On Friday, August 22, West Side Little League had the distinct honor and pleasure of participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Frederick Douglass Field on 101st Street and Amsterdam.
Three players on our tournament team, Texas Hoover, Patrick Jaraique and Gabe Paley joined Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner Bill Castro and City Council Member Phil Reed for the event.
This was the first of many undertakings by NYC Parks, local officials and community members in creating and renovating playing fields in NYC. This field is an $875,000 conversion of a formerly asphalt ballfield into a brand new, artificial turf, multi-purpose field. The project was funded by Council Member Reed and is scheduled to be completed in January 2004.
Visit our photo album to check out photos of the event, as well as photos of our new permanent fence on Field #5 on 104th Street in Riverside Park. As you know, this fence is phase 1 of our long promised "dedicated youth baseball field" at 103rd/104th street in Riverside Park.
West Side would like to thank Council Member Phil Reed and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe for their dedication and support of our League and young ballplayers throughout NYC. Mr. Reed has secured over $6.6 million for park and playground renovations and Commissioner Benepe has been a strong supporter of WSLL and has been instrumental in our success so far as we continue to work with the Parks Dept. and local officials to make our 103rd field a reality.