Inventor has roots in Jasper
Pittman, JHS '54, says coach, science teacher inspired career



Courtesy photo from Christian County Headliner / Kyle Wilson JOHN PITTMAN, Jasper High graduate and inventor of a new sports machine, is shown with son-in-law Mark Snowbarger who helped develop the Lateral Motion Simulator.

One Jasper high school graduate is still inventing new technologies at age 71 - John Pittman, brother of Jeanette Pittman, who serves at the Jasper Historic Commission.

Pittman graduated JHS in 1954 and later moved to Missouri where he completed a successful business career that would satisfy many folks, but he never stopped inventing.

With the help of son-in-law Mark Snowbarger, he invented, refined and patented the LMS (Lateral Motion Simulator), a tool for teaching and measuring defensive skills in basketball and other sports.

Pittman has ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and is confined to a wheelchair. It was while watching a basketball drill that Pittman realized there had to be a better way to practice. He sketched out a design on a paper napkin, and then enlisted his son-in-law and two more partners to create the LMS.

"Pittman's LMS system allows players and sometimes more importantly, coaches to hone lateral quickness," said reporter Kyle Wilson in the Christian County Headliner News.

Pittman's invention consists of a 12-foot bar with red and green lights. Red is the imaginary offense, green is the defensive player. Red moves across the bar randomly while green tries to cover the red light to prove his defense skill level.

The machine calculates the percentage of time he is successful, giving coaches an accurate assessment of the defensive player's improvement.

"This is a machine that makes defense fun," Pittman told the Headliner News. "Nothing is harder than playing defense and this is a way to get credit for it. Right now a college coach can call a high school coach and find out a player's free-throw percentage or vertical jump. They don't have a measurement for defense. With this system, any college coach can call any high school coach and find out what a player scored on LMS."

Pittman recalled two Jasper High teachers who were particular inspirations in his life, Coach Jordan and science teacher B.J. Ortschied.

Pittman, whose time is limited by his disease, says he is dedicating the rest of his life to promoting this machine. The website for his company is www.athletechsports. com.

http://www.jaspernewsboy.com/news/20...eople/035.html

Volunteer gives rest of his life to victims
Police honor ill Arvada man

By Betsy Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News
August 18, 2007

Bob Loveless' life is pierced with pain and uncertainty.
The 57-year-old Arvada man has been wasting away from a terminal illness similar to Lou Gehrig's disease, and was told by doctors that he had 18 months to live.

That was two years ago.

To make the best of his remaining time, Loveless has spent more than 2,000 hours as a volunteer, welcoming traumatized crime victims at a private, third- floor lounge at the Denver Police Department's administration building.

"It gets me out of the house every day, and I'm doing something for other people," said Loveless, a former grocery store department manager.

"And I have people around me who are very supportive for what I have," he said.

Denver police wanted to make sure Loveless was properly thanked. On Friday, they arranged a surprise ceremony for him at 1331 Cherokee St.

When Loveless walked -into the first-floor auditorium, escorted by Police Chief Gerald Whitman, he found himself facing his sisters, Landa Goetz and Sherrie Brown, their families and television cameras.

"I'll cherish it the rest of the time I am on this whole earth," Loveless said.

Loveless received the Bill Daniels Neighborhood -Hero Award and a check for $1,000. He is also expected to receive a President's Volunteer Service Gold Medal from Washington, D.C.

"You may have other nominees who have volunteered for many years of their life," investigations division chief Dave Fisher told the audience. "But how many have given the rest of their life?"

Pitching in

The Denver Police Department has always had volunteers, but formalized the program in 2004. Since then, volunteers have saved the city millions through July 31:

392 total volunteers. Tasks include filing, registering sex offenders, investigating cold cases and helping the public.

186,041 hours donated

$3.5 million: the value of that volunteer time, calculated at $18.77 an hour.

