Baseball organization gets help after public learns of vandalism
Monday, January 28, 2008 10:22 AM PST
By Leslie Slape
lslape@tdn.com
Printable version
E-mail this articleAfter suffering through six months of vandalism and theft, the Cowlitz Youth Baseball organization is heaving a collective sigh of relief.
Nobody has attacked the small baseball club since The Daily News and Portland television news ran several stories about the crimes that caused an estimated $5,500 total loss.
“It was hitting us nonstop,” said Michelle Hollis, treasurer.
Thieves stole shovels, rakes, weed trimmers, leaf blowers and other equipment the league uses to maintain the fields at Riverside Park in Lexington. Vandals slashed the batting cage and the tarp that covers it.
In October, vandals painted vulgar graffiti all over the clubhouse. In December, someone destroyed a storage container in an attempt to steal the league’s $17,000 Kubota tractor.
But since December, people — even strangers — and organizations have stepped up to help.
“A guy in Portland saw our story on the news and had a net for a batting cage, so he’s donating it,” Hollis said earlier this week. “It’s surprising that some guy from down there will help a local league.”
Western Fabrication, a Kelso business, donated time and materials to repair the container for the Kubota. The league has also received donations of light poles that will increase security at night. And one of the girls arrested in connection with October’s vandalism has cleaned up most of the graffiti, Hollis said.
“I think there was a parent behind that making sure she did what needed to be done,” she said.
“It was very nice of some people to step forward and donate,” Hollis said. “We’re a small league; we don’t have the resources some other leagues have.”
Cowlitz Youth Baseball fields around 17 teams a year, with a little more than 200 kids ages 4 to 12 participating. Most of the players come from the areas served by Beacon Hill and Catlin elementary schools, she said.
Repair costs have cut into league savings to build an indoor batting cage, Hollis said. “It’s almost a necessity to have one, but they’re extremely expensive to build.”
League volunteers are still working to spruce up the fields in time for tryouts. The do-list includes a new tarp for the top of the batting cage, installing light poles, replacing the stolen tools and “painting over a few foul words,” Hollis said.
“We’ve got to get everything ready and look like nothing’s happened,” she said. Sign-ups for spring baseball start next month.
Past Month's Most Commented Stories