By: Rebecca Miller
Good things are well worth the wait, and at Gathering Days in West Unity on June 7 and 8, some “Three on Three” basketball competitors agreed with that old saying. During their competition they were able to give some brand new equipment a thorough testing. Memorial Park has had a basketball court for years and many great games have been played there, causing the old hoops, backboards, and even the poles, to be pretty worn out.
Just before Gathering Days, the weather finally allowed the ground to be dry enough for the Village work crew along with Administrator Josh Fritsch, to get the new poles put in and the backboards and hoops up and ready for the tournament. “We have been planning this for a while, as part of the upgrade to the park. We really want to have a great place for adults to come and enjoy themselves, so we put up a new Nine Hole Frisbee Golf/ Disc-Off court and are happy to get these new basketball poles in,” Fritsch said. He explained that they are placed near the playground so that families can enjoy the park together, with older members playing basketball or Frisbee Golf while the children are within sight, enjoying the playground.
It all came about after Police Chief J.R. Jones and Fritsch heard some of the village kids say that they wished it was better, during a conversation. “We assured them that it was going to be better,” Fritsch shared.
Not only have they added these two adult game courts, but have replaced the old wooden bleachers with a quality metal set. “No more splinters!” During the town’s festival days, the bleachers got plenty of use as they were placed near the court and at the Tractor Pull track.
More upgrades are coming, as the Little League is planning to put in new dugouts at Field One. “All our projects have been put off because of the rain we have had continually,” Fritsch said. Hopefully all of the great new additions will get plenty of use this summer and in the coming years.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com