Who is Bill Buchalter?

Who: Barry D. (Bill) Buchalter, 67

What: Orlando Sentinel Retired (OSR after 40 years as senior reporter)

Why: Covering sports, especially in Florida, for 45 years at the St. Petersburg Times and Orlando Sentinel

Where: Up front and personal coverage from Little League baseball to every major college football bowl game except the Rose, to the Super Bowl, to a dozen Final Fours in NCAA basketball to seven Olympic Games.

History: Has lived in Florida since 1941, growing up on Sunset Beach and Azaleaville in St. Petersburg, attended Boca Ciega the year it opened and proudly was part of the first student group to spend four years at the school, graduating with the Class of ’57, and in December of 2001 was inducted into the Boca Ciega Hall of Fame. He graduated from the University of Florida on Feb. 3, 1962, went to work at the Times Feb. 5 and has been working every since until June 8.

Awards: Has been selected for induction into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, and has been inducted into the Florida High School Activities/Athletic Association hall of fame, Florida track hall of fame, Florida Citrus Bowl hall of fame, Central Florida sports hall of fame and the Golden South Classic hall of fame.

He has earned distinguished service awards from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. He also received the Jimmy Carnes Lifetime Achievement Award and recently the Community Service Award from the Center for Drug Free Living, and he has authored a book on the history of the Tangerine/Florida Citrus Bowl for its first 50 years.