Stevens Park gets spruced up
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NILES -- After hearing many requests from residents wanting an outdoor pickleball court, park director Mark Pallante and the Niles Park Board had the city move forward with a $14,000 project to transform two tennis courts at Stevens Park into pickleball courts.
With warm 70-degree weather Thursday and also today, Pallante was expecting people to use the remaining two tennis courts and the pickleball courts.
After a month's worth of work two tennis courts were made into four pickleball courts, and improvements were made to the two other tennis courts at the park.
"If the weather is cooperative, we will keep them open into November," Pallante said.
The project was covered by a $6,000 donation from the Niles Council of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, $5,000 from Creating Healthy Communities from Trumbull County Combined Health District, and the remainder from the city.
Kris Kriebel, health educator / Creating Healthy Communities coordinator for the health district, said he was impressed to see the money used for the pickleball and tennis courts, which will help promote physical activity and wellness.
"This is the first time I have had a chance to see it. It looks good," Kriebel said.
Pallante said the goal is to get the children and adults outside being active.
"Pickleball has become very popular. As soon as I was hired, I received a lot of requests for pickelball from people of all ages who want to play. We have people at the wellness center every morning playing pickleball on our three inside courts. It is reserved from 8 to 11 a.m. each morning, and there are people there every day. This is fantastic for Niles," he said.
Steve Sava of the Regional Chamber said people already have been to the park to see what work has been done.
"If you build it, they will come," he said.
Pallante said the improvements provide more activities for people in Niles.
"We have great parks and need to get them used a little more," he said.
Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz said McKinley High School will be able to have their tennis teams use the new courts.
"Pickleball is one sport on the rise and a big draw for wellness center and parks. If the schools have tennis teams, they can use the other courts," he said.
In another matter, Pallante said a combined project between the parks and the McKinley Memorial Library is to place 18 20-by-40-foot storyboards at Stevens Park later this fall.
Children and adults will be able to walk in the park and see the covers of books to read. He said the storyboards will be placed starting near the children's play area and through the park to Vienna Avenue.
"Our plan is to get them put in before winter. Fencing work also will be done at the park," he said.
Pallante said he is preparing for the winter months with the wellness center since there will be more activities inside including soccer in November and basketball, if it permitted.
"We have to keep track of everyone who comes inside the center. We have different groups on different nights," he said.
Pallante said the staff spends a lot of time cleaning and disinfecting after each group uses the center.
"It has been challenging with all the cleaning that has to take place," he said.
Also, the military banner project to honor local servicepeople will begin taking applications in 2021. Pallante said plans are to honor local military with banners on poles in parts of the city.