The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 11 No. 29 - April 20, 2011

sports

Put me in coach - Center baseball season opens

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

PHOTOS/SCOTT DELL
Julius Peteriet takes a mighty cut at a pitching
machine fastball

Baseball is back and in full swing at the Anna Maria Island Community Center. This week marked the opening games for both the Tee Ball and Pitching Machine leagues. It was great to see these little superstars back in uniform and baseball ready.

The Community Center has a long tradition of baseball being played at its Scanio Field, dating all the way back to the days when Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn helped build the field in the 1960s. The legendary lefty would be proud to see the field he built still being used by young Island ball players 50 years later.

In the beginning, as it is today, baseball on the Island is played as a recreational league. Boys and girls ages 5 to 11 play side by side in these two purely instructional leagues. There are no scores, stats or standings kept but, as almost every volunteer coach will admit, it is still competitive. Both the leagues emphasize the fundamentals and take time, even during the games, to stop and teach.

The pitching machine league is fast paced and keeps the children in the game with plenty of action on the field. The Tee Ball League is the same and, let's face it, just great fun to watch. Whether it's the sound of an 11-year-old hitting the ball to the fence for a homerun, or a crowd of people laughing hysterically because a 5-year-old, in their first game ever, ran to third base instead of first base, the outcome is the same. The love of baseball is back on the Island and it is truly the great American pastime.

To see or purchase more pictures of this and other games go to www.amisun.com.

AMICC Baseball schedule:

Tee Ball:

Saturday, April 23, 9:30 a.m. – Gulf Bay Realty vs. Air & Energy

Saturday, April 23, 10:30 a.m. – Gulf Bay Realty vs. Beach to Bay Construction

Pitching Machine:

Saturday, April 23, Noon – Cedar's Tennis & Fitness Club vs. Island Real Estate

Coming soon to an I-phone app near you

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

PHOTO PROVIDED
Ellen goes before the camera at Geraldson Farm.

 

Always dress like you're gonna be in a movie. Cuz ya just never know. Recently, I arrived at my community farm to pick up my weekly share of lush and organic vegetables, and I thought there'd been a plane crash or a breaking news story. There was a large RV set up with cars, trucks and movie crew types crawling all over the place with cameras and equipment I had only dreamed about in my 18 years as a TV investigative reporter.

Turns out, the General Motors Corporation was making a gynormous movie about Geraldson Community Farm. This project highlights amazing things going on in local communities around the country. This traveling crew shoots and produces the raw and final product.

I was just off from a hard day at work where I began the day at 8 a.m. with personal training clients. Suffice it to say, I did not look like I had just stepped out of one of the Island's top beauty salons. Nope…I had my hair pulled back in a wispy, wind-blown ponytail, wearing a Manasota Track Team running shirt and a sorry, saggy pair of gym pants. I couldn't have looked any worse if I tried. However, the moment I uttered the words, "I used to work in TV," they were all over it. "Want to be interviewed?" Who could refuse to talk about a great cause? They asked me to turn my shirt inside-out so the distracting running logo wouldn't show. Whatever. In 3, 2, 1…

When they asked what the farm meant to me, here's what I said.

I have belonged to a farm or food co-op since my children were young. I had an organic garden up north and grew kale, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, okra, lettuces and a lot more. I used to brag about the field trip when the farmer would hold up a piece of greenery and ask, "What's this?" and my kids would say "Kale." The farmer was amazed any 3-year-old knew the difference between spinach and kale. But since we grew it, they all could recognize it. And they loved it. There's plenty of calcium in kale, and it's very absorbable by the bones.

There was a farmer's stand where I'd take the kids to get things the co-op didn't offer. I'll never forget one of my girls popping a sugar snap peapod in her mouth and asking, "is this candy?" It's all what they got used to. Until kindergarten.

I valued belonging to a farm co-op so that my children could see where food comes from. Some kids in my cooking classes cannot identify many vegetables.

Not long after we moved here, I discovered Geraldson Community Farm. It is across from Robinson Preserve.

It is operated as a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture. Since Florida has a long growing season, it works out to about $15-$20 a week …enough food to fill up the frig. Some people choose a half share, which allows members to go every other week. Here's the website to find out more information. http://www.geraldsoncommunityfarm.org/index.html.

You can go to www.localharvest.org and find a farm near you. Some allow cultivating a plot of land yourself. Others allow volunteers to work and get produce free. It is great to be able to see where your food comes from, or fun to just plant seeds, smell the rich earth and listen to birds.

I asked the crew what they would do with the video. Surely with all that equipment they were making a documentary or a commercial. "No," the producer said, "we're making an I-Phone app." An I-Phone app? Are you kidding?! Wow…times have changed. Apparently there's more money to be made on phone applications than other forms of advertising. Oh well. No movie career just yet.

Recently, Geraldson had sugar snap peas. I lingered in the field, picking some, then eating some. I could hear my 3 year-old asking, "Are they candy?" She's studying to be a doctor now. It was a glorious day at the farm. Look for us on an app near you.

Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jo

Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones is an accomplished endurance runner, cookbook author, Aerobics and Fitness Association of America certified personal trainer and RRCA certified running coach. For coaching or training, she can be reached at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.


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