By MARVIN HAMLETT
Editor
Poles are about to be erected at the ballfields in Appomattox Community Park on Police Tower Road.
That’s because the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors last Monday approved a contract that will allow stadium lights to be installed.
The lights will be erected only at the front two ballfields of the park’s cloverleaf. Those two fields are referred to as the Minors Field and Ozone Field.
The job should be completed within 45 days, but officials are hoping for a quicker turnaround time.
The youth baseball season starts in mid-April.
The supervisors voted unanimously to hire Farmville-based Icon Sign and Lighting to complete the project.
The company’s bid came in at $127,932, nearly all of which is expected to come from community donations.
With the new stadium lights eventually in place, Appomattox Youth Sports would be able to use the park to host a Machine-Pitch baseball invitational this July – a 25-team tournament that would have been jeopardized if there were no stadium lights.
While lights will be installed at the front two fields, the two baseball fields behind the press box will still be lightless, as well as two T-Ball fields.
As money and donations roll in, AYS hopes to have lights at all the fields.
In December 2012, the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors stunned nearly everyone when it voted 5-0 to front the balance of $137,000 to install stadium lights at the front two baseball fields at Appomattox Community Park.
Half of the $137,000 had already been raised through donations.
Although the County agreed to front the money, the supervisors stipulated that those funds must fully be repaid as donations continue to stream in.
The development of stadium lights is the latest in an impressive run of events that continue to bolster the usefulness and attractiveness of Appomattox Community Park.
In the last several years, the Park has seen a new pavilion, concession stand, four scoreboards, and an expanded paved parking.
But the lack of baseball stadium lights left a noticeable gap in the complex and caused problems with game scheduling.
In addition, the facility had already lost out on several Fall baseball tournament opportunities.
For the past 21 months, Dixon and AYS have been raising money to cover the cost of the lights.
The Spout Spring Ruritan Club has been pivotal in the fundraising process throughout the development of the Community Park.
Perkins has also been a key volunteer for the park.
Anyone willing to donate should make checks out to Appomattox County Community Park Fund, designated for the lighting of the ball fields, and mail to Appomattox County Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 863, Appomattox, Va. 24522.
Please visit the park or call Anne Dixon at the Appomattox County Recreation Department for a tour of the park at 434-352-5996 or contact James Cheatham with the Spout Spring Ruritan Club at 434-944-2587 or 434-352-7252.