THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502030653
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
As a football player at Norfolk Catholic, Paul Fraim once caught a kickoff and returned it 105 yards for a touchdown, still a Foreman Field record. Years later, as a Norfolk city councilman, Fraim carried the ball again - on a couple of big sports-related projects - and took those all the way as well.
A few years back, Fraim was a major player in the push to build Harbor Park, the waterfront home of the Norfolk Tides.
More recently, Fraim was instrumental in the construction of the Fleet Park Little League Complex, which opened last summer.
For those and many other accomplishments, Fraim, now Norfolk's mayor, was given the Tom Ferguson Award as the Norfolk Sports Club's Man of the Year Thursday night at club's annual Jamboree at the Waterside Marriott.
In keeping with club tradition, Fraim wasn't told he would be receiving the award and said he was completely surprised.
``I had no idea this was going to happen,'' he said.
But in many ways he was a natural choice.
Fraim's father, Ed, died when Fraim was just three weeks old. He had three older brothers, however, and grew up playing all sports.
Fraim, 45, starred at Catholic then went on to VMI, where he was co-captain of the football team.
He went on to graduate school at Virginia and law school at the University of Richmond, and was an assistant football coach at both places. Fraim returned to Norfolk to practice law and start a career in public life.
``As a member of the Norfolk City Council, he raised the consciousness of the entire Norfolk community about the importance of sports in nearly every facet of our lives,'' said Sidney Askew, chairman of the selection committee that picked Fraim.
His fellow city council members nicknamed Fraim the Commissioner of Baseball for his Harbor Park efforts, and a city cop confronted him at 11 p.m. one night while Fraim was doing an impromptu inspection of the park's construction progress.
``The virtues of athletic competition are important in the lives of our community, especially of our youth,'' Fraim said after the ceremony.
In accepting the award, Fraim said every time he looks at it he will be reminded ``not of what's been done but what's left to do.''
After the ceremony, the mayor elaborated.
``One of the goals of this region ought to be securing a major professional sports franchise,'' he said. ``To do that, we've got to build a major arena or stadium. I think that's something that's doable, with cooperation among the cities.''
If Fraim can do that, he'll surely be Man of the Year again. by CNB