PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
Council talks future of KLL Park
Photo courtesy of Keizer Little League social media.
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Of the Keizertimes
Community members and city coun-
cilors didn’t see eye to eye on much at
Monday’s city council meeting, but there
was one thing that everyone agreed on:
alcohol and adults at Little League games
don’t mix well.
While the city of Keizer has already
come to a tentative agreement with oper-
ators For the Love of the Game to manage
the Keizer Little League Park, whether or
not to allow them to sell alcohol at the park
during adult events was up for debate at
Monday’s meeting.
After a short discussion, the Keizer City
Council directed staff to reject the provi-
sion and prohibit the sale of alcohol at the
fi elds.
The sale of alcohol, however, isn’t what
brought over a dozen concerned commu-
nity members to the Sept. 20 meeting.
In 2020, the city sent out a Request for
Proposals for management of the Keizer
Little League fi elds and received two
responses. The city chose to go with For
the Love of the Game, a company created
by Jerry and Lisa Walker, owners of the
Mavericks League (formerly the Salem-
Keizer Volcanoes), and their son Mickey.
Multiple
community
members
expressed their objection to the selection
of For the Love of the Game and a process
they felt was rushed.
“At this point it feels like we are choosing
the best of the worst,” said Shane Diarmit,
president of the Keizer Cal Ripken/Babe
Ruth leagues. “I don’t know about you, but
that’s not what I want for my kids, my orga-
nization or for my city. I don’t want the best
of the worst.”
Public speakers also expressed
reservations about For the Love of the
Game being a for-profi t company, and the
possibility of them not reinvesting into
the fi elds. The contract says the operator
“may retain net revenue in excess of what
is required” for fi eld maintenance, repair
expenses and capital improvements.
“Everything we generated for the com-
plex, stayed with the complex. Why as a
city would you allow money that needs to
go back into those fi elds to go anywhere
else?” said Kyle Quiring, president of the
Keizer Little League.
Mickey Walker spoke both before and
after public comments and tried to allevi-
ate some of the public’s concerns. He said
the goal is to put as much money back into
the facility as possible because “we want it
to be something we can all be proud of.”
Walker also spoke on comments that
softball didn’t seem to be a priority in the
company’s proposal, emphasizing that he
has two daughters of his own that he hopes
will one day play softball.
City staff will continue to work with the
Walkers to fi nalize the contract — which
will be for 10 years. City Recorder Tracy
Davis said the fi nal approval of the contract
will most likely come during a city council
meeting in October.
“It’s a learning curve for the city, it’s a
learning curve for your organization, and
it’s a learning curve for Keizer softball
leagues,” said Councilor Laura Reid in clos-
ing comments. “We need to work together.”
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