News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson said he wants to prioritize improvements to the Kirby Johnson Memorial Ball Park.
Johnson said the two things he sees as the biggest needs are another field and additional parking. Johnson said some nights draw as many as 500 people.
“Hopefully we can come up with something in the works to be able to do something about that, we would really love to,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of interest coming back into the smaller children especially in your tee ball and little league at this time.”
Johnson said there are multiple routes to look at ways to improve the park. He said grants, the American Rescue Plan and other potential infrastructure bills could be ways to fund ball park improvements.
Johnson said he would like to see steps toward improvements begin in either the fall or spring 2022.
“It’s a time when you have to start investing in your children,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we can get something done because your children at that age are the future. So if you don’t invest in your future, it’s going to be hard for them to do something when it comes their turn.”
Johnson said the park’s roots date back to the 1970’s, originating from the fairgrounds. Johnson said he would like to see these improvements build on the work recently accomplished.
“It’s starting to grow some, since we have the new facilities we built there there this summer,” Johnson said. “The new concessions stand, the new announcers booth and the new bathrooms and such that we put in at the lower field and the upper field. Hopefully, we can maybe do something next spring or this fall to get something else going on that where we can work on something to have it more accessible to people.”
Johnson said getting the space to add another field and parking would require acquiring more land. Johnson said continuing to improve the ball field is a piece to offering something for everyone at all county parks.tee
