Seneca applying for Sate Rec Grants

Seneca leaders are hopeful that a state grant will provide the city with some much needed recreation funds.  Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander said Recreation Director Rick Lacey recently told council that state funds are available to improve the baseball fields at the Shaver Recreation Complex. “We were made aware that there was a state grant that we could apply for and at the last meeting we gave Seneca Recreation Director Rick Lacey permission to go ahead.  There is a 20% match, so there is like a $15,000 grant that we can get from the state to be able to do improvements at the Shaver Complex.  The back stops at the baseball fields, that is what Rick is wanting to use that money for and it is about a $24,000 project but with the in kind services that we will provide, we will do our part in house and then we will be able to offset the rest of it with the $15,000 grant.” Mayor Alexander is hopeful the city will be approved for the state PRAD grant.  The city also plans to add a new scoreboard at Gignilliat Field, tells Mayor Alexander.  “The sign there we have had a long time and it went out on us.  It is sort of a specialty item, so we contacted the company that could get it going again.  Rick brought it to Council and made us aware that participation has exploded in local recreation and we need that field more now.  Rick told us that a couple of the sports that are going on right now they have higher numbers than they have ever had.” Currently, baseball, softball and flag football are taking place this spring in the Seneca Recreation Department.  This fall, the city rec plans to move football games to Gignilliat Field and utilize the new scoreboard, which should go up sometime later this month.