Right on the Mark

ICE, ICE Baby

No, this isn't going to be about Vanilla Ice. It's about Immigration & Customs Enforcement. ICE agents are heroes to all that are legal residence of the United States of America. Whether you are a citizen or a legal immigrant; ICE agents are fast becoming Captain America, Superman & various other super-heroes all in one. I cannot say enough positive things about the job they've undertaken.

Of course, there will be some who disagree with me. Ah, but ain't that America (I must be in a musical state of mind this morning). The argument against (illegal) immigration enforcement tends to focus on broken families. However, I don't believe anyone would argue that we shouldn't send American criminals to prison just because it will break up a family. I'd rather deport illegal immigrants than fill our prisons with them. Despite what heartwarming stories you may read all illegal immigrants are criminals. They became criminals the moment they crossed our border illegally.

This recent focus on employers who fill American jobs with illegal labor could be considered job creation. Just this week 160 new jobs became available for American citizens or legal residents in southern Ohio. Besides freeing up American jobs I'd also like to see ICE agents start on the process that would deport all illegal immigrants who are currently in our criminal justice system.

These raids in Ohio, Minnesota, Utah & Colorado (just to name a few) are proof that illegal immigration is not just a border problem. While I believe we need to build the fence that Congress approved; but has done very little to actually make a reality; we also need to continue to relocate the 12 to 20 million illegals that have already crossed the border & have dispersed themselves throughout the country.

Duncan Hunter told us the importance of a border fence during the May 15th South Carolina debate.

• Yeah, and I want to get into this, Chris, because you know, I built the border fence in San Diego. When I built that fence, we had massive illegal immigration across the border. We built the border fence; we reduced illegal immigration and smuggling of narcotics by more than 90 percent. And the crime rate in the city of San Diego fell by 50 percent.

A reduction in illegal border crossings, a reduction in the smuggling of narcotics, a decline in criminal activity & creating new job openings is what border security & ICE collectively does for America. What can be more American & "Super-Heroic" than the enforcement & advocacy of truth, justice & the American way?

Back To The Grind

Now that life seems to be getting back to normal I think it's time to jump back into the politics. And, boy, there sure has been a lot of it.

Let's start with Michelle Obama. She dropped a bomb when she said "If you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House." Even though there's been denial on whether or not this was a"swipe" at Hillary we all got the message loud & clear. The problem is that inside the democrat party the Clinton's have become a protected species second only to the Kennedys. For just a second brief moment: Camelo- ah, who am I kidding? While much of the country may love Bill I don't believe they have the same view towards Hillary. Michelle Obama's statement puts a little focus on the marriage most of us believe is a sham. It also reminds everyone that Hillary is not Bill. Especially now that "Rodham" seems to have reappeared recently in the coverage about her.

The other bomb that was recently dropped was the Iraq/Vietnam comparison. Democrats have been making that comparison since the start of the war. Now that President Bush has done it they're screaming foul. While all wars have similarities each one is fought in a different time involving different people & events. Yet, the striking resemblance between these two wars seems to be the "end game." Both wars showed signs of improvement while Congress debated on how to end them. The democrats have primarily made the comparison to illustrate that the current war is a lost cause. The President's comparison was to point out that cutting off funding would become self-fulfilling prophecy & the defeat would be on the hands of those who would make such a move. One striking difference is that in Vietnam we could leave & there was a stable government to take over with very little consequence (except an additional 20 years worth of a Cold War). The North was ready & waiting for our departure. While in Iraq only chaos seems to be awaiting our departure with unclear ramifications.

The campaigns & the war seem to be on everyone's mind. All the speculation surrounding General Petraeus's forthcoming report seems to be fueling political posturing & the campaigns. It's going to get real interesting.

The Aftermath

For many the "aftermath" is just the beginning. Insurance claims; making phone calls; waiting & waiting. It can be enough to drive you nuts.

For us, flooding wasn't really the problem. The run-off from the ground swell of water was pumped out to the street just the way it's supposed to be. Our problem was sewer back-up. After we pumped all the water out of the basement what remained was "bio-fuel" & sludge. The water level had risen to about three feet. My neighbor, who lives behind me, was a tremendous help.

