Bigfork does need a new Library, BUT….

I agree Bigfork definitely needs a newer, bigger library and if the current location of Potoczny field is where it will be I can live with that. But, I truly hope that whoever moves it does a far better job of designing a baseball field than what currently exists at the Carlyle-Johnson Sports Complex now.

If you are not familiar with the facility out at Carlyle-Johnson, let me explain. There are four baseball/softball fields that are completely unusable except for the month long Tee-ball season.

Why are they unusable? Because all the fields share a common outfield with no fences separating them. Instead of designing them with the backstops located in the center, backing up to each other so the fields then go outward away from each other, they are designed with the backstops located at each far corner with all the fields pointing inward.

So, if there is more than one game playing at the same time, balls hit out in the outfield can & do go right into the other game. Unfortunately, this makes the fields unplayable except for tee-ball, where the little sluggers rarely hit the ball out of the infield.

The Potoczny field is a great Little League field and one of only two in Bigfork. If you do move it to Carlyle-Johnson, please do it right. This may be the perfect time to fix the problem.

If the backstops were moved into the center, it would offer Bigfork a great recreational place for softball leagues, Little League, and even Babe Ruth Baseball.

With the backstops in the center, there would also be a perfect place to put a concession stand to earn revenue to help support it.

It is sad that all that money was spent on Carlyle-Johnson and due to bad design it mostly sits empty. Please don't make the same mistake twice.

Lee Stultz

Bigfork