To the Editor:

Alan Chute’s story on the Country Way’s great basketball team of the early 1970s (Ad-Dem. 7-18-24) was a rich reminder of the late, great Henry Paradis’ love of life and his community as a sport promoter.

I was sports editor of the Portland Press Herald/Sunday Telegram at the time and lived here in Paris—close enough to be an insider to Henry’s promotional skills. He had such a close affiliation with UMO basketball he actually rented planes to fly Gib Philbrick’s players back and forth from Orono.

The “Country Way Air Force” ran on schedule the spring of 1973. Eddie Griffin, a South Portland bar keeper-sports nut and Henry’s soul brother had great contacts with individual Boston Celtics who loved their trips to Maine on Eddie’s behalf.

The late Billy Haynes, of Waterford, OHHS and UMO, was probably the biggest of the local stars going against NBA regulars when Henry’s team played the Griffin Club. Alan is right about that great season being something of a springboard date for a big upturn in local basketball. But going back years, the Norway Armory was always full.

The National Guard had a strong pick-up team that played all over western Maine. Tuesday and Friday night basketball drew big crowds and Paris High was a frequent state contender. It was every fan’s delight to see real life Celtics roaming the OHHS court like music by Mozart.

Satch Sanders retired that year. He told me if it hadn’t been for basketball, he’d have been the tallest waiter in Brooklyn. Back in the late 1950s, when Paul Bessey was still a playground lad in Buckfield, Ralph Niemi, Tauno Wouri, Ray Huotari and I used to spend winter Saturdays playing four-on-five in Buckfield’s new gym with kid who would later win championships for The Bucks.

Bob Moorehead

Paris