By Sarah Moskowitz
On Sept. 9, New York State Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) presented a check for $250,000 to the Lynbrook Village Board, the Lynbrook Little League and its president, Nick Deninno. This grant comes in addition to a state grant secured by State Assemblyman Bob Barra (R-Lynbrook) for $25,000 in late June. An additional grant for $5,000 is given annually by an Albany youth activity program to pay for equipment.
"This grant money gives us a considerable head start in making our dream become a reality," said Deninno. "Lynbrook Little League greatly appreciates the support that the entire Village of Lynbrook has provided toward this project."
Barra, a native of Lynbrook, is a sports fan and an athlete. He played for Lynbrook Little League at Greis Park and remembers an undefeated season in 1972 with the Lynbrook Cubs. Barra continued to play hardball until he was 40-years-old.
"I had many good times [in Little League]," said Barra. "I saw the great things it taught me. I just wanted to give something back to the people and that league for...shaping me as a person."
Barra added that Greis Park is becoming one of the premiere parks on the South Shore of Long Island and that a new field is positive growth for Lynbrook.
"I think the children of Lynbrook should have the best facilities that we can get for them," said Barra. "If we take care of our youth, they will take care of the future."
Lynbrook Little League has raised several thousand dollars through sponsorships and donations, but has yet to hit the $5,000 mark, according to village officials. They have mailed packets requesting corporate sponsorship and are in the process of collecting donations locally through mailings.
The old field, which located in Greis Park on Horton Avenue, is being remodeled to fit guidelines to become a certified Williamsport Field, a name which is derived from the headquarters of international Little League baseball in Williamsport, Pa. Plans for the new field will scale down the size from 90 feet between bases to 60 feet, complying with official Little League dimensions.
New special lighting will be built to centralize illumination on the field, facing away from residential homes on Horton Avenue. The lights are hooded and eliminate glare and were purchased from Musco Lighting, the certified company for Little League lighting.
Sets of bleachers will be constructed to seat over 500 spectators and a batting cage, dugouts and a concession stand will also be built. An announcer's building will be erected behind the field with public announcement speakers facing the field, plus two bathroom facilities if they are approved by the Lynbrook Village Board at their next meeting on Oct. 7.
A fence will be built surrounding the area. The existing field will be unearthed, resodded and re-clayed, plus there will be an addition of an irrigation and sprinkler system. Renovations also include landscaping the area.
The village has also requested that Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola donate a scoreboard for the field and are waiting for an answer. With installation the scoreboard could amount to around $20,000. If it is not donated by either company, Lynbrook's Little League will most likely fundraise to meet the cost, according to the village officials.
The total project is estimated to cost between $350,000 and $400,000. This is a change from when Deninno first proposed the idea last November to the village board, when it was projected to cost around $200,000. The difference between grant money and actual cost will be paid for through aggressive fundraising by the teams and sponsorship throughout the community.
The Village has appointed Lynbrook architect company Wax Ferraro and engineers Carman Dunne, also from Lynbrook, for the project. Wax Ferraro's resume includes the walkthrough on Atlantic Avenue and the rebuilding of the Broadway Beanery on Merrick Road, plus other work in the village. Carman Dunne has been chosen as the village's official engineers in annual village board elections, and was picked based on their work on Village Hall, plus their sponsorship and support of Lynbrook's Little League.
The field currently accommodates Little League, baseball and softball teams. Once it will be remodeled as a Little League field, it will also serve Lynbrook High School's Lady Owls softball team since field requirements for Little League and softball have alike measurements.
"I think it's great," said Lynbrook's Director of Recreation Dick Flynn. "Not just for the Little League, but for the Village of Lynbrook. It's another great addition to our park."
The field will be named after Norman Dreyer, former Lynbrook deputy mayor and past Little League president. Dreyer began as a coach and was involved in Little League for almost 30 years. He passed away this year.
"I think it's wonderful," said Jackie Dreyer, Norman's widow. "He'd be very proud."
Currently Lynbrook has 48 Little League teams. This includes 800 players in the spring season, plus 200 in both the summer and fall seasons. This past year the Little League season was expanded in Lynbrook to include the summer and fall as well. Ages of players range from 5 to 16, but the new field will only be used up to age 12. Older players will utilize Lynbrook High School's baseball field.
The grand opening of the new field will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting and a Little League parade down Merrick Road from Village Hall to Greis Park. Completion of the field is anticipated in early April.
