Although a cold shot of wind hindered the evening's festivities, it didn't damper the spirit of local officials, community sports organizers and some families who came together to celebrate the installation of a new lighting system at Caffi and Waters Field at 120 Cherry St. in Vienna.
The new system, which replaces the aging older system, demonstrated the partnership among the communities invested in the field. Indeed, funding for the $262,000 system came from the Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services, the Town of Vienna, and the Greater Vienna Babe Ruth Baseball League, the Vienna Girls Softball League, the Vienna Youth Incorporated Football Program and Vienna Youth Soccer.
"An awful lot of people put in an awful lot of energy to make this happen," said Vienna resident Mark Meana, who presided over the evening's ceremony. Meanna, a former football coach with the Vienna Youth Incorporated Football Program, serves on the Fairfax County Athletic Council and the Football Board of Commissioners.
The new lighting system replaces the old system, which was more than 30 years old. It eliminates light spillover and insures directional lighting using state-of-the-art technology. It also uses computer activation to turn on and off the lights.
"It's a difference between night and day when you see these lights on," said Vienna mayor Jane Seeman during the evening's ceremony.