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Local

Ottawa business group donates $500 for dugout safety fencing

By Charles StanleyEmail
Phil McNally (left), of Ottawa’s recreation board, accepts $500 from Ottawa-Naplate Hospitality & Beverage Association representatives (from left) Vice President Jason Callaway, President Max Umbarger and Treasurer Jenna Weber. The donation will help pay for safety fencing for the Monster Field dugouts. The fencing was installed after a foul ball hit from the field struck a boy in the back of his head while he was seated in the wooden dugout (shown at right).
Charles Stanley
Phil McNally (left), of Ottawa’s recreation board, accepts $500 from Ottawa-Naplate Hospitality & Beverage Association representatives (from left) Vice President Jason Callaway, President Max Umbarger and Treasurer Jenna Weber. The donation will help pay for safety fencing for the Monster Field dugouts. The fencing was installed after a foul ball hit from the field struck a boy in the back of his head while he was seated in the wooden dugout (shown at right).

A $1,300 Little League field safety fence had $500 shaved off the cost Tuesday by a donation from the Ottawa-Naplate Hospitality & Beverage Association.

Last month, a boy in the dugout at the minor league Monster Field at Ottawa’s Lincoln-Douglas Park was hit in the back of the head by a foul ball from the adjacent Masinelli Field.

The boy ended up OK, said Phil McNally, a member of Ottawa’s recreation board.

“It was just a freak thing,” he said. But even so, the decision was to prevent it from happening again by having chain-link fence installed over the openings. All Types Fence of Streator did the job in six days.

McNally said he actually heard about the accident from Ron Callaway, of Jonny Coconuts Bar and Grill in Ottawa. Callaway also suggested McNally contact his brother, Jason Callaway, the vice president of ONHBA.

Originally the organization was known as the Ottawa-Naplate Liquor Association. But then several years ago membership was expanded to other businesses, and the name was updated.

The additional membership allowed the organization to generate more money for the causes it supports, said Jason Callaway, of Callaway Satellite & Video Surveillance Systems.

An event held in April raised more than $14,000 for the Pet Project animal shelter in Marseilles.

Money also had been provided to other organizations including Friendship Village and PADS.

“We’re just trying to help people,” said Jason Callaway.

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