• Want to volunteer? Call 720-913-6878Source: Denver Police Sgt. Matt Murray

lehndorffb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2792.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...676731,00.html

MIS icon clings to memories as deadly illness ravages body
ALS keeps longtime worker from track he loves


Dan Mohr's home is filled with memorabilia from Michigan International Speedway, where Mohr has been involved since the racetrack was under construction in 1967. Track officials honored him for his years of service by giving him a photo of MIS.
( THE BLADE/LORI KING )


By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


BROOKLYN, Mich. - They will hold a race at Michigan International Speedway today - the first August event this place has ever seen without Dan Mohr.

Mohr has always been there, wrapped in his fire suit and seated in his track crew truck, tucked away inside turn three, waiting for an accident he hoped would never come.

Mohr was just a stagehand in these monstrous productions called NASCAR races - a guy in the background with a name nobody knew, a job most people don't understand, and a dedication few could duplicate.

Today, about six miles away from the track and down a dusty gravel road, Dan Mohr, 72, sits in a simple house trailer with wide flower beds outside and a decent view of Silver Lake from the picture window. He is essentially powerless as an insidious disease tears away at his nervous system, methodically strangling the life out of him.

The medical folks call it Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), but for the tight-knit MIS family, the fatal affliction commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease is now much more personal, much more real.

For them, it is now Dan Mohr's disease.

Gehrig, the Hall of Fame baseball player, first brought national attention to the disease in 1939 when he made an emotionally charged announcement at Yankee Stadium that his career was over, due to ALS. Gehrig carried himself with dignity and class, refusing to lament his plight, and instead calling himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth for the experiences life had served up.

"Dan Mohr is so much like Lou Gehrig in that respect," longtime friend and MIS director of facilities Dan Salenbien said. "He has never complained about this thing that has captured him and stolen his life. Instead, he's been grateful for what he has, and the things he's been able to enjoy. And he's remained dedicated to this place he's loved for so long."


Joe Baker, left, was a member of Dan Mohr's Turn 3 track crew for 35 years. Mohr is no longer able to go to the track because his body has been ravaged by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
( THE BLADE/LORI KING )


Dan Mohr was here before there was any here. He was part of MIS when this 1,400 acres of the Irish Hills was being transformed from a swampy bunch of nothing into a racing venue with a very big future - a track that will host some 150,000 fans for today's 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race.

When the track was under construction in 1967, Mohr was here. When it opened in 1968 with a 12,000-seat grandstand, Dan Mohr was part of the original track crew - the guys charged with responding to any crash and cleaning up the mess. They put the track back in racing condition - in minutes if not seconds.

"We're just people who love racing and found a way to be around it," said Joe Baker, a member of Mohr's crew for 35 years and the individual who has had to take the lead following Mohr's departure.

"We were a team, and every team needs a leader, and for us that leader was Dan Mohr."

Since that humble beginning, MIS has expanded its fan seating numerous times, the track has undergone changes in ownership, and the old metal guardrails and battery-powered lights that surrounded the track have long since been updated and replaced. Mohr has always been a part of the evolution.

"When it got more popular and crowded, we used to stay in the camper in the infield, but you couldn't get any sleep," Mohr's wife, Eloise, said. "There was country music played real loud over here, a bunch of hippies over there, and another crowd of people just yelling and screaming. They were having a good time, I guess."

The track crew made a go of it with what now seems like primitive equipment. They used prybars, push brooms, and big drums filled with drying agent used to clean up spills.

"I would be strapped on the tailgate of the truck, and we spread it around by hand," Baker said. "It was dangerous, but Dan always made sure his guys were safe. He had their safety first in his mind."

Mohr's close friends say it was the length of his relationship with MIS that has made his forced separation from the facility so difficult.

"He was right there from the beginning, and he watched it grow, and he helped it grow," Baker said. "Places like MIS don't exist without guys like Dan Mohr there making it all work. He's part of the foundation of that place."



