A big addition to Borsch Memorial Park in Valmeyer is well underway, and with the installation of lights at Dennis “Boog” Pieper Field, more plans are on the horizon to make the Valmeyer Midsummer Classic and other events there even better in the coming years.

As Valmeyer Lakers Manager Mike McCarthy previously told the Republic-Times, efforts to get lighting for the baseball field at Borsch Park have persisted for about three decades, with previous opportunities never coming together.

The most recent push for lights has come about thanks to a donation from Ameren Illinois, which supplied eight steel poles – 18 years old and in good condition per Ameren spokesman Brian Bretsch – recently retired from a substation in the community.

McCarthy previously gave much credit for this donation from Ameren to his cousin Eric Seidler, Ameren’s senior vice president.

Seidler, himself a Valmeyer native, recently offered comment on Borsch Park and his hopes for the lighting project.

“As young as I remember, I’d ride my bike there to watch the Lakers. Later, I played there, ” Seidler said. “It’s a great atmosphere. It’s beautiful. It’ll be even better when these lights are up.”

McCarthy also recently offered an update on how the project is coming along.

With the poles set by Ameren’s subcontractor L.E. Myers Co., further arrangements have been made to get the lights themselves in place.

“We’ve got three lifts lined up, and I’ve got 20 guys lined up to help every Saturday between now and (July 4), several electricians and farmers and welders,” McCarthy said. “It’s like an old Mormon barn raising. They’re walking across the hills helping me. It’s pretty awesome.”

McCarthy added that a number of folks volunteering their work are former Lakers in different trades, from the boring crew for the project, the overseeing electrician, the Monroe County Electric Cooperative contact and even the folks up in the basket doing the actual installation.

With the first round of light setup taking place this past weekend, McCarthy was positive about the project’s schedule.

Seidler also echoed his sentiment about the community’s rallying.

“It is a lot of the community coming together,” Seidler said. “It’s a feel-good moment that is awesome to be a part of.”

Regarding the project’s budget, McCarthy previously expressed his appreciation for the contributions of longtime Lakers supporter George Obernagel, the Valmeyer Jaycees, Luhr Brothers, Hank & Lilly’s Fountain Inn and the Valmeyer Lions Club.

While the project’s GoFundMe has only raised just under $400, McCarthy said additional donations from individuals have brought the budget just $20,000 shy of the $150,000 goal.

He also noted that, as the installation appears set to cost less than the budget, any leftover funding will contribute toward future renovations at the park.

While McCarthy previously alluded to some additional improvements he’d like to see for the field and facilities, he offered a bit more information recently, noting how the park’s bathrooms are perhaps most in need of renovation.

“The bathrooms, they are separate from the pavilion, and you’ve gotta walk through the grass a pretty good ways,” McCarthy said. “They were built in the 50s or 60s probably, they’re very dated. So for older people, anybody in wheelchairs, it’s a challenge to get from the pavilion when you’re watching a game to get to the bathroom and get back.”

The field’s fencing, he said, is similarly several decades old, though he added the village has already committed to installing a new fence.

McCarthy also suggested that a concession stand adjacent to the bathrooms could be on the horizon, along with some other ideas that could come together year by year.

“I’ve got more ideas about a double batting cage,” McCarthy said. “I think each year we’re just gonna keep trying to add to the park. A new sound system so people in the outfield can hear during the Fourth. Championship game, we’ll have a couple thousand people there playing under the lights. We’ve gotta try to take this park to the next level.”

The current focus is still, however, the lights, and as they’re expected to come together in the very near future, McCarthy plans to honor all those who volunteered their time and effort with a plaque.

Those interested in donating to the project can contribute to the GoFundMe at gofund.me/48b8403d.

Donations can also be mailed to 2054 Trout Hollow Road, Waterloo, IL 62298.