By Randy Garrison

One of the things I really enjoy doing in my position is driving around Hartselle and seeing all of the new things taking place – whether it be new houses being built, streets being paved, old dilapidated structures coming down or even vacant lots boasting the promise of bright futures to come. 

Nothing makes your day brighter or gives you a better feeling than to see all that is happening in our city and dwelling on the hopes and plans of much more to come.

Last week when I was out for lunch, I drove around several areas around Sparkman Park. If you have not been through that area lately, you should put an eyeball on it. 

The newer soccer parking lot has been paved with curbs and gutters added. This new pavement will make parking for the soccer leagues much easier, and with spaces marked, more cars will be able to fill the lot. Also, a new pavilion is almost complete by the pond, which will be available for rentals and provide a public space to hang out and relax.

The upper baseball parking lot has been resealed and striped, and the softball parking lot sealing and striping started this week. 

Hopefully we will be able to reconfigure the parking at the softball field to make it easier to navigate and also accommodate more parking. The lower baseball parking lot will be sealed and striped in the future as well. 

We are searching for additional parking space on Mountain View, where flag football is now located. 

When this league began, we did not know it would be so popular, and parking has been an issue all season. However, I look on this as a good problem to have, with so many of our youth involved in this sport. We plan to have the parking situation resolved by next season, along with better lighting. Thanks for your patience as we grow with this new sport.

Parks and Rec will be refurbing the old tennis courts adjacent to the Intermediate School in the near future. New nets, fencing, resurfacing and lighting will be on the job order for this project, and the parking lot south of the courts will be resealed and restriped, as well, for additional parking.

While I am writing this column, the floor in the main gym at Sparkman Civic Center is being replaced. The floor in the main gym has been resurfaced several times but has never been replaced. It will be a composite-type flooring and should be an even better playing surface for basketball for all ages by the first tip-off of the new season. 

Each time I drive by the new playground downtown and see children playing, it puts a smile on my face. From a vacant lot that could not be used for a retail building, to a spot that brings happiness to young children – I am positive in my thinking that it was a homerun decision. 

Just the other day I walked downtown for lunch and saw a little girl playing and having a good time. 

Stay tuned for more updates and exciting happenings as we all work to make Hartselle even better for everyone.