5 MAR 09: Rhubarb Season

Another sign of spring takes place this weekend in Columbus, as some Little League baseball programs open a new season. In fact, a pre-season clinic was planned last Sunday at Northern Little League - but those sneaky coaches brought in a snowstorm to preserve their secrets of success.

We'll get to Little League baseball, but we start with a dispute over softball. It involves who should be allowed to use four fields at Idle Hour Park in Phenix City. A slow-pitch softball league uses them now. A fast-pitch league wants to use them. It's like the tortoise versus the hare, only in a different sport.

The Phenix City Council heard an appeal from the fast-pitch softball league this week to share the four fields. It was also a gripe session of sorts, as one person complained about little hills in the outfield. Isn't that the sort of thing which makes major league outfields fun and distinctive?

A leader of Phenix City slow-pitch softball says he has no problem sharing the four fields, but he adds a compromise schedule couldn't be worked out for this coming season. You'd think we have enough nice weather for both slow-pitch and fast-pitch to have a season. And of course, the fast-pitch season wouldn't take as long to play.

Phenix City officials said they hope to find some kind of softball compromise for the 2010 season. I think they're talking in terms of using two fields for slow-pitch and two for fast-pitch - instead of merging the programs completely, and playing moderate-pitch.

But let's face it - for many Columbus-area adults, Little League is the program of choice. And as opening day approaches, things to be calm compared with the last couple of years. Why, we've only had one e-mail complaining about the leadership....

That e-mail came the other day, by someone involved with Pioneer Little League. We've been asked NOT to post the e-mail, or identify who sent it. After all, baseball pitchers know how to throw at the heads of people they don't like.

The e-mailer claims Pioneer Little League's Board of Directors voted arrested Jordan High School teacher Claire Marie Richards onto its board of directors. But Pioneer's online list of directors still does NOT show her name, and executives denied that claim in December [30 Dec 08]. So which director is she dating -- and how old is he, really?

The e-mailer also claims Pioneer Little League has an average daily income of more than $1,000. Some of that must come from the sales of official league merchandise -- which soon will include Pioneer seat cushions for $12.50. They've come a long way from my youth, when Mom had to bring her own lawn chair to sit behind the screen.

Pioneer Little League also is selling "Spirit Cups" right now to raise money. The league web site promises that money will reduce the cost to parents for uniforms -- which our e-mailer claims have a price limit this season of about 70 dollars. Considering the contract Manny Ramirez signed Wednesday, the price of authentic Los Angeles Dodgers merchandise might soon double.

BLOG UPDATE: The plot thickened Wednesday in the "Reeses' fleeces" investigation. City officials confirmed some of the Muscogee County Junior Marshal paychecks for Steven Reese were deposited in the bank account of his mother-in-law, Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton Bishop. Her stepdaughter will get an anniversary gift one way or another....

Remember, Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman says this whole matter is politically motivated. So where's the politics here? Are city payroll checks secret Republicans, who hatched a plot to embarrass Vivian Creighton Bishop and her Congressman husband? Or does internal auditor John Redmond somehow think he can run for city Finance Director?

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION has decided it's time for our readers to help WRBL with its future programming. We posted a question Wednesday night about whether the 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. newscasts should be dropped. They returned Wednesday after a one-day break - so maybe Oprah Winfrey's topic was simply too compelling to challenge.

During the 5:00 p.m. news, meteorologist Harmony Mendoza showed a map containing a "FOST ADVISORY." I think for many people in Muscogee County, that stands for Fear of Sales Tax.

Now we issue a Dead End Advisory - as today's post will end after a few more jokes:

+ The Phenix City Chick-Fil-A began a month-long promotion offering free breakfasts on Wednesdays. Someone on WRBL said there was a line around the building. Imagine if they gave away free enrollment at Glenwood School.

+ Randolph County, Alabama authorities announced they broke up a cockfighting ring. More than 100 people reportedly attended a series of fights last Saturday - so a few people found something to do besides gawking at tornado damage.

+ Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced he'll accept some federal stimulus money for unemployment benefits after all, after hinting he might reject it. Maybe he discovered the benefit money still will be around in 2011 - after he's out of office.

+ Roundball Night in Dixieland (tm) marked the end of the Columbus State men's season. The Cougars lost to Lander in the Peach Belt Conference tournament 74-60 - then Coach Doug Branson told WDAK's Scott Miller he plans to recruit in North Carolina today. Now there's a creative way to avoid a firing meeting.

+ Georgia surprised Kentucky in Lexington 90-85. Don't look now, but the Bulldogs may be planning another run to the Southeastern Conference tournament title. If only something can blow the roof off the arena in Tampa next week....

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The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

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