To: La Conner Town Council, The Kind Attention of the Town Council re: Interest in Renewing Lease for Hedlin Field

Re-New the Lease for La Conner Baseball Field

This petition is a result of difficulty for sports parents to attend a Tuesday night meeting of the La Conner Town Council.

We are glad to know the town is interested in continuing the lease with Hedlin Farms for the baseball diamond, and welcome the request to show local support from people who do use the field for:

1. Baseball Practice (2 coach pitch and 2 kid-pitch minor teams in 2014; there is also one softball team in town for elementary girls)
2. Baseball Games
2. Frisbee with their dog
3. Walking
4. Picnics on sunny days
5. Volunteer opportunity for high school students who are required to serve our community to satisfy graduation requirements.
6. Playing catch with Dad
7. Community Pride

As each year, local community members rise to the task of volunteering to cut the grass, sweep the field, lime the field, maintain to the best of our ability the declining dugouts, and are most grateful for the use of a Porta-Potty which has been provided by the town for the duration of the season.

The purpose of this petition is to be able to show the La Conner Town Council of local public interest in keeping the lease of the field.

As of January 27, 2015, the town has budgeted $4.5K for the lease of the field. Hedlin Farms requests $7K for the lease of the field and parking space. This lot is in a prime location on Maple Street in the town of La Conner.

The town respectfully requested notification of Public Interest in retaining the field.

Disclosure: The petitioner, Amylynn Richards, sponsored two little league teams last year and photographed the teams as a business entity. The loss of this field would not cause detriment to her business as the cost of sponsorship outweighed financial gain from the La Conner teams.

The petitioner believes in the positive benefits of sports for children, and the civic pride it brings to communities such as our own.

Ten Reasons Why Sports Are Great For Kids
1. Playing sports is fun. It gives your child something to do and a group to belong to. They have a group of friends that has the same goals and interests.

2. Research has found that kids that play sports, especially girls, are more likely to have a positive body image and higher self-esteem. They also are less likely to be overweight.
3. Kids involved in sports are less likely to take drugs or smoke because they realize the impact that these destructive activities can have upon their performance. Girls who play sports are also less likely to become pregnant.

4. Physical activities are a good way to relieve stress and reduce depression.

5. Sports help kids develop discipline. They learn to set goals and then work to achieve those goals. They learn that by working hard they can accomplish the things that they want to in their lives.

6. Kids who play sports quickly learn that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. They learn to be a good sport in both situations. It also helps them learn to deal with disappointment and go on.

7. Statistics show that kids who are involved in sports while in high school are more likely to experience academic success and graduate from high school.

8. Sports help develop teamwork and leadership skills. Kids quickly learn that they have to work together as a team to win the game.

9. Motor skills, strategic thinking, and even math skills are learned by playing sports. Students develop strategic thinking as they figure out plays and the best way to get around a player or score a goal. Math skills are used as they calculate scores and stats.

10. Regular exercise increases quality of life. Children who exercise are more likely to continue the practice into adulthood.

Whatever way you look at it sports benefits your child.
(Source: http://www.families.com/blog/10-benefits-of-playing-sports)(

If the La Conner baseball teams lost the field, the children would still be allowed to form teams with the South Skagit Little League, however many children would not be able to participate due to the location of the alternate field: Bakerview Fields, which is on the far side of Mount Vernon, on the Sedro-Woolley side. The fields are approximately 40 minutes from town. The majority of our parents work and would be unable to return to town to take their children to Bakerview.

Thank you for your support of the La Conner baseball field.

Why is this important?

We begin this petition to honor the La Conner Town Counsel's respectful request to show support for renewing the lease of the lot which holds the town's baseball field.