22 JUN 07: OPPOSITE POLES

They stand only one block apart, and usually they stand united. But right now they don't -- and that has me puzzled. Before you get too excited about this: no, I'm NOT talking about a gas war between Spectrum stations....

Drive down Tenth Street downtown, and you can see what I'm talking about. The flag outside the Muscogee County Jail is at half-staff, mourning the late Deputy Meredith Rhodes. The flag outside the Public Safety Center is all the way up the pole, as if nothing happened -- or as if the police finished its time, when it made an arrest.

Other city government buildings downtown also had their flags at full-staff Thursday -- joining with the police department, which of course really has not been at "full staff" for a long time....

Here's the puzzling part for me: I thought we had a "Columbus Consolidated Government," with the Muscogee County Sheriff's Department as part of that. Shouldn't the entire government join in a show of respect, for the untimely and violent death of a deputy? After all, Meredith Rhodes worked at the jail - and police have to put the suspects they arrest somewhere.

The Columbus Police and Muscogee County Sheriff's Department work together on major cases and drug busts. So why isn't one openly joining the other, in marking a time of loss? After all, Columbus Council already approved the new city budget....

When nine firefighters died in Charleston, South Carolina the other night, flags were ordered down to half-staff - not only in Charleston, but across the state. Admittedly that was a much larger loss of life. But what happened to this Muscogee County deputy isn't even creating a wave for two city blocks. Even Streetscape on Broadway had more impact than that.

Perhaps the reluctance to lower city flags stems from the circumstances involved. Meredith Rhodes apparently was NOT on duty when he was shot early Sunday morning, and he was outside a bar on Steam Mill Road. But he was still a sheriff's deputy - and unlike some of Ken Suddeth's friends, his badge was real.

The last Columbus Mayor sometimes ordered city flags lowered to half-staff for obscure reasons. I remember one case where they were lowered because a former Defense Secretary died. Simply including Fort Benning in his budget proposals was good enough for an honor.

It's clear from Thursday's trip down Tenth Street that Columbus government departments have some amount of flexibility, in how the flag is displayed outside. But it baffles me as to why they're not flying flags at half-staff, in solidarity with a fallen sheriff's deputy. After all, this is one case where going halfway really IS a full commitment.

E-MAIL UPDATE: I'm not Chris Matthews, but let's play hardball. As promised, a supporter of the Pioneer Little League leadership comes forward:

I just wanted to write you regarding Rick Chadwick and Pioneer Little League. I am not ashamed to say that I am his daughter and I have grew up around Pioneer since I was 8. Miley has ALWAYS been a problem since I knew him and I never did anything to him. He complains about everything. When I was 17, I dated one of the umpires and he said that the only reason he was there was because he was "dating the head umpires daughter" which was not true. About my dad being in this for himself.... doubt it!!! He does it because he likes it, my mom too. Other than my dad getting paid for umpiring (like all other umpires) they do this for free. It's not because his daughter plays softball there.... it's because they both enjoy it. As for people running there mouth about stupid stuff, I have a rule book upstairs with me every time I kept the pitch count. There was one game when the opposing team (playing against the Pirates) was about to go over his pitch count when I told the umpire that pitcher had 5 or so pitches left. Miley went behind the plate and yelled up to the press box that I was not allowed to tell the umpire that until Miley pointed it out first. In other words, he wanted a reason to protest to win the game. So, that being said, I thought coaches were supposed to know the rules... HE DIDN'T!! If you look at page 34 Section VI(g), (and I quote), "The official pitch count recorder [me] should inform the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has delivered his/her maximum limit of pitches for the game...." What gets me is, this is little league... it's not kindergarten. This he said/she said is for little kids. I really wish my dad would get out of this. Out of everyone at this little league, you notice its only Pirates fans. If people would read a rule book before they start acting like they know rules, they wouldn't look like idiots when they write the Ledger Enquirer or blogs. I think its funny because the people running their mouths are the people from the losing side that have no one else to blame.

Oh and about the city tournament.... it was a Jack Cook tournament not a Rick Chadwick tournament. It's not my dads fault the Pirates lost. What was he supposed to do, get up to bat for them. You can't blame someone else for your own mistakes. There was an announcement made over the PA by Tommy Smith telling "all coaches for the next games" to report to the press box for a meeting. It was not only said once... but three different times. If people had complaints for that particular tournament, my dad was not the one to go to. Tommy Smith and Bernard Ashley were the men in charge. Why did everyone on the Pirates side (even the 9-11 year olds) get in my dads face cussing him out??? Miley told his players after the game "you see the people in the yellow shirts? They are the reason y'all lost." Why would you say that to little kids? If Miley was an adult, he would have handled it like an adult.

Have you asked anyone other than people associated with the Pirates about my dad or Pioneer??? I PROMISE you, you won't get the same responses that you get from Pirates fans.

When we first broke the Pioneer story last Sunday, we noted some people in Columbus take Little League baseball VERY seriously. If the comments of the last week don't prove it, the fact that players sometimes date umpires should.

Pitch counts were added to Little League baseball this year, so young pitchers don't wear out their arms. But it appears even this rule has become a breeding ground for argument and dispute. Leagues may have to borrow old bingo boards, to settle disputes about this.

Should the official pitch count recorder [her] tell the umpire EXACTLY when the maximum has been reached? Was she right in giving a five-pitch warning? Should a coach be declared an automatic loser for going over the count -- following the great "Price is Right" tradition?

The daughter makes a very good point when she says this is "Little League.... not kindergarten." Maybe we should find a middle ground, and say some of the parents belong in "coach pitch" - or even believe in what coaches pitch to them.

But Rick Chadwick's daughter should realize that in baseball, it IS often easy to blame someone else for your mistakes. For instance, major league pitchers have blamed the guy providing Barry Bonds with steroids....

I agree that there's no place in youth sports for "cussing out" by parents. But let's be honest: if those parents really wanted to escape that, their children would be in the Cascade Hills Church league.

The list of contacts we've had involving Pioneer Little League is now as follows: President Rick Chadwick, his daughter, a league board member and two people sending e-mails critical of the program. And after what happened when I called Rick Chadwick about the "bathroom incident," do I dare pick up the phone and ask Coach Philip Miley for his opinion?

I'm admittedly not plugged into Little League baseball in Columbus. But I think I have a clue about where Pioneer Little League developed this interest in debating back and forth. One of the coaches mentioned on a sign at the complex is Columbus Councilor Skip Henderson. [True!]

BLOG UPDATE: I finally had a chance to watch and hear the "Concerned Citizens for Uptown Columbus" TV commercial from start to finish Thursday. If they think the proposed city ordinance will prevent immorality from coming to Broadway, I have news for them -- a couple of prostitutes already were arrested downtown last weekend.

The "Concerned Citizens" commercial suggests having live music on Broadway will "corrupt our young people." This must be why Columbus has no Salvation Army brass bands.

Now let's see if we can whistle a happy tune, about some of Thursday's news stories:

+ Your blogger moved up to fifth place out of seven (third person out) on poker night at Lil Kim's Cove. I won my first pot ever, with a pair of aces - but lost with three 10's to a man with three queens. Come to think of it, the "Three Ten-ors" don't get PBS very far anymore, either.

+ Columbus Police reported a Circle K store was robbed on Manchester Expressway. What made this unusual is that the evening news showed the store - and it actually had prominent Circle K logos on it. The Spectrum signs finally seem to be going away. So that S now stands for "sayonara."

+ President Bush visited the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in north Alabama. Never mind the advantages he cited, in moving our country away from fossil fuels - did anyone there finally teach the President to say "nuclear" correctly?

+ WRBL presented a live interview with Rod Hood about his football camp - and he appeared on the air wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap. Aw c'mon, Rod! I don't think the Yankees are THAT desperate for pitchers....

(I mean, think about this. Shouldn't Rod Hood wear a ball cap of his new team, the Arizona Cardinals? Or if all else fails, he can wear a "hoodie.")

+ Instant Message to the children who draw chalk art on the sidewalk, in the 700 block of Broadway: Those are some attractive medieval castles you drew! And I agree - you need that street of businesses you put between those old-style castles. Like the Crown Store. And the Petsmart. And the Publix.

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.85 a gallon at Raceway on Victory Drive.... milk for $2.99 a gallon at Walgreens.... FREE fireworks after the Catfish game at Golden Park (just be careful where you park)....

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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21 JUN 07: ALIEN NATION

So this woman is talking on her cell phone, and she says: "It's like a space alien landed, and nobody noticed it, so everybody turns into space aliens." It's the middle of the afternoon, so she can't possibly be calling that weird "Coast to Coast AM" talk show.

OVERHEARD OVER HERE: The woman who made this comment apparently has spent some time in New York City, and longs to go back there to live. She made a comparison to space aliens, as she described living in Columbus. That's funny - the only green people I've noticed in town are on Spencer High School sports teams.

