POULSBO — Three weeks after the North Kitsap Babe Ruth organization had its maintenance four-wheeler forcibly stolen, the league is still searching for answers.

Though the organization, which uses several fields at Snider Park along the Poulsbo stretch of Highway 3, is insured, its coverage does not include theft. And that leaves NKBR without an efficient way to maintain its ball park.

“We’re scratching our heads as to what we should do,” said NKBR fund-raising coordinator David Horde. “That was our main tool that we used. And you’ve gotta have something to drag the fields.”

The league will likely have to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 for a new ATV, he said. But with the new vehicle, added security — ensuring that another theft doesn’t happen again — will also up the costs.

The league is seeking for donations and is also searching for the best deal in town on an ATV.

“We’ve got some dealers out in the community that are trying to come up with the replacement,” said NKBR president Russ Barker. “We’ve had a couple of pledges. But right now we’re just in a situation where we’re trying to find one.”

Barker said the ATV was used to perform field maintenance to cut down the work load of volunteers at Snider.

“Instead of having 15 parents out there racking the field, they can have one person do it in half the time,” he said.

However, the league has received help from its diamond next-door neighbor, the North Kitsap Little League, which has let them use its own vehicle.

“It’s a great partnersip,” Barker said. “They definitely have stepped up and eased the pain, and that’s been a big help.”

The Babe Ruth season is once again highly anticipated. Last year’s teams, in the organization’s 40th year, was perhaps its most successful ever. The 13-year-old All Stars took a state title, the 15-year-olds missed a state title by one game and the 14-year-olds not only won state, but the regional tournament as well. They became only the second NKBR team to appear at the Babe Ruth World Series.

For more information, or to help the organization, call NKBR president Barker at (360) 697-4229.