Proposed MYBA field at Memorial Park sparks controversy at Parks Commission meeting

by Dana Serum 

Tensions were high during the Mondovi Parks Commission meeting on Thursday, May 14, at the City Hall. 

Mayor Treig Pronschinske was present, along with Park Commission members Todd LaDuke, Karl Zacharias, Brian Bollinger, Brandon Rud and Nancy Polzer. Among the audience were members of the Mondovi Youth Baseball Association (MYBA) and a mix of Mondovi residents. 

Polzer started off the meeting by saying her belief is that the parks and recreation areas in Mondovi certainly need attention.

“It’s nice to see so many here interested,” Polzer said. “We need input from everyone.”

The MYBA came to the meeting with a proposal to build a new baseball field for the MYBA youth ages 4-14 to use during their April-July baseball season.

Other organizations and community members would also be able to use the field when not in use by MYBA, reps said.

The proposal showed the field being built in Memorial Park in part of the arboretum area. 

MYBA treasurer Tim Schlosser spoke on behalf of the group, noting that a new field is needed due to the number of youths involved in the program, which is currently at 180 and growing. Students from both Gilmanton and Mondovi are in the MYBA.

Schlosser said the MYBA has been searching for an area to build a proper field for the last five years. The MYBA prefers the Memorial Park area due to the safety of children that walk from the school and in town. The kids only have to cross one street, plus the proposed field would be right next to the current Linse Field in Memorial Park.

Schlosser said an extra field in this area would provide income and revenue for the city.

“These kids are getting to use what is left over,” Schlosser said, noting that his 12U team, Schlosser Sugar Farms, could only get four home games scheduled out of 14, and that he is only one of the 14 youth team coaches in the MYBA. The Mondovi Softball Association currently has control over the use of Linse Field. 

In the proposal option number one, the home plate was faced further from houses on West Mill Street, and it seemed to be more of the preferred choice by some of the residents. The MYBA had another option where the bases were flipped with the home plate nearest to the pavilion area. 

Some community members asked if using the school baseball and softball fields was an option, but it was described by the MYBA as a problem because there is no water at the location for concessions. Additionally, the school and girls youth softball has the priority for use of these fields first. 

Schlosser said that if the proposed field was able to come to Memorial Park, the MYBA would also be willing to help maintain the buildings near Linse Field, adding the group is determined to fund-raise extensively for the community and the youth in the program.  

The total cost is not yet known, but many people and organizations were mentioned for their willingness to donate to the project. Schlosser also stressed that the MYBA is not asking the City of Mondovi to fund this project. 

A number of community members were concerned about losing the green space in the arboretum, and the possibility of the removal of 15-20 trees. It was noted that several of the trees were donated and planted by Tom Loomis in the 1960s.

Ardyth Brenner, who lives on W. Mill Street, said she would hate to see the trees removed from the area. 

“I can’t even see taking one,” Brenner said.

Schlosser said, as a maple syrup producer, sometimes the best trees need to be taken down due to their size because it can create problems for the growth of smaller trees. 

“There are at least a couple trees that are going to die,” Schlosser said of the current state of some trees in the arboretum area.  “For every tree we remove, we will plant two more in its place.” 

They also discussed placing a plaque or memorial for those who donated and planted trees in that area. 

The MYBA has also expressed interest in taking over the lawn maintenance, renovating the bathrooms near Linse Field, and adding another bathroom in a new concession stand area. They also discussed helping fix up the playground area. 

“We would love to help maintain the buildings,” Schlosser said. “We want to make sure we have a future here before committing to those projects.” 

Schlosser also discussed installing a black top walking trail that would provide handicap accessibility for all seasons and weather. Some residents felt the area is already handicap accessible the way it is.

Community concerns regarding loss of green space and field lights were also addressed.

Schlosser estimated the field would consume about 30 percent of the arboretum’s current space. He also said there were no plans to install lights on the field, noting the age of the players dictates games take place during the day and early evening.

Concerned attendee Al Norby noted the excess of baseball fields in that area may cause people to avoid using the arboretum, and also expressed concern of who would take over this maintenance in the future. 

Residents of the area also voiced concerns over increased traffic to the area and potential parking issues.

Airing her concerns to the Parks Commission, Brenner said she didn’t want to see the arboretum taken over by a baseball field. She noted she sees the park being used daily by a variety of different people, clubs, parties, animals and for other activities like volleyball, bike riding or kite flying.  

Brenner also mentioned the area being that of a green space, “providing solace in our hurried life.”

“It’s meant to be an arboretum, please don’t forget the true purpose of this,” Brenner said. “For those families that work hard in town, they need a place for their kids to play.”

Her speech ended with a plea to use land on the Olson property near the Mondovi Tourist Park, among several other suggestions of different areas, such as open space near the Mondovi Industrial Park. She also suggested using fields at neighboring schools, such as Naples, Modena or Gilmanton. 

Norby also wondered what the field would do to neighboring property values. 

“We ask that you weigh in, talk to the neighbors; consider if you lived there yourselves,” Norby said. 

Karl Zacharias stood up to remind those in attendance that this was a proposal by the MYBA, to speak of constructive likes and dislikes rather than ask “what if” questions. 

Brenner mentioned the importance of wanting to be heard as residents, and wanting input in the proposal. 

Doug Fisk, member of the Mondovi Area Historical Society, spoke on his feeling of how residents cannot predict the future, only the present. 

“Haste makes waste,” Fisk said. “A better made plan takes a little longer than a hurried up plan. We need to move on and plan the best we can now.” 

The Parks Commission planned to meet again on the subject, but a date had not yet been decided on at press time. 

The Mondovi Youth Baseball Association has been a group since the 1980s and operates as a non-profit, becoming incorporated in 2012. In their bylaws, it requires there be eight board members at all times.

Following the May 14 meeting, Board member Angela Schlosser stated that the MYBA is open to any and all ideas from community members regarding the field proposal. 

“We definitely realize the importance of a memorial and what is means to people,” she said. “Other community members have already contacted us this last week and have given suggestions on how to reposition some things to possibly make the plan work better.”