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A grand opening of a new Nespelem Softball/Baseball Field will be held Friday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. 

“Fun events are planned, and additional details about the celebration will be shared in the near future,” a press release from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation reads. 

“The field is Little League and standard high school softball size,” the release continues. “It is multi-purpose and can be used for sports such as soccer or flag football. It features synthetic turf and a large scoreboard. The turf will allow for minimal maintenance and year-round usage.”

The new field was paid for in part by the state, in part by the tribes, and in part from an organization formed by Major League Baseball legends Cal Ripken, Sr, and Cal Ripken, Jr. 

“The grant that kick-started the project was $350,000 from the State of Washington’s

Recreation Conservation Office,” the press release says. “The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation participated through the Tribes’ partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. The Foundation specializes in helping communities all over the country build sports fields. Their initial goal was to build 50 fields, and they have now built 111 fields. This will be the first field

built on tribal land. The Foundation also donated $100,000 to the effort.”

The Colville Tribes also spent funds, particularly to upgrade the scoreboard and for the synthetic turf.

“We are very pleased to bring a softball field back to Nespelem, and to make it better than before,” Colville Business Council Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said. “Facilities like this, which are fun and also promote health and fitness, are important parts of any community. Our youth and elders alike will be able to enjoy this project for many years to come.”