North Tonawanda sits on the confluence of the Erie Canal and the mighty Niagara River. In it’s beginning it was a major lumber port and earned the nickname the “Lumber City.” When the city’s only high school decided to start an athletic program and add football as a sport, the name “Lumberjacks” was an obvious choice.

I recall sitting at the first contest of the 2009 football season and watch this group of talented young men easily handle their opponent and come out victorious. I recall saying, “If these boys can remain their health, keep their attitudes in check and continue to play their brand of football; there is no reason why they cannot make it through the playoffs and claim the “New York State Class AA State Championship” title. The win against the Baldwinville Bees on Saturday night finds this team poised on the doorstep of greatness with one game remaining in this championship quest.

The following photos are courtesy of Bob “Schooch” Pascucci. Thanks Schooch.

Casey Shreve, Kujo and Kyle Shreve. The Tonawanda News named these three players, among others from NTHS to the WNY All-Star first Team. Congratulations boys! You deserve the honor.

Notice the coach from Lancaster. He’s holding his heart because he can’t believe Kujo just broke that tackle and now has a clear shot at the goal line. A 41-yard TD run.

Kujo just wasn’t going to let that cast stop him. The announcer from Time-Warner kept referring to the cast as “The Club.”

What an intimidating defense. This is one awesome group of kids. I’m thinking blitz here.When Kujo plays fullback he just keeps running. It’s all that work in the weight room during the off-season. Coach Jantzi keeps telling these kids about the importance of keeping fit and staying in the weight room. The kids get it and it shows throughout the season.

Kujo met with a reporter after the game and accepted the award on behalf of the team. Go Jacks!

This contest was supposed to be a viscious contest. B’ville has an unbelieveable record and a running back to match. He has run for over 250-yards each game. This was due in part to having a line in size that rivaled the Empire State building.

Both teams were evenly matched, more on paper than in size. North Tonawanda has a multi-dimensional approach while B’ville has a bruising offense that aims to run over you at every opportunity. Keep the offense off the field, keep the defense on the field, wear them down and score points.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Please don’t forget to leave questions, comments and ideas for future posts by clicking on the “Leave comment” button below.

I appreciate you reading,

Chris

It is easy for individuals to loudly praise their achievements but it is my belief it is more important to have one’s accomplishments speak for themselves. Watching Stephen reminds of the importance of humility. Watching Stephen reminds me of the importance to know what one is capable of accomplishing and to simply go out and do one’s job; to accomplish one’s goals…quietly and without fanfare.

Stephen does not gloat. He does not point out his accomplishments. He allows his actions, his behaviors to speak for him. It is this voice which speaks more loudly than any other. We found out the day after NT’s win against Lancaster he won “Player of the Game.” He never said anything and when we witnessed his on-field interview we figured it was a result of his on-field accomplishments.

Here’s to those people who go about their day quietly and without need for regard. You will be noticed as your fire will burn brightest. Congratulations ‘Jacks and Congratulations Stephen. Onward to the next goal. Go Jacks!

“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.” -Mahatma Gandhi

The Make-A-Wish Radio-thon is your chance to help grant a wish by making a request and pledge to hear any song you want, or bid during our hourly auction on some one of a kind rock and sports items.

The goal for this years radiothon is $250,000. When the radiothon ended at 10:00 AM over $240,000 had been raised for Make-A-Wish. The listeners of 97-Rock came through again and now more wishes can be granted. WOW! It amazes me how the people of Buffalo, NY come together and dig deep to help such a  great cause! Thanks to veryone who volunteered their time and a special thanks to everyone who made a donation of time and money.

Rian Lindell of the Buffalo Bills.

DJ Jixster

Michael is another “Wish” kid who overcame great obstacles with the help of Make-A-Wish.

Larry with Michael and his parents.

Larry Norton just twelve more hours before the end of the radiothon.

Before the game began a group of local veterans were honored for their service to our country. I chose this side view of the color guard because a full frontal view didn’t allow me to see the comments on the flag which said, “You are not forgotten.” The men and woman who have and continue to serve to protect our country from further terrorist attacks will never be forgotten. Thank you for all that you do.

