Members of the Garden City South Little League held a rally last Friday to protest a move by the Village of Garden City to kick them off the Cherry Valley fields in Garden City, which have been used by the little league for many years.

The Cherry Valley fields, owned by the Village of Garden City, will be leased out to the Town of Hempstead for the 2008 Little League season. The town then issues a permit to the Garden City South Little League. However, according to information provided by the Garden City South Little League, the Village of Garden City will begin joint use of the Cherry Valley fields in 2009 with the village no longer leasing the fields by 2010.

"The growing number of young people in Garden City's athletic program necessitates that the village find additional space for them to play. One obvious space to consider has been the Cherry Valley fields now under the lease of the Town of Hempstead on behalf of the Garden City South Little League," said Garden City Mayor Peter Bee in a statement emailed to the Three Village Times.

However, members of the Garden City South Little League insist that it is crucial that the League continues to use the fields, which they have used since 1958.

One of the members of the Garden City South Little League board who is leading the fight to stay on the Cherry Valley fields, Mike O'Connell, believes that the fields need to continue to be leased through the Town of Hempstead for use by the Little League in order for the League to continue to exist. Without the fields, "the League is done. That's the stance we're taking and it's not an exaggeration," he said.

The Garden City South Little League is comprised of the youth of Garden City South, those living in Franklin Square north of Hempstead Turnpike and some of those living in West Hempstead north and south of Hempstead Turnpike. In addition to using the Cherry Valley fields, which are considered the League's home field, the League also uses fields at the John Street School and Washington Street School in the Franklin Square School District and Carey High School in the Sewanhaka Central High School District.

Despite Bee's claim that the Garden City's athletic program necessitates the village find additional place for the youth of Garden City to play, O'Connell questions whether the fields are really needed by Garden City.

O'Connell points out that last year, after the lease between the Village of Garden City and the town expired on August 31, the village didn't grant the town an extension so that the Garden City South Little League could use the fields for a fall softball tournament. O'Connell said that during that nine week fall season, Garden City scheduled only two games at Cherry Valley. "There is a dire need on our part [to use the fields]. There is no dire need [for the Village of Garden City] for those fields. They are yet to express a dire need," said O'Connell.

Assemblyman Tom Alfano said he proposed working on a petition with the students of the Washington Street School that calls for the Garden City South Little League to have its permanent home at Cherry Valley. "We have to make sure these kids have a permanent field to play on, period. It's a real shame that kids have to worry about not having a baseball field to play on. Quite frankly, it's a disgrace and it has to be fixed now," Alfano said.

A Town of Hempstead spokesperson said the town has a lease with the Village of Garden City that expires on August 31, 2008 and would try to negotiate with the village for 2009.

Mayor Bee said, in his statement, the Village of Garden City would consider a lease for the 2009 season if the Little League had explored all possible alternatives, but "beginning not later than 2010, the village would regain primary use of the fields."

According to Franklin Square Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tom Dolan, who sponsors a team in the Garden City South Little League, the school district would try to provide accommodations for the League if the League should lose the Cherry Valley fields. "I'm hopeful that the Garden City South Little League gets what it is that they want, but if they don't the Franklin Square School District is prepared to try to help," Dr. Dolan said.