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Golf Course
THERE can only be one thing scarier than Sale Sharks' man-mountain Sebastien Chabal running at you head-on and that is the mighty Frenchman running at you wielding a golf club.
And with the likes of Andrew Sheridan, Sebastien Bruno and John Carter in hot-pursuit, the tranquil setting of Altrincham Golf Course looked more like a scene from Braveheart.
The English champions took to the Altrincham fairways for a round of `power golf' as part of their pre-season training as regulars looked on in amazement.
The standard of golf varied, as did the size and quantity of divots but few seemed prepared to complain as Chabal and Co raced around the course chasing balls fired in all directions.
The game was simple. Teams of four teed off and then sprinted after their ball. Once the ball was on the green, they moved onto the next hole.
That done, the team apologised for the number of balls lost, the divots hacked up and the club that was snapped and headed off for a fitness session at their training centre in Carrington.
Head of fitness and conditioning, Nick Johnston, said: "When I arrived at the club about three seasons ago, the guys used to train three days a week at the club and then spend a couple of days playing golf before games, so I decided to combine the two.
"It breaks training up a bit and injects a bit of fun. There is a lot of stopping and starting involved which you get a lot of in rugby, so it's a very worthwhile exercise."
Spanish winger Oriol Ripol relied more on his speed than his swing to get round the course, but enjoyed the session.
He said: "I am not very good at golf but I really enjoy it. This was a bit different.
"It's a fun way to train and it's a good way for the guys to work together."
New signing from Northampton, Andrew Vilk, also got into the swing of things.
He said: "This is a great way for new players like me to get to know the other guys.
The squad will be repeating the exercise next week, this time at Flixton.
Many of the Sale players have been back training for two weeks with the rest returning this week after an extended rest.
Charlie Hodgson and Mark Cueto were due back later in the day, along with Australia tourists Chris Jones, Andrew Titterrell and Magnus Lund.
England Saxons representatives Stuart Turner, Richard Wigglesworth and Dean Schofield were also due to report back along with Scotland skipper Jason White.
The next few weeks will be all about raising the Sharks levels of fitness and conditioning before they start honing their rugby skills once again.
Everything will come together in time for the Sharks' pre-season tour to France where they will play Perpignan, Beziers and Biarritz, the side which knocked them out of the Heineken Cup in the quarter-finals last season.
They then return home for a home tie against Edinburgh at Edgeley Park before the season gets under way for real against Leicester Tigers on the first weekend of September.
Golf Course
The Maine Attraction U-16 softball team captured its second straight Maine ASA state championship, defeating the Southern Maine Flame in two of three games on July 2.
Hannah Hill of Fryeburg Academy pitched the Attraction to a 1-0 victory in the deciding game, and Cat DeSimone scored on a sacrifice fly. Deering High's Leslie Warn pitched for the Flame.
Matthew Curran, a Scarborough resident and graduate of North Yarmouth Academy, has been named assistant captain of the Stonehill College hockey team for the 2006-07 season. He was also named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for the spring semester, having earned a GPA of 3.6.
John Hill of Portland made a hole in one on the 116-yard 16th hole at Spring Meadows Golf Club on July 4. Hill used a gap-wedge to make the shot, witnessed by Scott Jones, Pat Jones and Georges Jones.
Andrew Vamvakias used a 6-iron to ace the 185-yard 17th hole at Portland Country Club on July 4. Jessica Vamvakias and Chris and Nini Emmons witnessed his feat.
Jodie Goodman aced the 11th hole at Falmouth Country Club on Wednesday. Goodman used a 9-iron for the 100-yard shot, which was witnessed by John Lee, Tom Eldridge and Bill Goodman.
Margaret Urquhart of Yarmouth aced the fourth hole at Spring Meadows Golf and Country Club on Thursday. Urquhart used a 9-iron for the 148-yard shot, which was witnessed by Dennis Collins, Bill Nemitz and Sean Baker.
