MO’ SNOW: We hear from Kenneth McKinney in regard to our recent
item about a Swedish word for powdery snow: “This may be the word
for light snow the Swedes use. Got it from a friend I know in
Sweden – lossno, which would translate to ‘loose snow.'”

JIM OWENS: Harry Schlimm of St. Marys tells us his team in the
McKean-Elk League played against Jim Owens the night before he went
to spring training – and lost in overtime. Owens scored 19 points
in his team’s winning effort. Harry’s memory was jogged recently
while he was looking over his scrapbook. The date of that game was
Feb. 19, 1954. After the contest, the teams went out to a local pub
and shared a few “Pepsis,” Harry recalls. He remember other
outstanding athletes we have mentioned, noting, “We were all around
the same age.”

TV TIME: If you’re a fan of the annual American Kennel Club dog
show televised on the Animal Planet, you might see a familiar furry
face.

Robin, a Salamanca, N.Y., police dog, was runner up for the
“ACE” award – Award for Canine Excellence – presented as part of
this national championship show sponsored by AKC and Eukanuba dog
food company.

We read of this honor in the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald which
included a photograph of this beautiful golden retriever along with
her handler Mary MacQueen who also works for the Cattaraugus
County, N.Y., Sheriff’s Department.

Robin was one of 1,000 contestants to receive a bronze collar
medallion from the AKC, and was the only such dog not a German
shepherd.

The Buffalo Kennel Club, which nominated Robin, gave the K-9 duo
an all-expense paid trip to Long Beach, Calif., for the annual
competition.

While at the show, the pair was asked to demonstrate Robin’s
abilities. Robin carried his own basket of “props” into the ring
for the demonstration, successfully locating narcotics on an
individual and also pinpointing drugs in different containers “like
playing the shell game.”

According to the story, the Eukanuba team was pleased enough
with the demonstrations to ask Animal Planet to film them in their
entirety for the second day.

The dog show will air Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Let’s hope we catch a
glimpse of Robin strutting his stuff for the TV cameras.