ALS is steadily taking away everything that Dan Mohr loves. He now has to be fed through a tube that is threaded through his abdomen. His left arm is no longer useful, and he is starting to drag his left foot. His speech was stolen some time ago.

"The doctors at the Mayo Clinic told us in March of 2006 that he had maybe three years to live, or as much as seven," Eloise said. "But when we went back there last November, they said the disease is moving a lot faster than they expected."

ALS attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, short-circuiting them and producing muscle weakness and then atrophy.

You could make the case that Mohr's speech is not one of the most critical losses - Mohr didn't waste words when he had them to spend.

"Before he got this bad, they wanted Dan to do a spot for the Jerry Lewis Telethon," Elosie said, "but you could never get him to talk about himself. That's just not his nature."

Mohr breaks down now - not out of self-pity, but out of frustration over the handcuffs the disease has shackled him with and because erratic swings of emotion are yet another curse of this awful malady.

He scribbles on a note pad to make his point, then anxiously hopes his message got across. His eyes tell you what is in his heart.

"It's his sheer dedication to the sport and the place he loved that makes Dan Mohr such a unique man," Salenbien said. "I'm sure that just not being here is eating him up more than that disease that is his demise. When Dan was here, the safety crew was something I never had to worry about. He did it, and it was done."

The Mohrs have been married for 53 years, and they spend time now looking through family pictures and reliving the rich deposits in their memory banks. They have stubbornly conspired to prevent ALS from ruining their final days together.

Mohr worked 43 years for Tecumseh Products Co., built two homes in Michigan, a cabin in the woods, and owned and operated a car wash in Onsted. He and his wife have children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in the fold.

When Eloise talks about her husband, the past tense continually creeps into her dialogue. She has accepted the inevitability of his fate. She fights through the next hour, while celebrating other days, other years, other decades.

"We've had more than most couples have had," she said. "We've traveled and enjoyed our family and a lot of adventures. We started with boats, and we've gone through everything - motorcycles, dune buggies, snowmobiles - and now we're back to boats. What we've shared no disease can rob from us."

The illness is racing through his body, doing irreparable damage everywhere it touches. Mohr understands that what he loses, he won't get back.

"I've learned a lot from him, and I guess the way he is handling all of this is just one more thing for me to learn," Baker said. "He always mentored everyone who came on board, and he made sure the guys were all safe and learned to do the job right. Dan did that up until the day he left."

The files in his mind are still sharp, and Mohr has them stuffed with MIS memories. He recalls with fondness many of the drivers and is still troubled by the terrible pit fire during an Indy car race in the 1980s and the horrific accident that essentially was the beginning of the end of Ernie Irvan's career.

"He's been here for it all," MIS fire protection director Garth Hyliard said. "Dan and his crew were the stage hands that stayed behind the scenes and then put this place back together when something happened. There wasn't a more committed individual you could ever meet in your life. If there was a job to do, he did it."

"Dan always told us the show was for the race car drivers and the fans - it was not for us," longtime crew member Baker said. "He was a wonderfully humble man who always gave 100 percent. He really loved being at the track."

Dan Mohr won't be back at Michigan Speedway. ALS has seen to it that his racing career has hit the wall and come to an abrupt end. The wheel chair ramp has been installed outside the trailer, and he will likely be in the chair before the snow flies. The demon that is ALS will determine if he rides in the pontoon boat or watches many more MIS races from the sunny living room, surrounded by memorabilia from his racing days.

MIS is a different place without Dan Mohr. Not better, not worse - just different. The races will go on, and the track crew he trained so well will continue to stage itself just out of sight and lurch into action when an accident occurs. But MIS is definitely different -one of its original guardian angels has cleared Turn 4 and is headed for home.

