WM parks director offers YTD rundown

WM parks director offers YTD rundown

Tilden Rodgers fields being put to good use this fall

news@theeveningtimes.com For most people, parks are a place to spend time. For the West Memphis Parks Department, the neighborhood parks, the big city-park at Tilden Rodgers and the Marion Rose complex are places to spend time and money. Parks Director Lorenzo Parker worked through the balance sheet at his October meeting and told commissioners year-to-date expense was on track through July.

“Looking at the percentage of spending after seven months, we should be at 58 percent of the annual budget,” said Parker. “We are actually 10 percent below that.”

There were a couple of line items all but spent for the year. Training and janitorial supply funds were almost used up. Parker said the annual training had been conducted and the last supply order of the year was placed.

As summer turned to fall, Parker pointed to projects to finish out the year. He said the ball fields need some attention.

“I still want to get the fences painted,” said Parker. “We want to add dirt to both the high school baseball and softball fields with allotted money. The school agreed to purchase the rye seed and we’ll be responsible for planting it. We need to build the mound back up to proper measurements. We have some water line work needed that the utilities department is already working on.”

The old wooden playground was torn down earlier in the year and installation of its $19,000 replacement stalled.

“We are having a hard time finding some one to replace the playground equipment. So I am looking for some one to do that now. I want to get that done by the end of the year because we appropriated the money this year.”

Parker looked ahead to the busy season next year. Plans are for a busier tournament season. Scott Schenkle from Trumann plans tournaments for a couple of organizations and has turned an eye toward West Memphis.

“We are scheduling events for next year,” said Parker.

“The turnout for youth softball is bigger than baseball.”

Youth softball requires temporary fencing set at 200 feet.

Planning to purchase re-usable fences for next year is in the works.

“It gives the girls a chance to hit a home run and prevents a ball hit to the gap from turning into a triple,” said Commissioner Darin McCollum.

“They are our customers and they make us some money,” said Parker. “We made $3,800 from concessions on just three tournaments this year.”

The fields at Tilden Rodgers and Marion Rose are getting plenty of use this fall. For the first time, the Crittenden County Boys & Girls Club is putting on a fall girls softball season on Monday nights. The men’s and co-ed adult softball leagues are going strong on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A youth soccer league is being played at Tilden Rodgers now, and Miracle league play started three weeks ago on the Cal Ripken adaptive sports field.

By John Rech