Williams Field Winter Clean Up Days!

This off-season, the NVLL Alumni and volunteers are working hard to get Williams Field in the best shape for the upcoming season.

11/21/09 REVIEW:

The doughnuts and coffee were very popular for the brisk morning at Williams Field. Our corp of volunteers span over 30 years of NVLL baseball. After a quick "team meeting", it was off to the races on several needed projects. We break off into groups of 4-6 and tackle various areas around the complex.

Today's effort focused on clearing away much of the over-growth of grass, weeds and shrubs. In addition to the baseball field, the park is surrounded by 2 large areas of open space. The crew first starts by cutting back tall grass then bringing in the lawn mowers to trim the rest down. This is important for not only the look of the field, but also safety.

One of the goals of this effort is the bring back the comraderie formed by those who played at North Vallejo. The talk amongst the crew during the day mostly revolves around the "good ol' days" of playing baseball as kids. This aspect is one of the driving points that helps make many of these projects go by very quickly.

Additionally, we cleared out the 3 storage units and re-organized all NVLL equipment and supplies. This will help in the effort to quickly and easily distribute team supplies when the season begins. This will also give us an accurate assesment of NVLL inventory. We have also installed a new security system to protect the assets.

The day ended with a pizza lunch and high fives all around!

12/12/09 REVIEW:

The rain was heavy this weekend in North Vallejo, but that could not stop another great volunteer effort at Williams Field. We set up tents to cover work stations and utilized generators to keep the power safe and going through the day. Wearing jeans, gloves, and rain gear - the crew stared promptly at 9:00am.

The primary objective of the day was to cover the two 14x20 footprints underneath the bleachers. This will greatly reduce the weed build-up underneath the bleachers and make for cleaner conditions for fans attending games. The plan called to lay tarp, stakes and bender board before laying 2" of #57 gravel.

The crew started with first moving the bleachers off of the current location. It takes 4-6 people to lift and move each unit. We then continued with clearing and leveling out the footprint. We then began to stake out the frame before setting and securing bender board. Next came the tarp from corner to corner.

The final step was to lay and spread out the gravel. Our materials partner supplied the 5 cubic yards of gravel which is a base rock material normally used as a base product. We used shovels and rakes to spread gravel corner to corner. We then returned the bleachers to it's new setting!

The crew was also able to continue the general area clean-up of the property. Jason Wells (NVLL 91'-97) took charge on the Riding Mower and did a great job taking care of the rear fenceline. Our goal is to have the complex in excellent condition for Spring baseball. All in all it was another great day at the baseball park!

12/21/09 REVIEW:

Returning to the field on "short day's rest", the NVLL crew aimed to take advantage of a break in the weather and to knock out a few more projects at Williams. The All-Star team was ready for another big day and spirits were higher then ever. Today's set-up also included music which gave everyone a little more pep in the step!

Williams Field is unique to NVLL as it has 2 side batting cages. Our effort today aimed at clearing out both cages so that our partners can develop a plan to re-surface each unit. We have toured many complexes in the area for ideas with the goal to have the training areas ready to go for the 2010 season. It will be a huge boost to baseball developement once these facilities are fully-operational.

We also added a fresh coat of paint to all the buildings at the site. There is nothing like seeing that classic "orange and black" cover the buildings. We use over 15 gallons of black and 5 gallons of orange paint to apply one coat! It takes 4 volunteers 2 hours to paint each building and requires the use of very tall ladders.

Keeping the momentum going is a little easier now that the crews can see the "grand plan" taking shape. Our punch-list of projects is nearly complete. President Hodges is very pleased with the work so far and we are very close to having a renovated field ready for baseball.

Today's effort focused on the dugouts, infield and new right field viewing paviliion. Special forces from top Bay Area contractor - DB GCI were brought in to lead the crew in re-building both dugouts. The first step was to remove all old and rotten wood, front fenceline and roofing. New materials and pressure treated wood were installed to go along with a fresh coat of "the orange and black" and replacement of front fences. The new dugouts are safe, clean and ready for the teams.

A new concept that will be introduced for the 2010 season is a seating area over the right field fence. This will be a great area to watch all the action as well as provide ample space for picnics and family functions. "Our goal is to bring the 'family atmosphere' back to the fields" explains President Hodges and we all feel this area will be great for all. The repaired and newly painted bleachers seat 30 and the open space will be great for BBQ's and picnics.

With new paint, cleared out grounds, and organized storage, this winter's clean-up was a huge success. A very special "thanks" to President Hodges, DB General Contracting Inc., Jason Berhel and the entire NVLL Alumni community for all the hard work and dedication.

For more information on future projects, please contact Jason Berhel at (707) 561-1703.