As the Great Bend Recreation Commission moves closer to completion of its Veterans Park tennis court improvements, the board of directors voted to authorize the purchase of several seating and shade structures for the two courts to help improve seating conditions for both participants and spectators at the two facilities.
The three separate purchase items approved at Monday’s GBRC board meeting totaled $32,284.50 and included:
• Eight new bleacher seating structures – four each for the two courts – for a total $8,415, including shipping costs, from Future Pro Inc., a sports product manufacturer from Inman.
• Two 42-by-42-inch tables with bench seating on each of the four sides from Athco LLC, a playground equipment supplier out of Lenexa, for a total of $3,340. GBRC Executive Director Diann Henderson said the tables are similar to the tables currently at the MyBackyard Playground outside the GBRC Activity Center. Both benches will be for the east courts.
• Four Skyways Cantilever Pyramid Shade Structures, also purchased from Athco, for use on the east courts, for a total of $20,590.50. This includes a discount of $1,080 that GBRC received through a state procurement contract. All four of these would be for the east court, two each for the east and west sides of the court. At the city’s request, these will be identical in structure and color to shade structures currently installed on the west side of the west courts, because the dark green and tan color is similar to what is in use at other city public facilities such as the Great Bend Sports Complex.
Henderson said Great Bend Public Lands Director Scott Keeler advised her the city will instal the shade structures once they arrive. The work is expected to be done in four to eight weeks, dependent on manufacture and delivery. Installation is weather contingent, as the ground must be warm enough to drill into. The structures will be stored in city facilities upon receipt until they can be installed.
These purchases are the latest steps in the ongoing improvement projects at the two courts.
Currently, on the west court, the posts for the new fencing structures have been installed and the concrete extensions have been completed on the west and north sides of the court. The concrete extension on the east side of the court still needs to be poured and the remainder of the fencing still needs to be installed.
On the east court, Henderson advised the old fencing has been removed and she hopes work on the new concrete and fencing structures will begin on that court within the next week or so.
Workers from Eldridge Fencing and from Concrete Service LLC, both of Great Bend, began on the two courts to replace the fencing and install new concrete extensions around the perimeter of the two courts in early November. The initial target date for completion of work on the two courts was Feb. 5, 2021, as outlined in the initial bid process.
Though the contractors have been hampered by cold weather conditions, she told the board she was still hopeful work on the two courts could be completed by the Feb. 5 target date.
Once work is completed, she said, a request for purchase will be developed for wind screens for the fences on the two courts, to be presented to the board at either the February or March board meetings. She said work must be completed before the request can even be drawn up, because measurements for the wind screens must be extremely precise, and those measurements cannot be taken until the fencing is completed.
GBRC COVID-19 basketball procedures
GBRC also released information Monday on their COVID-19 procedures for their youth basketball season, which is set to begin Thursday.
According to Assistant Superintendent Chris Umphres, games were originally scheduled to begin in early December. Though practices began as scheduled in late November, games were pushed back until mid-January due to COVID-19 concerns, back from a planned early December start.
He told the board the same number of games will still be as originally scheduled; however, the condensed schedule will require some games to be played during the week, instead of just Saturdays as has been done in the past. He also advised the board that GBRC has released information on COVID-19 game-day procedures to players, officials and fans.
The goal of the video is to prepare players, parents and officials for what to expect on game day in regard to spectator limits, mask requirements, seating expectations and all game-day sanitizing and disinfecting procedures.
GBRC will be following Kansas State High School Activities Association recommendations allowing two spectators per participating player at each game. They must check in with the participant upon arrival at the facility.
Participants and parents can download the COVID-19 Procedures Instruction sheet or watch the video outlining COVID-19 procedures on the GBRC website at www.greatbendrec.com. It will also be available on the GBRC YouTube and Facebook pages.
According to the release, GBRC will continually evaluate the statewide COVID-19 case metrics, CDC, KSHSAA, KDHE, Barton County and local authorities’ guidelines and will adjust the procedures accordingly to ensure the safety of participants attending its facilities and programs.
Team game schedules can be viewed at https://greatbendrec.com/sports-and-leagues/youth. For more information contact the GBRC office by calling 620-793-3755 ext. 110.
Executive officers approved
The GBRC board approved the election of executive officers for the 2021 calendar year. Current chairperson Bruce Hofeling and vice-chairperson Andrea Bauer were approved to continue serving in 2021 in those roles; commissioner Sue Cooper was approved to serve as board secretary.
