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Little League field construction to begin Monday in Tupper Lake

TUPPER LAKE — On Monday the ground will be broken on the village’s new little league field in the Municipal Park, starting phase one of the project which has fundraised around half its needed budget.

The site on the shore of Raquette Pond will be stripped, leveled and filled with sod by the end of July, and the field is expected to be playable by next year’s season. The field was approved because the league had to compete for field time on the park’s softball field with adult teams.

With 110 kids on the six different teams in the league, the fields get lots of use.

The field location was not the Little League association’s first choice, but made for a compromise between it and the village board. Originally pitched on the large green space at the south end of the park, which is used throughout the year for many events such as Woodsmen’s Days, the Masonic flea market and the Tinman triathlon, the village was concerned that the other events would not be able to use that space or that use would damage the grass.

“We wanted something that’s in the center of town,” association board member and school athletics director Dan Brown said. “The park has always been a place of pride in our community so having that field right there in the middle of town just builds that excitement.”

The association fought to keep the field somewhere in the park, saying they can not use the high school fields because they are set at Major League Baseball specifications, with bases at 90-foot distances, whereas Little League has 60-foot base paths.

The village will be donating two dump trucks to the project for three days, as Kentile Excavating removes land and the skate park. The municipality is also donating sand for the leveling process.

Brown said they did not want to tear down the skate park just to build a baseball field, taking away one sport to add another. So an “anonymous donor” is helping to fund the moving of the skate park 50 yards, where it will be located between the basketball courts and the bathrooms.

After the ground is prepared with sod a fence will be built, marking out the field edges, Diamond Pro clay dirt will be laid for the infield, the pitcher’s mound will be constructed and bases will be installed.

“Ultimately, we’re all excited about watching, every Saturday next summer and every summer after, kids playing baseball in our community on the best field in the North Country,” Brown said.

Brown said the project, which promised to be of no cost to taxpayers, is around half way to its new goal of $90,000, from donations and Rotary club fundraisers alone.

“Every week the community has been great, sending in money, donations every time we have a raffle,” Brown said.

In July the association will hold another Little League Day with a BBQ dinner and a tournament with teams from Ottawa, Malone and Saranac Lake.

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