Mamma Mia! $325,000 for Bocce!

Elizabeth Crowley and the city are screwing taxpayers again. According to recent articles in the local papers, Bocce Balls for brains Elizabeth Crowley has allocated $325,000 to rebuild the Bocce Courts located in Juniper Park. We did some research and cost comparison to find out how much does it really cost to build a long box with a playable surface.

You will be surprised and angered to know that we called four Bocce Court specialists and they informed us that construction can be anywhere from $2000 to $40,000 (for a very elaborate and ornate court). When we informed them of the $325,000 price tag for the Juniper Courts they laughed and asked if they could get on the bidder’s list.

You may ask why would Elizabeth Crowley make this outlandish allocation to build bocce courts when only a very small percentage of park goers utilize them. I have never seen mothers and their children frolicking on the bocce courts, I have never seen dog owners playing fetch with their pets on the courts, I have never seen kids playing catch on the courts, so why o why. Have you ever tried to play bocce ball on the courts? Good luck. You have to be “member” of the bocce society!

I’ll tell you why. Elizabeth Crowley is a pandering, self-serving moron. She wants to curry favor with the Italians because her opponent IS Italian. Crowley cares about bocce as much as Bob Holden cares about preventing domestic violence. The only thing she cares about is votes and she is using OUR money to get them.

Imagine the good that could have been done for community if the $325,000 was allocated selflessly, without political motivation and without stupidity.

Let’s vote Bocce Ball Crowley out of office!

For those of you that don’t know what’s involved in Bocce Court construction, please read below


BOCCE STANDARDS ASSOCIATION

Bocce Court

Standard Dimensions

The information below is provided to help standardize the playing surface and dimensions of Court Bocce courts for building new courts or revising current courts. Court lengths can be found from 60 feet to 100 feet with a variety of playing surfaces. The standard dimensions encompass most existing courts; new courts should use the preferred dimensions. We recognize these standards differ from the International Standards which are seldom used to construct courts in the United States. The most important standard is the playing surface to make playing consistent from one court to another. Standardized courts will bring the game of bocce up to the level of all other major sports.

Future standards work may be needed for temporary indoor courts and portable court.

Standard Bocce Court Dimensions

ITEM SYMBOL MEASUREMENT
Length L 76 Feet
Width W 10 to 13 Feet
Pointing Foul Line FL 6 Feet
Spock/Hitting Foul Line SL 10 Feet
Center Line CL 1/2 of Length


Standard Bocce Court Materials & Construction

Sideboards & Backboards - Must extend 6 to 12 inches above the playing surface. Made with rigid treated lumber, minimum of 2 inches thick. Must be backed by concrete or 4x4 posts spaced a maximum 4 feet apart. The sideboards must be sufficiently supported or have a hard plastic/rubber bumper along sideboards so that a ball hitting the sideboards at an angle greater than 30 degrees will consistently bank off the sideboards.
.
Court Material - The court must be constructed similar to standard tennis courts with a minimum 3 inch base of crushed stone on a compacted sub-base and then covered with 2 inches minimum of clay type materials compacted for a hard, smooth, level surface. The top surface must be kept as level as possible and kept treated with a fine grade of loose topping clay that can be brushed to smooth the court. Clay courts must be wet down to keep the clay properly conditioned and compacted. A continuous watering system under the clay surface like good tennis courts is preferred. Drain holes must be provided to prevent standing water on the court. Bocce court contractors are hard to find, however, tennis court contractors are more plentiful and can easily do excellent bocce courts.
.
Painting - The sideboards & backboards may be painted (preferable white). Easily visible vertical lines 2 inches wide must be painted on the sideboards to indicate the location of the foul lines and center line. Vertical lines 1 inch wide may be painted on the sideboards & backboards to indicate the 12 inch lines for the initial pallino throw.
.
Other Improvements - Other court improvements such as, scoreboards, protective court end walls, roofs, benches, ball racks, walkways, lighting, handicapped accommodations, etc. are the option of the club. However, no improvement shall interfere with the standard playing rules or playing on the basic court defined above.