There is a small group of students who walk throughout the stadium complex carrying this flag and supporting the team. Occasionally they decide it is important to go into the visiting bleachers to ensure the visiting family’s are also supporting our team.

Every game begins with the players entering the field by running out onto the field and running through the “Go Jacks” banner

My son, pumped for the game after a difficult week of practice crashed through the banner first.

Kujo’s trying to get through the defenders to get to the quarterback.

Like I said in the previous post; you just can’t have at least one post featuring Aaron Davis running in for a touchdown.

Michael had a great command of the offense as evidenced by the final score of 63-0.

Dick Grapes is celebrating his 50th year of calling the NTHS Lumberjack games. Way to go Mr. Grapes you have a great voice. Thank you for your 50-years of service and dedication to the NTHS Lumberjacks.

This said it all! A number of people have asked me why the coach ran the score up. Well, he didn’t. From much of the second quarter through the end of the game he played the “rest of the team” which consisted of second and third stringers. Williamsville North just could not muster any offense.

The Lumberjacks got off to a slow start and came back strong in the second half to keep their lead and win the game by a score of 27-13.

The Lumberjacks face Williamsville North in a Friday night match-up under the lights on their home turf.

I’m a little biased as a write and I felt the need to make sure my son has a number of photos in my blog. For those of you reading and wondering where the extra digit is on his jersey, he decided to change his number to “4.” He jokingly said “It’s to pay homage to Bret Favre.”

Aaron Davis running in for one of his touchdowns. This is a common sight during NT games.

In addition to his duties as linebacker, Kujo gets in on the offense and plays fullback. Here’s a carry he had early in the game.

The series of photos leading up to this photo tells the full story. Mike did his best to escape this defender but when he came in on his blind side there wasn’t much he could have done. He did a great job of holding on to the ball.

Michael does a fantastic job of commanding his offense.

The first game is away at Jamestown High School in Jamestown, NY. Jamestown has lights and this will be a night game. The Lumberjacks hosted Grand Island High School and Riverside High School. Enjoy the photos. There’s many more to come as I document the season as the Jack’s make a run for a championship season.

This young man had some amazing moves. Unfortunately the players defending him had better moves.

That’s my son Stephen or as he’s known by his nickname “Kujo.” In case you were wondering, he received the nickname from his little league football coach. The coach decided his tenacity and perseverance was consistent with that of the dog in the Stephen King novel.

That’s Kujo again. He leads the defense and breaks the huddle.

Kyle Schreve. One half of the Schreve brothers on the offensive line. These boys make  it difficult for defenders to penetrate.

Beautiful catch for a touchdown!

The Lumberjacks hope to make it farther into the playoffs this year.

My grandmother passed away two years ago in the same nursing home. Since that time I found it difficult to return. She was a resident of a local nursing home for several months. During that time I had only taken my camera there on one occasion. I told myself “I didn’t want to remember her that way.” Seeing my father-in-law and making the photographs for a book for my wife I have been taught a valuable lesson. That lesson is to respect what what I have now and to live life to its fullest. For me living life to it’s fullest is the ability to give back in some way. Each year I give away photography packages to those family’s who might otherwise not be able to afford a family portrait. Make-A-Wish is one opf my favorite charities with which to work. I truly enjoy the smile on the faces of the kids when they become the focus of such positive attention.

My father-in-law suffers from Alzheimer’s. He does not recognize me when I visit. There have been occasions when, after looking away from I returned see his eyes locked on my face. I’m sure he’s trying to identify who I am. I’m not sure he recognizes anyone, at least consistently. His mind, once sharp, is now dulled by the disease.

Nancy is the hair and makeup artist in the family. She often provides that assistance at photo shoots. Nancy also makes sure her father is shaved and has a haircut. He is lucky to have his wife and children provide adjunct care.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time Carly was touched by cancer. She lost both of her biological parents–Tony and Judie Cottone–to cancer during the first seven years of her life. But Carly faced her own battle with cancer with amazing courage and optimism. After all, she had goals and dreams–to go to a Backstreet Boys concert and grow up to become an interior decorator. Nothing was going to slow down this little girl who had so much living to do.

