By Josh Troy
Clarksdale Advocate
A groundbreaking ceremony for a new basketball court and playground behind the Bobo fire station took place Wednesday afternoon, with public officials and members of the community in attendance.
Coahoma County Administrator Kim Seals said the playground would be funded through donations, and the installation of basketball goals is expected to take place in the near future.
“We are here in the town of Bobo, Miss., at the groundbreaking ceremony in the Bobo community,” said Seals on Wednesday afternoon. “Thank you all for joining us today at this groundbreaking ceremony for the outdoor playground here in the Bobo area.”
District 5 Supervisor Roosevelt Lee, a resident of Bobo, played a significant role in advocating for the new basketball court and playground.
“As you can see, we have a nice court here that we’ve designed for children to play in,” he said. “I think it’s really going to brighten up the area for the kids to come and have fun. If we don’t take care of our kids, it’s going to be a shame on us.”
Board of Supervisors President Johnny Newson, representing District 4, stated that the Coahoma County Youth Outreach program helped the county fulfill its obligations to its citizens. He added that the basketball court and playground were another step in this process.
“We are still trying to fulfill our obligation,” he said. “Our obligation is recreation, education, and crime prevention. This is just one of the projects that we have completed from our recreation aspect.”
District 1 Supervisor Paul Pearson was also glad to see a new basketball court and playground coming to Bobo.
“It’s always good to be a part of something very positive,” he said. “It’s good to be out here in the community. It’s going to be great for Bobo.”
Two Bobo residents who played instrumental roles in making the basketball court and playground a reality were present at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“I love it,” said Bobo resident Kenneth Sims. “It’s a dream come true for me. My son and I are going to be out here doing a little something.”
Bobo resident Steven Ivy agreed. “We needed it here 20 years ago for the kids,” he said. “We have nowhere to play in Bobo. It’s a great thing they did. We want to try to continue to keep it up all the time.”
