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Lansford inducting three members

The Carbon County Sports Hall of Fame will induct its 2013 class on Sunday, May 26 at Memorial Hall in Jim Thorpe.

The doors will open at 12:45 with cocktail hour from 1-2 p.m. Dinner will be at 2 p.m. with the induction ceremony to follow.Anyone looking for tickets to the banquet can contact any of the following people: Art George 610-826-2830; Jake Boyer 610-751-6634; Danny McGinley 570-325-3550; Tom Wehr 570-366-2694; Trevor Lawrence 570-645-4722; Ted Bortnick 570-645-9575; Emmett McCall 570-645-2093; Bob Gelatko 570-645-8652; Tom McGrath 570-668-2237; Gary Clemson 570-668-1066; Tom Pilla 570-669-6666; Bill Gardiner 570-669-6564.Following are the inductees from Lansford along with Tom Pilla, who is a special inductee from Nesquehoning this year:Roberta Spezialetti (Porambo)Roberta is the daughter of Corrine and the late Robert Spezialetti of Lansford. Bert, as most people know her, played both basketball and softball for Panther Valley High School from 1973-77.As a basketball player, she accumulated 685 total points and averaged 16.06 ppg. as a senior.But Roberta's real passion was softball. As a senior, she received the MVP award in the Schuylkill County All-Star Senior Softball Classic. She was also recognized as the MVP in both basketball and softball during her senior year of high school.She continued playing softball at national powerhouse Bloomsburg University, starting all four years at third base under the direction of Hall of Fame Coach Jan Hutchinson. As a senior, she was co-captain of a squad the qualified for the AIAW Division III National Softball Championship Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although Bloomsburg did not win the championship that year, it set the stage for the following year, when the team captured the Division III National Championship.Roberta graduated from Bloomsburg with a degree in Education in 1981, and later received her Master's Degree from Wilkes Univerisity.She is married to Tom Porambo, also a Panther Valley and Bloomsburg graduate. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Amy and Abbey, and reside in Fleetwood, PA.Bill MaynardBorn in Grayson, Kentucky, Bill moved to Lansford in 1960, where he attended Lansford School District. He began playing organized sports in Little League.In 1963, Bill played football and baseball as a freshman in the former Lansford High School. He had the privilege of participating in the last Lansford vs. Coaldale Thanksgiving Day game, which Lansford won, 6-0.From 1964 through 1967, Bill played football, baseball and basketball at the newly formed Panther Valley Jointure. During his senior year, the football team was 9-1. Bill was certainly a catalyst for the offense, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and finishing second in scoring in Carbon County behind teammate Mike Winsko. For those achievements, he was voted All-State Honorable Mention.During his senior year, the basketball team finished 23-0 and captured the first District 11 Championship at Panther Valley before losing in the state playoff game. That year, Bill averaged 17 ppg., which again earned him All-State Honorable Mention.For his achievements as both a fullback and a linebacker, Bill received a full athletic scholarship to Penn State University. After one year at PSU, he enrolled in the United States Maine Corps, where he servied 2 1/2 years. After being honorably discharged in 1971, he returned home to the Panther Valley area.Bill currently resides in the Lansford with his wife Donna. He has three sons, Bill, Jason and the late John, along with two step-children, Tammy and Ernie.Bill has been employed by the Carbon County Housing Authority for 28 years, where he is currently a maintenance foreman.Caszy KosciolekCaszy Kosciolek, a four-sport athlete selected for several all-league and all-state teams during his high school career, graduated from Marian Catholic High School in 1981.In his senior year, he was the Colt's quarterback, helping the team to a 12-1 Eastern Conference Championship. In basketball, he was the captain of the team and became the school's all-time leading scorer while contributing to a 31-5 season and Anthracite League title. In baseball, he was a pitcher and catcher, captaining the Hughie McGeehan and District XI championship teams. He was also a high-jumper on the school's track team.In 1982, Kosciolek played football, basketball and baseball at Massanutten Military Academy, Va., while completing a year of college prepartory studies. The following year, he enrolled at Bloomsburg University, where he was one of the few athletes in recent history who played both football and basketball for the Huskies. He was a four-year starter for the football team, filling the role of strong safety. During his senior season, the team had the best record in school history, finishing with a 12-1 mark. They were the 1985 PSAC champions as well as Lambert Cup award winners, which is given to the nation's best team in the northeast. The Huskies finished third in the nation among Division II teams. During his basketball career he was a member of the 1983-84 team, which advanced to the Elite Eight national tournament at the Division II level. He graduated from Bloomsburg in 1986 with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Sociology.After graduating from Bloomsburg, Caszy worked as a professional baseball umpire in the New-York Penn League and Florida State League from 1988-1992. Since 1988, he has coached high school basketball, including head coaching positions at Panther Valley, Lehighton and Tamaqua, where he is currently the head coach. He also served as an assistant high school football coach at Marian, Panther Valley and Northern Lehigh over a 10-year period.Caszy is currently the Magisterial District Judge in the Panther Valley area, an elected position he has held since October of 1999. He is the son of Albina (Marczyk) Kosciolek and the late Teddy Kosciolek. He is married to Beteanne (Lucko) Kosciolek and they have two children, Carly and Brett.NESQUEHONINGTom PillaTom Pilla is a founding member of the Carbon County Sports Hall of Fame and the first Nesquehoning resident to become a member.His dedicated service to the organization has has allowed the greatest athletes from the Nesquehoning area to receive Hall of Fame inductions.

Copyright 2013