By Janmarie Foschini
It was a beautiful morning in Greenwood Lake on Sat., Apr. 17 for the Opening Day Little League Parade. Windermere Ave. was lined with spectators cheering for the players as they made their way down Main St. This year the league is made up of eight baseball teams and seven softball teams from tee-ball through seniors. In total, almost 200 ball players are participating in Little League this year.
“It is great to see Little League team up with the community for a great cause,” said Jim Cicchetti, President of the league.
This season something new lies ahead for the Seniors and Juniors. The Senior girls’ are traveling this year, playing in a West Milford, NJ Babe Ruth league. Three Junior teams will be playing special games with Warwick and Chester Little Leagues.
Following the parade, the teams gathered at the Lions Field for the opening day ceremony. League President Cicchetti welcomed the large crowd and thanked all the volunteers who dedicated their time to ensure the fields were ready for opening day, as well as all the countless hours that went into planning, preparing, and making the season possible. Skylar Clifford sang The National Anthem.
A special dedication ceremony was held to honor Jeff Hart, an integral part of the Greenwood Lake community who passed away this year. Jeff played in the league and later coached his sons, Jeffrey and Gregory. He was a lifelong resident of Greenwood Lake and devoted volunteer to the league. At the time of his passing, his family asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Little League. To increase the impact of the community’s generosity, the league matched the donations as did the Village of Greenwood Lake.
All money received from the donations was used for a much-needed scoreboard at the Lions Field. The new scoreboard was dedicated in memory of Jeff. His wife, Donna, their children and family were in attendance for the ceremony. Jeff and Greg threw the first pitches and officially kicked off the season.
In his remarks, Village of Greenwood Lake Mayor Jesse Dwyer thanked the dedicated volunteers, parents, and sponsors.
“In a year when outdoor youth sports couldn’t be more important, we kicked off another amazing Little League and Softball opening day in Greenwood Lake,” Dwyer added.
G.L. Little League held a dedication ceremony in honor of Jeff Hart who passed away last year. A new scoreboard was donated to the league & presented to the community on opening day. Shown here, (from left) are: Katheleen Holder, Kelli Kelm, Mayor Jesse Dwyer, Charlie Figueroa, Catherine Miller, Jeffrey Hart Jr, Donna Hart, Gregory Hart, Christine Hart, Jim Halbig, Darcy Halbig, Justin Halbig, Jack Halbig, Christopher Cicchetti, & Jim Cicchetti.
G.L. Deputy Mayor Kelli Kelm, second from left, is shown here with members of the girls softball team getting ready to lead off the annual Opening Day Parade on Sat. Apr. 17.
Skylar Clifford sang the National Anthem for the G.L. Little League Opening Day ceremony on Sat., Apr. 17.
