At Williamsville’s Memorial Day parade on Monday it was easy to spot the three Democratic Town Board members.  Debbi Bucki, Dan Ward and Mark Manna (left to right in the photo) walked the parade route together having a wonderful time.  Not as easy to sport were the Republican members of our Board because they were not in attendance.  Too bad.  It’s nice to see community support.

By Diane M. Grassi                                                                                                       May 26, 2008

On the heels of Memorial Day 2008 and in anticipation of the 232^nd celebration of United States Independence Day on July 4^th 2008, Americans traditionally give thanks to our nation’s military service members.

And traditionally, Major League Baseball, (MLB) partly due to where its season falls on the calendar, including May and July, through its various teams provides public ceremonies and military displays prior to game times, during 7^th inning stretches and with post-game fireworks on these holidays, in honor of U.S. active-duty troops and veterans alike.

But given the times in which we live, nearly seven years since the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001, followed by the War in Afghanistan, referred to as Operation Enduring Freedom, and in the War in Iraq, referred to as Operation Iraqi Freedom, our military remains fully engaged in fighting our enemies and the war on terrorism in two countries in the Middle East.

For purposes of this report, political ideology and foreign policy will not be discussed, but rather it will be devoted to how important it remains for Americans to maintain a connection with our fighting men and women not only in the Middle East, around the world as well as stateside.

One way in which troops remain motivated, as we all do, is by following our favorite sports and our favorite players. Fortunately, many MLB players have made a commitment to help boost troop morale in support of our troops in various creative ways, which will be highlighted here. For as we take pause on these holidays to salute our military, we must be more conscious to do so throughout the year, not simply when we are reminded on holidays or during the good times.

This reporter received a press release on May 16, 2008, sent by a United States Air Force Public Affairs officer serving in Bagram, Afghanistan. The unclassified memo detailed an event which took place at the Bagram Airfield on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008. Through the efforts of Pro Sports Marketing, Ventures & Promotions (MVP) of Colorado Springs, CO, and its Heroes of the Diamond Tour in conjunction with the Morale, Welfare and Recreation division of Bagram Airfield, four MLB player retirees were afforded a visit with over 400 troops located there.

The four players making the trip were former relief pitcher, Jeff Nelson, of the Seattle Mariners and NY Yankees fame, who retired in 2007, joined by Tim Salmon, former outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels and retired in 2006, along with 3^rd baseman, Dean Palmer, who last played for the Detroit Tigers and retired in 2003 and Mike Remlinger, former relief pitcher who ended his career with the Atlanta Braves in 2006.

The journey to visit the troops in Bagram, while not without complications and prior delays, required a commitment from the athlete visitors and the ability for them to be flexible with their plans, as traveling to a war zone comes with its inherent dangers requiring additional security details. But as Jeff Nelson recalls, “I’d heard stories of people going and how it can be life-changing.”

Nelson was originally on tap to travel to Bagram in 2007, but due to military concerns, the trip was postponed until April 2008, when it was postponed again until May. Nelson was not as concerned about his safety knowing that, “They’re going to try and keep you out of harm’s way.”

In my correspondence with U.S.A.F. Tech. Sergeant, Kevin P. Wallace, assigned to public affairs at Bagram Airfield, he disclosed that he got to spend some time visiting with Tim Salmon and relayed that all four players autographed baseballs, posed for photos which they also signed, and hung out with and talked with as many of the service members as possible at the Bagram Airfield Clamshell and various stops in Afghanistan and other deployed locations there where troops are serving, over a period of 10 days.

“I have been watching Tim Salmon since I was a kid, said Army Sgt. Jeff M. Lucenti. “It means a lot because I was at the last game he played in,” he said. Dean Palmer recalled that being able to talk with the service members and listening to the things that they experienced has been one of the best experiences of his life. Air Force Lt. Col. Rob Rocco emoted, “Today is Mother’s Day and yet they sacrificed time to be here with us.” Mike Remlinger stated before the troops that, “We wanted to come and show how much we support you.” He later recalled that, “Being here with these soldiers and listening to their stories makes me realize how real this war is.”