Throughout her fight, Carly was very appreciative of the support she received from her family members and friends. As a way of showing her appreciation, she decided early on in her treatment that she wanted to help other kids who were also battling cancer. Thus, Carly’s Club was born. With the love and support of her adoptive parents, Chuck and Carole Ann Collard, Carly was able to fulfill her dream of helping other families touched by the disease.

Sadly, Carly lost her hard-fought struggle with the disease in August of 2002. Little did she know the positive impact that Carly’s Club would have on the lives of the thousands of children diagnosed with cancer each year.

Carly created a beautiful legacy – and you can help us continue it for all children diagnosed with cancer, and to offer support to families across Western New York. Thank you for your generosity to help find cures and save lives!

Many thanks to the hundreds of swimmers, volunteers and supporters who made Carly’s Crossing 2009 another successful year! More than 300 swimmers turned out to Gallagher Beach on Sunday, August 16, to dive in and show their support for pediatric cancer research and patient care at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Special thanks to Olympic swimmer Kara Lynn Joyce, who swam in the 600-yard course with our top fundraisers, cheered on our swimmers and made the day extra special! Read more about Carly’s Crossing 2009 in this article from The Buffalo News.

Mindfulness or being mindful is what has allowed me to successfully manage difficult, sometimes unpredictable times in my life. That includes the change I have experienced. Wednesday has been an important, significant day of the week. What is the significance you ask? Wednesday marks the half-way point through the week and the weekend begins to become visible.  It made sense to publish a post on Wednesday as I try to publish on the weekends as well. Mindfulness is not a virtue with which we are born but a virtue that we cultivate through effort and introspection.

I like this passage from Jean Smith’s book, “The Beginners Guide to Cultivating Mindfulness.” I find myself going back to this passage when my practice becomes difficult. “We can practice developing mindfulness—and other skillful qualities—at any moment in our lives, but setting aside specific time to cultivate it is extremely effective. Many people have found that unless they reserve such time, it is difficult—especially in the beginning—to develop this quality. Cultivating mindfulness through meditation is like cultivating physical fitness. You go to the gym, where you exercise in order to strengthen and train your body, so that you will be strong no matter where you are. In the same way, you can create particular spaces and times in your life to train in mindfulness. At the gym, when you are training your body, that is the only thing you are doing—you are not driving a car or reading or eating. The same is true for awakening and strengthening mindfulness meditation.”

So what’s with this mindfulness stuff? Those who know me well know I have a special place in my heart for introspection. In this day and age where the Internet has allowed us to inspect the lives of others and become voyeuristic,  we spend almost no time working toward the improvement of ourselves. We do find it easy on the other hand to point fingers at others and insist we know what is wrong with them and what they need to change. We do this often and without knowledge but by making assumptions. I love sunsets almost as much as I love sunrises. A sunset is special to me as it marks the end of the day, a time to slow down and take stock of what I did, what I didn’t do and what I need to do to make tomorrow a better day.

Mindfulness or being mindful is a term which is most closely associated with the practice of Buddhism. Mindfulness consists of paying attention to an experience from moment to moment. More directly it describes the ability to become one with an experience. Photography is one of those activities for me that helps to cultivate mindfulness. When I have a camera in my hands it’s like an extension of my body. I see things differently and see things I might not have seen previously. Life seems to slow down and my thought process becomes more clear.

This past month has offered me the opportunity for change. I was offered a position with another company. A position that will allow me to increase the free time I have to focus on my photography. The sunset marks the end of the day knowing a new day will dawn.

I hope everyone enjoys this post and photo as much as I enjoyed writing it and taking the photo. Please leave a comment for me. I love to read them and know what you think. Thanks for reading.

I love my dad and am thankful for the direction he has given to me over the years. He taught me more than he will ever know and I am thankful for those lessons.

I was one of those “learn the hard way” kids. He was one of those parents who allowed me to learn valuable life lessons the hard way. I hated him for that but my anger and frustration was a direct result of me not understanding what he was doing and why what he was trying to teach me was an important lesson to learn. I was also one of those kids who said, “I’ll never be like my Dad when I grow up.” Of course this was said in respect to his parenting ability or as I saw it as a child his “parenting inabilities.” My Dad would always say to me, “You’ll never understand until you get married and have your own kids.” Unfortunately he was right. Thanks Dad for those hard learned and hard earned lessons.

