AROUND LYNN 2007

Former Lynn Tech star Antonio Anderson feels that his Memphis team is playing as well as it can play at just the right time.

Anderson, a junior guard, threw down 12 points and added three assists to help the Tigers put away UCLA Saturday night in San Antonio to reach the NCAA men’s basketball final Monday against Kansas.

Two of those 12 points came on a thunderous dunk in the first half in which he was wide open for the sneakaway; and one of those assists came on a beautiful back door play to Chris Douglas-Roberts that put the kibosh on a Bruins’ comeback attempt.

Both plays earned Anderson some serious face time on ESPN, and caused him to chuckle when asked about it an in interview with The Item Sunday morning.

On the dunk, he said, “my teammates just got me the ball. And I had a little fun with it after that.”

The back door play is something he n and most basketball purists n would appreciate perhaps a bit more.

Anderson, standing at the top of the key, spied Douglas-Roberts coming along the baseline, drilled him with a perfect pass, and watched his teammate go in for the jam.

“They (UCLA) weren’t respecting the back door,” Anderson said. “It was a set up play. He got open, I got him the ball, and it was showtime from there.”

Anderson wasn’t the whole show, of course. He was just a piece of the puzzle … but a significant one at that.

“I’m very comfortable with what I do on this team,” he said. “I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

So, he was quite content last night to play his game and watch freshman Derrick Rose and Douglas-Roberts get the credit.

Rose showed off his whole dazzling array of signature moves, and UCLA could do little but watch.

Rose wasn't content to merely make shots, he wanted to stamp this Final Four as his own with a series of show-stoppers. It became an NBA audition in likely his final college weekend as he helped Memphis (38-1) set the major college basketball record for wins in a season.

Rose put up lefty floaters and righty scoops, often changing hands in mid-air, and threw one try over his shoulder. He was in perpetual motion (at point point, he caught a pass in traffic, stutter-stepped just long enough to look his defender in the eye, and then sped past him for an easy but showy layup).

All season, this team from lightly regarded Conference USA played along with coach John Calipari's us-against-the-world theme. Now, the Tigers need only to beat the North Carolina-Kansas winner for their first championship.

Rose finished with 25 points and nine rebounds and a bunch of eye-opening moves that won't show up in the final box.

Rose also hit 11 of 12 free throws. For a team supposedly vulnerable from the foul line, the Tigers did great in making 20 of 23.

He fittingly wound up with the ball in the final seconds and heaved it high. Only then did he crack the slightest of smiles.

Douglas-Roberts scored 28 points for Memphis, and Joey Dorsey had the most surprisingly line of all: zero points, but 15 big rebounds.

“We went to be the best defenseive team we can be,” Anderson said. “Most of our offense comes from our defense.”

(See Monday's sports section for more on Saturday night's Memphis-UCLA game. Material from The Associated Press was also used in this report.)

TOPSFIELD — Ride ‘em, cowboy! The newest addition to the Topsfield Fair is an authentic rodeo show.

The Rawhide Rodeo Company show, which will take place Oct. 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the arena, will include bareback and saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, women’s barrel racing, and bull riding.

Rodeos date back to the mid-1800’s and the sport was an offshoot of informal competitions among cowboys. The oldest surviving annual spectator rodeo show is the Frontier Days celebration in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which was established in 1897.

Jim O’Brien, the new general manager of the Topsfield Fair (and its former longtime board president), predicts the Rodeo will be a big draw.

“This is new to the fair this year and it will be a real competition,” O’Brien said, noting that he traveled to locations in New York and Florida to research the bucking broncos, trips that resulted in signing Rawhide Rodeo for this year’s fair.

“In the rodeo, the bulls are the stars, not the riders,” O’Brien said.

The Rawhide Rodeo Company is located in Leicester, New York where it sprawls across 1,000 acres of open, grazing land. Swearingen began a breeding program here, about 20 years ago, with the intention of producing quality rodeo livestock. The ranch is currently home to more than 150 horses and herds of steers and bulls.

