It’s been almost seven years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Bridgeport Recreation Complex was about to open and there was plenty of excitement over it. Perhaps no one was more pumped about it than Mayor Jim Christie and City Manager Kim Haws. I worked pretty closely with them and had the privilege of being a small part of the action as invitations were sent, making sure it was a day to remember.

 

Many had worked very hard to make the state-of-the-art facility a realty. From the development of the dream to the design and logistics, several were on board and they put their best into it, down to the very last detail.

I still remember Councilwoman Diana Marra – who was instrumental in the development of the complex – carrying that attention to detail down to the wire - even helping to inflate miniature beach balls on opening day. The balls were bounced out into the large crowd that gathered for the historic occasion.

 

Though the baseball complex was the star of 2012, there were other projects in the works; in their baby steps of development. Among them was the indoor recreation complex and Mayor Christie and City Manager Haws were among those who had their thinking caps in full gear, looking forward to the day when residents could – in addition to our newly unveiled baseball fields - enjoy quality, state-of-the-art indoor amenities.

 

Current Mayor Andy Lang – who has hit the ground running since elected in 2016 - has talked about the years invested in the indoor sports and recreation complex that is slated for groundbreaking this spring and projected for opening in late-2020. I guess what I’ve been thinking about is that behind all the awesome amenities of our city stand a long line of dedicated individuals.

 

It takes everyone: Those who see the need, those who research and travel to like facilities to compare and check out amenities, those who propose a way to finance, those who have a keen eye for design and fit all the components together – and on and on.

 

It’s like a tag team and every member of the team is pertinent to the project’s outcome.

 

We’re so fortunate here in Bridgeport. We know that. There is always a surplus of individuals waiting to serve – be it homeroom mother, Booster Club member, or one of the city’s many boards or Bridgeport City Council.

 

They serve because they care about our city and want to see it grow and prosper, providing facilities not only to serve its residents, but also those throughout the area. Yet, ask any of them – past or present – and they will tell you that the dream of our city also features the continuation of that hometown feel.

 

I’ve grown up in Bridgeport and date way back to the days when Mayors Carl Furbee and John Hodge served its people. Back then, soda fountains were all the rage and about 4,500 people called our city home. We are soon to double that figure. It takes a village - and a tag team -  each member taking a vital role in the development of Bridgeport.

 

Editor's Note: My very first Connect-Bridgeport blog was about the opening of the Recreation Complex and the launch of Connect-Bridgeport. Because of its content and all the anticipation that led up to the projects coming to fruition, the name of the article was "It's Happening." The blog title stuck and became the permanent name of the blog.