Submitted by the Chamber

CELINA-Through the efforts of many people, the renovation of the basketball courts, tennis courts and now pickle-ball courts are finally complete here at Donaldson Park.

The renovation was held up by the unusually rainy spring and then by the scarcity of the resurfacing materials.

This project was identified as a need at a community strategic planning meeting two years ago conducted by Jody Sliger, ThreeStar Director with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

After the meeting she discussed the project with county mayor Dale Reagan and Chamber director Doug Young and indicated that the county was eligible for a ThreeStar Grant that could address this need.  Regan supported the project and Young filed an application for the grant.

Over time the grant was secured, and city mayor Luke Collins welcomed the opportunity to make these improvements to Donaldson Park, which has been leased by the City of Celina from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Collins and several city employees painted the fence, removed the old tennis court standards, and repaired the lighting around the court area. In the meantime, the Edmonds paving company won the bid and started the resurfacing project, and the Head Construction Company completed the new fencing around the basketball courts and added new water fountains.

Collins enlisted the services of local artist Emanuel Fuentes to paint two murals at the basketball court. As the court area was being completed, Collins and his crew renovated the sand boxes and volleyball court, and added a frisbee golf course and a gaga ball pit.

Reagan and Collins are currently working with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to get professional assistance for a park master plan that could provide a guide for future needs for all the parks here and throughout Clay County.  This master plan could provide the backup data that are required in the application for other grants to improve these parks.