According to Swearingen, the animals are the pride and joy of the Rawhide Rodeo Company and are treated with the utmost of care and affection. He said his animals consume hundreds of tons of feed, hay, corn, and grass.

Swearingen said he is constantly adding to the quality of his breeding program by purchases well-bred bucking stock from other ranches throughout the United States and Canada.

Since it’s inception in 1987, the Rawhide Rodeo Company has won numerous awards for its stock and its rodeos. In 1999, Swearingen partnered up with BJ Prince of Ontario Canada and in 2005 partnered with Sylvain Bourgeois of Quebec Canada. According to Swearingen, the expansion has given the Rawhide Rodeo Company an edge over other rodeo production companies because it allows Rawhide Rodeo to draw upon resources in both the United States and in Canada. He said it allows the company to present a more versatile and entertaining show.

Topsfield Fair, which is the country’s oldest continually operating fair, opens Sept. 28 and runs through Oct. 8. Admission to Topsfield Fair is $10 on weekdays, $12 on weekends and holidays. Children under eight are admitted free. With the exception of the Joe Nichols concert on Oct. 6 all entertainment is free with admission. Advance sale discounted admission tickets are available at the fairgrounds, the North Shore Spirit Box Office at Fraser Field box office and online at www.topsfieldfair.org.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 440,000 people in the United States die from a smoking-attributable illness each year, which amounts to 5.6 million years of potential life lost.

LYNN -- Considered to be one of the most difficult addictions to quit, smoking has become not only a social stigma, but also a self-inflicted source of a plethora of health problems.

For those seeking help to kick the habit and rid themselves of their harmful cravings, there's good news: a smoking cessation program is available at the Lynn Community Health Center, free of charge.

Anne Marie Bettencourt, Master Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Lynn Community Health Center said individuals are welcome to come for treatments.

“For those who don't have insurance, we provide counseling and free nicotine patches, and you don't even have to live in Lynn to get the services,” she said. “Once the patches run out, we'll be charging $10 a week for them. They usually cost around $40, so it's a good deal.”

Bettencourt, a former smoker said while some people come to a realization that their salacious habit is affecting their health, most choose to ignore the warning signs.

“It's a very complex addiction to shake and it's also very deep rooted,” she said. “People often have great difficulty getting away from the habit, but they usually end up wanting to quit because of advice from their doctor or for a monetary reason.”

For those who do seek help from Bettencourt, one hour a week sessions are scheduled to monitor the patient's status and supply them with the tools they need to quit.

According to Bettencourt, the average person tries to quit about seven or eight times before they succeed.

“Smoking cigarettes is worse than using crack, cocaine or drinking alcohol,” she said. “Nicotine basically penetrates an area of the brain that houses the pleasure center. Once people seek pleasure, they naturally seek it again, causing an addiction.”

A whole host of problems can arise once an individual begins to smoke according to Bettencourt, such as a lack of energy, yellow teeth, a receding gum line, wrinkled skin, heart disease and other ailments.

“When I smoked for 20 years, there were 35 percent less chemicals in cigarettes than there are now,” she said. “We also didn't know that it was an addictive habit, or how bad it was for you to do - but the industry knew that it was dangerous and they didn't tell us.”

In addition, Bettencourt advised women who are pregnant to refrain from smoking to avoid giving birth to babies of low birth rate, and respiratory problems.

Other potential disorders include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“Aesthetically it's a killer for smokers, but children who are exposed to second hand smoke may miss more school, and be exposed to a number of illnesses,” she said.

Bettencourt said while most people are leery of making changes, she stressed that the health center would assist them in the process.

“People consider cigarettes to be their companions, buddy, or friend, but they're not,” she said. “With over 4,000 chemicals in one cigarette alone, they can kill you.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Bettencourt at 781-596-2502, extension 750.

“If we can get one person to quit, then its one less person who could die as a result of smoking,” she said.