Volunteers work to improve Freeport Community Park

Wednesday’s sunshine encouraged volunteers to move ahead with plans to add electricity to the Freeport Area High School’s girl’s softball and fast-pitch softball field inside the expansive Freeport Community Park.

David Zembrzuski, who owns DRZ Excavating in Harrison, donated know-how and operated equipment to dig a trench from the electrical source to a large sign in center field.

“It’s a way to help,” said Zembrzuski, who has children attending Freeport schools.

Volunteers Mark and Jeannie Nesbit and Jay and Heidi Powell placed conduit alongside the trench and cleaned up the area.

Jeannie Nesbit is president of the Restore Freeport Park, a group that has steadily been working to improve the park.

“You should have seen this place before the volunteers started to work,” she said.

Between now and the end of March, another Freeport volunteer, Mark Cravener, of Union Electric, will install the power line and connect it to the electrical source, said Heidi Powell, owner of NextHomeDynamic.

She is coordinator of one of three groups of volunteers working to upgrade the park, which dates to the early 1960s.

“It has taken five years for this, but it’s happening,” Powell said, wearing gloves, orange rubber boots and an honest sweat.

Jay Powell, who is a volunteer assistant coach with the softball teams, said the Freeport team has continuing rivalries with Deer Lakes and Burrell, and Freeport wants to improve its fields.

“The season begins at the end of March, so time is important,” he said.

Other volunteer groups want to install electricity at the Little League baseball fields and add lights and improving a walking trial, Powell said.

A state grant will pave part of the Laube Hall parking lot, and money from XTO Energy will help with the walking trail project.

Powell said the sign was in bad shape when it was obtained from Freeport Area School District.

“My company paid a New Kensington company to refurbish the sign and repaint it,” she said.

The sign will show balls, strikes and outs and which team is up at bat. Art work includes the logo for the home team Freeport Yellow Jackets. It also includes the NextHomeDynamic name as well as the image of the company’s orange little dog mascot, “Lucas.”

The sign’s back faces the soccer fields.

“We can have ads from area businesses whose kids are playing there,” Powell said.

The money will defray costs of operating the sign, she said.

And with electricity to the field,“You can have croc pots and food at the games,” Powell said.