By John Howell Sr.

Improvements for children could be coming to Walter Trussell Park following Batesville aldermen’s approval on Tuesday, November 20 of grant applications to buy park equipment.

Mendrop Engineering representative Lauralee Gann and Batesville Main Street Program Manager Colleen Clark visited city officials’ second November meeting to make the requests.

“Colleen and I have looked at (these) with Main Street, and we’d like to get y’all’s approval to apply for these grant opportunities,” Gann said. “Laura (City Clerk Laura Herron) and I have been talking about these for about a year and we’ve talked to Coach Lightsey (City Parks Director Robert Lightsey). We don’t want to lose any money that’s out there that we can get.”

One grant would place a canvas “shade structure” over the existing children’s playground at Trussell Park. Cost of the $8,000 canvas and pole structure would by paid by a grant from the American Academy of Dermatology.

“We can install this with our (city) forces; I don’t think they would have a problem with that,” she said.
Gann also asked aldermen for permission to apply for a Joint Use Program grant that would allow the city to partner with the Patton Lane Community Center to construct a Kaboom Playground.