Governor Park reopens in Ridgefield following gasoline-fueled field fire

Governor Park in Ridgefield has been reopened after an infield fire left tens of thousands in damages over the weekend. First Selectman Rudy Marconi said new soil was delivered at the site Thursday, April 11, and that parks and recreation employees took about six to seven hours finishing the restoration job. "The good news is the field looks great, it looks better than ever," he said. Marconi didn't know the final cost of the repairs but he had said earlier in the week that $30,000 had already been spent on cleanup and excavation of the dirt, which was lit on fire after a group of adults poured gas on it in attempt to dry the field before the Ridgefield High School baseball game Saturday, April 6. "I called the insurance company this afternoon and I expect a call from them tomorrow with an updated estimate," the first selectman said. Marconi said the police were still interviewing people who witnessed the incident and that an investigation remained open. Several attempts to reach the Ridgefield police about the investigation were not responded to Thursday. Earlier in the week, Marconi indicated that the fire was not a result of student vandalism. He also said town employees were not responsible for the blaze. The police have not ruled out any suspects in their investigation. On Tuesday night, Superintendent Dr. William Collins placed three RHS baseball coaches on administrative leave. “At this point, we do not believe the coaching staff was directly involved, however, out of an abundance of caution, the three varsity coaches have been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the police investigation,” Dr. Collins wrote in a letter to parents. Marconi said Thursday he hoped that the incident would not chase off volunteers at youth sporting events going forward. "What we know is that this wasn't a malicious action but that it shouldn't have happened," he said. "It was a bad decision that was met with unfortunate results but we don't want to lose the great work of volunteers around the community... "The sooner we can put this behind us, the better we'll be," he added. "I hope everyone is ready to move forward."

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