Published: May 17, 2008 04:01 pm            

Charlestown celebrates improvements to Little League Park

When Jeff Knoebel was a kid he played ball at Charlestown’s Little League complex.

“Back then, we had two diamonds,” he said while looking around the complex Saturday.

Much has changed since then, of course. The number of diamonds has grown to five over the years and, in effect, the complex has gotten larger and busier.

But it was the changes made just in the last few months that Little League families were celebrating on Saturday.

The perimeter, which had formerly been grass and dirt, is now smoothly paved. There are new scoreboards in the outfields and new lights hanging above some of the fields. Fresh landscaping, a gazebo and stonework were among other improvements.

“Anyone who saw it last year and saw it this year would think it’s a whole new place,” Knoebel said.

Others felt the same.

Veteran umpire Joel Finkelstein called the changes phenomenal.

“I hadn't been out here in two years. I was amazed,” he said.

The improvements came by way of donations and hard work, said Geneva Adams, a member of the Charlestown Little League board.

Local businesses, the city and individual donors anteed up money and materials needed for the re-vamping. She declined to put a dollar figure on the improvements, which took place over the winter.

“It just took hard work,” she said.

“I can’t say enough about how much was done.”

Saturday was Booster Day at the park. Adams said it was a chance to raise some money for the league. A parade started the day; there was also a silent auction, plenty of food and 18 baseball games to be played.

There are 377 kids involved in Charlestown Little League. The park is also hosting this year’s District Five All-Star Game, which will feature visitors from Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Georgetown and elsewhere, Adams said.

“Everybody deserves credit,” she said. “(The day) was about what we have developed here.”

        

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