So, living in small town USA has its perks and its challenges.  City and County Governments don’t have a lot of extra money to flash around.  That’s one of the drawbacks.  However, having chosen to live here, we learn to do what we can to compensate.  I understand there has been a healthy conversation on Facebook about priorities when it comes to budgeting our limited City dollars.  Let me explain how our community ended up with some mighty fine pickleball courts.

There were more than a few people in town who took up pickleball after the tennis courts behind the old high school were converted into pickleball courts.  We used these almost daily in good weather for four or five years.  There were lots of people playing and we knew it was only a matter of time before the community would pass a bond for a new school.  We worried about the fate of our courts.  Well, the day finally came and although we were cheering the building of a new school, no one was happy about having to sacrifice the courts.  We needed a plan.

We talked to lots of people, collected lots of signatures and got on the City Council Agenda.  A few of us went to City Council, presented the signatures and offered to help build some courts at the City Park.  The City, too, had realized there was a need for pickleball courts and had put some extra money into the Recreation Budget for that purpose.  Lance Tripp, who is over the City Park asked if we would be willing to serve on a committee and explore costs, donations, plans, etc.  A committee was formed, and we went to work with Lance.  Initially, we met with a company who installed pickleball courts and discovered a professional installation would be $50,000+ per court, and they couldn’t even begin until Fall 2023 because they were booked.  Well, that wasn’t going to work. 

Next, we talked to everyone we could think of who might donate services, money, labor, etc.  We have some very generous businesses, families, and individuals in town who expressed support.  So, with commitments from many we drafted plans, decided on a site, and scheduled a day to start moving the dirt around.  We took it one step at a time, not sure when the next step could happen.  Jean Thomas wrote grants.  Lance Tripp made phone calls to cement people.  One of our committee members, Rex Robbins, became the foreman and things started dropping into place.  Rex taught us how to set forms, lay rebar, and install fences.  Lance’s contacts got us discounted prices for cement and cement finishing.  Other pickleballers had connections to rebar, heavy machinery, gravel, etc.

A big set-back came when we learned the cost to surface the courts was thousands more than what we had.  The sealer hadn’t been put on the cement because the surfacing required non-sealed cement.  We didn’t have enough money to surface the courts, and unsealed cement through the winter would result in damaged cement.  We went to the City and asked if they could help so the courts could be surfaced before winter.  They agreed to use contingency funds if we would commit to replacing those funds.  That meant continued fund-raising far into the future, but the surface needed protecting.  We couldn’t wait.  The courts were finished.

Along with the City, we had been talking with the County about helping with the project.  Their priority has been getting the Courthouse ADA compliant and they could not make any commitments until the cost of that project was known.  Then, just this month, they got the budget projections and were able to commit some one-time funds which covered the borrowed contingency loan.  Life works out!

So, I choose to live where budgets are limited, the air is clean, the spaces are wide, and people work together to make good things happen.  Our little community has done some amazing things over the past few years:  new elementary, new runway at the airport, new splash pad, new pickleball courts, improved roads, and new sewer ponds.  Each project has required countless volunteer hours and collaboration with elected officials, business leaders and people who just want to help!  Life is Good, especially when we work together on projects that benefit us all!