Here has been the scene at the Linden tennis courts for several years.A concrete wall that looks ugly.
This is the freshly painted practice wall at the Crow-Health Memorial Sports Park in Linden.The building was formerly an enclosed racquetball court.
This picture from several years ago shows Linden’s Crow-Health Memorial Baseball Park looking eastward toward the tennis courts with its white concrete building which was an enclosed racquetball court. A basketball court is also located where the tall p
Scott Ross is ready to start painting the concrete wall at Linden’s tennis court. The wall is important because it allows players to practice by themselves. Note the court’s new blue surfacing and windbreakers in the background.
Linden’s Economic Development office had been flooding lately when public employee Scott Ross had the idea to build a rock drainage path. The idea came from the town’s recent drain to a retention pond. Ross says he still intends to add decorative, col
Linden public employee Scott Ross is doing a professional job of painting the wall at the park tennis courts. He’s doing the job himself and on his own initiative.
Unknown public service hero
Scott Ross of Linden is a public servant.
That is, he works for the town of Linden. When it’s hot in the middle of the day or when he’s asleep in the middle of the night -- even weekends -- he may be called out to help fix a town water leak.
He works for the public and tries to do a good job. The city and its citizens depend upon him 24-7/365. Why is he comparatively unknown? A small town knows its policemen, its volunteer firemen and very likely its animal control officer. Even though they can be considered our heroes, there are others too....
But a town’s street repair person, sewer worker, water lineman, lawn mower, hedge trimmer, trash remover, etc., is almost anonymous.
Recently, Ross was up on a ladder and near its top in height, paintbrush in hand, at Linden’s Crow-Heath Memorial sports park. The huge concrete wall had been an eyesore to an otherwise handsome tennis court facility, one newly painted and with large blue wind-breakers.
Some unseemly citizens had painted giant graffiti on the wall. Not obscene. Just non-understandable. Something having to do with demons.
Ross in his role as parks and facilities supervisor had finished a round of mowing and on this morning was at the concrete wall to do another public service.
He carefully painted the wall a light grey, getting it ready, perhaps, for the local schools to paint their logo here. The Linden-Kildare Tigers play their tennis matches here.
On his own, Ross was making use of a break in other emergencies to paint the wall.
He was asked if he would allow his picture to be made, maybe an interview.
“Not really,” he said. “Don’t need the attention. I’m just doing my job.”
What is the job of the public servant? “It’s to do what the public needs in a proper way,” volunteered Megan Kirkland, the town’s economic development office assistant administrator who works closely with the town’s public service department.
After a few moments of discussing the public service person’s job and importance, employee Ross said it was all right to take his picture.
“You can talk about me and what I do,” he said. “After all, I’ve had 15 years with the city and am nearing a point at which I can retire. Every day I get to see the benefits of my work for the city, and I prefer to be on the outside. I just don’t need to draw attention to myself.”
Ross is a 1980 graduate of Linden-Kildare High School and when he retires, Linden will need a replacement. Someone who won’t mind receiving little attention even while doing a proper job for the townspeople.
“Public opinion is both the reward and challenge for a town’s public employee,” say both Kirkland and Linden’s City Administrator Lee Elliott. “And the best possible result is for a town, its employees and its citizens to work together to make a better town.”
One example of this would be the assistance the town has received from citizens in caring for the tennis court facility at the town’s sports park.
Recently, John Russell bought and installed a new net at the court. Then, Gary Clayton and Dr. Bruce LeGrow built and painted four resting benches for players. Other players keep the courts clean and have installed and maintained two trash receptacles.
Last week, public service employee Scott Ross returned the favor by painting a practice wall. He earned a little bit of attention for his effort.