A move designed to encourage students to change their drinking habits was made at this year’s Eastern Maine high school basketball tournaments at the Bangor Auditorium.

Players and cheerleaders were given free bottled water at their games. Approximately 40 cases of water were donated by local Pepsi bottlers and distributed by representatives of the Maine Principals’ Association.

Bangor City Councilor Michael Crowley said the motive behind giving the water away is to help students make healthier choices in their food and beverage consumption.

“We are hoping to play off the high profile that sports figures have in their local communities,” Crowley said.

The idea is that younger students might see an athlete with a bottle of water and make “behavior changes through effective role modeling,” Crowley said.

Crowley said that people are becoming more health conscience concerning their lifestyles, exercise, and diet.

“With that in mind we began looking at a growing concern in the schools about health care and what we could do about it,” Crowley said.

The 24-ounce bottles of water are adorned with a sticker that includes the city seal and congratulates the participants for reaching the tournament.

Crowley said the sticker was an important aspect of the deal.

“In itself, it may not seem like a big issue. But we recognize that we need to express how important tournaments are to people,” Crowley said.

He describes the basketball tournaments as the longest-running event in the history of the Auditorium.

“That’s remarkable given the number of changes our communities have faced. Bangor doesn’t look much like it did 50 years ago. And yet here we have the tournaments and they haven’t changed much.”

Rules interpreter retires

Bob White, the state’s longtime soccer rules interpreter, has decided to retire.

White has held the position for 28 years since soccer’s infancy in the state.

“I figure I’m 68 years old, it’s time for some of the younger people to step forward,” White said.

White, who lives in Caribou, became the rules interpreter in 1975 when the Maine Association of Soccer Officials board was formed.

“I was appointed, I think it was because we had the potato harvest up here and I had that time off. So, I was going around the state during that time,” White said.

Later, White said, the meetings were changed to August.

“After a while we decided that it wasn’t a good idea to be going around after the season started.”

White taught physical education in the Limestone school system for 26 years at both the elementary and high schools before retiring in 1991.

But he continued to referee soccer matches until 1997. By then, he had officiated approximately 1,300 soccer games.

“I wanted to continue, but my legs finally said enough is enough,” White said.

White will be honored by the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association in July with its NISOA Interscholastic Award at a banquet in Stamford, Conn.

White will be replaced by Brad Fogg of Gray. Fogg has been a member of the Western Maine Board of Approved Officials since 1975.

Hoop tourney in Washburn

The Sheldon Richardson Memorial Basketball Tournament will be played March 28-29 at Washburn District High School.

The tournament tips off at 6 p.m. on March 28 with an alumni game pitting Caribou against Presque Isle. The Central Aroostook and Washburn alumni teams will play at 7:30.

A consolation will be played on March 29 at 6 p.m. with the championship following at 7:30.

Three-point shooting and slam-dunk contests will be conducted.

Cost is $5 in advance, which covers both nights, or $3 each night at the door. Proceeds benefit the Sheldon Richardson Scholarship Fund.

Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.net