LARNED — The Larned High tennis team added the final finishing touches for the Doerr-Vernon Park tennis courts.
Team members and city of Larned employees were busy painting over cracks to help seal the surfaces Wednesday in preparation for a junior varsity home meet scheduled Thursday.
Larned team members Kevin VonFeldt, Denton Johnson, Michael Orth, Jeret Johnson and Rolf Pier painted the courts prior to Wednesday’s practice under the direction of assistant coach Mark Lessard.
“They’re doing a great job,” Lessard said.
Wayne Morrow, Larned High athletic director, said the repair of cracks with a Portland Cement patching grout will provide a better playing surface. The tennis court repair is a side project associated with the Splash Pad renovation project at Doerr-Vernon Park.
“It’s a challenge coordinating things with the city and the school,” Morrow said. “But the courts have been patched and now they’re getting some repainting.”
Morrow is hopeful of a more permanent fix to the aging courts in the near future. But for now, he realizes the city and school district have to make the best of the asphalt courts.
Don Gaeddert, Larned city manager, said the city has supplied manpower to help with the project.
“When you get old asphalt, it needs maintenance and repair about every year,” he said. “This was a good opportunity to make an improvement in conjunction with a larger project at Doerr-Vernon Park. Now, the surface is more level with no major cracks. It’s very labor-intensive work to work on the tennis courts.”     
Volunteers chiseled out sections of old concrete in tight cracks with hammer drills and chisels. Haynes Electric and Schaller Construction donated the hammer drills, chisels and gloves.
A work crew from Larned High School started the repair work.
Group leaders told Angie Murray, a Pride coordinator, the tennis court crew had the most demanding job at Doerr-Vernon Park.