W-b/scranton Airport Seeks $3 Liftoff Of Ticket Prices 
Passenger Charge Could Help Pay For New Terminal 
******************* 
Photo 
Times Leader/richard Sabatura

1993 Budget 
Tough Cuts, 
Tough Taxes 
Are At Issue 
In Hazleton 
Mayor Quigley Will Have 
To Answer To Councilmen

Monday, November 30, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A/2A QUICK WORDS: DREAMS BOOK
CHALLENGER DIVISION LITTLE LEAGUE 





Times Leader readers can help a family and a team &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 *********************************** &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PHOTO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/FRED ADAMS &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 FUN TIME -- Challenger Little League Division players Eric Gamble, left,
and &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Andrew Somer, whoop it up at the division's annual banquet in Wilkes-Barre
earlier this month FILE PHOTO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAMMERING ONE -- Batter Joey Wychoskie belts one during a 1991 Challenger
Little League game as his buddy Rico Taroli steadies his wheelchair &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ************************************ &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Special children would like the gift of a baseball game &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By CLARA G. HERRERA &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Petite, lovable and frail Christine Capitano remembers when a friend called
her "Miss Handicapped." Upset and confused, the 10-year-old -- who has a
condition that causes her joints to curve and tighten -- rode her bike home
crying. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I didn't know what to say," Capitano said. "I was sad that she said that
to me." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That incident happened before Christine's experience with Challenger
Division Little League. About 60 Luzerne County children who have physical or
mental disabilities participate in the special league. It is Christine's first
year on a team. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I feel good about baseball," she says. "When I play I feel good inside.
It's fun. You get to hit, you get to run, you get to do everything. I'm glad
they have this because people make fun of me and say I can't do anything." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She doesn't let what people say bother her self esteem anymore. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Challenger Division Little League is being featured in "The Book of
Dreams," a series of 11 stories allowing Times Leader readers to contribute
money to help families and individuals with specific needs during the
holidays. This year's goal is $9,385.01 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There are no losers in this league, and for Linda Sampson of Exeter that's
a definite plus. Sampson's son, Eric Gamble, 17, plays in the league. Besides
his once-a-year participation in Special Olympics, this was Eric's first time
to play an organized sport. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He never had the opportunity," his mother says. "It was a whole new thing
for him." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Eric, who has Down syndrome, a form of mental retardation, smiles broadly
while showing off his team picture and baseball trophy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The first time he went to bat he hit the ball and ran to third instead of
first," Sampson says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That didn't matter because game rules are relaxed. Eric was just escorted
to the proper base. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Children can bat while in wheelchairs or with help, if necessary, said Fred
DeSanto, who organized Challenger in the area. Every player bats every inning
and the last batter gets a "grand slam," meaning they get a home run and bring
all three base runners home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "How many times do you think these kids were told they can't do this?"
Sampson said, looking proudly at her son. "We need to focus on what they can
do, not what they can't." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Two years ago, DeSanto, who has headed the Pittston Township Little League
for 19 years, helped bring a 15-game baseball season to children with
disabilities in the area. Now he wants to expand that goal and give these
special children another opportunity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While looking at a chalked line leading from home plate to first base and
feeling freshly cut June grass under their feet, DeSanto wants the children to
hear the cry of "Play ball!" at a baseball field in Connecticut. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 About 20 acres of pure baseball make up the facilities at the A. Bartlett
Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, now under
construction. Four fields strong, the center has been designed to accommodate
people with physical handicaps. Paved paths for wheelchairs lead to dugouts
with widened doors. Local Challenger teams hope to make the trip on June 26. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With another $2,000 DeSanto could charter buses and provide meals for all
the children on the way there and back. While at the center, the children
could swim, play a game with each other and also play a game against other
Challenger teams, DeSanto said. About 250 kids are also expect to be there
from Connecticut leagues. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think they'll learn a bit of independence by doing this," DeSanto said.
"It will open up some horizons for them and give them an opportunity they may
not have otherwise."

Times Leader Readers Can Help A Family And A Team 
*********************************** 
Photo 
Times Leader/fred Adams 
Fun Time -- Challenger Little League Division Players Eric Gamble, Left, And 
Andrew Somer, Whoop It Up At The Division's Annual Banquet In Wilkes-barre 
Earlier This Month

Times Leader Readers Can Help A Family And A Team *********************************** Photo Times Leader/fred Adams Fun Time -- Challenger Little League Division Players Eric Gamble, Left, And Andrew Somer, Whoop It Up At The Division's Annual Banquet In Wilkes-barre Earlier This Month