My parents didn't have any "bio-fuel" or sludge but their water level rose to about four feet or so. When I finally got over to their house their neighbor had already been giving them a hand.

Not only did my parents & I have help from neighbors & support from family our damage appears to be minimal. I don't yet know about the furnace or the hot water heater though. Our heating/cooling & plumbing guy is a little backed up right now. So we'll wait patiently, without hot water at this point, for him to get to us.

As the clean-up gets underway & life continues on I hope we all remember the common bond each of us share. It's that common bond that inspires a stranger to do something as simple as wave at a passerby; & of course, the passerby returns the gesture. It's nothing big. But a simple smile when you're feeling overwhelmed can be reassuring. Remember, this happened to all of us.

As life gets back to normal I hope normal will become letting that car go in front of you just as you probably did during this disaster. It seems that during these times we get much kinder. Hopefully that kindness will continue without the pretense of tragedy. I believe it can.

Disaster Update:

Like many of you, I have been affected by the area flooding.

I have a "basement system" that was supposed to keep my basement dry --- notice I said "supposed" to. My built-in sump pump has been hard at work. It needed a little help so I went out & got another sump pump & I'm pumping water out the front & back of my house. Hopefully we can keep the water at bay; for the most part. We'll also hope the furnace & hot water heater will be fine once the water recedes.

My parents house is completely surrounded by water. My mother could not make it home last night. She stayed at my sister's house. My step-father stayed at the house trying to keep their basement from filling up with water. No such luck. This morning he was picked up by firefighters & taken to safety. He to is at my sister's house.

This is just a small part of the natural disaster that's upon us. Some folks are now without homes or vehicles. They have headed for public shelters. The Cube & the Family Center I believe are taking in those displaced by the flood waters. There may be others. Physicians Plus is open for emergency medical care. If you are at the north end of Findlay please do not attempt to get to the hospital. All routes leading that way are likely closed at this point.

Please, everyone, be safe. Keep your family safe. Stay in contact with your displaced loved ones. If you have the ability to help out others, including strangers, please do so with an open heart. I believe the goodness of the human spirit can get us through this tragedy. It's times like these that make politics seem unimportant.

I'll resume my regular rantings & political analysis after our lives begin to see some normalcy again. Take care & God bless.

The Wiz

We're about a week removed from Karl Rove's announcement of his retirement. And, we're a little more than a week away from his scheduled departure. This is no more a cause for celebration than it is a cause for mourning.

There's been a bit of hysteria over Rove's role in our government. So much hysteria that some would have you believe our government is the Land of Oz: starring George W Bush as the brainless scarecrow; Dick Cheney as the heartless tinman; Condoleeza Rice as Dorothy; & Karl Rove as The Wizard.

I think some folks are giving way too much credit to Mr. Rove. This idea that Rove was Bush's brain is absurd. Karl Rove's job was to get George W Bush elected to the presidency. He did his job well enough to make that happen twice (unless you're one of those hysterical nut-jobs who thinks the elections were stolen). Of course he currently holds the title Deputy Chief of Staff. Come on folks, that's a good buddy ol' pal kind of appointment. He wields no real power. Of course he has some influence on the president. They're close friends for crying out loud. I'm sure he'll still have some influence; just not in an official capacity.

The big question is: How will history view Karl Rove & his influence on these times? Ah...about the same way we view FDRs campaign manager & Deputy Chief of Staff. Or, about the same way we view Eisenhower's, Reagan's & Clinton's campaign mangers & Deputy Chiefs of Staff. They're rather insignificant in the big scheme of things.

The bottom line is that Karl Rove, while having some influence on the president, is not the uniter, divider, or the decider. Thus relegating him to historical obscurity. Happy retirement Mr. Rove.

Does Accuracy In Media Really Matter?

Does accuracy in media really matter? It doesn’t appear so. It seems that the first report on a given story is the one people believe with no regard for accuracy & how many holes are poked in the story later.

