Bureau considers request for softball tournament

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A group wants the tourism board to help with the costs of the opening ceremonies and field materials.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

VIENNA — Trumbull County Tourism Bureau officials are evaluating a request made by Thunder Elite Fastpitch Inc. for $35,000 in assistance from the bureau for this summer's PONY fast-pitch softball national championships.

Thunder Elite is a nonprofit organization headed by Robert Durig that uses 812 Youngstown-Kingsville Road, the address of the Thunderplex indoor and outdoor baseball facility, as its address.

Stephanie Sferra, executive director of the bureau, said Thunder Elite submitted a request several weeks ago and made a presentation at Thursday's tourism bureau meeting.

Sferra said bureau members asked her to provide them with additional information about the request before making a decision. No date has been set for a decision, she said.

The tourism board provided about $20,000 worth of assistance to David Anderson, the tournament manager and general manager of Thunderplex, last year. All of that help was for the opening ceremonies, which were held at Mollenkopf Stadium at Warren G. Harding High School.

Though Anderson said recently that he will remain tournament manager, he has turned over matters dealing with assistance from the tourism bureau to Thunder Elite.

Sferra said Thunder Elite wants the $35,000 to help with the opening ceremonies at Mollenkopf again and for field drying and marking agents in Trumbull County.

Tournament locations

Anderson said this year's tournament would be held at Field of Dreams in Boardman, McCune Park in Canfield, the Thunderplex, Perkins and Packard parks in Warren, Waddell Park in Niles and the baseball complex in Newton Falls.

Sferra said the tourism board would like to see the tournament return this summer and into the future, but she was noncommittal on whether the bureau will fund the request.

"We know that the tournament brings a lot of money into the local economy, and we're supportive of things that bring money into the area. We want to make sure that we provide assistance that is proper," she said.

The tournament is scheduled for July 20-26 and July 29-Aug. 4.

Anderson expects this year's tournament to attract about 280 teams, up from the 186 that participated last year.

runyan@vindy.com

Saturday, April 14, 2007