Latest news with #WarrenSmith
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Warren Smith left a shining legacy in Aurora
Thirteen years ago, I wrote the story of Aurora's Warren Smith, who was a retired Catholic school principal and also the retired Aurora Area Superintendent of Catholic Schools. The editor appropriately titled the story as 'A Good Shepherd of Catholic Education in Aurora.' Mr. Smith (he will always be Mr. to students and to teachers who worked under his leadership) passed away in December of 2023. There were no public tributes or media stories at the time of his passing, and he probably would have vetoed any such attempt. As I checked through old school records and talked with people who had worked with him, an amazing story of his life's work and dedication began to open up. The persistent theme of his many years of leadership became obvious: he presided over times of great change in our society, and particularly in Catholic education. In fact, the title of a Beacon-News story in 2018 was 'Change is the norm for Aurora's Catholic Schools.' Mr. Smith's career began as a social studies teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Aurora in 1963. His leadership qualities emerged and, at the age of 28, he became the principal of that school in 1967. As I talked with him for the 2018 story, he mentioned that he began noticing changes soon after assuming his leadership role. 'During the 1960s, and because of Vatican II, some conservative Catholics who didn't want change may have felt pushed out,' he said. 'In 1964, enrollment at our school stood at 800, but around 1970, it began a transition to two rooms per grade instead of three. 'Affordability started to become an issue, and a great decline in the number of teaching Sisters played a big part in the downturn,' he said. Lay teachers were needed to fill that void, and the expense of salaries became an important issue. Budgeting and funding for all of the Catholic schools became an important change starting in the 1970s, and a downward trend in enrollment began. Mr. Smith, along with other administrators and lay leaders, faced this as a new challenge. With a certain amount of bravery, they forged ahead with determination to keep Catholic schools alive and vibrant. Not having enough on his plate, and while continuing as school principal, he was appointed Aurora Area Superintendent of Catholic Schools in 1985, and continued in that role until 1997. His scope immediately increased to his being the leader of nine elementary schools and also Aurora Central Catholic High School. Change was the norm of those years—changes in the church and the Diocese of Rockford, along with legal, constitutional and economic issues and changes. Strong leadership was needed, and Mr. Smith was in the forefront. The most stellar achievement of the Aurora Catholic School System during his years as superintendent was probably the opening of the new Aurora Central Catholic campus on Edgelawn Drive in 1995. It was a multi-year project fraught with many hurdles, but many leaders and volunteers persevered through them all. The final hurdle came when the bishop of the Rockford Diocese wanted to have the project stopped, but that objection was overcome with difficulty. Some referred to the opening of the new campus as a miracle. The following message was one of many left following Mr. Smith's online obituary: 'Warren and Bob (Stewart, longtime principal of Aurora Central Catholic) pulled off and helped sustain a new miracle Catholic high school in the creation of ACC on its new site — along with the many other dedicated and passionate people intent on keeping the ACC school and tradition alive. That is a legacy that transcends time, just as Warren's many other accomplishments will do also.' Also in 1995, Mr. Smith left his role as elementary principal to devote full time and effort to his superintendent's role. I remember his telling me that his first office was an empty room in the new ACC building with a card table and a folding chair. But as he settled into his new routine, the same bishop of Rockford eliminated the job of Aurora Area Superintendent in 1997. Needing to continue working, he became the principal of St. Thomas School in Crystal Lake. He commuted to that position from Aurora, and retired in 2002. Along with his lovely wife Joyce, Mr. Smith continued to be very active back in his home parish at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Aurora, even serving as interim principal of its school in 2003-2004. Together the Smiths authored a book honoring the centennial celebration of the parish in 2009. Mr. Smith chaired several committees, and his advice was always sought for important projects and decisions. His leadership abilities and qualities were always evident, and he sometimes had to make unpopular decisions over the years, as do all effective leaders. At the same time, he was an unassuming and humble person. Throughout three generations of great, and sometimes difficult, changes in education, thousands of young people benefited from the steady and unwavering dedicated leadership of Mr. Warren D. Smith. Long live his memory.
