Area parks and rec. directors urge public to be cautious at parks

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Parks all across the state are allowing people in, but they’re not exactly opening in full swing.

For the most part, playgrounds and pavilions are open, but things like community centers and bathrooms remain closed.

Sandy Ruffin and her granddaughter, Reagan, were among the few people to venture out.

“Oh, come on out. It’s safe. Everybody distances… you know, it’s very safe. I feel real safe, and my granddaughter, Reagan, she loves it out here,” said Ruffin.

Ruffin said she feels safe because she takes precautions while out in public.

“I wipe everything down when we get here and then when we leave,” said Ruffin.

Both Lowndes County and the City of Columbus rely on people like Sandy Ruffin to sanitize public areas.

“There’s not a budget for that, and what we do is, we have to do the best that we can know that there are limited supplies right now, you know, because everyone wants the same type of supplies because we periodically come and spray down the playground equipment and areas the children come into contact with,” said Columbus Parks Director Greg Lewis.

“We don’t have the personnel that we can come out here every day and wipe things down. That’s one of those things were individuals, and we fell like parents, have got to take some of the precautions themselves,” said Lowndes County Recreation Manager Roger Short.

Both park directors and members of the Caledonia Baseball League are planning a meeting on May 14.

They hope to all be on the same page when it comes to starting up their summer sports programs.

“It’s hard for me to imagine that we can keep 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10-year-olds six feet apart,” said Short. “You’re going to have kids in dugouts, and everybody is touching the ball. A lot of times, you’ve got situations where kids use the same bat.”

With more people sure to make their way to the park over the next few days, Lewis said it’s important to take precautions.

“Even though, you can gather 20 people, it only takes one person to infect you, so we want to make sure we bare that in mind and we want to do the safest thing for our citizens,” said Lewis. “Please practice the safe distancing of 6 feet, please don’t have too many that are going to be gathered, please bring wipes and sanitizer with and make sure you’re keeping your hands clean as often and as proper as you can.”

There’s no official word on whether or not sports programs will continue in Lowndes County this summer.