Over the past few years, the parks department had helped maintain the fields and worked with board.
“It was just coming to a head where it was time. We have more staff and don’t need as many volunteers to run it, and it was kind of both sides (deciding),” McCuddy said. “I thought it was time for us to run it, and the majority of the board did also.”
Doug Blackford, a member of the parks and recreation board of directors, said that part of the agreement of the takeover was to start the league over from scratch.
“In a sense, parks and rec said, ‘OK we’re treating it as a brand-new league.’ We did not accept prior money and were advised not to by our counsel,” Blackford said.
The issue of prior money came into play because last fall the league held its fall softball sign-ups, then decided not to have a season. According to Don Goodlett, who was president of the league at the time, all of the sign-up fees were returned following the cancellation of the season.
Upon the refunding of the money, there was a sum of $3,950 remaining in the league’s account.
According to Goodlett, he planed to give the remaining $3,950 to the parks and recreation department to pay for any remaining league bills. Goodlett took the money out of the league’s account and kept in his home until he could give it to the parks department.
“I was going to turn (the money) over to Duane. I told him, ‘You write the checks we owe,’” Goodlett said. “(The league) owed the garbage bill, the light bill, the woman who does the taxes and a fellow who had done some electrical work.”
During the time that the money was in Goodlett’s home, his home was broken into and the $3,950 was stolen along with $6,080 of personal money, four guns and several pieces of jewelry, according to a Jessamine County sheriff’s report. The report says the break-in occured on Dec. 10, 2010.
“(The money was withdrawn) probably a week or two weeks before we were broken into; I don’t know the exact date,” Goodlett said.
The case is still under investigation.
McCuddy said that not receiving the funds has not affected the department or the new softball league.
The transition has gone very smoothly and opening day is Saturday. McCuddy says enrollment is up 40 or 50 players from last year to 190.
“We’re looking forward to Saturday and hope that the weather changes,” he said. “We want to give the girls an opportunity to play.”
“Duane McCuddy will do a fine job. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Goodlett said.