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
NRL world up in arms as ref blunder sinks Dragons
St George Illawarra have suffered back-to-back defeats after they were overpowered by Cronulla in the local derby on Thursday night, albeit with a slice of controversy. The Dragons had established an 18-6 lead at the break in enemy territory but were swamped by Cronulla in the second stanza, giving up 24 unanswered points. However, despite another loss, it was a controversial late penalty from a kick-off that got Shane Flanagan's goat. Trailing 24-18 with just over eight minutes left, the Dragons appeared to have regained possession thanks to a short kick-off, in a potentially momentum-turning play. But referee Grant Atkins ruled that, even though the player was over the 40-metre line when he batted it back, the ball didn't break the plane. That means in the referee's opinion, the ball didn't travel the required 10 metres, crossing the 40-metre line, and therefore the Sharks were awarded a penalty instead. So rather than the Dragons going on the attack trying to level up the match, they were made to defend their line, it was a decision they never recovered from. The commentators were left stunned by Atkins' call. 'Oh boy, it broke the plane for your life!' Warren Smith said in Fox commentary. You can watch the kick off drama in the player at the top of the page. 'They don't have their challenge, and it can't be overturned. Oh, it broke the plane! That had to have broken the plane.' Michael Ennis agreed with Smith. 'Oh no! Well and truly broke the plane,' Ennis said. 'It looked certain to have broken the plane.' Post-game, Flanagan was fuming with the decision. 'There were some decisions that I was amazed at,' Flanagan said. 'You were watching it (the game) weren't you? There was a kick-off that you should watch again. 'There's a red line there called the 40-metre line and Moses Suli was on the other side of the 40-metre line. You can watch it.' The NRL world was equally stunned by Atkins' error and questioned why the bunker or touch judge didn't overrule him. 'Refs cannot be getting the short kick of penalties wrong …. Why were the touch judges on the 50m line rather than the 40 … let the ref rule on off-side,' one fan wrote. 'The Dragons have every right to feel hard done by there,' another added. 'He's right in line how does he get that wrong? Big turning point. Why do we have touchies' a third said. The loss leaves the Dragons in 12th position on the NRL ladder with five wins and eight losses for the season, meanwhile the Sharks have moved to fifth position with eight wins and six losses.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Why animal rights activists are trying to force the NRL's biggest team to change their name and DUMP their game-day mascot
Animal rights activists have sensationally called for Brisbane - the NRL 's biggest team - to immediately change their name and also dump their long-serving game-day mascot, Buck the horse. Representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), believe a better name is the Brisbane Boomerangs, as it acknowledges the club's Indigenous talent dating back to 1988 as well as being a commitment to equality. PETA also hold that view the name Broncos 'glorifies rodeos' and they would be better suited with a human mascot decked out in club colours. 'Unlike real horses, the human inside the Buck costume can consent to running around a field in front of screaming fans, and no one is sitting on their back,' Senior Campaigns Advisor to PETA Australia, Mimi Bekhechi said. 'Aside from the odd dry cleaning, Buck the costumed character doesn't need anywhere near the level of care a real horse does. 'Removing the 'real' Buck from the field is the best 'conversion' the Broncos could make.' Representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), believe a better name is the Brisbane Boomerangs, as it acknowledges the club's Indigenous talent dating back to 1988 (pictured, star prop Payne Haas) Meanwhile, respected footy commentator Warren Smith has called for the likes of Kobe Hetherington and Jordan Riki to take their games to a new level - and fast. 'Other than Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, I think they are just missing running metres,' the Fox League identity said. 'Jordan Riki has been much quieter than in seasons with Kobe Hetherington in that 13 role, they seem to lack a bit of punch at times through the middle.' Smith does feel Ezra Mam will be a welcome inclusion in the halves after serving his nine-game NRL suspension as Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt are too similar players in his eyes. Earlier this week, Broncos legend Gorden Tallis stated on NRL 360 Carrigan 'isn't big enough' to be playing prop, preferring he plays at lock. On Sunday, Michael Maguire's men - who have lost four of their past five games - take on the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium. Another defeat will see Brisbane drop out of the top eight - the last thing they need at Red Hill with the Origin period looming.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How a Novelty Surf Spot Inspired America's Newest Wave Pool
