This Is a Very Unlikely Place for a Disabled Parking Spot

Walking in the snowy woods atop West Virginia’s Kinneson Mountain, Dorsey Smith carried a Remington .12-gauge shotgun under one arm. Under the other was a wooden crutch. Struck by polio as an infant, Smith got by on one strong leg most of his life until a back injury in 1988 weakened him further. He thought he would have to give up hunting, his lifelong love.

But the U.S. Forest Service office in West Virginia is making sure he doesn’t have to: It has set aside a wedge of the Monongahela National Forest for disabled hunters.

“It used to be I could go like you or anybody,” said Smith, 68. “But now, coming up in years and with one leg, it’s just a paradise for guys like me.”

Hunters who use wheelchairs can hunt from the driver’s seat of their cars or trucks, since their permits exempt them from a West Virginia law prohibiting loaded guns inside vehicles.

Trivia time: How many times have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Associated Press poll met in the Rose Bowl?

Let’s play two: The Boston Garden, on the day after Thanksgiving, had the ultimate doubleheader for a sports fan--an NBA-NHL doubleheader. Those who were there for the long, long day saw nine goals, 112 rebounds, two hours of penalties, two technical fouls and two sellouts.

One way: Actor Craig T. Nelson of the ABC series “Coach” introduced Michigan Coach Gary Moeller and Washington Coach Don James at a Rose Bowl news conference Monday. Moeller, whose team was undefeated in 11 games but had three ties, asked Nelson what he would have done to settle all the tied games.

“You just cheat,” Nelson said.

Favorite son: The University of Arizona is going all out to make Chris Mills college basketball’s player of the year. The school sent out a color poster--24 by 36 inches--of the former Fairfax High star along with the school’s media guide. On the back was the record of his career with the Wildcats.

Positive action: In Greece, they don’t fool around when basketball players test positive for drugs. Steve Burtt, former Clipper guard, has been banned for life from the Greek basketball league after testing positive for cocaine and hashish--and the players union agreed with the edict.

“We asked the association to ban him. It was a disgrace to the sport and a blow to all the youngsters who idolize players as role models,” said Vagellis Marmatakis, legal counsel to the Greek Players Union.

Long range: Jerry Glanville must feel secure about his future as the Atlanta Falcon coach. He has a 16-seat suite at the Georgia Dome that leases for $20,000 a year, and the Dome’s policy is for 10-year contracts.

Fishing for cash: Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., has become the first fisherman to earn more than $1 million on the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society tour.

Trivia answer: Twice. In 1963, No. 1 USC defeated Wisconsin, 42-37, and in 1969, No. 1 Ohio State beat USC, 27-16.

Quotebook: New York Giant quarterback Jeff Hostetler: “We keep shooting ourselves in the feet. If you keep doing that, pretty soon you have no toes left.”