Sparkman Park obtains 18 new wooden benches

Lauren Estes-Velez- Hartselle Enquirer

Park and Recreation Director Tom Chappell was busy over the holidays helping to make Sparkman Park even better for park-goers in the community – with brand new bences for the park.

Not only were the benches free, but they were put together by local community members, Hartselle Utilities workers and city employees.

“Mark Hampton has a local Realty company and has a portable sawmill,” Chappell said. “We had a big oak tree that Hartselle Utilities helped earlier in the year to cut down. We left the big log sections, and we cut them into slabs, and we’ve had them up in our shop. We also got some discarded telephone poles to make into legs, cut them out and put them together.”

They were able to make 18 benches, nine of which were placed on the first 19 holes of the disc golf field. The other nine were scattered throughout the second 18 holes.

“We were just trying to make some improvements that wouldn’t actually cost us any money,” Chappell said. “Larry Hannah was able to donate labor and equipment and repurpose the 18th hole set-up with concrete pieces on the disc golf field. We’re really appreciative of that.”

Chappell said there are no current plans to update anything else as of now, but his department will do as much as possible in a tight budget by repurposing items.