By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In July 2021, the Great Bend Recreation Commission installed $10,000 windscreens to wrap around the fencing at two tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park. Two years later the fencing and windscreens were damaged following a strong storm.
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Currently, there are sections of the windscreens that have detached from the fence and are flapping in the wind. Rec Director Chris Umphres said the Rec Commission wants to put the screens back up but are not sure if that is a good option considering the fence damage the city has seen in the past.
"We don't know if we're going to put the windscreens back up or take them all down," said Umphres. "We're working with the school district and coaches to figure out what the best avenue is for those. The windscreens are not damaged. With some of that insurance that came through there, we don't know what the best route is."
Following the storm last July, Great Bend Public Lands Director Scott Keeler said although the windscreens are functional and look good they may cause more damage to the fence when strong wind storms occur.
The windscreens are designed to provide a 22% wind pass-through rate.