Sentinel News Plus- Monday, Sep. 3, 2007

Lights, trails, skateboards
By Gayle Deaton/Sentinel-Staff Writer

Shelbyville/Shelby County Parks Director Clay Cottongim credited State Senator Gary Tapp and State Representative Brad Montell with bringing grant dollars to the county to fund special projects such as a new skate park and lighting a baseball field.

Thanks to the efforts of Montell and Tapp, Cottongim said the Governor's Office for Local Development has awarded two grants to Shelby County Fiscal Court and the Parks and Recreation Board. The first grant is a matching grant for $130,000 through the Land, Water and Conservation Fund. Cottingim said the money will be used for three projects that include lighting the minor baseball league at Clear Creek Park, designing and constructing the new skate park, and adding bleachers to park facilities.

Cottongim estimates the baseball lighting project should be completed by late spring 2008. The new skate park will be located at the old Shelbyville City pool site off Washington Street and should be completed by mid-summer 2008, he said.

A second grant obtained for Shelby County is through the Recreational Trails program for a $72,620 matching grant. The funds will be used to design and construct the Finchville Park trail and trail head parking area. That project has an estimated completion date of fall 2008.

Both grants will receive matching funds through donations, in-kind labor and Shelby County Fiscal Court.

A number of local officials and skateboarders turned out Thursday to express their gratitude to Tapp and Montell in front of the old city pool site.

Skateboarders still need to raise about $14,000 in donations for their part of the matching grant, Cottingim said.