Several Updates Planned at Bowen Memorial Field
Officials hope Bowen Memorial Field will be ready for spring play
EASTFORD — Due to flooding issues, Bowen Memorial Field was unfortunately deemed too wet for play last year, which led all Pomfret Eastford Little League (PELL) games to be played in neighboring Pomfret. According to Bowen Memorial Field Committee President Liz Scranton, the hope is to have the field ready for play in 2026, but much work remains in order for that to happen.
“This spring, there will be a ton of work being done,” Scranton said in a conversation with the Communicator last month, adding that the committee has been learning a lot about what they can do — as well as what they cannot do — because the land on which the field rests is technically considered a wetland.
“In the past year, we have gone to Board of Selectmen meetings and [Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission] meetings, and we have gone to people to ask what we can do. … It’s a learning curve,” Scranton said. “A lot of [the work] we can’t ask of PELL because it’s a town-owned field. … We also have to stay within wetlands [guidelines].”
Scranton added that because the town owns the field, if the town were to hypothetically just pay for the major work the field requires itself, it would be a significant added burden to residents when it comes to budget season.
“We don’t want to put that on taxpayers,” she said. “We just want a somewhat dry field, and have parents be dry too. In April, it is just wet.”
In order to do the required work, the strategy is to rely on the generosity of volunteers. For now, the plan is to add more infield mix, as well as extra stone to help with drainage. Another “maintenance day” is planned for Saturday, April 4, to get this manual labor done by dedicated volunteers.
“We need lots of hands and shovels,” Scranton said. “We will have a tractor trailer of stone and infield mix to put on field, so that we can make the field more playable.”
According to Scranton, Gary Whittenburg is donating the stone needed for the field. The stone will be poured around bleachers and the concession stand to help keep things dry. Other work planned includes installation of a new scoreboard, which will be donated by the Inn at Woodstock Hill and Kazantzis Real Estate. Renovation work is also planned for the concession stand, the time and materials for which are being donated by Tom DeJohn.
“Hopefully, all of these materials will help the field stay dry in the spring and able to be used in the fall for fall ball,” Scranton said. “The plan is to have practices and games at Bowen Field all season, almost every night of the week. It all starts at the end of April. PELL needs fields for kids to play on. We have the kids to play — three coach-pitch teams, tee ball teams, softball for girls — they need fields.”
Beyond plans for the immediate needs of the field, Scranton said the committee is also looking further down the road to address the second field that sits adjacent to the main field. This second field has sat relatively unused in recent years. She said that the committee hopes see this space as a softball field in time.
“Hopefully, long-range, down the road, in the next year or two, we can make it into a softball field,” she said, adding that this area is also being considered as space for extra parking. “It has always been a wetter location — the water just drains off.”
For now, Scranton stressed that the planned improvements are just going to require patience.
“There are three committees working to get different things approved,” she said. There are going to be great things that happen at the field — it’s just going to take time. We just want to make sure everything is done correctly."
Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation to the Bowen Memorial Field can make checks out to the Selectmen’s Office, with “Bowen Memorial Field” in the memo line. Another way to contribute is through a sponsorship through PELL, which will include having a sponsor flag on the field. Forms are available here.
For more information about Bowen Memorial Field, or questions about how you can get involved, e-mail [email protected].
File photo
