Residents of Nances Creek have something to celebrate every weekend with the community’s recent park improvements.The Nances Creek Community Center stood for over two decades as a sometimes-forgotten piece of the community, in need of a new coat of paint and an improved little league field.
Thanks to the recent efforts of a number of volunteers from the community, the Calhoun County Master Gardeners and funding from White Plains Youth and the County Commission, the park is now a place where residents can enjoy the natural beauty of the community.
Work began some four months ago with the improvement to the little league field. Outfield fences were torn down by Calhoun County inmates and were moved in to fit Dixie Youth regulations. A new backstop and concession stand were constructed. Bleachers were painted and dugouts were upgraded.
The work all came together to create a place where the White Plains community could have its own baseball and softball league for the first time.
White Plains Youth Athletic Organization President Scott Dothard said the field is something special to the community because for years, parents had to travel to other cities to watch their children play ball. “We got fed up with seeing our kids play in other communities,” Dothard said. “We decided it was time to bring it home.”
In the past, White Plains parents were forced to sign their children up to play ball in cities like Piedmont and Heflin. Dothard said the willingness of these cities to open their program to White Plains children was greatly appreciated, but he knew it was time to create a place that they could call their own.
“This field is a great thing for our community because now we can sit and root for all the kids,” Dothard said. “You really get to know the other kids through your own children, and its good to see all the parents be able to pull for both teams in one place.”
Commissioner Rudy Abbott was an instrumental part of the entire project, not just providing funding for it but also spending many hours on the field himself, coordinating and doing a lot of work, Dothard said.
Abbott said the field holds a special place in his heart because of his life spent playing and coaching baseball. “This happens to be something I enjoy doing because it was my lifetime career,” he said. “But even though I enjoyed doing the baseball part of it, I really enjoyed the beautification phase of it.”
The beautification of the park included the planting of a number of flowering trees, shrubs and flowers around the area, as well as a fresh coat of paint on the amphitheatre seating area, stage and playground equipment.
Inmates in a carpentry class from the county’s drug rehabilitation program also came out to construct a handicap-accessible deck and bridge over the stream bordering the park and a six-car train for the playground.
Calhoun County Master Gardeners member Tammy Shipp said the members enjoyed taking on the park as one of their projects. She said they made an effort to choose plants and shrubs that bloom in different seasons to provide year-round beauty for the park. “No matter what time of year someone comes out here, there will always be something to look at,” Shipp said.
The Master Gardeners took drought precaution measures by running a pump line around the entire park that uses water from the stream to provide for the plants without using county-supplied water. A number of drought-resistant plants and trees were also planted.
Abbott said the beauty of the park is something that everyone, even people who are not there for the ball field, can enjoy.
Abbott would not disclose how much was spent on the park. “Whatever we spent was worth it,” he said. “I don’t think you can put a price on improving the quality of life for kids.”
Even without a price sticker, Abbott said the park is priceless part of the community for many years to come. “The real reward here is what you get to see on the kids faces every Saturday,” Abbott said. “Those moments they spend playing on this field with their parents and grandparents watching are moments they will remember all their lives.”
