Last week, Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Shuttleworth went before City Council with a message. And that message was a simple one.

 

“We have big things happening right now, particularly with our indoor recreation complex that is drawing a lot of attention,” said Shuttleworth. “The thing we want everyone to know is that we know how important it is not to forget our other facilities.

 

“Going back to when Don (Burton) was running the department, he and I preached to our staff to maintain a standard of care in our facilities and that is still taking place,” he said. “When we train people on everything from mowing to maintenance, we explain the end product is what the community uses and how we want it to look and how it’s supposed to operate. The indoor complex isn’t going to change that.”

 

After Shuttleworth’s opening remarks, he then gave a 20-minute presentation on the state of P&R Department to Council to back those words. Each department annually gives a report to Council and on April 8, Shuttleworth gave his.

 

The report was broken down into areas where projects have taken place and projects that will take place. The first part focused in on the existing Bridgeport Recreation Complex and its outdoor component.

 

In the past year, the facility has witnessed the installation of safety neeting on the C-ball field, rebuilt mounds on two fields, LED parking lot lights, electric added to the C-Ball field; the moving of the scoreboard on Field 1 and several other project.

 

From there, Shuttleworth talked about the Benedum Civic Center, which is still one of the most heavily utilized city facilities. The building has seen new carpet and flooring, painting, upper level renovations, new banquet chairs, LED lighting upgrades, a sidewalk replacement that is ongoing, and other planned and smaller upgrades.

 

At Bridgeport City Park, shelter roofs have been replaced and a new scoreboard has been added. The facility has also seen the addition of a new storage building and shade tops along with ongoing maintenance.

 

At Bridgeport City Pool, security cameras have been added and new stairs to the high dive pool are in place. Shuttleworth also said two employees are now “certified pool operators” in accordance with state rules. Other projects are also in the works.

 

Compton Park has seen a new water fountain installed, upgrades to the James Street trail and this past year saw a new program with the Harrison County Parks and Recreation Department take place.  At Deegan and Hinkle Lakes Park, new bleachers have been installed by the tennis courts, while new benches are also in place throughout the facility. The lakes also entered into a new partnership with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

 

The Parks Department also handles items along Main Street. Shuttleworth  said new  banners have  been purchased for the light poles, the flower program with a new theme will continue, additional Christmas decorations have been purchased and improvements have been made to the Veteran’s Memorial.

 

Shuttleworth also talked about the vast number of programs the department handles and is involved with during the year. The programs go from the city Christmas Parade to Light Up Night and leagues they run.

 

The presentation ended with projects that are on the way, including addressing the slip on the City Park walking trail and more Civic Center renovations. He also talked about an overall facility master plan and more items that will be part of the coming year.

 

“We understand the important and the investment of the new indoor recreation complex,” said Shuttleworth. “We also understand the importance of maintain, improving and adding to what we already have and finding additional areas for recreational opportunity for our residents.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Department head Joe Shuttleworth addressing Council last week. Second photo shows work being done on the mounds at the outdoor portion of the city's recreation complex, while the new sprial staircase for the city high dive is shown in the botto photo.