The woman went on to explain to a friend that Columbus reminds her of space aliens because "everybody knows everybody." I don't recall anyone ever making this comparison at the "Cheers" bar years ago.

As I overheard this cell phone chat the other day, it wasn't clear to me where this woman works. But she told her friend she feels like "I know everybody over 50." This could be a number of places. Maybe a senior center, maybe a veterans' club, maybe Piccadilly Cafeteria....

This woman expressed something else which seems to annoy her about Columbus. When people meet her, "they want to talk for an hour, and you can't get out of it without being abrupt." She's apparently used to doing things in a "New York minute" - which could be anything there from a conversation to a romantic relationship.

Then the woman made a comment about Columbus which completely threw me: "It's great if you're a lesbian." Huh?! Either the men in this city aren't impressive enough for her - or she's been to a nightclub I haven't heard any rumors about.

The rest of that explanation remains a mystery, because the woman stood up with her cell phone at that point and went on her way. I'd overheard a unique perspective about Columbus, from someone who's clearly a transplant -- but someone whose heart may not have made the transplant.

To borrow from Billy Joel, are we really "living here in Alien-Town?" Is Columbus a city of more than 180,000 clones? I mean, beyond the Fort Benning soldiers who all seem to have the same khaki outfits and buzz cuts....

If you're in certain peer groups, it probably seems at times like everyone in Columbus knows everyone else. A few families seem to dominate key governmental positions. One attorney passes on his or her practice to the next generation. And how many baseball-playing children does Russell County coach Tony Rasmus have, anyway?

But I think the woman overstates the situation when she claims everyone in Columbus knows everyone else. Several events in recent years have pointed that out. Sadly, some of them involved violent deaths. But how many Oakland Park residents do you think are known on a first-name basis at Columbus Park Crossing restaurants?

The group "One Columbus" tries to bring the community together in a positive way. It bridges gaps between ethnic groups and neighborhoods. But then, One Columbus is having this year's fundraising golf tournament 30 miles out of town in Opelika....

And as for the people who want to talk for an hour at a time: I understand what this woman means. I've had to put one phone caller to my home on a ten-minute time limit. Otherwise, he might go on for 90 - and not really care if you say three sentences in response.

It's easy to think in terms of stereotypes, and say people talk longer in the "sloooow South" than "thefast-pacedNorth." But before you agree with that assessment, think about this - which part of the country had NASCAR races first?

E-MAIL UPDATE: We keep hearing from readers about the situation at Pioneer Little League. For starters....

In response to your question about whether the coaches really get punished for going to the bathroom [19 Jun]....... the coaches got kicked out of the game for going to the restroom during the game. Rick Chadwick stood behind the backstop to make sure the coaches didn't go back in the dugout. We had our own players as the first base coaches.

Isn't that a bit ridiculous?

Just wanted to let you know.

Lisa Long

This incident seemed so unusual that I simply had to ask the Pioneer Little League President about it. Rick Chadwick told me Wednesday everything was based on the Little League rule book, which he says the critics haven't read. I'm old enough to remember when the big debate in the baseball rule book involved how to handle foul tips.

Rick Chadwick says according to Little League International rules, any player or coach who leaves the premises during a game without an umpire's permission is barred from returning. So this could apply to restroom trips, family emergencies - and parents of opposing teams tempting players, by waving melting ice cream cones in the stands.

Rick Chadwick clearly was annoyed that I phoned him to ask about this topic. He said plenty of good things are happening in 30 Pioneer Little League teams, without "a couple of parents" feeding nothing but negative information to us. But no supporters had written us, until an e-mail reached us Wednesday night. (We spotted that message at our deadline, and you'll see it here Friday.) Maybe the supporters are focused on upcoming All-Star tournaments, while others have nothing to do until next March.

"Enough's enough," Rick Chadwick told me - going on to accuse this blog of focusing on nothing but negative things. Maybe I simply have a blind spot here, but I don't recall ever rooting for Japan to beat the Northern All-Stars last August.

Rick Chadwick further warned me to quote him correctly, or he'll take legal action against this blog. "You do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to do," he said. That sounds fair enough - and in the interest of full disclosure, I have to do laundry and buy bread by Friday evening.

We have one more e-mail clarification - and a little more:

Allstar coaches are always the coach that had the first place team in their division. I figure I would let you know that. So you don't think that there appointed by the President.Also I will let you know I will no longer write to your blog or read it beacuse of your rude comments. You want people to write to you with there opinions, but then you call the loudmouths. I thought a lot different of you, since I have been reading your blog for a while now.

Oh dear - this e-mail came from one of Rick Chadwick's critics. So now I've upset both sides in this argument. But I was a youth league umpire long ago, so I admittedly have a track record....

My apologies if I offended people at Pioneer Little League on Tuesday with the word "loudmouths." Given the technical problems at the recent Jack Cook Tournament, maybe I should have said "loud speakers."

But we should note one e-mailer in recent days effectively called Pioneer Little League's President a coward. So the critics can pin labels on people they don't like - but my open-ended comment about "all the people" is out of bounds?! Well, summer heat DOES affect different people in different ways....

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: Look for more thoughts about name-calling and labeling in this blog this weekend.)

When we broke this Blog Exclusive on Sunday, we noted we did not go searching for this feud inside Pioneer Little League. People on both sides have fueled this fire, with no real encouragement from us. At least I'm trying to let both sides tell their stories. Journalists in Venezuela and the Palestinian Territories can't really do that....

Can we all at least agree that people on both sides care about Pioneer Little League? Sadly, I'm not sure either side would accept that statement. It's enough to make me wonder if "The Dr. Phil House" is completely booked for the upcoming season.

Now let's ring the bell and return to our respective corners, while we check Wednesday news headlines:

+ A Russell County judge dismissed sexual abuse charges against middle school teacher Sebastian Moore, ruling there wasn't enough evidence. Moore now can return to coaching the Russell County Middle School football team - and the way he's built, I wouldn't want to be a quarterback when he teaches about the blitz.

+ A check online confirmed the Muscogee County Library Board now is posting minutes of its meetings. Now, now, you cynics - I do NOT think they're filed inside the library under "fiction."

+ The Harris County Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed big development called "The Grove." The plans include about 300 acres of "open greenspace" - so it looks we've found the next big project for Josh McKoon.

+ The annual Rod Hood youth football camp began at McClung Memorial Stadium. Hood has changed N.F.L. teams during the off-season, from Philadelphia to Arizona - cleverly allowing for sales of souvenir jerseys across Columbus to double.

+ Instant Message to WHAL "Viva 1460": Am I hearing this right - you've moved your studios to the Bradley Theatre? Did Clear Channel move you out of the building on 13^th Avenue, to guard against immigration protesters?

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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20 JUN 07: PUT IT IN -- PARK

Tuesday was what one radio announcer described as "an old-fashioned rainy day." It was perfect for pulling out your umbrella and taking a stroll through a.... wellll.... you have to admit, a stroll through the "greenspace" doesn't sound quite right....

Columbus Council made its strongest statement yet Tuesday, about the land around the central library. Councilors voted 7-3 to reject the Library Board's proposed budget, which included plans for greenspace. Now the Library Board has to go back to the drawing board -- which means they may have to borrow the menu board from the Library Café.

You'll recall when Columbus Council voted on the Library Board budget in late May, the count was 5-4 in favor of it. So three Councilors reversed positions in three weeks - changing their minds much faster than city work crews change burned-out lights on the Riverwalk.

Once again WRBL broke down the vote on the Library Board budget. The only Columbus Councilors to approve it Tuesday were Mike Baker, Skip Henderson and Red McDaniel. Jerry "Pops" Barnes and Mimi Woodson remain opposed -- so the Library Board could only get a 2-2 split of the nickname coalition.

My scorecard shows the three Columbus Councilors who changed their minds on the Library Board budget were Wayne Anthony, Julius Hunter and Evelyn Turner Pugh. That's interesting, because Republican Party and Education Park Coalition chair Josh McKoon normally wouldn't buy dinner for at least two of them....

Josh McKoon wrote us three weeks ago, expressing concern that Midtown Inc. would lobby Columbus Councilors to back the Library Board budget [31 May]. If that organization did, it certainly wasn't evident Tuesday. Maybe Midtown Inc. was busy trying to find whoever put up the Java Jo'z sign on Macon Road - the one still waiting for a coffee shop.

It certainly appears from Tuesday's vote that Josh McKoon has won over Columbus Council on having a park around the central library. But winning over the Library Board may be another matter. Its next meeting is only nine days away. It has a lot more members. And some of those members seem a lot like library books - you know, hardbound.

Library Board Chair Bobsie Swift didn't seem defeated by Tuesday's vote. She believes Columbus Councilors will be persuaded back to her side, once they see visual plans for a children's area and "meadow grass." Perhaps Councilors can see that now -- by checking out old DVD's of "Little House on the Prairie."