John Harrison made a hole in one Friday on the 156-yard sixth hole at Toddy Brook Golf Course. Harrison used an 8-iron to make the shot, witnessed by Thomas Newton, Steven Pelsue and Thomas Knight.
David Trask used an 8-iron to make a hole-in-one Thursday on the 13th hole at Bath Country Club. His playing partners included Warren Kenney, Mike Perreault and Mort Hamlin.
Dick Bundy of Freeport aced the eighth hole at Freeport Country Club on Sunday. Bundy used a 4-iron for the 156-yard shot, which was witnessed by club pro Steve Hodgkins and Dave Harris.
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Golf Course
Taylor led the Yale Lions golf team to a B.C. high school championship last year, and now he will lead Team B.C. into the 2006 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be held Aug. 7 to 10 at Sussex Golf and Country Club in Sussex, N.B.
'I was making putts and hitting the fairways when I needed to,' said Taylor. 'I was more consistent with every aspect of my game and trying not to take any dumb shots.'
Taylor carded rounds of 68, 71, 68 and 70 to finish at 11-under 277. Burnaby's, Rafael Lee kept Taylor on his toes to finish second at two shots back, with rounds of 68, 69, 71 and 71.
'Raf played really well,' said Taylor. 'He made a lot of putts to keep him in there.'
Kevin Spooner of West Vancouver, Ian Mulder of Abbotsford and Dale Stypula of Cranbrook finished in a three-way tie for third place at eight-under 280. A playoff for the final two spots on the B.C. Team saw Spooner and Mulder emerge victorious.
Defending champion Eugene Wong of Vancouver finished tied for ninth at five-under 283, and earned a spot at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
There were numerous other Ledgeview golfers who vied for the B.C. Junior title. Adam Hadwin tied for ninth with a score of 283, Brett Webster was 17th with 288, Lucas Bogdan was 20th at 291, Blair Coan tied for 50th at 303 and Brett Stewart was 53rd at 304.
Ledgeview won the B.C. Junior Club Championship by five strokes over Marine Drive, and the club's players contributed to the Zone winning the B.C. Zone Championship by 20 strokes.
Golf Course
Brendan Moynahan of Hualalai Golf Club on the Big Island, shot a 4-under-par 68 to take the first-round lead at the Aloha Section PGA Professional championship at Makena Resorts South Course on Maui.
Moynahan, the head professional at Hualalai, was three strokes ahead of David Braxton of Elleair Maui Golf Club and Brian Sasada of Makena.
Rick Castillo of King Kamehameha Golf Club, Kevin Hayashi of Mauna Kea and Jerry King of Kapalua Golf Academy were tied at 73.
Thirty-five pros are playing for a purse of $12,000. The winner takes home $2,500 and earns points toward Governor's Cup selection and Section PGA Player of the Year.
The top three finishers also are eligible to represent Hawai'i at the PGA Professional National Championship, June 21 to 24, 2007 at Sunriver Resort in Oregon.
Casey Watabu of Kapa'a, Kaua'i, and Sean Maekawa of Pa'auilo, Hawai'i, each shot an even-par 72 and were tied for 18th after the first round of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash.
Mitch Cohlmia, of Tulsa, Okla., shot a 67 to take the first-round lead. J.C. Home of Daytona Beach, Fla., and Ben Fox of Studio City, Calif., were tied for second at 68.
Other Hawai'i golfers include Kevin Shimomura of Lahaina, Maui, (80, tied for 123rd) Chan Kim of Honolulu (81, tied for 129th) and Lee Sakugawa of Wailuku (82, tied for 136th).
The top 64 of 155 golfers after today's second round of stroke play advance to match play starting Wednesday.
The tournament concludes with a 36-hole match play final Saturday.
Mari Chun shot a 3-under 68 yesterday to take the top spot in qualifying for the Hawai'i State Women's Golf Association Match Play Championship at Oahu Country Club.
Chun, Cyd Okino (75) and Erin Matsuoka (76) received byes into the quarterfinals.
Desiree Ting, Jaclyn Hilea, Traci Kashiwabara-Abe, Lesly Ann Komoda and Kira-Ann Murashige won round of 16 matches to advance to today's quarterfinals.
