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VIDEO: Locks were cut to use vehicle to trash ball diamonds at Langley’s Noel Booth Park

Incident comes as Langley Fastball Association players were preparing to begin new season
Dan Ferguson
Dan Ferguson

Some time between Good Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8, someone cut locks off two gates to gain access to the westernmost baseball diamonds at Langley’s Noel Booth Park, and used a vehicle to tear up the field, leaving deep ruts and rendering them unusable.

It happened as the Langley Fastball Association was preparing to begin its new season, with opening ceremonies planned for Saturday, April 15 at the park. They’d rented the six ball diamonds at Noel Booth, which is located in the 20300-block of 36th Avenue.

Association president Jeff Clegg called it “pretty demoralizing.”

Township staff have told him whoever was responsible “cut a lock to access the school [next to the park], then they cut a lock to get on to the fields.”

“They were determined [to inflict damage],” Clegg commented.

Clegg said staff at the Township of Langley, which owns the park, initially advised the repairs would take “at least two weeks.” Since then, they’ve revised their estimate to say the fields would have to be closed for an unknown amount of time.

Someone cut locks to get access to the westernmost ball diamonds at Noel Booth Park in Langley’s Brookswood neighbourhood in the 20300-block of 36th Avenue at the beginning of the long weekend, and used a vehicle to tear up the field. Langley Fastball Association president Jeff Clegg called it ‘pretty demoralizing.’ (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
Someone cut locks to get access to the westernmost ball diamonds at Noel Booth Park in Langley’s Brookswood neighbourhood in the 20300-block of 36th Avenue at the beginning of the long weekend, and used a vehicle to tear up the field. Langley Fastball Association president Jeff Clegg called it ‘pretty demoralizing.’ (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

“It’s really hurting us,” Clegg told the Langley Advance Times.

Clegg said the continuing growth in association membership during and after the pandemic means they have two fewer ball fields to accommodate 450 members ranging in age from seniors women’s players to U7.

“We’ve got to adjust our plans,” Clegg noted.

“We’re still working on the schedule [to fit games on the remaining available fields],” Clegg advised.

“We’re going to try to fit everyone in.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200.

To leave an anonymous tip, contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit www.solvecrime.ca.

More images from the day, and comments, can be viewed on the Langley Advance Times Facebook page.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Artist eradicates anti-Semitic graffiti from mural at Langley Baseball clubhouse

READ ALSO: Vandalism damages Langley Christmas in Williams Park light display

Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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