* Atlanta's Dan Berg enjoyed a late-April re­union with his 1980 Fargo team championship cohorts at the every-five-year reunion of the Illinois State University Gamma Phi Circus. Berg and John Burns, Greg Grimstad and Pete Schulte finished second in 1980s Team Championship to the Magnificent Material Movers. Dan was a member of the Gamma Phi Circus for five years, doing school assemblies, road shows and the big year-end finale show. During this years reunion weekend, Dan performed his solo four baseball bat routine, then stood on a rolling globe and passed to his old partners. He occasionally performs now in Atlanta with Randy Fenster, but makes a living as vice president for development of a computer software company he founded.

 

* Charlie and Mark Peachock, appearing as Free Fall, have been doing shows in and around their hometown of Kent, Ohio. Charlie has pre­viously competed in the IJA juniors competition, but plans to enter seniors this year.

 

* An article in the March 10 "Washington Post" described the lively juggling scene in and around that capital city. Eager jugglers who don't mind driving a ways can practice with a group four nights a week - in Baltimore or with the Wilderness jugglers west of Fredicksburg on Monday, with the jugglers of Bowie on Wednesday, with the Fairfaxjugglers Thursday and with the u.s. Department of juggling in D.C. on Friday. The article quoted Tom Hamill, the "annointed king" of the Bowie group.

 

* The TV watch - Current IJA champion, Tony Duncan, has appeared in several recent MCI television commercials with his wife, Jaki Reis. They are at various points smiling and waving, and in one commercial Tony rolls three oranges. Another juggler, Mark Stolzenberg, juggles two in one hand in the latter commerciaL.. A small animated cartoon bear juggles back and forth between a cascade and columns when Entertainment Tonight runs its birthday list.............. Robert Nelson, the Butterfly Man, did cigar boxes and five balls on the "Xuxa" show.

 

* Mark Nizer appeared on the children's show "Puzzle Place" doing three balls, cigar boxes, head rolls and ball spinning. But more notably, he appeared on CNN in late March concerning his private performance for jurors in the O.J. Simpson trial. Mark entertained the jury for an hour one Saturday in the Los Angeles criminal courts building court room. Escorted by sheriffs deputies, the jury members sat in their "regular seats" for the show. While bouncing a ball on his head and juggling four hoops Nizer quipped, "Yeah, I have a lot of free time... Well, not as much as you guys!" While spinning two large hoops he said "If I do this just right I get cable. I bet you wish YOU did. All you get is the test pattern." He also juggled five ping pong balls using only his mouth, and ended the routine with a 16-pound bowling ball, a propane torch and a running cordless electric carving knife. Mark commented, "I had to be real careful what I talked about. One slip of the tongue and it was mistrial city!" He added, "At the end of the show when they stood to applaud, I couldn't help wondering if they were going to give me a verdict." Nizer was the third special performer for the jury, following magician Brian Gillis and pianist Roger Williams. Judge Lance Ito personally thanked each performer for donating his time.

 

* Kit Sommers will be offering several of his "Juggling With Finesse" workshops this summer to help jugglers craft a performable show and improve their skills. He has sessions scheduled July 1-2 in Pittsburgh, July 8­9 in Philadelphia, July 14-15 in Las Vegas, July 29-30 in Boston and August 5-6 in New York. Call for more information.

 

* Carol Gagnon-Sardinha didn't attend the IJA fest in Burlington because her first child, Adam Joseph Sardinha, was born Aug. 12,1994, coming in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and 22 inches. Carol, who lives in Ansonia, Conn., was disappointed that she didn't make it to Burlington to see friends from the days when she served as organizer of the Amherst mini­convention.

 

* Darrell Sims did about 40 performances in November with the Atlanta African American Circus. It was his first work with a circus after several years of party and festival work in town. He came into the ring from out of the audience as someone looking for a job, then launched into several minutes of his outstanding ball juggling. Sims can keep five balls aloft for 30 minutes, and seven for more than five. Those who have seen him working out at Atlanta's Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival will attest to his rock-steady rhythm and innovative patterns. Sims says he hopes to join the circus again during its spring tour as a step toward full-time work as a juggler.

 

* Peter Kaseman from Madison, Wis., has pushed his three-diabolo toss mark up to 37 consecutive without a drop. He also can do a trick or two while keeping three in the air!  Peter has also flashed a 15 ball pass with Rob Vancko, and the pair hope to qualify with 13 at the Las Vegas festival.

 

* IJA member and math teacher Bob Swaim from Souderton, Pa., got national publicity by double-checking the calculations used in a Joe Montana TV ad for Boston Chicken. The ad claimed that diners picking three of the fast­food chains 16 side dishes face 3,360 dinner combinations. Swaim's calculations, begrudgingly confirmed by the restaurant, showed only 816. The restaurant did correct the ad, treated Swaim and friends to a meal at one of its franchises, and donated $500 to his high school. "At first they wanted to pretend I didn't exist.  But as a teacher, I'm trying to show math is something you need," Swaim explained.

 

* Ooops! We apologize for leaving off a photo credit line in the Winter edition of Juggler's World. The photos of Cheney & Mills which appeared on page 17 were made by Kent Miller.