Lightning of the San Francisco Yacht Club yesterday was in the overall lead as yachts neared the halfway point of the 14th Biennial West Marine Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Kane'ohe.
Lightning, Thomas Akin's Santa Cruz 52, also leads Division E, which features the fastest boats.
Other division leaders are Plus Sixteen (doublehanded); California Girl (Division A); Tutto Bene (Division B); ET (Division C) and Synge (Division D).
The first finishers are projecting to reach Kane'ohe Bay as early as Saturday.
Hawai'i's Asics Rainbows 18s and 13s boys teams tied for third in their respective divisions at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Tournament last weekend at Minneapolis.
Asics Rainbows 18s, who were the top seeds in the Gold Division, went 11-1, losing in the semifinals to Riptides Orange of California, 29-27, 25-21.
Asics Rainbows 13s (8-3) lost to Borinquen Coqui of Puerto Rico, 25-13, 25-9, in the semifinals.
Outrigger Canoe Club 18s lost to Seaside Black of California, 18-25, 25-19, 15-10, in the open division and finished fifth. Outrigger's Kawika Shoji and Spencer McLachlin were named to the all-tournament team.
Aleia Monden of Mililani finished sixth in the 1-meter at USA Diving's West Championships last weekend in Pasadena, Calif., to qualify for the Junior Nationals, July 26 to 30 at Indianapolis.
Monden, 17, was one of 12 to earn berths. She also will compete in the platform at the nationals.
Boxer Van Oscar Penovaroff of Kailua, Kona, will make his pro debut when he faces Beboy Cudeldiego in Manila on July 15, according to his chief trainer Bruce Kawano.
Cudeldiego also will be making his pro debut. Kawano said Penovaroff will fight at between 130 and 135 pounds.
Penovaroff, 24, has been training at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Mich., the past three years.
Golf Course
FARMINGTON ' Bob Beck didn't swing a golf club for the first time until he was 40 years old. And while he admits to not getting out on the course as much as he'd like, Beck spends plenty of time these days building, repairing and fitting golf clubs.
The Farmington resident recently completed the Advanced Clubmaking, Fitting and Repair seminar hosted by the Golfsmith Clubmakers Training Program in Austin, Texas. The week-long session was the second of its kind for Beck, who attended a Basic Club Repair program in 2002, also in Austin. He hopes to complete the final session ' the Master's program ' next summer.
Beck says he simply fell in love with the task of building and repairing golf clubs and initially picked up the hobby by re-gripping his own clubs. His first training seminar, the Basic Club Repair program, gave Beck the opportunity to get to know the ins and outs of the industry, and like he says, "to learn everything I was doing wrong."
"The satisfaction I get is knowing that I'm doing my very best to help the golfer do their best," Beck said. "That's the main thing, is helping the golfer."
Beck has parlayed that satisfaction into his own small business. He has owned Bob's Custom Clubs and Repair ' where he says he can do anything to a golf club that needs to be done ' for roughly five years. It's a full-service shop and Beck busies himself by making clubs from scratch, doing repairs and custom-fitting clubs for a growing number of customers.
To that end, the Advanced program in June was well worth Beck's time. He and his colleagues spent hours working with the various tools and equipment used to test and analyze clubs, as well as the machinery required to run a commercial clubmaking and repair facility.
"The big thing is really how to adjust the club to the golfer," Beck said. "I knew the basics, but this was really detailed. It really helps the golfer because with custom-fit clubs, the clubs fit you rather than you trying to fit them."
Beck also explained that clubs bought off the shelf are standard length, and not all golfers are comfortable swinging a standard length set of clubs. Thus, by attending training seminars, he can stay up to date with the sport's oft-changing technology and work to continually improve his approach to custom-fitting.
"I had no idea, none whatsoever," Beck said when asked if he ever imagined becoming so invested in what was once just a hobby. "I just fell in love with it. I love working with my hands first of all and I think I just picked it up really quick. I really enjoy it."
