August 22, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 9 Midland Park Sports officials in Midland Park are looking for a way to provide visitors’ bleachers for junior football this fall that allows for baseball games in the adjacent field as well. The difficulty arises because a newly-formed fall baseball team wants to play on weekends on the Johnny Vander Meer field, which is adjacent to the football field used for junior football games on Friday and Monday nights. The visitors’ bleachers for the football games are now positioned only a few feet away from second base, posing a safety hazard for the baseball players. The solution sought by the baseball association, and allegedly agreed to by junior football and the Midland Park Football bleachers interfere with new baseball team Board of Recreation, is to move the two portable bleachers to the sidelines every weekend. The problem, according to board of recreation member Dave Lancaster, is that the bleachers, while portable, cannot be moved manually by just outfitting them with wheels and getting a few strong volunteers to push them. “They need to be jacked up and moved with machinery, which, realistically, only the DPW can do,” Lancaster explained. Town officials at their last meeting balked at this option, questioning the availability of DPW employees, the costs involved and the potential damage to the field, which is the community’s pride. Retired Midland Park Police Chief John Bennett Casson is being honored in October with a testimonial dinner sponsored by the Midland Park United Republican Club. The event is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Brownstone in Paterson. Casson retired from the police department on July 31 when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65, but he had begun his terminal leave on March 20. He had been on the local police force for 44 years “We are proud to recognize former Chief Casson for his outstanding service to our community,” said Midland Park Republican Club President John Meeks, Jr. Midland Park Mayor Patrick “Bud’ O’Hagan called Casson “the epitome of a good street cop,” praising him for his “insight, experience and ‘gut feeling’ of knowing Dinner to honor former Chief Casson when a criminal act is happening.” Casson began as a patrolman in Midland Park in 1968 and went up through the ranks to sergeant and lieutenant, serving for many years as the force’s detective until the position became official in 2000. He was promoted to chief in 2006. Midland Park residents since they married, Casson and his wife Marilyn have two sons, both of whom have followed in their father’s footsteps. Jeff has been a police officer in Ridgewood for 10 years, and Christopher is an officer with the Eatontown, NJ Police Department. For more information about the cocktail reception and dinner or to support the event, please contact Midland Park Republican Club President John Meeks (john. meeks26@gmail.com). “It’s in the fall, when the DPW is after leaves, so it would have to be done after they’re done with the leaves on Fridays and Mondays,” said Councilman Bernie Holst. “Who would cover the overtime costs and any damage to the fields in bad weather?” he asked. Councilman Scott Pruiksma, the recreation liaison, suggested the baseball games be played on the high school baseball field, which in the fall is used for the recreational soccer program. “It’s better to coordinate with the soccer schedule instead of moving the bleachers and risking field trenching,” Pruiksma said. Dana Weisbrot, Midland Park Baseball Association president, said the stands would not be moved if the field were wet.”We would not ever do that,” he said. “It would hurt the baseball program too.” The council agreed that the decision should be left in the hands of the board of recreation, and Lancaster said he is exploring several options. One, he said, would be for both sets of bleachers to go at the end zones. Another would be to place the visitors’ stands along Dairy Street adjacent to the two home-team bleachers. Six baseball games would be played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in the course of an eight-week season ending Oct. 28. Weisbrot said he is confident the situation will get worked out. He explained the Johnny Vander Meer field is needed beginning this year because the 13/14-years old fall team, which was organized a couple of years ago when the players were in the seventh and eighth grade, must now play in a full-size field. The younger players use the smaller field in front of the refreshment stand and have no conflict with other sports, he said.