NATCHEZ &045; Crews are wrapping up improvements to Natchez’s city parks in advance of the start of summer.

In recent days, crews finished resurfacing tennis courts at Duncan Park, a project made possible by a partnership between the city and the Natchez Community Tennis Association.

In January, the city has received $5,000 in funds from the NCTA and a $5,000 matching grant from the U.S. Tennis Association’s Adopt-a-Court program.

Tennis courts must be resurfaced every five to six years or they become unusable &045; and the courts were last resurfaces in May 1996, according to city Recreation Director Ralph Tedder.

And courts in good condition are especially needed since the state mixed doubles tournament will return to the facility this year, recreation officials have said.

In recent years, the NCTA also donated $3,750 toward $11,000 court resurfacing.

In September 2000, it donated $5,000 toward a $35,000 tennis court lighting project.

&uot;We’re really happy to be able to bring those (courts) up to standards,&uot; Tedder said.

Meanwhile, improvements are taking place at North Natchez Park as well, Tedder said.

Sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act are being installed from the youth center driveway to the park’s spraygrounds and from Triumph Lane to the basketball court.

A water fountain and swinging bench are also being installed.

Those and other projects at North Natchez Park were funded by a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant, $25,000 in city funds and $43,800 in city in-kind services, such as engineering, labor and materials.

Such grants are especially welcome since, due to heavy rains earlier in the fiscal year, the golf revenues needed to maintain and improve recreation facilities are lower than anticipated.