Contact Matt Markey at:
mmarkey@theblade.com
or 419-724-6510.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll...TS02/708190330

Bischoff honored at Legion Pro Shop
By Dammon Alexander
Published: Friday, August 24, 2007 6:19 PM CDT
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El Dorado American Legion Post 81 honored one of its own at the Legion Golf Course Pro Shop Thursday.

Bob Bischoff was honored by having the Legion pro shop named after him in a ceremony Thursday. The presentation was done by Post 81 Commander Jerry Demo.

Demo said everyone agreed the dedication was a proper tribute to Bischoff, who is currently suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), for all of his hard work and dedication to the Legion.



Bischoff served in the Army from 1973-74, then joined Post 81 in 1975. Over the past 32 years, Bischoff has been golf course chairman, Bingo chairman, Legion finance officer, and a member of the Executive Board for nearly 20 years. He has also been responsible for improvements to the course.

“Seeing this crowd today is just overwhelming. There's probably a lot of people who deserve this more than me. I was just having fun the whole time, just enjoying myself.”

http://www.eldoradotimes.com/article...ts/sports2.txt

Adventurers raise $30,000 in battle against deadly disease
Danielle Bell, The Daily News
Published: Monday, August 27, 2007


The success of Nanaimo's inaugural ALS Adventure Challenge on Saturday means the Harbour City will become an annual host, said organizer Tamara Hung.

"We were so amazed how the community embraced us and made it possible," she said. "We're going to grow the Nanaimo event so it's as big as our Vancouver one."

Seventy-five participants hiked, kayaked and biked 17-kilometres around Westwood Lake, raising more than $30,000 for ALS research and local patient services.

"For our first year (in Nanaimo), that's pretty good," she said.

A fourth annual event for Vancouver, that raised more than $140,000 this year with hundred of participants, Hung is confident she'll break the half-million mark as donations continue to trickle in.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells, especially those in the spinal cord, which control voluntary muscles throughout the body. Two to three people in Canada die of ALS each day, said Hung.

"There's no way to treat it. You just deteriorate," she said. For Shauna Kazeil, whose 58-year-old father Jim's ALS has left him virtually unable to move and speaking through a computer, the event was a family affair.

She, her uncle and her two younger brothers competed as Team Beep in the challenge, and were among the top five fundraisers in Nanaimo, collecting more than $20,000 combined.

"We did it for him to show our love and support. It was his legacy," said Kazeil, who said she would "absolutely" participate again next year.

As they crossed the finish line together, Kazeil said seeing her wheelchair-bound father waiting on the other side to show his support was indescribable.

"It was a really great experience to do with the people that you love," she said.

DBell@nanaimodailynews.com

250-954-0600

RACE WINNERS

Solo male:

Len Miller, 1:38:00

Solo female:

Samantha Dubinsky, 1:42:35

Co-ed pair:

Tim Stokes/Kathleen Vandoorn, 1:48:26

Male pair:

Eddy McVeigh/Branko Bejo, 1:58:51

Female pair:

Rhea Hewiston/Lois Redwood, 2:08:54

Mixed foursome:

Josh Minami/Jayson Rumming/Abigail Minami/Jim Garcia, 2:11:40

© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2007

Area Man

To Be Honored At Annual Muscular Dystophy TelethonBy ALPHA HUSTED



9/2/2007 - FALCONER — Keven Hulings, a victim of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — ALS — for more than 16 years, will be honored Monday at Buffalo during the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon.

Hulings will be presented New York State’s Robert Ross Muscular Dystrophy Association Personal Achievement Award.

A recipient of the Western New York MDA Achievement Award, presented to the ALS victim in June, Hulings is recognized for raising public awareness of ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease — and for outstanding community efforts making it possible for those with ALS and other neuro-muscular diseases to remain in their homes, rather than in institutions.

As a state award recipient, Hulings will be considered for the MDA national award in 2008.

During Sunday’s telethon, the local resident also will present a check to the MDA, a contribution for research made possible by the Friends of HUGO, a group who sponsored its first annual ‘‘HUGO’s Walk for Uncle Lou,’’ on Aug. 25. More than 50 walkers took part in the event.

