It has been 50 years of community service for the Howard Palmetto Baseball and Softball Association.
The HPBSA has done as much or more than any other organization in and around Pinecrest to give our kids and their parents a place to gather and have fun, to make lifelong friendships and to play ball.
I started playing baseball with the HPBSA — then known as Howard Palmetto Khoury League or just the Khoury League — back in 1964. I was six years old. Back then, our playing fields were located at Howard Drive Elementary School and Palmetto Elementary, thus the reason for the name of the organization.
Over the years, I have developed some fond memories. I especially recall how the late Sam Richie and Joe Tekerman, with great effort, would drag out a huge portable backstop before each day’s games and set it up so that we could keep the balls on the field.
Through the years, I have made many lasting friendships because of my affiliation with the HPBSA. Many were teammates and many others were my coaches. I am still friends with a great number of them – Greg Schwartz , Mike Parker, Bobby Braddock, Jeff Cutler, Mark Ghezzi and his entire family, Steve Grant, Tommy Rey and so many others.
The HPBSA is having a 50th anniversary reunion party on Friday, Jan. 13, and I want to alert everybody far in advance so you can make arrangements to attend. We will honor all of the coaches, players, league officials and others who have had an affiliation with the organization over the years. The organizing committee for this event is made up of Camille and Joe Cilli, Janet Capparelli, Jeff Cutler, Pat Wilson, Bob Slater, Bill Shaw, Cessy Rubinson, Marina Demers, Bob Schroer, Bob Hingston and myself. If you want to attend or want to help put this together, or if you have any old photographs that we may use, please get in touch with us.
We will provide more details as we get into the fall, but for now you can call us at 305-323-8206, email us at howardpalmetto50@gmail.com or search for us on Facebook using keyword Grant Miller.
Let’s make this a wonderful, memorable event and celebrate the existence of a truly great organization.
