Lumberton Youth Baseball Association officials were presented with the Pride in Lumberton Award during Wednesday’s City Council meeting at City Hall. Pictured, from left, are LYBA officials Mira Kenney, Adrian Lowery and Bruce Mullis, City of Lumberton Recreation Director Tim Taylor, Councilman Leroy Rising and Mayor Bruce Davis.
                                 Chris Stiles | The Robesonian

Lumberton Youth Baseball Association officials were presented with the Pride in Lumberton Award during Wednesday’s City Council meeting at City Hall. Pictured, from left, are LYBA officials Mira Kenney, Adrian Lowery and Bruce Mullis, City of Lumberton Recreation Director Tim Taylor, Councilman Leroy Rising and Mayor Bruce Davis.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian

<p>Rising</p>

Rising

<p>Davis</p>

Davis

LUMBERTON — The Lumberton Youth Baseball Association was honored by the Lumberton City Council Wednesday after the Association successfully hosted the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series in the city in August for the third time in five years.

The LYBA was presented with the Pride in Lumberton Award during Council’s regular monthly meeting at City Hall.

The tournament brought 33 teams from 11 states to the city, resulting in approximately 1,500 visitors and about $800,000 in economic impact to Lumberton and Robeson County.

“I thought it was important to recognize them because they showcase Lumberton in its very best light,” Councilman Leroy Rising said as he presented the award. “They give their time and their effort and they give back year after year, and they set the example for us, for the kids, for the families and others. Most of these folks have children that have already gone through the LYBA.

“Their efforts impact the kids, they impact, the city, they impact the state. People from Virginia all the way to Texas have visited Lumberton, and they remember Lumberton, and they, so to speak, put Lumberton more on the map so that people remember when they come through Lumberton, our area, they speak very highly.”

As LYBA officials accepted the award, its treasurer Bruce Mullis announced that LYBA has been awarded the 2023 Dixie Youth Baseball North Carolina state tournament for the AAA division, which is age 9-10, to be played July 7-13, 2023.

“So we’ll be hosting another big tournament — it won’t be quite as big as the World Series, but it’ll still be probably 24 teams from throughout the state coming to Lumberton in July,” Mullis said.

Mayor Bruce Davis also read a proclamation, stating he “urge(s) all citizens to join in honoring the members of the Lumberton Youth Baseball Association for their hard work and commitment to our youth and the City of Lumberton.”

“Through their 28 years of service to our area through youth baseball, thousands of players have been given the opportunity to bond with one another and grow into outstanding young citizens within our community,” the proclamation read in part.

Council also heard a thorough update from Public Works Director Rob Armstrong on the floodgate project underneath I-95 near VFW Road. Read more on this in a related story here.

In other business, Council:

— Approved the Fire Department’s purchase of a truck topper and bed slide-out for its water rescue truck, at a cost of $6,717.98 from low bidder Leonard Aluminum Buildings & Truck Accessories.

— Approved a change order for a fencing project at the Electric Utilities Department complex. The addition of $5,886 pushes the total cost to $34,860; the city budgeted $35,000 for the project.

— Approved the acceptance of a Housing Mitigation Grant Program award pertaining to Hurricane Florence for the elevation of three properties, located on Page Street, Kenny Biggs Road and Alamac Road.

—Approved the purchase of new pumps at the Kenny Biggs Road Lift Station at a cost of $137,388.11; the city budgeted $130,000 for the project and will use leftover funds from the under-budget Pines Lift Station Replacement project.

— Approved a change order for the Tanglewood Drainage Project for $12,722.77, which will cover the expense of an unexpected sewer conflict on 27th Street, and also the deduction of 100 linear feet of existing 72-inch storm pipe which will not have to be removed. The change will be paid for from the project’s budget contingencies funded by U.S. Economic Development Administration Grant funds.

— Approved for Public Works to contract Pelton Aggregates to crush concrete debris into usable aggregate base course at a cost of $9.50 per ton. Approximately 10,500 tons of concrete debris will be crushed, up to the $100,000 amount that is budgeted.

— Approved for the old Public Works Building, across from its main facility on South Cedar Street, to be re-roofed, at a cost of $17,500 by low bidder Britt & Britt Roofing. The cost is not budgeted; Council approved for the project to be paid from city’s the water and sewer capital reserve fund.

— Approved for an asbestos abatement to be performed by low bidder CCI Environmental Services at the former Scottish Packing property, which the city now owns with intentions to turn it into a public park; this will cost $10,500, paid for from an ongoing Environmental Enhancement Grant.

— Approved the acceptance of a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant for $39,330 to the Lumberton Fire Department, which will use the funds to purchase Hurst extrication tools.

— Directed the city’s Planning Board to review a rezoning and special use permit request by Robert Freeman for four lots on David Street, Airport Blvd. and Cavalier Drive to be rezoned from R-15 residential single family to M-2 heavy manufacturing to be rented out for the operation of steel manufacturing and outside storage; a public hearing was also set for the November meeting.

— Approved the following allocations of Community Revitalization Funds: $1,000 for the McCormick Chapel Church’s 85th anniversary event; $950 for the Southern Sapphires Dance Company; $850 for the 11th annual Robeson County Christmas Show; $800 for Girl Scouts Troop 91; $800 for Rowland Norment Elementary School for a teacher’s luncheon; $750 for Tanglewood Community Day; $700 for the Southeastern Eye Center’s annual prom; $550 for First Baptist Church’s youth program; $550 for the Lumberton High School basketball program’s fundraiser golf tournament; $500 for a community holiday dinner in Precinct 3; $200 for the Cruising Second Street Again event, to be held Nov. 19; $200 for Carolina Pines beautification at Pinedale Blvd.

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter at @StilesOnSports.