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Above photo;
Glenn Mickensin in 1953 as a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers
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James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer
and amongst other things lived in a tent outdoors for 7 years.
Rosen currently resides on the tropical island of Kaua'i
with his best friend and spiritual adviser Ivanka-Obama, The Bipartisan Dog!
  
Sunrise photos July 2019
(These photos made it to Hawaii News Now)
Photos courtesy,
James "Kimo" Rosen
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Publishers note;
Aloha Readers,
Glenn was a retired professional baseball player
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| For all Glenn's family and friends |
Most important Glenn was a gentleman and decent person who could differ with you but never stooped to name-calling, bullying or character assassination as is the norm these days. Glenn and I were friends and at times had differences of opinions, however, we always had civil debates in our numerous emails over the years. Glenn always ended all his emails in his signature style of,
"Your pal, Glenn." I'm going to miss my pal.
God bless,
James "Kimo" Rosen
Publisher/Blogger-n-chief~dakinetalk blog
Blog #2044~Kimo's world #291
My pal Glenn Mickens will be sorely missed
Glenn Mickens was
locally known
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| Glenn Mickens in his home office Photo courtesy of and used with permission of the Garden Island news |
My Friend, Glenn Mickens was a frequent guest-blogger on dakinetalk blog. (this blog)
Glenn was also a prolific letter to the editor and Guest columnist contributor to the Garden Island news and gave frequent testimonies at Kauai county council meetings and other concerning political events. Before becoming friends,
I first encountered Glenn on TV, like so many of you, since all Kaua'i County council meetings are recorded and replayed all week on local government access TV. I once asked Glenn why he never ran for the county council? You're at all the meetings anyhow with notes testifying? His reply was he wouldn't have all the freedoms he does as a private citizen to speak his mind, and that he did, like one of my favorites in nicknaming the Kauai landfill," Mt. Trashmore!"
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| Mr. Mickens testified often at Kaua'i county council meetings |
Glenn lived on Kauai with his wife Ruth for the last 28 years. Born July 26, 1930, in Wilmar, California. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Last but not least Glenn really wanted to see 3 major things happen on Kauai.
1- Give the county manager style of government a chance.
2- Opening up the AJA baseball
3-To build more roads and open the haul roads to accommodate the traffic.
One of Glenn's Favorite expressions
Glenn and I over the years exchanged 100's of emails about the county, state, and national politics. Although on a few subjects we disagreed, such as the multi-use trail,
I am going to sign off to you Glenn,
Your pal,
Kimo
The Garden Island news published an updated version of this blog as a guest column on August 26, 2019!
~My pal, the ‘warrior’ Glenn Mickens~
I saw a recent County Council meeting on TV where they memorialized and honored my friend, nitpicker and county watchdog Glenn Mickens. (BTW, Glenn enjoyed being called a “nitpicker” and “watchdog”) I wish I had been there to testify and eulogize my pal and give my heartfelt sympathy to Glenn’s wife, Ruth.
How many people are honored and memorialized by a group they continued to hound and criticize week after week, month after month, year after year? Although Glenn was known as a county watchdog and nitpicker he was much-loved by not only his friends but his adversaries. Marj Dente said it best at the County Council meeting: “Glenn was not a nitpicker, he was a warrior!”
Glenn and I over the years exchanged 100’s of emails about politics, although on a few subjects we disagreed, such as the multi-use trail, and even the current president. Glenn never name-called and always debated in a civil manner without bullying, name-calling or character assassinations, a lost art these days.
Glenn understood freedom of speech, something we are rapidly losing in this country.
Glenn religiously ended all our frequent email correspondences in his signature style of, “Your pal, Glenn.” When I wrote him back I always signed off in the same manner. I am sure he did this with his many friends.
I first encountered Glenn on TV, like so many of you, since all Kauai County Council meetings are recorded and replayed all week on local government access TV. I once asked Glenn why he never ran for the County Council. “You’re at all the meetings anyhow, with notes, testifying?” His reply was he wouldn’t have all the freedoms he does as a private citizen to speak his mind, and that he did, like one of my favorites in nicknaming the Kauai landfill “ Mt. Trashmore!”
Glenn was a professional baseball player who pitched for a brief time for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he had the privilege of knowing and playing ball with the great baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in baseball history. This may be one of the reasons Glenn was so adamant on trying to get the AJA (Americans of Japanese Ancestry), baseball league, to open its doors to all races and genders. Who knows, this may happen someday.
I heard that after 23 years of testimony and using his favorite quote, “ready, fire, aim,” that the county was laying out asphalt improperly, they finally corrected their actions from Glenn’s continued, patient efforts.
Heaven now has Glenn to be their watchdog, not that heaven needs a watchdog. Now there’s something for a civil debate.
