Western NY High School Graduation visit

Posted By on June 25, 2007

Roger GoodellWe had an enjoyable trip to western New York (my wife’s home) to attend my niece’s graduation from Maple Grove High School in Bemus Point.

The weather and drive was beautiful and the time with our family too short. The small rural high school graduation (79 students) did offer an interesting commencement speaker for such a small high school: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who also had a niece graduating. The evening event was personal compared to our local school’s affair, but then again my sons class is 10 times the size.

Besides congratulating my niece Jackie, we also shared the day with her step-sister Meg. Both girls will be heading off to college next year, although in different directions … on east and one west.

Jackie  Meg
(Jackie on the left; Meg on the right)

Caps off to all the recent grads …
JaxHSGraduation2007
 

I’m also continuing to test the ScanR.com cellphone photo to OCR text conversion. (see yesterday’s blog post) I’m impressed with this service as I took photo of the Commencement Program and the online service converted the photo to the text below:

Tonight’s Speaker

Mr. Roger Goodell was born in Jamestown, New York. He was chosen to succeed Paul Tagliabue as the Commissioner of the National Football League in September 2006. Roger is also the son of former United States Representative and Senator Charles Goodell. Charles was appointed to the Senate after the tragic assassination of then New York Senator, Robert F. Kennedy.

Roger was a three-sport athlete at Bronxville High School, whereas a senior he served as the captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams. He was named Athlete of the Year in his senior year. He then went on to Washington & Jefferson College where he earned a degree in Economics. He graduated magna cum laude along with earning the Walter Hudson Baker Prize in Economics.

Roger comes from a large family, which continues to have roots in Chautauqua County. Many summers were spent at the home of his parents in Chautauqua Institution. The atmosphere of that home was stimulating and encouraging. It would not have been unusual to find George Gershwin sitting at the piano or to have President Ford calling to speak to Charles.

Roger lives in Bronxville, New York with his wife, Jane Skinner, who is a Fox News Channel anchor. They have 4-year-old twin daughters, Sarah and Suzanne. He willingly acknowledges that Jane and the girls are his center and foundation. As Roger returned home the day he received word of being named NFL Commissioner, Jane leaned over to the girls and told them to say congratulations to their Dad because he was now “Number One.” Sarah looked toward her Mom and then toward her Dad and simply said, “Not in this house.” Roger would be the first to admit she’s right.

Comments

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog