Davis Field Improvements Dedication

A GREAT DAY FOR A SPECIAL EVENT
At the end of a bright, sunny day today a handful of residents and a gaggle of officials and city staff sat on chairs placed in the perfectly manicured infield of the beautifully refurbished Luke Davis Field at Lions Park to enjoy the dedication ceremony. The sun had dropped behind the bleachers, so we each experienced an occasional shiver, but the chill didn't dampen the enthusiasm for this wonderful facility.

START TIME CONFUSION
I arrived early to beat the crowd. Because someone communicated a start time of 4:30 and the event actually began at 5:00 I had time to wander around the facility and admire the pristine condition and the new amenities. I also had a chance to observe the 40 or so homeless people congregating in Lions Park adjacent to the field. From my vantage point they all looked surprisingly young, but then, everyone looks young to me these days.

ERNESTO IN CHARGE
Public Services Interim Director Ernesto Munoz was the master of ceremonies and he, appropriately, stood on the pitcher's mound, welcomed the crowd and acknowledged the dignitaries present. He also gave credit to previous councils for their tenacity that permitted the now-defunct Costa Mesa Redevelopment Agency to spend $520,000 on these improvements - all of which were covered in my earlier post.

RIGHEIMER'S GOPHER BALL
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer spoke, as did councilman Steve Mensinger. Council members Eric Bever and Wendy Leece were not present and neither was Mayor Gary Monahan. Leece was on her way home from her youngest daughter's graduation from Marine boot camp. We assume Monahan was pulling beer taps at his pub a half-mile away and it's anybody's guess where Bever was. At the end of the brief ceremony Righeimer actually attempted, twice, to throw out the proverbial "first ball". He shanked the first toss, but actually came close to home plate with the second. I was going to suggest we draft one of the young girls in the audience as a relief pitcher if he continued to have trouble.

IT LOOKS BRAND NEW...
This facility - I almost wrote "new" facility - because it looks like it was started from scratch although it is actually almost four decades old, is truly a gem. The new fences and netting are great and the grass, both in the infield and beyond, is in perfect shape. I agree with Mensinger and Righeimer - I doubt you can find a finer baseball field in Orange County. And, the state-of-the-art lighting system permits using only those lights necessary for the game being played. The infield lights, for example, can be snuffed if a soccer game is played in the outfield.

EASY TO BE PROUD
It's easy to be proud of this city when you see this kind of a facility - the results of years of planning by staff and councils. Kudos to everyone involved over the years. As I read the plaque on the front of the facility listing the names of the council members at the original dedication - Mayor Alvin Pinkley, Vice Mayor Jack Hammett, and council members Robert Wilson, Dom Raciti and Norma Hertzog - I had the feeling that they all would be VERY proud of these improvements. I was surprised that Hammett was not present today.

WHAT ABOUT THE FISH FRY?
As I stood there, listening to the folks speak and admiring the facility I found myself wondering about the future of the Lions Club Fish Fry - a tradition in our city for 65 years. Clearly, the carnival rides previously located on Davis Field will not be permitted to defile this pristine facility now. I guess that's a story for another time.