NEWS &VIEWS You Can Use Holy Cricket! What is going on with Schooley Mill?
T e inter-web is a-twitter with the rumor that horses are going to be shut out of School- ey Mill Park in Howard County. T e follow- ing notice has been widely circulated via email (so much so that we can not fi nd the original source or author): “T e county is planning to put a six-acre cricket fi eld at Schooley Mill.
horse park in Howard County and it is truly a multi-use facility, not a horse park. Howard County has a long tradition of eques- trian activities and as we continue to grow and lose our farm land there are fewer and fewer places to ride. T e county has multiple ball parks, golf courses, and skate parks, but not one true horse park. T e county should be adding dressage rings, polocrosse fi elds and cross-country jumps at Schooley Mill, not cricket fi elds. We need a venue for our horse activities! Howard County equestrians are sup- porting our local economy with horse boarding businesses, lesson programs, equestrian supplies, and hay and feed sales, yet the county is not supporting its equestrians! Please send an email to Ken Ulman, county executive and John Byrd, Howard County Parks and Recreation, and ask them to sup- port equestrians by making Schooley Mill a horse park and putting cricket fi elds in a ball park.”
Horse folks rallied to the cause.
Here is a peek at some of the cir- culated emails: From Karen Groner: T ey are planning to put a six-acre
cricket fi eld in at Schooley Mill horse park. If they would put in dressage rings, PX fi elds, and XC jumps in- stead we could have a nice little horse park, even a place for a D rally. Please send an email to the county executive Ken Ulman and the Howard County Park and Recreation head, John Byrd, and let them know you want a true horse park, not a multi-use facility. After all, the equestrian commu- nity contributes a lot more to our county’s economy than the cricket community!
lesson programs, equestrian supplies, and hay and feed sales and deserve to have a park to use for their sport. Please stay in support of the equestrian com- munity. I hope you will consider this as you proceed with the plans for a cricket fi eld at Schooley Mill. Not a good idea! From Melanie Wells: Messrs. Ulman and Byrd – I live in Montgom-
From Carol Messerly, a neighbor of the park: Dear Mr. Ulman and Mr. Byrd: I am opposed
to this plan and would hate to see this land used in this way.
Schooley Mill is the only Schooley Mill is the only public eques-
trian park available to riders in this grand county. T e park would be better served by adding dressage rings, polocrosse fi elds and cross-country jumps, not cricket fi elds. We need a venue for our horse activi- ties! Howard County equestrians are supporting our local economy with horse boarding businesses,
ery County but have ridden at Schooley Mill just recently. What a beautiful park! It would be a shame to lose such a beautiful place to a cricket fi eld. I believe the county should seriously consider other equestrian activities for the many riders in your gorgeous county. Perhaps an eventing fi eld for cross-country riding or maybe even a polo fi eld? I just wanted you to know that there are people who don’t live in Howard County but ride there and who would be terribly upset not to be able to go to Schooley Mill. John R. Byrd, Director for How-
ard County Recreation & Parks, has provided the following re- sponse: T e cricket fi eld is being built as an
overlay on two existing multipurpose fi elds. T ere is no loss of equestrian access or use. As we plan and design future parks we will continue to keep the equestrian community in mind. T anks again for contacting me. From the offi cial report for
Howard County Recreation and Parks: Schooley Mill Park is 192 acres in
the Highland area, with two multi- purpose fi elds side by side, and they are at diff erent elevations. One fi eld is twelve feet higher than the other. T e Department is proposing to re- grade the two fi elds to make them all at one elevation, so there is more fl exibility for diff erent types of uses on the fi eld. T e pitch for the Cricket Field will
be in the middle, between the two fi elds (see map). T ere is a minor change to the map as the pitch will actually rotate about 90 degrees, so there is a longer area. T e pitch will
be an artifi cial turf surface. T e two multi-use fi elds will remain natural grass. T e Department is hoping to sod the multi-use fi elds so they can be gotten into play quickly.
Care to voice your thoughts? Email
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www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 OCTOBER 2012 | THE EQUIERY | 9
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