Syracuse Announces Groundbreaking for Youth Sports Fields
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
SYRACUSE – Though volunteers have been clearing and leveling the land for weeks, a future youth sports complex will have its official groundbreaking Friday in Syracuse.
Wawasee Kiwanis Club and Youth Football volunteers have been preparing the former Vega Field to become a youth sports center with a football field and baseball diamond. The town of Syracuse purchased Vega Field from the Wawasee School Corp. last year.
The groundbreaking will be Friday at noon, presided over by members of the two clubs.
The committee in charge of the complex expects a total cost of about $400,000 for two fields with parking, bleachers, and other features. They have already committed $32,000 to early work, Chad Johnsson, Syracuse Parks and Rec Superintendent, told council Tuesday.
The committee's current fundraising goal is $80,000, which will be matched by a grant from the K21 Health Foundation. Johnsson said they have raised $28,000 to date, with additional funds sought from the Dekko and Rinker foundations.
In addition, the parks department can contribute $40,000, though he said it cannot be used toward the grant match; and council members are considering pledging other town funds.
Councilmen have praised the sports complex idea at past meetings, noting it could draw a lot of families to town.
Dick Pelletier, a Kiwanis member who has run youth softball and baseball for 25 years, is one of the volunteers who have been clearing the field and pounding the pavement in search of donations. He said the field is important to the club because it will give them a permanent home.
Also during the meeting, council adopted the 2012 budget approved last month, with an overall total of $3.22 million; and voted to pay Region III-A $43,000 as grant administrator for application to a $1.4 million Community Development Block Grant for Oakwood Inn renovation.
City officials also mentioned a few things they want residents to be aware of, including the closure of the Ind. 13 railroad crossing for repairs Friday. The crossing just south of Town Hall will be closed for 16 hours starting at 8 a.m., and detour routes will be open.
The repairs, which will include asphalt, rubber sealant and a metal plate, are only a temporary fix expected to last about a year, according to Town Manager Henry DeJulia. They were necessitated by water leakage rotting the wooden ties under the tracks.
Officials also invited lower-income Syracuse residents in need of home repairs to apply for the city's Emergency Rehab fund. They noted the program has had few applicants this year and the fund still has more than $15,000 in it – plus $900 accepted Tuesday, the remaining balance of the now-dissolved Wawasee Area Housing Initiative.
Councilmen also noted that the town hall will be closed for carpet replacement from noon Wednesday until Friday. Clerk-Treasurer Julie Kline said she chose the dates because staff were scheduled to be away for training, and remarked that they will be on-call Friday to set their offices back up immediately.
