PRIME in orbit around a baseball legend

This month, we feature the indomitable former Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee, who treated PRIME to a glimpse of his charismatic, freewheeling spirit during a conversation and autograph signing in Springfield this summer. For those unfamiliar with Lee, his reputation has always been unique in the world of baseball. A product of the 1960s, he reflected the shifting cultural tides that continued from the 1970s through today. Lee impishly questioned authority, and often transcended the unspoken rules of America's pastime. Those who know Lee will also probably be aware that "The Spaceman" signs his autographs with the addition of a planet's name after his own. It's typical to see "Bill Lee, Earth" on anything he's put a Sharpie marker to. When this intrepid editor approached Lee at the signing table, I had a special request. I told him that my favorite planet is of course Pluto, being the farthest rock from the sun in our solar system ("far out," you might say). It's also been a disputed planet of late, as scientists from the International Astronomical Union demoted the icy rock to "dwarf" status. It used to be called our ninth planet until about five years ago. For the real astronomy geeks, it was originally theorized as "Planet X" before observers in Flagstaff, Ariz. who discovered it in the 1930s called the planet "Pluto" after the Roman god of the underworld. Hard to imagine a cooler origin for your name than that. Naturally, I showed my press pass to Lee, which had some white space on the back, and asked him to sign off from the planet Pluto at the end. Here's what he wrote instead: "To PLUTO, Bill Lee, EARTH 2011." Not exactly what I had in mind, but it's a pretty good summary of the random, Zen-like joy of orbiting in Lee's gravitational pull. In other PRIME news this month, we welcome a new guest columnist to the fold. Jane D. O'Donoghue is an area writer and native of the Hungry Hill section of Springfield. Her written words have graced a number of local and regional publications, including the Hungry Hill Magazine, Springfield Journal, and Southwoods Magazine. Please welcome O'Donoghue to the PRIME family. Her column on page 8 is about her memories of the former Riverside Park in Agawam, which she first discovered in the spring of 1940 when it re-opened following the Depression years. Dovetailing with her fond memories of the local summer hangout, we also spotlight the current Six Flags New England as part of our travel story this month. See page 11 for the complete rundown of park possibilities, including Six Flags New England's 20 roller coasters and Hurricane Harbor, New England's largest water park. Enjoy them while summer's sunshine lasts. Until next time, Mike Briotta PRIME Editor mikeb@thereminder.com