Coaches address park advisory board
“We’re trying to get everyone involved,”
By MIKE RICHESON, Bigfork Eagle
The new Bigfork Parks Advisory Board got to work last Tuesday, Jan. 6, and heard from area soccer and baseball coaches about field improvements and the issue over building a library at the Potoczny Field location.
Board chairman Mike Pedersen began the meeting by spelling out the purpose of the advisory board. The group will act as a liaison between the Bigfork area and the county Park Board.
“We’re trying to get everyone involved,” Pedersen said. “We’re supposed to represent all of the community, not just certain segments.”
Bigfork High School boys soccer coach Keith Koslosky presented his opinions about the Carlyle-Johnson soccer fields to the board. The varsity field has two very low spots that collect water and turn into mud bogs during the season. He said that running the fields East to West would be better than North to South, but the large low spots make this impossible.
Koslosky suggested raising the areas behind the south goal to create a bigger playing surface. He also recommended that the county develop an official maintenance schedule for Carlyle-Johnson.
James Lafontaine, president of Bigfork baseball echoed the statement that maintenance at Carlyle-Johnson is a problem. Players rake and drag the fields every year to try and create a suitable playing surface.
About 200 youth make up the Bigfork league, which includes six tee-ball teams, five minor league teams and two major league teams. Because Bigfork lacks an adequate complex, hosting baseball tournaments isn’t possible.
“You wouldn’t dare to put together a tournament here,” Paul Sandry, who has been with the youth league for about 10 years, said. “You’d be embarrassed.”
Sandry also said that the infield surfaces at Carlyle-Johnson are so poor that kids are occasionally getting hurt from ground balls that bounce wildly. Sandry called on the board to say no to building a library at Potoczny Field because it wouldn’t be fair to the kids since no nearby replacement is likely.
“A win-win just isn’t going to happen,” he said.