Little league forced to give up revenue for needy players.

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press February 19, 2001
By Bob Wilson  Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE- Is it a case of Goliath picking on David? Those on David’s side say yes; those on Goliath’s side refuse to comment.

At issue is a complaint lodged with Los Angeles County zoning officials last spring about advertising signs displayed at the American Indian Little League baseball field at 11^th  Street West and Avenue O-8.

Because of the complaint, the county forced the nonprofit American Little League to remove advertising that generated $10,000 to $12,000 a year in revenue – Money that paid for the equipment needed by youngsters who want to play but can’t afford to buy it.

According to Harry Richard, the league’s sponsorship director, a county inspector identified the complainant as Lamar Outdoor Advertising, which operates the lion’s share of the Antelope Valley’s billboards.

Ted Brunner, general manager of the Chancellor Media Corp. of Lancaster, which owns Lamar Outdoor, declined to discuss the issue.

John Gutwein, supervising regional planner with the county’s zoning enforcement section, declined to name the complaining party, saying that “once our inspector saw the signs, we became the complainant.”

Gutwain told the league that it must remove the signs from its freeway-side ball field because it is on land zoned for agricultural purposes, where advertising is prohibited.

The field is on land owned by the Desert Highland Baptist Church.

Neither the league nor the church were singled out by the county, Gutwein said.

The church was forced to remove its own sign as well because it, too, could be seen from the freeway, said Pastor Charles Miller.

The church has allowed the Little League to use its athletic field at no cost for the past five or six years, Miller said.

During that time, the league has added signs and made field improvements that benefited students at the church’s school, he said.

Removing the 10 to 12 signs will cost the league about $10,000 to $12,000 in revenue – a substantial part of an operating budget that varies between $50,000 and $80,000 a season, Richard said.

Past advertisers have been reluctant to relocate their signs to the league’s main field at Desert Sands Park, Division Street and Technology Drive, he said.

Between 400 and 600 youths typically participate on the league’s teams, paying $85 each for the senior teams and $55 each for the junior ones, he said.

The fees cover the cost of uniforms but not much more, Richard said.

Children whose parents cannot afford shoes, gloves and other gear were the ones who benefited from the advertising revenue, he said.

At the end of the season, which runs from March to June, the league used remaining money to have a barbecue for its players and coaches, he said.

The league’s ball field at the church was no different from Lancaster Municipal Stadium, which also rests beside the freeway and has advertisers’ signs lining its fences, he said.

The difference is that Lancaster Municipal Stadium lies within the jurisdiction of the city of Lancaster, not the county, said Brian Ludicke, Lancaster’s director of planning.

The stadium also rests on land zoned for commercial uses where advertising is allowed, Ludicke said. 

Although it is a unique commercial facility, the stadium’s advertising is in conformance with applicable laws, he said.