"John the Referree" Rap Song:

"There is a referee who laughs real loud
You can hear his glee ripped through the crowd
Tell him a joke and he's off and runnin'
But if you foul, he'll nail you travelin' and gunnin'
Put up some points and he's your man
But, if you open your mouth, that he don't stand"

"For 30 years, he's the man
Long before that, he played the game
And brought it honor, just the same.
So, you my boy ... bring it on!
This is basketball, you make it fun
It brings up passion and anger too
He keeps his cool and so should you
His name is John and he's no fool
He sweats the kids, from his old school
John has seen it all, in his heart he'll never stall
For it comes from love, and that ain't all
There goes John, laughing at Dr. Paul"

The above is a rap song dedicated to an unsung basketball referee who has served the youth and the community of Chatsworth for 30 years. His name is John Starkins.

He is one of the unheralded basketball referees who not so silently and passionately leads our sons and daughters into the wonderful world of community basketball.

The hunting grounds of John Starkins, the referee, is firmly planted in the soil of Chatsworth's Mason Recreation Center, located on Mason Avenue just north of Devonshire.

On May 14, 2008, John celebrates 30 years of refereeing basketball at Mason Park.

But, what makes Starkins such an unusual personality that requires commemoration is not just his longevity and service to Chatsworth basketball. It is his extraordinary sense of humor and an atomic blast of laughter that bounces off of, ricochets and slam dunks the basketball corridor of Mason Park.

His game and player comments provoke gales of laughter from the crowd. But, when the Titan John Starkins meets head on with the Titan of street comedy, an incarnation of Rodney Dangerfield, Henny Youngman, Milton Berle, a psychotherapist humorist nicknamed " Dr. Paul," the action starts.

These two have known each other for years, as John has referreed the many games of Dr. Paul's two sons at Mason Park.

Who are these madmen who seem to be magnetically drawn together by compatible gut wrenching senses of humor? Oh, you must understand that Starkins has served this community, not so silently, for 30 years as a basketball referee who started his own basketball stardom as a high school standout.

His basketball journey started at Marshall High School in Los Angeles, where he established a 36.9-game-point average during his varsity basketball years. To date, he still ranks 18th in the state for high school game point averages.

From there, he went on to play ball at Brigham Young University.

Unfortunately, his 36.9-game-point average in high school did not render him swift enough of foot to achieve stardom in the college ranks. Upon finishing college, it seemed a natural evolution to go from player to referee.

Today, his service is that of teacher to our children and basketball referee for Chatsworth basketball players.

So, what is so outstanding about 30 years as a dedicated teacher and basketball referee at Mason Recreation Center? Bad enough, that such an accomplishment goes unnoticed and unheralded. That doesn't mean we can ever ignore the outrageous, infectious, resounding and volcanic bursts of laughter that spring forth from the belly and the bowels of Titan John Starkins when he comes face to face with North Philadelphia's Bill Cosby's neighborhood comic street monster, Titan "Dr. Paul."

Truly, this is a match made in heaven. All John has to do is look into the face of Dr. Paul and you know the one-liners and the edgy jokes will come pouring out of Dr. Paul's twisted mind. And Starkins will ignite into explosions of laughter.

It doesn't take long before the infectious laughter triggers volumes of imitators who have internalized the sounds of John's remarkable laugh. The place is never the same again or even typical of your usual basketball medium.

Almost mystically, the laughter and joy seems to lift up the basketball court to a higher level of cosmic consciousness. This is only possible when you have two individual humor titans locked into that age-old marvelous combination of jokester/prankster and straight man laughter audience.

As blessed Rodney Dangerfield once said, "What a crowd!"

OK, so you get the picture. Sometimes the laughter gets so powerful, it seems uncontrollable. Boy, we don't have enough of those in these times. Thank God for guys like John Starkins who know how to laugh uncontrollably and still be a loving, edicated servant to our youth and our community.

Where would we be if it weren't for such people? ... Those brave, dedicated teachers, referees, community servants who bear the pain of their vocations and life in general. There is no banner flying above the ramparts of Mason Recreation Center, commemorating the service of John Starkins.

And yet, the walls are covered with the achievements of young basketball athletes who have thrilled and entertained us for so many years.

I and my wife, Reisa, have been privileged to attend and watch every one of my two son's basketball games for the past 19 years at Mason Park. We are the old-timers and it is our privilege to pay tribute and to give commemoration to a great man, John Starkins, for his service to our community and our children.

The above rap song, dedicated to John, is part of a mix of many songs on aCD that we will present to John, commemorating and thanking him for not only his basketball service, but also for the great joy and laughter that his spirit has given us.

By the way, I'll be there again, sitting on the sidelines, waiting for that one significant moment, when John and I are face-to-face. I will nail him with a one-liner or a joke that will make your hair curl and your funny bone jump out of your body.

The laughter will start all over again and threaten to become a tradition at the hallowed basketball sanctuary of Mason Park. This is the stuff that legendary memories are made of.

Thank you, John, and here's to another 30 years of community service to Chatsworth!