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 this community 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, in 1964. I was 6 years old. Back then, our fields were located at Howard Drive Elementary and at Palmetto Elementary, thus the reason for the name of the organization.
During the years, I developed some fond memories. I particularly remember how the late Sam Richie and Joe Tekerman would drag out a huge portable backstop before each day’s games.
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 still am friends with a great number of them — Greg Schwartz, Mike Parker, Bobby Braddock, Jeff Cutler, Mark Ghezzi and family, Steve Grant, Tommy Rey and many, many others.
The HPBSA is celebrating a 50th anniversary reunion party on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012 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 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 Hingston, Bob Schroer and myself.
If you want to attend or help put this event 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 months, but for now you can send email to <howardpalmetto50@ gmail.com> or search on Facebook, keywords “Grant Miller.”