First, there’s the story NBC ran about Russia’s claim to the North Pole. On the surface it may not seem like a big deal but below the surface may lie a treasure of “black gold.” The Russians have been very active recently in securing natural resources to boost their economic power around the world. This latest claim is glaring evidence that they’ll go to any means to secure that economic power. That isn’t really so troubling. I suppose it’s what you would expect any government to do to forge some sort of financial security for its nation. What’s really troubling is that certain media outlets appear more than willing to, not only concede the claim, but promote it even when the claim may be false. NBC & Reuters were both caught using “fake” images to prove the Russian claim was valid. While Reuters tried to explain away their mistake, NBC simply eliminated the images from subsequent broadcasts with no explanation. Even though there may be evidence that American explorers actually discovered the North Pole first, writer Eric Margolis believes the United Nations should control the “treasure island” & any government wanting permission to explore & extract the prized natural resource beneath “Santa’s home” should pay the U.N. I’m wondering if Mr. Margolis ever heard of the “oil for food” scandal? You can read more on the story here & here.

Next, is an Associated Press story exposed by a blogger. The story, accompanied by a picture, claims a woman in war torn Iraq is holding the bullets from American guns that hit her house during a U.S. led raid on her village. The problem is quite clear when any sane person who is not blind actually looks at the bullets she‘s holding. The blogger says it best like this: “The only way those bullets hit her house was if someone threw them at her house.” The bullets obviously had not been fired from any sort of gun. You can read more at this link where you'll be able to see the pictures & access other links about the story.

Does anyone else find this recent reporting troubling? Is this what Edward R. Murrow & Walter Cronkite laid the foundation for? Whether this is called "all the news that's fit to print" or "all the news that fits" it is, without a doubt, a betrayal of the reader. Here's a little wisdom from Mark Twain: "If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed." Sadly, Mark Twain's quote rings even more true with each passing day.

The Result of Ethical Transparency: 14% approval rating

We were assured during the last election that if the democrats took control of Congress things would change. We were told that they would be transparent & ethical. But, what have we gotten so far?

Just about a week ago we witnessed what quite possibly is one of the darkest days in Congressional voting history. You can witness the recent fiasco in the video below.

Here's an excerpt from The Politico about what transpired on the video:

• Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.
• One GOP aide saw McNulty gavel the vote to a close after receiving a signal from his leaders -- but before reading the official tally. And votes continued to shift even after he closed the roll call -- a strange development in itself.

Below is House Minority Whip Roy Blunt addressing the House about the issue at hand.

We were told throughout the 2006 election campaign that a democrat controlled Congress would end the war in Iraq. Have we seen that happen yet? No. Instead, they have continued to support the war through their votes. Yet, they publicly lambaste the policy in which they have repeatedly supported making the political progress they demand nearly impossible. Now, they find themselves in a quandary as support for the invasion of Iraq has recently risen to 42% (not that 42% is good, but support is apparently on the rise). Likely a result of the recent positive report concerning the troop surge.

Since the democrat take over of Congress we have seen "More than 300 executive branch investigations or inquiries; 400 requests for documents, interviews, or testimony; we've had more than 550 officials testify; we've had more than 600 oversight hearings; 87,000-plus hours spent responding to oversight requests; and 430,000 pages made available to Congress for oversight" according to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow. All this in an attempt to find any evidence the Bush administration committed a crime has produced few results. Except, a 14% approval rating for Congress (USA Today/Gallup Guru).

I'm not so sure this is what the American people had in mind when they voted for a transparent & ethical Congress. This new Congress is so transparent that we can see right through their so called ethics.

You're In Test Mode

I recently received an Email about how we should determine who gets welfare & who doesn't. Of course there's the economic qualifications. I am certain none of us would willingly trade economic places with those in need of such assistance.

The Email read:

• Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work they pay me.
  I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem.

  What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them??

  Please understand I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sitting on his or her butt, doing drugs, while I work.

  Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

I have had to take several urine tests in my life. In the military & for civilian work to include my current job. It only seems fair that if the general tax payer is required to submit to such a test that the recipient of public funds should also be required to do the same.

For those who believe this type of testing is a violation of civil rights: then all drug testing should be made illegal. Doesn't it, though, seem appropriate that truck drivers, locomotive engineers & others who may put the public in danger during the performance of their jobs be tested? The fact is that many citizens already submit to urine tests as a condition of their employment whether they work in the private sector or for the government in some capacity. It would certainly seem appropriate that recipients of public funds be held to the same standard as those earning the funds they receive.