Bobsie Swift has contended the Muscogee County Library Board can't afford to maintain a park. But I'm wondering if the board could build the park, then lease it for the Columbus Parks Department to maintain. That way the city would keep watering those walking trails Josh McKoon wants so badly -- trails probably made of concrete or brick.

BLOG UPDATE: On another matter, Columbus Council postponed a discussion of Uptown Columbus improvements for two weeks. That way, business members could discuss them first with the leaders of Uptown Columbus Inc. - and maybe even sing a tryout song for them.

Have you seen the new TV ad by "Concerned Citizens for Uptown Columbus?" It urges you to oppose a petition from Uptown Columbus Inc., which was scheduled for Columbus Council debate Tuesday. So apparently some people downtown don't need help with commercials from the Business Improvement District fund after all...

One disputed issue involving Uptown Columbus is whether to set an outdoor music limit of 75 decibels along Broadway. So much for ever having a "Mariachi Night" at Locos Amigos Cantina.

Another item in the petition would remove metal barriers along the sidewalks on Broadway, which outline where alcohol can be served. Uptown Columbus wants the boundaries to be marked by brick patterns - as if people who drink too many beers will be able to follow something so complicated.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Speaking of (ahem) eating out, here's another person's "top five list" of local restaurants - inspired by our Monday topic:

My favorite restaurant is Minnie's..can't beat the fried chicken Also the Home of the Ranger Burger on the way to Buena Vista.. Hotel Tallassee in Tallassee ,AL..100 yr old hotel has excellent friend chicken and veggies Mon-Sun and fish on Fri... The Yogurt Shoppe for lunch..great dumplings and veggies Evelyn's and Rose Hill Seafood ..

I know all about Minnie's in the Historic District, since I live a short walk from it. And it's a good thing I can walk there, because driving around the restaurant can be a pain during lunch hour. Selfish parkers leave First Avenue with so little driving room, I wish a maitre 'd would show up to direct me through it.

There was talk a year or two ago of adding a traffic light at Eighth Street and Second Avenue, primarily because of Minnie's. Collisions were occurring because drivers crossing Eighth Street couldn't see around parked cars. But after a big lunch at Minnie's, some customers probably need square inch of room inside that waiting SUV.

Now let's chew on some more items from the Tuesday news buffet:

+ Aflac officially opened Phase I of its expanded campus on Woodruff Farm Road. From the pictures I saw on television, those certainly are state-of-the-art cubicles....

(So why couldn't the Aflac Racing stock car stay in town one more day, to be displayed at this grand opening? Was the rain going to wash off the paint job, and show a giant Met Life logo with Snoopy?)

+ Nashville TV station WTVF won a national "Edward R. Murrow Award," for its investigation of Bill Heard Chevrolet [25 Apr]. That's two national news awards at Bill Heard's expense - so maybe the Columbus dealership needs to hire the next Miss Georgia, to work with the current one.

+ The director of Albany's Flint RiverQuarium warned it will close in six weeks, unless the city provides a $600,000 bailout. It could be another death at the hands of the Georgia Aquarium -- and just about as big as the whale sharks.

+ Instant Message to Larry Munson: No - you can't. You can't think about retiring after 40 years of Georgia football broadcasts. I know your body's weary and all - but I'm pleading with you, guy. Hunker on down, ONE MORE TIME!!!!!!

SCHEDULED THURSDAY: The next round in the Pioneer Little League debate....

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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19 JUN 07: THE TOO RUGGED CROSS?

Call me old-fashioned if you wish, but I have never eaten at a Hooters restaurant. That's because I don't agree with what that chain is really selling. You know what I mean, right?! C'mon, something bigger than a chicken wing....

I'm glad I wasn't at the Columbus Hooters Sunday night, because things became so tense that police were called. Several people claim a motorcycle club made threats, wouldn't let some customers inside, and even sexually assaulted a woman. And the only big sports event on TV to provoke all this was the U.S. Open golf tournament.

Here's the way it was explained to me: At least 50 members of the Iron Cross Motorcycle Club gathered for supper at Hooters. Then about six employees of Harris County's Draco Cycles showed up, and the club members started acting like a tough-guy gang. I know it was hot Sunday -- but this is Columbus, not Daytona Beach.

One woman on the Draco side says an Iron Cross member sexually assaulted her outside Hooters, by grabbing her (ahem) underside area. Assuming she's accusing a man, I've never quite understood why men do this. Aren't there other ways to carry brides over the threshold?

Another member of the Draco group called himself a military veteran who "fought to keep those guys free" -- but he claims the Iron Cross club barred him as well. Other veterans and soldiers should make a note of this, and show up at Hooters in full military dress.

To hear the Draco group tell it, the Iron Cross members were upset with the Draco Cycles logos they wore. Some club members reportedly threatened to follow the Draco people to other locations around Columbus -- and I don't think they were looking for poker run cards as they did it.

The Draco Cycles group retreated to the Winn-Dixie store on Veterans Parkway, and reported what happened to police. Officers apparently also went to Hooters - but we're not sure if they were allowed inside to "examine" the wait staff.

I first heard about this tension Sunday night, and called Hooters to ask what was happening. Two staff members there claimed the Iron Cross club actually was "very polite," and police didn't stay there long. Of course, that could have been because there still aren't enough officers to provide reinforcements on a weekend.

But a critic on the Draco Cycles side says Hooters made up a story about good behavior, because the Iron Cross club was making the restaurant too much money. This may explain why Hooters doesn't have a location inside the Phenix City limits....

So what does the Iron Cross Motorcycle Club have to say about all the hubbub at Hooters? I found a phone number for the club online, and dialed it Monday evening. An unnamed man told me: "I don't know anything about it. Thank you." - and then hung up. At least he didn't threaten to send gang members to my neighborhood, to hold 50-lap motocross races.

A police report apparently was filed over the Sunday night tension, but I heard nothing Monday about any arrests. If there's one lesson to be gained from all this, it could be that Hooters needs to open a Harris County location - either that, or have checks for weapons at the entrance to the parking lot.

E-MAIL UPDATE: We've had plenty of responses to two hot Sunday topics. Let's start with our exclusive look inside Pioneer Little League - and a woman who e-mailed us not once, but twice:

If Bernard Ashley would go back to the official scorebook, he would clearly see that the first pitch was thrown at 9:04. Pioneer Little League has very poor leaders. Rick Chadwick wouldn't stand up for that league if his life depended on it. He doesn't know how to address concerns and issues, and fix them. He runs cowardly to the press box instead and hides out until everyone leaves so he doesn't have to answer for his inexcusable behavior. If no one speaks up about it, he'll just keep it up.

As for Bernard Ashley-not only should he know the game started at 9:04, he should also know that Coach Miley was NOT TOLD ABOUT A MANAGERS MEETING BEFORE THE GAME. Ya know, maybe that's my point altogether, they don't like Coach Miley because he's not a follower. Everyone on the Pioneer Little League board and the coaches follow Rick Chadwick like puppets, except Coach Miley. Perhaps that's why Rick Chadwick said he would personally sign waivers for all of the Pirates to play at another league. He had better get his pen ready!!!....

I am a proud parent of a B League Pirate, and I'd like to add to my previous comments..... Bernard Ashley just confirmed for everyone
with his comment about the "prayer meetings", just what kind of coach Philip Miley was to these kids. He taught them not only about baseball, but about who ultimately oversees the games, decisions, injuries, etc.. that go along with baseball and every other aspect of their lives. His B league team has come in first place at Pioneer for 8 years......a record that Rick Chadwick SHOULD be proud of. Instead, he's encouraged that winning record to go to another league. I guess the bottom line is......Coach Miley DID come in 1st place YET AGAIN this year and he IS the coach of the All-Star team representing Pioneer Little League. We can only hope he holds "prayer meetings" in the half-innings of each all star game. We will be going to another league next year so my child can continue to play for coaches with winning records, awesome coaching skills, and faith-filled motivation.

As for the thousands of dollars that was spent on the fields at Pioneer that Tracy Wilson seemed to be so proud of.....that money comes from kids (like the Pirates) selling raffle tickets, parents' time working concession stands, etc. It's expected....it's their job to spend that money on the league. It doesn't give them bragging rights. Maybe that's their way of trying to cover up what the real issue is....LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS!!! (Or lack thereof) Rick Chadwick is in it "for himself".

A true leader addresses issues. He doesn't harrass parents at the concession stand to give them directions to another league. A true leader doesn't call manager's meetings and fail to invite the one coach he coincidentally doesn't like. A true leader doesn't punish a coach for having to run to the restroom during the game. A true leader doesn't stand at a golf cart and giggle and watch the team representing his league get shafted by the local Little League officials and then afterward, throw up his hands and say "What could I do about them stopping the game early? I don't have any control over this!"....Well, that my friend, we already knew! That would be my point entirely!

Lisa Long

Starting from the top: if Pioneer Little League President Rick Chadwick is really that cowardly, why did he return my call - not once, but twice? And he didn't seem to read a prepared statement on either occasion....

