Maidstone Ball Field Repaired

Weeks after the baseball field at Maidstone Park in Springs was severely damaged by a vandal, rendering it unusable and disrupting the East Hampton Little League season, the field has been repaired. 

Games were rescheduled and practices canceled after a man drove in circles around the grassy field, leaving deep tire tracks. East Hampton Town police arrested Nelson A. Arcila-Lopez nearby in Maidstone Park in the early hours of May 10, about an hour after receiving a call about what was happening, along with a description of the vehicle and a partial license plate number. The 24-year-old East Hampton resident was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and released on an appearance ticket. He is due in court for arraignment today. 

Initially, the Little League board pronounced the field unplayable for the rest of the year, and coaches were told that practices were to be moved or canceled. Councilman David Lys and John Rooney, the town’s superintendent of recreation, worked to find a contractor who could repair the field quickly, and the town board committed money for the project. The LandTek Group, an Amityville company that installs and maintains athletic fields, fencing, and concrete, was chosen to perform the repairs. 

The work was completed on Friday and inspected by a Little League safety officer, Mr. Lys said. While bare spots remain, the field is in a usable state, he said. Activity at Maidstone Park will resume in time for the final games of the Little League season.

LandTek was paid just over $8,000 for the project, Mr. Lys said. Additional repairs, to the irrigation system and fencing, brought the total “probably closer” to $10,000, he said.