I don't know who authored the content of the Email, but I believe they have a valid point. What do you think?

No Bumper Stickers Here

In an attempt to discredit the War on Terror John Edwards claims it's nothing but a "bumper sticker." Newt Gingrich has also recently said "We've been engaged in a phony war..." I have, in the past, been a supporter of Newt but disagree with this recent statement from him. I can assure you that the War on Terror is not phony; nor is it just a bumper sticker.

Army crushes Fatah al-Islam offensive --- 8/10/07

• Lebanese troops fighting Fatah al-Islam militants made a breakthrough on Thursday in the last part of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp held by the militants, a military officer said.

• According to the National News Agency (NNA), the Lebanese Army on Thursday crushed an attempted offensive by Fatah al-Islam fighters, killing a number of them.

Multiple terrorist attacks on northern Yemen... --- 8/9/07

• Al-Qaida militants attacked a power station and a government building in the north Yemen town of Marib in the early hours Thursday, causing a major power outage, police and tribal officials said.

• The attacks appeared to be a response to a raid a day earlier by security forces who killed a senior al-Qaida operative in the zone and three other militants.

• Over a dozen suspected al-Qaida members have been arrested or killed in recent weeks as the government cracks down on a cell blamed for a suicide bombing that killed eight Spanish tourists and two Yemenis in July.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb... --- 8/7/07

• Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a terrorist group based in Algeria formerly known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), issued to jihadist forums today, Tuesday, August 7, 2007, the fourth installment in its “Series of the Swords’ Shadows”. The video, 13:24 minutes in length, contains footage of an ambush targeting an Algeria police patrol in the area of al-Karma in Boumerdas. This attack appears to be that which the group had claimed in a statement on April 14, 2007, one day following the attack, also providing two pictures from the scene that match the video. Shown are the Mujahideen traveling to the site, preparing and listening to their plan of attack from commander Sofian Abu Haydara, and then performing the operation. Items taken from the police vehicle and killed officer are waved proudly by the Mujahideen and displayed on a sheet.

These are a few examples of the War on Terror raging on around the world just this week. People who claim if we just leave Iraq the violence from terrorist will go away are living in some sort of alternate reality in the space-time-continuum. There is a serious war raging throughout the world & many countries are finding themselves engaged whether they wanted to be or not. Ending the battle in Iraq does not end the War on Terror. It does nothing to curb the terrorist's appetite for jihad against the infidels. There is absolutely nothing phony about these battles & this war. I'll close with a few more links about the War on terror from this week alone. I can assure you that you will not find a bumper sticker in any of them.

• Philippines Says 52 Dead in Clashes --- 8/10/07
• Taslima Nasreen attacked in Hyderabad --- 8/9/07
• Two beheaded, clinics attacked in Thailand --- 8/10/07

Just Here For A Better Life

Just here for a better life. That's the moronic argument I continually hear from those who support amnesty for illegal immigrants. None of us who support strict border security measures & laws support the elimination of immigration all together. We simply believe we need to know & regulate who does come into our country & when they leave. And, ensure that those with temporary visas do actually leave when they're supposed to.

We have border agents in prison for trying to stop illegal alien drug smugglers from bringing their cash crop into our country. We also have an agent charged with murder for killing an illegal alien during an altercation near the border while trying to apprehend an illegal alien. We seem to be fixated on trying to stop border agents from protecting our borders. At the same time we have sanctuary cities & lawyers fixated on protecting illegal aliens; even after they've committed heinous crimes in this country.

There have been all kinds of statistics circulating about the percent of our prison population that are illegal aliens. However, there are disputes & I am unable to confirm the accuracy of those statistics. On the other hand, it's no secret that many illegal immigrants do end up in our criminal system for violations beyond breaking & entering into our country illegally.

The recent Newark, NJ murder case in which three students were shot execution style appears to involve an illegal alien. Jose Carranza is an illegal immigrant, from Peru, who has a rap sheet a mile long to include a charge of sexual assault on a five year old. Yet, this guy found refuge in the sanctuary city of Newark, NJ. He is the primary suspect in this case & has turned himself in to the mayor of Newark.