I don't know who chooses the All-Star coaches in Pioneer Little League. But Rick Chadwick suggested to me the other day that Philip Miley has been appointed to top coaching jobs two years in a row. Would the President or Board of Directors do this, if they held a grudge against Miley? But then, maybe this is like the Atlanta Falcons' relationship with Michael Vick.

Maybe local teams need those "prayer meetings" between innings, to prepare for big tournaments ahead. After all, have you seen those Japanese teams bow down to "the god of Little League"in Williamsport - a statue of a man beyond the centerfield fence?

But then again, I can see the need to keep games moving. One reason why interest in major league baseball has dropped is because the games are considered "too slow." And Ricky Henderson isn't out on the base paths anymore, provoking everyone to move faster.

The last paragraph from Lisa Long raises some new issues I know nothing about. Do coaches really get punished for going to bathrooms during games?! Isn't the whole point of baseball about making runs -- one way or another?

Here's another message we received about Pioneer Little League:

Mr. Burkard,

The time that Bernard Ashley quote was 8:35pm. The umpire announced the official time before the game started at 9:04pm. So I don't know where Mr. Ashley is getting his information from. It wouldn't have been a big deal if the game started at 8:35pm and ended at 10:30pm. But it didn't start at 8:35pm. Bernard Ashley and Tracy Wilson are bashing parents and coaches that contribute time and money to Pioneer Little League. Instead they should have a little compassion for what the team had to go through that night. It's all about the kids, and when the kids work hard all season to make it to the City Championship they should play the whole game. If they can't, the game should never start. I personally now some of the coaches that did attend the meeting and they said there was no mention of a 10:30pm curfew at all!!!!!!! Pioneer hosted the tournament and they knew the announcement system wasn't up to par, they had plenty of staff that could have easily gone around the ballpark to make absolute sure all coaches new about the unscheduled meeting. Coach Miley wasn't the only coach who didn't here the announcement. Mrs. Wilson as for you, your kid wasn't on the Pirates team, if they were you would have seen first hand the harassment Rick Chadwick gave them this year. Since your child wasn't on the team it's easy for you to say the parents are wining and just upset that they lost. That's not the case. If they lost in a full game there would have been no complaints. There upset and voicing there opinion because they are fighting for the children's misfortune. I guess if you fight for your team and children you're just a complainer, right Mrs. Wilson.

Congrats Peach For Making It To The Final Game.

I'm not sure how many "staff" members you need to put on the Jack Cook Tournament. But based on all the people who have spoken up in the last few days, there certainly seems to be plenty of loudmouths available.

While the Pioneer feud rages, the world champion Northern All-Stars held a skills camp for children Monday at John Rigdon Park. It was a striking scene to see -- as ten months after the big win in Williamsport, the players and the parents still seem to like each other.

Now to another hot topic, that's coming up in a couple of meetings today -- what to do about "Uptown Columbus." Someone wrote a pair of "rants" about our Sunday comment there as well:

"WRBL reported Uptown Columbus Inc. plans to pre-screen anyone who wants to sing along Broadway. Somehow I don't think this is how the New York subway system handles it...."

For those in Columbus who have not had the pleasure of working with UPtown Columbus, Inc., the Executive Director is Richard Bishop. Yes, this is the same Richard Bishop who was on the news recently for having his neighbor almost put in jail for her sons riding their ATVs on their OWN property. Take a look at the actions by UPtown Columbus since they have been started and see how much "power" they have gotten and you will see why they really feel they CAN control everyone on Broadway, including anyone who wants to sing on the streets. Please someone tell us how does a Non-Profit establishment gain so much power over part of our city?

Hey UPtown Columbus, Inc. do you really think all the articles in the paper about the great turn out for the concert series is really fooling the business owners in DOWNTOWN? Why don't you ask the business owners what they really think..you might get the following.."why are you having a concert series on a night we don't need help bringing business to our places" (what happened to doing them on Thursdays and not Fridays?). You might also hear.."thanks for building the stage on the 1100 block, this doesn't highlight the business that are ACTUALLY open during the concert series times. (that was smart planning...who made that decision?).

These are just 2 of the comments I have heard in the last day or so..there are plenty more. Richard, when you get off of your bike and come into our establishments, why don't you ACTUALLY listen to what we would like to see or have in our DOWNTOWN! Also, why don't you go over and talk to UPtown Columbus Business Improvement District, Inc. and ask them what they are doing with the advertisement budget they have set aside, as we haven't seen barely any of it spent on promoting DOWNTOWN. On the other hand we have seen commercials promoting themselves.

These are combined opinions of several, being spoken by one voice....

The following quote was posted on WRBL's website:

"The proposal is also about which musicians would play. The musician who wants to play outdoors would have to go through an approval process. "They would come to uptown and fill out an application. We would look at their resume," said Bishop.

Several of us in Downtown have many questions concerning the above comment.

1. Are we in America? When did it become the right of a non-profit organization or anyone to tell us what type of music we wanted to listen to or which musicians we wanted to hire at our establishments?

2. Who is going to actually approve these people? Will it be Richard Bishop or Lisa Rowe? Yes, those are the only two people that work at UPtown Columbus, Inc., I hope all of you like their taste in music.

3. If it isn't the two employees of UPtown Columbus, Inc. are they going to create another special committee for approval? Yes, there is a Special Events Committee. This means when there is a special event you want to put on downtown that is not inside your establishment, you have to apply thru UPtown Columbus to host the event. Your application is then approved or non-approved by a committee. A committee, we can't figure out how one becomes a member of, or when existing members terms are up for limits. (If it is anything like some of our city council, they will be on there until they die, then they will be stuffed and placed in a chair...how would we know any different?)

Our understanding is Isaiah Hugley, City Manager, created the idea of the committee and it approving events, then in which would be passed on to him. Why would the city government give such control to a non-profit organization, esp since, if we recall correctly, they are a 501 C 3 and not a 501 C 6. This means they ARE NOT funded by tax dollars, but by public interest funds instead.

4. If the committee doesn't like your music..are they going to tell you to take your talent to Midtown Columbus? Yes, there was an organization who wanted to do a family event for FREE in downtown and was told by Lon Marlow, chair of the committee, to take their event to Midtown as they were starving for events, and this organizations event was "tabled".

Can someone tell us when an event is denied what is the appeal process? Comments by Lon Marlow when this was tabled was if Isaiah was to not listen to the committee on any table or denied event, then he would tell Mr. Hughley that there was no since in having such a committee.

I guess we answered our own question..there is NO appeal process, UPtown Columbus and any political and money backing they have are the final say.

Again..we hope you really like their musical selections!!

5. Are they going to charge an application fee to these musicians to review their resumes? That's right folks. If you put in a application for an event downtown you must pay a $50 application fee to UPtown Columbus, Inc.

So, if there is a fee imposed, what are we saying to people when we ask them to pay to work?

6. Are the musicians going to have to be approved each time they want to play? Wow..if there is an application fee, we see one way UPtown Columbus will keep their salaries coming. Maybe that means they won't feel the need to do another golf tournament. (Last time we looked there wasn't golfing in downtown..oh so an organization that is suppose to highlight downtown decided to do a fund-raiser on the north side of town, what does that say?)

7. If a person isn't approved, what is going to happen to them? Are we going to have someone monitoring these singers and handing them fines? Are we going to start giving them tickets, like the Facade Board gives business owners for having to many posters in their windows?

These are just a few questions off the top.

Funny..are they going to make our "characters" that randomly sing apply with their resumes? We would actually encourage this for our entertainment factor, nothing makes us laugh more then picturing our random "characters" signing about the Lord and Rhinestone Cowboys sitting in UPtown's waiting room.

It's Downtown Not Uptown

I knew the downtown area had several church pastors -- so perhaps it's only fitting that a Bishop has come in to oversee everything.

(By the way, I'm assuming it's Richard Bishop who's being described in the e-mail as riding the bike. I haven't done that since my vacation last year at Jekyll Island - and I wasn't really there to do an economic survey.)

If I recall correctly, a business association was set up in the downtown area several years ago -- with dues being paid to Uptown Columbus Inc. to represent them. If businesses on Broadway aren't happy, I suppose they could protest by dropping their memberships and not paying dues. Then they can join Falcons Tattoos, in renewing the downtown part of Veterans Parkway.

If it wasn't for Uptown Columbus, Inc., there might not be much music downtown at all at this time of year. The Columbus State RiverArts campus is on a summer schedule. The RiverCenter is between seasons. And Carmike Cinemas doesn't even play movie music, around its headquarters parking lot.

I've seen one current TV ad for a downtown business, and noticed in the fine print that it was paid for in part by the Business Improvement District. That struck me as strange - but then again, I guess many of the businesses are so small that they need help to buy TV time. How Columbus Bank and Trust grew without it, I have no idea.

