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Looking for an inspiring speaker or a book for discussion with teens or adults? On Tuesday, June 16th, PALS is sponsoring a free video conference program with Gary Moore, author of the book, Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War and a Field of Broken Dreams. Gene Moore was headed for baseball stardom with the Brooklyn Dodgers when his destiny was interrupted by Pearl Harbor. After playing ball for the Navy in the Azores and North Africa, Gene and his team were sent to the States for a special—and top secret—mission: guarding German sailors captured from U-505. Unable to field a team, Gene convinced his commander to allow him to teach the enemy how to play baseball while he and his teammates waited for the war to end so they could be called up into the Major Leagues.
Inspired by true events, Playing with the Enemy is the riveting story of a depression-era youth and his brush with destiny. Author Gary Moore, Gene’s son, did not learn of his father’s remarkable odyssey through World War II and the hardships of minor league baseball until the day before Gene’s death. Gary lives in Bourbonnais, IL and his father, Gene, was from Sesser, IL.
Playing with the Enemy was featured as a selection for “Naperville Reads”, Naperville’s community reading program and “Great Read 2008-2009”, a joint reading program sponsored by Plainfield Public Library, Plainfield School District, Joliet Public Library, and Fountaindale Public Library, and “One Book, One School” for 2009-2010 at Lemont High School. It is appropriate for reading and discussion for junior high students through adults. A movie is currently in pre-production.
The video conference will be available at all eight of our neighborhood sites— Coal Valley, Elizabeth, Kankakee, LaSalle, Rockford, Shorewood, Sterling, and Sycamore so please register for the one most convenient for you. This program is a part of PALS’ LSTA grant to update the video conference equipment at the three service centers.
If you have any questions, please contact Dawn DiVenti (dawnd@palsnet.info) or Jane Lenser (janel@palsnet.info).
A blind man wanders into an all girls biker bar by mistake. He finds
his way to a bar stool and orders some coffee. After sitting there for
awhile, he yells to the waiter, “Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?”
The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky
voice, the woman next to him says, “Before you tell that joke, sir, I
think it is only fair — given that you are blind — that you should know five
things:
1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.
2. The bouncer is a blonde girl.
3. I’m a 6 foot tall, 175 lb. blonde woman with a black belt in
karate.
4. The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional
weightlifter.
5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler.
Now, think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still wanna tell that
joke?”
The blind man thinks for a second, shakes his head, and mutters,
“No...not if I’m gonna have to explain it five times.”