Spring has sprung!

By Don Leighton

For The Telegram

The following is another “Have Fun or Get Out of the Way” column by award-winning writers Don Leighton and Mike Granlund and their alter egos, Lance Boyle and Billy Pirkola, which runs occasionally in The Superior Telegram.

Spring is finally here! Now, if only the snow will melt and expose the dirt and grass to the warm sun, perhaps some home baseball, soccer and softball games can be played. Last year was a disaster; hopefully this year will be the polar opposite. Oops! I should not have said polar.

How ’bout them Spartans? What a couple of girls’ basketball seasons we have enjoyed the past two years. Those returning players need to work their tails off during the offseason to improve and continue the tradition.

We have been privileged to watch, in my opinion, the best female athlete in the history of Superior High School. Jessica Lindstrom’s list of accomplishments and awards has been documented many times. In addition to being the area’s best volleyball, softball and basketball player, she is an outstanding student who exemplifies what hard work and dedication can accomplish. God-given talent figures in as well, but you can have all of the talent in the world and not be successful unless you are willing to challenge yourself.

Congratulations to the SHS girls’ basketball team for its successes, and thank you for the thrills you have given the fans.

The spring sports season has started off with a bang. With indoor track meets and away softball games, success has come quickly. A doubleheader sweep in Menomonie for the SHS softball team and a double victory for the boys and girls tracksters in the Packy Paquette meet Saturday kicked off the season in fine fashion.

Freshman pitcher Brandie Goldberg struck out 11 in her high school debut and was the winning pitcher in both games. At the Paquette, Lauren Magnuson and Jake Libal excelled in their events and were named as meet MVPs as the Spartans won both the boys and girls titles. You can watch the meet and see the post-meet interview with Magnuson and Libal at ifan.tv. Click on channel 1 archives.

Hunger Takes No Holiday has some great supporters and friends.

Barb Hoag has been a friend for years and an annual contributor to help people in our area. Last Friday at Village Lanes, Hoag celebrated her 60th birthday with really, really great friends.

As gifts, Hoag requested non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army or a cash donation for Hunger Takes No Holiday. The more than 100 attendees contributed more than 100 pounds of food and $610. The money has been sent to Second Harvest Food Bank and will create $6,100 worth of food for the Salvation Army in Superior that will provide 3,050 meals for those who need some help.

Two of the neatest people I have met, Barb’s parent’s Irene and Vern Hoag were there along with sister, Sue VanHornweder, and her husband, Tom, along with their son Mark and wife Rachel.

Space does not allow me to name all those who reveled, but how can I not mention my close personal friends, Dean and Moe Miller. I have to be nice to Moe because she is my scheduler at SMDC in Superior. My life is in her hands, and I am not allowed to forget it.

My two newest “best friends in the whole world” are Mark and Marsha Bergren. Mark is a 1961 graduate of Northwestern, having grown up in the Poplar/Wentworth area. We had a lot to talk about since I am a fellow alum, graduating in 1969.

If he is eight years older than me, why does he look eight years younger? Maybe Marsha is my “new best friend.” The heck with Mark.

Teacher names that came up during our Northwestern talk were Ron Hicks, George Conley, Ken Babcock, Leroy Fechtelkotter, Don Olson and of course, English teacher Virginia Tarter, my favorite of all time. It’s because of her that I am writing for the Telegram. For those who don’t like my writing, blame her, not me.

Remember, you can send donations of any amount to Hunger Takes No Holiday, PO Box 432, Superior, WI, 54880. Helping others really makes you feel better about yourself.

Thank you Barb Hoag for helping others.

Five years and counting

April 22 marks the sixth anniversary of “Have Fun or Get out of the Way,” with the first article being “Gone are the Golden Days of Baseball.”

More than 500 articles have been written by Lance Boyle and Billy Pirkola. Mike and I, along with Lance and Billy, thank you for reading our stuff and all of the kind words we have been give through letters, e-mails, text messages, face-to-face conversations and phone calls.

Your loyalty to us is very humbling and makes us realize what an incredible readership we have.

In out next article we’ll talk about the 10th annual Tony “G” 3-on-3 basketball tournament being held April 26-27 along with a really neat story about some really neat young people who helped raise money for Hunger Takes No Holiday at the Douglas County Fish and Game League Show a couple of weeks ago.

I almost forgot - Tim Bouvine has written what is destined to be a best seller, “Catching Lightning Without the Bottle.” More on this literary masterpiece and other stuff next time in, “Have Fun or Get Out of the Way.”

Packer party

Tickets remain for the Packers Tailgate Tour Thursday at SHS.

The VIP reception is from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the SHS cafeteria. The NBC Spartan Sports Complex groundbreaking is outside SHS at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Tailgate party from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the SHS gym.

Tickets cost $100 for VIP and $30 for general admission and are being sold at Screen Graphics.

Opinions and/or story ideas can be e-mailed to dleigh1273@aol.com