By Steve Snow, P&R board member
The regular monthly meeting of the Lakeland Municipal Parks and Recreation / Natural Resources Board was Tuesday evening (9.10.19) at Lakeland City Hall. Present were Chairman Mark Donley, Board Members Steven Snow, Mark Magione and Chad Reynolds. Absent were Board Members Scott Robbins and Andre Nolen. Also in attendance were BOC liaison Commissioner Michele Dial, Director Kevin Rooney, Senior Center Manager Kim Odom and City Manager Shane Horn.
Zadie E. Kuehl Memorial Park
After the board approved the minutes of the May meeting, Director Kevin Rooney began with a report on Zadie Kuehl Park. While there has been a decline in the incidence of littering at the park, the situation of unauthorized after hours activities continues. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has increased patrols and checks of the area and it is hoped this will help solve the problem.
The construction of an inclusive playground is on schedule for early 2020 and the City received news from the grant agency that they have additional funds for the makeover of the children’s playground area. This means the reimbursement time for the funds will be dramatically shortened.
Dog Park
Action on presenting the plans for the proposed dog park to the BOC (Board of Commissioners) has been delayed until October. In the interim, Director Rooney has met with representatives from MLGW concerning a bid for the agency to install and maintain lighting along the entrance, driveway, parking lot and the dog walk areas. Plans are still on schedule for a spring 2020 opening for the much anticipated dog park.
Athletic Complex
A workshop later this month will be attended by Parks and Rec and other city staff members on the subject of contract details for the proposed Athletic Complex. The subsequent contracts on the preliminary work should be submitted to the BOC in October or November.
Shade structures
The shaded structures for the benches at the Windward Slope Tennis Courts have been completed by Aaron Lawrence for his Eagle Scout Project. The recently resurfaced tennis courts with new windscreens and now shaded benches will be the site of a fundraiser in the coming months to help raise funds for lighting the courts.
IH Clubhouse
The installation of new tables and chairs for events at IH Clubhouse has been completed. While the recently installed new roof has eliminated the problem of leaks, some work was necessary to repair previous water damage. Most of that work has been completed. Other improvements include repainting the deck and installation of a new Wi-Fi modem to improve the quality of connectivity for renters and staff. In additional news from IH Park, a “Shakespeare in the Park” event will take place Sept. 28th at 6 p.m. The hiking and off-road biking trails at IH Park are receiving updated signage to better improve safety and usability. A $10,000 grant application has been submitted to the National Disc Golf Association to help build a course at IH.
LAMP
The 2019 edition of the Summer LAMP Concert Series concludes a successful concert season Sept. 28th with the music of Jerry Patton. Food vendors, face painters, balloon animals and giveaways will add to the festive atmosphere. Great weather has been ordered. Music begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts until around 9:30.
Lakeland Senior Center
Mrs. Odom reported that the attendance at the Senior Center for August was 432, an increase of 58 over August 2018. This represents a 16% increase. A preliminary discussion was held on lowering the age for the Senior Center from 55 to 50. Also included in the discussion was a possible renaming of the Center to more accurately describe its functions and activities. The Fall Y’all Dinner will be Sept. 20th at 6 p.m. The cost is $10 a person and you must make reservations by tomorrow (9.13.19). Contact Mrs. Odom or go by the Center at I.H. Park on Canada Road.
Sports leagues and recreational programs
Director Rooney delivered the report on current and upcoming sport leagues and recreational programs:
Soccer
Fall Soccer Season began Aug. 17th. The season is being played at the St. Paul United Methodist Church fields. There are 130 participants ages 3-12. Games began Sept. 7th.
Lakeland IFA teams will play at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex, and will play in local tournaments beginning this month. We currently have 2 boys and 2 girls teams.
Youth and Adult Tennis
Registration is now open for youth and adult tennis clinics beginning Sept. 22nd and 29th.
Tackle Football
Our 10U team won their first two games against Millington and Arlington. The season continues through the end of October.
Flag Football
Games began in September and are played at the City Hall Fields. The season concludes at the end of October.
Cheerleading
Cheerleaders have been doing great at the games and the competitive team has been practicing hard for their first show Oct. 26th.
Lakeland LEGO CLUB -fall session
Featuring Space Adventures is on Thursdays through Oct. 10th at the IH Clubhouse from 5-6:30 p.m. We have 7 in the class for the fall session.
Basketball
Registration will open Sept. 15th – Oct. 20th for co-ed ages 5-14. We are partnering with
the Memphis Grizzlies Youth Basketball Program for our 4th year as Junior Grizzlies. Practices and
games are played at LES (Lakeland Elementary School), LMPS (Lakeland Middle Preparatory School), and St. Paul Church.
For additional information on registration contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 867-5407
It is with some sadness that the Parks and Recreation has announced the resignation of Recreation Program Supervisor Wendi Haley. Mrs. Haley is leaving behind a legacy of hard work and successful sports programs. Everyone associated with Mrs. Haley during her tenure wishes her well in her new venture.
