Viewpoints
Smoking and Batting Cages
By Tony Gwynn
July 10, 2007
Tuesday
A quick comment on the recent restaurant-smoking letters. Linda,
don't worry! The restaurant industry did not die in Juneau or
in the states down south that don't allow smoking in them. People
are still going to come to your restaurant to eat, regardless
if it's smoke free or not.
I was disappointed but not
surprised to see the Governor vote down our request for an 'Indoor
Batting Cage'. Disappointed because the more alternative activities
we give our youths to choose from, the better off Ketchikan will
be.
But not surprised. Indoor Batting Cages sounds like something
you'd do at a carnival, or that old men would pop a dollar in
to relive their high school glory! I'd suggest to the backers
of this project, next year you should present it as an Indoor
Athletic Facility.
Not just a place to have fun and hit a baseball. But an indoor
place for baseball and softball players to practice year round.
A place that could also be used by other sports, like wrestling,
track and field, weight lifters, etc.
Maybe if we present it like that, highlighting how much rain,
snow and lack of sunlight there is in the winter, and how it
could be used to help 100's of youth athletes, the Gov would
be more likely to fund it than she would batting cages. Just
a suggestion. Batting Cages really makes it sound like it's
not that important of a need.
Or, I guess, we could just have our high school teams drop out
of the Southeast 4A conference down into 3A or a small school's
division, so they could win SE and state championships like the
high school softball team did.
Personally, I'd rather help our athletes compete at the highest
level possible. Juneau and Sitka are sending their high school
baseball players to college and to the major leagues. Ketchikan
should be able to do the same!!!!
Tony Gwynn
Ketchikan, AK
Received July 08, 2007 - Published
July 10, 2007
About: "Supporter of Ketchikan's
Youth - Non-smoker"
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