Garry Smothers is certainly one person who's glad Beck enjoys his craft. Smothers is an avid golfer and has seen Beck's work improve his own golf game so much he likens Beck to a doctor.
"Golf is hard enough as it is and it makes sense to me to go to someone that can make it easier and custom-fit my clubs for me," Smothers said. "Bob is a guy you'd recommend to friends and I have. He's a guy you'd recommend to your boss, and I've done that too.
Golf Course
Twin Rivers Golf Club, one of three financially troubled golf courses that Seminole County officials considered buying earlier this year, is under contract with a private investment group.
The buyers, operating under the name University Golf Club Inc., are partners in five Central Florida courses and have a reputation for turning around struggling properties.
Bob Dello Russo and Chad Barton said they hope to close on the property by mid-July, if issues regarding water supply can be worked out. The local utility, Alafaya Utilities Inc., has had problems recently providing sufficient reclaimed water to customers, including Twin Rivers, Barton and Dello Russo said.
"We don't think it's a major problem," Dello Russo said. "If Alafaya can't provide the water, we'll go to St. Johns [River Water Management District] and get a permit for a well."
Dello Russo and Barton own Country Club of Deer Run, Casselberry Golf Club, Wekiva Golf Club, Country Club of Mount Dora and Rock Springs Ridge Golf Club.
Twin Rivers was one of three taken over and put on the market by Banc of America Strategic Solutions last year after the lender took possession of them from Meadowbrook Golf Inc., an Orlando-based management company.
The courses initially were offered as a package, but Winter Springs Golf Club and Sabal Point Country Club were sold to separate buyers earlier this year.
California businessman Arman Rahbarian bought the Winter Springs course for $2.1 million. Last month, he closed the course and dismissed more than two dozen employees. He promised city officials the course would reopen, though he gave no timeline.
Rahbarian is still trying to determine what would be the best use for the property, said Winter Park attorney Christopher Cathcart, who has been retained to manage it.
In the meantime, at least one of the golf course's neighbors has complained to city officials about high grass on the course. A letter was written to Cathcart about the complaint, said Winter Springs City Manager Ron McLemore.
But McLemore noted that the golf course is technically a conservation easement. That prohibits development, he said, but it doesn't mean the owner has to keep it looking like a golf course.
An investment group behind four apartment-to-condominium conversions bought Sabal Point Country Club in June. It is unclear what RB-GEM Golfbrooke LLC paid for the course, which was advertised for $2.375 million.
That group turned over operations to a private company, Kitson & Partners, but the course has been closed since Banc of America closed it in January.
Last month, the new owners met with representatives of homeowners in Sabal Point, an older, upscale subdivision near Longwood. Wayne Hunicke, president of Sabal Point's largest homeowner group, said residents are concerned about the lack of maintenance on the course and its water features.
"The frequency of callers complaining about weeds and ponds has increased," he said. "We're all having a hard time figuring out why more hasn't been done."
But Hunicke said the meeting with owners left a good impression with residents, which makes it easier to remain hopeful.
"If they spend money for the club, they're going to do something with it," he said. "Residents are no happier [since the golf course was sold]. If fact, they may be a little unhappier. But at least there is reason for optimism."
Robert Perez can be reached at rperez@orlandosentinel.com or 407-322-1298.
Golf Course
DANVILLE -- Things got a little tougher Monday for the participants on the Kiwanis Club / J&J Golf Future Stars Golf Tour.
That, however, wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, program organizer Jamie Barker was pleased with lessons the tough challenges the young golfers learned while playing the course at Chamberlyne Country Club.
"This was the first time this year we played down," Barker said. "We had a couple of good scores, but most of them were down. The kids found out what it's like not being able to move the ball a club's length. That really affects the score over the course of a round.
"They learned they don't need to get down just because they have high scores because sometimes most everyone else does, too. That's what happened (Monday)."
Nelson Darnell was the medalist on the day, shooting a 79 to win the boys 14-15 year-old division. That first-place finish put him tied with Ryan Tucker -- who finished third with an 84 -- atop the division point standings.
