Many people are talking about the beautiful baseball facility at Lunt Field in Greenfield. I want to share with you the details of this project. I have been on the board of directors of Greenfield Minor League Baseball for the past 12 years and served as its president for four years. Additionally, I have coached Little League baseball for more than 20 years.
About four years ago, we were told that a rehab facility for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction was going to move into the former Lunt Silversmiths building on Federal Street next to the field. Some in the community are not happy with the fact that they are putting this next to a baseball field that has been around for 60 years.
As a solution and with a promise from the facility that we were going to get money from the project, we decided that we could install a fence or border so that fans wouldn’t see the facility while watching their kids play baseball.
With this in mind, Mayor William Martin met with a few people from our 12-member board of directors and discussed the possibility of building a mini Fenway Park at Lunt Field. After working out the costs and considering how much labor it would require, we realized it would be difficult — pulling together a $140,000 project in the town of Greenfield is a heavy task to take on.
Our Field Committee again met with the mayor and a local construction company to consider plans and get the project moving forward. We estimated that 60 percent of the project would be funded by contributions from the town and the rehab facility.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get close to that amount, which put our board of directors in a difficult spot — we had to somehow find $140,000 dollars through donations.
In good faith, Greenfield Cooperative Bank has given us a loan and many community business owners purchased advertising space on our Green Monster wall. Their good faith made this project a reality, allowing construction to move forward and be completed. These days, if you drive by Lunt Field on either Kenwood or Norwood streets, you will see a beautiful baseball facility, including the mini Green Monster, where our 189 little leaguers can play baseball. In addition to the new fencing, we also have a field house and a batting cage. Elsewhere, Greenfield’s Recreation Department installed new bleachers, water fountains and fully-accessible parking pads.
The board of directors worked very hard to make sure that these kids have the best playing facility in Franklin County. With that, I want to let business owners know they can help the league by purchasing an advertisement on Greenfield’s Green Monster wall. For those interested in helping out, call me at 413-834-4222. This community has hundreds of volunteers who make a difference every day. We live in a wonderful place to raise a family.
To the board of directors, the parents, the kids, the many volunteer coaches, the businesses who have contributed and the community at large, thank you for supporting Greenfield Minor League Baseball. (A special thank you to the Greenfield Recreation Department.)
On a much more somber note, last week, Franklin County mourned the loss of 48-year-old Scott DeLeo. He was driving home from his job at Snow & Sons Landscaping when he had a heart attack, crashed and lost his life. His wife, Tara, and his daughters lost a man in their lives whom they cherished and loved very much. A GoFundMe has been set up for Scott’s family. This tragic death took everyone by surprise. You can donate by visiting bit.ly/2Yp9dF1.
I had the honor of knowing Scott for many years. We played a lot of softball together in the 1990s and early 2000s. He loved the game and was very popular among his teammates and opponents. We had many laughs and good times on the field while playing in Greenfield’s softball league. To all of Scott’s family members especially his parents, siblings, wife and children, I send my sincere condolences during this very difficult time.
As a local personality for radio stations WHAI 98.3, Bear Country 95.3, WHMP 99.3 and Bobby C’s DJ Service for the past 36 years, Bobby C. Campbell has been connected to the community for a very long time. If you have an idea for a future column, e-mail bobbyleslie25@gmail.com.