As colder weather moves in, some buildings at Veterans Park need to be shut down to prevent pipes from freezing and breaking, most notably, the concessions stands and restrooms. The process starts …
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As colder weather moves in, some buildings at Veterans Park need to be shut down to prevent pipes from freezing and breaking, most notably, the concessions stands and restrooms. The process starts with HYAA and the Hastings Hawks removing their remaining products from the buildings and the Hawks cleaning their concessions stand to allow the water to be shut off. That cleaning happened over the last two weekends.
“Immediately after our final game for fall baseball, we cleaned out the concessions stand,” explained Johnny Stocker, Hawks Secretary. “That cleanout process involves distributing any left-over food and beverages to the board members. We also donated some product, like popcorn, to the Ice Arena that expire before the start of our next season.”
Along with clearing out any remaining products, the four board members spent time cleaning and organizing the concessions stand and bathrooms to make the start up easier and to protect the dry goods from mice.
“These buildings are the only manmade safe havens for pests in a huge park. Mice stay out of here during the season because the park is so busy. During the winter, that is another story, so we set traps and protect our dry goods like napkins, paper towels and toilet paper in the sealed cooler that is shut off,” Stocker said.
That makes the continual cleaning of the concessions stand so important in season, and the final cleaning vital to help eliminate attractants like food crumbs.
“Due to a shortage of inspectors, there was a large gap in our inspections for the concessions stand,” said team President Bruce Karnick. “We have had two inspections since I joined in 2011. Both inspectors with the State of Minnesota were impressed by how our stand is run and both complimented us on the cleanliness of the stand saying they have never seen such a clean concession stand. That is all thanks to the awesome volunteers we have.”
It helps that Karnick has a restaurant manager background where he brought the applicable procedures to the stand to ensure compliance with the state’s regulations.
A solid deep cleaning after the season also makes the start up in spring much easier for the volunteers.
With the concessions stand put to bed, the focus of the second weekend was doing the same for the rest of the baseball field and the batting cages. Players and board members joined forces as they cleaned out the storage shed, press box and the team’s clubhouse area under the press box.
“We had several players and board members out Saturday midday to put the final touches on things,” added Stocker. “We helped purchase a lot of the extras out here with the help of HYAA and the City, but as the primary users and caretakers, we take the ownership off the city staff to do as much of the shutdown work as possible. It makes for a great partnership with the city.”
The group split into two teams, one started on the field items while the other cleaned out and secured the press box. The first goal was to roll up the outfield windscreen, then take down and store the batting cage nets along with storing the safety L-screens in the garage.
All of this takes time and bodies, but it helps extend the life of the items. The expected life of the netting is five to seven years if left out in the harsh Minnesota winters, that can be doubled when stored inside. Once the group finished that work, they went to the clubhouse to not only clean it, but to install a much-needed flooring upgrade. The underside of the press box was actually designed to remain open, but that quickly changed the summer of 2015 when it was installed. The boys wanted a clubhouse, and it was a perfect addition.
“The clubhouse has really helped the team become more of a family,” said Karnick. “The guys hang out after games, especially Friday night games. We get pizza, play cribbage and have a great time.”
The problem is the ground was just covered with a weed barrier and class five rock. They put boards down and some scrap turf, but it was a patchwork of a floor covering. When the team ordered the turf for the batting cages, they also added some putting green turf on to the order for the clubhouse and it was finally installed this past Saturday.
The Hawks do so much for the benefit of everyone that uses the field, it was a much-needed reward to the guys to have that new turf in the clubhouse.
With winter fast approaching, it is only a matter of weeks before the gates will be closed on the 2023 season of sports at Veterans Park. The Hawks and HYAA will not return until April of 2024 for the spring clean-up day. That is always a Saturday in April, usually a week or two before the first game that is typically the first week of May. That changes a little depending on the weather and the need of the high school team.
If you are interested in helping with the clean-up day, email president@hastingshawks.com. The three dates that are initially an option are April 13, 20 or 27, depending on the weather. The final date is locked down usually within a month before.