Now to IDNU's questions: some of us already allow nonprofit organizations to tell us what type of music we like. If you donate to Troy Public Radio, for instance....

Uptown Columbus Inc. should realize it cannot have only two music judges. This is 2007, after all. You need THREE judges. That's how it works on "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars."

If you want to hold a special event in some other part of Columbus, you'd probably have to apply for approval somewhere. I assume it would go through a city department, which sometimes can be a very slow process. I'm still waiting for the Parks Department to tell me if I'm approved to use McClung Memorial Stadium - last October.

Columbus Council apparently has some oversight over what happens in downtown Columbus. Today's agenda includes a discussion of the area - and if you ask me, I think there's only enough room for greenspace instead of a park.

I assume the music review policy still would allow for "Open Mic Nights" at The Loft. That music is indoors, one story above the street - but trust me from personal experience: if you're not rocking after 11:00 p.m., you might as well go to the next room and shoot billiards.

And what's all this complaining about a lack of downtown golf? The middle of Broadway between Fourth and Ninth Street is a perfect spot for practicing your short game. And with C.S.U. RiverArts construction ending, the oval at 11^th and Front Avenue could be turned into a nice nine-hole putting course.

Here's one more e-mail before we close - one that's actually overdue, but required some clarification on our part:

And to think when I wrote earlier I was talking about John Wells running from the bulls in Spain [11 Jun].......then he opens the gate in his own home field. Hope he does better in Spain.....................

there is a true problem when a board that handles discipline of students and teachers can't even be seen in public conducting meetings.........something is seriously wrong with this picture......

This writer disagrees with the Muscogee County School Board's reluctance to have work sessions televised on CCG-TV. Monday night's regular monthly session WAS taped for telecast - so would you rather see the final cuts of meat, or how they're handled at the slaughterhouse?

It turns out the Ledger-Enquirer is offering to record the school board work sessions, and post them online as a "webcast." But if these sessions really were interesting or funny, I'd think a spectator with a cell phone would have put them on YouTube by now.

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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18 JUN 07: FIVE OVER 2.0

Some people scoff when I talk here about the "blog competition." But plenty of new blogs have developed recently in Columbus, including several for Ledger-Enquirer reporters. In fact, I think Sonya Sorich is trying to psych me out by posting all those pictures of attractive babes....

Another new blogger wrote us the other day, seeking help with one topic:

Hi Richard!

I'm new to Columbus and started doing a little writing (www.coga20.com)...

Any thoughts as longtime Columbus blogger on the top 5 restaurants in the area?

Thanks!

-

Jonathan Nery

Welcome, Jonathan - and I'm wondering if your blog called "Columbus 2.0" makes mine 1.0, and if that makes yours superior.

Click over to Columbus 2.0 and you'll find an eclectic mix of topics, ranging from local sights to fashion and design. It promises a "fresh perspective" - so fresh, in fact, that perspective is misspelled.

But anyway: Jonathan raises a thought-provoking question -- one based on an online ranking he found. Where are the top restaurants in Columbus? Several years ago, you could have counted the best on one hand - and still had enough fingers left to eat fried chicken.

I researched a story on Columbus-area restaurants for the TV news in the late 1990's, and was surprised to find big-name travel guides didn't mention many. The highest score actually went to a restaurant in a restored home near downtown Hamilton. The Oak Tree is out of business now - and why the Garden Club of Georgia didn't fight to save it, I have no idea.

Another travel guide favorite for a "Columbus-area restaurant" actually went to the Windsor House hotel in Americus. As if people in Columbus would drive one hour out of their way for a nice dinner?! I don't think that many drove to the Opelika Cracker Barrel, before the Columbus location opened.

Back in the late 1990's, downtown Columbus only had a couple of really nice restaurants. The Olive Branch on Broadway impressed me most -- but then the Olive Garden opened at Columbus Park Crossing, and customers apparently decided that was an upgrade.

The restaurant scene has improved across Columbus in the last ten years - but the bulk of that admittedly is due to Columbus Park Crossing attracting national chains. I assume Jonathan wants me to leave out places such as Carrabba's, TGI Fridays, Chili's and Cheddars - in other words, anything within shouting distance of the Staples store.

Here's my personal and quite unofficial ranking of the best local Columbus restaurants, based simply on my visits:

1. Bludau's, Fourth and Broadway. This was the only local restaurant to earn a star from travel guides ten years ago, and I'm amazed the list at that other web site left it out. It's easily the most elegant place in town - perfect for weddings, prom dinners and lobbying by Synovus executives.

2. Chef Lee's II on Bradley Park Drive. The other web site is right about this one, as the owner went all-out to create a nice dining experience -- and he resisted the temptation to put whale sharks in his aquarium.

3. Mediterranean Café, Sidney Simons Boulevard. Nice food and atmosphere, tucked inside a shopping center - and it comes across as much less egotistical than that Chop House down the sidewalk.

4. Country's; you pick your favorite location. I actually knocked it down a notch from the other web site's ranking, because it's such a mainstream popular choice. The elitist restaurant critic in me asks: if everybody's eating there, is it REALLY that good?

5. El Vaquero, Cross Country Plaza (I haven't been to the Northlake location yet). It's a Mexican restaurant which even opponents of immigration reform seem to like.

A sudden change of plans Sunday left little time for blogging, so here are some quick notes to wrap things up:

+ The Georgia Department of Education posted district numbers from the CRCT exams. They showed 31.8 percent of Muscogee County eighth-graders fell short on the science exam. So did almost 63 percent of Talbot County eighth-graders - perhaps because some parents still are skeptical about that lunar landing stuff.

+ The "Getting on Top of Life" broadcast on WAGH-FM featured Pastor/School Board member Joseph Roberson calling the Biblical figure Abraham "a thug who tried to pimp his wife," and King David "a player and a big baller." So why isn't HE teaching Bible literature classes in Muscogee County schools? Attendance might go off the charts....

+ Sumter Regional Hospital issued a statement, promising to set up the "building structure of a fully functioning hospital" with buildings supplied by FEMA. So will people waiting for them in New Orleans be entitled to treatment first?

+ Instant Message to Pepsi-Cola: I tried your new Diet Pepsi Max, which the label calls "invigorating cola." And I have to admit I had my first two-mile run Saturday night since my illness. If I'd finished the entire 12-ounce bottle, maybe I would have reached three.

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: suspended due to schedule change

If you mention this blog in public, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-07 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.

17 JUN 07: PIRATES OF THE CRY-BABY-IN'?

If you're new to Columbus, here's a tip to keep in mind: some people here take Little League Baseball VERY seriously. They'll even complain to TV stations if their team doesn't get enough coverage at this time of year - apparently not realizing in Atlanta, they'd barely get noticed before August 1.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Your blog confirmed Saturday an ugly spat has developed inside the Pioneer Little League. It's not clear exactly how many people are complaining -- since there are still two weeks to organize picket lines at the District 8 All-Star tournament.

We did not go searching for this feud at all. Instead, it came to us - beginning with this e-mail:

Mr. Burkard,

I read your blog often and have always thought that you did a good job of keeping people up to date on things going on around our city. I have been unsuccessful in getting a response from District 8 of Little League and the people in charge above him. I have even submitted a letter to the Ledger that has not been in print yet. I am hoping that you will share the following letter with your readers so that I know that others are aware of what went on at the city tournaments held at Pioneer. I would greatly appreciate it as would all of the other parents of the Pirates that feel they have been cheated. I apologize in advance for this being such a lengthy letter. Thank you.

District 8 Supervisor and Southern Regional Director:

Over the course of the spring season there have been various conflicts between Pioneer Little League and a few of the teams that play there. As you may be aware, this year the Pirates won the "B" League championship due to the last 5 minutes of the 3rd game of the playoffs. On June 8, 2007 they entered the city tournament held at Pioneer, where they faced the Rams team from Peach Little League. The game, which was scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm, did not start until 9 p.m. due to a rain delay during the previous game. At 10:30 p.m. the umpires called an end to our game due to the rule that no little league game was to be played past 10:30 p.m.. Throughout the season the games have been played through six innings or the two hour time limit with the exception of tied games.

The Pirates coaches inquired why the children were not given the opportunity to play the entire two hours. Pioneer Little League and District 8 officials stated that the Pirates coaching staff did not attend a meeting that was announced prior to the game. That announcement was not heard by the coaches, team members or parents and we all arrived at or before 6:30 pm due to our own game. It could have been that the system has always been faulty or that there was a very large crowd attending the games and we did not hear it over the noise. I personally sat on the bleachers of the B field the entire time I waited for my son to play and never heard an announcement. Coach Miley did take the kids to the upper field for practice since there was going to be such a wait. It would have made more sense to let all the coaches know at a "regularly scheduled meeting" or via a phone call prior to game day that all coaches were to meet in the main building so that no one depended on your announcement system. One person stated to us after the fact that we had the chance to reschedule the game due to the time limit. Well, most parents are not aware of every rule in the book and so we depend on our coaches and our league to provide information to us.

