On Sunday, May 20th a group of 9 year old little leaguers were prohibited to play on the Juniper Park Ball fields even though they had a valid parks permit. The game was to start at 8:45am but the volunteer coaches and young ballplayers were locked out from the fields despite having permission to play their games. Unfortunately, they were from a local CYO group and not the Midville Dodgers.Once again, Holden and his grass man took it upon themselves to decide whether or not they would grant the kids access to the fields. Thankfully, a dedicated volunteer umpire made some calls and the CYO kids were diverted to Reiff Park on Fresh Pond Road so they could partake in America’s pastime. I wish we could say that this was a one time occurrence but it seems that neighborhood kids being prohibited to play on the Juniper fields is the norm rather than the exception.
It is time for residents to stand-up and demand that children from our community are granted equal access to the fields. The time of dictatorial control of the ball fields must come to an end. We encourage our readers to contact the parks department and urge them to act now so all children can enjoy the park and play baseball.
The air was calm and the smell of baseball in the air
But before locked gates we were forced to stare
Another playing opportunity deemed golden
Was thwarted by a man named Holden
All we could do is press our hands against the gate
Stand there for hours to wait and wait
Who would stop kids from playing as a hobby?
It’s that guy from Juniper named Bobby.
Another day wasted to play the game of baseball
Instead I’ll go home to my room and bawl
Mommy, why are the fields locked all day?
Oh, dear, it’s because Holden has all the say
41 comments:
What a disgrace and a despicable display of arrogance. I would hope that the parents of those children conatct the parks department and the JPCA to express their outrage.
i completly agree with you. keep up the good work. its about time somebody stood up to king bob
What a terrible picture of a little boy. Where were his parents. I don't care how angry you are, that is bad behavior and an awful picture. This child is from our neighborhood? How embarassing. This is CYO?
Shame Shame......
Didn't it rain this weekend. I thought nobody is supposed to use those fields when they are wet?
Simply express your outrage to Parks Borough Commissioner Lewendowski.
Dottie certainly gets enough nonesense letters on a daily basis from the JPCA executive board. She'd be glad to hear support that the community wants Holden's locked ballfields returned to the taxpayers.
An open Note to Commissioner Lewendowski:
The upper ball fields in Juniper Valley Park do not belong to the special interest ball clubs that play in for profit leagues and are designed for profit! The fields belong to the people! Not the best players from Long Island signed on to play for Midville. The Ball Fields are for the Taxpaying City Residents.
For the young men and woman who are looking for a place to play. Do you know how frustrating it is to go to the park with my children and a few friends and see perfectly good ball fields just sitting unused? My Tax dollars paid for the renovation, and my tax dollars were paying for the Dodgers to keep the fields locked! Shame on the Parks Department for allowing this! Shame on the elected officials for allowing this! Shame on anyone who supports or condones this behavior! As a member of Our Lady of Hope I just received a letter in my home about this miscarriage of justice linking me to this site. I hope this organization has the moral courage to stand up for the "Real" people of Middle Village, not community board 5 members who are President of a civic and use power to advance themselves. Commissioner stand up for the little guy, the ones who are not corrupting the system!
Holden'c cash cow is kids and baseball. What a scum
This pic of the child is inappropriate for this site I would expect to see it on the Crap.
Fields locked because the number one Midville dirtbag Bob Holden had no games.
You know why those fields were locked? Because Bob Holden does not profit from CYO the folks at Our Lady of Hope know he is an enemy and will be treated as such
Hey Bob do you smoke grass with Fiedler and his son?
I hope the Parks department is investigated for allowing a private citizen to have sole access to public ball fields. Why does the JPCA have keys to a public ball field let the Parks department open and close the fields.
I wonder if Mr. Bribe man Bob Holden is greasing the Parks department and getting inside help to protect the Midville Dodgers Bob's personal cash cow.
A clear message here.
Bob Holden to the Kids of our community
Screw You
To the Blogger who asked if it rained. Yes it did it even rained on Fresh Pond Road at Reiff and the kids still played. Stop using that as an excuse to assert your corrupt power over the community. Holden Lackey
I like Commissioner Lewendowski but why does she caterer to Holden and his corrupt buddies. Why does she let 16 year olds drive Tractors in the Park and why does she let Ball fields be locked when people were playing in the lower fields did it rain only of King of Juniper Bob Holden's Fields. Come-on Dottie stand up you have the support of the community.
