Marksville hopes to have basketball goals in Bethune Center for Easter break

Efforts to bring a community together to make the Bethune Youth Center a useful place for children and families of Marksville took a big step forward last week when residents of the Martin Luther King Drive presented a plan fueled by volunteers and donations.

After about an hour of hearing comments from residents in the area around Mingo Park -- which includes the ballfield, basketball courts, D.A. Jordan Center and Bethune Youth Center -- an impromptu advisory committee came back with recommendations to allow basketball in the Bethune Center. Volunteers would supervise the center while it was in use. It was also stressed that volunteers would man programs to offer youth "more than just basketball."

Under that proposal, endorsed by the council, two portable basketball goals will be donated and set up in the former Bethune gym. As of Thursday afternoon, City Hall was unaware of any goals being secured for the Bethune Center, but said efforts are under way to obtain those prior to next week.

If the goals are secured, the center would be open for basketball from Monday-Thursday of Easter vacation (April 17-21). Children ages 5-12 would have the court from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., teens aged 13-17 would have the court from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and adults 18 and over would have the court from 5 p.m. until closing at 8 p.m.

“Striping” the Bethune Center floor as a basketball court was briefly discussed. That would occur later and the cost would also either be covered by donations for that purpose or be done as a donation, the council was told.

{For more on this issue, see the next edition of the Marksville Weekly News}

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