Dear friends,

I noticed a strange crowd of five teenage black and purple uniformed baseball players wandering the Tweed Street area around 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 10.  Baseball equipment  changed since the 1970's  as I noticed the boys combing the Harris Street area for their missing baseballs and gloves.  What was unusual seemed all the boys carried their aluminum bats in their hands.

Oddly enough, the ballplayers peeked in and out of neighborhood yards, presumably to find their baseballs and gloves.  Maybe one of them homered deep into the one of the yards.  On the other hand, some of the boys may have become disgusted and threw their gloves over a fence.

In closing, what is the problem with Pawtucket baseball league coaches not providing the children with proper uniforms and good playing fields?  At least the sponsor could have placed the company logo in the black and purple baseball uniforms!

In closing, neighbors, are city budgets this unflexible that we cannot provide teenagers with proper sports facilities?

Happy Easter,

Jim

Where would you suggest the cuts take place for the revised sports stuff?

We are lucky in Pawtucket with many fields....but there is still a lot of pickup ball I have seen as I drive thru neighborhoods on the streets and in vacant lots

Raise the money for those needs...you may see

April 11, 2009

Dear Arthur,

Please excuse my lame attempt at humor in the first e-mail.  I was using bad satire to tell you that a gang, possibly MSR,  wanders East Pleasant View with disturbingly increasing regularity.

By the way, the Pawtucket Police immediately received a call about the "baseball players" or alleged gang members.  Within two minutes, the police combed the neighborhood for these "gangstas" who were probably casing homes or searching for someone they did not like.

By the way, off Central Avenue last summer, a teen received a severe beating for wandering on turf where he did not belong.

However, back to your point, luckily several teenagers in my neighborhood do play catch on Cameron Street or practice electric guitars and drums in a makeshift band at my next door neighbor's garage.  These kids make life tolerable in the neighborhood because one always realizes their presence.

In closing, please excuse my lame attempt at satire.  When I was at the University of Rhode Island, my Journalism 202  professor warned us about the dangers of the use of satire. I should have better been attentive.

Happy Easter.

Jim

Maybe Arthur saw the satire and recognized that there is organized stuff for kids but not the availablity for many kids who just want to belong and do something. Neighbors used to help organize and supervise, but many are chased away by fears of lawsuits or a parent or kid who resents such help and gets threatened or targeted.

I do not think this is true in Pawtucket with police response, but this might be reality and scarey when we accept crime or being uncaring.

George Phillips, an elderly man from Meridian, Mississippi, was going up to
bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed,
which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to
go turn off the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing
things.
 
He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" He said "No,"
but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me. The
police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock your doors and
an officer will be along when one is available." George said, "OK." He hung
up the phone and counted to 30. Then he phoned the police again.   
 
"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people
stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now,
because I just shot them all." and he hung up.  Within 5 minutes, 6 Police
Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, 2 Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and 1 Ambulance
showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars. 

One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot
them."

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"