City has opportunity to become park’s owner

Right now, the City of Batesville has a golden opportunity to secure a prime park site that is conveniently located.

The old J. P. Hudson Park property has been abandoned.

The land that lies between Pollard and Boothe Street was formerly the site of the baseball and softball programs operated by the J. P. Hudson Park Association. When new fields were constructed further down Boothe Street at the J. C. Dunlap Memorial Complex, the baseball and softball programs — along with anybody else who showed up there — continued to use the old fields for practice.

The land was also the site for the “city pool,” a misnomer that persisted for its entire existence in spite of the fact that it was a membership-based facility operating for most of its existence on a shoestring from year to year.

This year, the J. P. Hudson Park Association has ended its relationship with the site by having the field lights cut off and discontinuing its mowing of the grounds.

Also this year, the pool will not reopen. Even if the money were available for the extensive renovation needed to continue operation as a swimming pool, the operators face heavy liability potential.

What the city will soon be faced with is a large overgrown area complete with a pool holding fetid water. And a golden opportunity.