Forgive me but you owe me an apoplogy I am no Holden Lackey as far from it as can be. But these fields were extremely expensive to build & at an MVMCA meeting the Commissioner made the statement that the fields would be opened with the exception of when it rains.
I cannot believe that anyone could accuse the DOPR of taking bribes from Holden. Have they read the papers in the past year? It is all out war between them. The only person more at war is Gallagher & the JPCA.
The rain issue is true , lets agree that the call will be made by parks. We should require the only people with keys to this field be the parks dept.Any one with a permit must observe the flag rule which should be controlled by parks and no one else!
Does anyone know if ballfields in Central Park, Prospect Park, Van Cortland Park, Flushing Meadow Park, etc are locked and used exclusively by only one organization? If this is not practiced public policy, then why is Juniper Park the exception? Commissioner Lewendowski is a hard working and dedicated public servant who does not appear as someone who will allow herself to be intimidated by Holden, the JPCA or anyone else. I do not believe that she created this situation in Juniper Park but rather inherited it from her predecessor. I think we all need to give her a chance and allow her to do what is in the best interest of all.
I agree with the blogger who states that the parks dept should have the keys to the fields and only those with permits be allowed to use them. Let's be real here... these are beautiful ball fields and if they are not protected they will wind up like Maurice Park's Ball Fields and the other dog crapped fileds at Juniper. Stop already with the crying. Want to play ball....get a permit like every other team that plays there (such as CYO, RGMVM, Christ the King, etc. etc.)
Then the Parks Department owes it to lock all the baseball fields in inclement weather. Why was Reiff ok and not Juniper. Is it because Bob hoist the flag? Bob Locks the Fields? Why should one person and one person only have the keys? If Midville has the keys why shouldn’t everyone who has a permit? Could this team had gone and used the batting cage while the field was locked >>>> No! You can stop people from ruining the field but not for using a public area of the Park like the Batting cages. We see through this phony set of rules for the people only with the Power. The Dodgers have the Power, and they are corrupt.
Juniper's Fields are well kept. Time is put into keeping them beautiful. You sound like you have a problem with the Midville Dodgers not Bob Holden. Jelousy! And you all claim to have the kids' best interest in mind. Hog wash! You just have a vendetta and are using this blog to spew. The parks department would not have the time and resources to keep the fields in the condition they are in right now. Get a permit and use the field and shut it already. This is getting old. A Thank You to all those that keep the fields beautiful. My son uses them in CYO and RGMVM. AND WE ARE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
RGMV and CYO were denied using the Batting Cages by Steve Fielder is that fair? Bob Holden never had any of the permits for the upper ball fields until after they were fixed. Now all of a sudden they decide when the fields are locked. The Parks department opened the fields and Steve Fielder came up and locked them why is this allowed?
I do thank those who made those fields so beautiful Thanks to Councilman Dennis Gallagher and Tom Ognibene for creating an Oasis in Middle Village. Now let all the kids in the community join in and be allowed to use them.
The only thing we are Jealous of when it comes to the Dodgers is we would like to have an opportunity to recruit from Long Island and Westchester and put them on teams that will not allow local kids to play on their own ball fields in Juniper
Speak for yourself I am Jealous of the amount of money Bob Holden pocket from the Dodgers.
Just keep Bob away from those bats it could make life at home very dangerous.
This kid is clearly sending a message to that guy Doocey the red wine kid lover.
Listen do be offended by this kids photo he is showing us Bob Holden's IQ
I am confused, are you for the kids? Doesn't seem so. Just want to get your digs into Holden?
The Midville Dodgers are kids from the neighborhood that we should be proud of and routing for. How is this crap being said making them feel? Think about that!
PS. No I don't have a kid on the Midville Dodgers!
Please no one has a problem with Kids playing Baseball even the Midville Dodgers. What we have a problem with is Juniper Park being used exclusively for a “special” baseball team when local kids want to play.
We all pay taxes and when a group comes in and its leaders profit they should not be allowed to monopolize all the permits.
