Girls' softball league could see tournament-ready fields
If voters at Spring Town Meeting approve the Wareham Girls Softball Association’s request for fencing funds, the town could play host to several softball tournaments this summer.
The league administration, headed by new President Charlie Young, has applied for Community Preservation Committee funds to the tune of $25,000 to fence three existing softball fields on Charlotte Furnace Road.
Though the Community Preservation Committee has already approved the funds for the fencing, it will be up to voters on April 25 to decide whether or not to give the league the money.
League fundraising Chair Kim Cormier said the fencing will allow the town to host softball tournaments and events – a move that would also bring in some extra cash for the town, as visitors from out of town would bring in tourism money
But the fence is just one part of the equation. Young said the fields “were in rough shape,” before he and the rest of the administration started working on them, on their own time and mostly their own dime.
“We went in there and fixed the entire irrigation system,” Young said. “For us, that’s grass. We had been playing in burnt lawn, and weeds, and dirt.”
Among the maintenance work the administration did itself was aerating and slice-seeding the field to quickly resuscitate the grass; taking away some of the trees behind the parking lots; and cleaning up the trash in the area. But that isn’t all.
“We are in the process of putting some stones and a swing gate for the parking lot, so nobody can go in and vandalize the area,” Young said.
In order to continue to maintain the fields, the league is putting together a Warehamopoly board. The board gives businesses “the opportunity to purchase an ad that will be placed on the board,” with their logo and phone number.
“It’s a one-time fee [for an ad], and fees are going to range between $25 and $300 a spot, depending on the spot on the board,” Cormier said. “It’s lifelong advertising.”
Cormier said the club aims to create 350 boards to sell, and plans to sell the boards for $30 each, “which is what a lot of specialty [game] boards go for.” She said she hopes it will raise around $15,000.
All proceeds will go to the club.