Jack Polidoro

To the editor,

Excuse me but are the residents of Citrus Hills Estates in Florida asleep? Are the Citrus Road Runners (CRR) not aware of Ted Williams' fate? l was miffed by the recent article by Mr. Bryan (Citrus County Chronicle) which highlights the forthcoming November 1, 2003 Memorial Run past Ted's house.

For many of us Ted fans {www.saveted.net), as well as his first born daughter Barbara Joyce Ferrell, a local resident, who have worked for one year to free Ted Williams from Alcor in Scottsdale, the thought of his other daughter "hosting" a 9K race in her father's name is deplorable and the antithesis of honoring him. One also questions why she is still on Ted's Hitters Museum Board. Her brother had already been removed from the austere group.

It is not the Jimmy Fund and the Eating Disorder foundations that are questioned here. Both deserve press and the needed revenue, year round and any event to support those causes should be honored.

The choice of the host Claudia Williams, an avid runner, is the question at hand. How can one claim "lt's all about dad" or "It's all about paying tribute to him" as a credible motive, when in fact the younger siblings, John Henry and Claudia assigned their father legally to a frozen state of absurdity, and basically signed the paperwork for Alcor that resulted in the human vivisection (decapitation) of their father, a renowned and revered ballplayer, fisherman, war hero and lifetime advocate of the Jimmy Fund in Boston. Running a Boston Marathon and hosting a CRR road race in his honor is not "compatible" with what they have done to their father. Mr. Williams remains frozen today.

Here in Manchester, New Hampshire, Ms. Claudia was to be a scheduled participant at the First Annual Ted Williams' dinner (Hitter's Museum sponsored), September 11th. She failed to show, apparently canceling after the August 18th Sports lllustrated issue that featured "What Really Happened to Ted Williams? by Torn Verducci."

I was at the Tribute dinner and the Ted Williams All-Day Symposium (SABR sponsored)

that followed at the Boston Library, September 13. She was not there either. A top Jimmy Fund representative and the Hitter's Museum director were there. Both spoke in honor of Ted.

So, if it's all about "paying tribute to dad," why did Ms. Claudia avoid the Ted Williams Dinner and the Boston Symposium honoring her dad? We can only surmise why — a "fear factor," perhaps that she would be castigated by the Boston fans and questioned by the media. The gates at Citrus Hills in Hernando are perhaps more protective.

I hope the race is a success on behalf of all children in need, but also hope that President Chris Moling and the CRR members will think about "What part of the race honors Theodore Samuel Williams."

Jack Polidoro

Laconia