[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9799-9800]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF RAY McKENNA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 16, 2005

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 
to the life and dedication of an East Hartford legend and community 
sports leader, the late Ray McKenna. In honor of his memory, I am 
submitting for the Record a letter to the editor by Don Pitkin in the 
East Hartford Gazette.

[[Page 9800]]



            [From the East Hartford Gazette, Mar. 10, 2005]

                          Letter To the Editor

                            (By Don Pitkin)

       To the Editor: Ray McKenna, the Sports Legend, icon, 
     humanitarian, and more importantly, the friend we all lost a 
     week ago. Much has been spoken and chronicled about his many 
     accomplishments and the giving of himself. Any attempt to try 
     and say more along those lines would be to repeat what has 
     already been stated. Now is the time to try and envision what 
     Ray has been, or is doing, since he left us. It is easily 
     believed that on his journey to his new ``Burnside,'' he is 
     thinking of those he will be joining. How many will there be? 
     What have they been doing? Are there any sports activities 
     there? It soon became clear what he would do first. He would 
     look for his old coach and mentor, Mr. John ``Crafty Jack'' 
     McGrath. Once arrived it didn't take long. Everyone knew Mr. 
     McGrath. After all, the residents in this area all came from 
     East Hartford. Ray will be surrounded by those he has known 
     for years. After the greetings and reminiscing is over, Ray 
     gets right to the point. Are there any sports here? Are there 
     are athletes from East Hartford around? There are! Who are 
     they? Will you help me find them? And off Ray went with 
     Coach. Ray spotted them even before he and Coach got there. 
     Someone was banging out fly balls for Al Jordan and Johnny 
     Lichatz to chase down. Then it was a grounder to the left of 
     Ed Cox at short. The scoop and the toss to Bill Wood at 
     second and the throw to Long John Gorman at first. It was 
     wide, but John snared it and made the swipe to tag the 
     imaginary runner. Over there, isn't that Andy Senicrope 
     pitching to Bill Luika? Then it was like they were all as one 
     when they spotted Ray and came to greet him. It was talk, 
     talk, yak, yak for a while. Ray brought up the subject of 
     playing as a team. They were all from the 1938 team of East 
     Hartford High. The only ones missing, Bobby Brown at third 
     and Pitkin in right. Now the vision changes. It is a month 
     later. Someone has filled the vacancies and Coach has found 
     others from his past teams. They are all wearing the knicker 
     length baseball pants. On the front of their shirts it is 
     East Hartford, and on the back, Ray's '38 Team. They look 
     pretty sharp as they work out. Word is that they have joined 
     the Eastern Division of the newly formed Sky League. Yes! Ray 
     had an important role in this endeavor. If any of you would 
     like to see them play their first season, it is quite easy. 
     Walk out into your yard, tilt your head back and look up into 
     the blue. Now close your eyes. Did you see that? Loika threw 
     out the man trying to steal. Just stay like that. This is 
     only the third inning. There is more coming. You all know the 
     rest of this vision. Mr. Editor. If you should happy to be in 
     touch with Ray, please tell him that when I am finished here, 
     I will join them with glove and shoes in hand. P.S. Good Luck 
     guys! Thanks, Don Pitkin of East Hartford Note: Don Pitkin is 
     a graduate of East Hartford High School, Class of 1938. He 
     and East Hartford Gazette Sports Editor Ray McKenna were 
     teammates.

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