By John Davis

Oxford Park Commission

A new activity center that will be designed to serve the recreation and social needs of the community will be looked at again this coming week.

Seth Gaines, the executive director of the Oxford Park Commission, will be at a site design meeting with architects and designers involved with the project, which has been allotted to cost $8.5 million. He updated the progress of the facility during Wednesday’s meeting of the OPC board at the main office.

Gaines told the board he was doing everything he could to build as much of the facility as possible with the money budgeted for the project. The building may be bid with two alternates. The first alternate would be with a walking track and the second would be enclosed area where the gym is.

“We’re really close with both and I think there is a way we can get both. I’m really encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Gaines told the board. “This has a mezzanine level which would allow for a bigger workout area or a commons area with a ping pong table or pool tables as well as various couches to socialize around.”

Tournaments in April

In other items discussed with the board, the Mississippi Recreation and Parks Association will sponsor a tournament for area youth recreation based baseball and softball teams. The goal of the tournament was to offer teams from Oxford a chance to experience a competitive field over a weekend setting. The softball tournament will be held in Corinth at a cost of just $50. Half of the money is going back to MRPA in the district. The baseball tournaments will be held in Tupelo and Horn Lake. Both of the tournaments will be held on April 29-30.

“When our softball players go to Corinth or our baseball players go to Tupelo or Horn Lake this year, we will be playing by the league rules of these towns,” Gaines said. “Teams will have to know that they may not have a pitching machine like we do for 9-10 boys. I think this will be good for our league folks.”

Volleyball needs teams

The adult volleyball league is looking for teams to take part. It is just like the Oxford Sports and Social Club that has been going on with Ultimate Frisbee and 16-inch softball. The league is open for both men and women, all over the age of 16. The season is slated to last for five weeks and the cost to take part is $100.

FNC Park will be the site of the inaugural OPC High School Fast pitch softball tournament on March 3-4. Twelve high school teams from around the area have signed up to take part in the event.

There will be a new bathroom installed at Garden Terrace Park in the next month or two for residents. The city’s Board of Aldermen approved the request during their meeting Tuesday night. The land donation came through the office of Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. Gaines had to petition the state in order for the facility to be built. Gaines said a letter from Hosemann’s office came in the mail Monday alerting him that the land donation could be discussed and then approved by the city board.

Gaines also updated the board on the new Leisure Lifestyles Administrator/Aquatics position that has been created. Three people have officially applied for the job that opened late last week.