Darnell trailed Tucker by 15 points heading into Monday's play. However, strong play in the tour's third event helped him reach the top.
"I thought I hit the ball solid," Darnell said. "I thought my putting wasn't up to what it could be. But overall, I was happy with the way I played."
Tucker tied Garrett Wilkins with matching 84s before Wilkins won the playoff hole to take second. Darnell said he sensed the tough competition from that pair while making his way through the course but felt good about his chances.
"As I was going through, I could tell it was close on the last three or four holes," Darnell said. "I told myself if I strike the ball well I'll be right there in it."
That ended up being the case for Darnell, and he was the lone golfer who broke 80 on the day.
"The wind was blowing and that really made a couple of holes harder than they seemed," Darnell said of the conditions. "It wasn't the easiest course I've played, but it wasn't the hardest either."
Ty Connell maintained his lead in the boys' 16-17 age group, shooting an 87 to hold off Alex Hill (91). Connell now has a 30-point lead over Hill in the points standings with his latest win. Still, the performance wasn't one he wants to remember.
"Today wasn't my greatest," Connell said. "I still got up and down and played the best I could. You have good days, and you have bad days. Today was just my bad day."
Amber Carter won the girls' 16-17 year-old division with a 110, moving her ahead of previous points leader Niki Possage, who did not play Monday. Carrie Vining finished second with a 113 and also moved past Possage.
At stake for the 16-17 age groups is a pair of $1,000 scholarships. The top three finishers in each age group will advance to the Tournament of Champions, scheduled for July 25 at Tannenbaum Golf Club in Drasco.
Connell leads the boys group with 300 points, while Hill has 270. Lance Pendergraft is in third with 160 points.
Carter now has 280 points overall, and Vining has 250. Possage is in third with 200 points.
Connell and Possage won the previous two tournaments before Monday's action.
Several of the points races tightened after Monday's play. That can partly be attributed to tougher conditions.
"The roughs were very tough, and the greens were much bigger than what they were used to," Barker said. "It's the hottest day we've had, so there were a lot of elements that made it tougher.
"This was a different style of play. That's the purpose for playing on different golf courses. We want to try to help the kids be able to play in a variety of conditions."
14-15 year olds
Nicole Helton shot a 99 to win the girls' 14-15 age group. Brittany Rogers finished with a 103 for second, while Jenna Spikes shot a 122 for third.
Helton and Rogers are now tied for first in the point standings with 285 each. Spikes is in third place with 240 points.
For the boys, Darnell and Tucker lead the way with 280 points each, while Wilkins is in second with 175. Kurt Kulbeth, who shot a 94 for fourth place Monday, is in third with 165 points.
12-13 year olds
Jeff Spikes maintained his lead in the boys division with a second-place finish of 45. Tim Netherton won Monday with an eight-hole total of 38.
Spikes now has 260 points to lead all participants. Netherton climbed to second with the win and has 200 points. Tyler Pinny shot a 52 Monday and is in third in the point standings with 170.
For the girls, Laken Powers is the only participant but did not play Monday. She currently has 200 points.
10-11 year olds
Alex Smith won a playoff over Ethan Grace -- who both finished with a 51 -- on Monday to take second place and move in front of the pack with 245 points.
Chase Netherton won Monday's tournament, shooting a 42. He advanced to fourth place overall with 175 points. Stone McDaniel, who shot a 64 Monday, is in third with 200 points.
For the girls, Madison Talley is the only participant but did not play Monday. She currently has 200 points.
8-9 year olds
Jay Trusty shot a 20 through five holes to win the boys' age group Monday and move closer in the points standings. He now has 200 points and is in third place.
Seth Grace finished second with a 27 and is still the division leader, now with 280 points. Joshua Beam (37) is in second with 250 points.
McKenzie Douglas pulled a little closer to overall leader Morgan Beck in the girls' age group with a 37 to win Monday's event. Beck shot a 38 and is in first place with 280 points. Douglas now has 200 points.
The next Future Stars Tour event is scheduled for next Tuesday at Morrilton Country Club.
