Cohen Complex renovations complete
<span>In the words of Chester Mayor Tom Page, "It looks like a different complex."</span>
<span>The infield renovation project to fields 1, 2, 3 and 5 at the Cohen Complex has been completed after several weeks of nightly work. The $67,750 project was installed primarily through the work of volunteers.</span>
<span>"I've been out there almost every day watching the project and I'm super impressed," Page said. "It doesn't look like the same ball diamonds. It wouldn't have been possible without the guys at Chester Sports."</span>
<span>Chester Sports Inc. provided most of the labor and will undertake most of the maintenance on the fields, while also contributing $3,500 to the cost of the project. The City of Chester and Chester District 139 each provided matching $30,875 payments.</span>
<span>The remainder of the cost was covered by donations from Chester Eagles, Knights of Columbus and Chester American Legion Post 487.</span>
<span>"As far as the dirt work, we wrapped everything up pretty much last week," said Chester Sports President Trevor Kelkhoff. "The contractor wants to come in during the winter with a roller to roll the fields before (baseball and softball) season starts and get everything packed a little more."</span>
<span>Kelkhoff noted there were four or five volunteers helping out every night, with as many as 40 for labor-intensive days.</span>
<span>"We had a really good core group of four or five of us that were out there pretty much every night," he said. "On the days when we needed bigger crews, we were able to get the word out and get 40 guys."</span>
<span>Contractor Agro-Logics, which oversaw the installation, has provided a maintenance schedule to Chester Sports. Kelkhoff said the recent heavy rains should not have an adverse effect on the new infield soil materials called DuraEdge.</span>
<span>"The rain always helps with settling and compaction," he said. "It's been really good for the sod. The roots have gotten in deep already."</span>
<span>Page wished to express his thanks to the volunteers for their help in making the project a reality in difficult economic times.</span>
<span>"Again, I can't say enough about the volunteers," he said. "All the communities that came in here and fell in love with our complex, I'd like to see their eyes this year because they'll think they're in a different place."</span>