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Scott Davis and his coworkers keep city's parklands pristine

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By GEOFF WARING

The Review

The hot sun bakes down on Scott Davis as he grooms the land at Alliance's Butler-Rodman Park. He hops off his tractor and slips into the shade under the gazebo.

Davis is familiar with Alliance's summer heat, having worked in it as an employee of the Alliance Parks, Recreation and Cemetery department since 1989.

It was Wednesday when Davis, the assistant parks foreman, concentrated his efforts on clearing the area where an old playground, which had been deemed noncompliant, was removed in the foreground of the Lions pavilion.

Davis and his coworkers do the best they can to keep the park in pristine condition. They spend long days grooming the park and making it ready for events, such as the weekend's Hot Stove baseball tournament.

"I'm a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none," he said with a laugh, noting the many odd jobs he takes on during big tournament weekends. "We make sure everything is working safe, remove trees, fix leaking fountains or running toilets."

After graduating from Alliance High School in 1988, Davis said he received a scholarship to play baseball at Youngstown State University. But a torn labrum ended his pitching career, and he bounced around college for several years before graduating from Kent State University with a degree in parks and recreation in 1995.

He worked as a summer athletic field attendant all through college, and in 1997 he was hired full time as Alliance's athletic field commissioner before becoming assistant foreman in 2007.

"I've always enjoyed the outdoors," Davis said, scanning the freshly kept fields at Butler-Rodman Park. "And I was raised in athletics."

He acknowledges times haven't been easy for the parks and recreation workers due to the economy and the loss of some athletes to traveling sports clubs. "The numbers are down due to the population of our town decreasing," he said.

However, Davis said that although there may be fewer people the Alliance parks are getting more use. "We're trying to meet community needs by doing more stuff," he said. "But it's hard when you only have four or five full-time employees."

Financing for parks and recreation and its employees is wholly based on moneys allotted out of the city's general fund; however, local organizations, including that who participate in athletics, provide financial support.

Summers are busy for Davis and the other employees who oversee and upkeep the 220 acres that make up the Alliance Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.

Davis said the most challenging part of his work is not being able to complete every task necessary due to the massive amount of land he oversees. "It's a lot of area to take care of for four or five employees," he said. "We work fast but there's always something to do."

Still, Scott doesn't feel overwhelmed and said he enjoys going to work each day. "I love being outside," he said. "And it's something different every day."

The love of outdoors is something Davis shares with his family. He and his wife, Marcy, reside in Alliance with their three children. Davis speaks with pride about their three kids' athletic activities. He has two daughters, Morgan, a gymnast, Madeline, a dancer, and his 4-year-old son, Bo, whom he calls his, "little baseball player."

Davis sees his work as a way to maintain the Alliance community that he has been a part of for so long, the same community in which he raises his own family. "I love my job here and I love my town," he said. "My work is a way to give back to my town."

gwaring@the-review.com




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