News Briefs: Blaze take first tournament; Winnetka’s Sustainable Yard Tour coming up; Wilmette student earns unique scholarship

The Glenview Blaze 11U baseball team picked up its first-ever tournament victory, defeating teams from Deerfield, Lake Bluff and Gompers Park on June 29-30.

The Blaze entered the weekend with plans to tighten up their game ahead of the final games of the Mid Suburban Baseball League, beginning on July 12.

While not exactly expected, the Blaze — which includes Edward Dean and Ronan Blum from Wilmette and Joey S. from Winnetka — emerged victorious on Sunday, June 30.

“Everyone on this hard-working team contributed to these wins,” said Coach Angel Cadena, a former standout player at De la Salle High School and Waubonsee Community College. “There was good competition in all the games, and we were excited that we were invited to play.”

In their first game of the tournament, the Blaze beat the Warriors Grey 11U by one run, 11-10, when center fielder Colin O’Connor hit a decisive single to score second baseman Shep Miller home. Sam McGee and O’Connor pitched the bulk of the innings, while Declan Flood closed the door in the final inning.

The Blaze stumbled in their second game, but nearly erased a 10-run deficit, falling 18-16 to the Strikes out of Gompers Park.

The Blaze bounced back in their third game. Heads-up baserunning by McGee, plus big hits from Davis, Joey S. and Edward Dean propelled the team to an 11-9 victory over Lake Bluff Red.

In the championship game, O’Connor socked an inside-the-park home run and a triple to help the Blaze to a 19-18 nail-biting and revenge victory over Gompers Park.

“This late in the season, it’s great to see so much growth, so much optimism, and so much joy in the game,” Cadena said. “The Strikers were a tough team to beat, and our guys showed up in a new way to win. We have a few games left this season and I’m excited to see what we can do next.”

For more information about Glenview Blaze baseball, including tryout information, visit Glenview Blaze online.

Sustainable Yard Tour in Winnetka is July 14

Go Green Winnetka invites residents to learn about sustainable practices that can be implemented in your own backyard during the Yards That Work Sustainable Yard Tour on Sunday, July 14.

The tour runs from 10 am-2 pm and will feature six different yards that highlight various sustainable features such as native plants, fruit and vegetable gardens, rain barrels and bioswales, and home compost systems. Each yard can work as inspiration for others to create their own sustainable gardens.

The tour hosts will share their experiences and expertise on sustainable practices, from new projects to a three-acre backyard flower lab.

The event is free and self-guided, and rain or sign. Pre-registration is encouraged online.

Wilmette teen on scholarship in Morocco

Logan Gouss, a student from Wilmette, is spending this summer in Morocco and studying Arabic as part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship.

The program is a part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is designed to promote the study of Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian or Turkish among young adults in the U.S.

Students from across the country were selected to apply for the scholarship, and only 540 were ultimately selected.

While in Morocco, Gouss is living with a host family and immersing himself in local culture and society. He also is engaging with local peers to enhance his language learning skills and build mutual understanding.

The NSLI‐Y program was launched in 2006 as part of a multi-agency effort to improve international dialogue, promote economic prosperity, and innovation worldwide.

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