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'Leaning Snack Bar' At Elysian Park Little League Field Faces Uncertain Future

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It's not yet Opening Day, but for Little Leaguers playing in the shadow of Dodger Stadium, the season is already off to a shaky start.

Officials with the Northeast Los Angeles Little League at Elysian Park reportedly say the ground underneath the park's snack bar and at least part of right field is shifting even as players continue to practice ahead of the upcoming season, which begins later this month.

While teams have been playing at Elysian Park since the mid-1990s, league president Sergio Villasenor said the group was warned about potential settling after the playing fields were built atop the former site of the Bishops Canyon Landfill, according to a report from The Eastsider LA.

A photo of the snack bar taken by KCAL9's Art Barron showed cracks in the pavement surrounding several leaning columns that support the concrete-block building located off Angels Point Road, about a quarter-mile from Stadium Way.

According to sponsorship materials on the Little League's website, about 500 boys and girls ages 4 to 18 from Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, Cypress Park and surrounding neighborhoods take part in the year-round league.

Officials with the Department of Recreation and Parks, which owns the playing field, have not announced any plans to refurbish the snack bar or the field. Structural engineers say the site is still safe for the time being.

L.A. Recreation and Parks spokesperson Kevin Regan said the snack bar and restrooms were built with the understanding the ground would continue to settle.

"It's going to be a little difficult for folks walking up," he said, noting, "The one good news is these ball fields will not close. The kids will still be able to play here."

The menu at the park's snack bar - which serves as the main source of revenue for the nearly 17-year-old Northeast Los Angeles Little League, according to its website - includes a $5 double cheeseburger and chili cheese fries for $4.00.

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