Dr. David Steckler was a super person — for sure the &uot;Golf&uot; and &uot;Recreation&uot; in &uot;Duncan Park Golf and Recreation!&uot;

This wonderful man of Natchez died June 5, as everyone knows (because almost everyone knew him), and left a huge void. And the prime reason he will be missed so is that he was the kind who loved to help people and projects without fanfare. In fact, I knew him well, and he was indeed a person just like that.

Dr. Steckler, who has a big, wonderful family, as you might expect, simply quietly saw to it that a dozier or two made it to the fine little municipal golf course back when work started on the new (front) nine holes. With operators, of course. Boy, did they get after it!

Simultaneously, good ole Terry Swalm, who later died, took all those David Steckler gratuities and ran with them, moulding the pretty front nine into a real showplace. DP Golf was consequently then an 18-hole layout, thanks to you-know-who.

Still no chance to credit Dr. Steckler, the man who was probably all-around the most wonderful person I and many others have ever known. He told me once, &uot;Watch it now, don’t overdo the praise bit.&uot; Typical.

I said Dr. Steckler was all-around most wonderful; well, I was born here in Natchez 77 years ago, and I know our Natchez-Vidalia-Ferriday area has produced many wonderful, unselfish men and women who love to help with area projects and people, and our friend who died too young at 62, etched his name right up there with all of them.

…And may I interject another truism that stands for all to see, which is that present Duncan Park Golf Manager/Pro Marvin Gray is doing a whale of a job. The affable man-about-the-links – who has actually contracted with the City of Natchez to maintain and manage its golf course – is literally a pro!

Marvin and his partner Greg Brooking have, in fact, started highway-side cleanup alongside their signature hold adjacent to U.S. 84. That would be No. 6, a testy little par 3 over water.

Porfessional that he is, Marvin will have it to where the heavy traffickers along there will be oohing and aahing at the beauty.

Good course management pros like the Gray-Brooking team are like that.

HURRIED&160;HASH … Southern Mississippi has assumed its usual place: atop the pre-season Conference USA football ratings, in the opinion of the league’s sports information directors. They say the Golden Eagles of coach Jeff Bower will edge East Carolina in the upcoming 2000 campaign … The Eagles and Pirates both finished 9-3 in 1999. USM, which won the Liberty Bowl as well last season, will be seeking its fourth C-USA title in the last five years. The return of 15 starters should help, but the Southerners open with Tennessee Sept. 2, a rugged opening task.

…Geaux Tigers! LSU has completed two successful bombing missions in the College World Series, and another big run today will put them in position to really bombs-away … Two college baseball powers have fallen to coach Skip Bertman’s disciplined Tigers at Omaha. Texas felt the Tiger homer sting in the first game, 13-5, and Monday LSU spotted the Trojans 10-4 … Tiger cleanup hitter Brad Hawpe was in fine form against USC, smashing a pair of three-run homers in almost critical situations. Riding an 11-game winning streak in the Series, the SEC&160;Tigers stand on the brink now of maybe taking it all once again … After last Saturday’s crushing of Texas – and Monday’s romp – advantage Tigers.