Where Wiffle Ball’s a Crime There May Be No Child Left Outside

Note that the land they're using was designated for drainage, and stripping out the natural vegetation (which they did) impairs that.

Does this mean I can fill in my local wetlands, as long as I get some kids to do it for me?

These kids today. They'll just waltz into any abandoned field and do who knows what! (insert sarcastic eye roll here - I'm sure the community could find better uses of their time than picking on kids who want to play baseball).

That land may cost 1.25 million but the interactive play of young people developing their character seems priceless to me. When our kids were growing up, our back yard was the most valuable piece of property to a lot of neighbor kids. The grass might have gotten a little worn at times but the kids grew up just fine.

When Wiffle Ball is illegal only criminals will play Wiffle Ball.

Makes me ashamed to be from CT, where a kid can't be a kid...this is financial considerations overriding human ones yet again, the bane of our modern society. Let the kids play!

HG

This is ridiculous! I should think that people would want kids to get up off the couch and go outside and do something active for a change. And it's such a wonderful feeling, to have kids playing outside in the neighborhood. It gives a sense of community. So why complain for no reason at all about it?

When I was about 12 (a short 9 years ago) my friends and I constructed, completely on our own without adult assistance, a magnificent tree fort in a tree 2 feet from the property line (on our side, of course). In truth, it was a horrendous eyesore, made mostly of scrap wood with nails hanging out all over the place (which my father quickly fixed for safety). Turns out this palace for pubescent boys was an assault on our neighbors' suburban eyes, and she quickly brought hell down on our household. After being forced to tear the fort down ourselves-an act nothing short of childhood wrecking torture-my friends and spent the rest of the summer playing Nintendo, fearful that any stray baseballs or barking dogs would incite another wrath. We got the last laugh though - somehow 3 dozen eggs broke themselves all over her windows.

Yeah, the kids building a field and playing ball outside are the ones that should be harassed. I bet these are the WORST kids in the area.

Seriously, shouldn't these be the kids we are praising? They are taking initiative and doing something positive for the community!

Let the kids play. They just want to play wiffle ball. They aren't out destroying things and doing drugs. They just want to be outside in summer. There isn't anything wrong with that. I'm not saying leave it up forever, but leave it until winter at least...geesh.

I think it's great that the kids are getting outside, forming teams, being creative, and *playing*! I'm hoping *parents* are sticking up for the kids (and that it's just angry adults *without* children who are complaining).
Maybe a silly question, but aren't there playgrounds parks already made for the kids? We have multiple parks and free/public ball-fields within walking distance.

Let's not make this into a people getting back to nature argument. A baseball field is hardly nature.

That being said, this is pretty infuriating. How dare those kids not be out buying Xbox games and sitting on the couch eating snacks getting fat! That goes against all that is american!

Seriously though, poor kids. They did all that work just to have fun playing a game and getting some exercise and fresh air. Here come the overprotective or otherwise ridiculously-minded parents to ruin the fun. All I can say is "ugh..."

Liz Pate' sez NO WIFFLE! She is the goose liver queen so don't mess with her. Hope her husband worked for Bear Sterns.

I hope whichever neighbors closed down Fenway-lite see this and realize what arrogant monsters they've become.

I don't think this is fair one bit. I can't wrap my head around why the parents can't be supportive about this situation. If it's permits they want help the kids apply for them. If it's a matter of property ownership see if there's any way the land could be adopted by the community.

You know it's bad when we finally have kids started to get back outside that a community goes into an uproar.

What do you expect in Greenwich?? I'm actually surprised the kids did it rather than having their nannies do it! Not only that but I'm surprised it was done in a series of supervised "play dates" professionally organized and planned in Outlook. Seriously, yet more proof that some people simply have more money than brains. Let's ignore Darfur, devastated towns in the Midwest, New Orleans, etc, etc. and instead focus our energy on some kids playing ball. Yeah, that's the sign of an intelligent, reasoned populace! Seriously, parents just need to shut up, butt out, and let their kids play.

I'm pretty disapointed to see adults giving these young men a hard time.

I would be proud of my son if he took this kind of action. The adults that are trying to take this away from the guys should be ashamed of themselves.

Dudes, I see this all of the time.

Solitude has become a virtue. When I ride the train or bus people will actually get upset with me if I try to strike up a conversation. And it won't even be anything remotely controversial, it'll be like, "Hey, where are you from?"

Good fences make good neighbors I guess. I would think a Miniature "Green Monster" would be just what the Neighborhood Association ordered.

Clearly nobody was using the land before the kids took care of it so what right does anyone have to kick them off the land? No doubt this will be another case of scare mongering about people using a public area attracting drunks, drug users, crime, etc.

If the kids can't play outdoors then they can't play indoors because that may lead to computer games which is supposed to lead to school shootings. It's a terrible time to be under 18.

Did any of you actually read the article before commenting?

As great as it is that these kids took some initiative to do something other than play video games, they went about it all wrong.

They cleared and built on government owned property without seeking any sort of permission much less permits.

"Clearly nobody was using the land before the kids took care of it so what right does anyone have to kick them off the land?"

"Nobody was using the land" because it was a natural area reserved for drainage for an area that sometimes floods. The kids, "took care of it" by removing the foliage intentionally left to prevent erosion and displacing wildlife.

I guarantee you these "neighbors" are all senior citizens who can't remember what it was like to be a kid and enjoy baseball when growing up.

I'd much rather look at this beautiful field than a pile of poison ivy and weeds anyday.

I'd even knock a couple out of the park if they'd let me take a few swings.

I hope the kids come out on top.