Pop Warner, officials butt heads over helmets BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer KEYPORT - Representatives of the local Pop Warner league say politics is preventing their players from getting new helmets. The matter came up at the Sept. 18 Borough Council meeting. At that time, Pop Warner volunteer Bob Burlew asked why the league was not given enough funding to purchase the new helmets. "We can't approve what's against the law," Mayor Robert Bergen said, explaining that the requested amount of $5,300 exceeded the Recreation Committee's current budget. "It's illegal to overspend the budget." Bergen said that each year Pop Warner asks for more and more money. Over the past three years, the organization has asked for $3,800, then $4,200 and now $5,200. On Monday, Bergen said only $2,800 is left in the Recreation's Committee's annual budget. More money may be available after the new year, Bergen said. "We're going to take a look," Bergen said. "It's just difficult because we're in the middle of the season." Local Pop Warner President John Aumack said the players need the helmets now. "We were to replace all of our helmets this year. What we do normally is we put together an order for safety equipment. We get three bids from different folks and make sure we get the right amount," Aumack said. Afterward, Pop Warner submits the list to the borough, he said. "We followed that same procedure that we had for the past 10 years," Aumack said. "Suddenly it became a problem." Aumack said that about a month ago, a friend called to let him know the issue was listed on the Borough Council's meeting agenda. Aumack attended the meeting, he said, but the subject was pulled at the last minute. Afterward, council members met with him privately to assure him that the matter would be handled, he said. "The mayor assured me that it would be straightened out, and here we are," Aumack said. "The helmets that are supposed to be on the children's heads are sitting on a shelf somewhere in Pennsylvania. That's where we're at." To remedy the problem, the organization decided to simply order the helmets and worry about paying for them later, Aumack said. "All the nonsense aside, the children need helmets," Aumack said. He added, "We strive to have no politics on the field. We have Republicans, Democrats, Communists. "To see this kind of nonsense, it's pretty disturbing," Aumack said.