The assumption that illegal immigrants are only coming here to do the jobs Americans don't want to do puts us all at risk. As more sanctuary cities pop up illegal aliens are finding themselves spreading throughout the country. They could soon be coming to your city.

We have to secure the border. American lives depend on it. It can & must be done. The San Diego area has seen a 95% drop in illegal border crossings after they built a double fence (a triple fence in some places) to protect the border in that area. Why isn't the rest of the border being protected in the same manner? Until we decide that it's a priority to protect our borders we will be putting the citizens of this nation at risk of facing the same fate as those students in Newark who were shot at close range in the back of their heads.

A Reason For Abandonment

Bridge collapses. Mine caves in. Congress bungles vote. It seems that the only thing positive right now is the success of the troop surge in Iraq.

A War We Just Might Win is the title of an article written by Michael E. O’Hanlon & Kenneth M. Pollack, both of the Brookings Institute. O'Hanlon specializes in defense and foreign policy issues. He is regarded as one of the most militaristic major national security experts in the United States Democratic Party. Pollack is the author of such pieces about Iraq as "Mourning After: How They Screwed It Up" and "Spies, Lies, and Weapons: What Went Wrong."

• As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.
• A local mayor told us his greatest fear was an overly rapid American departure from Iraq.
• Just a few months ago, American marines were fighting for every yard of Ramadi; last week we strolled down its streets without body armor.

This article should come as good news to all Americans. But sadly, it doesn't. I've already pointed out Rep. James Clyburn's hope for failure in another post. CNN has also spent time trying to discredit these authors even though they were held in high regard after their previous negative reports & editorials about Iraq. I can't help but wonder why some people are so against success in Iraq & what do they gain from our failure that they appear so eager to declare?

Failures in the mine rescue, failures with our interstate bridges, & failures in Congress: According to the logic of some folks we ought to abandon those undertakings as well.

Observations from the Nation's Capital

Today, I want to share some thoughts on what I saw while in Washington, DC. I may ramble a bit. Certain things may have a political flavor while others won't.

First, I'll address the protesters I saw. There really weren't that many. I was actually surprised because twenty years ago Pennsylvania Ave. was lined with them. This time, there was one guy across the street from the White House living in a tent with a sign protesting the war. On the White House side of the street there was an older couple (appeared to be hippie left overs from the 60s) --- the woman was holding a sign & singing while the man was playing guitar & singing. Then there was the most appalling of all the protesters. A few adults (about three) directing about a dozen or so children ranging in age from 9 years old to 12 years old (that's just a guess on the ages based on how old they looked to me) in singing protest songs. Keep in mind that it was 96 degrees everyday I was in DC & the humidity was thick. Those kids were out there in the middle of the day. If that isn't exploiting children; I don't know what is.

Street vendors were scarce as well compared to what I saw twenty years ago. It seems that protesters, street vendors & the homeless have dwindled in numbers. I really thought, with the way things are portrayed in the media, that I would see loads more than I did.

I only saw one political T-shirt. It was in favor of intervening in Darfur. The front simply said "SAVE DARFUR" while the back had a phone number & a few questions to ask the president. One other T-shirt I saw, & I saw a lot of them --- probably the most of any single shirt, was Duke Lacrosse T-shirts. Looked to be high school & college aged kids wearing them. Not sure if they were making any sort of statement or what. It just seemed interesting because they all didn't appear to be Duke Lacrosse players. I was hoping to find a street vendor selling T-shirts with political statements on them, but I found none. Although, near the Lincoln Memorial, there were a few vendors who appeared to be veterans selling pro-U.S. military shirts, pins, patches & signs.

We took two cab rides while in DC. The first cabby was an elderly black man. In our conversation it was revealed that he was a WWII veteran. Not too much was spoken about politics. The other cabby was a man of Middle Eastern origins about 30 years old or so. He was all about politics. Didn't appear to be happy with any of the candidates currently running for president; democrat or republican.

In our travels on the Metro we stopped at the Pentagon to check it out. However, we were much too close to the building to appreciate the size & shape. You really couldn't tell that it was the Pentagon except that there were armed guards right there when you come out of the subway station. There is much more security than there was twenty years ago. Well, at least they're more visible.

