EATON — With the help of funds from the Brooke-Gould Trust, the city’s Brooke-Gould Memorial Tennis Complex will soon receive much needed repairs and upgrades, including the addition of pickleball courts, according to city officials.

St. Clair Foundation representative John DeVilbiss attended the Monday, April 15, meeting of Eaton City Council to announce the Foundation’s board had decided it would be contributing $100,000 from the Brooke-Gould Trust toward the project estimated at costing over $180,000.

”I’m very happy to be with you this evening, for just a few moments, to bring some smiles I assume, to the City of Eaton and their leadership,” DeVilbiss told council. “I’m here tonight representing the St. Clair Foundation and the Brooke-Gould Trust. St. Clair Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization which was established in 1971 to serve the charitable, cultural, scientific and educational needs of the community and the county. Our board of directors was originally only a few citizens but in 1998, the foundation felt it was time to expand the board to include all areas of the county. Currently there are 15 classes of board members serving the St. Clair Foundation as directors. These fine ladies and gentlemen represent the entire county and must represent the entire county, because we have to have a member from every township in the county, as well as leadership from the court and the city.”

“We administer a lot of funds, and there are a number of funds, but one of the best and most special ones as far as I’m concerned, and I think of the entire board — a bright light, if you will, of our foundation — is the Brooke-Gould trust,” DeVilbiss continued. “This was a trust originally established a number of years back by two ladies who lived in Eaton, and had the City of Eaton in their art, to say the least. As you look around all over Eaton, you’ve seen a lot of what this trust has done — in the library and your parks.

“One of the things we’re talking about tonight are the tennis courts, behind the McDonald’s,” he added. “The park facility is known as the Brooke-Gould Memorial Tennis Complex because funds from the trust were utilized in its construction.”

DeVilbiss said he had received a letter from Eaton Service and Parks Coordinator Zac Wilson regarding the desire to repair the tennis courts and put in some new facilities as well. “To bring it up to what we’ll call the 20th or 21st century,” DeVilbiss said. “I’m sure that Mrs. Brooke and Mrs. Gould never thought of pickleball, but there are some pickleball courts involved in this. And that’s very popular now. And I think this is what they would want done with part of their money,” DeVilbiss added.

“So, on that, the board considered it, talked about it for quite a while, and mulled it over in their minds and came up with the idea that they would like to contribute $100,000 towards that project. I think it will take care of a lot of it,” he noted.

“So, in honor, if you will, of these two fine ladies, we would like to present you with that.”

“John, we truly thank you for the generosity of this donation for these courts,” Mayor Matt Venable said. “I think it’s been needed for a long time, and I think the public is going to get great use out of the improvements we’re going to make down there. So, thank you very much, and thanks to all the board members.”

In other business, council heard from Fire/EMS Chief Andy Bekemeier, who provided an update on Fire/EMS Division activities since his taking over as chief. He noted the promotion of Dustin Newton from lieutenant to battalion captain, and vacancies including the assistant chief of operations and two lieutenant positions, with a third to come open later this year with retirement of one longtime member. Bekemeier said the division is up over 30 calls so far this year over last year.

Bekemeier also reported the Fire/EMS Division had also received the 2023 EMS Star of Life Award.

“It’s given to departments for exceptional service. This call, it was deer hunter that fell about 25 feet out of a tree and had multiple fractures, both arms, facial fractures and we were short staffed that day. I actually came from the Fall Family Day last fall, with the ladder truck, and actually stole one of Daniel’s (Gray, Public Maintenance Supervisor) guys to come out and help, because we didn’t know how far back they were. So it was us, the Sheriff’s Office, and West Alexandria Fire came and they brought their UTV, and I was able to get back there and get him out. So we’ll be recognized for that on May 22, in Columbus.”

Along with equipment, like replacing the IPads with new laptops due to a change in reporting software, and activities including Operation Santa Sleigh and industry sector day, and eclipse planning activities.

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.