PORT HUENEME : Little League Wins 1 Last Season on Field

Little League teams may hold games in a neighborhood park for one more season, the Port Hueneme City Council decided, but three palm trees located 100 feet from home plate will have to be moved.

Wednesday’s council decision came after a two-year battle between Port Hueneme Little League advocates and city officials. City staff members, a consultant and a recreation committee wanted the younger T-ball teams to move from Bubbling Springs Park to Moranda Park.

Never intended as a permanent home for the younger players, the field causes parking problems for neighbors, Brady Cherry, the city’s parks and recreation director, said. The consultant advised the city that the field with the palm trees would be better suited for picnickers.

Little League leaders, however, didn’t want to split operations between two parks. Playing at Moranda Park would create safety hazards for children crossing major roads and cut revenues at the league-run snack bar at Bubbling Springs, they said. About 50% of the league’s $55,000 budget comes from snack bar proceeds, league officials said.

The decision will allow about 100 to 120 6- and 7-year-olds to play in the league’s T-ball division from March to June. League officials had decided to cut participation rather than move some of the teams to another park, league president Joe Lopez said.

The league will pay to remove three 60-foot palm trees, which are considered safety hazards. During games, parents are posted to keep youngsters from running into the trees as they chase balls. The trees were planted 20 years ago, Cherry said.