How is it a private citizen can have keys to a locked park, how is it that the Midville Dodgers can use the batting cages and kids from the community can't.
By the way check the Rosters for the past 5 years the Dodgers are not all local most are from out of the community.
I wonder again out loud if baseball games can be played on the lower fields and at Reiff Park, then how come the most modern of fields with state of the art drainage systems can't be used on the same day.
Do you agree that even if the fields are unplayable that local kids should be able to use the batting cages or is that a right only reserved for the Midville Dodgers?
So don't be confused I am for the kids all the kids from Our Lady of Hope St Margaret’s, RA, RGMV, and yes the kids who are just going to the park to play ball. You Sir seem to be fixated on seeing things through the eyes of Bob Holden. Please try to understand how the rest of the kids in the community feel even the ones that were kicked off the fields on days where it didn’t rain! It is quite frustrating to see ball fields locked with no one playing and your kid turned away. I ask you now to think about that and how that makes kids feel. I wish the Dodgers well. I just hope that local kids the ones with out the Community Board Vice Chair as President of their team, have the same opportunity to compete.
Please the Holden's of the world are exerting power and they must be stopped sorry you can’t see through that.
To the blogger who said get a permit here in lies the problem... you can't Midvile Dodgers has near exclusive use. The real question is how they got permits in the first place. Remember the days when they only had field 1 now they own everything.
The clear message is that Midville Dodgers used undue influence to get these permits don't believe me FOIL the info
Well said.
Anyone who puts an organization together to play baseball on well kept fields, in my eyes, is doing a good thing for our kids. I know our tax dollars paid for these fields but I don't have a problem with them being locked and well kept. I seriously doubt that the Parks Dept. has the resources to keep the fields in the condition they are in. If the Midville Dodger Organization is doing the upkeep, I applaud them. I am proud to have these beautiful fields in our park. I see kids playing ball all the time there. I wouldn't be so quick to knock the JPCA. They had much to do with getting Juniper in the condition it is now. I remember when the park was full of weeds and dirt, no flowers and don't forget the kids selling drugs by the playground.
The comment "well said" was for the blogger who wrote that we should be for routing for our kids. Stop bad mouthing the Midville Dodgers. Let the kids play ball.
"well said" can you answer the blogger before?
"Please try to understand how the rest of the kids in the community feel even the ones that were kicked off the fields on days where it didn’t rain! It is quite frustrating to see ball fields locked with no one playing and your kid turned away. I ask you now to think about that and how that makes the kids feel"
No one denies the JPCA has done wonderful things in the past. However they have let this fact & the fact that they have chosen to volunteer their time & energy give them an elitist attitude. If you don't agree with them it is not just a minor issue it becomes a huge issue. And I believe that is what people are attacking on this site. Also I know that they lied and manipulated issues with the dogs, what other subjects have they done this with??
While I agree the DOPR does not have the resources to maintain the beautiful ball fields. I believe they should be unlocked whenever they are dry and not being used by groups with permits. Nobody should have a since of entitlement to them regardless of who maintains them, they are still public property and should be open to the entire city when appropriate.
Juniper Ball Fields are not the only ones locked in New York City. It is the only way the city can protect the investment made to keep the fields in good condition. The organizations that get permits pay good money to keep the fields nice and they are the ones that maintain them. Go look at the ball fields in Maurice. That is what happens to fileds when they are not locked. Look at Juniper 1, which is the nicest field that is not locked. Full of holes, rocks, and high grass. The city just doesn't have the resources to keep all the city fileds in good shape.
Has anyone seen what happened to the bleachers and the Juniper 1 field? Looks like vandals were jumping on the bottom bench and completely dented both sides.
We understand Ball Fields are locked in other areas but why are the batting cages locked? In other areas people pay a fee to the City for exclusive use why not in Juniper?
Holden gets Government money that pays to have the Fields maintained and keeps locals off. Why dosen't governement just pay directly to maintain the fields and let all the kids play?
It is clear if you are President of a Civic and Community Board Vice Chair you use your power to advance yourself. In our world it is called corruption.
Can anyone answer how Holden and the Dodgers got the permits? They never had them for the upper ball fields only field one. Someone should investigate that.
Thank God Tulips Daughter is not a baseball fan it would distract the Dodgers from playing ball.
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