As a parent, I’m proud when my kids figure out how to read a new word or they take on the challenge of reading more difficult material.
Usually this material is found in our local library – a great resource for more than just books, by the way – however last week my kids learned some new words in the most unlikely of places.
Listowel Memorial Park.
The park is a beautiful place to take the family to play, walk down the trail by the river, and to generally enjoy outdoor time. It’s a great place to catch a ball game.
It’s also a great place to read a book – not the benches and picnic tables.
Last Tuesday night, the U9 softball team I coach in Minto (as you may know, I am a Palmerston resident) was in town to play against Listowel U9 #1. It was a highly competitive, close-scoring game, and our Minto squad was fortunate enough to come away with a win.
Seeing as Memorial Park has a great playground and lots of space to play, I brought the kids along to play there while the game was on the field. Before the game, we grabbed some takeout and decided to eat at the park.
We sat down at the picnic tables under the pavilion, and within a minute my oldest looked at me with his eyes wide.
“Why would someone draw that on a table?” he asked.
He pointed to a spot about a foot from him where an “artist” had drawn a piece of the male anatomy.
I had no answer, although if the drawing was to scale, I feel sorry for the artist.
But I digress.
Further inspection of the tables in the pavilion revealed all sorts of graffiti, vandalism – whatever you want to call it – ranging from pictures of penises to three- and four-letter words that kids (and many adults) should not be saying in public.
After eating, we headed over to the Memorial Diamond where the bleachers were covered in much of the same “art.”
Many of the parents of players on our team commented on the condition of the bleachers, which also doubled as the players’ bench (more on that later).
It’s not a great first impression of the park. And why nothing has been done about it is concerning.
It’s no secret that vandalism is on the rise – or at least the cases are well known now – in North Perth, specifically in Listowel. With that said, that should not be an excuse to “do nothing.”
Memorial Park is, as I said earlier, a beautiful spot with something for everyone to enjoy.
Just make sure you keep your young ones’ eyes closed when taking a seat.
Speaking of seats…
It was also disheartening to see that Memorial Diamond has no player benches and a severe lack of seating.
The baseball compound at Memorial Park is one that Listowel should be proud of. The John Bell diamonds are beautiful, especially John Bell South, with its rustic grandstand.
Plenty of seating for spectators and players.
At Memorial Diamond last week, our players were relegated to using the one very small set of bleachers – roughly six feet wide and three rows deep – while parents and grandparents scrambled to find blankets and chairs in their cars to sit on.
I know the price of lumber, like nearly everything else, is much higher than anyone would like. But are the purse strings of the parks budget so tight that a pair of player benches for Memorial Diamond is out of the question?
Listowel has, in my opinion, a thriving minor ball program with many talented players.
To have great facilities like John Bell North and South, complete with seating and benches, while Memorial Diamond across the road looks like it was thrown together at the last minute, is insulting.
The only positive is that the lack of benches at Memorial Diamond means less “artwork” in the park.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of the Listowel Banner. Comments and feedback are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