And while giving of time to actually visit deployed U.S. troops, in this case by retired MLB players, is probably the most meaningful to U.S. service members, as well as for the athletes, there are other active MLB players who have taken on personal missions to support U.S. troops stateside.

Among MLB players making commitments, both financially and through dedicating time with active-duty troops, veterans and their families are Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants, Scott Linebrink of the Chicago White Sox, Jeff Suppan of the Milwaukee Brewers, Jamie Walker of the Baltimore Orioles, Aaron Harang of the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres organization. In fact, the Padres are the only MLB team with a dedicated military marketing department.

Probably receiving the most attention is Barry Zito’s organization, Strikeout for Troops, started in the 2005 season, which encourages MLB players to pledge a dollar amount donation for every pitcher’s strikeout or a batter’s every RBI, homerun or hit throughout the entire season. Donations are used for the care of returning wounded troops as well as their family’s needs.

White Sox reliever, Scott Linebrink is hosting military veterans each month of the 2008 season at U.S. Cellular field. His outreach program, Scott’s Heroes, in conjunction with the Wounded Heroes Foundation, Inc., gives VIP treatment for two veterans to meet Linebrink, meeting with them on the field before batting practice and providing each with 5 tickets to the game. Linebrink, who comes from a military family, simply feels that, “I think it’s something that a lot of us need to do to voice our support for these troops.”

Jeff Suppan, the Brewers pitching starter, introduced Soup’s Troops, in partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers and the USO of Wisconsin. It benefits military service members to attend Miller Park games in the 2008 season. The Brewers donate 4 field-level seats to active military personnel as well as families of fallen soldiers. And Suppan and his wife Dana pay the tab of up to $200.00 worth of food and merchandise for each group. He also pledges $100.00 per strikeout throughout the season to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, with each amount matched by the Brewers Charities foundation. It benefits children of fallen soldiers.

Jamie Walker, relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, donates money to the U.S. Army Emergency Relief Fund and provides a luxury box at Camden Yards to host soldiers and wounded veterans returning from the Middle East, with food and drinks on him.

Aaron Harang, starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and his Aaron’s Aces program hosts 30 military family members per game at Great American Ball Park, and they attend a meet-and-greet session in the Red’s bullpen where Harang signs autographs, gives the fans T-shirts as well as vouchers for concessions. These fans are also put on the JumboTron scoreboard in the 2^nd inning. Harang importantly notes, “If we start getting other teams and players involved, we can expand it. It would be great if a bunch of guys got together to do this at different stadiums.”

Aaron Harang, who grew up in the military city of San Diego, CA and Scott Linebrink, who previously played for the San Diego Padres there, both realize the importance of service where San Diego has the largest active-duty military members’ concentration in the U.S. As such, the San Diego Padres organization has been steadfast in the support of the military community in San Diego and around the world, noted as the Team of the Military by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The San Diego Padres has joined the America Supports You program of the U.S. Department of Defense in numerous charitable causes in addition to many others ways as it remains not only the only franchise in MLB with the only dedicated military affairs marketing department but the only professional sports franchise in the nation with one.

As dedicated and generous as these aforementioned efforts matter and mean to the various players, teams and the beneficiaries of such good causes, it is frightfully deficient when looking at the big picture.  And as well-meaning such philanthropic and outreach programs are, such efforts require momentum and a constant stream of like-efforts in order to remain sustainable.

Praise is deserved for those MLB players who have personally taken it upon themselves to raise awareness of the needs of our active-duty troops, veterans and their families and largely with their own funding and ingenuity. But in researching these efforts it has but crystallized the dearth of such funding and efforts generated by MLB, Inc. as well as the MLB Players Association and other MLB teams. Perhaps shortsighted on their part is that lifting the morale of U.S. troops provides a reciprocal benefit for players’, teams’ and fans’ morale as well. It is but a win-win which should be encouraged.

For as Barry Zito has expressed, “Sometimes, in a world where professional sports and celebrities are front-page news, it’s easy to forget who the real heroes are in this country.” Let us never forget.

