7 enter Maine Sports H of F

With Gov. John McKernan on hand to admonish Maine people not to take their accomplishments for granted, seven of the state’s athletic greats had their accomplishments recognized for all time as they were inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame Sunday night at the Bangor Civic Center.

Former Bangor High basketball coach Frederick “Red” Barry, who coached McKernan, joined Ellsworth bowler Eleanor Patten Webber, former Colby College basketball coach Lee Williams of Colorado Springs, former UMaine runner Don Smith of Presque Isle, former Waterville and Colby athlete Ted Shiro, the late Otis Lawry of Fairfield and the Philadelphia Athletics, and the late U.S. Olympic ski coach, Al Merrill of Andover, as 1991 inductees.

“We in Maine take ourselves for granted sometimes,” said McKernan, who opened the awards portion of the ceremony. “We don’t notice people here who are accomplishing great things. We’re honoring the past and, in the case of the young people here tonight, honoring those who will contribute to the future.”

More than 35 athletes past and present other than the inductees were also feted during the 4 1/2-hour banquet and ceremony.

Receiving the Hall of Fame President’s Award, presented to active athletes for excellence in competition, were World Cup skier Julie Parisien of Auburn, champion yachtsman Kevin Mahaney of Bangor, and national dressage and horse-riding champion Lendon Gray of Dixmont.

Ethel Sezak received the Outstanding Contributor’s Award for her fund-raising and efforts on behalf of University of Maine athletics and the Hall of Fame.

Also recognized were college scholar-athletes Rachel Bouchard of Farmingdale, a record-setting basketball player for the University of Maine, Bowdoin College football player Mark Katz of Newtown, Pa., and 20 high school scholar-athletes from across the state – 10 boys and 10 girls. The college students were presented $1,500 scholarships. The high school athletes received $1,000 scholarships.

The HofF Special Team Award went to the 1958-59 Bangor High boys basketball team, which won the Class LL state title and finished as runnerup at the New England tournament in Boston. Eight members of the team, in addition to Barry, were present.

Recognized for 100th anniversaries were the Cony High of Augusta football program, the Thomaston High (now Georges Valley) track program, and Kebo Valley Golf Club.

“I feel just like Miss America when she walks down that aisle and they put that crown on her head,” said Webber, at 80 the oldest of the inductees.

Williams, who left Colby in 1966 to take over the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., expressed his pleasure at being recognized by Maine people 25 years after moving away. “I’m honored to return to lifetime friends. I’m honored to return to a state that means so much to my family,” he said.

Smith credited former UMaine track coach Chester Jenkins with teaching him about athletics, education, and life. “Coach Jenkins, like Red Barry, meant a lot to his players,” said Smith, who spent 38 years as a teacher and coach in Aroostook County.

Accepting Barry’s induction trophy was his son, Frederick, who spoke for his father, who is battling the effects of a stroke. “The thing he cherished most was the people in sports he met who became lifelong friends,” said the younger Barry.

Master of Ceremonies Lew Vafiades read a congratulatory letter to Shiro from Sen. George Mitchell, also a Waterville native.

Pam Merrill, accepting the honor for her late husband, said, “There were two distinct Al Merrill trademarks: his laugh and his Maine accent, neither of which he lost as he traveled the world.”

Arthur Lawry, accepting for his late father, simply said, “My father thanks you.”