Council, dodgeball group pledge cooperation

City aldermen say they'll work with league to provide a place to play.

Swift footwork allowed the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday to duck a confrontation over dodgeball.

Members of the Jackson Underground Dodgeball League used a 23-page presentation to support their cause. Alderman Phil Penzel had a computer-generated slide show.

The league argued it has a right to city facilities, including newly refurbished tennis courts in City Park. Penzel questioned the dodgeballers' ability to use the courts without causing harm to facilities.

The dodgeball league canceled a tournament Saturday because Penzel sponsored a ban on non-tennis activities from the courts.

The presentation from dodgeballers included questions whether that vote was legal under the Missouri Sunshine Law. When it was his turn, Penzel objected to a Web site statement that the board had "robbed" dodgeballers of their use of the courts.

Both sides seemed ready for a fight. But early on, it was clear that they had both been counseled to look for a solution.

And by the end of the discussion, Penzel had accepted an invitation from dodgeball supporters to join them on a tour of city park facilities with parks director Shane Anderson.

"Let's wipe the slate clean," Penzel said. "Let's forget about what has gone before."

Brett Price, one of the league members who spoke to the aldermen, agreed that some of the previous language had been "disrespectful." The league wants to work with the board, not bash it, he said.

"We came down to work with you, to make an agreement that is beneficial," he said.

Mayor Paul Sander played the mediator. Litz Park's tennis courts could be a place to play if lights are installed, he said. The budget for parks will be set soon, he said, and the council will look at what dodgeballers need.

"I fully realize that Litz Park court is not friendly to what you guys want to do," Sander said.

The dodgeballers usually play on Friday nights. Litz Park's tennis courts have no lights.

The key to whether the city is willing to invest money to create a place for dodgeballers to play, Sander said, is whether the activity is here to stay.

"Is this going to be a whim that is gone in a year or two or is this going to be something that sticks?" Sander asked.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126