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Maine hockey is first class

On Sunday, May 12, my grandfather passed away at the age of 79 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. The past year has been very difficult on our entire family as we watched a once strong and energetic man be torn down by such a debilitating disease. At the same time, my mom was also battling the same disease. She has made a full recovery, but we all know it can come back at any time.

This story may sound like many others you hear every day. The difference is that my mother is the administrative assistant for the University of Maine hockey team and coach Tim Whitehead and late former coach Shawn Walsh. Within the past year she has waged her own battles, while watching her father and coach Walsh lose their battles.

At the same time, she plays the role of surrogate mom for all the UMaine players. My mother’s relationships with these young men have helped her through some tough times and I know she has helped many of them with problems of their own.

My mother’s whole life was dedicated to driving my brother and me around to various sporting events. After we graduated high school, we both attended Springfield College. I graduated in 1991 and played four years of varsity basketball and my brother graduated in 1993 and played four years of varsity baseball. It was shortly after my brother graduated that mom began working with the hockey program. She never liked hockey or even understood the game. With our athletic careers in the past, my mom turned her energy into helping the young men of the UMaine hockey program.

I never really understood how much those boys meant to her until four of them arrived at the funeral home for my grandfather’s visiting hours on Tuesday night. The impressive thing was that the funeral home is located in Bucksport. In the middle of final exams and busy packing up their dorm rooms to head home for the summer, these gentlemen took the time to drive about 45 minutes on back roads to show their support.

My mom was so proud. She was introducing them to everyone and she had a huge smile on her face. I don’t think they really know what it meant to her. Shortly after the players left, coach Whitehead arrived to show his support. Coach was not aware that they had come to the funeral home. They did this all on their own. No one had to tell them they should go, they just knew it was the right thing.

On Wednesday, the UMaine hockey team met Gov. Angus King. Three players and assistant coach Grant Standbrook, who did not get the chance to come on Tuesday, decided it was more important to see Jeanne than the governor. Wow, was I impressed.

I felt that I needed to write and share my experience because too many times college athletes make the news for their negatives behaviors off the court or the ice. My mom always told me these kids were special and now I understand what she meant. I tell my basketball players that, “Athletics not only builds character, but it shows it as well.”

Well it is obvious that these gentlemen have a great deal of character. I want to personally thank all the players and coaching staff for helping my mom through this tough time.

Jeff Goss

Providence, R.I.

Turkey hunt rule unfair

I agree with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s decision to have a fall hunting season for turkeys in selected areas of the state. However, I have some problems with their decision to restrict this season to bow hunters only.

First, I feel that this decision for bow hunters only is unfair. Presently, bow hunters can hunt deer for three months a year and can harvest as many as three deer per season. No other groups of hunters have this privilege. Additionally, what this means is that bow hunters will be guaranteed the opportunity to hunt turkey at least one season of the year and possibly two if they are awarded a permit for the spring season while most shotgun hunters and muzzleloading hunters will not even get one opportunity a year.

Second, this decision does not take into account the fact that most of this hunting is on private land, and that probably most landowners who want to hunt turkeys are not bow hunters, therefore disallowing the opportunity for landowners to hunt turkeys on their own land while bow hunters will be allowed to do so.

Who could blame the landowners for posting their land? I feel a more equitable solution to this issue would be to award hunters permits for the fall if they were not selected to hunt in the spring. The number of permits issued would be dependent upon what sort of harvest DIFW would like to see.

DIFW is accepting comments on this issue until May 23 and if any sports people have feelings on this they should write to Andrea Erskine, DIFW, #41 SHS, Augusta, ME. 04333-0041.

Tony Chiappone

Orrington

Track athletes stand out

It was a pleasure to serve as a judge for the boys and girls triple jump events at the PVC Championships (small schools) last week and at the multi-school meet at Foxcroft Academy the week before.

The principal reason for taking pleasure in performing a time-consuming task in less-than-ideal weather conditions is the high level of courtesy, respect, and sportsmanship displayed by the jumpers and their coaches. Although competition in both meets was spirited and intense, the participants were unfailingly generous in giving assistance to each other.

Without exception, the athletes were mannerly and respectful in dealing with meet officials. It was my impression that their conduct was not simply put on for the occasion, but was instead a reflection of everyday habit.

The exemplary sportsmanship I observed at the two meets reflects great credit on the athletes and their coaches, schools, and families.

David Dean

Sangerville

Fans still love Blodgett

In response to John Holyoke’s column (BDN, May 18) regarding Cindy Blodgett, I wish to thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts about what she did for the University of Maine basketball program and for the fans who supported her so vocally.

For four years we watched this little lady demonstrate to us what women’s basketball was all about at the college level.

As you well know there were times when we thought the roof at Alfond Arena was going into space when she accomplished some of her incredible shots.

She is such a modest young lady, I suspect she doesn’t realize how very much her thousands of fans really loved and appreciated her efforts.

I realize that I speak only for myself but I have reason to believe there are several thousand fans who will agree with me.

Marjorie Phillips

Bangor