The park, under the operation of the Town of Many through a 100-year lease with the parish police jury, has seen continual improvements and upgrades since Many first took it over in the late 1980s. Though the Sabine Police Jury has owned the land for quite some time, area community leaders and parents first started developing baseball/softball fields on the park many years (starting in the 1950s to be exact!) before the city took it over and was able to pump some cash into the property. It was these concerned citizens and true community leaders that formed the Sabine Parish Dixie Youth in an effort (and a quite successful effort at that) to provide recreational opportunities for Many area youngsters.

Once Many took over the property and annexed it into the city limits, the town budgeted money for improvements at the park and obtained many state and federal grants for work there. Among improvements the city has proudly achieved:

• Fences have been put up around all ball fields
• Old dirt roads have been paved with asphalt
• Parking lots have been added
• Two baseball fields have been added
• A tennis court has been added
• A walking track has been added (quite a neat project whereby the town upgraded and now provides for public year-round use the walk traditionally saved for the "midway" at the annual Sabine Parish Fair as a walking track. For the two weeks the fair is in town each September, the walking track is in use only by the fair).
• A combined press box/viewing stand and concession stand has been constructed
• Gazebos, picnic tables, barbecue pits, bathrooms have been added
• The city has invested in an excellent lighting system throughout the grounds
• Electronic scoreboards have been funded by area businesses
• All kinds of playground equipment has been added in two separate playgrounds, in part thanks to time and funding by Dixie Youth parents who wanted activities for their younger kids while their ball-playing children were at the fields
• A batting cage has been added
• The Louisiana National Guard has helped the town with much-needed dirtwork at the low-lying city park, to the tune of $180,000 in state bucks.
• Covered bleachers have been added at the ballfields

And many plans are in store of the future, according to Mayor Ken Freeman. Among planned additions and improvements are a second lighted tennis court as the sole court is getting quite popular with local residents, the addition of a sixth ballfield, this one for girls softball, and the continued addition of playground equipment.

Mayor Freeman cites the city park as one of the biggest prides of his tenure as mayor because it was community-initiated and has been an undying, unfaultering joint effort between the town and community citizens/parents all the while. "I think this is indicative of the spirit of the people of Many- the willingness to jump in there and get it done!" Freeman said. Furthermore, the efforts are being noticed all around the state, as the city park was the site in 2007 of two individual statewide Dixie Youth Tournaments.

-- Above article compiled in September 2007 by SatCom. All rights reserved.

Click here for .pdf form to submit to town for using park facilities.