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Friday, March 23, 2007 11:12 PM CDT
Junior Football has land, now seeking a field
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON n- Temptation might be there for Charleston Football League board of directors to thank their benefactors and relax.
After seeing new houses get closer and closer to taking away their rented land at those temporary Garfield Avenue football fields and running into several dead ends trying to find a new home, the help of several in the community solved that headache.
Now all that is left is what figures to be a fund-raising project of $300,000 and turning farmland north of town into a stadium with seats around a field, two full practice fields, a 95-car parking lot, a playground and pavilion ready for July 30 start to a season.
League organizers hope not to be scrambling for a place to play this year.
At least they can be thankful that the program that began in 1991 for seventh- and eighth-graders and later added fifth- and sixth-grade teams now has a home to call its own on North E Street.
“In essence, it’s a good community effort and that’s a good thing,” Charleston JFL President Jim McKirahan said.
McKirahan remembers last year having his son talking about where they were going to play.
“Needless to say I called many, many people,” he said.
Board member Dave Hackett went to the VFW’s Pat Morgan who helped get things started.
Chain of events continued through former mayor Max Cougill and property owner Wendell Adams.
Bob Beavers, Steve Whitley and Bill Ward of the township park district made the purchase giving the youth football league its own land.
If things go right now, Charleston’s JFL will not have to take up Mattoon or Effingham league on their offers to use one of those facilities for games this year, an offer that was appreciated but one that would have meant “home games” were to be played out of town.
Charleston organizers have consulted Mattoon Parks and Lakes Superintendent Kurt Stretch about constructing this facility.
“Charleston and Mattoon JFLs have a good relationship,” said C.J. Applegate, the Charleston Parks and Recreation Department athletics supervisor.
Engineering help is also being sought.
“As soon as we get the engineering aspect cleared up we can start moving dirt,” McKirahan said. “If we get grass in by May we should be OK.”
While fund-raising over the past year has doubled the league’s bank account, more is going to be needed.
“Obviously, it’s going to take funds to do his and donated labor,” Vice President David Runyon said. “If we could find a benefactor it would help.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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