Vernon Dahmer Park receives new upgrades

HUATTIESBURG,, Miss. (WDAM) - Vernon Dahmer Park will have a different feel, a different look from the bleachers.

Upgrades to the park have been on the drawing board for years, but now Field Two has some shade.When you visit your favorite Little League teams this spring, you may notice some differences when sitting on the bleachers.

Hattiesburg officials said improvements were much needed.

“Little League, they came to me about it, and the community, the different residents that came to the ballgames came to me about it,” Ward 5 Councilman Nick Brown said. “They just wanted a cover over the bleachers for safety issues and when the weather’s kind of hot.

“So, I’m glad we’ve been able to put this in. Hopefully, over time we can get the other fields done.”

Brown said that the renovations and upgrades will benefit everyone.

“This (park) is a keystone to our community,” Brown said. “A lot of people come here, a lot of activities go on, and (the more) upgrades we can get into this facility, it’s going to be good for our community because when one area of the city wins, the entire city wins.”

Just a few months ago, residents got to take a dive into the newly-upgraded pool. City officials said that these are just the beginning of the renovations planned for the park.

“We announced the completion of a renovation of Vernon Dahmer Park pool earlier this year, and now we have the shade structures, so in this upcoming fiscal year, we really do hope to increase the capital projects at this park” Hattiesburg Parks and Recreation Interim Director Betsy Mercier said.

Hattiesburg Parks and Rec also was working on other recreational upgrades across the city.

We are continuing to make progress at JC Park, which is another park that is being completely transformed and that, hopefully, will be completed in the next month,” Mercier said. “We are continuing work at Tatum Park on Fields 16 and 18. Those are championship-level natural grass and synthetic turf fields.”

Mercier said the city nearly had compelted renovations at the tennis courts at Kamper Park.

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