALLAIO/FOR THE SUNDAY DISPATCH
she said. “We can do any color.” The Gadomskis seem to have a colorful future. Solid lines. Solid business. Solid family. Blood, thicker than paint.
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