Today was special for me. My kids are growing up and I know all too soon they won’t be there anymore. They’ll move on with their lives and do great things. I cherish each day with them and sit back and quietly smile as they achieve greatness in their own ways.

My kids got me the greatest gifts; themselves. Thanks to both of you for being who you are. Just don’t ever forget who you are and don’t ever let anyone else tell you who you should be. My daughter also gave me a Tim Horton’s gift card. She knows what I like. Thanks Marissa! My son gave me a Converse gift card. New Chucks! The best part of my son’s gift was the handmade card. That means so much more to me specially coming from a 16 year-old than any store bought card. The thought. The words. I feel blessed to have such a great family. My wife gave me the greatest card ever. Thanks honey for supporting me in everything [well, almost everything] I do. I love you!

To my Dad: Happy Father’s Day Dad! Thanks for all of the conversations we had, thanks for just listening. Thanks for reminding me of my priorities and thanks for letting me learn the hard way. You pushed me in more ways than you’ll ever know and for that I am grateful. thanks for letting me know how proud of me you are. I love you! To all the father’s out there, Happy Father’s Day!

I have never been one to purchase gifts or cards for those Hallmark” holidays because frankly I just don’t get it. Why should I have a calendar tell me when it’s time for me to show my love for someone? We don’t buy each other expensive gifts, we don’t go on vacation but we show our love for each other in the little things we do everyday. I don’t celebrate our anniversary one day each year, I think about her often and I am grateful for her presence in my life. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart.
Nancy, I love you!

I had to add this one in black & white. I just love portraits in black & white.

For the longest time I found my solitude in a Sunday morning kayak on the Niagara River with only the sound of the wind, the hull of my boat as it glided through the water and the gulls to keep me company. On other days it was a quiet morning of fly fishing. I never cared if I caught anything; that was a bonus, but the quiet of the morning, the steam rising off the water and the sound of my line as it flew overhead was enough to remind me of my father’s saying. When I was younger one of my favorite times of the day was Saturday and Sunday morning as I delivered the morning paper to my customers. I enjoyed the time alone and contemplated my life. That’s a lot for a 10 year-old to say but it was true. I have always thought about what I contributed to the goings on around me. I didn’t realize at the time how deep some of my thoughts were but I felt as though I were able to solve the world’s problems; or at least most of my own. I also enjoyed the times when my dad delivered the papers with me. We would walk and talk and for a few hours I wasn’t his little boy, I was his equal. I enjoyed those times.

Today I work hard every day to maintain a mindful balance in my life. There are times when that task is much more difficult and at times it even seems as though it will never be achieved.  I am reminded daily of the need to stop and reflect. To reflect on myself and what I contribute to the world. My daily task is to cultivate mindful presence.

I also found that solitude with my children, especially when they were small. If you truly want to see God’s work, watch a small child play. Look into their eyes and see the innocence of the unopened, unadulterated mind. As I write this I’m sitting in my car at the beach in Dunkirk, NY. I misread a meeting time and took advantage of the opportunity it presented to sit by the beach and listen to the gulls fight over their catch and watch the endless roll of the waves as they break on the beach. When I sit and watch such things the troubles facing us today like the economy easily fade away; even if for just a few minutes. I get lost in solitude, in silence, in my ability to contemplate the silence.

In his book “Choosing to Love the World,” Thomas Merton states, “We have more power at our disposal today than we have ever had, and yet we are more alienated and estranged from the inner ground of meaning and of love han we have ever been. The result of this is evident. We are living through the greatest crisis in the history of man; and this crisis is centered precisely in the country that has made a fetish out of action and has lost (or perhaps never had) the sense of contemplation. Far from being irrelevant, prayer, meditation and contemplation are of utmost importance in america today.”  This from a man who wrote this book in the 1960′s. This doesn’t speak highly of the society we have developed since that time.

I honor the place in you that is the same in me. I honor the place in you where the whole universe resides. I honor the place in you of love, of light, of peace and of truth. I honor the place in you that is the same in me. There is but one. Namaste.