Valhalla neighborhood pushes back against proposal to add lights at little league field

Little League baseball in Valhalla is pitting neighbors against each other because its players and organizers want to play under the lights.

News 12 Staff

Jan 14, 2020, 10:44 PM

Updated 1,571 days ago

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Little League baseball in Valhalla is pitting neighbors against each other because its players and organizers want to play under the lights.
Since 1963, generations of kids who were part of the Kensico Little League grew up playing their games on Pat Henry Field in Valhalla.
The field is directly across the street from Marianne Goodman's home. She says the field was her son's second home.
The storied field is now the subject of controversy that is pitting Goodman against most of her neighbors. The league wants to install $150,000 LED lights on the field, and for the first time, open up the facility for night games.
Marianne's neighbor Mark Stefanov is leading the fight against the lights. He says he is not against the league, he just thinks it is not the appropriate place.
Opponents cite safety as their main concern because they say one of the only ways to and from the ball field is over railroad tracks. Many neighbors don't want to see additional traffic.
The decision whether or not to light up the field is now in the hands of the Mount Pleasant Town Board. Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi says whatever they decide will undoubtedly frustrate a large portion of his community.
"In your heart you want to make everyone happy, but in your mind, you know you can't," says Fulgenzi.
The town board's decision is expected in the coming weeks. But no matter what they say, the county, which owns the field, will have the final say.
 


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