A Day At Paradise

A Day At Paradise
By H. “Bumper” Bauer

On Sunday, June 4, 2006, I had the pleasure of attending my very first NWTF Wheelin’ Sportsman event, held at Paradise Lakes in Carbondale, PA. It is in Carbondale where, according to owners Ham and Jim Erjavec, there are catfish swimming the lakes weighing up to sixty pounds.
Regional Coordinator Jim O’Brien, of Greensburg, and Paradise Lakes hosted the event and, thanks to their efforts and the assistance of thirty-six volunteers, several area children and adults with disabilities and their families were treated to a day in the outdoors and a chance to reel in a monster catfish.

Chuck Mason (http://www.1papernewspaper.com) donated a picnic lunch with all the trimmings, including grilled burgers and hot dogs for all. The only stipulation Chuck put on his donation was that he be allowed to also cook the meal. Chuck and his wife appeared at the affair in their motor home with their grill and did a fantastic job of feeding the attendees. A special thank you goes to them for their time and generosity.
Sadly, the night before the event, we experienced a major rainstorm in the area and only thirteen out of the expected thirty disabled participants were able to attend. However, those who did attend had a great time and caught some nice catfish. This is one of many events Jim has planned in Pennsylvania for the disabled and I look forward to attending as many as I can to lend a hand in any way possible.
As a long time supporter and sponsor member of the NWTF, I feel they have made a wise choice appointing Jim O’Brien as the Regional Coordinator for the Wheelin’ Sportsman Program in Pennsylvania. Jim exhibits the fire of determination needed to make the program the best it can be and from what I saw at this event, I am sure that he will not rest until that purpose is achieved.

While there, I also had the great pleasure of meeting and talking to Ken Dvorchak, who is pictured above. Ken first caught my attention when I saw him casting his rod and retrieving his line using controls attached to his chair, which he was controlling with his chin. I had never before seen the unit that Ken was using so flawlessly and asked him about it. Ken said that a fall from a tree stand while archery hunting had left him a C-4 Quadriplegic, after which he soon learned that there is virtually no equipment on the market to help severely disabled people independently participate in challenging outdoor activities. Not until he invented the Power Caster, that is! Ken further explained that his unit, when combined with the Johns Reel, allows the user to cast out the line, hook, fight and retrieve and land fish. If a person has enough movement or mobility to press buttons with their chin, they can independently control their own rod and reel and actively participate in this wonderful sport.
Unfortunately, Ken’s invention is not on the open market yet because the manufacturer who initially was to produce the unit backed out of the deal, and he is now searching for a small machine shop to produce the units for distribution.

The Power Caster has already won the accolades of several organizations. At the INPEX international Invention and New Product Expo of 1992, where more than 1000 exhibits from 25 countries were displayed, the Ken’s Power Caster was awarded the Gold Medal for best invention in the category of sports-recreation-fitness. It was also given the prestigious “Show Manager’s Outstanding Achievement Award” for all the benefits that the caster provides.
Ken may be contacted at Email kendvorchak@yahoo.com or at 724-438-1336.
My best wishes for success in this endeavor go out to Ken. This is a product that could greatly improve the quality of life for many disabled folks when it is made available.

To anyone interested in fishing for huge catfish, you do owe it to yourself to check out Paradise Lakes. While I was there, I saw fish being caught ranging from three and four pounds up to twenty-seven pounds. I also saw one in the freezer at the office that was caught a few days before weighing in at forty-seven pounds, six ounces. Can you imagine having that one on the end of your line?
You can get further information, maps and photos at the Paradise Lakes web site at http://www.paradiselakes.net/
Hunt Hard, Hunt Safe, and Hunt Fair.