I was looking on the Woodchucks’ website to get an address (it’s sort of funny to have to list one’s previous employment as “French baseball player” on apartment applications) and saw this recent notice, posted just two weeks ago. I’ll write more on this later this week. Between the sloppy translation from babelfish and the […]
I was looking on the Woodchucks’ website to get an address (it’s sort of funny to have to list one’s previous employment as “French baseball player” on apartment applications) and saw this recent notice, posted just two weeks ago. I’ll write more on this later this week. Between the sloppy translation from babelfish and the French legalese, it doesn’t read very clearly, but I think the overall gist comes through. It was listed under a headline of “The end of baseball in Bois-Guillaume?”
Obviously, this is terrible, terrible news. I’ll write more later when I’ve had a chance to absorb it and read through it.
At the request of the Mayor Mr. Renard, a meeting took place in town hall the 03/07 with 18h00 Were present: Mr. FOX, mayor of Wood-Guillaume and Mr. CARPENTIER, mayor-assistant in charge of the sports for the Town hall and Mrs. BLAISET relative of player, Mr. COUTU, vice-president and Mr. PATUREL, President to represent the club. Without “beating about the bush” Mr. FOX very quickly indicated that the town hall had decided to stop the baseball activity with BG since 2008 following many complaints of neighbors receiving from the balls struck in their garden or their roof. Mr. FOX indicated to us that the means used would be quite simply the not-setting at disposal with the profit of the club by the Town hall of space of play and match devoted to baseball. A priori no municipal Council Decision is necessary, the creation of the club not having been the object in its time of an agreement of CM. The mayor proposes possibly a fusion with the club of Rouen, which we refuse for the known reasons of different policy and bus that would remove at the same time a club but also a ground of baseball in Normandy. Although the dwellings were built well after the creation of the ground (this argument not being valid with the eyes of the Mayor) we make very precise proposals which would allow, at the same time continue some time on our ground but also would emerge in the short run towards a situation gain-gaining. 1° WE ASK: that the activity of the young people (school of baseball and juniors draw to continue, their activity not being a threat for the vicinity. 2° WE ASK: that the softball activity is maintained for the same reasons of nondanger. 3° WE ASK: a significant number of balls being struck at the time of the drives which the town hall rebuilds us the tunnel of striking that it has DETRUIT in 2004 and still not positioned back. Thus we would limit in an important way the risks of balls struck in the neighbors. 4° WE ASK: in the same state of mind and in order to allow to strike balls in real situation of match at the time of the drives, the equipment by the town hall of a “tortoise of striking”, not authorizing material that the “maid” strike and prohibiting any ball struck behind the striker or the sides. 5° WE ASK: with the town hall the authorization of the practice in N1 competition in 2008 by proposing a limitation of the matches in residence. A certain number of meetings would be played outside with the assistance of our clubs partners likely to accomodate us per annum a few weekends. 6° WE ASK FINALLY: the study and creation for 2009 of a true ground of baseball on BG or a close commune (BIHOREL, ISNEAUVILLE etc.) built to the standards, without danger to the vicinity and which permmettrait us to give up the Park of the Cosmonauts definitively. In conclusion, the club of BOIS-GUILLAUME does not accept the decision of the Town hall even if it includes/understands the reactions of certain neighbors. 22 years the old club cannot imagine only one second the pure and simple stop of its activity. We already contacted the legal services of FFBS which deal with the business and the defense of the club and we asked for the assistance of the FFBS so that a file of creation of ground is open. We ask so that each person concerned, fired with BG or elsewhere or not laid off appear with the prsè club to give there her support either moral or even techniques within the framework of the proposals which we made. The President J L PATUREL