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Baseball fields to be refurbished before start of season

STEUBENVILLE — By the time baseball season rolls around, Steubenville Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf figures the two fields being refurbished this year at Belleview Park will be ready for play.

Fetherolf told board members Wednesday fields three and four will be done “first thing in the spring, before everyone starts playing.” Last year, the department spent about $30,000 fixing the North End and Murphy fields.

“They come in and take all the dirt off, the top layer of dirt, and put a field mix on it, then level the field and crown it so water doesn’t (pool) up,” Fetherolf said, explaining that last year members of an adult softball league had wanted to be able to play so they dug a trench about 6 or 7 feet long to drain standing water from the field.

Adding the field mix and crowning the field “will make those fields better,” she said.

Likewise, Fetherolf is hoping the newly installed lights next to the Belleview playground will deter vandals. In the past, she said they’ve had problems with vandals “kicking out the slats in the fence” every year.

“There have been probably close to 100 slats kicked out,” she said. “It’s going to cost us about $2,000 to fix them.”

AEP installed the lights for free, she noted. It will add about $50 a month to the electric bill, she said.

“But with the lights, the (city’s surveillance) cameras will be able to see better.”

Fetherolf also said the contractor doesn’t foresee any problems repositioning the lower fields “so the (field) lights are in the proper location” for game use.

Fetherolf told board members she’s requested council budget for an additional full-time worker for the department, rather than funding for the nine seasonal workers she’s been allotted in the past. If council approves, she said she intends to have an employee working weekends to assist leagues on game days in addition to other duties.

She also told the board the recreation department “needs to be making some money” on its own. In January, for instance, Fetherolf said it is starting a “Little Dribblers” basketball league for children ages 4 through kindergarten. The $20 per child fee, which includes a team shirt and end-of-season award, is “way cheaper” than older leagues, she said.

“It’s just something we can do to get kids involved,” she said, pointing out registrations will be accepted at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center through Dec. 10.

Fetherolf said 52 children took part in the board’s Halloween party, while 54 have already signed up for Breakfast with Santa, set for 9 a.m. Dec. 8 at Froehlich’s Classic Corner. There’s room for 75 children, she said.

Given recent attacks on churches and other gathering spots, board members were asked to consider developing an emergency protocol to follow in the event of problems at any recreation facility.

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