By Mary Owen
Mehama Ball Park is fast becoming a community place to go, thanks to volunteer efforts that grew the park from an empty field in the ’60s to the three fields that it has today.
“In this last year, we got new roofs on the dugouts, new boards on the bleachers, new dirt on the fields, new gravel on the driveway,” said Chris Brown, president of the park’s board of directors.
According to Brown, projects undertaken also included painting the roofs and bleachers, clearing out overgrown brush, putting up a new “thank you” sign for sponsors and ball park information.
“Each field got new field signs, and banners were put up for the sponsors,” Brown said. “With community sponsorship, donations and volunteer support, we have been able to make this ball park come back to life.”
“We also purchased a Porta-potty,” said Pam Philippi, board secretary.
Philippi credits a “variety of Lyons and Mehama residents, parents, coaches, grandparents and kids” for the hard work they put into making the ball park a “clean and family-friendly environment.”
“A local church uses the field in the off season and graciously cleaned up the roadside area, clearing brush and debris, creating a clearing that opened up the viewing of MBP for those driving or going by,” Philippi said.
The cleanup makes the park view “warm and inviting,” she said, and safe from vandalism, which has been an issue in the past.” Philippi also credited JMJ Photography for taking team photos and donating 10 percent of the earnings back to the ball park. The city of Lyons donated funds from its park fund, and a Hit-a-Thon barbecue also helped raise funds for park improvements and maintenance, she added.
“The goal is to make the running of MBP a success for volunteer coaches with improved organization and support to make molding the young people of our community to learn the meaning of ‘sportsmanship’ and ‘teamwork.’”
To date, eight teams gather to play ball at the park: a fifth/sixth grade boys team, sponsored by Mehama True Value Hardware; three third/fourth grade teams, two boys and one coed, sponsored by Wilson Operations, Philippi Construction and Santiam Towing & Recovery; two coed first/secnd grade teams, sponsored by Foothills Firewood and Country Video & Variety; and two coed T-ball teams, sponsored by the Gingerbread House and JMJ Photography.
“Our Mehama fifth/sixth grade team took first place in the end of the year tournament against Stayton, Mill City and Scio on June 19!” said Brown enthusiastically.
A thanks for a major part of their success goes to Western Oregon University players “Gavin, Ryan and Dugan” for putting on a four-hour baseball clinic for league players, Brown said.
In addition to the strides taken to upgrade Mehama Ball Park to what it is today, Brown and others hope that continued improvements will draw even more community support and usage. Future improvements include: cutting the grass on field three to make a dirt diamond, dugouts and roof; building pitching mounds and additional bleachers; adding home-run fences on all three fields and along Ferry Road; expanding and adding gravel to the parking lot; improving and adding concession stands and storage sheds; and creating a Mehama Ball Park website; and initiating a rainout/information hotline.
“We plan to have this baseball park become a community area, not only just for baseball but for other community events,” Brown said.
On July 18, a Salute to the Community Barbecue Day will take place, put on by the Mehama Fire Department to honor all firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and others serving the community.
“Local churches are also putting on a Bluegrass Festival at our fields in August,” Brown said. “We are very excited about what we have been able to achieve in one year and hope to achieve the same in the years to come.”
To sponsor a team or volunteer to coach, umpire, work at the concession stand or in any other capacity, call Brown at 971-218-5350 or Pam Philippi at 503-599-7169.