We feel that the players were let down by Pioneer and District 8. These officials should have been looking out for the best interest of the children by making sure that everyone was aware of the time constraint. Our coach has been with Pioneer for many years and the officials know him personally. It wouldn't have put anyone out of their place by mentioning this to him sometime within the 2.5 hours we waited for our game to start. It also would have been decent for the umpires of the game to mention this when they met our coaches at home plate before the start of the game. It is only fair that if all the other teams had the chance to play the full two hours in the championship, that we be given the same opportunity.

I have some questions that I would appreciate an answer to if you have the time.

1.) They stated that this meeting was made on the public address system. The officials stated that the meeting was called up until 30 minutes prior to the game. My question is this, was it called 30 minutes before our scheduled game of 7:30 or was it called 30 minutes before we actually started at 9 p.m.?

2.) If the rules state that no game shall continue past 10:30 pm why was a game started at 9 pm.? You are aware that all the games have taken the full two hours, so why doesn't the rule book state that NO GAME SHALL BEGIN AFTER 8:30 PM DUE TO THE TWO HOUR TIME LIMIT.

3.) How can our teams be shorted by 30 minutes of game time in a situation where the children are playing for the city championship? All the games had to be equal to be valid. That would be like having a pie eating contest where you get 5 minutes and I get 3. I am set up from the beginning to lose.

4.) We have had players announced at every game during the spring season. Why were the players and teams NOT announced during the championship games? They all deserved the recognition. If you are going to say that it was due to being understaffed I can assure you that I would have gone up there in the box to do this for the teams. Many of the parents would have.

In closing I would like to congratulate the Peach Rams for a game well played. I would also like to thank Pioneer and District 8. They did teach our kids one thing: Life isn't always fair.

Letters such as this should explain why no one's talking about building a Little League ball diamond, on that disputed land around the central library....

Since I didn't know who the Little League District 8 Supervisor was, I called Pioneer President Rick Chadwick for guidance. He told me Saturday he understands the complaint by Pirate parents, but added District 8 ran the Jack Cook tournament -- so some could say Chadwick doesn't want to be put behind the 8-ball.

Rick Chadwick explained any decisions made about starting times and game lengths were up to the District 8 people, not Pioneer Little League. So there was no "home field bias" at the tournament - which may explain why the Northern and American Little League teams haven't e-mailed us, too.

Rick Chadwick noted Coach Miley's teams tend to win, and Pioneer Little League overall is improving. He said the program has gone from NO money in the bank three years ago to $35,000 now. Imagine if they played games on the grounds of the National Infantry Museum....

Rick Chadwick gave me the name of the District 8 Supervisor, and I made plans to call the supervisor Saturday night. But then Chadwick called me back, to ask if the e-mail above mentioned Pioneer's Board of Directors. You'll note it does NOT - so I think the letter is safe from any pending litigation.

Later Saturday morning and without any prompting, Tracy Wilson called. She happens to be a member of the Pioneer Board of Directors, and had "something to say" about the Pirate parents' complaint. I never realized snowballs could build in mid-June in Georgia....

Tracy Wilson blamed the Pirate coaches for the fuss about how the Jack Cook tournament turned out. She suggested they're feeding parents misinformation about what happened on that Friday night. For instance, did all the players really say "good game" when the teams passed each other afterward?

"If he had been winning that game at 10:30, he wouldn't have been complaining," Tracy Wilson told me about Coach Miley. There's apparently been tension involving Coach Miley and his team for a couple of years. You wondered what inspired that reality series "Pirate Master," didn't you?

Tracy Wilson went on to say that some parents connected to the Pirates have been challenging Pioneer Little League President Rick Chadwick. They've accused Chadwick of being "in this only for himself" - a claim both Wilson and Chadwick deny. If the new city auditor needs some overtime, the league records might be a place to start.

"This is a doggone good league," Tracy Wilson wanted to be sure we mentioned about Pioneer. Admittedly, I have NOT confirmed whether animals are allowed around the ball diamonds or not....

But Tracy Wilson explained Pioneer Little League just finished spending tens of thousands of dollars to renovate two fields. I'm not sure they spent that much to rebuild the centerfield fence at Golden Park last winter.

(We should note Tracy Wilson almost didn't talk to our blog, because she mistakenly confused me with Richard Hyatt of the Ledger-Enquirer. Hyatt has his own blog now - but a fascination with doughnut shops almost overtook him for a few weeks.)

Little League District 8 Supervisor Bernard Ashley added his side to all this Saturday night. He did NOT blame the fuss at the Jack Cook tournament on the Pioneer Pirate coaches, finding fault instead with "a couple of parents." They're simply making enough noise for their own public address system now.

Bernard Ashley said the disputed Pioneer Pirates-Peach Rams game actually started at 8:35 p.m., NOT 9:00 -- so the amount of game time is in dispute. Did anyone take a portable TV to the tournament to settle this? Had "National Bingo Night" started before the first pitch?

Bernard Ashley went on to say the Pirate team hurt its own cause by holding "prayer meetings" between half-innings. The Supervisor said a one-minute time limit was abused by the coaches - who may already have been practicing for the games at Williamsport on ESPN.

Bernard Ashley also said the coaches DID attend a meeting, in which the curfew rules were made clear. He noted a second game had to be called on that Friday night due to curfew. Perhaps the losing parents in that game were too sleepy to notice what happened.

What about the public address system announcing the players' names? Bernard Ashley said there were "speaker problems," because they only recently had been installed at the Pioneer fields. This is why Little League teams need cheerleaders - preferably with those old-fashioned megaphones to amplify their voices.

Bernard Ashley added he hears this sort of complaining every year at tournament time, from one organization or another. Rain tends to come in June. And the pressure certainly rises -- only it's not the barometric kind.

Now that we've let all the sides in this feud have a say, I'm going to have mine. Why have a curfew on a Friday night in June? School's out for the summer, few parents are working the next day and.... oops. I forgot. My Pastor would be wondering why you Sabbath-breakers didn't quit at 7:30.

On the other hand, who says a rain-shortened Little League game is less valid than a full-length one? I didn't hear drivers hollering about that, when Dario Franchetti won the Indianapolis 500.

And about players' names being announced on a public address system - at the risk of sounding like Dr. Laura or Dr. Phil: puh-LEEZE! I grew up in a youth league softball program with no press boxes, much less P.A. mikes. The parents actually had to watch the entire game carefully, to make sure they saw their children bat.

The local Little League programs today are so spoiled, they may not even realize it. My youth league years not only had no public address systems at the fields, but no outfield fences. If a hard line drive blew by me in right field -- and admittedly that happened often -- the curfew might arrive before I chased down the ball.

This whole issue reminds me of the Little League World Series ten months ago - when a mother from Arizona accused the Northern All-Stars of throwing a game. There's a good reason why local tournaments don't serve wine at the concession stands. Plenty of whine could be lurking in the crowds.

E-MAIL UPDATE: So what else do people want to gripe about this weekend? How about the Columbus city budget....

Hey!

I wanted to bring it to your attention that city employees that work over 40 hours per week are being cheated by the raise proposed for the new fiscal year. Due to this 6% increase, the overtime is being cut by half or more for each employee and/or department. This will have no effect on the employees that work 8-5 Monday - Friday, but does affect all law enforcement and correction officers and others that are scheduled to work longer shifts. It has been stated that those employees will now be given comp. time for those overtime hours. As you know, comp. time will not pay your house payment or put groceries in the house.

My spouse currently makes $6,000.00 or more per year in overtime. However, a 6% raise based on his pay is $1800.00 per year. After losing the overtime you can do the math to see that he is actually losing $4,200.00 by receiving this "raise". That is a loss of 16% of his income total.

The city of Columbus however will receive praise for their efforts to increase the pay of the employees and the citizens will quiet. The employees that lose the overtime will suffer and those are the ones that needed the raise AND overtime the most. Most people will say, "you shouldn't depend on that overtime money to survive". And to that I say "But when I know that I will always work 16 hours over per month due to my position I begin to depend on it". The city has had to run knowing in advance that many positions require overtime. When the city has to add another shift in the jails or on the streets to relieve this overtime issue, maybe they will see they created another problem with no having enough people to cover it.

Thank you for your time.

We knew the money for extra police officers had to come from someplace. This may explain the source of it. But it's a bit strange to have someone justify an "officer Dad" spending plenty of time away from his family. I mean, maybe after Father's Day....

Here's another factor to consider: last time I heard, Columbus was down to fewer than 20 openings for police officers. If there were more openings, there probably would be more opportunities for overtime. So if you're concerned about losing money, maybe you should show the other officers' spouses how much Atlanta is paying.

And since it's not a "Hurtsboro Monday," I can get away with posting this one....

Richard:

It warmed the cockles of my heart - when you mentioned that you missed the "folks" in "Hurt'sboro [11 Jun]. I made up my mind right there and then - that I wasn't going to let any silly old poll - keep me from corresponding!!!

