Time might be running out on Schreiber Field

BY STAN MADDUX

The door has cracked to what many high school baseball fans in LaPorte once thought was unthinkable. Tearing down fabled Schreiber Field has been raised as a possibility. The field is named after the late Ken Schreiber, the legendary head coach who guided the Slicers to seven state high school baseball championships from 1967 to 1992.

Schreiber was 83 when he passed away in 2017.

Not only did he coach there but he established and helped maintain the field still highly regarded throughout the region for its immaculate playing surface and other big leaguetype qualities.

There’s also a lively atmosphere there from a loyal fan base for a still very competitive program.

However, the future of Schreiber Field is uncertain because of a desire to construct a new, much larger fieldhouse for the athletic program. Currently, LaPorte School Board President Jim Arnold said there is no room for such a facility at the landlocked high school.

Also factoring into the equation is Kiwanis Field where the football team has played a short distance from the high school for well over a half century.

Arnold said Kiwanis Field is badly in need of repairs, though, and building a new football stadium elsewhere might be more cost effective than sinking a considerable amount of money into an old facility.

He said the field house could be placed where Kiwanis Field is at if the stadium was demolished.

If renovated, Arnold said he feels the only other option is tearing down Schreiber Field to make way for a new field house.

Arnold said he knows what the baseball field and football stadium mean to the community but decisions, sometimes, have to be made on what’s best for the future.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people are still tied to the past, but it’s progress. I would consider anything for progress,” he said.

Arnold said a good location for a new Schreiber Field, Kiwanis Field or both might be at the Kesling Intermediate and Middle School campus.

Mayor Tom Dermody, a former star pitcher under Schreiber, said he would hate to see either facility vanish from the local landscape.

However, Dermody said he would support a tear down of any sort if deemed necessary for the athletic program to keep up with what’s provided to student athletes in other schools.

He said what a community offers is part of quality of life many people desire the most when choosing where to live and schools are included in those decisions.

“If our residents are telling us we need to compete with the best that includes upgrades of our infrastructure that really hasn’t been upgraded very much. Speaking athletically, not academically, it’s probably ready,”

Chip Jones, who played for Schreiber in the ’70s and broadcasts every Slicers baseball and football games on local radio station WCOE, predicted a lot of push back from the community if talk about demolishing either facility becomes more serious.

Jones said change isn’t always easy but sometimes it’s what’s best even if it means a special place like Schreiber Field, in particular, and its nostalgia disappearing.

“If they decide to do it, I probably wouldn’t like it but I would understand. It’s like everything else. Everything changes,” he said.

TTrès Belle, a trio of elite operatic sopranos, will warm up winter’s waning days in a concert of songs spanning opera, musical theater and pop at a Free Family Concert presented by the School of American Music 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, located at 14280 Red Arrow Highway in Harbert.

Donations of pull-tab cans of soups, stews, tuna, ravioli, spaghetti or anything that is easy to heat is being requested for Neighbor by Neighbor, a not-for-profit that connects Harbor Country residents to social services.

Kimberly Jones, Marisa Buchheit, and Kirsten Leslie are the three sopranos behind Très Belle, a distinctive ensemble of complementary voices and styles showcased through unpredictable arrangements and fresh interpretations of their repertoire. Established in 2014, the group has performed in settings ranging from a Chicago Bulls basketball game to the Chicago Cultural Center to the Ravinia Music Festival.

“The grace and beauty of these performers will be amplified by the concert’s setting,” said Donna M. Mitchell, executive director of the School of American Music. “The Church of the Mediator is an acoustic gem, perfect for the caliber of these classically trained, independently successful, but wholly collaborative singers. The Très Belle production promises to be a very special show.”

The program for the afternoon will include “Summertime,” “My Funny Valentine,” “I Could Have Danced all Night,” “Can’t Help Loving That Man,” “O Mio Babbino” and a “West Side Story” medley. The ensemble will be accompanied by pianist Paul Dykstra, and Leila Bowie will substitute for Marisa Buchheit. The concert is free, but registration is requested. Please visit SchoolofAmericanMusic.com to sign up.

The SAM Family Concert Series is made possible by a grant from the Pokagon Fund, and donations to the School of American Music. Visit SchoolofAmericanMusic.com for more information or to donate to the Future Fund, an endowment campaign to guarantee SAM’s financial future. Every dollar donated to the Fund is matched by the Michiana Arts Foundation. SAM is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible.

— STAFF REPORTS