As published in the Courier-Tribune on February 15, 2012
By Hugh Martin
BISCOE — Biscoe commissioners voted to hire an assistant for the town’s recreation director during their regular February meeting Monday evening.
The role of the assistant will initially be to organize and oversee the adult softball league that utilizes the facilities at the Deaton-Monroe Park. Town Manager Brooks Lockhart said that the role could expand in the future to oversee activities in other sports.
Lockhart said that current Recreation Director Mark Miller oversees all of the activities at the town pool during the summer season.
“His hands are full,” Lockhart said.
The assistant will be paid a stipend. Lockhart said that the position will not be advertised because he already has someone in mind for the job.
“We’re hoping to hire someone who already has experience in organizing and running softball leagues,” he said.
Recreation discussion continued with representatives of softball teams who had been participating in previous leagues at the Biscoe facility expressing concern over incrreased entry fees to play.
Lockhart and Mayor Mike Criscoe both expressed their desire to keep the league costs close to the amount that it has been in the past.
“We lose money on activities at the park,” Lockhart said. “We always operate at a loss but we want the facilities to be used as much as possible.”
The entry fee for the league has risen from $400 per team to $490 per team, but Lockhart explained that the town would supply all the equipment and provide insurance.
Another issue discussed was the cost of installing a net behind the outfield fence to prevent balls from hitting homes adjacent to the field. Lockhart said that the net will cost $3,000, plus installation. He suggested that regulated league equipment — bats and balls provided by the town — would prevent balls being hit that far. Some of the representatives said that using the equipment would not keep balls from being hit out of the park.
Harold Morse, who spoke on behalf of the players, told board members that he would install the net at no charge. Morse said that he owns two bucket trucks and that he would also take care of any tree work the town may need, also at no charge.
Commissioner Jimmy Blake, former recreation director and mayor, spoke in favor of the net.
“The park opened in 1980 and we’ve not had many problems,” he said. “The houses behind the ball field were there first. I think the people who live there should be able to enjoy relaxing in their back yards without worrying about being hit by a softball.”
Blake also said he wanted to see the players be able to enjoy games without worrying about hitting the houses.
Discussion included the cost of providing umpires for the 110 games during the season. Morse suggested that one umpire could be paid and teams could provide volunteer umpires to round out the needs for each game. Lockhart said that that option would be considered.
Morse also suggested that weekend tournaments could be held with the proceeds going toward the cost of running the league.
Lockhart said those were all good suggestions and invited Morse and all team representatives to attend the next meeting of the Recreation Board at the Biscoe Municipal Building on Feb. 27 at 6:30 pm. The recreation board meets every fourth Monday and meetings are open to the public.
In other business, Commissioners Blake, John Beard, Jerry Smith, Gene Anderson, Jimmy Cagle and Mayor Criscoe:
* Heard the town’s annual audit report from Scott Brewer and Jennifer Lambeth of Dixon Hughes Goodman, Certified Public Accountants, of Pinehurst. Brewer and Lambeth said that the town’s fund balance was in good shape and they made some suggestions on tightening up the security for some of the actions that the town utilizes in the bookkeeping processes.
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