"Comments from council" editorial, a rebuke from alleged woman's sports militant Rev. Gary Straughan, and a conciliatory response from Chan Harris from the Door County Advocate on May 9th & 14th, 1974
Comments from council
Tuesday night's long council meeting produced at least two subjects for brief editorial comment. (It also spared Buck fans there from having to watch their five get slickered out of their shorts by the Celtics).
First, the Rev. Gary Straughan, speaking on behalf of women sport militants, asked that a representative of girls Little League be on the board of parks and recreation. The libbers fear that when the diamonds are scheduled next year the girls program might not get a fair shake.
I hope the time will pass when promoters of girls sports feel they have to take a defensive attitude because even though there was (and sometimes is) reason for it, the attitude will be self defeating. I think the community is ready and anxious for positive thinking in this field. Pushing too hard makes people push back.
As for someone on the board, that would be bad precedent. The people on that body should be selected for overall interest in parks and recreation, not for a specific field. If someone is put on for girls Little League then why not separate representatives for tennis, boating, volleyball or even cribbage.
The other point concerns the city-owned property at the west end of the bridge. Using it as a launching ramp and sprawl area to augment the present launching and parking area on the other side of the highway met opposition at the council, and I would concur with that opposition. That land along the bay should be kept scenic to give a pleasant view for those coming down Madison. A parking lot full of boaters' cars would spoil the desired effect. A suggested row of screening trees would block off view of the bay.
Many of the northern towns have a beautiful vista coming down into them. Madison avenue now offers a clutter of overhanging signs and a still unappealing area on the bayfront. Both can be changed with prodding, legislation and planning. The view down Madison could be outstanding.
Meanwhile, as Ald. Dan Nielson comĀmented, any suggestions for launching ramps at other locations would be appreciated. We need that too.
Since my name appeared in your editorial on May 9, I feel a couple of comments are in order in regard to my statement at the City Council meeting of May 7.
The one major and most important comment that I made at the Council meeting was not referred to in your editorial. This was the appreciation that I extended to the City Council through its Board of Parks and Recreation for supporting the concept of Little League Baseball for girls. I spent the great majority of my comments in extending this appreciation.
I was very careful to point out that my remarks were not being made on behalf of any group but that they came out of my conversations with a few other parents or girls involved in Little League. I know that I said this exact thing at least twice. Yet your editorial states that I was speaking on behalf of "women sports militants." I think it is fair to point out that there is no connection whatsoever between "women militants" and "libbers" and the Girls Little League program. The program came out of a sincere effort on the part of several parents to provide organized summer recreation for one half of the children of our area. There is no axe whatever to grind, which seems to be the gist of your editorial comments.
This leads to my second concern. You said that "pushing too hard makes people push back," implying that the parents of girls in Little League are pushing too hard. I fail to see where there has been any "Pushing" on the part of Girls' Little League. I am sure that the Parks and Recreation Board and the Boys' Little League officers would verify this.
My remarks in regard to membership on the Board of Parks and Recreation were misinterpreted by your editorial. My exact request was that the Mayor and the Council "give consideration in the future to the appointment to the Board of Parks and Recreation of someone involved in girls' sports when a vacancy does occur." The key words in my request were: "to give consideration" and "when a vacancy does occur." Your editorial leaves the impression with your readers that my request for consideration was a demand. In no way should my remarks be thus considered.
I agree wholeheartedly that "the community is ready and anxious for positive thinking in this field," as you phrased it. This can be attested to by the large registration of girls (93 registered), the willingness of companies in our area to sponsor the teams, the immediate readiness of enough individuals to organize and administer the league, and the dedication already exhibited by the coaches and managers. Girls' Little League is off to a fantastic start and I would only hope that comments such as appeared in your editorial would not put a damper on the venture. We who are involved have certainly approached this venture in a very positive sense and we look for your support.
GARY STRAUGHAN
(See you at the ball gameāCFH).
[CFH is Chan F. Harris, the president and editor of the Advocate, this is a conciliatory response]
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
Other posts about girls sports
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/girls-sports