Paul Blanchard, 54, grew up in Windsor, Vt., and used to play on a field at a former Goodyear factory. He was diagnosed in 2005 with a rare form of terminal lymphoma and is now suing Goodyear and others associated with the site, claiming that his cancer was caused by exposure to a chemical- benzene -that the company had allegedly spilled into the field. He believes his terminal lymphoma is connected to his playing in the field as a boy.

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hardball.

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little league's at it again.

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memories.

Florence Krantz, 93, holds a print of a photograph of the entrance to Igloo, S.D., during the Black Hills Ordnance Depot reunion in Rapid City. Krantz lived in Igloo from 1948 to 1967, when the town was shut down. Krantz was the activity director for the community building and managed the credit union office. "When I moved to Igloo," Krantz, who moved from Minnesota, said. "I cried because there were no trees higher than the rooftops. I cried when I left. We were like one big family in Igloo, and we still are." Igloo was formed in 1942 by the military to store hazardous gasses and was disbanded in 1967.

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letting grow.

Ev Merritt and Stu Steele of Cottonwood Acres Greenhouse in Black Hawk have had a passion for growing plants and vegetables for more than three decades.

“When I am in a down mood, I put my hands in the soil and the mood vanishes,” Merritt said.

What started as a gardening class through Pennington County Extension turned into a business cultivating cucumbers, spinach, rhubarb, house plants and potted perennials.

The two have been running greenhouses for 30 years, and they are known throughout the Black Hills for their gardening knowledge.

With the hard, physical labor required to maintain greenhouses, Merritt, 87, and Steele, 89, keep the business afloat with little outside help.

Working all day can take a toll on them.

“It’s a bummer because we always think we can do more easily than we do,” Merritt said. “We do more now at 87 than we did 30 years ago, and it’s not so easy. Everything comes with more difficulty.”

Whether it’s watering the plants, trimming rhubarb or loading the car on a Friday evening for the next morning’s farmers market, Merritt and Steele work at their own pace. They admit they don’t finish everything they need to by the end of the day, but like any married duo, once in a while they disagree on gardening.

“Sometimes it’s very trying because we have different ideas and go different ways,” Steele said. “But we try to work them out.”

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an evening with little league.

a kid can learn so much in one game.

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behind the scenes of a play rehearsal.

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holding on to his dream.

I followed bareback rider Scott Montague a few times two weeks ago. Montague has participated in several rodeo circuits over the past 15 years. Today he is beginning to settle down. While Montague still rides bareback broncs he has found other interests in life, including his family and fencing business.

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in search of a natural economy

Dawn Hancy looks to the future while running her farm in Vershire, Vt. She does not use heavy machinery or other tools to make the chores easier. Instead, Hancy prefers to slow down the process, making her land as sustainable as possible for the community. Following the theories of permaculture, Hancy has spent nearly a decade developing her own, unique lifestyle to support her family, the community and future communities.

i did this story for the Valley News. It was published last month.

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seriously. i don't think i can get sick of this stuff.

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yet another rodeo post. i think i have myself a beat.

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National Masters swimming champion Beth Eldridgeovercame a brain tumor to win three gold medals and a silver medal at the 2010 Short Course National Championships in Atlanta in May. Eldridge, although healthy now, suffered two brain tumors in the past four years. She first noticed the tumors in 2006 after blacking out on the final lap of the 100 meter butterfly competition at the national championships in Coral Springs, Fla. Eldridge still competed while undergoing treatment. "Competition really helped me," Eldridge said. "For me it was normal to go to swim practice. Swimming kept my mind off the treatment."

After Eldridge was diagnosed with her 2nd brain tumor, her swim team at Warrensburg High School in Warrensburg, Mo., held a secret fundraiser selling turquoise bracelets. The money helped fund Eldridge's first trip to Johns Hopkins University to see a neurological specialist. At the end of the school year, the swimmers presented Eldridge with two bracelets (one for her husband, Bill, and one for herself). Underneath the bracelets was a check to help Eldridge with travel expenses to Johns Hopkins University. "It is by far the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me," Eldridge said. "The gesture renewed my determination. I told my husband that night that I was going to do everything I could to make sure those girls took the bracelets off their wrists because I was healthy and not because something bad happened to me."

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stars & stripes on july 4th.

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rock on!

Kelsey Vrooman, left, shows her daughter, Tiana, center, a garnet at the Western Dakota Gem & Mineral Society Show at the Civic Center in Rapid City. Kelsey Vrooman has collected rocks for several years, while Tiana's interest is just starting.

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rodeo. sunset setting.

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