Hulings, 51, was stricken with ALS in 199l. The former Cummins, Inc. employee walked for the last time in 1992, and two years later lost the use of his arms.

In 1997, with the help of friends and supporters, Hulings established the Hugo Fund, and the Friends of Hugo, a fundraising organization, operated entirely by volunteers.

http://www.post-journal.com:80/Sport...rticleID=19171

By Michael Morton/Daily News staff
GHS
Mon Sep 03, 2007, 07:48 PM EDT


Franklin -
With Phil Henault's body ravaged by a fatal motor control disease, his friends have banded together to support the Fisher Street resident and his family.

They've taken the 40-year-old for rides in his beloved red Chevy Corvette, since he can no longer drive. They've sat with him at home when the rest of the household is at youth football, a sport he can no longer coach. And, after much prodding, they've convinced his appreciative-but-reluctant wife to let them start a foundation for the couple's children and to hold an inaugural fundraiser Sept. 15.

In the process, members of Henault's circle have become closer with each other, meeting regularly at Cole's Tavern to plan for their upcoming event.

"It's a group of friends like none other I've seen," said Linda Rossetti, a colleague of Henault's wife, Rose, who came to a tavern gathering this week. Helpers include childhood neighbors, members of his long-running rock band Outer Edge and co-workers from his days laying, and later selling, cement.

"Phil has this network of lifelong friends," said Tricia Bates, who met Rose Henault when their sons were in the same kindergarten class.

"The Friends," as they call themselves, sprung into action after Henault was diagnosed nearly two years ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative condition that causes muscle weakening and eventual paralysis that is commonly known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Though patients can occasionally survive longer, the average life span once diagnosed is three to five years. Marveling at his continued upbeat attitude, Phil Henault's family and friends have nonetheless watched him lose control of his hands and mobility and listened as his speech has severely declined. Wanting to help in some way "This is something we need to give back to them," Rossetti said they asked if they could establish a fund for the Henaults' two boys, ages 8 and 10.

Though grateful for the offer, Rose Henault initially declined. She was used to giving not receiving, and was dealing with the drastic changes in her family's life. It was just too hard.

"Until you're in the situation we're in, you really don't know," she said during a phone interview.

But earlier this year, the group talked her into it, and she and her husband also accepted an offer from his former high school classmates, Matt Sousa and Paul Molla of the Franklin charity Random Smile Project, to fix up a section of their house to bring in rental revenue.

"I knew I wasn't going to win this time," Rose Henault joked.

Back at the tavern, Craig Riollo, who grew up near Phil Henault, said, "If it was one of us, they'd be sitting here."

Thanks to donated space by owner Scott Amendola, a high school classmate of Phil Henault's, the debut fundraiser for the Phil Henault Children's Fund will be held at Cole's Tavern from noon until midnight, with children's activities from noon to 5 p.m. The event costs $20 for adults and is free for children.

It features food, live bands, a DJ, a dunk tank, raffles and auctions.

Donations can also be made in the foundation's name at Dean Cooperative Bank or through a PayPal account at www.philhenaultchildrensfund.com.

To find prizes for their fundraiser, The Friends worked their contacts, with Tony Bennett signing original sheet music, CDs and copies of his autobiography. They also went to local businesses with letters describing Phil Henault's condition: how he can no longer work, play the drums in his band or even hug his wife and kids. Touched by the tragedy, business owners donated hotel stays, sports memorabilia and tickets to games, among other items.

"People have been incredibly generous," Bates said.

Rose Henault said the fundraiser would help provide for the future of the couple's children.

"It's something I think about every day," she said. "How can I do that? Will I be able to do that?"

But even more than the event, she has taken comfort in knowing that The Friends are around.

"If I wasn't surrounded by the people I am, I don't know if I could do this," she said.

