The prospects for Caledonia’s youth soccer program have never been brighter. Literally.
After a series of sometimes contentious board of aldermen debates this summer that called into question whether the town’s soccer complex would be outfitted for lighting before the season’s start, everything is set for play.
Next week, more than 300 children ages 4 to 14 will step onto the pitch for the opening of the town’s long-awaited soccer complex, an opening long delayed by the lack of funding for a lighting system.
“Getting this complex up and running means we’re finally keeping up with the times,” said Josh Scarborough, a member of the town’s park commission. “Everything is newer and nicer. It’s a whole new situation. People couldn’t be happier.”
Four years after acquiring 22 acres of land adjacent to Ola J. Pickett Park to build four soccer fields, the installation of lights at two of the fields were completed, despite a delay that threatened to stretch into the season as aldermen debated whether to install conventional metal halide lighting or more expensive LED lighting.
The town had $170,000 in grants for the lighting project — $120,000 from a Mississippi Development Authority grant and $50,000 appropriated by the Legislature, more than enough to install metal halide lighting ($130,000). Initial estimates for LED lighting two fields were $275,000, far beyond the town’s budget.
A revised plan, which replaced metal poles with wood poles, brought the prospects of LED lighting back to the table. In June, the town accepted a bid from Collins Electric Contractor at a cost of $163,135.
On its third special call meeting, alderman accepted the bid on June 24, with a 90-day contract for installation.
The lights were turned on and tested for the first time on Sept. 30.
“Everything ended up right on time,” Scarborough said. “Every practice and every game will be held on our new fields. We couldn’t be happier.”
Scarborough said the complex is still in the process of adding some finishing touches before play begins.
“We’re putting in equipment for the concession stand, putting in some new metal bleachers and we’ll have some new fencing and a new gate between the fields and the parking lot. Everything about our soccer program will be newer and better.”
As the time slipped away as the board debated the lighting issue, park commission members and those associated with the town’s soccer program feared further delays would hamper the town’s efforts to grow its soccer program.
Until now, the town had used the baseball fields at Ola J. Pickett Park for its soccer program, something that had taken a toll on participation, Scarborough said.
“We were down to under 300 kids last year,” he said. “Now, we’re back over 300 and I could easily see us with 350 kids or more next year. This is going to be huge for the program. It allows us to really make a big step forward. We’re going to be able to certify coaches and referees and do a lot of things that had sort of been put on hold while we waited for the fields to be finished.
“We’re really set now to do a lot of really good things,” he added. “We’re a small town, but we’re taking care of our town. That’s what this says to me.”
The Dispatch was unable to reach Mayor Mitch Wiggins or interim parks director Lisa Mims for comment by press time.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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