Glenn was truly a warrior, but most importantly, to me and so many others, he was a true friend and ‘pal.’
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Additional readings on Glenn Mickens!
Please read my blog titled, Glenn Mickens deserves better published on 07-10-17.
Former Garden Island journalist Tommy LaVenture called it, my best writing.
Also as a tribute to Glenn enclosed is a link to visit all 30
of his guest blogs published on dakinetalk blog;
Hana Hou,(Encore)
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7 comments:
I am so sorry for your loss. He will be sorely missed as I enjoyed reading his opinions and seeing his position from them. He stated his truth clearly without prejudice or rancor. Even though I didn't know him as a person I will miss that too.
Kit
So sorry about your loss of Glenn Mickens. If I may ask, what did he die from?
Mahalo! Glenn used to Guest blog on Tuesday’s, you alway Guest blogged on Wednesday for Harmonic Wednesday! Glenn had multiple medical problems and at 88 his body finally gave out.
Sorry to hear. Glenn was a wonderful person.
In my office is a picture of a young man wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball hat and uniform. He is smiling, absolutely beaming with delight.
The name of the young man is Glenn Mickens.
On that picture, he wrote this inscription: “To Bill Buley – A friend and a fine editor.” — Glenn Mickens, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1953.
It is a prized possession that I am proud to display, and one that will remind me of one good man I came to know on Kauai after moving here in April 2013, and a man I will miss.
Glenn Mickens passed away Tuesday night. He was 88.
Glenn had a short Major League Baseball career, but imagine pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers at the age of 22. He did. He played with Jackie Robinson and some of the game’s greats in the one season he was with the Dodgers and the seasons he spent in the minors. Glenn sometimes downplayed his MLB career, but I reminded him, “You have to be a great player just to reach the big leagues. Very few actually get there. You did.”
I think he appreciated that.
We exchanged emails about baseball, about the Seattle Mariners and my hero Ken Griffey, and about the Los Angeles Dodgers, his favorite team. Glenn knew baseball and he understood the importance of pitching, that it was the key to winning.
But Glenn was about more than baseball. In his time on Kauai (he moved here about 30 years ago), he became a government watchdog and frequent letter-writer to TGI. He kept close tabs on the County Council. Little annoyed him more than county officials talking about expanding bike and walking paths and the bus system to alleviate traffic. In his view, people were not going to give up their cars so they could bike, walk or bus. The only viable long-term solution to ease traffic, he said, was to build more roads. That was it. Build more roads. All this stuff about biking and walking and buses was just putting off what needed to be done. It aggravated him to no end. I told him I agreed. He appreciated that.
His other issue was that AJA (Americans of Japanese Ancestry) baseball on Kauai was restricted to those having Japanese blood. Remember, Glenn was there when Jackie Robinson, a black man, played for the Dodgers in the early ‘50s when the game was dominated by white players. He witnessed the discrimination that Robinson faced and he never forgot it. His long-running argument with AJA was to open the league “to any person, male or female, black, white or yellow, who has the ability to compete in their league.”
“My point is that our AJA baseball league could only be stronger by opening their doors to everyone; to possibly give some kid a chance of sharpening his talents in the high school off-season so he can go to a major college, even with a possible scholarship. Let us never forget that two brothers, Tyler and Kirby Yates from Kauai, reached the big leagues, defying odds in the millions against them to get there,” he wrote.
Every year, Mickens wrote a letter to TGI calling for just that. Every year, it didn’t happen. I once wrote an opinion in TGI calling politely for what Mickens said, to open AJA to all. Perhaps one day it will. He would be pleased.
Glenn Mickens did what few in this world will ever do, play Major League Baseball.
But that wasn’t his biggest or best achievement.
For that, look at his circle of family and friends. They loved him not because he played baseball, sat at council meetings or wrote letters to the local newspaper.
They loved him because he was a man with a good heart who cared about people and tried, in his own way, to make the world a better place. He had a quick smile and genuine laugh and a wonderful sense of humor. He was not an old guy complaining. He was the man who wanted to help, who saw things could be better and said so, was firm about right and wrong and standing up for those who needed it. He’s the kind of man we need in this world.
And as for that inscription Glenn wrote on the picture he gave me, I’ll say this: I don’t know about being a fine editor, but I am proud to be his friend.
Bill Buley
The direct link to Bill Buley's above editorial, it's worth going to check out the wonderful comments!
https://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/07/12/opinion/glenn-mickens-a-fine-player-a-good-friend/
mAhalo glenn and ken and all of we the "whistleblowers"! WE all have been paying attention and have moved upward and forward with TRUTH and INTEGRITY! Can't beat THAT!
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