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Bayshore Shuffleboard League’s annual banquet is highlight of season

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For shuffleboard players from eight local communities, the annual Bayshore Shuffleboard League banquet is a highlight of the spring season.

This year, well over 100 players, spouses and friends came to the awards ceremony.

“It’s our 19th year of sponsoring the league,” said William Barnes, president of Ellsworth Heating & Cooling Inc. “It’s always a lot of fun.”

His business sponsors the Spring Tournament with it’s own consolation and main event.

Barnes attended the event with wife Chris and son Zac and helped League President Pete Longjohn and Vice President Al Wilson hand out the awards for the year. Trophies and plaques went to the winners.

League winners this year included:

– 1st Place: Lazy Days; Team Captain Betty Rossi and Co-Captain Rendall Bilton

– 2nd Place: Pioneer Village; Team Captain Phil Paight and Co-Captain Pat Fowler

– 3rd Place: Poinsettia Park; Team Captain Al Wilson and Co-Captain Don King

– 4th Place: Cypress Woods; Team Captain Dick Widdis

– 5th Place: Laurel Estates; Team Captain Edie Smith

– 6th Place Forest Park; Team Captain Dale Stafford

– 7th Place: Tamiami Village; Team Captain Pete Longjohn and Co-Captain Barb Novick

– 8th Place: Carriage Village; Team Captain- Al Brino and Co-Captain Mary Lou Camper. (Dick Camper was Captain until he became ill.)

Ellsworth Heating & Cooling, Inc. Spring Shuffleboard Tournament Winners included:

– MAIN EVENT

1st Place: Sam Goodhue and Mickey Maquire of Carriage Village

2nd Place: Tom and Martha Mason of Tamiami Village

3rd Place: Al and Barb Wilson of Poinsettia Park

4th Place: Jerry Holbrook and Ed Geueke of Cypress Woods

– CONSOLATION EVENT

1st Place: Harold and Judy Priest of Pioneer Village

2nd Place: Pete and Elaine Longjohn of Tamiami Village

3rd Place: Dave Leistske and Dot Zielke of Lazy Days

4th Place: Betty Bodkin of Carriage Village and Olive Clark of Tamiami Village

League Officers thanked all that participated. Officials this season include Longjohn, Wilson, Secretary Patti Roof, Treasurer Bev Benson and Statistician Edie Smith.

Longjohn said the league has been in existence about 32 years.

“It started in 1974 and three of the original teams are still in the league,” he said. “Teams play from different village communities, including originals Carriage Village, Forest Park and Laurel Estates.”

Other communities in the league are Pioneer Village, Tamiami Village, Cypress Woods, Poinsettia Park and Lazy Days.

There was a lot of joking about first place league winner Lazy Days.

“Pioneer Village said they were going to catch them next year,” said Longjohn.

How many years have they won?

“Too many,” he joked. “Carriage Village and Tamiami Village held up the league this year, even though they came in at the bottom. But watch out next year. Carriage Village won three trophies and Tamiami Village won five in the tournament.”

The league members and officials remembered the late Bud Tyson, former president, who passed away this year from cancer.

“We remembered him with a donation to Hope Hospice, who cared for him when he had cancer,” Longjohn said.

Pat Fowler and Irene Crump were thanked for the decorations for the event, along with their committee.

“Al King and crew who put on the dinner put on another great meal,” Longjohn said.

The event was held at the Pioneer Village Clubhouse.

Each team has between 18 to 30 players.

“All ages play,” said Longjohn. “The oldest player in the League is now 97 and he clobbered me this year.”

Next year’s season will start in December, with league play beginning Dec. 2. The league tournament will be March 15-16, 2010, at Lee County Shuffleboard Club courts.