sports
Complex to supply needed sport area
By Sue Hanneman
Of The Print
“It’s been a struggle all the
way, every way we go,’’ stated
Red Soils Youth Complex co
creator Jim Tucker, in
reference to the three-year bat
tle to acquire land for use as a
recreation area for the youth of
Clackamas County.
But the end of the struggle is
now in sight with groundbreak
ing on the 20-acre site an
estimated two weeks away,
and a completion date targeted
for 1982. The community-
sponsored, $325,000 complex
is planned to meet the ever in
will contain six ball parks (four
major fields and two minor
ones), and four full-sized soc
cer fields. The fields are to re
main open and in operation
year round, starting with
baseball and softball, followed
by soccer.
The large land area owned
by the county includes about
100 acres, 20 of which have
been leased on a'year-to-year
basis to the junior baseball
organization for $1 annually,
for the recreational use. The
land was not previously being
used, and no immediate use
was planned. The Cinderella
overhaul from an unproductive
plot of land into playing fields
‘Until the ground’s broken, the peo
ple aren’t going to believe it.’
creasing demand for youth
recreation programs.
Due to the ever expanding
participation in youth-oriented
programs throughout the coun
ty, the youth complex is being
created to provide recreational
facilities with aims to promote
sound athletic programs for the
area’s youth.
The site is located next to the
Clackamas County Sheriff’s
Department complex between
Molalla Avenue and Kaen
Road, just off of Warner Milne
Road. As now planned, the site
should have no outstanding or
negative effect on the area, ac
cording to project organizers.
It will, however, provide
precious recreational space to
keep up with the growing de
mand of the public. “We now
have only eight fields available
for practice and games,’’ stated
Jim Tucker, who is the co
creator and 'member of the
Committee for Youth Sports.
“We have an extreme need for
the use of these new fields,” he
added, pointing out the 50 to
70 teams which will be involv
ed with the site after comple-
Women's Basketball
Awards ,
All League Selections
Second Team
Jamie Hill
Third Team
Cindi Johnston
Honorable Mention
Lou Ann Garvin .
Team Honors
Most Valuable Player
Jamie Hill
Cindi Johnston
Most Inspirational
Carolyn Raimondi
Best Offensive Player
Lou Ann Garvin
Best Defensive Player
Angel Humphrey
Most Improved
Carolyn Raimondi
Page 6
tion. “All have a need for
organized, laid out fields.”
According to Doris Hill, pro
ject coordinator, the fields will
serve large
numbers
throughout the community.
“With the 50 teams that will be
using the fields, the average
participants involved at one
time will include 5,000 parents
and 2,800 youths.” Hill’s point
of view runs closely with
Tucker’s, as she echoes his
words by saying, “The growth
is so tremendous in this area,
we have a dire need for the
fields.”
Currently, youth teams play
on eight fields scattered
throughout Oregon City, in
cluding Kelly Field, local school
fields and Clackamas Com
munity College. But the pat
chwork arrangement cannot
keep pace with the exploding
public demand, especially
when local budgets are suffer
ing cutbacks.
Hill believes the new fields
are essential, especially now
with the budget cuts. “There
-are not parks or recreation
areas other than the Oregon
City pool this year because of
the budget cutback,” she said.
Indeed, many believe that ad
ditional fields can and will be an
investment for the youth of
Clackamas County.
Paul Fiskum, community
recreation supervisor at the
College, is the person in charge
of scheduling the field usage as
well as other recreational ac
tivities for the College. Fiskum,
paying special attention to the
campus softball fields which are
scheduled six days per week
from. May through August,
,wrote in the 1980 Community
Recreation Annual Report,
“The recreation facilities con
tinued to receive maximum
utilization during the past fiscal
year.' While the number of
Stqff photo by Sue Hanneman
facilty use requests forms pro ceptional recreational area t(
cessed are virtually the same, a serve thousands of people yea
greater number of requests had round.
to be denied this year than
“This is just a tremendous
last.”
project, and I think that th
Until the Red Soils Youth more people who are aware d
Complex is completed, existing this, the. more they will becomi
fieldswill remain overcrowded. involved,” beamed Hill.
To help combat this, the
recreation director fo the city of
Indeed, the struggle and
Oregon City, Les Packalak, hard work are paying off for all
has had to place an 80 percent those involved with the youth
residence requirement on the project, since the project is
adult softball teams, restricting months ahead of schedule and
further the persons allowed to proceeding well. “I’m pleaset
participate. The baseball and that we are four months aheai
girls softball teams have had to at this point,” added Hill. “Yd
restrict the number of players could not have done this thra
they can serve because of the years ago. It just seems to b
number of fields available for the right time.” b
their use.
With the actual ground
After establishing the need
breaking in sight, David Steel
and worth of such a complex to
be built, co-creators Jim Tucker summed up his feelings on th
subject after four to five yeai
and David Steele-have been
of planning and work by sai
faced with the burden of fun
ing, “It will sink in when tf
ding the project. Steele stress
ground’s broken! Until th
ed, “The whole project is to be
ground’s broken, the peop
funded entirely by donations
aren’t going to believe it.”
from the people throughout the
community,” including spon
sors in rhe business area, and
fund-raising., projects such as
dances and b^er gardens that
are organized py Doris Hill.
Fund-raisers are stillbeinq held
in an effort to reach the
estimated $325,000.
The project is a non-profit
package, established, say it&x
creators, for the benefit of
thousands of various aged
children, as well as for the com
munity at large.
Much time, manpower,
equipment and money have
been donated by the city, local
schools, clubs, organizations
and the National Guard of
ficials to construct the complex.
The complex so far has func
tioned on the total volunteer ef
fort directed with aims in pro
viding the county with an ex-
Located at
Upper Entrance w
Elevator
Clackamas Community Colle