RACHEL RAVINA/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Children play basketball during Berlin’s National Night Out on Aug. 6 at Dr. William Henry Park on Flower Street in Berlin. Berlin’s Mayor and Council permitted town officials to apply for grant fund- ing to light the basketball courts at night until around 10 p.m. If approved, this would apply to fiscal year 2021.

By Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Aug. 22, 2019) The Berlin Town Council approved agreed last week to seek state funding to buy lights for the basketball courts at Dr. William Henry Park.

Administrative Services Director Mary Bohlen said the town is seeking a $107,500 grant from the Community Parks and Playground Program of Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The town would match $1,000.

Bohlen told the council the project would cost approximately $108,500.

Bohlen cited public demand “to be able to play basketball beyond the regular hours, which basically are [until] dark.”

If approved by the state, park officials would be able to control how long the light fixtures would be illuminated. In this case, Bohlen said 10 p.m. was a suggested time.

“So the lights would only be turned on up until that time,” she said. “They can’t be turned on after that time, and they’d only stay on for a set period of time when they are on.”

Bohlen added the town applied last year, but its application was rejected. Money from this grant, if awarded, would become available in fiscal year 2021.

Also reporting on the park, Berlin’s Managing Director Jeff Fleetwood told the council that the rusted swing set there had been replaced and the new swings were installed last Monday.

The new swing set at Dr. William Henry Park cost $6,418.18, according to Fleetwood, who added all playground repairs cost around $8,000.

This update comes following an inspection of Dr. William Henry Park on Flower Street and Stephen Decatur Parks on Tripoli Street earlier this summer. Along with the swing set, several pieces of equipment were repaired.

Fleetwood also reported that the playground piece known as the “spider web” also needed repairs and should be brought back up to standards the end of the week.