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Politics & Government

Little League Games to Continue at Waiola, Sedgwick Parks

Park District of La Grange Board approved the requests for use of the two parks on Monday; Waiola Park use sparked outcry from one neighbor and dissent from one board member.

Little League baseball will continue to be played at Sedgwick and Waiola parks in La Grange this year. While league use of for evening games during the month of May 2011 was passed unanimously Monday night by the Board of Commissioners, allowing the league to use did not come without dissent from both a nearby resident and a commissioner.

Tom Cushing, outgoing president of La Grange Little League Baseball, said he was asking for the same agreement to May night games at Sedgwick the board approved in the 2010 season. Under that agreement, night games were played at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Lights have been in place at the field since 2009. Games were moved to Sedgwick in May 2010 due to the poor condition of the baseball fields at following heavy rains, Cushing said.

“The fields at Gordon Park were unplayable after those rains. It takes about five days for those fields to fully dry out,” Cushing said.

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Board President Mary Ellen Penicook wanted to know what the ages of the ball players playing the night games on weeknights.

“As a mom that’s something that concerns me,” she told Cushing.

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Cushing told her that players ages 10-11 played at Sedgwick. He said there are no double-headers. However he said the 8- and 9-year-old players got the chance to play one night game after school let out for the year.

“They get to play a night game in June just for the thrill of playing under the lights,” Cushing said.

Under the agreement the field lights will be turned off no later than 10 p.m.

The board also approved a measure to allow the Little League to use the fields at Waoila Park in a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Chris Walsh dissenting. The Little League requested use of the field.

This is the second year Waiola Park will be used as a temporary field for La Grange Little League, due in part to the condition of the fields at Gordon Park and the fact the Little League will be losing the use of the fields at

Cushing said most of the youths who play at Spring Avenue cannot be fully moved to Gordon Park because of competition with men’s softball leagues.

In his dissent, Walsh said he is not comfortable with the park district needing to make up for the “Spring Avenue deficit.” He said he believes other residents should be allowed to enjoy the park as well.

La Grange residents showed up to show their support for the temporary measure, including two who live near Waiola Park, Chris LaRocca and Chris Cooley, who serves on the La Grange Little League board. Both Cooley and LaRocca said they were pleased the park was being used by the league, as well as by other residents. Both acknowledged there was some concern over parking along neighborhood roads though.

“The point of the park is to be used … it’s nice to have activity in the park,” LaRocca said.

However one resident, Kathryn Knops, said she did not like the Little League’s use of the park. Knops said the field was used almost daily by the league teams, which increased traffic and caused congestive parking in the neighborhoods. Knops said she was also concerned that the park was not being enjoyed by neighborhood families due to overuse by organized sports.

“The park is a beautiful park. It’s a neighborhood park. It’s not meant for organized sports. It discourages people from using it. People aren’t coming from blocks away to use the park,” Knops told the board.

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