I also intend to submit; as events occur, but if you want to save them for a slow time (such as Sunday evening) that's OK with yours truly!

One thing you might want to check into - my brief appearances before the Russell County Commission. Let me explain.

For over two years; the City of "Hurt'sboro has been abusing their rental agreement with Russell County. The City leases (for one dollar a year) a building and fenced lot for storage purposes. Evidently - the city feels that the word "storage"is ubiquitous because it has become a transfer station for solid waste! As with everything else that "our" city does - it's inefficient and probably illegal.

Since this public nuisance resides in the County: I felt that it should be brought to the County's attention. Believe me, I have done so - with documents and pictures - to no avail. No one wants to take responsibility and clean up this mess!

In mid-May two network TV stations filmed and reported on the situation. Two major newspapers ran articles and the county offered one time assistance. What did this accomplish - absolutely nothing!! The situation persists!

On May 23'rd, a fresh dumpster was placed in the lot, and the city quickly filled it with raw garbage and "blinded" it with trash The camoflauge might have fooled everyone but the buzzards - they continued to use the dumpster as a cafeteria. Oh well! That's the way we do things in "Hurt'sboro.

If you are wondering, why the county turns a blind eye to this situation - perhaps the answer lies with the District #7 Commissioner. He claims to have visited "Hurt'sboro after my first visit to the commission - and found everything in "apple-pie order." It's seems rather coincidental that after my appearances at the last work session and commission meeting (and the unexpected appearance of a health officer;)that the Roll-Off did disappear. Now, only the old appliances, tires and misc. trash remain.

Now, what's a hungry buzzard to do?

Constable R.J. Schweiger

At least the dumpster in Hurtsboro is visited by buzzards. In parts of Columbus, homeless people would be all over it first.

Russell County's District #7 Commissioner is J.D. Upshaw. We tried to contact him at home Friday evening about this, but no one answered the phone. Maybe he was out checking to see if other things are in "apple pie order" - or maybe he was at a restaurant, making one.

BIG PREDICTION: Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker will switch parties within a year, and join the Republicans. Civil rights leaders upset over his handling of the Genarlow Wilson and Kenneth Walker cases will be glad to see him go.

Now let's see what else has people talking on this Father's Day weekend....

+ General William Caldwell received his fourth star in a ceremony at Fort Benning. I didn't realize when Caldwell was conducting military briefings in Iraq that he was a Columbus native. After all, he said "Shiite" without any Southern drawl whatsoever.

+ Family Day in the Park seemed to go off without controversy, compared with last year's tension at Peachtree Mall. Maybe some good came from that repaving work on Manchester Expressway after all.

+ WRBL reported Uptown Columbus Inc. plans to pre-screen anyone who wants to sing along Broadway. Somehow I don't think this is how the New York subway system handles it....

+ Miss Georgia Amanda Kozak became a co-host of the "Bill Heard Super Show" infomercials. Suddenly that dancing turkey on the Rivertown Ford show doesn't seem all that entertaining....

+ Aflac confirmed it will sponsor NASCAR entries in several upcoming races. Imagine if a showdown develops between the Aflac and United Parcel Service drivers. You'd have "the duck" against "the truck."

+ The Columbus Lions were outscored in Osceola 63-47, and will take a two-game losing streak into the World Indoor Football League championship game June 30. Can someone check to see if Jim Mora Jr. has been helping the coaches?

+ Instant Message to Carlos Williams: Congratulations on working 30 years at WRBL! Now get back to work - because you're still five years away from matching Bob Barker.

SCHEDULED MONDAY: A local man challenges me to make a Top Five list....

Today's main topic was the result of a blog reader's tip. To offer a story tip, advertise on this blog, make a PayPal donation or leave a comment, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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16 JUN 07: THE GAMES DADDIES PLAY

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

So, you may be wondering, where did my sudden interest in poker come from? The answer is simple - television, and all the poker tournaments it shows. Hey, at least the shows filled with sex and violence aren't corrupting me....

On this Father's Day weekend, I'm noting here that my father did NOT teach me how to play poker. His big card game was pinochle - but he never taught me how to play that, either. I know you need a special deck with a low card of eight. But I fear I'd get my decks mixed up, if someone wanted to play blackjack.

(My older brother taught me blackjack. I remember well a night when he came home from college for winter break, and played it with me in the living room using a University of Kansas "Jayhawk deck." Thankfully, my allowance never changed hands.)

Wednesday was Odd Fellows lodge night in my home town. Dad would go to the meeting hall on Leavenworth Road, and then apparently stick around to play pinochle until all hours of the night. I'm not sure if he gambled on it, and I'm not sure how often he won - but my home was one of the first in the neighborhood with a trash compactor.

New Year's Eve was also a big card-playing night for my dad - but I'm not exactly sure what game he played with a couple of his buddies. Mom tended to hustle me through the kitchen on those nights, as if you had to pour something from the liquor bottles on the counter in order to play.

Sad to say, there's something else I never learned from my father - a knowledge of God, Jesus and the Bible. While my mother was a Sunday School teacher of children, Dad only went to church for an occasional big event. He was barely what they call a "C-and-E Christian" - you know, Christmas and Easter.

When my Dad died six years ago, his funeral service was NOT at a church. Instead, the Pastor of our family's United Methodist church gave a eulogy at a funeral home. For some of my father's friends, it could have sparked a different sort of guessing game - would the minister try to preach my Dad into heaven, or someplace else?

The minister stopped short of doing that, in March 2001. Instead, she referred to my Dad as a "child of God" - which was a thought-provoking phrase for me. When I returned home, I did a detailed study of it. The results are posted online (and this link is now fixed), to help you know if your father is a "child of God" or not. I hope he is (or was), and I hope you are. Moving toward God isn't really a game of going "up or down" - it's more like moving forward toward goal.

P.S. Instant Message to Shaw High School: Did I read Friday's Ledger-Enquirer right -- only ONE student signed up for the new "Bible as literature" course? Does this mean all the other students attend Baptist churches -- or they're all athiests, and don't care?

COMING SUNDAY: Your e-mails on all sorts of subjects....

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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15 JUN 07: A STRAIGHT AWAY

Thursday night marked a big moment of truth for me. After months of practice online, I finally walked down the street to a bar and tested how well I can play poker at a real table. The bigger challenge may have been being in a room with real smokers' smoke....

In ten years in Columbus, I had never stepped inside Lil Kim's Cove on Fourth Street until last week - and I live a short walk from the place. It calls itself a "lounge," that seems three-fourths bar and one-fourth short order foods. The menu includes fried rice with meat - but I think one of the customers guessed wrong, when he called a manager Don Ho. [True!]

(I should note Lil Kim's Cove was around long before "Lil Kim" became a music star. Perhaps someday she'll send the manager a check, for stealing the name....)

Every Thursday, Lil Kim's Cove has Hold 'em Poker night. All you need is a one-drink minimum to play. And being the clean-minded churchgoing guy that I am, I drank Diet Coke around a table full of gamblers -- even though I was walking home.

I had two online practice sessions at Yahoo Poker Thursday, before making the big walk to Lil Kim's Cove. In the first session, I made 204 pretend dollars in only a few minutes - including 196 dollars for three eights. It just feels great, to hold three times eight.

You get $200 in chips to play at Lil Kim's Cove - which is tiny, compared to the $20,000 starting amount for players on TV's "Poker After Dark." Why, even Monopoly considers you responsible enough to have seven times more money than that....

Enough players showed up to fill two poker tables, so I joined seven other men crowded around one of them. The group was an interesting ethnic mix, including an older man from India who could fake a good Irish accent when he wanted to.

It became clear that I wasn't the only poker rookie at the table. One older gentleman turned over his cards at one point, to show he had a full house. That was very kind of him, because I still had a bet to make first -- and my hand was worse.

That older man had a duel with me, in my very first hand at the table. He made a ten-dollar bet after the last "river card" was shown. I had a pair of kings, but decided to concede the pot to him. The poker "experts" say you should only make small bets early -- and ten bucks is a pretty big night for me when I dine out.

My biggest chance to win a pot came a few minutes later. I was dealt a King-10, and the five cards on the table gave me a straight. But four diamonds were on the table, and a flush beats a straight -- so when a man went "all in" to force me out of the game, I conceded again to keep my $104. This is also why I haven't adjusted my investments in several years.

From what I could tell, the group of poker players at Lil Kim's Cove consisted of ordinary folks primarily there to have fun. One man bought a pail full of beers, and joked (I think) about getting drunk before the night was over. There are times when it pays to stay in the neighborhood for your entertainment.

One man noted the 1996 Olympic hat I wore, displaying flags from the U.S. and four other countries. "It's Flag Day," I told him - a fact which seemed to stump everyone at the table. How many military veterans did I embarrass, without even realizing it?

