Putnam County Parks and Recreation will renovate the Jere Whitson Baseball Field next spring to reduce lighting costs and prevent flooding issues.
Director Cody Maynard said the department plans to change all field lights to LED. Maynard said LED lights will save money and are brighter.
“And I feel like it’s one of the best upgrades we can do for the community and that location,” Maynard said. “The location has received a lot of play over the last three years so we’ve really started working to build that back up”
Maynard said he hopes to create taller mounds and spread additional dirt on the field to remedy flooding issues in the outfield.
“We need a crown on the baseball field so they drain better,” Maynard said. “And then we’ve got two of the fields retain water in the wetter season, so your late fall and early spring they contain a little bit of water in the outfield. So we’re looking into our options on taking that water and getting them off the field so they drain properly.”
Maynard said the restoration project is broken into two phases. Maynard said he hopes to have phase two approved to increase facilities at Jere Whitson.
“We have already put a lot into the playground out there and the existing areas around it,” Maynard said. “So I think once we complete the lights and then continue to work toward the ball field, the crowning of the ball fields drainage, I think once we get all that completed it’ll be 100 percent better.”
Maynard hopes to upgrade concession stands and other nearby, aged structures. Maynard plans on creating additional parking lot lighting.
Maynard said the light installation would take no longer than two weeks. Maynard said the LEDs are slow to ship, which can delay progress. Maynard said the project includes plans to replace a few poles. Maynard said many people in the community use the field for different purposes.
“Just about every weekend there is youth and community playing softball, baseball out there,” Maynard said. “And there is some additional soccer that practices over there every once in a while. We also have a lot of like church picnics and church events that go on out there. So we feel that these new LED lights will just be a lot better product for everybody utilizing the facility.”
