| Navigation Bar Placeholder |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Opinion
| | | | | | | | | | |
:: Arizona Pool Scene www.azpoolscene.com
| Arizona Pool Scene |
| www.azpoolscene.com |
As some of you know, I have a 25 year old son named Vinnie. A few years ago Vinnie was
very much a part of the pool world as I was. In the past 14 months, Vinnie has gotten
married, landed a great job with Cox Communications, and was exactly 50% responsible
for giving me my third grandchild. His pool playing time is currently zero. As well it should
be. I am extremely proud of him.
Vinnie lived with his mother in New Jersey through his school years. When he got into
high school he developed a friendship with a young guy his age named Matthew Boattini.
Matt's nickname is "Boat". Two days after Vinnie and Boat graduated from high school,
Vinnie moved to live with my wife Ann and I here in Arizona. He's been here ever since.
Shortly after Vinnie moved to Arizona, Boat called and asked Vinnie if he could come to
Arizona for awhile and live with Vinnie. Almost over-night, Ann and I went from just the two
of us, to a "family" of four. It was great. Boat and Vinnie had one thing in common that
stands out above the rest. They are and always have been extremely hyper, animated,
energetic, and very zealous. If there's a mountain in sight, they had to climb it. No tree
could take a nap if they were around as they would have to climb it and probably hang from
a limb or two on the way up. Do you know what it means to have a ball, any kind of ball, in
the house? To them it meant it's time for battle ball! That's the way they were. Especially
when they were together.
A few months after Boat moved to Arizona, he enrolled in college somewhere in Maryland.
During his stay with us in Arizona, while traveling around with Vinnie, Boat met a handful of
Valley pool players who may very well remember him. Boat also was back here last year
to stand up as Vinnie's best man when Vinnie put his pool career on hold and got married.
The following is from the Honolulu Advertiser .... Monday, January 30th, 2006
very much a part of the pool world as I was. In the past 14 months, Vinnie has gotten
married, landed a great job with Cox Communications, and was exactly 50% responsible
for giving me my third grandchild. His pool playing time is currently zero. As well it should
be. I am extremely proud of him.
Vinnie lived with his mother in New Jersey through his school years. When he got into
high school he developed a friendship with a young guy his age named Matthew Boattini.
Matt's nickname is "Boat". Two days after Vinnie and Boat graduated from high school,
Vinnie moved to live with my wife Ann and I here in Arizona. He's been here ever since.
Shortly after Vinnie moved to Arizona, Boat called and asked Vinnie if he could come to
Arizona for awhile and live with Vinnie. Almost over-night, Ann and I went from just the two
of us, to a "family" of four. It was great. Boat and Vinnie had one thing in common that
stands out above the rest. They are and always have been extremely hyper, animated,
energetic, and very zealous. If there's a mountain in sight, they had to climb it. No tree
could take a nap if they were around as they would have to climb it and probably hang from
a limb or two on the way up. Do you know what it means to have a ball, any kind of ball, in
the house? To them it meant it's time for battle ball! That's the way they were. Especially
when they were together.
A few months after Boat moved to Arizona, he enrolled in college somewhere in Maryland.
During his stay with us in Arizona, while traveling around with Vinnie, Boat met a handful of
Valley pool players who may very well remember him. Boat also was back here last year
to stand up as Vinnie's best man when Vinnie put his pool career on hold and got married.
The following is from the Honolulu Advertiser .... Monday, January 30th, 2006
KIPAHULU, Maui — A 25-year-old man killed Saturday when he was crushed by a boulder
while hiking in an East Maui stream was identified today as Matthew Boatitti.
Boatitti was with three friends when he tried to climb the bank of Lelekea Stream and
grabbed onto a boulder, pulling it loose, said Mark Tanaka-Sanders, chief ranger at
Haleakala National Park's Kipahulu District.
Boatitti fell backward and the boulder, measuring 3 feet by 4 feet, pinned him in the stream
bed. His companions managed to hold his head above water and to roll the rock off his
body, Tanaka-Sanders said. Rescuers evacuated the man but he died from his injuries.
He said Boatitti was originally from New Jersey, and had moved to Maui only recently,
staying at Laulima Farm in East Maui.
while hiking in an East Maui stream was identified today as Matthew Boatitti.
Boatitti was with three friends when he tried to climb the bank of Lelekea Stream and
grabbed onto a boulder, pulling it loose, said Mark Tanaka-Sanders, chief ranger at
Haleakala National Park's Kipahulu District.
Boatitti fell backward and the boulder, measuring 3 feet by 4 feet, pinned him in the stream
bed. His companions managed to hold his head above water and to roll the rock off his
body, Tanaka-Sanders said. Rescuers evacuated the man but he died from his injuries.
He said Boatitti was originally from New Jersey, and had moved to Maui only recently,
staying at Laulima Farm in East Maui.