by Bea Peterson
Two hundred and fifty-one boys and girls and their families gathered in Wood Park Saturday morning, April 28, for the start of the Town of Hoosick Youth Baseball/Softball season. The youngsters, ages four to twelve, were decked out in their new uniforms. Many wore warm jackets as the weather was cooler than it had been in March. [private]With a Hoosick Falls fire truck at the start and another at the end and accompanied by Hoosick Falls Police Officer Harold McClellan on a bicycle, the annual walk left the Park for the ball fields on Waterworks Road. The song “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” could be heard emitting from the fire trucks.
At the ball field Board of Directors President Tony Thayne welcomed everyone to the opening ceremonies and congratulated the community for its big win in coming together to make the fields playable after they were flooded last year. “It was by far our best sponsorship year, despite the down economy,” he said. Guest speakers were Rensselaer County Legislator Stan Brownell and Hoosick Town Supervisor Keith Cipperly.
Thayne expressed a special thank you to Kathi Carknard and the Carknard Fund for its financial support to families unable to pay registration fees and to Al Bornt and the North Hoosick Fire Department for its donation from one of its Kids Dances. He also thanked Hoosick Falls Water Plant Operator Jim Hurlburt, Hoosick Falls Public Works Superintendent Niel Stowell and his crew for their endless hours of work getting the fields in shape. He further extended appreciation to Gulley Gravel, Landview Farms and Fane Corporation for materials for rebuilding field two and Jerry McAuliffe and Louis Schmigel for making field two playable. He expressed thanks to Traci Friel and the 85 HFCS sixth grade students for an awesome field work day and to the Falls Diner for collections and for providing a meeting place for the Board of Directors.
Graduating players led the League Pledge and raised the flag as Krissy Fauler sang the National Anthem. Rev. Mike Benoit said the opening prayer.
In his opening day message, President Thayne told the crowd that last year the Board of Directors vowed to run the League like a business. He proudly reported that the League is the most stable it has ever been and they are looking to make even more improvements.
Thayne challenged the parents and the players “to find out the truth about situations.” He said, “Speculation and rumors are unproductive and that as adults we should lead by example and teach them [the players] to be part of the solution and not add to the problems that don’t move us forward in life.”
Theresa Sukuskas and Frank Mulvihill threw out ceremonial first pitches. Theresa raised money for the League on her own through her restaurant and a bake sale. Frank’s late mother, Jean Mulvihill, was honored for her years of service to the Tri-County Misses Softball League. Tucker Thayne received both pitches.
The Board of Directors held a random drawing, and players Lindsay Tutunjian and Owen Dunn received their registration fees back. Thayne said it was a token of appreciation by the League and an opportunity for them to give something back.
Then, finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for – the call to Play Ball!
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