As for her husband, who is hoping his health allows him to attend his friends' endeavor, Rose Henault said, "He's just so overwhelmed by the amount of support. He's very excited."

Michael Morton can be reached at mmorton@cnc.com or 508-634-7582.
http://www.milforddailynews.com/homepage/x820195050

NEW LOCAL: Restaurant plans benefit for Michael Porada


By David Burcham
New Castle News


Owners of a local restaurant plan to hold a benefit dinner for a former New Castle High School athlete Sunday.


Family, friends and supporters of Michael Porada are invited to C.J.’s Pizza, 630 E. Washington St., between noon and 8 p.m. for an all-you-can-eat spaghetti/pasta dinner. All proceeds will go to Porada, who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

After reading about the family’s struggles in a recent article in the New Castle News, Edward and Cheryl Sipe Littlefield decided to use their facility to help raise money to support the family.

Littlefield had originally planned to hold the event on a Tuesday — the day the restaurant is closed. But he decided that Sunday would be a better day, even though it meant giving up a big day of business at the establishment.

“This thing has really evolved,” Littlefield said. “We’ll do no regular business Sunday.”

Littlefield said part of the restaurant would be converted into a living area for Michael and his family.

The menu will consist of either spaghetti and meatballs or a non-meat pasta. It will include salad, rolls, dessert and beverages. The cost of $15 will include the all-you-can-eat dinner and a raffle ticket. Littlefield said there will be a raffle every 15 minutes.

Local businesses that have donated products and gift cards, include Santisi’s Wholesale, Universal Culinary Associates, Print Center, Giant Eagle, Famous Hair, Butz Florist, Staples, Nickel’s Bakery, Harding Tire, Beer For Less, Dairy Queen on Ellwood Road, King’s Jewelers, CVS, East Side Pharmacy, Sipe’s Auto and My Favorite Place.

Littlefield is expecting between 800 and 1,200 people to purchase a ticket and show their support for Porada. He said there will be at least three big screen televisions to watch the Steelers-Browns football game.

Michael Bernarding, executive director of the ALS Association for Western Pennsylvania, plans to be there. There will be literature available and videos will be shown on the screens before and after the game.

Porada makes no secret of his love for the Steelers, and plans to wear a black and gold jersey.

A local philanthropist, who asked to remain anonymous, donated money to purchase a special speech device that will permit Michael to speak and use the Internet.

“We are floored with the generosity people have shown us,” Melissa Porada said. “There’s definitely angels out there.”

She said the device will enable her husband to answer and send e-mail. It also will allow him to talk via the voice of the computer. The device has not yet arrived, but Michael hopes to have it before Sunday.

The couple’s savings account has been depleted.

http://www.ncnewsonline.com/local/lo...248092142.html

Lincolnton, GA


Fund set up

A fund has been set up at Farmers State Bank for Tee Turner, who is battling Lou Gehrig's disease.

http://www.lincolnjournalonline.com/...nity_Calendar/

Long Island unions to help fight ALS
NYSUT News Wire - September 7, 2007

Union members from across Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area are hitting the links for a good cause this Columbus Day.

On Monday, Oct. 8, NYSUT members will be participating in the 5th Annual Long Island Educators & Health Care Professionals Cup, to benefit a scholarship program for high school seniors and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Clinic at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. It claims 6,000 lives a year in America alone. The golf event also is affiliated with "Ride for Life," a charity founded by Long Island educator Christopher Pendergrast to raise money for ALS research.

NYSUT and more than 50 of its local unions from across Long Island are sponsoring the event, which will be held at the Stonebridge Golf Links and Country Club in Hauppauge. Check-in is at 7 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. There will be raffles and prizes, and the Port Jefferson Teachers Association will be defending its 2006 championship. For more information on the outing, e-mail Michael Dinowitz at Michael@rideforlife.com.


http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/ny...hcare_8342.htm