(The Pierce County Recreation Board discussed and/or voted on the following during their monthly meeting Tuesday, October 15. The meeting was delayed two weeks due to Hurricane Helene.)
Damage report: Recreation Director Maureen Brown gave a detailed report on damage to Rec Dept. facilities in the wake of Hurricane Helene as well as progress reports on repairs. Light poles at Bowen Field were clipped during the storm. Workers ensured the area is all cleaned up and the power disconnected until it can be repaired/replaced. Two light poles have been ordered. High winds ripped tin off of the picnic area and the batting cages by Jowers Field. The power line at the basketball courts was ripped off the pole. Some trees fell on Yeomans Street, but the city helped with the trees and the county helped with the damaged poles. A tree fell on the fence by the track near Tiger Field. A set of lights was nonfunctional, which was not dicovered until the Thursday prior to the meeting. The city and county let the department borrow portable lighting units. Chairman Johnny Thigpen Jr. commented that several people could not see from the spectator side of Tiger Field and asked if the portable lights had helped at all. Third District Commission member Randy Dixon, an ex officio member of the recreation board asked County Manager Rap hel Maddox if the damage to Rec facilities will be covered by insurance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or both. Maddox responded yes and said he has the lights on report already. Brown commented that Pierce was lucky compared to Jeff Davis County, whose Rec Department “was just totally destroyed” and said, “We’re just trying to get back to playing and a little bit of normalcy.”
Red Cross shelter: Brown commended the Red Cross for the excellent job they did cleaning up the NFC Gym after using it as a shelter for citizens displaced by Helene. After the volunteer workers cleaned up the facility, Red Cross sent in an outside company to disinfect and deep clean the gym.
Patterson field: Fourth District County Commissioner David Lowman was in attendance at the meeting and asked about a pole down at the Patterson field still being where it fell. Brown reported that based on the cost of getting a pole truck they were “trying to wait and save a little money” by doing one trip. Once the new concrete poles and LED lights are ready, the pole truck could move the downed pole and set up the new ones. Board member Timmy Griffis said, “This would be the perfect time for that money to come through to do that remodel.” This sparked a brief discussion between Thigpen, Maddox and County Chairman Neal Bennett, who was also in attendance, about precisely where that money was being held and when it could be used. Maddox clarified that the funds still currently reside with the Department of Natural Resources.
Buddy Bowl: Thigpen reported that coaches for the upcoming Buddy Bowl had called him and he had confirmed they could play at the high school. Director Brown said some of the concerns with that are the young players getting things stuck in the astroturf such as sunflower seeds and bubblegum. Thigpen replied that it was the coaches responsibility to prevent such things from happening. Brown confirmed that the practice games would be held throughout the upcoming week at the high school field.
Team names: There was some brief discussion of team names for the Rec Department’s baseball and basketball teams. Thigpen referenced past instances where those teams modeled their names after professional sports teams (the Astros, etc.), but he and others felt it was appropriate to maintain the Bear mascot and various colors (blue, gray, black, etc.) Thigpen said, “We’re Pierce County Bears.” From the sidelines, Lowman also expressed a preference for the traditional Pierce Bear mascot and colors.
Text notifications: Thigpen proposed implementing some form of mass text notifications system to alert parents about sign ups for teams and other important Rec related updates. He believes this would increase participation and help make parents aware of a firm deadline for sign ups. Brown mentioned the possibility of using the Team Reach app other counties are currently using. Thigpen said he wanted to know what the school system was using for mass texts. Board member Anna Saucedo said, “Some people just won’t download an app. It needs to go directly to the phone.”
Football gear: Plans were discussed to institute accountability for helmets, pads and other gear at the end of season. Helmets were cited as a $50 expense per kid and that many parents did not want to turn them in, often keeping them as souvenirs. This costs the department money. One plan was to have all helmets and shoulder pads turned in at the end of the last game and to later reissue them to children playing in the all-stars games.
Public comment: There was no public comment for the October meeting.
Next meeting: The next monthly meeting will be held at 8 a.m. Tuesday, November 5, at the Southeast Georgia Regional Agriculture Center (SEGARAC) on College Avenue.
