Parades and panoply marked last Saturday's opening day for more than 1,600 Little Leaguers in Garden City. Excitement reigned but none of it would have been possible without weeks of work by the Garden City Village Recreation Department.

Because of the popularity of Little League and the demand for game and practice fields, the village added two more fields this year at the Stratford School bringing the total fields maintained by the village to 16.

It took the Recreation Department's eight-person staff more than 480 hours of work to get the fields ready for the April 12 Opening Day. The work took about two weeks to complete.

Renovations included adding infield clay where necessary, edging infield grass, aerating and grading infields, rebuilding pitchers' mounds and installing breakaway bases for safety and lining each field.

"The staff members of the village's Recreation Department are the unsung heroes of Garden City's extensive athletic programs ranging from baseball to swimming to soccer. The kids make it happen. The Recreation Department makes it possible. We're proud of them," Mayor Peter Bee said.

Among the many challenges of maintaining safe fields for more than 1,600 Little League participants is the task of conditioning the fields after a heavy rain.

It's "all hands on deck" when the rain hits in the midday. Puddles are swept and drying agent is added to the infields to help absorb the moisture. When safe conditions are restored the fields are opened. Sometimes there are delayed openings and sometimes there have to be cancellations. But, the Recreation Department staff is committed to providing great playing conditions throughout the season.