Ex-Sailor comforts patients

DON CANTRELL

One of the bright spots at Hoag Hospital nowadays is the role of

Eugene “Gino” Boero, who is now serving the hospital’s patients and

relatives in a warm and welcomed manner.

Boero, who has been a laudable hospital volunteer at Hoag, is

genuinely pleased in the new role.

He now spends time as a special public relations servant

comforting friends and relatives of patients who are facing surgery.

Often there are numerous questions to ask and Boero makes efforts

to help concerned parties understand any problems.

Boero, a Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Famer for his role in Newport

Harbor High football as a 240-pound guard under Coach Al Irwin in

1949-51, and his late father, “Papa Gino,” have given generously of

their time, love and energy to the local community for years.

Prior to the public relations task, Boero enjoyed another service

on Tuesdays: bussing a coffee-tea wagon around the hospital for

patients and visitors in their rooms.

“I enjoyed the duty as well,” he said.

To him, the volunteers help make the hospital a softer, warmer

place to visit.

In addition, he said it is vitally important to remember that

there are many occasions when people feel the stress of certain

critical situations and welcome compassion and understanding.

*

Amusement often returns from yesteryear. We recall one yarn about

the late Jerry Blue, ball boy on the championship 1942 football team

at Harbor High, that arose in the spring of 1950.

Mel Smalley, the high-scoring halfback from the 1949 grid team and

a member of the Future Famers of America, recalls one of his all-time

laughs.

Smalley, who now lives in Lodi, said the FFA boys were mildly

shocked one morning when the advisor, Elgin Hall, said the class

would load up on the bus and visit their homes so he could examine

their projects.

It goes without saying that some students don’t always stay active

and alert regarding FFA projects.

Smalley said after they left the bus and ventured over to a

fenced-in yard, Hall peered across the yard and only saw two scrawny

chickens wandering around in the grass.

Hall turned sharply to Blue and asked, “Is this your project,

Jerry?”

While the class broke out in laughter, Blue cried out toward the

house, “Hey, Mom, didn’t you feed the chickens this morning?”

*

Another laugh was drawn from Smalley one day when he recalled how

he and the 1947-49 fullback Bob Berry got in a naughty habit of

slipping inside halfback Don Knipp’s locker and stealing the

sandwiches from his paper bag.

“Boy, Mother Knipp made the greatest sandwiches,” Smalley said.

Knipp, a sharp detective, finally caught the two players in the

act before noon one day and confronted them with the penalty he was

going to impose.

He told them they could continue, but it meant they would have to

buy his lunch each time they lifted his sandwiches.

“Well, we did,” Smalley said. “But it got to the point where it

was too expensive so we had to stop.”

*

One comical moment arose for Joe Muniz, a sterling 1943-44 gridder

for the late Coach Les Miller at Newport, when he was ordered to

appear in court regarding his noisy motorcycle.

There were numerous complaints around Costa Mesa.

After facing the late Judge Donald Dodge, Muniz was told to

present his bike before the judge outside, which he did.

The judge agreed with Muniz that it sounded fairly quiet and Muniz

smiled before he got another shock.

Dodge leaned forward and said, “Now, Joe, pull the steel wool out

of the exhaust and let’s see how it sounds.”

Muniz knew it would roar and prepared to pay a small fine.