Reminder

As Previously Posted:

Wednesday, September 3 

Turnstone Golf Outing @ Autumn Ridge 

For more info go to: http://turnstone.org/specialeventfr.html 

Saturday, August 30 Varsity Wheelchair basketball practice @ Turnstone from 9 - 2pm 

Wednesday, September 3 No Wheelchair basketball practice 

Saturday September 6 Prep Wheelchair basketball practice @ Turnstone 9 till noon (parent meeting @ 10am) 

Saturday, August 23 

Quad Rugby practice @ Turnstone from 10 - 3pm 

As Posted by Kevin Hughes:

Mark your calendar for Friday, August 22 

Boundless Playground Press Conference 8/22/08 Needs your support

On Friday, August 22, 2008 starting at 3:30pm @ Kreager Park (North River Road, Fort Wayne, IN)  there will be a press conference announcing the local efforts of building the first Boundless Playground in Indiana called the “Taylor’s Friendship Circle”.

Please join us as Mayor,Tom Henry and many others who have come together to make this playground possible, unveil the playground design and other details. 

Below is a link to an article of how everything started: http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/JG/20071119/LOCAL/711190469&SearchID=73326852277960

Learn more by going to http://taylorsdream.com/

Below is a a direct link to an early sketch of what the playground might look like:

http://taylorsdream.com/Playground%20Design.htm

This press conference is just one more step towards having a boundless playground in Fort Wayne. There’s still lots of work to be done. Below is a direct link of how you can help. http://taylorsdream.com/Help_Page.htm

Please join us at the press conference to help endorse the efforts of building this state-of-the-art playground. Feel free to pass along this email and invite anyone you wish. For further information, please call Kasandra at 260-416-6482. 

A boundless playground in Northeast Indiana is long overdo. Lets be the first one in Indiana to create this groundbreaking playground where everyone can join in on the fun.

As Posted by: Kevin Hughes

This past weekend (August 15-17) two local athletes, James Ezell & Kevin Hughes, competed along with 119 wheelchair tennis athletes at the 2008 USTA National Indoor ROHO Gateway Classic (Letter Division) in St. Louis, MO. 

The veteran James Ezell competed in the Quad A Championship game in both Singles and Doubles however came up short loosing both matches. The Quad A Singles Championship game went 3 long sets with James wining the first set 6-4, then loosing the 2nd set in a tiebreaker. The 3rd set James came back from being down 0-4 to tie it at 4 (even) before loosing 4-6. Going into this tournament James was ranked #1 in Quad A Singles. 

Kevin Hughes finished up his first season in loosing both C Single matches (technically won a match by default b/c opponent didn’t show up in time) and C Double match. Below are the final results as posted at: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/Draws/TournamentDraws.aspx?T=67754 

___________________________ 

**Noah Yablong will be competing in the Open Division Tuesday August 19 through Friday, August 22. Noah’s first Singles match will be against Yan Mathieu from Quebec, Canada. If Noah wins, he’ll play #2 Satoshi Saida from Japan who has a first round bye. 

__________________________ 

Quad Wheelchair A Singles - Semifinals 

(#1) James L. Ezell Defeated Chris S. Melton (Zeeland, MI)7-5; 6-3 

Quad Wheelchair A Singles - Championship 

Jonathan Lopez (Caguas, Puerto Rico)Defeated James L. Ezell 4-6; 7-6; 6-4 

Quad Wheelchair A Doubles - Semifinals 

James L Ezell/Bruce Fairbanks Defeated Hoemann/Nichols 6-1; 6-0 

Quad Wheelchair A Doubles - Championship 

Lopez/Melton Defeated James L Ezell/Bruce Fairbanks 8-4 

Men’s Wheelchair C Doubles - Round One 

Donald Carnrike/James L. Dominick Defeated James Ezell/Kevin Hughes 6-2; 7-5 

Men’s Wheelchair C Singles First Round: 

Larry F. Orr (Salt Lake City, UT) Defeated Kevin Hughes 6-0; 6-1 

Men’s Wheelchair C Singles Consolation 

Kevin Hughes Defeated Jeff Speck (forfeit) 

(#6) Victor T. Vaughn (Hardy, AR) Defeated Kevin Hughes 6-0;6-4 

As posted at:  www.nwiscig.blogspot.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2008

I understand it’s almost the end of summer, but there’s always next year.

We have discovered a few little known facts about the Indiana National Lake Shore.

From the National Park Service website http://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm …

“The major sites in the park are accessible with assistance. The West Beach Bathhouse, the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education, and the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center are fully accessible by wheelchair. Accessible parking and restroom services are available throughout the park. A standard wheelchair is available for loan at the Paul H. Douglas Center.

Indiana Dunes has made significant achievements in providing access to beach areas. However, access to the waters of Lake Michigan pose challenging accessibility problems. Presently, these beach areas are accessible: West Beach, Lake View Picnic area, Dunbar Beach, and Porter Beach.”

I have since found out that the lift at Lake View Picnic area has been abandoned due to numerous maintenance issues. West Beach has a ramp down to the beach and offers two beach wheelchairs for use on the sand. To request these chairs, call the Dispatch Center at 219-395-8640 or ask the booth attendant at the gate entrance. Driving directions to West Beach can be found here.

Another fun fact…

Access Pass

“America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass– Access Pass - Free (replaced the Golden Assess Pass)This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. The pass can only be obtained in person at the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center or other federal recreation sites where it is accepted.

The Golden Access Passports will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass. Only paper version of the Golden Access Passports may be exchanged free of charge for new plastic passes.

Additional information on Access Pass“

I have heard that Washington Park in Michigan City, Indiana has a lift, yet I have not had a chance to look into that beach. 

