City Commissioner Poll

[lurker]

It's been awhile since I checked his screeds, but the unvarnished truth monger is sounding a little more 'tabloid' of late...

lurker hears a backfire in the wind.
Same link: http://www.truth-monger.blogspot.com

[Bubba]

Dodge City and the $3.2 million Legends Ballfield is not good enough for Ed Kimminau to promote big tournements here!

He would rather promote tournements in Lawrence, KS.

From L J World newspaper

Softball Tourney a success for Lawrence
Hummers, Phenix Fyler come away with fifth-place finishes

By Ira J. Spitzer

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

The American Fastpitch Assn. National “B” Tournament came to a dramatic end Sunday at Clinton Lake Sports Complex.

Each age division in the tournament crowned a champion after more than 300 games by upwards of 100 teams from around North America.

“It was a tremendous tournament,” said Ed Kimminau, tournament director. “I’m going to do everything I can to get it back here next year.”

Teams from as far away as Hawaii and Manitoba, Canada, descended on Lawrence for the week long event, held here for the third year in a row.

All week the streets were full of cars with team names and slogans scrawled on the windows and groups of girls in brightly colored jerseys discovering the town.

The Mid-Missouri Richochet won the 14-U division, defeating the Missouri Intensity, 2-0, in the final game. The Heartbreakers won the 16-U division and the Southwest Hammers took the 18-U division.

Kimminau said the city itself has much to do with the tournament’s continued success.

“There’s a reason this is in Lawrence,” he said. “I hear from a lot of participants how unique this city is.”

Massachusetts Street alone has won over a lot of people who are appreciative of the diverse stores and restaurants, a unique thing in this day and age where chain establishments have become the norm in many towns across the country.

The event is a coordinated effort between the city and tournament organizers. The city of Lawrence and the Department of Parks and Recreation are instrumental in taking care of the details necessary for the tournament like maintaining the fields throughout the week.

“To make it very simple, that’s why the tournament’s here. Because of what Parks and Rec and the Chamber of Commerce does,” Kimminau said.

In fact, according to Kimminau, the national board of the American Fastpitch Assn. recommends to teams like the Kauai Kine from Hawaii that they come to this tournament because it has received such rave reviews over the last couple years.

The presence of the Kine, and that of teams from Maryland, Manitoba, San Antonio and other far-off places, in turn makes the event that much more exciting for participants and spectators.

“It just added to this tournament, from the Canadian national anthem to the input from the Hawaiian team,” Kimminau said.......

copied from http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/ju...cess_lawrence/


The last bold quote from Kimminau makes me wonder if his pockets are getting fat by having it in Lawrence and that is the reason that Dodge City can't host a tournement like this.

[Made in the USA]

Bubba, have you got an axe to grind with Ed? I know Ed personally, and the reason that he promotes these big tournaments elsewhere is because of things that happened in the past. The City of Dodge did not want him to bring these tournaments here. Thus he ran them in Garden City, Lawrence, etc. In addition, these are "Fast Pitch" Softball tournaments, not SLOW PITCH.

I am an "old" bastard. When Ed used to run the Slow Pitch Tournaments in DC, we would sometimes have a hundred teams or better. In addition, when he ran them, they made money. On the other hand, the City demanded taking over the Tournaments. Result: We had only a few teams, and they lost money.

Same way with Wrangler Wrestling, Babe Ruth baseball, and so forth. Once the City took over, they dwindled away. Sound familiar??

If it weren't for guys like Ed, there would be nothing in Dodge City. Ed is well known in the fast pictch softball arena. In fact, he was quite a pitcher in his day. In addition, he has spent alot of his own time in helping to develop girl softball players in this area. Girls are the only ones left that play fast pitch in the DC area-----primarily High School and Summer leagues.

I don't mind a person having an opinion on anything. But I don't like to see a person trampled on for the wrong reasons.

[Bubba]

I don't have an axe to grind with Ed, other than he receives money from the "Why Not Dodge" tax money by way of the softball association. My other thoughts are as follows:

1. It shouldn't matter if it's Fast Pitch or Slow Pitch, a ball field is a ball field. If Kimminau loves Dodge City so much, he should fight to have the tournements here not Lawrence.

2. If the city can't make money on ball games and all they do is ruin it, then maybe we should just shut down operations of Legends Park and sell the property.

[Bubba]

By the way.....you can check election results here later today.

http://www.fordcounty.net/coclerk/dc...%20results.htm

[The Joker]

Thanks Bubba for the Election Results link. I have been looking for that!!

The Joker

[Value Pack]

Bubba, have you got an axe to grind with Ed?

Bubba, just being Bubba.

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by The Joker

Thanks Bubba for the Election Results link. I have been looking for that!!

The Joker

Your welcome. Found that last night while web surfing. I thought people might like to have it.

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by Value Pack

Bubba, just being Bubba.

I'm very glad that I could amuse you, or annoy you, whatever the case may be.

[Made in the USA]

Originally Posted by Bubba

I don't have an axe to grind with Ed, other than he receives money from the "Why Not Dodge" tax money by way of the softball association. My other thoughts are as follows:

1. It shouldn't matter if it's Fast Pitch or Slow Pitch, a ball field is a ball field. If Kimminau loves Dodge City so much, he should fight to have the tournements here not Lawrence.

2. If the city can't make money on ball games and all they do is ruin it, then maybe we should just shut down operations of Legends Park and sell the property.

Bubba, if that's the case, then we need to shutdown the race track, the soccer fields, the Civic Center, and just about everything else the City is involved in! As for your other answer, Ed tried to promote tournaments here. However, if I remember right, the City was uncooperative and wanted to run it themselves. Thus Ed said to hell with it, and took the tournaments elsewhere that appreciated it.

Who cares!!! Will be interesting to see how the votes came out. Personally, there was probably alot of ballot box stuffing, and heavy handed bribery, etc., going on!! Money walks, nobody talks!!