President of the Northwestern Recreation Commission Don Link had announced at the group's April 30 meeting a pickup truck had apparently mowed down some trash cans and Port-A-Potties at the recreation fields.

A $500 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandal or vandals, but as of yet, no information has been provided.

The Port-A-Potties are valued at $2,000 for the large one that is handicapped accessible and $1,000 each for the regular-size ones.

Welding repairs to the trash cans, which were permanently installed, will be $480.

The rec commission is investigating the purchase of cameras to make it easier to identify future vandals.

In other matters, there were two requests for use of the facilities: end of year field days for Northwestern Lehigh School District, and Director of Operations Arthur Oakes wants to use them for Sept. 17-19, 2015, for bus evacuation drills.

Most of the Northwestern Youth Athletic Association baseball and softball coaches were in attendance.

Dave Laudenslager, baseball director, spoke for the group.

He said when the coaches had to hand-drag the fields it was an overcorrection.

It was a popular notion that tractors damage the fields but they do not.

There was to be no equipment on the fields after they were updated with a lot of good-quality infield mix.

By hand it takes a long time, Laudenslager said.

After every game and practice they are to be dragged.

He wanted to be allowed to use the small tractor to pull the drag.

"Jason Zimmerman, school activities director, agreed to provide classes about how to properly care for the fields," said Laudenslager.

Link asked what drag they use.

The NYAA bought metal drags, which are heavier than what the commission expected them to be using.

LeRoy Sorensen said people had been just hopping on the tractor and digging up shale.

When the fields are graded properly, water sheets off them better.

"When it rains you can't drag them," said Laudenslager.

Link agreed dragging them when wet can make them playable but not good.

He asked when Zimmerman would do the training.

After the training, which he and maintenance person Jim Hughes would attend, Link wants to see written guidelines.

He said the commission is made up of elected officials from the townships, which gave them the authority to make decisions.

The commission infield rascal is used a couple times a week by Hughes.

Sorensen said he was going to suggest having a commercial groundskeeper come in once a year and go over the fields.

It is also important to know how much tax money is involved.

He said the four townships donate $13,000 based on a per person amount, and $7,000 of that immediately goes to pay for insurance.

Another $6,000 is budgeted for field maintenance such as fertilizer and weed control.

Link said he agrees with Sorensen's suggestion.

He said people did not respect the fields and that is why they had to be rebuilt.