Lee Sportsplex renamed to honor former mayor

By Staff
Melissa Cason
A new name will soon be found at the Lee Complex ball fields as the Russellville City Council voted to name the complex on Lawrence Street in honor of the man who worked to make that dream a reality for Russellville children, John Blackwell.
John Blackwell was mayor of Russellville from 1988 to 2000, and was the first mayor to serve three consecutive terms in office.
John passed away in May 2005.
Corrine Blackwell, John's wife of 54 years, said it's an honor for his family to have this park named after John.
"He would have been very honored by this," Corrine said.
Daughter Denisha Blackwell said she remembers her father as someone who always had an interest in providing recreational opportunities for Russellville's youth.
"Dad served on the Park and Recreation board for years before becoming mayor," Denisha remembered. "He was always interested in giving young people an outlet for their energy."
John was instrumental in the baseball complex.
"He got Lee to donate some of the property to build the fields out there," Corrine said. "I remember he worked hard to get that project completed."
Denisha said she remembers her father arguing with the telephone company over a telephone pole in the middle of where the ball fields were going.
"There was a pole in the middle of where the fields are now," she said. "Dad called and called to get them to move the pole. Finally, he called the phone company and told them the city was moving the pole because it was holding up construction. They moved it that day. I remember us laughing about that then."
John acknowledged the fields were a group effort at the completion of the project.
"This just didn't happen. It took a lot of work from a lot of different people," John said at a press conference at the opening. "It was the result of us pulling together and working together."
John passed away in May 2005, but Denisha feels he would have been humbled by park being renamed in honor of him.
"I think he'd been very honored, but humbled by it," Denisha said. "We, as a family, are honored by this."