An observation made by my wife was that it seemed as though people of all ages didn't go anywhere without an I-pod. It did appear as though everyone had to listen to music while riding the Metro. Around here the I-pod seems to be for young people but not in the hustle & bustle of the DC area.

Foggy Bottom

The family & I have just returned from our vacation to Washington, DC. On this vacation I discovered a few things. First, I am severely fat & out of shape. Second, I didn't recall doing that much walking when I was there twenty years ago when I was in the military. Third, vacations aren't necessarily relaxing.

The first evening when we arrived I took the family to the Foggy Bottom Metro Station where we then took a cab to M Street & 30th Street in the heart of Georgetown. We walked several blocks looking in shops & finally deciding to eat at an Italian restaurant.

The first morning (our second day) we headed for the Smithsonian Museums but much to our dismay the National Museum of American History was closed for renovations. We ended up spending a good portion of the day in the National Air and Space Museum. We also checked out some of the other museums as well. The National Air & Space Museum did have one room with a small display from the National Museum of American History. We ate at Joe Theisman's restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. We ate there on our third day as well. The food was great & reasonably priced. In the evening we took a trip through the National Mall & checked out the monuments & memorials. We were exhausted by days end.

On day three we checked out the Capital & surrounding buildings. I wanted to peek in on a session of Congress. However, you must first obtain a ticket from your representative. Things sure have changed in twenty years. I did search out the office of Jim Jordan but realized we'd be short on time to see other sites. After our mid day meal we went back out & walked around the area of the White House. There were street vendors & protesters & security all over the area. During our walk we came upon an area where we were stopped from walking through. We had to wait a few minutes & then were allowed through. Apparently the President & Vice-president had just landed. We talked a little with the security agent while we waited. We then took a quick jaunt to Chinatown. However, not much remained from what it was twenty years ago. Again, we were exhausted when we returned to our hotel for the evening. By this time we all had blisters & sore feet.

Day four was supposed to be the easiest & most relaxing day. We started out with a trip to Arlington National Cemetery. We went on our own walk rather than take a shuttle tour (probably a huge mistake). I swear twenty years ago it wasn't that darn hilly (I'm sure that's just my lack of memory). It was probably the most humid of all the days & the walk was up & down the hills that make up the cemetery. We did take time to see the graves of JFK & RFK. We finally made it to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & witnessed a couple of wreath dedications as well as the changing of the guard. The humidity of the day required that we refresh before heading out for the evening. We ate at the ESPN Zone on our way to RFK Stadium to see the Washington Nationals play the St. Louis Cardinals for Thomas Jefferson bobble-head night. Though exhausted, we did have a good time.

Day five was the drive home. Exhausted & sore from all the walking we were glad to be back in Findlay, Ohio. When I was in DC twenty years ago I thought it would be a great place to live. I liked the hustle & bustle. Today, I enjoy my quiet little life in the Heartland. Vacations are fine but there's no place like home.

Major Youth All-Star Game

I would like to take a moment & congratulate the 14 year old Gold All-Star team for their 10 - 4 victory Monday night. The boys played a fantastic game. Their season was played on city fields (80 foot bases & a 56 foot pitcher's mound) but the All-Star game was played on the high school field (90 foot bases & a 60 foot 6 inch pitcher's mound). The players made the necessary adjustments to pull out a win against a team of very talented players.

The pitching was right on. Brandon Shrider started the game with two shutout innings. Jeremy Schleucher closed the game by striking out the side & earning the game MVP. D.J. Clark, Derek Blubaugh, Dylan Routson & Tyler Kiser all contributed an inning on the mound. RBI hits from Kiser & Brandon Malik along with bunts by Schleucher & Brian Sherman helped propel the Gold All-Stars to their season ending victory. Cole Lautermilch, Lane Martin & Kenta Okada round out the roster & contributed to the win with hits & heads-up base running as well as solid defensive play. Okada made a couple of key plays at 3rd base early in the game & snagged a line-drive while playing 2nd base later in the game to end a possible rally by the Blue All-Stars.

A handful of these players will be participating in a tournament in Benton Ridge this weekend. Go Findlay Gold. I would like to wish every single one of these players luck next season as they enter high school & make a bid for the Freshman & JV baseball teams.