Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 6, 1 Iune 1987 — Former Molokaʻi Homestead Product Stands Tall [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Former Molokaʻi Homestead Product Stands Tall

Native Hawaiian to Umpire National Tournament

By Kenny Haina, Editor Ka Wai Ola O OHA A former resident of Hawaiian Home Lands at Hoolehua, Molokai'i where he was born, raisedand educated, has become what is believed to be Hawaii's only native Hawaiian selected to umpire in two national softball tournaments on the mainland. Herbert Iopa Paleka Jr. and two other members of the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), Hawaii Division, will be officiating national tournaments in California and Texas over the Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-7. Paleka, who started his umpiring career in 1964 shortly after graduating from Moloka'i High School and moving to Honolulu, will be at Redlands, Calif., for the Men's Class A Fast Pitch Tournament. Ron Komine, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force and is the Hawaii ASA umpire in chief, will be at Houston, Tex., for the Women's Major Fast Pitch Tournament while William Brandon, another Air Force retiree, is scheduled to work the Junior 01ympic Gir!s' Fast Pitch Tournament at Lodi, Calif. Paleka, who is employed as loader foreman with Gaspro Ine., is believed to be the first native Hawaiian to have worked on the national level in 1980 when he was selected for the Men's Major Industrial Slow Pitch Tournament at Lubbock, Tex. Umpiring eame natural to Paleka who emulated his father, Herbert Iopa PalekaSr., since his boyhood days. He tagged a!ong with his father to all baseball and softball games on Moloka'i where the elder Paleka called balls and strikes in a career that spanned more than 30 years. Paleka Sr. is now retired from the game and also from his job as Moloka'i where the elder Paleka called balls and strikes in a career that spanned more than 30 years. Paleka Sr. is now retired from the game and also from his job as Moloka'i supervisor with the Department of Transportation's Highways Division. Now 68, the elder Paleka still follows the game closely and may accompany his son to Redlands. Paleka Sr. is married to Eliza Enos Paleka, a sister of Office of Hawaiian Affairs staff member Andrew K. Enos. In addition to Herbert Jr., the Palekas have two other sons on Moloka'i, James Kimo Paleka and Samuel Enoka Paleka, and a daughter, Erma Dean Aikala of Honolulu. She was involved with girls and women's softball on Moloka'i before moving to Honolulu. Kimo is following in the footsteps of his father and older brother, umpiring games on Moloka'i. Young Herbert Paleka moved to Honolulu shortly after high school graduation and enrolled at the then Honolulu Technical School. He said he wanted to be a carpenter but soon gave up that goal and went to work as a driver for Security Armored Car Service.

He later hooked on with Gaspro as a truck driver and was promoted to his foreman position in 1985. All the while Paleka did not give up his interest in softball, baseball and umpiring. He remembers umpiring his first game in 1964 in the Little Leagues. Paleka also remembers playing as a third baseman for the Moloka'i High School team in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state tournaments in 1961, 1962 and 1963 at the old Honolulu Stadium. Komine called him a keen student of the profession. "His umpiring skills are outstanding. He has become an exceptional student in the mechanics of umpiring," Komine told Ka Wai Ola O OHA. Komine, who is employed as cemetery representative at the National Memonal Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, said without reservations that Paleka has become "one of the most proficient and professional umpires" in the association. A veteran of 17 years of umpiring himself, Komine said that umpiring slots to nahonal tournaments are only periodically allocated to Hawaii. Komine points out that all teams participating in national tournaments are all champions and it is a compliment to Hawaii's umpires to be invited. Paleka, who is deputy umpire in chief for Hawaii ASA, has attended national umpire schools in California and Nebraska to keep his skills honed to a fine edge. This is revealed in Komine's observation that Pa!eka's judgment and timing were of high quality and that "he does a great job." Komine went on to note that "Herb is never one who does not share his Hawaiianness. He is not obligated to

do this but Herb does and you have to hand it to him for sharing." If you've attended high school girls' softball or University of Hawaii Wahines games, chances were that Paleka was one of the umpires on the bases or behind the plate. He has also umpired in tournaments throughout the rest of the state. Paleka is married to Hinano Hapai Paleka, assistant evaluation planning specialist in the Department of Program Evaluation and Planning at the Kamehameha Schools. They have two sons, Herbert Iopa Paleka III, sophomore at Hawaiian Mission Academy, and Isma Moikeha Hapai Paleka, 5, student at Hawaii Children's Center. Asked if there was any one thing whieh disturbed him during his 23 years as an arbiter, Paleka observed that anyone ean be a eoaeh. In order to be a good eoaeh, however, he suggested they first should read and know the rule book. He said that fans who hurl verbal abuse at umpires don't understand the rules. Ignorance of playing rules on the part of coaches and fans is what bothers him the most but he doesn't let it affect him in calling a game. Paleka remembers only two incidents in whieh he was forced to eject coaches. He also had the unpleasant task of throwing out four ballplayers. Umpiring, whieh at first was a means of making a little extra ineome for Paleka, has since become more of a passion and a hobby. That Paleka has handled himself in a proficient and professional manner ean be attested to the fact he discipines himself for every assignment. Like Komine says: "He does a great job." Many will not argue with that assessment.

Herbert lopa Paleka Sr., Ieft, and his umpire son, Herbert Jr.