Pleasant Hill, Missouri            Wednesday, July 28, 2010             ©2010 Pleasant Hill Times

 Home
 About Us
 Sports
 People
 Kirk & Kerry
 Classifieds
 Public Notices
 Obituaries
 Upcoming Events
 Kids Corner
 Ad Rates
 Payments
 Subscriptions
 Staff / Contact
 Photo Gallery


 City of Pleasant Hill
 Pleasant Hill Schools
 Pleasant Hill Chamber
 Cass County
 MSHP Accident Search
 MO Sexual Predator List
Click for Pleasant Hill, Missouri Forecast

Kirk  &  Kerry
Time Out with Kirk
A lesson in sailing 

By F. KIRK POWELL  Editor & Publisher

Members of the Jacomo Cruiser Fleet & Yacht Club introduced a group of youngsters from the Kansas City area to the sport of sailing a couple of weeks ago.
  I joined five other sailboat owners at Lake Jacomoin giving rides to youngsters attending a day camp at the Kemper Outdoor Education Center in Fleming Park. Each of us took four campers and a counselor on a sailboat ride early that Friday morning.
  My neighbor agreed to be first mate for the voyage. I figured after over 30 years as an educator, he’d be able to help corral any unruly kids.
  We untied the boat from its mooring ball and headed for the dock.
  Before too long, our passengers arrived and lined up on the dock to board the sailboat.All of the kids wore life jackets and were prepared to go to sea.
  We discovered that they all went by camp names. Our passengers were “Steamboat,” “Bear,” “Snake” and Pitcher.
  Their counselor was a cute UMKC senior that they had nicknamed “KitKat.”
  The youngsters boarded the sailboat, I fired up my 8-horsepower outboard,we cast off and motored to the entrance to Sailboat Cove. I turned the boat into the wind and the kids helped us raise the jib and the main sail.
  Once the sails were up and set, I killed the outboard and announced, “We’re a sailboat!”
  I don’t think the kids were that impressed at first. I suppose that their idea of boating was to fire up the motor and see how fast the boat will go.
  The winds that morning were light and we crawled slowly toward the Jacomo dam. Just before their eyes started to glaze over, we were hit by a gust and the boat heeled over.
  Suddenly, we had their attention.
  Their eyes were as big as saucers and a couple of the kids seemed a little concerned that we might tip over. I explained that “tipping”was a normal phenomenon aboard a sailboat and reassured the kids that I didn’t plan on dumping them in the lake.
  It wasn’t long before the campers were more comfortable with sailing. They wandered all over the boat from the stern rail seats to the cabin below and up to the bow.
  They took turns helping trim the sails when we came about and even got a chance to get behind the wheel.
  The hatch from the forward cabin to the bow became a “secret” passageway and the kids enjoyed sitting on the stern and dipping their feet in the water.
  After a couple of hours, our voyage was over and I think the youngsters enjoyed their outing as much as I did.
  If their sailboat ride encourages just one of them to take up sailing as a hobby when they get older, it will have been a morning well spent.
Just My Opinion
Bring the World Cup here, Man(U)

By Kerry Warman  Sports Editor

If you went to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, July 25, you had the opportunity to see the new and improved home of the Kansas City Chiefs.
  Sadly, I didn’t get to go.
  You also were a witness to an historical soccer event that proves Kansas City is a soccer town and should therefore be a host city in the next World Cup.
  From what I saw on the news broadcasts from the city, soccer fans of the Kansas City Wizards, Manchester United team of England and sometimes fans of both, saw an outstanding match that ended with a 2-1 Kansas City win.
  Sure, they are those who will say Manchester didn’t bring its “A Team” to town, but who cares—a Wizard win is a Wizard win!
  For Pleasant Hill soccer fans, the hype of this match should get the juices flowing for Rooster and Chick soccer coming to Pleasant Hill High School this year.
  For this writer, I am once again going to have to depend on soccer coaches and players teaching me the game so I can write about the matches and learn how to see this through the camera lens.
  Way back when, in 1995- 96, I didn’t know anything about high school wrestling— still don’t know all there is to know about it. But thanks to coaches and grapplers back then, I learned and I am hoping everyone will be patient with me this fall when the Roosters take field!
• • • • • • • • • •
I hated to see Alberto Callapso get traded. I really liked him as part of the future of the Kansas City Royals.
  But I also know that he was expendable because the most promising third baseman in the Minor Leagues is one step away from leaving the Omaha Royals and joining the Kansas City Royals.
  And I know that Kansas City is a selling team because the Royals are not faring well right now.
  I wish, however, that the powers-that-be would think long and hard before getting rid of any more talent that has been put in place to make this team a contender someday.
  Just because a player has market value doesn’t mean he should automatically go onto the market. Rebuilding should have an end result, not continue to be a never-ending cycle.
  Another sad note from the Royals is just about everyone’s favorite boy in blue is out for 2010 after injuring his hand in NewYork against theYankees.
  David DeJesus tore up a thumb and will require surgery.
  According to a press release from David Holtzman with the Royals, DeJesus is gone for at least 10 weeks. Since there are less 10 weeks left in the season, that means no more David in 2010.
  I guess if I can find any silver in this black cloud it would be that he won’t be traded now and can look forward to DeJesus coming back in 2011 as a Royal.
• • • • • • • • • •
The Kansas City Chiefs open training camp this week, and from what I hear around town, the fans are chomping at the bit to get the boys in the pads and on the field.
  With training camp now in St. Joseph instead of River Falls, Wisc., I expect to hear all kinds of stories from local fans who will make the trek to Missouri Western State University.
  If you go to training camp, take some pictures and e-mail them to me at phtimes@comcast.net, along with some information about your time there. I would love to share this with the Chief fans of Pleasant Hill.
• • • • • • • • • •
Congratulations to the guys and gals who put on the Rock Bottom Throwdown last Saturday night at the Rock Island Sports Complex.
  Although mixed martial arts cage fighting is still not my cup of tea, I enjoyed the event, and really enjoyed seeing the fans have a good time and get a chance to see their sport up close and personal.
  Three more events are planned in August, September and October if you would like a chance to see this new sport.
  Hopefully, not invited the next three times will be the stormy weather!
• • • • • • • • • •
I guess Jamie McMurray is the real deal in NASCAR this year. He has now won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same season. And he’s a Missouri boy to boot!
  Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick continues to shock and impress me as the Sprint Cup points leader. He is running the best season of his career and I wish him well the rest of the way.