I have penned many, many articles over the years, but one that will be most memorable is the one I wrote about Karson Garno, the 11-year-old Arcanum baseball player last week.
I interviewed him at his home late afternoon on April 25 and it appeared online the next day. It was truly a great interview and I am so proud that Karson consented to let me write it.
Even with a birth defect, he plays baseball for the Arcanum 12U team. In fact, he is a pitcher and coach. Read the original story here.
Within days, the ball (no pun intended) started rolling. Right away Webmaster/Reporter Clinton Randall, after reading the article, decided he wanted to give Karson the rookie baseball card of Jim Abbott, who too played major league ball with a birth defect and served as a “hero” to Karson. That was presented to him last Friday at My County Link by Clinton.
Another thing Clinton did was to send the story to the Cincinnati Reds office, who contacted the Garno family and invited them to a game May 28.
If I heard the story correctly, they will be watching the Reds practice and play a game that day, and Karson will get to meet the Reds players. How exciting!
I can’t take credit for all that evolved from my story, but I do want to thank Clinton, who became inspired by Karson’s article.
I have to also credit someone else who is the one who suggested I write the story in the first place. I don’t generally write sports stories but I accepted and Gaylen Blosser, the editor, okayed it.
The person who gave me the idea was Mike Dohme, great-uncle of Karson. Even though I know some of the Dohme family, I did not know of Karson.
Mike even asked me another favor after the story appeared…could the story be sent to the Cincinnati Reds. I no more than told Clinton that someone asked if that could happen then he was on it right away.
The Garnos were contacted by the Reds a few days before he received the baseball cards from Clinton.
I am thankful that Karson and his family let me take part in this assignment.
I, too, was inspired by Karson.
If I were a baseball coach, I would love having a boy like Karson Garno on my team. He is wise for his age.
And, I thank Karson’s parents for helping him to realize his dreams by playing ball. All of them are really nice people.
I may not live long enough, but I can just see the “KARSON GARNO” name in lights at some professional baseball team one of these days.
Good luck, Karson, you deserve it!
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Marlene Rhoades Long, Sharon Seibert Craig and Carolyn Mescher.
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Please pray for these people: Mike Hopkins, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, Kent Snyder, (cousin) Carol Byrd, Kinley Bernard, Kathy Burke, Gladys Neff, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Chris Clark, Kyle Kaiser, Tina Ruble Ullery, Cindy Lovejoy, Janet Kammer, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Sonny Custer, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Stephanie Klingshirn, Brenda Schlechty, Betty Burnfield, Dan Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Pam Norman-Penticuff, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Larry Linder, Steve Waymire, Jamie Knick, Nikole Baldridge, Chester Bryant, Lester Beisner, Delores Beisner, Kermit Foureman, Chuck “C.W.” Cruze, Mark Lovejoy.
Also, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Doug Winger, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Tracy Pratt, John Rimmer, Joan Keen, Larry P. Fitzwater, Jim Thomas, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Becky Everhart, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday to:
May 9 to Tammy Henderson Hufford, Betty Gaerke, Faye Rismiller Harman, Nate Burnfield, Don Waymire, Darby Gilland and Megan Mader.
May 10 to Butch Clark, Kay Hartzell, Clancy Kammer, Jamie Hunt, Doug Shepherd, Heath Riffell, Tod Fink, Virgil Rismiller and Carol Haworth.
May 11 to Jenny Schlecty Stutz, Joan Mangen, Dennis Poffenberger and Gabe Wombolt.
May 12 to Matt Armold, Ken Pence and Kurt Brown.
May 13 to Kaleb Gerace, Mary Hemmelgarn Coxa and Keith Smith.
May 14 to Wanda Armold, Emily Schmitz, Justin Shuttleworth, Ruth Koverman, Greg Langenkamp, Pauline Albritton, Tom Buemi, Gavin Kelch and Dean Eby.
May 15 to Mindy Berry, Kyle Cox, Tasha Anderson, Matt Klackner, Chuck Miller II and Gary Cothran.
Happy anniversary to: Larry and Cheryl Peters on May 14 and Jennifer and Dave Sturgill and Carla and Adam Kunk, all on May 15.
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Think about it: “You must love your work if you hope it will please others.” — Author Unknown
