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photo by Hannah Reel
Rashad Arbuthnot, 13, and George Minor, Jr., play catch at Providence Playground Saturday afternoon.
New improvements can be seen at county parks
Published Monday, August 31, 2009
NATCHEZ — With a new president and a new organization within the structure of the Adams County Recreation Board, improvements to the county’s ballparks and playgrounds can be seen all over the county.
Adams County Supervisor Mike Lazarus said while organizational changes to the recreation board happened approximately two years ago, it’s only now that the changes are becoming more visible.
“They’ve done a lot of great work all over this county,” Lazarus said of the board.
Most noticeable is the work completed last year at Chester Willis Field.
Photo by Hannah Reel
Anthony Morris throws hamburgers on the grill while having a cook out with friends at Providence Playground Saturday afternoon.
The ballpark received $60,000 in upgrades including new bleachers, improved lighting, restroom repairs and a new concession stand, Adams County Recreation Board President David Carter said.
“It’s almost like a new park out there,” Carter said.
In addition to the work done at Chester Willis Field, the board has either made improvements or is planning improvements at the county’s five other playgrounds and ball fields, Carter said.
“We put in new bleachers and a new concession stand at the park in Broadmoor and we installed a new fence and new recreation equipment at the ball field in Kingston,” Carter said. “And we’re working on getting new lighting at the park in Providence.”
Fellow recreation board member Ronnie Herbert, with close to 20 years experience on the board, said now that the board is better organized and is making better use of its funding, more projects can be accomplished.
“Right now we have a good board, and we’re seeing a lot of work coming to an end,” Herbert said. “And now we can look at other projects, other areas to improve on.”
Lazarus said one major improvement the board has made is now focusing more of their funding on repair and maintenance work on county facilities and decreasing allocations made to local sports organizations.
While the recreation board manages it’s own $52,000 budget, members of the recreation board felt the budget would be better utilized if more of it were spent on upgrades at county parks and less was spent on local sports organizations, Lazarus said.
“A lot more people can benefit when they spend money on fixing up what we already have,” Lazarus said.
And with plans to continue upgrades to county recreation facilities, Carter is planning to ask for a budget increase this year.
Carter said he plans to ask the board of supervisors for a budget increase of approximately $8,000, which would bring his total budget to $60,000 a year.
And while the supervisors have not met with Carter to discuss the recreation board’s budget, Lazarus supports the increase.
“I’d like to see them get it,” he said. “When we have teams come from out of town, and we have nice facilities for them to use, that’s good for the whole county.”
Comments
Posted by ntz155 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 12:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can anyone please explain this quote to me.... members of the recreation board felt the budget would be better utilized if more of it were spent on upgrades at county parks and less was spent on local sports organizations, Lazarus said. I am not fully understanding what is being said here. What about the park that the majority uses, Duncan Park? Does the city pay for the up keep on it or does it fall under the "recreation board"? Providence is way back over where IP use to be correct? I did not realize that anyone used it. It is back in the middle of nowhere. I would be scared to take my child there. Chester Willis is the one used by CHS, NHS, and Trinity, correct? Just seems like a lot of kids are getting the raw end of the stick.....
Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 3:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah I am lost on that quote too, makes no sense.
Posted by crazyworld (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 4:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Where are all these county parks? I live in the county and often drive thru the various parts of county and I've never seen one. Why aren't there any county parks in any of the predominantly white areas of county?
Posted by sandbagger (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 6:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
crazyworld remember "this is a crazyworld". I passed by the "providance park" everyday and the only thing i have seen there is 15 or so playing basketball. Please dont tell me this council is proud of these parks!
Posted by shelockholmes (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 7:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well this past Sunday Parkway Church had a cook-out at
Providence park. Many local softball and baseball teams pratice there. Adults use it for softball. When the water is up the kyak people use it to launch. You need to go by some of the other parks and see what they are doing before you talk.
Face it some people are going to be negative and I pray for them that have it so bad they can't see the good in the world.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
shelock, are you sure that's Providence Park? I've never seen the water high enough there to launch kayaks. The one I am thinking of is just up the road from the Livestock Sales Barn on River Terminal Rd. just at the Providence Rd. intersection.
Posted by LOVESNATCHEZ (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Once again "shelock" is speaking about something she knows nothing about. First, Parkway may have had a cook out there; I don't know why, it's a black park. Secondly, the river has NEVER risen to the point that there was water on the Providence Park.
