One Week Left to Convince Community to Build a Little League Legacy

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By Chelsea Kopta

Summary

The plan was simple enough: to revamp a Kennewick ball field in honor of a little boy who died of a rare form of cancer. But Action News has learned those plans are far from a done deal.

Story Published: Feb 17, 2010 at 7:59 PM PST

KENNEWICK, WA -- Cooper Larson was a small slugger with big dreams. He suited up for every game as a bat boy on the local little league team with little outward signs that was struggling with a rare form of brain cancer and type 1 diabetes.

But by four years old, when Cooper couldn't fight the cancer any longer, the community approached his family with an idea: spruce up the Kennewick American Youth Baseball (KAYB) complex, a shabby baseball field behind Canyon View Elementary where he was bat boy, in his honor.

A year later, those dreams hang in the balance.

"For the most part we're there," Keith Dupuis said, organizer of the Cooper Larson Foundation. "We just have a few people we need to convince that, really, we're just rebuilding an already existing field."

Dupuis knows he has to persuade the toughest contenders: surrounding neighbors. Whey they originally caught wind of the plan early last year, they quickly spoke out against it, adamant that the fixed-up field would take away from their peaceful way of life. They petitioned, reached out to school leaders and state agencies to put a stop to it. They filed for public records requests scanning land uses, permits and state statutes.

"We don't think it should take precedence over the quality of life of the rest of the people who live here," homeowner John Garvey told Action News back in August 2009. He and Paul Krupin were the two men who headed up the effort to keep the field the way it was.

"We have compromised and we will continue to do so," Dupuis said.

School administrators now support the project, according to a letter dated a month ago, as long as the field follows certain criteria. That includes making sure the outfield fence is no further than 175 feet from home plate, allowing access through gates, that the school can fit the soccer fields and other playfields in the extra area, work with neighbors and allow access to baseball field during recess.

The final decision will come down to the school board.

"Are there any deal-breakers?" Action News asked Kennewick school board president Dawn Adams. "One of the considerations that had the board concerned was a permanent fence structure," she said.

One worry is that the new fence might cut off access to the school's playground. Plus, Adams said the board will also consider land use and naming the field after Cooper since he didn't actually go to a Kennewick school. But Adams said she will keep an open mind especially since administrative support weighs heavily with the board.

"I would say 99% of the time administration has made a recommendation to the board, the board has supported," Adams said.

A final decision comes next week on the fate of the field and Cooper's legacy.

The public meeting is this Thursday, Feb. 18th at 6:30 PM at the KSD Administrative Building Board Room at 524 S. Auburn Street, Kennewick. Next Wednesday, Feb. 24th the foundation with present the proposal to the Kennewick School Board. The board members make the final decision.