Park and recreation gearing up for busy season

NORWALK — With spring right around the corner, Norwalk's park and recreation department is gearing up for a busy season. This week, Baines Park opened its fields and batting cages. Park and recreation superintendent Joe Lindenberger said the fields have been dragged and the bases have been placed for teams to start practicing. "Field reservations will start April 19, until then it's first come, first serve," he said. "We want to remind teams to stay off of wet fields ... we don't want to tear them up." Lindenberger said he expects to have 70 different teams for the summer leagues. All fees for summer teams are due April 18. In addition to youth T-ball and softball, there will be men's, women's, co-ed and church leagues. Some leagues have already filled up, Lindenberger said. Sunday and Monday night teams are full. There will be men's teams playing on Sunday and Monday nights, possibly Wednesday, women's teams will play on Tuesday night, co-ed teams will play Thursday and church teams will play on Fridays at Baines Park. "We will have more teams and people are just excited to play, get outside," he said. "People want to be outside more than ever." Last summer, the 50 teams had a shortened season that started in mid-June. This year, Lindenberger expects a regular season for summer sports. He said the winter sports teams were a success. "We had a very successful season with our men's basketball league and we had a lot of volleyball tournaments," he said. "Now it's just a matter of planning spring programs, summer programs." Lindenberger said Baines Park will also be getting some updates this year. "We have a young man who is doing an Eagle Scout project. He's installing all-new dugouts at Baines Park," he said. "The first couple of dugouts for diamond one will be built this April. He's going to do a dugout at a time and get those done over the next couple of months. It's going to be pretty cool for that park." Lindenberger said donations for the McGuan Park revitalization project are still coming in but they could use more. "We have the playground fully funded, but we still need some additional funds or donations, or even naming rights, for the pump track," he said.