July 18, 2022
The Fellowship time on Tuesday at the Rippey United Methodist Church was cancelled this week because of the funeral service for Pat Milliken, a former Rippey resident. The Fellowship Coffee will resume on July 26 at l0 am. All are welcome.
Summer reading – The Rippey library summer reading program continues.
Approximately 40 people attended the Blank Park Zoo program. After crafts and pizza, Danielle McMillan, educator for the zoo, showcased the creatures and other items. Her presentation was well received and the group enjoyed the turtle and salamander, as well as being able to gather around the table to touch and feel the items display table.
Thank you to Peoples Bank for furnishing the pizza.
From the Rippey library shelves
As I roamed the Biography section of the library, a book caught my eye about a baseball player, Roberto Clemente. I had a vague memory of him and after a slow start found his history and legacy fascinating in “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero” by David Maraniss.
Clemente began his love for baseball in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Those who watched him play from an early age witnessed “a beautiful fury” that they would never forget. After a brief time as part of the Brooklyn Dodgers farm team system, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and was a key player when they won the World Series in 1960 and 1971.
He not only had a deep love for baseball but was a serious student of the game, especially opposing pitchers. He was one of the first Latin players to be prominent in the Major League. He never forgot where he was from nor the children in Puerto Rico and his young fans in the United States.
Unfortunately, his life was cut short while on a flight from Puerto Rico on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua with aid after a massive earthquake when his overloaded, uninspected plane dropped into the sea. His story is heartbreaking and inspiring. ~by Nancy Hanaman
