South Caroline United by Athletics, or
SCUBA, is a story of
community cooperation that makes our county proud. The sports
leagues of two communities, Preston and Federalsburg, were not
long ago content as individual entities, if not somewhat overly
protective of their leagues. Today they have merged to become
stronger and more inclusive than ever. Steve Blanchfield, one
of the founding members and president of SCUBA said, "If you
told me a few years ago that Federalsburg Little League and
the Young Peoples Organization of Preston would have been able
to create this new organization so quickly, I would not have
believed it."
But a common need, short notice on an available piece of
property, and support from the
County
Commissioners and the County Department of Recreation and
Parks brought a dream to fruition for both. In June 2001,
the County Commissioners purchased a 73-acre piece of
property at the corner of Seippes and American Corner Roads
in a particularly beautiful area of the county. Thanks to
a grant from Maryland's
Program Open Space,
this site is now the future home of the
South Caroline
Regional Park and Athletic Complex. Obtaining property
that could provide additional playing fields and be a focal
point for community athletic activities has been in the
planning program of the Recreation & Parks Department for
years.
Several other properties had been proposed, but none were
quite what was needed. "We have always enjoyed the enormous
energy generated by the volunteers managing our youth sports
programs, but witnessing the bonding of these two groups in
common purpose has been a real treat", commented Sue Simmons,
director of Recreation & Parks. "SCUBA actually became an
organization in December 2001, and has been a consuming
purpose in my life since then", affirmed Milton Nagel,
vice president of the Executive Board.
Now that the project is ready to launch, Recreation & Parks
has begun the master planning process for professional site
design. Combining multi-use elements and esthetics will be
priorities. As the months and years pass, the farm fields
will be transformed into a first-class park for all age
levels. Until then, an interim use arrangement is being
negotiated between SCUBA and the County. For further
information or to support the efforts of SCUBA, contact
Steve Blanchfield at 410-754-5736 or Milton Nagel at
410-754-3206.
