by Jerry Grillo
White County News
When Travis Turner looked out at the people sitting and standing there in the parking lot, brightened by a low-hanging sun, he wanted them to know that this ribbon-cutting ceremony represented something personal for him.
“When you see me smiling this evening, it’s not a show—it’s genuine and heartfelt, because I am thoroughly excited about what opportunity we’ve been afforded here,” said Turner, chair of the White County Board of Commissioners, as he stood in front of the Yonah Preserve Recreation and Community Center last Thursday evening.
Constructed debt free, Turner said the 43,010-square-foot, $11.4 million facility is a landmark achievement for White County.
“We’ve got something here that’s going to bless our community for generations,” he told the crowd, later reflecting quietly on his own memories of the county’s recreation evolution, recalling the days when the parks and rec program consisted of a few baseball fields.
“It was a lot smaller back then,” he said. “But I know what it meant for me, playing ball and building relationships with coaches and other kids in this rec department; relationships I carry with me to this day.”
The journey to Thursday’s grand opening began in 2011 when the county started conversations with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources about utilizing the 1,000-acre property that was formerly an outdoor therapeutic program for juvenile boys. By 2013, White County secured a 50-year lease, and in 2018, received the deed to the property.
The new facility has two full-sized basketball courts capable of also hosting
volleyball games or being converted into pickleball courts, with retractable bleachers that can seat up to 300 people. There also are spaces for passive recreation and a little bit of something for almost everyone, according to Parks and Recreation Director Kim McEntire.
“This facility is for you guys,” she told the crowd of more than 100. “It doesn’t matter your age or your skill level or ability level, whether you’re three or 103, we’re here for everybody.”
Later she quipped, “it feels like we’ve got Yankee Stadium and the Taj Mahal here. I’m excited because we’ll be able to offer so much more.”
Some of the facility’s design actually emerged from a dream Turner had — he envisioned a porch overlooking the ballfields, where parents could gather to watch their kids play, and escape the sun.
Architects from Gainesville-based BCA Studios transformed that into reality. Augmenting the dream was the scene of a community relaxing in the large shaded patio, enjoying goodies from a Varsity food truck, playing ping pong or beanbag toss, walking wide-eyed through the building, where kids were running, some playing basketball.
A selection of seats in the center of the bleachers had backs for added support, one of them bearing a sign reserving a place for former White County Sheriff Neal Walden. Turner shared the story behind the sign. For years, Walden would give Turner grief, teasing the commissioner because he’d visit facilities in other counties, “ and see how nice theirs was and how antiquated ours was. Sheriff Walden, there’s a seat in there with your name on it. I think you’ll enjoy it, too.”
In addition to being an all-purpose sports facility, the center also has a practical emergency preparedness function. It was designed with community safety in mind — a generator would allow the building to function as a potential shelter, providing a safe, functional space during an emergency.
“My hope and prayer is that we never have to utilize this capacity,” Turner said.
Local contractors were prioritized during construction, with Charles Black Construction leading the project and using numerous local subcontractors, a point of pride for Turner and the board of commissioners.
After the ribbon was cut and the gathered community members flooded into the new gymnasium, a palpable feeling of hope and promise entered the building with them. Commissioner Lyn Holcomb may have best captured that feeling with his comments.
“This gymnasium has been on my mind for a long time,” he said. “In my dreams, though, it was never this awesome.”