Copyright ©2008 Diane M. Grassi

Contact: dgrassi@cox.net

Childhood obesity has been on the rise for many years.  It has been the basis of many programs informing parents that we have to teach our children a better way to live.  Perhaps some of what has been said is having an effect.  For the first time in more than two decades childhood obesity appears to be holding steady, a new study indicates.

“The finding, based on survey data gathered from 1999 to 2006 by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in Wednesday’s issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, was greeted with guarded optimism.”
[read whole story]

Katrina happened so long ago.  Surely New Orleans is up and running again.  The residents are back in their homes and all is right with the world, right?  No.  Much of the area is still devastated and the people need help. 

The youth of my wife’s church are going there this summer on a work project.  They have worked had all year long raising the funds needed to get there.  Unfortunately our son Joe won’t go with them this year, as he has every year before this, because Wal-Mart won’t approve his request for the time off, even though he has more hours than he needs accrued.  Apparently this falls during the time BEFORE inventory, and they don’t approve vacation time before inventory - go figure.  Nice community service attitude.

“Mayor C. Ray Nagin recently suggested a way to reduce this city’s post-Katrina homeless population: give them one-way bus tickets out of town.”

“Not far from the French Quarter, flanking Canal Street on Claiborne Avenue, they are living inside a long corridor formed not of walls and a roof but of the thick stench of human waste and sweat tinged with alcohol, crack and desperation.”
[read whole story]

TEXAS.  Just the name congers up stereotype images.  Wide open spaces, cattle, oil wells, and ranch houses.  Some are not so nice.  Close knit, unfriendly, unwelcoming small towns, segregationists, and red-necks.  Are these images true?  I have no idea but when you read about the small town of Prairie View, home to one of the nation’s leading historically black colleges, you have to question what’s going on down there?

““The cold war’s not over — they just moved the fence from Berlin to the Texas border,” said DeWayne Charleston, Waller County justice of the peace, who maintains that local officials failed to record hundreds of students whom he registered to vote in 2006. The  federal Department of Justice and the Texas attorney general’s office say investigations are under way here, but will not give details.”
[read whole story]

Ben S. Bernanke, the new chairman of the Federal Reserve, appears to have quieted many critics after he basically rewrote the rulebook. 

“I am tempted to think of him as somewhat Buddha-like,” said Richard W. Fisher, president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank. “He’s developed a serenity based on a growing understanding of the hardball ways the system actually works. You can see that it’s no longer an academic or theoretical exercise for him.”
[read whole story]

Today’s CARTOON

Mark Manna is a freshman Council Member, who the public seems to have taken into their trust network.  They find his common sense solutions to town problems logical.  He has send out his message loud and clear.  He will do what is best for the people of Amherst.

Manna’s understanding of what is really causing the slow down of action on the Town Board is that there are basically one or two old members who won’t give a inch to see the need for independent thinking with new solutions. 

There are thee Democrats: Dan Ward, Michele Ianello, and Joe Mesi, seeking the State Senate seat left vacant by Mary Lou Rath.  This seems to be a problem for the Erie County Democratic Chatrman,  “No guts” Len Lenihan.  He wants to endorse a certain person but he will be forced to endorse Joe Mesi.  One would think he would have enough inner fortitude to make the call he really thinks is best.  Will he?  Nope, nyet, nada, uh-uh, NO!  Just another day in coward county for Lennie.

Lenihan receives a salary for being Chairman of the Democrativc Party, a close look at what he is spending and what family members he has hired will clearly point out Len Lenihan has lost his code of right and wrong.

Rumor has it there is a buyer for our main golf course.  The lawyers of the buyer have been dealing with the State to take care of some loop holes.  The Town had many chances to repair this course but failed to do it.  My understanding is, it will be turned into a group of expensive patio type single family homes.

We’ll just have to wait and see but this kind of street talk usually has a grain of truth in it. 

Another bit of street talk is the Erie County  Democratic  Chairman, Len Lenihan personal money acoounts are being looked at for any errors.