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<P>Why do we need nets around the Field of Dreams. That field has been there for as long as I've lived in this Town. </P>
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<P>Why has this suddenly become an issue? Is it so terrible for a soccer ball to get kicked into the street or someone's yard? Are the soccer players (kids and/or adults) incapable of watching for cars when they retrieve their soccer balls in the street? Are the drivers unable to see them? Are we incapable of taking care of ourselves? Do we need nets to protect us?</P>
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<P>Get rid of the nets before another bird or animal gets killed because someoned has a need to rurn the the soccer field into a play pen.</P>
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<P>Bruce<BR><BR></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Euniverz@aol.com <BR>Sent: Jul 13, 2010 7:36 PM <BR>To: towntalk@riverdale-park.org <BR>Subject: [RP TownTalk] heartbreak at Field of Dreams <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18928" name="GENERATOR"></ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" rightMargin="7" topMargin="7" leftMargin="7" bottomMargin="7"><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>As you may all know, the town installed nets, about 20 or 30 feet tall by about 75 or 100 feet wide, across either end of the Field of Dreams soccer field, to prevent errant kicks from going in neighbors' yards or into the street or onto the tracks. They've been up for about two weeks or so.</DIV>
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<DIV>I drive past every morning on my way to work. This morning I saw what looked like a bag or a hooded sweatshirt on the net with one corner shoved in the netting. I almost passed by without a second thought, but something felt bad. I turned around to investigate.</DIV>
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<DIV>Turned out to be very wrong.</DIV>
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<DIV>A huge, beautiful hawk was hanging in the net, about 10 feet up, strangled to death. It had obviously struggled for its life, talons still gripping the strings of the netting as it attempted to free itself. But the netting is the same kind used to capture birds, so the struggle was futile. There was still a string of blood-tinged spittle hanging out of its mouth, it wasn't dead long. I wish I had decided to go to work earlier that day. </DIV>
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<DIV>I imagine it was chasing soon-to-be breakfast, perhaps a sparrow, that easily made it through the netting. But traveling at such a high rate of speed, our neighborhood hawk flew right into a net he may not have even known was there and was too difficult to see in the early morning light.</DIV>
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<DIV>As I took pictures of the body, another hawk was circling in the air and screaming, probably a mate or a parent. At lunchtime, I assisted the person from Public Works sent to take the body down. Had to cut the bird out, so the net's damaged. I take full responsibility for that. </DIV>
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<DIV>To town officials: I am sending photos to you under separate cover. Please take the net down IMMEDIATELY, before another endangered or protected species falls victim. I know the "taking" of this hawk was unintentional, but it is nevertheless, a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) (and all it's revisions). These nets have been erected in a PERFECT suburban habitat for hawks and owls (open fields, lots of prey opportunities, trees for nesting and a water source within two or three wingbeats). The nets should remain DOWN until another alternative is found. If we must, construct nets that can be raised when play occurs, lowered when done, and secured in such a manner that terrestrial wildlife cannot become trapped in the lowered netting. Under no circumstances should the nets remain in the raised position when no one is there. The town will have to figure out a way to force people using the nets to lower them, or risk further violation of the MBTA. Or take them down permanently. I will be informing the appropriate state and federal officials of the death (including photos) and keep them apprised of the town's remediations.</DIV>
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<DIV>Adrianne Lefkowitz</DIV>
<DIV>Madison and 48th</DIV></FONT></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY><pre>
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