Earlier in the evening, someone asked what day of the week July 11 was on. I knew it was on Wednesday - so when I mentioned Flag Day a few minutes later, someone said: "You seem to be full of dates."

"Yeah, but you'll notice I didn't bring any with me tonight."

In fact, many of the poker contestants at Lil Kim's Cove seemed to be in their fifties or older. It's like they say in that TV commercial - this generation is NOT heading for bingo night.

The older man who won a pot over me to start the evening was eliminated first at our table - so I accomplished one goal for my first poker night. I was NOT knocked out first. I made it all the way to being knocked out second....

The end of the poker playing came for me when a man went all in with a Queen-Ace, against my Queen-9. But a lengthy debate ensued first, over how much someone had to enter to stay in the hand. I sat quietly through it all - concerned any wrong eyeblink might give away my hand.

I was one Jack away from making a straight and staying in the game, but the last two cards that fell were a 6-3. My first in-person poker night lasted about 55 minutes - twice as long as my online sessions, so maybe fatigue did me in.

I went home from my first night at Lil Kim's Cove without winning a hand, but coming potentially very close to winning two big ones. The lesson seemed to be that I was too cautious and conservative, too fearful that the worst would happen. In reality, the other players were just about as unlucky with cards as I was -- only they know how to hide it better.

BLOG CORRECTION: Thanks to the e-mailer who noted a wrong name we had Thursday. The Muscogee County Prison's Warden actually is Bill Adamson. We sincerely hope that this is NOT an arrestible offense.

E-MAIL UPDATE: A large pile of blog messages reached us Thursday, and we'll need a couple of days to sort them all out and track down some details. The most eye-catching e-mail was the first one we've received from "IsOurCitySafe" since Jim Wetherington became Mayor:

DELCAMBRE, La. (AP) - Sag your britches somewhere else, this Cajun-country town has decided. Mayor Carol Broussard said he would sign an ordinance the town council approved this week setting penalties of up to six months in jail and a $500 fine for being caught in pants that show undergarments or certain parts of the body....

There's much more to the news story IsOurCitySafe sent, but he titled his message: "I would support an ordinance like this." My concern is whether the proposal is "fair and balanced" - as in whether Britney Spears could be arrested for revealing too much as well.

But what's interesting about this e-mail is what IsOurCitySafe did NOT write. He said nothing about the new Columbus city budget, the plans to hire more officers - or even the upcoming addition of an Assistant Police Chief. How high a promotion is this man seeking?

Now for a follow-up to my latest medical report, from Wednesday:

Richard..Seeing as how you are a frequent visitor to the "doc in a box" facilities in Cols ,did I see in the paper where the new acute care next to the P.O. on Macon Rd (Norris Rd corner) is owned by Cols Clinic?...I don't know if the ad just meant it was a Columbus clinic or if it is a satellite of Columbus Clinic...

"We have somebody running that," answered a woman at Columbus Clinic who answered the phone Thursday afternoon. Thankfully, I had no reason to make an appointment there.

Perhaps we should have seen this satellite clinic on Macon Road coming. Look up "Columbus Clinic" in the phone book, and you'll see a number for the "Main Clinic." You normally can't have a "main" without some satellite locations. But I also noticed a number for the "billing and finance office" - which for all we know could be based in Pakistan.

For a change of pace, we will NOT review Thursday's news headlines. Translation: there wasn't much. Note how the Ledger-Enquirer devoted much of its front page to Dale Earnhardt Junior....

Instead, we'll preview some of the events going on across the area this weekend:

+ Saturday is Davis Broadcasting's "Family Day in the Park," at Cooper Creek Park. Peachtree Mall officials say they plan to increase security - so last year's "after-party" may have to move on down Manchester Expressway, to Johnny Carino's and Krystal.

(There's one big change in the Cooper Creek area from last year's Family Day in the Park. A large parking lot has been built, for the still-unopened Cougar Village Apartments. I'm putting the "over-and-under" for a parking space at 18 dollars.)

+ A different group plans a Sunday "Father's Day in the Park" at Flat Rock Park. I'm not sure what to expect there - especially since there's been no announcement that weapons are banned.

+ The Vault club downtown presents a Saturday night concert by "The Dave Matthews Tribute Band." I suppose this is a big compliment to The Dave Matthews Band - but how far does this "tribute" go? It's not like Matthews wears polyester jump suits or mop-top hair.

COMING SOON: What do Columbus and space aliens have in common? We have one woman's explanation....

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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14 JUN 07: WALK-OFF HOMERS

The Muscogee County Prison Warden found himself answering questions Wednesday about several recent escapes. Four inmates have walked off from work details in the last 12 months -- without even realizing they're forfeiting any chance to receive unemployment checks.

The latest "walkaway" of a prison inmate occurred Tuesday, when Jeremiah Webb disappeared for several hours. He was quickly captured - perhaps because it's hard to get a motel room for the night when you're wearing "INMATE" on your shirt, and you don't have a credit card.

(Jeremiah Webb walked away from a work crew at the METRA bus terminal. This man clearly was NOT thinking - because you'd want to flee at a place that's crowded.)

Prison Warden Phil Adamson admitted he's always concerned about the possibility of inmates walking off during work details. You know what they say - the cigarettes always taste better on the other side of the maintenance truck.

Warden Phil Adamson says many prison walkaways try to flee across the state line into Alabama, because they know Columbus Police won't chase them down there. What does it say about law enforcement in our country when inmates would rather face pursuit by the F.B.I.?

Warden Phil Adamson actually suggested some prison inmates walk away for reasons going beyond mere freedom. He said some flee because they've just received a phone call about family problems. So perhaps the first place jailers check in their search is the Pastoral Institute....

But Warden Phil Adamson defended the policy of letting inmates do work details across Columbus. He said it saves the city millions of dollars for staffing -- money which probably isn't spent on police overtime, to hunt the walkaways down.

I've seen plenty of prison work crews around Columbus over the last ten years. Morning jogs on the Riverwalk would take me not simply past inmates trimming weeds and cutting grass -- but running through them. One of these days I'll remember NOT to wear orange T-shirts at times like that....

From what I've seen of prison work crews, a lot depends on the guard who's supervising the inmates. Some position themselves carefully, so they can see the prisoners at all times. Others turn their backs on so many inmates that you'd think they were trying out for jobs as basketball referees.

(I don't recall seeing that many weapons on the prison guards who oversee work crews. Maybe they simply borrow an inmate's weed trimmer, when there's a threat of unrest.)

The state of Alabama made national news several years ago, by bringing back "chain gangs" for inmates. The prison workers in Columbus don't wear chains, or any other kind of restraint -- and the prisoners who ride lawnmowers clearly would have an advantage racing up Broadway.

If the Muscogee County Prison wants to reduce the number of walkaway inmates, maybe the warden should find a way to keep the work crews together. Perhaps the answer in 2007 is a set of long bungee cords -- or getting a set of modified pagers from Outback Steakhouse.

E-MAIL UPDATE: One of our readers keeps analyzing the new Muscogee County School District budget....

Dr.Phillips of MCSD said in Tue's paper when asked about filling the post of athletic director for the county,"We will continue to manage it." "We were able to manage it for years before the position existed."....The big question is then "why" fill the position? Charlie is gone..His ego does not need to be patted on the back any more.

Perhaps Charles Flowers' place in the budget is being taken by that "another administrator," which brought a complaint here earlier this week. Or maybe the new "district spokesperson" will take over the Athletic Director duties, and make policies through news releases.

Let's see what else filled the news holes around here Wednesday....

+ Columbus Police announced the owner of Best Pawn Shop on Holly Avenue has been arrested, on charges of knowingly buying stolen merchandise. If he's convicted, a judge should order the name changed to Worst Pawn Shop.

+ Chattahoochee County residents were advised to boil their water, after lightning broke a water main. What a wonderful history lesson this can become - as parents tell children to "remember the main."

+ The Troup County Development Authority told WRBL the first building is finished at the Kia plant in West Point. It's a training center - and we assume it's already fully stocked with Korean-English dictionaries.

+ A national survey found foreclosures across Georgia have jumped 44 percent in a year. From what I can tell, the number of free seminars on how to get rich from foreclosed property is up almost as much....

+ Alabama's governor signed the statewide school construction bond issue. So the question arises again - if the Phenix City School District is getting about four million dollars from the bond issue, why does it need a property tax increase in late August? To get even with Russell County, for proposing that soft drink tax?

+ Environmental groups rallied at the Georgia Capitol against a proposed coal-fired power plant along the Chattahoochee River in Early County. Apparently the activists' motto is: Early to bed - period.

+ Instant Message to the heretofore-unknown group "Bloggers in the Chattahoochee Valley": Thank you OHHH so much for the award! I hope you understand that this blog HAS to promote itself - because not enough donations have come in to pay for a public relations agent.

SCHEDULED FRIDAY: It's time to take a long-awaited walk.... and we may post late as a result....

This blog has thousands of visitors each month, from people in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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