Walnutport revisits decision to move one of its ball field fences in

Walnutport has expressed some reservations several weeks after it agreed to move one of its ball field fences in.

Councilwoman Iris Blum, who serves on the Walnutport Playground Association, noted at Thursday’s borough council workshop that the organization met and said moving the fence in could cost about $6,000.

Several council members voiced concerns after council, on a 5-2 vote last month, agreed to the measure to accommodate its burgeoning recreation program.

Three weeks after the fact, council President William Turk said council may want to revisit the matter.

“I think we ought to take another look at that,” Turk said.

Councilwoman Patrice Hunsicker noted that council previously made a motion to that effect.

Turk said that was then, and added he believes council voted on the matter “without really looking toward the future.”

It was then he asked whatever became of the boys teams, with some council members stating that they’ve opted to play at other fields.

Councilmen Michael Gaston and David Stankovic expressed concerns that players could run into the poles and injure themselves.

“There is the pole,” Stankovic said. “Some poor kid’s going to run into it.”

Turk added that the way things would stand, the boys’ team can never play here, which is something council has to consider.

Last month, council heard from Brian Filchner, president of the Walnutport Playground Association.

Filchner said at that time the group had its largest sign-ups ever, which saw 110 girls sign up. This will constitute nine teams.

In total, he said there were 125 youth signed up. Of those, 110 are girls and 15 boys.

Filchner said at the time he wasn’t sure why the boys’ teams were down, adding that their numbers “have dropped drastically.”

On behalf of the playground association, he then asked council if it would be possible to move the fence in on field No. 1 from 275 feet to 200 feet.

Filchner said the field that is opposite of that field is too small to accommodate older players, and doing so would allow them to put the older teams there.

He said at present, they have two ball fields that are regulation size, and one field that is for T-ball.

By making the change, Filchner said they would have three fields where they can put any teams on at any time.

In addition, he said it would also create more open space for the playground.

Council then, with Councilmen Harold Greene and Gaston opposed, agreed to move the fence and scoreboard between fields 1 to 3 in to 200 feet.

Contacted this morning, Filchner said the cost would be around $6,500, and would entail moving the fence in, moving the foul poles in, and all the labor involved with that.

However, he said the cost would be taken care of by the playground association, and noted it wouldn’t cost the borough or the taxpayers any money.