Charles Warner|Daily Times A group of Oakmont of Union residents and staff members, local government officials and members of Leadership Union took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony formally opening the "patio" that will allow Oakmont residents to watch as well as hear baseball games at Timken Sports Complex.

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The residents of Oakmont Nursing Home and Residential Care Center will now will be able watch ballgames on one field of Timken Sports Complex without having to leave the center’s grounds thanks to the members of Leadership Union and a number of other dedicated volunteers.

Leadership Union members, local government officials, and Oakmont residents and staff gathered behind the center Thursday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony formally inaugurating what Leadership Union Coordinator Heather Patterson called the “patio” that will enable nursing home residents to watch baseball games on the Rotary Field of the complex. Patterson said the construction of the patio and the concrete path connecting it with the center, was a project of the 2011 class of Leadership Union called “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”. She said the project came about when class members learned Oakmont residents could hear games being played in the field but were unable to actually watch them.

“We realised that the residents here at Oakmont could hear the games going on at Timken Sports Complex but could not see them,” Patterson said. “There was a line of trees blocking their view, plus there was nowhere for them to go to watch the game. In order for them to see the ballgames, someone had to pick them up and drive them around to the complex. So we thought it would be a good service project for the class to make them a patio overlooking Rotary Field.”

Once the class decided on the project, Patterson said they sought and got approval from the city and the county to clear away the trees that were blocking the residents’ view of the field. In making the project a reality, Patterson said the class was able to get help from a number of individuals and groups, all of whom donated their time, energy and abilities to building the patio.

“All labor was donated,” Patterson said. “Bill Ferguson cleared the trees and Sailors Paving & Asphalt did the grading. Detention center inmates fabricated the rails and Torance Inman and John Patterson set them. Ace Hardware donated the equipment used for setting the rails. Ralph Rice had a whole crew — Wallace Rice, Frank Gist, and Rodney Young — here, all of whom donated their time. Piedmont Concrete gave us a special deal on the concrete we used.”

Oakmont Admissions Director John Dorn thanked Leadership Union for its efforts.

“We’re thankful for Leadership Union for this project and grateful for the kindness and labor that went into the project,” Dorn said.