Skaters at Lester Square Skate Park in Vincennes no longer have to pack it in when the sun goes down. New lighting was officially unveiled at the park, giving riders the ability to practice safely into the evening hours for the first time.
The upgrade was paid for through a donation from the Knox County Prosecutor's Office, with local volunteers pitching in to help finish the installation, according to WTHI-TV. Brian Grove, president of the Vincennes City Council, said the project simply would not have come together without the prosecutor's funding, telling the station it “just couldn't have been possible.”
Officials describe Lester Square as a popular gathering spot for local youth, and the new lights are meant to keep it that way after dark. Knox County Prosecutor Dirk Carnahan said the investment is about “promoting safety and providing positive activities for young people,” framing the lighting as both a recreational perk and a safety measure.
Where the Money Comes From
The funding source is unusual: the prosecutor's office paid for the lights using user fees collected through infraction deferral programs, including fees tied to deferred speeding tickets and other lower-level offenses. Carnahan said those fees help support community projects like this one, and argued the lighting benefits more than just skaters.
“The lights also make this a safer place and makes it safer for those who live around this park too,” Carnahan said, according to the same report. The idea is that a well-lit park gives children somewhere to go once school lets out and evening sets in, while also improving visibility for the residents who live nearby.
Part of a Larger Parks Push
The skate park's lighting isn't happening in isolation. City officials describe it as part of a broader effort to revitalize public spaces across Vincennes, and the Vincennes Parks and Recreation Board previously voted unanimously to continue the Lester Square lighting project, per the Sun Commercial. The skate park itself has seen a string of upgrades beyond lighting, including security cameras, a large fishbowl feature, new concrete, and upgraded rails and ramps, according to We Are Knox County.
Mayor Joe Yochum said Vincennes is also applying for a Lilly grant that could provide up to $2.75 million for investment in the city's parks system. “We have the opportunity to get up to two and three-quarter million dollars to invest in our parks,” Yochum said, per WTHI-TV's report.
Future Projects Still Uncertain
A new play structure at Lester Square is among the projects under consideration as part of the city's broader parks plan, which is being developed with Indianapolis-based Rundell Ernstberger Association, the Sun Commercial reports. That plan is a required step before Vincennes can apply for additional project funding.
Yochum has cautioned, however, that a project's inclusion in the parks plan does not guarantee it will actually get built. For now, the completed lighting at Lester Square stands as a concrete example of what the city's parks revitalization effort can deliver, even as bigger-ticket items like the potential Lilly grant and future play structures remain unresolved.
