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Resident says Maple Avenue field is a safety hazard and that requested video footage was deleted
Summary
Joe Jolene told the board unauthorized use of the Maple Avenue baseball field and inconsistent protective netting have led to balls entering his property; he said he requested footage of an incident and was told the video was deleted and urged the board to act before someone is hurt.
Joe Jolene, a resident of 22 Walnut Street, used the public comment period to raise urgent safety concerns about the Maple Avenue baseball field.
Jolene described repeated incidents in which balls have landed on his property, including a June 2023 episode in which a ball "landed feet away" from his children. He said the district had promised a protective 'turtle' behind home plate and proper netting to combat unauthorized use but that those measures were not consistently in place throughout the spring and summer.
Jolene said he filed a video footage request after a game but was told the video was deleted. "Despite putting a FOIL request in for that footage hours after the game, it was deleted," he said. He also said follow-up emails and an exchange with the village and district have not resolved his concern.
He described the experience as distressing and warned the board: "Someone's gonna get seriously hurt. It's the unfortunate truth of the situation." He asked the board to address unauthorized use and the sensitivity/positioning of the nets so foul balls do not endanger nearby homes.
The transcript records no direct staff response at the moment of his remarks; the Board President thanked him for speaking and the meeting moved toward adjournment. The board did not record a formal follow-up or pledge a specific corrective action during the meeting transcript.
