Newark girls softball league asks council to help keep 50‑year home amid school closure

Andrew Patrick, board member of the Newark Girls Softball League, told the council that NGSL has maintained and improved Snow Elementary’s softball complex over five decades but that Snow — closed two years ago — is now locked and “no longer available” to the league. He said NGSL was given a proposal that would cost roughly $500,000 to build two new fields at Lincoln Elementary and characterized that plan as infeasible for the volunteer organization. “We cannot pull $500,000 out of a magic hat,” Patrick said, asking the city to intervene so the league can continue operating in 2025.

City Manager David Banoon told the council that staff and the recreation department are actively working with the school district and the league. Banoon confirmed a follow‑up meeting was scheduled for Sept. 24 to discuss short‑term shared‑use arrangements with Newark Little League and Newark FC and said staff are developing both short‑ and long‑term options for closed school sites and other park improvements.

Patrick told the council NGSL has more than 100 local girls in the program and has been cleaning vandalism, repainting fields and maintaining sheds and equipment at the Snow site while continuing to play there. He asked the council to commit to helping the league secure fields for the coming season and to explore an enduring home site for the organization.

The council did not act on an item at the meeting (public comment rules prevent deliberation), but staff and the city manager indicated they would continue direct coordination with the district and the league. The record shows a follow‑up meeting is planned and staff said they will pursue both short‑term shared play solutions and longer‑term facility options.