Administration - Jerome Krieger, Senior Parks and Recreation Manager
Title
Title
Naming of the Jim Peterson Park Batting Cages and Bullpen Area to Rick Fanning Practice Facility
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Background
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Executive Summary
Naming the batting cages and bullpen area at Jim Peterson Park, in recognition of all the hard work that Rick Fanning has done for the community to plan and construct these additional amenities within the park.
Background
Rick Fanning was a board member with the Blaine Area Traveling Baseball Association for 15 years. Rick is an advocate for improving the Blaine Baseball fields and facilities. In 2014 Rick transformed the field in Cloverleaf Park from a skin aglime infield into a grass baseball infield. He organized a crew of volunteers to work on transforming the field into a game field for players 11 and under. When he was finished with that project, he focused on improving all the pitching mounds and home plate areas on the fields. He worked with city staff and the other baseball associations to make sure that all the fields had rebuilt mounds and new tarps to cover them. He wanted to do this because he knew they needed work and he knew how important it was not to have any rain outs, with so many games being played in Blaine.
Rick’s passion carried over to Jim Peterson Park, where he wanted to improve the storage shed. Rick researched sheds and solicited quotes for a shed that had a garage door on each end so you could store a Gator in the shed and be able to drive it in and out. After we partnered to purchase the shed, he turned his work to a new batting cage area and bullpen area. Rick worked countless hours to lay out the dimensions of the batting cage, cut out the sod, put in the posts for the cages and spread the aglime. Once he finished all the earth work, he had to run the cables to hang the netting to get them operational. The final work of the project was constructing the pitching areas for players to practice pitching and work on skills. There is no doubt that our city’s baseball program has benefitted from all the contributions that Rick has made to our community. For this reason, staff is recommending that the Jim Peterson batting and pitching areas be named the Rick Fanning Practice Facility.
Strategic Plan
N/A
Board/Commission Review
The nomination was presented to the Park Board at their October 25, 2022 meeting. The Board unanimously recommended to bring it forward to the city council.
Staff Recommendation
By motion, name the batting cages and bullpen area at Jim Peterson Park to the Rick Fanning Practice Facility.
Attachment List
Sign Image
Facility Naming Policy
Nomination Form - Rick Fanning Practice Facility