Posted by lunchman (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't know if "shelock" is talking about right park, but St. Catherine creek,wich runs right by providence park, will rise as the river does and you can put a boat in.
Posted by shelockholmes (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOVESNATCHEZ I do know what I am talking about or else I would not have said what I said. Are you so cynical and racist to believe that blacks and whites cannot share a park? The people that take care of Providence Park are some of the finest people that I have ever met and take very good care of the park without asking for much help. LOVESNATCHEZ do you always have to have a negative comment on every article you comment on? I am glad to see the ND focus on this park
and let others know the kind of people that enjoy it and take care of it. EVERYTHING you comment on LOVESNATCHEZ has a negative tone. You must have a very sorry life to be so negative.
Posted by LOVESNATCHEZ (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I really didn't mean for it to come out that way, sorry. I just know that Providence Park doesn't flood from the river. Actually I'm a very positive person. Just get caught up in some of these blogs.. think I'll stop reading them for a while..lol.
Posted by soldout94 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My Dad, Lawrence E. Bradley,Sr., had property in Providence. That is where he and some of his siblings were born and raised.The property was stolen due to delinquent taxes, I have been told. I did not trust the source of the of the info then, neither now.That really sadden me. It was the Bradley Family homestead. My Dad was not a financially broke man. How could this have happened?
I remember the wonderful experiences I had as a small child in Providence. There were honeysukle flowers everywhere. I would have so much fun picking the flowers. Sucking the nectar was the reward for picking the flowers.
I remember a lemon tree grew at the foot of the steps leading up to the house. Oh, the smell of fresh lemons in the mornings as I came down the stairs. There was a pond in the middle of the property. The property was so beautiful, trees every where, so green I remember. At Christmas we would gon in te woods behind the house to search for the perfect tree. We picked pecans and sold them for our pocket change. So many fun memories!
There was sunshine everywhere. My Dad tried to hang onto the property as best he could. I was baffled to learn he had lost it. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it today. The taxes were so small. Knowing my Dad, as I did, this would not have happened. He was a very responsible business man. He believed and dreamed of always having a place where his natural born children could return if they had to.
I am glad to see Providence Park improvement in the news.This gives me hope for the people of that community. I can't wait to come and see all of the improvements. I know my Dad would be pleased if he were alive today. Providence was always a community where the second commandment rang true, "love thy neighbor as thyself.." Mark12:31
Thanks to those who are responsible for improving the Natchez Community. It is always so pleasant/delightful to hear good news about the land from whence the Lord bore me.
Evangelist Mary Elizabeth Bradley
(A Native Daughter)
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 2:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Slodout94.....So sorry to hear of yur father's misfortune. There has been quite a bit of that in Missippi and the local area. I don't know how they get away with stealling property as they do. Remember the property that was left to the kids in Natchez? Where the horse barn once was? Also ball fields? It was supposed to always be there for the kids. Well, it now belongs to the city I guess. Kids had to find other places for their horses.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I forgot about St. Catherines Creek behind the park, and I guess the creek could get high enough to launch from.
Posted by football (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Morgantown county needs some improvements.
The reads to be a wider road. A 3 or 4 lane cause traffic is heavy due to school being back in and all. Theres no parks.
Build some more connecting roads to the main highways. Sidewalks so that people want be walking all in the ditches and stuff. I dont see no improvement in morgantown to say the county is talking about improvements and morgantown is a county.
Posted by jlc226 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was someone who participated in the block party at Providence Park sponsored by Parkway on Sunday. The park was nice, although the grass needing mowing.
Parkway was there to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with whoever showed up; Black, white, green. It didn't matter. Jesus died for ALL people!
Posted by shelockholmes (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Morgantown is in the process of being widened rightof ways bought, state aid project. There is a boat ramp at providence park that the county graveled so you can get to the creek you would have to drive in there to see it but the kyak people know where it is.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on August 31, 2009 at 6:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe the ND could put in a list of all the parks and their facilities? The only ones I know about are Northside, Concord and Providence, and I only thought I knew about Providence, lol.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on September 2, 2009 at 1:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In a perfect world blacks and whites could all play and work together without problems. We don't live in a perfect world. Somebody has to be the underdog. It is the whites that are treated badly in our present world. When will it ever end?
Posted by belle_south (anonymous) on September 2, 2009 at 5:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
southernbelle you need Jesus.......
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