See Wednesday's edition of The Courier for complete results of Monday's action and the current point standings.
Golf Course
The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Club will meet today at 6:30 p.m. at the Sims Family Golf Center on Hudson Road in Greenfield.
The event is a Girls Golf Club Celebration and members are urged to bring a friend along for a fun night.
The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Club, a program for girls ages 7-17, is a fun introduction to the game of golf. It creates a network for girls to learn to play golf, build friendships and sample competition in a positive and supportive learning environment. The only national initiative of its kind just for girls, the program provides the opportunity to achieve success, progress in golf and
For more information and directions contact Sharon Sims, director, at 937-981-1322 or Jane Dixon, assistant director, at 937-393-5250.
The Hillsboro High School boys soccer team will continue mandatory conditioning July 11-14 from 7-9 a.m. at Liberty Park.
All those interested in playing who will be in grades 9-12 should attend.
For more information, call coach Wayne Thiel at 937-393-5444.
The 2006 Tournament of Champions at Shaffer Park in Hillsboro will feature three Little League divisions this year ?10-and-under, 12-and-under and 15-and-under. All three tournaments will be double elimination and play in all three will begin July 29. The entry fee is $100.
The drawing for the 10-and-under tournament will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 18 at Shaffer Park. For more information call Tim Bell at 937-393-4928 or 937-763-0305 or Tim Helterbrand at 937-393-0487 or 937-763-4204.
The drawing for the 12-and-under tournament will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 19 at Shaffer Park. For more information call Gary Breeden at 937-393-0840 ext. 13 or 937-409-5851 or Rick Earley at 937-393-2645 or 937-402-7812.
The drawing for the 15-and-under tournament will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 20 at Shaffer Park. For more information call Mike Reveal at 937-393-1624 or 937-402-3333 or Dave Vanzant at 937-382-2627 or 937-393-3776.
The fifth annual Sabina 2006 Boys Baseball Tournament will be held July 20-23 at Richland Township Park in Sabina. The cost is $125 per team. Two separate tournaments (double elimination) will be held ?15-and-nder and 12-and-under. The drawing will be held July 18 at 7 p.m. at Richland Township Park. First place individual trophies and second and third place team trophies will be awarded. Contact Greg Bronner at 937-725-0785 for more information.
The fifth annual Circleville Dog Days 5K road race, presented by Red Barn, will be held Saturday, Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. beginning and ending at Circleville High School.
The event boasts unique awards, "Dog Days" suncatchers, to the top three in each of 26 total age groups, plus awards to the top three overall finishers. Numerous door prizes also will be awarded, water and splits will be available on the course, and refreshments will be available at the finish.
If you are interested in running, print an entry form at http://www.circlevillexc.com, or register the day of the race from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. There is a $10 preregistration fee ($15 on race day), and at least the first 150 registered will receive a free T-shirt.
Highland County 4-H Shooting Sports will meet for the second time Saturday, Sept. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Highland County Coonhunters Lodge on Carper Lane off U.S. Route 50, east of Hillsboro.
Shooting Sports Coordinator Kathy DeRose and instructors Steve Dillon (rifle and shotgun), Dave Post, Eric Thompson and Nikki Eyre (archery) and Diane Waits and Danielle Thompson (pistol) encourage you to come and try out the club.
Golf Course
State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Penn Hills -- whose grandparents came here from Italy -- has issued an open letter denouncing Fox Chapel Golf Club for hiring immigrants to maintain its greens.
The open letter complains that the club is "robbing our college students and residents of jobs." The grounds-keeping jobs pay $7 per hour and include a house the six workers, hired from Mexico, share in the nearby town of Blawnox.
The men, who began work April 1 and will remain on the job until Dec. 1, were hired legally through the H-2B seasonal worker visa program that permits companies to hire immigrants for jobs they were unable to fill.
"I have no problem with immigrants. I find it ironic that an affluent country club has to go and bring H-2B visas in here to cut grass when we've got college kids trying to earn a buck to pay their tuitions," Mr. DeLuca said yesterday. "You mean to tell me we're short of people cutting grass now in this country?"
