Tired of getting batted around to different fields across town, a new girls softball league is eyeing the possibility of creating a softball complex at the long-neglected Kern Park.
“We just want our own facility,” said Tom Tabacco of the Bristol Girls Softball League. “The girls don’t have anything in this town.”
The Park Board agreed Wednesday to have one of its subcommittees explore the possibility of allowing new softball fields at Kern Park, which is located between Ivy Drive School and the Big Lots store on Farmington Avenue.
“The space is available and nothing is there at the present time,” Mayor Art Ward said.
He said the softball complex, which would initially include two fields and a concession stand, would help “clean it up” and put the park to use.
But Mary Rydingsward, an environmentalist who helped preserve the park when the city considered selling a chunk of it to a developer, said that the entire 29-acre park is a crucial watershed ecosystem that shouldn’t be turned into playing fields.
There are about 200 girls playing Little League girls softball, Tabacco said.
The new league was created this year, he said, to replace small softball programs that each of the three traditionally boys Little Leagues in town had developed for girls.
He said there is a major donor who will help building the new fields and state grants are also likely.
The way it is now, Tabacco said, is that the girls teams are shuffled all over town to grab fields that aren’t in use by one of the many baseball teams. They don’t have a home of their own, he said, and until this year they also had to make do with equipment castoffs from the boys.
Though the softball league is a newcomer, its all-star teams competed well with other leagues in the state. Its 11 and 12-year-old team came within one game of winning the state title, Tabacco said.
He said the league would like to get space for as many as four fields, even if only two are slated for construction for now, as well as enough parking.
“We’re just trying to get something for girls,” Tabacco said. “We’re just looking for land.”
Tabacco said he’s never even been to Kern Park. He said that Ward and Park Director Ed Swicklas suggested it as a potential site.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
19 comments:
It is a place to drink beer not an eco system
Isn't Kern Park more near Ivy Drive School? The article said that Kern Park is between Big Lot and North East Middle???
Kern Park is off line for all intents and purposes and this would be good use of that city own property.
Yes, Ivy Drive is a better landmark to use! I changed the text to reflect that.
They want to cut down all that forest to make 4 more ball fields?
When the work "park" is used, it seems like the first thing that some think about is "BALL PARK, ball games, and lawn chemicals." rather than a natural environment.
Sure the girls deserve something better. But wouldn't it be a better idea to find some flatland elsewhere, rather than cut down forest lands ?
There are open fields that abut this woodland.
Also, why not use the Robert's property for this a purpose rather than engage in cutting down forest land?
And how much is this going to cost us?
We, the city and its residents, are facing a period of financial difficulties. We have the downtown albatross around our necks. And another million dollar project is proposed.
Why not use the Robert's property? Because the rich folks up on Chippens Hill don't want ballfields with the accompanying riff raff. Just ask Ellen.
Wasn't Robert's property originally puchased for playing fields?
From the state to cities fruitless spending needs to stop for awhile. The average family needs to watch what they spend, why does the state and city feel like they cant? A ball park come on!
Has Art Ward developed split personalities? One day he is losing sleep over what is going to happen to the poor taxpayer in the winter and the next day he wants to build multi-million dollar projects like firehouses, nicer garages for Public works, new schools and new fields. I think the what is being played is us the taxpayers who elected him.
$ - 3:52p.m. - infrastructure such revitalizing of 50 year old firehouses, consolidation of multiple city garages into less locations are maintenamce issues - either pay the piper later, when the costs skyrocket due to deterioration, or pay it now instead of paying for band-aids during the interim.
New schools are the brainchild of the Board of Education but they haven't even been decided yet - another pay for new schools now or pay dearly to temporarily fix them up for even more money later.
The need for ballfields has been an ongoing complaint for years, nothing new.
Regardless, none of these projects would be done for years down the road.
So let me see if I get this straight. We have a very competitive softball team and they have to wait for the boys teams are done before they can use the many, many, baseball fields we have? Really!
Split personalities are the result of talking out of both sides of your mouth.
6:43 ~ Stupidity is talking without engaging your brain...
7:22
Has Art Ward developed "stupidity" then?
3:23pm - only if he tried to engage someone as ignorant as you in an "intelligent" conversation, which would prove to be futile.
Hey, were spending millions on Rockwell Park, then Page Park will get it's face lift. Along with all of the other projects the city has lined up, at what point do we say STOP!! We are in the middle of a recession and people just can't afford any more taxes. Why can't the city leaders just concintrate on the most important issues first. At this point in time I don't think that more baseball fields, (although it's a good idea), are just not practicle right now.
More for the Puerto Rican welfare class.
Concerning the softball fields at Kern Park. Residents are worried about their tax dollars being used. Fact-the city has never spent any tax dollars on any of the 3 Little Leagues in Bristol.Yes,the city lets the leagues use the land. Any work done concerning the fields or buildings at each complex is each leagues responsibility.Kern Park would be a good location.
I read that the girls equipment was the boys hand-me downs. That statement is false. The 3 leagues in Bristol always treated the girls teams the same as the boys teams and in some cases, better. Girls teams haven`t been treated 2 nd to the boys teams in Bristol in many many years.
I have no idea if anything ever came of this but if it did, Bristol would make bank from companys (like mine) that would want to rent out fields to host tournaments during the season.
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