'MR. BASEBALL'

FERD BORSCH TOUCHED MANY IN HIS REPORTING

It was with great sadness that I read about the passing of Ferd Borsch. In many ways, he truly was Mr. Baseball in Hawai'i.

I have fond memories of Ferd visiting Ke'ehi Lagoon field watching and reporting on the Hawai'i Pacific University Sea Warrior baseball team. We would sit together in the rickety "press box" and analyze the swing of batters, the agility of fielders and the strategy of coaches. Ferd, HPU athletic director Tony Sellitto, and I would swap stories about the Pacific Coast League, the Hawai'i Islanders, HPU and professional baseball and much more. He was always appreciative that a fledgling college, as HPU was back in the 1980s, fielded a competitive team and contributed to the game he so loved.

Ferd's reporting always highlighted the positive side of the game, players and coaches. He would watch a runner thrown out on a steal attempt or a batter take a third strike with the bases loaded, but always found a compliment to say about the player as he walked off the field, hanging his head. He was from the old school of sports journalism and believed passionately you had to be there to do it right. Like local columnists Bob Krauss or Lee Cataluna, he gave his readers facts and fun because he saw every glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Most importantly he was a kind and gentle man and I always appreciated being in his company.

Interestingly, about the time Ferd was being presented with the Chuck Leahey service-to-baseball award in 1997 by Chuck's son Jim, it was a younger Leahey who was beginning his sports journalism career at HPU. Grandson Kanoa became the voice of HPU baseball (and other sports) on radio and television. While Kanoa's focus was on the electronic rather than the print side of sports reporting, I saw it as a torch-passing of sorts.

Baseball fans throughout Hawai'i will miss Ferd Borsch. But hopefully, his wit, passion and legacy will encourage fans to get to a ball park soon and experience the sport as it should be, regardless of whether it's Little League, college level or the Hawai'i Winter Baseball League.

I hope that Ferd's family during this difficult time can find comfort knowing how much he was loved, admired and respected not only by his colleagues and friends, but by the many fans of the sport who may not have known him personally but who he touched through his writing.

2006 ELECTION

ED CASE IN TOUCH WITH HIS CONSTITUENCY

Neither Democrats nor Republicans should march lock step in an ideological trench, as Keith Haugen (July 4) seems to indicate. We need to get past devotion to party line posturing that so divides our country. We should elect men and women who think carefully on each issue and who are in touch with their constituencies. Ed Case is such a man — Hawai'i and the nation would be well served with him as senator.

We shouldn't forget that Dan Akaka climbed out of his Democratic trench to vote for drilling in the Arctic — very much "speaking like a Republican" in Haugen's terms. Ed Case did not support that drilling. Akaka's vote was deal making, plain and simple, with his Alaska (Republican) buddy.

The war in Iraq divides parties, families and friends as we all grapple with the question of where we go from here. It is an issue of conscience, not just politics. Let's not trivialize it.

SONAR

JUDGE RULED CORRECTLY IN RIMPAC CASE

Profiles in courage have been evident lately, not only that of Lt. Ehren Watada in his stance against an illegal war, but also in the case of Judge Florence-Marie Cooper in her ruling against use of the marine mammal-killing sonar that was about to be deployed in joint naval exercises (RIMPAC) in waters around Hawai'i.

Judge Cooper was right to deny use of the high-intensity, mid-frequency sonar, which has been documented to cause lethal injuries in tissues such as brain and liver of small schooling whales and perhaps dolphins. Release of intense pulses of sonic-energy from this new equipment is clearly correlated with mass killings of these animals during virtually identical antisubmarine training exercises over the last several years in the Mediterranean and around the Azores and Bahama Islands. What is this urgent need of the Navy for casting deadly sonic blasts through the ocean depths? Who among our enemies is about to attack us from that sector?

OVERCROWDING

SEND PRISONERS AWAY, USE SPACE FOR HOMELESS

My 11- year-old daughter has an excellent solution to the homeless and prison overcrowding problems. She heard about us sending some of our prisoners to Arizona. She suggested that we send all of them to Arizona and use the empty prison buildings as shelter for the homeless.

Criminals have a better place to live than honest citizens who are down on their luck. It would also be a great crime deterrent, knowing you would be sent to the Mainland, away from your families with no weekend visitations.

HEALTH, SAFETY ISSUE

CITY ASKS FOR PATIENCE DURING SEWER PROJECT

The City appreciates the understanding and patience of Waikiki residents, businesses and others, and sincerely apologizes for the temporary loss of parking spaces along Ala Wai Boulevard due to the Beachwalk Wastewater Emergency Bypass Project.

People are making other arrangements because there is no immediate solution to make alternate parking available "to the long suffering auto owners in Waikiki" as requested by David Hamilton (Advertiser letters July 7th). The city had to act quickly to repair the 42" concrete force main under Kai'olu Street that ruptured on March 24. The emergency bypass that is now being temporarily placed in the Ala Wai Canal is the key first step to replacing the 42-year-old force main and Beachwalk Waste Water Pump Station.

Please bear with us, as these projects are essential to the protection of the health and safety of the residents, workers and visitors to Waikiki, as well as to the island and state economy.

PHYSICIANS

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE COSTS NOT THE CULPRIT

A July 2, letter signed by Hawai'i physicians, which assails the medical insurance industry and Medicare for their inadequate reimbursements to physicians, incorrectly claims that "escalating medical malpractice costs are driving doctors from practice in Hawai'i."

According to the American Medical Association's own statistics, from 2000-2004 the number of physicians in Hawai'i per 100,000 residents has risen by 51, the total number of physicians has risen by 546. The total number of OB-GYNs has risen by 21 and the number of OB-GYNs per 100,000 residents has remained steady.

The answer is not to push for restrictions on the rights of patients but to rein in the insurance companies from price-gouging consumers and provide doctors with fair payment for their services.

There is no correlation between insurance premiums, restrictions on patient rights and claims. In fact, Hawai'i's medical malpractice premiums are significantly lower than many other states. Medical malpractice premiums in Hawai'i have now risen and fallen three times in the past 30 years in accordance with national insurance economic cycles — with no correlation to local legislation. Each time rates went up, doctors sought restrictions on patient rights, yet each time rates came down with no changes in the law. And rates are starting to come down again without any changes in the law.

Lastly, since medical errors are the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, we should be working together to eliminate medical errors as a way to lower medical malpractice costs and increase patient safety. It is common sense that the way to reduce malpractice claims is to prevent malpractice from happening, not reduce the rights of patients after they are injured or killed by malpractice.

Hawai'i simply does a poor job of monitoring and disciplining bad doctors. Hawai'i ranks last in this among all of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. We must do more to protect patients and provide doctors with fair payments for their services.