This week in Parks and Recreation news, we had crews at the Sportspark in Karns earlier this week removing the small mulch and tree islands in the walkway. The trees were dying and diseased and the roots were cracking the concrete. We left them there as long as possible and tried to save them, but in the end it didn’t work out. We’re going to pour concrete in the area and free up the space.
Our Concord Park team is installing a fence at Forks of the River Park, replacing a batting cage at one of the fields and installing gates at the new greenway trail by Concord Park.
Works continues on the vandalized field at Austin-East.
We also have other crews throughout the parks system and at House Mountain, trimming trees and cleaning trails. Additionally, we are wrapping up work at the Austin-East High School baseball field that some knucklehead vandalized.
Of course, the one-man machine Frank Christian was out and about this week, making sure everything is looking good. He spent a part of that time at Melton Hill Park, cleaning graffiti and repainting the picnic tables. He started early, so he even took a very cool picture of the sunrise while he was out there. He also continued checking the lighting and installing cameras at some of our parks.
This month, the department puts team member Donnie Gideon in the spotlight. Donnie has been with us for 11 years, working as a mechanic at Three Ridges Golf Course. In addition to his regular mechanic duties, he helps sharpen the reels for mowers for the entire county.
His bosses say that he likes to be the first one to open the gate each morning and makes sure that everything at the course is ready for the maintenance and mowing crews to do their job. Donnie has even been named the “chief of pulling golf carts out of the pond,” having to do some many times. When asked about his favorite part of work, he jokingly replied: lunch.
For fun, Donnie enjoys friendly card games, golf and spending time with his granddaughter. Prior to working for the county, he was a brick mason for more than 20 years, something he started at age 11. He also served in the U.S. Air Force for four years as a sheet metal mechanic. After leaving the service, Donnie went to school to become a small engine mechanic.
Spring is coming. Hold on.
On the recreation side, youth basketball is currently ongoing. In addition, girls’ softball sign-ups are available here and wee-ball to 12U (baseball and softball) signups are available here.
Knox County partners with local youth sports associations who oversee the community-based teams in the many communities across Knox County. The recreational youth baseball/softball season is played in the spring at ballparks throughout the County. Players are encouraged to participate at the local ballpark to build friendships and foster character-building activities while also developing athletic skills in the youth recreational baseball and softball leagues.
On Tuesday, Feb. 8, The Love Kitchen will accept from Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs the canned goods and a check for the funds collected during the recent Holiday Festival of Lights at the Cove. The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Love Kitchen, 2418 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
The media and public are welcome. This year’s Holiday Festival of Lights at the Cove at Concord Park turned out to be quite the success, raising $7,272.25, and enough non-perishable food items to fill roughly 11.5 large barrels. The 23rd annual event ran almost the entire month of December and concluded Sunday, Jan. 2. This was the first time the event accepted Venmo payments, which totaled $1,386. Next year the plan is to be cash-free.
Mike Donila is communications director for Knox County government