With the start of spring just three days away, the boys and girls of summer are getting ready to take up America’s pastime once more.

In Valley Grande, the children will be able to play ball in their hometown for the first time after the Valley Grande baseball fields are debuted on April 9.

“That is the day we have planned on having a ribbon cutting,” Valley Grande mayor Tom Lee said. “We are planning on having three games on that day, one on each of the fields.”

Right now, the work on the fields continue as the final touches of sod being laid and dugouts being formed, but Lee said the progress is a relief.

“We have gone through a lot of adversity to get to this point,” Lee said. “But we are coming through it right now. When you see those boys and girls out there practicing like they started to last week, it makes it all worth it.”

Lee said all of the equipment needed to host games is already in place, but they are still waiting on a few more things to complete the experience.

“We have all of the concession ready and the equipment is here, we are just waiting on things like a scoreboard,” Lee said. “That’s it though, we will still be able to play without it.

It’s exciting to see these nine months of work coming to the end. It will be great for the kids around here.”