By Travis Gettys
Enquirer contributor

NEWPORT - Heavy rains last week washed away final improvements to the renovated Bartlett Field, delaying the ballpark's planned June 4 rededication until June 25.

"It just washed all of our dirt work all over the place," said Nick Rouse, city parks and recreation director. "We had to start from scratch."

A May 26 afternoon downpour ruined sod planted in the outfield and newly installed infield dirt, which, coincidentally, will feature a drying agent to reduce rainouts.

The two-year, $1.5 million renovation of Bartlett Field includes both fields of Veterans Memorial Park, which were reopened April 17.

"It's been a long time since it had anything done to it," Rouse said. "The fields were in bad shape."

All three fields will be covered in bluegrass sod with an underground irrigation system, and each field got new fencing, dugouts and backstops, Rouse said.

The park also got electric scoreboards, a new feature, and Bartlett Field got a new lighting system, said City Manager Phil Ciafardini.

"The people in the city of Newport are going to play on fields as good as any around," Rouse said.

The project, paid for with bonds issued by the city, was not without some controversy.

A contractor fired from the project last summer filed a lawsuit in federal court for $320,000 it says the city is withholding from a contractual agreement.

"They removed us from the job 20 days prior to the contract being up," said Jeff Wright, owner of Wright Seyferth Construction of Delhi Township.

"They stopped us from doing the work."

Newport countersued Wright Seyferth for unfinished work, said city attorney Michael Schulkens, who did not specify the amount sought.

"None of the litigation is affecting the park," Schulkens said. "It's caused a delay, but the park's going to be done."

Also, a dispute last fall nearly resulted in another lawsuit when the new contractor, Prus Construction of Linwood, cut trees on land the city had not yet purchased from a family who lives adjacent to Bartlett Field.

"We were in negotiations to purchase the land," Ciafardini said. "It was just a little premature on the contractor's part."