Nanuet Little League Fields Rally From Sandy

Nanuet Little League players returned to the fields at the Lake Nanuet Complex Saturday for Opening Day to find them in pristine condition.  That was not the case after Hurricane Sandy passed through the region, washing away some infields, destroying fences and damaging dugouts. 

“We did a lot of renovations,” said League Board of Directors Member Dan Mazzaro.

“We have all new fields. It looks absolutely gorgeous.”

Community support led to major improvements.

“We had a very big sponsorship and donation effort,” said League President Frank Frieri. “We raised double the amount of donations we raised in prior years.”

“The local community has been phenomenal,” said Mazzaro, a board member for three years. “We raised $32,000.” 

Mazzaro detailed the damage to the Tee-ball, Wilhelm and Frohling fields from the storm. All the infields were completely washed away, fencing was knocked down and damaged and some dugouts were completely moved off their foundations.

“Frohling had our most damage, Superstorm Sandy really flooded that field out,” he said. “The Tee-ball field was washed away with the storm. We had to get new clay to put on that field.” 

Since that devastation, more than $10,000 of field repair work has been completed with $7,000 of new fencing installed, plus laser grading of Wilhelm and Frohling fields and new clay infields.  Additionally a trench running behind Frohling was cleared out so water flowing down from Heroes Field drains directly into the Nauraushaun Brook instead of flooding the field. Heroes Field, which is used for softball, suffered the least damage and only needed clay in the infield although the pathway up to the field needed gravel replaced. 

Mazzaro said the community stepped up to help in a major way.

“We were very aggressive with our sponsorships this year,” he said.

Local businesses were contacted about placing banners on the field fences at a cost of $500 to $1,000. Between 25 and 30 businesses participated. The league also gained field sponsors. Palisades Urgent Care donated $3,500 toward the work on Wilhelm and was named the field’s sponsor. Schultz Ford Lincoln contributed for its sponsorship of Frohling Field. Each company’s name is prominently listed on the scoreboards of their sponsored field.

The donations did not stop there. Pitch in for Baseball donated equipment to the league. Nicolucci Painting repainted the dugouts and storage shed. Ultra Heating & Air Conditioning installed a new hot water heater, boiler and piping in the concession stand. Palisades Home Improvement donated the labor to install the new windows in the concession stand and announcement booth. 

The concession stand got a complete overhaul. The Little League gutted it and installed new windows and appliances.

“Our concession looks stand looks completely gorgeous,” Mazzaro said.

Frieri said the league received some FEMA funds from Clarkstown to help with the damage repairs. He is pleased with the condition of the fields 

“They look good and I think it’s going to be a good season for the kids to play on,” he said. “They’re definitely safe and playable."