Have fun at the beach!

Joe

As posted by: Kevin Hughes

RHI Sports, Indianapolis Community Tennis Association, and the LEGS DON’T WORK FOUNDATION PROUDLY PRESENT:

2008 RUN ROLL TENNIS TOURNAMENT

WHAT: An exciting two-day tennis tournament with teams consisting of one wheelchair-tennis player and one ambulatory player! It will be a round-robin tournament with a three-match minimum in both the Youth and Adult divisions. Goodie bags, beverages, and a meal will be provided, along with awards and prizes!

DATE: Saturday, September 20th and Sunday, September 21st

TIME: Matches begin Saturday at 1:00 pm and will run until approximately 7:00 pm. Matches will resume Sunday morning.

PLACE: 

Indianapolis Racquet Club

8249 Dean Rd.

Indianapolis , IN 46240

COST: 

$25 per team (Note: The hosting organization will make its best efforts to provide an ambulatory player should you not have a partner)

ACCOMODATIONS:

Jameson Inn, 8380 Kelly Lane , Indianapolis  (317)-849-8555

Hampton Inn, 6817 E. 82nd Street, Indianapolis- (317) 576-0220

RSVP: Please contact Patrick Dean to register for the event! 

You can email pat.dean@rhin.comor call 317-329-2281 to reserve your spot. 

As Posted by Kevin Hughes

Three athletes from Fort Wayne, IN will be playing at the 25th Anniversary USTA National Indoor ROHO Gatweay Classic. Currently 121 players are signed up.

James Ezell and Kevin Hughes will be playing in the Letter Division Aug. 15-17, 2008

Noah Yablong will play in the Open Division August 19-22, 2008

Go to http://www.confluencesports.org/Gateway%20Classic.html for more info

As posted by Kevin Hughes 

Quick update on the sled hockey group in Fort Wayne, IN.

* Final 08 Summer practice will be Saturday, August 16, 2008 from 8-9am.

* Fall practices will start Monday, September 8, 2008 from 6:45 - 7:45pm

* Remaining Fall and Winter schedule is still being finalize however, will likely have practices twice a month on Monday and Sunday evenings.

* All practices will be at McMillan Ice Arena (3901 Abbott Street. Fort Wayne, IN 46806) $5 drop in cost per participant. For more info, feel free to call Wade Stuckey at 427-6765. All equipment is provided. Recommend arriving 30 minutes before practice starts to get suited up.

* On Friday, February 13 the sled hockey team will play @ Memorial Coliseum during intermission of a Komets game.

* That same weekend (February 14-15) we’re hosting a sled hockey tournament at McMillan Ice Arena.

* Also if you have any suggestion for our team name pass them along, contact Wade Stuckey. *Please stay away from from team names including Sled or Ice. 

7-city tour to showcase Able Flight school

By EMILIE RUSCHerusch@journalsentinel.com

Posted: July 27, 2008

Waukesha - Brad Jones had his first flying lesson when he was 12.

He loved being in the sky, but before he could get his license, the family friend giving him lessons lost the medical certificate the FAA required pilots to have. The lessons had to stop.Then, two years ago, Jones was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident. With no ability to use his legs to operate a plane’s rudder pedals, the Georgia native thought his flying days were over.

Able Flight, a nonprofit organization that provides flight training scholarships for people with disabilities, changed the 23-year-old’s mind.

Now, he’s a licensed pilot, and along with Sean O’Donnell of Philadelphia, he’s flying an adapted plane across the country in a seven-city, 1,000-mile Ability Barnstorming Tour sponsored by Able Flight that ends today at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

“When you get out of the chair and into the plane, you’re like any other pilot,” Jones said. “There’s no one telling you you have limitations because you’re doing something a lot of people can’t do.

“You can’t walk, but you can fly.”

On Thursday, the duo touched down at Crites Field in Waukesha, as part of the tour to raise awareness about adaptive flying. The Sky Arrow planes they fly are the only light sport planes in the U.S. that come factory-equipped with a removable hand control for the rudder, flight instructor Matt Hansen said.

Instead of controlling the plane’s nose with two foot pedals, a pilot who uses a wheelchair can use the hand control, which Jones said is actually more intuitive.

“This makes flying with hand controls just like an able-bodied person,” Hansen said. “Everything I can do, they can do in the same routine.”

Ruling opened doors

What really opened the door for pilots with disabilities was the FAA’s creation of a sport pilot certification three years ago, Hansen said. Sport pilots are limited to flying smaller, light sport planes, but the medical certification is less strenuous, requiring only a valid driver’s license. Sports pilots also can’t fly at night or through clouds.

The change in regulations also made possible the founding of Able Flight in 2006. Charles Stites, an aviation writer and photographer, had heard about a British organization that helped people with disabilities learn to fly, and wanted to write a story about a comparable organization in the U.S.

There wasn’t one, so Stites decided to use his contacts in the aviation world to start the North Carolina-based Able Flight to fill the void.

The scholarships range from $5,000 to $8,000 and cover all the costs related to flight training, including room and board during a monthlong flight school.

Jones and O’Donnell were the first and second Able Flight scholarship recipients to get their licenses. So far, 20 scholarships have been given out.

Jones earned his license days after the one-year anniversary of his accident.

“It’s meant to be a challenge,” Stites said. “When you’re flying solo in an airplane, you’re at your most self-reliant. There’s no one to depend on but you.”

The Ability Barnstorming Tour began in Atlanta on Monday, with stops in Knoxville, Tenn.; Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis and Champaign, Ill., before Thursday’s stop in Waukesha. Jones and O’Donnell are both flying solo, with Stites and Hansen flying ahead in a larger support plane…