Looking Good

Even through the COVID-19 pandemic summer, Gotte Park has received some attention from various organizations for upgrades and improvements.

The VFW has taken over a specific area of the park for a memorial area. In addition to the service flags, cement has been set for a wall.

The VFW sold bricks to be laid as memorials to loved ones. The memorial bricks should be arriving soon and they will be installed. Mayor Keith Prunty stressed that all funds for the VFW memorial area have been paid for by the VFW. No tax money has been used.

Additional money has been set aside for the parks in recent years from Positive Spaces (Heather and Nate Entingh). Mark Green also had collected donations for the parks.

Four new basketball hoops and poles have been installed by Johnson Construction and two pickleball courts will be created.

Specifically designed outdoor paint for the inside key on the basketball courts will be Husker Red. The pickleball courts will be the recommended colors of green and blue.

Pickleball is the one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. It was developed in 1965 and is easier on the body and quicker to pick up than racketball or tennis. Pickleball is a combination of table tennis, ping pong and badminton. The court is the size of a badminton court. Pickleball can be played as either double or singles.

Prunty is looking forward to continuing to improve the parks with perimeter fencing, adding more security cameras and improving the playground equipment. Also, a shelter next to the playground equipment should be completed by September of this year.

"This is improving our quality of life, one little step at a time," Prunty said.

He mentioned that the trees in Gotte Parks have suffered this year.

"This was a bad year for trees," he said. "I know we have some dead ones here, the guys have plans for taking them out."