BURTON FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS AWARDED $25,000 LCRA/BLUEBONNET GRANT FOR IMPROVED PARK LIGHTING
representatives present a $25,000 grant to the
Burton Friends and Neighbors for lighting upgrades
at Burton Park. The grant is part of LCRA’s
Community Grants program. Pictured, from left to
right, are: Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs
representative; Landry Fuchs, Fuchs Haus
Construction project coordinator; Abigail and
Caroline Blanding, daughters of Melissa Blanding;
Kyle Merten, Bluebonnet community representative,
Brenham area; Angie Fritsch, Burton Friends and
Neighbors board member; Dustin Majewski,
Washington County commissioner, Precinct 4;
Robert Mikeska, Bluebonnet board
secretary/treasurer and director, District 7; Nathan
Kalkhake, City of Burton city council, Position 1; Ben
Flencher, Bluebonnet board chairman and director,
District 5; Stephen F. Cooper, LCRA Board chair;
Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member;
Kendall Prenzler, BF&N board member; Darrell
Kieke, BF&N board chair; Melissa K. Blanding, LCRA
Board member; Terri Smith, BF&N board treasurer;
Hannah Krebs, BF&N board secretary and daughters
Lynette and Collins; Virginia Roberts, BF&N founder;
Jane Hinze and Barbara Schoenemann, BF&N board
members; Chasidy Nowicki, Bluebonnet intern; and
Joy Fuchs, BF&N volunteer and grant writer.
(courtesy LCRA)
The Burton Park will soon get upgraded lighting thanks in part to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
Burton Friends and Neighbors will utilize the grant, along with $98,000 in matching funds, to replace the park’s original lighting system with energy-efficient LED fixtures. The new lighting is designed to improve visibility, reduce glare and enhance safety for athletes, coaches and spectators.
Burton Friends and Neighbors Chair Darrell Kieke said the current lighting system at the park is over 20 years old and was originally repurposed from a field for Blinn College. He said the improved lighting will better support the athletes, families and volunteers who rely on the fields, and it will also reduce long-term operational costs that are critical for keeping the park accessible and affordable. He said, “We are deeply appreciative of this grant, which supports a community initiative that is ultimately all about giving back to the kids.”
The Burton Park has grown into a central location for youth sports, tournaments and community gatherings in partnership with the City of Burton. Kieke said Burton Friends and Neighbors is completely volunteer-based, and it has been a community effort from the very beginning, with volunteers continuing to staff the concessions and help maintain the park.
The grant is one of 41 awarded recently through LCRA Community Grants, which are awarded twice a year as part of LCRA’s effort to give back to communities in its wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July at www.lcra.org/grants.