PARKERSBURG - Eleven community participation grants totaling more than $80,000 were handed out Monday to various agencies and groups for a variety of projects ranging from sports field improvements to veterans memorials.
Senators Donna Boley, R-Pleasants, and David Nohe, R-Wood, distributed discretionary grant funds at the Wood County Commission meeting on Monday.
"We are allocated a certain amount of money, and we pool our money. It seems like it works a lot better," Boley said.
Article Photos
Community Participation Grants were handed out Monday to 11 local agencies and groups for a variety of projects and programs. Parkersburg South High School baseball coach Matt Nul, baseball player A.J. Easter and parent Martha Easter accepted a $12,000 grant for scoreboard improvements at Hank Greenberg Field. (Photo by Pamela Brust)
Parent/booster Martha Easter, her son A.J., and Parkersburg South High School baseball coach Matt Null accepted a $12,000 grant for scoreboard improvements at Hank Greenberg Field.
"There is a small scoreboard there that needs upgrading. The American Legion and middle players also use the field. It's the home of the Parkersburg South High School Patriots. Each year we try to make improvements. It's the Wood County Rec association's field," Martha Easter said. "We want to help the Patriots and the other 2,000 kids who play on the field every year."
Margaret Burdette, CASA director, accepted $2,500 on behalf of her nonprofit group, which provides trained volunteers to represent child abuse/neglect victims in court.
"We are going to use the funding for training manuals and office supplies. With the loss of the Justice Assistance Grant, I am out in the community trying to recoup some of the funds we lost. We will be having a fundraiser in November," Burdette said.
Blennerhassett Historical Foundation was awarded $6,000 for fencing and landscaping to reconstruct gardens; the American Red Cross received $11,500 to replace secondhand desks and chairs for its training room; $4,000 was awarded to Mountwood Park for shelter improvements; $5,000 was handed out for the Gathering at Sweet Creek Festival for tents, lights, portable toilets and a sound system, and $15,000 for the Wood County Board of Education for Parkersburg South High. The funds were awarded for a presentation system to include a projector, screen, sound system, including a sound board, wireless microphones and speakers.
A grant of $4,000 was awarded for the Veterans Memorial at Parkersburg City Park and $10,000 for the Fallen Soldier Memorial Wall.
"We are building a fallen soldier memorial wall at City Park to honor Nick Null. It will be dedicated in his honor and there will be a memorial for everyone from the Mid-Ohio Valley who died in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan since the war started," said Alan Litman. Back in February, the commission contributed $2,500 toward creation of the monuments. Litman presented the county officials with a plaque Monday for their participation. A fallen soldier statue is planned as a memorial for Null and a large bronze plaque with the names of all the soldiers who lost their lives with Null on Aug. 6, 2011. The names of fallen soldiers from the area will inscribed on the memorial wall. The memorial will be located near the other veterans memorials.
The Waverly Lions Club received $8,000. A spokesman for that group said $5,000 will be used to reimburse the organization for construction of a large picnic shelter that was used in the bluegrass festival and another $3,000 to help to subsidize the festival.
Delegate Tom Azinger, R-Wood, dropped off a $4,000 grant award for technology for the Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley.
