ITEMS FROM THE MUD!

Mike Ardelean, Tournament Director of the Lake Orion Club invited the Village President to throw out the first pitch at a recent tournament. Before throwing the first pitch she thanked everyone for coming to Lake Orion and gave a little "pitch" for the community. Nice idea, Mike! This is a very good way of getting someone involved in a tournament other than horseshoe pitchers.

Mike invited a reporter from the Oakland Press to write a story about the Lake Orion Club. It was one of the best articles on horseshoe pitching published. The jest was to try to recruit more teenagers to the game. I know there are youngsters out there who like to pitch shoes. It's just a matter of giving them the proper pitch of wanting to pitch. Mike is working hard in getting more youth involved and has many great ideas on running a successful club.

Ron Kohn and the Auburn Club have been hosts for the State Doubles Tournament for eight years. He has done an outstanding job and works himself into a round robin now and then. Ron has been a model Tournament Director and it is no wonder others look to him on how to run a tournament. Other clubs will have a chance to bid for the State Doubles next year. Rotating this tournament amongst the clubs should draw attention to the host town.

Joe Poliski, Paul Bogardus, Harvey Ponstein and Jerry Castletine put on a horseshoe demonstration/Clinic at the Muskegon Correctional Facility recently. Over 300 inmates were in the stands to view the three hour show. They explained the game, pitched games to demonstrate the rules, and then had some volunteers pitch with them. Joe says it got quite emotional at the end when goodbyes were said. Hardly anyone takes notice of the persons in a correctional facility and some had tears in their eyes when they thanked the four for coming.

Jerry Shene and wife Carol spent some time in June visiting Hawaii. The Hawaiian NHPA Regional Director, MyrtleMay Kamoku, just happen to work in the hotel that the Shene's were staying. MyrtleMay wrote "We had the pleasure of meeting and pitching shoes with Jerry Shene. I am so impressed with Jerry and how he shared his knowledge of organized horseshoe pitching with my family and friends, (the spirit of "Aloha" lives in Michigan, the Wolverine State.") Jerry had to borrow a pair of shoes as he left home thinking he wasn't going to have an opportunity to pitch while in Hawaii. Jerry and Carol got a first hand tour of Hawaiian courts from MyrtleMay.

I got a call from the Sault Sainte Marie Recreation Department last Spring inquiring about ideas for building an arena for year-round pitching. I sent them some material that would be helpful. The building is in the planning stages and hopefully, if it is built, will get sanctioned by the WSHPA. It would be nice to have tournaments in the UP and spend a cool weekend there in the hot summer. Also it would be nice to be able to pitch in a sanctioned tournament in the winter up there. It could be a great tourist attraction both in the winter and summer. They will keep me posted on their progress.

I had hopes of a permanent pitching facility in Mount Clemens as the recreation director had hinted that there might be space available in the new building they are planning. As with most government grants, politics take precedent and in our last conversation my hopes were a bit dashed. There are grants that recreation departments get every year to run their departments. If space can't be made available in the new facility, there will be some serious talk with the director on how to go about getting funding for a permanent horseshoe pitching building. My dreams are to have a building with 10 courts so tournaments could be held in all weather conditions.

How about forming a new WSHPA committee? One that recruits communities to host sanctioned tournaments. We have no cities north of Midland in the WSHPA. I understand there are many horseshoe pitchers in different leagues in upper Michigan. Some of them host local tournaments for recreation and celebration events. I think a committee of five dedicated people working with the WSHPA's blessing could convince existing clubs in some of those cities to be hosts. It is possible that clubs that have folded could revive themselves. Often clubs go out of existence because only one person is running the club and doing all the work. This committee would help organized clubs so the "key" person could get some help. I think it is worth talking about and trying. I know of one person for the committee. Any volunteers for the other four?

Here's one on my "crazy" ideas. I've been thinking of ways to raise funds for a permanent building for the WSHPA. Wouldn't it be nice to have a WSHPA building of 20 courts some where in a Michigan community? But sponsored by the recreation department so taxes and utilities wouldn't be paid by the club. How about the 150 thousand club? One hundred and fifty horseshoe pitchers donating $1000 each to start the funding. Maybe we could start a bidding war with matching funds with communities that would like to have this attraction. The Michigan Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame could be part of the facility. We could hold major tournaments year-round and be a national tourist attraction. I know of one person to get this started. Any volunteers for the other 149?

It was announced in Auburn at the State Doubles that I am being awarded with an NHPA Achievement Award in Hibbing during the World Tournament. This award also goes to all of the pitchers that have worked with me to achieve what I am being awarded for. No one person can do it all. There are many good workers in the St. Clair Shores and Mount Clemens Indoor Horseshoe Pitchers Clubs. They are the people that make it possible to have leagues and for the first time this year a sanctioned tournament. Thank you, hard working friends of this great game.

I attended the horseshoe pitchers church service, directors meeting and banquet in Hibbing on August 5. I am still amazed at what I don't know about horseshoe pitching. Every experience like this is just as exciting as when I pitched in my first sanctioned tournament