Photo: An Ozone Howard Little League girls softball team practices on Tuesday afternoon on one of the repaired ball fields at Frank Charles Park. Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza.
The unmistakable scent of freshly snipped grass. Feathered friends finding their way back to tree branches whose leaves also signal a gradual return to life. The crack of the bat on diamonds from Ozone Park to Oakland Gardens.
And thanks to the hard work of community members, elected officials and government agencies this year, the repaired ball fields at Frank Charles Park in Howard Beach were added to those signs of spring, just in time for baseball season.
Responding to a constituent’s concerns, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder’s (D-Howard Beach) office put in a request to the National Park Service’s Gateway National Recreation Area, which owns and operates Charles Park, to make much-needed repairs to the often trash-strewn, pock-marked, uneven green spaces. Goldfeder also urged NPS to make onsite maintenance materials, such as shovels and rakes, and additional supplies of infield clay available to players to allow for minor game-day adjustments.
NPS responded, Goldfeder said, by dispatching maintenance crews to the fields late last week to level the infields, fill in dangerous ridges that had formed between the diamonds and the outfields, and repair the outfields. The federal agency also agreed to give players access to on-site material and pledged increased cooperation with the league.
“These improvements will help prevent injuries and make games more enjoyable for players, families and the entire community,” Goldfeder said. “I’d like to thank the National Park Service for their quick response and partnership with the neighborhood.”
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
