Sport Groups Say They'll Spend Parents Money as They See Fit; Will 'Compromise' on Light Times

The board of education and village council still had scores of questions it needed answers to before the joint village governments sign off on a throughout the densely-packed village.

In response, the fields committee made some substantive changes to late light times but members shot back criticism of  parents concerned over the funding of the divisive lights – one said those complaining shouldn't have children playing the sport if they're unhappy about the controversial light donation.

At the Ridgewood Board of Education's Monday meeting, school board Vice President Bob Hutton told the Fields Committee–which drafted the revised policy–he found the previous proposal too damaging to the high school neighborhood. Board President Michele Lenhard also wasn't satisfied at the conclusion of the last board meeting, pushing the vote back a week and asking the committee to answer questions she and the community had.

Neighbors have unleashed being placed at Stevens Field and RHS Stadium, even alluding to threats of lawsuits. Things got precipitously worse for neighbors after the Fields Committee proposed moving the 9 p.m. end times to as late as 10 p.m., an hour neighbors complained would adversely affect the quality of their lives and expressed concern for stunted development of youth with less sleep.

The revised draft adds new conduct provisions, requests that parking directions be provided in greater detail, changes priority use and most importantly, revises the scheduling of games. The proposal changes Friday and Saturday end times to as late as 10 p.m. (from 9 p.m.) and adds six weeks in June and July where games can run to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday on five of the six days (Sunday ends hours earlier).

Fields Committee member Tim Cronin, the village's Director of Parks and Recreation, reported on Wednesday to the Fields Committee–which meets at 7 a.m., thus effectively shutting the public out–that the board of education meeting on Monday "went very well," though much was undecided and Hutton's concerns took center stage.

Committee concessions

The new hammered out policy change made on Wednesday is one Fields Committee members said was a "fair compromise" between its original goal of 10 p.m. times and what they say is a need to accommodate a glut of participants and a lack of fields to host games.

Ed Seavers, the head scheduler of the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association (RBSA), proposed that the committee meet Hutton halfway–instead of having the possibility of back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday be permitted indiscriminately, Seavers said they could be limited to no more than half the weekends on a seasonal basis.

Some still expressed concern with that concession. Said RHS Athletic Director Nicholas Scerbo, "Restructuring it to one weekend night [would be] severely limiting the ability to schedule." He said it's doubly difficult because the high school conference makes the schedule, not the district.

There is also a caveat to this revised proposal. Sports groups agreed to this revised schedule for one year, not in perpetuity and members regularly sprinkled in comments that residents exaggerate the supposed detrimental impact it will have.

"Perception is reality for a lot of people," school board liaison Laurie Goodman said Wednesday.

Sports groups: We decide how to spend parents' money, not parents

Scerbo also addressed the information that surfaced in which the RBSA pledged to pull funding for the light projects if it didn't get the end times it wanted. Paul Sheridan of The Ridgewood Lacrosse Association (RLA) refused to comment on whether the RLA would similarly do so when previously approached by Patch.

Scerbo, speaking for himself and not the Fields Committee, said it was a matter for individual sport groups–the Fields Committee was not involved in any arrangements the school board had with the groups and it would not be dealt with by the Committee.

Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh pushed forward, asking sports group members if the parents whose fees were collected by the organizations knew their dollars were going toward verbal agreements to purchase lights and make improvements to village or board of education properties.

Many, she said, have told the council they weren't happy their dollars were going to fund lights when they should just be going to programs. She received a cold response as members shouted over one another.

Sheridan eventually said in response to such neighbors, "If you don't want to play baseball, you don't have to pay that money. If you want to make a political statement that says 'no lights,' don't play baseball. That would be fine because our numbers would come down and we'd need less fields."

Walsh shot back that she didn't think that's the best thing to say to residents.

Ultimately though, "it's a function of their executive board," Cronin said and not something the advisory fields committee should be involved in.

Mayor Keith Killion said he's of the mind that it's up to the organization to decide what to do with the donated money, although he said the council hears numerous complaints from upset residents on the issue.

Ridgewood Soccer Association's Bob Davies said money will be spent based on what's best for the individual organization.

"If you want your kid to play soccer, you pay us a fee. We're a bunch of volunteers, this is a non-profit organization. We think these lights are going to help us run soccer, football thinks it will help football. So we pay the money to help pay for the facility. It's not a question they can ask."

He continued, "If they don't want the money to be used for lights, they can come to the RSA people and say, 'We really don't want it and here's why,' and we'll listen to them. But we're going to make the decision we think is right so our kids can play soccer."

"Or they can throw us off the board," Seavers shouted.

Revised schedule proposal

In terms of scheduling, this fall, Scerbo said, that would translate to no more than four football nights to 10 p.m. Soccer would not run to those periods, Scerbo added though Seavers said it's possible if the high school doesn't have another game at that hour.

The spring, members said at Wednesday's meeting, isn't a great concern in terms of hours because lacrosse would not eclipse the 10 p.m. time though baseball is a bit murkier. Games will be allowed as late as 10 p.m. on Stevens Field, Monday through Saturday, though only permitted five of the six nights.

Seavers downplayed the concerns over summer times, which Hutton had particular trouble with regarding a possible increase in use.

"The reality is we don't use it [Stevens] on graduation night, we don't use it on July 4th, or for that matter, July 4th weekend. The reality is nobody's playing that weekend."

"I would not expect Stadium to go to 10 o'clock any night in that June to July period." Seavers added, "None, I would see no reason" aside from a special event, like a charity game.

What's next

The Ridgewood Board of Education will vote on the document at Monday night's board of education meeting. A presentation will then be scheduled for the village council, possibly as early as this Wednesday for the public meeting.

Both village bodies must agree to the policy for it to take effect. There's no time to waste, either. Spring sports started Friday.