Kathy Hermany, chairman of the Night in the Country Committee, would like to have more activities participate in future "Night" celebrations.

She told the Northwestern Recreation Commission at its November 2012 meeting all vendors and activities have paid their share to the commission.

President Donald Link addressed Hermany.

"Thank you so much for all you've done," Link said. "It's been a successful year."

She reported the group that runs the car cruise turned its donation back to the commission.

The group is one of several nonprofits that use the event as a fundraiser for outside organizations such as the people selling admissions who pass on a donation from Night to the American Cancer Society.

With one Night all wrapped up, planning will begin for next year. Night in the Country 2013 will be Aug. 17, the third Saturday.

The Steel Creek band will again be performing. In other matters, drainage is again one of the field maintenance issues.

On field two, a drainage swale was put in and it helps but there is still a lesser problem as the swale did not totally eliminate the problem.

Many of the fields have infield mix that is migrating to the edges and forming a lip that has to be spread to prevent it from becoming larger.

Signs are on the bleachers showing they were bought with the Nestlé Water grant.

The roofs should be on the dugouts within two weeks reported the Northwestern Youth Athletic Association.

Rec Commission member LeRoy Sorensen asked about the trash cans.

Jim Hughes said some 55-gallon drums have been obtained and there are tops for them.

Hurricane Sandy snapped off another five trees that will be removed and replaced with oaks.

The flag light is out again, possibly because of the electric outage.

The electrical system needs resetting. The flag will be taken down for the winter.

The lower playground will be enhanced with the remaining $3,500 dollars the NYAA received to work specifically on that area. It was put off until Todd Leiser, president of NYAA, is present.

A Kubota tractor will be bought with a $3,700 trade in of two tractors - one too large and one too small and both needing frequent repairs.

With the trade the tractor will cost $9,999 with a mower deck, bucket and multi-purpose tires. It is a 23-horsepower diesel tractor.

At the July 25, 2012, meeting, Dennis Smith attended a meeting asking to use a softball field for practice for his non-NYAA team. He is a resident of Northwestern but some of his players are not.

Andy Lister, director of softball, told him there are eight NYAA softball teams and the fields are full.

At the Nov. 28, 2012, meeting, Sorensen said a South Parkland team played on the fields and considered it their home field, but Smith is not considered as having the rec fields as his home team.

Don Link said there are other occasions when outside teams are considered the home team at the rec field.

Smith was told he should have gone to the NYAA for scheduling conflicts as the commission does not do any scheduling. He was also told to check if there was room at Ebenezer Church.

The possibility of paying someone to do the scheduling was discussed and discarded, though a master scheduler could also help schedule tournaments.

Sorensen said scheduling sometimes gets "ugly" when soccer and baseball conflict.

Link said he respectfully disagrees that it gets bad. He coaches baseball.

Member Justin Smith said the NYAA should schedule its teams and give it to a master scheduler. Any time there is an open field it should be able to go to anyone requesting it.

Link said Smith should have gone to the NYAA and said, "I have a team. I want a practice field. How can you help me?"

The NYAA has priority on the use of the fields because they help with the upkeep both financially and with maintenance work.

Smith did not have time to talk when a phone call was made by The Press for comment and he did not return the phone call by press time.