One auld acquaintance who won't be forgot
On Friday in Geneva, floor announcer Kurt Wehrmeister's smooth tones and precise enunciation will fill the gym for the Western Sun Conference boys basketball game against archrival Batavia.
Chances to hear the 32-year veteran of the scorer's table will be limited to five more home contests plus the Class 4A Geneva regional. He wrapped up 30 years calling football games at Burgess Field this fall.
As announced at the Vikings' last home football game Oct. 9, the 1975 Geneva graduate will be significantly scaling back the number of games he'll work - namely the annual Geneva Hall of Fame induction game, possibly Geneva-Batavia and maybe a few others should Geneva athletic director Jim Kafer get in a bind.
"I've enjoyed it a great deal. It's been 30 years of having the best seat in the house," said Wehrmeister, who atypically missed the Dec. 11 game against DeKalb to attend his eldest son Robb's graduation from Illinois State. Geneva residents Kurt and Judy Wehrmeister have another son, Eric, a junior at Columbia College in Chicago.
Kurt Wehrmeister, the director of communications and public affairs for Moose International, recalls being a senior at Geneva and pestering then-activities director Chic Williams for a crack at the PA job for Vikings basketball.
Three decades later the prospect of potentially blocking another young, golden-throated upstart, as well as the lure of free weekends with his wife, are main reasons why the 52-year-old Wehrmeister is stepping aside.
"He thought maybe he'd been at it long enough and it was time to maybe walk away from it and maybe provide some opportunities for somebody else to do it," Kafer said during football season.
The athletic director realized what he would be losing.
"What I told him is, a little bit like in professional venues where people have done it for a number of years - even Harry Caray - he had become a part of the game," Kafer said. "It's always been my feeling that Kurt Wehrmeister has become part of Geneva basketball and football games. He's become part of the tradition, and you don't want to lose it."
Wehrmeister, who serves on Geneva's Hall of Fame Committee and sings a rousing national anthem, has been part of the tradition long enough to have announced the name of Tim Pease as both a starting basketball forward and also as the Vikings' former head varsity coach. He did the same with Geneva principal Tom Rogers, a football quarterback and basketball player in 1983-85.
"I have always thought that high school athletics was the last true sporting venue before it becomes a business," said Wehrmeister, who also covered some track and field and girls basketball in the years after he graduated from the University of Illinois in 1979.
"It's been a whole lot of fun watching quality young kids come of age. There's been a couple of instances, not too many, where I've gotten to call the names of kids whose fathers' and mothers' names I called 25 years ago."
There may be chances after this season, though fleeting, where Kurt Wehrmeister will still have that opportunity.
"If Mr. Kafer needs somebody on short notice and I'm in town, I'm not going to say no," he said.
Operation: Fast Break
A combined effort of the St. Charles East girls basketball and band programs and Bartlett girls basketball, "Operation: Fast Break" is a donation effort to assemble care packages for American troops stationed overseas.
Working with the Fox Valley Troop Support Organization, the effort is coordinated by Saints basketball boosters Bob and Cheryl Martines. Their daughter Annie is on St. Charles East's sophomore team, and Saints graduate LCpl. Alec Martines is a Marine who in April returned from a tour in Iraq.
Last year a similar effort was conducted to honor the memory of fallen soldier and 2005 Bartlett graduate Pfc. Leonard J. Gulczynski, whose younger sister, Jacki, is a guard on this year's Bartlett varsity basketball team. Nearly 50 care boxes were sent to Al Taqaddum Airbase in Iraq, where Alec Martines was stationed. (Mr. Martines said the Saints band was last year's standout contributor.)
There's a whole convenience store's worth of supplies soldiers abroad can use - also including letters of support and even donations of shipping charges. The best way to see the goods is to scan the "Operation: Fast Break" flyer after accessing the Web sites, stcharleshoops.com and stcebands.com.
The main donation point will be at St. Charles East's main gym during the Jan. 8 girls basketball game between the Saints and Bartlett, but there's also a couple spots within St. Charles East High School itself. Bob Martines is happy to explain any details at (630) 584-3106 or aisle209@yahoo.com.
Stocking stuffer
Have an Aurora basketball fan on your Christmas list? What would make a better gift than a ticket to the Sears Centre Arena for boys basketball games featuring West Aurora, Aurora Central Catholic and Marmion?
No round-robin, this is the 13th annual High School Hoops Showdown, Jan. 23 in Hoffman Estates. ACC-Marmion is the second game that day, tipping off at 6:30 p.m. West Aurora plays Neuqua Valley in the 8:30 p.m. nightcap. The action begins with Glenbard East-Jacobs at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students 18 and under. They are available at the schools, Sears Centre box office, searscentre.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
Happy Holidays!
doberhelman@dailyherald.com