Little by little, the backfields at Newtown High School are getting even better.

Although the 2004 baseball season has come and gone, when the season opens in April of 2005 the Nighthawks will be opening it with a new scoreboard in left field. The scoreboard is a gift of Berliner Gelfand & Co. and Safeco Corporation’s “PlayBall” program.

The scoreboard was installed on Sunday, June 6.

In partnership with local insurance agents and financial advisers, Safeco is contributing some $1.5 million over the next three years to install scoreboards at 82 baseball fields across the country. Since the program’s inception in 2002, Safeco has donated 62 scoreboards to community ballparks.

Twenty more are slated for 2004.

“We care about this community, so we’re thrilled to be able to help improve the Newtown High School ball field,” said Jim Berliner of Berliner Gelfand & Co., “and we’re proud to have a company partner like Safeco that values community spirit.”

Newtown High School was chosen for the special donation through a competitive process where independent agents and financial advisers like Berliner nominate baseball or softball fields in their community that might benefit from a new scoreboard. This year, Safeco received more than 200 nominations.

“PlayBall is a great way to honor our agents and advisers like Jim Berliner and the neighborhoods they care about,” said Mike McGavick, Safeco president and CEO. “We’re contributing scoreboards because baseball brings people together. Parents, neighbors, business owners and elected officials cheer from the bleachers of their local ballpark. It’s this sense of community that makes great neighborhoods.”

Berliner Gelfand & Co., located in Bridgeport, has been providing insurance and financial services to the Newtown community for 35 years. They are members of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. Jim Berliner sits on the board of the Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut and the Newtown Lions Club.

Berliner Gelfand & Co. has sponsored a Babe Ruth baseball team for more than five years.