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August 25, 2008

Ball field could play at Willows

Tom Dalton

SALEM — Salem Little League wants to build a baseball field that would rival the first-rate facilities in other North Shore communities and take the burden off water-soaked O’Grady Field at Forest River Park.

It is eyeing a waterfront setting in Salem Willows, one of the city’s most scenic and popular recreation areas, but also a destination where neighbors have raised issues about traffic and parking in the past. The Little League proposal also is being made while the idea of building a senior center in the Willows is still alive.

League officials floated the proposal before the Park and Recreation Commission last week and will discuss it at a public hearing before the same board on Sept. 23.

“We have been trying to survive with what we have, and what we have is a problem,” said Peter Porcello, vice president of Salem Little League. “There aren’t enough fields.”

There also apparently aren’t a lot of options. The city has a limited number of open spaces with adequate parking and sufficient land for a Little League diamond, he said.

The shortcomings of O’Grady Field, the main youth baseball park in the city, have been known for years and became more apparent this summer as heavy rains stressed grounds with chronic drainage problems. It got so bad at one point that Salem Little League had to cancel a scheduled state tournament game.

Although plans are tentative, league officials have been talking about building a privately financed, first-rate field that would be used by Salem teams and also could host tournaments.

“Our request is for a field similar to Harry Ball Field in Beverly,” said Porcello. “That’s probably the best Little League field, if not in Massachusetts, it may be the best in New England.”

Harry Ball Field, which is used for Little League tourneys, has two diamonds, a regulation fence, stands, lights, dugout-like team benches and a concession stand.

Asked about lights, Porcello said he didn’t know how it would go over with neighbors, and that was one of many issues that would have to be discussed.

Salem Little League, which has 500 to 600 youths playing baseball and 200 girls in softball, has a shortage of fields for games and practices, Porcello said. It lost fields recently due to construction at Salem State College and at Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, he said.

“There’s basically no place for anybody to practice when the season starts,” he said.

The field being eyed in Salem Willows, which is near the tennis courts, was formerly used by men’s softball and currently is used by Salem Youth Soccer. Little League officials plan to sit down with representatives of Youth Soccer to discuss the situation.

Little League officials also want to hear from Salem Willows neighbors. They want to build a new diamond that would better serve the city’s youth, but don’t want to do anything that would upset residents, according to Porcello.

“We’re not going to cause a problem,” he said. ”If people don’t want it, they don’t want it. We just think it would be a great place to play baseball.”

Ward 1 Councilor Bob McCarthy, a former Little League coach, said he is just starting to talk to his neighbors and has not taken a position on the proposal.

“I’ve talked to a few of them,” he said, “but before Sept. 23, I’ll make sure to talk to as many of them as I can.”

Chris Burke, vice chairman of the park commission, said Little League’s plan “looked good.” However, he said he also wants to hear from the community.

“I don’t know” what the reaction will be, “so I’m interested in hearing what the neighbors have to say,” he said.

The proposal for a new field comes after a banner year for Salem Little League. The senior girls won the state softball championship, and two Little League baseball teams advanced to the final four of the District 15 tournament.

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