The Gulf Coast of the United States is a beautiful, although surf-starved, region of the country. The waves are inconsistent, the swell windows are scarce – still, there's a healthy population of surfers, who foam at the mouth anytime a hurricane funnels its way into Alabama, Florida, and beyond. One of those surfers, who grew up surfing the fickle gulf side of Florida, was Warren Smith. And so, he had to get creative…mainly by traveling elsewhere to score waves. But, in his later years, and post-professional surf career, Smith has a new driving force: bringing a wave pool to his frothy hometown of Panama City Beach, Florida. And he's doing it a bit differently than others in the space. First, the pool was inspired by a real, although boat-powered, novelty surf spot – more on that below – and second, Smith is hell-bent on preserving some core surf culture with the project, rather than simply being a big-money investment opportunity. 'Growing up on the Gulf Coast,' said Smith, 'we always had to travel to get waves. So, a lightbulb went off in my head. It was perfect for this. I wasn't trying to build a rich person's playground; I was actually trying to solve a problem.' Thus, Shell Point Surf Club was born. And with the project getting unanimous approval from the local city council, the wheels are turning, the plans are being prepared, and the waves (hopefully) will be pumping summer of 2027. To hear more about the project, we hit up Smith. Read on for more. Tell us about the project, your role, and how it all came to be. I was in the industry for, whatever, like 25 years. The first half was professional surfing, and the second half was working behind the scenes with brands and photography and creative direction. We started our own brands with Welcome Rivers and Former. Then, somewhere along the way, I got the crazy idea to try and build a surf park, and it's actually working now. So, I moved back here [to Panama City Beach, Florida] five years ago to be with my girlfriend Lindsey, and rip into it and see this baby through. We were working our asses off with Welcome Rivers, I was sleeping on top of the clothes. And shooting a lot of photography for brands – that's how we were getting by. Then, I went to Waco about seven years ago. I'd surfed a few of the other pools. I went with Dion [Agius] to the Dubai pool [Wadi Adventure], and Typhoon Lagoon…they were pretty novelty. So, I didn't know the level that pools had gotten to. But when I got to Waco, I lost my mind. It was like full-on first surf trip to Costa Rica type of fun. It was unreal. We had the pool for like 12 hours, and I think I surfed for 11. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, we always had to travel to get waves. So, a lightbulb went off in my head. I was like, 'How do I get one of these in my hometown?' It was perfect for this. I wasn't trying to build a rich person's playground; I was actually trying to solve a problem. I don't wanna bag on my hometown too much, because there's a beautiful beach culture. But we don't get much waves. So, after Waco, I came home, called my good friend and partner on the project, Cole Davis, and got right to work. I thought I'd be, like, the middle man…but fast-forward four or five years, and we've got an amazing team. So, how does Blair, his video with the boat wake, and all that tie into the project? The inspiration for the entire project was based off this island here, called Shell Island. It's this pristine, untouched, white sand, emerald green water, beautiful island. The idea was to recreate the perfect beach day…like walking across the sand dunes, and scoring epic waves with your buds. There's the Olympic training, the workout rooms, and all those aspects…that's all totally rad. I see the use for these pools with stuff like that. But what was more the vision for me was creating that perfect beach day, and one that's there every day. For me, the vision was to create a bit of surf culture, rather than a real estate development. So, I thought, 'Shit…Shell Island is a perfect representation of what we're going for.' And I called up Blair, who's actually an investor in the project, and Alex Knost, and Justin Quintal. There are no waves there at all, so we had to have this boat drive back and