My Personal Blog

As the calendar turns from May to June, so does the 40 day countdown to my 40th birthday on July 10. This new series 40 til 40 is relevant to everything relevant to the number 40. In the 1991 Patrick Division semifinals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, the Penguins went into the Meadowlands for a must win game six.  Their starting goaltender Tom Barrasso was injured, as was third option Wendell Young.  The Penguins’ hopes laid on backup goaltender Frank Pietrangelo, who wore jersey number 40.  With the Penguins leading 2-1 in the first period, the backup goaltender made a spectacular glove save when he robbed the Devils’ Petr Stastny, leading to disbelief and bewilderment among Devils fans.  In Pittsburgh sports lore, it’s known simply as “The Save”.  The Penguins won the game 4-3, sending the series back to the Igloo in Pittsburgh for game seven, where Pietrangelo turned aside every shot the Devils threw at him, pitching a 4-0 shutout ...

I’m sorry. I did all that I could to try to save the Penn State Shenango campus from being shuttered by starting a petition, going on WKBN 27 First News, and sending emails to important people. To all Penn State athletic coaches in University Park, you are all welcome in Mercer County if you are trying to recruit athletes you believe legitimately belong in college.  To athletic director Pat Kraft, you are also welcome in Mercer County.  To trustees Ted Brown, Donald Cairns, Lynn Dietrich, Barry Funchal, Chris Hoffman, Anthony Lubrano, Jay Paterno and Nicholas Rowland, you are all welcome in Mercer County as a thank you for teaming up with me to advocate for the commonwealth campuses. As for you, madame president [Bendapudi], and trustees Susan Collins, David Davis, Daniel Delligatti, Kenneth Kane, David Kleppinger, Daniel Onorato, Christa Hasenkopf, Ali Krieger, Matthew McGloin, Carl Nassib, Brandon Short, Randy Black, Valerie Detwiler, Abraham Harpster, Robert Beard, Robert F...

This coming week, a brand new season in the Lawrence/Mercer County Church Softball League will begin as eleven teams will vie for the Chet Cameron Memorial Trophy.  It will be the 48th season for the league and my eleventh season as the voice of the Covenant Speed/Power. Among the anticipated matchups this season will be held on June 24 at two different venues.  At Family Life Stadium in Hermitage, the Covenant Speed/Power will square off against the Family Life Falcons in a rematch of the last three tournament finals matchups.  At Mancino/Progressive Field in New Castle, the City Cardinals and the Genesis Chiefs will square off against each other for the first time ever in a matchup dubbed “The Expansion Series”. But I believe that the one matchup prior to July 19 (Super Saturday) will be played on field number one of the Shenango Township Fields of Dreams complex in West Middlesex on July 10 (my 40th birthday) as the Covenant Speed/Power square off against the Grace Cha...