NECA and IBEW donate money for new scoreboard at Hermon Brothers

PALMER — Windstorms that plagued the Palmer area in late 2011 left significant damage to a local baseball field and the primary user of that field facing a hefty build.

But a contractors association and electrical union have teamed up to take a great financial burden from the Mat-Su Miners, agreeing to purchase a new scoreboard for Hermon Brothers Field.

The National Electrical Contractors Association and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 announced the groups have agreed to purchase a new scoreboard for the field.

“They stepped up big time,” said Mat-Su Miners general manager Pete Christopher, who estimates the donation will save the team, which operates as a nonprofit, more than $20,000. “That takes a load off our mind.”

The new scoreboard will include much more detail than the last scoreboard, which towered over Hermon Brothers Field’s right field fence. Features include the names of the teams, the number of the batter, scores during each inning and total hits, runs and errors. Christopher especially likes the inning-by-inning score, he said.

The existing Hermon Brothers scoreboard was purchased by IBEW in 1997.

Christopher said the Hermon Brothers fence still has to be repaired.

The damage occurred in late November 2011 after the area was hit with storms that produced winds up to 100 mph.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.