Blue Flames

Manhattan Little League Executive Board Meeting Date: 17 March 2003 Time: 7:00p.m. Place: Joslyn Center, Manhattan Beach Executive Board Present: Todd Coyle Bob Collins Terry Spazek Debbie Valashines Pat Sandoval Bill von Brehen Richard John Not Present: Bob Campbell 1. Roster Books Dennis Lanfre is printing ? Dennis to have books available by the time pictures are delivered 2. League Rules No rules to be changed without Board approval. Cal league may have changed some rules but at least has re-entered the information to make it an electronic copy ? board needs to correct those changes or at least verify that they have been approved. Pat Sandoval is typing up an electronic version of the MBLL rules. 3. Adopt A Field Pass to Martin Ensbury with assistance from Mark Pavone ? Terry and Todd to get with both of them and work out details after the meeting. Suggestion made to have team sponsors for field maintenance with signage ?In appreciation of __name_____ for field maintenance? 4. Executive Board Member ? President position. Recommended that this position be required to be someone that has been on the board for at least 1 year so they know what is involved with all the details. Each President must be willing to make a 2-year commitment. Second year would be "Past President" position where they would assist the current President. No vote made. REGULAR BOARD MEETING Board Members present: Doug White George ____________ (can?t read name) Dennis Lanfre Mark Pavone Mike Ellington Dennis Green Jack Gard April Beuder Andy Caine Martin Ensbury Michael Hinz Neil Erickson Dennis Kane David White Kim Muno Todd Coyle started the meeting off with discussion of the long agenda. 1. Bases/Field Equipment MBMS ? no bases 4 sets new bases purchased no back plates Terry to order new plates Took Live Oak bases and put at Dorsey 8 bases now at Dorsey field New bases to go to MBMS first Question asked should we use double first bases (orange) Only Cal/T-ball ok for double 1st base Coast and Int?l. Vote on purchase of new 1st bases for all sheds ? Vote: NO Hoses and caddies ordered for all fields by Terry. Should have them in a few days Purchase of Water Soaker for fields ? vote: NO City to inform Richard John if fields are closed by 3pm ? Terry recommended that we try and get answer earlier ? need to inform managers so they will not have players at fields. Terry/Todd/Mark/Martin to create a ?To-Do? list for each field - field prep and what is required before each game. HOME TEAM needs to line fields. Most teams don?t know what is required. String for lines ordered. Core instructions for each league to be laminated and posted at each field with copies going to Ted for all his umpires. Sheds City to have Live Oak shed moved to Big Marine ASAP. Begg South/North to be moved between fields. All codes to be: 1812 Tractors We have 1 tractor at Premier, 1 at AMS. Suggestion by Terry to have True Green to take over the tractors and will maintain them. We need to get one moved to Marine field. 2. Budget Terry Spazek went over budget. No budget will be in roster book this year. General budget to go on Web page. Current: 6,310 in checking $129,910 savings Raffle looks like it brought in the high 30?s. Diane Deagle needs deposit slips to get money in acct. 3. Rule Books Pat Sandoval to type 2000 rulebook so the league has a soft copy in order to update ? committee to be assigned by President to review all rules for each league. Rulebook to be put on MBLL.org 4. Board member ? President Recommend that the President position be a 2-year commitment. Need to look at changing By-Laws. Bill von Brehen to create committee to look at (committee to include: April Beuder, Richard John, Doug White) 5. Tournament Do we want to host the Major?s All Star ? First we need to ask city if okay. Bob Collins to address issue with all the Majors managers to see if anyone person wants to handle. Bob and managers have agreed since the meeting. Waiting on Dennis Drag. Marine West not available as the softball Majors will be using. 6. Auxiliary Board New subs for snack stand will have red shirts saying STAFF. No other teenagers allowed in snack stands. Opening Day set for 2004 ? 3/6/04 ? Application already filed with City. Terry Spazek took care of. Terry Spazek to get April Beuder on signature at Washington Mutual ASAP. Pat Sandoval to create letter for approval. 7. Web Site Todd asked for pictures from Opening Day so that they could be posted on Web Site. Neil Erickson to send. In addition, sponsors will be added to list on web. Standing will be only added when seeding starts. 8. Survey Todd asked the board to consider a Mid Season Survey very similar to the one that is sent out at the end of the season. Reason being, if there are any area?s that need addressing, they can take care of it during the season instead of at the end when it is too late. VOTE: Yes 9. Marine Complex Todd recommended that we start utilizing the meeting room at the Marine Complex. It can hold up to 20 people and it is no cost to the league where Joslyn Center is a cost to the League. 10 Premier Field Update Mark Pavone is having trouble getting onto Premier Field ? MBMS has been utilizing the field during the day. It was recommended that Mark call the office to find out when they are going to use the field so he can work around their schedule. 10. Umpires Richard John reminded the board that if an umpire does not show up for a game to please call him immediately (766-2257). Richard will then get in touch with the rover and have them to field within a few minutes. Reminder to give feedback on umpires to Richard as well. Richard needs to know if anything negative has happened and also if in fact you have seen good umpires as well. Meeting Adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Meeting Minutes taken by Pat Sandoval, MBLL Secretary.

Several people have asked about rainouts. Here's the scoop on days of imminent weather: - First, walk outside.* Is the ground thoroughly soaked with rain (or are you getting that way)? If so, the fields are bound to be closed! - If it isn't raining steadily, your next step is to call your manager, who has access to the Manhattan Little League weather hotline. We don't give out the number so that the line doesn't get overly busy. We will be attempting to provide a copy of the weather hotline message at mbll.org so that everyone can have access to this information. Much of the following is meant for the managers, but may be of general interest. - If the MLL weather hotline is outdated or seems inconsistent with the current weather, you can call 802-5454.* This is the City of MB Field Closure Hotline, which is supposed to be updated by the Parks & Recreation staff at Manhattan Heights throughout the week and weekend. Again, if the message announces the current date and says fields are open or closed, then they probably are. If the message is outdated, then either the fields are open or the message hasn't been updated yet. If the line is busy, etc., etc. - Still not sure? Then drive by the field in question.* On busy days, such as Saturday, you can be guided by whether the teams assigned to that field before you are using it or not. If the fields are going to be open, then the games or practices before you should be in progress. If they're closed, then the fields should be empty. On slower days, it's a little more difficult because field use varies. However, the MLL and City of MB weather hotlines should be updated, so you can loop back to those steps if needed - It's not a bad idea for the managers of a scheduled game to check with each other by phone when uncertain about a possible rainout to make sure they're on the same page - Once it's determined that fields are open or closed, managers will notify team families by whatever means they have arranged in advance. What if you start playing or practicing and then it begins to rain? Then it's up to the managers to decide what to do. Finally, as a reminder, there are no make-up games except during playoffs and in lower level leagues like T-ball and Cal we have no make-up games. Regards, David *(shortly before your game or practice)

Looking for a news item that used to be on the mbll.org front page? It may be a bit out of date, so I removed it from the front page. It is still accessible, though. You can find it by clicking on the relevant menu item on the left. If you don't see any relevant menu item, try clicking on "News." It should be there. Finally, if you still don't see it, just drop me a line for help dennisjkane@yahoo.com

This is the form that you should submit to get work authorized as well as the payment for work done. You can download and complete, online the Excel version if you have Microsoft Excel. If you don't have Excel, you can download and print the Acrobat version and fill the form out by hand. Submit the completed form, attach the original invoice (for payment) and send everything to the address indicated on the form. If you have any questions, contact Terry Spazek.

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