By Kim J. Harmon
By Kim J. Harmon
A little joyride is causing a big headache for Newtown High School sports.
Scott Carnrick, 18, of Sandy Hook has been charged with riding the family mini-van across the soccer and softball fields at Treadwell Park back on Tuesday, April 1, causing more than $30,000 in damage to the turf.
That little joyride â which caused extensive damage to the outfield grass that borders the infield on the softball diamond â has effectively shut the fields down at least until June.
Which causes a big headache for athletic director Gregg Simon.
According to Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian, the bid process for the re-sodding of the damaged areas at Treadwell Park is opening. Once the bid is awarded, she said, the actual work will take about two weeks to be completed. But then the sod has to sit for about three weeks so it could take root.
If all goes well, the fields could be re-opened in early June â which is also not great news for youth soccer, youth lacrosse, Babe Ruth softball, Babe Ruth baseball, and rec league softball teams who have to now find a new place to play.
But, at present, since the Newtown High School softball team plays all of its home games at Treadwell Park, it has been displaced to Dickinson Park (which, in turn, displaces the junior varsity and freshman teams to Fairfield Hills). And since the boysâ and girlsâ lacrosse teams play many of their home games at Treadwell, they will now be forced to play all their home games at Blue & Gold Stadium â which not only causes undue wear and tear on that field, but also some conflicts with track meets.
âBeing unable to use the new fields (behind the high school),â said Mr Simon, âthis couldnât have happened at a worse time.â
If dealing with all that (not to mention to slew of postponements brought on by the storm last week) isnât bad enough, the freshman baseball season is now in danger of being canceled for lack of a field.
After Mr Carnrick was arrested and processed, he was released on a written promise to appear in Danbury Superior Court on Thursday, April 17, to answer the charges.