by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
The Blue Dragon Foundation, which oversees the use of the baseball field and scheduling, has had its hands tied with regards to the summer baseball season. Baseball is a popular sport in Garretson, and the lack of ability for teams to practice and play during the coronavirus pandemic has remained contentious, especially as other teams in the area have set up schedules and games. The Garretson School District owns the property that the field is located on, which means that baseball has been halted so far this summer. The school is required to follow South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) rules regarding sports fields, weight rooms, gyms, and other school-funded activities, which has been limiting what can be done in each area. The earliest the field can open due to these rules is currently July 9th, and is subject to change upon an increase in case numbers in Minnehaha County. The school district has been exploring ways to re-open the baseball field sooner, which has been closed since mid-March.
At the Garretson School Board meeting last week Monday, June 8, Superintendent Guy Johnson proposed selling the field to the City of Garretson, and the school board was amenable to the suggestion. They listed cost savings on maintenance and insurance as a pro to that option, and gave their consent for Supt. Johnson to move ahead with exploring that option. The next evening, June 9, the Garretson City Council held a special meeting to canvass the votes from the election that had taken place on June 2, and Supt. Johnson proposed his idea to the council at that time. If the ball field was owned by the City, SDHSAA guidelines would not apply.
