EAST PRAIRIE BREAKS GROUND ON NEW CITY RECREATION COMPLEX

EAST PRAIRIE -- When city residents and park board members realized their parks were a little outdated, they decided to do something about it.

They formed the East Prairie Recreation Corp. to help rebuild the city's parks. After a year of work, the corporation announced a ground-breaking ceremony for its 20-acre recreation complex.

East Prairie, the park board and the corporation will hold a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday at noon at the site on the south edge of town. The project will cost about $750,000 and should be completed by spring 1998.

"It's made to have something for everybody," said Kenny Walton, project director and president of the park board.

The 20-acre complex includes three basketball courts, three tennis courts, a playground, football and soccer field, several baseball diamonds, shuffleboard court, and a walking track.

The city's parks are not comparable to the new facility, Walton said, adding that the existing parks couldn't accommodate all the summer softball and baseball games.

The city offered summer leagues for both boys and girls ages 5-18 and only two playing fields were not enough, he said.

The land had been dedicated several years ago but it took about three years of work to find funding and design a recreation complex, Walton said.

Five residents, including Walton, serve on the recreation corporation board. There are nine members of the park board.