The magic of a baseball field is universal

BY COURT MERRIGAN

When I told my son, Waylon, that we were moving to Massachusetts, his very first reaction was, “Oh, man. Do they even have baseball out there?”

“Son,” I said, “I’m pretty sure they’ve heard of baseball in Boston.”

Now, I don’t want to say that the first thing I Googled about Marblehead was “baseball league.” But I’m pretty sure Waylon did. The boy loves to play baseball the way only a 12-yearold boy can, an enthusiasm almost dire in its intensity. At his oft-repeated request, back in Wyoming he and I used to spend hours in the batting cage. You know the drill if you know the game: toss a bucket, pick balls. Toss a bucket, pick balls. Repeat until dinner.

In fact, we worked at it so much that I worried we’d worked the fun clean out of the game. After all, when God reached down from heaven and tapped Abner Doubleday on the epaulet, He intended for every kid who ever picked up a summertime bat to have fun swinging it, not to turn it into a job. Those long sessions started to seem like one. But then the lad started slapping the ball around the park, and it all paid off. Work hard first, and the fun follows.

As for myself, I couldn’t get enough baseball. I joined in with a few others back in Torrington, Wyoming, who decided to found a travel ball club, because the only thing better than baseball is more baseball.

In keeping with the distances back home, travel ball in Wyoming means travel ball. We hit the road for days at a time, crisscrossing

Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado for games, even making the long haul down to Phoenix for a tournament. Then came Little League, All-Stars, Districts... whew. By the time I looked up, summer was over, and by the time I blinked again, we were moving to Marblehead. Since we’ve moved here, people have been talking about this ballpark called Gatchell’s. The kids love it down there, they told me. They hang out there the whole season long, and when they’re not playing, they watch their friends play. Sure, it gets a little chilly down

Ota has strong record of service

To the editor:

I will be supporting resident and former long-time Glover Elementary School principal Brian Ota in his desire to serve on the School Committee, and I hope you will too. Knowing Brian for more than a decade, I was pleased to learn about his decision to serve in this important role, and I can’t think of a better or more qualified candidate.

Brian’s years in the United States Marine Corps instilled in him the values of dedication, honor, reliability, attention to detail and service to others. He has clearly carried those values with him throughout his life and into the education profession. As the Glover School principal, these traits made him an excellent role model for both the children and his colleagues.

As an early morning riser myself, I regularly saw Brian’s car at the school by 5:30 a.m. each day, well before any school employee would be expected at work. Watching and listening to him as he interacted with the children, the staff (whom he appeared to treat as co-workers and not subordinates) and parents, it was clear that he valued all opinions. While always one to look for consensus, he was also not afraid to tactfully put his foot down and take a stand or make a decision when one was needed. This occasionally included being on the unpopular side of issues and having the courage and character to speak truth to power (a trait largely absent in today’s world).

Brian will bring a tremendous amount of experience onto the School Committee, as he is uniquely suited to understand the complexities of the budget process from having to complete one each year while a principal.

As a former manager, he is well versed in the various contracts between the district and its diverse unions. I am confident that he will bring a high degree of fiscal responsibility to the committee and the district that will be beneficial during difficult future financial times.

Brian continues his commitment to helping others through his appointment with a local marine patrol as an assistant harbormaster, taking only a year off for himself following his active years in Marblehead’s school system.

“Service above self” appears to me to be Brian’s unspoken motto.

Please consider entrusting Brian once again with the safety and welfare of the town’s young people and the taxpayers’ assets. I believe he has earned our confidence by his years of exceptional service.

Matthew Freeman Willow Road

Thank you to Essex Tech students

To the editor: We are writing to publicly thank students and staff from

Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, who came to Marblehead to help plant the native species garden at Chandler Hovey Park on April 24 and 25. Sustainable Marblehead worked with the Marblehead Recreation and Parks Department coordinating with garden designer Larry Simpson to plan and prepare for the installation of the garden, which was financed with donated funds from the Hannaway family.

We also thank Marblehead’s Mark Strout, school committee chair for Essex North Shore, for his help to start the process and the many other volunteers who made this project possible.

Palma Bickford Sustainable Marblehead