Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Hoboken Little League Coaches and Managers Upset Over Recent Decision on Maria Pepe Batting Cages

Marie Pepe Batting Cages
Hoboken, NJ
The following is a letter sent via social media to Hoboken Little League families and citizens of Hoboken by the Hoboken Little League Coaches and Managers Association. The letter encourages supporters to weigh in on the issue by contacting elected city officials via phone, text, or email. 





Tuesday March 9th 4PM EST Tapinto report a compromise has been reached. 



Dear Hoboken Little League Families:

We are writing to you today after receiving news last night from the City of Hoboken that was both disturbing and disappointing. As you may or not be aware, the City has decided the Maria Pepe Batting Cages will not be accessible to the baseball community for this season, and that a privately owned business will be granted priority over the needs of the children of our City.

By way of background, since built the Maria Pepe Batting Cages have been used to prepare our kids for each upcoming season, and as a training facility within the season. At the outset of Covid, the facilities were closed along with other exercise venues. As the weather warmed, the City decided that a business based in town could use the facilities for cycling classes for adults, since they deemed it could be done safely. Our Little League Board was supportive of this use at the outset—businesses in town are important members of our community, and we were all affected in some way by Covid. Many families wondered why it was so much safer for adults to use the facilities than kids, but the City was “following the science”, and many supported the decision.

In a series of conference calls with the City beginning in January 2021 (dates available), members of the Little League Board were told that the cages would be off limits to the Little League community until March 15th, at which time the safety of their use would be re-evaluated. If they were deemed unsafe, then April 15th was the next date for evaluation. One of the major points of safety mentioned by the City was the ability to open the windows and the doors of the facility. As we did with our successful program last spring and summer, we offered to work with the City to develop a set of protocols for the cages, and even went as far as to offer our help developing protocols for other programs in town.

Our purpose in writing to you today is twofold, to inform you of this action by the City and to ask for your help. If you believe as we do that the Maria Pepe Batting Cages are an important facility for the Little League Community, and you believe that they can be operated in a way that is safe for your children, please reach out to the Mayor’s office and the City Council to voice your concerns along with ours. Our kids are worth fighting for. Thank you for your time, and…

Let’s play ball!
Hoboken Little League Coaches and Managers Association


Mayor's Office: 

Phone
(201) 420-2000 ext 1001

Mail
Mayor's Office
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030

Hoboken City Council 

(Mobile phone numbers provided from Council's website)

US Mail Address: City Clerks Office 94 Washington St. Hoboken, NJ 07030

Phil Cohen: Telephone: (862) 234-9053  Email: pcohen@hobokennj.gov

Michael DeFusco: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2104 Email: mike4hoboken@yahoo.com; Mobile: (646) 372-4341

James Doyle: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2103; Email: jimdoylehoboken@gmail.com; Mobile: 201-452-1761

Vanessa Falco: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2102; Email: councilfalco@gmail.com; Mobile: 410-949-4311

Tiffanie Fischer: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2015; Email: hoboken2nd@gmail.com; Mobile: (201) 208-1674

Jennifer Giattino: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2100; Email: jengiattino6@gmail.com; Mobile: (201) 780-6779

Emily Jabbour: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2101; Email: hobokenemily@gmail.com; Mobile: 781-724-6258

Ruben Ramos Jr.: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2107; Email: councilmanramos4@gmail.com; Mobile: 201-401-7947

Michael Russo: Telephone: (201) 420-2000 ext. 2106; Email: councilmanrusso@gmail.com; Mobile: 201-401-9687 (text is best)


Dear Council Person __LAST NAME________, 

This is to inform you that I support the position of the Hoboken Little League Coaches and Managers Association and believe that the Marie Pepe Batting Cages facility can, and should, be operated in a manner that is safe and readily available for the children of Hoboken as soon as possible. 

Sincerely, 

NAME





Posted by at