• AJA baseball should open its doors to all players • Mahalo for safe 2010 holiday season • Good luck seeing through the haze AJA baseball should open its doors to all players So, The Garden Island’s “workhorse” Dennis Fujimoto
• AJA baseball should open its doors to all players • Mahalo for
safe 2010 holiday season • Good luck seeing through the haze
AJA baseball should open its doors to all players
So, The Garden Island’s “workhorse” Dennis Fujimoto reports that “ AJA Baseball opens its 82nd season…”
I have the greatest respect and admiration for AJA Baseball, its president, Tom Shigemoto, and the people responsible for keeping winter baseball alive on Kaua‘i.
But, I would respectfully request that their policy of prohibiting players with no Japanese blood to play in this league be eliminated. Opening this fine league to all players with the ability to compete has been a goal of mine since coming to Kaua‘i 21 years ago.
I have been privileged to be the official scorer and arbitrator for the KIF for 15 years and I enjoy and am gratified to have been given that task. It is rewarding to be able to evaluate and help some young ball player move to the college level if he has the ability. Or, to see a talent like Tyler Yates get to the big leagues and honor Kaua‘i with this great accomplishment.
Or to watch one of my favorites (and I have many here on Kaua‘i) Johnny Ruis star as a pitcher for Cerritos College in So California, get a scholarship to University of Tennessee, and then become pitching coach for Ed Scheff at Lewis-Clark College in Idaho — a school with the winningness record in the history of college baseball.
Neither of these two were allowed to play AJA baseball (nor was Tyler’s outstanding young brother Kirby) but why prohibit ANY young man from playing baseball on Kaua‘i simply because he lacks Japanese blood? Think of the prestige players of this caliber would bring to AJA baseball if allowed to play.
The world now includes America’s favorite pastime and a look at our Big League teams will show it to be a melting pot for anyone with the ability to play at that level — ability being the only restricting factor.
Could you imagine the Big Leagues disallowing Latinos or Orientals from playing because they do not have Caucasian blood? Not ever being able to see Alex Rodriguez with the Yankees play — one of the best and highest paid players in the history of baseball!
Regardless of the culture or reasons given for restricting participation in AJA baseball, I would plead to this fine organization to open their doors to all players who have the capabilities of competing.
If as the mayor so wisely said, “Kaua‘i is such a special place because of its cultural diversity” (referring to AJA baseball), how can any person be excluded from playing America’s favorite sport?
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Mahalo for safe 2010 holiday season
For the 20th year, A Tow In Paradise offered a free tow home during the holidays for those who had too much to drink and should not drive home. We towed the driver and their vehicle, and some with friends, to their home, no questions, no hassles and no charge!
We were on the road from 12:15 to 3:30 a.m., Jan. 1. We cannot release their names due to our commitment for their privacy. We were surprised that they were “our younger generation” who were smart to call for the free tow.
Mahalo to those who talked about us and to the people we towed, for allowing us to tow them home. To The Garden Island, Kong Radio, especially Ron Wiley who always goes beyond the call of duty to tell the world, FM97, Ron Morin of Senter Petroleum who has donated fuel, and to the many local radio stations. We all joined together to help save lives.
What a great way to end the year and to begin a new one! We have sincerely enjoyed giving our time for 20 years to help all to be safe on our roads for the New Year’s celebrations.
Carol and Roger Ridgley Jr., A Tow In Paradise, Kapa‘a
Good luck seeing through the haze
I assure you, chemtrails are real. Our military has rained aluminum, plastic, and who knows what on us here in Oregon for several years now.
Yes, Mr. Waeschle (“Preposterous,” Letters, Jan. 5, 2011), you saw the plane turning in the photo; planes make turns. I guess I miss your point.
During summer months you can stand on the top of Mt. Ashland and watch up to five planes making repeated runs back and forth. They fly at a much lower altitude than commercial flights. They fly for hours until they have covered the sky with the aluminum haze, and the haze lingers most of the day (does not dissipate like normal commercial plane exhaust).
Not one of our government officials, from city to state, will admit to it.
Airport officials will not release the flight plans or even admit to the planes being in the air. (Being flown out of a military facility in nearby Klamath Falls I’ve been told.)
You can stand next to them watching it happen while they look to the sky, stupefied, and blither, “Where? I don’t see anything.” Their reasoning? If you don’t acknowledge it, you don’t have to deal with it.
That’s right, people. Aluminum, falling on your produce, in your water supply, on your children playing outside. A local meteorologist and ex-marine made mention of it on air.
Oh yes, Kaua‘i, it’s happening. Good luck getting officials to see through the haze.
Susan Silva, Ashland, Ore.
