Mill Creek Little League president Dave Charleson stood alongside the first base dugout, tossing a baseball with his son John, a Heatherwood Middle School seventh grader who wore his black Giants baseball jersey from last season.
Decked out in a white and teal Mill Creek baseball jersey, showing off a trimmer physique after dropping 17 pounds, and with a Navy blue Mill Creek baseball cap atop his head, Charleson warmed up his arm before throwing one of the ceremonial first pitches during the Saturday, March 6 opening ceremonies of the Mill Creek Sports Park.
If he was trying to hide his enthusiasm, it didn’t work. His smile was huge.
“This has been so much work for so many people, even from the league standpoint,” he said. “We’re very fortunate.”
Saturday’s opening day ceremonies were as much a celebration for the numerous Mill Creek city officials and Council members who were there as it was for the Mill Creek Little League. For all the public dollars that went into the park, the league made a large contribution to the facility as well.
League officials raised more than $34,000 in private funds to finance the electronic scoreboard in left field, the movable outfield fence and pitcher’s mound, and equipment for the concession stand. Many of those features were paid for by the sale of engraved paving stones, while three large donations financed the scoreboard. Charleson attributed that fund raising success to Tom Davis, who immediately took on new duties of operating the scoreboard for the A’s-Dodgers game.
For Don Mannino, Saturday was a dream come true, as Mill Creek joined the ranks of several of its fellow leagues around Snohomish County in having its own home field.
“There was always that hope of getting a true home field,” said Mannino, who ran Mill Creek Little League from 1993 to 1995, its first two years of existence. “I think this means a lot to the community. With the Town Center behind it, people can walk up here and watch a game.
“I’d say it’s right up there in the top five (best facilities in the county),” he said.
League officials weren’t the only ones praising the facility.
“It’s a beautiful park,” said Salli Smith, wife of parks and recreation board chairman John Smith.
Mill Creek Library managing librarian Eric Spencer, who attended Saturday’s festivities with his wife and infant daughter, had similar views.
“It looks gorgeous. It’s really great to see the city support a public facility like this,” Spencer said. “It shows real dedication to the community.”
Mayor Terry Ryan summed up the city’s goal in building the park during his comments during the opening ceremonies.
“Many times the good fields are reserved for adults, but not in Mill Creek,” Ryan said. “This is for our children.”
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