Two-time American League MVP, all-time consecutive games leader (no one’s gonna break that record) Cal Ripken Jr. is scheduled to visit Longfellow School on Tuesday at a groundbreaking for a youth development park as part of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Mayor Bill Finch, a big baseball fan, and Congressman Jim Himes will join Ripken. The foundation has developed a number of parks to aid disadvantaged students in character building and life lessons. Check out more about the foundation www.ripkenbaseball.com. The program is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Longfellow is located at 139 Ocean Terrace in the West End.
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This should be interesting. A sports hero with skills and endurance, contributing to his sport and American youth with dollars from a foundation in his name.
The figure one million dollars has been mentioned somewhere. Is it a capital development project? Are there matching requirements? Are there operating budgets to be funded? From where? I hope this potential development seemingly from “out of left field” is a real opportunity that fits with community needs.
As someone who has participated in NRZ activities, neither this ballfield issue nor the Ellsworth field concepts were something that came out of community charrettes. The field in question may be one that has been used for soccer in the past.
It will pay to hear what, who, how, when and why so the particulars may be understood and studied before signing on. Of course if a gift is made to the City with no conditions and annual operational expenses covered completely, I will say thank you for helping the youth of Bridgeport!!! But I have not heard that yet …
BEACON2–I hope he’s not here to raise awareness with Al Sharpton.
*** Maybe the Mayor will wear his Tigers’ hat to the event, no? *** HERE WE GO! ***
Cal Ripken is an official hero. He has represented baseball at the highest level and has returned to baseball and many communities his expertise, money, and time in a hugely charitable manner. Flies and leeches like Finch and Himes who appear at events for their own benefit lessen people like Ripken and are an embarrassment to the good work he does.