Our New Softball Field: Cutting the Ribbon

Four of our five town officials made it to Lower Shore Road for the grand opening of the town's new softball field: Al Bille, Al Cirulli Marty Lisella and Mayor Jeff Melchiondo.

The chief architect of the soon-to-be sports complex, town administrator Dave Breeden, granted the rights to the opening game to the Mirage community.

Members of the current Mirage softball team as well as some of their retired players and families took part in the celebration. Also on hand representing all the ballplayers in Barnegat was the commissioner of the Barnegat men's softball league Tony Frigone.

We were hoping that Marty Lisella would cut the ribbon but Marty insisted that Tony, along with Pat Pipi, hold the ribbon and that Mirage manager John Vaccarello cut the ribbon.

"You guys have been pushing this field for many years, it's only right that you do the honors," said Marty. All our officials agreed and so it was done.

Once cut, the celebration began, noise makers and all. Close your eyes and you thought it was New Years Eve.

Besides this softball field, the town is in the midst of a new field for the Barnegat Junior Bengals. Ironically, some of the towns residents who were most opposed to our field, and who insisted that this field was just for the Mirage in time will be spending more time on Lower Shore than any Mirage player ever will.

 Dave Breeden and these four officials were thrilled with the near-finished product. No matter your politics, sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due, and these men are to be commended as they made these fields happen with no further expense to the tax payers of Barnegat.

With the success of this project, the feeling here is that this group is not done yet. Just a guess, but I think there may be more on the horizon. Right now, what was a total wasteland has been turned into a beautiful field to be enjoyed by all the residents of Barnegat.

I am sure there will be a negative comment or two from our usual political extremists in town, but I am sure that the rest of us can now agree that these fields were a long time coming and something that all our citizens can be proud of.