Kissing Forks “Good Old Days” Goodbye?

Long time residents remember the 1960’s and 1970’s “good old days” when kids had fun playing Little League wearing their Forks baseball caps and T-shirts.  Playing mostly at the Elementary School field before the Community Center opened, Forks kids knew the thrill of catching a fly ball or racing to home plate.   Neighborhood youngsters played one another on the Forks Phillies, Forks Yankees and Forks Pirates. 

Back then parents believed that it was participation more than competition and winning that provided the greatest benefits to kids.

When development burgeoned and so many new families arrived, Forks taxpayers began picking up the recreation tab for costly ball field maintenance, equipment, public works crews, helmets, uniforms, truckloads of dirt and League fees to play teams from other towns.

These days, Forks fields have taken a beating from overuse. We’ve long since kissed the “good old days” goodbye. 

Parents still want children to enjoy sports that build individual and team pride.  However, maintaining “recreation” costs real money.  When outside competition started, costs really escalated.

With today’s tight budgets for both families and the Township, there’s a reluctance to raise taxes to cover youth sports expenses.

Many youth sports advocates spend countless dedicated hours volunteering.  Beyond their own fund-raising, they comprise a formidable community interest group arguing for substantial tax revenues to support Recreation. 

In January two major youth sports advocates took their oaths of office as Supervisors.  They ran for election as a team though on different party lines.  To avoid a conflict of interest, John O’Neil resigned as Recreation Board Treasurer upon taking office. Dan Martyak resigned as President of the Youth Athletic Association.

Perhaps it was a coincidence that the first motion Supervisor O’Neill introduced caused 50,000 tax dollars to be transferred from Forks General Revenue Fund to the Recreation Board checking account.   

The silent co-sponsor of this cash infusion was Supervisor Martyak, who as a proponent of League participation worked previously with Mr. O’Neill to coordinate Township funds for youth sports.

The additional Recreation funds will pay umpire, coaching salaries and League fees. Stipends for teaching kids from 600 Forks families are definitely worthwhile.  Still, paying exorbitant League fees, some of which are in four figures, appear excessive especially when the Township cannot recoup fair compensation for the full costs of League participation.  

On Feb. 16 Supervisors debated  over 27 minutes about  authorizing $57,995 to complete a mandated erosion remediation ordered by the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation District at the new Public Works facility construction site.

They had spent all of 2 minutes 47 seconds giving  $50,000 to youth sports.

Mr. O’Neil, as Recreation Board Treasurer, controlled a sizeable checking account.  As Supervisor with oversight of the entire Township budget and all financial matters, any appearance of conflicts of interest should be avoided. 

We hope he and Supervisor Martyak will put Community First and protect all taxpayers without showing favoritism toward the youth sports constituency from which they so recently resigned.