"We advertised the jobs," said David Cecil, the club's manager. "We received zero applications. That would pretty much thwart Rep. DeLuca's claim that we're taking jobs from people willing to work. We weren't." Mr. Cecil said several country clubs in the area also employ immigrants as groundskeepers.
Mr. DeLuca's letter, issued through the state House Democratic Communications Office and headlined "DeLuca denounces Fox Chapel Golf Club hiring of immigrants," took the club by surprise. Mr. Cecil said he had heard nothing from the legislator until being "blindsided" by calls from reporters.
At points, the letter takes on a harsh edge.
"It is of concern that the immigrants, who are supposedly legal, are being provided with adequate housing and they only have to provide a small portion of their salaries to pay for lodging," Mr. DeLuca writes. "The country club has certainly devised a sweet deal for non-American workers."
Mr. DeLuca said he learned of the hirings when Thomas Smith, the mayor of Blawnox, called him to complain that the Fox Chapel club insisted the workers were exempt from the borough's half-percent wage tax. Mr. Cecil has since said he had received bad advice on the tax issue and was now withholding the tax money from the workers' paychecks.
Mr. Smith yesterday complained that the Fox Chapel Golf Club had declined to provide him proof that the immigrant workers are legal.
"The mayor of a town is charged with public safety," Mr. Smith said "My concern was are they legal."
He said the workers have been "no problem whatsoever" in the town, but is upset that the golf club originally argued the workers were exempt from local wage and school taxes.
In his letter, Mr. DeLuca said he would introduce legislation to "require immigrant workers to pay all taxes that all American workers are forced to pay."
He also said he would introduce legislation requiring businesses hiring immigrants to provide their identification to municipalities in which they live, including proof they are here legally.
He also called for inspections of housing provided to immigrants.
Mr. DeLuca's posture yesterday drew criticism from an advocate for Pittsburgh's Latino community.
"It sounds anti-immigrant and is reflecting what I hear from the anti-immigrant side in the immigration reform debate," said Sister Janice Vanderneck, a Sister of St. Joseph and liaison with the Hispanic community for the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Golf Course
Robb both started and finished well during today's action, carding birdies on the first and 18th holes. Robb captured his last birdie in front of an energized gallery, sinking a 25-foot putt on the dramatic 422-yard par-four 18th hole.
'I left a couple of shots out there but I was able to make some lengthy putts and finish strong,' said Robb who is using the tournament as a tune-up for the upcoming Canadian Junior Boys championship being held in Sussex, N.B. in August.
Despite making five birdies on the day Robb thought the relatively short 6,468 yard par-70 layout played extremely tough.
'This is an unbelievable golf course that plays much longer than the score card suggests,' said Robb. 'You have to take each shot as it comes because the thick air makes yardages very deceptive.'
18-year-old Robb is a member of the RCGA National Junior team which offers athletes year-round state of the art coaching and sport science expertise.
Sitting two-strokes back of Robb in second is Timoth'e Alarie of Saint-J'r?me, Que. and Mississauga, Ont. native Graham Baillargeon, both shot one-under-par 69's. Dave Lauzon of St-Hippolyte, Que. and Pascal Garneau of Trois-Riveres, Que. finished even on the day to sit three-strokes back of the lead in fourth.
In the Junior Girls division, Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Que. shot a one-under-par 73 to take a three-stroke lead over Anita Gahir of Thornhill, Ont. Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. shot a 77 to sit in third.
Alexis Gemme Piacente of Mont Royal, Que. shot an opening-round one-under-par 71 to take a five-shot lead in the Bantam Boys division. Brandon Ng of Toronto finished the day second after shooting a 76 while Vincent Blanchette of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. shot a 77 to finish the day in third.
In the Bantam Girl's division, 10-year-old Christina Foster of Concord, Ont. shot 79 to sit four-strokes ahead of Jos'e Doyon of Saint-Georges de Beauce, Que. heading into tomorrow's second round.
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