forth, and we created this perfect wave that I didn't even know we could do. I think the boat guys have been surfing this wave for a few years now, because they knew what they were doing. We ended up having to shelve the footage for two years, just with the process of getting things sorted with the pool. So, we held onto the footage until the announcement. It's an eclectic crew…not typically who you'd imagine as 'wave pool enthusiasts.' But how'd you get surfers like this stoked on a man-made wave project? I think it just speaks to the point that these pools are an absolute blast. Some people in the surf community are salty about them [pools] not being as 'core' as they could be…but if you put someone like myself in there, I think it adds to that. The more we're involved, the better. There's a little more experience added that replicates what we grew up doing. That's important for these things. You can kinda tell when these parks are real estate developments, and there aren't surfers involved. If you remove the culture, and what we as surfers have dedicated our lives to doing, you can tell. You can also tell when a surfer is involved, and it feels more culturally responsible. That's what I'm trying to do. And having Blair, Justin, and Al as friends of the project, it's perfect. Whether or not we birth an Olympic athlete, or a mom from Atlanta who's stoked on surfing, that's all rad to me. What made you go with Endless Surf? I looked at all the tech, and they all have great uses for what you're trying to do. For us, here, being a public play, not a private one, it made sense. You can have a ton of people in the pool; you can have a beginner wave in the front, and an expert wave out the back. You can house all that – the tourism, the locals, the visitors, the core surfers – and have them all surf at the same time. Every project is different, but it made sense for this course, I had to test out the product, so I went out to o2Surftown pool in Munich, Germany, and I had so much fun. It's so versatile – it can break in the middle and go both ways; it can break all along the wall. It has all the technology to make the best waves a pool can make, then it has the capability to make a one-foot roller for beginners, and longboarders, and Malibu-style waves. You can be doing airs out the back, then like 20 kids on the inside learning to surf with instructors. When's the pool expected to open? We're looking at summer, 2027. But maybe don't mark that in your calendar just yet. As I've learned through the rollercoaster of getting here, it's been a journey in itself. I can't even imagine what kind of ride I'm in for with the construction. But there's a lot of people much smarter than me who are in position to make this happen. That's the goal, opening by summer of 2027.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
America's First-Ever Endless Surf Wave Pool Is Coming Soon
One day, maybe five years from now, you think surfers will declare allegiance to the various brands of wave pools? Like how folks do with booze and cigarettes. Will there be Wavegarden diehards, Kelly Slater Wave Company loyalists, Endless Surf enthusiasts, and so on? It's possible. Me? I'm a Marlboro man. Well, there won't be a shortage of different artificial surf spots to sample, as the modern-day wave pool revolution is absolutely booming. The latest, at least stateside? The Point Surf Park, powered by Endless Surf, has broken ground in Florida, with hopes of opening its doors sometime in 2026. Located just inland from the famed Sebastian Inlet, in the town of Fellsmere, Florida, The Point Surf Park will feature Endless Surf's ES36 technology. The pool will produce waves up to overhead size, offer rides up to 19 seconds long, supply a sundry of different wave options, catering to all skill levels of surfer. And all that will go down simultaneously – high performance peaks on the outside, knee-high rollers for the beginners on the inside. Per Luiz de Araujo, founder behind The Point Surf Park: "Our vision has always been to create a haven for surfers, by surfers. Partnering with Endless Surf to leverage their next-generation technology to bring Florida's surf park dreams to life was a no-brainer. We're so stoked to offer a space where Florida's surfing community can come together and experience waves like never before."In other Florida wave pool news, The Point won't be alone in making artificial waves in the Citrus State in the near future. As we reported last week, Warren Smith's baby, Shell Point Surf Club, is getting underway on the gulf coast of the state as well. That one, too, will feature Endless Surf tech. So, the question is: PerfectSwell or Endless Surf? Budweiser or Coors? Pick your poison.
