The Recreation Park Board held its regular meeting last Thursday evening, April 1 at the park with eight board members present. Both Chairman Vince Ostertag and Park Director Bobby Reneau had prior commitments and could not attend the just under one-hour session, which was chaired by board secretary Paula Little.

The only official motion taken, other than adjournment, was the approval of the treasurer’s report, which showed a fund balance of $3,550 with a $110 bill pending. The playground equipment fund, which stood at $3,488.74, was closed out as it was combined with grant funds from the Healthy Hometown Coalition to purchase new playground equipment at the park.

The majority of the discussion centered around the playground equipment and the forthcoming installation next week.

Little said the playground was scheduled to arrive either Wednesday or Thursday, May 6 and 7 and will be constructed with park board member and volunteer labor–with the assistance from a professional with the company, on Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9.

The bulk of the construction of the new playground will take place on Saturday, May 9 and will be an all-day work day at the park with not only constructing and setting up the new playground equipment and areas around it, but also cleaning and sprucing up the park in general.

Anyone wishing to volunteer to help at the park, especially in the set up of the new playground, are asked to call park director Bobby Reneau at 688-4337 or be at the park around 7:30 a.m. this coming Saturday. In case of rain, the work day would be held the following Saturday, May 16.

The board also agreed on a tentative grand opening for the new playground, that being Saturday, May 30. The ceremonies will include a ribbon cutting, guest speakers, free food and recognition of everyone who had a part in any way in making the new playground equipment purchase a reality.

Primary organizations to be recognized are the Healthy Hometown Coalition, which primarily funded the bulk of the project by obtaining grant money; the city and county governments as well as the Clinton County Board of Education, park board members and all volunteers who worked to bring together the newest improvement for the park.

Board member Jay Garner also discussed contacting County Attorney Michael Rains and (district) judges Mike Lawson and Scarlett Latham about requesting them to try and use community service inmates to work at the park and help keep it cleaned up and maintained, especially through the peak months of spring through early fall.

Garner also suggested contacting professionals about possibly holding softball tournaments at the park beginning next season, noting that would be a way to make money for the park.

The next regular meeting of the Recreation Park Board is scheduled for Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m. at the park and is open to the public.