Local resident Felton Wood recently finished renovations on the community baseball field in Lula.
Wood and several other members of the community banded together to repaint the concession stand and add appliances, bathrooms, picnic tables and grill stations. The renovation was funded by Wood personally. He hopes this will help engage the community and promote more outdoor events.
“I'm always involved with the community,” Wood said. “I just wanted to get back involved with the community and get the community out and get the kids to have something to do around here. So I figured, well, let's focus on the baseball field. So that's what my purpose is out here on the baseball field.”
The condition of the concession stand and field prior to the renovation was that of disrepair and neglect. With approval from Mayor Joe Thomas, Wood, his wife, his nephew Steven Lawless, and the Mayor’s wife Patti Thomas were able to complete the project in just under two weeks.
The crew painted the inside and outside of the concession stand, furnished it, added outside lighting, repainted the parking lot stripes and added outdoor grill and picnic options.
“I still got a lot of work, I still got to pressure wash the bleachers, tighten up the fence on the ball field,” Wood said. “You know, it's all coming together slowly. But you know the thing about it, at least it’s getting done. And then our city, we got more people moving in, we got people that annex their property in, we got more growth. So, we all work together we can get small stuff done and the big stuff.”
Wood wears many hats in the Lula community. When he’s not at city council meetings or renovating public amenities, he’s busy remodeling houses, performing handyman services and roofing homes.
Along with the renovations, the baseball field received several art donations from local Frank Norton Jr. Wood and his crew attached the art to the backsides of the bleachers and hope it will add some character to the park and make the area more visually pleasing.
The community baseball field in Lula is currently available to be rented out for events such as birthdays, festivals or church revivals. This weekend Lula is hosting its annual Fall Festival at the baseball field, starting on October 15.
Wood said any donations made to help continue the baseball field renovation are greatly appreciated. Right now, he is hoping to get baseball bats and softballs, along with any monetary donations. All donations can be made to Lula City. You can contact them at (770) 869-3801.
The baseball field is located at 5831 Athens St, Lula, GA 30554.
